You Can't Save Me Now

Max and I were sitting outside of Ronnie's apartment on the stairs that led up to it, he had his arm around my shoulders. It felt like old times, but I know he was just doing it because he was worried.
"Are you okay?" Max asked for the hundredth time today.

"Yeah, my cheek just hurts." I groaned.

"Here, let me see," Max said. I turned my left cheek towards him so he could see the giant bruise there. He traced his thumb over it gently. "I'm sorry it hurts, Shay baby."

I turned my head back straight ahead, looking at the road. "Max?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you being so nice now? Is it just because my fiance beat the living fuck out of me?"

Max hesitated. "Well, it's because I still love you. And Aidan still needs a dad, and I sure as hell don't want my son being raised my an abusive little asshole."

"Wait, you still love me?" I asked,

"I never wanted to leave, it's just I couldn't handle all the crying. I didn't know he was going to cry that much. And I've never been a dad before so I was new to it." Max said

"I had never been a mother before, I got used to it." I snapped.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry I left. Craig was such a pain too, especially after he told me that he liked you; I just freaked."

"That song you sang when we fought, do you remember it?" I asked.

"Yeah?" Max asked confused.

"I used to listen to that everyday hoping that you would just come back... but you never did; until now."

I saw a tear run down Max's cheek. "So now you're running, it's hard to see clearly, when I make you angry, you're stuck in the past," I sang quietly.

Max looked up at me. "And now you're screaming, so can you forgive me? I've treated you badly, but I am still here," He sang.

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm still waiting, sometimes I'm shaking, that's how you make me,"

"Sometimes I question; Why I'm still here, sometimes I think I'm going crazy." Max finished.

"Forgive me?" He asked.

I didn't even have to think twice, I just hugged him.

"It's about fucking time. God I couldn't stand seeing you two hate each other." Ronnie said from behind us, on top of the stairs. He had Aidan on his hip.

"Ronnie, how long have you been there?" I asked.

"Long enough, Lil Shay, long enough." Ronnie smiled.

"Uncle Max!" Aidan yelled.

Max looked at me, I saw hurt in his eyes. "Yes, Aidan?"

"Are you and mommy gonna get married?" Aidan asked.

Max, Ronnie, and I laughed. My son was the cutest thing ever!

"One step at a time, 'Kay buddy?" Max laughed.

"'Kay," Aidan smiled. His smiled faded. "Daddy?"

I whipped around expecting to see Craig there, but he wasn't. "What are you talking about Aidan?" I asked.

"Daddy!" Aidan yelled pointing at Max.

Ronnie and I looked at each other with shocked looks on our faces.

"He knows?" Max asked.

"No, I was going to tell him when he was old enough."

"Well, maybe he's old enough," Max said getting up. He walked up the stairs and took Aidan from Ronnie. "Aidan, you're mommy and I have something very important to tell you okay?"

Aidan nodded.

"Pay attention now, because this is very important." Max repeated.

"Otay!" Aidan yelled, frustrated.

Max ignored it and sighed. "You know daddy right?"

"Of course I know daddy!" Aidan gave Max the Should of had a V8 smack.

"Well, he hurt mommy really bad, look," Max put his hand lightly underneath my chin and rotated my head towards him and Aidan a bit, so he could see.

"Why?" Aidan asked.

Max let go of my chin and I went up the stairs knowing that Max had this all under control, Aidan was going to be so confused, but he needed to know that his real dad was a psychopathic asshole.

Ronnie followed close behind. Ugh, God love him.

Craig - At Gabby's flat

"Here, have a seat. Make yourself at home." Gabby said offering me a seat on the couch.

"Thanks," I said sitting down.

"So what happened?" Gabby asked.

I hesitated.Come on Craig, tell her, she needs to know you beat the lving fuck out of you're fiance!
"Uh, Shay and I got into a fight, a big one. And not the verbal-fight either." I hinted.

"Did you hit her?" Gabby asked. Pushy...

"Uhm.. yeah. A couple times."

"What did she say to make you hit her?"

What was she, a witness? How did she know she did that?

"Well, we were just arguing, and when we argue I always leave the house and she said "Yeah, sure leave. Go impregnate some other girls" and I just lost it."

Gabby was silent for a minute. "You know what?"

"Hm?"

"She shouldn't have said what she said, the bitch had it coming to her."

Damn...

"I-I guess you're right,"

"I mean, how old was she when you got her pregnant? That was you're son wasn't it?"

"Well, not technically...,"

She gave me a confused look. "Shayna was with some else before me, when she was sixteen, my best friend, Max Green. I guess one of her friends got her drunk and they dared her to go over to his house, and that's how he got her pregnant. The relationship just kind of took off from there." I explained.

"So where's Max now?" She asked.

Questions, questions, questions...

"With her now at Ronnie's apartment probably, she got really scared after I hit her the second time. So she took Aidan and ran off."

"I would get scared too, but you won't do it now right, you'll get help?"

"Yeah, I'll get help." I smiled.

"Good," She said hugging me. "I suppose you don't want to stay all alone in that empty house, do you?"

"No,"

"Well, since you're the father of our baby, you can stay here." Gabby smiled.

"Thanks," I hugged her.