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After many weeks of hesitation, Max placed Chloe’s photo on her bedroom’s wall. Almost ten years had gone by, and yet the pain of Chloe’s passing kept coming back to haunt her. Saving Arcadia Bay was a choice she had to live with. Whether she regretted it or not, it was done, and Max refused to keep torturing her mind with multiple what if questions.
Chloe was long gone, and Max had already made her peace with that, but that didn’t make it any less painful.
Having a day off from work could be either blessing and a curse, depending on if Max’s mind decided to overthink or not. And choosing to have Chloe’s photo as the first thing eyes would see every morning didn’t help with Max’s mental peace at all. As sad as it was, Max was used to it. To the nightmares that came after Arcadia Bay’s storm as well.
As an adult, Max didn’t get over everything, but she did learn to mask some of her PTSD symptoms. Giving explanations to why she often got dizzy or her breath suddenly got heavy at the mere sound of heavy wind or thunder was something she much preferred to avoid. Even after so many years passed, she wasn’t ready to talk about it.
Max considered herself lucky to have found friends that knew something of gravity happened to her but never put any pressure on her to tell them or asked too many questions. Safi was a lot more curious than Moses, but she avoided being too intrusive whenever Max seemed too uncomfortable talking about anything related to what happened in her past.
Most of her unbusy days off, Max called either Safi or Moses – or both, in order to spend them together, but she wasn’t lucky that time. Moses had left Caledon to see his boyfriend, and Safi said her mother was bitching about not having some mother-daughter quality time together lately, so she would spend some time with her so she would shut up about it.
At least that was what Max thought until she heard her house’s doorbell and went to see who it was. “Safi?” She blinked twice to make sure the other woman was in front of her. “What are you doing here?”
“So sweet.” Safi pinched the bridge of Max’s nose. “I’m happy to see you too.”
“I didn’t mean to sound disappointed.” Max moved aside. “Don’t stay there, it’s really cold.”
“I’m hot enough to last a little more out here.” Safi winked before walking inside Max’s house, closing the door behind her. “Are you busy?”
“Not really.”
“Then why are you making that face?” Safi instantly made herself comfortable, leaving her scarf and jacket on the hanger. “You should be happy I’m here.”
“I am, it’s just– are you not supposed to be with your mom?”
“And I was, but then urgent work-related stuff happened and she had to leave.” Safi shrugged. “Not that I’m complaining. I was going back to my room but then I remembered you’re in desperate need of some company.”
A bit confused, Max tilted her head. “I never said that.”
“Well, no.” Safi placed her hand on Max’s shoulder, giving it a couple of gentle pats. “But I know you, Max Caulfield. You have a very specific look in your face when you’re having a rough time.”
“Do I really?” Max scratched one of her cheeks with her index finger.
“Yes.” Safi grabbed Max by her wrist, guiding them both to the couch and sitting on it. “Look Max, as much as I’m dying to know what you’re hiding, I respect your wish to not talk about it. It’s killing me on the inside, but I do.”
“Safi.” Max couldn’t help but laugh a little.
In truth, Max couldn’t deny she got a little too nervous around Safi lately. She was old enough to recognize when she had a crush, and in Safi’s case, in was more than likely. It was something Max didn’t give much importance to – mainly because she was comfortable in her friendship with Safi and didn’t want to risk making things awkward between them.
“What? It’s true.” Safi pat her lap, gesturing Max to put place her head on it. “I get some stuff is just hard to say out loud, and we all have our secrets. I have a few of my own too.”
“As long as you’re not a serial killer or something, you can have as many as you want.”
“If I was a serial killer, you would be my first victim.” Safi’s threatening words were spoken in a joking tone. “The pretty one always goes down first. Now, tell me what I can do to cheer you up.”
“Uhm– I don’t know.” Max hesitated, obeying Safi’s silent request. “What do you usually do?”
“Depends on how bad my mood is.” Safi explained, her fingers gently playing with the other woman’s hair. “Sometimes poetry helps, others I try to read or going out to get some air. If it gets really bad, I try smashing some stuff.”
“And if none of those things work?”
A grin appeared on Safi’s face then, her eyebrows wiggling, bit of seduction in her tone. “Then I hook up with someone.”
“I’m not hooking up with you.” Max couldn’t help the warmth emanating from her cheeks then.
“Disappointing, but I get it.” Safi faked a sad tone.
“Not now, at least.” Max added in a playful tone. “You will have to try harder if you want me to fall for your charm. You’re on the right path, I have to say.”
“Wow Max Caulfield, I wasn’t familiar with your game.”
“You should be by now.” Max raised a hand to put a few strands of Safi’s hair behind her ear. “Hooking up may be going a bit too far, but a little kiss may work.” She dared to say.
Suddenly speechless, Safi blinked, having trouble to find her voice again. “Well, I–”
“Don’t take me seriously.” Max tried to reassure her in case she had messed up.
“I won’t if you aren’t serious.” Safi looked down, her gaze trying to find the truth in Max’s eyes. “Are you?”
A nervous laugh escaped Max as she propped herself up using her elbows. “Maybe?”
“Oh, Max.” Safi’s hands grabbed the other woman’s face as she immediately placed a small kiss on her lips. It ended up being more than one, joining their lips immediately after breaking the kisses but never getting too carried away. “Was it so hard to ask for it?”
“We have joked about this so many times that I didn’t know if it was a joke anymore.”
“Now you know it wasn’t.” Safi winked. “Listen, I’m here to cheer you up, so let’s talk about…” She wasn’t sure of how to call what just transpired between them. “Us another day, okay?”
“Sure.” Max slowly let her head fall back on Safi’s lap. “How about we put the TV on and look for something to see while we gossip about Caledon’s recent relationships drama?”
“That sounds pretty good.” Max’s hands reach for the remote. “Thank you, Safi. I’m much better now.”
“Anytime.” Safi’s lips curved into a fond smile, her hands going to stroke Max’s hair. “Safi’s magic always works on you.”
Both Max and Safi had much to think about after what happened, but as they said, that was a conversation they would rather leave for another time.