A Chance for Normalcy

CHAPTER 12; dying

You roll over in the middle of the night reaching out for Max, confusion hitting you when you can't feel him. Slowly opening your eyes, you look around the dark room not seeing him or any signs of his stuff.

"Max?" You mumble rubbing your eyes sitting up. Strange.

"Max?" You say louder getting out of bed looking around the room. Where is my stuff?

You hear a noise coming from the bathroom and walk towards it, "Max are you in there?" slowly opening the door. You gasp as you see your father standing in the bathroom, Max kneeling on the ground in front of him a knife against his neck bruises all over his face and chest, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Oh my god Dad, what are you doing?"

"I asked you to come home, and you didn't listen. Now you're paying the price." Your father says pressing the knife into Max's neck.

"No! Please don't." You beg. "I'll come home with you, just please leave Max alone."

"Too late." Your father says slicing open Max's throat spilling blood everywhere.

"NOOOOO!" You scream running over to Max's lifeless body. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." You say crying over his body before your father pulls you off of him dragging you away.

"Max!" You scream tears falling down your face.

.....

"Ari," Max says shaking you jolting you awake. "Hey, it's okay, it was just a dream."

"Max?" You say still not sure if it's real or not.

"Yeah, I'm right here." He says pulling you against his chest.

"That was so scary." You say tears in your eyes.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Max asks rubbing your back.

"It was my dad... he was mad I didn't go home when he asked and... I tried to get to you in time, but I couldn't... I tried... but I couldn't save you..." You say tears flowing down your cheeks onto Max's chest. Max squeezes you tighter and kisses the top of your head.

"It was just a dream. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." Max says rubbing your back. "Besides, it would take a lot more than one man to kill me." You can't help but smile as you wipe your tears away.

"He's going to be waiting for me when we get back."

"I know, he's been visiting your apartment while we've been away." Max says calmly and that doesn't even surprise you. "We're going to be walking into a trap."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." You say sighing looking over at the clock. 5:24am.

"Let's try to get some more sleep then. We'll need our energy." Max says kissing the top of your head again and you nod against his chest feeling your eyes get heavy.

......

Max's alarm goes off a few hours later and you groan, "5 more minutes."

"Sorry princess, not today. We've got a plane to catch." Max says getting out of bed. You sigh and roll out of bed following him to the bathroom to shower. You hop out of the shower with Max and get ready for the day ahead, throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top for the plane ride, wrapping a sweater around your shoulders. After packing your bags, you head downstairs, meeting up with Daniel and Lando in the lobby to grab some breakfast.

"How's everyone feeling this morning?" Daniel asks.

"Tired." You say yawning.

"Hungover." Lando says rubbing his head.