Max seemed aloof as they bid farewell to the Haydens. He was awfully silent too. Wordlessly he carried and put all her suitcases and bags inside the car, dismissing Sofia's insistence to do it on her own.

The Hayden family stood behind and waved at them as she pulled the car out onto the street.

The show of a smile dissipated the moment she lost sight of her family in the rear view. Feeling worried, she glanced at Max through the corner of her eye.

Just like how they had arrived, Max was once again sat beside her, hunched and looking out of the place in her small car.

It was the same car, same her and the same Max. But still, something had definitely changed now. Even though the windows were rolled down, there was this heaviness, this suffocating atmosphere surrounding them. And it was getting unbearable with each passing second.

Clearly it was because of what happened in her room back there at Hayden House.

Was he mad at her?

The quickly escalating attraction between them, that reached deeper than physical level, was straining their somewhat revitalized friendship. The realization settled heavily in her stomach and suddenly she felt desperate to hear him talk to her again, look at her again, tease her and make her a blushing mess, just like it had been before the depressing turn they took back at Hayden House.

"Uh...," she fumbled for words. Her eyes fell on the radio. "Let's hear something on the radio."

Max looked at her briefly and gave her a tight lipped smile, nodding an approval of some sort. And then he was staring ahead again.

Feeling disappointed at the reaction she received, she turned on the radio. Her eyes glancing sideways every now and then as the RJ blabbered something which seemed incoherent to her ears, after that, an old song began playing.

"Old songs are always the best, aren't they?" she asked, trying to pick up a conversation, trying to have him talk to her again.

"Hmmm."

That's it? No comments. No arguments.

The rest of the journey stayed unchanged to her dismay. She tried to say some random stuff like the weather and traffic, but got nothing out of Max except some absentminded nods and hums.

Soon they reached home. She killed the engine and watched Max get out of the car. He called for Bean who came running from his seat by the front gates. The men were soon carrying her luggage inside and with nerves twirling in her stomach Sofia followed them. Upstairs, she stood beside the wide open door, all her luggage kept in the middle of the room behind her.

She looked at Max thinking that at least now he would talk to her, but her stomach dropped discovering he wasn't even sparing a single glance her way. The cold shoulder hurt, really hurt.

He left without a word.

That was when a crucial fear knotted in her guts.

What if he wouldn't talk to her ever again?

The outrageous possibility sounded liked doom warming over the entire universe.

After having a taste of the splendid communication they shared with each other—and with each other only, she was now absolutely afraid of even thinking about losing it.

And she couldn't anymore decipher which fear was bigger at this point—the fear of getting weak and risking her own destruction again or the fear of losing him again.

As she stood under the shower-head, the hot stream of water doing wonders to the knots in her shoulders, she thought of all those times since she was hospitalized, he had been nothing but the most charming man a woman can dream of. The ways he cared for her, worried over her—it all replayed in her mind. His soul tearing smile, breath stopping, heated gazes, the innuendos, the teasing, and his simplest of touches sizzling her skin like it were a chick-flick novel or a movie. The easy conversations she had with him till so late last night, those silly arguments and laughs that filled her entire world with colors she had never seen before.

Putting on her pajamas and an old t-shirt, she dragged her feet towards the hauntingly lonely bed.

She didn't even bother to comb her hair or dry them. And therefore, when she dropped her head onto the pillow, it instantly started to get wet from her dripping hair, but she was beyond caring about that.

Minutes and hours passed, the scary tick-tock of the wall clock came from outside her room. The morbid thing was hung on the wall just beside the staircase.

Her ears rang hearing an owl continuously hoot outside her wide open window. She lay wide awake, sprawled pathetically on the bed. And she was brave enough to admit it to herself that she was waiting for Max to knock on her door again, wanting to hang out at such an ungodly hour of night and then probably, accidentally fall asleep in her bed once more.

She sighed when it was four in the morning.

This Max had become a serious bad habit, an addiction that would just not leave her alone.

Finally, having enough of it she groaned aloud, then screamed, muffling her mouth into the pillow. Springing up to a sitting position, she clutched at her hair in frustration.

"I hate to do this, but...," she mumbled to herself, glaring daggers at the pillow next to her own—the pillow Max had slept on last night. "And I know this is probably wrong and weird at so many levels, but... Hell!"

And she lunged for the pillow, pressed her face into it. Nuzzling her nose into the softness she breathed in his scent. Her insides coated with peace at last, her mind went dizzy enough that her eyes drooped closed. Sleepily she touched her cheek, amused at the feeling of them heating up under her finger tips, realizing he was capable of making her flush even when he was not around. His scent was enough. His memories were enough.

Sofia rushed downstairs to have breakfast in the morning, hoping to see if his mood had gone back to normal after the night.

Debbie poured her a cup of tea as she helped herself with toast and jam. She watched the time at her wrist watch, biting onto the toast absentmindedly. He should have been down by now.

Where was he?

Her unvoiced question was answered by Debbie then.

"Ma'am, sir didn't want to disrupt your sleep. He told me to let you know that he had to urgently go to London for a few days. Said something about an eleventh hour case turning up over there that needs his presence straightaway."

London!

Suddenly, Sofia didn't feel hungry anymore. "Oh." She dropped the toast on the plate, feeling absolutely dispirited.

Just yesterday he was calling her every freaking hour the whole day, that too without needing any specific reason. And suddenly now, he could not even spare a single moment to tell her he was going out of the city, for days! He could have at least left her a voice mail or a text at least.

"Ma'am?" Debbie inquired in a worried tone. "You didn't eat anything?"

Standing up, Sofia picked up her canvas bag from where she had hung it at the back of the chair.

She tried to smile at Debbie reassuringly. "Not hungry, Debbie, will eat something at work."

Angry and hurt, Sofia sat in her car and dialed Max's number from her cracked phone, which needed to be punched literally to do so. Dejection filled her heart hearing as the calls went to voice mails. She reassured herself that his phone was probably switched off because he was in the flight. But then, to her utter dismay, all her calls for the rest of the day too kept going to voice mail as well. The result was her mood getting so unbelievably sour that she had hardly ever experienced before, and all her staff was in the receiving end of the fireballs.

Even the fact that her new business endeavors had already started making exceptional profits in the very first week and that Mary's Diner and Catering was becoming quite popular among the people in the area and beyond couldn't really make her happy.

The drive back home had her staring every now and then at the vacant passenger seat beside her.

After witnessing how weird her tall monster of a husband looked there, the empty seat looked woeful now.

Sofia busied herself cooking dinner. Pasta tonight. And she cooked so much that she had to pack boxes of them in the end and had Debbie take some home. Bean and the other staff of the house were also forced fed.

When she was putting the remaining pasta in the fridge, her phone beeped receiving a message. Sofia gasped. Her instincts said it was Max. And truly, it was Max indeed.

Teeth grinding in boundless anger, face scrunched up into a deep scowl Sofia opened the message. But as she read it, the insane amount of anger melted away effortlessly.

The scowl on her face slackened at the startling insight. Even when he was royally ignoring her, he still cared. He still worried.

The back of her eyes stung with tears, emotions spilled out of her heart for the beating organ was now failing to contain it all. The foolish guy just couldn't do discreet. Her four-eyed-geek had always been a pathetic pretender. Driven by emotions he just couldn't hold onto his melodramas for long.

Forgetting to even close the fridge's door, Sofia sauntered up the stairs and to her room. And no, she didn't listen to him.

She sent the text. And waited for a reply from him, at least to hear a snide remark that would pick another one of those arguments, that would make everything alright again. But she got nothing from his side.

The windows stayed wide open, she stared at the night sky from her bed, lying on her side, the pillow that had his scent on it loosely wrapped in her embrace.

--

Days passed by in a weird state for Sofia.

It was something in between melancholy and fervor that surrounded her. There were no other texts from him, forget phone calls. She visited the Haydens, and then went to see Robert on the second day of Max's impromptu departure, and got bits and pieces of information about Max's well being.

They sat at the front porch of the Wilder mansion, conversing casually over cups of tea and cookies.

Turned out her lawyer husband was being drowned till his throat in work, and had to also occasionally play James Bond for one mogul client in London.

But still, couldn't he find even ten little seconds in the whole day to call her and tell her he was alright or anything under the sky!

"I informed Max that it would be to our further advantage if he left to handle the case personally, regarding he's the director of the firm now," Robert said, his hand twirling the spoon in the teacup with tardy motions. "But I also said that if he didn't want to leave, we always have Neil. I thought he would take the offer, not wanting to leave his new wife back home alone, especially when things are finally looking up between the two of you after that party."

Sofia sipped her own tea quietly, blinking as Robert looked at her. The man's eyes narrowed with scrutiny.

"Is everything really going well between the two of you, Sofia?"

That was quite the question.

Was everything going alright? Or was it all falling apart for good now?

"There's nothing to worry about," she stalled with a bright smile.

Robert didn't look convinced though.

She was prudent in not letting it out that she wasn't at all aware of her husband's this eleventh hour trip and had yet to talk to him since he left. But it seemed like despite her careful act of everything being sunny while fishing for Max's well being in between, Robert still got suspicious. However, Robert didn't prod anymore and Sofia was thankful for that.

Neil jogged towards them then with a sunny smile on his face, greeting her and joking as he always did. But somehow, it did nothing to sooth the sourness and worry in her. Robert left the two on the porch.

"Are you even hearing what I just told you, Sofi?" Neil clapped wildly before her face. "I know you've been missing my brother like crazy and you're probably regretting not having the chance of kissing him goodbye, but still..., you should not ignore your loyal friend over here."

Sofia jumped and scowled at him. "I'm just feeling under the weather a bit, no need to get it mixed up with that brute you call your brother who didn't even find it necessary informing me he was leaving."

"Ah. Feeling under the weather?" Neil tilted his face to the side as if in deep thought. "Or missing the quickies and getting caught by the Haydens?" he raised his brows suggestively, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Sofia narrowed her eyes. "Where did you hear this from? This silly rumor."

"Hey, it's no rumor. Don't you try to deny it now after getting caught by Skyler red handed."

Crossing her arms, she observed Neil with curiosity. "So, Skyler told you?"

Suddenly the mischief in Neil's eyes disappeared. He looked guarded. "Uh, yes."

Interesting! It seemed the table was turned.

Sofia leaned forward a bit. "Looks like you two have become quite the good friends since my surprise birthday bash?"

"So? What's wrong in it?"

"More importantly, why are you getting so defensive about it?"

She raised her brow as Neil flushed red, and soon enough their meeting was dismissed for he remembered he had some random work that needed to be taken care of right away.

It was clear. The haphazardly thrown arrows had somehow hit the aim.

Neil and Skyler?

--

First there were the nightmares that kept her awake at nights during the initial disastrous days of their marriage, and now, added was Max's absence that was doing the task of keeping her sleep at bay.

It was the fourth night since Max left and she still stayed wide awake in her bed. His scent had almost dissipated completely from the pillow and she feared she was going to turn into an insomniac at this rate.

She turned on her side on the bed, facing away from the door. And then she heard it.

Slow, cautious footsteps out in the corridor. She immediately recognized who it was.

Max was back!

This must be some sort of a miraculous thing that she knew it instantly every time when it was him, without even having to see or hear him.

Her door clicked softly. The dim light from the corridor seeped in as the door was opened without a noise.

He was in her room.

Sofia stiffened, her shoulders went taut. She heard his footsteps approach her from behind, she didn't turn, didn't move to look back at him as he stood next to the bed behind her.

"Sof...," he whispered, as softly as the light breeze that was blowing in through her open window. She heard his long sigh. He knew she was awake by her stiff posture, her hands clenching into tight little fists.

She stayed strong, she stayed stubborn.

What did he think? That after days of neglecting her, he would just come back one late night and decide that he would start talking to her again! Not so easy, you brute, not so easy.

She was beyond mad at this point.

But then his breath hit the side of her face and she let out a soft gasp. His fingers ever so gently caressed down her cheek then trailed up her ear, tucking a lock of hair behind it. He quickly walked out of her room after that, leaving her to bask in the effect that his small action had caused. It was ridiculous how even the littlest of his touches could turn out to be so impactful.

She didn't know for how long she lay like that, it had to be half an hour or so, she guessed.

She sat up and got out the bed, and was soon walking towards his room in a state of daze. She guessed he was asleep for all the work and his flight, at least she hoped so. The plan was simple, she was simply going to slip into his bed using her special ninja skills, and then she would slip out before he woke in the morning. Just like he did the other night. It was very much possible. And besides, she was just done suffering through the long sleepless nights. She needed her sleep. And she needed to see him. It'd been so long she had laid eyes on him.

And when she put her hand on the doorknob, it descended upon her with a jolt how much she needed him.

The realization had her freeze on the spot.

Out of the blue, the door was yanked open as though someone had just decided to rip it off the frame.

Her eyes widened in shock, Max looked shocked as well seeing her there. Her hand was still hung in midair where the knob was earlier. His eyes that looked tormented beyond belief, stared back at her shocked ones.

There goes her plan.

"God damn it, Sof!" Max growled under his breath. Without warning, he lunged forward in one long stride and she found herself swooped up into an embrace that had her feet leave the ground. She gasped in shock as he held onto her frantically muttering curses she could not find meaning of.

Her own fury from his negligence in the past days came bubbling forth next as she hung from his tight embrace like a rag doll. This tall monster always used his height to his advantage.

"Why?" she grumbled out over his neck, her hands clutching his shirt angrily. "Why?" she repeated.

Max exhaled a torturous breath.

And then, she was punching his shoulders, beating him with angry tears stinging her eyes that she didn't allow to spill out.

"Why, you devil?" she screamed at his ear while squirming furiously. But his hold around her waist only tightened, refusing to let her go.

She didn't know for how long she kept up pouring all her anger upon him, but at one point, she drained out. Her body went slack against his.

"You'll not understand, Sof," he murmured, nuzzling his nose against her ear. "Not yet."

Could he be more frustrating than this?

Asking for answers from him was like banging her own head into the wall. It was tiring.

She felt exhausted and decided all arguments would have to wait until morning.

"You infuriate me to no end," Sofia mumbled weakly, as he walked them backwards slowly with her still confined the same way in his arms.

"I know," he whispered with frailty.

Soon after, she felt the soft bed beneath her as he lowered her onto it. She watched him get on the bed, without a hint swiftly pulling her into his body and covering them both with the blanket. His arms around her waist kept her snug against him as if he feared she would just up and disappear any moment.

She observed the dark circles around his eyes. His face looking ashen and exhausted, as though he had aged a few years in the span of just a few days. She could tell that if they were to stand before a mirror, they would find the state of their faces just the same.

She was as miserable without him as he was without her.