A Million Miles Away •Maxian•

10

Perfect moments seem to happen at the most unpredictable times and end just as abruptly as they begin. In Max and Ian's case, their perfect moment was their first kiss. However perfect it was, it still ended just as abruptly as it had occurred due to a knock on the door. 

Ian pulled away and went to the door without a word to Max. Max watched as the older boy walked away, wishing he had stayed.

Ian opened the door to see two police officers standing on the other side. Max saw this and instantly acted by sinking down on the couch to where he couldn't be seen.

"Can I help you, officers?" Ian asked politely.

"Yes actually, would you allow us to come in for a moment?" The first officer smiled.

Ian nodded and moved out of the way, "of course." The officers stepped in and eyed the room. As soon as Max heard the officers ask to come in, he snuck into another room to hide. "So what's this about?"

"We're investigating a missing persons case," the first officer started. "A fifteen year old boy from Australia ran away from his home, stole his parents' credit cards and bought a plane ticket to America. He made a post on Instagram earlier and we tracked it to here."

"That's rather odd," Ian said. "You tracked it to my house?"

"Not yours specifically, no," the officer responded. "One on this street, so we're checking with everyone if they've seen anything."

"No I can't say I have," Ian shook his head. "But I'll be sure to come forward if I do. What does he look like." The officer pulled out a picture of Max and showed it to Ian. "Yeah I'll let you know. Sorry I couldn't help."

The officers thanked Ian for his cooperation and left.

Max walked back out to the living room and plopped down on the couch. "That was close."

"Why did you lie to me?"

Max looked at Ian and raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"Why did you lie to me, Max?" Ian was starting to become visibly angry. "You said you were seventeen, Max. Why did they say you were fifteen?"

Max looked down at his feet. "I am fifteen..."

"Jesus Christ, Max! You're practically still a kid! I'm ten years older than you for fucks sake!" Ian was fuming. The lying was bad enough but now he knew that Max was even younger than he thought. "What else did you lie about, huh? That little story of the boys in school, was that just something you made up to make me feel sorry for you?"

Max looked up at Ian with tearful eyes. "You think I'm not horrible of a person that I would make that up?"

"How should I know? You're just a lying kid!"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think I was a kid," Max cried.

"Well now I think you're a kid and I think you're immature. I also think you're a liar. So tell me, what else have you lied about?" Ian knew he had already crossed the line but he was too pissed to care.

"Do you really want to know something else I lied about?!" Max yelled.

"Clearly!" Ian yelled back.

"I lied when I told you I only tried to kill myself one time! And yoh want to know why?" Max broke out into violent sobs as he went on, just wanting Ian to see how bad he hurt him. "The guy from the bathroom, you remember that story don't you? Yeah well he followed me home a week after the bathroom incident and forced me to have sex with him and he kept doing this for weeks, Ian. He said if I didn't he'd kill me so I ran away to escape from the daily torture I was put through, Ian. And I thought coming to the one person that I thought cared would make me feel better but it looks like nothing is better because I still want to die!"

Ian was silent. He knew he fucked up but time now. He never knew it was that bad for Max back home, he knew there were issues but not this bad.

Max sat sobbing in the couch while Ian just stared at him like he was am animal in the zoo.

"Max..." Ian spoke finally, sitting next to the younger boy. He started to out his arm around Max's shoulder but Max moved away.

"Don't," he said quietly. "You've done enough. I'm going to bed." Max got up and walked into the bedroom. Ian sighed, mentally punching himself in the face for hurting Max so much in so little time.