The news of Alison and Brady's car crash spread like wildfire. It was not very often that in a town like this that a Porsche as nice as Brady's got totaled like that.

The thing was most people did not get the facts right. Since Alison was the only one who gave a statement because Brady still refused to speak, it got twisted that it was Alison driving. Most people who knew the two of them refused to believe that Brady would crash his beloved Porsche so the rumor that spread was that the two of them were trying to run away again and Alison totaled the car.

Alison and Brady didn't care. Gossip was the least of their concern, especially when they both spent most nights wide awake and days trying to shut their thoughts off.

Julia did not believe it, well at first she didn't. If Julia was being honest with herself she knew deep down it could not be true. Alison and Brady would never run away. However, how could Brady just crash the Porsche? The car that Brady loved more than anything else. Something wasn't adding up.

However Julia also did not have time to think about it. She had dance class, then lunch with her mom and her mom's friend who went to a prestigious ballet school in New York. Then another ballet camp, dinner with Hailey, and she would have to find time to work on her college applications too.

Max had been aimlessly clicking through channels on the television when his father strolled in. Alison's lack of interest in him along with her refusal to even see him had made Max quite miserable, not that he would admit that to anyone.

"Did you move at all today?" his father asked, staring at his son who was laying down on the couch with a bag of chips on his chest.

Max shrugged, but moved over a bit so his father could sit on the couch as well.

"Where's Isa?" Max's father asked.

"In her room," Max muttered. "Probably playing with one of the expensive toys you bought her."

Mr. Hall looked over at his son. "What's up with the attitude?"

Max rolled his eyes. "Nothing."

"Well sit up, I have to tell you something."

Max grumbled complaints as he got up and faced his dad on the couch. "What?" he asked through his teeth.

"My friend at the police department told me that Brady and Alison crashed Brady's Porsche."

Max stared at his father for a second. There was no way. Brady would never. Not his Porsche. Max still remembered how excited Brady was when he drove over to his place when Hayden had given Brady the keys. Brady loved that car.

"Are they okay?" he asked after a while.

Mr. Hart nodded. "They were cleared from the hospital," he explained. "Max I'm telling you this because Alison and Brady are going through much worse than you think. Moping around because your ex-girlfriend pushed you away isn't doing them or yourself any good."

Max clenched his jaw. "You don't get it," he grumbled.

"Then explain to me why your feelings for Alison matter more than what she and Brady are coping with?"

"Because your only reason for caring about them now is because you never liked them in the first place!" Max exclaimed. "You're just looking for a reason to make me stay away from Ali and Brady."

"Well, judging by the fact that you haven't once reached out to Brady, I can tell this isn't about him or her," Max's father said. "You want to be mad at me, fine. You want to think I'm a monster, fine. But this is bigger than you and me and you know that."

Max angrily stood up and stormed to his room. He slammed the door so hard it shook in his frame.

At first, Max had wanted to see Brady. He even drove by Brady's house, but then through Brady's window, Max had seen Alison and Brady sitting on the floor together. Something about it irked him. Knowing that the two of them were so close now. Everything about the situation was so messy that it left Max feeling so conflicted and lost. Normally, when he felt this stressed, he would seek comfort in Alison. Which is what he decided to do.

After dinner, he left his dad's and went to Alison's. Even if she wouldn't see him, he needed to see if she was okay.

Max snuck around the side of the house and peaked into the basement sliding glass door. He tried the handle, but it was locked. That was surprising. He was debating leaving when he heard noises in the guest house. He turned around and through the window he saw her.

Alison was sitting on the couch with her legs criss crossed. She was wearing these gray shorts that revealed all the scarring on her legs and black tank top that showed the scars on her arm. She was surrounded by Kate and the other girls that followed Kate around. The friends that Max despised. Kate was in the midst of doing a line of coke off the coffee table. The two other girls were smoking. He moved around the guest house to the back window that was open so he could hear them but so that he was out of sight.

"So, is it weird being back?" Kate asked Alison.

Alison looked over at her friend and Max was shocked to see how cold her green eyes were. Like sea glass. She glared at Kate.

"Ask me that again and maybe you'll get matching scars to mine," Alison challenged.

Kate only laughed as one of her friends passed her a joint.

"Still, I mean you're the hottest piece of gossip around, tell me you don't enjoy that," another said.

Alison just rolled her eyes. She murmured something Max could not make out. Whatever she said must have made the other girls uncomfortable as they all shifted nervously in their seats.

"Oh please, Ali," Kate said, shoving her lightly.

Alison flinched at her touch but Max seemed to be the only one who noticed.

"So, what did the doctor prescribe you for the car accident?" Kate asked.

Alison glanced over at her and then shrugged. "I didn't take it, but it's over on the table."

"Why didn't you take it?" someone asked.

Alison shrugged again.

"Percocet? Let's go!" Kate cheered.

Max watched angrily as Kate swiped the entire bottle off the table and put it in her purse. He had enough. Without even really thinking, he went around the house and slammed the door open.

"Get the hell out," he demanded angrily. "All of you."

"What's your problem, Max?" Kate asked with crossed arms.

Max glared at her and snatched her bag from her hands. He pulled out the pills she had stolen and tossed her bag outside.

"Get out," he repeated in her face.

Kate clenched her jaw. She looked back to Alison who had been watching them silently this whole time. Max could tell she was too high to really absorb what was going on. Instead, she was watching Kate and Max fight as if it were a television show.

"Control him," Kate demanded.

Alison simply looked between Kate and Max and then took a hit of the bong that was next to her. Max clenched his jaw and turned back to Kate.

"Get out of here, before I tell the police what kind of illegal drugs you just gave to a minor," Max threatened.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said.

Kate and her friends left the guest house and Max turned back to Alison. She didn't seem to mind or perhaps she didn't notice how much Max was staring. From the scars that seemed to run all over her bare arms and legs all the way to the most recent stitches and cuts.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"You have terrible friends," he said looking away from her as he put the pills back in a cabinet.

Alison watched as he sat down next to her. Now it was her turn to stare at him.

"Why are you here?" she asked softly in the voice he missed so much.

"I heard about the car crash," he answered, refusing to break eye contact.

"I'm okay," she whispered.

"How's Brady?" he asked.

"Okay as well," she murmured.

"Do you think I should visit him?" he asked, eyeing her carefully.

Alison shrugged. "Why not?" she asked back. "He would want to see you."

"Do you?" he asked. "I mean do you mind that I'm here?"

Alison stared at him. "Do you mind that I'm here?" she asked. "Back, I mean."

"Well, of course I'm happy that you're back," Max admitted. "But Ali, you're scaring me."

Alison frowned. "Whatever you see in me that scares you, just remember that it's barely half a reflection of what I've been through. Me and Brady," Alison paused and sighed. "Well, it's been harder than we both thought it would be, coming back and all."

Mad slowly began to understand. "Brady crashed the car, didn't he?"

Alison nodded. Max did not know everything surrounding Alison and Brady and their time away. However, he knew one thing. Alison had never sat behind the wheel of a car before she had gone missing. It only made sense that it would have been Brady who totaled the Porsche.

"I just don't get it," Max mumbled. "Brady loved that car."

Alison laughed dryly. "The Brady from before the basement loved that car, not the Brady he is now."

Max stared at her again. "What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

"What has changed about you since coming back?" he asked, leaning closer.

Alison turned away for a minute but then slowly she looked back into his dark brown eyes.

"It worsened every broken part of me," she said quietly.

Max felt so much sympathy for her. His heart ached at the thought of her suffering so much. Instinctively, he reached towards her, but stopped himself. He knew better, she didn't like to be touched anymore. Max could imagine why.

"You can," she said softly, knowing what he was thinking.

He looked over at her, surprised. "I don't want to upset you," he whispered.

Alison leaned towards him, she moved so was practically in his lap, straddling him. Max looked up at her, she was so high that her green eyes looked almost glazed over. She placed his hands around her waist.

"Please, Max?" she asked in a soft whisper. "I need this."

Max's fingers grazed her bare legs and he winced when he felt all the raised skins from the scars.

"Ali," he murmured. "You're so out of it right now. You don't know what you're saying."

"I know what I want, Max," she whispered, her hands running through his dark hair.

Max pushed her hair away from her face and used his thumbs to trace her cheekbones.

"Please?" she asked again, her lips inches from his.

Max tilted his chin up a bit and let their lips meet. Alison's breath stunk of cheap wine and her bottom lip had a cut on it from where she had chewed it raw from nerves. Alison and Max continued to kiss though as Alison pulled Max's shirt off.

"Do you have a condom?" Alison asked as Max kissed her neck.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Alison nodded. "We can go upstairs."

When they were done and Alison was resting on her head on Max's bare chest and he had his arms around her, she thought about the first time they had sex. It was at his old apartment and she had been nervous. Not that she had wanted to admit that to him, but then to her surprise he was just as nervous as she was. Neither knew what they were doing, but at the same time it was so special that Alison didn't care.

There was something about the way she felt in his arms. She felt it that first time so deeply and never in his arms had she ever felt scared. . .until now. Now, she was staring at the covered mirror, wide awake as she laid in his arms, still scared to shut her eyes. Still scared of the nightmares that waited for her.

Max had fallen asleep already, but even now it was three in the morning and she was fighting the sleep with all she had. It didn't last though, around half past four she had drifted off. She had been dreaming about the basement again. It was strange how well aware Alison was that it was a dream yet it still felt so real. Her heart was racing so fast she suddenly shot up from the bed, extremely startled. Avery could barely catch her breath, she was shaking so bad and all her frantic behavior had woken up Max.

"Ali?" he asked, his voice full of concern. "Are you okay?"

He reached out to comfort her, but she flinched and moved away from him. Alison got out of the bed and wiped her eyes. She hadn't even realized she was crying.

"Ali, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

She shook her head and raced down the stairs. Max knew Alison well enough not to follow her. He hadn't heard the door so she knew she was still in the house.

Max sighed and got back in bed. He tossed and turned for a couple of hours until he finally gave up and decided to go downstairs. The sun was just coming up and beginning to fill the room downstairs. Max quietly went down and found his shirt from last night. He put it on and then found Alison frantically writing away in her journal.

It was not a secret that Alison liked to journal, Max had even read them unbeknownst to her when she was gone, but what was surprising to Max was the pace she was writing at. He got closer and noticed the empty pot of coffee in front of her. It was astonishing to Max how erratic Alison could be. How self-destructive she was, even if she was sober. Well, could a person be called sober on that much caffeine? Max wasn't sure.

"How are you doing, Ali?" he asked softly.

Alison shut the journal at once and got up and went over to him. Max noticed how much her hands were shaking. He couldn't tell if it was because of the coffee or her nightmares.

"I'm fine," she said softly. "I'm sorry if I scared you last night."

Max stared at her. "I wasn't scared, I was worried."

Alison looked away from him and down to her shoes. "I shouldn't have done this."

"Done what?"

"Let you in," she mumbled. "I used you," she admitted softly.

Max shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "What do you mean?"

Alison sighed. "I haven't been able to sleep much, and I thought maybe if it was like old times and I slept in your arms it would be different."

"But it wasn't?" Max surmised, a bit unhappily.

Alison's face crumpled up in pain. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking. "I shouldn't have done this, I've just been so desperate to get some sleep."

Max pulled Avery into her embrace. "You don't have to apologize," he whispered. "I want to help you any way I can."

Avery looked up at him and Max could see how upset she looked. "Can you just give me some space, Max?"

Max was surprised. He hadn't been expecting her to say that. He dropped his arms and stepped away from her. At once, Avery missed the warms of his body against hers.

Alison just let out a breath and began walking away. Max stared at her as she went upstairs. For once his father had been right, Alison and Brady were far worse off than he thought.