"Sounds nice," she smiled and slid her hand across our breakfast table and found mine. She stared at me long and hard through her dark bangs. Time stopped as we enjoyed each other's features. That's probably why I wasn't ready for what happened next. Just before I could taste her full lips, the table shook violently, knocking our drinks across the table. Our glasses shattered on the ground, our empty plates following right behind.

"What the hell!" I cursed as a teenage boy snagged my bag and ran in the opposite direction.

"You okay?" Asia reached for me. I spun around in confusion, catching the stranger in my sights. He shot me a worried grin with a wink of his brown eyes under his dusty, red hat and ran down the street. I watched his body grow smaller as I almost caught fire with anger.

"My bag!" I yelled. My legs pushed me forward into the street without even thinking about it. My torso engulfed with heat and my hands pulled into fists as I chased after him. I could hear Asia behind me screaming.

"Max! Don't hurt himahe's just a kid!"

"I got this!" I huffed and pushed my legs harder. I was instantly irate at this invasion. I wanted to catch this kid and I wanted to hurt him. I didn't care why he took it; I just had to have it back. I didn't realize why at first.

"Max! Slow down!" Asia pleaded again.

"I need it!" I screamed, loosing control. I needed the bag and the mysterious envelope I had hidden away in it. I couldn't bear the thought of losing the only thing I had left from the island. Or was it more basic than that? Was it so important to me because Sam had given it to me?

The kid seemed to be getting his second wind. I watched his pace quicken as he ran away from me, zig zagging into every nook and alley he could. I pushed myself harder and closed the gap between us. The boy was lanky and awkward, but he was fast. As we darted in and out of alleyways my temper grew more and more. His bouncing torso pulled closer to me, just an arms length out of my reach. But just when I thought I had him I lost my traction on the loose dirt and slammed into a wall.

"Damn it!" I shoved my body from the wall, leaving a fresh smoky handprint in the process. Black ash trickled from the brick and faded into the restless wind.

"Max!" Asia called from behind me. I ignored her and pushed my body even more. That was a mistake. With a thud, an old man on a motorbike plowed into me at about 30 mph. I flew across the street with smoke and flames bursting from my clothes. The man on the bike flipped into the gutter, breaking his leg immediately and damaging his bike. The crunch of the crash startled the kid. He paused for a moment to witness the mayhem but quickly turned and kept running.

"My bag!" I begged full of pain. I had injured my left arm and possibly broke my ribs again. It hurt to speak. Asia quickly fell to my side. The dusty air filled my wheezing chest, burning my lungs. Asia grabbed me tightly.

"Why aren't you healing?" She was way past upset.

"I need that bag!" I begged.

"Why?"

"Asia please," I spit, with a bloody lip. Her brow furrowed and the sky darkened with deep black clouds. Thunder rattled through the streets. She rose to her feet and pushed a wall of rain and wind towards the alleyway the kid had disappeared into. Raindrops the size of silver dollars pelted anyone who dared to be in the streets. I crawled over to the injured man lying next to his bike. He whimpered under the falling rain and started to shake. Cautiously, I placed my body over his and shielded him from Asia's wrath.

"Don't worry," I coughed to the old man beneath me. He tried to pull away in growing shock. Within moments I could hear someone screaming, it was the boy. His shrieks echoed along the streets. Another gush of wet wind and his spinning torso emerged from the alley. His hat flapped down to the dirt as my bag spun from his hand and rested at Asia's feet.

"Why aren't you healing?" Asia called to me again with even more intensity. The sky faded back to blue and the sun had already begun warming the wet streets again. The boy scratched his fingers through his dirty brown hair. Surprisingly, he was not injured at all, just a little dazed. He stared at Asia in disbelief. Shaking, he snatched up his rain-drenched hat and ran off down the muddy road. Asia ignored his retreat. She walked up to me with my bag in her hand and helped me to my feet. A few strangers ran past us and helped the injured man up from the ground. They quickly carried him into a nearby shop. He was still in a daze.

"I'm sorry sira" I called out to the stranger. I don't think he heard me though.

"Max! Why?" Asia demanded.

"I'm trying to heala" I laughed, and it hurt badly as I did. Her hands quickly searched my body for any signs of damage. "But I can't anymore."

"I knew it," she said disappointed. Her eyes welled up with frustrated tears. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't knowaembarrassed I guess." I clutched my bleeding arm. I felt horrible for lying to her for so long. My half-truth hurt her more than I thought it would.

"How long?"

"It started to fade a couple months before I found you," I nodded. "I'm still healing faster than normal but it's almost gone." She clenched up as if she were cold and pulled away from me. Her tone arms flexed around her body as she pouted. Thunder rumbled in the distance. I sulked my way back over to her. She acted as if she would walk away from me but her body language gave her away. Her hips leaned toward me slightly. I coughed and my ribs screamed with a warm throbbing.

"Let's get you cleaned up," she said with calmness finally settling in. Her hand found mine while her steel eyes scolded me.

"Sorry Asia."

"Come on." Her arm gently tugged at me to follow.

We headed back to the hotel where she delicately cleaned the fresh wound on my arm. It was already starting to heal but it still hurt. She wrapped my arm with a tight bandage, even though I insisted I didn't need it. My ribs were another problem. They were definitely broken again. The two I had broken back in Fiji, and the one below them. It took half the afternoon before I let her wrap them. As she did, she inspected every little detail of my most recent battle scars.

"Ouch." I winced as she pushed against one of the more tender ribs. Her hands quickly filled with a cool electric pulse. It made the pain turn into a faint tickle. Comfort settled over me.

"Big baby." She kissed me softly.

6:55 p.m.

After struggling with getting dressed we headed out for one last evening in Egypt. As we made our way back to the skyline of the mighty pyramids, the sunset came to life. Red, orange and yellow watercolors slid down the sky. It was breathtaking as the desert serenaded our wide-eyed stares.

"How's the ribs?" Asia asked. She slipped her hand over them and her cool fingers sent soothing electricity through my chest and down my spine. I pulled her near me and placed my good arm around her, caressing the arch of her lower back.

"Better, thanks."

"Max, please don't lie to me again," she said softly. I nuzzled my face into her neck. I could feel her blood pumping through her skin. It was cool and strong.

"How am I suppose to protect you if you're not totally honest with me?" White lightning streaked through the desert sky. Protect me? She had become so protective of me lately.

"I'm fine Asia. Seea" I stretched my back and a stray bone in my ribs popped loudly. My face fell white from the pain.

"Good as new." I coughed. Her eyes filled with mad love.

"Stubborn!" She stood with a wicked pout.

"Hothead," I whispered back. She growled at me with a small grin. I leaned closer to her as her fingers locked around my clothes like a vice.

"I love you Max," she kissed me. In the distance thunder rumbled as people shuffled along waiting for the impending thunderstorm.

"Love you too," I whispered in her ear. Rain began to fall on us and a few people in the distance cheered at the much-needed downpour.

Breaking - 08.

*Interface: Extreme*

Wednesday evening - 9:30 p.m. - November 15th.

Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Nevada desert was still hot and unforgiving, even with winter on the way. Asia and I had spent the entire morning seeing all the sights at each and every tacky casino we could. I had spent the day in a fog. A little jet lagged, but mostly I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. With our arms together, the lights washed over us, as we walked, but we were not speaking. We had spent over five months side by side in this heaven together, but it was becoming obvious we were growing tired of the traveling. At least I was. I think I was drowning in a sea of tired. Tired of jet lag. Tired of checking in and checking out of nameless hotels, no matter how extravagant they were. I missed Maui. I missed my uncle Frank. I missed home.

Thoughts of Maui and the islands scenery seemed to haunt my every step. Asia was completely aware something was wrong. As we watched dozens of water fountains dance in unison in front of one of the nicer Vegas hotels, she stole a deep breath and leaned into me.

"Whatcha thinking Max?" Asia asked curiously. Her hair fell along her pouting mouth as she focused her liquid blue eyes on my frown.

"Nothing," I lied.

"Maxa" she insisted with a push of her body against mine. "Tell me what's bothering you."

"I'm just tired, I guess," I grumbled. She shuffled her feet nervously.

"And?"

"And I've been thinking about Maui lately," I paused to watch a worried expression fill her face. The first hint of rain filled my pores. I had hit a nerve.

"I haven't been able to get a hold of Frank in months. No calls, no emailsanothing," I sounded winded. I tried to find understanding in her eyes but she was hiding something.

"He's fine," she snorted. I usually enjoyed her fiery temper but not right now, not tonight. That answer was not good enough.

"Why do you always say that? How do you know he's okay?" I snapped. She pulled away from me and shoved her hand into her jacket pocket. The thunder slid closer above us.

"Can't you just trust me?" she hollered. Her answer made me angrier but I kept myself in check.

"I trust you completely," I said as calm as I possibly could. It almost seemed like my answer hurt her.

"Here!" she scolded as she shoved her cell phone in my face. She had already turned away from me as I reached out and took it in my hand. I quickly dialed his home number and waited patiently. No one answeredaagain.

"See, something is wrong," I pouted. She turned back to me slowly and gently grabbed the phone from my hand. My heart began to speed up.

"Try this one," she said quietly. Her finger scrolled down to a number I had never seen before. My breath faded, I knew something wasn't right. Our eyes locked as I dialed the number. Her pouting lips curled into a frown.

"Maui Memorial Medical Center," a quiet voice answered. My mouth felt dry and my hands filled with heat. Asia watched me with a hard stare.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" the polite receptionist asked.

"Frank Valentine's room please," I spoke distantly, not even realizing I was doing it. Asia began to pace in front of me and purple thunderclouds filled the sky. I could smell that the rain was only seconds away when my eyes caught hers again.

"Just a moment," the receptionist said. I found Asia's worried glare.

"AsiaaI'm trying NOT to freak out," I said sternly.

"It'll be okay," she whispered. My mind started to race. Before I had time to digest any of this information, someone answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Is Frank there?" I asked not recognizing the voice at first.

"Max?" The man's voice sounded confused. If my head hadn't started spinning, I would have realized sooner that it was Kai. My best friend from the island Kai Kadooka. I considered him my brother. I hadn't talked to him in almost a year and a half. I was obviously not holding up my end of that friendship.

"Kai? Brother, is that you?" I asked, but he said nothing. I could hear his breath grow on the other end of the line.

"Is Frank there? Is he all right?"

"He's sleeping," he whispered.

"Is he sick?" I begged. Asia winced in front of me when I asked.

"It's under control," he grumbled, and hung up the phone.

"Kaiawaita" I begged. I started to lose my cool. I quickly dialed the number again but before the phone call could go through my hands heated to an unsafe level. The line filled with fuzz just before it died and caught fire in my hand. A white hot flash popped in my heated fist.

"No!" I screamed and tossed the burning chunk of plastic and metal to the ground. The rain fell and cooled my growing rage for a second.

"MaxaI can explaina" Asia started. I was numb and barely heard her words.

"How did you know Asia? How long have you known?" I demanded. She tried to place her hands on my chest as the rain darkened everything. I stepped back from her touch.

"Tell me!" I screamed. Her head fell down and her bangs filled with raindrops.

"You got an email two weeks agoa" she started.

"Email? I never got an email," I said, confused.

"I deleted it."

"What?" I actually saw red. My head filled with a burning hum. I couldn't focus my eyes as my rage came alive.

"I can explain."

"Asiaa" I gasped.

"Max let me explaina" she reached for me.

"I can't talk to you right now," I barely said as I turned away from her and began walking. She reached again for my hand, but I covered it in a hot white flame to stop her advance.

"Maxapleasea"

"Don't," I warned as I walked away. She stood frozen as the storm filled the streets.

Back in our fancy hotel room I found myself frozen as I stared at Asia's black shiny laptop. It was open and powered on. I wondered if she had been monitoring my accounts this whole time. But why? Was she scared of me keeping in contact with the old gang? As the thought crossed my brain, Sam's big, green eyes stole my attention. Samantha Summers, my possible soul mate and only real reason for Asia to be watching my actions so closely. But why hide Frank and his contact from me?

"Why Asiaawhy?" My mind was spinning. Thunder crashed against the walls of the hotel when my lungs filled with that familiar and haunting scent of cherry blossoms. From the doorway Asia's tall shadow fell upon me.

"He said he was having a hard time getting over a bug that he had contracted a few weeks ago but things were fine," she said softly.

"A bug?" I scowled.

"He said not to worry. That he's fine and to be safe."