It was completely unexpected. Max hadn't even seen it coming, how Jay had predicted where he'd be and yanked him down to safety.
It showed Jay had instincts, real ones. But out of everything, the part that surprised Max the most was that this giant wall of muscle had clearly lied, shouting to throw everyone off, sending the others charging in the wrong direction.
Max didn't waste a second. He scrambled to his feet, not daring to linger. Who knew how long it would take for the others to realize they'd been tricked? Still, he had to ask.
"Why?" Max said, panting. "Why did you help me? You know Dipter's not going to be happy about this."
Jay just shrugged, completely casual about it, like none of this was a big deal. "As if you'd be dumb enough to tell them," he said. "And besides, you don't seem like the type to repay a favor like that with betrayal."
He spoke so matter-of-factly that Max almost forgot the situation they were in.
"I meant what I said back at the classroom," Jay continued. "I really thought they just wanted to talk to you. I had no idea they were planning this, gathering so many people... and with weapons too."
"If it was just me," Jay said, his voice low, "I would've dealt with it using my fists. What they did back there... it made me sick. I always act based on how I feel, and that? That didn't feel right. Someone like you, who fights head-on, shouldn't be taken out like that."
It was rare, finding someone like Jay. Someone who had his own code, his own morals, and still had the guts to stand by them, even if it meant going against everyone else.
From what Max had seen and heard, he actually liked Jay. It was just a shame they were standing on opposite sides.
"I'll repay you for this favor," Max said, nodding once as he walked past Jay. There wasn't anything else he could do for now, hanging around would just drag Jay into even bigger trouble.
"If you ever get into any mess, any kind of trouble... come find me. I'll help you, however I can."
Without another word, Max broke into a sprint, racing down the dim streets. He knew the others would still be combing the area, searching high and low for him. If he wanted to make it out, he had to move fast.
Behind him, Jay stayed back, watching him disappear into the night.
"You're the one offering to help me, huh?" Jay said under his breath, a small chuckle escaping him. "How could a nobody like you possibly help someone like me... but those were some good words, kid. Real good words."
****
Max kept running through the streets, his breath ragged, his legs moving purely on instinct now. He hadn't spent much time in this city, not enough to really know his way around, so he was relying on gut feeling alone to find his way back.
He ducked around corners, crossed empty roads, cutting through alleyways without thinking twice. Only when he was sure the coast was clear did he finally pull out his phone. At least with that, he could pull up some directions and map out a route back home.
But there was another problem. He could feel it, blood still dripping from his back, slowly but steadily. The wound must have been deep if it was still bleeding like this.
And now, with no one chasing him anymore, the adrenaline that had been fueling him was starting to crash hard. His vision blurred at the edges, the world tilting slightly with every step.
"Damn it!" Max cursed under his breath, looking down at the screen. Several missed calls lit up the phone. All from the same contact, the Stalker.
"So much for being some special security team," Max grumbled. "My ace up my sleeve ended up being worth nothing after all."
In the back of his mind, there was this gnawing feeling, something he hadn't wanted to admit before. A part of him had always suspected it.
This whole thing had been a setup.
Max wasn't as naive as Jay. He had known from the start there would be trouble, he just hadn't expected it to be this bad. He hadn't expected them to be armed.
In his current state, Max knew he had no chance of taking on that many people, armed or not. That was why, in his desperation, he had messaged Aron.
The thing was, in the rush, Max had left out quite a lot of important details. His message had been simple, blunt: Come now. ASAP.
No location. No other instructions.
Max had just assumed that the phones would've been bugged, that someone, anyone, would be tracking where he was at all times.
He even thought that, despite what Aron had said about there being no security during the weekdays, there would still be some people watching him from the shadows.
If not Aron, then at least some other members of the Stern family, interested in how things were playing out.
But clearly, that wasn't the case.
With how pathetic the so-called security team had been so far, it was no wonder he had ended up in such a tragic situation.
'I thought... based on what he did at that party, he was loyal... but I have to remember,' Max thought bitterly, 'for the real Max to have ended up in the hospital in the first place... they had to have gotten to him somehow. And if it were me—'
Max's thoughts tightened like a noose, the grim realization hitting him square in the chest.
'—the easiest way to get to him... is through the people who are supposed to protect him.'
'I have to start thinking that anyone could be an enemy... including Aron,' Max realized grimly. 'Everything he did at that party, there's a high chance it was all just an act. And if that's true... then this whole situation has turned into an even bigger pain in the ass than my old life ever was.'
Just then, his phone buzzed again, another incoming call from Aron.
And not just calls, several desperate messages had been sent too.
Each one sounded more frantic than the last, all of them begging him to reply, pleading that if he was in trouble, he needed to say something, and that Aron would get to him as soon as possible.
Max stared at the screen, his vision blurring, the messages smearing together into unreadable streaks.
'I never did get the full story out of him,' Max thought, frustration gnawing at him. 'I was too messed up back then... after Sam's death. I couldn't think straight.'
The truth was, as much as he hated it, in the state he was in now, could he really afford not to rely on Aron?
His breathing was getting heavier, his strength fading fast. Blood still dripped steadily from the wound in his shoulder.
Max stumbled, leaning heavily against the wall to his side just to keep himself standing. He needed a second. A moment to catch his breath, to steady the shaking in his legs, to try and clear his spinning vision.
When he looked back at his phone, even that small effort made his head swim. The screen was blurry, the words fuzzy and hard to read.
He didn't have much time left to make a decision.
"Is that... is that you, Max?" a high voice called out.
Max lifted his heavy head, blinking through the haze clouding his vision. In front of him stood a blonde-haired woman, her face blurred at first. He squinted, trying to focus, but even then, he had no clue who she was.
Still, it was obvious she could see the blood staining his arm, dripping down steadily.
"Crap, you really need help," she said, her voice urgent as she quickly pulled out her phone. "You need to call an ambulance, or the police!"
Seeing her about to dial, Max instinctively reached out a shaky hand and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"No police..." Max muttered through gritted teeth, barely able to keep himself steady. "No... I need to... pay them back myself."
The woman hesitated for a second, staring at him, weighing his words, and then, she gave a small nod.
"Alright," she said firmly. "No police. But you're coming with me. I can help you out."
Cindy slid her phone back into her pocket and moved to his side, ready to support him before he collapsed completely.