Feels like Destiny

Chapter 9: Sunday Night

"Can't stop your light from reaching my eyes."

"I still love you too, Max Caulfield."

The words repeated themselves in Max's mind, echoing for infinity. She could barely concentrate on her book—not that she could understand quantum physics, anyway—and took a deep breath, trying to focus her scattered thoughts. The day's events had left her mind in a fragile state, and she wasn't even sure if anything that had happened today was real. Max still went over it in her brain, repeating it almost endlessly, wondering if it was fate that her and Chloe were meant to be together...

Max almost started crying again when Chloe had said those words that she'd imagined hearing over and over, but never believing that they'd ever be real. How could they be, after five years? After all this time...

"How can you?" Max whispered, unbelieving. This couldn't be real, yet Max could feel Chloe's hand in hers, could see the tangled strands of Chloe's blue hair, could see the rise and fall of Chloe's chest, could see the brightness of Chloe's eyes. Chloe was here, and Chloe loved her back. Why wasn't that enough?

In response, Chloe leaned forward then, bringing Max into a deeper kiss than before, a sense of need and want being passed between them. When they broke apart, breathless, Chloe's expression still held the remnants of bitterness, of anger, mixed with revived feelings of love, of yearning.

"I tried to hate you, when you left," Chloe said, voice barely audible. "I couldn't."

Max's heart twisted painfully in her chest.

"I'd thought I'd gotten over you...but then you came back," Chloe continued, and she pulled her hand away from Max's, only to reach forward and gently brush a strand of hair away from Max's face.

A small, almost sad, smile appeared on Chloe's face. "I guess you could say I fell for you again."

"But I left you alone, Chloe!" Max sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and burying her face in her arms, trying anything to convince herself that she didn't deserve someone like Chloe. "You had to deal with David by yourself, had to—"

"Max," Chloe cut her off sharply. Feeling Chloe shift on the bed, Max suddenly felt Chloe's arms around her. And then, softly, Chloe said to her, "I forgive you."

Max looked up then, disbelieving, her eyes meeting Chloe's.

"You're back now, that's what matters. And we can't change the past that far back," Chloe continued, giving Max a quick kiss on the cheek.

As much as she wanted to disagree, Max could feel her hesitations slipping away. All she could do now was just make it up to Chloe. She leaned into Chloe's side, head against Chloe's shoulder as she gave a sigh.

"Thanks for forgiving me," Max said quietly. "I won't leave you again, Chloe," she continued, voice a little bit stronger. Determination swept through Max's chest, and she resolved to do better from here on. Though she couldn't rewind far enough to stop herself from leaving Arcadia Bay, Max knew she had a second chance to be with Chloe and she had no intentions of wasting it. Whether or not she deserved Chloe...that was another matter—but Max knew that she wanted Chloe, and Chloe wanted her, and only time would be able to tell whether or not in the end, if they deserved each other.

Chloe kissed the top of her head. "You have all the time in the world to prove that," she responded, laughing.

After noticing the time, Max noted reluctantly that she had school tomorrow. Chloe rolled her eyes, but nonetheless drove Max to her dorm; before leaving the house though, Chloe put Max's new camera in her bag. The look she gave Max was clear—it was hers. When they got back to Blackwell, Chloe parked the car and offered to walk Max back to her dorm, and Max found herself agreeing. A few more moments with Chloe before they separated couldn't hurt...