Chapter 26:

So it had been nearly a month. Twenty-three long days I have spent at my grandma's house. I'm not complaining; don't get me wrong, it's actually quite nice here. Cozy, secluded, the thing was though, it wasn't Fang's. He, everyday, tried to contact me with a text explaining himself.

'I'm sorry, please forgive me.'

'It wasn't what it seemed, that I swear to you Max. She kissed me first and literally clung to me. She heard..rumors that I liked you. The thing is Max, they aren't rumors. We need to talk Max, please text me back.'

'Maximum stop being so stubborn! Pick up your phone and call me!'

'If I knew where you were, I'd throw you over my shoulder and haul you back here Maximum. You're lucky I don't have a clue where you are.'

'Please Max; I'm really sorry you had to see that. I miss you..come back to me.'

'You may be gone, you may hate me, but one thing is true: I still love you.'

With every text, I yearned for him more but that thing called pride held me back.

"Darling? Come in here for a moment. I want to talk to you," Gram called from the sitting room. I left the window and came to sit down on the gold trimmed settee across from her. Lenora Ride sat as if her spine was made of steel and she look like she constantly had the bitter taste of lemon in her mouth. In all respects, she looked pretty darn scary but truthfully, she had a heart made of something much more prized than gold. Her warm eyes, the eyes that reminded me so much of my mum, assessed me as I looked her in the eye. She folded her hands then crossed her ankles and began firmly, "I have come to realize that you have been staying here for nearly a month now and I can't say how joyous it has been having you here. It does me great joy having young life in this house once again, however; I can't help but feel you don't feel the same." At my protest she held up a hand that silenced me and she gravely continued, "I am still an unaware of the events that send to barreling here on a bus, but I find myself curious my child. You refused for so long to come here, but then 'bam' and now you refuse to leave. I have to admit I am puzzled Maximum. Now I'm not asking for an explanation but I do ask something of you. Resolve whatever it is that you need to resolve. That's final." With a wage of the finger she got up and left me to sit there partially surprised. The wet kiss of her pooch finally woke me from my thoughts and as bent down to pet her, she gave a sharp yip.

"Shh Taffy hush you silly pooch!" I said playfully. Well as playfully as I could manage. Without having my friends, Dr. M, Fang all part of my life, it had been depressing. Everything I knew was changed. I was enrolled in online home schooling, forced to wear dress shirts, comb my hair constantly, eat dinner at the same time every night, it was crazy!

"I'm going into the gardens Maximum! Answer the door if you heard a knock, I'm expecting a package Darling." Gram called from the back door.

"Alright!"

"Oh and Maximum? Go put something presentable on and comb your snarls…We are going to have company later tonight." Ugh great just what I wanted. Company. Awesome.

Mustering up the energy that was needed, I climbed the long, spiral set of stairs and threw my door open. My bedroom, decorated in Victorian style, was beautiful. Everything was lavender and matched perfectly, from the long beaded drapes, to the Russian rug, to the silk bedspread. It was like from a fairy tale, but if you think that was a breath stealer you should have seen my closet. Haha yeah my 'closet' was at least twelve by twenty and was lined with all the clothes imaginable.

Something presentable? Hmm.. Sorting through the dress clothes took a while but I finally decided on a sunny yellow sundress. Totally me right? Believe me; I did all this to please Gram. I put the dress on but didn't shudder like I did the first time I saw myself in one of her dresses. This one looked like it was mad e for me; it hugged in all the right places and was so sunny it was hard not to smile myself.

Ok now brush the snarls. Lifting a brush, I ran it through until my hair was soft and flowing. Perfection! Now-

The boisterous dong of the doorbell thundered through the silence so I let my lip-gloss clatter to my vanity and I hopped down the stairs to answer the front door. Gram would murder me if I missed her package. I flung open the door to be assaulted by the color yellow.

"Woah there Miss, sorry about that!" The delivery man said cheerfully. Psh lucky him. "Here you go! Enjoy!" He thrust the bouquet of yellow roses into my awaiting arms and disappeared behind the wheel of his truck. Roses? That is what she was waiting for? Ooo..Gram must have a secret admirer. Walking over to the small glass table in front of the stairs, I set the vase down and took a deep breath of the rose's sweet smell. Mmmm yummy.

"Hey Gram your ros…" Spotting the tag, I began very curious. If Gram had a suitor I wanted to know about it. Peaking into the kitchen, I made sure Gram was still out in the gardens which she was. Wonderful! Snatching the little piece of paper up I pried it open.

"Yellow: It's the sign of friendship, something I feel I had failed at when it comes to you"

Awww Gram had herself a real winner so far.

"I have only come to realize this of the late, but that's just the thing. It was too late. However I beg for your forgiveness now"

I feel tears nudging their way to the brims of my eyes as I think about Fang's texts to me. I suddenly felt like the bigger jerk for not accepting his apology.

"You mean the world to me and when I lost you, for the first time, I had hoped that one day I would find you. Over time, I did find you, but then I messed up dearly and I lost you again.. for good this time"

A lone tear fell to the floor and I, feeling awful, sank to the floor along with it. There I sat and continued to read.

"If you take the time to count, you will find twenty-three roses in this bouquet- one for everyday you have been missing from my life"

Wait…what?

"I chose yellow because that is what relationships are built on and we did have a wonderful friendship, that can't be denied. I can't make you forgive me; you have to choose to do that on your own. I can't make you forget all that I have done, I doubt you ever will, but I do ask one thing of you- go open the door."

Confused I pushed up from the floor and opened the door, but saw nothing. Only when I was about to close the door, did I notice a flash of red. I bend down and pick the rose up and step back inside and close the door. Leaning against the frame, I untangle the little tab from the black lacy ribbon.

"A red rose: A sign of love. Maybe this is something I wasn't very good at expressing properly, but this is my last chance to prove to you that what I feel for you is true. I chose a lone rose because this is the day of confession, where the truth comes out of hiding and is finally revealed. First off, I am madly in love with you"

By now, I was pretty convinced this wasn't for Gram but for me. Jeez ok stop with the 'duhs!'..I'm not the brightest…

"Ever since I first saw you, I knew it was you. Now that may sound incredibly lame, but let it. I don't care anymore. I love you! Now…go to your Grandma."

With shaking legs, I entered the garden but found Gram nowhere, instead there were two roses lying on her bench with another note.

"Red and white: Unity, something I hope to achieve one day. Another confession. But my last and final confession will be as follows, but it is up to you to piece it together: "I love you Max. You and only you. That will never change, ever…" "

"I love you Max. You and only you. That will never change, ever…"

"I love you Max. You and only you. That will never change, ever…"

Oh my sweet Jesus.

Fang was… Impossible… but….Oh my God. How have I been so stupid?! How did I not realize?! Sinking to the floor, I stared at the taunting phrase 'he' had said to me the night before he vanished. Fang…Oh my. He had been here this whole time and…he said she didn't remember, he had been talking about ME the whole entire time! I'm so stupid!

"I wouldn't beat yourself up too much," A husky voice said. As my head shot up, my heart sank. There stood Fang right there in front of me. Now my confession: I was scared to death.

"Fang," I whispered. Seeing him stand there, surrounded by Gram's rose bushes, tall climbing ivy, and everything else was..unreal... "What are you doing here?" Score one for Max. Guy tells her he loves her. Her response. Why are you here? Face palm.

"To make my last confession..if you're willing to hear it." He said softly while holding my steady gaze. He took a step closer to where I was sitting down and held his palm up to me. I instantly slipped my hand in his and he pulled me up and brought me closer.

"I'm more than willing," At my smile he took a deep breath and made his last confession.

"I…I really want you to be my girlfriend Max," He whispered, his voice low and full of warmth. I stood there looking…ok I was looking stupid once again! Go figure! But at my hesitation he continued, "I know you probably weren't ready for that, in fact you probably still hate me. But I am sorry and I do love you. I don't know why I didn't tell you earlier…I guess I was just scared. And as for being your mysterious little lover all those years ago? Only when you were telling me about kissing him did I realize that you, you were 'her'. How I didn't recognize you the first time I saw you don't know but now I know. I found you Max. I never want to loose you again, not ever-"

OK don't get me wrong, all that was really sweet- I was crying, but he just kept droning on and on ya know?

So what else could do except repeat history?

Smiling a real smile for the first time in twenty-three days, I swooped down and covered his still speaking lips with my own. Lemme tell ya, he stopped talking pretty darn fast.

My arms somehow snaked their way across his broad shoulders and clasped behind his neck just as his encircled my waist. With the tilt of the head, he deepened the kiss and further deepened the promise.

I can't tell you how long we stayed like that.

But when Gram found us, she wasn't all that thrilled. "You kids these days and you PDA, it's disgusting!" She exclaimed when waking into the garden, but by the twinkle in her eye I could tell not only did she secretly approve but she helped this become a reality.

Hand in hand Fang and I walked into the house. Together, as a couple.

We had both finally, after years of searching, found what we were looking for, what we were missing. Each other.

Yayyy they are finally together! happiness ^_^ now i need suggestions: do i leave it at this or go a little bit further into their relationship? Do you want more on Max's dad and what has become of him? Do you want Max and Fang's eighteenth B-day? What happens to other characters? Or simply more Fax? Or do I just end completely? Please, please comment! Many thanks! :)))