My Heart Holds Onto You *COMPLETED*

Chapter 20

Brenna's POV

hey, wanna hang out today? xxx

wanna come over & watch a movie? xx

did I do something wrong? x

I don't really get why you're ignoring me..

whatever, you can get back to me when you want.

    I feel horrible. I don't want to ignore Max, but I'll feel guilty. Ever since that night on the bridge, Tom and I have been working on our relationship, if you can even call it that yet. Max has texted me for the past two days, calle, left voicemails. And I've answered none. I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to feel this way but I do and it won't go away. 

    I was cut off from my thoughts by a knock at my room door. "Come in," I said while staring absent-mindedly at the wall, back facing the door. "Well, at least I know you're alright."

     My eyes went wide and I whipped my head around to find Max standing in my doorway. "Hi," was all my brain could come up with at the moment. 

     He scrunched up his eyesbrows as he walked further into the room and closed the door. "You ignore me for two days straight and all you can say to me is hi?" He chuckled and walked until he was standing in front of me. "What happened? Did I do something or piss you off? Say the wrong thing? What?" 

     I looked away and shook my head. "You didn't do anything, b-but Max, we can't do this anymore." I felt tears welling up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I took a risk and looked up, into his eyes. Confusion and hurt was written in them and the guilt immediately washed over me.

     "What do you mean? I thought it was going pretty good." He took a step back and cocked his head to the side. "I like you Max, I really do. But," I took a deep breath, "but I still love Tom. And he needs me right now just like I need him." I couldn't help it anymore and the tears ran down my cheeks. "I'm sorry."

    I wiped my face and looked up at Max to see him pacing back and forth, he looked pretty angry which scared me. Why was he mad? At least I was telling him the truth. "You're sorry? Brenna, do you ever think about anyone but yourself sometimes?"

    To say I was shocked and surprised was an understatement. "Y-yes, I do! I care about you which is why I'm telling you this! I thou-" He cut me off.

   "You thought what? That you'd tell me that you'd rather be with my best mate than me? Am I not good enough or something? Because this shit always happens to me." I thought he was finished but he continued. "You're selfish, Brenna. You don't care about how your actions effect some people. You play the victim. God, I understand your sister died and you have no family left except for Seev, but stop with the pity card already."

     "Shut up." Guilt and hurt was replaced with anger. He opened his mouth to talk again but I cut him off. "Shut up! You have no right to talk to me like this when I did absolutely nothing to you! I'm trying to tell you the truth, trying to help you understand why I can't be with you so you won't get hurt further down the road, and you're acting like a child. Don't bring my family into this, don't you even dare bring up Noah."

     I walked up to him, tears running down my face. I looked pathetic but I didn't care. "You're the selfish one, taking your anger out on someone who doesn't deserve it. If you have problems with yourself that's your fault, not mine. You're self-centered and egocen-"

   Before I could finish, I felt a sting on my left cheek. I put my hands to my face and stared at him with wide eyes, him doing the same. 

    He just hit me.