Is he really a bad boy? [English]

~Chapter 53~

I didn't cry. Which surprised me. I was just sad and hurt.
When I arrived at my house, I kept sitting in the car. I let the song play until it was over and the one after it, too. Without thinking about anything. I didn't know how I should feel. There was complete emotional chaos inside me that I couldn't control. What a great start into my birthday. Sighing I turned the radio off and grabbed my bag from the backseat. Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed something laying on the passenger seat; Maxim's leather jacket. I guessed he forgot it. Or left it on purpose. I took it and left the garage and walked over to the front door. Oddly there was a light burning inside the house. Why? I knew I turned it off when I went over to Mia. I was one hundred per cent sure. With a nervous beating heart finally had the guts to open the door.
"Explain yourself! Where the hell were you?", I didn't even put one foot inside my house when Mia already started yelling at me. Jacob was standing right next to her like a watchdog. Apparently, they've used the spare key.
"Where were you?", she asked again furious.
"I had something to do.", I answered calmly. I really had no nerves left for any drama or explanations. The only thing that I wanted to do was going in my room and sleep.
"In the middle of the night?! And who's jacket is this?", Jake asked and pointed at Max' jacket that I was holding.
"It's my dad's. He forgot it in the car."
"She's lying without blushing! We were worried, Veronica!"
"Listen: I'm sorry but I'm fucking tired and I'm going to bed.", I declared and made myself on the way to my room.
"Veronica! You are better telling us now where the hell you were!", Mia screamed. I stopped and turned around so I could look at them.
"You are not my parents. Which means I don't own you any explanation. So if you would please excuse me, it was a long day and I am tired. I am going to bed right now. You can stay if you want. Good night.", I said and left them with these words.
Upstairs I started to get bed-ready. Luckily Mia nor Jacob followed me. So I was finally able to lay down and go to sleep. While I was laying in my bed I had an inner discussion about whether I should text him that he forgot his jacket inside the car or not. But actually I had to tell him since it was his jacket and I think he wanted to know where it was. But if I would text him then the 'avoiding him' game would be over. I hated those kinds of situations where my head was completely against it but my heart was begging to text him and find out if he was well. No matter how much of an asshole he was to me, there was this tension, this feeling that was inexpressible and was reminding me over and over again of how much I really loved him. Eventually, my heart won the fight against my head.
"You forgot your jacket in the car.
I have it.", I texted him and sent it. I added an "Are you okay?" and put my phone away. It was completely wrong to text him. I made not only myself false hopes that everything was okay but him, too. My sanity was probably shaking its imaginary head right now. My phone lit up and two messages appeared on the screen. He texted back.
"Yeah, I noticed. Thanks.
I'm okay. Are you, though?"
"I don't know, to be honest.", I answered truthfully and some seconds later I got an answer.
"I'm sorry."
"Yes. Me too", he read it but however, he didn't answer. To change the subject I asked him: "Did you clean your wounds?"
"Taylor did it"
"What did she say?"
"Nothing"
"Haven't you told her anything?", I asked.
"Nope
Can I come over tomorrow to pick up my jacket?" Was it really a good idea? My dad would come tomorrow morning and Mia and Jacob would be there, too.
"I don't know if that's a good idea", I answered him.
"I just want to pick up my jacket. I know that you are angry at me."
"I'm not angry, Max"
"But hurt"
"I think I should go to sleep.
Goodnight Max" I didn't want to continue this conversation right now. Especially not on the phone.
"Good night Veronica", he wrote.

"Happy Birthday, angel!", my father woke me up with a big smile on his face. He was standing in my room, in his hand a giant bouquet of flowers and a small box in the other.
"Thank you, dad!", I said smiling. He sat down next to me on my bed and handed over me the flowers and the box. I put the flowers inside a vase on my nightstand and removed the ribbon off the box. I had absolutely no idea what he could gift me since I never really spoke out any wishes. I opened the box and a beautiful, wonderful ring was smiling at me.
"This is grandma's ring!", I noticed happily. When I was little and my grandmother still alive, she was always wearing this ring. I was always amazed by its beauty and wanted to have it or at least one that looked like it. After I asked her once if she could give it to me she said: "This ring once belonged to my grandmother and before that, it belonged her grandmother and on your 18th birthday it will be yours." She kept her word.
"Before she died I had to promise her that I would give the ring to you on your 18th birthday.", my dad told me, "Do you like it?"
"It is absolutely wonderful!", I said. Carefully I took it out of the velvet and put it on my ring finger. Excited I watched the diamonds reflecting the sunlight.
"You'll get my present later, too."
"Your present? Dad, you don't have to give me anything!"
"Of course I have to! You are my one and only daughter! And it's your 18th birthday!", he smiled, "I'm going to make us some breakfast.", he said and gave me a kiss on my forehead. He stood up and walked to the door, but stopped before he left the room.
"Who's coming with us tonight? I wanted to book a table." I became kind of a tradition that my dad, my mom and I would go to 'Azul' on my birthday. It's a 5-star restaurant in Miami. Depending on, Mia or Jacob would join us. Since my parents got divorced, my mother stopped coming with us.
"Just us two", I answered him and he looked at me surprised.
"What about Jacob or Mia? And Maxim?", he asked.
"They're not coming." I decided not to invite anyone, I wasn't in the mood for questions from my friends. And Maxim... Well, maybe it's for the best if we wouldn't see each other.
"Alright then"

Sometime after breakfast, the door was ringing. My dad agreed to open the door. Meanwhile, I made myself comfortable on the couch.
"Veronica!", my dad yelled all of sudden.
"What?"
"Here is someone for you", sighing I got up and walked to my father.
"Mom!", I called when I saw my mother standing next to my dad. I went over to her and hugged her. "What are you doing here?", I asked her surprised and at the same time looking at my father unsuspicious, who shrugged his shoulders.
"I can not miss my daughters birthday, right?", she answered. Last year you did. She let me go and looked down on me.
"Veronica, what is this horrible shirt you are wearing?", she asked aghast. I was wearing an oversized shirt from an old band, in which I cut some holes in it to give it more uniqueness and character. Obviously, my mother didn't like it at all. "And you are not wearing any pants either!"
"The holes are supposed to be in it and in fact I am wearing pants!", I said and lifted my shirt so she could see the jeans shorts I was wearing.
"You should still go and put on something else, Veronica, this is horrible! If someone would see this, they would think that you do not have enough money for clothes!" It was always important to my mother that everyone could see that we were wealthy. I never cared. Sometimes I rather wouldn't belong to the elite of Miami, and that's exactly what one get judged by.
"Come with me, I'll make us some tea.", my dad said and led my mother to the kitchen. With his look, he made clear that it would've been better to go and change. Annoyed I walked upstairs. In my room, I changed my shirt and shorts into a shirt-dress.
"Better?", I asked my mother when I got back downstairs. My mother was sitting at the table with my father, drinking tea. I grabbed a tea bag and a cup.
"Better.", she answered even though she obviously still didn't like it. "Where are all your pretty clothes, that we bought together?"
"In my closet or somewhere else, I don't know." I sat next to my father at the table and looked at my mom. She eyed my dress. And suddenly her eyes started sparkling and she smiled from one ear to the other.
"I have great news! I have planned a birthday party for you! This evening!"
"Dad and I are going out tonight!", I told her.
"You can go out anytime. The party is going to be great! There will be many attractive bachelors, all your age and children of a good family. You will like them, for sure! And who knows maybe I'll be planning a wedding sometime soon!"
"Hell no!"
"Veronica, do not be so close-minded!"
"I'm only 18!" And besides, not one of them would be Maxim.

I hope you like it xx