Chapter 34

CLAUDIA. To say that I’m shocked would be an understatement. I think that for a moment, hand on heart, my soul did leave my body. I look at Max, wanting him to look back at me. In fact, I’m hoping he will. But he doesn’t. I don’t want to talk because I have no idea what to say, but I can’t stand the silence between us either, even though it’s pierced by the sound of laughter and the merry fire crackling in the distance. So at last, I decide to say the only thing that it’s in my head right now. “Surely you don’t mean that… right?” That makes Max look up at me. The indignation in his face is so strong that I can’t help but take a step back in fear. He closes the distance between us anyway, staring me down like I said something horribly vile to him. And maybe I really did. “You think this is a joke?” he asks me in a low voice. “You think this is not serious? Well, to me, it is!” “I’m sorry,” I mumble. “It’s just that… it came out of nowhere.” When I say that, the puzzle pieces that