Cigarettes [Bennoda] ✔

Chapter 80

Mike's POV
I couldn't sleep that night at all. I was so anxious and worried about Chester and our relationship. As I was lying in bed, my eyes kept drifting to the photos on the walls.

There was the photo of us when we first got together that we had taken at South Mountain in a little frame by the door. Chester was still sporting his bleached hair, and I didn't have as much facial hair. My eyes were closed in the picture, I guess from the flash of his camera, but I was smiling so big. Chester's eyes were so full of love and life. I hadn't seen that look in so long. I couldn't help but let a few tears fall. Back then, our love was so strong and if you would've told me that in six years we'd be like this, I'd tell you to fuck off.

My eyes drifted to a few wedding photos that were hung over my dresser. He looked so beautiful that day. That was the best day of my life right behind bringing Max home.

There were some other photos of us on the walls from family get togethers and trips we had taken. They all made my heart hurt.

Max started stiring a little around four in the morning and woke up. I sighed. That last month, she hadn't woke up during the night at all. I think she could just sense something was off in the house. I picked her up from her crib, and went back to my bed. I sat there and leaned up against the headboard with her in my arms. She was wide awake and looking at me. I gave her a little smile and she grinned back. It always made my heart so giddy to see her smile. It was the cutest damn thing. I couldn't believe Chester chose drugs over seeing that smile.

She was starting to look more and more like me and I thought that was cute. I could tell she'd have the same smile as me and we for sure had the same eyes. Big dark brown wide eyes, but when we smile they do the thing - you know the thing. Her hair was jet black like mine, but she had Kat and Chester's curls, which I loved.

"Baby you've gotta get back to sleep. As much as I love looking in your beautiful eyes, you need your rest." I said to her after rocking her for a bit. She started to not want bottles at night anymore, so I just had to rely on rocking her.

After minutes of rocking her, she wouldn't go back to sleep. I sighed. "What do you wanna do then, love?" I asked, just sitting her in my lap. She grabbed the neck of my shirt and pulled herself up to a standing position in my lap. We were eye to eye now and she just looked at my face and the walls to the sides of us with such curiosity. I loved that so much. Chester used to look at things like that and it was one of my favorite things about him.

"Max?" I said. She looked back at me. "I love you." She grinned and I chuckled. "God, you're such a gem." I said as I stood up with her. "Since you're not gonna go back to sleep for a bit, how about early morning cartoons?" I asked. We sat in the living room on the couch, her in my lap and watched Tom & Jerry.

At around five thirty there was a knock at my door. I furrowed my eyebrows a little. Who the hell would be knocking this early? I got up with Max and walked to the door, I saw Ryan standing there. Soaked from the rain which had began pouring again after stoping from the evening before. He was wearing black skinny jeans with a chain on them, a black tank, and an open oversized flannel that was hanging off one shoulder. He had a trail of hickies down his neck and looked like he had a hell of a night.

"Hey, man. Come on in. What's up?" I asked. He walked in and I shut the door. "What the fuck did you do to Chester?" He asked in kind of a rude way. "Um... huh?" I asked. "I-I know something happened between you two. He texted me at like one in the morning and said to not try and contact him anymore because he wanted to be away from everyone. He said that you didn't need him around anymore. He said that it's better if he disappeared. What the hell did you say to him?" He asked.