He's So Aggravating, But I Think I Like Him

Chapter Twenty Five

Mandy

"Yeah, thanks, I had a great time," I told Clayton as we stood in front of my bus.

Dinner was great and the walk afterwards was amazing. We talked and laughed the whole time. There wasn't one awkward moment at all.

"Well, I'm glad," he said, smiling at me.

"What are we gonna do next time?" I asked him.

He smiled even wider, "Are you saying you want another date?" He asked. His hopeful expression made me grin in return.

"Maybe."

"Okay then. You'll have to see," He said. He gave me a light kiss on the lips before turning to go back to his bus.

Max should already be on the Falling in Reverse bus with Macy asleep in my bunk.

I punched in the code for my bus and walked in. Max was sitting on the couch, the TV was off and only the lamp was on. He was on his phone.

I walked to my bunk and peeked inside to find Macy asleep with her thumb in her mouth. She smiled softly, for all her faults, she really was fucking precious. I walked back out to where Max was.

"Max, thank you so much for-"

"Mandy."

I froze and my eyes widened. He couldn't know.

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else," I said, but even my own ears recognized how weak my lie was.

"Why don't you cut the shit and be an adult?" He said.

I sighed. I was getting really tired of people accusing me of not being an adult. No one from Falling in Reverse was supposed to tell, and neither was Maddie.

Max must've been able to read my expression, "Macy told me."

Of course, that little witch.

"You left me. Without so much as a goodbye or an explanation. And now, for me to find out from our five year old, that you left because you thought I wasn't fit to be a father. How do you think that makes me feel?" He finished.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I was embarrassed at being caught, but my heart was also hurting at his expression, "Max, what else was I supposed to do? You were a drug addict and a partier. Great daddy material."

"I would have changed. I was working on it."

"And how was I supposed to know that? From what I heard, that's why Escape the Fate kicked you out. Because of the drugs," I snapped. I hated that this was happening, and I felt bad for being harsh, but how could he have this attitude about it when I knew I mmmmhmmm my reasonings were solid? Even if my actions were a little skewed.

Max got up off the couch and got in my face, "You abandoned me! You abandoned your best friend! You abandoned your band! Your fans! Everyone! The only one that I see at fault is you!" He yelled, and I felt my rage boil over.

My palm connected with his cheek. The resounding slap echoed in the empty bus.

I shoved my finger in his face, "I made the decision to leave because I knew it was the best one. For her. Don't question my decision about someone you didn't involve yourself with. I'm surprised you even give a fuck."

"You didn't involve me! You never even told me! I don't even remember us having sex! I mean, how long did we date? A month?"

"We were drunk," I said under my breath. I was losing my energy to fight, because even though I still stood behind my decision, I know his argument was valid as well. It was me who chose to keep him out of the loop.

"Okay, but.....why didn't you just tell me? I would have changed," He said softly.

I sighed, "I don't know. I panicked-"

Before I had a chance to continue my sentence, I felt lips crash down onto my own. His brows were drawn together and his eyes were squeezed shut, but I found myself relaxing into his kiss anyway. I let him dominate the short kiss while it lasted, and he pulled away just a minute after it started.

"I don't even know how to feel, I'm so incredibly hurt. But you're not keeping me uninvolved anymore. She's mine too," Max said before turning and walking off the bus.

Between the truth coming out and the kiss, I couldn't catch my breath. I felt tears pool in my eyes, and I slid down the wall to put my head in my hands and let them flow freely.