||Pretenders||☄️

(5).

"You're Okay"

        Alicia was not the type to be intimidated by few words. She did feel like Max wasn't who he pictured himself to be. A whole day of emotional roller coaster and she already felt he was a good person. "You could've gotten rid of me too but you didn't." she said.

     "What if I plan on doing it tonight?"

     "Do you?" she asked. He pressed in between his eyes like he always does when troubled. "My instincts are always right Max. I know you're a good person. You're okay.."

     "I'm not okay!" he disgruntled.

     "You are. Everyone has a good side in them.."

     "Goddamnit! Stop acting like my therapist. I'm through with that shit. Let's talk like normal people."

    "You've a therapist? Wow, how much is that? I always wanted one for fun's sake. Is it fun? Do they really make you feel better? I've tons of problem I want to unleash on someone. I'm sure whoever it is will sack me out of their office every single day." she laughed to cover up the little tension steaming up and he fell for it. He breathed out a sigh and closed his eyes for seconds. "What are doing?" she asked out of curiosity.

    "My therapist says it works. Like finding your inner peace or something. Some bullshit talks everyday." she laughed harder and he laughed with her. Her laughter ceased and he opened his eyes.

    Time stopped for a minute and that nippy and scalding feeling rose again, burning his heart. That torrid look in her eyes, burnt him. Like the calm before the cyclone, she was becoming that type of person for him.

      And Maxwell, knowing his capabilities, knew he would fuck up another opportunity to be 'normal' again. The opportunity that knocks on his door, tiredly walks away. He never opens up for it.

     Alicia closed her eyes imitating what Max had showed earlier. He smiled and closed his eyes again.

     In his thoughts were scorching flames and the cries of help as his daily nightmares. Even in the glacial diner, ardent sweats formed on his forehead. The foggy memories he always gets without any meaningful explanation to it aches his heart and at the same time squeezes onto his heart. The guilty feeling he gets every time with those memories was getting hard for him. Aloud, he groaned a little. Something pierce his heart with every thoughts of it. He sees himself shedding tears in flames and had no fucking idea what they meant and when it had happened. Not his sister or brother had answers to his nightmares.

     Getting deeper in his thoughts, he felt a warm hand on his, telling him he's okay. He almost pulled away and this hand held onto his. "Breathe. You'll be fine." he heard. His eyes opened and he didn't miss the beautiful smile surrounding Alicia. "Keep breathing. It helps." He didn't need that breathing process anymore.

    "I'm fine." he took his hand off and wiped his sweat. Alicia was right Maxwell had things going on with him. She decided not to ask questions seeing how he was affected by his little time alone.

    Instead, she turned the remaining minutes into questionnaires about the flirting rumors she heard of him and he answered her questions truthfully. There was nothing to hide about his sex life and what he chose to do at his spare time. The more they talked, the more they felt like they were really getting to know each other. Maxwell got to know about her many part time jobs and why she wasn't sociable like others wanted her to be. He understood her choices. The waiter approached with their foods and they munched into it while they talked.

     Time passing, he offered her a full time job to be his personal person and she looked at him anxiously.    

     "Is that even a thing?" she asked in dismay and he smiled.