23. A prospective togetherness

Playlist for this chapter;

Robbery - Juice WRLD,

Hey Jude - The Beatles,

Don't Matter - Akon.

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A lot of people post shits that happiness is free but I think it is the most expensive thing in the world. To love is to take risks.

Too often we feel like we're the only ones struggling and overcoming obstacles but the truth is we're all in the same boat. Life doesn't get easier for anyone. We all learn from mistakes, grow from experiences and get stronger or weaker, better or bitter.

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I WAKE UP THE NEXT morning to an empty bed, feeling sore all over. Max and I had stayed up all night, watching movies, talking, and having sex everywhere.

I yawn, run my hand through my hair to untangle it and slip out from the bed.

Wondering where Max went, I make my way into the bathroom to clean up. Clinton hasn't stepped foot in the house since I arrived. It's strange because he left his family house under Max's care. I'm surprised. The two are so close like they've known themselves for three years and not three weeks.

Fully naked, I hop in the tub and turn on the shower.

And as the cold water unstopingly beat harshly against my skin and hair, I shut my eyes close and scrub gently on my skin with the spare sponge, and let my thoughts drift over to Max.

The memory of him breathing my name against my skin, gently assaulting my boobs, giving me love bites, and making me cum multiple times was enough to make me wet.

I'm being pulled out of my thoughts when I hear the door knob jiggle by the said person, because it's just us two in.

"Kate?" He calls softly.

"Yeah?"

"Whatcha doing?"

"Preparing what I'd use in chopping you into mincemeat." I kiss my teeth and reply sarcastically.

His chuckle is deep and soft, that it makes my nipples tingle with desire for him.

How the hell is that even possible?

"What else would I be doing in the bathroom, silly?"

"Can I join you?" I pause, debating whether or not to accept the request which is tempting, but knowing how crazy Max is, one thing will lead to another.

"No, go away, perv." I pout while washing my hair.

He laugh softly, " Open the door, I want to shower with you."

"No."

"Please, I want in." He begs, trying to persuade me.

I choose to remain silent for a moment, then innocently say.

"Max?"

"Yeah, changed your mind, baby doll?"

Baby doll? When did we move to the nicknaming zone?

Amuse by the fact that he thinks I'm going to let him in, I say. "Shut the fuck up."

And that shut him up, not before he grudgely lets out muted curses words and leaves me to shower in peace.

After I had brushed my teeth and make use of the mouth wash, I wrap myself in a towel and step out when I feel human again.

Max is leaning on the wall with his arms folded. He is putting on Clinton's grey yoga pants and black sweat shirt. Looking tall, mercilessly drool worthy and looks like sex itself carved in human form.

His face breaks into a huge grin as he watches me towel dry my hair.

"Hi."

"I have to blow dry my hair." I say.

"Well, since there isn't any blow dryer here, you have no choice but to tie it into a messy bun, you look really cute with messy hair. Like a spoilt brat that you are, only that you get cuter with the rough sex messy hair."

"Maxwell pervert McKenzie." I say, and slap his shoulder playfully.

"Wanna watch me get a tattoo?" He asks, giving me that huge boyish grin I really like.

And after putting my yesterday clothes on, and eating breakfast he had made, he pulls me out of the house, and when we step outside, we are greeted with a big, scary looking, typical bad boy bike, something I didn't notice he has until now.

He had change into his yesterday clothes, smelling awfully good, that his scent is what I drink into as I wrap my arms around his hard stomach, with his helmet on my head, as he drives us out, leaving a cloud of smoke and a very ugly noise behind.

At a point, a delivery guy also on his bike, stares at us incredulously and tells us we are crazy. Max gladly gives him the finger, while I stuck out my tongue at him.

When there is traffic, dog even pops it's head out of it's owners car and barks at us.

"Sucker." Max hisses at him, and I smirk,  enjoying how he always has comebacks over everything, like myself.

"Would you like a tattoo also?" Max asks me and I shake my head no, as I get down from the bike after he had press the brakes of his bike and stop.

I turn around to look and take in proper view of the creepy looking area within me.

The tattoo shop is like a box, and the peeling paint on the wall has several animated rappers and football players.

There are several ugly houses that looks like where people fight illegally for money, did drugs, or even kidnapping.

I gulp uncomfortably when I reminsice about my kidnap. That is enough shitload of thoughts down the memory lane.

Max scoff on sensing my distress and places his hand on the small of my back as we approach the building.

"The owner seems like a pussy, but he's a nice guy." He tells me as he opens the door, and I wonder how on Earth he knows such a place, in just less than a month that he arrived here.

"Fuck off, it isn't opening hour yet." A bald guy on a couch groans and throws the pillows at us.

"Get up, Donnovan, I've finally let my guard down and I'm ready for a tattoo." Max being the good soccer player, kicks the pillow back at his snoring face and I chuckle.

"Is that you Leo?" The guy asks and goes back to snoring, with his mouth wide open.

And the memory of Max spelling his name backwards on his letters, brings a tiny smile to my face.

Max's lips twitches into a smirk as he slips out a paper from his pocket and holds it few inches away from the guys mouth.

"The one and only." He replies, discards the paper into the guys mouth, shoves his fists into his pockets, and stifle a laugh.

"Damn dude, on Tuesday night's fight-" The guy whose name is Donovan, pause from talking and starts coughing, while Max and I roar in laughter.

"You little shit, out playing silly games again."

Donovan finally coughs out the paper and got his ass off the couch he was sleeping on, which haa dirty clothes, empty beer cans, pizza boxes, and a half bag of chips.

He rubs his eyes to yank sleep off them and yawns. He shouldn't be more than fourty five, with a heavy red faded beard.

He is standing tall, almost as tall as Max and hairy like a aasquatch.

His frown deflates and forms into a stupid sick grin, when he notices me standing next to Max.

"Another copulation mate?"

I raise a brow at him and Max curses deeply.

"Don't say any more shitty words, Don, except you want your face to end up being decorated with stitches."

I snap my head at Max, not amused at all.

"How do you know this guy?"

"Oh, at the fighting-" Don pauses talking, and when I snap my head from him back to Max, Max is sending him a murderous glare.

"I frequently come here with Clinton, that guy gets a new tattoo every week." Max avoids my eyes as he picks up a big book and starts flipping through the pages. While Don offers me beer, tells me to get comfy at his place and leaves to get his tools ready.

I take a seat on the stool next to Max, and watch his flip through the pages of various tattoo designs.

He stops when he gets to the picture of a tigress and looks up at me.

"This is really gonna look good on you, Kate, it'd show the world how much of a warrior you are. My beautiful warrior sexy tigress."

Darn! He is good.

It feels awkward because I'm beginning to get used to, and enjoy his words.

I can feel my stony heart dispersing.

I hate sweet-talk, and I always take it for granted because everyone is an asshole.

I beam, feeling the need to get in contact with him. Placing my chin untop of his head, I link my fingers around his neck.

"Yo Leo, you ready?" I pull away from him when we hear Don's voice and his footsteps approaching us.

"Yep." Max says and rises to his feet, not before locking his eyes with mine in a weird way, before making his way over to Don and sits on the chair opposite the one Don is sitted.

He takes off his jacket and shirt, leaving himself completely bare chested. Don picks up the remote with his gloved hand, presses something to it, and 'Hey Jude by the Beatles' starts blaring from the speakers.

"This is going to hurt like a bitch, and the pretty little thing can come watch if she wants." Don smirks at me. "Most girls can't bear seeing the guys who makes them cum in pain. But I'm sure this douchebag can handle the pain." Max just chuckles at this.

I scoff and thought about when Max had told me earlier that Don seems like a pussy but was a nice guy. I decide I like him.

I walk to where they are sitted, pull a chair and sit by Max.

After Max shows him the tattoo on the book, and where he wants it, Don wipes Max's bare back with a towel.

I watch with amazement as Don works on Max, and Max clenches his jaw in pain.

"Hurts like hell, yeah?" I ask him, and he nods.

"It's like a bee stinging you all fucking over again." He admits through gritted teeth, his veins bulging out along his neck, and he clenches his fist so hard that I hear the cracking sound of it.

"Damn, I'm never getting one." I utter in fear and Don only scoffs.

Three hours, Don worked on Max, he only paused to wipe off the excess ink, and carry on working on Max.

"It looks good." Max says after I had take shots on the beautiful scorpion on his back and showed it to him.

Fuck! Scorpions are never beautiful, they're evil and poisonous.

Something definitely isn't right with my head.

I look over at the freshly inked scorpion on Max's back. Don is really good.

Max hug me from behind, and Don says.

"It's about time you get a main girl, Max."

"I already got one." Max tells him and I break into a sheepish smile.

"Cool, she seems handful."

Max opens his mouth to reply.

"I am handful." I say before Max can say anything, with that, I pull away from Max and throw his clothes at him. "Get dressed, it's about time we leave."

Max chuckles, while Don still has his jaw touching the floor.

* * *

After having lunch at some local restaurant, we head back to Clinton's house, had a quickie, showered. And currently, we are laying on the bed, arguing about who raps better between Eminem and Jay Z, how much we miss Nana Jones. And laughed our guts out when I bring up how we had worn those outdated clothes and followed Nana Jones to the church.

Biting on my already half eaten nails which has turn to a new unhappy habit of mine, I finally switch my phone on, and is welcomed with troops of messages from Dad and my friends which I leave unread.

I can't deal with them right now. I want to be with Max, he's become my source of happiness these two days.

"Hey, Max, why aren't you taking your calls, Mom's freaking out." This is a voicemail from Miranda to Max.

"Maxie, I'm really sorry you had to get suspended over beating Percy because of me, if that's why you're staying away, please come home. I even made a donut for you. Something I'd never do in my right mind, so yeah, it's a sorry offering. I know your coach practically sings no junk food all the time, but it really wouldn't hurt if you have it once in a while." My heart crumples itself really hard in my chest when I notice how much of a big softie Sam is, and how he loves his eldest brother.

"Hey sucker, where the fuck are you. Thanks allot for ruining my day, I wanted to finally ask Maggie out and you spoilt everything by letting your caged up demons out, and beating Percy more than you should. Get your sorry ass home soon, we need to work on other ways to get her to like me since she's refused reading those stupid letters you wrote for me to sneak up in her locker. Each time I sneak one in, I see the others untouched. And what about the blonde girl Kourtney? Have you stop being a shit and go up to her face and tell her you really like her? Well, if I were her, I wouldn't want to date a shitty person like you with crazy mood swings. I've always wanted to tell you how dumb you are when you told me wouldn't quit sneaking the stupid letters into her locker, but I chose not to, because I was doing the same thing with you fuckwad.

And have you heard from Kate? Her Dad's going all crazy, she hasn't come home since Clinton took her away after she fainted, do you have any idea if she's riding your friend's dick?"

My jaw is already touching the floor, and Max rolls on the bed, roaring in laughter.

Holy father fucking cowshit.

Everything weirdly makes sense now.

Evans is into Maggie, Evans sneaked letters into Maggie's locker, just like Max did to mine.

Max lied to Evans about me, he told him I'm Kourtney.

Evans thinks I'm having sex with Clinton.

Max has an embarrassed smile on his face when I look over at him.

"Uhm, I need you to call me back when you get this, there's something I want to tell you, something I can't tell you in person." Sarah's voice is laced with worry and I discern something terrible had happened to her.

Max frown at first, then he plays the next.

"Max, son, where are you. I know you're mad at me, but please come home. I love you."

It's Doris.

Max exhales a long deep sigh and clasps my hand into his.

"I don't want to go home now."

He nods and says. "We shouldn't."

"I want to spend more days here with you."

"Me too." He presses a soft kiss to my hand and pulls me close to him.

We stay like that till we both drift to sleep.

* * *

We wake up the same time to Max's ringing tone of Eminem's God Father, an hour later

He picks the phone up, and throws it on the bed few seconds later, features marring into a deep frown.

Curious, I ask him what's wrong.

"We're leaving, Clinton's parents are on their way here from the airport."

My stomach sink with uneasiness.

I don't want to go home.

"Shit!" We both curse in unison and get off the bed.

"Talk about worst timing of the century." I say as Max pulls his shirt over his head and hands it to me because I have a bathrobe on. My clothes are dirty and sticky with sweat.

Finally I put his shirt and briefs on, while he wears his jacket, and without briefs inside his jeans.

It's late in the evening when we get home and hop off his bike. I spot a police SUV on our garage.

And as we make our way in, with the body guards stealing weird and curious glances at our direction, I see Dad looking all tensed up, including Doris.

Dad's face transforms itself from worry to shock, then to relief and stays in anger when he pauses from talking to a Detective, and spots me.

"Where have you guys been?"

"Why is she wearing your clothes, Maxwell?"

Dad and Doris say in unison, and we when both realize we've blown our cover by arriving the same time, and with me putting on his shirt and boxers.

Dad eyes narrows as they rake at my appearance.

I know Dad, Doris and the Mckenzie siblings will find out about Max and I. But not so soon, not so fucking soon.

The detective decide it's time he take his leave, and leaves without uttering a word to anyone.

"Shit!" I hear Max whisper-yell under his breath, and I swallow the enormous lump in my throat.

Even the McKenzie siblings are staring at us in an awkward way.

Sarah has her mouth agape, Sam is snapping his head from Me to Max, and Max to me, trying to figure the whole situation out.

Evans has a shock expression on his face, and his mouth parts when he finally realize it isn't Clinton's dick I'm riding, but his brother's.

Miranda has unbelief in her eyes, like Max and I are a dream.

Even Meredith's tray of a full pork she has on her hands is trembling.

I know I look unlike my usual self. Messy tangled hair, a boy's clothing, and my boots. I don't had any underwear on. I even have love bites on my neck.

Dad walks over to Max and pulls him by the collar.

"Have you been fucking my daughter?"

And I feel bitter chills running down my spine, can even taste it. Because I have never seen Dad this furious before.

He attempts to punch Max and halts when Doris screams his name. Max glowers at Dad and pushes his hand off his collar.

Fuck, fucketty fuck!

It was getting awful.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near Kate, you bastard!" Dad lunges towards him again and Max dodges.

"You don't tell me what to do." Max growls through gritted teeth, adjusting his collars, and at the same time I see Doris quickly and unsteadily walks up to Dad.

"Don't talk to him like that." And I hear the sound of a slap.

She now has tears at the brim of her eyes. I know why she reacted that way.  It's because of her late ex husband.

Doris just slapped Dad.

Fuck!

Sarah let out a loud cry and runs away from the whole scene.

Miranda who has tears on her eyes now, glares at Dad, then trails after her sister.

Even Sam has tears welled up in his eyes, but it's me he is glaring at.

Damn! How is this my fault?

"How is this all Max's fault? Your daughter is involved too, so that makes the two of them." Doris yells over at Dad, who is still shocked at the impact of being slapped by his newly wedded wife.

Her eyes hardens when she looks over at me, and she bumps shoulders with Dad before sobbing as she walks away.

"You shouldn't have called him a bastard, Dad." I say, curling my fingers into a damn hard fist, fighting the urge not to punch something, or someone rather.

The insult really wouldn't have been taken to heart by the McKenzie siblings and their mother, only if their Dad isn't dead.

"To your room now, Kate!" He roars, pointing at the stairs.

I look over at Max, who now has tears at the brim of his eyes too, and is still standing in front of Dad.

My stomach crumples into a tight knot as my heart start doing a marathon. I start feeling dizzy, weak and lightheaded.

"You really shouldn't have called him a bastard." I say again, making it to sting as more than it can.

"To your room, Katherine Amelia Jones, I don't want to ever see you with him!" Dad only uses my full name when he's furious at me.

I throw my backpack on the floor in anger, tearing up myself, because everything that just happened is a total disaster. 

Dad, Doris and the Mckenzie siblings just found out I and Max are having an affair.

Dad called Max a bastard.

Doris slapped Dad.

All the Mckenzie siblings hate me again, mostly Sam. He feels I'm doing this on purpose.

Dad warned me greatly of meeting with Max.

I stomp up the stairs, not before reminding him he is the reason I got kidnapped.