In and Out of Love-Chapter 2

By MyNameIsCAL

It took less than a minute for me to bolt up the stairs and to Max's floor. I've been in her apartment on numerous nights. George never really approved of my presence, but he put up with it because I was, after all, Max's best friend.

"What are you doing?" I burst through the apartment door and pocketed my key.

"YOU! What the fuck are you doing here?!" George spat.

Max backed away to my side. She looked scared of George. He was holding a box that held what I knew was the engagement ring. George would probably blame me for this.

"Why won't you marry me? Because you love him more, Max?" George accused.

I took a step in front of Max.

"I'm not ready for this George. I can't do this right now. And you have other motives to marry me," Max replied softly. "I know it."

George put the box back in his pocket. "You ungrateful bitch."

He started toward me and I grabbed him by the shoulders firmly. I looked him in the eye. "You don't hurt Max without going through me."

"Fine. I'll be leaving now." George shook my grip off and stormed toward the door.

I followed him, waiting to close the door.

"And take your damn keys back." He threw them at me, his aim on target with my head. I couldn't react fast enough so they hit me in the face.

"Fuck," I cursed, catching the keys in my hands, and then slamming the door.

Max stood behind me, mortified.

"Get everything you need. I'll take you to my apartment before he comes back," I ordered.

She moved, robotically, around the house shoving things into suitcases. Max didn't have a lot. In fact a lot of her stuff was at my apartment or at Mom's house since we went to each other's places so often. If we couldn't make it home, there was always something to fall back on.

"Ready?" I asked after a while.

Max nodded and I led the way to the door.

"Yo, Fang that you?!" Iggy called as I opened the door.

Max and I pulled the suitcases to the guest bedroom. I had a pretty big apartment.

"Max is staying here tonight," I told Iggy. "George and her had a fight."

Iggy raised an eyebrow. "I never met him."

Iggy knew all my feelings about Max. He was always on my side.

"Yeah, I didn't want to marry him," Max muttered. "I'm going to sleep now."

I watched her walk to her room. The room she slept many nights in, especially when she fought with George or whoever she was dating. Sometimes we would lie in the dark together, just talking about everything, but tonight wasn't going to be one of those nights. She wanted time along, I could tell. After a moment, I sat down on the couch next to Iggy who was listening to the CNN news.

"So what went down?" Iggy stretched out his legs, his feet landing on the table with perfect precision. He knew this apartment inside and out, except for my room.

"George wanted to marry her, but Max didn't want to commit because he loves her for all the wrong reasons," I answered quietly. "He got mad, so I went up to her apartment."

Iggy grinned.

"Don't you dare say anything," I scowled. Iggy loved to crack jokes about how I was still in love with Max.

"Sorry." But the grin remained there. He sniggered and then stood up. "Want something to drink? Ella should be calling soon."

"No, I'm good."

Iggy moved to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He felt around for the soda and pulled one out. "Is this Pepsi?"

"Yup." I replied.

Iggy said goodnight and headed to his room. His cell phone would be going off any minute now. Ella always called on time unless she was studying. That was sort of romantic, the way they talked every night. Iggy had everything set out in front of him. All he had to do was wait for Ella to finish college. Four years wasn't such a long time. I've already been waiting about eight years for Max.

The news is still on and Anderson Cooper is talking away about whatever is the biggest headline. I never got sleep anymore. Thinking kept me up at night. I would toss and turn and wake up in the morning, feeling more tired than ever, but never tired enough to fall asleep. Finding something to occupy myself was hard. I didn't watch TV anymore unless it was with someone else. The news was about all I could stand, so I sat, and watched.

"Your house is cold."

I bolted up into sitting position as Max took a seat next to me.

"I can get you a blanket or sweatshirt or something," I answered.

She nodded and a headed to my room. There was always a sweatshirt reserved for her on the back of my chair. It smelled like her, but she probably thought it smelled like me.

Max wiggled into my sweatshirt and curled up against me. I put my arm around her and lowered the volume on the news. "So, what's up?"

"I feel bad for George," Max explained. "But he's an asshole."

I had to laugh and I probably sounded like an asshole too. Actually, I was an asshole. Sometimes I would get so caught up in being mad at Max that it would turn her against me.

"What?" She frowned.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"I'm going back to bed." That meant are you coming?

I followed her to her room and got into bed next to her. She took my arm and put it around her.

We fell asleep like that.