Dear Diary (Maxley)

4

It's been a week since Max confessed.

Brad is still avoiding him, and not just because he doesn't know how to respond but also because he's not sure if he should. Max had returned his journal, given it back before he left so casually and avoided the questions Brad asked. He wouldn't say if he read it, and if he did there was no way they could ever speak again. Too embarrassing, humiliating to know Max knew about every secret and feeling he had written down.

"What's wrong?" Tank asks as Brad paces around the living room of the Frat house, eyes on his furrowed brows. "Don't say nothing, you're literally radiating rage."

"He read my fucking journal!" Brad runs a hand through his hair to self-soothe but it doesn't do much besides piss him off even more, he let Max touch his head! "And then had the nerve to tell me he liked me! Liar, liar, all Alphas are fucking liars!"

"Ouch." Tank grumbles while wrapping his arms around Brad, waiting for his pheromones to calm down before letting go. "Better?"

"I want him dead." Brad crosses his arms while plopping down on the couch, "Actually no. Death is the easy way out. I want his skin melting off of him and-"

"How about we consider a non-murder option?"

"No."

Look, Max knows he messed up, but he had to give it back then or he would've just hidden it in his room forever! He thought he was doing the right thing but the moment Brad's eyes narrowed his tail tucked between his legs and he ended up speed walking away. Coward, no wonder Brad hated him now. He couldn't even get the brunette to meet his gaze in passing on campus, and Tank wasn't too happy with him for upsetting Brad. He needed to apologize and he knew a simple sorry wouldn't cut it. That's why he was standing outside the Frat with flowers in his hands and those candies Brad likes. They shouldn't even be considered candy with how bitter they are but that's a thought for later, Max needs to focus on making things up to Brad right now. He knocks once, twice, and finally gets an answer but not from the omega he's been having constant dreams about.

"What do you want, Goof?" Tank is leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms. "He doesn't want to talk to you, I told you that yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that-"

"I know, I know!" Max holds out the gifts,"That's why I brought these."

"Apology gifts? What are you trying to do, court him?" Tank sounds sour, stealing a candy to crunch between his teeth. "Good luck."

"Thanks?" Max says while stepping around him and inside the house, "I'll be quick I swear!"

"You can't just waltz in!" Tank says while following Max upstairs, "Get back here!"

Brad's room is at the end of the hall, his door painted a brighter white than the others. Max knocks quickly, knowing Tank is a few steps behind him. Okay, barging in was the wrong move, but he was already here now so just let him go! Brad opens the door on the fifth knock, eyes narrowing when he sees Max standing there.

"You." All he says before motioning for Max to step inside, closing the door in Tank's face. "He'll be out in a minute."

"Hey-"

"Hurry up and tell me what you want so I can kick you out." Brad grumbles, refusing to meet his gaze. He's supposed to be mad at him but now that he's this close all he can think about is how good Max smells. Keep it together, Bradley, he can't let those stupid pheromones fool him!

"I wanted to say sorry." Max sits on the edge of his bed with big puppy eyes, "Please just let me explain."

"What is there to explain, Max? You took my journal and I bet you read it, all while lying to my face!" Brad's pacing around his room as he speaks, "And then you tell me you like me! Why?!"

"Because I do!" Max gently grabs his hand, frowning when Brad pulls away. "I didn't take it, you dropped it and I was waiting to give it back to you."

"Waiting for what? To finish every page?" Brad's glare stabs him straight in the heart, "You're no different than the others."

"Brad-"

"You've said sorry, you can leave now." Brad holds his door open for him, "I don't want to hear from you ever again."

"You don't mean that." Max steps outside of his room begrudgingly, hands in his pockets.

"Don't tell me what I mean."

SLAM!

Great, that went great. Max lingers outside Brad's door long enough to hear him sniffling but he knows better than to try talking to him again. He walks down the stairs quietly, trying to avoid Tank but he fails by the third step. He's a tall Alpha, bulky enough for him to be impossible to walk around in the small stairwell. Max avoids his gaze, arms crossing.

"Can you give him the gifts for me?" His mouth tastes bitter as he asks, if he hadn't been rushing he could've just given Brad the items himself. Maybe that would've made the conversation smoother.

"Nah, give them to him yourself." Tank says with an unnerving smile, "Give up already. You're not the right Alpha for him."

Tank is right- that's what he would say if he was a quitter. Max spends the night drafting letter after letter but they all end up crumpled and in his bin. His head drops onto his desk, a quiet groan leaving his lips as he pulls out his phone. Brad had blocked him, dammit! What was he supposed to do now? He fell asleep thinking about Brad and woke up to the brunette at his door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes at the sight. Brad's disheveled, face flushed and breaths heavy.

"Give me one of your shirts."

Thursday

It's started.