Pause (Published)

Chapter 27: Game Over

Finally I pull the front door open only to be greeted by impatient grey eyes, "Well it took you long enough." he huffs, frustrated.

"Well well well, if it isn't the trader who sold me out." I greet sternly, crossing my arms over my chest to give off a more threatening appeal and vibe.

"You're the one who left me stranded to face Troy's wrath with your elaborate plot and scheme to kidnap your best friend. Grey bailed on me and I was kicked in the crotch dammit. You're the bloody trader." he replies back rather cheekily...too cheekily for my liking.

"I don't like your tone Mister." I retort back, offended by his blatant rudeness when he clearly needed something from me. His audacity is astounding. He's learned from the best...that's me if you didn't get that.

"Grow up Aqueela." he mumbles in a dejected voice he's never used on me before, hurting me in the process. I fall silent and blink up at him, puzzled by his off putting behavior. This was not the norm, not for him.

It's then that I take in his disheveled appearance and immediately realize that something is up. Something's wrong. So being the considerate friend that I am...I slam the door shut in his face and walk away after yelling and pointing an accusing finger in his face, "Trader! Trader! Trader!."

He rings the doorbell again and I have half a mind to not answer, it's only when I hear Jay swear from somewhere upstairs to answer the flippen door that I decide I'm only answering to put Jay out of his misery.

"Now do you want to try that again?" I ask him as I open the door to meet his tired grey eyes, blocking him from entering.

"Stop being so dam difficult-"

I slam the door shut again, highly pissed off with him. I won't be degraded by him nor will I tolerate him when he's being an ass, more so than Jay and Grey ever are.

It's not long after when I hear the door open from the outside as he steps in himself, revealing his agonizing presence that I'd prefer to be rid off. Never thought I'd think that low of him, of Max Mills. I round the corner and raise an eyebrow at him, "Well by all means, invite yourself in." I retort sarcastically, repaying some of his own medicine to him. He's been blowing me off for the past month and now he suddenly pitches here at my front doorstep...okay at Jay's front door step, same difference. 

"I just did." he replies back in a cocky voice, adding to my anger. 

I frown at him, my eyebrows furrowing as I pull a face, folding my arms across my chest, "What the hell do you want with that attitude? I sure as hell am not doing you any favours when you're standing here treating me like garbage." I say the last part in a confident falsetto voice, but towards the end I let it slip in my tone on just how much he actually hurt me just now with his sharp words. He wasn't this person. He wasn't suppose to treat me like this, not him, not Max.

He hears the hurt in my tone and immediately his grey eyes soften a fraction before he steps forward, his grey eyes searching my face for forgiveness. His demeanor and aura changes so swiftly in the blink of an eye and suddenly the Max I know and love is standing before me again, the other replaced. "Aqueela..." he starts as he places a hand on my wrist, "Look I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I crossed a line. F**k I'm such an idiot." his way of apologizing and I instantly forgive him. "I'm just exhausted. That's all."

I sense the distress behind his tone as his grey eyes swirl in it's depths, confusion present as I realize he's going through somewhat of a storm in his life. "It's okay." I say, taking his hand and leading him into Jay's lounge. I motion for him to sit down. He raises his eyebrows at the sight of the couches inquisitively. I'm sure he's going to ask, but he decides against it, figuring that I was the answer to the question on how, why, who etc. He sits down as I flop down beside him, "So what's bothering you Maxipad?" I ask, worried and concerned. I've never seen Max so distraught.