Max fell to the ground in tears, a sheet of folded paper in her hand. The words she read stung her eyes and made each sob that much more uncontrollable. Finally, Iggy burst into the room.
"What is it?!?" he panted, "What's wrong?!?"
Max swallowed the lump in her throat then answered him, "It's Fang. He's… he's gone."
Iggy knelt down to look Max square in the eye, "Where did he go, Max?"
"I don't know," she cried, "It just says 'I'm going to make things right' "
"Don't worry Max. I know where he is."
Max looked up, red lines tearing through the perfection of her cheeks. "Show me."
The flight wasn't long, but the icy cold and frozen rain made it seem ten times longer than it actually was. Finally, Max noticed a limping figure in the trees below: Fang. Her heat leapt in her chest as she leaned into the dive. Attempting to make her landing unnoticeable, ax slowly let her feet graze the wet forest floor.
"And what do you think you're doing?" she asked, using venom to cote the lump in her throat. She didn't need him to know that she had been crying.
He didn't turn round, but he did stop, "What are you doing here, Max?"
"You didn't answer my question." She quickly snapped, noticing that the venom in her voice was fading. The sound of his voice hurt her more then she had anticipated.
Fang turned to reveal his cold and morbid face. "Well, neither did you."
Max felt her heart fall as she saw his demented face, "I'm here because I don't want you to get hurt."
Fang laughed sarcastically, "You can't possibly be serious!"
"Fang," she began to cry again, "I am serious! Now come on, let's get you home!"
"I thought you said that you didn't want me to get hurt!"
"What?"
"Don't you get it?!?" he yelled, "Every moment I spend with you kills me!"
Max's crying became worse, "If that's how you feel, and I am as horrible as you say I am, then maybe I should be the one leaving!"
Fang looked horrified, "You think… NO! God, no! I'm not saying that you're horrible! I'm saying that you're too wonderful! I love you, Max! And that's why I have to go!"
Max was stunned. Fang had never told her about this. "I… I uh."
Fangs face fell. He stepped over to cradle Max's face. "Exactly. Goodbye, Max. Remember, I'll always love you." He shot out his wings and took off, brushing Max's cheek as he rose.
Max wanted so much to call out to him screaming for him to stay, and saying that she loved him to, but truthfully she didn't think she did. As much as she wanted to, she just… didn't love him.