Max was lounging on the couch, still processing the whirlwind of emotions from his confession to Scarlet. Just as he was about to doze off, a firm knock at the door startled him awake. He rubbed his eyes, yawning, and made his way to the door, half expecting Chris or Evan to barge in with more teasing.
As he opened it, his eyes widened in shock. Standing there were Scarlet's parents, dressed casually but looking mildly surprised to see him. Scarlet's father, a tall man with a stern but curious expression, glanced past Max into the apartment. Her mother offered a polite smile.
"Hi, Max," Scarlet's dad greeted. "Sorry to show up unannounced. We were just in the area and thought we'd... drop by."
Max swallowed hard. "Uh, yeah... come in!" He stepped aside, feeling his heart race. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this uneasy. It wasn't fear, exactly—more like the pressure to not screw up in front of the girl's parents.
Scarlet's mom glanced around the modest living room, clearly observing Max's lifestyle. "Scarlet mentioned you lived here. We thought we'd check in since she's been spending quite a bit of time with you."
Max managed a polite smile, trying to suppress his nerves. "She... she has, yeah. Can I get you something? Water? Coffee?"
"No, we're fine," her dad replied, eyes studying Max carefully. "Nice place you got here. Pretty simple."
"Yeah," Max admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not much, but it works."
Her father gave a nod. "I noticed the car outside. That Mustang is yours right?"
Max's face lit up a little. "Yeah! I restored it myself. It was a wreck when I got it, but I've been working on it with my friends."
That seemed to earn him some points, as Scarlet's dad's expression softened a bit. "I appreciate a guy who knows how to work with his hands. Takes patience."
Max grinned, easing up a little. "It's kind of my escape, you know?"
Scarlet's mom chimed in with a curious tilt of her head. "Scarlet always says you're good with cars. I suppose that's how you take her out on those night drives?"
Max's cheeks reddened slightly. "Yeah... she seems to enjoy them."
There was a short, awkward silence before Scarlet's dad cleared his throat. "We were thinking... since you and Scarlet seem to be getting closer, how about joining us for lunch tomorrow? It would be nice to get to know you a bit better."
Max blinked, not sure if he'd heard right. "Lunch? Uh... sure! That'd be great."
Her mom smiled warmly. "Wonderful. I'll let Scarlet know. It'll be nice to hear more about you—from you directly this time."
Max gave a nervous chuckle, his mind racing with thoughts of what to wear and how to behave. After a few more words exchanged, Scarlet's parents excused themselves and left, leaving Max standing at the doorway, still trying to process the unexpected visit.
Once they were gone, Max let out a long breath, leaning against the door. His phone buzzed almost instantly. It was Scarlet.
Scarlet: "My parents just told me they met you! You okay? 😂"
Max: "Yeah, didn't see that coming. Lunch tomorrow sounds... fun?"
Scarlet: "Don't worry, they're harmless. I'll help you survive it."
Max smiled, his tension easing. Maybe lunch wouldn't be so bad after all—especially if Scarlet was by his side.