The Peyton-Harris Equilibrium

Almost Over

A/N: I never would have thought a chapter would be so difficult to write. I'll explain after, but breathe. It'll be okay.

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- Almost Over - 

"You're leaving?" Max was standing a few feet away from me in his bedroom, his mouth turned down. His jet black hair was sticking out at all angles from running his hands through it too much. I would have made a joke about it but it wouldn't have gone down too well. It was too tense.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my eyes on him. "I don't have a choice, Max. It's Leah's birthday girls night. I can't ditch her."

"What about me? This is the first time I've seen you in four weeks." I flinched. He was right. I had gotten back from Europe the day before yesterday but had been sleeping all the way through. Today was the first time I could do something but then Leah reminded me of her girls night. I was already getting ready to go to Max's.

"I know, but what choice do I have?"

He took a small step towards me, his eyes softening a touch. "Stay."

He didn't get it. "I can't." I wasn't the type of person to ditch my friend on her birthday to hang out with my boyfriend. I was going to suggest that I could come back tonight but he had summer football practice in the morning. Pre-season or something. And then in the afternoon I was going to my grandparents house and would stay there for a couple of days.

"You can," he said, his voice bordering on yelling. "You won't."

"What do you take me for?" I asked, shaking my head. "It's her birthday. I'm not the kind of girl who is going to ditch her because her boyfriend is being shitty."

"I'm entitled to be pissed off. I just wanted to spend some time with you but it seems like you're just too busy for me." Max started to pace, his hands clenching into fists.

"What the hell, Max? Where is this coming from?"

"It's coming from that I haven't seen you in an entire month and I won't see you for another week and I've fucking missed you! Is it so much to ask to spend a little bit of time with my girlfriend? Jesus."

"For God's sake, Max. What do you expect me to do? Not go? Just call her and say 'hey. Sorry, my boyfriend's being an ass so I can't come'?"

"I'm not being an ass you're just not getting it!"

"What am I not getting? Please, enlighten me!" Sarcasm poisoned my tone. He stopped pacing, his eyes angry. He'd never do anything to hurt me, but then I knew he needed to hit something.

"Quit being infuriating for two seconds, will you?"

"Well then quit being impossible!"

"I'm not. You. Ugh! What's even the point anymore?"

Every part of me stopped. "What?"

It was silent for a moment, the only thing I could hear was my heart thumping in my chest.

"What's the point of anything anymore? What's the point of us? I haven't seen you in a month and that's only going to get longer. I have football and work and Christmas to get ready for and family to organize. You have your own work and family and friends that are more important than I am. What's the point if we're never going to see each other?"

My vision went blurry and I closed my eyes, not wanting to cry in front of him right now. I didn't know what to think. I wanted to find an answer to his question, a point of us being together, but my mind came up blank.