Chapter Fifteen

Inside his darkened apartment, Max stared blankly at the plasma screen television. He’d pulled the curtains closed, and the lights were all off except for the glowing blue of the TV. Some old re-run of CSI was on, a show he never had much interest in, and his thoughts had quickly drifted while the uniformed agents searched for clues and analyzed evidence on the screen.

He’d called Erin earlier, hoping she’d agree to dinner or at least an evening together since they hadn’t spent much time together lately. She’d blown him off yet again, though, and Max had nearly crushed his cell phone in his fist when they’d hung up.

I’m sorry, Max, I’m not feeling well…

Bullshit. More like she was half naked on the couch while that pansy rock star Jon Bon Jovi kissed and sucked on her neck.

Max’s stomach roiled at the very thought.

That Bon Jovi prick was meddling with the wrong people, treading dangerously toxic waters, and it was clear that he had to go.

Max had tried to assess the situation from both of their points of view – Erin he couldn’t be mad at for long; she was young and stupid and he couldn’t blame her for her faults.

Bon Jovi, however, was the very root of the problem. He was a grown man and had acted upon impulse, poorly governing his actions with lust. The consequences of that – sticking his nose in others’ business and expecting to be welcomed because of his fame – were severe. Max would see to that himself.

Suddenly he made up his mind. He was tired of sitting back and feigning innocent oblivion. If things were going to go anywhere, he had to step inside the middle of the problem, the center of the wheel that was spinning out of his control behind closed doors.

Max grabbed his keys and strode out of the house. Ten minutes at the market and he had everything he needed before he was off in the direction of Erin’s neighborhood.

Erin couldn’t know any better. She’d been naïve and blind; she was a woman after all – a woman under the control of a man skilled at seduction. Max would have to punish her for her childishness, but after that he’d forgive her – he cared about her too much to see her get hurt.

And that’s what was going to happen if she continued to see this Bon Jovi guy. She’d get hurt. But Max would be there to comfort her and heal her wounded, naïve heart. Bon Jovi, however, would be hurt too…

But unfortunately, nobody would be able to help him.

_____________________________


Erin rubbed at her temples lightly, her soft fingers working in slow circles to massage away the throbbing pain that had settled there. For a day that had started out so right, it had ended so wrong.

The attack on Jon’s car still bothered her, and as night fell she became uneasy and slightly jumpy, nervous every time she rounded a dark corner in her house. As a result, she’d flipped on nearly every light and switched on the television to comfort herself; instead, she’d developed a massive headache that refused to be extinguished.

She was just considering heading up to bed for the night when a loud tap at her front door nearly jolted her out of her skin. Heart pounding, she eyed the door warily and approached it slowly, peering through the eyehole.

A crop of curly brown hair jutted out at her in the distorted image, and she groaned. She’d told him she didn’t want to hang out tonight…

Forcing her face to remain passive, she opened the door. “Oh, hey Max,” she tried to sound happy to see him. “I thought we weren’t going to get together tonight.”

Max smiled and crossed the threshold, closing the door behind him.

“You said you didn’t feel well,” he said sweetly. “So I brought you some chamomile tea and a movie. I figured we could just stay here tonight and I’ll take care of you.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “Wow, um, thanks Max, but you really don’t have to do all this. I have a splitting headache and I was just about to head to bed when you knocked. I really should just sleep this off.”

Max pulled an injured face. “Come on, baby, we haven’t spent quality time together in ages. We’ve both been so busy. Let’s just relax tonight, okay?”

“But I don’t feel well,” Erin said pointedly, trying to be polite.

“I’ll take care of that,” Max cooed, kissing her forehead gently. As he passed her on his way to the kitchen, Erin stood staring at the wall in disbelief. Great…

Tension was high as she followed him a moment later, furrowing her brows as Max began to move around her kitchen skillfully, as if he owned the place.

“Trust me, sweetheart, a cup of strong tea will take care of that headache of yours,” he turned a knob on the stove and the gas clicked to life. Erin watched the blue flames lick the bottom of the teapot while she tried to decide what to say next.

“Max,” she began softly. “Can we talk?”

Max didn’t seem to hear her as he unpacked the box of chamomile tea and reached for a ceramic mug hanging on a wall hook by the cabinet. “Sugar, baby?”

“No, thanks…Max…”

“Don’t strain that pretty voice of yours, Erin, have a seat and let me take care of you.”

“No, I really need to tell you something – ”

“Here, why don’t you go pop this DVD in the player and wait for me in the living room.”

Erin exhaled sharply. “Max!” she said firmly. “We need to talk. And it really can’t wait.”

Finally, Max stopped talking and looked at her innocently. “What is it, baby?”

Erin took a deep breath. Do this now, she chided herself, before things get even worse.

“I – I really don’t know how to tell you this,” she began. “So I’m just going to come right out and say it…”

She forced herself to look him in the eye. “I don’t think this relationship is going anywhere.”

Max blinked.

“In fact, I know it’s not,” she went on. “We’re both such different people, Max, and with our crazy schedules, we – I – just can’t make it work anymore. You said it yourself: we haven’t spent quality time together in ages. You can’t have these huge lulls in a relationship – it starts to deteriorate.”

“You think we’ve deteriorated?” Max asked, calmly.

Erin studied him. “Our relationship has. We just don’t fit anymore, you know? We both work long hours, we hardly see each other…I just can’t do it anymore. I’m sorry,” she added.

Max’s face was hard to read: Erin detected confusion, but also traces of sadness and anger. He didn’t look surprised, however, which puzzled her. He never left her gaze, and Erin suddenly felt awkward in the silence.

“I hope you aren’t angry with me for seeming to just drop this on you…”

“When were you planning on telling me if I hadn’t come over tonight?” Max asked.

Erin’s stomach knotted, and she shrugged guiltily. “I don’t know,” she said truthfully. “I guess it’s been on my mind for awhile but since we never see each other, I didn’t know when I could.”

For some reason, that seemed to satisfy Max. He nodded slowly, looking at her oddly. “Okay,” he said plaintively. “If that’s how you feel.”

Erin blinked confusedly but pulled herself together. “Yeah, it is. Again, I’m really sorry. You’re a great guy, Max, it just…wasn’t meant to be.”

The tiniest of smiles played at the corner of Max’s mouth as he turned to pick up his things. “I guess it wasn’t,” he agreed. “But I do think you’re making a mistake.”

Erin said nothing. Let him think whatever he wants to.

“So that’s it, then?” he said it politely, but Erin could read hidden emotion behind the mask.

“I guess so…” she said dumbly, unsure what else to do or say.

Max nodded and slowly began to move toward the door. “Well I guess it would be too awkward for me to stick around tonight,” he laughed. “I hope you feel better, though.”

“Thanks,” Erin smiled, trying to keep things friendly. “And I appreciate you trying to take care of me.” Just keep him happy.

“No problem.”

She followed him to the door. “We can still be friends, of course, right?” she asked gently, cringing inwardly at the cliché.

Max turned and smiled at her. “Of course. In fact, I hope we are. You’re a beautiful woman, Erin, don’t let anyone take advantage of that. And don’t ever forget that I love you.”

Erin forced her face to remain passive. “Yeah…thanks, Max. I’ll see you around, okay?”

“You can count on it.”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly before turning and heading silently down the walk. Erin watched as he climbed into his car and drove off a moment later.

Erin breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door. Finally.

Max was gone. For good.

She smiled as she returned to the kitchen to clean up the tea things and turn out the lights in the house, then made her way wearily upstairs. Without bothering to do her normal bathroom routine, she simply changed into a pair of sweats and collapsed in bed.

Finally, she didn’t have to worry about Max anymore, or worry about him finding out about Jon…or vice versa. She’d had to talk quickly and think quicker, but somehow Max had bought her speech. She’d been partially honest in what she’d told him, after all – she didn’t see their relationship going anywhere.

He didn’t need to know about Jon. And now Jon never needed to know about him. But she was surprised at how well he took it all. He almost seemed as if he knew it was coming…like he expected it, somehow.

Whatever, Erin thought sleepily. Whether he had read the signs in the last few weeks or not, she didn’t care. All that mattered was that she’d finally “done the right thing” – more or less.

Feeling relieved and free, Erin drifted off into thoughts and dreams of Jon and their new freedom together…unaware that Max’s car sat idling by the side of the road at the end of her block.

Sunday, March 8, 2009