Coffee Stains (Discovery of Love)

Chapter Twenty-Four- Con Panna

{Chapter Twenty-Four}

He takes a step towards me causing me to take one back. I hold my head with my hands as I try to breathe in and out slowly.

"Pumpkin, it's okay," my mother rushes to my side, rubbing her hands up and down my arms in a comforting motion,"Just let him explain."

"Explain what?" I ask softly, looking up at my mother," How he left us for his new family? Or how he doesn't care about us?"

"That's not-" my father tries to say.

"I don't want to hear it!" I exclaim, pulling away from my mother and running out the front door, forgetting my shoes.

"Jade!" my parents call after me but I just keep running and running.

My hair whips around my face as tears flow down my cheeks and ragged breaths exit my mouth. My legs start to burn as my mind goes blank, I don't even think of where I'm going. I bump into some people who were walking on the sidewalk causing me to stumble. I feel rocks press into the bottom of my bare feet but I don't feel any pain since every part of my being feels numb. Suddenly, I bump into another person causing me to fall to the sidewalk, scraping my elbow. Hot tears flow even faster down my cheeks as I sob on the sidewalk, the person I bumped into apologizing. I don't look up at them and close my eyes, my shoulders shaking as my chest tightens.

I feel something like a jacket cover my shoulders causing me to look up. Through my blurry vision, I see Max looking at my tear-stained face with sadness clear on his face. He helps me get up and after looking at my bare feet, he swoops me off my feet into his arms. I feel so weak in this moment that I don't have the energy to argue with him. Instead, I wrap my arms around his neck and pulling my body closer to his, appreciating the warmth and security as the tears continue to stream down me face as he carries me to his car, parked in front of us.  He opens the passenger door and gently places me in the seat, my feet hanging out the open door. He swiftly takes off his shoes before he starts to put them on my feet. My eyes widen in surprise as I try to stop him," Max, you don't- "

"I can't let your precious feet get damaged."

My heart gets warm and fuzzy as I look down on him, a bright, white halo forming above his head. I don't know what to say as my being swells with gratitude towards him.
When he is done, he helps me lift my legs into the car and shuts the door behind him.

I lean my head against the window and close my eyes, as the tears just keep falling.  I barely hear Max's door close before the car starts moving.  I feel his hand intertwine with mine as he caresses the back of it with his thumb in a comforting motion.

"You want to talk about it?" he asks gently.  I shake my head and look down at my lap, my chest tightening.  My father's face fills my mind and the time he left us another time. The pain and struggle I had over these years flash across my mind so quickly it's overwhelming and suffocating.  My chest continues to tighten and my lips tremble as more sobs leave my mouth.  Short pants leave my lips as the tight sensation continues to the point where I feel like the walls of the car are closing in on me.  I feel the car stop before I feel a hand turn my face towards its owner and through my blurry eyes, I see Max's glossy ones.  He pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me.

"It's okay, Jade," he strokes my hair as I close my eyes and continue to sob,"It's okay."

"I-It's not okay," I breathe out,"He came back."

"Who?" Max pulls away far enough to see my face, wiping my tears with his thumb.

"My father," I say softly.