Reckless Fearless Careless | ✓

4-Don't Call Me Maxi

Play Bulletproof by La Roux for this chapter.
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Chapter 4: Don't Call Me Maxi

"James and I broke up."

Max just looks at me, his expression calm. Is he okay? "Max, say something, you're freaking me out," I confess.

He doesn't say anything for too long. "Wait. Let me get this straight. You were so scared to tell me that you and James broke up?"

I nod. He's taking this well, too well. Where's the Hulk transformation I was preparing for?

His eyes lock onto mine, searching through them, looking for any signs that I was joking, when my face remains serious he looks away, his gaze fixating on a tree behind me.

His calmness is unnerving. If Mason took it badly Max should be acting like Godzilla. I look at my nails, chipping at my dark blue nail polish, trying to distract myself while waiting for his response, not wanting to meet his eyes.

After a few minutes of silence, Max finally speaks. "Ari, look at me." When I don't he speaks again, this time with more force. "Aurora Jasmine Kelly look at me."

I grimace. He used the full name card, he must be serious so, reluctantly, I look up to meet his intense gaze.

His eyes are no longer impassive, they hold a variety of emotions, all of which I can't decipher. He takes in a deep breath, visibly calming himself.

"Ma-" I begin but he me cuts off with a loud scream. He finally cracked. I knew his calm demeanour was just a façade.

His next few actions are a blur. After smashing his fist into my poor oak tree, denting it, he looks up to the sky, screaming so loud that I have to cover my ears to protect them but I still wince. Soon he is grabbing onto my shoulders, seething, trying to hold himself back. "Max, calm down, breathe."

He's visibly shaking, gripping onto my shoulders like his life depends on it before he rips himself away and throws a potted plant into my garden shed, hard. Fuck, that was one of the flowers I've been growing, months of hard work down the drain.

He looks at me his eyes full of rage. "How the fuck do you expect me to calm down? I feel like he used you Ari and he will pay for that, I promise you."

This is what I was afraid of, Max injuring James. Sure I'm upset — to be honest, upset doesn't even begin to cover it — but that doesn't mean I want James to be hurt. I detest violence, always have, the thought of people fighting makes me sick to my stomach, even more so if it's because of me. I'd rather move on and forgive. I won't ever forget, I've never been good at that part, but I can forgive. Revenge and violence just aren't answers in my book and they never will be.

"Max," I say sternly, "Don't hurt him. I don't want you to."

"Ari don't be ridiculous, he deserves it. HE USED YOU FOR FUCKS SAKE!"

Did he use me? It's a possibility but I don't think so. He wouldn't have wasted two years if all he wanted to do was sleep with me, he could have easily found someone who would do that after just one day. Instead, he was patient and understanding and waited until I was ready and wanted to, that doesn't sound like I was used to me. He cared about me, I know he did. He might not anymore but I'm sure he did at one point, I felt it; I doubt anyone's acting skills are that good.

"Max it doesn't matter whether he did or not. We're over and that's that," the words are painful to vocalise but being blunt is the only way to get through to Max sometimes. "There's no need to drag this out for any longer, I just want to look past this and I don't want J-," I stop myself from saying his name when I see Max's jaw clench and fists tighten "-him injured in the process, please."