Chapter 9: A...Hand??

Surprisingly, Max has been very nice. The tea she has prepared was good and with the hot cloth plus painkillers, it reduces drastically the pain I was feeling.

she asked me to stay on the couch while she had finished her work, and after that she is cooking diner for us.

I enjoyed observing her working while I drink my tea. She is so focused, she forgets about her surroundings and her attention is one hundred percent on it.

I admire it. I can never focus on only one thing; my mind is always a flow of completely different and messy thoughts.

I got back to my apartment to take my phone and sit back on the couch checking my new messages. I have missed three calls and messages from Liam.

"Hala yawa!! Nakalimutan ko tangina!" I speak up guiltily putting my hand over my head.

"What did you say? Maxine asked me from the kitchen, turning with a spoon in her hand.

"Oh boy, I should have gone for a drink with Liam ngayon e but I completely forgot about it" I hate doing things na ganon, especially making people wait for me. I hate waiting, so I avoid doing it to others.

Maxine said something else, but I haven't paid attention to it. I already had my phone in my right ear, calling Liam. He picks up when I was close to giving up but said nothing.

"Hi, Liam." I cheer, chewing my lips.

"Hi." He replies dryly.

"I'm really sorry Liam. I got sick this afternoon, I came back home, and I fell asleep." I speak up in one breath. I necessitate taking some measured small breaths to recover from it.

"You are sick?" He now sounds curious. Well, I won't tell him exactly what I have.

"Yes, I am. I am really sorry for not letting you know. I wasn't with my phone."

"Oh, it is ok. I understand. Are you feeling better?"

"A little bit, I'm still a bit sick though," I tell him adjusting myself on the couch, feeling relieved he is not mad at me.

"I can come to bring you something to eat kung gusto mo?"

"Oh no, Oki lang" I replied in too much hurry. "Don't worry, I'm at col's place. I will have diner here." On the corner of my eye, I see Max watching me, leaning her back against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed on his chest.

"Uhm, your brother's place?" He asked faltering. "Ok, it is better If I don't come then." After my brother's reaction the other day, I cannot blame him.

"I hope you haven't waited too long. I will reward you I promise. Next time drinks on me, ok?"

"Ok, it sounds good, but don't worry Quinn. I hope you get better soon."

"Thanks, me too. Bye liam" I said still feeling slightly guilty, but it helps knowing he is not mad at me.

"Bye Quinn"

Raising my eyes after I hang up, I notice the dinner table is already done. Maxine has her back facing me now, probably serving us food. When she turns around, she is scowling and avoiding looking at me. She comes towards the table keeping her eyes on the food plate. Her demeanor has completely changed from emphatic and nice to a serious one.

"Here." She puts a plate of pasta on the table in front of me.

"Thank you max" I look at him giving a small smile. She doesn't reply to it, I'm not sure she even saw it.

She sits in front of me and starts eating, not spending a glance at me. I don't understand what's happening with him. She was being nice just five minutes ago.

"Okay ka lang ba max?"

xx It is all she replies, feeding herself with pasta. My diagnosis is she has a drastic mood shift disorder. I never met someone who changes their behavior so often.

I keep observing her from time to time, checking if her mood got any better. No improvement is detected.

After a little while of staying quiet, I resolved to try talking to her again. The silence is killing me.

"Uhm Max?" I start trying to catch her attention. "Just want to thank you for everything, really," I said making a sigh. She glances her eyes at me for a mere second. "For the painkillers, the tea, cloth, and diner. I really appreciated it. I don't know what I would do if you haven't help me tonight." I tilt my head keeping my eyes on her throughout my speech.

I almost want to laugh. She is looking like a little kid whom her mom just scolded because she peed in his pants.

"Not a problem, Quinn" She said chewing. "It's like if I'm doing it for a sister." She answers keeping her eyes on her plate the entire time. She doesn't show her usual grin or smirk, it must be a record for her. One hour without even one smirk or his evil stare. magiging weird ba pag sinabi kong namimiss ko na ung smirk niya?

Her response confuses me. What has she meant? Does it mean she only sees me as her sister? I decided not to ask about it, she doesn't seem up to talk.

I continue eating the pasta on my plate, it is not bad. It's pasta carbonara and I'm happy to say that it's tastier than Cols's, I perceive Maxine likes to follow the real recipe like a good engineer likes to follow exactly a procedure.

Col has always modified the classical carbonara sauce incrementing with something that isn't in the recipe. I have never eaten a classical recipe prepared by her.

After we finished our diner I got up and start taking the dishes.

"Go sit on the couch, ako na bahala diro quinn" She pronounces. She cleans his mouth and goes up as well.

"Not it's ok, Kaya ko na to" I replied picking up my plate from the table.

"Just go to the couch quinn." She orders. she is a bit annoyed now.

Another fact about Max, she likes to boss around. It isn't something I appreciate. However, I decide to just follow her command, I wanted to help, but she is clearly not up for it.

After she has finished the dishes she comes to sit on my side. I lift my head, which was leaning against the back of the couch, to observe her.

"So, I imagined Mila is not at home?" She ran his hand through her tawny red hair to remove some strands from his face.

"No, she has classes on Thursday night, bakit?"

"Nothing specific just for information. So, we can watch a movie." She said taking the tv remote control.

Again, it was not a question. She is doing commands, and I keep following them. I don't want to irritate her even more or give her the impression I don't appreciate what she is doing for me.

I Insist she should choose the movie; the poor girl has already spent her night taking care of me. I can at least watch a movie of his choice. He plays Fight Club on Netflix.

In the middle of it, I shrink in pain, feeling cramps again. It has been less than two hours since I took a painkiller.

With a hand on my stomach, I got up to take the painkiller box and a glass of water.

"What are you doing quinn?" Maxine inquires, raising his head and pausing the film. Watching me like a father watches his daughter sneaking out at two in the morning.

"I'm feeling pain again, iinim lang ako ulit ng painkiller " I affirm filling my glass with tap water.

"No, you won't Hindi pwede"

"Yes, I will, so I won't be in pain for the rest of the night." I start to open the painkiller box to take a pill.

"Quinn, this is a strong painkiller." She states pointing to the painkiller box clearly annoyed. "You cannot take more than one for four hours, it hasn't been even two hours since you took it." She gets up and comes in my direction.

"give it to me." She said taking the painkiller box from my hand. I have the impression each time I don't follow her command she gets annoyed. I don't follow her command she gets annoyed.

"Go back to the couch."

"And what? Pass out because of the pain?" I am annoyed now, who the hell he thinks he is?

"Don't exaggerate, I will do something ok? Just trust me."

I am in no condition of fighting her over my painkillers, let's face it, she would win even if I was in my best shape. Look at her chiseled muscles, my bamboo arms have no chance against it.

So, I do go back to the couch. Sitting in a squishy position. My feet are over it, my elbows and head being support on my knees. I stayed like that, glaring at Maxine the whole five minutes she took to come back. Wishing I have laser vision enabling me to erase her bossy behavior from her head.

Didn't happen tho...

"Here." She gave me again a warm cloth. I just took it and kept glaring at her.

"C'mon you know what to do with it." She said sitting on the couch. "Put on your belly and come here."

"Hm?"

Come here where? I'm already on the couch.

I barely have finished putting the warm cloth on my belly when she takes me in her arms. She adjusts me with my front facing her, my head on her left shoulder, my butt is on her lap and my legs on the couch.

I blink at her confused. I won't complain about the position tough. I am very comfortable. However, I can't understand why she positioned me this way.

She then starts to rub my lower back with his right hand. Sometimes slowly, sometimes with a bit of pressure like a massage. It feels good, her hand is warm. I feel tingles where she touches, making me a reminder of the path his fingers just took.

I exhale a shaky breath and close my eyes. I'm so placid. I'm forgetting I was in pain. With my head on her shoulders breathing her scent, coming to me while inhale, in a perfect flow, it calms me. I understand now why they put some essential oil diffusers in spas. It is relaxing.

It is always strawberries and fresh mint. I get the fresh mint smell, it can be from her toothpaste, chewing gum, or maybe shaving cream, who knows. But pears? How does she smell like strawberries? Does she eat it all the time? I heard Liam Jobs had a diet based only on eating berries. Maybe Max has a diet base on strawberries?

Anyway, how does she make this combination so perfectly good? here I am bewitched by his fragrance.

Great, now I want to eat a strawberry.

"Is it getting any better?" She asks with her mouth on my left ear. It sends a shiver through my spine.

At this moment all I could think is 'Oh God yeah don't stop it please!'. But then the only sound leaving my mouth is "Uhumm," coming out as a moan.

She chuckled. It makes me adjust myself to get even closer to her, putting my arms around her neck, not realizing the compromising position we are in. I don't care if it is intimate, I'm feeling on the clouds right now, with a smooth and warm angel's hand touching me.

In this position I start falling asleep, the last thing I heard was he restarting the movie.

Afterward, I feel someone taking me up from the couch. Caring me while I'm still asleep. I'm dozing off, like someone who had just done an operation and still is under anesthesia effect. I could feel and hear some things, but not exactly knowing what is happening, when, or if it was real or just a dream.

Firstly, someone places me on a bed. In an instant, I feel my belly nappening, wnen, or 11 It was real or just a dream.

Firstly, someone places me on a bed. In an instant, I feel my belly get colder and then get hotter again. Possibly, the warm cloth has been changed.

Next, I'm feeling covered with a blanket around me. It feels like an embrace, making me feel wrapped and protected. My back is against a hard and warm wall, holding me, heating me up. The last thing I feel is something holding the cloth in its place on my belly.

A .. hand?

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will post chap 10 later if d mawalan ng kuryente signal no. 1 samin HAUAHHAHAHAHAHA