The Sun Always Sets in Paradise

"How does this look?" Ellie twirled in the faded pink summer dress. It was very pretty; especially on her. The dress was a spaghetti strap that was tight till it came to her hips. Then it had a loose, flared out look to it.

"It's gorgeous!" I exclaimed with pure enthusiasm.

"Should I-no... I'll try on a few more." She turned back into the dressing room.

Ellie had managed to pull me away from Max for the day to go shopping. She didn't have to try hard because I did miss her and I did want to go shopping with her. Ellie had even called my mom to see what the limit was for money for me.

Apparently, I can't exceed a couple thousand. Every girl’s dream, right? Not really mine. I liked getting things cheap and on sale but still have them insanely adorable. So usually I never exceeded a couple hundred without a heaping ton of product to show for it.

Currently, though, I had half a dozen bags from a few select stores. I had gotten a lot of bikinis and other summer stuff but I also had bought a dozen jeans and some long sleeve shirts. As well as hooded sweatshirts that I knew I would wear all the time. My selection was fairly large considering that I did not spend as much as an average teenager girl.

Now I was just hunting for tank tops of different styles and maybe a nice summer dress. The store that we were at didn't carry anything that really caught my eye, though. Then again, I hadn't really looked through any of the clothing outside of the clearance rack.

I shifted in the uncomfortable chair. I was getting antsy. I hadn't sat around for so long it seemed. Even when I had been watching a movie or reading a book, I was running on a treadmill or doing some form of exercise. Or having sex. That did occupy a bit of my time.

My thoughts trailed to Max kissing me tenderly on the inside of my thigh. I subconsciously crossed my legs. His hands trailing up my body to gently knead my chest. I sucked in a shuttering breath. His mouth left soft kisses on my breasts.

"Desiree?" Ellie called out before whistling. "Hello?"

My eyes snapped open and I sat straight up in my chair. "Yea?" My voice was hoarse so I cleared my throat quickly. "What did you say?"

"I'm nervous to know where your thoughts were because I knew they weren't on this dress." Ellie eyed me suspiciously.

"I like this dress much better than the last." I ignored her speculative gaze. It was a cute dress. It had a similar fashion to the last one she had tried on but instead it was a teal and green with a halter top. The material looked a lot more comfortable, too.

"Good. I do, too." She turned around to enter the dressing room.

*^*^*^*^*

Days seemed to go faster. The approaching date for the European trip neared. I began to have trouble sleeping. I grew anxious and slightly paranoid.

Every night, though, which Maxim stayed with me, he would stay up with me for hours. Sometimes all we did was talk. Other moments, we would simply lie there holding one another.

Nonetheless, I knew everything about Max. Or what I assumed was everything. I knew his rough childhood in painful detail, the time that he trained with Dmitri, and even some of the horrifying missions he had to complete or simply attend.

All those girls that he had to hand over to men he knew would destroy their soul till there was nothing left, had been ingrained in his tortured mind. It was some consolation for him, though, being able to finally tell someone he actually cares for that wasn't family about all the things he had done.

Max did go to a confessional once upon a time a long time ago. He wasn't much for religion but he knew there was something out there that had to of made everything. Max didn't exactly know what but he told me that he wanted to know. He wanted to finish filling that whole in his heart. He wanted to feel ultimate forgiveness.

Yet, he claimed that I had filled this part of him that had been painfully barren for an extended amount of time. He felt peace knowing that I loved him for all that he was.

Max loved how I loved him with all of his faults. Even through our rocky relationship, I did apparently understand when he would randomly not be in bed with me because he was having nightmares. Or the occasion where he would cling to me to the point where I was feeling suffocated.

Or even the moments where he would be overbearing and severely protective. Then again, it didn't bother me because I needed it at the moment. For years, I had felt like it was just me against the world. Now, knowing that Max was here to stay with me and protect and hold me at all costs was dear to me.

And I was just that: understanding. He needed me just as much as I needed him. It took me a moment to realize it but I finally did.

Nonetheless, I knew probably more about Max than his entire family did. In return, Max knew everything about me. More than even Ellie and that was saying a lot. Granted, Max did know about Haden sexually harassing me and Ellie didn't but that was beside the point.

Ellie knew almost every possibly thing there was. Straight down to the way I preferred my pillows to be dropped if I was going to read on my bed. Max knew every detail in more.

He knew that I still occasionally cried because I missed my dad. I may not be able to remember much but I still had some memories. I kept a few pictures of my dad and me underneath my vanity so that my mom wouldn't know where they were. She had gone through a phase of burning almost every picture that had my dad in it.

She was a cruel woman. Max knew that, too.

I had begun to grow accustomed to having Max with me nearly every night. I slept easier with him by my side.

Going to Europe was going to kill me. Max told me that he wouldn't be able to go. His uncle would probably have him killed if he did. He wasn't sure why but had a few ideas. Which, by the way, he kept to himself. He claimed that he wasn't sure yet and didn't want to terrify me further. Already, I assumed the worst but let Max be with his own thoughts. He would tell me eventually. That I had plenty of faith in.

Max did tell me why he had gone through a period of the mock "break-up" with me. His damned uncle had prevented him from having any contact with me. Dmitri had threatened my life. Max stayed away to protect me. He said that the thought of losing me killed him. Just the thought was painful enough for Max.

I couldn't imagine losing him, either. It was a new kind of horror I didn't want to face.