Max stood frozen in indecision at her doorway.
"I thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing... I was, uh, in town" Zack shifted nervously wondering why she wasn't saying anything.
"Oh. Um, come in." Max stepped back and Zack walked past her into the apartment with an air of confidence that he wasn't feeling.
"You've been gone for a while." Max glared at him.
"I had things to take care of." Zack replied in what he hoped was an off-handed manner that would make the topic seem boring and keep her from asking for any specifics.
"Things?" Max leaned against the door frame and studied him. He was hiding something, this wasn't just his usual desire to keep the conversation off of himself.
"So... where's Logan?" Zack asked and regretted it the second it was out. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid. You don't want to talk about the situation so you change the topic to something that is even more directly related to it?!! And what if she starts talking about how wonderful everything is?? You're just asking for heartbreak!'
"We broke up nearly two months ago." Max said flatly, "Can I get you something to drink? Why don't you sit down?"
'Broke up?! Two months ago?!!' Zack felt like he was flying. "That's... too bad." He said insincerely.
"What?" Max had completely missed Zack's... condolences... being distracted by the way the huge smile on his face lit up his blue eyes and made her heart skip a beat. Max had seldom seen him smile and she decided then and there to make it her newest personal mission.
"I said that it's too bad." It was a slightly more sympathetic tone but Max had no trouble picking up on how pleased Zack was with her breakup. Not that it was a huge surprise, he had certainly made no secret of his feelings about Logan.
"I knew you'd be devastated." Max said sarcastically. "Did you ever think that maybe I'm really hurt by this? That I could use your support? Real support, not words of sympathy that you clearly don't even mean."
"... I'm sorry. I didn't really think about it. Are you alright?"
"Of course. It's not like we were in love or anything. That's not the point." Max glared.
Zack remained silent unsure of what he was supposed to say now. She seemed to be angry at him but he couldn't fathom a reason why. Max too remained silent though her glare lost most of it's intensity after a few minutes.
"I missed you." Max said softly, so softly that Zack almost didn't hear it.
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Note: Look't all that dialogue. I tend to not write huge amounts of dialogue but there it is. Wow do things progress slowly with me doing the writing. They'll maybe be a couple by chapter 81 the way I'm going. Actually. I'm thinking one more chapter, two at the most. Anyway. Finally I wrote. Someone reviewed it today (killed my excuse that there was no need to worry because by now no one is keeping track).
"I thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing... I was, uh, in town" Zack shifted nervously wondering why she wasn't saying anything.
"Oh. Um, come in." Max stepped back and Zack walked past her into the apartment with an air of confidence that he wasn't feeling.
"You've been gone for a while." Max glared at him.
"I had things to take care of." Zack replied in what he hoped was an off-handed manner that would make the topic seem boring and keep her from asking for any specifics.
"Things?" Max leaned against the door frame and studied him. He was hiding something, this wasn't just his usual desire to keep the conversation off of himself.
"So... where's Logan?" Zack asked and regretted it the second it was out. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid. You don't want to talk about the situation so you change the topic to something that is even more directly related to it?!! And what if she starts talking about how wonderful everything is?? You're just asking for heartbreak!'
"We broke up nearly two months ago." Max said flatly, "Can I get you something to drink? Why don't you sit down?"
'Broke up?! Two months ago?!!' Zack felt like he was flying. "That's... too bad." He said insincerely.
"What?" Max had completely missed Zack's... condolences... being distracted by the way the huge smile on his face lit up his blue eyes and made her heart skip a beat. Max had seldom seen him smile and she decided then and there to make it her newest personal mission.
"I said that it's too bad." It was a slightly more sympathetic tone but Max had no trouble picking up on how pleased Zack was with her breakup. Not that it was a huge surprise, he had certainly made no secret of his feelings about Logan.
"I knew you'd be devastated." Max said sarcastically. "Did you ever think that maybe I'm really hurt by this? That I could use your support? Real support, not words of sympathy that you clearly don't even mean."
"... I'm sorry. I didn't really think about it. Are you alright?"
"Of course. It's not like we were in love or anything. That's not the point." Max glared.
Zack remained silent unsure of what he was supposed to say now. She seemed to be angry at him but he couldn't fathom a reason why. Max too remained silent though her glare lost most of it's intensity after a few minutes.
"I missed you." Max said softly, so softly that Zack almost didn't hear it.
______________________________
Note: Look't all that dialogue. I tend to not write huge amounts of dialogue but there it is. Wow do things progress slowly with me doing the writing. They'll maybe be a couple by chapter 81 the way I'm going. Actually. I'm thinking one more chapter, two at the most. Anyway. Finally I wrote. Someone reviewed it today (killed my excuse that there was no need to worry because by now no one is keeping track).