O.B slid down the wall of his mother's spare bedroom and dropped his head in his hands with a weary sigh. He shook his head in disbelieve and despair. Tears threatened to fall over his eyes, but he refused to let them. He choked back a sob and dug his fingernails into the palm of his hand. How had things come to this? How had he lost his best friend?
There was a one-word answer. Claire.
The blonde bitch had came between Max and O.B, and she had made it look so easy. In just a few short weeks she had ruined the friendship of her fiancé and O.B to no repair. The thing that really cut into O.B's heart was not so much the fact that Claire had succeeded, but that he had made it so easy for her.
Why hadn't he just ignored her taunting and obvious want to have Max all to herself? If O.B had just let her get on with it then she would have had nothing to work against. But no, he had to retaliate. The reason for this was that Max was his best friend, always had been. O.B couldn't possibly put Max through the pain of being discarded by Claire once he had alienated his best friend.
So O.B had stood his ground and tried to convince Max that Claire was up to no good. Of course Claire had denied it, and even got in a bit of acting. Max had believed his girlfriend over his best friend, and had become convinced O.B was the liar. This resulted in O.B being forced to leave the flat they shared, hence why he was in his mother's spare bedroom.
The door was pushed open and in stepped his mother herself. Immediately she made for her son's side and bent down to comfort him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing Mum, everything's fine." This was a barefaced lie. Everything was not fine.
Claire would not stop until she had Max all to herself.
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"Max?"
Max looked up from his beautiful bride – to – be, who was poring over a bridal magazine, to see his half – brother standing near the stairs.
The five – year –old wore crumpled Thomas The Tank Engine pyjamas, his hair tousled and a tattered teddy bear clutched in his hand. Tears were glistening in his eyes.
"What is it Tom?" Max asked tiredly. As he loved his baby brother, he wasn't really in the mood for him. He had just had a huge row with his best friend, O.B, and couldn't really deal with anything at the moment.
"Where's O.B?"
His words sparked interest in Claire, and she glanced up at Max sharply.
"He isn't here mate." Max moved around the kitchen island and walked towards Tom.
"Why not?" Tom sniffled, rubbing his tired eyes. He had been sleeping, but raised tones had woken him.
Max's heart nearly broke at the sight of his crest fallen and confused little brother. Tom had been through so much already; the demise of both his parents, and the recent tragic death of his baby niece to name just a few things. The little boy really didn't need to lose his much-loved O.B either.
"He just isn't," Claire snapped.
Max whipped back around and gaped at his fiancé in surprise. Since when had Claire spoke to Tom like that? He turned his back on the blonde, high cheek boned woman and scooped up his little brother.
"O.B doesn't live here any more," he said gently.
"Why not?" Tom's bottom lip quivered and his eyes watered.
Max kissed his half brother's dark hair and hugged him closer. "We had a fight." He lowered Tom to the ground, bent down to his level, and stared deep into his eyes. "But that doesn't mean O.B doesn't love you anymore. Because he does," he said firmly. He needed Tom to know that O.B still cared for him very much. Even if they were not getting on anymore, neither man wanted the boy to get hurt.
"When will I be able to see him again?"
"Anytime you want," Max said empathetically. "He will always be pleased to see you. Okay?"
Tom nodded his little head and looked at Max with large eyes. "How about tomorrow?"
Max's heart thudded painfully. He hadn't planned on seeing his ex best friend so soon, but he couldn't let Tom down. "I'm sue tomorrow will be fine, but we'll have to check with O.B." Max ruffled Tom's hair affectionately. "Now off to bed."
As Tom scurried off, cheered by the news he would be visiting O.B the next day, Claire's heart and spirits plummeted. Max couldn't see O.B again soon, at least not without her. If they did there was a chance of reconciliation, and Claire wouldn't allow that.
Max slouched back into the kitchen and dropped into a chair. Claire slipped her arms around Max and slid seductively onto his lap.
"Is that really a good idea?" she purred in his ear.
"Yes," Max snapped. He pushed Claire of his legs and stood up irritably. "I will not let Tom suffer because of this."
"But O.B could poison Tom against me," Claire argued. She new she was clutching at straws, but she had to find a way to separate the two friends.
"He won't. He wouldn't."
"But…"
"I said he wouldn't!" Max roared.
Claire shrunk away from him, and his face instantly softened. "I'm sorry," he apologised softly.
"It's okay." Claire wrapped her arms around Max's neck, and grinned to herself.
"I'm going to bed." Max pulled away.
"Okay. Night." Claire pecked her fiancée's cheek and watched as he ambled off.
The doorbell chimed through the flat, and Claire hurried to get it. As soon as she opened it and saw who it was, she began to slam it shut. But O.B wedged his foot in the way.
"I need to talk to Max." O.B pushed the door open further and forced his way in.
"He's not here."
"I know he is."
"Do you really think I'm going to let you see him?" Claire hissed.
Unbeknown to her and her rival for Max's affections, the man himself was creeping silently down the stairs. He had heard O.B's voice and had came down to investigate. After hearing Claire's cold tone, he wanted to hear what they had to say to each other.
"If you were a decent person, yeah. But you're not decent are you?" O.B shot back.
Max was just about to jump to his fiancée's defence, when what she said next stopped him in his tracks.
"No, I'm not," Claire agreed. "I need Max all to myself, and that means keeping you away from him. I guess that makes me selfish too!"
NO! Max couldn't believe it. His blood pounded in his ears and he felt faint. What O.B had told him was true. All of it. He felt sick to the stomach and almost retched.
"How could you?"
Claire spun around, a lot of pure horror on her face. O.B peered around the corner. His expression was a mixture of joy and sadness at the same time. Joy that Max finally knew the truth, and sadness that his best friend had been hurt so brutally.
"It…it's not true," Claire stammered.
"Don't deny it. I heard you!" Max managed to sound fierce and completely crushed at the same time.
"Max, I'm sorry." O.B reached out a hand to comfort his friend.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one who should be sorry," Max said. "I should've listened to you."
"You're love," O.B replied simply.
"Were," Max growled, shooting a venomous glare at Claire.
"Max," Claire whimpered. "Can't you see I did this for us?"
"Get out." Max's tone was low and deadly. "There's no excuse for what you did."
"Max, please," Claire begged.
"OUT!" Max screamed. His face reddened and a vein throbbed in his temple. "I never want to see you again."
"Fine." Claire seemed to have got over her despair quickly and she stomped out of the flat and hopefully out of their lives. "But I'll be back," she called over her shoulder.
So much for that thought.
"She never loved me, did she?" Max fell down onto a step, totally exhausted and devastated.
"I don't know mate," O.B answered honestly. He sat down next to Max, not knowing what to say or do to make this better.
Max let out what O.B could only describe as a whimper and buried his face in his hands.
"You'll be okay," O.B soothed, finally engulfing his friend in a hug.
The rift between the two friends was far from healed, but it was well under way.
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A/N. I hope you enjoyed reading Claire's downfall as much as I enjoyed writing it!