Chapter 9 – Family Matters
"Dude, this is gonna be amazing!" Chloe said, bounding down the small flight of stairs that led to the Blackwell Academy parking lot. "Just us, staying together at my place. No school to worry about." She skipped the last few steps, spinning around at the bottom. "Almost feels like old times."
"We still have to be careful," Max replied as she followed Chloe down the stairs. She was carrying a large overnight bag filled with more clothes then she would need, but Chloe had insisted she pack as much as possible. Just in case, she had said.
"Well yeah, of course. No lovey-dovey stuff in front of mom or the lieutenant." She waited for Max to catch up, making a show of tapping her foot impatiently. "Aren't you at least a bit excited?"
"Of course, I am." Max stopped in front of Chloe, offering her a smile. "Just a bit worried, that's all."
"We talked about this." Chloe placed both her hands on Max's shoulders. "Everything's going to be fine, there's nothing to worry about. You hear me?" She backed away a little, holding out her hand to Max, along with a coquettish grin. "Now come on. Please."
Chloe was brimming with enthusiasm, and it was impossible not get enthralled by it. "Lead the way, girlfriend," Max said as she took Chloe's hand.
"Still weird."
Max giggled as Chloe took off. "Yep."
Hand in hand they raced across the parking lot, weaving between the numerous cars still stationed there. A full moon lit the way, it's white glow pouring over Arcadia Bay. The night air was filled with their quiet laughter, and neither of them had eyes for the sea of stars that glimmered in the sky above.
Chloe's truck was tucked away in the far corner of the lot. Upon reaching it, Chloe pulled open the passenger side door. "After you, my dear," she said while helping Max with her bag.
Max chuckled as she got in. "You're unbelievable."
"And you love it." Chloe stuck out her tongue at Max and pushed the door shut, before skipping over to the other side of the truck, climbing in herself. "So…" She began rifling through her pockets. "Before we go, I do have a confession to make."
"Sounds ominous."
"It's not. I just want to be honest." She pulled out her car keys, twirling them around her fingers. "Mom wasn't home yet when I came to see you earlier. I waited for a few hours but got tired of sitting around. Just wanted to let you know."
"I figured as much." Max flashed her a smile. "You weren't exactly keen on leaving me here this morning."
"You could say that." Chloe started the car, and music began to blare through the cab. She turned down the volume in a hurry. "I hope you're not angry…"
"Chloe, please. Of course, I'm not. Besides…" Max took a long breath, her shoulders rising and falling. "You came right when I needed you."
"Yeah… You were a bit of a mess." Her eyes wandered, and it seemed as if her mind did the same. "May I ask why?" She shifted in her seat, tucking one leg beneath her. "You don't have to tell me of course… If you don't want to. I'm just curious…"
"No, it's… okay. I..." Max stared at the dashboard, folding her hands in her lap. "I… heard the news."
It took Chloe a moment to understand what Max meant, but at last the words did sink in. "Shit, what?" She recoiled, a look of shock on her face.
"Yes..." Max's lips formed a thin line, and she gave a weak nod. "I know you made sure to not turn on the radio while we were in here." She tore her attention off the dashboard, dragging her gaze to Chloe. "So, I listened in my room."
"Fuck, Max…" Chloe removed the keys from the ignition, stopping the rumbling engine. "Fuck." She let herself fall back into her seat. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that."
"It's okay. I had to know." Max lowered her head, leaning against the back of the cab. "After you dropped me off, Dana, I don't know if you know her, she told me about Samuel, the custodian." She paused. "He… died in the storm."
Chloe scooted closer. "Go on," she said softly.
"Later, when I was in my room, I felt like I needed to know if there were others. I… I knew I would hear about it sooner or later, and I thought that maybe I should just get it over with, you know?"
"I do." Chloe nodded.
"Anyway, so…" Max's expression had turned slack, her voice dull and heavy as she forced the remaining words out. "I listened to the news on my phone while I still had some battery left."
Chloe shook her head as realization struck. "You knew the entire time. That's why you were crying when you opened the door."
"Pretty much. I didn't want to talk about it earlier, I was just happy to have you back."
"Max… I'm sorry." Chloe patted Max's leg, her thumb stroking it with gentle motions. "How are you doing?"
Max shrugged. "Okay, I guess. It's weird... Yesterday, when I asked you to turn back, I was afraid of what we might find. And now I know, and it hurts, but I also feel kind of numb when I think about it." A strained smile pulled at her lips, but her features carried doubt. She looked away. "I smiled, and I laughed with you this afternoon. I even did so a few minutes ago, and all of that was real. I was happy, I still am, all while there's all this shit out there, because of me. I'm not sure what that makes me."
"Don't go there." For a moment, Chloe's touch became firmer, as did her tone. "Just don't. Believe me, I know what you're getting at. Whatever pain you are feeling shouldn't make those other emotions any less valid. It's quite the opposite actually." She brought a hand under Max's chin, gently urging her to meet her eyes. "I know it hurts, and I'll be honest. In my experience, pain stays with you a long time, so please, hold on to those other moments. Trust me, I know what I am talking about. I… I don't want to see you like this."
"I… I'm sorry. You're right." Seeing Chloe these past two days made it easy to forget what she had gone through all those years. "I'm sorry I keep piling this stuff onto you." She threw her arms around Chloe, enveloping her in a hug. A hug to bring solace to both of them. "You don't deserve that."
"It's okay. We're in this together." Chloe placed a couple of soft kisses on Max's temple. "I know you can't really talk to anyone else about it. Just promise me that you keep those thoughts locked out of your head."
"I promise, I'll try," Max said as she pulled away, letting her fingers graze along Chloe's cheek and looking at her with an adoring gaze. "I don't say it nearly enough, but Chloe Price?" She clasped their hands together. "You are seriously amazing."
Chloe's smile lit up the interior of the truck. "I couldn't do it without you Max. You make me a better person. And I love you for that."
"Just for that?" Max asked, a smirk returning to her.
"Hmm, let me think…" Chloe leaned in close to bring their lips together, drawing Max into a long kiss. "No… For everything."
The smoky smell and crackling noise of a burning fire welcomed the girls as they entered Chloe's home. Down the hallway, flickering lights danced across the living room, throwing ever changing shadows over the carpeted floor.
"Mom?" Chloe called out as she shut the door behind her and Max. "Are you-"
The words had no time to leave her. "Chloe!" Joyce exclaimed as she came rushing around the corner. "Oh my god, Chloe, honey! There you are!" She was wearing a neck brace, and her right arm had been secured in a sling. Her expression and way of moving showed signs of pain and exhaustion, but it was also clear that she did not care.
"Mom!" Chloe hurried toward her, meeting her halfway. "Are you okay?" Though she had known that her mother had survived the diner explosion, she still felt the relief of finally seeing her.
"Oh, don't you worry about me." Joyce extended her free arm, slinging it over Chloe's shoulder, and pulling her close.
"Mom, careful." Chloe gingerly returned the hug, unsure what to do with her hands. "Take it slow."
"I've been taking it slow for two days now. This won't kill me." Joyce rocked her from side to side, her happiness radiating through the room. "Are you all right honey?" She broke the embrace and clasped the side of Chloe's face in her hand. "Are you hurt?" she asked, inspecting her daughter. "I was so worried."
"Mom, please. I'm fine." Chloe tried to suppress a giggle as she squirmed away from Joyce's touch. "I left you a note, didn't you see?"
"I did see. But I'm your mother," Joyce said, rubbing Chloe's arm. "I'm allowed to worry about my daughter."
"Well, I was with Max." Chloe stepped aside, gesturing toward the brunette. "We were save. The entire time, I promise."
Max had remained near the front door, only moving a few feet into the room and staying quiet as a mouse. She was clutching her bag to her chest, watching the reunion play out from a safe distance. "Hi Joyce," she said with a shy wave of her hand, and a voice and smile that were just as small and timid.
"Max, sweetheart." Joyce waved her over. "Why are you hiding?"
"I... didn't want to interrupt." She set her bag down and gave Joyce a quick hug. "How are you doing, Joyce?"
"Oh, I am fine." Joyce pointed at her arm, and the neck brace. "I was lucky. It's more of an annoyance really, nothing the doctors and some time can't fix." She beamed as she looked at the two girls. "You can't imagine how good it is to see you two."
Chloe opened her mouth, about to say something, but the sound of a door slamming shut interrupted the conversation. "Chloe?" David's voice resounded from upstairs. "Is that you?"
"Here we go…" Chloe muttered under her breath.
"It's Chloe and Max," Joyce replied.
"Where the hell where you?" David came careening down the stairs, and Max had to take a step backward as he strode past, not giving her a second thought. He had deep, dark circles under his eyes, and coarse stubble covered his cheeks and jaw. "Your mother and I, we were worried sick!"
Chloe crossed her arms as he came near. "I'm fine, David." She tilted her head away from him, rolling her eyes. "Thank you for asking. It's good to see you by the way, glad to know the storm hasn't blown you away."
"Please you two, not now," Joyce jumped in, exhaustion roughening her voice. "This is no time to fight."
Chloe's features mellowed, as did her stance. "Sorry mom."
"You should have been home Chloe," David continued, seemingly unimpressed by Joyce's plea. "It was not safe out there. You could have been hurt."
"Well I wasn't, okay?"
David shook his head, choosing to stay silent. His tired eyes found Max, as well as the overnight bag she had picked up again. "What about you? Are you planning on moving in?"
"Dude." Chloe moved to stand in front of Max, shielding her. "I asked her to stay, okay? Blackwell is just as much a mess as everywhere else." She gave her mother an imploring stare. "Please."
"It's okay honey." Joyce pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead. "Of course, Max can stay."
"See?" Chloe said in a slightly mocking tone.
"Joyce, are you really- "
"David, please," Joyce interrupted. She shot him an angry glare, which by itself already said enough. "We talked about this. In length." Chloe had to stifle a grin.
David sighed, holding up both hands in defeat. "I see. I apologize."
"Good. I really do not want any more bickering in this house. Especially not in times like these..." Joyce brought her attention back to Chloe. "Chloe…" She willed a sad smile. "David told me about this investigation of yours. I am so sorry to hear about Rachel, she was such a good girl."
The mention of Rachel caused Chloe to shrink in on herself, her muscles tensing. "Thanks…"
"I'm proud of you for being there for you friend." Joyce reached out to place her hand on Chloe's forearm, but Chloe slipped away from the touch.
"So am I," David added, his gruffness melting away for an instant. "You two did good."
"I'm so sorry." Joyce sighed as she took a step back. "You are too young to have to go through this."
"Yeah…" Chloe frowned, her gaze darting between her mother and David. "Can we please not talk about this? I really don't want to."
"Of course, sweetie. Of course." Joyce gave David an encouraging look, along with a subtle nod of her head in the direction of Chloe.
David nodded. "But there is something I have to talk to you about."
"Can it wait?" Chloe groaned in response. "Max and I, we're… tired."
"It will only take a few minutes." David opened the door to the garage, motioning Chloe to follow him. "I promise."
"Please, Chloe," Joyce said, leaning against the kitchen doorway. "Just listen to what David has to say."
"Fine… whatever… Just go ahead, I'm right behind you." Chloe followed him, but stopped to pull Max aside. "I'll be right back, okay?" she whispered.
"I'll be all right. I'm not that helpless," Max replied. "Just don't kill him. Remember, we wouldn't be here without him."
"I know. I'll do my best."
"Hear what he has to say, maybe it's not that bad."
"Maybe. I'll tell you afterward."
"Okay." Max gave her a little push toward the garage door. "Now go, before he gets restless."
"Aye captain." Chloe winked at her. "See you later."
Chloe disappeared into the garage, closing the door behind her a little harder than necessary, and leaving Max alone in the hallway.
Joyce had drifted to the kitchen. "Max, I'm sorry about David…" She said upon hearing the thud of the closing door. She was unable to hide her disappointment. "He is on edge after everything that happened these past couple of days."
"We all are." Max joined Joyce in the kitchen. "It's been a crazy week."
"That is very true." Joyce opened one of the cupboards hanging on the wall. She took out two glasses, one by one, and set them on the counter. "It must be even more so for you and Chloe. To do everything you two did, at such a young age…"
Max opted to stay quiet. If only Joyce knew the whole truth. "Here, let me help you," she said instead, seeing Chloe's mother struggle to open a bottle of water.
"Thank you dear." Joyce handed her the bottle. "Seems I am in the market for an assistant."
"I am more than happy to help out." Max poured them both a glass of water. "It's the least I can do after springing this on you. I know it's the worst possible time, but Chloe wouldn't take no for an answer."
"That's my daughter." Joyce eased herself down onto a chair at the living room table, breathing a contented sigh as she did. "And don't worry Max, you are part of this family." Her smile was as warm as the fire behind her. "You are always welcome here."
Max sat down as well, sliding the glass of water over to Joyce. "Thank you. I promise I won't stay for too long."
"You stay as long as you want Max. I'm not saying the next weeks will be easy, but we will manage. We always have." Her face crumpled into a worried frown. The lights coming from the fireplace made her look older and highlighted her fatigue. "Truth be told, I'm glad Chloe brought you here. She needs a friend. Losing Rachel…" She sighed again. "I worry about her."
For Chloe, Rachel still appeared to be a sore subject, and by the looks of it, she seemed all too happy to ignore the issue. "I promise, I will take care of her," Max said. "I'll be there for her this time."
"I know you will. And, I know I already mentioned it, but it is so good to see you two spending time together again. It makes me hopeful that things will finally work out."
Max glanced at the other door that led to the garage. A muffled voice was speaking. "What about David?" she asked. "He was not exactly happy to see me. Especially after I got him kicked out of the house."
"He got himself kicked out of the house," Joyce corrected her. "Those were his actions, and he has to live with the consequences." She took a sip from her glass. "He and I, we had time to talk. He knows what's on the line. And if those two can finally bury the hatchet…"
"I'm sure they will," Max assured her.
"I hope so." Joyce reclined, savoring the warmth of the flames. "Either way, it will be a fresh start for this family."
"You were going to tell me something," Chloe grumbled. The mere presence of David sucked away her otherwise good mood, but Max and her mother were right. All she needed to do was listen.
"Yes." David paced back and forth. "I… was with the police when I heard about what happened to your mother at the diner." His voice was strained. "They told me, and I was able to get to her quickly."
"So?" Chloe shrugged.
"What I want to say is…" He stopped to face Chloe. "I care a lot about your mother, and I care a lot about you."
"Clearly," Chloe said as dryly as possible. She was trying her best to use a normal tone of voice, but she found herself slip back into old habits.
He gave her a sharp look. "It gave your mother and I… It gave us the opportunity to talk about the past days, weeks, years even. There are some things I need to apologize for."
"I'm listening." Chloe leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "Just say whatever you need to say."
David sighed, shaking his head. "I want to apologize. I have made many mistakes and know that now. I have come to realize that you never respected me, because I never earned that respect. I thought that you needed order and stability, a firm hand, but I never thought that those methods might not work. I was never used to anything else. I treated you like a soldier, not like a daughter. But this is not an army, this is a family."
He grabbed one of the chairs that were stacked in the corner of the garage and sat down. "Seeing what you, and Max as well, did for Rachel Amber, showed me that I have also not been respecting you as much as I should have. I have been underestimating you. I apologize for that."
"Go on…" Chloe raised an eyebrow.
"These past few days have also shown me that I have not been respecting your mother as much as I should have. Spying on my family, and lying about it, were only the last drop in a cup that was already overflowing."
"You're a poet now?"
"But," David spoke, ignoring Chloe, "Joyce, your mother, gave me another chance. I am not sure if I deserve one, but I am grateful. I may never be able to replace your father, but-"
"No, you won't." Chloe pushed herself off the wall, taking a few brisk steps toward him. "So, get that out of that square head of yours." She clenched her fists, her teeth grinding against each other. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "Sorry…" she muttered, creeping back. "I get it, you're trying… I'm sorry."
David stood up. "Look. I will make damn sure that I don't screw this up. Because I nearly did already. I don't want to lose Joyce or you. But I can't do it without you." He extended a hand. "So, what I want to say is, I am deeply sorry. With your permission, I would like to start over. Stop this fighting, stop this war. For the sake of this family. Our family."
Chloe eyed him with suspicion, waiting some seconds to respond. "Fine." She shook his hand, matching his firm grasp. She did it for her mother, for Max, maybe even for herself. "Just don't expect us to become friends anytime soon."
"He really cares, Chloe." Max said as they arrived in the privacy of Chloe's room.
"I know he does," Chloe replied. "That's not the problem." She crouched down and started undoing the laces on her boots. "It's just how he does it. It's not the first time we had this talk. It's always the same shit, he says one thing, but does the other."
Max placed her bag on the bed. "But do you think this time will be different?" She threw a glance at Chloe.
"I don't know." Chloe kicked off her boots, sending them half-way across the room. "I mean…" She tore the beanie off her head, revealing the blue hair beneath. "There is so much shit between us, an apology doesn't magically fix that. Saving you goes a long way, but I can't exactly thank him for that."
"Yeah…" Max mused. "So, what are you going to do?"
"You mean with David?"
"Yes." She sat down, and followed Chloe's lead, removing her shoes. "You can't keep fighting him forever."
"I won't. I'm kinda sick of fighting, so this works for me." She flashed Max a grin. "Also, mom seems to have him on a pretty short leash."
Max rummaged through her bag in search of a fresh t-shirt. "Admit it," she said, inspecting one of her options. "You love that part."
"Hells yeah." Chloe strode over to the window. A rough gust of wind entered the room as she opened it, tussling her hair. "It's his last chance. He's probably harmless now."
"Just don't push him, okay?" Max said, continuing her search.
"Please, even I'm not that much of a dick." Chloe sat on the window sill, enjoying the fresh air. "Mom, clearly still sees something in him. I'm not going to ruin that for her. I did that long enough… And I feel shitty about that."
"Your mother deserves the peace." Max got up, and turned her back to Chloe. "I'm sure she'd be thankful." After a moment of hesitation, she took off her shirt and unbuttoned her pants, letting them both fall to the floor. She quickly slipped into her usual sleepwear.
Chloe shook her head, a smile on her face as she tore her gaze away from Max, giving her the privacy, she seemed to desire. She decided not to point that she had seen Max in her underwear before, more than once in fact. Instead, she grabbed her pack of cigarettes. "You mind if I smoke in here?"
"Not unless you plan on kissing me afterward," Max said with a low tone, and a teasing smirk.
"Oh… sorry." Chloe stared at the cigarettes, her brows tightening. "I hope it wasn't too bad earlier. I'll try and remember. Must have been disgusting."
"Chloe… It's okay. It wasn't that bad, and not what I was thinking about right then."
Chloe chuckled. "I bet." She stuffed the pack of cigarettes back into her pocket, without taking one. She jumped up, and sauntered over to Max. "So, uh… Whatcha thinkin' bout now?" She wrapped her arms around Max's waist.
Max rose on her tiptoes. "That you're impossible," she said, pressing her lips against Chloe's, not wasting a second thought. "And amazing."
Chloe eagerly returned the affection. "And you are getting bolder. I like it."
"No, not really… I just don't want to bore you."
"You could never. Even if you tried." Chloe leaned in just enough, so that their foreheads and noses touched, gently rubbing against each other. "We may have to try out some new stuff already."
A small laugh escaped Max. "Maybe tomorrow." She gave Chloe another kiss. "This is all I need for now." She leaned against her, as she had done so often these past hours. "If you don't mind of course. I just… really like this."
"So do I Max." Chloe held her close, peppering her with tiny kisses. She relished in the closeness and comfort she provided, the warm feeling of Max nestled against her blurring out any of her own dark thoughts. "So do I. it's nice."
"It is." Max looked up at her with big, beautiful eyes. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting kind of tired. It's been a long, strange day."
"Yeah…" Chloe spoke softly. "That's putting it mildly."
Hey there! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it (I enjoyed writing it a lot). See you next time for chapter 10!
