Sunday, January 4, 2009

[twenty]

Lillianah's POV

How does one run away with a broken ankle? I checked out the roads to see where I could run to. My eyes fell back on the massive cast on my leg and I knew I wasn't going anywhere, it was impossible. Max parked in front of my apartment building and quickly helped me out of his car. "Max really, it's just a broken ankle. I can get around fine see," I smiled as I started walking around with the crutches, but one hit a patch of ice and I quickly lost my balance. "I do see," he laughed as he caught me in his arms. "Please Lil, you heard what the doctor said, you can't do anything for a week, you have to stay on the couch." I leaned on my crutches and tried to smile at him but nothing appeared. "Okay," I said just above a whisper and focused all of my energy on the three flights of stairs that I was about to tackle.

I sat on the edge of my bed and pointed around my room to things I would need. I could feel my eyes start to get heavy and realized neither of us had slept yet. "Underwear, top drawer, grab eight pairs of underwear, three bras and eight pairs of socks." "Hmm . . . " I opened my eyes and looked over at him and he was looking at each pair as he pulled them out. I didn't say anything, I was too tired to make some smart ass remark. "My slippers, well the slipper for my right foot, in my closet. Grab my Union Jack sweatshirt," I went off telling him all the things I needed and where they were. I made my way out into the living room and grabbed a bunch of DVD's and my laptop. "Dog toys and dog food," I smiled and he went and collected those too. I sat on the couch and he zipped my suitcase up. "Okay, I'm going to take this down to the car, then I will be back for you," he smiled and headed out the front door.

Spices filled my nose and I peaked my eyes open. Whatever that smell was filling my nose it smelt delicious. I rolled over to look at the clock and saw that it was 7:30 o'clock at night. I rolled the other way and climbed out of bed. I slowly made my way in to the kitchen to see Max cooking up a storm. "Did you sleep good?" he asked as he threw a towel over his shoulder. "I did thank you," I smiled as I sat down at the kitchen table. Within a few minutes a plate filled with chicken fajitas was placed in front of me. It looked so good I dug right in. We ate in silence and after we finished I watched him clean the dishes. He carried me in to the living room and set me down on the couch where we turned on the news. I was capable of walking with my crutches but I think he enjoyed carrying me around his apartment. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I brought my leg up onto the couch, setting it on a pillow. All of a sudden the topic was bothering me and I knew I needed to ask Max about it. "Max," I whispered and he tilted his head to look at me. "Yeah?" "So do I call you my boyfriend now? Is that what I tell people if they ask?" "Are you taking me up on my offer?" Why must he answer a question with another question! "Yeah, I mean if the offer still stands." "Of course, and I actually already told your neighbor I'm your boyfriend," he laughed. At that moment I could feel my ankle start to throb and all I wanted to do was reach down and squeeze my hands around it, but there was a damn cast there. "Max?" "Yeah?" "I need pain killers," I winced and felt him slide out from behind me and head to the kitchen.

Max's POV

She was terrified, and I was scared that this might make her run off again. She wasn't moving in, she was staying with me while I take care of her. I wouldn't want her home alone at her apartment and have her fall and hurt herself worse, sure she was in a cast, but there's only so much that can do for her. I was terrified myself, she was going to see a lot of me and I still don't know her that well, I don't want anything changing her mind about seeing me. I knew I had to watch myself closely for the next week, there were some bad habits that I needed to break, but it was going to be hell to try and hide those from her, I could only hope and pray for the best.

She fell asleep on the ride back to my apartment and I was starting to get tired myself, I hadn't slept since my afternoon nap the day before. I didn't want to wake her up so I carried her up to my place, she didn't wake up at all, even when I accidentally whacked her cast against the elevator door. I put her in my bed and went and grabbed her things out of my car. Once I was back in my apartment I sat on the couch to watch the news, but my head quickly hit the pillow and I was out. It had been a long night, but it was a night I'm sure I will never forget. My mother always asked if there was a woman out there that could calm me down, turn me to a one woman man. My brother found his wife when he was my age, and he mellowed out after meeting her, was this happening to me now too? After a three hour nap I felt the urge to call my mom, it had been a few days since I last talked to her, and she had yet to find out that I met a girl. After catching up for a few minutes I headed out to the balcony and pulled my hood up over my head to shield my ears from the cold wind. "Mom I met a wonderful woman." "MAXIME! When?!" Dare I lie to my mother and tell her recently? "Two months ago," I couldn't bring myself to do it. "Two months and you are now just telling me. Do you love her?" "Oh wow, I said two months mom, not two years." Now I knew I was in deep with my mom, I knew she was about to start- "You know your father and I got married just six months after we met." Yup, there we go. "That was also thirty years ago." Just like with Lillianah's dog, this was a battle I knew I could never win. I went on to tell her about her breaking her ankle and how she would be staying with me. "So do we get to meet her when we come down for your birthday?" "I don't have birthdays anymore." "MAXIME!" I cut her off before she went into the whole 'I was in labor for five days with you, you will celebrate your damn birthday!' like I heard every year. "Yes mom you will meet her."

After cooking dinner I relaxed on the couch with Lil pulled up close to me. She still smelt like strawberries. Was this her natural aroma? Were the red highlights in her hair like scratch and sniff stickers? Always giving off that smell? "Max." I tilted my head and looked down at her, trying to keep myself from kissing her. "Yeah." "So do I call you my boyfriend now? Is that what I tell people if they ask?" Usually when girls said 'boyfriend' I would laugh it off and try to avoid the topic but with her, to be given that title was an honor. "Are you taking me up on my offer?" "Yeah, I mean if the offer still stands." So it was official, I grabbed a girlfriend. I smiled to myself for about ten minutes when she called out my name once again. My heart sunk a little, was she about to take it back? Was she going to run again? "I need pain killers." I sighed in relief and headed to the kitchen and pulled out her Percocet's. I knew I would only have about another thirty minutes with her before the drugs knocked her out. She swallowed the pill and cuddled back into me. This is what I've been avoiding for so long? A quiet night in with a beautiful woman on my couch. I could feel her body start to get heavy on my shoulder and I knew she was falling asleep, I shifted a bit and slowly laid her head down on my lap. I flipped through the channels while running my fingers through her hair. This is something I could get use to.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

At first I wasn't really sure if I liked this story but now I LOVE it. They are so cute together!

Lauren said...

awww I love seeing Max's point of view - he is so adorable!

Val said...

Fabulous, as always, and I love the POV of each character, as well...

kelcey armstrong said...

aww, i loved it
Max it so cute!!

Aeryn said...

Okay, I was going to say what everyone else was said, but i will refrain so it won't sound so redundant. I don't really comment on this story a lot, but i do read everytime you post, and I LOVE it!!! It's a nice break from all the Crosby love. ;)

oh and I loved the part with his mom, very cute.