Saving Max

Chapter 3

I stare at Caden for a moment before nodding my head.

"Okay." I tell him quietly, turning on my heel and starting down the hallway, Max and Caden following close behind me.

"Bella!" Kelsey shouts, coming out from behind the desk and grabbing me by the arm. "What 's going on?" she asks, her voice now only above a whisper.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay. We just need to talk." I tell her quietly, turning back to Caden and Max who are waiting patiently in the hallway.

"Just don't do anything stupid." she sighs, releasing her grip on me. Giving her a small smile, I start walking back over to Caden and Max, motioning for them to both follow me. When we arrive outside of Max's room, I turn towards both of them, unsure of what to do next.

"Max, why don't you go and wait for us in the room. We'll be in there in a few minutes." I tell him, leaning down to look him in the eyes. He doesn't say anything for a moment, just stares at me.

"You promise?" he asks, looking between Caden and I with worried eyes. Before I can even open my mouth, Caden answers him.

"I promise, buddy. I just need to talk to Bella here for a little bit." Caden tells him. Max nods his head slowly, opening the door to the hospital room.

"What are you doing here?" I ask Caden, ushering Max in to the hospital room, closing the door behind him, the sound echoing off the walls.

"I'm here to see the person whose been helping my brother. I wanted to say thank you, and I wanted to let you know that you don't have to take care of him anymore, I'll be looking after him now." he tells me, moving to open the door, but I quickly move in front of it, blocking his way.

"What makes you think you can take care of Max when you can't even take care of yourself?" I spit out, suddenly becoming all too aware of what little space there is between us now.

"I'll make it work. It might not be ideal, but you and me both know that it's better than where he's living right now." Caden says, his voice low. I sink back further against the door, not saying a word, knowing that he's right.

"Fine. But I want to help." I tell him.

"Absolutely not." he says quickly, shaking his head.

"Why not? I've been looking out for him for two months while you've been out doing God knows what at your little military school. What did you even do there? Sneak off behind some tank and do some drugs? Drink a little whisky?  Well while you've been doing that, I've been here trying to help your brother. I deserve to take care of him more than you ever will." I say quietly, pushing at his shoulders to try and distance myself from him.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" he roars, stepping closer to me once again, pinning me up against the opposite wall. "I've been trying to get my life together these past few months, trying to figure out a way to get back o Max so I could help him. You can't just assume things, Bella." he says quietly, his voice having a sharp edge to it.

"I'm not wrong though, am I?" I ask quizzingly, looking him directly in the eyes. "Maybe you've been trying to get back to Max for the few months, but you've been away for two years, Caden. What about all the time before those few months? What were you doing then?" I ask him, not bothering to push him away from me this time. He doesn't respond for a second, just stands there. I'm about to speak again when he lets out a shaky breath, his shoulders slumping.

"People can't just change instantly. It takes time. Just because I got sent to military school doesn't mean that the second I got there I was a changed man. The first few months, I would sneak away from my base. I would go to the bar and get a few too many drinks, try and find the girls sleeping quarters; you know, dumb stuff. Stuff the old Caden loved to do.