I'll keep you safe

Chapter 110

Steph drove into Waterloo Road, without Maxine. It was safe to say that things between them had become worse over the last few weeks. Once again, because of Earl Kelly.

Steph had, had enough. She couldn't win with Maxine. There was no controlling her. She'd lost count of the arguments and screaming matches they'd had, mostly over little things, but all to do with Earl Kelly.

Maxine's behaviour was scaring and worrying Steph. It was behaviour that she would never have expected from Maxine. Stealing and lying being the biggest issues.

It had started with money.

Last week, Steph had found a £20 note in her purse to be missing. And following on from that, a locket on a gold chain that Security Dave had bought for her as a gift. She wasn't exactly keen on it, but it was the thought that counted. So, when she'd found out it was missing, she instantly blamed Maxine, which had led to a blazing row, their worst to date.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Maxine had been lying again.

After Ralph Mellor's Drugs Awareness event, The Kelly kids had been taken into care, Earl included. Maxine had spoken to Steph about Earl coming to stay with them until he was allowed to go back home. Steph had of course said no to this.

Almost immediately after that conversation, Maxine had isolated herself to her bedroom when she wasn't at school. Steph had found it odd, but hadn't thought anything about it, since they were arguing all the time.

It wasn't until she confronted Maxine about the money that she found out that Earl had been staying in Maxine's room the entire time. She was furious when she'd found out.

It was from that, that she'd found out Maxine hadn't been the one who was stealing. It had been Earl the whole time. That had only added fuel to the fire. Even though Maxine had got her the money back and had returned the necklace, it didn't change anything.

Earl had driven a huge wedge between Steph and Maxine. At the moment, they barely spoke two words to each other. Their relationship was falling apart before Steph's eyes, and there was nothing she could do about it. She just wanted Maxine back. The happy, smart, kind and loving girl that she knew, not the bratty and spiteful one.

Steph saw Earl for what he was. A manipulative, narcissistic and controlling young man. She hated what he was doing to Maxine. She hated that he had her wrapped around his little finger, and that she ran to him every time. She hated that the only person she cared about in the whole world was being ripped from her. She wanted to fix it; she wanted to put it right. But how could she when whatever she did backfired and pushed Maxine further away?

So for now, she'd given up. As much as it pained her to watch Maxine slip from her grasp, there was nothing she could do. She just hoped that one day; Earl would show his true colours to Maxine.

...

It was 8AM. Earl and Maxine were walking into school together.

Maxine couldn't believe what Earl had just suggested to her. It was crazy!

She paused on the pavement, staring at him in disbelief.

"Are you serious?!"

Earl smiled

"Yeah! I mean, we've talked about it before, haven't we?" he replied

"I know, but I thought we were just talking" she shrugged

Earl shook his head as he grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I want us to have a baby" he stated