Saving the Villain

Maxen and Cosette walked slowly down the street, going to the bus stop. The two of them had been silent since leaving Luke's apartment. Both their eyes were on the ground, treading carefully, allowing their minds to drift regarding the same thing.

Luke.

"About Luke —"

They halted in their steps as they spoke at the same time. Cosette chuckled as she faced him squarely.

"What about him?" she asked, intrigued at what he wanted to say regarding Luke.

"It's not important. What about you? What about him?" he returned, raising his brows, all ears to what she was about to say.

"Uhh… nothing." Cosette shook her head mildly. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm. What about you? Are you sure?"

"Mhm."

"Alright." Cosette studied Maxen for a few seconds and the two of them resumed their steps.

Silence descended upon their shoulders once again, sighing every once in a while. When she couldn't take it anymore, she stopped one more time. At the same time, Maxen stopped, a little irritated at his own thoughts.

"He doesn't have a mattress," Cosette blurted out as she turned to him, while Maxen also said, "he doesn't have a blanket."

Surprised, their brows rose as they spoke and faced each other at the same time. They blinked twice before a laugh escaped her mouth.

"Maxen, I told you rivalry also grows to people." She poked his chest playfully, but his expression was the same: plain and dull.

"I will take you home and check on him." He let out another deep sigh, holding her finger that was poking his chest. "Is that okay?"

"Of course. Geez. Why wouldn't it be okay? I mean…" she trailed off, arching a brow, gazing up at him suspiciously. "Are you thinking I will get sad if I sneak inside your room and you're not there?"

"I don't want you to cry yourself to sleep."

Cosette scoffed, speechless at how he uttered those words while batting his eyes innocently. It would've been better if he said those without the tinge of mischievousness!

"Maxen, what do you see me for, huh? I only snuck inside your room two times!" she argued, only to choke at his response.

"In a row. Tonight is the third day since you first came into my room." Maxen cocked his head to the side. "I thought you plan to sleep in my room on a daily basis. Did I get the wrong idea?"

'Of course, you didn't!' was what she wanted to answer, but she had to bite her tongue to hold on to the little dignity left in her.

"Of course not." She cleared her throat, raising her chin up. "Maxen, did you really expect me to sleep in your room every day?"

"Mhm." He held her hand down, eyes on her. "Because I wish you do."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Maxen, why are you attacking me right now? Don't say such things without a heads up." She clutched her chest with her other hand, backing away a little.

"Then I'm giving a heads up now."

"For?"

"That." He blinked almost innocently. "I'll keep saying that since my heart always feels like it will explode if I didn't tell you I'm in love with you and that I feel so lucky."

"..."

Cosette looked away, covering her lips with the back of her hand. Her face turned in red while the beat of her heart was thumping so loud it was echoing in her ear. How could Maxen say all that in one sentence? And even though it was abrupt, it sent butterflies in her stomach.

'Should I kiss him?' she wondered, discreetly looking around the street. When she was certain that no one was around, she faced him with determination to tiptoe and plant a kiss on him. However, just as she faced him, Cosette froze upon catching the conflict in his eyes.

"Max, is there something wrong?" she asked almost immediately, watching him blink as he refocused his eyes on her. Worry instantly replaced the giddiness in her eyes, taking a step closer to him. "Are you not feeling well? I can call driver George to fetch us instead."

​ Maxen studied the genuine worry in her eyes silently. Helping Luke clean up his place was a good distraction for them. He almost forgot the matters that had been bugging Maxen since this afternoon, but after teasing Cosette by expressing his heart, it returned.

How could he say all that to her when there were many things Maxen hadn't told her? His jaw tightened as he weighed whether or not to tell her about it. He felt torn at the fact he might also have to move out and away from her since she could be in danger, just as Remo mentioned.

There were many things, and he felt shameless about even forgetting about them for hours. He should've decided instead of distracting himself, just like that. Maxen could imagine the worse that could happen to her and to Conrad if those people, who claimed to be his family, decided to slink out of the shadows.

"Max?" she called once more, snapping him back to the current lapse.

Seeing that the worry in her eyes deepened as if she would cry anytime soon, Maxen's breath hitched. His lips quivered, gulping the little moisture in his throat.

"Cosette." Maxen held her shoulders and hung his head low, closing his eyes along with his deep exhale. When he raised his head, he looked her straight in the eye. "I have something to tell you."

"The way you look at me makes me nervous, Max," she muttered, noticing the conflict swirl in his eyes. "Think it through."

Maxen clenched his teeth as his mouth opened and closed, but his words were stuck in his throat. Unknowingly, his grip on her shoulder tightened, which Cosette ignored as she kept her eyes on him. A minute had passed before he raised his head again. This time, his eyes bore determination as if he had steeled his heart for whatever would come after this confession.

"I… killed someone."