Wanted •Payton Moormeier•

•27•

"you know that I want to be with you all the time..."

Elle-

"Max," I say slowly, the gears in my head shifting.

"Come in." Max smiled and opened the door wider.

Payton and I stepped in, his hand squeezing tighter around my waist.

Something about Payton's vibes right now didn't feel right.

The house was... it was... breathtaking.

The walls were painted pitch black, but there were small white lights attached to the wall, so when the light shone it sparkled like a million little diamonds. The floor was white marble and there was red carpeting in the middle of the hallway.

I swear that everywhere that I looked there were things that looked like they cost a leg and an arm.

Max brought us to the living room I think, and sat us on the red leather couches. Payton pushed me closer to him, and I quickly glance at his face.

His face was calm, and there was a smile on it. His arm around me squeezed me even more, yet his face was a mask.

But somehow I saw behind that mask.

I close my eyes, and for a second I got this huge truckload of emotions rolling over me.

I felt what Payton felt for the smallest fragment of second.

The act of being tough, staying away, being cold and not letting anyone get close to him. When they did get close to him he pushed them away. This was all because of his past, all those emotional roller coaster rides he's been on, all the mistakes and decisions he's made, it's killing him bit by bit.

Everytime I yell at him, thinking that he's hurt me...

He's even more hurt.

I open my eyes and take a sharp shaky breath in.

Payton looks at me. "Are you okay?" he whispers.

I don't meet his eyes. "I'm fine."

Payton isn't an idiot. "Elle, are you okay?" he asked again, but this time in a harder voice.

"Payton, just.... stop," I say, feeling tired all of a sudden.

Payton looked away, and slipped his arm away from around my waist.

"Fuck," I mutter underneath my breath.

Max cleared his throat, and when I look up I realize that there are people all around us, talking and laughing and drinking.

There was one guy making out with a girl and he had her pinned to the wall, which made me think about when Payton used to do that to me.

I shivered and turned to Max.

Holy shit.

My heart started to pound faster, knowing that finally so many of my questions are going to be answered.

"Ella," Max crooned, a huge grin on his face.

I could barely talk.