Chasing Daylight

Chapter Six

You put up walls and paint them all a shade of grey

-Taylor Swift

Maria

When I got back from the gym that night Max was sitting at the counter. "Hey," he said with a little smile.

"Hi," I answered setting my backpack on the ground.

"How was your day?" He asked awkwardly. I really wasn't in the mood for more conversation, but at this point, I expected it.

"Fine," I answered brushing my hair back from my face.

"I'm sorry about Mason last night," he said. "He's talkative."

"I thought he was really nice," I replied shoving kale into the blender. "I think you should have him over instead of all those girls. It's a lot quieter."

"Of course you think that," Max said rolling his eyes.

"I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but I did appreciate the full eight hours of sleep I got," I replied turning on the blender so I couldn't talk to him anymore.

"Where did you meet your friends?" Max asked when I finished.

"Why do you care?" I asked looking for a straw. I wasn't in the mood to receive snarky comments and then continue the conversation like everything was normal.

"I just..."

"I'm going to go shower," I said rolling my eyes. I walked out before he could say anything else. He was honestly so bizarre. One minute he was prying into my life and wanting me to watch football with his friends and the next he was yelling and breaking glasses. When I got out of the bathroom, I could hear Max and some girl moaning.

"God you're so fucking hot," the girl moaned and I sighed. I should have known the quiet was only going to last a night. I also should have known he wasn't going to keep his promise. I fell asleep with my headphones in.

--

Two weeks later I found myself sitting in a coffee shop with Sophie. "Okay so here is the real question, are you watching the bachelor tomorrow?" She asked me. We had long given up on any homework. She was having roommate problems and I hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in a week and a half. Between nightmares and Max's loud sex I just couldn't sleep peacefully.

"Oh my god, I totally am!" I grinned. "Do you watch it?"

"Yes," she laughed. "Usually I watch it with my roommates, but..."

"Come over tonight," I smiled. "Max has guests all the time. We can drink wine and judge the girls."

"That sounds like fun," Sophie smiled. "I'm totally down."

So the next night Sophie and I settled into the couch with two bottles of pink wine. Max was out somewhere, but I didn't know where. I just hoped he wouldn't bring a girl home.

"Your place is so cute," Sophie grinned as I poured her a glass. "I assume this was all you."

"It was," I laughed turning on the tv. We spent the first hour trying to remember all the girls and rolling our eyes at the cheesy pickup lines they gave while getting out of the limo. During a commercial, Sophie and I were opening our second bottle of wine when Max and Mason walked through the door.

"What kind of pick-up line is that," I laughed as Max and Mason closed the door.

"Hey, I didn't know you had someone over," Max said looking over to Sophie.