Exhale || Max X Reader - Camp Camp (Sequel to Breathe)

III

Y/N's POV
Word Count: 1,786

     Shoot. Straight to voicemail. I surrendered and stuffed my phone into my pocket only to hear it ringing a moment later. "Are you kidding me?", I raged, pulling out my phone. It wasn't who I was hoping for, although it was a worthy compromise. "Hello?"
     "So this is your number," Max's voice replied. "I figured Harrison was just bullshitting."
     "Harrison?" My interested piqued.
     "Yeah," Max affirmed. I closed my notebook and propped my feet above my desk. "He used his magic shit to get me your number. I guess it worked."
     I laughed. "Interesting," I thought aloud. Ashlyn's footsteps pitter-pattered in the background. "I was just trying to get ahold of him."
     "Oh," Max sighed. "Well that won't be happening. He's with Preston. Is their anniver-"
     I fell out of my seat. "Their what!", I shrieked. I hit the hardwood floor with a loud and painful thud.
     "Yeah," Max confirmed. He was so nonchalant, it felt like I should've already known this information. "Three years."
     "What!" I massaged my sore tailbone.
     Max cackled maniacally from the other line. "Yeah, they're in tight," he ratified.
     I shook my head. "Harrison acted like they weren't doing well when I asked him earlier today," I contended.
     Realizing I'd been sitting on the ground, I crawled back into my cheap office chair. "No, they're fine," Max rejected.
     I scratched my head. "Okay. Then why would Harrison lie to me? He said they were having problems," I explained.
     Max coughed. "Hey, fat-ass! Turn the fuckin' music down before I beat your head in!", Max hollered. I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Sorry about that, frat guys. He probably lied because he knew you'd metal with their relationship regardless."
     Offended, I scoffed. "Now why the Hell would I do that, Max?", I snapped, motioning my off-hand.
     "Goodplay," Max groaned. I bit my lower lip. "You know damn well what happens when the two of you are alone together. Don't deny it."
     "I was alone with him today and nothing happened," I argued. I knew there was a tension between us and I also knew that we sat too close together for Harrison's comfort, but nothing crazy happened. Plus, I had no idea that Harrison and Preston were seeing each other in that moment.
"Well that's good because we kissed," Max jested.
I clicked my tongue. "Is it really?", I pressed. Max fell silent. "Who's Lynn?"
Max sighed. "Nobody," he muttered.
"She's your girlfriend, isn't she?", I probed. "You kissed me."
"I did," Max confirmed. I frowned. "She's a nice girl, you should meet her."
I slammed a fist onto my desk. "Are you fucking kidding me!", I seethed.
"Woah!", Max tried to deescalate. "Y/N, what the fuck? You're being ridiculous. Look, the whole thing was a fluke. I didn't mean it-"
"Shut up," I interrupted. My voice shook. My under-eyes and cheeks burned. My eyes welled. "You didn't change."
Paper rustled on Max's end. "I couldn't think of anything to write," Max started. No. I covered my mouth to stifle my sob. "I accept you as you are. I want you, the whole you, and nothing but the you." Max chuckled. "Sorry, I always laugh there."
"It's okay," I whispered, massaging my sore throat. It hurt to try not to cry.
"I'm not perfect. You're not perfect either," Max continued, "but maybe we're perfect for each other. This is it. I would tell you that I love you if I wasn't so afraid." Max's voice hitched. "Tell David I miss him. I think you changed my life. This is all over the place, I'm such a mess. Please don't forget about me. Campe diem."
I wiped my tears. "Y-You forgot a bit," I sniffled.
I rubbed my eyes. "Oh, and by the way, I buried Mr. Honeynuts near the mess hall this morning," Max giggled.
I took a deep breath and composed myself. "I can't believe you kept that letter," I murmured.
"David said I had to," he confessed. I grinned smugly. "But I'm glad he made me do it. It's good to have for memories and junk. You know, sappy shit."
"Yeah," I agreed. I'd stopped crying. Ashlyn hovered above my shoulders, gushing with curiosity. "I'm still mad."
"I know you are," Max replied. I propped my elbows on the desk. "Lynn's irrelevant. I was just bored, okay? Don't even think about her."
"Wow, real comforting," I sassed. My phone started ringing. I checked the lock screen. "I don't know the number. I'm going to answer and if it's not important I'll call you back, okay?"
"Okay," Max responded. "See you later."
"Bye-bye," I said, hanging up on Max. Quickly, I accepted the other phone call. "Hello. Who's this?"
"It's me," a girlish voice greeted. Preston! "I had an evening. What about you?"
Odd. "Yeah, sure, whatever what means," I forced. I stood and stretched.
Another voice spoke faintly in the distance on Preston's line. "Is everything alright?"
I didn't know if I was mad. "Who are you with?", I pried.
"Harrison," Preston answered. "No doll, not you! I'm on the phone!", he hollered.
There was an awkward pause. "H-Happy anniversary...", I searched.
I didn't have anything to say. I was still coming to terms with Harrison being a liar. "Oh, thank you love!", Preston piped up. "We, uh...we appreciate it."
There was an unspoken understanding. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't know."
"You aren't on speaker and I went outside," Preston replied in a monotone pitch.
He sounded annoyed. "Oh," I muttered. I let out a sigh. "Harrison was one of my best friends growing up."
"I know, Y/N", Preston concurred. I walked over to the coffee maker and put in a K-cup. I reached for the nearest mug and placed it under the machine. "He still is. We both are."
I hit the "start" button on the machine. The coffee slowly dispensed into my mug as it brewed. "I feel like I'm doing something I'm not supposed to," I confessed. "You know what I'm talking about."
Preston sighed. "I do," he acknowledged. "Let's get some coffee tomorrow and chat about it."
I shook my head. "Harrison," I reminded him.
"He comes too," Preston asserted.
Not what I expected, but okay. "Sure. We'll meet at Bigby's Brew tomorrow. Noon?", I asked.
"Sure," Preston agreed. "At two we'll have to leave."
"Okay," I responded. "I'll go ahead and leave you for now. See you tomorrow, Preston."
"Alright. So long!", Preston concluded, ending the call. I placed my phone onto the kitchen counter and lifted my mug.
"Who was that?", Ashlyn nosed. I grumbled as I sipped my coffee. "What? I'm just curious."
Ashlyn clasped her hands together and grinned. "Just some guy," I excused her.
Ash's grin contorted into a devious smirk. "Some guy you say?", she pried.
The coffee punched my taste buds with a familiar bitterness. "It's nothing interesting," I promised. I placed my mug beside me and cracked my knuckles. "It's someone I was friends with as a kid."
Ashlyn tapped her pointer finger on the small kitchen counter. "If you say so," she surrendered. I barely knew Ashlyn. Why would I spill my personal gossip to somebody I wasn't close with?

Max's POV

     "Take me back!", Lynn begged. Her quarter-length locks were matted with oil. Sweat beaded above her brow.
     She took my hands in a desperate search for comfort. "I'm not interested anymore," I restated. "I got bored. Deal with it."
     Lynn's usually cool-toned cheeks appeared warmer with a deep pink blush. "Why would you do this me?", she sobbed. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes. "Why would you do this to us?"
     I scrunched my nose. "Us? There's no us," I ratified. "All of this crying isn't going to change my final call so why are you still on my fucking porch? I have shit to get done."
     Lynn's jaw opened slightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're a piece of shit!", Lynn fumed, stomping. I stifled a laugh and shrugged. "This is funny to you? Was our entire relationship a joke? This is so sudden!"
     She'd taken this all out of proportion. She was nearly hyperventilating, pulling her hair like a madman. "It's not that deep," I told her. "I got bored of you and I'm interested in Y/N. I kissed her, too."
     Lynn balled her hands into fists. "You kissed her?", her breathy voice hitched. Her arms trembled. Her left eye twitched. "You're a cheater! You should be ashamed of yourself! You're a waste!" Lynn dropped the bouquet of flowers she'd planned on delivering to Harrison and Preston. Lynn crushed the flowers with her heel, mashing each petal into a paste. She kicked what was left of the bouquet into the lawn. The roses stained a small section of the porch light pink.
     "This is life, Lynn. It kicks your ass," I snapped. Lynn stared into my eyes longingly. I was empty. My advice was genuine. "Most of your relationships won't work. This one didn't work. Pick yourself back up and get over it, now go study or something. I'm done." I turned my back on Lynn and went inside, slamming the door behind me.
     Lynn screamed in agony from outside the house, kicking the front door. Jesus, this girl needs help. Fucking psycho.
"Crazy, huh?", Neil teased, elbowing me.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah," I replied. Neil handed me a paper plate with a slice of banana bread on it. "Nikki brought this over for us yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if there was rat poison in it, but it tastes alright."
I poked the sticky slice of bread with my pointer finger. "I guess it seems okay," I muttered, inspecting the bread. I picked off a small piece and chucked it into the air for it to land in my already-opened mouth.
"So, Y/N," Neil intruded. I grumbled to myself. "Is she happening?"
I collapsed on the couch and groaned. "Fucking Preston," I spat. Aggressively, I shoved chunks of banana bread down the hatch. "I can't stand his queer ass. He's gonna' give me a run for my money."
"What does Preston being queer have to do this with this?", Neil scolded.
"Sorry, whatever," I blabbed. "I just hate him. All he ever does it take shit from me, he's so selfish."
"If you really care about Y/N so much just ask her out," Neil reasoned. "Bond with her before Preston gets the chance. You know, it's not like Y/N doesn't know about Harrison and Preston's relationship. She wouldn't metal with that on purpose."
"We'll see about that," I challenged.
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A/N - Oooh, it's getting juicy! Things are getting spicy and dicey. Characters are tensing. Preston and Harrison are on the rocks. Can they salvage their relationship? -☁️

Comment Question of the Chapter:

Who's your favorite Camp Camp side character and why?