You Can't Save Me Now

[After Shayna ran out of the house away from Max]

Raising his fist to knock on the steal metal, apartment door, Max shifted from his left foot to his right. Raising the cigarette to his pale lips, he inhaled the deadly toxins, keeping them lodged in the back of his throat as he lowered the cigarette to his side. As the door swung open, Max released the nicotine into the air. Coughing, Ronnie swatted the air in front of him as he tried to breathe correctly. The unexpected smoke had startled him, the active smoker.

“Well,” Ronnie started, once he could breathe again, “that was rude.” Standing to the side so Max could get through, Ronnie waited for the response of Max. “I’m a very rude person,” Max said, with a smile playing at the end of his lips. Throwing the cigarette onto the paved hallway of the apartment building, Max smashed the still going flame with his converse.

Ronnie rotated his hands in front of him, “Come in, come in,” he said, as Max swiftly made his way into the dimly lit apartment. Plopping down onto the couch, Max kicked off his shoes and questioned, “Don’t you own a lamp or something, Radke?”

Kicking the door shut with the back of his foot, Ronnie laughed dryly, and said, “Hardy, har, har, Maxwell. I in fact do.” As Ronnie sat down in the Lazy-Boy recliner, he reached up into the lamp next to the chair and pulled the string, letting light flood the once dark room.

Max shielded his eyes as he groaned and rolled off the couch. With a ’thump’ he landed on his shoes. Groaning, Max rolled over so he was facing the ceiling and said to Ronnie, “Now I know why you don’t have any lights on.”

Nodding his head smugly, Ronnie pulled the lamp string again, making the light that flooded the room go off. Sitting back on the couch, Max rubbed his back. “Damn, do converse hurt when you land on them the wrong way,” Max said, but before Ronnie could respond, a knock sounded on the front door.

Grumbling, Ronnie got up from the chair and peeked through the little hole in the door. “What?” Ronnie questioned more to himself than Max. Swinging open the door, Ronnie had a dumbfounded look on his face. “What are you doing here, Shay?” Ronnie questioned, backing up so she could have room to come in.

As Shayna came stumbling in, you could clearly tell she had been crying not to long ago. Sniffling, she rubbed her eyes as she said, “Everything was going perfect, Ronnie. I found someone who loves me, and wonderful son I can watch grow, a stable home, a good paying job, and then out of the blue Max comes strolling back into my life! Ronnie, it isn’t fair! What did I ever do to God to ever deserve to be left pregnant and hurt so many times?”

Sobbing, Shayna fell into Ronnie’s arms. Max, who had heard what Shayna said, sat there on the couch hanging his head in shame. The one time he decides to be sober, he instantly regrets it because he hears the heartbreaking truth. Getting up from the couch, Max walked into the small, attached kitchen while Ronnie brought Shayna over to where Max once sat.

“Shayna,” Ronnie cooed, as he ran his hand through her hair, “everything is going to be fine. Everything with you, Craig, and Max will work out. Don’t worry, babe everything will work out in the end.”

Sniffling, Shayna wiped under her eyes for running mascara or eyeliner. “I hope so,” she sobbed, into Ronnie’s shoulder. As Ronnie ran his hand up and down her back, Max came back out from the kitchen with a glass of water. “Get the stuff,” Ronnie mouthed to Max. Setting the glass down on the end table, Max quickly walked out of the living room without being scene or heard by Shayna. Rushing down the small, narrow hallway, Max came to an abrupt stop when he came face to face with Ronnie’s bedroom door. Pushing the door open, Max’s eyes settled as he came in sight of the overly messy room, the band posters that cluttered the walls, the various empty syringes, unfilled pill bottles, and old plastic baggies that once held their little treasure.

Walking further into the room, Max walked over to Ronnie’s unmade bed and pulled open his night stand drawer. Rummaging through it until he found the familiar powder, he grabbed it and the packet of clean syringes. Shoving the cocaine into his hoodie pocket, Max held onto the needles. Without taking a last glance out of the room, Max closed the bedroom door behind himself and walked carelessly back into the living room where Ronnie and Shayna where still occupying.

“I got the-,” Max was cut off by the scene in front of him. Shayna had her tongue shoved down Ronnie’s throat with her hands holding an open beer can and Ronnie was doing nothing to stop it. He actually encouraged it by running his calloused hands up and down her body, squeezing certain spots every once and awhile, earning a moan of encouragement from Shayna.

Grabbing the glance of water the he left on the end table, Max paid no mind to his ex-fiancé and best friend as the groped each other in front of him. He only had his mind set on one thing, to get the drugs in his system. Collapsing onto the hard floor, this attracted the attention of Shayna, Max pulled out the white powder and got started shoving it into each syringe and adding a small amount of water. Shaking them up, he watched as the powder dissolved into water.

“What is he doing here?” Shayna questioned, angrily shoving Ronnie off her neck. Groaning in annoyance, Ronnie looked up to see what she was talking about. “Oh, Max?” he questioned, “He’s been here the whole time. Aye, buddy! Got them ready to shoot up, yet?” Ronnie added.

Shayna looked between both Ronnie and Max, clearly confused on what was going on. She hardly understood herself is to why she just made out with Ronnie Radke, when she has a loyal fiancé waiting at home for her. “What,” she started as she pushed Ronnie a good distance away from her, “are you talking about?” she questioned.

Holding up the syringe filled with intoxicating drug, Max said, “Want to join? The more the merrier.” Appalled by his question and reasoning, Shayna’s eyes grew wide as she questioned, “You are asking me to get high with you?”

Max shrugged as he took off his hoodie, “Yeah. Why not?” he said as he tapped the glass, watching the liquid swish around in the container. An exasperated look came over Shayna’s features, “Unlike someone I actually hold onto my responsibilities and take care of them. You know like the one you helped created, you know your son Aidan!” Shayna said standing up, flabbergasted.

Max stopped holding the needle against as vain, as he set it down calmly on the ground. Too calmly for Ronnie’s liking. Standing up, Max went face to face with Shayna. “I’m so sick and tired of your constant bitching, you know that, Shayna! Maybe that’s why I fucking left! I seriously don’t understand why the hell Craig is staying with you, because in reality your nothing but a cheap whore that got fucked a little too hard and got a kid out of it. No one will ever want you,” Max seethed, with pure hate coating his words.

Ronnie jumped up from the couch and pushed Max down onto the floor before running over to Shayna, who’s face was once hard and determined, was know showing how broken and lost she really was. “Don’t listen to him, Shay. It’s just the drugs talking, he doesn’t mean it.” Ronnie tried to sooth Shayna.

“Yeah, just the drugs talking,” Shayna said, while glancing at the passed out Max who was lying on the floor. “I should get going,” Shayna continued, as she set her fourth empty alcohol bottle down onto the end table.

“Don’t go,” Ronnie started, “Your clearly a tad bit wasted.” Shrugging him off, Shayna waved goodbye to Ronnie and walked out into the fresh, clear Las Vegas air. Breathing in a mouth full of air, Shayna felt extremely better, minus what Max had said to her. Walking down the side walk for a good ten minutes, Shayna finally saw her small house coming into view. She knew Craig was going to be freaking out when she got home, since it was eleven at night and she hadn’t talked to him since early that after noon.

“At least he understands me,” Shayna mumbled to herself, she was still confused onto why she forgave him since he did stalk her three years ago, but she thought that everyone makes mistakes and shouldn’t be held to them.

Jogging up the steps to her house, Shayna was about to reach into her pocket for her keys but before she had time to, the door flung open revealing a very angry Craig. Choosing to ignore that emotion radiating off of him, Shayna smiled and said, “Hey, baby.” The smile staying there as she walked passed him and into the kitchen.

“Where have you been?” He asked.

“Out,” Shayna answered, simply, “I had to get away from dipshit.” As she reached into the fridge to retrieve a bottle of water, Shayna realized she should leave out the part of Max being there and going back to drugs.

"Shay, I know you don't like Max," Craig said as he took the water from Shayna’s hands and set it on the counter before resting his hands on her small waist, "but can you please at least try, for me?"

Removing Craig‘s hands from her waist, Shayna looked offended before saying, "I am trying, it isn’t my fault the little asshole makes it so difficult."

"Don't call him that," Craig snapped back. Shayna’s face dropped as she felt like Craig was choosing Max over her.

"I can call him what ever I want to, you do not control me Craig," Shayna said shoving past him, as she headed towards the stair case that led to her and Craig‘s bedroom. Before Shayna even made it onto the first set of steps, Craig reached out in front of him and pushed her against the wall.

"I can't control you, but you can control me..." He whispered, trailing off in the end. Craig pressed his lips furiously to Shayna‘s. Shoving him away lightly, but hard enough to send the message that she didn’t want to have sex with him tonight.

"Not tonight Craig," Shayna said, as she tried to go up the steps again. "Why?" He asked, as he pressed her up against the wall again, kissing and biting at her neck. Pushing him away again, Shayna shouted in an angrily slur, “Craig I said no!”

Shoving her one last time against the wall, Craig muttered an helpless, “Fine.” Walking away from Shayna, Craig grabbed his keys and headed towards the door. “Where are you going?” Shayna questioned, softly.

“Out, I’ll be back later,” Craig answered, half heartily before he slammed the front door shut behind him. Gaining confidence, Shayna shouted a faint, “The wedding is off!” Hearing the car start and speed out of the driveway, Shayna knew Craig, her Craig, wasn’t coming home tonight.

As Shayna made her way into the bathroom to get Advil, Craig was exploring the clubs of Las Vegas. Being already intoxicated in such a short amount of time, Craig was not thinking clearly. As he danced with everyone and anyone a girl with black curls came waltzing into the club.

“Mhm,” Craig hummed, while licking his lips as he discounted himself from the sweaty bodies and made his was over to the sexy stranger. Tapping her on the shoulder, Craig watched as she spun around to face him.

Dressed in a tight corset, short, black mini skirt, and fish net stockings, she too licked her lips as she scanned Craig’s body. “Can I help you?” she questioned, almost purring in his ear.

“Yes, yes you can,” Craig said, as he nipped at her ear and pushing her against the club wall. Breathlessly, after several minutes of heavily making out, Gabby, the stranger, pulled Craig closer and whispered in his ear, “Lets get out of her, big boy.”

Nodding his head, and following her out of the club like a lost puppy the last thing on his mind was his fiancé and loving child at home wondering where he was.

[x]

Waking up the next morning, Shayna heard her bedroom door creak open. As she turned over to face the door to see who was there, her eyes settled on Craig. His hair was a mess and the clothes he wore last night were wrinkly and stained with only God knows. “Hey, I’m really sorry, baby,” Craig said, as he came into the room and took a seat next to his unknowing fiancé.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry too. Did you stay out all night?” Shayna asked, as she tried to fix his sex hair. Craig groaned in response. “I’ll take that as a ’yes’,” Shayna said, with a laugh.

Craig just nodded his head. After Shayna was done trying to attempt to fix Craig’s hair, he rested his head on Shayna shoulder. “Is the wedding still on?” Craig asked, with a hint of nervousness. He didn’t want to break up with Shayna over something so silly, yet he wanted her to say yes because of the things he did last night.

“Of course it is, Craig,” Shayna said, before kissing him. Breathing out some air, Craig felt even guiltier than before because now he realized he didn’t even use a condom.

“Mommy, daddy?” Aidan questioned, as Shayna and Craig broke their kiss to look at their son who was standing in the door way with his footie pajamas.

“Yes, Aidan sweetie?” Shayna asked her three year old son.

“Can I have pancakes?” Aidan asked, as he grinned and jumped up and down.

“Of course, come on, baby. Mommy will make them for you,” Shayna answered, as Craig let go of her and Shayna stood up.

Yet as Shayna left the room with Aidan feeling proud of herself, a certain man that was left in the bedroom was feeling angry and guiltier than ever.