XXXIII - Hurt

Morning went slowly, Max just kept looking at the sky, at the birds flying. Now and then she looked at her mobile phone, checking for messages, hoping Chloe would tell her she had changed her mind. But nothing came. Max had even launched the messaging app, beginning to write messages, apologizing, even begging Chloe to take her back. But in the end, she had not been able to send them, the final words Chloe had given her still ringing in her head.

She didn't really remember much from her weekend. She knew Kate and Victoria and Dana, and many others had tried to cheer her up to talk to her. But she just had no care. She had taken refuge into her own mind, her memories, focusing on the good moments she had with Chloe. The moment's she had spent with her Chloe, the Chloe who had loved her, the Chloe she had sacrificed. In an attempt to drown the haunting final words, she had tried to focus on different discussions, the words the blue-haired girl had said, the sound of her voice during that fateful week. She even had tried to bury herself in the memories of those magical kisses, the taste, the texture of Chloe's lips, the scent of her body. Now and then she would light up a cigarette, just for a reminder of the taste and smell.

She had heard the steps as Kate passed in front of her opened door earlier this morning, checking on her before she headed to the bathroom. She knew the girl was worried, but Max just couldn't respond. She felt empty, like a part of herself had been ripped away, and without that part, she just couldn't find the strength to move.

So, she stayed in her room watching as the world kept turning without her.

"Told you it would happen!"

The voice and its mocking tone was familiar, but Max didn't react. She didn't want to even look who had talked to her.

"Are you Cereal? You really going to ignore me? Dog I been trying to help you since the beginning and all too!"

Max turned her head wanting to tell the voice to shut up, but no one was there. She was alone in her room. Frowning she slowly started to move her chair looking at door to see if someone was hiding.

"Over there! To the left you idiot!"

Max jerked and looked left, her eyes moving over the mirror toward the wall. She stopped suddenly, and her eyes moved back to the mirror. Her eyes widened as she saw her reflection. She reached up her hand probing her face, seeking her piercing. In the mirror her reflection just shook her head.

"Oh, come on! You can't be that slow!" The Max in the mirror started rolling her eyes.

Max looked at the image. The girl looked like her, same clothes, same freckles, same eyes. But her hair was still the jaw long brown hair Max still had only a week before, and her nose and ear were devoid of the silvery loops.

What the...

"Really? You still don't understand? Come on Maxine! It's not the first time we had a talk!" Mirror Max shook her head.

"You're not real... You're just a dream." Max retorted.

"And there we go... But I am real Max! I am in you! I am you!" the reflection responded rolling her eyes. "I'm the part of you that warned you, many times too, that your little bitch didn't love you."

"Don't call her that!" Max yelled at the glass.

"Seriously? The girl just dumped you, if we even can call it that since she wasn't with you to begin with, after you messed up time for her! And you still want to defend her?"

Max raised her hand to her ear. "Shut up! I don't want to hear this!"

"Don't want to hear what? That your so-called friend used you and that now she doesn't need you she dumped you?"

"You are wrong!"

"Am I? What happened since you saw her eh? You saved her, several times, nearly killed a man, messed up a railroad track, got suspended from school, broke into several buildings, helped her find her precious Rachel, got raped by a psycho and so on..." The reflection just rolled a hand. "Did she even thank you?"

Max clawed her fingers in her short pink hair. "Yes, she did! She loves me! She'll always love me!"

"Oh yeah, she guilts trip you about those five years, although she did stop trying to call as soon as she found her little Rachel, hasn't she? She pushed you back when you kissed her, pushed you back as soon as something was wrong too! God she even asked you to kill her. Proof she preferred death to spending her life with you!"

Max shook her head. "No! No! It's not true!"

"Oh, come on, the girl not even in love with you after you took a fucking bullet for her! It's all as I told you! She never cared about you!"

Max sobbed her nails digging in her scalp. "Shut up... You're wrong, she cares! She... cares."

"Why don't we ask her then?"

"Ask me what? If I care about poor little Maxine?"

Max looked up at the mirror, horrified as she recognized the voice. In the glass on the wall, Mirror Max had disappeared, giving place to Chloe.

"No really! That kid is a pain! Always putting her nose into my bidness!"

Max felt like a vice was slowly pressing on her heart.

"And look at her telling me she loooves me... As if a little virgin girl like her knew what love is!"

Shut up!

"And she is soooo clingy! Can't spend a night without holding onto me!"

You're not real!

"And what name is that too! MAXIIINE... God I'm so glad I finally got rid of her! A shame she didn't die from that bullet would have saved me the pain."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Max screamed throwing her phone at the mirror. The device bounced, cracking the mirror as it broke apart it's component flying across the room. Max started to reach at everything in her room throwing it at the mirror.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" She screamed sending her camera at the wall, the mirror already damaged by the phone shattered and fell in pieces to the ground as the camera broke open and landed on the bed.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT!" Max cried out trashing her room sending her computer against the wall, breaking her guitar, tossing the books and DVDs from her shelves. She pushed on her legs reaching for the small stereo on the top shelf and lost her balance, the wheelchair suddenly recoiling as Max fell down. She cried as she punched the floor in frustration.

Victoria and Kate were walking quietly toward Max' room, the smaller girl carrying a tray from the cafeteria. It was lunch break and Kate had decided to check on Max, taking an additional tray as she got her lunch for the pink haired girl to eat. She had struggled as she navigated the corridors carrying the lunch tray while students ran around her, having to deal with the doors without letting the food drop. Victoria had been about to leave the dorm, having made a quick visit to her room in order to gobble some pills so that the pain in her broken hand stopped killing her, when Kate had reached the door.

Using her back the small girl was about to push the door open when Victoria was about to pull it. Kate had nearly toppled to the ground, colliding with Victoria as she lost the support of the door. With a hiss the taller girl had quickly grabbed the small blonde, preventing her fall.

"Oh! Sorry Victoria! I hope I didn't hurt your hand!" the small girl started with a worried voice.

Victoria smiled softly. "Nah, it's okay! Besides, you're the one who nearly fell." She looked at the tray and raised an eyebrow. "For Max?" She asked softly.

The smaller girl nodded. "Yeah, she hasn't moved all morning as far as I know... She seems really depressed."

Victoria nodded. "I'll come with you." she rose her right hand trapped in the cast. "I can't do much but if I can help you a bit."

Kate winced as she saw the injured hand. "You already did too much Victoria! I mean you got hurt defending us!"

The tall blonde looked away as she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. The duet walked through the corridor toward the new wing and went for Max's door. The construction had been completed the previous week and there were no more signs of the on-going work, so, both girls were surprised to see what looked like debris on the corridor's carpet in front of Max' door.

They hurried to the door, Kate's voice calling with worries. "Max?"

Both stopped suddenly as they saw the room. Books, DVD and pictures were strewn on the floor. The wheelchair lied on its side beside what looked like a broken stereo. By the door Victoria and Kate could see pieces of a smartphone, screen broken, battery and case laying among shards of a broken mirror. A bit further, Victoria recognized the shape of the camera she so often derailed, except its case seemed cracked in several place and the lenses and works were spread on the room's carpet. By the desk, notebooks, pencils and a computer had obviously been swept away from the table; and by the couch, pieces of woods held together by metallic strings revealed the sad fate its owner had visited on the guitar.

Max was sitting in the far corner of the room, curled up and sobbing as she looked at a picture.

"Max? Are you okay?" The small girl asked softly as she moved carefully in the room, trying to avoid the debris.

The girl's voice was raw, her throat obviously sore from having screamed too long. "Leave me alone..."

Kate moved further and sat the tray on the desk looking at the pink haired girl. "I brought you lunch..."

"I'm not hungry."

Kate sighed softly and crouched in front of Maxine. "You haven't eaten all weekend Max... You have to eat something, even a little. Please."

Maxine rose her head her eyes fierce. "I told you to fucking leave me ALONE!"

Kate backed away, startled by her friend's aggressivity and Victoria rushed to put herself between the girls. "What the hell is your problem, Caulfield! Kate's worried about you!"

Max looked back at her. "Why do you care! We were just targets from your fucking bully games until a month ago!" Max spat.

Victoria looked away ashamed. "Yeah well I am sorry about that! And I care because ... Because despite all I did to her, she still forgave me and became my friend! And she cares about you! And I can't fucking accept my rival to turn into a wreck like you are turning into! You got much more talents than we do! You shouldn't waste it!"

Max roared with frustration. "SHUT UP! You don't fucking know anything! You don't fucking know what I went through! You know fucking nothing about me! Now leave me fucking alone!"

Victoria felt her belly tighten as she examined the girl. She could see the raw pain in her teary eyes coupled with anger. Her eyes fell to the picture the girl was holding in her hand. It looked like an old picture showing a younger version of Maxine with another girl with long blond hair. Both girl seemed to wear pirates gear and were holding each other close, obviously being close friends.

Recognizing who the blonde might be Victoria grunted and turned away. "Fine! keep crying in your corner like a baby!" she scoffed as she left the room. She turned and leaned on the wall out of sight, arm crossed.

She heard the soft voice of Kate coming from the opened door. "I'll leave the food on your desk Max... Please eat something, okay?"

Max said nothing as soft steps got closer from Victoria. "Kate?" Max' voice rose softly.

"Yes?"

"Can you get me some moving boxes please?"

Victoria felt like her heart stopped at the words.

Damn you Caulfield! Are you fucking giving up? You have spent all your time here not caring what people said to you! Looking so strong! And now you are running away?

She felt tears gathering in her eyes as she heard Kate's voice responding hesitantly. "I... I'll go get them Max..."

As she saw the sadness on Kate's face as the smaller blonde finally walked through the door, Victoria clenched her fist and walked away with decided steps.

Chloe was sitting at the counter, sketching a few designs as she waited for customers. The end of her weekend had been bad. She had spent her Sunday, sobbing in her room reading and rereading the texts she had received from Kate about Max. She had not responded beside the initial 'we had a fight', she didn't want to show that she still cared about Max, but the news had still crushed her heart. She had hurt her friend, and she hated it.

Of course, she's hurt! I cut her from my life after she confessed being in love with me! But still! Better that than her ending up dead because of me!

She had convinced herself that it was the best solution.

Besides she's got friends to watch over her, so all is good!

The news from the incident with the press had made it home when David got called at the school. The former soldier had cursed profusely against the press, and even Chloe had blushed at the colorful language. She had almost automatically asked about Max, but she had bit her lip at the last-minute returning to her bedroom.

Her Monday had been quiet so far. Steph had made a few tries to engage the conversation and Chloe had been happy to until the girl mentioned Max. She just didn't want to talk about it.

The bell from the store's door rang and she looked up from her pad. Steph had retreated at the small desk in the back room, taking care of some accounting or other boring stuff as far as Chloe knew. Pondering what kind of customer, they might have she was surprised to see a man she had seen only a few days before. He looked exhausted, maybe even a bit sick.

"Hi Frank." she said with some hesitations.

"Hey Price..." He responded. "I... Wondered if we could talk."

Chloe looked at the store clock. "I suppose we could, I got an appointment booked in twenty minutes but else..."

The man nodded looking around taking in the store. Chloe moved from behind the counter as she asked. "Want some coffee?" She asked her empty mug in hand.

Frank nodded. "Yeah please..."

Chloe moved to the small room with the management desk and the coffee machine. Steph looked up from some bills. "Who's there? Customer?"

Chloe shook her head. "Just Frank... He wants to talk..." She said pouring coffee into mugs.

Her friend looked at her pursing her lips. "You tell me if you need help." she said before she started to work on the boring papers.

"Sure." She answered walking out. She reached the table in the middle of the store setting the mug on it. "Have a seat." She offered as the man was looking at the different drawings on the walls.

"Nice store." His voice was genuine, with a soft touch, yet loud enough for Steph to call her thanks from the office.

He took a deep breath and looked at the blue haired girl. "I... Wanted to apologize for what happened Saturday... I ... I was drunk and in pain..." he said fiddling with the bracelet on his wrist.

Chloe looked away and shook her head. "I'm the one who should apologize... I... I knew Rachel was seeing someone... I more or less knew it was you too... yet... I came at you like you were the one who killed her..." She sighed softly. "I'm sorry dude... It's just..."

Frank nodded. "Yeah I know... It's like your friend said... We both missed her so much we hadn't considered how she felt... or how she would feel seeing us..."

Chloe winced a bit at the mention of Max' outburst on the beach. She sipped her coffee saying nothing.

Frank looked at her. "Can you... tell your friend I'm sorry... And maybe thank her for me too?"

Chloe pursed her lips. "We're... not friends, not talking anymore..." she said, the words heavy and hard to say, as her heart rebelled at the idea.

"Oh... Sorry." The man looked down. "Shame... I mean, seeing she obviously cared about you, I thought maybe it was a good thing... I mean, with Rachel gone, I got no one anymore... but ... You still had someone to go to."

Chloe stood up and started to pace. "I don't want to talk about that." She responded flatly as she walked around the room.

"Sorry..." Frank added. He sipped at his coffee again, gathering his thoughts. "About the money..."

"I told you I'd pay you back Frank... And I will." Chloe sighed rolling her eyes.

"I was going to say, forget it... Rachel would not want me to take your money... So, I won't..."

Chloe paused and looked at him questioningly. "You sure? I mean ..."

Frank nodded. "Yes... I don't want anything to do with this shit of a life I had... I'll... turn a new page... Find another job..."

Chloe scratched her head and took her seat again. "Any ideas? I mean, it's great, but ... You don't have much more experiences than I do... And your drawing sucks."

Frank chuckled. "Yeah well true and I doubt people would want me to handle needles around them." He smiled softly and shook his head. "I dunno yet... I've been thinking about starting a legit business for a long time now... Maybe one of those online things... Just not good with the programming if you know what I mean..."

Chloe nodded. "Yeah... Well I suppose you can take your time for that..." The girl groaned a moment.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just realized it will be harder to party with you out of business!" Chloe responded slouching back in her chair. "No real bar, no real venue... And now... no more 420... This town gonna suck."

Frank looked at some drawing on the wall. "Yeah, although I'm sure someone will take over the business soon enough..."

Chloe nodded. "Yeah sure, just won't be as cool as you dude!" She stared at the ceiling a moment. "Dude! I got it!"

Frank looked at her frowning. "Got what?"

Chloe leaned on the table enthusiastically. "You should fucking reopen the Mill!"

The man frowned. "Why? I mean lumber business pretty dead here you know."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "No, you idiot! The Mill, the venue! You know! Host bands, music, dancing, bar!"

Frank pondered a moment. "Not sure I can afford it... it's not really cheap to open something like that."

Chloe pursed her lips. "Yeah I guess... Just this dive of a town's been lacking a good rock place you know... I'm sure you'd get plenty of people paying for one!"

Frank finished his coffee. "I'll think about it... Might not be much, but it's an idea at least." He sighed patting his pocket before he stood up. "I'll let you work for now... Thanks for talking and ... Sorry again for all the shit..."

Chloe nodded. "Is ok Frank... We used to be friends before all this, guess we could be again someday... Just... take care man..."

Frank nodded as he plucked a cigarette from his pocket. "You too Price. And... Don't toss all your friends away... If you got someone you can depend on... You should hold to them..." he said as he walked pass the door, his voice sad and lonely.

Chloe looked at the man as he started to walk up the street.

"He's right, you know? You should hold to those you care for."

Chloe turned her head finding Steph leaning against the back-room door. She shook her head. "It's better like this..."

For everyone.

A few hours had passed since Frank's visit and Steph was glad things had gone without incidents. She had also learnt more about what might have been going between Max and Chloe, and she started to feel like the punk girl had taken the hammer approach to a problem requiring precision tools. She couldn't do much about it though, the girl still refused to talk about it.

Although her taste in music sure shows she's not in a happy place!

On the store stereo, she could hear Johnny Cash starting to sing again, still the same song that Chloe had been playing over and over again. Steph had nothing against the artist, but hearing Hurt playing and replaying for nearly an hour was starting to get old.

I wonder if she realizes how much the song tells about how she feels!

She carefully moved as she worked on a guy's piercing, turning her head a moment at the curtain that was parting her station from the neighboring one where she could hear the buzz of the tattooing instrument.

At least it doesn't seem to affect her work that much.

She looked down at the preparation she was making. Not really the kind of piercing she liked to do. Not that she didn't like to pierce people in that area of the body. But she had no interest in handling that part of a man's body, however much the guy enjoyed it.

I always fear I'll have a fucking blood geyser in my hand when I'm about to push the needle in, fucking pervs!

She sighed was about to punch the needle through a definitively sensitive area of male anatomy when the store's door opened violently and a voice she hadn't heard in a year or two filled the room.

"KARI PRICE! Show yourself!"

From the curse she heard beside her, Chloe had been as surprised as she was, although the lack of scream from the customer meant the punk had at least avoided the mess she could have made. With a sigh she looked at the guy lying on the chair as she heard the tattoo station resume its buzz. "Just a moment. I'll be right back."

She moved around the curtain and looked at the blonde girl standing and taping her foot angrily at the floor, her arms crossed. Her right hand was in a white cast and Steph pondered how she hurt herself.

"God Victoria! Don't fucking shout like that! I was this close to fucking punch a hole in one of my customer's jewels!" She said holding her thumb and finger close.

"Oh... Sorry Steph, didn't know... Still I need to speak with that Price bitch. I heard she worked here now." The blonde said looking around.

The buzz of the tattooing machine was still going on, but Chloe's voice came out. "I'm busy here! Come back later Fucktoria!"

Steph palmed her face with a groan. Dang Chloe! Can't you at least not antagonize the girl?

Victoria took heavy steps toward the table and chairs. "I'll wait here then! I'm not letting you run away!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Whatever!" Chloe responded.

Steph sighed. "Okay fine wait if you want... Just no shouting please! I don't fucking need an accident in my store thank you!"

She returned to her customer rolling her eyes as she changed her gloves to be safe. "Sorry about that."

Fifteen embarrassing minutes later, and after having placed a ring on a place she hoped she would never see again, she was at the counter giving even more embarrassing instruction to a guy who kept winking at her lewdly every time she mentioned his dick. After receiving payment for the fee, which she still thought was way too cheap for her to feel so gross, she looked up as the curtain from the second station was drawn opened.

"Okay Brit, that should do it. Hope you will love your dolphin. Just keep it clean and so on... you know the drill by now." the punk smiled as she pointed at a girl who was pulling her low-cut jeans back up trying to keep it away from the bandaged tattoo on the front of her hip. "See the boss for the payment, I apparently got a guest to deal with." she said with a smile as she pulled the latex gloves of her hands and nodded at Steph. "Yoh Steph! Can you deal with Brittany's checkout while I deal with queen bitch?"

Steph rolled her eyes. "Yeah and please keep it civil... I own a tattoo parlor, not a pub or a fight club."

She started to prepare the note for the woman's brand-new dolphin jumping toward the crotch tattoo, keeping an eye on the blonde girl that was perusing the figurine display, while Chloe walked to her.

"What you want, Chase?" the punk asked arms crossed.

The blonde turned and frowned at Chloe. "I want you to fucking sort your drama with Max! It's already hard enough for us to try to help her deal with her injuries without having to pick up the pieces when you decide to be your usual uncaring bitch!"

Chloe curled her lips baring her teeth. "What the fuck you care! It's none of your fucking business!"

Victoria waved her right hand as if trying to point her index to Chloe. She paused and switched for her left hand. "I care because she's hurt! I care because Kate is struggling to help her! I care because I have to watch Kate's heart break again and again each time Max falls apart after you worked your magic on the girl! And I care because Kate's my friend and I don't want to see her cry over seeing her best friend leave!"

Chloe frowned a moment hesitating. "What you mean leave?"

Victoria shook her head. "Exactly what I said! Max's leaving! She's packing her stuff right as we speak!"

Steph joined the girls after cashing in the fee for the tattoo. She looked at Chloe her hands on her hips. "What is she talking about? Chloe, what the hell did you do?"

Chloe groaned and started to pace as she thought. "She's really packing? She's returning to Seattle?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yes, she is packing! Not that there is much to pack anyway, she completely trashed her room this morning... And where would she go if not back to Seattle?"

Chloe pursed her lips looking away as she felt Steph eyes stabbing her. "Good... It's better this way then..."

Victoria frowned her mouth gapping in surprise. "Better? For who? For Max? The girl's just an empty shell now! Barely a shadow of herself! For her friends? Kate is struggling not to break into tears! And don't fucking tell me it's for you! Because I was there when Max almost died! And it was certainly not me who was crying my heart out and begging the girl not to leave me alone!"

Steph took a step toward Chloe. "What did you do Chloe?"

Chloe shook her head. "I did what I had to..." She said putting as much conviction as she could in her voice.

Victoria rolled her yes. "Oh, come on Price! We both know you don't want her to leave! Do you think I'm blind? It's obvious to anyone who fucking saw you cry that day that you love Max! Or is it that that scares you! You fucking scared of loving another girl! I thought you had accepted that with your Amber bitch already!"

Chloe reached to grab Victoria's collar. "Shut up bitch! never talk of Rachel like that! I'm not the one who tried to drug her because I was jealous of her success!" She released the girl's shirt with a jerk of her hand. "And you fucking don't know anything about me and Max!"

Steph came and put a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Chloe! Is she right? Do you love Max?"

Chloe closed her eyes tight not wanting to respond, not wanting to admit it. "Yes! Yes, I love her! Okay! I been in love with her since before she moved out of the bay! Longer than I've even known either of you! You happy?"

Victoria shook her head her tone showing confusion. "Then WHY? Why are you so happy that she's leaving? Why don't you fucking try to hold her back?"

Chloe turned started to scream as she waved both hands. "Because I love her! Because if she stays, she'll end up getting hurt again because of me!" She cried turning away. "I don't want her to get hurt again! I want to be with her but... I did so much shit when she was gone, that she could get hurt again because of me... Like she was hurt by Nathan! Like she nearly got stabbed by Frank! You don't fucking understand! I keep pissing people off and one day she'll get killed because of me! Like my dad! Like Rachel!"

Steph looked horrified as the girl poured her feelings. "What did you do Chloe? What did you do?"

Chloe let her shoulders slump and her arms drop. "I told her we were done... That I didn't want to see her again..."

The afternoon was ending too. Max sat in her wheelchair, looking around her at her room. Shelves, drawers even the cabinet were empty. All her belongings had been stuffed without care in the boxes that were now stacked on the couch. After Kate had brought her the cardboard stack, she had sent the girl back to classes knowing the small blonde would at least want to talk about Max' feelings. Max didn't want to talk anymore.

She had simply said good bye to the girl and closed her door. She had waited a moment before turning the key and locking her room and then had gone to work on packing her belonging. It hadn't taken that long. Had she been careful and had she sorted the items, she probably would have taken hours, but as she just had dumped her stuff in the boxes, it had been quick. Now she sat by the opened window, flicking her lighter open and close as she looked at a picture. She never really knew how the picture had found its way to her after she had just dropped it on the floor of the bathroom. Yet, someone had picked it up and placed it with her camera. She looked again at the blue butterfly, part of her wanting to travel back, to try and relive that fateful week with her Chloe.

But it wouldn't be my Chloe... My Chloe's dead... I killed her on that cliff when I decided to come back...

Max flicked the lighter on and placed the flame at the corner of the picture, setting it on fire before she dumped it in the trash can.

This way, Chloe stays alive.

Max looked at the flame for a moment, watching it dance in front of her. She reached for the tobacco box in front of her and pulled out a cigarette. She lit it up taking a few puffs before flicking the cover back on the lighter, snuffing the flame, and she started to slowly smoke her cigarette while looking at the blue sky. The color reminded her of Chloe's hair, of her eyes and Max just felt like getting lost in it. She heard the bell marking the end of the classes ring from the main building and she sighed. She tossed the butt of her cigarette through the window and reached into her hoodie's pocket, pulling out the item she had picked up on the beach without even thinking about it.

Her fingers lingered a moment on the plastic and metal grip. She sniffed a moment, feeling tears along her cheeks as she closed her eyes and pressed the switch on the knife's handle, letting the blade spring out. She looked at it for a moment, mesmerized by the silvery shine.

Sorry I abandoned you Chloe... I'll be with you soon!

A/N:

And here is a new chapter. It's one which gave me quite a hard time because I wanted to tell a lot of things and all. When I got done writing I ended up with LOTS LOTS of words... nearly 7k actually. And then I noticed the next one would be tiny... So I made a few cut and paste, a few arrangements, you will see how it pans out.

So yeah as some feared Max is about to do something ... stupid... Will she make it or will she be stop? The answer, and the end of this dramatic part of the story is in the next chapter. So you won't have to wait too long and bite your nails till you reach your elbow.

For this chapter I decided to pay homage to Johnny Cash and the song Hurt. While the song mainly talks about his ... problems with drugs... I think it could also be seen as someone hurting himself because pain has made him so numb he doesn't even know if he's alive anymore... It kinda felt like the right description of Chloe hurting herself by cutting Max, because the pain of loosing her dad and Rachel made her so numb she doesn't recognize the need in her to be with someone is stronger than her fears. And it can also be a way to talk about what Max is about to do...

Next chapter should be out tomorrow I hope. Part of it is written, there rest is cooking in my head. Cya soon for Chapter 34

P.S : As I already said, English not my native language even if I been basically living in it for the past 10 years, and while rereading the story to refresh my memory I noticed a few Snafus... So, I am currently starting to reread the whole text hunting typos and other little mess ups I could have made. If you could maybe PM me with the chapter and a quick "quote" of those you may have seen or see while you are reading it might be helpful.

Thanks and stay tuned