"No," Max hissed through bared teeth. "You're lying. You have to be lying," she laughed softly. "Of course, Lydecker still has you. That's all there is to it."
"No…" he began.
"Yes, you have to be lying. Method of deceit-that's it, isn't it?" She was rambling, not making any sense even to herself. Zack just stared blankly at her, not sure what to say that would stop her from confusing them both. Max turned away from him and looked into the deep part of the forest where her mind could wander free.
"Max, I-"
"You saw them? They're really alive, and just hurt, not dead? Please, please, let that be it," she said, turning back to him. There were tears in her eyes. The reality was starting to sink in, but Max still refused to believe. She wanted to block the truth out. Yet, that was, of course, impossible.
Zack shook his head in response to her pleading questions. What could he say that would make her feel better without lying to her? The truth hurt her, and he didn't want her to hurt.
Max walked closer to him and stared straight into his eyes. She bit down on her quivering lip to stop the raging emotions inside. "Are you…" she paused and swallowed before taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself and continued. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice barely a squeak.
"Yes," he said quietly. She turned away from him again and had clasped one hand over her twisting mouth. "Max, I'm sorry," he told her, attempting to take away the pain. He tried to walk closer, but the sharp stabbing pain in his leg made it nearly impossible.
Max turned back to him. Tears were dripping from her blood-shot eyes, and she tried to wipe them away and hide them. Inside, she was shaking from containing the sorrowful emotions that she didn't want Zack to see.
"No, I should be the one who's sorry."
"You couldn't have saved them," he argued. Max didn't respond and stood staring at the ground by his burnt feet. She furiously wiped away the tears that came out. Her left hand was clasped over the bottom half of her face, striving to block her emotions from Zack.
He stepped closer to her, and this time ignored the pain in his leg. Max was more important than his pain. "Max," he said softly. She didn't respond and Zack wasn't sure if she had heard him. "Max," he repeated a little bit louder and this time gently lifted up her chin to meet her eyes. She, at first, avoided his eyes, then reluctantly, met his. "You don't have to be strong anymore."
As if a signal, Max broke down, finally allowing herself to be totally and utterly free. She fell to the ground on her knees, sobbing. Her hands covered her face as the tears leaked out between the cracks of her aligned fingers.
Zack stiffly knelt down beside her and watched for a moment. The pain in his leg was nearly paralyzing, but the pain Max was feeling was much more tormenting. He extended his arms out to her and wrapped them around her.
She didn't stiffen or protest like he had expected, but pressed him close as well. The strength he had was so comforting to Max that she buried her face into the soft leather of his jacket. Tear after tear fell onto the black leather and left a trail.
Looking up at the afternoon sun hinted with dusk, Zack felt himself begin to crumble as well. Slowly, his face began to distort until tears were running down his face and over his ragged lip. He pulled Max closer and felt her give into the sadness of the truth. She sobbed, her chest rocking back and forth as she tried to get more air.
Finally, Zack completely broke down and rested his face on her shoulder and closed his eyes, tears being squeezed out of the corners. Everything he had hidden for so long came out. The unbearable torture of Lydecker; the knowledge of the physical pain he had bestowed upon Max; and the death of the others. All of it came tumbling out, freeing him of the chains he had been in for so long.
