Conflicted love *Waterloo road*

Seventeen

Aimee knew how Max had ruined her life. She felt like all she could do was sit and watch as Tom hated her.

She hated how much of a mess everything was. She wanted to be with Tom. But Max had ruined it. He had made out Aimee wanted him back when she didn't.

All she wanted was for her and Tom to go back to how it used to be. But she knew it wasn't going to be easy.

She couldn't do anything other than hope that Tom would understand that she didn't want Max. She only wanted him.

Aimee knew how she was still staying with Esmè. Tom had still blocked her. She knew how it was messy.

All she knew was that she was going to do whatever she could to make it right with Tom.

When morning came, she walked into the kitchen. Esmè was there. "Hey. How you feeling?" She asked.

Aimee shrugged and sighed. "I want Tom back so badly. It hurts my heart to think that he hates me. I don't want Max at all. He is a pig," she told her.

Esmè smiled. She handed her a cup of coffee and sighed. "I know all too well that Tom can hold a grudge. But I also know that Max can manipulate situations too. So you need to not let Max Tyler get to you. I know it's hard. So just... take whatever he says with a pinch of salt," she told her.

Aimee nodded and sighed. She knew how much of a mess that everything was. But she knew that Esmè was right. And that Max did have tendency to manipulate situations to benefit him.

***
Aimee went into work. She saw Tom and sighed. He had Lexie with him. She walked over to him. "Please can we talk?" She asked.

Tom shook his head. "Not why I'm with Lexie. No one comes before her," he told her.

Aimee sighed. "Tom please. I'm sorry. Max manipulates things for his benefit. I'm not interested in being with him. I'm only interested in you," she said.

Tom turned to look at her. He sighed. "We can meet for dinner tonight if you want. Esmè is getting Lex back tonight. So we can talk."

"Okay. Sounds good."

***
Aimee was sitting in the staffroom. She looked to Max as he walked in. "Hey. How's things?" He asked.

"Don't pretend you even care about me. You're just trying to make my life hell," she told him.

Max smiled. He walked over to her. "I do care. You can do better than an English teacher. You need someone who can give you what you really need."

Aimee rolled her eyes. She looked to him. "What I really need is Tom. And you're not going to come between us. You can try. But you won't succeed," she said as she pushed past him and walked off.

***
Aimee smiled as she saw Tom walking towards her. She looked to him. "Thanks. For this. I just... I don't want to lose you. I love you."

"I love you too. But there's only so much crap I'll take from Max. He's tried to ruin your life. And I don't know how you can be in the same room as him," Tom said.

Aimee nodded. She sighed. "I don't want his crap again. I hate being in the same room as him."

Tom took her hand and sighed. "I think we can make this work. It won't be easy. But we can do it."

Aimee kissed him gently and smiled. But was going it to work between them? Or would Max find a way to come between them yet again?