Imagines and One-Shots (Book Two)

Same Mistakes (Maxx Danziger) - Part 2 *

Your POV; One week later

You woke up to quiet knocking on your front door, making you furrow your eyebrows. You looked at the clock on your nightstand – 2:06am – and wondered why anyone would be waking you up this late.

Either way, the knocking continued, so you dragged yourself out of bed and trudged out of your room, surprised at what you found waiting for you outside your door.

"Maxx?" you asked, rubbing your eyes, "What are you doing here? It's 2 in the morning."

"I-I know," he said softly, "I'm s-sorry."

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" You turned on your hallway light, your eyes going as wide as they could possibly get when you saw him. "Maxx, what happened to you?!" you asked frantically, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

The bruise on his cheek had started to fade, but that wasn't what had you worried. There was a cut above his eyebrow – just a small little nick in his skin – but that got you thinking.

The bruises, the nerves, the way Brittany was quick to make you leave the apartment...

You had your suspicions when you saw him on the street – you were the one who taught him the makeup trick; you knew what it looked like – and the way he was so adamant about you not coming over in the first place. But it wasn't until now that you were piecing it all together.

"Does she hit you?" you asked bluntly, making Maxx freeze.

"W-Why would you ask me that?" he breathed.

"Just answer the question."

"I... I have to go," he said, spinning on his heels to leave.

You, however, weren't letting him get away that easily. You grabbed his elbow, turning him back around.

"Maxx," you said firmly, "Does your girlfriend hit you?" His breathing was shallow and his heart was racing as he kept his gaze on anything other than you.

"No," he whispered.

You huffed lightly, releasing his arm, only to grab his chin. You forced his face back up to look at you.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that," you demanded.

"Y/N..."

"Tell me she doesn't hit you," you were practically begging at this point.

"I can't..." he swallowed thickly, his bottom lip trembling.

Your expression fell and you couldn't believe what you were hearing. You never imagined Maxx as being the type of person who couldn't defend himself or would put up with abuse, but the reality was that he was.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Be-Because we broke up and I..."

"That doesn't mean I stopped caring about you, Maxx!" you exclaimed softly, "And I sure as hell wouldn't have sat around letting this happen to you!"

"There's nothing you can do, Y/N," he shook his head, "If you get involved, you're just gonna get hurt. I can handle it happening to me – I really can – but I'm not going to let it start happening to you too." He made the motion to leave, but you held onto him as if you were anchoring him down in your living room.

"You are not going back there, Maxx," you told him.

"I-I have to!" he yelled in a whisper, "If I don't, she's gonna-"