Love Me Again C.H

Chapter 9

Sadly it was time for the daydream to end and today was my first day back at work.
Kasey had tasked me with pricing the sale items.

This was the funnest work ever got, I danced to the radio coming over the speakers and clicked away with the pricing gun.

Suddenly I bumped into someone.
"Sorry." I say before turning around to reveal Max.
"Omg Max I've missed you so much ." I say squeezing the life out of him.
"Hey Jupiter." He says enthusiastically.

"How've you been?" I question.
"I've been ok, lonely." He replies.
"Lonely?" I say in a questioning tone.
"Yeah you've been spending a lot of time with Cal , which is great." He responds.
"You feel left out?" I ask.
"A little." Max says .

"I'm so sorry ." I say.
"It's ok I just wanted to get that off my chest." Max answers.
"I'm glad you told me." I say.

We both get back to working.
"So tell me about your weekend with lover boy." Max says.
I tell Max about our hike the day before yesterday and how Calum had been moaning the whole time.
Max couldn't help but laugh hysterically.
"Well it was sweet of him to want to come with you." He says.
"Yeah." I answer.

Finally it was lunch.
Cal: want me to bring you anything for lunch ?
Jupiter: no thanks babe , gonna ask max if he wants to go to Chilis.
Cal: oh ok well you guys have fun.

I go over to Max and ask him if he'd like  to go to Chilis with me.
"I'd love to ." He says.
"Great." I answer.
We cross the parking lot.

I order a coke and the southern smokehouse burger. Max  grabs a lime soda and the chicken salad.
We can't stop talking, in  this moment I realise that  me and my best friend hadn't talked like this in a long time which made me sad.

After we had demolished  our food I pretend to go to the toilet to go and pay the bill wanting it to be my treat.

"Right let's get back to work." I say pulling my coat on.
"We've got to split the bill first." Max says concerned.
"No we don't,trust me." I say with a wink.
"You didn't." Says Max fake pouting.
I giggle.
...................................................
I got home from work I connected my phone to my portable Bluetooth speaker and put my favourite Spotify podcast on.
I started to cook up a home made tater tot Hot dish.

As the aromas started swirling round the kitchen I decided to open my notes app and make a list of things Max and I could do as I knew we needed to hang out more than we had been recently.
I felt like a teenager again.

I got snuggled on the sofa and watched the office whilst eating my food.
I was laughing so loud,I swear I heard my neighbours knocking on the wall.

By the time I had gone to bed I had a hundred things that Max and I could do I was excited to see what he thought about them.
*
Light started seeping through my windows. It was time to start the work cycle again.
I got dressed and went on my way chatting to Max on hands free.
"You going to Starbucks before work today." I quiz.
"Yeah I need caffeine bad today, want anything?" Says Max.
"I'd love a cold brew ." I answer.
"I gotcha beautiful."

Max and I meet up on the parking lot he passes me the gorgeous caffeine fuelled drink.
"Thank you so much." I say.
We sign in to work.
I was assigned on restocking shelves I hated this job as I always managed to break my back with all the bending and stretching.
I was even more pissed to see the self called popular girls sat on the floor on their phones doing nothing.
I would have screamed at them but there where customers around and I couldn't be bothered with Kasey calling another staff meeting.

Suddenly I see Max coming round the corner, he looks up at me I point my fingers at my eyes then at the girls.
He shakes his head at them.
"Lilah , Rhys darlings get off your sweet little butts and work or become strippers you already have the names and you wouldn't have to do much." Max lectures them.
I try my best to keep my laughs in as I restock the hot Cheetos on the middle shelf.

They roll their eyes at him and get up to get on with their duties.
"Thank you." I mouth to him.
He gives me a thumbs up and walks past.

On our 20 minute break I went through the list of things I wanted us to do together.
"God if only we had more time off." Max said.
"I know right." I reply.
*
The working weeks went by , everyday Max and I filled our calendars with activities.

Right now Max and I where drinking cider in his living room.
"I'm excited for the bungee jumping." Max says.
"Really I'm nervous." I laugh.

We talk a bit more.
"Gosh I wonder how Ash is feeling." Max says referring to him having to make a statement tomorrow.
"I'm sure he's torn up by it but we'll all be there with him." I answer.

A few bottles of cider more and we where sleeping like logs on the sofa.

The next day , Max and I woke up with splitting headaches.
"When will we learn." Max says.
"Right." I say lighting a cigarette at the breakfast bar.
We laugh at the irony.

Max orders açai from Uber eats.
Whilst we wait for our breakfast we get dressed in casual outfits.

Finally our açai bowls arrived. Max  tossed the  driver his money as we walked out of the apartment.
We get to the parking lot  Max's keys jangle from their place, hooked over his finger.
...................................................

We sing along to our joint playlist ,
we can't help but laugh when a 5sos song comes on I belch Calum's solos.
"Remember when we used to skip these when you guys broke up." Max chuckles.
"Don't remind me." I giggle.

At every stop sign I spoon some açai into Max's mouth and try to finish mine off as much as I can.

30 minutes later we get to Ashton's house.
We let ourselves in. Ash,Luke,Michael and Cal where crowded round a laptop.
"Hey guys." Max says unusually shyly.
"Max , Jupiter thank you for coming." Ash says looking up at us. His face looked sleep deprived and stressed.

Ash got each of us to proof read the word document , his statement.
"Looks good Ash." I say after proof reading it.
"Thanks." He replies. I smile.

Micheal hits record on an iPhone set up on a tripod in the middle of the living room and we all go next door.
"I'm sure he'll smash it." Luke states.
"Yeah." I agree.

*
Ash was done with his statement and we where filing back into the room.
I sit in between Cal and Ash.
Ash's hands where visibly shaking due to adrenaline. I can't help but grasp at his hand and hold it firmly in mine.
"Everything will be ok." I say genuinely.
"I hope you're right Jupiter , I have a feeling they're going to hate me or worse hate Emilia , I'd rather they hate me I was the one that hurt her." Ash rambles.

"What's done is done mate." Cal tells his friend. The others quietly agree.
Ash nods his head.