||Pretenders||☄️

(20).

"The Hard Part"

     Maxwell had let go off her hand. He had called out her name again and she could not even take a glimpse at him. Without wasting another second, she sprinted off like she wanted with a beating heart. Maxwell slumped into the couch, hands above his head and a racing heart. The feeling of rejection, stung like a bee's sting in his heart and there was no remedy for that. A tear fell on his lap and he squeezed on the shorts he wore, whimpering softly.

     He needed someone to ease his pain and there was no one other than his sister. He rushed to the bedroom and picked up his phone. He dialed her number and sat down on the bed. His silence ruled over the phone and she knew something was wrong again. "Maxwell, what's wrong?"

    "I don't know. I don't think I can explain what's happening."

    "Hey, stop scaring me. Are you having the headaches again? Should I come over?" He got silent again she called out his name. "Max talk to me."

    "I don't know Luna. It just hurts."

    "What did you do?"

    "Like everyone else... I told you she's scared of who I am."

    "You told her? I asked you not to! Why don't you just wait till you really get better? Nobody wants a hot tempered guy as a boyfriend. How hard is it to just keep taking your pills and going for your appointments?"

    "You think that's what I fucking need right now?!She made me better. I didn't need all that when she was here."

    "Well, then face it. She doesn't like who you fucking are Maxwell Ross. Whatever you did to her that you're hiding from me, you better keep it hidden. Fix yourself if you want to be loved. She isn't a fucking therapist!"

    "You could've said anything, to make me feel better other than reminding me of what I am."

    "This should make you feel better. All that I'm trying to say, is get the help you need Max. She shouldn't be your problem. We all want you to feel better. The truth is, she doesn't want you. Don't force your feelings on her."

    "I just need to get better?" He asked, raking his hair.

    Simple huh." She smiled on the phone and he sighed.

Simple.

•_•_•

     Dawn chose to take the stress of the week sexing the one person she wanted to ignore in his car. It was just a phone call and she had rushed out of the Inn leaving her work in the hands of a bothered Alicia to see him. They had remained silent in the car and he just went ahead for the kiss. Ryan had expected her to pull away and yell at him for touching her and she did not do any of that.

     After their rushed sex, humping on each other in the car, he decided to come clean to her. "Dawn," he called while she sat on his lap kissing his face. Ryan held her hand and made her look at him. "Can you listen to me?" he demanded and stayed still. "I came here to talk. Didn't like how things happened between us." She gulped. "Honestly, Kesha and I were over and we still are. I love doing this with you and I'm sorry too. I really can't get over her like I thought I would."

    "Why are you telling me this?" She faked a smile, her hands shaking and heart racing.

    "I want to make up with her." She tried getting up from his lap and he held her down. "Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be saying this to you and I don't want to be a bad person. It was the first time I did this kind of thing with someone else. She has always been there, you know. I'm really sorry."

    "And you want me to be okay with it? You could've talked before kissing me Ryan. You could've said you didn't like me too when we were doing this." She was surprised at herself at how calm she was speaking. "It wouldn't have been that hard." a tear dropped on her cheeks and she angrily wiped it off. He felt so bad for this. He only wanted to talk to her and not start another sex session with her. He saw how hard she was trying not to cry out and he gently squeezed on her hand. "I have to go." She raised herself up from his lap and he bowed his head.

    Dawn wore her panty aggressively and when she was done, he held her hand again. "I'm sure you're never going to hear this from me again Ryan. I actually liked you. No," she laughed. "I loved you and I promise you this will be the last time you hear that stupid word from my lips." She brushed his hands off and stepped out of the car freely brushing off her tears.

    She barged into the Inn and Alicia was by the counter, assisting a customer. Alicia saw how angry Dawn was and watched her walk into the staff's room. Alicia handed a receipt to her customer and rushed to check on Dawn. She opened the door and found Dawn sitting on the chair behind her locker, shedding heavy tears. Alicia went ahead to hug her and lend her a shoulder to cry on. "Hush Dawn, people will hear you."

    "I'm so stupid." Dawn pulled away from her and let her tears fall. "I was excited for nothing when he called for me. He's such a fucking jerk! I let him fuck me just like that and stupidly fell for him. And he thought it was wise enough to tell me how badly he wanted his girlfriend back. I feel like ripping his heart off. I'm so angry."

    "Relax. Don't let him get to you. You should be done with him too. If he came all the way here to fuck you and tell you he wants his girlfriend back, I don't see the need to work yourself up about him. Let's finish today's work and get out of here. I'll make you feel better." She hugged Dawn and patted on her back. "I need strength not to be a victim of this too." She mumbled to herself.

     Not only did Alicia know Maxwell was going to play around with her, she knew she just did not fit in his flashy and possessive world. To accept his confessions was harder than anything she's ever done. How will she feel when she goes ahead to date the guy who has a tendency for killing people who angers him? She's seen his crazy sides and she wasn't cool with it.

•_•_•

     "It's just a phone call Alicia." She said to herself outside the Inn and dialed his number. Maxwell answered the call on the first try and she sighed. "Hey, uh.. how you doing?" she asked.

    "Fine. Are you okay?" That concern in his voice almost sent her off her thoughts of sticking to herself and going along with it. "Haven't heard from you in days."

    "Yeah, I'm doing better. Things have been pretty calm and I don't think I should keep working for you. If you want, we can meet up and talk about it."

    "You're quitting?" She sighed over the phone. "Ali," she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Hey, I promise, I'm not going to talk about what happened. We can still be friends, right?"

    "I don't want to be your friend Max. I'm trying to be myself and all these things going on, makes it hard. Let's end it. I can't deal with it."

    "Ali,"

    "I'll appreciate it if you keep calling me Alicia. That name strangely scares me. I'm sorry Max." She hanged up on him and slammed her face. "You did good Alicia. He's bad for you. He's really bad for you and you know it." She muttered. Dawn scurried out of the Inn to Alicia and hugged her. "This place gives me bad energy. Let's go."

    "Let's go for some drinks. I need it."

    "I need it more."

    "Yay!"