A Way Back To You

24| Climax

Definition: the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; the culmination.

~~~~~~

Trigger warning: This book deals with mentions and implications of abuse, mainly physical but potentially sexual. While the latter is never descript, reader discretion is still advised. Continued from previous chapter.

With Ant. Friday.

~~~~~~

It had taken his family a long time to realise that anything was wrong. Granted, he fought to keep it that way. Ariana still had no clue what was going on, and lying to her was becoming tedious. She had started retreating into herself, going silent at random and only interacting with Brandon or the boys, rarely him.

Ant didn't know what he'd done, but then again, Ariana probably thought he'd gotten rid of Maddy. Lying to her was becoming extremely hard, and breaking his heart more and more every time he had to do it. But he had no choice, either. Maddy wouldn't go near him, and other than Zelan's attempt at interfering the week before, Maddy hadn't reached out for Ariana once.

She probably doesn't want to give you the wrong idea.

He knew it was possible. That she thought he didn't want her near him and so would stop her from seeing Ariana as a result. He never would, and he wished he had the guts to just let her go near them, because he didn't right now.

Maddy.

She was a sore topic in both conversation and thought, yet one he couldn't escape from. His body seemed to remember her too well. The moment she came back to her classes, he knew. Ant saw her in the hallway and hated her more than ever. She walked right by him, as though she couldn't care less.

Zelan had noticed his distraction in their classes later. Ant had fought to not cry, because he felt so stupid for crying over someone that clearly meant what she'd said. Maddy didn't want him, and he was having far too hard of a time accepting it.

"It's ok, Ant." Zelan said, quietly. "Just focus on this class, ok?"

Ant nodded, slowly, though it went against every fibre of his being. "I'm fine." He muttered. "Don't worry."

Zelan gave him a look that suggested he would worry regardless. Ant selfishly appreciated it. He needed to know that someone was on his side right now, because he was still reeling from the knowledge that Maddy had never wanted him, and at that point, he was struggling to even understand his own thoughts, let alone trust them.

~~~~~~

With Maddy. Sunday. 8:34pm.

~~~~~~

Things came to a traumatic head a few days later. Maddy wondered if that was the correct word to use. Up until then had been traumatic, but this.....was different. In an odd way, she later reasoned that maybe she should've expected it, because nothing with Ant was ever black and white like she usually wished it could be.

Maddy knew she should've expected Zelan to tamper with Ant's phone again. She'd been home alone, and although she'd gotten close to no sleep for the following few nights, Maddy had managed to continue her trips to the gym, work, and a few of her classes. It was as close to 'ok' as she'd been since their argument, and she so desperately wanted to feel happy that she was getting better. Instead, Maddy couldn't help but feel wrong, as though she were healing without a large piece of the puzzle.