How hard could it be? • LM / SS

Chapter 92

"I just gotta let you know,
I never meant to
hurt you though."

Max was sat up on a counter top, his legs hitting off the cupboard every time that he moved. He couldn't sit still, the nerves taking over his body. Everyone who had been at the funeral was currently at the McCall residence for a reception service. In reality, it was just everyone talking and trying to uplift the mood in the slightest, with some sandwiches and hot food that Melissa had prepared.

Jade still wasn't home after disappearing, but that wasn't the only source of his anxiety. He hadn't had a drink in two days- which was the longest he had went in a while- and it was starting to get to him. A lot. Okay, he would admit that it wasn't his smartest idea to go cold turkey out of nowhere, but he had no other choice. He had to get through the funeral. He didn't care what happened after that, as long as he had been there for Jade, Scott and Lily.

Deciding that he couldn't stand it any longer, he grabbed a bottle of vodka off the top shelf of the cabinet before downing half of it in a matter of seconds. Just a little something to calm his nerves. This was the last time. It was.

Apart from the fact that he knew it wasn't.

He ignored the glare that was sent his way by Cora and the raised brows from Stiles and Lydia. It was a good thing that Melissa was in the other room or he would have gotten a slap around the face.

Maybe drinking was good for him, because he could already think clearer. The vision that he had had when Stiles was in the hospital resurfaced, making him close his hand around the bottle in thought. The vision of Jade flicking through the pages of her spell book, dressed in all black. It obviously had to be today that it happened, right? That was why he was feeling restless so much! Well, the withdrawals and the funeral certainly played an influence, but most of it wasn't his own emotions- it was his sisters.

That meant one of two things; either Jade was home or he just had a very strong empath connection with her. Excusing himself when he heard a shuffling from upstairs, he creeped towards the door opposite his own. He had gotten his answer, anyway. But what he saw when he walked in made no sense- in fact, it just confused him even more.

The blonde was mumbling to herself and the way her eyes were lit up made her look slightly insane as she ran around the room. There was a small suitcase laying on the bed, full to the brim with clothes, books, makeup and hair supplies shoved in messily. Whatever she was planning, she sure was in a rush to get it done.

"What are you doing?" Max asked from the doorway, his eyebrows knitted together in concern. He repeated himself for a second time, finally catching her attention as she froze. The leather hardback of her spell book was sitting in her hands as she carelessly threw more supplies into the suitcase. "Jade, don't ignore me."

"I'm going away for a while," she shrugged, still not stopping what she was doing. She had been careful to phrase her words in a way that wouldn't give away too much. She couldn't give anyone the opportunity to stop her.

"What's going on? Where are you going?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest while she zipped up the suitcase. The restlessness was getting worse. "Jade, talk to me."

He huffed, stomping back down the stairs when she wouldn't reply and just returned to her spells. He knew Allison's death would effect her; they were best friends for Christ's sake! But for her to just pack up and leave town without an explanation? That was taking it to an extreme level. No, there was something worse going on. He could feel it.

Scott immediately picked up on the strong chemo signals of stress and smell of vodka that was heading towards the kitchen. Stiles was right beside him, so that left only one other person that it could be. Max wandered into the room, his forehead creased in worry lines as he made a b-line to talk to the werewolf.