Half of a Whole

Chapter 23: Slow Day

I wake up and feel the spot next to me but no one is there. I get up startled.

"M-Max!" I yell as tears start streaming down my face.
"Max!"
"Katie! It's ok it's ok I'm here." He runs in from the other room with his pants have down. "I was just in he bathroom. It's ok." He climbs into bed and hugs me.

"Why don't we get you some breakfast huh?" He asks. All I do is nod.

We head downstairs and he makes me some mediocre pancakes with whipped cream on top.

"I'm sorry I'm not  the best chef" He let's out a small laugh.
"No they are delicious" I lie. "You should eat too"
He walks over and we share the plate of mediocre pancakes.
"You heave a little something..." he begins and points to my nose. "Here I got it." He wipes off some whipped cream that I somehow managed to get somewhere other than my mouth. I look down and blush; embarrassed.

It's crazy how much things have changed. Only fairly recently Aspen was a decent guy. Yeah he cheated on my but he wasn't the raging psychopath I encountered today. Something inside of him just snapped. Maybe it was the drugs he was always taking who knows. All I know is he terrifies the living shit out of me now.

And then there's Zach. The original asshole. Who knew he actually had a heart? The other night with him was one of the best I have had in a while.

But then there's Max. The boy next door, my friend for as long as I can remember. My parents always loved him and he's been there for me through thick and thin. Especially recently and yesterday after that incident. It's a side of him I had never seen before. Honestly it scares me a bit. I wonder where all of this will lead us. Is there even an us? Katie and Max. Max and Katie? Could there be an us?

I look up as my thoughts fade and he's looking at me. He looks worried; which I'm sure he is.

"How are you doing?" He asks.
"To be honest not so great."
He frowns.
"But thank you. For everything" I finish.
"Of course. You know I won't let anything happen to you ever again."
I let out a slight smile. The comment is comforting yet slightly worrying.

After a few hours I am finally able to be in a room on my own. Max goes off to take a shower and I hop onto the couch to check my phone for the first time in a while.

Aspen iMessage

My heart nearly leaps out of my chest. It is the first name I see. I throw my phone onto the table in front of me and curl up into a ball on the couch. Once I finally get the courage to check the time stamp I realize it is from hours before our incident. Has it really been that long since I checked my phone? I delete Aspen and I's conversation and check my other messages. Nothing from Zach. I frown. I begin to waste time by responding to my streaks on Snapchat and after a little while Max comes back down. He comes over and we watch Hockey on TV for the next hour or so. A relaxed day is all I need right now and he knows it. A good game of hockey can make any day better. He knows me so well.

Around dinner we decide to order our favorite... sushi! He orders some fancy roles while I stick with the safe and satisfying California roll. I probably steal some of his later anyways. Once the order arrives we sit at the table. It's oddly quiet. Not in the way we usually can sit together in silence. It is normal. But not today.

"Katie um. Can we talk?"

Ouch that hurts a bit but I don't know why. What do we have to talk about?

"What's up?"
"The other day while we were drunk at the dance I told you I liked you. And I love you I do."
"I know that Max. You're my best friend."
"Not like that. I love you. I'm in love with you."
I stare at him. This is too much.
"Max... I-I am so unstable right now I can't even begin to tell you how poor the timing is with this. And with Zach I just can't. I can't do this right now."
"Zach? What the hell? You're with Zach?"
I am a bit taken aback by his response.
"Well yeah..."
"Why? Why him?"
"Max I don't want to do this right now please. Don't ruin everything ..."
"What is there to ruin?"
"I can't believe you. You just told me you're in love with me while I'm extremely vulnerable and you expect me to just say I love you back? Max it doesn't work like that! There is so much going through my head right now I feel like it is going to explode. I cannot believe you'd choose now to tell me this!"
"Zach. Why Zach?" Is all he can say.
"I cannot believe you right now."
We sit in silence.
"I'm going to go" he says. He turns around and with that he is gone.

I'm alone. Again.