So guys, here is the next chapter. Enjoy

Chapter Four: Testing The Waters

Chloe's POV – Tree House

I fidget under Max's intense gaze as I gather my thoughts. My throat becomes dry from the sudden nerves. This is harder anticipated. It's like when I saw Max again, I had everything planned out, but when it came to it I couldn't get the words out. Max plays with the hem of her shirt, something she always seems to do when she's nervous. I need to reassure her. I know Max gets anxious easily, so I need to tell her what this is about.

I bite my lip and quickly interject. "It's nothing bad, Max… well, at least I don't think it is." Damn it, Chloe. Real smooth. You've probably made it worse.

Despite my vagueness, Max does seem to relax a bit, but her body is still tense. It's always been the same with her, the unknown making her extremely anxious. I take a deep breath to ready myself for this conversation, "I need to ask you a question about… about the things you said back there." I mutter quietly, hugging the pillow tighter. Max tilts her head curiously at me, her eyes seeming to pierce my very soul as she tries to gauge what I'm thinking.

I feel as if she can read my mind. I wonder if she has rewound and already knows what I'm going to say. Shit. I glance down at the floor, closing my eyes and hoping that what I am going to say next won't mess up everything, "Max… don't rewind this please, whatever happens."

I hear shuffling and feel something warm on my cheek, gently rubbing. When I open my eyes again, I see Max's blue ones staring back at me earnestly, "Chloe, I promised you that I wouldn't." She teases my hands from the pillow and holds onto them, squeezing them reassuringly. "Besides even if I had, which I haven't, the fact that I'm still here must be a good thing, right?" I guess she has a point. At least I would know that I hadn't totally fucked everything up. I do trust Max.

Max sits there patiently, waiting for me to continue. For her curious expression, I assume she has no idea of what I'm going to say. I don't know if that made me feel relaxed or stressed.I squeeze her hands back and offer her a small smile. "Right, yeah. I… I do trust you though Max."

She returns my smile, its presence calming my nerves considerably. "I trust you too." Damn it. Why does she have to make everything so much harder? What I'm about to do could potentially ruin everything. After all, we have been through I couldn't live with that. I need Max, but I have to say this before it eats away at me.

To ease my suddenly dry throat and stall for time, I swallow hard, "Well, the thing is…" My voice gets caught in my throat, refusing to let the words leave my head. I nervously bite my bottom lip as I gather the courage I need to continue. To Max's credit, she sits there patiently waiting. She understands what it's like to have words fail you. A sad yet comforting thought. I inhale deeply, my resolve strengthened knowing that Max is here for me. "About what you said when you talked about the dare and… and the other time... did you mean it?"

Wow, Chloe. Why aren't you a world class poet with sentences like that coming out of you on a daily basis? I mentally kick myself for being unable to express myself properly. I think Max gets what I'm trying to say. At least I hope so because I think that is as coherent as I am going to get. After a few seconds of silence, I regain my composure and press on. "I just… I need to know."

Max's POV

Chloe looks so vulnerable right now, more than I have ever seen her. She's laying all her cards on the table for me to see. I'm not sure how to react to this sudden display of defencelessness, something I am really not used to from her. Even as a kid, she refused to show any sign of weakness. What should I say? I guess the truth is all I can really say. I don't want to lie to Chloe. I can't. Not after everything that's happened to us. I rub my neck nervously, gathering my thoughts. Here goes everything.

"Well… yeah, of course I meant it," I stutter weakly. Chloe's face remains stoic and unreadable, her eyes betraying nothing. I just have to bite the bullet here. What's the worst that could happen? I clear my throat and continue with more conviction. "I… I wanted to kiss you. I'm just too much of a coward to initiate anything…" I pause, a thought flickering across my mind. Wait… of course. Chloe knew that. I meet Chloe's blue eyes, which now show a slight flicker of something I can't quite put my finger one. "Is that why you dared me?"

She stroking her chin in contemplation, then she nods, a very slight smile forming on her lips, "Yeah. Don't you think I've seen those forlorn lustful looks of yours, Caulfield?"

"What? No… no way. I haven't… when?" I stammer, my cheeks flushing at my lack of subtlety.

Chloe smirks smugly and raises an eyebrow skeptically at my weak defense, "Like, all the time. You can try to deny it if you want, but you're lying to yourself."

I open my mouth to protest, but no words come out. Have I? I didn't even realize. Way to go, Max.

Her eyes focus on the floor again as she mumbles. "Anyway, now you have your rewind powers, I… I figured you would at least do it once, to see what it was like, even if I didn't remember it happening. It made me feel… wanted, even if it was selfish."

I gently squeeze Chloe's hands again, causing her to look up at me. My face softens at her expression of uncertainty and her hesitant tone. "Chloe, I keep telling you, if I didn't want to do it, I wouldn't have. You're not selfish."

She offers me a small smile, her eyes gentle and her voice hushed looking so lost and alone. "Yeah."

Oh, Chloe. I don't want to see you like this, ever. How can I make her smile again? I guess I could tell her about that time. How do I even say this? Dog, this is so embarrassing. It's worth it, Max. I'm sure she will find it hilarious. Anything to see her smile one more time. I exhale deeply, preparing myself for the inevitable embarrassment of my next confession. "Maybe… maybe I did rewind a… a few times. B-before I mean, w-when you dared me."

Chloe's eyes widen in shock and her eyebrows shoot upwards. She seems to be having trouble comprehending this admission. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion, a small crease forming between them as she thinks over everything. When she finally manages to speak, her voice comes out choked, "Wait. You rewound to keep on kissing me?"

"I s-said maybe I did," I mumble, my cheeks heating up.

A lop-sided smug grin forms on her face, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement, "How many times did you 'maybe' do this?" I lick my lips, my mind racing with the memory… The stuttered dare causing my mind to short circuit, both of us seemingly as surprised by her words as each other. The more confident affirmation from her posed almost as a challenge. The impulsive movement as I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. The sudden loss of contact as she stepped back, her face the very embodiment of shock. The quick recovery, stumbling over words and teasing. Confusion over what this meant for us. Maybe if I rewound again, really paid attention to every small movement and word then I could find out…

"I… I m-maybe kind of lost count," I admit, thinking how many time I used that excuse to justify myself… just satisfying my curiosity. In truth, I… wanted to do it. I wanted to find a way to stop her from moving away, from passing it off as just a joke. I wanted her to tell me straight what this was to her. Was it just an impulsive dare or… was it something else? I had to know, but for all my rewinding I never found out.

Chloe roars with laughter and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Oh man, Max. You're so hardcore."

"Yeah, laugh it up." I pout, crossing my arms over my chest and looking away from her to hide my obvious embarrassment. I'm not really sure where this is going, but I want it to continue.

She smirks at me, her tone teasing. "Admit it, Caulfield, you liked it. It's ok. I won't judge. In fact, I am flattered."

I put a defiant expression on my face and push Chloe gently. "Knock it off, Chloe."

She holds up her hands in defeat and chuckles, "Alright, no need to pout." She looks thoughtful for a moment. When she finally speaks again, her voice wavers with uncertainty, "You… you did like it, right?"

What kind of question is that? "Well… yeah, I… I did," the blush on my cheeks intensifies at her question. "Did you really have to ask that question?"

Chloe sighs in relief then grins, looking very proud of herself, "I just wanted to see my cute hipster blush. It seems I was successful." I gently hit her over the head, "Ouch."

I roll my eyes playfully at her. "Oh come on, Chloe. That did not hurt."

She rubs the spot on her head where I hit her. "I'm not sure, Max. I think I'm getting a concussion."

"I'll give you a concussion in a minute." I threaten.

She reaches over to me and ruffles my hair with her hand much to my protests, "I'd like to see you try."

I shake my head. "I'm not going to fall into that trap. You fight dirty."

Chloe mocks a hurt expression, "Me? Fight dirty? How could you suggest such a thing? Besides, that's not the dirtiest thing about me," she winks.

I can't keep up with her sometimes. "You are out of control."

"Yep, I'm fucking insane in the brain." She chortles gleefully.

I bite my lip nervously, wanting to return her question. "Did… did you?"

Chloe raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Did I what?" I wonder how Chloe actually manages to make it in life sometimes. She'd forget her head if it wasn't screwed on.

"Enjoy the… the kiss?" I prompt nervously, uncertain where this question will take us.

Her eyes widen in realization, "Oh." She rubs the back of her neck and clears her throat, "Sorry, we kind of went on a tangent, huh?" I swear I can see a faint blush on her cheeks as she goes uncharacteristically quiet, finally muttering. "I… yeah, I did… a lot."

If that's the case, then why? Why did she pull back? I am unable to hold this question in anymore, desperate to know the answer. I stare deeply into her familiar blue eyes, searching for the answer I want to see. "Then… then why did you move away?"

Chloe's POV

As Max's eyes meet mine, I can see the hurt and confusion she is feeling over this. Way to go, Chloe. I take my beanie off, exposing my faded blue locks and the strawberry blonde roots poking through. I shove the beanie in my pocket and run my fingers through my messy strand. I have asked myself this question so many times, and come up with a few possibilities. The most prominent being… Rachel. I don't know where we stand. We didn't exactly part on good terms and I still don't know how she felt. She claimed that she 'cared' about me, but then why would she betray me so badly and with Frank of all people. Who knows what else she has done?

I close my eyes momentarily, trying to think of how to put this so Max can get my reasons… I want her to understand. "I'm going to be honest with you, Max. I… I just had no idea how to feel. I was really happy. I didn't think you would do it. I wasn't sure why you did it. Was it because I dared you or… some other reason?" I pause, trying to figure out what she is thinking. She doesn't move, her face hard to read. I sigh and continue, "I guess I was just caught off guard, but that's not all. I… need some closure with Rachel." It might hurt Max to hear this, but it's the truth.

She sits there in silence, thinking everything over. Eventually, she lifts her head, "So, did you and Rachel ever…?" her sentence trails off and gets swallowed up by the silence, her brow furrowing a bit.

I'm not sure how to say this. I draw my knees close to my body and rest my head on them, "It was… really complicated, at least according to her. She never let me know her true feelings. It was pretty obvious that I really liked her a lot, painfully so, but she just sort of ignored it. I mean we did kiss and… uh… other stuff, but I really don't know what I was to her." I hug my knees tightly. "I asked her if she loved me, but she never answered me properly. She was really cryptic and just told me to enjoy what we had, to not label it. Even now, I have no idea what she was thinking. Was I just something to pass the time? A distraction?" The words taste bitter as they leave my mouth. What if that is all I was to Rachel? Did I really mean so little to her? This is the first time I have admitted my thoughts out loud. Before I would just brush them off, telling myself I was crazy to think that way, but I feel comfortable with Max. I know she wants to help me and that she cares.

Max offers me a reassuring smile, one that inspires the determination to continue, "She was the world to me, Max… but it's all changed now. After what we have found out, I can't let her back into my life like that again, no matter what. Regardless of what has happened, she was with Frank and it's pretty obvious in what way. She seemed so committed to him. Why couldn't she have been that way with me?" The anger slowly begins to return as my jaw clenches. Why couldn't she? I don't understand.

"I can't." Rachel mutters, her hazel eyes refusing to meet mine.

Her refusal hits me like a punch to the gut, winding me. My brow furrows in anger, my voice rising in volume as the implications of her words sink in, "What the fuck do you mean you can't?"

Rachel rests her chin on her hand and stares out of the window, "It's… complicated," she mumbles into her hand.

I roll my eyes and scoff, "Everything is fucking complicated, especially with you."

She sighs resignedly, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her long blonde hair around her finger, "You can think whatever you want, Chloe. My answer won't change."

I exhale deeply at the memory, now realizing the reason for her reluctance to answer me. It hurts to think that all this time she was messing around with Frank. Maybe I should have seen it before now considering how resistant she was to discuss our relationship.

"There is no use now I guess. Things are how they are, I just have to move on," as I utter these words, I know it's going to be much harder than that to move on. There is no way I can just forget it all without working through it, along with all the other shit I've been hiding from. I glance over to Max, who is sat there listening patiently. What is she thinking? Sometimes she's an open book, but at times like this it is almost impossible to tell.

I stretch my legs out in front of me, picking at a loose thread on my patched up gray pants, "What I'm trying to say is that I… was uncertain of a lot of things and I wanted to test the waters. I needed to know how you felt… and how I felt, but I left feeling more confused than before. When you kissed me back there... I didn't dare you. You did it of your own free will and didn't rewind, even after the shit I gave you for it." A warm sensation spreads through my body at Max's persistence. Despite her dislike of confrontation, she hadn't given up on me even though she so easily could have. "So know I have made up my mind. I… I want to feel loved and wanted and… I just can't with Rachel. I still need to find her and I need to make her answer some questions but other than that I'm done. I can't have a relationship like that anymore." I rub my neck nervously, hoping that I won't mess it all up. "Do you… do you get what I'm trying to say?"

Max's eyes flicker with uncertainty. "I… I think so."

I begin to twirl the ring on my left index finger… the one that belonged to my dad. After he passed away, mom gave it to me. I was surprised, assuming that she'd want to keep it hidden away somewhere safe, but when I told her this she shook her head and told me that dad wouldn't have wanted to be stuffed in some keep safe box hidden under a bed forever. He'd want to be by my side through thick and thin to guide me and give me strength when I needed it most. That was the only time we ever really talked about his death. I close my eyes, imagining what he would say in this situation. He'd probably make up some bad pun and tease me for a while, but then… then he'd tell me to go for it, to hold onto Max as tightly as I could… to find happiness wherever possible.

The sting of unshed tears pokes at my eyes and a lump begins to form in my throat from thinking about dad's warm smile and encouraging words, "Max… I… ever since we've got back together, a lot of old feelings have been resurfacing. They've been all over the place and I've been trying to sort them all out. Before, I didn't get it. I was too young and… our time got cut short. Now I'm older I… I understand them a bit better." Max stays silent, letting me say everything I need to without interruption. "I… I tried so hard to suppress everything. You're my best friend and I don't want to make things weird."

She places a hand on my arm, her expression earnest and voice gentle. "You're not, Chloe."

I exhale, any last hints of doubt fading away, "Good. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I need time, but when I'm ready I…" Come one, Chloe. You are so close. Say it. Say how you feel. "…I really want to be with you, Max. More than anything. Is that… is that something you want too?"

Max's POV

Chloe's words have left me speechless. Wowser. I… I didn't expect this at all.

I snap myself out of my trance like state and move to sit in front of her, taking her by the shoulders and staring straight into her eyes. "Chloe, being together again is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I… I know I fucked up, but there is nothing more that I want right now than to be by your side if you'll have me of course."

Chloe's face relaxes, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Thank you, Max. That… that means a lot to me. Are you ok… waiting I mean?"

I smile at her and nod. "Absolutely. Somethings are worth waiting for."

"That was so bad, Max." She groans at the cheesy line.

After nudging her shoulder, I grin coaxingly at her. "You love it really, Chloe."

She lays back down on the creaking wooden floor of the treehouse, her hand behind her head as she stares up at the ceiling. "Maybe I do."

I shuffle over to her, laying down beside her and snuggle up close, resting my head on her chest with my ear close to her heart as it beats steadily. How can one sound make me feel so happy? I close my eyes, listening intently at the thumping reminding me that she is still here with me. "You know, it's relaxing to listen to your heartbeat." I mutter, sleep beginning to take me.

"Yeah?"

It is Chloe. It tells me that even though I had to watch you almost… leave this world, you're here beside me. I shift closer to her, "It just proves that you're still here. With me."

She holds me tight, tangling our legs together and place a brief kiss on the top of my head, "I'm not going anywhere, Max." She whispers as I enter the world of dreams.

I hope you guys enjoyed that. Stay safe out there and I'll see you in the next chapter.