Max's POV

I rubbed my hand over my chest, trying to breathe in and out without it hurting, but I failed. The four walls of the room felt like they were closing up on me, suffocating me within their boundaries. I couldn't take it anymore so I pulled out the IV needle from my arm. Blood came out, it hurt but I didn't care. The ache over my chest was much more prominent. I pulled down the sleeves of my sweatshirt, covering the blood, and left my phone in the room before I walked out.

I didn't want to be reached at the moment, I just wanted to be alone, I needed fresh air, for a couple of minutes, not more. I was thankful that my parents weren't waiting outside and I made my way toward the next door and went up the stairs. I climbed up till I reached the roof, knowing it was the last place anyone would find me in.

I pushed the metal door open and the moment I stepped outside, the light early-summer breeze hit my chest and I closed my eyes, breathing the fresh air in, desperately needing it. I stepped forward and carefully sat down by the edge, with one foot on either side of the ledge, dangling them. The wound from the surgery ached and a low groan rumbled from my throat as I settled into a more comfortable position.

I know I shouldn't do this, for my health's sake, I shouldn't be here but I needed just one minute of serenity, one minute away from everything waiting for me downstairs. From Lilly's guilty eyes, from dad's fear of losing me, mom's pain, and from the man who looked at me like I meant the world to him.

I looked down, at the busy streets of the city, their headlights a blur as they raced through traffic. My gaze flickered up to the sky, it was turning pink as the sun slowly went down, signaling the end of the day.

The sunset came as a scattered heart across the horizon, as if the sky itself could speak of both beauty and pain. There is a thin line between the both. A very thin one.

I pressed my palms over the ground and remembered the time when I first discovered his existence; my uncle I thought. I wished he was alive back then. Seeing dad with a brother felt like something I would love to have around.

Now, here he is, my wish came true in the worst possible way ever.

He is here now, making me doubt my own existence.

As I stared down from the ten-story building, being this close to the edge, I couldn't help but think about suicide, not my own of course; as much as life could suck, I plan to keep living mine to the fullest. I just couldn't help but think about those who actually commit the act, about how they push themselves off the edge; do they regret it? Like while falling, do they ever say; shit, that was a very bad idea.

The thought, in some way, reminded me, it brought back images; flashes of dad's scar and a fresh image of the man I just talked with and the scar running up his neck. My jaw tightened and I closed my eyes, unable to face the ugly fact; they didn't have it easy, did they?

I want to know it all, but how can I ever be ready to hear about my father's pain? About...Nikolas's pain? What if I felt bad for him? I don't want that. I don't want to sympathize with him, I don't want to give reasons for his horrible actions. I don't want to forgive him.

I stayed there for some time, right by the edge, looking down at the world, the one I am getting lost in. A maze with no exit sign, a one I have to roam all of its ground to be able to find my way out.

As the sun escaped, the light slowly faded away and the night looked ready to take over. The pain pressed over my wound and I knew I had to go back to my room. Carefully, I pulled myself up to my feet, and my eyes took one last glance at what lay down beneath me.

"Oh my god, please don't jump!" A voice, or more like a panicked screech came from somewhere behind me, "Look, please, just take a second and think, just take a breath, I mean look, life is hard, I know, believe me, but killing yourself that can't be an option, please just step back, please, I am begging you."

My eyebrows pulled closer at the panicked rambling of words and I turned around to meet my intruder. Without much light, it was hard to understand who was standing there and all I heard was her very loud gasp, as she probably thought I was inching closer to the edge, "I am not gon-" I was gonna assure this human I am not gonna jump but I didn't get the chance as very wild hands grabbed into my hoodie and pulled me backward with so much force.

"Jesus," Left my mouth as I went crashing back against her. Her small body couldn't handle my weight and she went tumbling down the floor; she was holding into my hoodie and consequently, I fell down with her.

I groaned at the sensation and felt her arms wrap over my neck, so tightly, almost suffocating me, "I am not gonna let you jump!" She stressed out, and I tilted my head backward and it pressed against her chest, oh nice, before my eyes finally found hers.

Panic swirled into the light brown shade of her eyes, they were wide with terror and she shook her head frantically, her ginger hair flying all around her face and she only tightened her grip over my neck, "You're not gonna die on my watch!" She said, her chest behind me heaving and panting.

"Well, I just had a surgery and you made me fall down, my wound is practically burning at the moment, and you are literally suffocating the air out of my lungs," I winced, "So, I really think we are past that by now."

She gasped and loosened her grip from over my neck almost immediately, finally allowing me to breathe before she pulled away from behind me, almost making my head slam against the pavement, "Oh my god," She mumbled in panic, "Where? Which wound?" All I felt after were hands roaming up my body, inspecting for anything out of the ordinary, "Oh god, please don't be bleeding, I don't want to have blood on my hands just yet," She pressed her knees on both sides of my legs as she resumed her task.

My eyebrow raised, "Well, usually I wait for the second or third date for the girl to be on top, but-" I mean she is practically straddling my lap.

Her fear-filled eyes snapped to my face, they only widened at my comment and she immediately pulled herself backward. I groaned as I pressed my elbows over the floor and pulled my upper body up.

I stayed sitting, trying to get back my power and find my lost breath. My gaze went back to her and she was sitting right ahead of me, on her knees, her head tilting to the side in worry, "I am sorry," She mumbled, guiltily, "But you were gonna freaking jump!"

I shot her a glare, "I wasn't gonna jump!"

Her eyes widened in bewilderment, "Then, why were you one inch away from falling into your death?"

"I was just having some fresh air," I grated out.

"Like that?" She snapped and pressed her hand over her forehead, "How can sitting by the edge of a ten-floor hospital give you anything that is fresh," She breathed in and out, trying to calm herself, "God, you scared the hell out of me."

My eyebrow raised at her unnecessary panicked state and my fingers pressed over the hem of my hoodie and I pulled it up just to check if I was bleeding, thankfully enough, the bandage was still white, with no trace of blood. My gaze flickered back to the girl, she had her eyes on my bandage and when I let the shirt down, she immediately looked up, her throat bobbed and a bit of pinkish rose up to her cheeks as I caught her staring.

"What happened?" She asked, curiously, and she tucked her ginger-colored hair behind her ear.

"Kidney transplant," I said and her lips parted, forming a low, "Oh."

"But, you're young," She commented, probably thinking I had a disease or something, "An accident," I said, clarifying.

"Sorry for that, I hope you're okay now," She said politely before her eyebrows pulled closer as she accusingly remarked, more like scolded, "If you're still healing, why did you come up here?"

"Like I said, fre-"

"Fresh air?" She questioned, her eyebrow raising, "You could've gone to the garden in the back, why the roof, are you insane?"

I shot her another glare, "You are aware of the fact that you are here as well, right?"

She gulped down as I called her on her bullshit, "I just wanted to be alone for a minute," She said, "Then, this guy looked like he was about to jump off and gave me a heart attack!"

She added with annoyance before she turned her head to the edge that I was standing on a few minutes ago and I took a bit of time, to take her features in. Her hair was shoulder-height, natural ginger. She blinked, and her eyes were of a very light brown color and shaped like an almond. A few freckles covered her nose and then there were those full and pink lips.

I cleared my throat and rubbed a hand over the back of my neck, "Why did you want to be alone?" I asked, diverting my mind from the many many bad thoughts it was having.

She faced me again and shrugged, "Why did you want to be alone?" She asked, raising a challenging eyebrow.

I stayed silent and looked away from her, but she urged, "You know, they say sometimes it's good to talk about what troubles you to a total stranger," She explained, "You would never see them again, they won't understand, they won't judge, and you would at least let it out."

I rushed a hand over my face and when I looked back at her, I found myself speaking, "Well, turns out I have two fathers."

"Awwww, really?" She asked, swooning, her eyes flashing the rainbow flag, "So, you were adopted?"

I stared back at her dumbfounded, "They're brothers," I explained.

She stared back at me in pure horror, "Well, that's messed up!"

I rolled my eyes, "They're not a couple!"

Her confusion only doubled, "Wow, that's even more messed up!"

My eyebrow raised, "So much for not judging."

She gave me a cheeky smile as she leaned forward and placed her head in her hands, "Sorry, go ahead, I am all ears."

I explained the situation, definitely without mentioning the whole...rape part of it. I wouldn't be able to say the words out loud, or even as much as thinking about it for more than one second. I just talked about the fact that my biological father is not the same man who raised me, and now he is back.

"Well, I have a feeling you want to give him a chance but you're scared," She said, her eyes narrowing as she thought, as if analyzing my words and tone.

I shook my head, "I don't want to," I refused to even think about that, "And why would I be scared?"

She shrugged, "Scared of him hurting you," She said, as if it is too obvious.

I kept silent and she added, "I think you should, you owe it to yourself, not to him," Her words were interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing, "Sorry," She mumbled lowly and pulled her phone from her pocket. The light of the screen reflected on her face, giving me a more clear image of this stranger. Lines etched between her eyebrows and something that looked like sadness flashed into her eyes, "I have to go," She mumbled as she shoved the phone back into her pocket.

I pressed my palm over the floor and pulled myself up. I should go back as well before they get worried. I extended my hand, a friendly offer, and she stared at it for a second before she placed her smaller one into mine and I helped her get up.

"What's your name?" I asked, just realizing that I didn't know that fact just yet.

A smile curved her full lips and she shook her head, "If I tell you, I won't be a stranger anymore," She arched a playful eyebrow, "Which defies the whole concept of what we just did," She gave me a wink and started to back away.

"Oh, also, stop hanging by the edge," She added, nodding toward the actual edge, but her words held a double meaning.

She turned around and walked away. I couldn't help but smile as I scratched the back of my hair, she's cute.