Breaking Habits: Redemptions

Chapter 12: More Conversations

Lucas gets done putting up the last of the boxes, him going to put his mp3 player in his pocket and his headphones around his neck, him going to make his way out of the supply room and turn off the light, shutting the door behind her.

After what happened in the supply room Max has stayed in the front and she hasn't made any move to go to the back, even when there were sometimes where she needed to but she refrained herself from doing so and found other ways to get the things she needed and to solve her issue. She knows Lucas saw the way he was effecting her, she knows that he knows that she is just hiding away.

But she must admit he is very different from the first time that he was trying to get to her. He is sticking to his word, he is being respectful of her and her wishes and even towards Bryan too, which honestly surprises Max because she knows Lucas doesn't care for Bryan, and that he has a certain vendetta against him because of him being with Max, the same vendetta he had with Gabe.

But she tells herself that Lucas needs to focus on his recovery, that is the main thing she wants for him to focus on and needs him to focus on in order to get better. She can already see the difference in him, he is progressing but he even admits he still needs more to go until he finds himself fully recovered, and she knows he hasn't reach that yet.

That is the main thing Max's fears.

Lucas gets to the aisle across from Max while she is behind the counter, counting the money in the drawer. She looks while he stocks up the batteries, him holding a small box in his hand. "I'm scared that you'll focus to much on me and not recover fully."

Lucas looks over at Max, his eyebrows furrowing a little. "What was that?"

"With me." Max says. "I just feel like....you're going to focus to much on me and you are not going to end up fully recovering, then it's back to square one."

Lucas nods his head in understanding. "Well firstly thank you for confiding in me." He starts. "And I can understand how you derived at that, since that happened the first time. However when you see at first that a mistake is made you can look back on that mistake and see what you did wrong. I want to get better because of you and because of you I want to get better, I have a balance."

"And not only for you Max, for my friends and for my family, and just for myself." Lucas says. "I feel the heavy feeling begin to slowly leave me and it feels so relieving Max, so relieving. So I won't become distracted on one thing, because I want to get better, I want to feel better again."

Max nods her head in understanding, her putting down the money after wrapping a rubber band around it. "Thanks for telling me."

Lucas nods, him going to stand in front of the counter and put the box down on the table. "Is there any other reason? Besides Bryan."

"My main concern is just making sure you are okay Lucas." Max says to him. "That's what I want you to be focused on okay? I just want you to be able to move on and live a good normal life, because out of all of the shit you had to endure you deserve that Lucas, you deserve that."

Lucas smiles softly at her. "I appreciate that." He responds. "Rest assured that my recovery is my number one priority, but I think you are getting mixed up."

"How?" Max questions.

"Because you are apart of my recovery." Lucas says. "You are one of the helping hands and you make me feel so much better when I am around you. You make me my best self....so I know in order for me to recover fully and be my best self I need to have you there with me."

"And I already assured you Lucas that I would be." Max responds. "I promise that. I didn't fight as hard as before but that changes now, but we're just friends Lucas."