How hard could it be? • LM / SS

Chapter 122

"I can run but I cant hide, from my family line."

Max opened his eyes, gasping for breath while his lungs had forgotten that they were there to serve a purpose for the young teenager. His eyes drifted l as he tried to figure out where he was, still recovering from the memory fog that came with temporarily dying.

He put a hand over his heart, feeling a weight lift off his chest as it answered his call. It may have been a little quick-paced, but his heart was beating, which meant he was alive. He could rule out the idea that he was in heaven for two reasons alone; he was sure heaven was meant to be full of clouds or whatever other things you were told as a child, but there was also common knowledge that you had to actually die for it to happen.

Wriggling about, he soon discovered that there wasn't much room to move. It was mostly dark, forcing him to squint in order to see where he was. His hands collided with a cool surface that he assumed was metal, feet kicking into the same thing by his feet. There was a dim light hovering above his head as he turned onto his stomach, becoming increasingly aware of how tight the space was.

There wasn't exactly another choice— none that he could think of at the moment or on the spot, anyway. Dragging himself along by his elbows, he crawled his way through the tight space, closer towards what he hoped was an exit. He could already imagine the scolding Lilith would have chewed his ear off with for doing so, a lecture about how heading towards the light was the thing he was supposed to stay away from. Hell, he was starting to wish he had taken the premeditated advice, the brutal landing on the floor doing nothing for his frail bones.

Of all the places he would have expected to be led to, the Beacon Hills graveyard hadn't been the one that sprung to mind. There was a bitter coldness in the air, bringing on a wave of regret for only wearing a flimsy jumper.

"You'll never learn, huh?"

He froze, the voice ringing in his ears. It was soft like honey and smooth like silk, one that he knew better than anything else in the world. A lump formed in his throat as he studied the woman's face.

Elizabeth had a bright smile painted across her face, one that she reserved especially for her children, the two people she loved the most in the world. The wind sent the loose sleeves of her blouse flying by her sides, hands pushed down deep into the pockets of her jeans. She knew it was a childish gesture and that there was a chance he would run the opposite way, but she held her arms open all the same.

Max had hesitated, but this was an opportunity that he wouldn't get to have again. He didn't care what Jade would think— even though his sister would understand— or what everyone said. He needed a hug from his mom. He needed someone to tell him it would be okay because he was nearing his wit's end lately.

The pair laughed into the hug, Elizabeth burying her face in his hair before cupping his face when they drew apart. Admiring him, how much he had matured. His beautiful eyes had lightened. His blonde hair which she once loved was now brown, but it suited him a lot better. He didn't appear to be as anxious as he had been when she was alive, which was progress in her eyes. "God, you're nearly taller than me."

"That wasn't hard in the first place," he squirmed away from the finger she was jokingly poking into his ribs, trying to process this all. His face fell slightly, eyes drifting away. The adrenaline rush was starting to evaporate and he was coming down from the high. All of the hatred he had felt came back all at once, no matter how much he tried to push it down. "Why did you do it?"

"I was young, stupid and in love. It's not an excuse but I didn't know what I was getting myself into," Liz shuffled on her feet, gravel crackling beneath her ankle boots. He hadn't even needed to clarify what he was talking about; she knew. He deserved answers— both of the twins did. Although, she was nearly certain that Jade wouldn't be willing to listen. She was the fiery one— and followed her mother for that— whereas Max tended to hear people out and let them explain.