The Model Couple

🌻 Chapter 22

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We're in the Dolphin room for breakfast and I'm sleepy because Aussie and I stayed up way too late talking and sharing the giant cookie Ry insisted that I take. Austin's excited to be graduating in a couple weeks and he's thinking about delaying college for a year to explore photography. He's definitely the brains in our family. He took college classes the last couple years of high school and has already completed his AA. Yep that's my twin, he knows how to do computer programming and loves math and science. I'm so proud of him.

Austin brings me a raspberry muffin and Max isn't here yet, so I might just get to eat it. 

Max was so mad last night. He contained his fury as he frog marched me out of the carnival. But, once we hit the boardwalk, his tornado of outrage descended on me. It was so, so very bad. It's the angriest I've ever seen him. 

He used words he's never used with me. He didn't call me a slut but he said I was "acting slutty". I was instantly a blubbering mess, and my sobbing anguish lasted the whole way back to the hotel. I repeatedly pleaded for him to stop yelling, but he didn't until we reached the hotel lobby. The sliding doors opened and he just stopped.

Max's main point in summary; I am a horrible girlfriend. If I was a good girlfriend I would have declined Ry's invitation to go on rides and insisted on staying with Max. It is immaterial that he gave permission for me to go. I also have loose morals because I wore another guy's sweatshirt. By wearing Ry's sweatshirt I was telling him and the world that I would like to sleep with him. According to Max that is a universal form of communication that apparently I've never heard of. I was tempted to sass back and tell him 'too late' that I'd already slept with Ry, in fact I woke up on top of him this morning. But of course I didn't, because I don't have a death-wish.

Once we hit the lobby my sobbing started to taper. It helped that Max told me to, "Shut the hell up before you cause a scene." 

And I, amazingly, held my tears when I grabbed my suitcase. I didn't want to wake sleeping Danny. The babysitter was really nice and smiley, pretending not to notice my blotchy tear stained cheeks. Luckily Max waited in the hall, I didn't want to explain anything about the sleeping arrangements.

Max wanted me to wait in his room for Austin to come back from the carnival. But luckily, my brother came right away, sparing me from more of Max's yelling. 

Austin's protective side showed with his look of concern when he saw what a mess I was. He wrapped an arm around me, taking me and my suitcase to his room without a second glance at Max. Aussie held me for at least an hour while I finished crying. He dabbed a cold washcloth over my face. He didn't say anything about Max but he had a look the whole time. 

We've been through it before. One time in high school I went to one of Max's football game. I sat with Monica and a boy sat on my other side. I didn't even think twice about it but Max was so distracted he said he couldn't play well and I cost their team the win. Aussie's always been there for me after my fights with Max. 

But it's hard because I don't feel like I can talk truthfully with Mon or Aus about Max because they will just say to break up with him.

I bring the muffin to my lips and take a bite only to have it plucked from my hand. 

"No," is all he says. A few minutes later he brings me a plate with fruit, a piece of toast and some eggs. My mouth turns down that I didn't get bacon.

Max doesn't talk with any of us. I can tell he's still mad. No one even comments on his moods anymore. Luckily my sisters keep the conversation going. Savannah entertains us with stories about the boys she met last night on the pier. Aspen tells about what they found in the shops. My mom eats and talks with us as if my boyfriend isn't sitting in brooding silence with us.