Perfect with You

Chapter 44 - Act The Part

However, Chloe completely ignored him and turned her whole body around to face Max again, letting her concern finally show by bending over her and laying a hand on her shoulder to get her to respond, but Max was just a daze, an existence that took a breath without purpose, so mentally torn to shreds that nothing felt real.

"Ethan, I think you're going too far..." With uncertainty, Ted took a few steps closer to stand in the center of the room, his voice changing when directed at the man on the phone.
"Max looks really traumatized" He spoke as if there was any kind of hope that he would be able to convince Ethan to somehow change his mind.

And unsurprisingly, Ethan didn't show any hint of compassion but only because she was listening, Max heard something she mistook for courtesy. "It will all work out for everyone, trust me".

As soon as Ethan spoke out these fraudulent words, Max shivered a little before burping in her throat, feeling immensely sicker than she remembered. It didn't cause Chloe to stop her attempt at grabbing her attention, however, but Max, being overwhelmed by the feeling of being back in her present body, didn't even blink. It was too much at once, and her brain couldn't process everything, therefore, she just shut down. She was still present, still conscious of her existence, but unable to perceive anything psychical with the image of the younger Chloe still burnt into the back of her eyes.

"Hey, eh, Chloe?" Ted's voice sounded extraordinarily timid even for his standards as he leaned closer but stood his ground, still a good seven feet away from Chloe and Max.
"I still don't believe in the whole time-travel thing, but Max obviously did something since she seems so... I don't know" He tried to hide his glance at Max by hovering a hand in front of his face.
"Do you think she'll be able to try it again? Whatever it is" His teeth were screwed together, his jaw barely moving as if he anticipated a scolding for even making the suggestion.

"No, Ted. She shouldn't have done it, and she certainly won't do it again. It could kill her" Chloe wanted to turn her head to look at him, to grant him some sort of respect but kept her attention at Max.
"So please, stop siding with Ethan. It's enough knowing that Tiffany is already involved with him"
She felt burnt down, well-knowing that she wasn't able to yell anymore and not wanting to either. The initial shock had passed, and enough time had passed for her body to realize it shouldn't use its last shred of energy on stimulating fear.

"What? Tiffany has... nothing to do with Ethan" He moved his hand a little further to pinch his earlobe, his voice hinting at the offense he mistakenly received.

"For fuck's sake, there was a picture of Ethan's daughter in her purse" Chloe swayed her head to either side while slowly pulling Max's arms out the sleeves of the hoodie after she had noticed the drops of sweat on her forehead.
"Either you're really fucking stupid, or you're trying to protect her" With no sting in her voice, the words did a great job at making Ted feel belittled as Chloe eventually got Max out of her hoodie.
"Or Ethan" She didn't know why she said it. She didn't really suspect Ted of working with Ethan, but then again... Max probably didn't expect Chloe to have been working with him.

"Yeah, I'm trying to protect the psycho that's holding me hostage and slowly killing my friend" But Ted still took it in and made a snarky remark in response, but it was the last word that caught Chloe's attention and made her turn her head.

"Max is not your goddamned friend, and if you're innocent, then Tiffany isn't your friend either" She insinuated her certainty, letting Ted know where they were at and attempting to end such a needless argument but with the phrasing, she knew she had just made it worse.

"God, shut up. Tiffany has nothing to do with this! She would never do anything to harm us" But at this point, it didn't sound like certainty from Ted's side. It sounded a lot more like denial.