✓ | DALLIANCE → madwheeler

fifteen

SULIT ( adjective. )
something that is worth it.

MAX WAS sick and tired of this place.

Everything she had ever known had been stripped from her. It seemed as if every single light in her entire body had been vanquished by these people- by these horrid Fallen Angels who wanted nothing more than to conquer and kill. She should have seen it coming when Mike warned her about Ace. When her brother had been acting so strange.

She choked back a cry. Sam. She had never even gotten to say goodbye to him. Yes, he might have been annoying at times, but he was her brother. Her protector, her go-to always when times were hard.

She remembered him holding her as she sobbed, looking at their house going up in flames. The Fallen Angels had done that to her. Destroyed her entire family.

She put her head in her hands. And Mike had been one of them the entire fucking time.

Max looked up as the door to her cell opened, her cheeks stained with tears and her eyes bloodshot and dark red.

"You," She hissed under her breath. "Get out."

Jack flinched, his bangs covering his eyes. He gave a long shuddery exhale of breath, and then said faintly, "You were screaming."

One corner of Max's mouth curved into a weak smile. "You can thank Ace for that."

Jack fell back against the wall, closing his eyes. His voice was thick when he said, "Fuck. Did he-"

"Do you know what's funny?" Max cut across him. "I didn't even feel it. Not any of it."

There was a second where she thought he was going to collapse; but then he opened his mouth to speak and Max went on, her voice scratchy. "How could you do this? How could you let them do this?"

Jack's hands went over his eyes, sucking in a long breath. "I'm sorry, Max, I- Ethan's dangerous, he would kill me. I'm in love with you, I didn't know what else to do-"

Max barely heard his proclamation. "Bullshit."

Reaching behind her, she opened up Mike's letter to her, skidding it across the floor. Her tone was razor sharp. "Here. See what he wrote. You'll get a good laugh at my expense."

Jack bit his lip, swallowing as he opened his eyes, and reached down for it. His hands were trembling as he began the letter.

Max-

I found a way out of this place, and I took it. I know you probably don't understand why I did this, and I don't expect you too. All my life living as a Fallen Angel I've learned one thing- live for yourself. I can't keep coming inches from death for you. You're not worth it. Thank you for trying to fix me, but it's too late. No one can.

-Michael Wheeler

As he finished, he felt the blow to his ribcage as he finished the words. He had no idea how she felt right now, thinking that Mike had written those words.

Except he hadn't. Jane had. He knew because they had planned this- she leaving a note written by "Mike" for Max, and he telling her what to tell Mike when she reached him in the dungeon, pretending she had heard it from Max herself.

He looked up, and saw Max's shoulders shaking. "How could I have been so stupid, thinking he actually cared about me?"

She put her head between her knees and began to sob.

He could do it. He could tell her the truth.

But Jack looked back at the open cell door to where the rest of them were waiting for him, crumpled the letter in his palm, and said nothing.