Fishing Trip//Max Joseph//Catfish: The TV Show//Catfish

*Chapter Twenty-Two*

A/N: Sorry it's a bit short! If you're reading this, I love you! Also, please vote! (First Person POV Again) This chapter is honestly trash, btw. Just warning you.

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-Max's Point Of View-

Buying the ring for her, that was a good idea. She's gonna love it. I... I'm kinda nervous. What if the diamond is too small? Oh god, what if it's too big? I know silver's her thing. That was the right decision. And I mean, it'll be good to change up her usual four rings. Oh god, I hope she likes it.

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-Ellie's Point Of View-

I should call him. No, I shouldn't. Well, we have reservations... and he's not here yet, so yes. I do need to call him. Ugh. I'll seem clingy, and he's already pissed about me inviting Nev. Oh, that's another thing I've gotta do. Call him.

I was snapped about of my thoughts by the sound of my doorbell. I rolled my eyes when Leo started barking. I thought I taught him not to do that. "Shush," I said to him, tapping him lightly on the nose.

I snapped my fingers and pointed to my bedroom where his crate was. "Good boy," I rewarded. He made his way down the hall in the opposite direction of the front door. I heard him jump on my bed. "Sneaky little shit," I whispered down the hall as if he could understand.

I heard the bell ring again. "I'm coming, hold your shit!" I called. I ran my fingers through my hair, smoothed my shirt, and cleared my throat. I unlocked the door and turned the knob. "Hey! How can I-"

"Adam?" Shit. No, I've got crap to do today!

"Hey, is this a good time? I just wanted to talk. Haven't seen you since..."

...The party—and Max. I listened to him trail off. Not a good sign. What the hell do I even say? I could just imagine the look on his face if I said something like, "Oh yeah. You know that guy you absolutely hate? Well, long-story-short, he's spending Christmas here!"

I decided to stick with a simple, "Oh, yeah... Actually, I'm about to head out to dinner in a few. But um... I'm free this weekend. We can catch up over coffee?" I winced at his expression. How do I even describe it?

It was hurt, definitely. But it was mixed with slight anger and definite annoyance. But the question was: was that anger with me, or Max? Either one isn't really better than the other. I gave a nervous smile and rubbed the back of my neck. My face was probably red. Now that's embarrassing.

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After he left, I had a few minutes before Max got back to really think. My thoughts suffocated me. I mean, I felt bad! Adam... Adam's always been there for me, but the past year or two just haven't been the same. And yes, I know that's not a good reason to just "give up" on someone, but honestly, I wasn't feeling it.

And you know what? He probably wasn't either. His reasoning behind showing up at my door was far beyond me, but I can say this: he's not my number one priority right now. I've got a dinner to get to, travel to prepare for, and a show to film. Making up with Adam wasn't on that list.

Max got home about fifteen minutes after that. I tried to just let it go, forget about it. It didn't work. In the middle of dinner at El Jalisco's Mexican Restaurant, his curiosity got the best of him. He asked the question I've been dreading. And there it was.

"Elle? You okay? You're really quiet and I just..." I pushed the food around the plate with my fork, stalling. "Huh? I'm fine? Are you okay?" I asked, laughing it off. Yeah, he didn't buy it. "Elle, really. I know when something's bothering you—and something is definitely bothering you."

Suddenly, he got quiet. "Oh... Did you call Nev?" His voice was sad. Why was it sad? I sat up in the booth. "No, why? Why do you sound like that?" I watched his mouth fall open and his eyes widen. He looked from side to side awkwardly. "No reason," he lied.

"No, tell me. What happened?" He shifted in his seat. I watched him purse his lips and look away. Why can't he look me in the eyes? Max looked almost... sympathetic. "Max," I groaned. "Just tell me." He put his fork back in the napkin.

"He can't come. I called him earlier for... something else. He's with his mom."

I heard myself sigh. I bit my lip in thought. This sucks. "Well, I guess it's just you and me then." He nodded. "Just you and me, me and you."

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"Max, no. It's a tree! It's not going in my house." He chuckled. "No, Elle. It's a Christmas tree. They go in houses." I hesitated. I really did not want Mother Nature making herself feel at home in my living room. Christmas trees do go in living rooms, right?

Max had managed to convince me to come to a stupid Christmas tree farm. How do they even grow them here? I live in California! It was a large field, with a trail leading to a collection of small, triangular trees. Some were tall, some were short, but all of them were messy and a definite fire hazard. Even more than the vanilla candle I always leave burning in my room.

His reaction to my, "How do you know which one to buy?" went something like this: "C'mon, you've never had a Christmas tree? It's fun! You can decorate them with ornaments and lights and tinsel... and you put presents under them and-"

"Max. I get it. It's just another cheesy Christmas thing. I don't know, I'm just not a "Christmas person." I winced toward the end of my drag on Christmas cheesiness. It just wasn't my thing I guess.

He turned his head to the side and I saw him furrow his brow. I hate that look, and I knew exactly what it was. Pity. He pitied me, felt bad for me. The problem was, I saw him make that face way too much.

It made me feel... different. Like I wasn't the same as everybody else. What was I missing? Was it that I didn't know how to decorate a tree? Wrap presents? I felt him grab both of my hands in his.

"Ellie. You need a Christmas. Let me just buy you a tree. Please?" He looked so serious. His eyes were glassy—he wasn't crying, was he? I frowned and removed my hands from his grasp. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I whispered, "Fine. But you're cleaning that shit up after. Oh, god. When do you take the tree down? What do you do with it after that?"

He laughed. Why did he laugh? I actually didn't know any of this shit, and he was laughing. "Max, I'm serious. I've never done this before. My mom never did this shit. Hell, she hardly even cooked dinner!" I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Put up a tree," I muttered unbelievingly.

The whole situation must have been amusing to him, because for some reason, he was still laughing. Hysterically. In the middle of the damn Christmas tree farm, with all of these people watching. "What is wrong with you," I asked between giggles.

He put up a hand, unable to speak. "I just... you know what? You're gonna love Christmas. It's fun, Elle. Really fun. And," he continued, scooting closer to my side with a grin. "You get to spend it with me, your one and only." Max chuckled again. "Mhmm," I replied with a smirk. "My one and only."

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A/N: Okay... so it's a little short. But so are corgis! And corgis are cute, so this chapter might be too! Gimme a VOTE PLEASE💙

~Lexi💙