Ripped and Stitched

36: Changes

Brady and Julia were laying on one of the beds in the cabin with their Big Macs and fries between them laughing as Julia told Brady about what lie she told her parents to come to Alison's cabin with them.

"No, I swear," Julia said through laughs. "My mom thinks I'm touring Yale. I even photoshopped a picture of me at one of the libraries."

Brady chuckled. "I told my parents I was visiting Hayden," he smiled. "We're surprisingly getting close again, he's covering for me."

Julia grinned. She put down her burger and sighed as she laid back down on the bed.

"If only we could stay here," she said dreamily.

Brady smiled and put his burger down too. He moved on top of her and Julia beamed up at him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him towards her. Brady obliged and kissed her, if only they could stay here forever.

***

In the other bedroom, things were looking a little different. Brady had delivered some McNuggets and fries to their room and peered inside. Alison was laying on the bed, her face tear-stained and misery filled. Max quietly thanked him and closed the door.

He put the food on the side table and went back over to Alison. He laid back down on the bed and she crawled back into his arms.

"So, what happened that night?"

Alison wiped her eyes and Max rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Kate kissed me," Alison finally murmured. "She wanted to like, hook or something and when I pushed her off of me she went and cried to Oliver about it. So, now I can't come back or he'll kill me."

It was taking everything in Max not to lose his mind with anger. He had always hated Kate but the thought of her hurting Alison made him furious.

Max didn't know what to say. He just smoothed her hair and continued to hold her as she shook in her arms.

"What are we going to do?" Alison asked, wiping her eyes again.

Max took a deep breath. "Can we tell someone? Surely the cops-"

"Oliver has police working for him," she reminded him. "Besides, what if I don't want to go back?"

Max didn't want to hear that she wasn't coming back. He changed the subject. "Tell me more about the nightmares," he asked instead.

Alison stared up at him, but then softly began to talk. "They weren't as bad at first," Alison murmured. "When we first came back, I had dreams about the basement. Those aren't bad, because I know the basement is the past. What happened down there, all of it can't ever happen again. But now," she sighed.

Max kissed the top of her head. "And what about now?" he asked gently.

"Do you want to know why I have the self-preservation skills of a kamikaze?" she asked.

He remembered saying that to her not too long ago.

"It's because I'd rather not be alive than deal with the nightmares anymore. Because I'm scared of everything now. I dream about car accidents, serial killers, animal attacks. Everything."

"It's why you drink and get high," Max surmised.

"I don't dream when I'm not sober," Alison whispered.

He held her tighter. "Ali, nothing is going to happen to you. I promise you have nothing to be afraid of."

"You can't promise anything like that, Max," she whispered. "I mean how do you know?"