Max still has no idea how bad things got with Neil, but what she does know is she didn't give Billy compliments, and she's never seen him take one, beyond being flirted with. She can figure enough out to understand it's not easy for him to hear it. Fighting, yelling, insulting each other - all of that he can handle, but not the one compliment.

It's the reason she doesn't walk right out when he shoves her. It's not too hard, and she doesn't fall back or hit anything, but she glares at him for it. There's an annoyance to feeling that small. Even so, she knows Billy is showing improvement, so she sucks some of it in. She digs her heels in, tightens her fists and stands her ground.

None of that stops her from yelling again.

"Guess what, Billy! That's not true. Vecna was targeting El, so he would have gotten her one way or another. If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else getting controlled. It would have happened no matter what. And maybe because it was you she lived!"

If he had left, Max would have just left as well, returned to the hotel, and who knows when they would have run into each other again. They both stay, they might salvage something in the end. Maybe. She just has to keep tolerating a little bit of his crap if he just tolerates hers.

Her voice returns to normal, the goes hollow as she speaks, "Yeah. It is. Billy, this isn't easy to talk about. Can we just...stop with the yelling for this?"