TANGLED PLANS

12

Walking out of the house without the guy you entered with is kind of awkward. My steps weren't too hurried but I still felt rather weird walking out. Once I am outside, I spot Max's car and walk over to it. I peer through the window to find that Max has his hands over his face and that he was leaned forward on his elbow.

I place my hand on the car handle and try to open it but the window is locked. I knock on the window and wait for Max to notice that I'm trying to get his attention. Only it doesn't work the first time so I have to do it again wondering if my knocks are too dull. The second time works and Max takes his hands off of his face. He turns his head toward the window and I put a hand up and point down.

There's a second's pause as he tries to make a sense of what I was saying and I keep pointing to the door. Realization dawns on him and he hits the button to unlock the car door and I slip inside quickly. "Sorry about that, Daisy", Max apologizes and soon as I get inside and I wave his apology off.

"Did you eat?", he asks me after a second. With all the conversation happening at the dining table I hadn't gotten a chance to eat. "I'll get you food before dropping you off", he says and then pulls out of the drive way. Ever since he spotted me, his lips have been pulled in a smile like he hadn't been contemplating things earlier.

When he came here out of the house, he had been thinking about soemthing and I knew the cold front he put up there had gone away. He had been reflecting on what had happned in there alone but as soon as I showed up, the pretending was back. I didn't like that.

Max pulls into a grocery store close to his house and says, "I'm going to go grab you a sandwhich. They have really good ones here." I nod and he gets out of the car and heads to the store. I stay inside as I find no reason to go and close the doors from the inside so no one kindnaps me. That was my biggest fear.

Not too long later, Max uses his keys to open the door and gets inside. He hands me the bag he just bought and closes the door behind him. His eyes have a light glint in them when he says, "You got scared of being left alone?" I knew he was teasing me for closing the door but I don't respond to it.

He doesn't say anything either as he drives out of the parking lot and toward my house now. I place my hand on the bag tighter and turn to him in my seat. "Max", I say his name softly and by the way he glanced at me I know I have his attention. "What was that?"

He hums in response and when I don't say anything he gives me another glance and says, "What are you talking about, sweetheart?"

"At the dinner", I say to him with a light frown. I didn't like that he was acting nonchalant about this as if he hadn't left dinner without me. I knew that there was something wrong and I wanted him to explain it to me. He only shrugs and I frown deeper as I turn back to my own window.

I hear him take a long sigh in before he says, "Daisy, you can't be angry at me."

I move my index finger up and down on my lap and say, "I'm not."

"Come on", he says with a little bit of a chuckle and then settles down when I look at him. I turn my body back toward him and say, "Tell me what happened in there."

"Do I have to tell you when you already saw and heard?", Max counterclaims and I give him a nod. "I didn't understand anything in there."

Max sighs again and says, "It wasn't anything." I only keep glaring at him in response and he mutters something under his breath. I don't catch any of it and that makes me frown even deeper. He runs a hand through his hair and says, "I shouldn't have brought you to dinner."

"Then why did you?", I throw back at him and his eyes widen at my remark. I only hold eye contact and he says, "I thought maybe it would be easier."

I don't say anything and he is silent for a while before staring up again. "I thought maybe the dinner would go better." He then glances at me and then looks away again very quickly. I knew that he felt a little embarrassed of what happened in there. "Of course it didn't go great."