Maze [Completed]

FOUR YEARS AGO

Dylan sat outside the Clocktower in the twilight and sipped his beer. He'd left Si, Mike and Oliver inside with the rest of their classmates singing song after song on the karaoke machine that Joe, the owner, had dragged out of the basement. They were singing and Dylan winced, it was not good. He took another sip then frowned. He didn't understand how his Dad could drink so much, it tasted awful or maybe it didn't but all Dylan knew was that he didn't like the way it could change people.He barely recognised his Dad anymore. 

The Clocktower was on the shore and Dylan stood up and followed the steps down towards the shore line. He kicked off his socks and shoes then sat down, letting his toes sink into the sand. His mum had always loved the sea. That was one of the reasons why they had moved there when they were newlyweds. When they were happy. 

Dylan let his mind wander and as always, it would drift to Maze. Everyone had been surprised as he was that Maze and Si were still a couple. He'd hoped that Si would get bored and drift away as he always did and then he.. he'd what? He scoffed and burrowed his toes deeper into the sand. 

"Penny for them," a voice said beside him.

He broke out of his thoughts and looked up at Maze's unsmiling face. He flinched as she settled onto the sand next to him. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Dylan watched her out of the corner of his eye, he didn't want to be seen staring at her. Maze rested her chin on top of her knees and sighed. 

"Well?" she asked, still staring out to the sea.

Dylan cleared his throat, " I was just thinking about how everything was changing."

"Is it?"

Dylan turned his head to look at her properly. Maze's hair was tucked into a ponytail and he could see the tight muscles in her jaw. She was biting her lower lip hard.

"Are you ok, Maze?" 

She nodded, "I'm fine, Dylan. I'm always fine. Didn't you know that?"

Dylan blinked at her words, he'd never heard her talk like that. Her voice was cold and hard.

"Do you want to talk about something?" he asked softly. 

She whipped her head around to look at him and, as always, Dylan couldn't believe how beautiful she was. How blue her eyes were, how her smile would make his stomach swoop to his knees. Maze wasn't smiling now though. The tip of her nose was red and her bottom lip was trembling. 

He reached out and touched her arm, "What's happened, Maze? What can I do?"

"What can you do, Dylan? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

She scrambled to her feet and he hurried to follow her. Maze shoved her feet back into her shoes and began to walk away.

"Maze," he reached out and caught her hand, trying to ignore the feeling that shot up his arm the minute he touched her. Maze turned around and looked at him, her eyes blazing hot. 

"Let go of me, Dylan, now."

He  quickly dropped his hand back to his side. Maze flushed and stepped closer to him, placing her hands gently onto his shoulders. 

"I'm sorry, Dylan. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm not having a great day and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

They stared at each other and he felt his heart thundering in his chest. This was the closest he had been to her and he could smell her vanilla perfume mixed with the smoke from the pub. He could lean forward and just place his lips onto hers but now was not the right time. He didn't want her to feel sad or whatever she was feeling that was making her act like this.

Dylan desperately wanted to say the right thing, the best thing to her. He wanted Maze to see him as someone other than Si's friend but, as a cold realisation settled in his chest, that's what he was. He was Si's friend and he couldn't do anything about what he felt for her.

He was trapped.

Dylan did the only thing that he could do and he moved away from Maze, letting her hands swing back to her sides.

And the music from the pub kept on playing.