Sweet Tooth [HS]

FORTY FIVE

Later.

That evening, Lexie came over. Max found her outside her door, looking up at her with these big blue eyes that were full of sadness and pity and Max sort of hated the way she was staring at her. It was like looking into a window, or a mirror. Seeing her own overwhelming sadness reflected back at her - making it real.

Making it all more painful.

"Oh, Max," Lexie said, dropping a bag by her feet as she launched forwards and wrapped her pale arms around her best friend.

At the touch, Max wilted. She buried her face in Lexie's bony shoulders, bringing her own arms to circle around her like her life depended on it. Like she might collapse if she ever let go.

Lexie stroked her hair, pulled her closer, shushed her softly as Max started to sob.

It was so tough for her to see Max like this.

She knew how much Max cared about Harry, how deep the roots of him had grown inside of her - and so she knew how much she was hurting right now.

"Max, honey," she shushed, pulling away slightly so she could bring her hands up to Max's face. And it was a face of utter heartbreak. Her brown eyes were tired and puffy and it looked like she hadn't slept, or maybe she hadn't stopped crying. And then it was her trembling lower lip. Her matted hair. Her sunken cheeks and the blue-black bags beneath her eyes.

She looked - well, she looked awful.

And in that moment Lexie despised Harry Styles. Despised what he had done to her. Despised how he could make Max feel like this.

"Lexie, I -"

"Max, let's sit down, okay?"

Max nodded, turning away from Lexie and sinking down onto her sofa. Lexie followed behind, picking up her bag and putting it down by her feet as she curled up beside Max.

"Have you still not spoken to him?"

Max shook her head, feeling a sharp jab of pain run through her at the simple mention of him.

"I don't think I can. I don't even know if I'll be able to look at him."

Max was balling her hands into fists, her fingernails digging harshly into her palms. She was trying to focus on that pain, instead of the one throbbing from her heart and rippling around her body, that was slowly enclosing around her neck and sinking into her bone marrow.

Lexie reached out and put her hand on Max's arm.

"It might not be that bad?" She tried, but Max gave her a look, and yeah - she knew it was hopeless.

Those photos had said it all.

And Lexie knew it. And so did Max.

"Lexie, it is. It is that bad." And her shoulders started shaking as another sob escaped out of her mouth. "I don't know what to do."

"Nothing, Max. Don't do anything. He didn't give you a chance to explain, and he's gone and-" she was about to say fucked another girl, but Max looked too fragile for words that harsh. "He's gone and done this. It makes me sick."

"I just-" Max said through her tears. "I just can't believe it. I thought it was different this time. I thought that he... wouldn't hurt me."

Lexie would have rolled her eyes if it hadn't been for how upset Max was right now.

Because how many times had they gone through this?

How many times had Max opened up that heart of hers to him, that had already been made so brittle from all the times he'd hurt her before. Too many. Far too fucking many.

"Max, I know you love him. I know. But this has got to stop. I can't see you like this again. It's - well, it's not fair."

Max nodded but her eyes were glazed and Lexie couldn't tell if she was really absorbing what she was saying.

But Max was. She knew all too well how broken her heart was - how time and time again it was Harry know dropped it on the floor and let her break apart before him.

It couldn't happen again.

It wouldn't.

And so she nodded her head, let Lexie wrap her arms around her and she cried into her chest until she fell asleep.

***

When Lexie left Max's flat the next morning, with a soft goodbye and an "I'll see you on Monday, Max. Call me if you need anything" - she felt nothing but anger.

Pure rage, even.

And yes, it was in Lexie's fire-breathing dragon-tattooed disposition to have a short temper, and to get so angry her cheeks matched her hair. But she could not help it.

Max was too good for Harry Styles.

Max was too soft, too kind, too caring. In fact, Lexie thought Max loved him too much. Loved him more than herself, sometimes.

And she couldn't stand another minute of Harry fucking Styles taking that for granted.

And so as she got into her car, Lexie just could not resist dialling his fucking number.

It only rang once before he picked up.

"Lexie?"

"Harry," she seethed. "How fucking dare you?"

"What?"

"How fucking dare you. You've fucking broken her heart. Again."

"What, Lexie? She fucking-"

"Max did nothing, Harry. You walked away without letting her explain. And now you've gone and fucked a girl and it's on every page of every fucking magazine. So how fucking dare you."

There was silence.

"But her and Finn..."

"Jesus Christ, she spilled coffee down her top."

Silence.

"Do you really think she'd do that to you? After everything?"

"Well-"

"Well nothing, Harry. She fucking loves you with all of her fucking heart and you just don't seem to get it, or maybe you don't seem to care."

"She loves me?"

"Just leave her alone, Harry. Leave her the fuck alone."

After Lexie hung up, Harry lay back in his bed and stared at the ceiling.

And then after another beat, he ran into the toilet and threw up...