Sweet Tooth [HS]

SEVENTY FIVE

One day later.

"Rory's back today!"

Max rolled her eyes as she flicked her cigarette and watched ash tumble over the edge of the balcony.

"You've told me about a thousand times," she replied dryly.

"Bit more excitement please, Max."

Max sighed, "I am excited. I'm excited you're excited."

She heard Lexie grumble through the phone. "Well, by the time you're at the studio I want you to be more excited. You hear me?"

Max stubbed her cigarette into the ashtray and managed to laugh. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. I love you."

"I love you too," Max smiled limply, "See you later."

When Lexie hung up, Max leaned back in the chair and lit another cigarette. That was another thing - she'd started chain smoking. She'd lost one addiction, thought she might as well fill it with another.

As she exhaled grey smoke she watched as it diffused in the cold air around her, disappearing almost instantly as it melted into the grey air. It was winter now, the sun was gone. When she woke up this morning it was dark and it went dark again at 4 o'clock and even the day time was dull and dreary. Max tucked her legs into her chest, watching motionless as fat raindrops started falling- it made London look so miserable.

"Another cigarette?" Came a raspy voice from behind her, and Max nearly jumped out of her skin. She forgot Finn was still here.

"Morning," she said blankly, ignoring Finn's question.

She watched him sit beside her through a cloud of grey smoke. Tried not to notice the way her heart thumped or the pain that shot through her at seeing Finn in that space that did not belong to him. It looked wrong, it didn't fit, somehow.

"Good morning," he smiled, all sunbeams and sweetness and no - he did not fit. "Aren't you cold?" He asked when she stayed silent, and Max blinked. She was only wearing a jumper and yes it was freezing out, and yes, Max was cold. But she always was, recently. She couldn't feel the difference.

So she just shrugged. "I'm fine."

"You're freezing," he said, his hands touching her bare legs. "Take this." And he took his jumper off and laid it over her, and Max tried to smile. She did. Because that was kind and that was caring but all she was looking at was the old Rolling Stones t-shirt he had on underneath and it was Harry's t-shirt and he was sitting in Harry's spot and -

Stop.

Just stop.

She took another drag on her cigarette.

"Thank you."

Finn smiled, "You're welcome."

The sat in silence for a moment, and Max looked out at the sky. It was grey and it was really raining now and everything looked all smokey and sad, she thought. She had to swallow down memories of sunshine and her and Harry's last days in LA - when they were playing by the pool and kissing in the sunset.

It felt like a dream, as she sat there now. Like it never happened.

"Did you get Lexie's e-mail? Rory's back today," she said after a moment, shaking her head to dislodge the memories.

Finn smiled and looked over at her, "I saw," he grinned, "Finally we're getting back in the studio. I've missed that place."

Max tried to smile too but it didn't reach her eyes.