Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
thirty-nine
"I didn't know," Marc-Andre said, tears filled his eyes. I had never seen Marc-Andre so down, let alone cry.
"What happened?" I whispered. I was still trying to grasp the fact that Max's keys were given away.
Marc-Andre gulped. "He came to the door and said he was an old high school friend of yours. He asked if you were around and I said you were working and that Max was going to pick you up soon. He said that he could pick you up, you know, to surprise you. I went to see if that was ok with Max, but, when I turned around, he hit me and grabbed Max's keys from the table by the door. I'm so sorry, Brylyn." Marc-Andre looked at me.
"So, you didn't give him the keys?" I asked.
"Not technically, but I feel like I did," Marc-Andre said, looking at his feet again. A few tears fell from his face.
"It' not your fault," I whispered, pulling him into a hug. He hugged me back.
"I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt," Marc-Andre said. "I would have felt horrible if anything very serious happened to you."
"I'm glad I got out while I could," I told him. "If I hadn't fought back a bit, I'm sure he would have raped me and thrown me into the lake or ocean or whatever."
"You still don't know where you were?" Jordan asked.
I shook my head. "No idea. I think it was north of here though."
"Erie?" Sidney asked.
"What?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You said you were two hours away right?" Sidney asked. I nodded. "Erie is about two hours north and it's by a lake."
"I really don't know," I said. "All I know is I don't want to go back."
"That's understandable," Vero smiled. "Do you want to go shopping or something tomorrow?"
"That would be nice," I replied. "Do you think we can head over to the mechanic's and check on my car?"
"Of course," Vero nodded. "I'm glad you are alright, but Marc and I should go home. I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"
"Deal," I nodded, then gave Marc-Andre and Vero quick hugs.
Soon after Marc-Andre and Vero left, Jordan, Sidney and Geno left as well, leaving Kris, Max and I.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Kris asked.
"Not tonight," I told him. "I'll call you tomorrow or something."
"Ok," Kris said as he got up to leave. "Promise you will call to let me know you are ok."
"I promise I will," I said, giving him a squeeze before he left Max's house. I turned around to see Max standing there looking at me. "What's going on?" I asked him.
"It's nothing," Max shook his head.
"Come on, Max," I pushed. "If it was nothing, you wouldn't be thinking about it."
"I'm just glad you are alright," Max said, walking to me and pulling me against him. He gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm glad you are moving in with Tanger."
"After everything tonight, I would never go back to my old place," I told him, with a yawn. "Do you mind if I go to bed?"
"Of course not," Max replied. "You can go grab something from my room to wear and you know where the guest room is."
"Thanks," I said before heading down the hall to his room. I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt, and then went to the guest room. I quickly changed and climbed into bed. I heard Max go to his room before I shut my eyes and tried to sleep.
Pictures of the night began to form in my mind and I was unable to fall asleep. I got up from the bed and walked to Max's room. I slowly opened the door and noticed that he was sleeping. I tiptoed into the room and slid under his covers, laying down beside him.
"Brylyn?" Max mumbled.
"Shh, go to sleep," I whispered.
"Ok," Max muttered. He pulled me into him and gave me a kiss on the shoulder before falling back to sleep.
I closed my eyes, hoping that Max's presence would keep the memories out of my head for the night.
"What happened?" I whispered. I was still trying to grasp the fact that Max's keys were given away.
Marc-Andre gulped. "He came to the door and said he was an old high school friend of yours. He asked if you were around and I said you were working and that Max was going to pick you up soon. He said that he could pick you up, you know, to surprise you. I went to see if that was ok with Max, but, when I turned around, he hit me and grabbed Max's keys from the table by the door. I'm so sorry, Brylyn." Marc-Andre looked at me.
"So, you didn't give him the keys?" I asked.
"Not technically, but I feel like I did," Marc-Andre said, looking at his feet again. A few tears fell from his face.
"It' not your fault," I whispered, pulling him into a hug. He hugged me back.
"I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt," Marc-Andre said. "I would have felt horrible if anything very serious happened to you."
"I'm glad I got out while I could," I told him. "If I hadn't fought back a bit, I'm sure he would have raped me and thrown me into the lake or ocean or whatever."
"You still don't know where you were?" Jordan asked.
I shook my head. "No idea. I think it was north of here though."
"Erie?" Sidney asked.
"What?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You said you were two hours away right?" Sidney asked. I nodded. "Erie is about two hours north and it's by a lake."
"I really don't know," I said. "All I know is I don't want to go back."
"That's understandable," Vero smiled. "Do you want to go shopping or something tomorrow?"
"That would be nice," I replied. "Do you think we can head over to the mechanic's and check on my car?"
"Of course," Vero nodded. "I'm glad you are alright, but Marc and I should go home. I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"
"Deal," I nodded, then gave Marc-Andre and Vero quick hugs.
Soon after Marc-Andre and Vero left, Jordan, Sidney and Geno left as well, leaving Kris, Max and I.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Kris asked.
"Not tonight," I told him. "I'll call you tomorrow or something."
"Ok," Kris said as he got up to leave. "Promise you will call to let me know you are ok."
"I promise I will," I said, giving him a squeeze before he left Max's house. I turned around to see Max standing there looking at me. "What's going on?" I asked him.
"It's nothing," Max shook his head.
"Come on, Max," I pushed. "If it was nothing, you wouldn't be thinking about it."
"I'm just glad you are alright," Max said, walking to me and pulling me against him. He gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm glad you are moving in with Tanger."
"After everything tonight, I would never go back to my old place," I told him, with a yawn. "Do you mind if I go to bed?"
"Of course not," Max replied. "You can go grab something from my room to wear and you know where the guest room is."
"Thanks," I said before heading down the hall to his room. I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt, and then went to the guest room. I quickly changed and climbed into bed. I heard Max go to his room before I shut my eyes and tried to sleep.
Pictures of the night began to form in my mind and I was unable to fall asleep. I got up from the bed and walked to Max's room. I slowly opened the door and noticed that he was sleeping. I tiptoed into the room and slid under his covers, laying down beside him.
"Brylyn?" Max mumbled.
"Shh, go to sleep," I whispered.
"Ok," Max muttered. He pulled me into him and gave me a kiss on the shoulder before falling back to sleep.
I closed my eyes, hoping that Max's presence would keep the memories out of my head for the night.