𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 - 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐎𝐍

CHAPTER FORTY; MAX!

CHAPTER FORTY; MAX! — Also known as; Dear Billy, Part 2.

• • •

I wasn't sure how much time had passed. I knew I was going insane. As it turned out, sitting and staring at a wall all day really was mind numbing. I'd convinced myself that watching paint dry would actually be better than .. this, sitting here and waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Steve had returned and unleashed an almighty sigh of defeat as he sat in between Lucas and Dustin on the sofa. They shared a few words in hushed tones but nothing massive. We'd been in silence since then.

I couldn't help but torture myself over the thought of Steve and Nancy, however. I had no idea why I was doing this to myself. It was my inner saboteur coming to destroy me from the inside out yet again but I couldn't stop her. She was a disease and I
I hated her so much. As far as I was aware, though, Nancy and Jonathan were still together but that didn't mean to say Steve hadn't developed some sort of feelings for her while I'd been away.

I wasn't sure. It didn't really check out but it made me suspicious. I couldn't put it past him after all — as bad as that sounded. His and Nancy's relationship wasn't even cold before he was moving on .. before they both were moving on. They wiped their hands with one another awfully fast and I had never paid much heed to it because I was too busy obsessing over the sudden happiness that had just hit me like a truck.

I never stopped to think about how fast Steve had moved on with me and Nancy, Jonathan. Maybe their relationship had gotten so bad they had fallen out of love, maybe it was a relationship of friendship and they were both stuck in a lie neither knew how to get out of. I didn't know and I had no way of knowing either.

Either Steve and Nancy were well and truly done, or there was still some form of romantic feelings lingering.

I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to that question but I knew the notion would torment me for days.

I really was going insane.

"I know you guys are staring at me." Max said suddenly, fetching me back to earth. She was still sitting at that desk, the lamp still lit above her as she continued writing her letters. She hadn't uttered so much as a peep since we'd come back inside in the early hours of this morning. She'd just sat at that desk for hours writing.

Knowing they'd been caught, Steve, Dustin and Lucas fumbled to make themselves appear busy. Their voices overlapped as they spoke.

"What, sorry?"

"You said you needed something?"

"Just hanging out."

If I had the energy to face palm, I would've.

"How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I don't know." Max retorted as she rustled about with god knows what. A few seconds later she was up on her feet and walking over to the four of us.