History seemed to be repeating itself. Max stood once again in front of his ex-best friend's house, hoping once more Hal would loan him a room. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment, but it was the only place he knew he could go no matter what.
He hesitantly rang the doorbell. He nervously shifted from leg to leg while waiting for the door to open.
The door opened to reveal a taller and more grown up version of Christian. "Hi."
"Little Man, what have I told you about opening up the door to strangers?" A male voice called. A guy appeared at the door. "Can I help you?"
Max was unsure if he could. If it weren't for the boy, he'd think that they had moved away. "Is Hal home?"
"No, he doesn't live here anymore." The guy told him and shrugged. "Last time I knew he was in Vegas. Megan would know where he is."
Megan. There was no way she was with the man in front of him, he must have been some long lost family member. He wore black from head-to-toe. His hair was black and spiky, with white frosted tips. He had about six piercings in each ear, two in his lip, and one in his tongue. He wore a black wife beater and black cargo pants with chains running from his waist to his knees. His arms were covered in tattoos, something he knew Megan detested.
"Is she home?" Max questioned.
"Naw, she went to the store, but she should be back any time now. You can wait inside if you want." Another shrug.
He thanked the man as he followed him into the all too familiar kitchen. "I'm Max."
"Jordan. Do you want anything to drink? A beer?"
Max idly wondered how the guy walked with all the weight of the chains on his pants. "That would be nice, thanks."
"I'll text Megan and see where she is." Jordan tossed him a beer and picked his cell off the counter. A blur of fingers later he announced it was sent. "If I was you I'd down that before she gets home, she hates beer."
"Will do."
Jordan's phone rang some odd heavy metal music. He flipped it open and read the message. "She'll be home in ten minutes." He turned to the boy. "You better get in the shower, your mother will tan my hide if you don't."
***
Exactly ten minutes later the garage door opened then closed. A car door opened and shut. His heart jumped to his throat. The door connecting the garage to the kitchen rattled open.
"Jordan, I think the car-" She stopped talking mid-sentence, her eyes locking on Max's presence. Her mouth dropped open, then closed in a tight line.
"What about the car?" Jordan took the bag from her and set it on the counter. He glanced from her to Max and back. "You two look like you both saw a ghost." He shrugged and set about putting the groceries away.
She had changed in the two years since he had left. Her hair was no longer blonde, but a shoulder length black. Her eyes were still a piercing green. Her skin seemed a bit paler. Her freckles that were splashed across her cheeks were the same as ever.
"What are you doing here?"
"I...I wanted to talk to you." He stammered.
"About?" She replied.
"I'm not sure. I know I shouldn't have come here, but I didn't have a place to go and I thought maybe, maybe I could stay with you." He rushed. "I'll leave, sorry to have come here."
Megan sighed deeply. "Max, you can stay in the spare room, but only if you have nowhere to go and if Jordan is okay with it."
He felt uncomfortable. He was sitting at the table with Megan, his ex-lover and baby's mother across from him. The very girl, woman, whose heart he'd shattered, and some weird kid with a bunch of holes in his face. "Only for a few weeks. Just 'til I find a job."
"You seriously look like you need a shower. I'll get some towels and put them in the bathroom." She replied and got up. Jordan got up too. "It's up the stairs, first room on the right." God, her old room. He nodded and she left the room with Jordan following her.
Max climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door. It did not look any different than it had as her room. A soft knock on the door caught his attention. "Towels are in the bathroom." And she was gone.
A shower would be nice. He dug through his bag and found semi-clean clothes and shampoo. He hopped in the shower. After he was scrubbed clean, he dried off and got dressed. He caught glimpse of himself in the mirror and groaned. He had a billygoat's beard. He ran water in the sink and began to shave his face.
As he drew the sharp razor over his skin, he began to hear people talking outside the closed bathroom door. He quietly leaned over and listened to them.
"Max is an old friend, as much as he hurt me, I can't just kick him to the street like that."
"So I will." Jordan sounded peeved. "The man has some nerve to show up here expecting you'd just let him in."
He heard Megan sigh. "Because he knows I would let him stay. There is too much history between us."
"I can make him history, Meg. Just say the word." Jordan said in a low and hushed tone.
The door opened and nearly smacked Max in the face. Christian stuck his head in the door. "Whatcha doin'?"
