The next few days were civil enough between Lily and Max. The tension about what happened dissipated and for that, Lily was grateful. She also couldn't help that Max liked her just as much as she liked him.
Lily continued to leave every morning to explore New York, only to come home just in time for Max to bring her dinner. They had been having dinner together almost every night. It was something that both were enjoying.
There were still a few hesitant touches, but they were slowly coming to terms that touching each other was okay.
One day, Lily came home early from her exploration of New York City. She had good news to tell Max. One of the famous magazines in New York offered her a job and she couldn't wait to start. It seemed like Max was her good luck charm. Ever since he entered her life, things were finally looking up.
Though, when Max was nowhere to be seen, Lily sighed. Maybe later tonight. She entered her apartment and smiled to herself – she couldn't believe she landed a job at a magazine as a photographer. It was truly a dream come true.
As she walked to the pantry, Lily noticed that something seemed a bit off. She furrowed a brow, letting her hand graze the wall before she tugged it open.
"What the hell?" She thought to herself.
Lily stepped inside, looking around the dark walkway. What the hell was this place? She pulled her phone out to use as a flashlight, guiding her way through the darkness. Go figure. There was no signal – it was something that she was trying to fix for quite some time now.
She spotted a chair and tilted her head, walking towards it before seeing a peephole. When she looked into it, she noticed that it was her bathroom. Suddenly, Lily dropped her phone. Someone was spying on her and she needed to find out who. She had a guess, but she hoped it wasn't true.
"What are you doing here, Lily?" Max said, clearing his throat. When she looked up at him, Lily suddenly felt fear. He wasn't smiling. In fact, he looked worried.
Max stepped towards her. She was never supposed to find out about this, about his secret lair. Seeing her with the same look that every woman gave him made his heart break. She was scared and he wanted nothing more than to just hold her and tell her that it wasn't what it looked like.
Except it was.
"Me? What the hell are you doing? Are you spying on me? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Lily stood up, picking her phone from the ground and walking back to the direction of where she came from. She didn't know where to go and Max was close to catching up. She saw a glimmer of light and instantly walked in that direction.
Max was a bit surprised. She wasn't running away. She wasn't trying to get him to disappear. When she reached her apartment, she didn't even bother to shut the door. If she was scared, why didn't she try to get away from him?
"Lily, please… Let me explain."
Max grabbed her hand once they were both now standing in the kitchen. Lily instantly looked up at him, snatching her hand from his grasp which only made Max's pain double.
She had never pulled away from him.
"What is there to explain, Max? Fuck. I knew you were too good to be true. I fucking knew it." Lily sighed, turning to grab a glass and a wine bottle, filling it to the brim. "Why are you spying on me?"
Max sighed. He wanted to take a step closer, wanted to hold her, but he refrained from doing so. Instantly, he pocketed his hands once more. He was hurt, but it still confused him as to why she wasn't running away.
"I – I haven't been completely honest with you, okay? There's something wrong with me. I don't know how to control it. When I get scared, I go between the walls. It's my safe haven I just wanted you to like me… My grandfather says I'm weak, just like my father. No one would want me, would like me once they found out who I was as a person and how weak I am… He's right." Max's eyes drop to the ground, keeping his hands fidgeting in his pockets.
Lily furrowed a brow, looking in his direction. She couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for him and somehow, she just wanted to envelope him in a hug and tell him it was going to be okay. It seemed like he lacked affection in his life which made much more sense now.
He was always afraid to touch her, always hesitant as if he didn't know if it was okay to do so.
"Max…"
He looked up, his eyes flashing a hurt puppy dog look. Lily instantly felt her heart break at the sight. Downing half of her wine, she set it aside on the counter before walking up to him. Gently, Lily rested a hand on his cheek. He looked so hurt and the guilt was written all over his features.
Max looked down at her, thoroughly surprised to see that she chose to still touch him, to be near him. He was weak and he didn't know why she hadn't run.
"I'm sorry, Lily… I can't help it. Sometimes I know that it isn't right, but I still do it anyway. I don't know – I don't know how to stop." Max looked away, leaning into her touch. Lily was comforting him and making him realize that maybe he was enough for someone out there, maybe he was worth it, that maybe he was just a troubled man who needed to be fixed.
"I thought you'd be the one to take me out of those walls and you are, but – But you're scared of me. I saw it in your eyes…"
Lily sighed, dropping her hand.
Max instantly missed her touch.
"That's because you snuck up on me in a dark hallway behind the walls. That would scare anyone." Lily replied, trying to lighten the mood. He doesn't smile though and she didn't know what else to do.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to spy on you, really…" Max said quietly.
"So, you saw me? In the bathtub?" Lily asked.
Max nodded, not meeting her eyes. "You're really beautiful, you know?"
Lily blushed, the pink hue hitting your cheeks. Max finally looked up, wondering if maybe this was the end of their relationship. Though, when he realized the color in her cheeks, he felt a slight glimmer of hope.
"I'm not saying it's right, but … I forgive you. I don't know why you do what you do, but I promise, Max… Things will change." Lily said, wrapping her arms around his frame.
Max let out a breath of relief, pulling his hands from his pockets to wrap around her tiny frame. He couldn't believe it. She was aware of what he did, and yet, she still chose him.
"B – But why?" Max asked hesitantly.
Lily looked up at him, biting her lower lip.
"Because I want you, Max. I like you. You don't need to keep spying on me, okay? Things will happen gradually… Just be patient, please…" Lily pleaded.
Max looked into her eyes and noticed the genuine look in her orbs. Was there really a woman out there who was going to accept him for who he was? He couldn't lie. He wanted her so badly that he couldn't help but go in the walls and spy on her. Seeing her soft, bare skin… It was itching for his touch.
But he had to respect her wishes. Max needed to realize that she really wanted him.
"And if you want… Or if it helps, you can come to my apartment whenever you feel like you need to shrink away from your grandfather, okay? No one should ever be talked to that way, even you." Lily said, bringing her hand once more to his cheek. She let her thumb run across the bristles of grey and black hair at his jaw.
"O – Okay… I'd like that…" Max said, shutting his eyes at her touch.
Lily leaned up, placing a light kiss on his lips. She needed to find out what he went through, what he had to deal with in order for him to have turned out this way.
And if that needed to happen, Lily was going to tell him about her life as well.
