The meal ended quickly.
Max was in high spirits. Even when she noticed my dull—slightly darkened—mood, she skillfully kept the conversation moving. Just like back at the motel, she didn't seem to run out of questions. Her curiosity didn't fade in the slightest.
From an outsider's perspective, it probably looked like interest. Like she wanted to know every small detail about me.
"Are you always this direct?" I asked.
Max sat across from me, letting half of her ice cream melt into a soupy mess without having taken a single spoonful.
"I get that you were curious about me when we first met," I continued, "but it seems like you're just too..."
I paused. I wanted to say "chatty" or "annoying," but I forced the words back.
"Ah, I was being a bit forward, wasn't I?" Max laughed it off. "I'm just curious about everything involving you, Lyra. Actually, there is one specific thing..."
