The Calm Before The Storm

For Us

~Chloe~

-7 months later-

September... how the fuck can it be September again?

God, it's nearly been a year since Max and I left Arcadia Bay, a year since we were reunited...wowzers.

I have something big planned for us, something I promised a long time ago.

The plan is to take Max down to California for the month, take her on that road trip down to Big Sur and beyond. While we both could use a vacation, this trip is also a gimmick to get her outta of Oregon since along with our one year anniversary of being a couple, is the one year anniversary of the destruction of Arcadia Bay.

I honestly don't know how she's going to handle it, I mean... she's already been through so much. Max and I have already done our grieving, accepting the fact that people died and being thankful that people lived. But we don't bother to check who. Frankly... I don't want to know whose what, and I know for a fact that Max doesn't want to know either.

She wakes up sometimes... in a cold sweat, screaming my name in a blind panicking to the point where she can barely breathe. Other times she just wakes up in tears, softly sobbing to herself until I hold her, reassuring her that everything is okay.

I get the nightmares too... vivid ones. Once that makes me wonder if Max actually managed to find a way to bring us both back in time. Sometimes, I'm back in the bathroom with Nathan pinning me against the wall, his gun jamming in my stomach and others I'm back on that fucking cliff, the ice cold rain pelting on my skin as Max and I watch Arcadia Bay get ripped to fucking shreds.

We never really talk about what happened or what we see in our dreams, but I don't think we really need to... or want to.

Some things are best left unsaid.

---

"Hey, Max?" I ask one night as I'm lying in bed, watching as she flips through one of her old photo albums, "Your dad's not planning anything for your birthday... is he?".

She shrugs and shifts around on the edge of the mattress, continuing flipping through the album, "Not that I know of. He might just come visit or something... why?".

I smile and tap her elbows with my toes, "Well, I sorta had an idea".

That gets her to turn around, an impish grin on her lips. "That can't be good".

I stick my tongue out at her and wait until she turns around and faces me.

"What's up?".

"Well, we've been together for almost a year, and your birthday is coming up soon... so... why don't we finally take that road trip we've been talking about?".

"The one to Portland or...".

"Big Sur and Beyond, Max. Good ol' sunny California!". Max blushes and turns away a bit.

"I... I'm not sure about California but... a road trip sounds nice. Maybe it'll help me get back into the swing of things when it comes to taking pictures".

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion for a moment, but then let them settle.

"Why no Cali? I thought we were past that".

"You know why, Chlo... I don't feel right intruding on something that means so much to you... and... her,".

I swallow hard, "You wouldn't be intruding, Max. You'd be joining us... well, me".

She scoffs softly and sighs, "I know... I know, Chloe. I just...that's your dream, not mine. And our dream was to go to Portland, and look where we are!".