What had become painfully clear during their exchange was this, Chad still had no idea Dipter had already been dealt with. The threat he once held over Max's head… no longer existed. All that cocky confidence? It was hollow.
But ironically, Chad was bluffing in his own mind, too. As far as he was concerned, Dipter had slipped out of his control. He believed the fear he'd planted in Max was still alive and well, unaware of everything that had happened since.
Instead of replying, Max turned toward Sheri. He gently moved her hand off his forearm, then took both of her hands in his.
"I want you, for just a moment, to forget what anyone else wants," Max said softly. "I want to ask you, what do you want? If you want to stay here, to stay with Chad, then I won't stop you. But if you want to leave this situation, if you want out, then I'll help you. I'll support you completely. This time… I just want to know what you want."
"What I want…?" Sheri echoed faintly.
