||Pretenders||☄️

(33).

"The Sunset"

       Alicia stood up hurriedly from her seat and Jake was staring at her. "Sorry. I have to make a call." She rushed out from their seat. Max stopped walking and waited for her to walk out. He eyed at Jake before he followed her out. He would've beat the shit out of him if he kept holding onto her hand. Alicia didn't want to stop walking. There were people around the Inn and it was dark outside. She led them to the car park and he stopped her, holding her hand and pushing her back to him.

    "What the fuck was that about Alicia?!" He roared, his veins almost popping out of his body. "Tell me what the fuck you think you were doing with him! I told you to stop meeting him didn't I? Why are you trying all you can to push my buttons?"

    "Why are we doing this?"

    "Keeping you from everyone?"

    "Yeah. What are we? You come to me when you need me and when I really need you, you spend days and nights with her and you expect me to be cool with it? What's our relationship? Are we still friends? Is that all we are?"

    "No," he rasped. "We're... I don't know Ali. I want you close. I said I love you, I do what you want.."

     "I don't need that. Saying you love me doesn't mean anything if you don't prove it. That's not how to love Max. I've been so frustrated these days and all you do is hang out with her, take her home, fuck her and do the things we're supposed to be doing with her."

     "I don't fuck her. I don't even like her. She doesn't make me feel the way you make you make me feel. She only gets on my nerves and I keep her around because of Ryan and Kesha. She means nothing to me."

    "I'm not getting this..."

     "I like you. I really do and that's all I can say to you now. I really like you and I wasn't kidding when I said I was going to hurt you. I'm not good with this. I don't want anyone knowing about us."

    "Why Max?"

    "I have my reasons."

    "You either tell me what those reasons are or I'm walking out of your life and ending whatever we have."

    "Ali, you don't have to do that." He was testing the hot waters. She love and she can end it too. She took steps away from him and he held her hand, hugging her from behind. His voice was heavy and shaky. He didn't want to stop. "I don't know how to tell you. Can you just trust me and let's go ahead with this? I'm not ready to let you go."

     "Max," he spun her around and feathered her face, breathing heavily. "I don't want to love you like this. It hurts. If I can't have you to myself we've to stop. I move on fast enough."

     "You have me. I promise you that. Can we get out of here?"

     "Jake will..." he glared. "Let's go." he held her hand and walked her to the car.

       Maxwell drove them away and bought food at the drive in. He said they were going to see the sunset and she laughed. He must be joking. Who sees sunset at that time of the day? He went to a convenience store and bought few things too. He sat them at the backseat and Alicia was staring at him curiously. "We're spending the rest of the night in the car. Don't look at me like I'm mad."

    "I didn't make a sound."

    "Your face judged me."

    "What did it say?" She laughed and he shook his head, driving away. He drove the car to the end of the town on a hilltop. "This is nice." She said and he sighed.