She can hear Max enter her room. He closed the door behind him quietly and lumbered towards her bed, his gait unsteady and heavy. She can smell the reek of alcohol on his breath when he reached her bed and stood there. He made no move to touch her. She tried to slow her breathing and pretend to be asleep, not daring to even sneak a peek at him.
He stood next to her bed for several minutes. The minutes felt like hours. Time stood still. There was a pause in the air as the silence stretched on. The atmosphere was taut with an unmistakable tension. She could sense he was conflicted. She stole a look at him from under her lashes. He was rubbing his face with his hand, his shoulders slumped. He looked defeated and vulnerable. Sad even. Her heart goes out to him. She wished she could reach out
