Cause for Concern ✓

fourteen

WEDNESDAY. 06. OCTOBER. (unedited)

"HEY," Max said, climbing into the passenger seat and shutting the door firmly behind him. "Thanks for picking me up.

"No worries," he said, watching as Max fastened his seatbelt with a click before pulling the car back onto the road. "How was dinner?"

How was dinner? Dinner had been good. Dinner had been a million times better than he'd thought it was going to be and he felt light and easy. This week hadn't been all that bad.

"Good," he said. "I had a good time."

"Yeah?" Cole asked, eyes wandering over him and a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "No windows smashed? No punches thrown?"

"Shut up," Max grinned, rolling his eyes. "No windows smashed, no punches thrown. Just a normal family dinner."

"Really?" He was wearing sweatpants and a thick grey hoodie that was baggy even on him, his dark hair was ruffled and tousled like he'd been lounging around, his head tossing and turning over a pillow or cushion.

"He apologised," Max said, watching Cole chew the inside of his cheek while he waited for the lights to change, his cheekbones sharp.

"He did?" He asked, turning to look at Max as they sped down the road.

"Yeah," he said, his head resting back against the seat. "He did. Said he wanted to try and repair our relationship. No hard feelings."

"You took him up on it, right?"

"You don't think it was a mistake or anything?" He asked as lights from the street flashed over their faces, illuminating their shadows out of the darkness.

"No way," Cole said with a little shake of his head. "I think it was a smart move. If he's going to make it up to you then he needs a chance, right? You'll be happy about it in the long run."

"You close with your dad?" Max asked him softly, recognising a glint of surprise sinking into the blues of his eyes.

"Nah," he said. "We're not close."

"You get along though?" He asked, angling his body so that half of his back was pressed against the car door and the window rather than the back of the seat.

"I guess so," he said. "I haven't seen him in a while so I don't know."

"You live with your mom?"

"Sister," he said. "I usually stay over at my sister's place. Haven't been home in a while."

"Sorry for prying," he murmured.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No, you're not prying. It's okay. It's not, like, personal or anything. My sister and I have a good relationship."

"I always used to wish I had an older sibling growing up," Max muttered. "Someone to look out for me, drive me places, take me for ice cream, buy me things."

Cole smiled a little and god he looked so pretty. "That's mostly what they're good for," he chuckled. "You don't have any siblings?"