Life of Max ✔️

Twenty

HALEY

I swallow as I listen to what Max has to say. I feel tears prick my eyes, too. He's had the answers to his test for two weeks, and he didn't tell me. I get that he didn't want to open it, and I would probably be hesitant to do that too, but he could have told me he got the results back at least.

And then that girl stole it from him, and sent it to everyone. Well, everyone except me.

I get up from the couch and start to pace around the room.

"So... You have it?" I ask him, and he doesn't look at me. "You have the disease?"

He just nods when I clarify my question, and takes another drag of the joint.

I sobered up pretty quickly with that story.

I don't really know what to think either. I put my hands through my hair, and I want to pull it all out. Why would life be so damn unfair? I look at Aiden, who is watching me carefully, like he's afraid I'm gonna fall apart or something.

Poor Max. He has to live with knowing that he's going to die early because of some stupid disease after watching his dad go through it, and then find out about it because of some jealous girl.

Oh, what the hell?

I drop my hands and walk back over to the couch. I take Max's hands in mine, and watch as he slowly lifts his head to look at me. He looks broken. Like someone's pulled his heart out of his chest and trampled on it, before putting it back in. He looks so tired, like he hasn't slept in a week, and his eyes are bloodshot, but that's probably from the weed.. I sit down on his lap and put my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. I feel his hands wrap around my body, and he sighs.

"I'm sorry I lied about not getting the results," he whispers.

"It's okay. It must be hard," I say, and pull back. "I'm sorry you have that stupid gene or whatever it is that makes you get it too."

I cup his face with one hand, and send him a soft smile.

It's like the other two in the room have disappeared, and I just stare into Max's brown eyes. He looks broken down and beat up, and there's sorrow in his eyes, but I can tell he's been trying to hide it.

When the corners of his mouth twitches up in a small smile, I can't wait any longer. I take a deep breath before I lean in to kiss him.

Our lips meet in a passionate kiss, and I feel like he's reluctant at first, but then he seems to ignore it after a few seconds. It's like he's flipping a switch. His arms tighten around my waist, pulling me in close, and he kisses me hard. As our lips dance together, I'm consumed by the lingering taste of the joint in his mouth, and his warm body against mine.

Nothing else matters in this moment. I want him to know it will be okay.

We will just have to make sure he gets to live a great life, before everything else starts.

I put my hands in his hair, and I pull on it. I bite my lip as his moves down my jawline to my neck, and I let out a moan. I feel Max's chest vibrate as he groans out loud, and it makes me want him. So badly. I don't really care about anything else right now, I just want to comfort him.

We break apart as the front door closes, and we both look towards it. Aiden stands there with a grin on his face, and he shrugs a little, before walking back to the couch. He sits down and leans back, with both his hands behind his head, still grinning widely.

"Sorry, please continue," he says eventually.

Max continues right away, putting his lips back onto my neck, and I close my eyes for a second. I will have to apologize to Alex later for my weird behavior, but knowing Max, this is one of the few things that will get his mind off of it.