By: Izabel
Chapter 16: Seeing the Other Side
*~*~*~*
Max walked to the closet and grabbed a shirt. She bent over her dresser and pulled out a pair of faded jeans. She tugged them on, grabbed her keys and stalked out of the penthouse.
She started her BMW and screeched out of the parking lot.
Jason walked into the house he shared with JD, realizing he hadn't been there in a few weeks. As he walked in, her smirked, picking up a purple lace bra.
"I sure hope this is Kekoa's," he mumbled. "JD?" he called a bit louder.
He heard someone moving towards the front of the house, Kekoa appeared a moment later in a towel. Jason laughed as she blushed.
"Maybe I should get some clothes?" she suggested, already heading to JD's room.
"You don't have to," he teased.
"What would Max say?" Kekoa called back.
Jason frowned. "Actually, I need to talk to you about her."
Kekoa came out a second later in a flowered halter dress. Her wet tresses stuck and clung to her body. "What happened?"
"She told me about her father," Jason said.
"Sad, huh?" Kekoa replied, shaking her head. "She was devastated for such a long time, another reason she went back to Manhattan; she had to plan the funeral."
"What?" Jason demanded.
Kekoa shifted, surprise in her eyes. "She never told you that he killed himself?"
Jason shook his head, stunned beyond belief. "I meant she told me how her dad was rich, and that's why she had so much money."
Kekoa grimaced. "I shouldn't have said anything."
"You couldn't have known," Jason assured her. He smacked his forehead. "And I acted like a jerk. She told me this, after I asked her to, and I just sat there like an idiot. Then I left."
Kekoa eyed him warily. "Did she leave, too?" Kekoa asked.
"She was there when I left," he replied.
Kekoa groaned and grabbed the phone.
"K?" Jason demanded. "What?"
Kekoa punched in the numbers. When the person picked up, she sighed in relief. "Max? Where are you?"
"Why?" Max asked suspiciously. "Is Jason there?"
"He's here," Kekoa said slowly, looking at him. "Where are you?"
Max laughed over the line. "Well, I'm still in Oahu."
"Max!" Kekoa yelled.
"I'll be at your place in an hour—promise. Keep Jase there," she said. "Bye, K."
Kekoa sighed as she shook her head and hung up the phone. "Unbelievable," she muttered. "That girl is going to kill me yet…"
Jason stood up. "Where is she?"
"I don't know," Kekoa answered honestly. She bit her lower lip. Both people turned as the door opened and JD walked in.
"Hey, guys," he said. He walked past Jason, slapping him on the shoulder before leaning over and kissing Kekoa's mouth. He studied both of their faces. "What's up?"
"Max has officially gone AWOL," Kekoa replied. She stood up and drew in a deep breath. "I should start dinner. Max said she'd be here in and hour or so." Kekoa paused. She laughed aloud. "I know where she is."
"Where?" Jason demanded.
Kekoa smirked and sighed loudly. "You'll find out soon enough." She eyed the window. "Well, that didn't take long." She walked to the front door and pulled it open where Max was climbing out of her car. She jogged down the steps, Jason and JD not far behind. Jason broke into a run and went to her side.
"We need to talk," he said urgently.
Max stared at him for a moment. "Yeah, we do. Every time we have a problem, we can't just run away from each other." She laced her fingers through his. Turning to Kekoa she said, "I'll call you later?"
"No way," Kekoa exclaimed. "Get your butt back here and let me assess the damage."
Max pouted. "It's not that bad…"
Kekoa arched and eyebrow. "Well?"
Sighing hard, Max lifted the bottom of her tank top and rolled her eyes. Everyone noted the silver ring that was now attached to her bellybutton.
"Max!" Kekoa cried. "Didn't that hurt?"
"I like pain," Max defended herself. "It helps me cope."
"You're crazy," Kekoa retorted.
Jason smirked. "I kinda like it."
"See?" Max retorted.
Kekoa shook her head. "You do this every time you have a fight with someone. A new piercing or a tattoo."
"I only have one tattoo!" Max cried indignantly.
"You do?" JD asked.
"Butterfly. Left hip." Jason informed. "Wanna go?"
Max nodded. "Everything's cool now, K," Max assured her. "See you in the morning."
Kekoa nodded absently, letting JD pull her back to the house. Max and Jason climbed in their separate cars and drove back to the Penthouse.
Max met Jason inside her apartment and shut the door softly behind her, clicking the lock into place. "We should talk."
Jason dropped the paper he'd been reading and leaned back on the couch. "Yeah, we should," he agreed.
Max took the armchair across from him. "If I sit near you…Whenever I'm near you, I forget everything I wanted to say. I mean, it's like I forget that I'm mad at you and I just want you to hold me and kiss me, and I can't have that right now," Max explained.
"I feel the same way," he replied. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm sorry I left, I was just shocked. I needed room."
Max stared at her hands before looking him in the eye. "It hurt when you walked out, Jase. It was like, you couldn't accept me for me. Money or not, I'm still the same old Max. How would you have felt if I got up and left after we made love, and after you spilled your guts about Maya?"
Jason set his eyes on the table. "I understand, Max."
"Do you?" Max asked softly, climbing to her feet. She walked behind the chair and protectively wrapped her arms around her waist. "All my life, people have always reacted in some way to my money. Some wanted to be with me for it, others resented me and it hurt, but never as much as when you left me." She felt a hot tear slide down her cheek. "There I was, happy you and I were OK, that we were OK, and you trusted me enough to tell me about Maya. Next thing I know, I'm lying naked and alone in my bed, wondering where the hell my boyfriend went to." She was openly crying now and could barely see the helpless look Jason was giving her. She sank to her knees behind the chair and cried into her hands.
Jason came up next to her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Max. I wasn't thinking." Max allowed him to help her to her feet and carry her to the bedroom. Jason spread himself out beside her, pulling her body against his. He watched as she silently drifted off to sleep. He smoothed back her hair and propped himself up on his elbow, watching her deep breaths and the way her chest rose with each intake.