Saving Max

Chapter 28

The ride back home was very strained, neither of us saying a word to each other the entire time. As cliché as it might sound, you really could cut the tension with a knife.

The only thing weird about it was that Caden's didn't even seem angry. Sure, he was being deadly silent, but it wasn't because he was mad at me. He just seemed to be deep in thought, a billion different gears turning in his head as he drove down the road. I openly stare at him, trying to figure out his thoughts, not caring if he notices or not. If he does, he doesn't bother to look over and acknowledge me. Not even once.

We pull into the driveway when there is no light left in the sky, only the faint glow of the stars making Caden visible to me. Neither of us move right away, sitting together in the painful silence that surrounds us.

After a couple minutes Caden finally turns in his seat, swiftly pushing the car door open. I follow suit, lingering a few steps behind him as we walk towards the house, Caden taking his time to unlock the door. When we both make it through the door Caden flips on a light, the house suddenly basked in a soft glow before us. 

Caden looks to the ground as he makes his way into the kitchen, taking out a glass from the cupboard, purposefully avoiding me as he passes by. I scowl in return, trailing right behind him into the room. I lean against the cold counter, looking over to him with lowered lashes as I wait for him to speak first. I would do it myself, but I don't even know where to begin. Not sure where I should start.

"Caden." I murmur, trying to take his free hand in mine only to have him pull away with a curt shake of his head.

I let him walk away this time, standing defeated in the kitchen as he makes his way back into the living room. He doesn't sit down, but instead just sets his glass of water down on the coffee table, running his hands through his hair. We both don't say another word, letting the quiet consume us as we wait for the answers that have yet to be said.

I've resorted to fiddling with my hands when he finally decides to speak. "Were you ever going to tell me?" he asks, his voice low yet still soft at the same time.

"Of course I was." I tell him immediately, a little shocked that he had to ask. It's a valid question, but I'm still a little hurt that he would think I wouldn't share this with him.

"When?" he fires back, his eyes finally lifting off the ground to meet my own. The sharpness of them takes me aback as I press myself further against the counter behind me.

I open my mouth to answer him, but quickly snap it shut, realizing that I don't yet have an answer. Caden notices this and shakes his head, a short, fake laugh falling from his lips as a starts to pace back and forth in front of the couch, something I've noticed he does a lot when he's trying to think.

I knew that I had to tell Caden about Stanford eventually, but I just wasn't sure when the right time to do it would be. I've been so caught up with David that thoughts of Stanford have been completely pushed to the back of my mind. It hasn't been on the top of my list of priorities recently, to say the least.

Another, more prominent reason I didn't tell Caden was because I knew exactly what Caden he's say when he found out. I don't want him to tell me what he thinks is best for me; I want him to tell me how the possibility of me leaving truly makes him feel. It's the only way I'll be able to make the right decision.

"I was going to tell you." is my final answer to his question, my voice barely above a whisper as I speak.

"But you weren't the one to tell me." he points out, his voice barely rising as he walks over to me. I straighten up, leaning inadvertently closer to him as he approaches. "I had to find out you got accepted to your dream school from your mother, Bella. Tell me, how am I supposed to feel about that?" he asks, his hands falling on either side of my body, caging me against the counter.