Unreliable

24 - gone part two

Trigger/Content Warning: Mentions of Abuse, Mentions of Domestic Violence, Mentions of Kidnapping, Mentions of Violence

Charles' POV

The hard crashing of the rubber plane wheels into the hard asphalt ground woke me up. Of course, I woke up slightly groggy but it'll pass. I'm not usually bitchy while I'm in the groggy state.

I rub my eyes and I reposition slightly in my seat, letting out a small yawn afterwards.

Max is sitting in the seat opposite me, on his laptop, smashing the keyboard. Max types so loud and so quickly he couldn't ever be sneaky while being kidnapped, and I'm pretty sure Courtney is trying her best to be snea-

"Can you please stop thinking about her for five fucking seconds?!" He yells, making me slightly scared and jump a little in my chair. "You're always thinking about her. You can't stop. Why does it matter? You hated her! Why do you care about her now?!"

"Excuse me? You're asking me, Courtney's ex-boyfriend, why the fuck I care about her? I don't know... maybe because we had a connection and we fucked?! When I first met Courtney, I literally loved her. It was like a spark had ignited in my heart after various years of heartbreak and suffering. Nyck wasn't the only abusive love I had. Paula was abusive as well. Most alike to Nyck, but older than him and a girl."

"Then haven't you thought about leaving your relationship with Courtney in the past, because that relationship, well, ex-relationship, is the only thing that connects you and your other abusive relationships. And, I can tell you with absolutely certainty that Courtney was going to end up the same thing. Another abusive relationship."

Could Max be right? Yes. Is he right? I'm sure he's not. My relationship with Courtney didn't show the same signs as all the other abusive relationships I've had. She was loyal.

Was she? Then how did Lando know you were in the movie theater with her?

It was a small mistake. I forgave her for doing that. Everybody makes mistakes.

Oh really? Was it a mistake when she said her name was "Jennifer" at the hotel you and her were staying at in Tokyo?

Wait, she said what?

"And, name for the reservation please?" The worker at the reception desk asks, looking at Courtney with a wide smile while his hands are close to the keyboard, ready to type.

"Jennifer- Sorry, Courtney Hayden Wright." I give her a side eye as she quickly apologizes to the worker and I turn my focus back to the worker.

Oh my god, I had fucking forgot that had happened! It was so fucking weird that I fully forgot about it.

But, again, it was just a simple mistake. She was probably thinking of a friend and accidentally said that friend's name.

Charles, you're fucking delusional. There was no mistake. She's probably lying to you, and suddenly slipped up.

No, she fucking isn't. She's not holding any goddamn secret, she's not fucking up my emotions, she only made a mistake. Humans. Make. Mistakes.

"Then, following your fucking logic, my relationship with you also connects me to Courtney, which therefore connects me to my other abusive relationships." I look at Max dead in the eye and I see nothing. No emotion, no regret. Nothing.

I'm scared. What is he going to say? Is he going to be quiet and not say anything? Or is he going to do something I don't expect?

None of that. He only reaches in and gives me a kiss. Oddly. I thought he was going to go ballistic, but no. He kissed me. "I know. Feel free to break up with me if you want. Your car is on the other side of the plane." He says before grabbing his luggage and his backpack and leaving the plane.