||Pretenders||☄️

(121).

"Bruised Trust"

         Alicia got discharged from the hospital days later and she chose to stay with Maxwell without arguing about it. Piper was gone and they didn't know who else might want to harm her again. Maxwell held her hands like a little girl as they stepped into his apartment and he knew she was holding in her laughter. He walked her to the couch and gently sat her down, putting throw cushions behind her.

        "Max,"

       "Yeah babe." He answered still placing them behind her and she held his hand.

       "I'm fine. The wound is still healing but I am fine. I can walk on my own and sit on my own."

      "Doctor said..."

      "I am fine." She repeated and he sighed. "I really am. Stop over pampering me." Maxwell sat next to her and he put her hand in his. "What's on your mind?"

      "I'm sorry."

      "For what?" She smiled and held onto his hand.

       "Getting you into this and not being a better person. I promise to be a better boyfriend to you." Maxwell said to her and Alicia nodded her head. She stayed silent for seconds and breathed out a sigh.

        "Can I ask you a question and do you promise to answer me correctly?" Alicia asked and Maxwell nodded to her. "What happened to Piper?"

      "Alicia..."

      "You promised not to lie to me Max. Please tell me what happened."

     "We've talked about this before. You said you trust me." Maxwell said and she took off her hand. He blew a soft sigh and turned himself in the chair. "You didn't trust me back there, did you?" He asked, gritting his teeth and Alicia chose to stay silent. "Do you trust me Alicia?"

      "Max," she sighed.

      "Do you?" He firmly asked.

      "I do but this issue has been haunting me. You went out the night she got shot and you refused to tell me where you were. What do you want me to think? You're the only person who wanted her dead because you believed she'll harm me again. You showed no remorse for her death when it was announced..."

       "So you're saying I shot Piper?" He scoffed at her.

       "Did you not?" Alicia asked and Maxwell stood up from the couch. He walked into his room angrily and banged the door close. He was pacing in the room with so much anger inside him. He thought she trusted him! Why were they still in the relationship if she didn't trust him? What were they even doing? Maxwell stopped pacing around and sat down on the bed with an angry groan. He laid down on the bed and sighed.

      "Fuck!!" He cussed out loud and put his arm over his head. After a while, he calmed himself down and sat up on the bed. He stood up and walked to the living room. Alicia was seated in the couch dazed at his actions. "You hungry?" He asked and she looked at him.

        "No. I will just go to bed." She said to him and stood up. Maxwell watched her walk into his bedroom and he ran his fingers in his hair. Was it better to leave or was it better to stay and lash out on her? He only walked away earlier to avert them yelling at each other. He was about walking into the bedroom and Alicia came out with a blanket in her hand. "Good night." She said to him.

       "Ali," he called and she walked into his other room. "Alicia come on." She locked the door and he sighed. Max walked into his room and he laid down on his bed thinking of what he had just done. He didn't plan for them to fight. He hated it every time they argued. He waited on his bed and picked up his phone to text her.