The Other Side, Chapter 4.
Written by: Gabriela
Rating: PG-13
A/N: means that the story is now being told from the point of view of a different person…it's pretty simple to figure out who it is….
I hope you guys like this chapter, I think it's my favorite so far. I'm so sorry it took so long to get it out!! I'll try to be quicker with the next one!
Alec's hand feels heavy on my arm and it prevents me from leaving. I freeze, but refuse to turn around. I can't face him. I've made too many mistakes in the past 24 hours, and I don't need to add to the already long list. I prepare to continue my departure and go to tug my arm out of his grasp, but his hand remains firm in its hold on my arm. I sigh and turn around, resigning to the fact that Alec will not let me just leave.
I turn, sucking in a breath, ready to barrage Alec about not just letting things go, but the anger dies away as I look at him. He is gazing at me – but I've never seen this look from him before. It isn't one of anger or annoyance, nor is it the usual smirk that resides in his eyes. He looks open – completely and totally open; as if he's just waiting for me to read his thoughts. I stare at him, wanting to know what he is thinking, and yet afraid to at the same time.
I jump slightly as Alec's hand is suddenly upon my cheek. I can't help but lean into his touch – it really feels like it's been forever since I've felt this kind of tenderness from a guy. I turn slightly, my head inclined toward his hand. For a split second my head clears and I realize who I am, who he is, and where we are. I quickly jerk my head away from his palm and look at him, ready to turn and flee.
He looks at me and breathes my name. "Maxie…" My X-5 reflexes aren't quick enough tonight and Alec moves before I do. His left hand goes once again to my cheek and he steps towards me, his body close to mine. Before I can even think of moving, his hand cups my cheek more and tilts my head slightly as he leans down to kiss me. The kiss is tender, not lust-filled like the ones at Crash. I realize that he isn't doing this as a reaction to my heat cycle, nor is he doing it to satisfy his own male urges. As soon as I make this realization, my thoughts scatter as he deepens the kiss. His other hand is resting on my waist and with it, he urges my body closer to his and I willingly oblige. I thought kissing Alec last night was good, but tonight it's amazing. This isn't the hurried, lustful kiss of before…we're actually enjoying each other, savoring it.
Alec's hand on the back of my neck startles me and everything seems to come back into focus.
I feel Max tense up, but before I can try to put her back at ease, she jerks her lips away from mine and I feel the cool air sweep in, replacing the warmth her lips had just provided. I open my eyes and see Max's panicked face before me. Her eyes are wide, staring into mine. I look back and try to convey calmness to her through eye contact. It doesn't work and before I can even try to stop her from leaving once again, she's turned and disappeared.
"Max, Wait!" I yell into the vacant air around me. Even if Max did hear me, I know she won't come back. She's too scared. God damn it….God damn her! I don't know what to do now. I want to follow Max, get this all settled. But part of me wants to just go home, go to sleep, and forget for tonight at least, that any of this even happened. I settle for the latter.
I go back to my place, slam the door, and throw my jacket into the nearest chair. I plop down on the couch and flick aimlessly through the channels on TV. My mind wanders over the past 24 hours. Things between Max and I won't ever be the same. No matter what we do: we've done too much to just pretend it didn't happen and go on about our normal existences. Damn it…why the hell did I have to go and complicate things? Not that things with Max and I have ever been simple…but I really messed everything up this time. Tomorrow at work is going to be hell…maybe I should just call in. No, I won't do that. I don't know exactly what's going on with Max and me, but we're gonna have to deal with it sooner or later. Might as well get it over with.
My head flops back and I shut my eyes, trying to block the incessant thoughts. There are just so many things to deal with when it comes to Max. Logan is one of those things. Even she doesn't know how she feels about him. Max just wants someone to be beside her, someone to be there with her, share things with her. Oh, she'd never admit that and sometimes I wonder if she even realizes that's what she wants. Her actions speak for themselves – I know she seems really tough and independent, and to an extent she is. But her whole life she's wanted companionship. Even back at Manticore – she didn't consider those in her block her unit – oh no – they were her siblings, her brothers and sisters. And she's had Original Cindy with her for years now…but OC can only fill the friendship, sisterly roll. That's why she's so dependent on Logan. As far as I know from Original Cindy, he's the only guy who knows about Max – and he's not a jerk to her. And that's where Max gets the thought that she and Logan are "meant to be." Please.
Max wants to like and love Logan so badly – she wants to try and have a "normal" life. Settle down with oh-so-"normal" Logan and try to forget that she has the past she does and that even now she has people hunting her. As for Logan – well, he's in love with the idea of Max. He's completely infatuated with the idea of having some super-human female beside him fighting crime and injustice. They're both in love with ideas in their heads. I've tried to talk to Max, and that did absolutely no good – just got her more pissed off at me.
I sigh deeply and go to get a drink. I'm done thinking about this – Max will have to come to the truth on her own…and hopefully it'll be soon.
My boo just walked – no, stalked, in here all in a huff. She went to her room, slammed the door, and I haven't heard a thing from her since. My guess is that it has something to do with Alec. And seeing as how Max usually will come in and rant to me about stuff he done wrong, I'm going to go ahead and assume that this time it isn't all Alec's fault – whatever 'it' is. I love my girl, but sometimes she can't see things that are five inches from her face.
Like this thing she's got going with Logan. It's for all the wrong reasons. But my boo don't see that – and neither does Logan, her sugar daddy. Oh well, Original Cindy tries to stay out of this kind of stuff for a reason – getting involved just makes things all a mess. I better go see if she's all right.
"Max?" No answer. "Boo, is everything a'ight?" I strain to hear any noises from the other side of the door.
"I'm all right. Just got a lot to think about. I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok?" Max answers me and her tone says that she ain't gonna be talking to me about what's going on anytime soon – at least not tonight.
"All right. I'll see ya tomorrow, Max. 'Night." I go back to my room and get ready for bed. I'm really curious about what went down tonight. I'm almost positive it has something to do with Alec: no one else gets my girl's back up like him. Max don't see it, but he's the only guy who can get behind the shield she puts up. She sees it as fighting, but I see as angsty flirting. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who sees it that way.
I didn't get much sleep last night. Damn Alec. There's no way I can face him today. Cindy's already up eating breakfast and getting ready for work. I'll go out and see if she'll cover for me.
"Hey, OC. Listen, I need you to tell Normal I'm sick or something, ok?"
"Girl, you can't avoid things forever." OC has a knowing look on her face….I wonder how much she knows. Did she talk to Alec? She couldn't have…she wouldn't have. "Boo, calm down…you got that deer in headlights look. I don't know anything about whatever was going on with you last night. I have my guesses, but Original Cindy isn't in the know yet."
Thank goodness for that. I still need time to sort everything out and decide on plan of action. "So will you tell Normal I won't be in today?" I almost wince at the pleading note in my voice. Alec causes that pleading tone.
"Sure. But remember what I said, Max. You can't hide forever." With that she waves and head off to work.
And I'm left here to think even more about Alec.
I've already been out on three runs and it's not even 10 o'clock. I didn't see Max this morning, which I'm sort of glad about. She and I need to talk, but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for her crap today. I ride back into Jam Pony and as was the case with the last two times I came back to get packages, Max isn't here. I spot OC by her locker. I"ll talk to her…find out what Max is doing.
"So what excuse is she having you tell Normal this time?" I walk past her saying as I make my way to my locker.
She turns and gives me an appraising look. "She's going with illness and that she won't be in all day."
I can't help but exhale sharply and shake my head. I should've known Max wasn't gonna show at all today. That's the way she is – always running, hiding, avoiding. I look back at OC to find her staring at me, and I realize that Max hasn't told her about our little rendezvous on the Space Needle. I smirk, the first semi-smile I've had all day. Cindy must be going crazy wondering what all happened. And unfortunately for her, it's going to stay that way. Max and I need to settle this one our own – without Cindy, Logan, Asha, or anyone else being brought in. Oh well, Normal is bip-bip-bipping at me, so I gotta go on more runs…
So I've spent the whole day thinking about the Alec thing, and I still have no clue what to do. The thought of escaping and evading crossed my mind – I always did excel at that at Manticore. But Alec and Cindy both had a good point: I can't run from everything.
I hear the door open and close and I get up from my bed to ask OC if Alec said anything to her about me. Ugh, I sound like some high-school girl.
"Hey, girl…" my words die on my lips when I see that it's not Cindy who is in the apartment.
It's Alec.