Mirrors - A Maxley Slow Burn (IN PROGRESS)

Chapter Seven

Words: 1111

Thank you all so much for your amazing support! I know this chapter is a bit short, but that's because I've been caught up planning my birthday celebrations. I apologize if it's not quite what you were expecting. Also, a huge thank you for reaching four thousand reads! Your encouragement and enthusiasm mean the world to me. You all are fantastic in every possible way.

Max

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Watching Bradley leave after such an intimate moment was utterly heartbreaking. Max tried to maintain a facade of toughness as Bradley walked out, but the moment the door clicked shut, the floodgates opened. The tears flowed uncontrollably, each one a testament to the depth of his feelings and the pain of Bradley's words. Bradley had called their kiss a mistake, and the weight of that rejection settled heavily in Max's chest. The vulnerability they'd shared only made the dismissal more painful to endure.

Max's thoughts drifted to his ex-girlfriend Roxanne and the difficult breakup they had endured. Their relationship had once been vibrant and full of promise, but it had slowly unraveled into a series of heated arguments and misunderstandings. The final straw had come on a cold, rainy night, eerily similar to this one, when Roxanne had stormed out after a particularly vicious fight. Max had tried to hold it together as she left, but as soon as the door closed behind her, he had crumpled to the floor, tears streaming down his face. The parallels between Bradley's departure and Roxanne's exit were painfully clear, both leaving Max with a sense of abandonment and a heart full of unspoken words. The silence that followed was a haunting echo of the past, reminding Max of love lost and the familiar ache of being left behind.

Feeling the walls of his dorm room closing in on him, Max decided he couldn't stay there any longer. He grabbed his jacket and keys, wiping the tears from his face as he headed out the door. The cool night air hit him as he stepped outside, a stark contrast to the suffocating atmosphere inside. He made his way down the street to the nearest bar, the neon lights flickering in the distance. As he walked, the memories of Bradley and Roxanne swirled in his mind, each step feeling heavier than the last.

Finally, he reached the bar and pushed open the door, the warm, dimly lit interior offering a small sense of solace. He slid onto a stool at the counter and ordered a drink, hoping the alcohol would numb the pain, even if just for a little while. As he sipped his drink, the noise of the bar buzzed around him, but all he could focus on was the hollow ache in his chest, a reminder of the heartache he couldn't seem to escape.

After a few sips, Max noticed a girl sitting a few stools down, looking equally lost in her thoughts. She had dark hair that cascaded over her shoulders and a gentle, yet somber expression. Summoning the courage, Max decided to try and distract himself by striking up a conversation. He moved over to the empty stool next to her and gave a small, hesitant smile.

"Hey," he said, trying to sound casual. "Rough night?"

She glanced at him, a bit surprised, but then offered a small smile in return. "Yeah, you could say that. You too?"

Max nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "Yeah. Just needed to get out and clear my head, you know?"

The girl nodded in understanding. "I get that. Sometimes a change of scenery helps. I'm Max, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Max. I'm Jenna." She extended her hand, and he shook it gently.

They began to chat, sharing bits and pieces of their lives, finding a strange comfort in the company of a stranger. As the night wore on, Max found that talking to Jenna, even if only about mundane things, helped to dull the pain a little. It wasn't a solution, but it was a start—a small step towards mending his broken heart.

As the conversation with Jenna flowed, Max found himself drawn to her warmth and understanding. The hours slipped away unnoticed as they shared stories, laughter, and the occasional somber moment. With each passing minute, Max felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could move past the pain of Bradley's rejection.

As the bar started to empty out and the bartender began cleaning up, Jenna glanced at Max with a small smile. "You know," she said softly, "I've got a bottle of whiskey back at my place. Might be more comfortable than this noisy bar."

Max hesitated for a moment, his mind flashing back to the emptiness of his dorm room. But the thought of spending more time with Jenna, of escaping the loneliness even for just a little while longer, was too enticing to resist. "I'd like that," he replied, returning her smile.

They made their way out of the bar, the cool night air wrapping around them like a comforting embrace. Jenna lived just a few blocks away, and the walk was filled with easy conversation and shared laughter. When they reached her apartment, Max felt a sense of anticipation building in his chest.

Inside, Jenna poured them both a generous amount of whiskey, the amber liquid glinting in the soft light of her living room. They settled onto the couch, their conversation picking up right where they'd left off. But as the night wore on and the whiskey flowed freely, the tone shifted, becoming more intimate, more charged with possibility.

Max found himself drawn to Jenna in a way he hadn't expected, her presence soothing the ache in his heart in ways he couldn't quite explain. As the hours passed and the world outside faded into darkness, Max realized that maybe, just maybe, he had found a glimmer of light in the midst of his darkness.

Eventually, the conversation tapered off into comfortable silence, their eyes meeting in the dim glow of the room. Without a word, Jenna leaned in, her lips brushing against his in a tender, hesitant kiss. Max's heart fluttered in his chest as he responded, the weight of Bradley's rejection slowly fading into the background.

In that moment, in Jenna's arms, Max allowed himself to let go of the pain and the heartache, if only for a little while. And as they made their way to Max's dorm room in the early hours of the morning, he couldn't help but feel a sense of hope stirring within him—a hope that maybe, just maybe, he had found something worth holding onto in the midst of his shattered heart.

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NOTE: Jenna is not anybody from the goofy movie, I didn't know what name to put!