Best Way Not to Get Your Heart Broken

Chapter Fouteen - Anger

Soul stormed into the apartment with Maka following frantically behind him. Soul threw his coat down roughly on the couch. She saw them, he knew she did. She knew it was his parents, she couldn't deny it. What would you expect, a woman with pure white hair cascading down her back and a man with dead crimson eyes? Of course she knew and she let them in. They heard every word he'd said, every single word he'd spoken to his brother grave they heard. The words he never wanted anyone on this earth to ever hear, but his brother, was heard by the two people he hated the most.

And it was Maka's fault.

"Soul, please let me just explain," she cried as she followed him into the living room where he paced in front of the couch. He did his best to ignore her but she wasn't making it easy. She was just making things worse.

"Soul, just let's talk about thi-"

He snarled in annoyance and whipped around to face her, grabbing her shoulders and lowering his head so that his eyes were on line with hers.

"Don't," he growled through gritted teeth. "Just don't."

"Soul," she said brokenly. "Why?"

He gave her a dark look before releasing her, falling a few steps back. "Because it was your fault," he sneered at her, watching as her eyes grew wider at his accusation. "You knew. You knew it was them and you still let them in, didn't you?" he grew angrier when she didn't reply. He took a step closer to her. "Didn't you?!" Maka cringed and broke, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"Yes. Yes, I knew! I just thought it would help you! I thought if-if they knew what you were feeling it would h-help."

Soul laughed, the sound was dry and harsh. "How would you know it would help?" he tried to reason with her. "Maka, I told you what happened with Wes. Not them. You know absolutely nothing about them."

Maka tilted her chin up. "I know enough," Soul scoffed.

"No, you didn't know enough. You knew the good parts about them. You didn't know enough to know that we could never make amends. We will never make amends. Maka, they think I killed their child! Wes! Their favourite, perfect child was killed by their fucking mistake!"

Soul was yelling now, but he didn't care. He was just so angry. He haden't been this angry in a while and he never expected it to be because of Maka but it was. She'd gone too far this time.

"Soul," she tried to console him. "I-I was trying to help," she stuttered feebly as she made her way forward to cup his face with her hands to make him too at her. His eyes that were usually so kind or teasing were so full of anger. It broke her heart to know that anger was directed at her. "I didn't know, I thought it would help you."

Soul shook his head slowly and pulled her hands from his face, falling a few steps away from her. He felt no guilt as he watched her face fall.

"I was trying to help you," she said again, "Because you helped me."

His head snapped up from where he had been rubbing his jaw angrily to glare at her. "So you did this out of gratitude?" he asked in a mix of disbelief and outrage.

Maka's eyed widened and she shook her head. "No, Soul-"

"So this mistake," he went on as he made his way towards her slowly. "Wasn't even because you really wanted to help me. This happened because you wanted to pay me back!?"

"Soul! No, never! That's not what I meant!"

"No, Maka that's exactly what you meant," he hissed at her furiously. "I am very aware that you've had a hard life but you don't need to pretend that you understand everyone who has a dysfunctional family. Especially mine."

Maka's eyes narrowed. "I never said I did!" she snapped before composing herself. "Did talking to your brother help, Soul?" she asked suddenly.

Soul's eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't ask about my brother, Maka. Not after the shit you pulled today." He grabbed his coat off of the couch before making his way to the door. Maka grabbed his wrist firmly as he tried to pass her. He glared down to sneer at her. She didn't even flinch.

"Soul, I know you're angry," she said sharply. "But don't do this. Don't leave like this, let's just talk-"

"No, Maka," he said firmly as he pulled his arm roughly from her grip. "I'm done talking. I don't want to say things that I'll regret." Maka fell a step back.

"Then what are you thinking?" she asked as he made his way to the door. "What are you thinking of me right now?"

Soul paused as he rested his hand of the door knob before he left, before muttering what he'd restrained from saying, knowing that Maka would hear it, knowing what it would do to her.

"You betrayed me, Maka. You were the one person I didn't think would, and you did."

And then he left.

Maka was speechless. She betrayed Soul. The one person who truly understood her for who she was, liked her for who she was, said she betrayed him. She placed a hand on her forehead as she struggled to breathe.

"He's never going to forgive me," she managed between gasps.

She couldn't talk to anyone without revealing Soul's secret so she just had to suffer alone.

She sighed audibly and sat on the couch before burying her face in her hands. When she saw a woman with white her and a man with crimson eyes of course she assumed they were Soul's parents. Holding a bouquet of flowers and solemn expressions as they headed toward the crypt of which Soul stood. She jerked forward to stop them but froze thinking that maybe this would be good for Soul. Maybe if they reunited in the place Wes lay they could make amends and become a family again. Her heart stopped beating as she saw Soul almost run from the crypt, barging the man from his way before grabbing Maka by the elbow and pulling her away with him. The man and woman's voices followed behind them but Soul didn't slow down, he sped up.

And here she was. Burying herself in self-pity and guilt as she awaited Soul's return. He didn't leave for long, but she stiffened when she heard the door click open and Soul's heavy and angry breathing. He was still mad.

"Soul," she began as she stood up but Soul just sighed and made his way toward the kitchen.

"Don't start Maka," he said in a tired voice, making anger steam in Maka's body.

"No, you don't start Soul," she snapped, making him sigh again before turning around to face her with a strained expression. "I've said sorry, over and over and you still won't forgive me. I didn't know enough to understand what I was doing, alright? How was I supposed to know that your parents were going to show up that day? You made it out like they didn't care about you brother so why would I think they were going to his grave?" she asked as Soul eyed her warily. She didn't stop there. "How could you blame me for everything, Soul? How could you be so heartless?!"

By the end of this she was yelling and breathing heavily. What she didn't expect for Soul to chuckle lightly as he eyed Maka almost pitifully before saying the words Maka would never, ever forget.

"Best way not the get your heart broken?" he said, making Maka's brows scrunch up in confusion. Soul just shook his head before answering his own question.

"Pretend you don't have one."

Then he shut his door.