Into My Heart
By: Izabel
Chapter 9: Step To Me
*~*~*~*
Max gasped and balled it up. She threw it across the parking lot. It skittered underneath a car a few feet away. Kekoa spun and faced Max, her face pale. "Is that from Todd?"
"Who else calls me 'Maxie?'" Max cried desperately. "I knew this would happen!" She looked up through her fingers at Kekoa. "He called me today."
Kekoa jumped into the car and slammed her door. "Drive." She ordered.
Max started the car and peeled out of the lot, sure no one was following. She glanced at Kekoa, who looked pissed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she finally said evenly.
"You seemed to be having your own problems at the time, K," Max replied tersely.
Kekoa sighed. "What do we do?" she asked. "Does Jason know about him?"
Max nodded. "I told him the day after we met." Max stopped. "I don't want Jason to know. He'll go crazy. I can handle Todd myself."
"Max!" Kekoa exclaimed. "Come on, you need help."
"No, I don't," Max replied laconically.
"Max—"
"Drop it, K," Max ordered. She turned a corner too quickly and the wheels protested with a squealing noise. Kekoa gripped the side of her door and eyed Max cautiously. Max was visibly tense, all her muscles drawn taut.
"I just want to help, Max," Kekoa said quietly. She paused, waiting for Max to explode and yell for Kekoa to leave it. But she didn't.
Instead she pulled into the restaurant parking lot and shut off the car. She looked at Kekoa. "I'm scared, K."
Kekoa pulled Max towards her in a hug. "I promise, it'll be OK."
Max finally pulled away a few seconds later. She wiped her eyes quickly. She pulled down the front visor and checked her makeup in the mirror. She scanned her eyes until she was sure everything was all right. Sighing, she looked at Kekoa who was looking at her with concern. "Let's go."
As they walked up the front walk to the restaurant, Kekoa grabbed Max's arm before she reached the door. "I still think you should tell Jason and JD. They'd want to help."
Max shook her head stubbornly. "No. I can handle this myself. Please, K, I have to. I can't let Todd run my life forever." She walked ahead and opened the door.
The light of the restaurant cast a golden hue across the room. Glasses clinked and there was a low murmur of talking. Max looked suspiciously at Kekoa. "Whose idea was this?"
Kekoa grinned knowingly. "Jason and JD kind of conspired," she admitted.
Sensing she was holding out, Max pressed for more info. "Jason and JD don't know about places like this."
Kekoa laughed softly. "OK, it was my idea, too. I suggested taking you here as a welcome home gesture and Jason and JD wanted in on the idea."
Max grinned as the truth was revealed. She turned to the maître d'. Then she paused. "Whose name is this under?"
Kekoa stepped forward. "Reservation for Tanaka."
"This way, miss," he instructed, guiding them to their table where Jason and JD sat waiting. Both rose as the women approached.
Max leaned over and kissed Jason's cheek, smiling warmly at him. He pulled out her chair and she sat, thanking the waiter as he handed them menus. Max ordered water to drink and Kekoa ordered her drink, an alcoholic one. She smirked at Max. "No alcohol for you?"
"Ha ha," Max snorted. "Make fun of the baby."
Jason and Kekoa laughed and JD glanced curiously at them. "You're not 21?" he guessed.
"I'll be 21 in a month weeks," Max supplied, sipping the water that was set in front of her.
"Aww," Jason cooed playfully. He took a long swallow of his drink.
Max eyed him and lifted an eyebrow. "You can sleep alone tonight, OK?"
JD and Kekoa laughed at the surprised look on Jason's face. They were all laughing as someone walked over to their table.
"Maxie," the voice said sweetly.
Max choked on her water and look up into Todd's face. "Todd," she managed to get out. She felt all the blood drain down her face.
Jason immediately went to stand, but Max put a soft hand on his arm. "Jase, don't." Her voice was surprisingly steady.
Kekoa locked gazes with Todd. "Leave us alone, Todd." She tossed her raven hair over one shoulder and gave him a frigid glare.
Todd's icy tone cut into Kekoa. "I wasn't talking to you, Kekoa."
JD and Jason both stared at Todd. Finally JD looked down at the table before looking back up. "I suggest you leave."
Jason nodded. "I don't want to hear of you bothering either of them." He crossed his arms over his chest.
Todd smirked. Max was sitting there silently, her eyes locked on the tablecloth as she played with a corner of it. Her face was pale and her hands trembled slightly.
"Why, Maxie, are we scared?" he asked slowly.
"Hey, man—" Jason began, moving to get up again.
Max cut him off and jumped to her feet. She looked Todd in the eye. "You, me, outside. Now," she ordered quietly, stalking out of the room. She turned a corner once outside, noticing how not only Todd had followed, but Jason, JD, and Kekoa, too. She turned and looked Todd in the eye. "I'll say this once, so listen good." She took a calculated step closer to him. "Stay the hell away from me, Kekoa, and all of our friends. Am I making myself clear?"
Todd laughed. "I say no and your boy-toys hear pound me, right?"
Max laughed as well. "No." Her easy-going smile warped into a cruel smirk. "Lucas is still pretty pissed at what you did. I know all he needs is one call…"
Todd paled and stepped back. "Lu-Lucas?"
"Did I stutter?" Max snapped. "You killed Lexi. You think he wouldn't love to hear from me about where you are?"
Todd shook his head. He almost looked at her with awe. "So, you finally grew a backbone?"
"Miracles sometimes happen," she retorted, a surge of empowerment rushing through her veins.
Todd rolled his eyes. "And it only took twenty years."
Max squared her shoulders. "I highly suggest you back the hell off." She stepped even closer, staring directly into his eyes. "You don't control me, Todd. My puppet days are over, and I refuse to waste anymore of my time, or my friends'."
Todd nodded and slowly looked her over. He leaned his head down. "You know this isn't over, right?"
Max smiled. "Bring it on."
Todd glanced back at Jason, JD, and Kekoa. They stood as a united front behind Max. Todd shook his head with a smile. He pointed to Max. "See you later, Maxie." With that, Todd sank back into the shadows and disappeared.
Max let out a huge breath and her legs seemed to fold beneath her, and everyone rushed to her side. "Oh, my, gosh." She looked at Kekoa with a small smile. "Did I really do that?"
Kekoa grinned proudly. "Yup. You did it, Max."
Jason looked gently at Max. "Why don't we just go home?" he suggested.
Max nodded weakly. "I left my keys inside."
Kekoa stood. "I'll get them. I'll take your car back to the penthouse, JD, come with me?"
He nodded and hugged Max quickly before they headed.
Max looked up at Jason and wound her arms around his neck tightly, shuddering and shaking. "I have never been so scared," she admitted.
Jason held her away from and looked into her eyes. "I wasn't going to let anything happen to you, Max."
Max nodded and leaned in to kiss him.