I Know I Saw Her

After Max had returned home and ran into her bedroom, Anna's body filled up with fear. "Max?" Anna asked. "Max, what's wrong?" There was no answer and as Anna got up, Chris did too, but only to lightly grasp her arm. Anna looked back, curious as to why he stopped her, but before she could get a word out he said, "I think we should give her a bit to calm down. I know that look, she needs some time. It's what she does when she's overwhelmed."

Anna's heart melted into a deep concern as she moved her head up and down. "Okay. You're probably right." Chris gave her a small smile as she said quietly, "I wonder where the hell she went." They stared at each other until Anna couldn't take it anymore, blushing and looking down at the floor.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Chris stuttered.

He sucked in a breath as he threw his arms up and plopped down on the ugly couch. "I'm hungry, are you?"

It took Anna a moment to react to the sudden change of subject, but she realized just how loudly her stomach was rumbling.

"Actually, yes!" Her smile returned as she counted each option with her fingers. "We still have pizza, chocolate, and Skittles, though I'm thinking we should save those for Max," Anna laughed as she scurried a few feet over to open the fridge door. "And we are going grocery shopping when she comes out of her room. This is just depressing."

Chris let out a small laugh, but soon after Anna noticed his face turn sad.

"What's wrong?" She said quietly as she shut the refrigerator door. "Are you okay?"

Chris swallowed and looked up guiltily. "I knew it was you."

Anna stared at him with eyebrows up, not sure what he was talking about. "Knew it was me? What do you me—"

"I mean she told me: red hair, smile for days, blue eyes, your name. You followed her in here and my stomach twisted because I knew."

Anna shut her eyes slowly and opened them as she confessed, "I knew too. I saw it in your face."

She smiled and Chris smiled back, clearly amused. Anna had a feeling that Chris quite enjoyed her demanding, intuitive nature.

"Can't believe I'm such an easy read. Max would be so pissed!"

They both laughed as Anna bit her lip.

"Well, I'm glad you are, I wanted you to be on my side. I needed you to be there."

Anna shook her head. "Besides, she gave herself away — the second I said her name, she reacted." Anna continued with a smirk, "Detective 101."

"You sure are a bit frightening sometimes, but you know that."

Anna agreed timidly as she sat down next to Chris on the couch. "Not the first time I've heard that."

Anna couldn't help but smile at Chris. She had never met anyone so genuine and with every word, he seemed to pull her in more. Anna remembered what Max had said about him and decided she would feel comfortable playing detective once again.

"So, Max tells me you're a pretty trustworthy guy."

She raised her eyebrows and smirked. Chris looked at her and his smile returned as he said, "well, I am certainly glad she said that and not something embarrassing!"

Anna laughed and softly replied, "well . . . I hope you know that you can trust me too."

His smile slowly disappeared, but Anna could see in his eyes that he was still happy. She could sense that he felt touched by her words.

"I know now. You really are something else, you know that?"

She felt blood rush to her cheeks as she looked down and laughed to herself.

"There are some things I would like to tell you though before you start thinking too highly of me." He smirked with fear in his eyes, and Anna could tell he was about to tell her a truth that he didn't want her to hear.

"I'm all ears!" Anna said with a fake sigh, "I don't scare easily."

"Good!" he chirped as he took a deep breath. "Before I met Max, I was living on the opposite side of the city with some bad people. They were family, but I've learned that you choose your family. Those people? They had no love for me or each other."

Anna shook her head slowly up and down, wanting to reassure him that she was listening intently.

He put his hand up, lightly touching his mouth as he continued, "have you ever had someone hurt you so much that they push you to a breaking point you can't get back from?"

Anna sighed, thinking about her own mother casually disregarding her for years.

"Yes. Yes I do."

Chris nodded and said, "that is what happened to me. Except instead of just leaving, I started doing drugs."

Anna made a huge effort to not look shocked because she knew that would make him feel worse, but she couldn't hide all of it.

"I chose to escape that way, and it was the worst decision of my life."

Anna tried to interject, "Chris, I am so sorry . . ."

"No, it's okay!" he jumped in, "it was my mistake and I accepted that a long time ago."

He smiled and shook his head. "This is actually how I met Max."

Anna immediately perked up. She wanted to know so badly how Max met him.

"I was just down the road from here looking to buy some drugs and I didn't know that they would lead to my overdose. I fell over and everything went black . . ." his voice trailed off as he looked straight into Anna's eyes. "Anna, is this too much? I feel like it's a bit intense, I'm sorry . . ."

Anna widened her eyes and grabbed his hands. "No! Of course not. Remember what I said? You can trust me. I don't feel like running just yet." She winked and softly squeezed his hands.

Chris smiled and shook his head, "well I appreciate that!" He let out a small laugh and continued, "Max was there when Doug started shouting for help and apparently she tossed her guitar down and ran over to me. She snapped me back and took me in. I have NO idea how I survived, but I did."

Anna touched her chin with her hand feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Anna, she saved my life. She practically forced me to get clean and even punched me a few times when I was threatening to leave!" They both shared a laugh. Even Anna, through her tears that she felt dripping down her cheek.

"Wow, Chris . . . I had no idea. She told me that you saved her."

He shook his head up and down as he playfully pursed his lips.

"That sounds like her. She doesn't accept compliments like your average person." his head fell as he chuckled.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Anna giggled.

Chris looked at her again and hesitantly said, "are you scared now?"

She scoffed, "oh please! I've met scarier people than you. I live in the Bronx."

They shared another laugh before he seriously said, "I really try my best, Anna, to be a better person now and at least try to make-up for the people I hurt." His head fell and she noticed he looked tired as if just mentioning his indiscretions hurt.

"Hey," Anna said as she lifted his chin up, "You are doing a good job from what I see and I see that you are good. You have a good heart."

"Thank you." Chris looked appreciative but unconvinced.

"You are welcome! Now that I know your whole life story, it's time to eat!"

As Anna laughed and stood up, she noticed her phone had been on silent. She'd missed thirty calls from someone.

She expected it to be her father; he was generally the only one who called, but the name sent ice through her body. Jeremy Redding.

"What the hell?" she said to herself worriedly.

Chris furrowed his eyebrows and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Who is it?"

Anna looked up with a strange face. "It's . . . it's Jeremy. He's left me almost thirty messages."

"Jeremy who?" Chris looked lost in confusion.

"Jeremy is Max's father," Anna replied in a whisper.

Chris's eyes grew by the millisecond as Anna clicked the green button on her phone.

"Hello?"

She didn't have to wait long for a response, as Jeremy spoke strongly and clearly. "I saw her. I know I saw her."

Anna sucked in a breath and looked straight at Max's closed door.

"You mean . . ."

"Yes, Violet. She's alive."

Anna bit her lip, scared to say the wrong thing and give herself away.

"Are you sure?" She said shakily. "I mean, how do you know?"

She shot a scared look at Chris, who now also looked afraid.

"I just know, I'm telling you. Her eyes . . . her eyes were . . ." He trailed off, tired of no one listening to him. He began to cry quietly.

"Anna, please. I just know, you have to believe me."

"I do! I do. You should go see my mom, don't you think? She can help you and I can come home."

He stayed silent for a few seconds before clumsily saying, "Oh of course. Yes I'll do that."

Anger surged through Anna's body. "You went to her, didn't you?"

Jeremy stuttered, obviously not knowing what to say, so Anna had her answer.

"God, how typical."

She thought she couldn't find more reasons to be disgusted by her mother, but she was being too hopeful apparently.

"Mr. R., let me call you back later. We can sort this out ourselves, okay?"

"Thank you, Anna!! Thank you."

"You got it R-Man. Don't worry, I'll talk to you in a bit."

She hung up and slowly turned her head toward Chris.

"I don't know what to do. I . . . I just—"

"I'm so sorry, Anna. I have no idea either."

They both looked away, on the verge of tears, as Max emerged from the silence of her cave.

Anna and Chris whipped their heads up toward her. Max stood swaying as if she had been knocked out. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Max . . . you went."

She took a step back and Anna watched shock creep across Max's face.

"Went where, Anna?"

"Stop it, Max. That was your father asking me to come home and help him find you. He saw you or something, what the hell happened? Why didn't you say something?"

Anna had so many questions, but Max jumped in. "I did this for myself, I needed to see him. After you told me how broken down he was I just wanted to see him. I don't know why, to be honest." She flung her arms up abruptly. "I certainly didn't think he would recognize me!"

"Well he DID. He wants me to help him look for you, what am I supposed to do?"

Max lowered her voice and stared blankly at Anna. "Nothing. Do nothing."

Anna looked at her, dumbfounded. "I can't just do NOTHING, he would be devastated. You KNOW that."

"Well, I don't want him to know I'm alive, let alone talk to me."

Max took a step forward, staring intensely into Anna's eyes. "Do not do what I know you want to do. It will be crossing a line that you know I've drawn."

Anna looked at her, suddenly feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Max—"

"Don't do it, Anna. I'm telling you. Do NOT do this to me."

Anna muttered hesitantly, "Okay. I'm sorry, I won't."

She knew Max would run if she had to and Anna couldn't take any chances on that happening. Max turned around and marched to her room, shutting her door hard and angry.

Anna and Chris exchanged glances, but no words were spoken. Strangely, Anna found herself unable to find the right thing to say. Seven years ago she couldn't help and she couldn't help now either, but this time one person she loved very much would be hurt forever.

And it would be all her fault.