The Sun Always Sets in Paradise

I opened my eyes to meet Max's blazing, stormy gray ones. He was watching me with such fierceness. My chest felt like it was constricting with... what? I didn't even know what the feeling was but it made me nervous.

Max's brows knitted together in confusion. "What's wrong?"

Should I tell him that he's making feel such a way that I can't even explain it in words? No...

"I'm just really tired." I mumbled with a sleepy smile. I wasn't;t lying when I told him that but I still wasn't being honest to what I really was feeling. Then again, I really didn't know what I was feeling. Better to think it through before I said anything.

Max eyed be warily before nodding his head slowly. "Okay."

I pulled Max's hand gently from my face and got up to turn off the light. Max crawled underneath the comforter and turned on the lamp next to my bed.

I flicked the light off and walked over to my bed. I crawled over Max to my side and tucked myself under the comforter. Max adjusted himself so that he was lying completely on his back with his head propped on "his" pillow.

I leaned over him to grab my iPod. I practically laid across Max's chest but he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he start to trace random patterns on my back. Again, the feeling of his touch both calmed me but made me want to shy away from him. I was entering the no-touching zone again but I craved his touch. Such conflicting emotions made me feel sick.

I turned my iPod off, set my alarm on my phone and then turned the lamp off. Once cast into darkness, I situated myself so that I was still cuddled into Max's side. Max adjusted his arm so that he was still tracing random patterns but the were on my bicep now.

I feel into a deep sleep not long after.

*^*^*^*^*

I was terrified. Something was grabbing at me. I was running. Faces flashed in front of me; all around me. Some with distorted features and others with nothing there.

I woke up suddenly in fear and grabbed blindly for my phone. My hand slapped the nightstand a few times before I finally grabbed a hold of the object. I turned on the screen to be blinded by light. Once my eyes adjusted, thought, I read the time.

3:47 A.M.

I put my phone back on my nightstand and rolled over.I was met with the warm body that belonged to Max. He had his back to me but once a began to curl up next to him, he awkwardly rolled over and enveloped me into his arms.

*^*^*^*^*

Waking Max up was always difficult. he never wanted to get out of bed in the morning and would, instead, practically pin me against his chest.

"Max," I whined, "At least let me get up to take a shower."

"No." He mumbled against my back.

"Please!"

"No."

"Ugh, really?" I rolled my eyes at him before trying once again to unwrap his arms.

Max didn't budge.

"Fuck, you're stronger than you look." I mumbled, slightly angry.

Max chuckled before releasing me from his iron hold.

"Finally!" I lept out of bed from his arms and went to get ready for school.

It only took me a half hour total to get ready. I walked into the kitchen to see Max eating cereal at the island table.

"I almost set a new record." I stated indifferently.

Max raised his eyebrow at me.

I smiled at him in return. "For getting ready, that is. Showered and everything. I'm getting pretty damn quick."

He merely shook his head at me. I looked at the clock on the microwave. 7:12 A.M. We still had about forty-five minutes to kill.

I joined Max at the island table with a bowl of Golden Grahams.

"What cereal did you pick?" I asked after taking a bite of cereal.

"Cheerios." Max looked at me with indifference.

"Boo, you're boring."

Max laughed at me. "You must have slept really well last night, little miss talkative."

I smiled my reply and went back to eating my cereal. I did feel happier today.

"I think I'm better today because I feel a lot more comfortable around you. I know you better than I did before." I avoided Max's look and continued to eat my cereal in silence.

After a moment's pause, Max whispered, "I'm glad. I don't really favor hiding things from you."

I looked sharply at Maxim. "Why?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure."

I went back to eating my breakfast with thoughts whirling all too quickly through my mind.

I was cautiously curious concerning what Max just admitted to me. Why would he care if he had to hide stuff from me? Some things I was just meant to not know. I shrugged it aside for the time being.

Max took my bowl before I even had a chance to drink the excess milk. I looked up at him in protest before saying, "You know, there are children that would appreciate that extra milk."

"That's nice." he told me before placing our bowls in the sink and rinsing them out.

"Jerk." I muttered without much force.

Max's lips curved in a half-smile that would melt girls' hearts. I ignored his charm, as I was getting familiar with it, and walked over to cupboard to grab a clean glass. Just to be spiteful, I poured myself a glass of milk and drank it right next to him.

"Num," I murmured whilst challenging him with my eyes, "If only it was the excess cereal milk. Then i would be able to die a happy woman."

Max watched me curiously. "There are so many sides to you, isn't there?"

Not a response I was expecting... "Too bad. You'll have to deal with it." I smirked as I set my glass in the sink. I walked over into the living room and grabbed my purse, backpack, and sunglasses from where they rested against the coffee table.

I heard Max heavily. "You can be such a smartass when you want to be."

"Too bad. You'll have to deal with it." I repeated.

Max laughed.

I walked over by the door and opened the coat closet to grab my shoes.

"Heels, huh?" Max startled me.

I hid it by replying smartly. "Sure, why not? You're not going to wear them."

Max looked at me with, yet again, curious eyes. However, they were tainted with an underlying challenge.

I kept his gaze evenly. That was until we found ourselves getting closer and closer. Max reached out and gently pulled my chin up so that I had to meet his eyes.

We were so close. I could feel his warm breath on my mouth as it escape through his partly open lips.

There was like a faint electrical feel between us. Which that just added to the confusing feeling I felt spread rapidly throughout my body. My stomach was in knots and my head felt light.

I inhaled shakily.

"My darling... Milaya moya... You need to remember to breath." Max whispered while his stormy grey eyes pinned me.

It was like I was caught in a trance. A beautiful, electrical entrapment...