The summer I llǝɟ for her || 𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝

26. 𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒚.

Chapter 26~ Days gone by.

𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝟏𝟏𝙩𝙝

"Arwen!" Max jumped up from bed crying and gasping for air, waking Arwen up in the process, "Max, it's okay, it's okay." Max put her arms out trying to find Arwen then immediately fell into her arms sobbing, "you never came back." She cried out through her cracked voice, "what? What do you mean?" Arwen questioned, "I watched the mindflayer take you."

"It was just a nightmare okay? That will never happen, we're both safe." Arwen kissed her forehead, "breathe." She whispered, trying to calm her down, "everything's okay." She kept whispering reassurance and wiped Max's tears off her cheeks before guiding her back down into bed until she fell asleep again, Arwen watched Max to make sure she was okay but the image of her broke Arwen's heart, she looked desolated.
After Max was in a deep sleep, Arwen kissed her forehead again, "I'll be back soon okay?" She whispered and pulled up the covers over Max.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Arwen limped into family videos to see Robin stood behind the counter and Steve stacking up video tapes, "oh my god Arwen." Robin ran up to her catching Steve's attention, they both pulled her in for a hug causing Arwen to wince, "still got a cut on my side."

"Shit sorry." They pulled away, "should you be out? It's only been a week." Steve asked, looking over her, "not really but it's fine." She faced Steve who was looking down at the floor, "Steve, are you okay?" She heard him sniff then look up with tears in his eyes, "Steve."

"I can't believe you're here. I- I had to carry you after-" he cried, not being able to finish his sentence, "I know." Arwen pulled him into a hug, now crying too, "not you too." Arwen laughed through tears, seeing Robin was now crying too, she put her arm out for Robin to come into the hug.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

"How's Max?" Robin asked, leaning over on the counter, "she's not too great, she's been having nightmares."

"About Billy?" Robin questioned, "um no. About me, she keeps waking up saying I never came back and I don't know what to do, I want her to grief Billy not me." She admitted.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

"Max didn't want to come here?" Mike asked as they were all gathered in his basement, "she hasn't left my bed since."

"I can't imagine how she feels right now." Will said, "and how are you?"

"I'm okay." They all looked at her with doubting eyes, "okay honestly I feel like it's my fault. Billy sacrificed himself for me and El. Everytime I see Max cry now I can't help but feel guilty and not just about this, the whole party, I was the one who invited her into all of this."

"I feel guilty too." El mumbled, looking down, "I just don't know what to do." Arwen slumped down into the couch, "there's not a lot you can do Arwen, you don't have to be hard on yourself, either of you okay? Billy wanted to do that and he was sick, we don't know what would've happened, it could have been all of you but it wasn't." Dustin explained, "It's horrible but I'm sure Max is thankful that you two are still here." Lucas interjected, the girls just nodded their heads, nothing anyone said could take away the guilt, they just hoped it would get better with time.

"I don't understand how my heart stopped beating for that long and I'm perfectly fine." Arwen changed the subject and noticed Mike looking at El whilst she looked down awkwardly, "what's going on? Are you okay El?"

"Tell her." Mike mumbled loud enough for Arwen and the rest of the group to hear, "what happened?" Dustin added, "I-" El started, slowly looking up, "I lost my powers."

"What?!" Everyone said in unison, "how?" Arwen asked, "saving you." She made eye contact with her, tears now escaping both their eyes, "you lost your powers saving me?" El nodded her head, "oh my god."

"I couldn't of just lost you." She cried, Arwen ran over to El and wrapped her arms around her now crying too, "I love you so much." El let out between sobs, "I love you too. Thank you, I will never be able to make this up to you."

"Can I ask, how long have you and Max been together?" Lucas asked, trying to lighten the mood, Arwen wiped her face and rested her head on El's shoulder, "oh um, since the day Robin and Steve dropped us all off at the mall-"
"I knew it!" Will smirked, "I was waiting for you two to get together." Dustin smiled, they all nodded their heads agreeing.

"Arwen can I talk to you?" Mike abruptly asked, standing up, Arwen nodded her head and followed him up the basement stairs into the empty kitchen, he looked down at her leg and stomach which everyone seemed to be doing since the incident.

"I'm so sorry for how I've been, for a while now. You and Will have been my best friends for the longest and I've just treated you like shit. That night when we thought you were gone I- you...you're heart it just-" his voice cracked as tears escaped his eyes, she hated how guilty everyone felt but she also hated that they kept bringing it up, "you were gone and all I could think about was how our last conversation would've been an argument I'm so sorry Arwen." He cried, "Mike." She placed her hands on his shoulders as he inched closer before kissing her, Arwen quickly pulled away with widened eyes, "Mike-"

"I'm so sorry- I have no idea why I did that."
Arwen was speechless, "god please don't tell El or Max."

"Okay I'm not going to tell Max yet because of what she's going through but I think you should tell El." He nodded his head, "that meant nothing right?" She questioned, "right." He frantically nodded his head.