~Sunshine~

On the other side of the story, in the confined space of Max's car, a tense exchange unfolded.

"Let me go, Max."

Max, unmoved by her shouts, pushed her into the car without a care for her well-being. As he stepped into the car, he locked the door and started the engine. In a matter of minutes, the car accelerated, the urgency in Max's actions palpable.

"Max, what are you doing?"

Diana questioned, the unease evident in her voice.

"Don't you want to talk to him? Why not you call him right now?"

Max gritted his teeth in response, his tone cold and detached.

After driving a short distance, Max came to a sudden stop at the corner of the road. The silence inside the car was shattered as he gripped Diana's hand with force.

"Max!"

Diana exclaimed, furrowing her brow as she attempted to loosen his hold. However, the more she struggled, the tighter Max's grasp became.

"Diana, do you really think to call that man?"

Max questioned, the intensity of his gaze locking onto hers.

"Yes, I will give him a call; at least I know he cares about me," Diana stated, her determination evident despite the physical struggle.

"He cares for you?"

Max abruptly yelled, his voice piercing through the confined space of the car.

Diana fixed her gaze on Max, her expression a mask of calm determination.

"Indeed," she responded with a calmness that belied the storm within.

"Indeed he does. He had never spoken to me the way you do."

Max's breath quickened at her revelation, the charged atmosphere inside the car escalating. Their heavy breaths were the only sounds in the confined space as they locked eyes, each word and gazed at a battlefield of emotions.

In the midst of this charged exchange, when the intensity between them reached its peak, Diana found herself engrossed in Max's eyes, the world around them fading into the background. The air thickened with unspoken desires.

Suddenly, the fragile tranquility was shattered.

A sharp, breaking sound echoed in the car, startling Diana out of the intimate moment. Max had broken the window glass on her side.

"Max!"

Diana's voice softened, a mixture of surprise and disbelief. She hadn't anticipated such a visceral reaction from him.

Max's fury manifested once again as his fist collided with the window glass on Diana's side.

Diana's eyes fixed on the window, and her brows arched in surprise as she spotted the telltale stain of blood on the shattered glass. The reality of Max's bleeding hand struck her, momentarily overshadowing the heated exchange between them.

Max, now gripping the steering wheel with a bleeding hand, unleashed a relentless barrage of honks, the sound echoing in the middle of the deserted road.

"Max, stop it," Diana pleaded, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Her words, however, fell on deaf ears. Max, seemingly fueled by an unrelenting anger, continued the incessant honking. Diana, recognizing the intentional provocation, closed her eyes in frustration.

"Max, will you stop it!"

She shouted, her patience unraveling.

In an abrupt movement, she reached for Max's hand, stained with his own blood, and forcibly pulled it away from the horn.

"Is this a joke to you? Can't you see your hand is bleeding?"

Diana's voice held a mix of anger and concern as she confronted Max.

Diana retrieved a cotton ball and antiseptic from her bag, silently acknowledging the unspoken reality that lay between them. Max, still gripping the steering wheel, presented his bleeding hand without a word.

With a delicate touch, Diana pulled and began to tend to Max's wound. The antiseptic-soaked cotton ball traced the contours of his injured hand. Surprisingly, Max made no sound, and his stoic demeanor suggested an ability to endure physical pain with silent resilience.

Diana, acutely aware of Max's silent suffering, couldn't help but wonder if the same resilience extended to the emotional wounds that marked their relationship.

"Why do you want to contact him?"

Max's sudden question pierced the quiet air, pulling Diana from her thoughts. She sighed, a heavy exhale.

"I don't want to talk about it," Diana replied, her reluctance evident in her voice.

Max, tightening his jaw, abruptly yanked his hand from her lap at her response. The tension in the car escalated as his actions spoke louder than words.

"Max, it's..."

Diana began, attempting to explain.

"Let it bleed. I don't want your sympathy," Max retorted.

Diana, despite the resistance she faced, took a deep breath and addressed Max.

"As a doctor, I need to treat your wound."

Max, seemingly unmoved by her plea, started the car as if he hadn't heard anything. The engine's low hum drowned out Diana's words, and the disregard in Max's actions spoke volumes about the chasm that separated them.

Diana pressed her lips together, a silent gesture to contain the emotions swelling within. Her gaze shifted away from Max, finding solace in the world beyond the car window. At that moment, she sought refuge in the external landscape, using it as a shield to hide the tears that threatened to escape.

Max, you are hurting yourself by hurting me, right?

But I will not back down on my word. If you love me, then why don't you keep my word?

As the car moved forward, the echoes of Diana's unspoken thoughts reverberated in the quiet space between her and Max.

**

Francisco peered out from the window of his car, personally seeing Hazel off to her apartment. The street lamps cast a warm glow on the quiet neighborhood as the two figures stood beside the parked vehicle.

"So, this is your apartment?"

Francisco inquired, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

Hazel nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Yes."

"You live here alone?"

Hazel chuckled, "No, Mr. Francisco. Actually, some of my friends stay here. We share the apartment."

Francisco stepped out of the car, his gaze sweeping the area. It was evident he was assessing the safety of the neighborhood.

"So, Mr. Francisco, I am going," Hazel announced, preparing to bid him farewell.

He redirected his attention to her, and out of the blue, he uttered, "Won't you invite me to your apartment?"

Continue.