What We Deserve

Part 36: Playing Games

Sitting in my apartment, eating Chinese food with Max and Luna- I mindlessly poke and prod my Lo Mein. My mind still disturbed by my nightmare.

It was a nightmare.

I would've honestly died if he broke up with me.

I know how dramatic that sounds- but it's just so...so heartbreakingly painful.

"Are you still thinking about it?" He asks and I look up from my food and he has a soft smirk on his face.

I love that this amuses him.

"Yes. It just bothers me. Why would you do that to me?!" I set my fork down and he sighs and wipes his mouth with the napkin before smiling at me wider.

"I don't know. Ask your subconscious why I'm a monster."

"I have and we have no comment." I state and he laughs to himself.

"Baby- first- if I was going to break up with you- I wouldn't do it at work. That's neutral ground and a very unprofessional way of doing things. Two, I would die before I broke up with you because you would kill me anyhow. And thirdly...I actually don't have a third reason, but if I did- it would be another valid point. You got yourself all worked up you literally threw up over it." He states and takes my hand in his from across the table and leans forward kissing the back of it. "Besides...Applebees."

"Oh shut up haha." I smile finally and he sighs.

"Iggy got to you- didn't he?"

"He said I was throwing gasoline on a fire and watching it blaze." He shakes his head and sighs heavily.

"I mean you do strike me as a pyro."

"Max!"

"Honey, I know I'm a bit fucked up in the head right now- but trust me- you aren't setting fires that don't need set. You're making me accountable for things that I should be held accountable for. My parents, Luna, us—We both are dealing with our slightly damaged brains at the moment and dealing with our own traumas- but out of the two of us- you're more put together than myself. You're thinking logically and rationally-which is helping me in many ways."

"Woman brain..."

"Can take a bullet and still work better than a man's- yes, I agree wholeheartedly." We chuckle slightly and notice Luna has fallen asleep with a noodle sticking out her mouth. Reaching over, Max removes it before standing up and taking her over to the chaise for her to sleep. When he comes back, he sits beside me on my bench and presses his lips to my neck. "Moral of the story, is I love you so much that even if I seem irritated with your decisions- I'll always listen to you because I know you know best."

"So if I told you I don't care for Castries..."

"I would at least like you to meet with her before you determine anything."

"When's the next session?" I counter and he puffs air through his nose.

"Wednesday at 11:30."

"I'll be there." I state confidently and he smiles before kissing my lips.

"I'll have your coffee ready and your lighter."

"That's not funny."

"It's a little funny."

We finish up dinner- which I barely ate any of due to stress and we gather Luna and make our way into the bedroom- where Max has set up her pack n play for her to sleep in for the time being- until we figure everything out that is. After brushing our teeth and getting into night clothes, we crawl into bed and he pulls me close to him.