Stranger Things What Ifs

Chapter Fifteen

What if....Lucas hasn't seen Max in years only to find out she is with someone else? (Angst) (Picks up from chapter fourteen)

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Max cries while she packs her last bag, not even worrying about organizing her clothes, just throwing them into the suitcase and stuffing them inside, closing the zipper on the suitcase. She angrily wipes her tears away, her standing up and grabbing her other bag to get her bathroom things.

She has never made a rash decision like that before. Max cannot say that she loves Paul but he is a genuine guy, he's innocent. She knows he knows no clue of what happened in her past nor will she tell him all the details but she knows he deserves an explanation. She feels incredibly guilty, now she has to share the news with him and plus her heart feels so heavy when it comes to Lucas.

He has...definitely changed, she didn't see the same caring man a few hours ago when he took her against the wall. She can see it in his eyes, she still loves him and he still loves her but that was pure anger, that was rage and that was a need of showing her exactly how he felt all of these years of not seeing her. It makes her feel betrayed, but at the same time she cannot get mad at Lucas for it, she caused his anger.

So she only feels more guilt.

"Max I'm back!" Paul says while making his way inside of the apartment, closing the door behind him with red roses in his hand.

"Paul I need to talk to you—"

"Okay before you do I just want to say I'm sorry." Paul says. "I got on the defense way to quickly I didn't consider that maybe this Lucas broke your heart as to why seeing him made you down so I'm sorry that I got mad."

"No Paul that isn't what it is he didn't break my heart." Max shakes her head.

Paul looks at the suitcase and bag that she holds, seeing her eyes red and her cheeks flushed. "Max? What's going on?"

"Paul I'm..." Max starts, swallowing the lump in her throat. "...I'm moving back in with my mother."

Paul gives a look of confusion. "What?! Max please we can talk this out I'm sorry for getting mad I—"

"It isn't you Paul!" Max says with a angered gesture. "It's me." She looks down.

"Then I'm here for you Max—"

"I cheated on you." Max deadpans, Paul's eyes widening. "I cheated and...I never meant to hurt you but I did and...now I have to go."

Paul's mouth just opens before it closes, his eyes prickling with tears. He just throws his hands up, him nodding his head. "You cheated on me with Lucas."

Max swallows again, her looking over to the side. "I never meant to hurt you Paul. I'll go on and go."

"So what that's it? You're just going to tell me you're cheating and just leave?" Paul says.

"What else do you want me to do Paul? I betrayed your trust." Max throws up her hands.

"We can work through it!" Paul begins to cry. "What you don't want to work through it?"

Max purses her lips a little. "Paul look you're....you're a great guy, and you deserve someone that's...not going to lead you on."

Paul looks at her with a sad bewildered expression. "So all of this time you have just been...leading me on? That's what you are saying?"

Max swallows a little, trying to hold back her tears, gripping her suitcase harder. "I'll go on and go."

"I cared about you you know!" Paul says when she makes it to the door, Max stopping in her tracks. "I had plans for us, I really did. And the fact that you don't want to work this out...shows me you never felt the same."