Page 10 of Fated
I held Max and stroked his hair in case he was scared. He should be scared. He was surrounded by giant strangers in a different dimension. Any sane person would be. But my Max was very special. Instead of being afraid, he leaned into my touch and let me pet him as much as I wanted.
“Areth is right, my tiny friend. You’re full of flowers.”
“I had, in fact, noticed.” Max scowled when I stopped petting him. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“It’s a huge deal, tiny Max. I don’t know how to fix this, and they’re growing so quickly that you’ll be dead by tomorrow evening if we don’t find a way to get them out.” Shiza spoke to him slowly, like he was a child.
Max sighed and began to pick at a hangnail. He did not seem surprised by this diagnosis at all.
“This is serious, Max. Do you not care at all?” I turned him around to face me, forcing myself not to shake him. I was so upset right now that it would be all too easy to hurt him if I forgot my strength.
Max shrugged. “I’ve already had the best evening of my life. If I have to go, this is a great note to go out on.”
“What the fuck?” Fear gripped my heart with icy fingers. I could not let my Max die. I had just found him. How could he be so careless with something that meant more to me than my entire kingdom?
Max placed his small hand on my forearm and smiled up at me. “It’s really okay, Areth. It’s kind of you to do so much for someone you don’t know, but you’ve already gone above and beyond. Can you take care of Mitzy when I’m gone? Or at least get her to one of my friends? I think Lauren would take her in. I can tell you how to find her. She won’t be surprised. She already knows I have Hanahaki.”
I was so shocked by his blasé attitude toward death that I was frozen in place.
“Hanahaki? That’s what you have?” Shiza smacked herself on the forehead. “Of course that’s what you have. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it. I’ve read about it so many times... I mean, in our world it’s only a fictional disease, but I guess in your world it’s real. How fascinating.”
“You have fanfiction in this world? About Earth?” Max began to chew on his hangnail, and I nudged his small hand away from his mouth to keep him undamaged.
“Apparently. Don’t worry, Areth, this is an easy fix. This is caused by unrequited love. Once Max gains the love of the object of his affection, he’ll go back to normal.”
“And what if that does not happen?” I did not think I would be able to let Max be in love with another person. Especially if the mere sight of him sitting in Shiza’s lap caused me to burn with anger.
“I can cut them out.” At Max’s cry of alarm, Shiza said quickly, “Don’t worry, I can do it in a way that won’t hurt.Of course, your feelings for the person will be gone, but if the person doesn’t love you back, they aren’t worth loving, Max.”
“They’re fucking fantastic, Shiza, and I refuse.” Max began to squirm and I tightened my hold until he gave a little squeak.
“Yes, remove the flowers, Shiza. Better yet, tell me who you love, Max. I will find and kill them, so you will not have to love them anymore. Shiza can also remove the flowers to make sure.”
Max’s temperature shot to the alarming side of my heat index and shook his head vehemently. “It’s none of your business who I’m in love with.”
“It fucking well is!” I shouted. “I am not going to let you die now that I have finally found you.”
“It’s my choice to…” Max began to cough so hard that terror gripped my soul. Flower after flower covered the bed, and I was certain I was about to witness the other half of my heart die right in front of me.
I turned to Shiza in desperation only to see her looking at me like I was the stupidest thing she’d ever seen.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. It’s you, you moron. Tell Max you love him so he can stop dying in your lap and covering my room in the ugliest flowers I’ve ever seen.”
“Me? How could Max love me? He just met me.”
“And you just met him, but you’re clearly over the moon for him. Do it now unless you want to lose him.”
“Shit! Of course. I love you, Max. So much more than you could imagine.”
Max continued to cough so hard that I had to struggle to keep him in my arms without accidentally crushing him.
I looked at Shiza and was considering killing her for wasting such precious time.
“He can’t hear you, dumbass. Be loud about it.”
“I love you, Max!” I shouted loud enough for my entire castle to hear. “Please do not die. If you do, I will chase you and drag you back.”
Max coughed so hard and produced so many flowers I thought I was going to have to follow through on my threat immediately. Then his body went limp and there was silence.
