“I’m making a video of you.” She dropped her feet to the porch standing up. “Say something, Henri.”

Henri sighed. His brown eyes lighting up with amusement, he grinned. “You should be the one on camera.”

“Why’s that, Henri?”

He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes looking away from the camera. “Because you’re so beautiful it hurts.”

Maven smiled from behind her phone. “Say something else.”

He stared into the camera lens, a solemn expression creeping across his face. “I’m Henri Levitt. And I have no idea what I am going to do when I have to dance with Maven.” He laughed, springing up from the swing and took off after her, she squealed, bounding across the porch, her bare feet echoing through the wood as she tried to get away from him.

She almost made it to the other end of the porch before Henri grabbed her by the waist, twirling her around in his grasp, her feet no longer on the floor. He set her back down, backing her against the white railing. His hands on both sides not allowing her to escape, he took the phone and turned the camera on her now, positioning the two of them in front of the viewfinder. He kissed her cheek.

“You see that?” he said, talking to the camera. “We just made a memory.” He kissed her again.

Maven’s heart pittered and pattered as he held tight to her chin, kissing her again. He shot a look at the camera, the only witness to the undeniable connection between the two of them. “An everlasting reminder of my amazing kissing skills,” He laughed. Maven snatched the camera away from him hiding her sadness. She knew he was joking, but it still dug at her emotions, making her ready to burst into tears.

Henri watched her take a few steps away from him. Her attention pinned on the video they just made. He leaned against the railing, knowing he had ruined the moment between them. But what could he say? Sorry? You couldn’t apologize for something you had no control over—like inevitable death.

When the silence was starting to become too much…that’s when Jake Summit ended it. His voice pulled them both back into reality. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“What are you doing here?” Maven said without delay. She shoved her phone into her pocket.

Jake gave Henri a quick glance before he bothered explaining himself. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Henri was beginning to feel awkward caught between the two of them. He moved out of the way.

“I don’t have anything to say to you, Jake.” Maven couldn’t believe Jake had the nerve to show himself at her house. It had been made clear he was to stay away from her. It was one thing to try and be malicious out in public, but at her home it was uncalled for and she was close to screaming for her father.

Henri pushed off the railing. “She said she has nothing to say to you. So why don’t you just leave?” He wasn’t going to let Maven deal with Jake alone. But he wasn’t quite prepared for what came next.

Jake shoved him into the railing. Maven jumped between them. “You keep your hands off of him.”

“Talk to me and I won’t lay a finger on him again.” Jake was angry, it was obvious by the heated scowl pinned to his lips. Maven had seen it time and time again. He was a bully their entire life.

Maven spun around and looked Henri over. Her heart beating out of her chest, she was so upset. “I’m sorry. Are you alright?”

Henri shook his head. “Of course. It was just a shove, a rather pathetic one.” He squeezed her arm. “Whatever you want me to do.”

Maven searched Henri’s eyes confused. She didn’t want Henri hurt. “I don’t want you to do anything.”

Jake groaned. “Just let me talk to her and it will be like nothing ever happened. That’s not too hard to do is it?” He raised an eyebrow. “Go home, Henri.”

Maven looked at Jake. “Don’t tell him what to do. You have no say in any of this.”

“I can go. As long as you think you’re okay being alone with him.” Henri lifted his hat from the porch swing. “I’m calling in fifteen minutes.”

Jake scoffed, watching Henri walk down the stairs. Henri shot him a look. “Don’t be stupid.”

Jake grinned, amused Henri had the nerve to threaten him. “Or what?”

“Or I’ll make you wish you never showed up uninvited,” Henri said, he looked at Maven for confirmation it was okay to leave. She nodded.

Once Henri was out of view Jake took a seat on the porch swing. “How quaint, you and Henri Levitt sharing precious moments on the old porch swing.”

Maven refused to look at him. Jake grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her down beside him. She slapped his arm away. “Don’t touch me, Jake. I agreed to talk to you, not have you manhandle me. My father is right inside, and he would love to get his hands on you.”

Jake refused to take her seriously. He cut to the chase. “Did you hear Tatiana and I broke up?”

Maven stood up, putting a big gap between the two of them. She leaned against the railing, the front door in view, making her feel better. “I heard. Is that why you’re here?”

“Don’t you want to know why I broke up with her?”

Maven shook her head a disgusted look on her face. “Of course I don’t. I’ve said it many times now. I don’t care. Maybe you should get that through your head.”

Jake stood up. He studied Maven. She was still just as beautiful. Just as girly and anxious as he remembered. “I broke up with Tatiana because of you.”

Maven started for the door. She didn’t want to hear anything else. But before she could slip inside and slam the door in his smug face he grabbed her by the arm. This time she wasn’t waiting around to see what would happen next. She screamed.

“Why are you screaming?” Jake stared down at her, his breath fast, his emotions overriding his rational judgment. “I came here to say that I was sorry.”

Maven twisted free. “Get away from my house now. You’re not sorry about anything. You’re crazy and I never want to see you again.”

The door flew open, thudding loudly against the house. “What did I tell you?” Mr. Wilder said, grabbing Jake by the collar of his shirt. He jerked him away from his daughter. The worst thing Jake could do was show up at his home.

“I came to apologize to her. I swear that’s all I was doing.” He didn’t have time to say anything else. Maven’s dad gave him no time to gain his balance. He shoved him down the porch steps. Jake fell to the ground like a bag of bones.

Maven tried to stop her dad. “Please, Dad, stop. He’s not worth it.”

But he wasn’t listening. He stood at the top of their steps watching Jake pick himself up from the ground and dust himself off. “I don’t want to see you around here again. And the next time you want to threaten someone, threaten me, tough guy.”

Jake was angry. Maven could see it. He was also scraped up and picking gravel from his elbow. He lifted his head, trying to pretend he still had some dignity left. “My parents are going to sue you.”

Maven’s dad laughed, crossing his arms and shaking his head in amusement. “Oh I doubt that. But feel free to try.”

Maven watched from behind her dad as Jake once again walked away with his tail between his legs.

“Next time you come get me if he shows up here.”

Maven nodded. “I thought I could handle him.”

Her dad pulled her close, throwing an arm over her shoulder. “That’s what I’m here for. Don’t tell your mother I threw Jake Summit down the stairs, okay, kid?”

Maven sighed, smiling a little at her dad’s pleased expression. He’d wanted to let Jake have it for a long time now.

They headed inside.

 

USELESS ISSUES

HENRI TOSSED THE RAG into the sink at the yogurt hut. Business had died down. And he had time for a break. It wasn’t that he enjoyed serving frozen yogurt, it was just most of the time April and Sandra were too selfish to help his aunt and uncle and he felt bad. Weeks before he wouldn’t have minded, now it seemed he wanted to be in another place. That place was around Maven.