For You // R.G.

Chapter 78

Max's POV

"They have like a shelf life, don't they?" I asked as I shuffled through the condom containers on the shelves. Rick was on the other side of the aisle looking for others, he came over to me and looked at them. He picked one out and examined it to see if there was an expiration date.

"We're good, this is better than nothing," he says, I kept my eyes on him, watching how he was after everything that happened earlier. I wanted to know if he found it amusing or not serious, but he didn't. He looked up at me and saw that I was watching him. He knew that I was scared, I wasn't myself all day.

"Hey, we'll be okay..." He hugs me, he holds me in his embrace for a minute or so. I enjoyed feeling his arms around me, I needed the comfort. I hugged him back,

"You know I'd do anything for you?" He whispers by my ear, I couldn't help but smile and my eyes started to water. I separated from him and kissed him sweetly.

"You're the best." I told him, he gave a small smile. He then asked me if the birth control pills I got were all that I needed. I nodded and we left to go back to the cabin.

"What do we tell them when we get back?" I asked him, I knew people would ask where Rick had been all morning.

"We tell them that we tried to draw a map of the area." He made it up as we walked.

...

Once we reached the cabin we saw a lot of our group outside. Some of them were just chopping wood but most were sitting around. The house was small and it was a nice day out, those are the only reasons I thought they would be out here.

"Max-" I heard from afar, I looked and saw Sena get up and walk over to me. I noticed that she gave Rick a glare as she walked up. I gave Rick my backpack knowing I'd be here talking to Sena. Rick took it and then kissed my cheek, he walked away to go put our stuff inside. I faced Sena, she looked worried

"Why'd you give Rick such an icy glare back there?" I asked her,

"I knew what you guys did last night." She said bluntly. I sighed, I was shocked but I knew there was no going back.

"How?"

"You guys should really close the door and make sure it stays closed the whole time-"

"Did you see us-" I started to become embarrassed, I didn't know what she saw.

"No, no, I just saw when you and Rick were discussing...." She stopped. I knew what she was talking about. She walked in when we were panicking about the mishap.

"Maggie told me where you two went today so don't try and lie to me." She adds. I sighed,

"She told you? Who else did she tell?"

"No one that I know of. Oh, I... I told Derek but he doesn't tell anyone anything." She rambled on. I gave her a look that said to shut up, she stopped rambling.

"What are you going to do? Did you get the stuff?"

I nodded, "Rick and I got it... And if you don't mind, I have to do that right now." I say in an urgent tone but she grabbed my arm before I left. I turned to face her,

"Do you think he did it on purpose?"

My mouth dropped wide open, my eyes widened. I was shocked,

"No! He wouldn't do that-" I was beginning to be defensive,

"Max, how do you know for sure that he didn't do it on purpose?"

"Why would he? What pleasure would it bring him?" I asked, I was angry and offended she would think he would do that.

"To make sure you stick around, maybe?" She sounded like she didn't even have a motive as to why he would even do it on purpose. That made me even more angry,

"Sena, he didn't do it on purpose. He's not losing me, who would he lose me to?" I chuckled, I literally had no other interest in anyone at the moment.

"I don't know, maybe he feels threatened. You know how men are insecure about their manhood." She says. I glare at her with dead eyes, she smiled a little, trying to break the tension that she built with me when accusing Rick of doing that on purpose.

"Rick has nothing to worry about." I then lean in closer to avoid anyone from hearing what I was going to say and said, "he's literally the sexiest mother-effer I've ever seen so he's not going anywhere as long as I live." I lean back with a sly smile and wink at her. She looked unimpressed now and looked like she was going to slap me, so I left.

..

"We're leaving tomorrow so make sure you don't forget the..." Rick didn't finish the sentence because of the look on my face. I was giving him a glare telling him to shut up. He kept his eyes on me awhile longer, not aware of why I was so serious. He knew that I was upset but I had grew more flustered when Sena gave me the idea that Rick had done it on purpose. There was one side of me saying that he would never do that and then there was another saying that he did on purpose. I was growing more suspicious as I watched him chop the wood he had been chopping since I walked up to him. He looked up at me when I stood there for a considerable amount of time and said nothing.

"Max, are you okay?" He asked

I took my eyes off of him a few moments after he asked and found another axe plunged into a log. I took the axe out, I felt Rick watch me. I didn't know why they were chopping wood but I decided to go along with it, especially knowing it would help me blow off some steam. I held the axe in my hands and then swung it over my head. The axe cut halfway through the wood. I forced it out and then swung again where it then cleanly cut through all of it. I had some heavy breaths but I recovered quickly from the exertion. I looked over to my right where I saw Abraham, Luke, Pete, and Rick watching me in awe; probably wondering why the hell this chick was angrily chopping up wood.

"Max, what are you doing?" Rick asked in a tired tone, he knew something was up but he didn't know why I was being so secretive about it. I ignored him and brought another piece of wood to the ground to chop. I chopped it but once I was done, Rick came over to me and ushered me away from everyone to get me alone.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked me in a concerned tone,

"Nothing-"

"Oh, really? I haven't seen you that angry in awhile." He called out my bullshit excuse. I stared back at him with red hot eyes. I was angry,

"Just tell me!" He hissed

"Did you do it on purpose?" I asked flatly. I stared him in the eye with no kind of hesitance to it. He looked back at me with a look that said he didn't know what the hell I was talking about.

"Did you... Not pull out on purpose...?" I asked quietly, I was still upset

His eyes widened and he shuffled on his feet,

"What?!"

"Rick, did you-"

"How long have you been out in the sun?" He asked me, he thought I was hallucinating. I grew furious,

"Answer me!" I yelled. We started to draw people's attention. Rick clenched his jaw and looked to the side, a classic pissed off Rick look. I didn't stop though,

"Tell me-" I demanded

"I did not. Why would I do that?"

"Because you're worried I might leave you."

He scoffed, amused and offended by my thought. He had his head to the side, he couldn't look me in the eye but once he did, it didn't feel too good.

"You really think that I would do that to you?" He asked, he wasn't angry but he was upset. He looked hurt by the accusation. I looked back at him, I didn't answer. I knew he wouldn't do it but I don't know, something about it gave me an off feeling. And with that, I watched him walk away from me.