The Touched And Untouched {Lumax} COMPLETED

Three

I'm not feeling 100% today so if this doesn't make sense, pretend it does. 😖

The next morning, Saturday morning. Max woke up in the satin sheets of the guest bedroom. When Charles came home last night, he said Neil was in police custody. He said scarier things like, "we'll help you get a lawyer" and "what evidence do we have against him?" It still didn't feel real to Max. Not even after she pulled herself out of bed and downstairs to join the Sinclair's for breakfast.

"Oh good, I was going to send Lukas to wake you." Sue stood up and pulled out a chair for Max. "Sit down and eat, baby."

Baby

That word struck a nerve with Max this morning. She remembered the test she took yesterday with Robin. She was sure she'd have a baby. And she was right.

"After breakfast, you can take a nice warm shower, if you can. Or a sponge bath?" Sue suggested. Minding Max's arm.

Max timidly sat down next to Lukas. "Thank you..." She managed to say.

Lukas held her hand under the table so it didn't look showy. "You look tired, did you sleep?"

"Kind of, not really." Max looked at her plate. Bacon, eggs, sausage, and toast. Who can afford all this? She didn't even have an appetite. "I'm not really hungry..."

"That's okay, I wouldn't be either." Sue said with understanding. "Eat what you can, no pressure."

Max nodded and picked up a slice of toast. It was so warm, so loving. It was warmer than her poor mother had ever been. Well, Susan might of been warm when Max was a baby. But men like Sam and Neil infected her mother with misery. Max looked over at Charles. Instead of brooding like Neil would at a family meal, he was quietly looking at a book. A law book. Max could tell by the way he kept sadly eyeing her occasionally, he was freshening up on sexual abuse cases.

"Dad said your mom agreed to pack some of your things for you. So, you can stay with us for a couple days." Lukas told her.

Max should of been relieved, but she wasn't. Her mom didn't want her there, that hurt.

"Billy isn't handling the arrest too well, so you're going to stay here until he calms down." Lukas added.

Max sighed. Maybe Susan did want her, and was finally protecting her. "Thank you..." She addressed it to everyone at the table. "Can I...see my mom?" Max felt homesick already. Even though home often made her sick itself.

"I can escort you there, and keep an eye on things." Charles put the book down. "But we should keep the visit brief."

"Okay, thank you."

-

Charles knocked on the front door and turned to Max. "I'll be here the entire time, okay?"

Max was supposed to feel safe and comforted, but she didn't feel that way. Charles was in uniform, a hand on his gun holster. How much bullshit would Billy have to cause to make Charles shoot? Max hoped she wouldn't find out.

Susan opened the door slowly like a sulking child coming out of timeout. "Come in, officer..."

Charles walked in first and then Max. "We won't be here long...where are Max's things?"

Susan gestured to the suitcase by the door. "I hardly think it's fair that strangers have to comfort my daughter right now."

"You agreed that it's for the best." Charles reminded.

"Yes, I did. Just because I think it's unfair, doesn't mean I don't think it's for the best." Susan tried to look at Max but it was like looking directly at the sun. It hurt. "Can I just see her for a moment alone? Billy is out."

Charles looked at Max. "You want a moment alone with your mom?"

Max nodded and stepped into the kitchen after her mother. She figured Susan was going to mumble about the bills, the groceries, and the debt. Maybe even admit to the thing Max already suspected. She pulled Max close. Not minding her broken arm. "ow, mom." Max kept it quiet so Charles didn't come running in. "Careful."

"Sorry, sorry." Susan didn't stop holding Max uncomfortably tight. "I understand why you did it baby girl, but...you really did screw everything up."

"Mom, you'll figure it out." Max looked up. Her mom looked older than she was, tireder than any human should be. "We'll figure it out without him, we deserve to be happy. Me, you, and...You know?"

Susan raised a brow. "Do you know?"

"Know what?" Max shivered as her mom finally let go.

Susan put a hand over her stomach. "Maxine, I'm pregnant. I didn't want anyone to start a fuss, so I was waiting to tell you."

Max looked down and finally understood why her mom wore loose clothing. She finally understood why her mom was so scared, and even why she was in moods that Max never saw from her before. She wanted to accuse her mom of lying and keeping secrets, but what was the point? Everyone had secrets.

"Mom, I kind of knew..."

"You knew?" Susan swallowed hard.

"I was suspicious...I found pregnancy tests stashed in the bathroom yesterday...I took one, I'm pregnant too." Max started tearing up.

"Maxine? That's nonsense!" Susan was stunned.

Max needed to burst now, she needed to let everything out. "I took one, and I saw I was pregnant. But I was scared of being alone– so I met up with Lukas  and told him my period was late–" Max had to pause to catch her breath. She was rambling about something that her mom realistically didn't care about. "I let him think I didn't know, I let him go out of his way to get me a test. Then when the time came I pretended to take it–" Max started hyperventilating so bad that Charles ran into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Charles put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, darling. Deep breaths."

Max couldn't calm down. She was pregnant.

She faked the second test so that when her over observant boyfriend called out mood swings and lack of period she could say, "well now, I can't be pregnant. I took that test at Steve's, remember?" And she didn't plan on telling him. She thought she could somehow have the baby without him knowing, but that was wild thinking. She realized quickly, realized she had to tell him since he might be the father. She had to tell him, and others. She couldn't play the denial game. She couldn't take a third test to act like she was finding out for the first time. She just had to tell Lukas she knows. She's pregnant. She wanted to run from it. Along with the others.

Robin Buckley, Susan Hargrove, Maxine Mayfield.

Bad things really do happen in threes.