Max paced along the dark passageway. Tears streaked his dust covered cheeks. One week. She had been gone one week. She'd left him with nothing but radio silence and his own dark thoughts.
He had begun to truly panic after the first 3 days. He had hoped it would turn out like last time, but his calls and texts remained unanswered. Her voicemail was now full.
He'd spent days stalking Jason, but Avonlea never entered or left his office building or house. He couldn't call him up. He'd only raise more suspicion. The less Jason heard his voice the better.
Still he had to know where she was. He tried her paperwork from her lease agreement but in his eagerness to get her to sign, he hadn't made her fill the thing out in its entirety. He didn't care about her previous place of residence…all that matter was she was his resident now. He snuck into her apartment and rifled through her desk looking for names or addresses.
He finally found a small black book in the back of a drawer. He flipped through the pages until he found a listing for "Mom and Dad". Writing down the address, Max headed back to his apartment for a shower. Clean and determined, he grabbed the keys to car he'd had since his youth and long since stopped driving.
Turning the car over, he slipped it into gear and started towards her. How could she leave him? Did she know about Jason? Was she afraid of him now? She had to know that he would never hurt her. Did she know how he watched her, came to her in the middle of the night? Was she disgusted? Endless reasons of why she should hate him played through his head as he drove.
Hours later he found himself watching her, as he always had, through her bedroom window hiding behind a copse of trees. She looked pale as she sat on the edge of her bed brushing her hair. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Silencing his phone, he dialed her number. He watched her turn her head, and lean over reaching for her phone on the night stand. She stared at her screen then slowly touched her screen. The ringing in his ear stopped. Declined. Her face screwed up and she fell to her mattress, her back shaking in huge wracking sobs. His heart broke.
He felt numb and cold as he returned to his car and turned towards home. He knew now that August had been right. He didn't deserve to be happy. Had never deserved her. He was worthless. Weak. And now, she knew it too.
Before he realized it, he was home. He went through his apartment, into the passageway, and straight to hers. She would be leaving soon. Leaving him.
Max had no memories of a warm and happy childhood. The familiar scent of her apartment brought tears to his eyes. It was the first place he had ever wanted to call home. The first place he had felt loved. Felt worthy of love.
He went to her closet and pulled out her flowery sun dress. Holding the soft fabric to his face he breathed in her scent. He fell to his knees rocking as cradled the dress to him, wishing it was her in his arms.
Laying the dress out on her bed, he curled up next to it. Looking above him, his reflection was startling. His eyes were red and swollen. His cheeks seemed thinner. He supposed he hadn't been eating regularly since she left. What was the point? He closed his eyes, laid a hand on the dress, and envisioned her next to him in a time not so long ago when she loved him.
Another week had passed and still no word from Avonlea. He didn't drive back to see her, to confront her. He couldn't bear to see her in so much pain and to know he was the cause of it. He sat at his desk going over repair requests, making a list of things he needed like light bulbs and air filters. Movement on the screen switching from security camera views of the front door, lobby, and elevator caught his eye. Avonlea was standing in the elevator.
His heart froze. Was she here to collect her things? He looked out his window onto the street. There wasn't a moving van. He tried not to get his hopes up. He paced in office wrestling with his self-control. And as always he had none.
Max stared at the dark wood of her door. His hand raised and knocked. His felt his stomach lurched as the lock clicked and door slowly opened.
Avonlea looked up at him. Dark circles lined her eyes that widened as she realized who stood in front of her.
"Max," she whispered. She stepped back and motioned him in.
He turned and watched her close the door. He wrung his hands in front of him not knowing how he could make this right. She turned back, facing him and stepped closer.
The pain on her face was too much for him. He couldn't take it. He dropped to his knees in front of her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He grabbed her waist and leaned his head against her abdomen felt her stiffen against him.
"Sorry? For what?" her voice cracked.
"For—for–," he faltered. Did she really not know? Was she testing him? "For whatever it was that made you leave. Please don't leave me again."
Avonlea started crying. "It wasn't you." She lowered herself to the floor. She placed her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "Max, it wasn't you. It's just—God—it's me. I'm—I'm pregnant. I was too scared to tell you. I didn't know what to do."
"What? Scared? Why? Wait—you're pregnant?"
She nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I was so scared. I thought—I thought you'd think I cheated on you because, you know, you said you couldn't have kids. I'm so sorry. There hasn't been anyone else. I swear."
Max stared at her. Could this really be happening? "Sorry?" he asked as a smile spread across his face revealing his dimples. "Avonlea, this is wonderful. It's a miracle. How can I be anything but happy?"
"You're happy?" she asked hiccupping.
"Aren't you?" He wiped the tears that were still flowing from her face.
"I hadn't really given myself a chance to feel anything but worry."
"Our baby is something to celebrate. Something to be excited about. I can't believe it. I'm going to be a father. We're going to be a family." Smiling, he took her hands. "Avonlea, will you marry me?"
Her eyes lowered. "Max, you don't have to ask me just because I'm pregnant."
"I'm not. I've loved you since the moment I saw you. I can't live without you. These past few days have been the worst of my life. I need you, Avonlea. Say you'll be mine."
For the first time since she left, she smiled. "Yes. Yes I'll marry you." She flung her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist, pulling her to him. Standing, their lips met. Their kiss deepened as a sense of urgency, of need drove their passion.
He reached down and pulled his shirt over his head just as his pocket began to buzz. He squeezed the side of his phone to decline the call, but it rang again as he started to pull on hers.
"Max," she said in between kisses. "Max, you should get that. It could be important."
"Nothing's more important than you." But no sooner had he said it, his phone rang again. He looked at his phone. It was the tenant in one of the apartments on the top floor. They had requested him to replace the batteries in their fire alarm that had been going off since this morning. "Shit I'm so sorry. I just have to take care of something. I'll be back soon." He looked her pouting face. "Real soon, I promise, and we can pick up right where we left off." Several kisses later he was out the door.
Max returned hours later after replacing batteries. He knocked on the door, arms full of bags. Avonlea opened the door and laughed.
"What is all that?" she asked.
"You'll see." Max headed to the kitchen and placed all the bags on the island. "I picked up a few things for you. I wasn't sure if you've been craving anything yet." He started unloading the bags and feeling uncomfortable as she started staring at the items he pulled out and put away in her cabinets.
"You got my favorite cookies, chocolates, chips, and bottled water?" she asked.
He pulled out a journal and a new box of her favorite rainbow pens. "I also got this in case you wanted to keep tabs on the pregnancy."
He watched in horror as her face screwed up and she started crying. What had he done wrong?
"You know all my favorite things? How do you– I'm such a horrible person. I don't know any of yours. I don't even know your favorite color."
Max smiled and hugged his bride to be. "My favorite color is the color of your eyes." He kissed her forehead. "My favorite scent is the smell of your hair. My favorite flavor is the taste of your kiss." He kissed her, letting his tongue explore hers until she hummed in pleasure. "My favorite song is the sound of your moans," he whispered in her ear. He lifted her in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist before he set her on the island. "You are my favorite everything."
Avonlea unbuttoned her shirt as Max quickly removed his. She tried to wiggle out of her pants and undies, giggling when he had to help maneuver them off. She tugged at his belt, succeeding in only pulling it tighter. His hands took over, loosening the leather and popping his fly. Avonlea reached behind her, unclasping her bra and tossing it on the floor. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him towards her. He fumbled to push his jeans off his hips and stumbled forward. Her hands reached between them, squeezing his cock and lining it up with her pussy.
"Please, Max. I need you now," she begged.
He spread her legs further and thrust into her. Their moans of relief after what seemed an eternity of separation echoed off the walls. His hands gripped her thighs, and he shuddered as her nails raked down his back.
"Harder," she moaned.
Max quickly adjusted his pace. The doors on the island creaked as their hinges shook with each thrust. She spread her legs further and tilted her hips so the base of his dick rocked against her clit. She leaned back on her hands, her head leaning back, her pussy tightened around him; her orgasm quickly milking him of any self-control as he came deep within her.
They found themselves in bed hours later lazily exploring each other's bodies and talking. Talking about their future. Talking about the baby.
But there was something Max needed to know. "What did Jason say the night of the party that upset you?"
"Oh, well. He didn't upset me directly. He just asked me how well I knew you. How long we had been together. I told him we got together after his 'accident.' He told me to be careful. That maybe we shouldn't be going so fast. I started thinking…about us and how quickly everything between us happened…that's when I realized I was late. I snuck out the next morning for a test. It was positive, and I freaked out. I'm really sorry."
He wrapped his arms around her, watching his arm stroke her arm in the mirror above them. His anxiety started melting away. "Just don't disappear on me again. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."
"I won't. I won't ever leave you again."
He knew he would do whatever he needed to make sure she stayed. She was his. She belonged to him. And she always would.