Decided By Fate (Preview)

Act 1, Chapter 7

I was still frantic, trying to find the right words to say so he wouldn't be mad about what I had done. I was struggling as I let the odd sound out, but none of the words in my head sounded right until I looked at him again, only to see him looking back. He was about to say something, and that was enough to make me increasingly worried. Taking a deep breath, I prepared for him to degrade or cuss me out like everyone had in my past.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

His question didn't make any sense to me. There was no anger or anything. A part of me wanted him to yell at me or call me something humiliating, but instead, he was the one who was asking if I was okay. I had just broken his glasses, and he fixed them in front of me, that I was now the one with a supposed problem. As much as I wanted him, I also wanted a reason to cut and feed my sickening addiction. Max had taken that away from me and was now trying to find a way to help me fix a problem he knew nothing about.

"What's wrong? What do you mean what's wrong? I just broke your glasses." I told him, still in a whispered tone.

"And I fixed them, so what's the problem?" He laughed.

"Don't you hate me for that?" I asked.

"No, stupid stuff like that happens all the time. The lenses have been giving me trouble lately, and I'll be getting a new pair in a few weeks, but till then, I keep a screwdriver with me just in case. It just is what it is." He said as his neverending smile consoled me.

The warmth from his expression met my eyes, and I couldn't believe it. He had every right to hate me, but he didn't hold a grudge, and in turn, it gave me hope that maybe my past was behind me. Is Max a reincarnation of a saint or something? I wondered since I simply couldn't process any of this. People weren't supposed to be this nice, especially high school kids. He should have been a misogynistic pig, but he wasn't. He was an adult and behaved more maturely than anyone I had ever met in my life. I was left shaking as my body tried to comprehend how to feel, but Max, being the way he was watched, then made me an offer.

"Are you cold?" He asked.

"What?" I replied.

"I noticed you shaking. I thought you might be cold, so I was going to offer you my hoodie." Max explained.

"Oh, that's-"

Don't screw this up again, Fate. Here's your second chance. Listening to my conscience for once, I backtracked and looked Max dead in his eyes as he awaited my answer.

"Actually, yeah, if it's okay," I told him, and a smile crept onto my face.

"For sure." He answered, and I was thankful I had taken my jacket off earlier.

My eyes never left the boy as he took off his hoodie, one arm at a time, and then handed it over to me. His scent was woven into the fabric, and I could still feel his warmth within the sleeves when I put it on. This was heaven to me. The jacket was the embodiment of a blessing in disguise. Unable to control myself, I hugged my body, absorbing all of Max's heat.

"It's warm, eh?" He asked as I turned to him.

"Yeah, surprisingly; why is it so warm?" I asked, finding it odd for him to bring it up.

"Don't know; I just give off a lot of heat, I guess." He said, making me wonder what his skin must feel like.

"I bet you're fun to cuddle with if that's the case," I said, while getting hit with a wave of embarrassment.

Why did I just say that? I asked myself while looking at the boy, who seemed to blush in return. My words triggered something in him for a second time that morning. It was the second odd yet romantic question I had asked, and it seemed he would embrace it for what it was and get to know me a little instead of avoiding it. His warm smile turned into a soft smirk, and then his mouth opened, and the words that left him rivalled mine.