She does grimace at the hold, but doesn't complain. If he wasn't griping so hard she might question again if he's just a ghost, like he was earlier. Like she's seen more than once in this storm. Like before coming here. But also, with how hard the wind is blowing, it keeps them together.

Max follows in silence once they're out, still committing the place to memory, making sure she knows her way around. Her soaked form starts to shudder and she pulls her jacket around her.

Instead of giving him a proper answer, she sasses back, "As real as you are." She's also aware how much their situations mirror each other, that ends up being more honest of an answer than she intends. She knows about the shoulder injury from Tommy, but only that Billy has it, not exactly what happened. Her eyes settle on it and she frowns. After what happened to him, she realizes she doesn't want him injured, ever again.

First, she has to point out, deadpan, "Some of those freaks are my friends." She actually gives Billy a playful grin before she adds, "But they're still freaks."

Then she addresses the other Max, as her heart thuds in her chest. Promised her? Yeah, about that.

"That wasn't -" how is she supposed to say this? Eddie called her another Max - "me. At least, I don't remember that," she admits to him, hoping this doesn't confuse him. It's a baffling mess, she gets that. "So," Max's eyes flicker down, "you don't owe me that. Not after...."

She sighs, breathing in hard. "I haven't seen you in eight months." She scans her memory of the conversations she's had since arriving, pretty sure Billy was aware of this much, so she let's herself say it, "Since you died," only her voice cracks at the end and her eyes burn. Maybe she is not ready to have this conversation.

Max has to rub her eyes, then points to his shoulder and asks, "What happened?" when she feels more in control.