I swear I usually didn't get knocked out this often.
When my eyes slowly cracked open for, I don't know, the fourth or fifth time that summer, I was back in my room and Max was dozing off in a chair beside me, his hair sticking up in all different directions.
"Hey." I attempted to say, but all that escaped my mouth was a raspy croak, but he heard it anyway as his eyes snapped open and he immediately turned toward me.
"Are you crazy?!"
Well that wasn't what I was expecting to come out of his mouth.
"Excuse me?" I tried again, but my throat was still painfully dry.
"Hold on, I'll get you water." Max jumped up from his seat, and I dragged myself up on my elbows and then propped myself up with pillows. I was just getting settled when Max came back, Abby and Grandma in tow with a glass of water clutched in his hand.
"Here." He handed it to me and I drank down the cool liquid thankfully.
"Now what was this about me being crazy?" I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms across my chest.
"Why the hell would you try to track down a murderer with a fresh knife wound?" He asked, gesturing for Grandma to sit where he'd been when I'd just woken up.
"Well excuse me for doing my job." I shook my head. I was still a little confused, and the whole brother thing was just a blur to me. Max still felt a little like a stranger. Seeing the look on my face, his own softened.
"I was just worried, okay? I had no idea you were hurt so bad until you collapsed."
"You didn't know I'd been stabbed?" I asked incredulously. "Oh yeah wait, I forgot you weren't the one who did it after all."
Max looked a little hurt. "You thought I did it?"
"Dude I was stabbed with your knife and then you disappeared off the face of the earth. What was I supposed to think?"
"I know it didn't look too good. But I swear it wasn't me."
"I believe you, obviously." I nodded. "You saved us. But this whole emotional roller coaster has done nothing to help my trust issues."
"I guess I owe you an explanation?" Max asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced at each of us in turn. Abby and I nodded vigorously while Grandma put a hand on his arm.
"You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable, sweetheart."
"I-"
"Don't you dare take that as a free pass though, young man, we are going to get the truth one way or another."
Max gulped. I laughed a little, wincing when it hurt my stomach.
"Stop messing with him, Gran, he looks like he's about to faint."
"I do not." Max protested, and for a split second it felt like the way things were before events caused things to turn sour.
"But no, I'm going to tell you this myself." He seemed to steel himself, taking a deep breath. "So this part of the story, you already know, Shannon, but just for some background information-"
Max told Abby and Grandma about what I already knew - the things about how he became an agent after being discovered alone on an empty fair ground, close to dead. He explained how he lived life as an agent but wherever he went, people he loved died around him. He went on to talk about how the people he'd called his parents here had adopted him, but even then his father had been killed.
Once he was done with that bit, a heavy silence fell over the room as everyone took it in. Although I'd already known this bit, I couldn't help but feel bad for Max. I reached out, grabbing his hand and squeezing. He gave me a small smile.
YOU ARE READING
Beach Days
Teen Fiction"Trouble just seems to follow you around, Max." "Trust me, you don't know the half of it." Meet Shannon Miller. She juggles school and work, keeping her busier than ever, but that's how she likes it ... especially after what happened a year back. W...
