terrified
the stage over afraid, deeply afraid of something

outfit of the chapter
San Jose

Alex was in his bunker and looking up in the ceiling. Max was in the one above him and he could hear how she turned around over and over again, not being able to sleep. She was scared. Anyone could tell. To be honest he was scared as well, for her safety. He felt that it was his fault she had this man after her.
”If I hadn’t asked her to marry me she would be in England, and this wouldn’t have happened" he thought.
”But then maybe some other girl would have this man as a stalker" he thought and let out a small sigh. He turned to his side and stared into the wall instead. He and Max had discussed what had happened at Starbucks and what he had looked like. Apparently he had changed his looks a little. Or kinda a lot. So she wasn’t sure but still sure it was him.
”Only time can tell" he thought and yawned. He was getting tired.

Alex woke up and the first thing he noticed was that he had a dick right before his face.
"JACK FOR FUCK SAKE" he yelled and Jack looked at him with a grin.
"I was just in the shower, I’m looking for underwear" Jack said.
"We have a girl on the bus, please don’t go around butt naked" Alex sighed.
"Max is not here, she’s out with Matt to buy some food" he said.
"We still have a girl on the bus, so think about it" Alex said and shook his head. Jack moved his hips a little, like a small dance and jumped away. And Alex laughed, and shook his head again. He got up himself and looked around for a tee to put on.

Max pushed the cart while Matt looked at the grocery shop list. they had a few things that was needed to be bought.
"Nutella, crackers… Cereal… fruit, milk… soda… cookies… Do you need anything?" Matt asked and looked at Max. Max thought about it.
"only my girl things, but that i can buy myself" she said and shrugged.
"It’s okay, we’ll take it on this… Everything that is needed" he said with a smile. She looked at him and then she shrugged. If he said so. Matt walked away and looked for some cereal while Max stood and picked apples in a small plastic bag. Matt came back and he put some Nutella in the cart. Then he stood there and looked at the cart like he was thinking.
"Did you find the cereal?" she asked, and started to pick up some bananas.
"Hey Max, can you go and get some milk?" she heard Matt call from far away. She froze and looked to her side and Charlie stood there.
"Do you need some milk?" he asked with a smile.
"Matt" she gasped, trying to call his name but couldn’t get it out.
"Do you want regular or something else?" he asked.
"Matt!" she called out a little bit louder.
"Oh please don’t do that" Charlie said and looked at her. He stroked her arm and she gasped, and backed away a few steps.
"MATT!" she screamed and Charlie looked really angry.
"What?" Matt asked and appeared around a corner. He and Charlie looked at each other and it didn’t take long before Matt ran after him. But when he disappeared he came back to Max.
"Are you okay? Did he do something to you?" he asked and held his hands over her shoulders. She shook her head.
"You’re not okay?!" he gasped.
"No I mean.. He didn’t do anything" she said.
"Thank God" he said and sighed in relief.

Alex just stared at Matt when he later told what had happened at the store. then they glanced over at Max, who sat by her laptop and was editing some pictures.
"What did he look like?" Alex asked, and looked at Matt.
"Short black hair, and not the brown from before" he said.
"He changed his looks?" Alex asked, and got really surprised.
"What if we’re dealing with a real stalker here?" Matt asked.
"And what is the difference between a real and a fake one?" Alex asked, and crossed his arms.
"You know what I mean… What if this is not like your stalkers, the fans who just want to meet you and so on… What if this is the real deal, the ones you read about and see on criminal dramas?" Matt said.
"Then I guess I’ll be dead within a month" Max said and looked at them. They looked at her. They had thought she couldn’t hear them but apparently they had been wrong.
"You’re not going to be dead" Alex said.
"You’re not allowed to go out alone, okay?" Matt said and looked at her.
"I’m not planning on that" she said and looked at her screen.

That night Max stared into air, while thinking about Charlie and what Matt had said before. What if he really was the real deal. The real stalker. That would in the beginning be nice and just pop up everywhere, and then go violent and more desperate? He had become angry when she yelled for Matt to come. She shivered and shook her head and tried to calm herself down, by taking deep breaths. What if she woke up and he was there? Or if he turned out to be in the crowd one day? Waited around a corner as she walked between the bus and the venue. It was really scary to think about and the more she thought about it the more afraid she got. It got to the point where she was taking so deep breaths she surely woke everyone else up. But no one said a thing, no one hushed her. But after a few minutes she curtain was pulled back and Alex stood there, and he looked at her with tired, concerned eyes.
"Come here" he said and pulled her out from her bunker. He took his pillows, his duvet and her things as well and walked to the back lounge. Where he put the things down on the big couch and forced her down to lie next to him. She stared at him and he yawned.
"I’ll be here all night" he whispered and closed his eyes. She moved just a little bit closer and he gently laid his hand over her waist. They faced each other and she could feel his breathing against her forehead. It was calming and soon she felt how she drifted away. To finally fall asleep.