keepsmiling7: Diane is pretty awesome!
Yup, Liz and Sean are gonna be moving on to better things now.
nibbles2: Oh, good, then it wasn’t a huge surprise then. LOL!
Yeah, not exactly the way to kick off a holiday weekend, huh?
begonia9508: Yeah, some people don’t want to hear the truth.
Now there’s an interesting thought!
Diane was cool, huh? We think Liz will have a much better holiday with the Evans family.
destinyc: We thought you’d like that! Well, let’s take a look at the Guerins and see what’s going on…
Maiqu: We’re glad you love them! Ah, Liz will get along well with them. Sean is going back to Long Beach. We think your answer about Max is probably right. Tess and Sharon are going to get along great, lol! The Guerins… we’ll check in with them in this next part.
kismet: We’re glad… we’d be worried if ya did!
Yup, we kinda thought you’d like Liz headin’ for the Lone Star state and Max.
mary mary: Well, would ya look at that! Thursday already!
Natalie36: We’re glad you liked that part!
sarammlover: Too bad Max wasn’t there, huh? LOL. Liz and Sean’s friendship is important and they definitely needed each other there! Diane rocks, huh? Liz should be landing in DFW soon.
Alien_Friend: We’ve enjoyed writing Diane and Max’ family. Don’t worry though, Liz is on her way to Texas and Max and his family will make sure she has a Thanksgiving to remember!
Tess is sure to love Kyle’s mom!
April: A huge contrast!
Part 61 – Unexpected Guests
Maria turned off the engine on Michael’s car and glanced into the rearview mirror. Her hands were still gripped tightly around the steering wheel. “Okay, nothing to worry about,” she whispered to her reflection, but she didn’t really believe it. She was nervous as hell. What if he didn’t remember that he’d asked her to stay last night? What if everything was worse after today?
Maria climbed out of the car and looked down at herself. She was wearing a short, light blue dress that Tess had given her last year on her birthday. “Girl, you look so hot in it,” she had said when Maria had put it on for the first time.
Was it too hot for a Thanksgiving dinner with his family?
She walked along the small path that lead to the front door of Alex’ house; the light breeze blew through her long blond hair and she had to arrange it again before she finally lifted her hand and pressed the bell.
“I’ve got it!” Brooke hollered as she jumped up from the couch where she had been playing referee between Brendan and Michael while they played a video game. It had been incredible to watch his competitive side emerge now that he and Michael seemed to have started working towards fixing their relationship.
She ran into the front hallway and unlocked the door before pulling it open and grinning at the girl standing on the other side. “Wow, Maria... y’know Michael’s supposed to be takin’ it easy, right?” Her brother wasn’t gonna know what hit him!
“You think I’m too... overdressed?” Maria asked, alarmed.
Brooke laughed at Maria’s rare display of nerves. “Are you kidding? No, of course not,” she rushed to assure her friend.
“Okay,” Maria replied, not really convinced but it wasn’t like she could change right now anyway.
“C’mon in, Maria. Michael and Brendan are in the process of killing each other... you can help me mediate. It’s just a video game,” she hurried to add when she saw Maria's alarmed expression.
“Oookay.” Maria followed Brooke into the living room, getting more nervous with each step. “Hey,” she called when Brendan and Michael came into her field of vision.
“Hey, Maria,” Brendan greeted without looking up from the game. He felt his brother’s loss of focus and took advantage of it to move in for the kill and his hands shot up in the air when Michael’s character fell to the ground, defeated.
Maria walked over to them and it felt like it took her hours to reach the couch. “Looks like you lost,” she said, gesturing to the television screen.
Michael had to force his gaze away from the length of bare flesh on display below the hem of her skirt. “Huh?” Okay, so looking higher wasn’t really helping either because the dress fit her really, really well! He shook his head and turned to glance at the TV when he noticed that she was gesturing towards it. Brendan’s character was enjoying a moment of victory while his was lying on the ground in a crumpled heap. “Oh, right... well, um...” What was the question again?
She placed her bag in the armchair next to them and sat down on the armrest next to Michael. “How d’you feel?”
“Like my temperature’s about to go through the roof,” he muttered, lifting his gaze from the swell of her breasts. He winced at his stuttered rambling and he cleared his throat. “What I mean is... um...”
Brooke rolled her eyes. Seriously, this was painful to watch! “What he means is, can he get you a drink?”
Maria smiled a little. Looked like she wasn’t the only one who was nervous. “No, I’m fine. I guess I’ll join Isabel in the kitchen and see if she needs any help.” She stood up again, well aware of the fact that Michael was watching her as she moved in the direction of the kitchen.
Michael watched her walk away and he couldn’t help but smile at the sexy sway of her hips. The woman knew how to get his attention, he thought, shaking his head. He adjusted himself as discreetly as possible and pressed the reset button to start the game over. “Okay, Bren, let’s try this again; I gave you that last win, so let’s see what you can do when I’m really payin’ attention.”
“Hey, Iz,” Maria greeted her friend who was standing at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables.
“Hi, Maria!” Isabel stopped what she was doing to hug her friend.
“I wonder how long it’ll take before your swollen belly comes between us,” Maria whispered, smiling.
“Hopefully not too soon.”
“Do the others already know?”
“No, but we’re gonna tell everyone later this evening.”
Maria nodded. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Well, the table isn’t set just yet.” She smiled and motioned at the linen napkins on the counter across the room. “Michael did finish the turkey napkins... what d’you think?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m completely serious. I had to find something that would keep him occupied without him overdoing it... folding napkins was the perfect way to do that.”
Alex nodded as he walked in and caught the end of the conversation. “I saw it with my own eyes,” he said, still surprised that she had gotten her way with Michael. “Trust me, I wouldn’t have believed it otherwise.”
Maria laughed. “Yeah, that’s really hard to imagine.”
Isabel huffed and rolled her eyes. “It was actually very cute.”
“Don’t let him hear you say you think he’s cute,” Maria said.
Alex snorted at that and shook his head. “Yeah, that’d be sure to piss him off.”
“So, what should I do, Iz? Put me to work.”
“You can set the table in the dining room; everything’s on the counter.”
“Okay.” Maria grabbed the plates first and walked over to the dining room to start setting them out on the table.
Alex moved up behind his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her as he lowered his head to kiss her neck. “You all ready for tonight?”
“Uh-huh, I am very ready for it.” She leaned back against Alex’ chest and just enjoyed his touch.
He couldn’t wait to tell the others and see their reactions to the news. The more time he had to adjust to it himself, the happier he was about it.
Maria walked back into the kitchen, unsure if she should interrupt what looked like an intense moment between Alex and Isabel.
Alex glanced up, sensing that they weren’t alone any longer. “C’mon in, Maria; we’ve gotten used to constant interruptions, so it doesn’t bother us.”
“I’m sorry,” Maria said with a little smirk.
Isabel waved her apology off. “Don’t worry about it, Maria. Like Alex said, we’re used to it. Hey, did Tony and everyone get to the airport okay?”
“Yeah, I dropped them off early this morning.”
“Wonder how Tess will do with meeting Kyle’s family?”
“Yeah, she was really nervous, but I think she’ll do fine.”
“Yeah, once she’s there for a little while I’m sure she’ll fit right in.” Isabel slapped Alex’ hand away when he reached around her for a celery stick. “What about Liz and the Sean situation?”
Maria sighed. “I don’t know if they’ll be able to pretend they’re still together for the whole weekend.” She felt bad for Liz, but there was really nothing she or any of them could do to help her out.
“Yeah, I’m not sure that’s possible either.” Isabel paused as she reached for a package of tomatoes. “Have you seen her with Max?”
“Of course, and those two have a lot of chemistry; it’s like she’s totally changed since she met him.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing when we saw them last night. But, she really looks happy with him; it’s a good look for her.”
“Yeah, a total difference in comparison to her relationship with Sean. I’m really glad she finally found someone who was able to show her that there’s more to having a relationship than what she had with Sean.”
“Me too. I have a feelin’ Max is gonna show Liz a lot about life and love now that Sean’s no longer part of the equation.”
“Definitely.” Maria was still a little envious about the fact that all of her friends seemed to be in relationships... all but her.
Alex listened to the conversation, only paying a little attention to them because he was watching his brothers and sister through the doorway that led into the living room. “Hey, I’m gonna go see how things are goin’ in the other room, honey. Unless you need me to do anything else?”
“No, that’s okay.”
Maria glanced around the kitchen. What now?
“You wanna check the turkey for me?” Isabel asked, noticing that Maria was searching for something else to do.
“Um, I don’t know; I’ve never made one, so you may want to do that.”
“I’ll check it,” Michael offered as he joined them, his movements slow.
“Don’t take it out of the oven,” Isabel said, shaking her head. “Just pull the rack out a little bit.” The last thing they needed was for him to pull his stitches out and have to go back to the hospital.
Michael rolled his eyes as he grabbed an oven mitt and pulled the door open. “Yes, Mom,” he grumbled, but his tone held just the slightest hint of teasing.
Isabel walked out of the kitchen, leaving the turkey in Michael’s capable hands. Maria wasn’t sure what to do or say, so she just stayed at the counter and watched him as he checked the main course for their dinner.
She was sure that his stitches still hurt, but she had a feeling that he was overplaying it.
Michael left the turkey sitting on the rack and moved to the counter to grab the turkey baster. He was aware of Maria watching his every move and he wondered if he should act like he was in more pain than he really was. Maybe if he overplayed it just a little bit she’d feel sympathetic towards him and start the conversation that he knew they needed to have.
He finished basting the turkey and slid it back into the oven before closing the door and moving across the room to place the baster in the sink. He had kept his right hand against his side the whole time and there was no way that Maria hadn’t seen it, so he could only conclude that she wasn’t falling for it.
Maria watched him attentively; he was definitely overplaying his injury. Earlier on the couch he hadn’t seemed very weak at all.
God, why didn’t he say something? Maria wondered impatiently. He had said he wanted to talk yesterday, and now that the opportunity had presented itself he wasn’t speaking. Why wasn’t he saying anything?
Michael opened the refrigerator door and pulled a beer out. He popped the top off and was just about to take a drink when it was snatched out of his hand. “What the fuck?” he snarled, glaring at his younger brother.
“Thanks, Michael. I know that can’t possibly have been for you since you’re not supposed to have any alcohol with your pain meds.”
He bit back the scathing response that immediately came to mind and opened the refrigerator door again. He paused in the process of reaching for another beer when Brendan leaned on the door and rested his chin on his forearm.
“Huh-uh.... somethin’ non-alcoholic.”
Michael snatched the carton of orange juice off of the top shelf and slammed it down on the counter. “There, happy now?” he asked as he reached for a glass.
“Ecstatically,” Brendan murmured, shooting a grin in Maria’s direction as he left them alone once more.
“Nobody around here’s capable of mindin’ their own fuckin’ business,” he grumbled.
He took a drink of his orange juice as his mind scrambled to come up with something to say to Maria. He knew she was waiting for him to start the conversation that he had told her they would have but he had no idea where or how to start.
“They just worry about you,” Maria finally spoke and grabbed a glass, which she placed next to Michael’s.
He frowned down at the glass she set next to his. “You want somethin’?”
“No, I just wanted to put a glass on the counter,” she said with an ironic smirk.
She wasn’t gonna humor him by engaging in a fight, he realized. Michael sighed and filled her glass. “So, why’d you decide to stay?”
Great, Maria thought, what a question to start with. Okay, just be honest. “Because you asked me to.” Maria held her breath. Did he remember it?
Oh, boy... she was going with honesty; how was he supposed to proceed if she wasn’t gonna hold anything back? You’re never gonna get anywhere with her if you can’t be honest too. Okay, he thought, I can do this. “Yeah, I didn’t remember that until this mornin’.” He saw her expression shift and she suddenly looked unsure of herself. “No, no, I wanted you to stay, I just didn’t remember askin’ until this mornin’. The painkillers made me kinda loopy and I could hardly remember my name when I first woke up.”
So he had wanted her to stay? “Yeah, um, your message was a little weird too. Sounded like some Russian language or something.” She took a sip of her drink. “I came over here yesterday, but I guess you wouldn’t remember that since you slept the whole time.”
“Yeah, Alex mentioned that...” Shit, what was he supposed to say now?
Couldn’t he just start to tell her whatever is was he wanted to say? Maria thought nervously. This awkwardness was freaking her out.
Damn, she wasn’t giving him anything to work with! “So, anyway, the thing is... we need to talk about things.” He reached up to scratch his eyebrow. “Y’know, like what happened at the cabin an’ stuff.”
“I know,” Maria whispered, leaning back against the counter and waiting for him to go on.
“I know we had an agreement... y’know, about the no sex thing... and, yeah, I crossed the line when I asked you to have sex on Saturday night.” He shook his head, certain his explanation sucked. “The thing is, I don’t regret askin’ you to forget about our original agreement because I’m ready for us to –“ He stopped speaking when the doorbell rang and a moment later he heard his father’s voice. “Sonofabitch!” he snarled under his breath. “What’re they doin’ here?”
“Who is that?” Maria asked, puzzled. What had he been going to say? He was ready for them to what?
“My parents,” he muttered, his mood taking a serious nosedive.
“The terror-father,” Maria murmured. She had met his parents once before, when she had still been with Brendan, and she could remember his father all too well.
“They’re not supposed to be here.” He shook his head in denial and shoved down the dark feelings that were trying to rise to the surface.
“I guess we have no choice but to deal with them, huh?” Maria asked.
“No, Maria, you don’t have to deal with them. I don’t want you anywhere near them.” God, she’d realize what a total loser he really was if his parents got started on him with her around.
Maria looked at him in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? She could handle his weird parents. “So you want me to leave?”
Michael was torn and he didn’t know how to respond. He could feel his insecurities starting to build up and fast on their heels was the wall of defenses that he needed in place to deal with his parents. He knew once that wall went up his personality would switch into a different mode so that he could protect himself and once that happened she was going to know the truth… that he wasn’t worth keeping around. “It’s not that I want you to leave, Maria, but... you don’t know my parents. I’m not the same person when they’re around and you’re not gonna like what you see.”
“I’ve seen a lot of different sides to you lately, Michael, so I don’t think it can get any worse. But, fine, if you think I should leave, I’ll just go and spend Thanksgiving in my room alone, ‘cause it’s too late to go home now.” She was frustrated. First, he asked her to stay and now he wanted her to go again... because of his parents.
“Damn it, Maria,” he whispered harshly. “You don’t understand...”
She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the floor. She didn’t want to cry in front of him again, but she could already feel the tears pooling in her eyes. Why couldn’t he just say he wanted her to stay? Why couldn’t he just be open this one time? Maybe she should just go before things got even worse.
“I’m not sayin’ I don’t want you to stay... I do want you to stay, I wanna get this thing worked out between us, but this has nothin’ to do with you, it’s about my parents.”
“And what’re we gonna do now, Michael? Should I just hide somewhere until the evening is over?”
“Are you goin’ for drama or comedy with that question?”
“That’s up to you”
He knew she had no idea what his parents were really like; she had only met them the one time and that had just been the tip of the iceberg. If she stayed she was going to see them filet him and lay him open so she could see all of his faults put out on display.
This was tricky and he didn’t know how to proceed. If he told her to stay she would realize that he wasn’t worth keeping around and if he told her to go he was going to lose his chance to make things right with her. Fuck, no matter which way he went he was gonna lose her.
Maria could see the worry in his eyes when he glanced back and forth between her and the entry to the kitchen. Why was he so scared for her to meet his parents again? It wasn’t about her, she knew that now, she just didn’t understand what the problem was.
“Michael,” she took one step forward to stand right in front of him and she stared directly into his eyes, “your parents can’t say or do anything that would make me turn away from you.”
Michael was fighting an internal battle with himself. He wanted so badly to believe her, but he knew he wasn’t enough to keep a woman like her around for very long; he had just hoped it would be longer than this. He looked down when she rested one hand against his chest, her touch tentative, as if she were waiting to see if he would accept the gesture or turn her away again. He lifted his hand, resting it over hers as he tried to come to a decision. He sighed raggedly as his hand finally settled on top of hers and he wondered if she could feel the tremors that he knew were there.
“We can get out of here as soon as dinner’s over,” she offered quietly.
She wasn’t going to walk away, he realized. Instead, she was offering him an out afterwards. For just a moment he felt a calming sensation settle over him and he nodded in acceptance. “Okay.”
“There’s just no end to the disappointment you’re capable of handing out, is there, boy?”
Hank’s taunting voice drew their attention and Michael cringed. Here we go, he thought.
“What d’you call that miserable excuse for a game yesterday?”
“We won the game,” Michael muttered.
“Yeah, no thanks to you; got yourself injured and ran off cryin’ like a little girl.” Hank shook his head in disgust.
Maria clenched her fists when she heard the hurtful words coming from Michael’s father.
“I’m fine, thanks for askin’, Dad.”
Hank’s eyes narrowed at his son’s taunting tone and he moved closer to him, waiting for the expected flinch. Annoyance crossed his features when it didn’t come and he carelessly smacked the back of his hand against the boy’s right side.
Michael winced in pain and his eyes watered at the unexpected contact. He struggled to catch his breath, barely aware of Alex stepping in and taking their father back to the living room. The only thing he was aware of besides the pain was Maria cursing under her breath as she fumbled with the hem of his shirt, trying to pull it up enough to check the bandage taped to his side.
After she had checked it she took his hands in hers. “I guess it’s better to be raised without a father than with someone like him.” She sighed heavily. “C’mon.” She guided him through the door at the opposite end of the kitchen that led out onto the deck. “Sit down,” she ordered as she stopped in front of a chair.
Michael sat down without a single question or complaint, wondering what she would do next.
She crouched down in front of him and rested her arms on his thighs. “Is the pain fading?” she asked, concerned.
Hmm... should he go with brave or pathetic? he wondered. The pain sucked, but it could definitely be worse. After a few moments of indecision he went with the truth. “It could be worse.”
She nodded. “Don’t blame me if I accidently hit your father with something heavy today.”
“Blame you? I’ll fuckin’ pay you to hit him with somethin’ heavy.”
They both laughed a little bit at that. Hopefully dinner would be over soon enough and they could get away without much more interaction with his parents.
*****
“And finally,” Kyle opened the door to the last room, the one he had saved to show Tess last, “this’s my room.” He stepped aside to let her in.
“Uh... wow. It’s.... humongous! Kyle,” she looked at him with wide eyes, “this whole house is sooo beautiful. And you room...” she gestured as she moved around in a circle, “...it’s so comfy in here.” She threw herself on his bed with a quick dash across the room, bouncing on the luxurious mattress. “And your bed is pretty awesome,” she giggled.
He closed the door and pounced on the bed so he could crawl on top of her. “Awesome, huh?” he asked with a smirk and leaned down to kiss her. “Babe, there are so many ways I could make you happy in this bed,” he whispered against her lips.
Tess let out a soft groan and wrapped her arms around him. “I can just imagine.”
He let his hands travel down her body and was a little annoyed when he encountered several layers of clothing separating them. “Damn, babe, it’s a lot easier to get to the important parts of your beautiful body when we’re in California.”
“It’s like 20° here, Kyle, and there’s a ton of snow outside… don’t expect to see a lot of skin while we’re here.”
Suddenly the door was pushed open and Summer walked in, holding a dwarf rabbit cradled in her hands. “Look, Tess, this’s Fluffy.” She paused when she saw them both on the bed and looked at them, unsure of her welcome.
“Summer!” Tess shrieked and shoved Kyle away from her, nearly throwing him out of the bed and onto the floor. She stood up and walked over to the little girl. “Aw, he’s really cute.” She stroked the velvety soft ears of the tiny pet.
“Yeah,” Kyle’s sister said with a big smile. “Wanna hold him?”
“Summer? Come down and help me with the pies, sweetie,” Sharon called from downstairs.
The little girl made a disappointed face for a second but then she smiled again. “You can hold him later, okay?”
Tess nodded, amused. “Okay.”
When she ran out of the room again Tess turned back to Kyle. “God, she’s just adorable.”
“Yeah, she’s a sweetheart,” he agreed. “Now...” he reached out to grab her hand and pulled her down to sit in his lap, “where did we stop?”
She kissed him for a few minutes and then leaned back a little. “Maybe we should behave right now; who knows if she’ll come back up here again.”
“She won’t,” he said, but it didn’t sound very convincing.
“I’m not gonna risk it,” Tess said, her tone determined.
“So, no sex for the whole weekend?” Kyle asked, shocked. “We should’ve stayed in Long Beach then.”
His girlfriend rolled her eyes. “Relax, babe. We will have sex, just not right now.” She stood up and walked around the room, taking everything in. “Your parents don’t expect us to sleep in separate beds, do they?” Tess asked, gesturing to the folding bed that was leaning against one wall.
Kyle laughed. “No, don’t worry. My parents are well aware that their son’s havin’ sex; that’s just there from the times when Michael would sleep over back in high school.”
Tess lifted her eyebrows in question. “You guys had sleepovers? That’s kind of a girl thing, don’t ya think?”
“God, no! But, Michael used to sleep here a lot. Hell, my parents probably know him better than his own do.”
“Yeah, I heard that his relationship with his parents isn’t too good. But that’s all I know.”
Kyle nodded. “I guess that’s the reason why he is like he is, ya know? Angry, secretive, gruff... Most people probably don’t understand how I could be friends with him. Y’know, with his attitude and his bad behavior... but I’ve known him since early in high school.”
“I guess Maria understands.” Tess said, thinking about her best friend and wondering how she was right now. “So...” she changed the subject because it wasn’t a happy one, “where’s the bathroom?”
“Just through there,” he said, motioning to a door on the other side of his room.
“Good. I think I’ll take a quick shower.”
“Is there a chance that I could join you?”
Tess pretended to think for a few seconds. “Um... no.” She wanted to say yes, but the thought of Summer or one of his parents showing up and interrupting the moment was a serious mood-killer.
“Babe, c’mon,” Kyle pouted.
“Kyle,” she mocked with a playfully warning glare as she disappeared into the bathroom.
*****
Max was bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for Liz to step off of the plane and he ignored his sister’s amused gaze as she watched him. Excitement had his heart racing as the passengers began to file out and he stopped breathing for a moment when he saw her pause and look around for him.
“Liz!”
A smile broke out across her face when she turned to follow his voice and her eyes settled on him. “Max!”
Taylor smiled when he hurried to the girl, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off of her feet as he kissed her.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered as he set her down and cradled her face in his hands.
“Well, your mom was so nice to take care of that problem with the ticket.”
“She was happy to do it.” He took her bag from her and threaded his fingers through hers as he turned to face Taylor. “Oh, this’s my sister, Taylor; she insisted on comin’ with me to pick you up.”
Taylor shook her head at him and held her hand out to the younger girl. “Actually, he came with me since his jeep is in Long Beach; he’s just pissy because he hates my car.”
“Don’t forget your drivin’… I hate that, too.”
“So, Liz, Max was tellin’ me that you’re studyin’ marine biology…”
Max glared at his sister when she smoothly insinuated herself between them and immediately started to monopolize the conversation as they walked out to the parking garage. He was left out as Taylor started telling Liz about the plans for the weekend and he rolled his eyes when his sister insisted on Liz sitting up front with her.
“Oh, I hope you guys don’t mind, but I need to stop and get gas,” Taylor said as she weaved in and out of traffic before flying across four lanes to exit the freeway.
“You okay up there, Liz?” Max asked from the backseat.
“I’m fine.” She turned in her seat to look at him. “What about you?”
“I’ll live,” he muttered. “How does her drivin’ not bother you?”
“Oh, that?” Liz smiled and shook her head. “You’ve obviously never been in a car with Tess behind the wheel.”
“Well, that would certainly fit in with her personality.” The car came to a sudden stop next to a gas pump and Max had to resist the urge to get out and kiss the grease-stained asphalt.
“Go ahead and fill it up.”
Max just stared at his sister. “Do I look like your husband?” He got out after several minutes, grumbling about pampered sisters and pushover husbands.
“Oh, and Max?”
He crouched down to rest his forearms on the open window frame on Liz’s side of the car. “Yes, Tay?” he inquired, his tone mockingly patient.
“Would you be really sweet and check the tires and the lights, too? Jack always does that for me.”
He ground his back teeth together and nodded. “Sure. Back first, then front.” He went through the process of checking her tires, lights, brake lights, and finally the turn signals before he frowned. “Your front blinker’s out on the driver’s side.”
“Again?” She sighed and got out to look for herself. “Damn it.”
“Pop the hood, let me take a look at somethin’.”
While she was doing that Liz got out of the car and walked around to stand next to Max. He raised the hood and leaned in under it, messing around with several things before he straightened up and shook his head. “Looks like you’re runnin’ low on blinker fluid,” he said, motioning to a reservoir near the back that hardly had any liquid in it at all. He shook his head sharply when Liz started to speak and he carefully schooled his expression when Taylor hurried to stand beside him.
“Blinker fluid? Are you sure?” she asked suspiciously. “I’ve never heard of that.”
“Well, newer cars don’t use it, but your car is almost 30 years old.” He nodded to himself. “And it could explain why you keep havin’ trouble with it, too.”
Taylor glanced at the station on the other side of the lot. “Do you think they sell it here?”
“Well, they might, but you’ll probably have better luck at an auto parts store.” He shrugged. “Can’t hurt to ask though.” He controlled the grin until she reached the front of the store.
“You are sooo bad, Max,” Liz said, shaking her head.
“Thanks for not bustin’ me.” He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “I’m glad you could be here.”
“Me too.” She burrowed deeper into his embrace and buried her face against his chest when Taylor came out with an annoyed expression on her face.
“The nerve of some people!” Taylor huffed, slamming the hood closed. “That ass in there just suggested leaving the mechanical work to a man. Can you believe the way some men act? And all because I knew somethin’ about cars that he obviously didn’t know!”
“I hope you told him off,” Max said, having a difficult time maintaining a straight face.
“You bet your ass I told him off! You just wait until I tell Jack about this!”
“Yeah, I can just imagine his reaction.”
“That’s alright…” she tossed another irritated glance back at the station. “Ignorant ass!” She shook her head as they climbed back into the car and she quickly made her way back to the freeway. “The auto parts stores will be open tomorrow so I’ll just go pick it up then. Yeah, we’ll just see who has the last laugh.”
Max studied his hands as he thought of anything and everything that would keep his amusement in check. He didn’t want to bust out laughing and ruin his prank before they got home.
*****
It was late afternoon when Kyle and Tess went back downstairs to join Sharon in the kitchen. “Hey, Mom, is everything under control?”
“Yeah, the turkey’s in the oven and it’s nearly ready. Why don’t you two give me a hand and set the table.”
“Of course,” Tess said politely. She wanted to make a good first impression on his parents.
“Hey, Son,” Jim greeted as he opened the door that led out into the garden on the backside of the house, “c’mere and help me bring in some wood for the fireplace.”
Kyle looked at the two women in question. “Can you manage in here without me?”
Both nodded, but Tess had to admit that it felt a little weird to be left alone with his mother.
“Okay, I’m comin’, Dad,” he called and gave his girlfriend a little kiss on the cheek before leaving.
“So, Tess, tell me about yourself; did you always want to study at Long Beach?”
Oh, boy, here come the questions! “Um, to be honest, I didn’t really favor any one university. My friends, three girls who are also from Roswell, and I decided to go there together.” Did that sound stupid? she wondered. What if Sharon thought that she didn’t have any goals or ambition in her life now? “My best friend Maria and I are a year older than the other two, so we spent some time in Europe after graduation and waited for the others so we could all start in Long Beach together this year.”
Sharon nodded. “It’s important to have friends in your life. Most people forget about that fact.”
Tess was relieved. She didn’t seem disappointed about her decision.
“You all live together?” She handed Tess some plates and motioned for her to follow her into the dining room.
“Yeah, we have an apartment together. It’s a little bit smaller that the one where Kyle lives.”
They started to set the table while talking. “I guess that must be exciting, huh?” She glanced at Tess and smiled.
“Oh, yeah. Sometimes it can be really nerve-wracking, too, when we’re all there together.”
“I can imagine that. Sounds pretty wild, just like college life should be. How did you meet my son?”
Tess thought about it for a moment and then remembered the night when they met in the bar for the first time and Maria had put the no-sex rule on her. “I met him in a bar one night when I was out with my friends. He was there with Michael, who’s got a thing for my friend.” There was no need to mention that her original intentions had been to use him for a few nights of hot sex before moving on.
“So, you’ve already met Kyle’s roommates, Michael and Max...”
Tess laughed at that. “Yeah, they’re kinda the reason why Kyle and I are where we are right now.”
“Really? You’ll have to explain that.”
“Well…” Tess thought for a while. “I guess it all started with Maria dating Brendan, even though she had already fallen for Michael.”
Sharon grinned widely. “Michael was always more of the ladies man than his brother.”
Tess nodded. “I know, but Maria was in such denial... well, not anymore, but she was at first. My other friend, Liz, she was engaged, but she recently broke up with her fiancé and now she’s dating Max.”
“So, the three of you girls are dating my son and his two best friends?” Sharon looked at her in disbelief. “Small world, huh?”
“And that’s not even the whole story, ‘cause the last one of us, Isabel, she hooked up with the oldest Guerin brother, Alex.”
“Good grief,” Sharon burst out, laughing.
Tess sighed. “Incredible, huh? I wouldn’t have believed it if someone had told me this was gonna happen a few months ago.”
“Yeah, I’d have had a hard time believing that myself! So, your friend... uh, Maria, was it? She’s dating Michael?” Sharon had to ask. Michael was like a son to her. Kyle and he had spent so much time together in high school; the boy had spent more time at their house than at his own parents’ home their last year before graduation. She cared about him even if most people couldn’t understand why. Sharon had asked Kyle to invite him to come out for Thanksgiving, too, but she had known that he would refuse the offer.
“Well, I won’t say they’re exactly dating right now. They had a fight but I think they’ve started to work through it. But it’s pretty obvious that they want each other, so I hope they’ll finally get it together soon.”
Sharon nodded. She knew how hard it was to get through to Michael, and just when you thought you had managed it, he would turn around and prove you wrong. “Well, I’m glad my son has finally decided to stay with one woman for longer than a week or two,” she said, smiling at Tess. “He wasn’t the relationship type before you came along,” she added quietly to make sure he wouldn’t overhear it.
Tess shrugged. “I wasn’t either.”
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) [COMPLETE]
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 61 - 10/22/09
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Re: Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 61 - 10/22/09
NotYourChick: Taylor is a trip… not sure how funny she’ll be once she figures out that there is no such thing as blinker fluid!
Maiqu: Nothin’ wrong with that! Hank is horrible, but Maria isn’t going anywhere. Max’ sister probably isn’t gonna love it.
keepsmiling7: Little brothers are horrible!
mary mary: Unfortunately, not the first one to believe it… or the last, lol!
We’d like to see that happen too, but with the Brooke issue they’re trying to avoid making things worse with Hank.
Alien_Friend: Tess will fit right in with Kyle’s family… and have fun, too!
Michael’s making progress, huh?
We’re glad you’re still enjoying Max and Liz!
Natalie36: Yeah… you’re not alone there!
kismet: Good question… and actually something that will be brought up in a while.
Blinker fluid… ever got caught by that one?
sunrise102: They definitely had their reasons for not wanting to step up and say anything to their parents. We don’t think the parentals will be so vengeful that they’ll pull their financial support for their kids’ college.
Yeah, you’re probably right about Max’ thoughts!
sarammlover: We’re glad you’re enjoying Kyle and Tess! Michael and Maria are taking small steps, but they’re making a start. We have a feeling you’re right about this next part!
begonia9508: It’s doubtful that Hank is gonna change.
xmag: Yeah, we did. Maria is going to be in shock.
kay_b: Wow! While we’re sorry to hear you’ve got a headache now, we’re flattered! We’re glad to hear that you’re enjoying the fic and it’s always nice when a Dreamer says that they like our Max and Liz! Hey, feel free to babble all you want… you’ve earned the right, lol!
We update every Thursday and Sunday!
Part 62 – And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’…
Brooke sat on the couch, staring at her parents in disbelief. This was supposed to be a happy day with her brothers and their girlfriends all there, but now... she could practically feel the tension in the room, it was so thick.
Alex was observing the others as an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. He wasn’t sure what exactly he had interrupted when he had walked into the kitchen, but he had a bad feeling that his father had done something to Michael. “So, Dad, you didn’t say why you and Mom are in town,” he said.
“We need a reason to visit our children?” the older man demanded.
“A little warning next time would be good,” Brooke growled.
“It’s just peculiar timing considering family holidays were never much of a priority.”
“Brooke, don’t speak to your father in that tone,” Maureen chastised, darting a nervous glance at the man in question.
“Whatever,” the girl said, standing up. I’m goin’ to my room until dinner’s ready!”
“Get your ass back here right this minute, young lady,” Hank insisted, reaching out to wrap his hand around her arm.
Alex crossed the room and forcibly removed his father’s restraining hold. “Let her go.”
Isabel was shocked by the cold behavior she was witnessing from their parents. Sure, she had heard Maria’s opinion of them from the one time she’d had the displeasure of meeting them, but this was the first time she had ever run into them. Oh, my God, she thought, these horrible people are going to be your baby’s grandparents!
“I think you’re forgetting which one of us is her father, boy.”
“So, I guess I’ll set two more places for dinner,” Isabel said, leaving the room to get away. She knew Alex was doing his best to keep his temper in check because he didn’t want to jeopardize his custody of Brooke.
Brendan stood up to distract his father. “So, how’s it goin’ in Europe, Dad?”
Alex was not pleased by this turn of events; he didn’t want any of them to be upset by this change in plans, but Isabel didn’t need the added stress.
Hank turned to his youngest son and he relaxed. “Business is good, very good. How’re classes going?”
“Very well.” He looked at Alex, gesturing for him to go after Isabel. He knew his brother was waiting to make sure things were okay before going to check on his girlfriend.
“I see you took my advice and left that little tramp to Michael.”
“Don’t call her that,” Brendan warned him, his voice angrier than he thought it would be when talking to his father.
Hank drew back, shocked when the boy dared to defy him. “What’d you say?”
“You heard what I said. Maria’s our friend and you shouldn’t talk like that about her.”
“Look, boy, I understand that you don’t get out much socially, but screwin’ some little two-bit tramp does not make her your friend.”
“I’m not screwin’ her,” he yelled. “She hangs out with us, she cares about us, and she doesn’t deserve to be talked about like that.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she cares... about sleepin’ her way all the way up to your trust fund.” He shook his head in disgust. “Grow some balls, boy; she moved from you to your brother pretty quickly... what does that tell you?”
“That it’s somethin’ between me, Michael and her, so it’s none of your business,” Brendan growled. He had never dared to speak to his father that way and he had no idea what the consequences would be, but right now it was the only thing that felt right.
Hank couldn’t believe the way Brendan was talking to him. The boy had been spending too much time around Michael and he needed to put an end to that. “Let’s move on... I’ve been talking to Thomas Winslow, the CEO of Danziger Enterprises, and he’s invited us to go sailing with him and his son this weekend.”
“Good for him, but I’m not goin’ sailin’, you know that, Dad.”
“Winslow can get you into a good position with the company for their internship program; that is not the kind of opportunity that you pass up because you’re afraid of a little bit of water.”
“It’s not just a little bit of water; it’s the ocean.” He gestured at the beach and the ocean that stretched out beyond it that was clearly visible through the large windows.
“We’re not gonna argue about this, boy. This is not an offer that you turn down; you will be getting on that boat on Saturday morning.”
“Make me,” he snarled, fear making him more anxious than he had intended.
Hank stared at his son in shock. This was the first time since Brendan had been a little boy that he had exhibited such stubborn tendencies. He moved closer to the boy, seeing the surprise in his expression when he grabbed his shirt by the collar and jerked him close. “If you continue acting like this, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will make you get on that boat.”
Maureen Guerin had heard everything from where she was leaning against the doorframe across the room and she knew things were going to turn even uglier if their youngest son continued to defy Hank. “Brendan...”
“Get your hands off of him!” Michael shouted, quickly recognizing what was going on.
“This is your influence,” Hank snarled, not releasing his grip on Brendan’s shirt.
“If it is, then good, I’ll be happy to take credit for it. You have no right to tell him what he will and will not do; he’s a grown man.” He shoved Hank away from Brendan and turned to straighten the kid’s collar. “Don’t let him fuckin’ intimidate you; goin’ out on the ocean is not the kinda thing you do when you’ve got a fear of the water.”
“Stop it right now.”
They all turned to look at Alex when his voice interrupted the commotion in the living room.
“Bren, go get Brooke, Michael, get Maria, and you,” he pointed his finger in his father’s direction, “stop with the intimidation tactics right now. We’re ready for dinner… a quiet dinner.”
“Looks like you’ve had quite the influence over the twins, Alex,” Hank said, narrowing his eyes as he studied his oldest child.
“Try treating them with respect and you might get some back,” Alex said simply. Yeah, like that would ever happen.
“Respect,” Hank muttered derisively. “I’ve washed my hands of Michael and now it looks like Brendan’s been spending time with him and influencing him into thinking that he should go against me.” He glared at Alex. “Why do I just know that you’ve had something to do with them suddenly getting along?”
“D’you even know what you’re talkin’ about? They’re brothers, twins; they’re supposed to be close.” Alex shook his head and turned to go back to the dining room.
Hank looked at his wife when she hurried over to him, brushing her hands over his suit jacket. “Stop fussing, Maureen,” he ordered briskly. He needed to think about this situation; if he lost control of Brendan there would be no heir to pass the company onto when it was time for him to retire.
“Well, we should go into the dining room,” she suggested timidly. “Alex did say dinner was ready.”
Maria felt very uncomfortable as she sat down in the dining room. She glanced at Isabel, who wasn’t looking very happy either.
Alex glanced around the table that was supposed to be noisy and filled with conversation, irritated that their first holiday together was being ruined by their parents’ unexpected and unwelcome arrival. The twins were sitting across from each other, Maria was beside Michael, and Brooke was sitting next to Brendan, leaning over to pet her dogs that had run in the opposite direction when their parents had arrived.
“Who wants turkey?” Isabel asked with a polite smile.
Since no one said anything, Maria spoke up first. “Um, me, I’ll take some.” She could feel Michael’s tense body next to her and she wished she could so something about it. After she gave her plate to Isabel she lowered her hand to her lap and then reached next to her to squeeze his hand for just a second.
Isabel smiled, relieved that her friend had broken the silence. There was so much tension in the room it felt like the area was actually shrinking in size.
Michael followed Maria’s lead and gently kicked Brendan under the table. “I’ll take some, too.”
Brendan suddenly seemed to get with the program and realized they were talking about food. “Ooh, can I have a leg?”
Isabel was glad that Brendan was hungry as usual. “Of course.”
Alex leaned down to look at his sister, knowing she was doing her best to avoid any contact or conversation with their parents. “Hey, this’s your home, Brooke, and this’s our first family holiday meal together... don’t let them take that away from you, okay?” He reached out to gently grasp her chin and lift her gaze to his. “I’m serious.”
Brooke nodded. “I’ll try.”
He smiled at her. “Hey, that’s all I’m askin’, kid.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Why don’t you go put some music on? Maybe just not Metallica, okay?”
She reached for the serving dish closest to her on the table and placed a healthy serving of potatoes on her plate before jumping up. “Okay, be right back.”
Hank shook his head when the girl ran out of the room with the noisy dogs chasing after her. “I can’t believe you’ve allowed her to keep those animals.”
“You made a great dinner, Isabel,” Maureen said to distract everyone from her husband’s last comment.
Isabel tried to smile. “Thank you. Most of it’s my mom’s recipes.”
“You did do a great job, honey,” Alex agreed, doing his best to keep the peace.
“The place settings are just lovely,” their mother said, and motioned to the napkins that were folded in such a creative manner. “How on earth did you make these?”
Isabel glanced at Michael, who was practically begging her with his eyes to not tell them the truth. “Oh, it was easy; my mom showed me how to make them.”
At that moment Michael could’ve melted into a little puddle of gratitude at her feet. The last thing he needed at that moment was more of his fathers’ condescending, derisive comments. He shifted slightly so that he could be closer to Maria and he moved his leg so that it rested against hers under the table. “Would you pass the gravy?”
“Yeah.” She reached for it and placed it next to his plate.
After that the uncomfortable silence was back.
Alex glanced at Isabel and motioned to the kitchen. “The rolls should be ready to come out of the oven right about now; you want me to grab them?”
“Yeah, hun, that’d be great.”
Hank watched them, seeing his opening when Alex left the room. “So, Isabel, is it? How long have you been shacking up with my son?”
She almost spit out a piece of turkey. “Excuse me?”
“Do you not understand the question?” He shook his head at her obvious stupidity. “You’re living with him without benefit of marriage... perhaps I should phrase it in a manner that your bleached-blond brain will understand – how long have you been sleeping with my son?”
“That is none of your fuckin’ business,” Michael snarled, shocked at his father’s audacity.
Alex slammed the rolls on the counter as he entered the room and overheard his father’s comment. “Don’t you dare to talk to her like that!”
“Considering you live on a trust fund that I set up for you, I think I have every right to know what kind of girls you’re spending your money on.”
“You want your damn money back you can have every red cent.”
Hank snorted and shook his head. “I’m not interested in your pathetic little trust funds; I just wanna know what caliber of women you’re involved with.”
“A great one, now leave it alone,” he hissed, his tone one of warning.
Brendan was watching the back and forth conversations going on around him and he felt like he was seeing his father for the first time. How had he missed this? Michael had been right all along and somehow he had chosen to overlook this behavior.
Brooke glanced at Michael, who seemed ready to explode at any second. She knew a single comment from their father would be enough to send him over the edge.
Alex took Isabel’s hand in his as he sat down once more, rubbing his thumb over her tense knuckles in an attempt to calm her down. She glanced at him and tried to smile a bit, but he could see the strain in her features and he wanted so badly to just throw his parents out of the house. “One word, Iz, just one word from you and they’re gone,” he whispered, leaning in closer to her.
“Let’s just try to survive dinner first,” she suggested. She knew how easily they could lose custody of Brooke and after meeting these people first hand, she was more certain than ever that it was not an option. It couldn’t get any worse, right?
“Okay, but don’t forget what I said, Iz.” Alex straightened back up and just barely controlled the urge to tell his parents where they could go.
“So, Mom, whatcha think of Europe?” Brendan asked, trying to close the painful silence that had fallen over the table.
“It’s simply beautiful; you should come to visit us around Christmas.”
Brendan took a drink of tea when his mouth suddenly went dry. He hadn’t told anyone about his decision yet. “Actually, I might have plans over Christmas; I’m not sure yet. I intend to get in contact with Karen’s mom, find out where she decided to go to college, and drop in on her.”
Michael stared at his brother like he was an alien who had just appeared at the table in the middle of dinner.
“You’re gonna do what?” Hank roared.
“But, Brendan, that girl dumped you,” his mother pointed out. He had been devastated when the girl had broken up with him and she didn’t want to see him get hurt again.
He cleared his throat when his father shouted at him and he glanced at his mother when she spoke up. “I’m not satisfied that it was a decision she made of her own free will.”
Michael smirked at this piece of information. Finally, his brother was beginning to question things; maybe now the truth would come to light.
“What d’you mean?” Hank asked slowly. “What other reason would there have been for her to break up with you?”
“Well, Dad, I guess I’ll find out eventually, won’t I?”
Brendan shook his head and the night that his father had come by his apartment a couple of months ago came back to him. “I know you were going to ask that girl to marry you...” How had his father known that? He had never told anyone that his intention had been to ask her to marry him.
“I think it’s a good thing to talk to her again, Bren,” Maria said, as she found her voice again.
He glanced up when Maria spoke and he smiled at her encouraging tone. “Yeah? Thanks.” He shrugged his right shoulder and leaned forward to grab the mashed potatoes again. “I need the closure no matter which way it goes, y’know?” He motioned to the turkey. “Does anyone want the other leg?”
“Yeah that’s understandable,” Maria replied. She was proud of Brendan’s new-found strength.
“Yeah, it’s cool that you’re gonna do that, Bren,” Brooke said, looking up from feeding her dogs tiny bites of turkey.
“Look who’s talking.” Hank glared at Maria.
Maria was taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“Weren’t you the one who dated Brendan for a matter of weeks and now you’re fucking his twin?”
Michael got to his feet so quickly that his chair was knocked over and he leaned over the table, fisted hands planted on the surface that Isabel had worked so hard to make perfect for dinner. “You watch your fuckin’ mouth around her.”
Alex sighed. Great… that would be the last straw as far as Michael was concerned. He knew there was no calming his brother down after that comment.
“You don’t have any reason to attack her or anyone else here, but you just couldn’t hold back, could you? Not even for one fuckin’ meal!”
“I’m just pointing out the truth, son.”
“First, you wouldn’t know the truth if it crawled up your ass and second, don’t call me ‘son’, because it’s nothin’ but a word to you.”
Maria was shocked by Michael’s outburst, but at the same time she was kind of glad he had jumped to her defense.
“You couldn’t give two fucks about any of us! The only reason you even treat Brendan as if you care about him is because you want someone to pass your precious company on to when you finally do somethin’ right and die!” He paused to glance at his twin. “Sorry, Bren, but it’s true, and it’s got nothin’ to do with you. This’s all about him, little brother.”
Brendan wasn’t hurt by his brother’s words; he was hurt because he finally saw the truth in them.
“You sit here an’ throw all of these bullshit comments around about people you don’t even know! And I’ll give Alex a helluva lot of credit for not puttin’ you on the floor after makin’ that comment about his woman... I know why he didn’t retaliate – “
“Michael, you need to calm down now!” his mother insisted, darting a furtive glance at her husband.
He waved his mother off when she spoke up, pausing only long enough to take a deep breath. “You’re a mother in name only! That woman right there, Isabel? She’s a hundred times the mother you are and none of us belong to her. But, y’know what? That hasn’t stopped her from treatin’ us like we matter, not because she has to, but because she honestly and genuinely cares about us!” He shook his head and turned back to his father. “As for your comment about Maria, you’d better be thankful that I didn’t come across this fuckin’ table and knock every damn tooth outta your mouth. You don’t know anything about her; you’re judgin’ someone who’s still around even though chances are good that I’m the biggest fuckin’ prick she’s ever met!”
He felt nausea roll over him as the pain in his side intensified because of the position he was standing in, but he ignored it, pushing it down so he could finish saying what he had to say. “She’s the first person who ever made me feel like I’m worth knowin’, like maybe I’m worth lovin’ even, outside of my family... and when I say family... that doesn’t include either of you!”
Maria was shocked by the honesty in his words. She stood up and placed a hand on his arm.
Michael paused in his rant and turned his head, glancing at the hand resting on his arm before looking up to meet Maria’s green eyes. “Hey,” he said softly.
“Why don’t we go ahead and leave?” she asked.
“Michael, I insist that you sit down,” Maureen said. “You’re going to ruin the holiday.”
“I’m gonna ruin the holiday?” he shouted and pointed at his father. “Has it escaped your notice that he’s been ruining the holidays our entire lives?” He shook his head in disgust. “Maybe you’re happy to go along with him... maybe you really don’t see it... and maybe you’re just too fuckin’ weak to see the truth!”
Brooke had tears in her eyes as she looked around the table. Her parents were a real disaster and they always ruined everything.
Maureen’s demeanor was poised as she shook her head at his behavior. She couldn’t let him see how much his words hurt. “Just once, couldn’t you be a good son and just act civilized? Your father has worked hard his whole life to make sure you were taken care of –“
“Money and love are two completely different things, Mom. Guess you wouldn’t know that though, would you?” He grabbed Maria’s hand then. “C’mon, let’s go.”
Hank reached out and slammed his fist into Michael's injured side. “Your mother told you to sit down.”
“Okay, no, that’s it!” Alex shouted, standing up and reaching out to place a hand on his sister’s shoulder. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her when she leaned against him and he could feel her body shaking.
“I don’t have a mother,” Michael replied coldly, staring at the woman in front of him. He was doing his best to ignore the pain, but it was taking an effort. He knew once the initial shock of the unexpected impact passed he would be alright.
“That’s just fine by me,” Hank stated, his tone even colder. “Because you’ve been nothing but a problem since the day you were born.”
“Maybe you should’ve just put me up for adoption then,” he muttered.
“Don’t think we didn’t consider it,” Hank growled.
“Too bad it’s too late now,” Michael hissed.
“It may be too late for that, but it’s not too late to disown you.”
“I’m shocked,” he muttered. “That’d be the nicest fuckin’ thing you could do for me!”
“Should’ve just drowned you in the bath water when we brought you home,” Hank muttered.
“Yeah, maybe you should’ve. You could’ve saved us all a lot of trouble. I’m sure Mom wouldn’t have noticed one less kid around the house, what with all the wine she consumes from the moment she crawls outta bed in the mornings.” He wasn’t expecting it when his mother’s open palm cracked across the left side of his face.
Maria gripped Michael’s hand tighter. She could feel the anger and hurt fighting for dominance in his tense body. “Let’s go, please.”
It hurt to breathe... God, it hurt! Knowing that you weren’t wanted was one thing, but to have your parents verify it like that was devastating. He looked down when Maria tugged on his hand, pulling him away from the table. His brain suddenly registered that she was trying to get him to leave with her and he nodded, following her blindly.
The silence that followed Michael’s exit was deafening and Alex glanced around at the destruction that had been left in the wake of his brother’s exchange with their parents. He didn’t blame Michael for the confrontation; he had held back as long as possible and by the time they had pushed him far enough to strike out it had been too late. Brendan was picking at his food with a noted lack of interest, he could feel Brooke shaking where she was leaning against him, and Isabel looked like she was going to burst into tears at any second.
He fought to keep his voice level as he looked at his parents, who not surprisingly, didn’t look the least bit apologetic for their behavior. “I have no intention of getting into an argument with you today,” he started quietly, “but, I want you to leave, right now.”
“Alex...” Maureen started, but fell silent again.
“No, Mom, we’re beyond any possibility of continuing this farce.” He felt Brooke tense up beside him and he rubbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her. He looked down at her when Hank pushed back at the opposite end of the table and she jumped slightly. “Hey, why don’t you take the dogs and go to your room, okay? Let me take care of this and we’ll have dinner later.”
She just nodded and stood up, ready to leave. But at the doorway she suddenly turned to look at their parents again. “I hate you,” she stated, looking directly into her mother’s eyes and then hurrying from the room, the dogs chasing after her in their haste to escape the tension-filled room.
Alex shook his head when his father moved as if he intended to follow the teenager. “Leave her alone,” he insisted as he leaned forward and braced his fisted hands on the table. “I wasn’t kiddin’ when I said I wanted you to leave. You showed up here uninvited and then managed to fuck up yet another holiday.” He glanced to the side and nodded when Isabel reached out to wrap her hands around his wrist, shaking her head in a gentle warning. He needed more leverage before he took a risk with their custody of Brooke. If he played his hand too soon they could lose her to his parents and that was unacceptable.
“You do understand that Brooke is not your daughter, don’t you?” Hank asked, his eyes narrowing as he stared his oldest son down.
“I understand that your actions here today are deplorable, just like they’ve always been.”
Hank shook his head. “I knew lettin’ you spend so much time with the help was a mistake. You were too impressionable when you were a boy.”
“That’s the one thing you did right in my case; if it hadn’t been for our chauffer and housekeeper I could’ve conceivably turned out like you.”
“Instead you’re weak and soft… nothin’ to be proud of, boy.”
Maureen looked at Brendan, hoping to find some understanding there.
Brendan stared at his mother, shocked when he realized that she was looking for him to smooth things over.
“I can’t help you,” he mumbled quietly. How had he overlooked their behavior for so long? Why?
“How could your four kids turn out so well when they had the worst parents ever?” Isabel asked quietly, but it was loud enough to be heard.
“You need to control your mouthy little woman, Alex,” Hank said, staring at Isabel with contempt.
“Let’s go, Hank,” Maureen said, grabbing her bag. She knew that it would get even worse if they stayed now.
Alex was so angry that he could feel himself shaking and the only thing that was keeping him from taking a page from Michael’s book on dealing with Hank was Isabel’s restraining hand on his arm.
Hank stood up and shook his head at Alex’ behavior before glancing at his youngest son and clearing his throat to get the boy’s attention. “Brendan, I’ll expect you to be ready at 8:00 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning.”
Brendan’s heart started to pound as he looked up at his father, noticing for the first time just how cold the man’s eyes were. “I’m not goin’ sailin’ with you on Saturday.”
“You’ll go if I have to drag you out there kicking and screaming.” He couldn’t believe that Brendan was daring to defy him in this manner. “And just so you know, if you embarrass me like that, you will regret it. You don’t get anywhere in life by giving in to fear, boy.”
Alex had reached the end of his rope with his parents and he stalked around the table, grabbing his father’s arm and escorting him out of the room and down the hall to the front door. He paused at the hall closet to retrieve their jackets, jerked the front door open, and threw them on the porch. “Like I said, it’s time for you to leave.”
Hank’s right hand shot out to grab Alex by the collar and he studied the younger man’s gray eyes, looking for just the slightest hint of fear and finding none.
“Go ahead and hit me,” Alex taunted, his voice low. “All I need is the smallest excuse to call the cops and press charges on you.”
“We’ll talk again before I leave to go back to Europe,” Hank insisted.
“Oh, we’re gonna talk... you can count on that.”
Maureen stepped out onto the porch, not knowing what to do or say anymore.
“Don’t you ever step foot on my property again. This’s the last holiday you ruin for us and it’s the last time you do what you did to the others.” He shook his head and slammed the door in their shocked faces, leaning back against it and drawing in deep lungfuls of air.
Isabel walked towards him slowly. She could feel the tension in his body even though she was still a few feet away. “I’m sorry, Alex.” She didn’t know what to say; she would have never imagined that there were parents like them in the world.
“I can’t believe this,” he said, shaking his head. He looked at his girlfriend. “No, if anyone’s sorry here, it’s me... you shouldn’t have to put up with them.”
Isabel shook her head, unable to hold back the tears as she threw herself into his arms. “God, the things they said to Michael...” she sobbed against his chest.
Alex wrapped his arms around her tightly and rubbed her back. There was nothing he could say that would make it better; his parents’ words and actions were inexcusable and now in addition to his brothers and sister, Isabel had been hurt because of them too.
“Maybe you should go and see how Brooke’s doin’?” she suggested after a while.
“Yeah.” He sighed and ran his right hand over his face. “I need to call my lawyer first thing in the mornin’ and see what we need to do about stripping my parents of their parental rights.”
“Okay, we’ll think about that tomorrow,” Isabel said, more calm now after letting her tears out. “I’m gonna go check on Brendan.”
He called her back before she was out of sight. “Isabel?”
“Yeah?”
“I am sorry... today was supposed to be such a happy day. I know how much you were lookin’ forward to tellin’ everyone about the baby.”
She tried to smile a little. “It’s not your fault, honey. We’ll tell them later.”
“You just... you shouldn’t have had to deal with that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not the one you need to worry about right now, Alex. I’m okay.” She wasn’t okay at all, of course, but she needed to be strong now – for all of them.
“I love you for sayin’ it, Iz, but I know you’re lyin’.” He forced a smile and nodded before she could remind him to go and check on Brooke again. “I’m goin’, but once we get them settled down, we’ll talk.”
“Okay.”
*****
Taylor tore around the side of the house in search of her husband and Philip’s eyebrows lifted when he saw the expression on his daughter’s face. Someone was in trouble!
“Jack!”
Jack stood up from his seat on the porch swing where he had been amusing J.J. while Lacey helped Diane with a few last-minute things. “What’s the matter, buttercup?”
“You know that crappy gas station where we always stop for gas?”
“Well, I know the station we always stop at, but this’s the first I’ve heard of it bein’ crappy.”
“They’re not getting anymore of our business! I went in to ask the guy behind the counter for some help and he insinuated that I am lacking in any intelligence whatsoever about automotive parts and supplies.”
Jack shifted J.J. to his left arm and rested his free hand on his wife’s shoulder, hoping to calm her down. “Okay, tell me what happened.”
“Oh, I’ll tell you what happened,” she said indignantly. “I went in and asked that ass if they sold blinker fluid – “
“You asked what?” Jack asked, certain he had heard incorrectly.
“Blinker fluid… I know, it’s only used for older cars, but Max showed me where it goes and the fluid level is really low…” She frowned up at her husband when he started turning red and she realized he was holding his breath. “Jack, what is wrong with you?” she demanded.
“Max showed you where it goes? Was the fluid kind of a greenish-blue?”
“Yes! See, you know what I’m talkin’ about!”
“That’s your windshield washer fluid, buttercup; your blinkers do not operate with the use of fluid of any kind.”
Realization dawned and all of her indignation suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced with a look of aggravation as she turned to find her younger brother. “Max Evans, you are in so much trouble!”
Max moved in from her other side when she turned to look for him and he deftly removed J.J. from his brother-in-law’s arms. “You can’t hit me,” he said when she turned and caught him. “I’ve got a baby.”
Taylor smiled dangerously. “You can’t hold him the entire time you’re here.”
He grinned and carefully backed away from her. “Hey, Liz, let me introduce you to everyone,” he said as he nodded to the man beside his sister. “That’s Jack Evans, my sister’s husband; same last name, it’s not some kinda inbreeding thing.” He shifted the baby in his arms as he introduced his nephew and then he nodded to his father when he stepped up on the deck. “And this’s my father, Philip.” He leaned down to scratch Bella’s ears when she sat down next to Liz; the dog had immediately taken to her when they had been introduced the second they had stepped out of the car.
Liz smiled at them, greeting them all with a slightly nervous smile.
“C’mon, and I’ll introduce you to Mom and my sister-in-law.” He led the way into the house, and went straight to the kitchen, knowing that was where he’d find the others. “Hey, Mom, Lacey, I wanna introduce you to Liz.”
Liz was quickly enveloped in a hug by Diane and she was shocked by the woman’s warmth; she was so used to brief, seemingly unfeeling embraces from her own mother. Lacey was a little more reserved, smiling as she shook Liz’s hand and excused herself to finish setting the table.
“Is there something I can help with?” Liz asked.
“Oh, no, dear, I just want you to relax. Max, why don’t you give her a tour of the house before dinner’s ready,” Diane suggested as she took her grandson from Max. “And show her the guest room, too.” She smiled at them and winked. “I’m not that old-fashioned, so if the two of you prefer to share a room, you’re more than welcome to do so.”
“Oh, um… thank you,” Liz stuttered. “I think the guest room will be fine.”
Max smiled as he took her hand and tugged on it to get her moving. They walked through to the living room and he smiled at her indrawn breath when she saw the glass wall that looked out over the lake.
“Max, you didn’t tell me that your parents’ house was so beautiful,” she breathed, awed by the view.
“Oh, girl, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” He grinned and continued on their tour, showing off the formal dining area that was beautifully set for dinner, the exercise room, indoor spa, and the media room on the first floor.
“You’ve got your own little theater!”
“Cool, huh? C’mon, I’ll show you the upstairs.” On the second level he led her through the maze of bedrooms and she was shocked to see that each one had its own balcony with spiral staircases that led to the ground below. “This’s the guest room,” he said, motioning to one of the last two rooms. “Like the rest it’s got its own bathroom and it looks down over the pool.” He nodded over his shoulder. “My room’s got the lake view though, so if you’d rather…” He grinned when she pointedly put her bag on the bed and motioned for him to continue. “Just leaves my room,” he said, pushing his door open and stepping inside. He watched her as she moved past him and looked around, his gaze following her every move as her fingertips brushed over the furniture.
“Max, thank you,” she said as she paused at the window, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I didn’t wanna be alone…”
“Darlin’ you don’t ever have to worry about that,” he said as he gathered her up in his arms. “I’m so sorry your parents reacted the way they did.” He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “I’m glad you finally used my number though.”
Liz sighed and settled into his embrace, grateful for his understanding and his easy acceptance.
*****
Alex walked down the hall to his sister’s bedroom, hoping that he would be able to make her feel better. None of them had ever seen their parents go after Michael like they had earlier and because of her relationship with him she was most likely taking it harder than the rest of them.
She had left her door open but he knocked on the doorframe, letting her know that it was up to her to decide if she felt up to talking or not. “Hey, kid, you feel up to talkin’?”
Brooke was lying on her bed, facing the wall, and she didn’t move when she heard Alex’ voice. “You can come in,” she replied.
He stepped inside the room, walking around the things lying on the floor as he made his way to her bed. He sat down beside her and reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder. “They’re gone,” he said simply.
“Yeah, for now,” she muttered bitterly.
Alex bit the inside of his cheek, weighing his options. He intended to do everything in his power to make sure she never went back to them, but should he tell her that? “Brooke, I want you to listen to me for a minute, okay? I’m callin’ my lawyer to set up an emergency meeting so we can go over some options where you’re concerned.”
Brooke rolled over to look at her oldest brother. “Really?”
“Yeah. Look, I know there’s a lot goin’ on...” His mind shifted to Isabel for a moment. “More than you know, but you’re not goin’ back to live with them. If what I intend to do works, they’ll have no legal claim on you at all.”
She sat up at that. “I don’t wanna go back to them ever again, Alex.”
“You won’t. I promise you that much, kid. I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that never happens.”
“Thank you.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and rested one hand over his.
He nodded and turned to press a kiss against her head. “You feel like eatin’?”
She shrugged. “Not really, but Isabel worked so had on it.”
Alex smiled at her thoughtfulness. “Yeah, she did.”
Brooke glanced at her cell phone. She had tried to call Michael, but he hadn’t answered.
Alex followed her gaze to the phone in her hand. “He’s not answerin’, huh?” He knew without asking that she had been trying to call Michael.
“No,” she breathed.
“He’s not ignoring you, Brooke. Y’know that, right?”
She sighed. “Yeah, I know. I just wish he wouldn’t run away from us, y’know? I need him.”
“That’s just the way he’s always dealt with things; he’s not gonna change his behavior patterns overnight. Maybe Maria will help him with that, though... ya think?”
“I don’t know. They haven’t been getting along very well lately.”
“What about today, hmm? They seemed like they were getting along pretty well.”
“Yeah.” She grabbed her cell phone, opened it and typed a message quickly. “I asked Maria to call us or text us later to let us know how he’s doin’,” she said, glancing at Alex when she was ready.
He nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
“Okay, let’s go eat some turkey, big brother!”
The dogs barked in agreement and nearly knocked each other over as they raced out of the room. Alex shook his head when his sister chased after them and a moment later he followed at a more sedate pace.
Maiqu: Nothin’ wrong with that! Hank is horrible, but Maria isn’t going anywhere. Max’ sister probably isn’t gonna love it.
keepsmiling7: Little brothers are horrible!
mary mary: Unfortunately, not the first one to believe it… or the last, lol!
We’d like to see that happen too, but with the Brooke issue they’re trying to avoid making things worse with Hank.
Alien_Friend: Tess will fit right in with Kyle’s family… and have fun, too!
Michael’s making progress, huh?
We’re glad you’re still enjoying Max and Liz!
Natalie36: Yeah… you’re not alone there!
kismet: Good question… and actually something that will be brought up in a while.
Blinker fluid… ever got caught by that one?
sunrise102: They definitely had their reasons for not wanting to step up and say anything to their parents. We don’t think the parentals will be so vengeful that they’ll pull their financial support for their kids’ college.
Yeah, you’re probably right about Max’ thoughts!
sarammlover: We’re glad you’re enjoying Kyle and Tess! Michael and Maria are taking small steps, but they’re making a start. We have a feeling you’re right about this next part!
begonia9508: It’s doubtful that Hank is gonna change.
xmag: Yeah, we did. Maria is going to be in shock.
kay_b: Wow! While we’re sorry to hear you’ve got a headache now, we’re flattered! We’re glad to hear that you’re enjoying the fic and it’s always nice when a Dreamer says that they like our Max and Liz! Hey, feel free to babble all you want… you’ve earned the right, lol!
We update every Thursday and Sunday!
Part 62 – And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’…
Brooke sat on the couch, staring at her parents in disbelief. This was supposed to be a happy day with her brothers and their girlfriends all there, but now... she could practically feel the tension in the room, it was so thick.
Alex was observing the others as an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. He wasn’t sure what exactly he had interrupted when he had walked into the kitchen, but he had a bad feeling that his father had done something to Michael. “So, Dad, you didn’t say why you and Mom are in town,” he said.
“We need a reason to visit our children?” the older man demanded.
“A little warning next time would be good,” Brooke growled.
“It’s just peculiar timing considering family holidays were never much of a priority.”
“Brooke, don’t speak to your father in that tone,” Maureen chastised, darting a nervous glance at the man in question.
“Whatever,” the girl said, standing up. I’m goin’ to my room until dinner’s ready!”
“Get your ass back here right this minute, young lady,” Hank insisted, reaching out to wrap his hand around her arm.
Alex crossed the room and forcibly removed his father’s restraining hold. “Let her go.”
Isabel was shocked by the cold behavior she was witnessing from their parents. Sure, she had heard Maria’s opinion of them from the one time she’d had the displeasure of meeting them, but this was the first time she had ever run into them. Oh, my God, she thought, these horrible people are going to be your baby’s grandparents!
“I think you’re forgetting which one of us is her father, boy.”
“So, I guess I’ll set two more places for dinner,” Isabel said, leaving the room to get away. She knew Alex was doing his best to keep his temper in check because he didn’t want to jeopardize his custody of Brooke.
Brendan stood up to distract his father. “So, how’s it goin’ in Europe, Dad?”
Alex was not pleased by this turn of events; he didn’t want any of them to be upset by this change in plans, but Isabel didn’t need the added stress.
Hank turned to his youngest son and he relaxed. “Business is good, very good. How’re classes going?”
“Very well.” He looked at Alex, gesturing for him to go after Isabel. He knew his brother was waiting to make sure things were okay before going to check on his girlfriend.
“I see you took my advice and left that little tramp to Michael.”
“Don’t call her that,” Brendan warned him, his voice angrier than he thought it would be when talking to his father.
Hank drew back, shocked when the boy dared to defy him. “What’d you say?”
“You heard what I said. Maria’s our friend and you shouldn’t talk like that about her.”
“Look, boy, I understand that you don’t get out much socially, but screwin’ some little two-bit tramp does not make her your friend.”
“I’m not screwin’ her,” he yelled. “She hangs out with us, she cares about us, and she doesn’t deserve to be talked about like that.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she cares... about sleepin’ her way all the way up to your trust fund.” He shook his head in disgust. “Grow some balls, boy; she moved from you to your brother pretty quickly... what does that tell you?”
“That it’s somethin’ between me, Michael and her, so it’s none of your business,” Brendan growled. He had never dared to speak to his father that way and he had no idea what the consequences would be, but right now it was the only thing that felt right.
Hank couldn’t believe the way Brendan was talking to him. The boy had been spending too much time around Michael and he needed to put an end to that. “Let’s move on... I’ve been talking to Thomas Winslow, the CEO of Danziger Enterprises, and he’s invited us to go sailing with him and his son this weekend.”
“Good for him, but I’m not goin’ sailin’, you know that, Dad.”
“Winslow can get you into a good position with the company for their internship program; that is not the kind of opportunity that you pass up because you’re afraid of a little bit of water.”
“It’s not just a little bit of water; it’s the ocean.” He gestured at the beach and the ocean that stretched out beyond it that was clearly visible through the large windows.
“We’re not gonna argue about this, boy. This is not an offer that you turn down; you will be getting on that boat on Saturday morning.”
“Make me,” he snarled, fear making him more anxious than he had intended.
Hank stared at his son in shock. This was the first time since Brendan had been a little boy that he had exhibited such stubborn tendencies. He moved closer to the boy, seeing the surprise in his expression when he grabbed his shirt by the collar and jerked him close. “If you continue acting like this, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will make you get on that boat.”
Maureen Guerin had heard everything from where she was leaning against the doorframe across the room and she knew things were going to turn even uglier if their youngest son continued to defy Hank. “Brendan...”
“Get your hands off of him!” Michael shouted, quickly recognizing what was going on.
“This is your influence,” Hank snarled, not releasing his grip on Brendan’s shirt.
“If it is, then good, I’ll be happy to take credit for it. You have no right to tell him what he will and will not do; he’s a grown man.” He shoved Hank away from Brendan and turned to straighten the kid’s collar. “Don’t let him fuckin’ intimidate you; goin’ out on the ocean is not the kinda thing you do when you’ve got a fear of the water.”
“Stop it right now.”
They all turned to look at Alex when his voice interrupted the commotion in the living room.
“Bren, go get Brooke, Michael, get Maria, and you,” he pointed his finger in his father’s direction, “stop with the intimidation tactics right now. We’re ready for dinner… a quiet dinner.”
“Looks like you’ve had quite the influence over the twins, Alex,” Hank said, narrowing his eyes as he studied his oldest child.
“Try treating them with respect and you might get some back,” Alex said simply. Yeah, like that would ever happen.
“Respect,” Hank muttered derisively. “I’ve washed my hands of Michael and now it looks like Brendan’s been spending time with him and influencing him into thinking that he should go against me.” He glared at Alex. “Why do I just know that you’ve had something to do with them suddenly getting along?”
“D’you even know what you’re talkin’ about? They’re brothers, twins; they’re supposed to be close.” Alex shook his head and turned to go back to the dining room.
Hank looked at his wife when she hurried over to him, brushing her hands over his suit jacket. “Stop fussing, Maureen,” he ordered briskly. He needed to think about this situation; if he lost control of Brendan there would be no heir to pass the company onto when it was time for him to retire.
“Well, we should go into the dining room,” she suggested timidly. “Alex did say dinner was ready.”
Maria felt very uncomfortable as she sat down in the dining room. She glanced at Isabel, who wasn’t looking very happy either.
Alex glanced around the table that was supposed to be noisy and filled with conversation, irritated that their first holiday together was being ruined by their parents’ unexpected and unwelcome arrival. The twins were sitting across from each other, Maria was beside Michael, and Brooke was sitting next to Brendan, leaning over to pet her dogs that had run in the opposite direction when their parents had arrived.
“Who wants turkey?” Isabel asked with a polite smile.
Since no one said anything, Maria spoke up first. “Um, me, I’ll take some.” She could feel Michael’s tense body next to her and she wished she could so something about it. After she gave her plate to Isabel she lowered her hand to her lap and then reached next to her to squeeze his hand for just a second.
Isabel smiled, relieved that her friend had broken the silence. There was so much tension in the room it felt like the area was actually shrinking in size.
Michael followed Maria’s lead and gently kicked Brendan under the table. “I’ll take some, too.”
Brendan suddenly seemed to get with the program and realized they were talking about food. “Ooh, can I have a leg?”
Isabel was glad that Brendan was hungry as usual. “Of course.”
Alex leaned down to look at his sister, knowing she was doing her best to avoid any contact or conversation with their parents. “Hey, this’s your home, Brooke, and this’s our first family holiday meal together... don’t let them take that away from you, okay?” He reached out to gently grasp her chin and lift her gaze to his. “I’m serious.”
Brooke nodded. “I’ll try.”
He smiled at her. “Hey, that’s all I’m askin’, kid.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Why don’t you go put some music on? Maybe just not Metallica, okay?”
She reached for the serving dish closest to her on the table and placed a healthy serving of potatoes on her plate before jumping up. “Okay, be right back.”
Hank shook his head when the girl ran out of the room with the noisy dogs chasing after her. “I can’t believe you’ve allowed her to keep those animals.”
“You made a great dinner, Isabel,” Maureen said to distract everyone from her husband’s last comment.
Isabel tried to smile. “Thank you. Most of it’s my mom’s recipes.”
“You did do a great job, honey,” Alex agreed, doing his best to keep the peace.
“The place settings are just lovely,” their mother said, and motioned to the napkins that were folded in such a creative manner. “How on earth did you make these?”
Isabel glanced at Michael, who was practically begging her with his eyes to not tell them the truth. “Oh, it was easy; my mom showed me how to make them.”
At that moment Michael could’ve melted into a little puddle of gratitude at her feet. The last thing he needed at that moment was more of his fathers’ condescending, derisive comments. He shifted slightly so that he could be closer to Maria and he moved his leg so that it rested against hers under the table. “Would you pass the gravy?”
“Yeah.” She reached for it and placed it next to his plate.
After that the uncomfortable silence was back.
Alex glanced at Isabel and motioned to the kitchen. “The rolls should be ready to come out of the oven right about now; you want me to grab them?”
“Yeah, hun, that’d be great.”
Hank watched them, seeing his opening when Alex left the room. “So, Isabel, is it? How long have you been shacking up with my son?”
She almost spit out a piece of turkey. “Excuse me?”
“Do you not understand the question?” He shook his head at her obvious stupidity. “You’re living with him without benefit of marriage... perhaps I should phrase it in a manner that your bleached-blond brain will understand – how long have you been sleeping with my son?”
“That is none of your fuckin’ business,” Michael snarled, shocked at his father’s audacity.
Alex slammed the rolls on the counter as he entered the room and overheard his father’s comment. “Don’t you dare to talk to her like that!”
“Considering you live on a trust fund that I set up for you, I think I have every right to know what kind of girls you’re spending your money on.”
“You want your damn money back you can have every red cent.”
Hank snorted and shook his head. “I’m not interested in your pathetic little trust funds; I just wanna know what caliber of women you’re involved with.”
“A great one, now leave it alone,” he hissed, his tone one of warning.
Brendan was watching the back and forth conversations going on around him and he felt like he was seeing his father for the first time. How had he missed this? Michael had been right all along and somehow he had chosen to overlook this behavior.
Brooke glanced at Michael, who seemed ready to explode at any second. She knew a single comment from their father would be enough to send him over the edge.
Alex took Isabel’s hand in his as he sat down once more, rubbing his thumb over her tense knuckles in an attempt to calm her down. She glanced at him and tried to smile a bit, but he could see the strain in her features and he wanted so badly to just throw his parents out of the house. “One word, Iz, just one word from you and they’re gone,” he whispered, leaning in closer to her.
“Let’s just try to survive dinner first,” she suggested. She knew how easily they could lose custody of Brooke and after meeting these people first hand, she was more certain than ever that it was not an option. It couldn’t get any worse, right?
“Okay, but don’t forget what I said, Iz.” Alex straightened back up and just barely controlled the urge to tell his parents where they could go.
“So, Mom, whatcha think of Europe?” Brendan asked, trying to close the painful silence that had fallen over the table.
“It’s simply beautiful; you should come to visit us around Christmas.”
Brendan took a drink of tea when his mouth suddenly went dry. He hadn’t told anyone about his decision yet. “Actually, I might have plans over Christmas; I’m not sure yet. I intend to get in contact with Karen’s mom, find out where she decided to go to college, and drop in on her.”
Michael stared at his brother like he was an alien who had just appeared at the table in the middle of dinner.
“You’re gonna do what?” Hank roared.
“But, Brendan, that girl dumped you,” his mother pointed out. He had been devastated when the girl had broken up with him and she didn’t want to see him get hurt again.
He cleared his throat when his father shouted at him and he glanced at his mother when she spoke up. “I’m not satisfied that it was a decision she made of her own free will.”
Michael smirked at this piece of information. Finally, his brother was beginning to question things; maybe now the truth would come to light.
“What d’you mean?” Hank asked slowly. “What other reason would there have been for her to break up with you?”
“Well, Dad, I guess I’ll find out eventually, won’t I?”
Brendan shook his head and the night that his father had come by his apartment a couple of months ago came back to him. “I know you were going to ask that girl to marry you...” How had his father known that? He had never told anyone that his intention had been to ask her to marry him.
“I think it’s a good thing to talk to her again, Bren,” Maria said, as she found her voice again.
He glanced up when Maria spoke and he smiled at her encouraging tone. “Yeah? Thanks.” He shrugged his right shoulder and leaned forward to grab the mashed potatoes again. “I need the closure no matter which way it goes, y’know?” He motioned to the turkey. “Does anyone want the other leg?”
“Yeah that’s understandable,” Maria replied. She was proud of Brendan’s new-found strength.
“Yeah, it’s cool that you’re gonna do that, Bren,” Brooke said, looking up from feeding her dogs tiny bites of turkey.
“Look who’s talking.” Hank glared at Maria.
Maria was taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“Weren’t you the one who dated Brendan for a matter of weeks and now you’re fucking his twin?”
Michael got to his feet so quickly that his chair was knocked over and he leaned over the table, fisted hands planted on the surface that Isabel had worked so hard to make perfect for dinner. “You watch your fuckin’ mouth around her.”
Alex sighed. Great… that would be the last straw as far as Michael was concerned. He knew there was no calming his brother down after that comment.
“You don’t have any reason to attack her or anyone else here, but you just couldn’t hold back, could you? Not even for one fuckin’ meal!”
“I’m just pointing out the truth, son.”
“First, you wouldn’t know the truth if it crawled up your ass and second, don’t call me ‘son’, because it’s nothin’ but a word to you.”
Maria was shocked by Michael’s outburst, but at the same time she was kind of glad he had jumped to her defense.
“You couldn’t give two fucks about any of us! The only reason you even treat Brendan as if you care about him is because you want someone to pass your precious company on to when you finally do somethin’ right and die!” He paused to glance at his twin. “Sorry, Bren, but it’s true, and it’s got nothin’ to do with you. This’s all about him, little brother.”
Brendan wasn’t hurt by his brother’s words; he was hurt because he finally saw the truth in them.
“You sit here an’ throw all of these bullshit comments around about people you don’t even know! And I’ll give Alex a helluva lot of credit for not puttin’ you on the floor after makin’ that comment about his woman... I know why he didn’t retaliate – “
“Michael, you need to calm down now!” his mother insisted, darting a furtive glance at her husband.
He waved his mother off when she spoke up, pausing only long enough to take a deep breath. “You’re a mother in name only! That woman right there, Isabel? She’s a hundred times the mother you are and none of us belong to her. But, y’know what? That hasn’t stopped her from treatin’ us like we matter, not because she has to, but because she honestly and genuinely cares about us!” He shook his head and turned back to his father. “As for your comment about Maria, you’d better be thankful that I didn’t come across this fuckin’ table and knock every damn tooth outta your mouth. You don’t know anything about her; you’re judgin’ someone who’s still around even though chances are good that I’m the biggest fuckin’ prick she’s ever met!”
He felt nausea roll over him as the pain in his side intensified because of the position he was standing in, but he ignored it, pushing it down so he could finish saying what he had to say. “She’s the first person who ever made me feel like I’m worth knowin’, like maybe I’m worth lovin’ even, outside of my family... and when I say family... that doesn’t include either of you!”
Maria was shocked by the honesty in his words. She stood up and placed a hand on his arm.
Michael paused in his rant and turned his head, glancing at the hand resting on his arm before looking up to meet Maria’s green eyes. “Hey,” he said softly.
“Why don’t we go ahead and leave?” she asked.
“Michael, I insist that you sit down,” Maureen said. “You’re going to ruin the holiday.”
“I’m gonna ruin the holiday?” he shouted and pointed at his father. “Has it escaped your notice that he’s been ruining the holidays our entire lives?” He shook his head in disgust. “Maybe you’re happy to go along with him... maybe you really don’t see it... and maybe you’re just too fuckin’ weak to see the truth!”
Brooke had tears in her eyes as she looked around the table. Her parents were a real disaster and they always ruined everything.
Maureen’s demeanor was poised as she shook her head at his behavior. She couldn’t let him see how much his words hurt. “Just once, couldn’t you be a good son and just act civilized? Your father has worked hard his whole life to make sure you were taken care of –“
“Money and love are two completely different things, Mom. Guess you wouldn’t know that though, would you?” He grabbed Maria’s hand then. “C’mon, let’s go.”
Hank reached out and slammed his fist into Michael's injured side. “Your mother told you to sit down.”
“Okay, no, that’s it!” Alex shouted, standing up and reaching out to place a hand on his sister’s shoulder. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her when she leaned against him and he could feel her body shaking.
“I don’t have a mother,” Michael replied coldly, staring at the woman in front of him. He was doing his best to ignore the pain, but it was taking an effort. He knew once the initial shock of the unexpected impact passed he would be alright.
“That’s just fine by me,” Hank stated, his tone even colder. “Because you’ve been nothing but a problem since the day you were born.”
“Maybe you should’ve just put me up for adoption then,” he muttered.
“Don’t think we didn’t consider it,” Hank growled.
“Too bad it’s too late now,” Michael hissed.
“It may be too late for that, but it’s not too late to disown you.”
“I’m shocked,” he muttered. “That’d be the nicest fuckin’ thing you could do for me!”
“Should’ve just drowned you in the bath water when we brought you home,” Hank muttered.
“Yeah, maybe you should’ve. You could’ve saved us all a lot of trouble. I’m sure Mom wouldn’t have noticed one less kid around the house, what with all the wine she consumes from the moment she crawls outta bed in the mornings.” He wasn’t expecting it when his mother’s open palm cracked across the left side of his face.
Maria gripped Michael’s hand tighter. She could feel the anger and hurt fighting for dominance in his tense body. “Let’s go, please.”
It hurt to breathe... God, it hurt! Knowing that you weren’t wanted was one thing, but to have your parents verify it like that was devastating. He looked down when Maria tugged on his hand, pulling him away from the table. His brain suddenly registered that she was trying to get him to leave with her and he nodded, following her blindly.
The silence that followed Michael’s exit was deafening and Alex glanced around at the destruction that had been left in the wake of his brother’s exchange with their parents. He didn’t blame Michael for the confrontation; he had held back as long as possible and by the time they had pushed him far enough to strike out it had been too late. Brendan was picking at his food with a noted lack of interest, he could feel Brooke shaking where she was leaning against him, and Isabel looked like she was going to burst into tears at any second.
He fought to keep his voice level as he looked at his parents, who not surprisingly, didn’t look the least bit apologetic for their behavior. “I have no intention of getting into an argument with you today,” he started quietly, “but, I want you to leave, right now.”
“Alex...” Maureen started, but fell silent again.
“No, Mom, we’re beyond any possibility of continuing this farce.” He felt Brooke tense up beside him and he rubbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her. He looked down at her when Hank pushed back at the opposite end of the table and she jumped slightly. “Hey, why don’t you take the dogs and go to your room, okay? Let me take care of this and we’ll have dinner later.”
She just nodded and stood up, ready to leave. But at the doorway she suddenly turned to look at their parents again. “I hate you,” she stated, looking directly into her mother’s eyes and then hurrying from the room, the dogs chasing after her in their haste to escape the tension-filled room.
Alex shook his head when his father moved as if he intended to follow the teenager. “Leave her alone,” he insisted as he leaned forward and braced his fisted hands on the table. “I wasn’t kiddin’ when I said I wanted you to leave. You showed up here uninvited and then managed to fuck up yet another holiday.” He glanced to the side and nodded when Isabel reached out to wrap her hands around his wrist, shaking her head in a gentle warning. He needed more leverage before he took a risk with their custody of Brooke. If he played his hand too soon they could lose her to his parents and that was unacceptable.
“You do understand that Brooke is not your daughter, don’t you?” Hank asked, his eyes narrowing as he stared his oldest son down.
“I understand that your actions here today are deplorable, just like they’ve always been.”
Hank shook his head. “I knew lettin’ you spend so much time with the help was a mistake. You were too impressionable when you were a boy.”
“That’s the one thing you did right in my case; if it hadn’t been for our chauffer and housekeeper I could’ve conceivably turned out like you.”
“Instead you’re weak and soft… nothin’ to be proud of, boy.”
Maureen looked at Brendan, hoping to find some understanding there.
Brendan stared at his mother, shocked when he realized that she was looking for him to smooth things over.
“I can’t help you,” he mumbled quietly. How had he overlooked their behavior for so long? Why?
“How could your four kids turn out so well when they had the worst parents ever?” Isabel asked quietly, but it was loud enough to be heard.
“You need to control your mouthy little woman, Alex,” Hank said, staring at Isabel with contempt.
“Let’s go, Hank,” Maureen said, grabbing her bag. She knew that it would get even worse if they stayed now.
Alex was so angry that he could feel himself shaking and the only thing that was keeping him from taking a page from Michael’s book on dealing with Hank was Isabel’s restraining hand on his arm.
Hank stood up and shook his head at Alex’ behavior before glancing at his youngest son and clearing his throat to get the boy’s attention. “Brendan, I’ll expect you to be ready at 8:00 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning.”
Brendan’s heart started to pound as he looked up at his father, noticing for the first time just how cold the man’s eyes were. “I’m not goin’ sailin’ with you on Saturday.”
“You’ll go if I have to drag you out there kicking and screaming.” He couldn’t believe that Brendan was daring to defy him in this manner. “And just so you know, if you embarrass me like that, you will regret it. You don’t get anywhere in life by giving in to fear, boy.”
Alex had reached the end of his rope with his parents and he stalked around the table, grabbing his father’s arm and escorting him out of the room and down the hall to the front door. He paused at the hall closet to retrieve their jackets, jerked the front door open, and threw them on the porch. “Like I said, it’s time for you to leave.”
Hank’s right hand shot out to grab Alex by the collar and he studied the younger man’s gray eyes, looking for just the slightest hint of fear and finding none.
“Go ahead and hit me,” Alex taunted, his voice low. “All I need is the smallest excuse to call the cops and press charges on you.”
“We’ll talk again before I leave to go back to Europe,” Hank insisted.
“Oh, we’re gonna talk... you can count on that.”
Maureen stepped out onto the porch, not knowing what to do or say anymore.
“Don’t you ever step foot on my property again. This’s the last holiday you ruin for us and it’s the last time you do what you did to the others.” He shook his head and slammed the door in their shocked faces, leaning back against it and drawing in deep lungfuls of air.
Isabel walked towards him slowly. She could feel the tension in his body even though she was still a few feet away. “I’m sorry, Alex.” She didn’t know what to say; she would have never imagined that there were parents like them in the world.
“I can’t believe this,” he said, shaking his head. He looked at his girlfriend. “No, if anyone’s sorry here, it’s me... you shouldn’t have to put up with them.”
Isabel shook her head, unable to hold back the tears as she threw herself into his arms. “God, the things they said to Michael...” she sobbed against his chest.
Alex wrapped his arms around her tightly and rubbed her back. There was nothing he could say that would make it better; his parents’ words and actions were inexcusable and now in addition to his brothers and sister, Isabel had been hurt because of them too.
“Maybe you should go and see how Brooke’s doin’?” she suggested after a while.
“Yeah.” He sighed and ran his right hand over his face. “I need to call my lawyer first thing in the mornin’ and see what we need to do about stripping my parents of their parental rights.”
“Okay, we’ll think about that tomorrow,” Isabel said, more calm now after letting her tears out. “I’m gonna go check on Brendan.”
He called her back before she was out of sight. “Isabel?”
“Yeah?”
“I am sorry... today was supposed to be such a happy day. I know how much you were lookin’ forward to tellin’ everyone about the baby.”
She tried to smile a little. “It’s not your fault, honey. We’ll tell them later.”
“You just... you shouldn’t have had to deal with that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not the one you need to worry about right now, Alex. I’m okay.” She wasn’t okay at all, of course, but she needed to be strong now – for all of them.
“I love you for sayin’ it, Iz, but I know you’re lyin’.” He forced a smile and nodded before she could remind him to go and check on Brooke again. “I’m goin’, but once we get them settled down, we’ll talk.”
“Okay.”
*****
Taylor tore around the side of the house in search of her husband and Philip’s eyebrows lifted when he saw the expression on his daughter’s face. Someone was in trouble!
“Jack!”
Jack stood up from his seat on the porch swing where he had been amusing J.J. while Lacey helped Diane with a few last-minute things. “What’s the matter, buttercup?”
“You know that crappy gas station where we always stop for gas?”
“Well, I know the station we always stop at, but this’s the first I’ve heard of it bein’ crappy.”
“They’re not getting anymore of our business! I went in to ask the guy behind the counter for some help and he insinuated that I am lacking in any intelligence whatsoever about automotive parts and supplies.”
Jack shifted J.J. to his left arm and rested his free hand on his wife’s shoulder, hoping to calm her down. “Okay, tell me what happened.”
“Oh, I’ll tell you what happened,” she said indignantly. “I went in and asked that ass if they sold blinker fluid – “
“You asked what?” Jack asked, certain he had heard incorrectly.
“Blinker fluid… I know, it’s only used for older cars, but Max showed me where it goes and the fluid level is really low…” She frowned up at her husband when he started turning red and she realized he was holding his breath. “Jack, what is wrong with you?” she demanded.
“Max showed you where it goes? Was the fluid kind of a greenish-blue?”
“Yes! See, you know what I’m talkin’ about!”
“That’s your windshield washer fluid, buttercup; your blinkers do not operate with the use of fluid of any kind.”
Realization dawned and all of her indignation suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced with a look of aggravation as she turned to find her younger brother. “Max Evans, you are in so much trouble!”
Max moved in from her other side when she turned to look for him and he deftly removed J.J. from his brother-in-law’s arms. “You can’t hit me,” he said when she turned and caught him. “I’ve got a baby.”
Taylor smiled dangerously. “You can’t hold him the entire time you’re here.”
He grinned and carefully backed away from her. “Hey, Liz, let me introduce you to everyone,” he said as he nodded to the man beside his sister. “That’s Jack Evans, my sister’s husband; same last name, it’s not some kinda inbreeding thing.” He shifted the baby in his arms as he introduced his nephew and then he nodded to his father when he stepped up on the deck. “And this’s my father, Philip.” He leaned down to scratch Bella’s ears when she sat down next to Liz; the dog had immediately taken to her when they had been introduced the second they had stepped out of the car.
Liz smiled at them, greeting them all with a slightly nervous smile.
“C’mon, and I’ll introduce you to Mom and my sister-in-law.” He led the way into the house, and went straight to the kitchen, knowing that was where he’d find the others. “Hey, Mom, Lacey, I wanna introduce you to Liz.”
Liz was quickly enveloped in a hug by Diane and she was shocked by the woman’s warmth; she was so used to brief, seemingly unfeeling embraces from her own mother. Lacey was a little more reserved, smiling as she shook Liz’s hand and excused herself to finish setting the table.
“Is there something I can help with?” Liz asked.
“Oh, no, dear, I just want you to relax. Max, why don’t you give her a tour of the house before dinner’s ready,” Diane suggested as she took her grandson from Max. “And show her the guest room, too.” She smiled at them and winked. “I’m not that old-fashioned, so if the two of you prefer to share a room, you’re more than welcome to do so.”
“Oh, um… thank you,” Liz stuttered. “I think the guest room will be fine.”
Max smiled as he took her hand and tugged on it to get her moving. They walked through to the living room and he smiled at her indrawn breath when she saw the glass wall that looked out over the lake.
“Max, you didn’t tell me that your parents’ house was so beautiful,” she breathed, awed by the view.
“Oh, girl, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” He grinned and continued on their tour, showing off the formal dining area that was beautifully set for dinner, the exercise room, indoor spa, and the media room on the first floor.
“You’ve got your own little theater!”
“Cool, huh? C’mon, I’ll show you the upstairs.” On the second level he led her through the maze of bedrooms and she was shocked to see that each one had its own balcony with spiral staircases that led to the ground below. “This’s the guest room,” he said, motioning to one of the last two rooms. “Like the rest it’s got its own bathroom and it looks down over the pool.” He nodded over his shoulder. “My room’s got the lake view though, so if you’d rather…” He grinned when she pointedly put her bag on the bed and motioned for him to continue. “Just leaves my room,” he said, pushing his door open and stepping inside. He watched her as she moved past him and looked around, his gaze following her every move as her fingertips brushed over the furniture.
“Max, thank you,” she said as she paused at the window, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I didn’t wanna be alone…”
“Darlin’ you don’t ever have to worry about that,” he said as he gathered her up in his arms. “I’m so sorry your parents reacted the way they did.” He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “I’m glad you finally used my number though.”
Liz sighed and settled into his embrace, grateful for his understanding and his easy acceptance.
*****
Alex walked down the hall to his sister’s bedroom, hoping that he would be able to make her feel better. None of them had ever seen their parents go after Michael like they had earlier and because of her relationship with him she was most likely taking it harder than the rest of them.
She had left her door open but he knocked on the doorframe, letting her know that it was up to her to decide if she felt up to talking or not. “Hey, kid, you feel up to talkin’?”
Brooke was lying on her bed, facing the wall, and she didn’t move when she heard Alex’ voice. “You can come in,” she replied.
He stepped inside the room, walking around the things lying on the floor as he made his way to her bed. He sat down beside her and reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder. “They’re gone,” he said simply.
“Yeah, for now,” she muttered bitterly.
Alex bit the inside of his cheek, weighing his options. He intended to do everything in his power to make sure she never went back to them, but should he tell her that? “Brooke, I want you to listen to me for a minute, okay? I’m callin’ my lawyer to set up an emergency meeting so we can go over some options where you’re concerned.”
Brooke rolled over to look at her oldest brother. “Really?”
“Yeah. Look, I know there’s a lot goin’ on...” His mind shifted to Isabel for a moment. “More than you know, but you’re not goin’ back to live with them. If what I intend to do works, they’ll have no legal claim on you at all.”
She sat up at that. “I don’t wanna go back to them ever again, Alex.”
“You won’t. I promise you that much, kid. I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that never happens.”
“Thank you.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and rested one hand over his.
He nodded and turned to press a kiss against her head. “You feel like eatin’?”
She shrugged. “Not really, but Isabel worked so had on it.”
Alex smiled at her thoughtfulness. “Yeah, she did.”
Brooke glanced at her cell phone. She had tried to call Michael, but he hadn’t answered.
Alex followed her gaze to the phone in her hand. “He’s not answerin’, huh?” He knew without asking that she had been trying to call Michael.
“No,” she breathed.
“He’s not ignoring you, Brooke. Y’know that, right?”
She sighed. “Yeah, I know. I just wish he wouldn’t run away from us, y’know? I need him.”
“That’s just the way he’s always dealt with things; he’s not gonna change his behavior patterns overnight. Maybe Maria will help him with that, though... ya think?”
“I don’t know. They haven’t been getting along very well lately.”
“What about today, hmm? They seemed like they were getting along pretty well.”
“Yeah.” She grabbed her cell phone, opened it and typed a message quickly. “I asked Maria to call us or text us later to let us know how he’s doin’,” she said, glancing at Alex when she was ready.
He nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
“Okay, let’s go eat some turkey, big brother!”
The dogs barked in agreement and nearly knocked each other over as they raced out of the room. Alex shook his head when his sister chased after them and a moment later he followed at a more sedate pace.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 63 - 10/29/09
Eva: First, congratulations! And second, welcome back!
We totally agree about that award! Don’t they all just suck at parenting skills?
Being able to see himself as a great guy is gonna take time, but Maria’s gonna work on him. And now his brothers and sister know what he’s worked so long and hard to hide from them, so he’ll have their support even more now.
chanks_girl: We can just imagine what those other words were, lol. Hank has no idea that the only thing he accomplished was further uniting his children against their parents.
Natalie36: Taylor will eventually get her revenge.
mary mary: Glad you enjoyed the “relief”. Alex is gonna give it his best shot.
AnnViolet: Thanks!
Isabel has made an impact on Michael and it’s been a positive one.
Max has a great relationship with his older sister… although she won’t be forgetting about that prank anytime soon!
No promises about Michael and Maria returning for dinner… he’s not in a good place right now and he’s feeling very exposed.
Maiqu: They are horrible. As ugly as it was, something good will come from the pain.
begonia9508: There’s a story behind Maureen… we’ll look at that later. She has missed building relationships with her children.
kismet: Maureen has only had her suspicions until now, no proof.
They do work together well, don’t they?
Michael definitely revealed his feelings, didn’t he?
We’re sure Taylor will come up with something worthy of Max’ blinker fluid prank, lol. That’s just not the kinda thing you can let your little brother get away with! We wanted to lighten things up a little bit.
sunrise102: Not an easy thing for Brendan, but necessary. You can count on Christmas being sooo much better! And yes, Thanksgiving will be better with the Evans family!
sarammlover: Neither can we. You’re very right about Maureen, and we’ll see later on if she has any chance of reconciling with her children.
They make quite the team, don’t they?
Alien_Friend: Some good will come out of all of that pain. If Michael can just open up a little bit and let Maria in, he’ll be taking another large step. He’s so used to hiding everything and protecting himself that it’ll take an effort for him to let her be there for him.
Alex will do his best to keep Brooke safe.
Maria and Isabel are in a tough position, but they’ll handle things as well as they can.
That wasn’t an easy thing for Brendan to learn, but it was necessary.
Keep that hope, because this will cause them to all pull closer together.
We need a couple of happy families in the mix to lighten things up!
nibbles2: Nope, they have no desire to put on a show.
He’s gonna do his best.
destinyc: We totally agree with you. That comment made ya laugh, huh? Think Liz will manage to keep to that decision? That news would’ve really caused an uproar during dinner!
Author’s Note: Song credit for “Unforgiven” goes to Metallica – lyrics obviously don’t belong to us!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhryYbyTZ2M
Part 63 – I Don’t Wanna Be Alone
Isabel walked back to the dining room where Brendan was still sitting at the table, staring at his food. “Alex is checking on Brooke,” she said, hoping that he would pick up the conversation because she really wasn’t sure how to go on.
“Is he okay?” he asked, using his fork to reshape his mashed potatoes into a small mountain.
“Not really. What about you?”
She started to clear away the dishes their parents had used just to keep herself busy.
“I don’t know how I didn’t see it all these years... the cruelty, the contempt... I just feel so stupid for not seein’ it.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Brendan.” She sighed. “I don’t know much about your history with them, but I’m sure that seeing your parents for what they really are isn’t easy.”
“I knew they got on Michael’s case a lot, but I had no idea that it was like that.”
“I’m sure your parents hid that very well before today.”
“It’s no wonder Michael and I didn’t get along for so long... I’m surprised that he’s even talkin’ to me now.”
“Your brother cares about you much more than you’d expect, Bren.”
“I don’t know why... and I really don’t know why he never said anything.”
“Maybe because he wanted to protect you, but maybe you should ask him about it.”
“I should’ve known... we’re twins... how could I not know?”
“I should’ve known too, but I didn’t know about it either,” Alex said when he and Brooke joined the others in the dining room.
“Okay, you guys, it’s time to stop playing the blame game,” Isabel insisted. “None of you have the ability to read Michael’s mind and if he had wanted you to know what was going on, he would’ve told you.”
Alex nodded, following her lead. “Let’s just sit down and eat now. We can think about the rest later, when everyone’s calmed down.” He sat down in one of the chairs and motioned to Brooke to do the same.
“You think Michael’s gonna be okay though, right?” Brooke asked as she took her seat and set her cell phone on the table next to her plate.
“Maria will make sure of it,” Brendan said, even though the question hadn’t been directed at him specifically.
She glanced at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he replied confidently.
“You sound very sure... why?”
Brendan shrugged. “It’s just a feelin’. I’m sure he cares about her a lot and he’s been tryin’ to get things worked out with her recently.”
Brooke was sure he knew more than he was telling. “You know somethin’,” she said, watching him.
Brendan rolled his eyes, wondering why Brooke had to be so stubborn. “We talked after Tess’ birthday party, after they had a fight.”
“And? You know somethin’, Brendan!” She slouched down so she could kick him under the table. “Tell me!”
“You’re annoying, Brooke,” Brendan said, reaching down to rub his stinging calf. “He wasn’t admitting anything, it was just the way he worried about her and he kept callin’ her his girl the whole time, ya know?”
“Really?” She was intrigued by this bit of information. “He was all territorial and possessive?”
“Yeah, he was, ‘cause he thought I was tryin’ to get her back or something.”
Brooke snorted at that and then hurried to pull her expression back under control when she noticed the look of annoyance on his features.
“Thanks, Brooke,” Brendan growled.
*****
Michael followed Maria, trusting her to lead him someplace safely away from the people who seemed bent on destroying him. He retreated into himself until he was so far inside that all he felt was... numb. He was only peripherally aware of getting into his car and he reached out, unconsciously turning the stereo on to drown out his parents' voices when he felt them trying to get past the numb feeling that was shielding him from the pain.
Maria glanced at him as she slid in behind the wheel of his car and started the engine. She wanted to reach over and touch him, comfort him in some way, but she could see the tension in his tall frame; his body was so taut he looked like the smallest touch would cause him to shatter into a million pieces. She knew he would never forgive her for crossing that line, not at this point in their relationship. And it was a relationship, for better or worse, against their wishes and despite their denial, they had gotten that involved.
His hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists, braced against his thighs, and she wondered if that was a control method he was employing to keep from hitting something just to work through the pain. He wasn’t going to admit it right now, and maybe not later either, but she had seen the devastation in his eyes when his father had hurled the cruel words at him with such reckless and careless abandon.
She was reaching for the gearshift when she noticed that his lips were moving and she suddenly realized that he was reciting the lyrics of the song currently playing on the stereo. She felt tears spring to her eyes when she recognized the song and she knew without confirmation that he identified with the words.
New blood joins this earth
And quickly he’s subdued
Through constant pained disgrace
The young boy learns their rules
With time the child draws in
This whipping boy done wrong
Deprived of all his thoughts
The young man struggles on and on
He’s known, a vow unto his own
That never from this day, his will they’ll take away
What I’ve felt, what I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never free, never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
He needed to get away from everything, but where could she take him? She didn’t have an answer to that just yet so she pointed the car towards the freeway and just started to drive. The miles flew by as they drove up the coast and after nearly an hour she found an exit and turned around with the intention of heading back to Long Beach. Noticing that the fuel gauge was getting low she stopped at the next gas station and pulled up to the pump furthest from the building.
She had kept a close eye on Michael as she drove, thankful to realize that time and distance seemed to be helping and while his hands were still fisted, they weren’t clenched so tightly. The tendons in his arms were no longer standing out from the tension that had pulled his body taut and he had slouched down just a little bit in his seat.
She climbed out of the car and frowned when she realized that she had found what had to be one of the last gas stations in the country that didn’t have a place to slide a credit card. She hurried to fill the tank and then ran inside to pay, grabbing a couple of drinks before going back out to the car.
Michael was staring out through the window on his side when she climbed back inside and started the car, but now his arms were crossed over his chest. He didn’t move or acknowledge her presence when she told him that she had gotten him a drink, so she fell silent once more and headed back to the city.
When they arrived back in Long Beach, Maria exited off of the freeway and a sign for the park where she had gone to meet him only a week ago caught her attention. She took a left at the next intersection and drove less than a mile before they reached the entrance to the deserted park. She pulled into the gravel parking lot and parked the car, cutting the engine and sitting in silence for several minutes before she shifted in her seat to look at him.
“I think I’ll step out here and stretch my legs a little bit, Michael.”
No reaction.
“You do what you need to do, alright? If you wanna talk, I’ll listen. If you don’t wanna talk, I’ll just be here with you. And if you need to be alone, then I’ll go home.” She motioned at the park in front of him, knowing that he wouldn’t see the gesture since he was looking in the opposite direction. “I’m gonna go walk around for a bit and then I’ll just have a seat at that picnic table, and when you’re ready to tell me what you want to do, I’ll be there.”
She watched him for another long minute, hurting inside for all of the pain that he was going through now and all that he had suffered in the past. No one should ever be hurt like that, and never by their own parents! She took a deep breath and nodded to herself before reaching out and squeezing his left hand where it still rested on his knee. She felt just the slightest spark of hope when his fingers briefly closed around hers before he drew his hand back. She opened the door and stepped outside before she gave in to the urge to just hug him and never let go because she knew in his emotional state he needed to be the one to decide how he wanted to proceed.
*****
“So, you’re from Roswell?” Phil, Kyle’s uncle on his mother’s side, asked curiously. He, his wife Kate, and their little boy Seth, who was the same age as Summer, had arrived an hour earlier and now they were all sitting around the dinner table enjoying the dinner Sharon had prepared.
Tess nodded. “Yeah, I was born and raised there.” She glanced at the two children when they giggled and she noticed them playing with their food. She smiled a little, remembering that she had done the same thing when she was younger. Seth had dark curly hair, and he was just as cute as Summer.
“You two, stop playing with your food,” Kate warned them, but she didn’t sound angry.
“Have you seen an alien yet?” Phil asked with a smirk.
The whole table laughed at that and waited for Tess to answer. “Well, there are some weird people in Roswell who might qualify as aliens, but other than that...” She shook her head. “Nope. Roswell is just a normal town with nothing really special in it, believe me. But, I love it.” Yeah, she really loved being there, but maybe it was just because she’d had so much fun with her friends there in the past. She remembered the afternoons when they had just sat in the Crashdown to do homework and eat unhealthy food.
“Have you been with her to Roswell yet?” Phil asked Kyle.
“Oh, no, we just met and started datin’ at the beginning of this semester; we haven’t really had time to go anywhere, but I hope she’ll show me the famous Roswell someday.” He glanced at his girlfriend to check her reaction to that. She had gotten all freaked out when he had asked her to come with him over Thanksgiving, so he wasn’t sure if she had ever thought about introducing him to her family.
For a moment Tess didn’t know what to say, but she realized that everyone was looking at her and waiting for an answer. “Well, we haven’t talked much about it yet, but the girls and I were planning to go home sometime around Christmas, so maybe we can go together?”
*****
Michael didn’t know how long he sat there in silence, but it was long enough for the sun to shift from its position overhead and begin its daily migration to the west. The tension in his body was still there but it wasn’t as prominent as it had been when they had first left his brother’s house. He glanced down at the cup holder, vaguely remembering Maria saying something about getting him a drink.
He picked the plastic bottle up, wincing at the crackling sound the plastic made when his hand tightened around it as he twisted the cap off. He took a long drink of the lukewarm water, making a face when he realized it was no longer cold. He screwed the cap back on and placed it back in the cup holder before finally looking out through the windshield to find Maria.
It only took a moment to locate her sitting alone at the picnic table directly in front of the car. It was about a hundred yards out, near the water, and a gentle breeze ruffled her hair as she smiled at a line of tiny yellow chicks following their mother down to the water. He reached into the console and grabbed a couple of quarters before he opened the car door and stepped outside, drawing in lungfuls of the fresh air and stretching his muscles.
He walked down to where she was sitting, his gait slow and unhurried, and he paused at a little machine that dispensed small crackers for the ducks. He inserted the quarters and held his hand under the little opening, turning the mechanism and catching a handful of the tiny treats before continuing on his way to join Maria.
She was sitting on the table, her feet resting on the bench seat and he levered himself up to sit beside her. He felt her turn to look at him, and he could almost feel her catch herself before she started to speak. He held his hand out to her, silently offering her some of the crackers and he swallowed hard when her fingers slid over his hand in a gentle caress before she plucked some of them from his palm.
He glanced to the side when he heard her giggle quietly, watching her as she tossed some of the crackers and a couple of the fuzzy yellow chicks fought over one of them. He flicked a cracker out to one of the larger ducks that was hanging back from the others, silently observing its companions. After a while the cracker supply ran out and the ducks began to slowly disperse, going off and eventually ending up in a group. He watched as the duck he had been feeding followed the others but kept his distance... part of the group, but always on the outside looking in.
He didn’t want that and he had thought he was finally starting to work past it, but all of his insecurities had been thrown back in his face and now he wasn’t sure where he stood. He glanced at Maria again and before he could stop them, the words tumbled out of his mouth, “Idon’twannabealone.”
Maria turned to look at him, carefully hiding her shock at hearing him vocalize something. She had to turn the jumbled words over and over several times before she was able to understand what he had just said and when she did finally figure it out she had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around him. Take it at his pace, Maria, she reminded herself.
“You’re not alone, Michael,” she said quietly, the strength in her voice reassuring. “You’ll never be alone if I have anything to say about it.”
He nodded, staring at the ground as he waited for her to wrap her arms around him. It was what he wanted, what he needed, but he didn’t know if he could ask for it. She probably had no idea whether or not he would welcome her touch, but he just couldn’t get the words out.
Maria watched him for several minutes, not sure what she was waiting for until she felt just the slightest movement as he shifted closer to her. That was all she needed to know that he would welcome her touch and she wrapped her arms around him as she leaned against his side. She felt some of the tension ease from his tall frame as he allowed himself to take comfort from her embrace and they sat there silently, just watching the sunset.
*****
The sun was hovering just above the horizon when a loud growling sound interrupted the silence and Michael glanced down at his stomach as he realized that he was hungry. He glanced to the side when he heard Maria’s stomach rumble as if in response to his and a moment later she giggled and shook her head.
“I guess we didn’t really have time to enjoy all that food your brother and Isabel cooked, did we?”
“Guess not,” he agreed simply. “You, uh… you wanna grab somethin’ an’ go back to my place?”
“Hey, we could watch a movie. If you’ve got anything worth watchin’, that is,” she teased lightly and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.
“I’ve got a lot of movies worth watchin’.” He stood up and held his hand out to her, holding his breath as he waited to see if she would take it.
“You do, huh?” Maria slid her hand into his, hiding a smile when she noticed just a hint of his eyes darkening as they traveled over her bare legs.
“Yeah, and some of them even have a plot.” He tugged on her hand and they walked over to his car where he held his hand out expectantly, waiting for her to hand him his keys.
After deciding on chicken they stopped at a popular restaurant for takeout and then drove the rest of the way to his apartment in silence. It wasn’t until they were standing at his front door that either of them realized what a monumental milestone his invitation was; he had never invited her to come back to his place and she had never taken the initiative to stop by uninvited.
Michael unlocked the door and pulled the key back out of the lock, shoving the ring into his pocket before he pushed the door open. He was trying to remember if they had straightened up at all before leaving that morning and he suddenly realized that it was the first time that he had ever bothered to worry about that. Nah, he was sure it was okay. Kyle had stayed with Tess at the girls’ apartment the night before and he had stayed at his brother’s house, so Max would have been the only one home. Yeah, Max was notorious for being a neat freak, so even if they had left stuff lying around, their roommate would’ve straightened up.
Maria followed him inside, looking around while he shut the door behind them and locked it again. The apartment was surprisingly clean considering three guys shared the space. Yeah, just open a closet and I'll bet you'd be buried under a mountain of junk that's been shoved out of sight, she thought.
The apartment floor plan was very similar to the one she shared with the girls and she wondered which bedroom he had chosen. She looked at the big screen television set up on one wall, the large towers on either side holding what looked like a very state-of-the-art sound system, a DVD player and recorder, several different types of video game consoles, and a large stack of games and movies piled haphazardly on the bridge above the television that connected the two towers. The furniture was oversized, masculine, and looked very comfortable and worn in.
“You wanna beer with dinner?”
Maria turned to look at Michael when he spoke up and she moved to join him in the kitchen. “Yeah, beer sounds good.” She hopped up to sit on the counter across from the refrigerator and she watched him when he moved to a cabinet to pull a couple of plates down.
Every movement was perfectly executed and even though he appeared to be relaxed she could tell it was just an act. How could anyone relax after being on the receiving end of the things that had been said to him? He was silent as he methodically moved the food from the takeout containers to the plates and once he was finished he looked as if he didn’t know what to do next.
“So, did you have a movie in mind?” she asked the moment she noticed that his thoughts were leading him back to the confrontation with his parents. Despite her desire to talk to him about what had happened and to help him deal with it she knew he wasn’t ready for that just yet.
He shrugged. “Nothin’ in particular… everything I’ve got is either action/adventure or… yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
“Well, you’re in luck because I happen to favor that genre,” she said, leaning past him to snatch a French fry off of one of the plates. “You got Hitman?”
His eyebrows lifted in surprise as he handed the plate that was now short by at least one fry to her and he levered himself up to sit beside her. “Yeah. You wanna watch it?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” Her eyebrows waggled playfully. “The lead’s hot.”
A bark of laughter escaped at her unexpected comment and Michael shook his head. “Okay, Hitman it is… although, I can honestly say that I’ve never watched it for that reason.”
Maria snorted at his comment. “Trust me, your sexuality’s never been in question.” She hid a smile when he straightened up at that, his expression turning smug.
They ate in companionable silence and when they were finished Michael dropped back down to the floor and grabbed the plates so he could rinse them off and load them in the dishwasher. He disposed of their empty bottles and grabbed a couple of fresh beers from the refrigerator, popping the caps off before handing her one. He braced his hands on the counter on either side of her body and he accepted her unspoken invitation when she shifted so he could settle between her knees.
He couldn’t stop himself from leaning into her body and taking her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. He sighed when her hands came up to rest against the sides of his neck, her fingertips raking through his hair where it brushed against his collar. “We shouldn’t be doin’ this,” he muttered after a few minutes even though the last thing he wanted to do was move away from her.
“No, we shouldn’t,” Maria agreed, knowing that nothing had been settled between them yet.
“Maybe we should just go watch the movie.”
She nodded and her hands shot up to grab his shoulders when he picked her up and set her on the floor. “Okay, where’s the movie?”
“It’s probably on the shelf in the livin’ room, but we can watch it in my room.”
“Uh-huh,” she said slowly.
“Seriously.”
“Oh, well, if you meant seriously...”
“You find the movie and I’ll be in my room.” He motioned towards the general direction of his bedroom and then disappeared down the hallway.
Maria rolled her eyes at him and went to dig through the stacks of movies and games to find the case she wanted. “Go find the movie,” she mumbled. “Like I’m gonna know where it is in this mess.”
Michael glanced around his bedroom and frowned at the mess he had left the day before. Did it always look like this? he wondered as he started grabbing up the clothes lying around. He dumped everything into the laundry basket in the corner, heedless of whether the clothes were clean or dirty. He paused to look at his bed when he reached for one corner of the bedspread to straighten it up. His sheets were clean, right? When was the last time the cleaning lady had been by?
He heard Maria cursing when one of the stacks toppled over and he took advantage of the few minutes that had bought him to finish straightening up. He snatched a towel off of the weight bench in the corner and added it to the laundry basket before standing back to observe his speedy cleaning job. It looked okay, right? It wasn’t like he had to impress her or anything; she wasn’t gonna win any good housekeeping awards either. He moved to stand in the center of the room and sniffed the air. It smelled okay to him, but he spent most of his time in his room when he was home... what if it didn’t smell good but he was just used to it?
He snapped out a quick expletive and ducked through the bathroom that connected his bedroom to Max’ and he rolled his eyes at Mr. Neat-Freak’s room. Of course nothing was out of place. He glanced around until his eyes landed on the air freshener plugged into the outlet, quickly pulling it out of the wall socket and confiscating it.
Michael had just finished plugging the air freshener in when he heard Maria coming down the hall and he quickly threw himself down on that couch that sat against one wall, doing his best to look like he was bored. “Geez, took you long enough to find the movie,” he complained, trying not to be obvious about it as he watched her for her reaction to being in his bedroom for the first time.
“Well, maybe if you guys would separate the movies and the games and then alphabetize them, it wouldn’t take so much work.” She tossed the movie to him and as soon as he got up to load the movie in the DVD player in the entertainment system on the far wall she dropped down to sit on the couch. “I think your room’s bigger than mine.”
“This complex is older than the one you live in... the older the complex, the roomier the floor plans are.”
“You guys all have your own workout stuff?”
“Huh?” He turned away from the DVD player to look at her.
“I just remember Tess mentioning that Kyle has a weight bench in his room and now I see that you’ve got one too.”
He snorted at that. “Well, since Tess came into the picture let’s just say his muscles aren’t the only thing getting a workout on his bench.” He shuddered comically. “Ungh... no thanks, I’ll stick with havin’ my own workout equipment.”
Maria laughed at his disgusted expression and she slouched down further on his comfortable couch. He was starting to relax a little bit and that’s what she was trying to accomplish. He would talk about the situation if and when he was ready and she knew better than to try to pry because it would only make him angry and defensive. Right now he was calm and even though that was due to his intentional denial of the situation she had a feeling he needed that shield in order to reach a point where he was mentally and emotionally ready to face what had happened.
“You need anything before we start the movie?”
“Huh-uh.”
Michael nodded and snatched up the remote before stretching out on the couch and resting his head in her lap. “You’re not gonna start droolin’ over the lead, are you? ‘Cause I’m kinda in a precarious position if you do that.”
She shoved his shoulder. “I think you’re safe.”
“Okay, good.” He hit the ‘play’ button on the remote and simply enjoyed it when her hand slid down over his shoulder to rest against his chest.
*****
Max was lying in bed, wide awake, when he heard the restless pacing coming from the guest room. He raised himself up on his elbows when Bella padded into his room and rested her muzzle on the bed near his hand, whining quietly. He had sent the dog to stay with Liz when the family had settled down for the night, knowing that she would keep Liz company and alert him if she needed him.
They had talked about her visit with her parents more in-depth after dinner when they had walked down to the lake to watch the sunset and even then she had been fighting to hold herself together. He couldn’t imagine his parents ever trying to convince him to marry someone he wasn’t in love with simply so they could merge their business with someone else’s. He had been shocked when she had told him how coldly her mother had reacted to the news of her breakup with Sean and then to find out that she had been slapped by the woman for citing the truth…
He threw the covers back and got up when Bella whined again, nudging his hand with her cold, wet nose. He crossed the hall and stood in the open doorway for several minutes, silently observing Liz as she stood on the balcony in the moonlight. He knew she wouldn’t hear him if he knocked on the door, so he walked through the bedroom until he reached the open glass doors and he rapped his knuckles against the frame.
Liz reached up, brushing the tears from her face before she turned to face her nighttime visitor, knowing before she ever saw him that it was Max. “Hey,” she greeted, her voice nearly a whisper. Her eyes slid over him, unable to avoid the temptation to observe him in the moonlight, and for some reason that she didn’t understand the setting felt almost… familiar.
It took an amazing amount of self-control for Max to stay where he was when her dark eyes traced over his body and she unconsciously licked her lips. “You okay?” he asked, acting as if he hadn’t noticed the redness that rushed into her cheeks when she looked up and realized that she had been caught staring.
She smiled and looked away, rubbing her arms when the wind blew and she noticed that she was cold. She was thankful he was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants instead of boxers because she didn’t know if she could handle seeing much more of his skin on display.
“You should come inside before you catch a cold; the weather in Texas can be deceptive.” He stood back when she moved to do as he had suggested and he couldn’t stop his eyes from sliding over her body. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to strip that tank top and shorts off of her and ease her into bed, feel her body as he lowered himself to rest his flesh against hers! He bit his bottom lip, hard, and quickly reminded himself to be patient and take it slow.
“I feel so alone,” she admitted finally, watching him as he closed and locked the balcony doors.
“You’re not alone, darlin’.” He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his hard body. “I don’t understand your mother’s reasoning or your father’s apathy towards you and the situation, but I do know that you deserve better than that. I know I can’t fix that for you, and God knows I would if I could, but I can promise you that I’m here for you and I’m not goin’ anywhere.” He looked down at her when she turned in his arms, her expression so full of trust that he felt humbled. “Let me hold you tonight,” he requested, holding his breath as he waited for her answer.
She stared at him for a moment and suddenly realized just how much she wanted that. “Um… okay.”
“Will it bother you to sleep in my bed? I’ll stay above the covers if you’d feel more comfortable like that.”
“No, I… I don’t think I want that.”
Max nodded. “Okay, well, we can sleep in here – “
“No, Max,” she interrupted quietly, “I meant that you don’t have to sleep above the covers.”
He led her into his room and quietly closed the door behind them, knowing that no one would bother them as long as the door remained closed. “You prefer a certain side of the bed?”
“Oh, um, I don’t know.”
She’s never slept with anyone, dumbass! “Ah, right. Okay, well, I have a tendency to stick more to the right side, so…” He was talking too much and he couldn’t seem to stop.
Liz sat on the edge of the bed and nervously picked at the hem of her shorts. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the bed dipped with Max’ added weight and she felt the covers pull and tug under her as he slid beneath them and moved around to get comfortable.
“What do we do now, Max?”
He chuckled warmly and reached around her to offer her his hand. “The first thing you need to do is relax, darlin’; I don’t bite on a first date and I’m not gonna pounce… yet.” He pulled the covers from under her and gave her a firm tug, laughing at her surprised squeal as she tumbled right into his arms. “Just relax.”
She fidgeted for several minutes before she sighed and took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do with my hands.”
“Anything you want; there’s nothin’ that’s off limits, so just do whatever you feel comfortable with.”
“Right, well…” God, who knew just sleeping with someone required so much work! “Um…”
“Can I make a suggestion?”
“Please.” She had no idea what she was doing or how to do it.
“Okay.” He shifted onto his back, bringing her with him so that she was partially sprawled over his body. Her left leg automatically bent at the knee and slipped between his legs and her left arm draped over his stomach as she came to rest against him.
Liz sighed as she felt him pressed against her and her fingertips began to wander over his abdomen without conscious thought. He was so warm and comfortable. It was her last thought before sleep claimed her and she slipped into dreamland unaware of the fact that Max was so distracted by her nearness that he wouldn’t be able to sleep for several hours.
*****
Michael opened his eyes and looked around, noticing that night had fallen and the room was nearly dark. He frowned when he saw Maria curled up on his bed and he vaguely remembered a conversation where she had tried to get him to move to the bed near the end of the movie... something about the couch not being big enough for the both of them. Which was ridiculous, he mused, the couch was plenty big enough for them to sleep on comfortably. Okay, that was only true if they were sleeping pretty close together and the way things had been left between them the weekend before, maybe they weren’t ready for that just yet.
He missed the warmth of her body, the comforting touch of her hands, and just the simple act of her being next to him. He was starting to realize just how much he craved her presence in his life, and not just in a physical or sexual way; she had become so much more than that and when she wasn’t around he felt... hollow... like some essential part of his being was missing.
She’d had the perfect opportunity to run away from him and never look back earlier that day and she had chosen to stay. That had to mean something pretty important... like maybe she wasn’t going anywhere and maybe they were going to be able to fix what had broken between them.
His gaze remained fixed on her sleeping features, tinted blue from the light emanating from the screen on the television. She had stuck around, he realized suddenly. Sure, that was obvious from her presence in his bed, but she could have easily chosen to walk away and never look back after the encounter with his parents. Instead of taking the easy way out she had chosen to stay with him.
The feeling of happiness was suddenly overshadowed by the insecurities that had plagued him all his life. Why? Why had she chosen to stay? He rolled over to face the back of the couch and he squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to block out the hateful voice that was shouting at him, reminding him that he wasn’t good enough for her. His hands came up to cover his ears in an attempt to silence the voice, completely unaware of how childish the action was. He just wanted it to stop... wanted, for once in his life, to feel like he was worth something.
Eventually, the voice began to fade into the background and sleep finally wrapped him in its warm embrace. Had he known that the voice had only fallen silent temporarily he would have stayed awake because as soon as his subconscious began to relax, the floodgates opened and the voice began to dredge up all of his insecurities, all of the pain, and all of the hatred directed at him earlier that day, forming it into a weapon that could be used against him while he was at his most vulnerable.
*****
Maria awoke with a start, looking around as she tried to identify what had woken her up. The room was still dimly lit by the television screen and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she noticed that Michael was still sleeping on the couch. She was shifting to an upright position when she heard the sound again and she realized that it had come from him.
At first she thought that maybe he was in pain, but she quickly realized that what she first thought was related to his injury really wasn’t. What had at first sounded like quiet groaning was actually a long litany of “no’s” running together and his voice was low as if he was afraid of being heard. He was curled up tightly, arms crossed over his chest defensively, his body so taut he had to be uncomfortable, and even though she couldn’t see his face she was sure he was still asleep.
She got up as quietly as possible and crossed the room, leaning over him with the intention of checking on him and she wasn’t expecting it when he suddenly shot up so fast that she squealed in shock and jumped backwards. His eyes were glazed over and she was surprised to see that his hands were curled into fists.
“What’re you doin’?” he asked harshly.
“I just woke up and remembered that we should probably change that bandage,” she said to cover her real reason for standing over him.
“Oh… no, it’s okay.” He had a feeling that his injury had little if anything to do with her standing over him in the middle of the night, but he didn’t feel like challenging her on the issue. He shrugged and moved back into his original position, curled up and facing the back of the couch.
“Michael, wouldn’t you rather lie down in your bed so you can stretch out?”
“Huh-uh.” He couldn’t explain the need to curl up as small as possible because then she’d want to know why and he wasn’t ready to go into any detail about the physical abuse he had suffered at his father’s hands.
Maria had a bad feeling that the nightmares and his behavior could all be directly connected back to Hank, but she knew that Michael would completely shut down on her if she tried to push for more information. What should she do now? she wondered. He was the picture of isolation and her heart ached for him, but he wasn’t going to welcome anything that could be misconstrued as pity.
She moved to grab the blanket off of his bed and then walked back over to him, keeping her expression neutral when he turned his head to look up at her.
“What’re you doin’ now?”
“I’m cold and if you’re not gonna come to bed and warm me up, then I’ll just come over here and join you.” She didn’t give him any time to protest or argue with her and before he could so much as form a thought she climbed over him and squirmed around to make herself comfortable between him and the back of the couch.
“Maria…”
“Oh, stop complainin’,” she said as she pulled the blanket up over them. “I’m not about to have you roll over in the middle of the night and dump my ass on the floor, Michael.”
He was pretty sure that she wasn’t in the process of stealing valuable cushion space because she was all that cold because the temperature in the room was perfectly comfortable. He had been cold for a completely unrelated reason and her presence was chasing his fears away so he kept the complaining to a minimum because he didn’t really want her to leave.
He could feel some of the tension leaving his body when her left leg settled over his hip and she tugged him closer so she could wrap her arms around him. He let himself relax slightly when she remained silent, letting her hands do the talking as she gently caressed his back and shoulders.
“Why’re you still here?” he growled after a while.
“I don’t know… why haven’t you kicked me out yet?”
He made a noncommittal sound and wrapped his right arm around her waist, his big hand sneaking up under her shirt so it could rest against bare skin. “M’ria?”
She looked at him when his drowsy tone registered and she realized that he was on the verge of falling asleep again. “Hmmm?”
“We’re gonna work things out, right?”
She wondered if he would’ve asked that question if he had been fully awake. “Is that what you want?” Oh, she was sooo wrong for that! Taking advantage of his nearly incoherent state to question his feelings about their relationship.
“Um-hmm.”
Maria brushed a gentle kiss against his forehead before leaning back to study his features. “We’ll work it out, Michael.”
“Okay,” he mumbled, shifting around to bring their bodies even closer together. “S’good.”
She stayed awake for a while, watching over him and soothing him when his features expressed fear or anger, careful not to wake him. She wondered how long he had been having nightmares and wished for a way to rid him of Hank for good.
Author’s Note: We’ve got a new fic called “In the Course of a Lifetime”. It’s the product out of the Support Stacy Auction in September, where Novy, aka Alien_Friend won us and came up with this idea. Posting will start soon! Check out the trailer…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT7mOXwAqSE
We totally agree about that award! Don’t they all just suck at parenting skills?
Being able to see himself as a great guy is gonna take time, but Maria’s gonna work on him. And now his brothers and sister know what he’s worked so long and hard to hide from them, so he’ll have their support even more now.
chanks_girl: We can just imagine what those other words were, lol. Hank has no idea that the only thing he accomplished was further uniting his children against their parents.
Natalie36: Taylor will eventually get her revenge.
mary mary: Glad you enjoyed the “relief”. Alex is gonna give it his best shot.
AnnViolet: Thanks!
Isabel has made an impact on Michael and it’s been a positive one.
Max has a great relationship with his older sister… although she won’t be forgetting about that prank anytime soon!
No promises about Michael and Maria returning for dinner… he’s not in a good place right now and he’s feeling very exposed.
Maiqu: They are horrible. As ugly as it was, something good will come from the pain.
begonia9508: There’s a story behind Maureen… we’ll look at that later. She has missed building relationships with her children.
kismet: Maureen has only had her suspicions until now, no proof.
They do work together well, don’t they?
Michael definitely revealed his feelings, didn’t he?
We’re sure Taylor will come up with something worthy of Max’ blinker fluid prank, lol. That’s just not the kinda thing you can let your little brother get away with! We wanted to lighten things up a little bit.
sunrise102: Not an easy thing for Brendan, but necessary. You can count on Christmas being sooo much better! And yes, Thanksgiving will be better with the Evans family!
sarammlover: Neither can we. You’re very right about Maureen, and we’ll see later on if she has any chance of reconciling with her children.
They make quite the team, don’t they?
Alien_Friend: Some good will come out of all of that pain. If Michael can just open up a little bit and let Maria in, he’ll be taking another large step. He’s so used to hiding everything and protecting himself that it’ll take an effort for him to let her be there for him.
Alex will do his best to keep Brooke safe.
Maria and Isabel are in a tough position, but they’ll handle things as well as they can.
That wasn’t an easy thing for Brendan to learn, but it was necessary.
Keep that hope, because this will cause them to all pull closer together.
We need a couple of happy families in the mix to lighten things up!
nibbles2: Nope, they have no desire to put on a show.
He’s gonna do his best.
destinyc: We totally agree with you. That comment made ya laugh, huh? Think Liz will manage to keep to that decision? That news would’ve really caused an uproar during dinner!
Author’s Note: Song credit for “Unforgiven” goes to Metallica – lyrics obviously don’t belong to us!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhryYbyTZ2M
Part 63 – I Don’t Wanna Be Alone
Isabel walked back to the dining room where Brendan was still sitting at the table, staring at his food. “Alex is checking on Brooke,” she said, hoping that he would pick up the conversation because she really wasn’t sure how to go on.
“Is he okay?” he asked, using his fork to reshape his mashed potatoes into a small mountain.
“Not really. What about you?”
She started to clear away the dishes their parents had used just to keep herself busy.
“I don’t know how I didn’t see it all these years... the cruelty, the contempt... I just feel so stupid for not seein’ it.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Brendan.” She sighed. “I don’t know much about your history with them, but I’m sure that seeing your parents for what they really are isn’t easy.”
“I knew they got on Michael’s case a lot, but I had no idea that it was like that.”
“I’m sure your parents hid that very well before today.”
“It’s no wonder Michael and I didn’t get along for so long... I’m surprised that he’s even talkin’ to me now.”
“Your brother cares about you much more than you’d expect, Bren.”
“I don’t know why... and I really don’t know why he never said anything.”
“Maybe because he wanted to protect you, but maybe you should ask him about it.”
“I should’ve known... we’re twins... how could I not know?”
“I should’ve known too, but I didn’t know about it either,” Alex said when he and Brooke joined the others in the dining room.
“Okay, you guys, it’s time to stop playing the blame game,” Isabel insisted. “None of you have the ability to read Michael’s mind and if he had wanted you to know what was going on, he would’ve told you.”
Alex nodded, following her lead. “Let’s just sit down and eat now. We can think about the rest later, when everyone’s calmed down.” He sat down in one of the chairs and motioned to Brooke to do the same.
“You think Michael’s gonna be okay though, right?” Brooke asked as she took her seat and set her cell phone on the table next to her plate.
“Maria will make sure of it,” Brendan said, even though the question hadn’t been directed at him specifically.
She glanced at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he replied confidently.
“You sound very sure... why?”
Brendan shrugged. “It’s just a feelin’. I’m sure he cares about her a lot and he’s been tryin’ to get things worked out with her recently.”
Brooke was sure he knew more than he was telling. “You know somethin’,” she said, watching him.
Brendan rolled his eyes, wondering why Brooke had to be so stubborn. “We talked after Tess’ birthday party, after they had a fight.”
“And? You know somethin’, Brendan!” She slouched down so she could kick him under the table. “Tell me!”
“You’re annoying, Brooke,” Brendan said, reaching down to rub his stinging calf. “He wasn’t admitting anything, it was just the way he worried about her and he kept callin’ her his girl the whole time, ya know?”
“Really?” She was intrigued by this bit of information. “He was all territorial and possessive?”
“Yeah, he was, ‘cause he thought I was tryin’ to get her back or something.”
Brooke snorted at that and then hurried to pull her expression back under control when she noticed the look of annoyance on his features.
“Thanks, Brooke,” Brendan growled.
*****
Michael followed Maria, trusting her to lead him someplace safely away from the people who seemed bent on destroying him. He retreated into himself until he was so far inside that all he felt was... numb. He was only peripherally aware of getting into his car and he reached out, unconsciously turning the stereo on to drown out his parents' voices when he felt them trying to get past the numb feeling that was shielding him from the pain.
Maria glanced at him as she slid in behind the wheel of his car and started the engine. She wanted to reach over and touch him, comfort him in some way, but she could see the tension in his tall frame; his body was so taut he looked like the smallest touch would cause him to shatter into a million pieces. She knew he would never forgive her for crossing that line, not at this point in their relationship. And it was a relationship, for better or worse, against their wishes and despite their denial, they had gotten that involved.
His hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists, braced against his thighs, and she wondered if that was a control method he was employing to keep from hitting something just to work through the pain. He wasn’t going to admit it right now, and maybe not later either, but she had seen the devastation in his eyes when his father had hurled the cruel words at him with such reckless and careless abandon.
She was reaching for the gearshift when she noticed that his lips were moving and she suddenly realized that he was reciting the lyrics of the song currently playing on the stereo. She felt tears spring to her eyes when she recognized the song and she knew without confirmation that he identified with the words.
New blood joins this earth
And quickly he’s subdued
Through constant pained disgrace
The young boy learns their rules
With time the child draws in
This whipping boy done wrong
Deprived of all his thoughts
The young man struggles on and on
He’s known, a vow unto his own
That never from this day, his will they’ll take away
What I’ve felt, what I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never free, never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
He needed to get away from everything, but where could she take him? She didn’t have an answer to that just yet so she pointed the car towards the freeway and just started to drive. The miles flew by as they drove up the coast and after nearly an hour she found an exit and turned around with the intention of heading back to Long Beach. Noticing that the fuel gauge was getting low she stopped at the next gas station and pulled up to the pump furthest from the building.
She had kept a close eye on Michael as she drove, thankful to realize that time and distance seemed to be helping and while his hands were still fisted, they weren’t clenched so tightly. The tendons in his arms were no longer standing out from the tension that had pulled his body taut and he had slouched down just a little bit in his seat.
She climbed out of the car and frowned when she realized that she had found what had to be one of the last gas stations in the country that didn’t have a place to slide a credit card. She hurried to fill the tank and then ran inside to pay, grabbing a couple of drinks before going back out to the car.
Michael was staring out through the window on his side when she climbed back inside and started the car, but now his arms were crossed over his chest. He didn’t move or acknowledge her presence when she told him that she had gotten him a drink, so she fell silent once more and headed back to the city.
When they arrived back in Long Beach, Maria exited off of the freeway and a sign for the park where she had gone to meet him only a week ago caught her attention. She took a left at the next intersection and drove less than a mile before they reached the entrance to the deserted park. She pulled into the gravel parking lot and parked the car, cutting the engine and sitting in silence for several minutes before she shifted in her seat to look at him.
“I think I’ll step out here and stretch my legs a little bit, Michael.”
No reaction.
“You do what you need to do, alright? If you wanna talk, I’ll listen. If you don’t wanna talk, I’ll just be here with you. And if you need to be alone, then I’ll go home.” She motioned at the park in front of him, knowing that he wouldn’t see the gesture since he was looking in the opposite direction. “I’m gonna go walk around for a bit and then I’ll just have a seat at that picnic table, and when you’re ready to tell me what you want to do, I’ll be there.”
She watched him for another long minute, hurting inside for all of the pain that he was going through now and all that he had suffered in the past. No one should ever be hurt like that, and never by their own parents! She took a deep breath and nodded to herself before reaching out and squeezing his left hand where it still rested on his knee. She felt just the slightest spark of hope when his fingers briefly closed around hers before he drew his hand back. She opened the door and stepped outside before she gave in to the urge to just hug him and never let go because she knew in his emotional state he needed to be the one to decide how he wanted to proceed.
*****
“So, you’re from Roswell?” Phil, Kyle’s uncle on his mother’s side, asked curiously. He, his wife Kate, and their little boy Seth, who was the same age as Summer, had arrived an hour earlier and now they were all sitting around the dinner table enjoying the dinner Sharon had prepared.
Tess nodded. “Yeah, I was born and raised there.” She glanced at the two children when they giggled and she noticed them playing with their food. She smiled a little, remembering that she had done the same thing when she was younger. Seth had dark curly hair, and he was just as cute as Summer.
“You two, stop playing with your food,” Kate warned them, but she didn’t sound angry.
“Have you seen an alien yet?” Phil asked with a smirk.
The whole table laughed at that and waited for Tess to answer. “Well, there are some weird people in Roswell who might qualify as aliens, but other than that...” She shook her head. “Nope. Roswell is just a normal town with nothing really special in it, believe me. But, I love it.” Yeah, she really loved being there, but maybe it was just because she’d had so much fun with her friends there in the past. She remembered the afternoons when they had just sat in the Crashdown to do homework and eat unhealthy food.
“Have you been with her to Roswell yet?” Phil asked Kyle.
“Oh, no, we just met and started datin’ at the beginning of this semester; we haven’t really had time to go anywhere, but I hope she’ll show me the famous Roswell someday.” He glanced at his girlfriend to check her reaction to that. She had gotten all freaked out when he had asked her to come with him over Thanksgiving, so he wasn’t sure if she had ever thought about introducing him to her family.
For a moment Tess didn’t know what to say, but she realized that everyone was looking at her and waiting for an answer. “Well, we haven’t talked much about it yet, but the girls and I were planning to go home sometime around Christmas, so maybe we can go together?”
*****
Michael didn’t know how long he sat there in silence, but it was long enough for the sun to shift from its position overhead and begin its daily migration to the west. The tension in his body was still there but it wasn’t as prominent as it had been when they had first left his brother’s house. He glanced down at the cup holder, vaguely remembering Maria saying something about getting him a drink.
He picked the plastic bottle up, wincing at the crackling sound the plastic made when his hand tightened around it as he twisted the cap off. He took a long drink of the lukewarm water, making a face when he realized it was no longer cold. He screwed the cap back on and placed it back in the cup holder before finally looking out through the windshield to find Maria.
It only took a moment to locate her sitting alone at the picnic table directly in front of the car. It was about a hundred yards out, near the water, and a gentle breeze ruffled her hair as she smiled at a line of tiny yellow chicks following their mother down to the water. He reached into the console and grabbed a couple of quarters before he opened the car door and stepped outside, drawing in lungfuls of the fresh air and stretching his muscles.
He walked down to where she was sitting, his gait slow and unhurried, and he paused at a little machine that dispensed small crackers for the ducks. He inserted the quarters and held his hand under the little opening, turning the mechanism and catching a handful of the tiny treats before continuing on his way to join Maria.
She was sitting on the table, her feet resting on the bench seat and he levered himself up to sit beside her. He felt her turn to look at him, and he could almost feel her catch herself before she started to speak. He held his hand out to her, silently offering her some of the crackers and he swallowed hard when her fingers slid over his hand in a gentle caress before she plucked some of them from his palm.
He glanced to the side when he heard her giggle quietly, watching her as she tossed some of the crackers and a couple of the fuzzy yellow chicks fought over one of them. He flicked a cracker out to one of the larger ducks that was hanging back from the others, silently observing its companions. After a while the cracker supply ran out and the ducks began to slowly disperse, going off and eventually ending up in a group. He watched as the duck he had been feeding followed the others but kept his distance... part of the group, but always on the outside looking in.
He didn’t want that and he had thought he was finally starting to work past it, but all of his insecurities had been thrown back in his face and now he wasn’t sure where he stood. He glanced at Maria again and before he could stop them, the words tumbled out of his mouth, “Idon’twannabealone.”
Maria turned to look at him, carefully hiding her shock at hearing him vocalize something. She had to turn the jumbled words over and over several times before she was able to understand what he had just said and when she did finally figure it out she had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around him. Take it at his pace, Maria, she reminded herself.
“You’re not alone, Michael,” she said quietly, the strength in her voice reassuring. “You’ll never be alone if I have anything to say about it.”
He nodded, staring at the ground as he waited for her to wrap her arms around him. It was what he wanted, what he needed, but he didn’t know if he could ask for it. She probably had no idea whether or not he would welcome her touch, but he just couldn’t get the words out.
Maria watched him for several minutes, not sure what she was waiting for until she felt just the slightest movement as he shifted closer to her. That was all she needed to know that he would welcome her touch and she wrapped her arms around him as she leaned against his side. She felt some of the tension ease from his tall frame as he allowed himself to take comfort from her embrace and they sat there silently, just watching the sunset.
*****
The sun was hovering just above the horizon when a loud growling sound interrupted the silence and Michael glanced down at his stomach as he realized that he was hungry. He glanced to the side when he heard Maria’s stomach rumble as if in response to his and a moment later she giggled and shook her head.
“I guess we didn’t really have time to enjoy all that food your brother and Isabel cooked, did we?”
“Guess not,” he agreed simply. “You, uh… you wanna grab somethin’ an’ go back to my place?”
“Hey, we could watch a movie. If you’ve got anything worth watchin’, that is,” she teased lightly and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.
“I’ve got a lot of movies worth watchin’.” He stood up and held his hand out to her, holding his breath as he waited to see if she would take it.
“You do, huh?” Maria slid her hand into his, hiding a smile when she noticed just a hint of his eyes darkening as they traveled over her bare legs.
“Yeah, and some of them even have a plot.” He tugged on her hand and they walked over to his car where he held his hand out expectantly, waiting for her to hand him his keys.
After deciding on chicken they stopped at a popular restaurant for takeout and then drove the rest of the way to his apartment in silence. It wasn’t until they were standing at his front door that either of them realized what a monumental milestone his invitation was; he had never invited her to come back to his place and she had never taken the initiative to stop by uninvited.
Michael unlocked the door and pulled the key back out of the lock, shoving the ring into his pocket before he pushed the door open. He was trying to remember if they had straightened up at all before leaving that morning and he suddenly realized that it was the first time that he had ever bothered to worry about that. Nah, he was sure it was okay. Kyle had stayed with Tess at the girls’ apartment the night before and he had stayed at his brother’s house, so Max would have been the only one home. Yeah, Max was notorious for being a neat freak, so even if they had left stuff lying around, their roommate would’ve straightened up.
Maria followed him inside, looking around while he shut the door behind them and locked it again. The apartment was surprisingly clean considering three guys shared the space. Yeah, just open a closet and I'll bet you'd be buried under a mountain of junk that's been shoved out of sight, she thought.
The apartment floor plan was very similar to the one she shared with the girls and she wondered which bedroom he had chosen. She looked at the big screen television set up on one wall, the large towers on either side holding what looked like a very state-of-the-art sound system, a DVD player and recorder, several different types of video game consoles, and a large stack of games and movies piled haphazardly on the bridge above the television that connected the two towers. The furniture was oversized, masculine, and looked very comfortable and worn in.
“You wanna beer with dinner?”
Maria turned to look at Michael when he spoke up and she moved to join him in the kitchen. “Yeah, beer sounds good.” She hopped up to sit on the counter across from the refrigerator and she watched him when he moved to a cabinet to pull a couple of plates down.
Every movement was perfectly executed and even though he appeared to be relaxed she could tell it was just an act. How could anyone relax after being on the receiving end of the things that had been said to him? He was silent as he methodically moved the food from the takeout containers to the plates and once he was finished he looked as if he didn’t know what to do next.
“So, did you have a movie in mind?” she asked the moment she noticed that his thoughts were leading him back to the confrontation with his parents. Despite her desire to talk to him about what had happened and to help him deal with it she knew he wasn’t ready for that just yet.
He shrugged. “Nothin’ in particular… everything I’ve got is either action/adventure or… yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
“Well, you’re in luck because I happen to favor that genre,” she said, leaning past him to snatch a French fry off of one of the plates. “You got Hitman?”
His eyebrows lifted in surprise as he handed the plate that was now short by at least one fry to her and he levered himself up to sit beside her. “Yeah. You wanna watch it?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” Her eyebrows waggled playfully. “The lead’s hot.”
A bark of laughter escaped at her unexpected comment and Michael shook his head. “Okay, Hitman it is… although, I can honestly say that I’ve never watched it for that reason.”
Maria snorted at his comment. “Trust me, your sexuality’s never been in question.” She hid a smile when he straightened up at that, his expression turning smug.
They ate in companionable silence and when they were finished Michael dropped back down to the floor and grabbed the plates so he could rinse them off and load them in the dishwasher. He disposed of their empty bottles and grabbed a couple of fresh beers from the refrigerator, popping the caps off before handing her one. He braced his hands on the counter on either side of her body and he accepted her unspoken invitation when she shifted so he could settle between her knees.
He couldn’t stop himself from leaning into her body and taking her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. He sighed when her hands came up to rest against the sides of his neck, her fingertips raking through his hair where it brushed against his collar. “We shouldn’t be doin’ this,” he muttered after a few minutes even though the last thing he wanted to do was move away from her.
“No, we shouldn’t,” Maria agreed, knowing that nothing had been settled between them yet.
“Maybe we should just go watch the movie.”
She nodded and her hands shot up to grab his shoulders when he picked her up and set her on the floor. “Okay, where’s the movie?”
“It’s probably on the shelf in the livin’ room, but we can watch it in my room.”
“Uh-huh,” she said slowly.
“Seriously.”
“Oh, well, if you meant seriously...”
“You find the movie and I’ll be in my room.” He motioned towards the general direction of his bedroom and then disappeared down the hallway.
Maria rolled her eyes at him and went to dig through the stacks of movies and games to find the case she wanted. “Go find the movie,” she mumbled. “Like I’m gonna know where it is in this mess.”
Michael glanced around his bedroom and frowned at the mess he had left the day before. Did it always look like this? he wondered as he started grabbing up the clothes lying around. He dumped everything into the laundry basket in the corner, heedless of whether the clothes were clean or dirty. He paused to look at his bed when he reached for one corner of the bedspread to straighten it up. His sheets were clean, right? When was the last time the cleaning lady had been by?
He heard Maria cursing when one of the stacks toppled over and he took advantage of the few minutes that had bought him to finish straightening up. He snatched a towel off of the weight bench in the corner and added it to the laundry basket before standing back to observe his speedy cleaning job. It looked okay, right? It wasn’t like he had to impress her or anything; she wasn’t gonna win any good housekeeping awards either. He moved to stand in the center of the room and sniffed the air. It smelled okay to him, but he spent most of his time in his room when he was home... what if it didn’t smell good but he was just used to it?
He snapped out a quick expletive and ducked through the bathroom that connected his bedroom to Max’ and he rolled his eyes at Mr. Neat-Freak’s room. Of course nothing was out of place. He glanced around until his eyes landed on the air freshener plugged into the outlet, quickly pulling it out of the wall socket and confiscating it.
Michael had just finished plugging the air freshener in when he heard Maria coming down the hall and he quickly threw himself down on that couch that sat against one wall, doing his best to look like he was bored. “Geez, took you long enough to find the movie,” he complained, trying not to be obvious about it as he watched her for her reaction to being in his bedroom for the first time.
“Well, maybe if you guys would separate the movies and the games and then alphabetize them, it wouldn’t take so much work.” She tossed the movie to him and as soon as he got up to load the movie in the DVD player in the entertainment system on the far wall she dropped down to sit on the couch. “I think your room’s bigger than mine.”
“This complex is older than the one you live in... the older the complex, the roomier the floor plans are.”
“You guys all have your own workout stuff?”
“Huh?” He turned away from the DVD player to look at her.
“I just remember Tess mentioning that Kyle has a weight bench in his room and now I see that you’ve got one too.”
He snorted at that. “Well, since Tess came into the picture let’s just say his muscles aren’t the only thing getting a workout on his bench.” He shuddered comically. “Ungh... no thanks, I’ll stick with havin’ my own workout equipment.”
Maria laughed at his disgusted expression and she slouched down further on his comfortable couch. He was starting to relax a little bit and that’s what she was trying to accomplish. He would talk about the situation if and when he was ready and she knew better than to try to pry because it would only make him angry and defensive. Right now he was calm and even though that was due to his intentional denial of the situation she had a feeling he needed that shield in order to reach a point where he was mentally and emotionally ready to face what had happened.
“You need anything before we start the movie?”
“Huh-uh.”
Michael nodded and snatched up the remote before stretching out on the couch and resting his head in her lap. “You’re not gonna start droolin’ over the lead, are you? ‘Cause I’m kinda in a precarious position if you do that.”
She shoved his shoulder. “I think you’re safe.”
“Okay, good.” He hit the ‘play’ button on the remote and simply enjoyed it when her hand slid down over his shoulder to rest against his chest.
*****
Max was lying in bed, wide awake, when he heard the restless pacing coming from the guest room. He raised himself up on his elbows when Bella padded into his room and rested her muzzle on the bed near his hand, whining quietly. He had sent the dog to stay with Liz when the family had settled down for the night, knowing that she would keep Liz company and alert him if she needed him.
They had talked about her visit with her parents more in-depth after dinner when they had walked down to the lake to watch the sunset and even then she had been fighting to hold herself together. He couldn’t imagine his parents ever trying to convince him to marry someone he wasn’t in love with simply so they could merge their business with someone else’s. He had been shocked when she had told him how coldly her mother had reacted to the news of her breakup with Sean and then to find out that she had been slapped by the woman for citing the truth…
He threw the covers back and got up when Bella whined again, nudging his hand with her cold, wet nose. He crossed the hall and stood in the open doorway for several minutes, silently observing Liz as she stood on the balcony in the moonlight. He knew she wouldn’t hear him if he knocked on the door, so he walked through the bedroom until he reached the open glass doors and he rapped his knuckles against the frame.
Liz reached up, brushing the tears from her face before she turned to face her nighttime visitor, knowing before she ever saw him that it was Max. “Hey,” she greeted, her voice nearly a whisper. Her eyes slid over him, unable to avoid the temptation to observe him in the moonlight, and for some reason that she didn’t understand the setting felt almost… familiar.
It took an amazing amount of self-control for Max to stay where he was when her dark eyes traced over his body and she unconsciously licked her lips. “You okay?” he asked, acting as if he hadn’t noticed the redness that rushed into her cheeks when she looked up and realized that she had been caught staring.
She smiled and looked away, rubbing her arms when the wind blew and she noticed that she was cold. She was thankful he was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants instead of boxers because she didn’t know if she could handle seeing much more of his skin on display.
“You should come inside before you catch a cold; the weather in Texas can be deceptive.” He stood back when she moved to do as he had suggested and he couldn’t stop his eyes from sliding over her body. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to strip that tank top and shorts off of her and ease her into bed, feel her body as he lowered himself to rest his flesh against hers! He bit his bottom lip, hard, and quickly reminded himself to be patient and take it slow.
“I feel so alone,” she admitted finally, watching him as he closed and locked the balcony doors.
“You’re not alone, darlin’.” He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his hard body. “I don’t understand your mother’s reasoning or your father’s apathy towards you and the situation, but I do know that you deserve better than that. I know I can’t fix that for you, and God knows I would if I could, but I can promise you that I’m here for you and I’m not goin’ anywhere.” He looked down at her when she turned in his arms, her expression so full of trust that he felt humbled. “Let me hold you tonight,” he requested, holding his breath as he waited for her answer.
She stared at him for a moment and suddenly realized just how much she wanted that. “Um… okay.”
“Will it bother you to sleep in my bed? I’ll stay above the covers if you’d feel more comfortable like that.”
“No, I… I don’t think I want that.”
Max nodded. “Okay, well, we can sleep in here – “
“No, Max,” she interrupted quietly, “I meant that you don’t have to sleep above the covers.”
He led her into his room and quietly closed the door behind them, knowing that no one would bother them as long as the door remained closed. “You prefer a certain side of the bed?”
“Oh, um, I don’t know.”
She’s never slept with anyone, dumbass! “Ah, right. Okay, well, I have a tendency to stick more to the right side, so…” He was talking too much and he couldn’t seem to stop.
Liz sat on the edge of the bed and nervously picked at the hem of her shorts. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the bed dipped with Max’ added weight and she felt the covers pull and tug under her as he slid beneath them and moved around to get comfortable.
“What do we do now, Max?”
He chuckled warmly and reached around her to offer her his hand. “The first thing you need to do is relax, darlin’; I don’t bite on a first date and I’m not gonna pounce… yet.” He pulled the covers from under her and gave her a firm tug, laughing at her surprised squeal as she tumbled right into his arms. “Just relax.”
She fidgeted for several minutes before she sighed and took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do with my hands.”
“Anything you want; there’s nothin’ that’s off limits, so just do whatever you feel comfortable with.”
“Right, well…” God, who knew just sleeping with someone required so much work! “Um…”
“Can I make a suggestion?”
“Please.” She had no idea what she was doing or how to do it.
“Okay.” He shifted onto his back, bringing her with him so that she was partially sprawled over his body. Her left leg automatically bent at the knee and slipped between his legs and her left arm draped over his stomach as she came to rest against him.
Liz sighed as she felt him pressed against her and her fingertips began to wander over his abdomen without conscious thought. He was so warm and comfortable. It was her last thought before sleep claimed her and she slipped into dreamland unaware of the fact that Max was so distracted by her nearness that he wouldn’t be able to sleep for several hours.
*****
Michael opened his eyes and looked around, noticing that night had fallen and the room was nearly dark. He frowned when he saw Maria curled up on his bed and he vaguely remembered a conversation where she had tried to get him to move to the bed near the end of the movie... something about the couch not being big enough for the both of them. Which was ridiculous, he mused, the couch was plenty big enough for them to sleep on comfortably. Okay, that was only true if they were sleeping pretty close together and the way things had been left between them the weekend before, maybe they weren’t ready for that just yet.
He missed the warmth of her body, the comforting touch of her hands, and just the simple act of her being next to him. He was starting to realize just how much he craved her presence in his life, and not just in a physical or sexual way; she had become so much more than that and when she wasn’t around he felt... hollow... like some essential part of his being was missing.
She’d had the perfect opportunity to run away from him and never look back earlier that day and she had chosen to stay. That had to mean something pretty important... like maybe she wasn’t going anywhere and maybe they were going to be able to fix what had broken between them.
His gaze remained fixed on her sleeping features, tinted blue from the light emanating from the screen on the television. She had stuck around, he realized suddenly. Sure, that was obvious from her presence in his bed, but she could have easily chosen to walk away and never look back after the encounter with his parents. Instead of taking the easy way out she had chosen to stay with him.
The feeling of happiness was suddenly overshadowed by the insecurities that had plagued him all his life. Why? Why had she chosen to stay? He rolled over to face the back of the couch and he squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to block out the hateful voice that was shouting at him, reminding him that he wasn’t good enough for her. His hands came up to cover his ears in an attempt to silence the voice, completely unaware of how childish the action was. He just wanted it to stop... wanted, for once in his life, to feel like he was worth something.
Eventually, the voice began to fade into the background and sleep finally wrapped him in its warm embrace. Had he known that the voice had only fallen silent temporarily he would have stayed awake because as soon as his subconscious began to relax, the floodgates opened and the voice began to dredge up all of his insecurities, all of the pain, and all of the hatred directed at him earlier that day, forming it into a weapon that could be used against him while he was at his most vulnerable.
*****
Maria awoke with a start, looking around as she tried to identify what had woken her up. The room was still dimly lit by the television screen and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she noticed that Michael was still sleeping on the couch. She was shifting to an upright position when she heard the sound again and she realized that it had come from him.
At first she thought that maybe he was in pain, but she quickly realized that what she first thought was related to his injury really wasn’t. What had at first sounded like quiet groaning was actually a long litany of “no’s” running together and his voice was low as if he was afraid of being heard. He was curled up tightly, arms crossed over his chest defensively, his body so taut he had to be uncomfortable, and even though she couldn’t see his face she was sure he was still asleep.
She got up as quietly as possible and crossed the room, leaning over him with the intention of checking on him and she wasn’t expecting it when he suddenly shot up so fast that she squealed in shock and jumped backwards. His eyes were glazed over and she was surprised to see that his hands were curled into fists.
“What’re you doin’?” he asked harshly.
“I just woke up and remembered that we should probably change that bandage,” she said to cover her real reason for standing over him.
“Oh… no, it’s okay.” He had a feeling that his injury had little if anything to do with her standing over him in the middle of the night, but he didn’t feel like challenging her on the issue. He shrugged and moved back into his original position, curled up and facing the back of the couch.
“Michael, wouldn’t you rather lie down in your bed so you can stretch out?”
“Huh-uh.” He couldn’t explain the need to curl up as small as possible because then she’d want to know why and he wasn’t ready to go into any detail about the physical abuse he had suffered at his father’s hands.
Maria had a bad feeling that the nightmares and his behavior could all be directly connected back to Hank, but she knew that Michael would completely shut down on her if she tried to push for more information. What should she do now? she wondered. He was the picture of isolation and her heart ached for him, but he wasn’t going to welcome anything that could be misconstrued as pity.
She moved to grab the blanket off of his bed and then walked back over to him, keeping her expression neutral when he turned his head to look up at her.
“What’re you doin’ now?”
“I’m cold and if you’re not gonna come to bed and warm me up, then I’ll just come over here and join you.” She didn’t give him any time to protest or argue with her and before he could so much as form a thought she climbed over him and squirmed around to make herself comfortable between him and the back of the couch.
“Maria…”
“Oh, stop complainin’,” she said as she pulled the blanket up over them. “I’m not about to have you roll over in the middle of the night and dump my ass on the floor, Michael.”
He was pretty sure that she wasn’t in the process of stealing valuable cushion space because she was all that cold because the temperature in the room was perfectly comfortable. He had been cold for a completely unrelated reason and her presence was chasing his fears away so he kept the complaining to a minimum because he didn’t really want her to leave.
He could feel some of the tension leaving his body when her left leg settled over his hip and she tugged him closer so she could wrap her arms around him. He let himself relax slightly when she remained silent, letting her hands do the talking as she gently caressed his back and shoulders.
“Why’re you still here?” he growled after a while.
“I don’t know… why haven’t you kicked me out yet?”
He made a noncommittal sound and wrapped his right arm around her waist, his big hand sneaking up under her shirt so it could rest against bare skin. “M’ria?”
She looked at him when his drowsy tone registered and she realized that he was on the verge of falling asleep again. “Hmmm?”
“We’re gonna work things out, right?”
She wondered if he would’ve asked that question if he had been fully awake. “Is that what you want?” Oh, she was sooo wrong for that! Taking advantage of his nearly incoherent state to question his feelings about their relationship.
“Um-hmm.”
Maria brushed a gentle kiss against his forehead before leaning back to study his features. “We’ll work it out, Michael.”
“Okay,” he mumbled, shifting around to bring their bodies even closer together. “S’good.”
She stayed awake for a while, watching over him and soothing him when his features expressed fear or anger, careful not to wake him. She wondered how long he had been having nightmares and wished for a way to rid him of Hank for good.
Author’s Note: We’ve got a new fic called “In the Course of a Lifetime”. It’s the product out of the Support Stacy Auction in September, where Novy, aka Alien_Friend won us and came up with this idea. Posting will start soon! Check out the trailer…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT7mOXwAqSE
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 64 - 11/1/09
Alien_Friend: Thanks! She’s breaking down those walls, one piece at a time.
Yeah, that couldn’t have been a comfortable position, huh?
Max is someone Liz can count on without a doubt.
That’s alright, we’re not above accepting biased praise, lol!
begonia9508: Thanks for reading!
Eva: It was a very emotional chapter. What Michael’s been through was a horrible experience and he definitely received the worst of the abuse.
Loved what you said here:
It’s so true! Finally understanding that he can let Maria inside, that he needs her, will allow him to begin taking the steps towards healing.
sarammlover: She knows what he needs!
Max and Liz are sure to be a great couple.
mary mary: Unfortunately it’s a reality that is too often overlooked. At least Michael has people who do care about him, who love him, and who will help him find ways to deal with his past so he can work on his future.
The Sunday should be Bonus Day! We’ll begin posting the new fic today!
nibbles2: Thank you! He has shown a pattern, but just maybe he’s gonna break away from the familiar this time.
Maiqu: She’ll be able to help him as long as he keeps letting her in.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
kismet: Thanks for reading!
Part 64 – New Beginnings
Michael was the first to wake the next morning and the first thing that registered in his fuzzy brain was that he hadn’t slept alone. The thing that surprised him even more than that was the fact that he kinda liked waking up with Maria. He had rarely spent the night with one of his ‘dates’ and on those occasions he had been quick to make an exit before things could get complicated. He didn’t feel the need to do that with her though and he shifted around so he could ease his left arm out from under her sleep-heavy body. He had no idea how he had managed to get his arm under her, but the entire limb was numb and the pins and needles rushed to the surface the moment his arm was free and circulation was re-established.
She grumbled in her sleep and burrowed closer to him until he finally gave in, shifting onto his back so she could drape herself over him. He wiggled closer to the back of the couch when he realized that he wasn’t far from the edge and she settled more fully against him as his body conformed to the comfortably worn cushions.
He felt around on the floor for the remote and picked it up after several attempts to retrieve it, aiming it at the television and scanning through the channels. The sun was barely showing on the eastern horizon, but the newscasters were already talking about the biggest sale day of the year. The sports channels were going over the big game from the day before and predicting the winners for Sunday’s lineup.
He scanned through the rest of the channels several times and wondered if soap operas ever took a day off. The damn things were always on, he thought as he flipped past yet another one. Game shows, news, another soap opera... why did he pay for cable again? He finally just turned the television off and reached behind him to drop the remote on the end table.
“Wha’ time is it?” Maria mumbled against his neck.
“I don’t know... early. It’s probably eight, maybe a little before.” He couldn’t be bothered to move so that he could see the alarm clock on the nightstand.
“Make breakfast for me, Michael.”
“Make breakfast for you?” he repeated.
“Yeah... please?”
“You got somethin’ in mind?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t ask for anything that required the use of syrup. He didn’t need a reminder of the last time he had made breakfast for her and it had taken them half the day to get around to actually eating it.
Maria propped her elbow on his chest and looked down at him, deciding she liked the way he looked when he was all rumpled and barely awake. “How d’you do with omelets?”
“Depends on my motivation.”
“And if I said we’ll talk after breakfast?”
“Then I’d say I’m feelin’ motivated.”
“Perfect.” She wrinkled her nose. “I need to brush my teeth. I don’t suppose you have an extra toothbrush?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to say yes to that or not.
Michael bit the inside of his cheek as he considered her question. Should he be that honest? Yeah, he finally decided, if they were ever gonna get anywhere they needed to put all their cards out on the table. “No... I never let anyone stay over so I’ve never had a reason to keep extra stuff like that around.”
Maria nodded. “Good.”
“But, I can go confiscate one from Max’ stash... I know he’s got some spares lyin’ around.”
“Okay... and then you’ll go fix breakfast while I freshen up?”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
“Perfect.” Maria smiled at him and eased off of him to get to her feet.
*****
Michael opened the refrigerator and rested his left forearm on the door as he stared at the contents inside. He had taken a quick shower before turning the bathroom over to Maria and she had rushed him out, reminding him that she was hungry. He was pretty sure that she was trying to keep things as normal as possible and he loved her for it. Somehow she knew that he wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened the day before and she was respecting his boundaries.
His previous thought suddenly registered and he straightened up in shock. He loved her? Oh, boy, what was he gonna do now? He had never let this happen before and he didn’t know what to do with the knowledge. Who was he kidding? He had never been in this position, had never had such an emotional connection, with any other girl.
It was the first time he had given his feelings for her a name and even though the word was enough to scare him it felt right.
“Michael? What’re you doin’?”
Her voice pulled him from his musings and he turned to look at her. “I forgot we haven’t really picked any groceries up because Kyle and Max were both gonna be outta town through the weekend, so I don’t have the stuff for an omelet.”
“Oh, that’s okay. You have coffee?”
“Uh-huh, cabinet over the coffee pot.” He watched her as she pulled down the canister of coffee and a moment later she noticed the smaller can hidden in the back.
“What’s this?”
“That’s the fancy crap that Max drinks; some special imported blend that he pays an arm and a leg for.” He glanced at his phone when it started ringing and he shrugged when Maria motioned to it. He watched her as she picked it up and glanced at the caller ID before flipping it open and lifting it up to her ear. He filled a glass with crushed ice and poured tea over it, taking a drink and leaning back against the counter at the opposite end of the kitchen.
“Hey, Brooke, what’s goin’ on?”
He drummed his fingers on the counter idly while she carried on a short conversation with his sister, knowing that Brooke was grilling her for information about him.
“Um-hmm, sure, that does sound good, but let me check with him and see what he thinks, okay?” She nodded. “Okay, we’ll call you right back.”
“What was that all about?” he asked after she had disconnected the call.
“Your family would like it if we’d come by for breakfast.”
“You wanna go,” he guessed.
She walked over to stand in front of him, leaving distance between them so he wouldn’t feel like he was being pressured. “They need to know that you’re okay, Michael; they need to see for themselves that after everything that happened yesterday you’re still in one piece.”
Michael lifted the glass to his lips, draining the tea and then taking a mouthful of ice that he chewed slowly as he looked away. “I haven’t been in one piece for more years than I care to think about. I’ve been torn apart and put back together too many times; I just hide it better than most,” he muttered finally, admitting something aloud that he had never even admitted to his own self.
He looked so shattered that it broke her heart and Maria couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to him; for the first time he was revealing a side of himself that he had always kept so carefully hidden. Michael’s emotions were always a minefield, but she had a feeling that the slightest misstep would cause him to shut down and she would lose any chance of getting him to open up.
She took the glass from him and set it on the counter behind him, giving him time to back away if he wasn’t ready to let her touch him. When he remained in the same place and allowed her to wrap her arms around him she felt a little more confident about things.
“I’m sorry,” he said after several minutes. “I just… I said some things the past few days that I didn’t mean and I don’t know what to do to make it right.” His arms came around her in a crushing grip and he felt her arms tighten around him in response.
“You don’t get to take all the blame for this mess between us, Michael.” She leaned back just enough to meet his gaze and she saw the questions there. “That night at the cabin… when you asked about us havin’ sex, I had the feelin’ that there was more behind the question, but then I asked you about it and the next thing I knew we were in the middle of an argument.” She shook her head and reached up to place a finger against his lips when he started to speak. “I shouldn’t have been so quick to get into an argument because I knew there was more to it, but when you got defensive and said it was because you had hadn’t done any proper fuckin’ in months…” She tried to bite back the pain that came rushing back as the memory resurfaced. “And then you said that you had never expected that we’d make it this long without havin’ sex, it hurt, and I got defensive, too.”
“I didn’t mean that, Maria… I swear to God, I never fuckin’ meant to say those things an’ hurt you like that.” He shook his head when he saw the tears shimmering in her green eyes. “When I asked about us havin’ sex I expected resistance because we’ve got that stupid-ass agreement between us, but what I wasn’t expectin’ was the way you looked at me… like you were lookin’ so far into my soul that you were gonna see that I’m not worth takin’ that kinda risk.” He shrugged self-consciously. “And, yeah, I got defensive because it’s a helluva lot easier to be the one who leaves instead of the one who gets left, right? I may not put it out there for the entire world to see, but I’m not so stupid that I don’t know where this thing between us is headin’, and I know if it doesn’t work out it’s gonna hurt like nothin’ I’ve ever felt… I’m sure you’ve got the same reservations and I just… I’m sorry for everything I said, Maria.”
She stared up at him, shocked beyond words at the way he was putting himself out there. He was more open in that moment than he had been the entire time they had been together and she desperately wanted him to stay that way. “I’m sorry, too, Michael… you’re not the only one that said things that were mean and designed to hurt, things that never should’ve been said.” She couldn’t move her gaze from his and she reached up to stroke his stubborn jaw. “Things that I wish I could take back because no matter how much I was hurtin’ at the time, you didn’t deserve to have those things thrown in your face.”
“Hell, we both said things we didn’t mean, baby,” he whispered as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips.
“I saw what your parents did to you yesterday, Michael,” she cried, unable to hold her tears back any longer. “I hurt you the same way.”
“No, Maria, listen to me…” He lifted her chin and used the pads of his thumbs to brush her tears away. “It wasn’t the same thing, baby. Let’s just let all that go, okay? I’ve hurt you, you’ve hurt me… we’re both intense, passionate people; chances are good that we’ll hurt each other again because neither of us are perfect and when emotions like that get involved the feelings are gonna be more powerful, whether they’re good or bad. So, from this point on, let’s just take things as they come, okay?”
“We can’t just forget what we said to each other,” she said, unsure of where he was going with his thoughts.
“No, we can’t, and I don’t think we should. It’s important for us to know that we have the ability to hurt each other that badly, and maybe it’ll help us to keep from takin’ that road again. And, for God’s sake, Maria, let’s take that damned agreement off the table.”
Maria could feel her heart teetering on the precipice and she knew just how close she was to falling completely in love with him. “You’re serious?”
“I’m serious.” He glanced up when his phone rang again. “We should’ve known better than to ever think that we could do what we’ve been doin’ and not get involved. So, we start fresh, today, and we let whatever’s gonna happen just… happen.”
“And if that happens to include sex?”
His right eyebrow quirked in question and he shook his head. “If?”
“When,” she corrected herself.
“When it happens,” he smirked as he reached past her for the phone, “we’re gonna hope that we don’t kill each other after the time we’ve spent denyin’ what we really want.” He handed the phone to her. “You can talk to Brooke while I finish getting dressed.”
“We’ll need to run by my place so I can change; I’m still wearin’ yesterday’s clothes.”
“Did I tell you how hot you look in that dress?”
“No.” She took a step back and looked down at herself before looking at him again. “Maybe yesterday; now I’m all wrinkled.”
“Well, you could take it off and it wouldn’t be an issue anymore,” he suggested, leaning in for another kiss before he turned to go back to his bedroom. “Of course, we’d never make it to breakfast and you’d have to explain that to my family…”
“Not happenin’, Guerin!” she yelled after him. She flipped his phone open and hit the button to call Brooke back, shaking her head at him when he paused in the hallway and started to slowly unzip his jeans.
“You sure about that?”
“When it happens, it’s not gonna be somethin’ that we have to squeeze in before breakfast with your family, so put a leash on Mike Jr. and go get ready.” She rolled her eyes and smiled while she waited for the call to be answered; they had made a lot of progress and it was so much more than she had expected. Now, they just had to keep working at it to make sure they didn’t fall into their old patterns.
*****
Liz came awake by degrees, squeezing her eyes shut against the invasive light streaming in through the windows. She tried to burrow closer to the warmth surrounding her and she froze when she heard a masculine chuckle and she felt the sound rumble beneath her cheek.
“Not a mornin’ person?” Max rasped.
“Only if there’s class,” she mumbled.
“Well, then you stay here an’ get some more sleep while I go brush my teeth,” he said as he pressed a kiss against her head. “Because when you wake up I intend to kiss you properly.” He rolled out of bed and went into his bathroom, not surprised when she hurried to leave his room. He grinned at his reflection as he grabbed his toothbrush; the question now was if she would come back.
Liz crept across the hall and slipped into her own room, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door so she could lean back against it. What should she do? she wondered, glancing at her reflection. “Oh, my God,” she muttered as she saw her mussed hair.
She brushed her hair back into submission and then hurried through her morning routine as she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She chewed on her thumbnail as she tried to figure out what she should do next. She met her gaze in the mirror and her expression changed to one of resolve; she was tired of hiding from what she wanted… even if she wasn’t exactly sure what that was.
Max wrapped his hands around the bar that his father had installed over the closet door, and his muscles stood out as he pulled himself up level with the bar before lowering himself again. He held his breath when he heard the door open and shut behind him and a moment later the sheets rustled as she slid back into his bed.
Keep it under control, Evans, he reminded himself.
Liz watched him as he dropped back to the floor and turned to face her.
“You came back,” he said, sounding pleased.
“Well, you did promise to kiss me properly.”
Despite the confidence in her words he could hear the nervous tone underlying them. “I did promise that,” he agreed as he moved to the end of the bed and climbed up on the mattress.
Liz’s gaze was locked on his as he crawled up over her, his strong lithe body reminding her once again of a sleek black panther.
Max braced his hands flat on the mattress on either side of her head as he looked at her. “Think we could get rid of the blankets?” he asked.
She swallowed hard and nodded, pushing and kicking them out of the way. She felt herself tense when he used a knee to nudge her knees apart.
“We’re not gonna do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he promised, sighing when her knees parted and he settled between her thighs.
“I’m sorry,” Liz started, “I’ve never – “
“Huh-uh, darlin’,” he interrupted, kissing her gently to stop the flow of words. “Don’t ever apologize for that.” He pressed gentle kisses all over her face before zeroing in on her mouth, taking it in a forceful kiss that she responded to in kind.
Liz ran her fingers through his hair, her nails raking against his scalp. His kiss was deep and alternated between gentle and rough, but she was with him the whole way. She was so involved in the hot, wet tangle of their tongues that she barely registered his hand sliding her shirt up until she felt a hint of coolness brush against her breasts.
Max shifted back when he felt her hesitation; he looked into her eyes as he tried to gauge her level of comfort. “Too much?” he asked as he tried to control his breathing.
Liz shook her head but she felt self-conscious; she knew she wasn’t exactly well-endowed and her skin was pale… what if she wasn’t attractive enough?
“You’re beautiful, Liz.”
“No, I’m not,” she denied.
“I think you are.” His tone was sincere as he met her gaze evenly. “And one of these days, when you’re ready, I’m gonna worship every inch of your body with my hands and mouth.”
Liz shivered at the husky promise in his voice. “You’re sure you’re not gonna be disappointed?” Her eyes shot wide open when he shifted and she felt his… Oh, my! She had never felt that part of any guy’s body and his was pressed right against her… She flushed hotly as she realized that every nerve ending felt like it was on fire.
Max eased her tank top off while she was trying to recover from her first introduction to an erection and the moment he palmed her rosy-tipped breasts she shuddered.
Her eyes rolled back in her head when his lips closed over one nipple while rolling the other one between his fingertips. His teeth raked across the taught peak at the same moment that he rolled his hips, rubbing that intriguing part of his body up against her wet center.
“Oh, God, Max,” she panted, her hips shifting in search of more contact. No wonder the girls always talked about this, she thought.
Max shifted his mouth to her other nipple to give it the same attention and he smiled against her flesh when she moaned and bucked up against him. He knew she was reacting purely on instinct when her legs locked around his lower back so she could grind herself against his erection.
Her hands were running over every inch of bare flesh that she could reach, learning his body by touch. Her fingernails dug into his back as she started to pant his name and he added more pressure as he pushed his flannel-clad erection against her throbbing center.
He ran his tongue over her nipples before surging up to kiss her roughly as her body shuddered and she continued to grind against him. He buried his face in the spot between her neck and shoulder as his own body stiffened and his toes dug into the mattress. “Holy hell,” he mumbled as his body slumped heavily against her. After a couple of minutes he rolled over, taking her with him so that she ended up draped over his body. He brushed her hair back as he kissed her gently and stared into her eyes. “Good mornin’.”
Liz felt her embarrassment begin to fade in the face of his teasing tone. “Does it always feel like that?”
“Darlin’, believe it or not, it gets better than that.”
It got better than that? “So, it was… it was good for you, too?”
“You made me come in my pants.” He grinned at her when she blushed and started to apologize. “That just means you got me so hot I couldn’t hold back.”
Liz started to sit up but suddenly realized that she was naked from the waist up and she hurriedly grabbed her tank top. “Um, can you close your eyes?”
“Only if you close yours.”
“What?”
“Well, you may have noticed that I don’t have a shirt on…”
Liz shoved his shoulder when she realized what he was doing. “It’s not the same thing,” she said with a laugh.
“No? You like lookin’ at me an’ I like lookin’ at you… don’t see a difference there. You’re a beautiful woman and while I have no problem with you coverin’ up before goin’ out to be around other people, I do have a problem with you thinkin’ you need to hide your body from me.”
Liz studied his expression as he waited for her response; it bothered him that she didn’t want him to see her naked after what they had shared. “It’s gonna take some time for me to get used to this, Max.”
She’s never done this before, he reminded himself as he nodded. “You’re gonna have to be patient with me, too, Liz; this’s new territory for both of us.”
“Okay.” She leaned in to kiss him, surprised when he rolled them over and took control of the kiss.
“I’m gonna go take a shower before we get distracted and I’d suggest you do the same… because if you’re still in this bed when I come outta the shower, I’m gonna pounce.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and pushed himself off of the bed. “I hope Mom’s makin’ a big breakfast because I’m starvin’.”
Liz watched him as he walked into the bathroom and she pulled her tank top on before hurrying over to her own room. She ran into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror as she tried to decide if she looked any different.
*****
Brooke was so excited that Michael had agreed to come over for breakfast; she hadn’t expected him to agree when Alex had told her call and to invite them over. She placed the coffee mugs on the table when she heard the front door being opened. “They’re comin’,” she hissed at Brendan, who was already sitting in his chair, ready to eat.
Alex and Isabel walked into the dining room and brought the coffee with them. “Relax, Brooke,” Alex said when he noticed that his sister was nervous.
“Michael!” she shrieked when she saw him and Maria in the doorway.
“Hey, brat,” he greeted, pulling her into a bear hug. “You make breakfast?” he asked as he released her.
“We all did,” she answered. “Well, not Brendan.” She glared at her youngest brother.
“What?” he mumbled around a mouthful of food. “I helped.” He had put some stuff on the table and taken the trash out… that was helping.
“Okay, you two,” Alex intervened, “why don’t we all take our seats and enjoy breakfast without an argument of any kind.”
“You guys have been busy,” Maria said as she took a seat next to Michael. “Everything looks so wonderful.”
“Yeah, we hope you’re hungry,” Isabel said and sat down as well.
“Starvin’,” Michael muttered as he reached for a platter piled high with pancakes.
“Good,” she smiled. He seemed to be okay right now. Obviously Brendan had been right about Maria taking care of him, and more importantly, about Michael letting her.
“So...” Michael poured syrup over his pancakes until they were nearly swimming and then he set the bottle aside. “How’d you get rid of them yesterday?”
The entire table looked up at him in surprise because nobody had expected him to mention the day before.
“Kicked them out,” Alex said.
Maria pressed her leg against Michael’s under the table, providing a comforting pressure and she smiled when he glanced at her with just the slightest nod.
“Good riddance,” he muttered. “You think they’re gonna cause any problems?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve already called my lawyer just to be safe.”
Michael nodded in approval and glanced around, making sure that Brooke noticed that he was looking for something.
Brendan looked down at his food, wishing he knew how to start a conversation with Michael. He really wanted to tell his brother that he was sorry for being so blind for so many years. But maybe he should wait until they had some time alone.
“What’re you lookin’ for?” Brooke asked.
“Orange juice...” He waited, knowing she’d offer to go and get him a glass.
“I’ll get you one,” she said, getting up to go to the kitchen.
As soon as she was out of the room he leaned across the table. “They’re not gonna take her back, right?”
Alex sighed. “Oh, he made the threat, but we’re not gonna let that happen, Michael.”
“You told him that?”
“Of course.”
“Does she know he made the threat?” he asked, nodding in Brooke’s direction.
“No, she was in her room by the time we got around to the threats.”
“Good.” He settled back in his seat and glanced at his younger brother. “And you’re not goin’ sailin’ with him tomorrow, right?”
“Hell, no!” Brendan shook his head in denial.
Brooke came back into the room and hurried around the table to place a glass of orange juice in front of Michael and she took the opportunity to give him a quick hug before going back to her seat. “So, are we gonna do somethin’ today since things didn’t go the way they were supposed to yesterday?” she asked.
“Have you got somethin’ in mind?” Isabel asked. She thought that it would be a good idea to hang out together after the day before, too.
“Well, maybe we could go down to the beach? We could take a picnic lunch and just hang out?” Brooke glanced around the table, trying to read her brothers’ expressions. “You wouldn’t have to go in the water or anything, Bren,” she said when she noticed his hesitation.
“Michael can’t go in the water either,” Maria said, motioning to his side where the stitches were hidden under his shirt.
“I can go in the water if I want to,” Michael said, shaking his head defiantly. Okay, he wasn’t really gonna go in the water because it would just be stupid, but he wasn’t gonna be told what to do and just give in agreeably either. He smirked as he waited to see if Maria was gonna give him hell over his comment.
Maria noticed the smirk on his face. So he was testing her, huh? “Okay, big boy, but don’t come cryin’ to me when the salty water starts burnin’ that injury,” she tossed right back with a wink.
“Like I’m gonna let a little saltwater keep me outta the water.” He rolled his eyes and carefully leaned forward to spear a couple more pancakes that he put on his plate. “I might stay outta the water if you’ve got somethin’ better to offer,” he teased.
“Okay, you two can end that conversation right there,” Alex said, glancing at his brother.
“Oh, I’ll be right back,” Brooke said when she heard her cell phone ringing in the living room.
Michael shot a grin at his brother across the table and tried to pull his expression into something at least resembling innocent. “What?”
Alex waited until Brooke had left the room before he spoke again. “Don’t pretend that you’re clueless, little brother, and keep your sexual comments to yourself.”
Maria let her right hand rest on his thigh when he slouched down in his seat and focused on his food. Her boy was pouting and trying to hide it, she thought, unable to hide a smile. She leaned in closer to him and whispered, “I’ve definitely got somethin’ better to offer.”
Alex cleared his throat and glanced at Maria warningly.
“Who was on the phone?” Brendan asked when Brooke came back. Maybe that would distract Alex from his twin and his hmmm... girlfriend?
“That was Luke, and he wanted to know if I wanted to go hang out and do somethin’ with him.”
Maria had to bite back a laugh when all three brothers looked up, alarmed.
“Who is Luke?” Brendan asked carefully.
Brooke sat down, her expression superior; she sooo had the upper hand right now! She was just about to speak up when Michael answered for her.
“He’s the little horn-dog that’s been sniffin’ around her.” Michael grinned at his sister when she kicked him under the table.
“He could come with us to the beach,” Maria offered.
Alex wasn’t sure he appreciated Maria’s helpful intentions and he glanced at his girlfriend for guidance.
Isabel nodded. There was no way the guys would let her go out with him alone, but it was important for her to hang out with people her own age. “I think it’d be a good idea, Alex.”
“Well, alright,” he agreed finally, trusting Isabel’s feelings on the subject. “But, you guys don’t go off alone or anything.”
Brooke rolled her eyes. “I’m not even sure if he’d go once I tell him that ALL of my brothers will be there too.”
“Well, if he’s too scared to go just because we’re gonna be there...” Michael teased, knowing that would get his sister’s attention.
“Keep it up, Michael,” she warned, “and next time I won’t call you to come over.” She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.
“We just wanna know who you’re hangin’ out with,” Brendan said.
“You won’t call me to come over?” Michael snorted at that and set the syrup bottle down before pouring it over his pancakes so he could tear a piece of the pancake off and throw it at her. “You’ll call me,” he said confidently.
“Stop throwin’ food in the house,” Alex said, rolling his eyes. It just never got boring with them around. “Brooke, ask him if he wants to come, and Michael, be nice to him.”
They both glanced at their oldest brother for a second. “I’m always nice.” Michael ducked when Brooke threw the piece of pancake at him and he shot a quick glance at Alex when it landed on the floor. Tiny nails clicked on the hardwood floor as the dogs spotted the rare treat and proceeded to fight over it. “What? The dogs picked it up.”
“Okay.” Brooke gave in and went back to the living room to call Luke. But she didn’t pass up the opportunity to give Michael a little smack on the back of his head.
He ducked down when Brooke smacked the back of his head, but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid direct contact. He was reaching for something else to throw in her direction, but a warning glare from Alex had him changing his mind.
“So, which beach should we go to?” Maria asked.
“We can hit the private beach that belongs to those friends of Kyle’s parents – they’re only here during the summer, so they won’t care,” Michael said and then glanced at Maria. “You remember that beach... where we went cliff diving?”
She smiled. Oh yeah, how could she forget about that night? Kyle and Tess had left them on the beach without their clothes and things between her and Michael had started to heat up from that night on. “I do.”
Michael nodded, satisfied that he didn’t need to say anything else. “Might be some other things I can show you...”
Alex let his fork drop onto his plate. “Maybe the two of you should go somewhere else... so you can be alone.” He shook his head, but he was fighting hard to keep himself from smiling. It was obvious that his brother had fallen for a girl for the first time and it was good to see him like that. Especially after everything that had happened the day before.
“We could go alone,” Michael said agreeably.
“You could, but you’re not,” Brooke said when she came back. “Okay, Luke’s coming too.” She left out the tiny detail about having to work so hard to convince him.
Brendan glanced at her when she rounded the table and took her seat again. “So, how long have you been seein’ this guy?”
“I haven’t really been seein’ him at all, Brendan. We just hang out in school… that’s it.”
“But, you like him,” he persisted.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, of course I like him.”
“How old is this kid?” he asked.
“He’s my age.”
“Uh-huh, and you guys are just friends?”
“God, I’m not gonna survive today,” she murmured.
“Okay,” Isabel interrupted the inquisition, “you guys all need to stop badgering her about this boy.”
And he’ll probably run away, she thought. “Thank you, Iz,” Brooke said and raised her arms in the air.
“We’re not badgering her, honey,” Alex denied. “We’re just concerned.”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Brooke complained.
The guys all exchanged looks before shaking their heads. “Nothin’ to worry about,” Alex muttered. “If he’s old enough that he’s noticed you’re a girl, there’s plenty to worry about.”
“Don’t worry, Brooke. Isabel and I will do our best to distract your brothers later, so you can actually hang out with Luke for a few peaceful minutes.” Maria grinned at Michael, curious about his reaction to that.
Michael wasn't sure how to respond to that. On the one hand, he was looking forward to seeing what kind of distraction Maria had in mind, but on the other... well, he didn’t really want that walking hormone alone with his sister.
“Depends on the distraction,” he said, knowing Alex wouldn’t be able to resist speaking up again.
“Unbelievable,” Alex muttered, but relaxed when Isabel rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.
“Well, I guess when you’re all finished with breakfast we should clean up and then make some sandwiches for lunch and get our things together to leave for the beach soon,” Isabel said.
“We can bring chips and drinks,” Maria said, nudging Michael with her knee.
“Guess we’ll have to go by your place again, huh?”
“Well, I will need my bathing suit.”
His eyebrows lifted at that. “Yeah? Which one?”
“Hmmm... I don’t know, but I might go with the green one... or the white one, I haven’t decided yet.”
Michael’s eyes turned darker as he thought of all the ways he could help her decide. “I can give you a hand with that.”
Maria stood up and grabbed their plates to carry them to the kitchen. She stopped behind his chair and leaned forward to whisper into his ear. “Better not, if we wanna make it to the beach today.”
“Hey, I’m completely flexible on that.”
She laughed while heading for the kitchen. “Yeah, I bet you are.”
He smirked and shrugged one shoulder when Alex just shook his head.
Maria glanced at him through the door. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him either.
Michael looked up in time to catch Maria’s covert glance and he decided he couldn’t wait to get her alone. Now that they had agreed to take that stupid no-sex rule off the table, things didn’t feel so regimented and they were much more relaxed around each other.
*****
“I’m hungry,” Kyle complained as he let himself fall onto one of the leather couches in the… well, it felt like the hundredth boutique they were entering this morning. He was exhausted from carrying all the bags from one store to the next. And the number of bags was growing and growing with every new store they stopped in. Why the hell had he agreed to go with Tess and his mom? He should have stayed home with his dad. The old man was so lucky right now.
“It’s almost noon. Can’t we stop for lunch somewhere? I’m starvin’.”
Tess turned away from the mirror where she was posing in a stunning dress and looked at her boyfriend. “How can you be so hungry? We just had breakfast…” she glanced at her watch, “three and a half hours ago.”
“Yeah, and then we started a marathon through the city.”
“And we’re still far from finished,” his mom said smiling as she disappeared into one of the changing room with another load of clothes.
Kyle let his head fall back on the headrest and sighed. “Great!”
“So, what ya think?” She swayed her hips in front of him and turned around herself to show him her newest acquirement.
“Well, it’s a dress, babe.”
She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him. “It’s not just a dress, Kyle. It’s a blue dress with a totally different neckline then the others I’ve bought.”
He smirked at this. “It’s beautiful, okay? You’re beautiful, no matter what you’re wearin’, babe. I’m just … exhausted.”
Tess smiled and walked behind the couch, starting to massage his shoulders. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “I really appreciate that you came with us, babe. I know it has to be boring for you, but ya know… There might be a Christmas present in one of those bags for you…”
“Huh?” He turned his upper body to look at her. “We’ve only been in stores that sell women’s clothes. What could you have bought me…” He fell silent when she waggled her eyebrows in response. “Uh-huh.” He had stayed outside at a few stores to call Max and Michael to hear what was going on with them, but he hadn’t reached either of them.
“Tess, sweetie, can you help me with the zipper of the dress,” Kyle’s mom called.
“Of course,” she gave him another kiss on his lips this time. “She is so great, Kyle, I’m sooo glad I came with you to New York.” And then she hurried back to the changing rooms.
Kyle looked after her and shook his head. He had known that his girlfriend would be accepted just fine by his family and that her worries had been totally unnecessary.
*****
Michael followed Maria into the apartment, his eyes locked on her as she tossed her bag on the couch and then moved to the hallway that led to her bedroom. For a split-second he wasn’t sure if he should follow her, but then she pulled her shirt off and tossed a saucy grin over her shoulder.
While she moved to rummage through her closet he stretched out on her bed and laced his fingers behind his head. “Hey, Maria?”
“Um-hmm?”
“How d’you feel about condoms?”
She stepped out of the closet, a bikini top held in each hand and bare from the waist up. “What did you just ask me?”
“I was just wonderin’ if there was a certain brand or kind that you prefer.” He waggled his eyebrows wickedly as his heated gaze slid over her. “Y’know, ‘cause I figured I should go ahead an’ stock up.” He grinned as he met her gaze. “We’re gonna need a good supply.”
“Oh, that’s what you’re askin’.” She shook her head and held the tops up as she debated between the two. “Whatcha think? Green or white?”
“I think you’re gonna look hot no matter what you wear.”
She smiled at his answer because she knew he wasn’t just saying it. She turned to go back into the closet and paused at the last second to look at him. “About your question…”
“Uh-huh?”
“You don’t need to worry about condoms.” She bit back a grin when his expression shifted from confused to disappointed. He thought she had changed her mind. “I’ve got the protection thing under control.”
“Oh.” He should’ve known she’d already have condoms; they were both highly sexual people after all. “You’ve already got ‘em.”
“I don’t have a surplus supply of condoms, if that’s what you’re thinkin’,” she said, smirking at him. She crossed the room and leaned down over him, her hands braced flat on the mattress on either side of his body. “When we have sex there won’t be anything between us…” She brushed her lips against his in a teasing kiss. “Nothing, Michael… not even a condom.”
Author’s Note 1: Just remember this is a totally fictional world and we’re not recommending that anyone take the risk and not use a condom!
Author’s Note 2: Just a little shameless self-promoting here: We’re starting to post out new fic today: In The Course Of a Lifetime. Posted on this board, and of course, same category!
Yeah, that couldn’t have been a comfortable position, huh?
Max is someone Liz can count on without a doubt.
That’s alright, we’re not above accepting biased praise, lol!
begonia9508: Thanks for reading!
Eva: It was a very emotional chapter. What Michael’s been through was a horrible experience and he definitely received the worst of the abuse.
Loved what you said here:
With her on his side he’s going to survive the horror inside.
It’s so true! Finally understanding that he can let Maria inside, that he needs her, will allow him to begin taking the steps towards healing.
sarammlover: She knows what he needs!
Max and Liz are sure to be a great couple.
mary mary: Unfortunately it’s a reality that is too often overlooked. At least Michael has people who do care about him, who love him, and who will help him find ways to deal with his past so he can work on his future.
The Sunday should be Bonus Day! We’ll begin posting the new fic today!
nibbles2: Thank you! He has shown a pattern, but just maybe he’s gonna break away from the familiar this time.
Maiqu: She’ll be able to help him as long as he keeps letting her in.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
kismet: Thanks for reading!
Part 64 – New Beginnings
Michael was the first to wake the next morning and the first thing that registered in his fuzzy brain was that he hadn’t slept alone. The thing that surprised him even more than that was the fact that he kinda liked waking up with Maria. He had rarely spent the night with one of his ‘dates’ and on those occasions he had been quick to make an exit before things could get complicated. He didn’t feel the need to do that with her though and he shifted around so he could ease his left arm out from under her sleep-heavy body. He had no idea how he had managed to get his arm under her, but the entire limb was numb and the pins and needles rushed to the surface the moment his arm was free and circulation was re-established.
She grumbled in her sleep and burrowed closer to him until he finally gave in, shifting onto his back so she could drape herself over him. He wiggled closer to the back of the couch when he realized that he wasn’t far from the edge and she settled more fully against him as his body conformed to the comfortably worn cushions.
He felt around on the floor for the remote and picked it up after several attempts to retrieve it, aiming it at the television and scanning through the channels. The sun was barely showing on the eastern horizon, but the newscasters were already talking about the biggest sale day of the year. The sports channels were going over the big game from the day before and predicting the winners for Sunday’s lineup.
He scanned through the rest of the channels several times and wondered if soap operas ever took a day off. The damn things were always on, he thought as he flipped past yet another one. Game shows, news, another soap opera... why did he pay for cable again? He finally just turned the television off and reached behind him to drop the remote on the end table.
“Wha’ time is it?” Maria mumbled against his neck.
“I don’t know... early. It’s probably eight, maybe a little before.” He couldn’t be bothered to move so that he could see the alarm clock on the nightstand.
“Make breakfast for me, Michael.”
“Make breakfast for you?” he repeated.
“Yeah... please?”
“You got somethin’ in mind?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t ask for anything that required the use of syrup. He didn’t need a reminder of the last time he had made breakfast for her and it had taken them half the day to get around to actually eating it.
Maria propped her elbow on his chest and looked down at him, deciding she liked the way he looked when he was all rumpled and barely awake. “How d’you do with omelets?”
“Depends on my motivation.”
“And if I said we’ll talk after breakfast?”
“Then I’d say I’m feelin’ motivated.”
“Perfect.” She wrinkled her nose. “I need to brush my teeth. I don’t suppose you have an extra toothbrush?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to say yes to that or not.
Michael bit the inside of his cheek as he considered her question. Should he be that honest? Yeah, he finally decided, if they were ever gonna get anywhere they needed to put all their cards out on the table. “No... I never let anyone stay over so I’ve never had a reason to keep extra stuff like that around.”
Maria nodded. “Good.”
“But, I can go confiscate one from Max’ stash... I know he’s got some spares lyin’ around.”
“Okay... and then you’ll go fix breakfast while I freshen up?”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
“Perfect.” Maria smiled at him and eased off of him to get to her feet.
*****
Michael opened the refrigerator and rested his left forearm on the door as he stared at the contents inside. He had taken a quick shower before turning the bathroom over to Maria and she had rushed him out, reminding him that she was hungry. He was pretty sure that she was trying to keep things as normal as possible and he loved her for it. Somehow she knew that he wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened the day before and she was respecting his boundaries.
His previous thought suddenly registered and he straightened up in shock. He loved her? Oh, boy, what was he gonna do now? He had never let this happen before and he didn’t know what to do with the knowledge. Who was he kidding? He had never been in this position, had never had such an emotional connection, with any other girl.
It was the first time he had given his feelings for her a name and even though the word was enough to scare him it felt right.
“Michael? What’re you doin’?”
Her voice pulled him from his musings and he turned to look at her. “I forgot we haven’t really picked any groceries up because Kyle and Max were both gonna be outta town through the weekend, so I don’t have the stuff for an omelet.”
“Oh, that’s okay. You have coffee?”
“Uh-huh, cabinet over the coffee pot.” He watched her as she pulled down the canister of coffee and a moment later she noticed the smaller can hidden in the back.
“What’s this?”
“That’s the fancy crap that Max drinks; some special imported blend that he pays an arm and a leg for.” He glanced at his phone when it started ringing and he shrugged when Maria motioned to it. He watched her as she picked it up and glanced at the caller ID before flipping it open and lifting it up to her ear. He filled a glass with crushed ice and poured tea over it, taking a drink and leaning back against the counter at the opposite end of the kitchen.
“Hey, Brooke, what’s goin’ on?”
He drummed his fingers on the counter idly while she carried on a short conversation with his sister, knowing that Brooke was grilling her for information about him.
“Um-hmm, sure, that does sound good, but let me check with him and see what he thinks, okay?” She nodded. “Okay, we’ll call you right back.”
“What was that all about?” he asked after she had disconnected the call.
“Your family would like it if we’d come by for breakfast.”
“You wanna go,” he guessed.
She walked over to stand in front of him, leaving distance between them so he wouldn’t feel like he was being pressured. “They need to know that you’re okay, Michael; they need to see for themselves that after everything that happened yesterday you’re still in one piece.”
Michael lifted the glass to his lips, draining the tea and then taking a mouthful of ice that he chewed slowly as he looked away. “I haven’t been in one piece for more years than I care to think about. I’ve been torn apart and put back together too many times; I just hide it better than most,” he muttered finally, admitting something aloud that he had never even admitted to his own self.
He looked so shattered that it broke her heart and Maria couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to him; for the first time he was revealing a side of himself that he had always kept so carefully hidden. Michael’s emotions were always a minefield, but she had a feeling that the slightest misstep would cause him to shut down and she would lose any chance of getting him to open up.
She took the glass from him and set it on the counter behind him, giving him time to back away if he wasn’t ready to let her touch him. When he remained in the same place and allowed her to wrap her arms around him she felt a little more confident about things.
“I’m sorry,” he said after several minutes. “I just… I said some things the past few days that I didn’t mean and I don’t know what to do to make it right.” His arms came around her in a crushing grip and he felt her arms tighten around him in response.
“You don’t get to take all the blame for this mess between us, Michael.” She leaned back just enough to meet his gaze and she saw the questions there. “That night at the cabin… when you asked about us havin’ sex, I had the feelin’ that there was more behind the question, but then I asked you about it and the next thing I knew we were in the middle of an argument.” She shook her head and reached up to place a finger against his lips when he started to speak. “I shouldn’t have been so quick to get into an argument because I knew there was more to it, but when you got defensive and said it was because you had hadn’t done any proper fuckin’ in months…” She tried to bite back the pain that came rushing back as the memory resurfaced. “And then you said that you had never expected that we’d make it this long without havin’ sex, it hurt, and I got defensive, too.”
“I didn’t mean that, Maria… I swear to God, I never fuckin’ meant to say those things an’ hurt you like that.” He shook his head when he saw the tears shimmering in her green eyes. “When I asked about us havin’ sex I expected resistance because we’ve got that stupid-ass agreement between us, but what I wasn’t expectin’ was the way you looked at me… like you were lookin’ so far into my soul that you were gonna see that I’m not worth takin’ that kinda risk.” He shrugged self-consciously. “And, yeah, I got defensive because it’s a helluva lot easier to be the one who leaves instead of the one who gets left, right? I may not put it out there for the entire world to see, but I’m not so stupid that I don’t know where this thing between us is headin’, and I know if it doesn’t work out it’s gonna hurt like nothin’ I’ve ever felt… I’m sure you’ve got the same reservations and I just… I’m sorry for everything I said, Maria.”
She stared up at him, shocked beyond words at the way he was putting himself out there. He was more open in that moment than he had been the entire time they had been together and she desperately wanted him to stay that way. “I’m sorry, too, Michael… you’re not the only one that said things that were mean and designed to hurt, things that never should’ve been said.” She couldn’t move her gaze from his and she reached up to stroke his stubborn jaw. “Things that I wish I could take back because no matter how much I was hurtin’ at the time, you didn’t deserve to have those things thrown in your face.”
“Hell, we both said things we didn’t mean, baby,” he whispered as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips.
“I saw what your parents did to you yesterday, Michael,” she cried, unable to hold her tears back any longer. “I hurt you the same way.”
“No, Maria, listen to me…” He lifted her chin and used the pads of his thumbs to brush her tears away. “It wasn’t the same thing, baby. Let’s just let all that go, okay? I’ve hurt you, you’ve hurt me… we’re both intense, passionate people; chances are good that we’ll hurt each other again because neither of us are perfect and when emotions like that get involved the feelings are gonna be more powerful, whether they’re good or bad. So, from this point on, let’s just take things as they come, okay?”
“We can’t just forget what we said to each other,” she said, unsure of where he was going with his thoughts.
“No, we can’t, and I don’t think we should. It’s important for us to know that we have the ability to hurt each other that badly, and maybe it’ll help us to keep from takin’ that road again. And, for God’s sake, Maria, let’s take that damned agreement off the table.”
Maria could feel her heart teetering on the precipice and she knew just how close she was to falling completely in love with him. “You’re serious?”
“I’m serious.” He glanced up when his phone rang again. “We should’ve known better than to ever think that we could do what we’ve been doin’ and not get involved. So, we start fresh, today, and we let whatever’s gonna happen just… happen.”
“And if that happens to include sex?”
His right eyebrow quirked in question and he shook his head. “If?”
“When,” she corrected herself.
“When it happens,” he smirked as he reached past her for the phone, “we’re gonna hope that we don’t kill each other after the time we’ve spent denyin’ what we really want.” He handed the phone to her. “You can talk to Brooke while I finish getting dressed.”
“We’ll need to run by my place so I can change; I’m still wearin’ yesterday’s clothes.”
“Did I tell you how hot you look in that dress?”
“No.” She took a step back and looked down at herself before looking at him again. “Maybe yesterday; now I’m all wrinkled.”
“Well, you could take it off and it wouldn’t be an issue anymore,” he suggested, leaning in for another kiss before he turned to go back to his bedroom. “Of course, we’d never make it to breakfast and you’d have to explain that to my family…”
“Not happenin’, Guerin!” she yelled after him. She flipped his phone open and hit the button to call Brooke back, shaking her head at him when he paused in the hallway and started to slowly unzip his jeans.
“You sure about that?”
“When it happens, it’s not gonna be somethin’ that we have to squeeze in before breakfast with your family, so put a leash on Mike Jr. and go get ready.” She rolled her eyes and smiled while she waited for the call to be answered; they had made a lot of progress and it was so much more than she had expected. Now, they just had to keep working at it to make sure they didn’t fall into their old patterns.
*****
Liz came awake by degrees, squeezing her eyes shut against the invasive light streaming in through the windows. She tried to burrow closer to the warmth surrounding her and she froze when she heard a masculine chuckle and she felt the sound rumble beneath her cheek.
“Not a mornin’ person?” Max rasped.
“Only if there’s class,” she mumbled.
“Well, then you stay here an’ get some more sleep while I go brush my teeth,” he said as he pressed a kiss against her head. “Because when you wake up I intend to kiss you properly.” He rolled out of bed and went into his bathroom, not surprised when she hurried to leave his room. He grinned at his reflection as he grabbed his toothbrush; the question now was if she would come back.
Liz crept across the hall and slipped into her own room, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door so she could lean back against it. What should she do? she wondered, glancing at her reflection. “Oh, my God,” she muttered as she saw her mussed hair.
She brushed her hair back into submission and then hurried through her morning routine as she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She chewed on her thumbnail as she tried to figure out what she should do next. She met her gaze in the mirror and her expression changed to one of resolve; she was tired of hiding from what she wanted… even if she wasn’t exactly sure what that was.
Max wrapped his hands around the bar that his father had installed over the closet door, and his muscles stood out as he pulled himself up level with the bar before lowering himself again. He held his breath when he heard the door open and shut behind him and a moment later the sheets rustled as she slid back into his bed.
Keep it under control, Evans, he reminded himself.
Liz watched him as he dropped back to the floor and turned to face her.
“You came back,” he said, sounding pleased.
“Well, you did promise to kiss me properly.”
Despite the confidence in her words he could hear the nervous tone underlying them. “I did promise that,” he agreed as he moved to the end of the bed and climbed up on the mattress.
Liz’s gaze was locked on his as he crawled up over her, his strong lithe body reminding her once again of a sleek black panther.
Max braced his hands flat on the mattress on either side of her head as he looked at her. “Think we could get rid of the blankets?” he asked.
She swallowed hard and nodded, pushing and kicking them out of the way. She felt herself tense when he used a knee to nudge her knees apart.
“We’re not gonna do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he promised, sighing when her knees parted and he settled between her thighs.
“I’m sorry,” Liz started, “I’ve never – “
“Huh-uh, darlin’,” he interrupted, kissing her gently to stop the flow of words. “Don’t ever apologize for that.” He pressed gentle kisses all over her face before zeroing in on her mouth, taking it in a forceful kiss that she responded to in kind.
Liz ran her fingers through his hair, her nails raking against his scalp. His kiss was deep and alternated between gentle and rough, but she was with him the whole way. She was so involved in the hot, wet tangle of their tongues that she barely registered his hand sliding her shirt up until she felt a hint of coolness brush against her breasts.
Max shifted back when he felt her hesitation; he looked into her eyes as he tried to gauge her level of comfort. “Too much?” he asked as he tried to control his breathing.
Liz shook her head but she felt self-conscious; she knew she wasn’t exactly well-endowed and her skin was pale… what if she wasn’t attractive enough?
“You’re beautiful, Liz.”
“No, I’m not,” she denied.
“I think you are.” His tone was sincere as he met her gaze evenly. “And one of these days, when you’re ready, I’m gonna worship every inch of your body with my hands and mouth.”
Liz shivered at the husky promise in his voice. “You’re sure you’re not gonna be disappointed?” Her eyes shot wide open when he shifted and she felt his… Oh, my! She had never felt that part of any guy’s body and his was pressed right against her… She flushed hotly as she realized that every nerve ending felt like it was on fire.
Max eased her tank top off while she was trying to recover from her first introduction to an erection and the moment he palmed her rosy-tipped breasts she shuddered.
Her eyes rolled back in her head when his lips closed over one nipple while rolling the other one between his fingertips. His teeth raked across the taught peak at the same moment that he rolled his hips, rubbing that intriguing part of his body up against her wet center.
“Oh, God, Max,” she panted, her hips shifting in search of more contact. No wonder the girls always talked about this, she thought.
Max shifted his mouth to her other nipple to give it the same attention and he smiled against her flesh when she moaned and bucked up against him. He knew she was reacting purely on instinct when her legs locked around his lower back so she could grind herself against his erection.
Her hands were running over every inch of bare flesh that she could reach, learning his body by touch. Her fingernails dug into his back as she started to pant his name and he added more pressure as he pushed his flannel-clad erection against her throbbing center.
He ran his tongue over her nipples before surging up to kiss her roughly as her body shuddered and she continued to grind against him. He buried his face in the spot between her neck and shoulder as his own body stiffened and his toes dug into the mattress. “Holy hell,” he mumbled as his body slumped heavily against her. After a couple of minutes he rolled over, taking her with him so that she ended up draped over his body. He brushed her hair back as he kissed her gently and stared into her eyes. “Good mornin’.”
Liz felt her embarrassment begin to fade in the face of his teasing tone. “Does it always feel like that?”
“Darlin’, believe it or not, it gets better than that.”
It got better than that? “So, it was… it was good for you, too?”
“You made me come in my pants.” He grinned at her when she blushed and started to apologize. “That just means you got me so hot I couldn’t hold back.”
Liz started to sit up but suddenly realized that she was naked from the waist up and she hurriedly grabbed her tank top. “Um, can you close your eyes?”
“Only if you close yours.”
“What?”
“Well, you may have noticed that I don’t have a shirt on…”
Liz shoved his shoulder when she realized what he was doing. “It’s not the same thing,” she said with a laugh.
“No? You like lookin’ at me an’ I like lookin’ at you… don’t see a difference there. You’re a beautiful woman and while I have no problem with you coverin’ up before goin’ out to be around other people, I do have a problem with you thinkin’ you need to hide your body from me.”
Liz studied his expression as he waited for her response; it bothered him that she didn’t want him to see her naked after what they had shared. “It’s gonna take some time for me to get used to this, Max.”
She’s never done this before, he reminded himself as he nodded. “You’re gonna have to be patient with me, too, Liz; this’s new territory for both of us.”
“Okay.” She leaned in to kiss him, surprised when he rolled them over and took control of the kiss.
“I’m gonna go take a shower before we get distracted and I’d suggest you do the same… because if you’re still in this bed when I come outta the shower, I’m gonna pounce.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and pushed himself off of the bed. “I hope Mom’s makin’ a big breakfast because I’m starvin’.”
Liz watched him as he walked into the bathroom and she pulled her tank top on before hurrying over to her own room. She ran into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror as she tried to decide if she looked any different.
*****
Brooke was so excited that Michael had agreed to come over for breakfast; she hadn’t expected him to agree when Alex had told her call and to invite them over. She placed the coffee mugs on the table when she heard the front door being opened. “They’re comin’,” she hissed at Brendan, who was already sitting in his chair, ready to eat.
Alex and Isabel walked into the dining room and brought the coffee with them. “Relax, Brooke,” Alex said when he noticed that his sister was nervous.
“Michael!” she shrieked when she saw him and Maria in the doorway.
“Hey, brat,” he greeted, pulling her into a bear hug. “You make breakfast?” he asked as he released her.
“We all did,” she answered. “Well, not Brendan.” She glared at her youngest brother.
“What?” he mumbled around a mouthful of food. “I helped.” He had put some stuff on the table and taken the trash out… that was helping.
“Okay, you two,” Alex intervened, “why don’t we all take our seats and enjoy breakfast without an argument of any kind.”
“You guys have been busy,” Maria said as she took a seat next to Michael. “Everything looks so wonderful.”
“Yeah, we hope you’re hungry,” Isabel said and sat down as well.
“Starvin’,” Michael muttered as he reached for a platter piled high with pancakes.
“Good,” she smiled. He seemed to be okay right now. Obviously Brendan had been right about Maria taking care of him, and more importantly, about Michael letting her.
“So...” Michael poured syrup over his pancakes until they were nearly swimming and then he set the bottle aside. “How’d you get rid of them yesterday?”
The entire table looked up at him in surprise because nobody had expected him to mention the day before.
“Kicked them out,” Alex said.
Maria pressed her leg against Michael’s under the table, providing a comforting pressure and she smiled when he glanced at her with just the slightest nod.
“Good riddance,” he muttered. “You think they’re gonna cause any problems?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve already called my lawyer just to be safe.”
Michael nodded in approval and glanced around, making sure that Brooke noticed that he was looking for something.
Brendan looked down at his food, wishing he knew how to start a conversation with Michael. He really wanted to tell his brother that he was sorry for being so blind for so many years. But maybe he should wait until they had some time alone.
“What’re you lookin’ for?” Brooke asked.
“Orange juice...” He waited, knowing she’d offer to go and get him a glass.
“I’ll get you one,” she said, getting up to go to the kitchen.
As soon as she was out of the room he leaned across the table. “They’re not gonna take her back, right?”
Alex sighed. “Oh, he made the threat, but we’re not gonna let that happen, Michael.”
“You told him that?”
“Of course.”
“Does she know he made the threat?” he asked, nodding in Brooke’s direction.
“No, she was in her room by the time we got around to the threats.”
“Good.” He settled back in his seat and glanced at his younger brother. “And you’re not goin’ sailin’ with him tomorrow, right?”
“Hell, no!” Brendan shook his head in denial.
Brooke came back into the room and hurried around the table to place a glass of orange juice in front of Michael and she took the opportunity to give him a quick hug before going back to her seat. “So, are we gonna do somethin’ today since things didn’t go the way they were supposed to yesterday?” she asked.
“Have you got somethin’ in mind?” Isabel asked. She thought that it would be a good idea to hang out together after the day before, too.
“Well, maybe we could go down to the beach? We could take a picnic lunch and just hang out?” Brooke glanced around the table, trying to read her brothers’ expressions. “You wouldn’t have to go in the water or anything, Bren,” she said when she noticed his hesitation.
“Michael can’t go in the water either,” Maria said, motioning to his side where the stitches were hidden under his shirt.
“I can go in the water if I want to,” Michael said, shaking his head defiantly. Okay, he wasn’t really gonna go in the water because it would just be stupid, but he wasn’t gonna be told what to do and just give in agreeably either. He smirked as he waited to see if Maria was gonna give him hell over his comment.
Maria noticed the smirk on his face. So he was testing her, huh? “Okay, big boy, but don’t come cryin’ to me when the salty water starts burnin’ that injury,” she tossed right back with a wink.
“Like I’m gonna let a little saltwater keep me outta the water.” He rolled his eyes and carefully leaned forward to spear a couple more pancakes that he put on his plate. “I might stay outta the water if you’ve got somethin’ better to offer,” he teased.
“Okay, you two can end that conversation right there,” Alex said, glancing at his brother.
“Oh, I’ll be right back,” Brooke said when she heard her cell phone ringing in the living room.
Michael shot a grin at his brother across the table and tried to pull his expression into something at least resembling innocent. “What?”
Alex waited until Brooke had left the room before he spoke again. “Don’t pretend that you’re clueless, little brother, and keep your sexual comments to yourself.”
Maria let her right hand rest on his thigh when he slouched down in his seat and focused on his food. Her boy was pouting and trying to hide it, she thought, unable to hide a smile. She leaned in closer to him and whispered, “I’ve definitely got somethin’ better to offer.”
Alex cleared his throat and glanced at Maria warningly.
“Who was on the phone?” Brendan asked when Brooke came back. Maybe that would distract Alex from his twin and his hmmm... girlfriend?
“That was Luke, and he wanted to know if I wanted to go hang out and do somethin’ with him.”
Maria had to bite back a laugh when all three brothers looked up, alarmed.
“Who is Luke?” Brendan asked carefully.
Brooke sat down, her expression superior; she sooo had the upper hand right now! She was just about to speak up when Michael answered for her.
“He’s the little horn-dog that’s been sniffin’ around her.” Michael grinned at his sister when she kicked him under the table.
“He could come with us to the beach,” Maria offered.
Alex wasn’t sure he appreciated Maria’s helpful intentions and he glanced at his girlfriend for guidance.
Isabel nodded. There was no way the guys would let her go out with him alone, but it was important for her to hang out with people her own age. “I think it’d be a good idea, Alex.”
“Well, alright,” he agreed finally, trusting Isabel’s feelings on the subject. “But, you guys don’t go off alone or anything.”
Brooke rolled her eyes. “I’m not even sure if he’d go once I tell him that ALL of my brothers will be there too.”
“Well, if he’s too scared to go just because we’re gonna be there...” Michael teased, knowing that would get his sister’s attention.
“Keep it up, Michael,” she warned, “and next time I won’t call you to come over.” She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.
“We just wanna know who you’re hangin’ out with,” Brendan said.
“You won’t call me to come over?” Michael snorted at that and set the syrup bottle down before pouring it over his pancakes so he could tear a piece of the pancake off and throw it at her. “You’ll call me,” he said confidently.
“Stop throwin’ food in the house,” Alex said, rolling his eyes. It just never got boring with them around. “Brooke, ask him if he wants to come, and Michael, be nice to him.”
They both glanced at their oldest brother for a second. “I’m always nice.” Michael ducked when Brooke threw the piece of pancake at him and he shot a quick glance at Alex when it landed on the floor. Tiny nails clicked on the hardwood floor as the dogs spotted the rare treat and proceeded to fight over it. “What? The dogs picked it up.”
“Okay.” Brooke gave in and went back to the living room to call Luke. But she didn’t pass up the opportunity to give Michael a little smack on the back of his head.
He ducked down when Brooke smacked the back of his head, but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid direct contact. He was reaching for something else to throw in her direction, but a warning glare from Alex had him changing his mind.
“So, which beach should we go to?” Maria asked.
“We can hit the private beach that belongs to those friends of Kyle’s parents – they’re only here during the summer, so they won’t care,” Michael said and then glanced at Maria. “You remember that beach... where we went cliff diving?”
She smiled. Oh yeah, how could she forget about that night? Kyle and Tess had left them on the beach without their clothes and things between her and Michael had started to heat up from that night on. “I do.”
Michael nodded, satisfied that he didn’t need to say anything else. “Might be some other things I can show you...”
Alex let his fork drop onto his plate. “Maybe the two of you should go somewhere else... so you can be alone.” He shook his head, but he was fighting hard to keep himself from smiling. It was obvious that his brother had fallen for a girl for the first time and it was good to see him like that. Especially after everything that had happened the day before.
“We could go alone,” Michael said agreeably.
“You could, but you’re not,” Brooke said when she came back. “Okay, Luke’s coming too.” She left out the tiny detail about having to work so hard to convince him.
Brendan glanced at her when she rounded the table and took her seat again. “So, how long have you been seein’ this guy?”
“I haven’t really been seein’ him at all, Brendan. We just hang out in school… that’s it.”
“But, you like him,” he persisted.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, of course I like him.”
“How old is this kid?” he asked.
“He’s my age.”
“Uh-huh, and you guys are just friends?”
“God, I’m not gonna survive today,” she murmured.
“Okay,” Isabel interrupted the inquisition, “you guys all need to stop badgering her about this boy.”
And he’ll probably run away, she thought. “Thank you, Iz,” Brooke said and raised her arms in the air.
“We’re not badgering her, honey,” Alex denied. “We’re just concerned.”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Brooke complained.
The guys all exchanged looks before shaking their heads. “Nothin’ to worry about,” Alex muttered. “If he’s old enough that he’s noticed you’re a girl, there’s plenty to worry about.”
“Don’t worry, Brooke. Isabel and I will do our best to distract your brothers later, so you can actually hang out with Luke for a few peaceful minutes.” Maria grinned at Michael, curious about his reaction to that.
Michael wasn't sure how to respond to that. On the one hand, he was looking forward to seeing what kind of distraction Maria had in mind, but on the other... well, he didn’t really want that walking hormone alone with his sister.
“Depends on the distraction,” he said, knowing Alex wouldn’t be able to resist speaking up again.
“Unbelievable,” Alex muttered, but relaxed when Isabel rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.
“Well, I guess when you’re all finished with breakfast we should clean up and then make some sandwiches for lunch and get our things together to leave for the beach soon,” Isabel said.
“We can bring chips and drinks,” Maria said, nudging Michael with her knee.
“Guess we’ll have to go by your place again, huh?”
“Well, I will need my bathing suit.”
His eyebrows lifted at that. “Yeah? Which one?”
“Hmmm... I don’t know, but I might go with the green one... or the white one, I haven’t decided yet.”
Michael’s eyes turned darker as he thought of all the ways he could help her decide. “I can give you a hand with that.”
Maria stood up and grabbed their plates to carry them to the kitchen. She stopped behind his chair and leaned forward to whisper into his ear. “Better not, if we wanna make it to the beach today.”
“Hey, I’m completely flexible on that.”
She laughed while heading for the kitchen. “Yeah, I bet you are.”
He smirked and shrugged one shoulder when Alex just shook his head.
Maria glanced at him through the door. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him either.
Michael looked up in time to catch Maria’s covert glance and he decided he couldn’t wait to get her alone. Now that they had agreed to take that stupid no-sex rule off the table, things didn’t feel so regimented and they were much more relaxed around each other.
*****
“I’m hungry,” Kyle complained as he let himself fall onto one of the leather couches in the… well, it felt like the hundredth boutique they were entering this morning. He was exhausted from carrying all the bags from one store to the next. And the number of bags was growing and growing with every new store they stopped in. Why the hell had he agreed to go with Tess and his mom? He should have stayed home with his dad. The old man was so lucky right now.
“It’s almost noon. Can’t we stop for lunch somewhere? I’m starvin’.”
Tess turned away from the mirror where she was posing in a stunning dress and looked at her boyfriend. “How can you be so hungry? We just had breakfast…” she glanced at her watch, “three and a half hours ago.”
“Yeah, and then we started a marathon through the city.”
“And we’re still far from finished,” his mom said smiling as she disappeared into one of the changing room with another load of clothes.
Kyle let his head fall back on the headrest and sighed. “Great!”
“So, what ya think?” She swayed her hips in front of him and turned around herself to show him her newest acquirement.
“Well, it’s a dress, babe.”
She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him. “It’s not just a dress, Kyle. It’s a blue dress with a totally different neckline then the others I’ve bought.”
He smirked at this. “It’s beautiful, okay? You’re beautiful, no matter what you’re wearin’, babe. I’m just … exhausted.”
Tess smiled and walked behind the couch, starting to massage his shoulders. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “I really appreciate that you came with us, babe. I know it has to be boring for you, but ya know… There might be a Christmas present in one of those bags for you…”
“Huh?” He turned his upper body to look at her. “We’ve only been in stores that sell women’s clothes. What could you have bought me…” He fell silent when she waggled her eyebrows in response. “Uh-huh.” He had stayed outside at a few stores to call Max and Michael to hear what was going on with them, but he hadn’t reached either of them.
“Tess, sweetie, can you help me with the zipper of the dress,” Kyle’s mom called.
“Of course,” she gave him another kiss on his lips this time. “She is so great, Kyle, I’m sooo glad I came with you to New York.” And then she hurried back to the changing rooms.
Kyle looked after her and shook his head. He had known that his girlfriend would be accepted just fine by his family and that her worries had been totally unnecessary.
*****
Michael followed Maria into the apartment, his eyes locked on her as she tossed her bag on the couch and then moved to the hallway that led to her bedroom. For a split-second he wasn’t sure if he should follow her, but then she pulled her shirt off and tossed a saucy grin over her shoulder.
While she moved to rummage through her closet he stretched out on her bed and laced his fingers behind his head. “Hey, Maria?”
“Um-hmm?”
“How d’you feel about condoms?”
She stepped out of the closet, a bikini top held in each hand and bare from the waist up. “What did you just ask me?”
“I was just wonderin’ if there was a certain brand or kind that you prefer.” He waggled his eyebrows wickedly as his heated gaze slid over her. “Y’know, ‘cause I figured I should go ahead an’ stock up.” He grinned as he met her gaze. “We’re gonna need a good supply.”
“Oh, that’s what you’re askin’.” She shook her head and held the tops up as she debated between the two. “Whatcha think? Green or white?”
“I think you’re gonna look hot no matter what you wear.”
She smiled at his answer because she knew he wasn’t just saying it. She turned to go back into the closet and paused at the last second to look at him. “About your question…”
“Uh-huh?”
“You don’t need to worry about condoms.” She bit back a grin when his expression shifted from confused to disappointed. He thought she had changed her mind. “I’ve got the protection thing under control.”
“Oh.” He should’ve known she’d already have condoms; they were both highly sexual people after all. “You’ve already got ‘em.”
“I don’t have a surplus supply of condoms, if that’s what you’re thinkin’,” she said, smirking at him. She crossed the room and leaned down over him, her hands braced flat on the mattress on either side of his body. “When we have sex there won’t be anything between us…” She brushed her lips against his in a teasing kiss. “Nothing, Michael… not even a condom.”
Author’s Note 1: Just remember this is a totally fictional world and we’re not recommending that anyone take the risk and not use a condom!
Author’s Note 2: Just a little shameless self-promoting here: We’re starting to post out new fic today: In The Course Of a Lifetime. Posted on this board, and of course, same category!
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 65 - 11/5/09
nibbles2: Sexual frustration? In Double Trouble? **gasps** No, no one reading this fic would know what that is! Seriously, lol, that’s coming to an end.
keepsmiling7: Glad you loved that!
begonia9508: We’re pretty sure that Max will help Liz to get over that embarrassment and shyness!
mary mary: Yup, it’s gonna take time, but Michael’s finally starting to make some progress and deal with his past.
Alien_Friend: Michael and Maria are moving in the right direction and things will really start to develop for them. The talk was a great start and while there’s a lot more to deal with, at least that line of communication has been opened.
Max and Liz are going to start making some progress on their own… well, they already have, haven’t they? LOL, but, we’ll see more of them soon.
Yeah, most guys wouldn’t have braved that shopping day!
Luke’s gonna have to learn how to deal with the Guerin boys if he ever wants to see their sister!
Maiqu: A brave man indeed!
Glad you enjoyed that scene!
kay_b: We’re glad you enjoyed the dreamer scene! Thanks for the compliment.
Michael and Maria aren’t rushing things, but they’re making progress!
sarammlover: Honesty is something they both needed! We’ll find out more about why Alex and Isabel haven’t said anything about the pregnancy in this next update.
kismet: They will continue making progress now. Yes, there will be the occasional bump in the road… they are Michael and Maria after all, lol!
Eva: No, he didn’t, but that would’ve been too much for him to deal with right now. He will get there eventually. You can look for more progress from them from now on.
April: Yes, progress… hey, it had to happen eventually, right?
Kyle… he definitely gets points for braving the shopping day after Thanksgiving with his mom and girlfriend!
Hey, a little bit of sex-ed never hurts, lol!!
destinyc: We’re seeing some definite forward movement! Oh, they’ll find some alone time, lol! We’ll find out more about the baby news in this next update.
Oh, we think Liz will be sure to do just that! We’re thinking we’ll start to see her really come out of her shell now!
Part 65 – Waterfalls, Walks, and Waiting…
“Okay, you guys grab whatever you can carry so we can keep the trips back and forth as short as possible,” Alex said as he and Isabel joined Brendan, Brooke, and Luke at the rear of the cars. They took several blankets, two coolers, some sacks with the food, and a ball out of the trunk, dividing everything up before they went down to the beach.
Apparently Michael and Maria weren’t there yet, he thought. I wonder if they’ll make it here in the next hour, he wondered, remembering how sexual their comments had been earlier.
“I’m sorry that we have to hang around with my brothers,” Brooke whispered in Luke’s direction when they headed down to the beach.
Luke glanced between the two brothers that were already there. “No, it’s cool.” He wondered where Michael was... the one she practically worshipped and the one who seemed to be determined to make sure he never made a move on Brooke. Like that was ever gonna happen! He swallowed hard as he realized he was being watched by her brothers. She kept assuring him that the guys were no threat to him, but he was pretty sure he was going to lose the use of precious body parts if he so much as looked at her the wrong way during their trip to the beach.
“Your other brother... he’s comin’ too?”
“Michael? Yeah, they just had to stop and pick up Maria’s stuff first.”
Brooke knew that Luke wasn’t really looking forward to meeting Michael again, and she hoped that her favorite brother would behave – for once.
“He was just kinda...” He shrugged and glanced out at the ocean as he thought back to meeting the man at the motocross event. The guy had not been subtle in his threats.
She sighed. “Yeah, I know. He’s overprotective and a little rough sometimes, but you just have to get to know him better.” At least she hoped that Michael would leave him in one piece long enough to get to know him.
“Hey, we can go over there,” Isabel said motioning to some nearby rocks that cast a shadow where they could sit down and relax in the shade.
“Okay,” Alex said and walked in that direction, making a gesture for Brendan to follow him.
“You’re sure your brothers are cool with me bein’ here?”
“They wouldn’t have picked you up if they weren’t, Luke. And the girls promised me that they would distract them.” She turned a little to the right and motioned inconspicuously in Brendan’s direction. “He’s the most harmless. And Alex will just ask a lot of questions, I guess.”
“Uh-huh,” he muttered, not certain that she was correct in her assessment. “Well, to be honest, they’re not the ones I’m so worried about.”
They helped to spread out the blankets on the sand. “Just try to relax and everything will be fine. I’m sure he’ll make some smartass comments, but he’s just testing you.”
Luke nodded and tried to appear confident, but the truth was his insides felt like jelly. Michael was more intimidating than anyone he had ever met and the fact that Brooke looked up to him just made it that much more difficult to voice his opinions of the guy’s behavior. Well, no problem there, he thought. There was no way the guy was gonna keep his smartass comments to himself.
“Sooo, who’s gonna join me in the water?” Brooke asked, hoping that she could distract Luke from his fears of Michael.
“I’ll go,” Luke said, happy for any opportunity to get away from her brothers and the warning looks they kept sending in his direction.
Alex was just about to say something, but Isabel placed one hand at his upper arm. “Leave them alone for a while, honey.” She smiled, seeing the worry in his eyes. “She needs some space and you can watch them from here, too.”
“Okay,” he nodded and turned to look at his girlfriend. He knew that he shouldn’t react in such an overprotective manner, but he couldn’t help it.
“Be careful with the rocks in the water,” Brendan called after her.
“God, I swear they would lock me up somewhere if they could,” Brooke complained.
*****
Michael parked between his brothers’ cars and glanced at Maria as they walked around to the trunk to grab the things they had brought. He was dragging a case of soda towards him, grumbling under his breath when she pressed herself against his back.
“What’re you fussin’ about now?”
“I just don’t understand why we had to bring soda when they brought the coolers and the ice... why didn’t they just get the soda, too?”
“Because I volunteered us for soda and chips.”
He rolled his eyes and lifted the case out of the trunk before handing her the bag with several different kinds of chips. She accepted the bag and when he turned to head in the direction of the path that led down to the beach Maria jumped up on his back. “You’re kiddin’, right? What am I? A mule?”
“Mule... donkey... jackass...” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he hooked his arms under her knees. “Hmm... yeah, jackass... but, you’re my jackass.”
Laughter caught their attention and Michael groaned when he realized that they had gotten close enough for the others to hear Maria’s comment.
“He must really like you, Maria; any other girl would be sitting in the sand by now,” Alex said, grinning.
Maria ruffled Michael’s hair and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “He does like me,” she said confidently.
“Yeah, I might even keep you around,” Michael said, letting her down when Brendan took the case from him and moved to dump the cans into the ice. “Thanks.”
“Hey, where’s Brooke?”
Alex just motioned in the direction of the water.
“Uh-huh... that kid with her?”
“Yes,” Alex grumbled.
Maria exchanged a look with Isabel and shook her head. “Interesting how protective they are, isn't it?” she asked.
“Yeah, poor girl.”
“She doesn’t need to be makin’ out with that little punk,” Michael growled. “She’s not old enough – “ He glared at Maria when she laughed at him. “What?”
“You’re kiddin’, right? How old were you the first time you made out with a girl?”
“My point exactly.” He shook his head. “He needs to be watched like a hawk.”
“Just relax and sit down,” Isabel suggested. “You guys can watch them from here. And as you can see, they’re just talking.”
“It always starts with just talkin’,” Alex muttered, shooting a pointed glance at his girlfriend.
Isabel just rolled her eyes. “If you act like this for the next year, she’s gonna be very unhappy, and you know that. It’s important for her to have friends her own age… and yes, that’s gonna include boys. Right now she just hangs out with us, and we’re all in college.”
“And what happens if she has sex and ends up pregnant?” Michael asked. “You have any idea what that’d do to her life?”
Isabel fell silent after Michael’s comment. Alex had noticed her skin going pale right after his brother had spoken. “Okay, enough now. Iz, honey, wanna take a walk?”
She just nodded and stood up.
He wrapped one arm around her, glancing at Michael and tipping his head toward the water to make sure his brother would keep an eye on Brooke while he was gone.
Michael nodded, wondering what was going on with the other couple. “What’s with them?”
“Nothing,” Maria said, putting him off. “Get your ass on this blanket, baby,” she said with a grin. Hopefully that would distract him from anything else that was going on around them.
Michael glanced between Maria and the water where his sister and the horn-dog were busy splashing each other. He needed to keep an eye on things, but Maria was already making herself comfortable and removing her shirt to reveal the green bikini top... yeah, it really wasn’t much of a choice, was it? He pounced, carefully landing on top of her and balancing his weight on his forearms. “So, my ass is on the blanket... kinda... what now?”
Maria glanced at Brendan to see what he was doing; she didn’t want him to feel like a fifth wheel. “Hmmm... I don’t know, I was thinkin’ maybe we could play cards or somethin’?” She knew he wouldn’t like that answer at all.
Michael pulled back, certain he had heard wrong. “Play cards?” he repeated. Oh, he got it! She was joking! “What, like strip poker?” He shook his head when she just looked at him. Okay, she wasn’t joking. “Not strip poker?”
She rolled her eyes. “No.”
“Well, I don’t wanna play cards.” He wasn’t whining... much.
She shrugged. “Okay, then I’m goin’ in the water.” She grinned and stood up again.
“Maria, c’mon, I can’t go in the water! What am I supposed to do by myself? Sit up here and built a sand castle?”
Maria snapped her fingers. “Yeah, you could do that.”
His mouth fell open in shock. “What?”
“I could build the castle moat,” Brendan offered, laughing.
“See?” Maria said, pointing at Brendan. “You’ll do great together.” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud.
Michael couldn’t believe what she was doing to him! He had gone from potential make-out time with his hot girl to making a sand castle with his little brother! “Maria,” he protested.
She gave in and crouched down between his legs and he sat up so she could steady herself on his shoulders. His arms came around her waist and he leaned in to kiss her, surprised when she ended it so soon. “Don’t make it so hard for me to resist you, baby,” she breathed in his ear.
Michael glanced at his brother; Brendan was studiously keeping his attention focused on the hand-held video game he had brought with him. Damn it, the kid would waste an entire day at the beach playing with a video game if he didn’t do something. “Alright, Maria, but just so you know, I didn’t come to the beach to play in the sand with Brendan,” he muttered gruffly.
“But?” she teased.
“But, fine... I’ll go build a fuckin’ sand castle like I’m five years old.” He grinned to take the sting out of the words.
She slapped his shoulder playfully, and then hugged him tightly. It was so good to be back in his arms again.
Michael released a put-upon sigh and leaned in to kiss her. “I was really expecting to be able to watch you in that hot little number all day, but I’m gonna make the sacrifice for you.” He lowered his arms when she started to move away and he accepted her hand, letting her pull him to his feet. “Alright, Bren, what kinda ideas you got for a sand castle?”
Maria watched them for several minutes when Brendan suddenly became animated and they started debating the best way to begin building their castle. She smirked at them before turning to run down to the water’s edge.
*****
Alex wasn’t sure what to say to make Isabel feel better about Michael’s comment. He knew his brother hadn’t intended for his words to hurt, but it was too late to call them back.
“Alex, maybe we should wait a little while before we tell them about the baby,” Isabel said quietly. “I know we were gonna tell them yesterday and it didn’t happen for obvious reasons, but...”
“Iz, Michael wouldn’t feel that way about us havin’ a baby. He’s just concerned about Brooke because she’s the baby in the family; she’s the youngest, she’s a girl, and that tends to bring out the protective instincts in older brothers. They’re very close, so it’s even worse in his case.”
Isabel snorted at that. “Uh-huh, yeah, in HIS case? I think all of you have that problem.”
“Hey, at least you know if we have a girl she’s gonna have a father and two uncles that’re gonna protect her.” He grinned when she rolled her eyes at him. “What?”
“She probably won’t be allowed to go out of the house until she’s 21. You guys are so overprotective.”
“21?” He snorted. “That’s optimistic.”
Isabel chuckled. “I really think we should wait a little while, Alex. After all that’s happened in the past 24 hours this family needs a little break before we drop the next bomb.”
Alex nodded and pulled her up against his side as they resumed walking along the edge of the ocean, letting the water roll over their feet as it washed up on the shore in small waves. “I just don’t want you to feel like we have to hide it.”
“We’ll tell them soon, okay?”
“Maybe the excitement will die down now that my parents are gone.”
“Yeah...” she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “That’d be great.”
“I’m really sorry about my parents, honey. I had no idea they would just show up like that.”
“You don’t have to be sorry about that, Alex. I mean it was horrible and I can’t imagine how a parent can say such cruel things to their kids, but in some weird way, maybe it helped to bring all of us a little closer.”
“Yeah.” He glanced back at his brothers and sister. “It’s good to see them like this, ya know?”
Isabel nodded. “They’re on their way back together.”
“It’s been a long time,” he said, his voice low.
“But now that’s over,” she gave him a little shove and smiled. “There were just some great women necessary to get things moving.”
“I had no idea that’s all that was needed.”
“Well, I guess you would’ve eventually managed it by yourself.”
“Maybe. Probably would’ve taken a lot longer though.”
“I really hope that Brendan is gonna go ahead with his plan to visit Karen,” Isabel continued. “He deserves to be happy and you can tell that he still thinks about her a lot.”
“Yeah, I think it’d be good for him.”
“What about you, honey? Are you okay?”
Alex shrugged. “The truth is my old man never really paid that much attention to me after the twins’ IQ levels were identified and he singled Brendan out. I grew up following our chauffer Henry around and when he wasn’t there I was with his wife Sarah, hanging around the kitchen. They had a lot more influence than my parents did.”
Isabel snorted. “And that’s not a bad thing.”
“No, I’m glad I had that influence.” He shuddered. “I hate to think that I could’ve turned out like my father.”
“I really wonder what made him so cruel. That’s sooo... unbelievable. I can imagine how you all were glad when it was finally time to leave for college – especially Michael.”
“I’ve got a bad feelin’ there’s a lot more to the story where Michael’s concerned.”
Yeah, she had thought about that, too, but was afraid to say it out loud.
He stared out over the ocean for several minutes before speaking again. “I got out of the house every chance I got growing up and now I wonder if my bein’ there would’ve made a difference.”
She took his hands in hers. “Alex, look at me. No matter what happened, it’s not your fault okay?”
“No, you’re right, and I get that, but... what if by not bein’ there things only got worse for the others?”
“And what if you being there had changed nothing AND it had made things worse for you as well?”
He didn’t really have an answer for that one. “We can’t let Brooke go back to them, Iz... I’m not sure how to go about preventing it, but, we can’t let that happen.”
“And we’ll find a way, hun. It won’t be easy, I know that, but I’m with you there.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Hell, my brothers and sister are all talkin’ and getting along so it can only get better from here, right?”
She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Right. Now, c’mon, let’s get back to the others.”
*****
Maria watched Michael and Brendan as they put the finishing touches on their castle, smoothing the last of the sand away from the base and sitting back to observe their handiwork.
“Hey, that’s pretty good,” Alex said as he and Isabel sat down across from Maria.
“Pretty good?” Michael snorted. “It’s better than pretty good.”
Brendan nodded, in total agreement with his twin. “It is better than that.” He glanced at his oldest brother as he pointed at their creation. “It’s got a moat with water and everything.”
Alex leaned forward, eyebrows lifting in surprise when he saw that the moat did indeed have water in it. “How’d you manage that?” he asked.
“Builder’s secret,” Michael answered before Brendan could say anything. He was standing to dust the sand from his jeans when he glanced up and noticed Brooke and Horndog getting out of the water. “That kid’s way too comfortable with her,” he muttered, watching the way they pushed and shoved each other as they laughed about something.
“Oh, leave them alone, Michael,” Maria spoke up, shaking her head at him.
“D’you see the way he’s got his hands all over her?”
Isabel quickly reached out to place a calming hand on Alex’ arm when he started to get up. “You guys need to get over this; she’s 16 years old and she’s not gonna suddenly forget that guys exist.” She rolled her eyes when they all turned to look at her. “You can’t be the only guys in her life... she’s done nothing to make you act like this, so just leave them alone.”
Brooke and Luke joined them just in time to overhear Isabel’s last comment and it most likely would have passed without another word, but Michael just had to open his mouth. “Why don’t you keep your hands to yourself?” he growled.
“Michael,” Brooke warned. “Cut it out.”
He looked to his older brother for help. “Alex? Are you gonna do somethin’ about this little octopus?”
“Okay,” Maria interrupted when Michael stood up and moved right into Luke’s path, “why don’t you and I take a walk, big boy?”
He waved his right hand in a dismissive gesture. “Yeah, in a minute.” He took another step, crowding the younger man and his lips curled up in a feral smile when the kid swallowed hard.
Maria rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Luke’s arm, motioning for him to back away as she squeezed in between them and met Michael’s frowning gaze directly. “I told you to stop actin’ like this,” she hissed.
“What? He’s got his hands all over her!”
“Let’s take a walk.”
“Why? I’m not done – “
“Yes, you’re done. Besides...” She smiled up at him. “Didn’t you mention showin’ me somethin’ today?”
That pulled his attention away from his sister and Horndog. “Well, if you put it that way...” He raised his head to glare at the teenagers, but before he could say anything Maria gave him a little shove to get him moving.
“Where do we go?” she asked, looking left and right to figure out which way would be the better choice.
Michael nodded his head to the left. “Let’s go further down the beach that way.”
“Okay.” She started to walk left but stopped after just a few feet. “What is it? Are you coming?” she asked when he didn’t move with her.
Michael growled low in his throat and lifted his gaze to hers. “Not yet,” he mumbled.
She put her hands on her hips. “You like what ya see?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows in question.
“Yeah, like you’ve gotta ask.” He grinned and shook his head. “We stand here much longer and you’re gonna see just how much I like it.”
“C’mon,” she said, holding her hand out for him.
Michael accepted her hand without question, his big hand curling around her smaller one in a comfortably tight clasp. “You ever seen a waterfall?”
“Just in the movies, why?”
He just grinned and tugged on her hand. “You’ll see.”
“Hey, not so fast,” she said, trying to walk next to him. “We’re not in a hurry.”
“Maybe you’re not in a hurry, but hey, if you don’t have a problem with me getting rid of your top with my family sittin’ close by...”
“You’re such a horndog, Michael,” she said grinning.
“I’m not even gonna try to deny that... but, y’know, if you’d rather I put a leash on Mike Jr. I’ll just keep my hands all to myself.” Yeah, like that was gonna happen, he thought, waiting for her reaction.
She glanced back and realized that they had gotten far enough away from the others. “Or you can maybe just shut up and kiss me,” she said.
“I guess that’s a sacrifice I’d be willin’ to make,” he said with a sigh. He ruined it with a grin after less than a second as he pulled her up against his body and took her mouth in a deep, hot kiss.
Maria wrapped her arms around him. God, she had missed this after their bad fight at the cabin. She hoped that this wasn’t just a temporary thing this time.
Michael’s arms came around her, holding her tight and losing himself in the kiss. He felt like he hadn’t kissed her in forever and he really hoped they could avoid getting into another fight like they’d had at the cabin. Fights and arguments were bound to happen with their personalities, and he didn’t mind that because the making up part was always fun, but that last fight... there hadn’t been anything fun about that. “Maria?” he whispered as he gentled the kiss and leaned back.
“Uh-huh?” She didn’t want to stop kissing him, but she forced herself to open her eyes slowly.
For just a moment he felt unsure of himself. “Promise me we won’t fight like that again.”
“I can’t, Michael. I just... I just hope that we won’t.”
He nodded, knowing that it had been an unreasonable request, but still feeling like they were on shaky ground even though they had talked it through. “Yeah, well... I knew that.” He tried to shrug it off, not liking the feeling of uncertainty that was hovering in the back of his mind.
“We both have to work on that,” she whispered. She wanted to be sure that everything was going to be okay between them, but she knew that it wasn’t possible just yet. Too much had happened.
He nodded. “Y’know you’re gonna have to help me with that, right?” His big hands came up to frame her face and he met her gaze, his dark eyes more serious than she had ever seen them. “I’ve never done this, Maria; I’ve never cared about any woman the way I care about you and I don’t wanna fuck this up any worse than I already have.”
“I don’t expect you to be the perfect boyfriend, Michael.” She tried to smile a little. “We both know you’re not... anymore than I’m the perfect girlfriend. All I’m asking is for you to let me be a part of your life... an important part preferably.”
“Maria, you’re probably the most important part of my life... I just don’t ever wanna go through what we’ve been through this past week.”
“Me neither.”
Damn, she was really making him work for this! “Okay, so we’re agreed we don’t ever want a repeat performance of this week...” His right hand came up so he could scratch his eyebrow with his thumb. “Anyway, we’re missin’ one of the best things about this beach, so let’s go.”
“Okay.” She waited to see if he would take her hand.
Michael was wondering what she was waiting for when it suddenly came to him and he reached for her hand again. He started walking again and she quickly fell into step beside him. They walked in silence for a while and as they reached a part of the beach where it curved around the air was filled with a roaring sound and he glanced at her again. “So, you’ve really never seen a waterfall?”
She shook her head.
He grinned as they rounded the curve that led to the most secluded part of the beach. “Check that out,” he said, pointing at something she couldn’t see yet.
“Huh? Check what out?”
He switched her hand to his free hand, tugging her around his body and showing her what he was talking about.
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she came face to face with the big waterfall.
“Whatcha think?”
“Wow... it’s amazing.” She turned to look at him. “How’d you know it was here?”
He led her towards the water falling from the cliffs above and as they got closer a fine mist sprayed over them, coating their skin with a layer of moisture. “Found it by accident when I was out walkin’ one day.” He motioned at the falls again. “It’s so loud it can drown out your thoughts... as stupid as it may sound, it’s a very peaceful place.”
She looked at him for several seconds, her gaze intense. How often had he come here to get away from thoughts of his father, she wondered sadly. “It’s not stupid,” she assured him.
Michael looked back at her and he had the strangest feeling that she really understood what he meant. “Wanna go back behind the falls?”
“Okay.”
“Just be careful, okay? The rocks are slippery and I don’t want you to fall.”
“Well, you have to promise to save me if I fall,” she said, grinning.
He turned to look at her, his expression serious. “Always.”
She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his chest.
Michael’s arms came around her and he rested his chin on her head. They could do this, he thought, surprised at how easily he accepted it. He stepped back and reached for her hand again, silently leading her along the rocky path that led back behind the falls.
“There aren’t any weird creatures that live behind a waterfall right?” she asked, because she really hated creepy-crawlies.
The cave behind the waterfall was damp and dark, the sound of rushing water muffled as they moved further inside. Michael hid a smile when she practically plastered herself to his back. “None that I’ve ever encountered.”
“Good, ‘cause I still get nightmares from that spider on my leg a few days ago. Thanks for getting rid of it even though you were mad at me, baby.”
“Just be glad it didn’t get on me... you would’ve heard me scream like a big girl and you never would’ve looked at me the same way,” he joked.
She laughed at that. “It’s pretty dark in here, huh?”
“Um-hmm... dark and quiet.” He turned to take her in his arms. “We could definitely take advantage of that.”
“Uh-huh. What’ve you got in mind?” she breathed, caressing his sides with her hands.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he whispered huskily as his fingers toyed with the clasp on her top. “There are so many things...”
She let her hands trail further around him, her fingertips running up and down his back until she could feel the gooseflesh rising on his skin. “You cold?” she teased.
Michael growled and finally gave in to temptation, releasing the clasp and easing her top down over her shoulders. He tucked it into his pocket so they wouldn’t lose it and he brought his hands up to trail the backs of his fingers against the sides of her breasts. He teased her for a few seconds before cradling her flesh in his hands and letting his thumbs stroke over her nipples. “Are you cold?” he countered, knowing she would hear the smile in his voice.
“No,” she gasped, leaning into his touch. “I just want you so badly,” she said, surprised by her own honesty.
Her impassioned words turned him on like nothing else and he hauled her against him again, crushing her bare breasts to his chest. “God, Maria, I feel like I haven’t touched you in forever,” his whispered gruffly.
“Yeah.” She raised her arms to wrap them around his neck. “I missed it.”
He growled as he kissed her again, his big hands roaming over her back and trailing over the ridges of her spine.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered against his lips.
Michael shifted, giving him enough room to let his hands slide around so he could cup her breasts. He leaned down, letting his lips caress her soft flesh as he worked his way down to her nipples. They were just begging for his attention and he decided that they had waited long enough as he finally took one in his mouth, letting his teeth gently scrape over the distended tip.
She leaned back against the rocks to steady herself. “Michael,” she groaned.
Michael groaned when she leaned against the wall for support and pulled him with her. His hands slid down her sides until he reached her hips and his fingers started to trace along the edges of her bikini bottom. He let her nipple slip from between his lips when she tugged on his hair insistently.
“Michael, we...” She tried to find the right words in her dazed mind, words that wouldn’t hurt him. “We can’t do this.”
He pressed his hips against hers so she could feel his insistent erection. “Oh, I promise you, we can,” he whispered raggedly.
She groaned in response and pressed her lower body against him. “That’s not what I meant, baby.”
Michael sighed and dropped his forehead down to rest against her shoulder. “You’re sayin’ you don’t want our first time getting naked an’ frisky to be in a cave?”
“Yeah, I’m... I’m sorry. I...” She didn’t know what to say. Was it stupid that she wanted it to be special?
He fought to bring himself under control when he heard the regret in her voice. They had come far enough in their relationship that her expectations had to be more than just a quick bump and grind in the dark... and to be honest, he wanted more than that too. He wanted to be able to see every expression on her face when they actually came together in the most physical sense for the first time.
He leaned back and pressed his finger against her lips. “Don’t apologize for that,” he said, shaking his head. “We’re both goin’ crazy from not bein’ together for the past week, but I don’t think either of us wants to rush into this next step.” He chuckled roughly. “Okay, physically, we’re definitely ready right this minute, but... y’know what I mean, right?”
She nodded, glad that he understood what she had wanted to say without her actually saying anything.
“Alright, I need to focus on somethin’ besides your hot little body otherwise Mike Jr. isn’t gonna calm down.”
“You do very well as a boyfriend, Michael,” she said softly. He was her boyfriend now, right?
Boyfriend... boyfriend... Michael was trying the word out in his head, testing it out and seeing if it fit. He had never been anyone’s boyfriend, but he kinda liked the thought of being hers. “You think so?” he asked hesitantly.
“Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Maybe we should walk along the beach a little longer to calm Mike Jr. down,” she suggested
“Guess that means you want your top back?”
“Well, if you don’t want your brothers to see me like this...”
Michael pulled her top out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Hell, no, I don’t want that!”
She nodded. “That’s what I thought.” She put it on and then they climbed out of the cave again. “Hey, baby?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I sleep at your place again tonight?”
Michael paused, considering her request. “You wanna sleep at my place? Why?”
She shrugged. “I like it and I don’t really wanna be alone. The girls are all still gone.”
“Oh, well... yeah, of course. Long as you’re gonna sleep with me again.” He grinned at her. “I'm scared of the dark, y’know,” he teased.
“I’ll save you from the dark if you’ll warm me up,” she offered, smiling.
“Keepin’ you warm won’t be a problem,” he promised.
“So, what’re we gonna do after our time at the beach?” She walked in the direction of the water.
“Whatever you wanna do,” he answered, wishing he had thought to grab his sunglasses out of the car. He squinted at the sun reflecting off of the water. “There’s a beach party we could hit tonight though... if you’re interested.”
“Where on the beach?”
“Near my apartment... it’s not the beach right behind the place, but it’s close enough to walk to if we wanted to.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. If you wanna go...” She wasn’t sure if he was ready to actually show the rest of the world that they had an actual relationship just yet. And it would be weird to act like they were just friends or something. What if the guys from the football team were there, too, and she ended up alone because she didn’t really know anybody?
Michael could almost feel her hesitation as she walked beside him and he wondered if he had said something wrong. He stayed silent for a few minutes, waiting to see if she was gonna help him out but it soon became apparent that he was on his own. All they had been talking about was going to a party... that thought pulled him up short and he was immediately reminded of the last party they had both been at. He had acted like a major asshole, turning down her offer to talk and basically kicking her while she was down... right in front of Courtney. He winced. He hadn’t been subtle and he was sure more than one person had noticed his behavior. No wonder she was hesitating!
“Hey,” he said, stopping and tugging on her hand while he waited for her to turn and look at him. “We agreed to start fresh, right?”
She nodded. “We did.”
“Then we’ve gotta trust each other...” He took a deep breath and jumped in. “You’ve trusted me with your body... and I know we’re kinda startin’ back at the beginnin’ with the rest of it, but trust me with the rest, Maria.” His hands came up to brush her hair back and he cradled her cheeks in his big hands. “Trust me to not hurt you.” He bit his bottom lip as he amended his last request. “Okay, maybe that’s unreasonable... trust me to not hurt you intentionally.”
“It’s not that, Michael. I was just wondering... um... if it’s okay for you to actually go out with me... as a couple, I mean. I know you’ve never had this with anyone and I’m okay if you want to take things slow. Not physically, of course. We know both we want each other that way... a lot.”
What the fuck? He had totally misread her, but surprisingly enough, he was glad he had said all that other stuff. He chuckled, surprising her. Hell, if that was all she was worried about... “I don’t have any reservations about bein’ out together as a couple, Maria. It’s definitely somethin’ new for me, but...” He shrugged and pulled her up against his body. “I suck when it comes to just sayin’ things about feelings an’ stuff, but… I’m much better at showin’ how I feel.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “So, go with me to the party tonight and let’s just be ourselves. I’m fine with everyone knowin’ we’re together.”
She smiled. “Okay. Well, I guess half of the girls will hate me soon then.”
Michael smirked. “Only half?”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s more than enough.”
“Uh-huh, and what’re you gonna do about all those jealous girls?”
“I’ll kick their asses if it’s necessary,” she said confidently. And she knew one special girl she would like to begin with...
“You’d resort to violence... that’s kinda hot.”
“Just if they try to touch you,” she said innocently.
“Well, I’m pretty irresistible, y’know?”
“Uh-huh. But I’m the only one who touches you, Mister!”
Michael released her and continued towards their destination, walking backwards with his hands held up. “Hey, you’re talkin’ about depriving a lot of women from this hot bod, baby,” he said, enjoying teasing her.
“They’re just gonna have to find someone else then.”
Michael frowned at that. “I don’t know... I’m pretty popular around here. It could send women into a frenzy if you suddenly put up a ‘look-but-don’t-touch’ rule.” He grinned, waiting for her next remark.
“Hmmm,” she pretended to think about it and then shrugged. “Okay, if you want it that way, then I guess it’s okay for me to be touched by someone else too, huh?”
He wasn’t prepared for that comment and he tripped and fell back in the sand, rolling his eyes when she stood over him with a superior expression on her beautiful face. “Sure,” he said, enjoying their game, “as long as you don't mind me displaying my skills as an Alpha male and kickin’ their asses.” He propped himself up on his elbows and his dark eyes turned nearly black as they traced over her body. “And then, of course, I’d have to demonstrate my Alpha male abilities by making out with you right in front of everyone... so, if you can deal with that, then I have no problem with another guy touching you.” Uh-huh, his conscience taunted, you are such a liar!
“Liar!” she said with a smile and sat down in his lap.
“Yeah, knew that wasn’t gonna last for long. And to be honest, no, I’m not okay with another guy touchin’ you... and I’m not gonna be nice about it if it happens either.”
“Well, y’know...” she leaned forward and steadied herself with her arms on each side of him, “I can’t imagine that any other guy could touch me like you do so don’t worry about that.”
“I’m not worried about it,” he denied, and realized for the first time that he was a little insecure about that. “So, it’s just the two of us, right? We’re not gonna be seein’ anyone else... just each other. Right?”
She realized that he had turned really serious with his last question. “Yeah, I had hoped so.”
“So... okay, good.” He cleared his throat in an attempt to cover his feelings. He didn’t want her to think he was some kinda wuss or anything.
“It’s like you said baby, we have to trust each other.”
He nodded. “You think we should get back to the others?”
“Yeah, probably. I hope they haven’t eaten all the sandwiches already. I’m hungry.”
“I don’t know... Brendan’s still there and that boy eats like a damn horse.”
“Well, then we’d better hurry. I can be very pissy when I’m hungry.”
“We don’t want you to be pissy, so let’s go find food, woman.”
“Okay.” They both got to their feet again and started walking back to the others, enjoying being together without any pressure or agreements hanging over their heads.
keepsmiling7: Glad you loved that!
begonia9508: We’re pretty sure that Max will help Liz to get over that embarrassment and shyness!
mary mary: Yup, it’s gonna take time, but Michael’s finally starting to make some progress and deal with his past.
Alien_Friend: Michael and Maria are moving in the right direction and things will really start to develop for them. The talk was a great start and while there’s a lot more to deal with, at least that line of communication has been opened.
Max and Liz are going to start making some progress on their own… well, they already have, haven’t they? LOL, but, we’ll see more of them soon.
Yeah, most guys wouldn’t have braved that shopping day!
Luke’s gonna have to learn how to deal with the Guerin boys if he ever wants to see their sister!
Maiqu: A brave man indeed!
Glad you enjoyed that scene!
kay_b: We’re glad you enjoyed the dreamer scene! Thanks for the compliment.
Michael and Maria aren’t rushing things, but they’re making progress!
sarammlover: Honesty is something they both needed! We’ll find out more about why Alex and Isabel haven’t said anything about the pregnancy in this next update.
kismet: They will continue making progress now. Yes, there will be the occasional bump in the road… they are Michael and Maria after all, lol!
Eva: No, he didn’t, but that would’ve been too much for him to deal with right now. He will get there eventually. You can look for more progress from them from now on.
April: Yes, progress… hey, it had to happen eventually, right?
Kyle… he definitely gets points for braving the shopping day after Thanksgiving with his mom and girlfriend!
Hey, a little bit of sex-ed never hurts, lol!!
destinyc: We’re seeing some definite forward movement! Oh, they’ll find some alone time, lol! We’ll find out more about the baby news in this next update.
Oh, we think Liz will be sure to do just that! We’re thinking we’ll start to see her really come out of her shell now!
Part 65 – Waterfalls, Walks, and Waiting…
“Okay, you guys grab whatever you can carry so we can keep the trips back and forth as short as possible,” Alex said as he and Isabel joined Brendan, Brooke, and Luke at the rear of the cars. They took several blankets, two coolers, some sacks with the food, and a ball out of the trunk, dividing everything up before they went down to the beach.
Apparently Michael and Maria weren’t there yet, he thought. I wonder if they’ll make it here in the next hour, he wondered, remembering how sexual their comments had been earlier.
“I’m sorry that we have to hang around with my brothers,” Brooke whispered in Luke’s direction when they headed down to the beach.
Luke glanced between the two brothers that were already there. “No, it’s cool.” He wondered where Michael was... the one she practically worshipped and the one who seemed to be determined to make sure he never made a move on Brooke. Like that was ever gonna happen! He swallowed hard as he realized he was being watched by her brothers. She kept assuring him that the guys were no threat to him, but he was pretty sure he was going to lose the use of precious body parts if he so much as looked at her the wrong way during their trip to the beach.
“Your other brother... he’s comin’ too?”
“Michael? Yeah, they just had to stop and pick up Maria’s stuff first.”
Brooke knew that Luke wasn’t really looking forward to meeting Michael again, and she hoped that her favorite brother would behave – for once.
“He was just kinda...” He shrugged and glanced out at the ocean as he thought back to meeting the man at the motocross event. The guy had not been subtle in his threats.
She sighed. “Yeah, I know. He’s overprotective and a little rough sometimes, but you just have to get to know him better.” At least she hoped that Michael would leave him in one piece long enough to get to know him.
“Hey, we can go over there,” Isabel said motioning to some nearby rocks that cast a shadow where they could sit down and relax in the shade.
“Okay,” Alex said and walked in that direction, making a gesture for Brendan to follow him.
“You’re sure your brothers are cool with me bein’ here?”
“They wouldn’t have picked you up if they weren’t, Luke. And the girls promised me that they would distract them.” She turned a little to the right and motioned inconspicuously in Brendan’s direction. “He’s the most harmless. And Alex will just ask a lot of questions, I guess.”
“Uh-huh,” he muttered, not certain that she was correct in her assessment. “Well, to be honest, they’re not the ones I’m so worried about.”
They helped to spread out the blankets on the sand. “Just try to relax and everything will be fine. I’m sure he’ll make some smartass comments, but he’s just testing you.”
Luke nodded and tried to appear confident, but the truth was his insides felt like jelly. Michael was more intimidating than anyone he had ever met and the fact that Brooke looked up to him just made it that much more difficult to voice his opinions of the guy’s behavior. Well, no problem there, he thought. There was no way the guy was gonna keep his smartass comments to himself.
“Sooo, who’s gonna join me in the water?” Brooke asked, hoping that she could distract Luke from his fears of Michael.
“I’ll go,” Luke said, happy for any opportunity to get away from her brothers and the warning looks they kept sending in his direction.
Alex was just about to say something, but Isabel placed one hand at his upper arm. “Leave them alone for a while, honey.” She smiled, seeing the worry in his eyes. “She needs some space and you can watch them from here, too.”
“Okay,” he nodded and turned to look at his girlfriend. He knew that he shouldn’t react in such an overprotective manner, but he couldn’t help it.
“Be careful with the rocks in the water,” Brendan called after her.
“God, I swear they would lock me up somewhere if they could,” Brooke complained.
*****
Michael parked between his brothers’ cars and glanced at Maria as they walked around to the trunk to grab the things they had brought. He was dragging a case of soda towards him, grumbling under his breath when she pressed herself against his back.
“What’re you fussin’ about now?”
“I just don’t understand why we had to bring soda when they brought the coolers and the ice... why didn’t they just get the soda, too?”
“Because I volunteered us for soda and chips.”
He rolled his eyes and lifted the case out of the trunk before handing her the bag with several different kinds of chips. She accepted the bag and when he turned to head in the direction of the path that led down to the beach Maria jumped up on his back. “You’re kiddin’, right? What am I? A mule?”
“Mule... donkey... jackass...” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he hooked his arms under her knees. “Hmm... yeah, jackass... but, you’re my jackass.”
Laughter caught their attention and Michael groaned when he realized that they had gotten close enough for the others to hear Maria’s comment.
“He must really like you, Maria; any other girl would be sitting in the sand by now,” Alex said, grinning.
Maria ruffled Michael’s hair and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “He does like me,” she said confidently.
“Yeah, I might even keep you around,” Michael said, letting her down when Brendan took the case from him and moved to dump the cans into the ice. “Thanks.”
“Hey, where’s Brooke?”
Alex just motioned in the direction of the water.
“Uh-huh... that kid with her?”
“Yes,” Alex grumbled.
Maria exchanged a look with Isabel and shook her head. “Interesting how protective they are, isn't it?” she asked.
“Yeah, poor girl.”
“She doesn’t need to be makin’ out with that little punk,” Michael growled. “She’s not old enough – “ He glared at Maria when she laughed at him. “What?”
“You’re kiddin’, right? How old were you the first time you made out with a girl?”
“My point exactly.” He shook his head. “He needs to be watched like a hawk.”
“Just relax and sit down,” Isabel suggested. “You guys can watch them from here. And as you can see, they’re just talking.”
“It always starts with just talkin’,” Alex muttered, shooting a pointed glance at his girlfriend.
Isabel just rolled her eyes. “If you act like this for the next year, she’s gonna be very unhappy, and you know that. It’s important for her to have friends her own age… and yes, that’s gonna include boys. Right now she just hangs out with us, and we’re all in college.”
“And what happens if she has sex and ends up pregnant?” Michael asked. “You have any idea what that’d do to her life?”
Isabel fell silent after Michael’s comment. Alex had noticed her skin going pale right after his brother had spoken. “Okay, enough now. Iz, honey, wanna take a walk?”
She just nodded and stood up.
He wrapped one arm around her, glancing at Michael and tipping his head toward the water to make sure his brother would keep an eye on Brooke while he was gone.
Michael nodded, wondering what was going on with the other couple. “What’s with them?”
“Nothing,” Maria said, putting him off. “Get your ass on this blanket, baby,” she said with a grin. Hopefully that would distract him from anything else that was going on around them.
Michael glanced between Maria and the water where his sister and the horn-dog were busy splashing each other. He needed to keep an eye on things, but Maria was already making herself comfortable and removing her shirt to reveal the green bikini top... yeah, it really wasn’t much of a choice, was it? He pounced, carefully landing on top of her and balancing his weight on his forearms. “So, my ass is on the blanket... kinda... what now?”
Maria glanced at Brendan to see what he was doing; she didn’t want him to feel like a fifth wheel. “Hmmm... I don’t know, I was thinkin’ maybe we could play cards or somethin’?” She knew he wouldn’t like that answer at all.
Michael pulled back, certain he had heard wrong. “Play cards?” he repeated. Oh, he got it! She was joking! “What, like strip poker?” He shook his head when she just looked at him. Okay, she wasn’t joking. “Not strip poker?”
She rolled her eyes. “No.”
“Well, I don’t wanna play cards.” He wasn’t whining... much.
She shrugged. “Okay, then I’m goin’ in the water.” She grinned and stood up again.
“Maria, c’mon, I can’t go in the water! What am I supposed to do by myself? Sit up here and built a sand castle?”
Maria snapped her fingers. “Yeah, you could do that.”
His mouth fell open in shock. “What?”
“I could build the castle moat,” Brendan offered, laughing.
“See?” Maria said, pointing at Brendan. “You’ll do great together.” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud.
Michael couldn’t believe what she was doing to him! He had gone from potential make-out time with his hot girl to making a sand castle with his little brother! “Maria,” he protested.
She gave in and crouched down between his legs and he sat up so she could steady herself on his shoulders. His arms came around her waist and he leaned in to kiss her, surprised when she ended it so soon. “Don’t make it so hard for me to resist you, baby,” she breathed in his ear.
Michael glanced at his brother; Brendan was studiously keeping his attention focused on the hand-held video game he had brought with him. Damn it, the kid would waste an entire day at the beach playing with a video game if he didn’t do something. “Alright, Maria, but just so you know, I didn’t come to the beach to play in the sand with Brendan,” he muttered gruffly.
“But?” she teased.
“But, fine... I’ll go build a fuckin’ sand castle like I’m five years old.” He grinned to take the sting out of the words.
She slapped his shoulder playfully, and then hugged him tightly. It was so good to be back in his arms again.
Michael released a put-upon sigh and leaned in to kiss her. “I was really expecting to be able to watch you in that hot little number all day, but I’m gonna make the sacrifice for you.” He lowered his arms when she started to move away and he accepted her hand, letting her pull him to his feet. “Alright, Bren, what kinda ideas you got for a sand castle?”
Maria watched them for several minutes when Brendan suddenly became animated and they started debating the best way to begin building their castle. She smirked at them before turning to run down to the water’s edge.
*****
Alex wasn’t sure what to say to make Isabel feel better about Michael’s comment. He knew his brother hadn’t intended for his words to hurt, but it was too late to call them back.
“Alex, maybe we should wait a little while before we tell them about the baby,” Isabel said quietly. “I know we were gonna tell them yesterday and it didn’t happen for obvious reasons, but...”
“Iz, Michael wouldn’t feel that way about us havin’ a baby. He’s just concerned about Brooke because she’s the baby in the family; she’s the youngest, she’s a girl, and that tends to bring out the protective instincts in older brothers. They’re very close, so it’s even worse in his case.”
Isabel snorted at that. “Uh-huh, yeah, in HIS case? I think all of you have that problem.”
“Hey, at least you know if we have a girl she’s gonna have a father and two uncles that’re gonna protect her.” He grinned when she rolled her eyes at him. “What?”
“She probably won’t be allowed to go out of the house until she’s 21. You guys are so overprotective.”
“21?” He snorted. “That’s optimistic.”
Isabel chuckled. “I really think we should wait a little while, Alex. After all that’s happened in the past 24 hours this family needs a little break before we drop the next bomb.”
Alex nodded and pulled her up against his side as they resumed walking along the edge of the ocean, letting the water roll over their feet as it washed up on the shore in small waves. “I just don’t want you to feel like we have to hide it.”
“We’ll tell them soon, okay?”
“Maybe the excitement will die down now that my parents are gone.”
“Yeah...” she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “That’d be great.”
“I’m really sorry about my parents, honey. I had no idea they would just show up like that.”
“You don’t have to be sorry about that, Alex. I mean it was horrible and I can’t imagine how a parent can say such cruel things to their kids, but in some weird way, maybe it helped to bring all of us a little closer.”
“Yeah.” He glanced back at his brothers and sister. “It’s good to see them like this, ya know?”
Isabel nodded. “They’re on their way back together.”
“It’s been a long time,” he said, his voice low.
“But now that’s over,” she gave him a little shove and smiled. “There were just some great women necessary to get things moving.”
“I had no idea that’s all that was needed.”
“Well, I guess you would’ve eventually managed it by yourself.”
“Maybe. Probably would’ve taken a lot longer though.”
“I really hope that Brendan is gonna go ahead with his plan to visit Karen,” Isabel continued. “He deserves to be happy and you can tell that he still thinks about her a lot.”
“Yeah, I think it’d be good for him.”
“What about you, honey? Are you okay?”
Alex shrugged. “The truth is my old man never really paid that much attention to me after the twins’ IQ levels were identified and he singled Brendan out. I grew up following our chauffer Henry around and when he wasn’t there I was with his wife Sarah, hanging around the kitchen. They had a lot more influence than my parents did.”
Isabel snorted. “And that’s not a bad thing.”
“No, I’m glad I had that influence.” He shuddered. “I hate to think that I could’ve turned out like my father.”
“I really wonder what made him so cruel. That’s sooo... unbelievable. I can imagine how you all were glad when it was finally time to leave for college – especially Michael.”
“I’ve got a bad feelin’ there’s a lot more to the story where Michael’s concerned.”
Yeah, she had thought about that, too, but was afraid to say it out loud.
He stared out over the ocean for several minutes before speaking again. “I got out of the house every chance I got growing up and now I wonder if my bein’ there would’ve made a difference.”
She took his hands in hers. “Alex, look at me. No matter what happened, it’s not your fault okay?”
“No, you’re right, and I get that, but... what if by not bein’ there things only got worse for the others?”
“And what if you being there had changed nothing AND it had made things worse for you as well?”
He didn’t really have an answer for that one. “We can’t let Brooke go back to them, Iz... I’m not sure how to go about preventing it, but, we can’t let that happen.”
“And we’ll find a way, hun. It won’t be easy, I know that, but I’m with you there.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Hell, my brothers and sister are all talkin’ and getting along so it can only get better from here, right?”
She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Right. Now, c’mon, let’s get back to the others.”
*****
Maria watched Michael and Brendan as they put the finishing touches on their castle, smoothing the last of the sand away from the base and sitting back to observe their handiwork.
“Hey, that’s pretty good,” Alex said as he and Isabel sat down across from Maria.
“Pretty good?” Michael snorted. “It’s better than pretty good.”
Brendan nodded, in total agreement with his twin. “It is better than that.” He glanced at his oldest brother as he pointed at their creation. “It’s got a moat with water and everything.”
Alex leaned forward, eyebrows lifting in surprise when he saw that the moat did indeed have water in it. “How’d you manage that?” he asked.
“Builder’s secret,” Michael answered before Brendan could say anything. He was standing to dust the sand from his jeans when he glanced up and noticed Brooke and Horndog getting out of the water. “That kid’s way too comfortable with her,” he muttered, watching the way they pushed and shoved each other as they laughed about something.
“Oh, leave them alone, Michael,” Maria spoke up, shaking her head at him.
“D’you see the way he’s got his hands all over her?”
Isabel quickly reached out to place a calming hand on Alex’ arm when he started to get up. “You guys need to get over this; she’s 16 years old and she’s not gonna suddenly forget that guys exist.” She rolled her eyes when they all turned to look at her. “You can’t be the only guys in her life... she’s done nothing to make you act like this, so just leave them alone.”
Brooke and Luke joined them just in time to overhear Isabel’s last comment and it most likely would have passed without another word, but Michael just had to open his mouth. “Why don’t you keep your hands to yourself?” he growled.
“Michael,” Brooke warned. “Cut it out.”
He looked to his older brother for help. “Alex? Are you gonna do somethin’ about this little octopus?”
“Okay,” Maria interrupted when Michael stood up and moved right into Luke’s path, “why don’t you and I take a walk, big boy?”
He waved his right hand in a dismissive gesture. “Yeah, in a minute.” He took another step, crowding the younger man and his lips curled up in a feral smile when the kid swallowed hard.
Maria rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Luke’s arm, motioning for him to back away as she squeezed in between them and met Michael’s frowning gaze directly. “I told you to stop actin’ like this,” she hissed.
“What? He’s got his hands all over her!”
“Let’s take a walk.”
“Why? I’m not done – “
“Yes, you’re done. Besides...” She smiled up at him. “Didn’t you mention showin’ me somethin’ today?”
That pulled his attention away from his sister and Horndog. “Well, if you put it that way...” He raised his head to glare at the teenagers, but before he could say anything Maria gave him a little shove to get him moving.
“Where do we go?” she asked, looking left and right to figure out which way would be the better choice.
Michael nodded his head to the left. “Let’s go further down the beach that way.”
“Okay.” She started to walk left but stopped after just a few feet. “What is it? Are you coming?” she asked when he didn’t move with her.
Michael growled low in his throat and lifted his gaze to hers. “Not yet,” he mumbled.
She put her hands on her hips. “You like what ya see?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows in question.
“Yeah, like you’ve gotta ask.” He grinned and shook his head. “We stand here much longer and you’re gonna see just how much I like it.”
“C’mon,” she said, holding her hand out for him.
Michael accepted her hand without question, his big hand curling around her smaller one in a comfortably tight clasp. “You ever seen a waterfall?”
“Just in the movies, why?”
He just grinned and tugged on her hand. “You’ll see.”
“Hey, not so fast,” she said, trying to walk next to him. “We’re not in a hurry.”
“Maybe you’re not in a hurry, but hey, if you don’t have a problem with me getting rid of your top with my family sittin’ close by...”
“You’re such a horndog, Michael,” she said grinning.
“I’m not even gonna try to deny that... but, y’know, if you’d rather I put a leash on Mike Jr. I’ll just keep my hands all to myself.” Yeah, like that was gonna happen, he thought, waiting for her reaction.
She glanced back and realized that they had gotten far enough away from the others. “Or you can maybe just shut up and kiss me,” she said.
“I guess that’s a sacrifice I’d be willin’ to make,” he said with a sigh. He ruined it with a grin after less than a second as he pulled her up against his body and took her mouth in a deep, hot kiss.
Maria wrapped her arms around him. God, she had missed this after their bad fight at the cabin. She hoped that this wasn’t just a temporary thing this time.
Michael’s arms came around her, holding her tight and losing himself in the kiss. He felt like he hadn’t kissed her in forever and he really hoped they could avoid getting into another fight like they’d had at the cabin. Fights and arguments were bound to happen with their personalities, and he didn’t mind that because the making up part was always fun, but that last fight... there hadn’t been anything fun about that. “Maria?” he whispered as he gentled the kiss and leaned back.
“Uh-huh?” She didn’t want to stop kissing him, but she forced herself to open her eyes slowly.
For just a moment he felt unsure of himself. “Promise me we won’t fight like that again.”
“I can’t, Michael. I just... I just hope that we won’t.”
He nodded, knowing that it had been an unreasonable request, but still feeling like they were on shaky ground even though they had talked it through. “Yeah, well... I knew that.” He tried to shrug it off, not liking the feeling of uncertainty that was hovering in the back of his mind.
“We both have to work on that,” she whispered. She wanted to be sure that everything was going to be okay between them, but she knew that it wasn’t possible just yet. Too much had happened.
He nodded. “Y’know you’re gonna have to help me with that, right?” His big hands came up to frame her face and he met her gaze, his dark eyes more serious than she had ever seen them. “I’ve never done this, Maria; I’ve never cared about any woman the way I care about you and I don’t wanna fuck this up any worse than I already have.”
“I don’t expect you to be the perfect boyfriend, Michael.” She tried to smile a little. “We both know you’re not... anymore than I’m the perfect girlfriend. All I’m asking is for you to let me be a part of your life... an important part preferably.”
“Maria, you’re probably the most important part of my life... I just don’t ever wanna go through what we’ve been through this past week.”
“Me neither.”
Damn, she was really making him work for this! “Okay, so we’re agreed we don’t ever want a repeat performance of this week...” His right hand came up so he could scratch his eyebrow with his thumb. “Anyway, we’re missin’ one of the best things about this beach, so let’s go.”
“Okay.” She waited to see if he would take her hand.
Michael was wondering what she was waiting for when it suddenly came to him and he reached for her hand again. He started walking again and she quickly fell into step beside him. They walked in silence for a while and as they reached a part of the beach where it curved around the air was filled with a roaring sound and he glanced at her again. “So, you’ve really never seen a waterfall?”
She shook her head.
He grinned as they rounded the curve that led to the most secluded part of the beach. “Check that out,” he said, pointing at something she couldn’t see yet.
“Huh? Check what out?”
He switched her hand to his free hand, tugging her around his body and showing her what he was talking about.
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she came face to face with the big waterfall.
“Whatcha think?”
“Wow... it’s amazing.” She turned to look at him. “How’d you know it was here?”
He led her towards the water falling from the cliffs above and as they got closer a fine mist sprayed over them, coating their skin with a layer of moisture. “Found it by accident when I was out walkin’ one day.” He motioned at the falls again. “It’s so loud it can drown out your thoughts... as stupid as it may sound, it’s a very peaceful place.”
She looked at him for several seconds, her gaze intense. How often had he come here to get away from thoughts of his father, she wondered sadly. “It’s not stupid,” she assured him.
Michael looked back at her and he had the strangest feeling that she really understood what he meant. “Wanna go back behind the falls?”
“Okay.”
“Just be careful, okay? The rocks are slippery and I don’t want you to fall.”
“Well, you have to promise to save me if I fall,” she said, grinning.
He turned to look at her, his expression serious. “Always.”
She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his chest.
Michael’s arms came around her and he rested his chin on her head. They could do this, he thought, surprised at how easily he accepted it. He stepped back and reached for her hand again, silently leading her along the rocky path that led back behind the falls.
“There aren’t any weird creatures that live behind a waterfall right?” she asked, because she really hated creepy-crawlies.
The cave behind the waterfall was damp and dark, the sound of rushing water muffled as they moved further inside. Michael hid a smile when she practically plastered herself to his back. “None that I’ve ever encountered.”
“Good, ‘cause I still get nightmares from that spider on my leg a few days ago. Thanks for getting rid of it even though you were mad at me, baby.”
“Just be glad it didn’t get on me... you would’ve heard me scream like a big girl and you never would’ve looked at me the same way,” he joked.
She laughed at that. “It’s pretty dark in here, huh?”
“Um-hmm... dark and quiet.” He turned to take her in his arms. “We could definitely take advantage of that.”
“Uh-huh. What’ve you got in mind?” she breathed, caressing his sides with her hands.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he whispered huskily as his fingers toyed with the clasp on her top. “There are so many things...”
She let her hands trail further around him, her fingertips running up and down his back until she could feel the gooseflesh rising on his skin. “You cold?” she teased.
Michael growled and finally gave in to temptation, releasing the clasp and easing her top down over her shoulders. He tucked it into his pocket so they wouldn’t lose it and he brought his hands up to trail the backs of his fingers against the sides of her breasts. He teased her for a few seconds before cradling her flesh in his hands and letting his thumbs stroke over her nipples. “Are you cold?” he countered, knowing she would hear the smile in his voice.
“No,” she gasped, leaning into his touch. “I just want you so badly,” she said, surprised by her own honesty.
Her impassioned words turned him on like nothing else and he hauled her against him again, crushing her bare breasts to his chest. “God, Maria, I feel like I haven’t touched you in forever,” his whispered gruffly.
“Yeah.” She raised her arms to wrap them around his neck. “I missed it.”
He growled as he kissed her again, his big hands roaming over her back and trailing over the ridges of her spine.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered against his lips.
Michael shifted, giving him enough room to let his hands slide around so he could cup her breasts. He leaned down, letting his lips caress her soft flesh as he worked his way down to her nipples. They were just begging for his attention and he decided that they had waited long enough as he finally took one in his mouth, letting his teeth gently scrape over the distended tip.
She leaned back against the rocks to steady herself. “Michael,” she groaned.
Michael groaned when she leaned against the wall for support and pulled him with her. His hands slid down her sides until he reached her hips and his fingers started to trace along the edges of her bikini bottom. He let her nipple slip from between his lips when she tugged on his hair insistently.
“Michael, we...” She tried to find the right words in her dazed mind, words that wouldn’t hurt him. “We can’t do this.”
He pressed his hips against hers so she could feel his insistent erection. “Oh, I promise you, we can,” he whispered raggedly.
She groaned in response and pressed her lower body against him. “That’s not what I meant, baby.”
Michael sighed and dropped his forehead down to rest against her shoulder. “You’re sayin’ you don’t want our first time getting naked an’ frisky to be in a cave?”
“Yeah, I’m... I’m sorry. I...” She didn’t know what to say. Was it stupid that she wanted it to be special?
He fought to bring himself under control when he heard the regret in her voice. They had come far enough in their relationship that her expectations had to be more than just a quick bump and grind in the dark... and to be honest, he wanted more than that too. He wanted to be able to see every expression on her face when they actually came together in the most physical sense for the first time.
He leaned back and pressed his finger against her lips. “Don’t apologize for that,” he said, shaking his head. “We’re both goin’ crazy from not bein’ together for the past week, but I don’t think either of us wants to rush into this next step.” He chuckled roughly. “Okay, physically, we’re definitely ready right this minute, but... y’know what I mean, right?”
She nodded, glad that he understood what she had wanted to say without her actually saying anything.
“Alright, I need to focus on somethin’ besides your hot little body otherwise Mike Jr. isn’t gonna calm down.”
“You do very well as a boyfriend, Michael,” she said softly. He was her boyfriend now, right?
Boyfriend... boyfriend... Michael was trying the word out in his head, testing it out and seeing if it fit. He had never been anyone’s boyfriend, but he kinda liked the thought of being hers. “You think so?” he asked hesitantly.
“Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Maybe we should walk along the beach a little longer to calm Mike Jr. down,” she suggested
“Guess that means you want your top back?”
“Well, if you don’t want your brothers to see me like this...”
Michael pulled her top out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Hell, no, I don’t want that!”
She nodded. “That’s what I thought.” She put it on and then they climbed out of the cave again. “Hey, baby?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I sleep at your place again tonight?”
Michael paused, considering her request. “You wanna sleep at my place? Why?”
She shrugged. “I like it and I don’t really wanna be alone. The girls are all still gone.”
“Oh, well... yeah, of course. Long as you’re gonna sleep with me again.” He grinned at her. “I'm scared of the dark, y’know,” he teased.
“I’ll save you from the dark if you’ll warm me up,” she offered, smiling.
“Keepin’ you warm won’t be a problem,” he promised.
“So, what’re we gonna do after our time at the beach?” She walked in the direction of the water.
“Whatever you wanna do,” he answered, wishing he had thought to grab his sunglasses out of the car. He squinted at the sun reflecting off of the water. “There’s a beach party we could hit tonight though... if you’re interested.”
“Where on the beach?”
“Near my apartment... it’s not the beach right behind the place, but it’s close enough to walk to if we wanted to.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. If you wanna go...” She wasn’t sure if he was ready to actually show the rest of the world that they had an actual relationship just yet. And it would be weird to act like they were just friends or something. What if the guys from the football team were there, too, and she ended up alone because she didn’t really know anybody?
Michael could almost feel her hesitation as she walked beside him and he wondered if he had said something wrong. He stayed silent for a few minutes, waiting to see if she was gonna help him out but it soon became apparent that he was on his own. All they had been talking about was going to a party... that thought pulled him up short and he was immediately reminded of the last party they had both been at. He had acted like a major asshole, turning down her offer to talk and basically kicking her while she was down... right in front of Courtney. He winced. He hadn’t been subtle and he was sure more than one person had noticed his behavior. No wonder she was hesitating!
“Hey,” he said, stopping and tugging on her hand while he waited for her to turn and look at him. “We agreed to start fresh, right?”
She nodded. “We did.”
“Then we’ve gotta trust each other...” He took a deep breath and jumped in. “You’ve trusted me with your body... and I know we’re kinda startin’ back at the beginnin’ with the rest of it, but trust me with the rest, Maria.” His hands came up to brush her hair back and he cradled her cheeks in his big hands. “Trust me to not hurt you.” He bit his bottom lip as he amended his last request. “Okay, maybe that’s unreasonable... trust me to not hurt you intentionally.”
“It’s not that, Michael. I was just wondering... um... if it’s okay for you to actually go out with me... as a couple, I mean. I know you’ve never had this with anyone and I’m okay if you want to take things slow. Not physically, of course. We know both we want each other that way... a lot.”
What the fuck? He had totally misread her, but surprisingly enough, he was glad he had said all that other stuff. He chuckled, surprising her. Hell, if that was all she was worried about... “I don’t have any reservations about bein’ out together as a couple, Maria. It’s definitely somethin’ new for me, but...” He shrugged and pulled her up against his body. “I suck when it comes to just sayin’ things about feelings an’ stuff, but… I’m much better at showin’ how I feel.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “So, go with me to the party tonight and let’s just be ourselves. I’m fine with everyone knowin’ we’re together.”
She smiled. “Okay. Well, I guess half of the girls will hate me soon then.”
Michael smirked. “Only half?”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s more than enough.”
“Uh-huh, and what’re you gonna do about all those jealous girls?”
“I’ll kick their asses if it’s necessary,” she said confidently. And she knew one special girl she would like to begin with...
“You’d resort to violence... that’s kinda hot.”
“Just if they try to touch you,” she said innocently.
“Well, I’m pretty irresistible, y’know?”
“Uh-huh. But I’m the only one who touches you, Mister!”
Michael released her and continued towards their destination, walking backwards with his hands held up. “Hey, you’re talkin’ about depriving a lot of women from this hot bod, baby,” he said, enjoying teasing her.
“They’re just gonna have to find someone else then.”
Michael frowned at that. “I don’t know... I’m pretty popular around here. It could send women into a frenzy if you suddenly put up a ‘look-but-don’t-touch’ rule.” He grinned, waiting for her next remark.
“Hmmm,” she pretended to think about it and then shrugged. “Okay, if you want it that way, then I guess it’s okay for me to be touched by someone else too, huh?”
He wasn’t prepared for that comment and he tripped and fell back in the sand, rolling his eyes when she stood over him with a superior expression on her beautiful face. “Sure,” he said, enjoying their game, “as long as you don't mind me displaying my skills as an Alpha male and kickin’ their asses.” He propped himself up on his elbows and his dark eyes turned nearly black as they traced over her body. “And then, of course, I’d have to demonstrate my Alpha male abilities by making out with you right in front of everyone... so, if you can deal with that, then I have no problem with another guy touching you.” Uh-huh, his conscience taunted, you are such a liar!
“Liar!” she said with a smile and sat down in his lap.
“Yeah, knew that wasn’t gonna last for long. And to be honest, no, I’m not okay with another guy touchin’ you... and I’m not gonna be nice about it if it happens either.”
“Well, y’know...” she leaned forward and steadied herself with her arms on each side of him, “I can’t imagine that any other guy could touch me like you do so don’t worry about that.”
“I’m not worried about it,” he denied, and realized for the first time that he was a little insecure about that. “So, it’s just the two of us, right? We’re not gonna be seein’ anyone else... just each other. Right?”
She realized that he had turned really serious with his last question. “Yeah, I had hoped so.”
“So... okay, good.” He cleared his throat in an attempt to cover his feelings. He didn’t want her to think he was some kinda wuss or anything.
“It’s like you said baby, we have to trust each other.”
He nodded. “You think we should get back to the others?”
“Yeah, probably. I hope they haven’t eaten all the sandwiches already. I’m hungry.”
“I don’t know... Brendan’s still there and that boy eats like a damn horse.”
“Well, then we’d better hurry. I can be very pissy when I’m hungry.”
“We don’t want you to be pissy, so let’s go find food, woman.”
“Okay.” They both got to their feet again and started walking back to the others, enjoying being together without any pressure or agreements hanging over their heads.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 66 - 11/8/09
Alien_Friend: Isn’t it? They’ve finally turned a corner in their relationship and really started to open up to each other… it’s something that was necessary in order for them to move forward, and unfortunately it required some painful moments and realizations to get them to that point.
Can’t you just see them playing in the sand? LOL!
Alex and Isabel do have a good relationship and they have the ability to be there for each other and they’re able to balance each other’s needs in a good way.
Luke needs some serious luck on his side with these boys.
mary mary: Oh, they’ll lighten up… eventually, lol. Michael’s gonna get lots of love!
begonia9508: Thanks for reading!
Eva: Michael and Maria are finally at a place where they’re realizing that they need each other in ways they never imagined way back at the beginning. They’ve accepted that and they’re ready to move forward.
kay_b: We’re now at a place where their relationship is – emotionally, at least – at a brand new starting place, but it’s still gonna be an interesting journey!
sarammlover: There’s gonna be lots of together now, so we’ll try to keep ya happy! They’re still Michael and Maria, so you can expect some bumpy patches, but not like they’ve had in the past! You’re right about that fight!
kismet: Well, we’d like to say that Michael won’t have to deal with his father again, but Hank isn’t out of the picture yet. Luke won’t give up easily! Little Max and Liz, huh? Well, would ya look at that? They’re in this next part! Enjoy!
nibbles2: Well, as long as you like Clone Michael… lol!
Nah, if it is a girl, we think Isabel will find a way to control that attitude Alex has.
Maiqu: Very cool! Happy belated birthday!! Glad you enjoyed that part!
Part 66 – Getting Acquainted
Liz spent most of Friday morning with Max, discovering what it felt like to be the center of someone’s world. Max was physically demonstrative and he had no reservations about showing affection around others. At first she had been worried that she wouldn’t be comfortable with that but as the day wore on she discovered that not only was she comfortable with it, but she craved his touch and she really didn’t care if the whole world knew it.
His sister-in-law arrived around noon and she watched him as he played with J.J. until it was time for the baby to be put down for a nap. She could see that he enjoyed spending time with his family and she wished she had that type of relationship with her own parents. His entire family was very tactile and she liked that about them; they cared about each other and they weren’t afraid to be open and express their feelings.
Although she’d be a little happier if his sister-in-law wasn’t quite so touchy-feely with him, she thought, watching as the woman’s hand stayed on his arm longer than necessary. Again. She had noticed the frequent touches the day before but she had immediately dismissed those thoughts, certain that it was just part of the woman’s personality. But she was becoming more and more positive that there was more behind it when she realized that those constant touches weren’t extended to everyone else.
“Is something wrong, Liz?” Diane asked even though she was fairly sure she was accurate in her suspicions about what was bothering the younger woman.
Liz dragged her gaze away from Max and Lacey to look up at Diane when she joined her on the couch. “Oh, no, it’s… I’m sure I’m just reading more into… things.”
“Would you like to talk about those things?”
“Oh, no, I don’t think – “
“Why don’t you and I go into the family room and talk?”
“Um, okay.” Liz followed Max’s mother into the large family room, wondering what the woman had to say. She hoped she hadn’t crossed any lines or stepped on her toes or anything and she swallowed hard when the woman shut the door after them.
“Have you ever seen a picture of Jason?”
“Max’s older brother,” Liz mused, shaking her head. “No, he’s never…” She trailed off when Diane walked over to the fireplace and reached for a framed photograph that rested on the mantle.
“I can see that you’ve noticed Lacey is more open around Max,” Diane said as she joined Liz once more.
Liz cringed and nodded. “Is it that obvious? I’m sorry – “
“Oh, no, Liz, I wasn’t looking for an apology, dear.” She sat down next to Liz and held the photograph out to her. “This is… was, my son Jason.” She smiled when the younger woman quickly reached over to cover her hands, whispering a few words of sympathy. “It’s always more difficult around the holidays.”
Liz looked down at the photograph and her eyes widened. There was a remarkable resemblance between Max and his older brother; Jason was taller, broader, clean-shaven, and he was obviously a few years older than Max, but other than that, they could’ve been twins. “I had no idea they looked so much alike.” Her gaze shot to the door and back to the photo before she looked up at Diane. “That’s why Lacey touches him so much,” she said, frowning.
“Max won’t, or maybe can’t, see it that way.”
“I’ve never thought of myself as a jealous person, so this is all new to me…”
“Jealousy comes with the territory when your feelings and your heart are involved. And in this case, it could be a good thing.” She sighed. “Max only sees Lacey as his brother’s wife, and I don’t think Lacey would ever try anything with Max, so don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s anything more than that.”
“It isn’t right though,” Liz insisted.
“No, it’s not, but he has to see it and be the one to put a stop to it.”
“And maybe someone outside of his family needs to be the one to show him what he’s not seeing.”
Diane smiled and nodded. “That’s between you and Max, dear.”
They looked up when someone knocked on the door and a moment later it opened and Max stuck his head inside. “Hey, everything okay in here?” He grinned when they nodded and he stepped into the room. “Tay just called and asked if we’d be interested in goin’ out tonight.” He made a face. “They hang at a club that plays a little bit of everything… so, I thought maybe I could teach you to do the Texas two-step.”
“The what?”
Max just shook his head. “You can’t be in Texas and not learn how to two-step.” He backed out of the room. “So, you’re in for tonight?”
Liz smiled. “I’m in.” The smile slipped when he stepped out into the hall and she heard him holler to let his sister-in-law know that they were going too, and she sighed.
Diane reached over to pat her hands where they rested in her lap. “You follow your heart, Liz; I have a feeling that it won’t lead you in the wrong direction.”
“How do you know?”
The older woman chuckled. “It led you to my son, didn’t it? From what I’ve heard from both you and Max, it took a lot for you to let go of the relationship you were in. And I know my son, so I know how difficult it’s been for him to want so badly to pursue you knowing you were involved with someone else. Just be honest with him, Liz; sometimes it isn’t what we want to hear, but it’s what we need to hear.”
“How do I know if it’s too much? He obviously had a difficult time with Jason’s death and I don’t want to make it worse for him.”
“Max did have a hard time and he rarely talks about it. He’s still angry with Jason and that’s kept him from letting his brother go.” She smiled as she watched the thoughts fly across the younger woman’s face. “Max needs honesty from the people in his life and sugarcoating it won’t help him.”
*****
Maria was sitting next to Michael where he was laying face-down on the blanket, his big body stretched out and relaxed as he slept. His head was pillowed on his folded arms as he snored softly, his sleep peaceful and uninterrupted by nightmares. She glanced at the others, smiling when she saw that Brendan had been drawn into a game of cards with his sister and Luke, and Alex and Isabel were sitting in the sand not far away, cuddling and talking quietly.
She reached for the sunscreen lotion and squeezed some into the palm of her hand, recapping the tube and rubbing her hands together to warm the lotion before leaning over to apply a fresh coat to Michael’s exposed upper body.
“Hey, Maria,” Brooke said as she came over and sat at the end of the blanket. “He’s sleepin’ pretty hard... guess he didn’t get much sleep last night, huh?”
“Not really.”
Brooke nodded when Maria didn’t elaborate any further. “So, I thought maybe we could talk?” She had been waiting all afternoon for the opportunity to get Maria alone and now that everyone was otherwise occupied it was the perfect time.
“Sure, Brooke, let me just finish this and then we can take a walk... how’s that?”
The younger girl nodded, watching the way Maria took care of her favorite brother as she rubbed the sunscreen lotion on his back. Oh yeah, she was definitely the right woman for him. Hopefully he knew that.
Maria finished and wiped her hands on a towel, leaning over to brush his hair back and press a kiss to his temple before standing up and looking at the teenager. “Okay, so, let’s talk.”
“Okay.” They took off in the direction of the water. “You wanna swim or just walk along the beach?”
“Why don’t we just walk for a while,” she suggested. “I’ve got the feelin’ that you’ve got somethin’ you wanna talk about.”
“Yeah, um...” They started walking through the sand, the quiet waves rolling up onto the sand and touching their feet every now and then. “How’d you manage to stay with him yesterday? You stayed with him the whole time, right?”
Maria considered the girl’s questions for several minutes. “I was with him the whole time, yes. As for how I managed that... I just let him take things at his own pace and kept reminding myself not to push him into talking.”
Brooke nodded. “I never have that patience, I guess. That’s why he’s always pushin’ me away when I just wanna be there for him.” The girl sighed heavily. “My... our parents are a BIG disaster.”
“Yeah, I really wouldn’t be upset if they left and never came back.” She sighed and glanced at her companion. “I’m sure you’d be happy with that too, though.”
“More than that, believe me. I can honestly say that I hate them – mostly for treating Michael the way they did.”
“I’ve never seen parents attack their own children the way they did.” She stopped walking and turned to face Brooke. “They may have been focused on Michael yesterday, but their abusive behavior hasn’t only affected him... they’ve made all of you suffer, Brooke, and I know you deal with it by focusing on their treatment of Michael because it makes it easier to forget the way they treat you.” She held her breath, waiting to see if Brooke would open up about it. It was a risky move, but if it worked then it would be worth it.
The younger girl stared out at the ocean to pull herself together. The things Maria had said had hit her hard, but she couldn’t deny the truth in her words. “Y’know,” she sobbed and wiped away a few tears, “I’ve asked myself over and over again why they even bothered to have us in the first place…”
“Hey,” Maria said, pulling the girl into her arms, “your parents suck and there’s just no denying that, but if there’s anything they did right, it was havin’ you guys! D’you have any idea how great the four of you are? Look, I know what it’s like to doubt yourself because of a parent, and I just want you to know that there’s nothin’ you can do to change the choices your parents made.”
“I’m really thankful that I have three big brothers like them,” Brooke said while still hugging Maria. “They’re great and Alex said he would do anything to keep me around so that I don’t have to go back to them ever again.”
Maria glanced back at the guys. “Yeah, they are pretty great.”
“I really don’t know how we survived the last few years in New York.”
“What d’you mean?”
“Alex left two years ago and it was only Brendan, Michael and me, then. We had to live with them and face them every day. How did we manage that? I can’t even remember. Well, Michael was gone most of the time and Brendan was busy with Karen, but still....” She shook her head. “We should be glad that we’re all far away from them now.”
“You’ve never really had much interaction with your parents, have you?”
“No.”
“How’d you deal with that?”
She shrugged. “Well, it was hard when I was younger. But, the last few years... it was like we just lived together but never really said anything to each other. They left me alone and I never thought about talkin’ to them... I mean, really talk, y’know. Like we do now… me an’ my brothers, not me and my parents,” she clarified.
“Well, based on the couple of times I’ve met them and after seeing the cruelty they’re capable of yesterday, I don’t think you missed anything by not really talkin’ to them.”
“No.” She gazed back at the others on the beach. “The last year without any of them in the house was the worst. I didn’t have anybody to talk to.”
“Did you see any of them over the summer break?”
“Just Brendan, he was the only one who came home.”
“Did he stay long?”
“Almost the whole summer, yeah, but he was busy with my father most of the time.”
Maria thought back over the confrontational mood between Brendan and Hank the day before. “Has Brendan ever defied your father the way he did yesterday? Your father looked like he was ready to explode when Brendan told him he wasn’t going sailing with him.”
“No, he’s never EVER defied him. He was always the beloved son, y’know? I guess he never realized that our father just treated him so well ‘cause he was the son who was supposed to take over his business someday.”
“I feel really bad for Brendan,” Maria said as they resumed their walk. “Realizing that he was nothing more than a pawn for your father...” She shook her head. “Your parents don’t deserve you guys, Brooke.”
“Yeah,” Brooke nodded. They had all faced that reality in their own time but for Brendan, it had taken a lot longer for him to see the truth.
“So, I guess you were surprised when he said he intends to find Karen and confront her about what happened, huh?”
“Uh-huh. That was really a surprise.”
“I wonder what made her break up with him?” she mused aloud.
“You’re not the only one who wonders about that. But I’m sure my father is involved in some way.”
“Well, I hope Brendan gets the answers he needs.” She watched a couple of seagulls flying overhead for a minute. “What’d you think of Karen?”
“She was really nice and she knew that my father was manipulating Brendan so she couldn’t wait for them to leave to go to college. That’s why her leavin’ makes no sense... right? Why would she break up with him shortly before they were supposed to leave together?”
“Did your father know they were plannin’ to go to college together?”
“Yeah, I guess he did.”
“He must’ve loved that.”
“Yeah, totally.” Brooke rolled her eyes. “And he was really stunned when Michael told him he was gonna go to Long Beach, too.” Brooke laughed out loud when she remembered the expression on her father’s face.
“Your father didn’t expect Michael to go to Long Beach?”
“No, never.”
“Really?” Now, that was an interesting piece of information. “Where did he think Michael would go to college?”
“Well, I guess my father thought he wouldn’t go to any college. He thought Michael never studied and wouldn’t be accepted into any college. But, I know that he had applied to a college in Canada, but I don’t know, I guess he wasn’t accepted, so he decided to go to Long Beach, too.”
This just kept getting more and more interesting, Maria thought. “How did Brendan feel when he found out they would be going to the same college?”
“At that time they weren’t getting along very well, so he wasn’t too pleased about it.” Brooke shook her head. “At all.”
“They seem to be making some progress.”
“Yeah, I saw that and I think you’ve played a major role in that, Maria.” She sighed. “It’s so absurd, ya know. Brendan always thought that Michael’s better at so many things like women, making friends... And Michael, well, he always thought that Brendan’s so much better than him... “
Maria chuckled. “I guess there’s just no way to escape the fact that they’re twins, is there? The similarities are there regardless of whether they want them to be or not.”
“Yeah.” Brooke stopped to look at her friend. “Thanks for helping to make them realize that… finally.”
“I’m really not sure how much I had to do with that, Brooke. They’re both such stubborn men...” She laughed at the girl’s curious expression. “Yeah, maybe it’s a lot more understated with Brendan, but they’re both too stubborn for their own good. No matter how they managed to get to this point, I’m glad to see them getting along. I think they both needed it.”
Brooke nodded. “So, about you and Michael… What’s goin’ on?”
Maria hesitated. She was bursting at the seams to tell the entire world how well things were going, but a small part of her was terrified that she was going to jinx it if she said anything out loud. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Things are going well... your brother’s not easy and neither am I, but we’re making progress.”
“Oh, Michael was never easy; never will be, I guess. But he’s worth it.”
She smiled. “Yeah,” she said slowly, thinking back over the time they had spent talking that morning, “he’s definitely worth it.”
“So, is he finally over his ‘I don’t want a relationship’ phase?”
“Actually, I think it’d be safe to say that we’re both over that stupidity.”
“Thank God,” Brooke said, raising her arms up in the air.
Maria laughed at the teen’s antics and shook her head. “What’re you implying?”
“I’m just sayin’ that the both of you were really annoying with that ‘I don’t wanna get involved’ thing ‘cause it was so obvious that you already are.”
Maria winced. “Obvious, huh?”
“Yeah, to everyone but you.”
“Ouch.” She smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “Well, maybe things will smooth out now that we’re gonna stop fighting what we both want.”
“Smooth out, huh?” Brooke looked at Maria doubtfully.
“What?”
“Knowing you two... I really doubt that. But maybe you should start with spending a few days in bed, ‘cause girl, the sexual tension between you two is off the charts.”
Maria laughed at the girl’s straight-forward response. At one time it might have shocked her, but now it was just a part of what she had to deal with to be a part of Michael’s life. “I’m not sure how appropriate it is for my boyfriend’s sixteen-year-old sister to be tellin’ me that I need to take her brother to bed, but that advice will certainly be taken into consideration.”
Brooke smiled. “Good.” She picked up a little stone from the sand and threw it into the water, skipping it across the choppy surface. “I really like you as my sister-in-law.” She grinned widely; despite her biggest wishes she had never thought that Michael would finally fall for a girl.
“Thanks, Brooke.” Maria returned her smile and turned to glance back at the others; she hadn’t realized they had walked so far until that moment. “You think we’ve left them alone long enough?”
“Yeah, we’d probably better go make sure Luke’s still alive.”
“I’ll bet your brother’s are drivin’ you crazy with their over-protective behavior.”
“Oh, yeah, they are. But, I’m glad they do, ya know? Just don’t tell them I said so.”
Maria chuckled as they started walking back towards their little group. “I can just imagine how frustrating it must be to have three older brothers. On the other hand, it’s also gotta come in handy at times.”
“Just promise me that you’ll try to keep Michael away from Luke as long as you can.”
“He was a bit of a bear earlier, wasn’t he?”
“A bit?”
“Okay, he was in full-on attack mode,” she admitted. “But the good thing is that Michael can be distracted with the right... incentive.”
“There we go again...”
“What?”
“Sexual tension!!”
Yeah, no denying that, Maria thought. God, there was no telling what would happen when they actually got around to having sex.
*****
“Maria? What is taking you so long?” Michael called from the living room, glancing at the clock for what had to be the hundredth time.
“Just a minute,” she yelled from the bathroom.
“You said that several minutes ago,” he complained, but he wasn’t really annoyed. He almost enjoyed waiting for his girlfriend. Girlfriend, he thought, it still sounded weird to his ears.
Maria glanced in the mirror and finished arranging her hair. It wasn’t like she cared about what other people thought about her, but it was her first official night as Michael Guerin’s girlfriend and she wanted to look good.
She had decided to wear her favorite bleached jean shorts that ended high on her thighs. She preferred these shorts instead of skirts, because they were more practical. You didn’t have to worry if it was gonna be windy and you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing your underwear when you sat down. And of course, shorts highlighted her favorite body part – her slim legs.
A white strapless top completed her outfit and she nodded as she stood back to take one more look at her reflection. Ha, that’s the one advantage to having small boobs, she thought, you can get away with wearing things like this without worrying.
“Okay,” she said to herself, deciding that she liked what she saw. “I’m ready,” she said as she stepped out into the living room.
Michael was slouched down on the couch, flipping through a magazine and wondering what could possibly be taking her so long. Good grief, it had taken him a couple of minutes to get dressed. Shower, throw on some deodorant, little bit of cologne, a pair of jeans and a clean shirt... how hard was that? Ungh, girls! He looked up when she spoke and his mouth dropped open when he got a good look at her. Okay, forget everything I was just thinking! “Damn, woman!”
“So, you like?” she asked, teasing. As if there were any doubts!
Michael shifted, suddenly feeling constricted from the waist down. “Oh, yeah,” he said, sounding strangled, “I definitely like.”
“You look good, too, baby.”
He glanced down at himself... jeans, shirt... nothing special. “Yeah? Good enough to stay home and not go to the party?”
She laughed. “We’re sooo going, Michael.”
“You sure? I mean, I really wouldn’t mind just stayin’ home, getting naked, and doin’ all kinds of incredible things to your hot little body.”
“Hmmm... tempting…” She stood in front of him. “Maybe we can go to the party and do the other stuff later?”
“Seriously? You’d rather go to the party?” he asked, sulking. “You’re gonna give Mike Jr. a complex.”
“Oh, don’t worry, little Mike will get a lot of attention later.... if big Mike cooperates now.”
Michael frowned at her choice of words. “’Little’ Mike? I know it’s been a week, Maria, but there’s no way you’ve forgotten that there’s nothin’ little about Mike Jr.,” he huffed indignantly.
Maria sat down on the table in front of the couch and sighed. “C’mon, you know what I meant.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and slouched down further. “I think me an’ Mike Jr. are both insulted and now neither of us wants to come out to play.”
“Okay, fine. Then I’ll go to the party without either of you, I guess.” She stood up and walked to the door, desperately hoping that he would follow, because she didn’t want to go there alone.
Michael watched her as she walked away from him and he couldn’t keep his gaze from sliding over her bare legs. Yeah, like he was gonna let her go to a beach party alone! Not gonna happen! He hauled himself to his feet and hurried after her. “Y’know you’re killin’ me, right?” he growled as he reached around her to open the door.
“Me?” she asked innocently and stepped outside.
“Don’t try to pull that innocent bullshit on me, Maria... you know exactly what you’re doin’ to me.” He locked the door and then maneuvered her around so that she was pinned against it, held still by the weight of his body.
“Yeah, and I like that I’m able to do that to you, baby,” she whispered
“Oh, you like that, huh?” He glanced along the corridor, making sure no one was nearby and as soon as he was certain that they were alone he let his right hand slide down her side, along her hip, and over her thigh until he reached the hem of her shorts. “Y’know I like it when your shorts are this short... y’know why?”
“Why?” she breathed, even though she already knew the answer.
He chuckled gruffly, letting his fingertips trail along the hem until he reached his destination and he eased his hand under the material. “Hmmm... what’ve we got here?” he mused, pushing past her panties so he could tease her slick folds. “You’re already wet,” he whispered against her lips and slid his finger so that he could tease her clit with a gentle nudge. She moaned and tried to move her hips and after a few moments of the pleasurable torture he removed his hand and ended the kiss at the same time. “Y’know what? I like that I’m able to do that to you, too, baby.” He grinned at her as he took a step back and grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind him. “C’mon, you wanted to go to the party, right?”
“Michael, that’s not fair,” she complained but followed him.
“Walkin’ around with a hard-on’s not fair either.”
“I need a drink now.”
“A drink sounds like a good idea.”
*****
The club that Max’s sister and her husband had chosen played a lot of country music, Liz thought as she slid into the booth and he followed her. It wasn’t her personal taste in music, but it wasn’t the worst thing she had ever listened to. Some of it was downright depressing, but a lot of it was actually pretty upbeat and she didn’t mind those songs so much. The Texas two-step wasn’t quite as simple as Max had led her to believe and she had been much happier when the deejay had switched from country to rock because she knew what to do on the dance floor when it came to that type of music.
Taylor and Jack were both well-known at the club and they spent a lot of their time talking with friends, dancing, and introducing her and Max around. It was obvious that Lacey was a regular at the club because introductions weren’t necessary in her case. She had danced with Max several times and the more Liz watched them the more she was coming to believe that the woman wasn’t conscious of what she was doing, but she was still going to have to talk to Max about it.
She looked up when Max fell silent and she wondered where his mind was. “Dance with me?”
He smiled and stood, taking her hand and leading her back out on the dance floor. She settled into his arms and they swayed to the music as it swelled around them. “I’m glad you called me,” he murmured as he lowered his head and softly kissed her. “Glad you came out here to spend Thanksgiving with me.”
“I was so nervous about callin’ you,” she admitted, her fingers playing with his collar, “but I didn’t want anyone else, just you.”
Max’s dark eyes traced over her features as she looked up at him and he wondered yet again how her parents were able to justify their behavior. “If I had been there…” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have let them talk to you like that, Liz.” The knuckles of his right hand gently grazed her cheek. “You deserve to be happy – “
She moved her hand to cover his mouth and shook her head. “I am happy, Max.”
He covered her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm before moving her hand to rest against his chest. “That’s what I needed to know.”
“Evans!” a male voice called. “You get into town and don’t call to let anyone know you’re here for a few days?”
Max turned his head and a slow grin spread across his face. “Well, if it isn’t the biggest bunch of delinquents I’ve known in my life,” he said, laughing. He tugged gently on Liz’s hand and they walked off of the dance floor and over to the small group of people that he obviously knew. “Liz, I’d like for you to meet Robbie, Travis, Katy, Danielle, and Toby; they’re friends from high school. Guys, this’s my girl, Liz.”
“I thought California girls were supposed to be blond?” the one named Robbie asked, earning him a couple of warning thumps from the girls in the group.
“You’ll have to excuse Rob,” Danielle, the short redhead apologized for him.
“Oh, no, that’s alright,” Liz assured her with a smile. “I’m not actually from California; I’m just goin’ to school there. I was born and raised in New Mexico.”
“What made you choose California for college?” the other girl, Katy, asked curiously.
“Their marine biology program is one of the best in the country – “
“Oh, my God, you’re kidding!” Katy reached over and gave Max a shove as she rolled her eyes at him. “Girl, we’ve gotta talk! I’m goin’ to college down in Florida for the same thing!”
“Really? What’re you gonna specialize in?” Liz was excited at the prospect of talking about her chosen field of study with someone who really understood the subject.
“I’m leanin’ towards bioacoustics and vocalization, but population dynamics is really interesting, too! I can’t decide which way I wanna go. What about you?”
“Population dynamics, definitely. I considered bioacoustics and vocalization at first, but the more I’ve studied and learned, the more certain I am that population dynamics is the way to go. Do you find it hard to discuss your career choice?”
“Are you kiddin’? None of my friends ever have any idea what I’m talkin’ about!” She grabbed Liz’s hand and tugged her away from Max. “Evans, I’m hijacking your date.”
Max just grinned when Liz stretched up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss before being dragged off by the excitable blond.
“So, Max, what’s up with the ball an’ chain, man?” Travis asked. “You’re goin’ to school out in California and you’ve already managed to tie yourself down to one girl?”
“I’ve never been one to play the field, Trav,” he said, laughing.
“Oh, you guys leave him alone,” Danielle muttered, watching him as he watched his girlfriend. “The boy is clearly in love.”
“Seriously?” Toby asked, his head swinging around to look at the girl that had just been dragged off by his roommate. “Wow, so that’s cool.”
Max leaned back against the bar and he followed Toby’s gaze. “You still haven’t made a move on Katy?” The guy had been crushing on her since the eighth grade and he was still suspicious that Toby had chosen Florida just to be close to her.
“Hey, man, she just hasn’t realized that she’s not immune to my manly charms yet.”
“Uh-huh,” Travis muttered, “and who’s she datin’ again?”
Toby rolled his eyes. “One of the guys on the baseball team.”
“Before we get pulled down in the quicksand that is Toby’s romantic life, let’s talk about tomorrow,” Danielle said.
Max motioned to the bartender, indicating his friends and the man quickly set up a round on the bar. Once the bottles were handed out he glanced at Liz, making sure she was doing okay, and once he was satisfied he turned back to his friends. “What’s up with tomorrow?”
“Paintball,” Travis said, holding his arms up in the air. “C’mon, Evans, bring your girl out and let’s make an afternoon of it.”
“Tell ya what, I’ll ask her if she’s interested, and if she’s cool with it we’ll come out. Y’all gonna hit the same field we used to hit in high school?”
“They’ve got the best courses,” Toby said, nodding.
“Toby would know since he’s had his nose to the ground on most of them.” Danielle laughed and ducked when he reached out to shove her. She leaned against the bar next to Max and followed his gaze to the girl that was responsible for the totally goofy look on his face. “She’s cute, Max.”
“She is cute, Dani, but she’s mine,” he teased.
“I get drunk and experiment a little in high school and you guys are never gonna let me forget it, are you?”
Travis laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her up against his side so he could drop a kiss on her head. “Ah, c’mon, Red, if it weren’t for that little experimentation, I probably never would’ve looked at you as anything but my study buddy.”
“Thanks,” she grumbled, “I feel so loved, wanted, and appreciated now.”
Max shook his head at their conversation. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Travis and Danielle would’ve ended up together eventually. He spent most of the evening talking to his friends, catching up on their lives and catching them up on his life, and after a while they ended up sitting in a booth with Liz and Katy.
It was late when the group broke up to go their separate ways and Liz promised to consider the paintball invitation. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself, but some of her enthusiasm dissipated when the invitation was extended to Max’s sister-in-law. It wouldn’t bother her if Taylor and Jack participated, but she had to consider how to approach the subject of Lacey with Max because she wasn’t comfortable with the way the woman was always touching him.
Can’t you just see them playing in the sand? LOL!
Alex and Isabel do have a good relationship and they have the ability to be there for each other and they’re able to balance each other’s needs in a good way.
Luke needs some serious luck on his side with these boys.
mary mary: Oh, they’ll lighten up… eventually, lol. Michael’s gonna get lots of love!
begonia9508: Thanks for reading!
Eva: Michael and Maria are finally at a place where they’re realizing that they need each other in ways they never imagined way back at the beginning. They’ve accepted that and they’re ready to move forward.
kay_b: We’re now at a place where their relationship is – emotionally, at least – at a brand new starting place, but it’s still gonna be an interesting journey!
sarammlover: There’s gonna be lots of together now, so we’ll try to keep ya happy! They’re still Michael and Maria, so you can expect some bumpy patches, but not like they’ve had in the past! You’re right about that fight!
kismet: Well, we’d like to say that Michael won’t have to deal with his father again, but Hank isn’t out of the picture yet. Luke won’t give up easily! Little Max and Liz, huh? Well, would ya look at that? They’re in this next part! Enjoy!
nibbles2: Well, as long as you like Clone Michael… lol!
Nah, if it is a girl, we think Isabel will find a way to control that attitude Alex has.
Maiqu: Very cool! Happy belated birthday!! Glad you enjoyed that part!
Part 66 – Getting Acquainted
Liz spent most of Friday morning with Max, discovering what it felt like to be the center of someone’s world. Max was physically demonstrative and he had no reservations about showing affection around others. At first she had been worried that she wouldn’t be comfortable with that but as the day wore on she discovered that not only was she comfortable with it, but she craved his touch and she really didn’t care if the whole world knew it.
His sister-in-law arrived around noon and she watched him as he played with J.J. until it was time for the baby to be put down for a nap. She could see that he enjoyed spending time with his family and she wished she had that type of relationship with her own parents. His entire family was very tactile and she liked that about them; they cared about each other and they weren’t afraid to be open and express their feelings.
Although she’d be a little happier if his sister-in-law wasn’t quite so touchy-feely with him, she thought, watching as the woman’s hand stayed on his arm longer than necessary. Again. She had noticed the frequent touches the day before but she had immediately dismissed those thoughts, certain that it was just part of the woman’s personality. But she was becoming more and more positive that there was more behind it when she realized that those constant touches weren’t extended to everyone else.
“Is something wrong, Liz?” Diane asked even though she was fairly sure she was accurate in her suspicions about what was bothering the younger woman.
Liz dragged her gaze away from Max and Lacey to look up at Diane when she joined her on the couch. “Oh, no, it’s… I’m sure I’m just reading more into… things.”
“Would you like to talk about those things?”
“Oh, no, I don’t think – “
“Why don’t you and I go into the family room and talk?”
“Um, okay.” Liz followed Max’s mother into the large family room, wondering what the woman had to say. She hoped she hadn’t crossed any lines or stepped on her toes or anything and she swallowed hard when the woman shut the door after them.
“Have you ever seen a picture of Jason?”
“Max’s older brother,” Liz mused, shaking her head. “No, he’s never…” She trailed off when Diane walked over to the fireplace and reached for a framed photograph that rested on the mantle.
“I can see that you’ve noticed Lacey is more open around Max,” Diane said as she joined Liz once more.
Liz cringed and nodded. “Is it that obvious? I’m sorry – “
“Oh, no, Liz, I wasn’t looking for an apology, dear.” She sat down next to Liz and held the photograph out to her. “This is… was, my son Jason.” She smiled when the younger woman quickly reached over to cover her hands, whispering a few words of sympathy. “It’s always more difficult around the holidays.”
Liz looked down at the photograph and her eyes widened. There was a remarkable resemblance between Max and his older brother; Jason was taller, broader, clean-shaven, and he was obviously a few years older than Max, but other than that, they could’ve been twins. “I had no idea they looked so much alike.” Her gaze shot to the door and back to the photo before she looked up at Diane. “That’s why Lacey touches him so much,” she said, frowning.
“Max won’t, or maybe can’t, see it that way.”
“I’ve never thought of myself as a jealous person, so this is all new to me…”
“Jealousy comes with the territory when your feelings and your heart are involved. And in this case, it could be a good thing.” She sighed. “Max only sees Lacey as his brother’s wife, and I don’t think Lacey would ever try anything with Max, so don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s anything more than that.”
“It isn’t right though,” Liz insisted.
“No, it’s not, but he has to see it and be the one to put a stop to it.”
“And maybe someone outside of his family needs to be the one to show him what he’s not seeing.”
Diane smiled and nodded. “That’s between you and Max, dear.”
They looked up when someone knocked on the door and a moment later it opened and Max stuck his head inside. “Hey, everything okay in here?” He grinned when they nodded and he stepped into the room. “Tay just called and asked if we’d be interested in goin’ out tonight.” He made a face. “They hang at a club that plays a little bit of everything… so, I thought maybe I could teach you to do the Texas two-step.”
“The what?”
Max just shook his head. “You can’t be in Texas and not learn how to two-step.” He backed out of the room. “So, you’re in for tonight?”
Liz smiled. “I’m in.” The smile slipped when he stepped out into the hall and she heard him holler to let his sister-in-law know that they were going too, and she sighed.
Diane reached over to pat her hands where they rested in her lap. “You follow your heart, Liz; I have a feeling that it won’t lead you in the wrong direction.”
“How do you know?”
The older woman chuckled. “It led you to my son, didn’t it? From what I’ve heard from both you and Max, it took a lot for you to let go of the relationship you were in. And I know my son, so I know how difficult it’s been for him to want so badly to pursue you knowing you were involved with someone else. Just be honest with him, Liz; sometimes it isn’t what we want to hear, but it’s what we need to hear.”
“How do I know if it’s too much? He obviously had a difficult time with Jason’s death and I don’t want to make it worse for him.”
“Max did have a hard time and he rarely talks about it. He’s still angry with Jason and that’s kept him from letting his brother go.” She smiled as she watched the thoughts fly across the younger woman’s face. “Max needs honesty from the people in his life and sugarcoating it won’t help him.”
*****
Maria was sitting next to Michael where he was laying face-down on the blanket, his big body stretched out and relaxed as he slept. His head was pillowed on his folded arms as he snored softly, his sleep peaceful and uninterrupted by nightmares. She glanced at the others, smiling when she saw that Brendan had been drawn into a game of cards with his sister and Luke, and Alex and Isabel were sitting in the sand not far away, cuddling and talking quietly.
She reached for the sunscreen lotion and squeezed some into the palm of her hand, recapping the tube and rubbing her hands together to warm the lotion before leaning over to apply a fresh coat to Michael’s exposed upper body.
“Hey, Maria,” Brooke said as she came over and sat at the end of the blanket. “He’s sleepin’ pretty hard... guess he didn’t get much sleep last night, huh?”
“Not really.”
Brooke nodded when Maria didn’t elaborate any further. “So, I thought maybe we could talk?” She had been waiting all afternoon for the opportunity to get Maria alone and now that everyone was otherwise occupied it was the perfect time.
“Sure, Brooke, let me just finish this and then we can take a walk... how’s that?”
The younger girl nodded, watching the way Maria took care of her favorite brother as she rubbed the sunscreen lotion on his back. Oh yeah, she was definitely the right woman for him. Hopefully he knew that.
Maria finished and wiped her hands on a towel, leaning over to brush his hair back and press a kiss to his temple before standing up and looking at the teenager. “Okay, so, let’s talk.”
“Okay.” They took off in the direction of the water. “You wanna swim or just walk along the beach?”
“Why don’t we just walk for a while,” she suggested. “I’ve got the feelin’ that you’ve got somethin’ you wanna talk about.”
“Yeah, um...” They started walking through the sand, the quiet waves rolling up onto the sand and touching their feet every now and then. “How’d you manage to stay with him yesterday? You stayed with him the whole time, right?”
Maria considered the girl’s questions for several minutes. “I was with him the whole time, yes. As for how I managed that... I just let him take things at his own pace and kept reminding myself not to push him into talking.”
Brooke nodded. “I never have that patience, I guess. That’s why he’s always pushin’ me away when I just wanna be there for him.” The girl sighed heavily. “My... our parents are a BIG disaster.”
“Yeah, I really wouldn’t be upset if they left and never came back.” She sighed and glanced at her companion. “I’m sure you’d be happy with that too, though.”
“More than that, believe me. I can honestly say that I hate them – mostly for treating Michael the way they did.”
“I’ve never seen parents attack their own children the way they did.” She stopped walking and turned to face Brooke. “They may have been focused on Michael yesterday, but their abusive behavior hasn’t only affected him... they’ve made all of you suffer, Brooke, and I know you deal with it by focusing on their treatment of Michael because it makes it easier to forget the way they treat you.” She held her breath, waiting to see if Brooke would open up about it. It was a risky move, but if it worked then it would be worth it.
The younger girl stared out at the ocean to pull herself together. The things Maria had said had hit her hard, but she couldn’t deny the truth in her words. “Y’know,” she sobbed and wiped away a few tears, “I’ve asked myself over and over again why they even bothered to have us in the first place…”
“Hey,” Maria said, pulling the girl into her arms, “your parents suck and there’s just no denying that, but if there’s anything they did right, it was havin’ you guys! D’you have any idea how great the four of you are? Look, I know what it’s like to doubt yourself because of a parent, and I just want you to know that there’s nothin’ you can do to change the choices your parents made.”
“I’m really thankful that I have three big brothers like them,” Brooke said while still hugging Maria. “They’re great and Alex said he would do anything to keep me around so that I don’t have to go back to them ever again.”
Maria glanced back at the guys. “Yeah, they are pretty great.”
“I really don’t know how we survived the last few years in New York.”
“What d’you mean?”
“Alex left two years ago and it was only Brendan, Michael and me, then. We had to live with them and face them every day. How did we manage that? I can’t even remember. Well, Michael was gone most of the time and Brendan was busy with Karen, but still....” She shook her head. “We should be glad that we’re all far away from them now.”
“You’ve never really had much interaction with your parents, have you?”
“No.”
“How’d you deal with that?”
She shrugged. “Well, it was hard when I was younger. But, the last few years... it was like we just lived together but never really said anything to each other. They left me alone and I never thought about talkin’ to them... I mean, really talk, y’know. Like we do now… me an’ my brothers, not me and my parents,” she clarified.
“Well, based on the couple of times I’ve met them and after seeing the cruelty they’re capable of yesterday, I don’t think you missed anything by not really talkin’ to them.”
“No.” She gazed back at the others on the beach. “The last year without any of them in the house was the worst. I didn’t have anybody to talk to.”
“Did you see any of them over the summer break?”
“Just Brendan, he was the only one who came home.”
“Did he stay long?”
“Almost the whole summer, yeah, but he was busy with my father most of the time.”
Maria thought back over the confrontational mood between Brendan and Hank the day before. “Has Brendan ever defied your father the way he did yesterday? Your father looked like he was ready to explode when Brendan told him he wasn’t going sailing with him.”
“No, he’s never EVER defied him. He was always the beloved son, y’know? I guess he never realized that our father just treated him so well ‘cause he was the son who was supposed to take over his business someday.”
“I feel really bad for Brendan,” Maria said as they resumed their walk. “Realizing that he was nothing more than a pawn for your father...” She shook her head. “Your parents don’t deserve you guys, Brooke.”
“Yeah,” Brooke nodded. They had all faced that reality in their own time but for Brendan, it had taken a lot longer for him to see the truth.
“So, I guess you were surprised when he said he intends to find Karen and confront her about what happened, huh?”
“Uh-huh. That was really a surprise.”
“I wonder what made her break up with him?” she mused aloud.
“You’re not the only one who wonders about that. But I’m sure my father is involved in some way.”
“Well, I hope Brendan gets the answers he needs.” She watched a couple of seagulls flying overhead for a minute. “What’d you think of Karen?”
“She was really nice and she knew that my father was manipulating Brendan so she couldn’t wait for them to leave to go to college. That’s why her leavin’ makes no sense... right? Why would she break up with him shortly before they were supposed to leave together?”
“Did your father know they were plannin’ to go to college together?”
“Yeah, I guess he did.”
“He must’ve loved that.”
“Yeah, totally.” Brooke rolled her eyes. “And he was really stunned when Michael told him he was gonna go to Long Beach, too.” Brooke laughed out loud when she remembered the expression on her father’s face.
“Your father didn’t expect Michael to go to Long Beach?”
“No, never.”
“Really?” Now, that was an interesting piece of information. “Where did he think Michael would go to college?”
“Well, I guess my father thought he wouldn’t go to any college. He thought Michael never studied and wouldn’t be accepted into any college. But, I know that he had applied to a college in Canada, but I don’t know, I guess he wasn’t accepted, so he decided to go to Long Beach, too.”
This just kept getting more and more interesting, Maria thought. “How did Brendan feel when he found out they would be going to the same college?”
“At that time they weren’t getting along very well, so he wasn’t too pleased about it.” Brooke shook her head. “At all.”
“They seem to be making some progress.”
“Yeah, I saw that and I think you’ve played a major role in that, Maria.” She sighed. “It’s so absurd, ya know. Brendan always thought that Michael’s better at so many things like women, making friends... And Michael, well, he always thought that Brendan’s so much better than him... “
Maria chuckled. “I guess there’s just no way to escape the fact that they’re twins, is there? The similarities are there regardless of whether they want them to be or not.”
“Yeah.” Brooke stopped to look at her friend. “Thanks for helping to make them realize that… finally.”
“I’m really not sure how much I had to do with that, Brooke. They’re both such stubborn men...” She laughed at the girl’s curious expression. “Yeah, maybe it’s a lot more understated with Brendan, but they’re both too stubborn for their own good. No matter how they managed to get to this point, I’m glad to see them getting along. I think they both needed it.”
Brooke nodded. “So, about you and Michael… What’s goin’ on?”
Maria hesitated. She was bursting at the seams to tell the entire world how well things were going, but a small part of her was terrified that she was going to jinx it if she said anything out loud. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Things are going well... your brother’s not easy and neither am I, but we’re making progress.”
“Oh, Michael was never easy; never will be, I guess. But he’s worth it.”
She smiled. “Yeah,” she said slowly, thinking back over the time they had spent talking that morning, “he’s definitely worth it.”
“So, is he finally over his ‘I don’t want a relationship’ phase?”
“Actually, I think it’d be safe to say that we’re both over that stupidity.”
“Thank God,” Brooke said, raising her arms up in the air.
Maria laughed at the teen’s antics and shook her head. “What’re you implying?”
“I’m just sayin’ that the both of you were really annoying with that ‘I don’t wanna get involved’ thing ‘cause it was so obvious that you already are.”
Maria winced. “Obvious, huh?”
“Yeah, to everyone but you.”
“Ouch.” She smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “Well, maybe things will smooth out now that we’re gonna stop fighting what we both want.”
“Smooth out, huh?” Brooke looked at Maria doubtfully.
“What?”
“Knowing you two... I really doubt that. But maybe you should start with spending a few days in bed, ‘cause girl, the sexual tension between you two is off the charts.”
Maria laughed at the girl’s straight-forward response. At one time it might have shocked her, but now it was just a part of what she had to deal with to be a part of Michael’s life. “I’m not sure how appropriate it is for my boyfriend’s sixteen-year-old sister to be tellin’ me that I need to take her brother to bed, but that advice will certainly be taken into consideration.”
Brooke smiled. “Good.” She picked up a little stone from the sand and threw it into the water, skipping it across the choppy surface. “I really like you as my sister-in-law.” She grinned widely; despite her biggest wishes she had never thought that Michael would finally fall for a girl.
“Thanks, Brooke.” Maria returned her smile and turned to glance back at the others; she hadn’t realized they had walked so far until that moment. “You think we’ve left them alone long enough?”
“Yeah, we’d probably better go make sure Luke’s still alive.”
“I’ll bet your brother’s are drivin’ you crazy with their over-protective behavior.”
“Oh, yeah, they are. But, I’m glad they do, ya know? Just don’t tell them I said so.”
Maria chuckled as they started walking back towards their little group. “I can just imagine how frustrating it must be to have three older brothers. On the other hand, it’s also gotta come in handy at times.”
“Just promise me that you’ll try to keep Michael away from Luke as long as you can.”
“He was a bit of a bear earlier, wasn’t he?”
“A bit?”
“Okay, he was in full-on attack mode,” she admitted. “But the good thing is that Michael can be distracted with the right... incentive.”
“There we go again...”
“What?”
“Sexual tension!!”
Yeah, no denying that, Maria thought. God, there was no telling what would happen when they actually got around to having sex.
*****
“Maria? What is taking you so long?” Michael called from the living room, glancing at the clock for what had to be the hundredth time.
“Just a minute,” she yelled from the bathroom.
“You said that several minutes ago,” he complained, but he wasn’t really annoyed. He almost enjoyed waiting for his girlfriend. Girlfriend, he thought, it still sounded weird to his ears.
Maria glanced in the mirror and finished arranging her hair. It wasn’t like she cared about what other people thought about her, but it was her first official night as Michael Guerin’s girlfriend and she wanted to look good.
She had decided to wear her favorite bleached jean shorts that ended high on her thighs. She preferred these shorts instead of skirts, because they were more practical. You didn’t have to worry if it was gonna be windy and you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing your underwear when you sat down. And of course, shorts highlighted her favorite body part – her slim legs.
A white strapless top completed her outfit and she nodded as she stood back to take one more look at her reflection. Ha, that’s the one advantage to having small boobs, she thought, you can get away with wearing things like this without worrying.
“Okay,” she said to herself, deciding that she liked what she saw. “I’m ready,” she said as she stepped out into the living room.
Michael was slouched down on the couch, flipping through a magazine and wondering what could possibly be taking her so long. Good grief, it had taken him a couple of minutes to get dressed. Shower, throw on some deodorant, little bit of cologne, a pair of jeans and a clean shirt... how hard was that? Ungh, girls! He looked up when she spoke and his mouth dropped open when he got a good look at her. Okay, forget everything I was just thinking! “Damn, woman!”
“So, you like?” she asked, teasing. As if there were any doubts!
Michael shifted, suddenly feeling constricted from the waist down. “Oh, yeah,” he said, sounding strangled, “I definitely like.”
“You look good, too, baby.”
He glanced down at himself... jeans, shirt... nothing special. “Yeah? Good enough to stay home and not go to the party?”
She laughed. “We’re sooo going, Michael.”
“You sure? I mean, I really wouldn’t mind just stayin’ home, getting naked, and doin’ all kinds of incredible things to your hot little body.”
“Hmmm... tempting…” She stood in front of him. “Maybe we can go to the party and do the other stuff later?”
“Seriously? You’d rather go to the party?” he asked, sulking. “You’re gonna give Mike Jr. a complex.”
“Oh, don’t worry, little Mike will get a lot of attention later.... if big Mike cooperates now.”
Michael frowned at her choice of words. “’Little’ Mike? I know it’s been a week, Maria, but there’s no way you’ve forgotten that there’s nothin’ little about Mike Jr.,” he huffed indignantly.
Maria sat down on the table in front of the couch and sighed. “C’mon, you know what I meant.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and slouched down further. “I think me an’ Mike Jr. are both insulted and now neither of us wants to come out to play.”
“Okay, fine. Then I’ll go to the party without either of you, I guess.” She stood up and walked to the door, desperately hoping that he would follow, because she didn’t want to go there alone.
Michael watched her as she walked away from him and he couldn’t keep his gaze from sliding over her bare legs. Yeah, like he was gonna let her go to a beach party alone! Not gonna happen! He hauled himself to his feet and hurried after her. “Y’know you’re killin’ me, right?” he growled as he reached around her to open the door.
“Me?” she asked innocently and stepped outside.
“Don’t try to pull that innocent bullshit on me, Maria... you know exactly what you’re doin’ to me.” He locked the door and then maneuvered her around so that she was pinned against it, held still by the weight of his body.
“Yeah, and I like that I’m able to do that to you, baby,” she whispered
“Oh, you like that, huh?” He glanced along the corridor, making sure no one was nearby and as soon as he was certain that they were alone he let his right hand slide down her side, along her hip, and over her thigh until he reached the hem of her shorts. “Y’know I like it when your shorts are this short... y’know why?”
“Why?” she breathed, even though she already knew the answer.
He chuckled gruffly, letting his fingertips trail along the hem until he reached his destination and he eased his hand under the material. “Hmmm... what’ve we got here?” he mused, pushing past her panties so he could tease her slick folds. “You’re already wet,” he whispered against her lips and slid his finger so that he could tease her clit with a gentle nudge. She moaned and tried to move her hips and after a few moments of the pleasurable torture he removed his hand and ended the kiss at the same time. “Y’know what? I like that I’m able to do that to you, too, baby.” He grinned at her as he took a step back and grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind him. “C’mon, you wanted to go to the party, right?”
“Michael, that’s not fair,” she complained but followed him.
“Walkin’ around with a hard-on’s not fair either.”
“I need a drink now.”
“A drink sounds like a good idea.”
*****
The club that Max’s sister and her husband had chosen played a lot of country music, Liz thought as she slid into the booth and he followed her. It wasn’t her personal taste in music, but it wasn’t the worst thing she had ever listened to. Some of it was downright depressing, but a lot of it was actually pretty upbeat and she didn’t mind those songs so much. The Texas two-step wasn’t quite as simple as Max had led her to believe and she had been much happier when the deejay had switched from country to rock because she knew what to do on the dance floor when it came to that type of music.
Taylor and Jack were both well-known at the club and they spent a lot of their time talking with friends, dancing, and introducing her and Max around. It was obvious that Lacey was a regular at the club because introductions weren’t necessary in her case. She had danced with Max several times and the more Liz watched them the more she was coming to believe that the woman wasn’t conscious of what she was doing, but she was still going to have to talk to Max about it.
She looked up when Max fell silent and she wondered where his mind was. “Dance with me?”
He smiled and stood, taking her hand and leading her back out on the dance floor. She settled into his arms and they swayed to the music as it swelled around them. “I’m glad you called me,” he murmured as he lowered his head and softly kissed her. “Glad you came out here to spend Thanksgiving with me.”
“I was so nervous about callin’ you,” she admitted, her fingers playing with his collar, “but I didn’t want anyone else, just you.”
Max’s dark eyes traced over her features as she looked up at him and he wondered yet again how her parents were able to justify their behavior. “If I had been there…” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have let them talk to you like that, Liz.” The knuckles of his right hand gently grazed her cheek. “You deserve to be happy – “
She moved her hand to cover his mouth and shook her head. “I am happy, Max.”
He covered her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm before moving her hand to rest against his chest. “That’s what I needed to know.”
“Evans!” a male voice called. “You get into town and don’t call to let anyone know you’re here for a few days?”
Max turned his head and a slow grin spread across his face. “Well, if it isn’t the biggest bunch of delinquents I’ve known in my life,” he said, laughing. He tugged gently on Liz’s hand and they walked off of the dance floor and over to the small group of people that he obviously knew. “Liz, I’d like for you to meet Robbie, Travis, Katy, Danielle, and Toby; they’re friends from high school. Guys, this’s my girl, Liz.”
“I thought California girls were supposed to be blond?” the one named Robbie asked, earning him a couple of warning thumps from the girls in the group.
“You’ll have to excuse Rob,” Danielle, the short redhead apologized for him.
“Oh, no, that’s alright,” Liz assured her with a smile. “I’m not actually from California; I’m just goin’ to school there. I was born and raised in New Mexico.”
“What made you choose California for college?” the other girl, Katy, asked curiously.
“Their marine biology program is one of the best in the country – “
“Oh, my God, you’re kidding!” Katy reached over and gave Max a shove as she rolled her eyes at him. “Girl, we’ve gotta talk! I’m goin’ to college down in Florida for the same thing!”
“Really? What’re you gonna specialize in?” Liz was excited at the prospect of talking about her chosen field of study with someone who really understood the subject.
“I’m leanin’ towards bioacoustics and vocalization, but population dynamics is really interesting, too! I can’t decide which way I wanna go. What about you?”
“Population dynamics, definitely. I considered bioacoustics and vocalization at first, but the more I’ve studied and learned, the more certain I am that population dynamics is the way to go. Do you find it hard to discuss your career choice?”
“Are you kiddin’? None of my friends ever have any idea what I’m talkin’ about!” She grabbed Liz’s hand and tugged her away from Max. “Evans, I’m hijacking your date.”
Max just grinned when Liz stretched up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss before being dragged off by the excitable blond.
“So, Max, what’s up with the ball an’ chain, man?” Travis asked. “You’re goin’ to school out in California and you’ve already managed to tie yourself down to one girl?”
“I’ve never been one to play the field, Trav,” he said, laughing.
“Oh, you guys leave him alone,” Danielle muttered, watching him as he watched his girlfriend. “The boy is clearly in love.”
“Seriously?” Toby asked, his head swinging around to look at the girl that had just been dragged off by his roommate. “Wow, so that’s cool.”
Max leaned back against the bar and he followed Toby’s gaze. “You still haven’t made a move on Katy?” The guy had been crushing on her since the eighth grade and he was still suspicious that Toby had chosen Florida just to be close to her.
“Hey, man, she just hasn’t realized that she’s not immune to my manly charms yet.”
“Uh-huh,” Travis muttered, “and who’s she datin’ again?”
Toby rolled his eyes. “One of the guys on the baseball team.”
“Before we get pulled down in the quicksand that is Toby’s romantic life, let’s talk about tomorrow,” Danielle said.
Max motioned to the bartender, indicating his friends and the man quickly set up a round on the bar. Once the bottles were handed out he glanced at Liz, making sure she was doing okay, and once he was satisfied he turned back to his friends. “What’s up with tomorrow?”
“Paintball,” Travis said, holding his arms up in the air. “C’mon, Evans, bring your girl out and let’s make an afternoon of it.”
“Tell ya what, I’ll ask her if she’s interested, and if she’s cool with it we’ll come out. Y’all gonna hit the same field we used to hit in high school?”
“They’ve got the best courses,” Toby said, nodding.
“Toby would know since he’s had his nose to the ground on most of them.” Danielle laughed and ducked when he reached out to shove her. She leaned against the bar next to Max and followed his gaze to the girl that was responsible for the totally goofy look on his face. “She’s cute, Max.”
“She is cute, Dani, but she’s mine,” he teased.
“I get drunk and experiment a little in high school and you guys are never gonna let me forget it, are you?”
Travis laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her up against his side so he could drop a kiss on her head. “Ah, c’mon, Red, if it weren’t for that little experimentation, I probably never would’ve looked at you as anything but my study buddy.”
“Thanks,” she grumbled, “I feel so loved, wanted, and appreciated now.”
Max shook his head at their conversation. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Travis and Danielle would’ve ended up together eventually. He spent most of the evening talking to his friends, catching up on their lives and catching them up on his life, and after a while they ended up sitting in a booth with Liz and Katy.
It was late when the group broke up to go their separate ways and Liz promised to consider the paintball invitation. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself, but some of her enthusiasm dissipated when the invitation was extended to Max’s sister-in-law. It wouldn’t bother her if Taylor and Jack participated, but she had to consider how to approach the subject of Lacey with Max because she wasn’t comfortable with the way the woman was always touching him.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 67 - 11/12/09
keepsmiling7: Somehow, we don’t think you’re alone…
destinyc: We’ll see how that goes.
begonia9508: Ah, don’t worry… it’ll be dealt with soon.
nibbles2: Yes… yes, we are.
They are getting along beautifully!
mary mary: We’re thinking it just needs to be pointed out… dancing around the subject isn’t going to help anyone here.
Maiqu: The girls have a unique ability to be able to talk about Michael… they both have very unique perspectives where he’s concerned.
April: Hopefully, they’ll continue with their super sexy status!
kay_b: Brooke is very protective, especially of big brother Michael.
Don’t worry, Liz isn’t going to wait too long before she decides to deal with the situation.
sarammlover: Lacey has had a hard time, but her actions are unintentional.
Brooke needed to get some things off of her chest.
The action should be happening pretty soon!
kismet: LOL, well, we promise that the sun will be shining again soon… we won’t keep those clouds around for long!
No Hank yet. It’s only Friday evening, so we’re gonna hang out at the beach party with Michael and Maria and then head out to Tejas and see what’s going on with Max and Liz.
Natalie36: Right? Liz will be tackling that soon enough.
Cardinal: Welcome to our crazy little world! We completely agree with you! Liz will tackle this issue through Max.
Michael and Maria… keep your fingers crossed!
Ah, yes… and therein lies the problem… no charges have been filed! But, we’ll be getting more into that soon.
Alien_Friend: The Maria and Brooke friendship is a relationship that both of them need. Brooke needs someone who can understand things from a woman’s viewpoint and someone who will talk to her openly. Not to mention, the complex, confusing, wounded man that Michael is requires different perspectives in order to hopefully understand him.
Nope, definitely new territory for Liz, but we think she’s gonna deal with it head-on.
We’ll be seeing more of Max’s friends. Liz will be branching out and beginning to grow as an individual now that she’s discovered that there is life beyond what her parents had planned for her.
You can expect more of those hot little games between Michael and Maria!
Earth2Mama: Wow… that’s a lotta readin’ in such a short time!
We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying their progression throughout the story.
Liz will be dealing with that situation and soon. And Tess… it’s quite possible. Alex and Isabel are the rocks… definitely the most settled and stable.
Hank… nope, definitely not outta the picture yet, no matter how much we’d all like to see him gone!
As for Maureen, we’ll be taking a closer look at her a little later on… there’s more to that story than what we’ve seen so far.
Brendan’s storyline with Karen will be settled – the poor guy deserves his answers and she’s the only one who will give him the truth.
LOL, Sean hasn’t been kicked outta the picture just because he and Liz are no longer together.
We’re glad you’re lovin’ our little world and we update every Thursday and Sunday!
Author’s Note: Song credit for “Me Against the World” goes to Simple Plan – lyrics obviously don’t belong to us!
Link to Song: http://s359.photobucket.com/albums/oo31 ... eagain.flv
Part 67 – Beach Parties and Rain
It only took a few minutes for Michael and Maria to reach the part of the beach where the party was already in full swing. “What band’s playin’ tonight?”
“Another group from our campus... they’re not bad.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that so many people would still be on campus over the holidays,” she said when they saw the crowd.
Michael shrugged. “Yeah, well, wait until Christmas... different story then; most everyone’s gone over the break for that one.”
“Yeah, I don’t wanna spend that break here, too.”
“You goin’ home for Christmas?”
She bit her lip when she realized that Michael would probably stay there.
“I was plannin’ to, yeah.”
He nodded. “That’s cool.” He turned to look out across the crowd, searching for the bar.
“You could come with me...” she suggested.
“Um, what, for Christmas?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, well... I don’t know, Maria. I mean, it’s a family holiday an’... you’ve got family to spend it with.” He reached up to scratch his eyebrow. Damn, this was uncomfortable! “Christmas isn’t somethin’ we’ve ever really celebrated past the dog-and-pony show my parents put on to make people think we were your basic all-American, happy family, so... I probably wouldn’t be a lot of fun to have around and y’know, you’ve probably got a lot of family stuff goin’ on, so...”
“Well, except for my mom and Tony and his parents... nope, no more family members. But, we don’t have to talk about it right now.” She wanted to have fun and talking about this wasn’t fun at all.
“Okay.” He sighed, relieved that she had let him off the hook. “Wait, y’know it’s not ‘cause I don’t wanna be with you, right?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Cool. So, whatcha want to drink?” he asked as they neared the bar.
“Hmmm... let me think.”
The band ended the song and the lead singer grabbed the microphone. “Look who finally got his ass to the party, guys. Michael Guerin,” the guy announced.
Almost everyone turned to look at them.
“Great,” Maria hissed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everyone’s staring now.”
Michael snorted and nipped her ear lobe as he leaned in to whisper, “They’re starin’ ‘cause they’re all jealous.”
“Yeah, they are,” she whispered back.
“C’mon, Guerin, come up here and sing a song with us,” the singer said.
“Whatcha think?” he asked, looking at her. “Should I?”
She heard the shouting from the crowd around them. “Seems like your fans are expecting it,” she said, smiling.
“Okay, but, before I go up there, I want you to remember that my music has always been written from my point of view... this song was written before we got involved and it’s got nothin’ to do with you... ya got that?” He smirked at her. “Last time we had a misunderstanding about my music the result wasn’t a lot of fun and I’d prefer to not repeat that again.”
“Oh, no, me neither,” she said, laughing.
“Alright, and you’ll be okay down here by yourself?”
“Yeah, just make sure you come back soon.”
“Just one song, baby... maybe two if the crowd gets rowdy.” He gave her a quick kiss before jogging up to the stage and jumping up to shake hands with the lead singer.
She watched him leave and the crowd started cheering and shouting as he climbed up on the stage.
Michael accepted a guitar from one of the guys and settled the strap over his shoulder, playing a few chords to make sure it was properly tuned before he turned and nodded to the singer. The guy signaled the other members of the band and it only took a few seconds before they fell into sync with the rhythm Michael was playing.
We’re not gonna be just a part of their game
We’re not gonna be just the victims
We’re taking our dreams, and they tear them apart
Until everyone’s the same
I’ve got no place to go
I’ve got nowhere to run
They love to watch me fall
They think they know it all
I’m a nightmare, a disaster
That’s what they always said
I’m a lost cause, not a hero
But I’ll make it on my own
Me against the world
It’s me against the world
We won’t let them change how we feel in our hearts
We’re not gonna let the m control us
We won’t let them shove all the thoughts in our heads
And we’ll never be like them
His eyes located Maria with no effort and for the first time he let a completely different emotion build up as he belted out the fast-paced song. He watched her, making sure that their gazes remained connected because he didn’t want her to have any doubts that the words didn’t convey his current feelings and as the song began to wind down she took several tentative steps towards him.
“Michael Guerin is so hot,” she heard a girl in the crowd say.
Yeah, hot and mine, Maria thought.
As the last notes faded away the singer for the band asked if he wanted to hang around for the rest of the set and Michael shook his head. “Nah,” he said, stepping back away from the microphone, “thanks for the invite, but I’ve kinda got other plans for the rest of the evening.” He shook the guy’s hand, hiding a grin at the guy’s shocked expression, and unhooked the strap before moving to place the guitar in one of the stands in front of the drummer.
He glanced around for his girl and his eyebrows shot up in interest when he realized that she was shooting the evil eye at some unsuspecting girl who was talking a mile a minute to the little group she was with. Michael walked to the end of the stage closest to Maria and dropped down to land in the soft sand, wincing when the same group of girls suddenly screeched loud enough to threaten the health of his eardrums and rushed towards him.
Maria rolled her eyes at them. “Groupies,” she muttered disparagingly.
This was not his favorite part of singing, he thought, annoyed when the girls mobbed him. Sure, way back in the beginning, it’d been pretty cool to have hot girls throwing themselves at him, but now? Now there was only one hot girl he wanted and he glanced around hoping that she was going to be interrupting the little groupie love-fest going on.
Maria made her way through the group with confidence. “Hey, baby,” she rested her hand on his shoulder and reached out to remove some other girl’s hand from his chest. “Wanna go get that drink now?”
Two words and a simple touch was all it took and all of his attention was focused on her. As far as he was concerned the rest of the crowd had just disappeared and he nodded in response to her question. “Let’s go.”
“Is she his girlfriend?” she heard one of the girls say.
“Don’t know, never saw him with one,” another girl said.
“Well, I’ve seen him with her a lot lately,” the third one said.
Maria just rolled her eyes. “Does it even occur to them that we can hear them?”
Michael snorted. “You think they ever stop to actually ‘think’ about anything?” He ignored their catty comments and draped his right arm around Maria’s shoulders, pulling her up against his side as they went in search of the bar. “So, what’d ya think of the song?”
“The song was great. It was written about your parents, I guess?”
He nodded in response to her question. “Yeah, I wrote it after a fight with them.”
She nodded. “Well, your next song should be a happy one then, ‘cause I’m plannin’ to make you very happy.”
“Happy, huh? I don’t know, Maria,” he said doubtfully, “I’m not sure happy songs would get the same reaction.” He ducked when she took a playful swing at him. “But, hey, I like that part about you makin’ me happy.”
“Yeah, of course you do. So, whatcha want to drink?” she asked when they had made it back to the bar area.
“You sure you wouldn’t rather tell me all the ways you’re gonna make me happy?” His eyebrows lifted hopefully. “Because I can get a beer anytime, anywhere.”
“You’ll find out soon,” she said and turned to the barkeeper. “Two beers, please.”
She was gonna kill him! “Y’know a beer’s not anywhere near as satisfyin’ as sex, right? I mean, we could be home in a matter of minutes...” He sighed and took the bottle she handed to him. “Is that your way of tellin’ me to stop thinkin’ with my dick?”
“Exactly,” she said, smiling.
“Fine,” he grumbled and then ruined it with a smile. “Whatcha wanna do now?”
“Maybe we can go back near the stage and listen to the band for a while?”
“Listen to the band?” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m gonna have to watch you... I think you’re just lookin’ for an excuse to kick some groupie ass.”
She shrugged. “I will if it’s necessary.”
“Y’know I think that’s hot, right?”
It was her turn to roll her eyes. “Is there anything you don’t think is hot?”
“About you? Nope, not a thing.”
She wrapped his arms around him and rested her head on his chest. Hopefully he won’t get bored after we actually have sex, she thought.
Michael held her close, unaware of the jealous looks being aimed at his girl. The band started a slow song and his body started to sway unconsciously as he hummed along with the music. The only thing he was really aware of in that moment was the feel of Maria’s body pressed up against him and the way she was holding him like she never intended to let him go.
She relaxed in his arms and enjoyed the feeling of his body rubbing against hers. “That really feels good,” she whispered.
“Yeah, it does,” he murmured as he lifted his free hand to cup her chin and tip her head back so he could gently kiss her. The kiss started out soft and slow, but grew in intensity with every passing second.
Michael was on the verge of losing himself in the kiss when something cold and wet splashed against his back and shoulders. They pulled apart and he lifted his head to see the rain that had started to fall. “Damn, it wasn’t supposed to rain tonight,” he muttered.
“Oh, no, my top’s gonna be transparent soon,” Maria noticed.
Michael glanced down and smirked when he realized that the tiny raindrops spattering her shirt were indeed making her breasts almost as visible as if she weren’t wearing a top at all. “I don’t know... I kinda like it.”
“Yeah, I know you do, but we’re not at home and everyone’s gonna see it if you don’t keep me close.”
He glanced around and realized that there was no shortage of girls in the same condition and they were getting plenty of attention from the guys. Not his girl, he thought, hauling her up against his body and wrapping his arms around her tightly.
“Hey, Guerin, how’s that injury?”
He looked up when Troy Jansen, one of the football players approached them and he felt himself bristling when the guy’s eyes made an appreciative sweep over Maria’s bare legs.
“It’s fine,” Michael said, shifting slightly. “I’ll be ready for our next game.”
Troy grinned at the less-than-subtle warning in Guerin’s possessive hold on the girl in his arms and he nodded, keeping his eyes off of her. “So, any plans for the weekend?”
Michael relaxed slightly when he felt Maria’s hands slide up under his tee shirt so she could trace random patterns over his back. “Just kickin’ back and relaxin’,” he answered with a shrug. He liked Troy and normally they’d have a few drinks and talk about girls and sports, each of them trying to best the other with their exploits, but for the first time he really wasn’t interested in drawing out the conversation. He didn’t know where the night would lead, but if it went in the direction he really wanted it to go, he didn’t wanna waste precious time standing around talking about nothing.
Troy nodded and motioned to the little blond wrapped around Guerin. “I don’t believe I’ve met your date,” he said, winking at her when she shot a smile in his direction. He held his hand out to her as he introduced himself, “Troy Jansen.”
Michael tensed for a moment as he waited to see what Maria would do.
“Hey, I’m Maria,” she said and shook his hand without moving away from Michael. “You’re on the team, right?”
Troy straightened up and nodded. “Yup, I’m on the team... someone’s gotta make these guys look good on the field.”
Maria laughed a little, but didn’t know how to respond. Michael was the sexiest and best on the team for as far as she was concerned.
“I get the feelin’ you’ve never noticed me though,” he grumbled with a quick grin.
“Well,” she looked up at Michael, “I’m usually kinda distracted when this guy’s on the field.”
“Hell, no, she’s never noticed you,” Michael said, unable to hold back the grin that surfaced when she admitted as much.
“Hey, that’s even better... if you’re off the market that just means more girls for me.”
“You’re already off the market, Jansen,” a girl’s voice spoke up from behind him. “And you’d better stop forgetting it.”
Troy grimaced and draped his left arm around the tall, red-headed girl that came up beside him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She reached out to shake Maria's hand. “Rita Carter.”
“Maria, nice to meet you,” Rita said, smiling. “You can’t let these boys outta your sight for a second or they start actin’ like they’re allowed to run around checkin’ out other girls.” She bumped her hip against her boyfriend and shook her head at him when he just grinned unrepentantly.
“Ah, is that so?” Maria asked, turning her head to meet Michael’s eyes with a playful grin on her lips.
Michael just shook his head. “Hey, Troy put a muzzle on your woman before she gets me in trouble.” Things were going too good with him and Maria and he didn’t want anything to screw it up.
Rita’s gaze turned challenging as she glanced up at Troy. “I think you’d better say somethin’ or you’re gonna be in trouble,” she warned.
Troy could see the playfulness hiding in her eyes and he glanced at his teammate. “You ever tried to muzzle a redhead?” He jumped back out of the way just before her elbow could make contact with his ribs. “I'm kiddin’,” he yelped, when she grabbed a handful of his tee shirt and pulled him closer. Redheads could be very dangerous when provoked, he thought.
“Troy...”
Michael grinned as he watched Troy cowering in the face of his girlfriend’s mock irritation. They had been together since their freshman year and he had seen them play around like this many times.
“So, anyway, Guerin, before you get me in anymore trouble, maybe I should just take my girl back home.” He glanced up at the sky as thunder rumbled and the wind picked up slightly. “Looks like the rain’s gonna ruin the party anyway... I thought it was just gonna sprinkle for a bit and then blow over, but it looks like we’re in for a storm.”
“So says weatherman Troy,” Rita mumbled. She glanced at Maria when the weather gods decided to give Troy’s forecast their blessing. “They’re such know-it-all’s, aren’t they?”
Michael felt Maria start to shiver when the wind became cooler and he rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an effort to warm her up a little bit. “You ready to head back home?” he asked without realizing what he had just insinuated.
“Well, we’re gonna get outta here before it gets any worse.” Troy took his girlfriend’s hand and nodded at something behind the other couple. “Looks like you’ve got a completely different kinda storm blowin’ in, Guerin.”
Michael glanced over his shoulder and frowned when he saw another of the football players heading in their direction. He tensed up when the guy nodded at him, obviously intending to stop and talk. Well, they couldn’t exactly leave until they could get a fairly clear path, otherwise people were gonna get an eyeful of what belonged to him. He had never gotten along with Lance Pruitt; they had hated each other from their first meeting and he didn’t really know why.
Lance walked up to Guerin and faced him, arms crossed over his chest to see if the other guy would start something.
“Somethin’ I can do for you, Pruitt?” Michael asked as he tossed their empty bottles into a nearby trash receptacle.
“Yeah, get off my team.”
“Team doesn’t belong to any one person,” Michael said, hoping to avoid a fight.
“Sure it does... at least it did until you came along.” He glared at Guerin. “You and your friends show up and think you’re all that... got news for you, Guerin, you’re not.”
Maria could feel the tension in his body and she turned her head to have a look at the person who was talking behind her.
His gaze lowered to the blond plastered to the other guy when she turned to look at him and he grinned when he noticed her. They had an English Lit class together. Yeah, this would really tune Guerin up. “Maria, how’s that assignment comin’ along for old man Kramer’s class?” His grin turned wolfish as he shot a quick glance at Guerin. “You think you’re gonna need any help?”
“Nope, already done.” she said without much interest. How the fuck did he know her name, anyway? She didn’t even recognize him from her English class at all.
Michael felt Maria’s hands moving over him, her hands brushing against his back in calming sweeps and he knew it was the only thing keeping him from taking a swing at the other guy. “She doesn’t need your help with anything, Pruitt. Why don’t you just get lost?”
Lance just grinned; baiting Guerin was so much fun! “Y’know, I don’t really have anything else to do right now...” His eyes slid over Maria suggestively before he met her pissed off gaze directly. “Don’t have anyone to do right now either... interested?”
Michael felt every muscle in his body tense in preparation for a fight and his hands came up to rest on Maria’s shoulders, intending to move her back so he could go after Lance.
“Pfff...” Maria snorted, “as if anyone would prefer you over him.” She patted Michael’s chest, feeling that he was getting close to losing it.
Lance just shook his head. “Honey, if you prefer him... it’s only because you haven’t actually fucked him. Trust me, once you do, you’ll come back to me.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Really? Well, why are you here all alone then? What’s the matter? You haven’t found anyone drunk or stupid enough to fuck you?”
“Who says I’m alone?” He held his arms out at his sides. “There’s too much to contain... can’t confine all this to just one girl.”
“You’d better hurry then,” she said turning away then to meet Michael’s eyes. “Why don’t we go get somethin’ to drink?”
Lance couldn’t believe that she had just dismissed him like that! He glared at Guerin when he had the audacity to laugh out loud. Keep it together, Pruitt, he thought. Just let it go for now... you’ll figure out a way to get back at him later. “Your loss,” he muttered before turning to go find another girl to hit on.
The rain slowed to a light drizzle as they walked up to the bar and ordered a couple of beers and Michael was careful to keep her close to him and away from curious eyes.
“Hey, Michael!”
He turned his head when someone called him and he nodded when he recognized Alan Russell and his girlfriend Mandy O’Conner. He and Alan had been in several classes together their freshman year and even though they didn’t have any classes together this year, they still got together once in a while just to hang out and shoot a game of pool over a few beers. He made the introductions between the couple and Maria and before long the girls were talking a mile a minute.
“I should’ve put on a dark top like you,” Maria said, motioning to the top Mandy was wearing. “Mine’s practically non-existent from the rain.”
“Well, that would explain Mr. Possessive over here,” Mandy said, giving Michael a friendly shove. “I’ve got a sweatshirt and a jacket in the car if you wanna walk up to the parking lot.” She rolled her eyes. “Alan doesn’t like for me to walk around parking areas after dark if I’m alone.”
Alan just shrugged. “Better to be safe than sorry.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “I have no intention of losin’ you to some perv who hangs around dark areas at night.” He glanced at Michael and shook his head. “They want you to be all protective and worried about them bein’ safe, but the second you do that, they tell you you’re TOO overprotective.” He smiled at his girlfriend when she swatted his backside and walked away with Maria. “So, what’s up, Michael? I haven’t seen you around in a while.”
Michael shrugged, his attention focused on Maria as she walked along with Mandy. “Been busy with... stuff.” He turned back to Alan after the girls moved out of sight. “What about you?”
“Stuff, huh?” Alan asked, grinning. “Well, nothin’ new on my side either.”
He nodded. “So, we should get together and hit the bar for a couple games of pool. One night next week, maybe?”
“Yeah, we haven’t done that for a while now.”
“Sounds good to me,” a woman spoke up.
Michael cringed when he heard Courtney’s voice.
“Hey, Mikey G, are you here all alone?” Courtney asked, looking around and then leaning against the table next to him.
“No, I’m not.” Damn it, he had to get rid of her before Maria came back. He didn’t want her to see Courtney and read anything into it; the last thing they needed right now was more misunderstandings.
“No?” She leaned closer into him because she couldn’t help it. They had only had sex once in the past year and she was desperate to do it again. Guerin was just amazing in... well, pretty much everything.
Michael wasn’t the type of guy who backed down in a confrontation, but she was in his personal space and he knew what it would look like to someone who walked up. “Why don’t you just find someone else to do, Courtney,” he suggested. “I told you, last year was a mistake that never should’ve happened, and it’s not gonna happen again.” Especially not now, he thought.
Maria froze in place when she saw Courtney standing next to Michael. She was practically all over him. “Great!”
“Oh, c’mon, you enjoyed it the last time,” Courtney said, not backing away.
“I wouldn’t know... as I recall I was drunk.”
And he had been drunk... drunk enough that he had woken up the next morning and been surprised to find himself in Courtney’s bed. Sure, they had dated for a few weeks and after breaking up he had sworn that he wouldn’t get involved with her again, but a confrontation with his father had left him a mass of seething emotions and he had gone out and gotten so drunk he couldn’t see straight and then he had somehow found his way back to Courtney.
Ungh, he didn’t wanna think about that! “Look, Courtney, drunk or not, it’s not gonna happen again. Me an’ you, we used each other and that’s all there was to it; it’s been over for a long time.”
Alan hid a smirk when he noticed the girls coming back from the parking lot.
“You weren’t that drunk, Michael.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.
Maria started to walk over to the bar after watching them for several very long seconds. It would be interesting to hear what that little bitch had to say.
Michael froze when he noticed Maria walking towards them, her stride determined and her expression anything but happy.
“She’s here with you?” Courtney asked, remembering the little scene at the beach party on Tuesday night.
As soon as Maria was close enough Michael leaned over to grab her hand and pull her up against his body, making it clear that they were together. “Yeah, she’s here with me.”
“What d’you want?” Maria snapped at Courtney. No need to be polite here.
“Ooooh,” Courtney mocked, “retract the claws, little girl.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that just as soon as you face up to the fact that he doesn’t want you.”
Alan and Mandy watched the little display with excitement; it never got boring when Guerin was around.
Courtney watched them, taking in the way they touched each other. “You forget that I’ve already had him.”
“Yeah, HAD, that’s the right word. See, you’re making progress,” she said, her tone patronizing.
“More progress than you’re makin’,” Courtney snarled.
Maria just rolled her eyes and leaned further into Michael’s body to show that little bitch who was making the real progress here.
Courtney smiled viciously. “That’s sweet how he lets you hang all over him, but he’s just doin’ it to prove a point. The man can’t stand bein’ touched outside of the bedroom.”
“Maybe when he was with you.”
“It’s hard to remember... we spent so much of our time together in bed.”
“So much time, huh?” Maria asked, lifting her eyebrows in question. The girl was crazy and totally into her man. “You’d better get lost.”
Michael felt the change when Maria went into territorial mode and he tightened his arms around her to hold her in place. “Hey,” he murmured, lowering his head so his lips brushed against her ear, “as much as I’d love to see you fight over me, I don’t think our evening will go as smoothly if you’re all bruised up from a catfight.”
Courtney’s eyes widened when she overheard him even though he was speaking very low. She was losing and she didn’t like that one bit. “Whatever... he may be yours now, but everyone knows Michael doesn’t stick with any woman for very long.”
Maria didn’t even bother to look at her again; she just searched Michael’s eyes. “Maybe in the past,” she mumbled.
Michael smiled gently in response to her words. “It’s in the past because that’s where it belongs.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and hoped that she understood what he couldn’t put into words.
Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to kiss him. She could see Courtney disappear from the corner of her eye and she started to relax again.
Alan was sure his eyebrows were about to shoot right off of his forehead when Michael actively engaged in the public display of affection. He glanced to the side when Mandy smacked the back of her hand against his stomach.
“Quit staring.”
“Like you’re not just as shocked.”
“Not the point.”
Michael looked around when Maria ended the kiss, surprised to see that Courtney had disappeared. “I think you made your point, baby.”
“Good,” Maria said smiling, “’'cause I’m not sharing you with anyone.”
“Michael, I think you may have met your match,” Mandy said, laughing.
“He better have,” Maria said.
Michael met her gaze and he nodded. “You don’t have to make threats,” he teased.
Suddenly thunder clapped loudly and rain started to fall again.
“Can I keep your jacket tonight?” Maria asked.
“Sure, no problem,” Mandy assured her. “I can get it from you later; next time the guys meet up to play pool, maybe?”
“You play pool?” she asked, glancing between Michael and Alan.
“Yeah, we shoot a few games every once in a while,” Michael answered.
“Oh, okay, that’s cool.”
“I can show you how to play if you want. I’ve got some pretty dangerous moves with my... pool cue,” he said, shifting his hips suggestively as he nipped her earlobe.
“Sounds good to me,” she whispered, “it’ll be fun.”
Mandy rolled her eyes, amused as she witnessed a side of Michael Guerin that she doubted anyone had ever seen. “Okay, and on that note, we’re gone.”
“Yeah, we’re gonna go now, the weather’s kinda ruining the party anyway,” Alan said. “What about next Wednesday, Guerin?”
Michael lifted his head, surprised that they were still there. “Wednesday sounds good.”
“Cool.” Alan took his girlfriend’s hand and pulled her along with him. “We’ll see you around 8pm?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Michael nodded and waved them off, glad to be left alone with Maria.
“They’re pretty cool,” Maria said when the couple had gone.
“Yeah, he’s a good guy and Mandy keeps him in line.”
“So, what’re we gonna do now?” She shifted closer to him because the wind was picking up again.
The rain was starting to become a little more insistent and his mind shifted to the last time she had gotten caught out in bad weather and come down with a bad cold. “We should probably head home before you get sick.”
“As long as you care for me like you did the last time I was sick, I wouldn’t mind.”
“I can guarantee that I’ll take care of you if you get sick, but I think we’ll both like it a lot more if you don’t.”
“Okay, then let’s go.”
*****
Max stepped out of the shower and dried off before pulling a pair of flannel pajama bottoms on and walking out of the bathroom. His hair was damp, standing up in multiple directions and he ran his hand through it to smooth it down as he looked around his empty room and frowned. Liz had been quiet on the drive home and while he had hoped that she’d be waiting for him, he hadn’t expected it.
He stepped out of his room and moved across the hall when he saw that she had left her door open just enough to imply that he was welcome to come inside. He knocked quietly and pushed the door back to enter the room, smiling when he saw Bella lying on the floor next to the closed bathroom door. He thought about lying on her bed, but then decided that he didn’t want to push things; she had been distracted and just a little bit distant towards the end of the evening and he wasn’t sure what was on her mind.
Liz wasn’t surprised to see Max standing by the sliding glass doors when she came out of the bathroom after drying her hair. She was actually glad to see him because it made it a little bit easier to talk to him about his sister-in-law if they weren’t in his bedroom. She smoothed her hand over her tank top and shorts before crossing the room and sitting in the comfortable chair placed by the windows.
“Your friends are really nice,” she said, hedging as she tried to figure out how to bring up what was sure to be a touchy subject.
“Yeah, they’re great.” He turned to look at her, wondering if he should bring her distraction up or wait and see if she was going to do it on her own.
“I, um… Max, I need to talk to you about something, and I’m not exactly sure how to approach it.” She cleared her throat when she realized that she had his full attention with those few words. She was becoming used to that and she liked that he always responded to her slightest concern by giving her his full attention, but at the same time it made it even more difficult to be direct.
“Just tell me what’s on your mind, Liz.”
“Your sister-in-law,” she blurted out nervously.
“Lacey?” Max frowned. “Why?” He could see that whatever was bothering Liz was serious and that she was uncomfortable talking about it, but what could Lacey have done? “Did she say or do somethin’ that you’re not comfortable with?”
Liz cleared her throat and nodded. “She just… she… she touches you, Max… a lot.”
Max bit back the automatic response of ‘is that all?’ and nodded instead. “I’ll talk to her, Liz.”
The nervous feeling suddenly fled and she looked at him directly. “You know?”
“I’m aware of it, yes. I know I probably shouldn’t have let it go on, but she’s never crossed any lines; there’s nothin’ sexual about her touches.”
“But, that can’t be healthy, Max; she’s holding onto your brother through you.”
“It hasn’t been easy for her; losing Jason, having J.J., goin’ to college, and bein’ both parents for her son – “
“Max, you can’t let her use you to hold onto him.”
“It’s not intentional, Liz,” he said, irritation creeping into his tone. “There’s no need for you to be worried about it; Lacey would never do anything to betray my brother and I’m not – “
“No, Max! I understand that you guys are close and I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem with all of the touching. Some of it is downright inappropriate and I did not just walk out on one relationship where I never stood up and expressed myself just to get into another one just like it.”
“Is this about her askin’ me to dance a couple of times tonight?”
Liz shook her head. “You don’t want to understand what I mean.”
“Then explain it to me.” He wasn’t the type of guy who got defensive over things, but she was pushing him on one of the few things that were sure to piss him off.
“Lacey is searching for attention, YOUR attention, Max. And it’s obvious that it’s related to your brother.”
“Look, you don’t understand; sometimes she just needs somethin’ to hold onto. I’m not gonna just turn my back on my brother’s...” he swallowed hard. “Jason wouldn’t expect me to just turn my back on her just because she needs...” He didn’t really know how to go on because honestly, he didn’t understand it and he wasn’t that comfortable with it.
“Max,” she took his hands in hers, “nobody wants you to turn your back on her. But Lacey is holing onto Jason through you. And as long as you let her, she won’t be able to let him go.”
He sighed and looked down at her hands where they were wrapped around his. “I’ve tried to talk to her about it...” he admitted finally and shook his head. “Well, the conversation only took place in my head because I don’t know how to bring it up with her.”
“I know this isn’t a very comfortable conversation to have... and I’m sure she’ll be angry and hurt about it, but you need to do this Max. And I’m not just speaking as a jealous girlfriend.”
“This past year’s been really hard on her, Liz... losin’ Jason, tryin’ to keep up with school and work, and havin’ J.J.” He sat down on the foot of her bed and looked up at her. “It’s one of the reasons that I got to school late... she was goin’ through a rough patch and she needed some help. She dropped classes after J.J. was born and she’s been thinkin’ about goin’ back to school next year.” He hurried to continue when he saw her expression. “Not in California or anything,” he assured her. “Here, in Texas, where she an’ Jason were goin’ before...”
Liz let go of his hands and walked around the room. “You aren’t doin’ her any favors if you don’t say anything. Not for her and not for your brother.”
He felt his temper edging closer to the surface again. “I’ll handle it, Liz.”
She stopped pacing and looked at him. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he asked slowly. “That’s it?”
She shrugged. “I told you what I think, so yeah, that’s it. It’s up to you now.”
Max stared at her in disbelief. He wasn’t sure if he had expected her to turn it into an argument or not, but he was relieved that she was dropping the subject. He knew he needed to talk to his sister-in-law, but actually dealing with it was a different story altogether. “Then we’re good?”
“Of course we are.” She walked over to him and sat down next to him on the bed. “Max, I didn’t bring this up because I wanted to fight about it, but I needed to say something. You said you would handle it and I’m trusting you to keep your word and do that.”
He nodded, hearing the sincerity in her words. “So, since I’m gonna deal with this and we’re not gonna fight about it...” He shifted so that he was facing her and reached up to brush her hair back away from her face. “Does that mean you’re gonna come over to my room an’ spend the night with me?”
She leaned into his touch and smiled softly. “Yeah, why not?”
He grinned and his eyebrows waggled playfully. “Wanna make out?”
She leaned into him, settling into his embrace and reaching up to stroke his goatee. “Okay.”
destinyc: We’ll see how that goes.
begonia9508: Ah, don’t worry… it’ll be dealt with soon.
nibbles2: Yes… yes, we are.
They are getting along beautifully!
mary mary: We’re thinking it just needs to be pointed out… dancing around the subject isn’t going to help anyone here.
Maiqu: The girls have a unique ability to be able to talk about Michael… they both have very unique perspectives where he’s concerned.
April: Hopefully, they’ll continue with their super sexy status!
kay_b: Brooke is very protective, especially of big brother Michael.
Don’t worry, Liz isn’t going to wait too long before she decides to deal with the situation.
sarammlover: Lacey has had a hard time, but her actions are unintentional.
Brooke needed to get some things off of her chest.
The action should be happening pretty soon!
kismet: LOL, well, we promise that the sun will be shining again soon… we won’t keep those clouds around for long!
No Hank yet. It’s only Friday evening, so we’re gonna hang out at the beach party with Michael and Maria and then head out to Tejas and see what’s going on with Max and Liz.
Natalie36: Right? Liz will be tackling that soon enough.
Cardinal: Welcome to our crazy little world! We completely agree with you! Liz will tackle this issue through Max.
Michael and Maria… keep your fingers crossed!
Ah, yes… and therein lies the problem… no charges have been filed! But, we’ll be getting more into that soon.
Alien_Friend: The Maria and Brooke friendship is a relationship that both of them need. Brooke needs someone who can understand things from a woman’s viewpoint and someone who will talk to her openly. Not to mention, the complex, confusing, wounded man that Michael is requires different perspectives in order to hopefully understand him.
Nope, definitely new territory for Liz, but we think she’s gonna deal with it head-on.
We’ll be seeing more of Max’s friends. Liz will be branching out and beginning to grow as an individual now that she’s discovered that there is life beyond what her parents had planned for her.
You can expect more of those hot little games between Michael and Maria!
Earth2Mama: Wow… that’s a lotta readin’ in such a short time!
We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying their progression throughout the story.
Liz will be dealing with that situation and soon. And Tess… it’s quite possible. Alex and Isabel are the rocks… definitely the most settled and stable.
Hank… nope, definitely not outta the picture yet, no matter how much we’d all like to see him gone!
As for Maureen, we’ll be taking a closer look at her a little later on… there’s more to that story than what we’ve seen so far.
Brendan’s storyline with Karen will be settled – the poor guy deserves his answers and she’s the only one who will give him the truth.
LOL, Sean hasn’t been kicked outta the picture just because he and Liz are no longer together.
We’re glad you’re lovin’ our little world and we update every Thursday and Sunday!
Author’s Note: Song credit for “Me Against the World” goes to Simple Plan – lyrics obviously don’t belong to us!
Link to Song: http://s359.photobucket.com/albums/oo31 ... eagain.flv
Part 67 – Beach Parties and Rain
It only took a few minutes for Michael and Maria to reach the part of the beach where the party was already in full swing. “What band’s playin’ tonight?”
“Another group from our campus... they’re not bad.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that so many people would still be on campus over the holidays,” she said when they saw the crowd.
Michael shrugged. “Yeah, well, wait until Christmas... different story then; most everyone’s gone over the break for that one.”
“Yeah, I don’t wanna spend that break here, too.”
“You goin’ home for Christmas?”
She bit her lip when she realized that Michael would probably stay there.
“I was plannin’ to, yeah.”
He nodded. “That’s cool.” He turned to look out across the crowd, searching for the bar.
“You could come with me...” she suggested.
“Um, what, for Christmas?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, well... I don’t know, Maria. I mean, it’s a family holiday an’... you’ve got family to spend it with.” He reached up to scratch his eyebrow. Damn, this was uncomfortable! “Christmas isn’t somethin’ we’ve ever really celebrated past the dog-and-pony show my parents put on to make people think we were your basic all-American, happy family, so... I probably wouldn’t be a lot of fun to have around and y’know, you’ve probably got a lot of family stuff goin’ on, so...”
“Well, except for my mom and Tony and his parents... nope, no more family members. But, we don’t have to talk about it right now.” She wanted to have fun and talking about this wasn’t fun at all.
“Okay.” He sighed, relieved that she had let him off the hook. “Wait, y’know it’s not ‘cause I don’t wanna be with you, right?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Cool. So, whatcha want to drink?” he asked as they neared the bar.
“Hmmm... let me think.”
The band ended the song and the lead singer grabbed the microphone. “Look who finally got his ass to the party, guys. Michael Guerin,” the guy announced.
Almost everyone turned to look at them.
“Great,” Maria hissed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everyone’s staring now.”
Michael snorted and nipped her ear lobe as he leaned in to whisper, “They’re starin’ ‘cause they’re all jealous.”
“Yeah, they are,” she whispered back.
“C’mon, Guerin, come up here and sing a song with us,” the singer said.
“Whatcha think?” he asked, looking at her. “Should I?”
She heard the shouting from the crowd around them. “Seems like your fans are expecting it,” she said, smiling.
“Okay, but, before I go up there, I want you to remember that my music has always been written from my point of view... this song was written before we got involved and it’s got nothin’ to do with you... ya got that?” He smirked at her. “Last time we had a misunderstanding about my music the result wasn’t a lot of fun and I’d prefer to not repeat that again.”
“Oh, no, me neither,” she said, laughing.
“Alright, and you’ll be okay down here by yourself?”
“Yeah, just make sure you come back soon.”
“Just one song, baby... maybe two if the crowd gets rowdy.” He gave her a quick kiss before jogging up to the stage and jumping up to shake hands with the lead singer.
She watched him leave and the crowd started cheering and shouting as he climbed up on the stage.
Michael accepted a guitar from one of the guys and settled the strap over his shoulder, playing a few chords to make sure it was properly tuned before he turned and nodded to the singer. The guy signaled the other members of the band and it only took a few seconds before they fell into sync with the rhythm Michael was playing.
We’re not gonna be just a part of their game
We’re not gonna be just the victims
We’re taking our dreams, and they tear them apart
Until everyone’s the same
I’ve got no place to go
I’ve got nowhere to run
They love to watch me fall
They think they know it all
I’m a nightmare, a disaster
That’s what they always said
I’m a lost cause, not a hero
But I’ll make it on my own
Me against the world
It’s me against the world
We won’t let them change how we feel in our hearts
We’re not gonna let the m control us
We won’t let them shove all the thoughts in our heads
And we’ll never be like them
His eyes located Maria with no effort and for the first time he let a completely different emotion build up as he belted out the fast-paced song. He watched her, making sure that their gazes remained connected because he didn’t want her to have any doubts that the words didn’t convey his current feelings and as the song began to wind down she took several tentative steps towards him.
“Michael Guerin is so hot,” she heard a girl in the crowd say.
Yeah, hot and mine, Maria thought.
As the last notes faded away the singer for the band asked if he wanted to hang around for the rest of the set and Michael shook his head. “Nah,” he said, stepping back away from the microphone, “thanks for the invite, but I’ve kinda got other plans for the rest of the evening.” He shook the guy’s hand, hiding a grin at the guy’s shocked expression, and unhooked the strap before moving to place the guitar in one of the stands in front of the drummer.
He glanced around for his girl and his eyebrows shot up in interest when he realized that she was shooting the evil eye at some unsuspecting girl who was talking a mile a minute to the little group she was with. Michael walked to the end of the stage closest to Maria and dropped down to land in the soft sand, wincing when the same group of girls suddenly screeched loud enough to threaten the health of his eardrums and rushed towards him.
Maria rolled her eyes at them. “Groupies,” she muttered disparagingly.
This was not his favorite part of singing, he thought, annoyed when the girls mobbed him. Sure, way back in the beginning, it’d been pretty cool to have hot girls throwing themselves at him, but now? Now there was only one hot girl he wanted and he glanced around hoping that she was going to be interrupting the little groupie love-fest going on.
Maria made her way through the group with confidence. “Hey, baby,” she rested her hand on his shoulder and reached out to remove some other girl’s hand from his chest. “Wanna go get that drink now?”
Two words and a simple touch was all it took and all of his attention was focused on her. As far as he was concerned the rest of the crowd had just disappeared and he nodded in response to her question. “Let’s go.”
“Is she his girlfriend?” she heard one of the girls say.
“Don’t know, never saw him with one,” another girl said.
“Well, I’ve seen him with her a lot lately,” the third one said.
Maria just rolled her eyes. “Does it even occur to them that we can hear them?”
Michael snorted. “You think they ever stop to actually ‘think’ about anything?” He ignored their catty comments and draped his right arm around Maria’s shoulders, pulling her up against his side as they went in search of the bar. “So, what’d ya think of the song?”
“The song was great. It was written about your parents, I guess?”
He nodded in response to her question. “Yeah, I wrote it after a fight with them.”
She nodded. “Well, your next song should be a happy one then, ‘cause I’m plannin’ to make you very happy.”
“Happy, huh? I don’t know, Maria,” he said doubtfully, “I’m not sure happy songs would get the same reaction.” He ducked when she took a playful swing at him. “But, hey, I like that part about you makin’ me happy.”
“Yeah, of course you do. So, whatcha want to drink?” she asked when they had made it back to the bar area.
“You sure you wouldn’t rather tell me all the ways you’re gonna make me happy?” His eyebrows lifted hopefully. “Because I can get a beer anytime, anywhere.”
“You’ll find out soon,” she said and turned to the barkeeper. “Two beers, please.”
She was gonna kill him! “Y’know a beer’s not anywhere near as satisfyin’ as sex, right? I mean, we could be home in a matter of minutes...” He sighed and took the bottle she handed to him. “Is that your way of tellin’ me to stop thinkin’ with my dick?”
“Exactly,” she said, smiling.
“Fine,” he grumbled and then ruined it with a smile. “Whatcha wanna do now?”
“Maybe we can go back near the stage and listen to the band for a while?”
“Listen to the band?” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m gonna have to watch you... I think you’re just lookin’ for an excuse to kick some groupie ass.”
She shrugged. “I will if it’s necessary.”
“Y’know I think that’s hot, right?”
It was her turn to roll her eyes. “Is there anything you don’t think is hot?”
“About you? Nope, not a thing.”
She wrapped his arms around him and rested her head on his chest. Hopefully he won’t get bored after we actually have sex, she thought.
Michael held her close, unaware of the jealous looks being aimed at his girl. The band started a slow song and his body started to sway unconsciously as he hummed along with the music. The only thing he was really aware of in that moment was the feel of Maria’s body pressed up against him and the way she was holding him like she never intended to let him go.
She relaxed in his arms and enjoyed the feeling of his body rubbing against hers. “That really feels good,” she whispered.
“Yeah, it does,” he murmured as he lifted his free hand to cup her chin and tip her head back so he could gently kiss her. The kiss started out soft and slow, but grew in intensity with every passing second.
Michael was on the verge of losing himself in the kiss when something cold and wet splashed against his back and shoulders. They pulled apart and he lifted his head to see the rain that had started to fall. “Damn, it wasn’t supposed to rain tonight,” he muttered.
“Oh, no, my top’s gonna be transparent soon,” Maria noticed.
Michael glanced down and smirked when he realized that the tiny raindrops spattering her shirt were indeed making her breasts almost as visible as if she weren’t wearing a top at all. “I don’t know... I kinda like it.”
“Yeah, I know you do, but we’re not at home and everyone’s gonna see it if you don’t keep me close.”
He glanced around and realized that there was no shortage of girls in the same condition and they were getting plenty of attention from the guys. Not his girl, he thought, hauling her up against his body and wrapping his arms around her tightly.
“Hey, Guerin, how’s that injury?”
He looked up when Troy Jansen, one of the football players approached them and he felt himself bristling when the guy’s eyes made an appreciative sweep over Maria’s bare legs.
“It’s fine,” Michael said, shifting slightly. “I’ll be ready for our next game.”
Troy grinned at the less-than-subtle warning in Guerin’s possessive hold on the girl in his arms and he nodded, keeping his eyes off of her. “So, any plans for the weekend?”
Michael relaxed slightly when he felt Maria’s hands slide up under his tee shirt so she could trace random patterns over his back. “Just kickin’ back and relaxin’,” he answered with a shrug. He liked Troy and normally they’d have a few drinks and talk about girls and sports, each of them trying to best the other with their exploits, but for the first time he really wasn’t interested in drawing out the conversation. He didn’t know where the night would lead, but if it went in the direction he really wanted it to go, he didn’t wanna waste precious time standing around talking about nothing.
Troy nodded and motioned to the little blond wrapped around Guerin. “I don’t believe I’ve met your date,” he said, winking at her when she shot a smile in his direction. He held his hand out to her as he introduced himself, “Troy Jansen.”
Michael tensed for a moment as he waited to see what Maria would do.
“Hey, I’m Maria,” she said and shook his hand without moving away from Michael. “You’re on the team, right?”
Troy straightened up and nodded. “Yup, I’m on the team... someone’s gotta make these guys look good on the field.”
Maria laughed a little, but didn’t know how to respond. Michael was the sexiest and best on the team for as far as she was concerned.
“I get the feelin’ you’ve never noticed me though,” he grumbled with a quick grin.
“Well,” she looked up at Michael, “I’m usually kinda distracted when this guy’s on the field.”
“Hell, no, she’s never noticed you,” Michael said, unable to hold back the grin that surfaced when she admitted as much.
“Hey, that’s even better... if you’re off the market that just means more girls for me.”
“You’re already off the market, Jansen,” a girl’s voice spoke up from behind him. “And you’d better stop forgetting it.”
Troy grimaced and draped his left arm around the tall, red-headed girl that came up beside him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She reached out to shake Maria's hand. “Rita Carter.”
“Maria, nice to meet you,” Rita said, smiling. “You can’t let these boys outta your sight for a second or they start actin’ like they’re allowed to run around checkin’ out other girls.” She bumped her hip against her boyfriend and shook her head at him when he just grinned unrepentantly.
“Ah, is that so?” Maria asked, turning her head to meet Michael’s eyes with a playful grin on her lips.
Michael just shook his head. “Hey, Troy put a muzzle on your woman before she gets me in trouble.” Things were going too good with him and Maria and he didn’t want anything to screw it up.
Rita’s gaze turned challenging as she glanced up at Troy. “I think you’d better say somethin’ or you’re gonna be in trouble,” she warned.
Troy could see the playfulness hiding in her eyes and he glanced at his teammate. “You ever tried to muzzle a redhead?” He jumped back out of the way just before her elbow could make contact with his ribs. “I'm kiddin’,” he yelped, when she grabbed a handful of his tee shirt and pulled him closer. Redheads could be very dangerous when provoked, he thought.
“Troy...”
Michael grinned as he watched Troy cowering in the face of his girlfriend’s mock irritation. They had been together since their freshman year and he had seen them play around like this many times.
“So, anyway, Guerin, before you get me in anymore trouble, maybe I should just take my girl back home.” He glanced up at the sky as thunder rumbled and the wind picked up slightly. “Looks like the rain’s gonna ruin the party anyway... I thought it was just gonna sprinkle for a bit and then blow over, but it looks like we’re in for a storm.”
“So says weatherman Troy,” Rita mumbled. She glanced at Maria when the weather gods decided to give Troy’s forecast their blessing. “They’re such know-it-all’s, aren’t they?”
Michael felt Maria start to shiver when the wind became cooler and he rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an effort to warm her up a little bit. “You ready to head back home?” he asked without realizing what he had just insinuated.
“Well, we’re gonna get outta here before it gets any worse.” Troy took his girlfriend’s hand and nodded at something behind the other couple. “Looks like you’ve got a completely different kinda storm blowin’ in, Guerin.”
Michael glanced over his shoulder and frowned when he saw another of the football players heading in their direction. He tensed up when the guy nodded at him, obviously intending to stop and talk. Well, they couldn’t exactly leave until they could get a fairly clear path, otherwise people were gonna get an eyeful of what belonged to him. He had never gotten along with Lance Pruitt; they had hated each other from their first meeting and he didn’t really know why.
Lance walked up to Guerin and faced him, arms crossed over his chest to see if the other guy would start something.
“Somethin’ I can do for you, Pruitt?” Michael asked as he tossed their empty bottles into a nearby trash receptacle.
“Yeah, get off my team.”
“Team doesn’t belong to any one person,” Michael said, hoping to avoid a fight.
“Sure it does... at least it did until you came along.” He glared at Guerin. “You and your friends show up and think you’re all that... got news for you, Guerin, you’re not.”
Maria could feel the tension in his body and she turned her head to have a look at the person who was talking behind her.
His gaze lowered to the blond plastered to the other guy when she turned to look at him and he grinned when he noticed her. They had an English Lit class together. Yeah, this would really tune Guerin up. “Maria, how’s that assignment comin’ along for old man Kramer’s class?” His grin turned wolfish as he shot a quick glance at Guerin. “You think you’re gonna need any help?”
“Nope, already done.” she said without much interest. How the fuck did he know her name, anyway? She didn’t even recognize him from her English class at all.
Michael felt Maria’s hands moving over him, her hands brushing against his back in calming sweeps and he knew it was the only thing keeping him from taking a swing at the other guy. “She doesn’t need your help with anything, Pruitt. Why don’t you just get lost?”
Lance just grinned; baiting Guerin was so much fun! “Y’know, I don’t really have anything else to do right now...” His eyes slid over Maria suggestively before he met her pissed off gaze directly. “Don’t have anyone to do right now either... interested?”
Michael felt every muscle in his body tense in preparation for a fight and his hands came up to rest on Maria’s shoulders, intending to move her back so he could go after Lance.
“Pfff...” Maria snorted, “as if anyone would prefer you over him.” She patted Michael’s chest, feeling that he was getting close to losing it.
Lance just shook his head. “Honey, if you prefer him... it’s only because you haven’t actually fucked him. Trust me, once you do, you’ll come back to me.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Really? Well, why are you here all alone then? What’s the matter? You haven’t found anyone drunk or stupid enough to fuck you?”
“Who says I’m alone?” He held his arms out at his sides. “There’s too much to contain... can’t confine all this to just one girl.”
“You’d better hurry then,” she said turning away then to meet Michael’s eyes. “Why don’t we go get somethin’ to drink?”
Lance couldn’t believe that she had just dismissed him like that! He glared at Guerin when he had the audacity to laugh out loud. Keep it together, Pruitt, he thought. Just let it go for now... you’ll figure out a way to get back at him later. “Your loss,” he muttered before turning to go find another girl to hit on.
The rain slowed to a light drizzle as they walked up to the bar and ordered a couple of beers and Michael was careful to keep her close to him and away from curious eyes.
“Hey, Michael!”
He turned his head when someone called him and he nodded when he recognized Alan Russell and his girlfriend Mandy O’Conner. He and Alan had been in several classes together their freshman year and even though they didn’t have any classes together this year, they still got together once in a while just to hang out and shoot a game of pool over a few beers. He made the introductions between the couple and Maria and before long the girls were talking a mile a minute.
“I should’ve put on a dark top like you,” Maria said, motioning to the top Mandy was wearing. “Mine’s practically non-existent from the rain.”
“Well, that would explain Mr. Possessive over here,” Mandy said, giving Michael a friendly shove. “I’ve got a sweatshirt and a jacket in the car if you wanna walk up to the parking lot.” She rolled her eyes. “Alan doesn’t like for me to walk around parking areas after dark if I’m alone.”
Alan just shrugged. “Better to be safe than sorry.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “I have no intention of losin’ you to some perv who hangs around dark areas at night.” He glanced at Michael and shook his head. “They want you to be all protective and worried about them bein’ safe, but the second you do that, they tell you you’re TOO overprotective.” He smiled at his girlfriend when she swatted his backside and walked away with Maria. “So, what’s up, Michael? I haven’t seen you around in a while.”
Michael shrugged, his attention focused on Maria as she walked along with Mandy. “Been busy with... stuff.” He turned back to Alan after the girls moved out of sight. “What about you?”
“Stuff, huh?” Alan asked, grinning. “Well, nothin’ new on my side either.”
He nodded. “So, we should get together and hit the bar for a couple games of pool. One night next week, maybe?”
“Yeah, we haven’t done that for a while now.”
“Sounds good to me,” a woman spoke up.
Michael cringed when he heard Courtney’s voice.
“Hey, Mikey G, are you here all alone?” Courtney asked, looking around and then leaning against the table next to him.
“No, I’m not.” Damn it, he had to get rid of her before Maria came back. He didn’t want her to see Courtney and read anything into it; the last thing they needed right now was more misunderstandings.
“No?” She leaned closer into him because she couldn’t help it. They had only had sex once in the past year and she was desperate to do it again. Guerin was just amazing in... well, pretty much everything.
Michael wasn’t the type of guy who backed down in a confrontation, but she was in his personal space and he knew what it would look like to someone who walked up. “Why don’t you just find someone else to do, Courtney,” he suggested. “I told you, last year was a mistake that never should’ve happened, and it’s not gonna happen again.” Especially not now, he thought.
Maria froze in place when she saw Courtney standing next to Michael. She was practically all over him. “Great!”
“Oh, c’mon, you enjoyed it the last time,” Courtney said, not backing away.
“I wouldn’t know... as I recall I was drunk.”
And he had been drunk... drunk enough that he had woken up the next morning and been surprised to find himself in Courtney’s bed. Sure, they had dated for a few weeks and after breaking up he had sworn that he wouldn’t get involved with her again, but a confrontation with his father had left him a mass of seething emotions and he had gone out and gotten so drunk he couldn’t see straight and then he had somehow found his way back to Courtney.
Ungh, he didn’t wanna think about that! “Look, Courtney, drunk or not, it’s not gonna happen again. Me an’ you, we used each other and that’s all there was to it; it’s been over for a long time.”
Alan hid a smirk when he noticed the girls coming back from the parking lot.
“You weren’t that drunk, Michael.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.
Maria started to walk over to the bar after watching them for several very long seconds. It would be interesting to hear what that little bitch had to say.
Michael froze when he noticed Maria walking towards them, her stride determined and her expression anything but happy.
“She’s here with you?” Courtney asked, remembering the little scene at the beach party on Tuesday night.
As soon as Maria was close enough Michael leaned over to grab her hand and pull her up against his body, making it clear that they were together. “Yeah, she’s here with me.”
“What d’you want?” Maria snapped at Courtney. No need to be polite here.
“Ooooh,” Courtney mocked, “retract the claws, little girl.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that just as soon as you face up to the fact that he doesn’t want you.”
Alan and Mandy watched the little display with excitement; it never got boring when Guerin was around.
Courtney watched them, taking in the way they touched each other. “You forget that I’ve already had him.”
“Yeah, HAD, that’s the right word. See, you’re making progress,” she said, her tone patronizing.
“More progress than you’re makin’,” Courtney snarled.
Maria just rolled her eyes and leaned further into Michael’s body to show that little bitch who was making the real progress here.
Courtney smiled viciously. “That’s sweet how he lets you hang all over him, but he’s just doin’ it to prove a point. The man can’t stand bein’ touched outside of the bedroom.”
“Maybe when he was with you.”
“It’s hard to remember... we spent so much of our time together in bed.”
“So much time, huh?” Maria asked, lifting her eyebrows in question. The girl was crazy and totally into her man. “You’d better get lost.”
Michael felt the change when Maria went into territorial mode and he tightened his arms around her to hold her in place. “Hey,” he murmured, lowering his head so his lips brushed against her ear, “as much as I’d love to see you fight over me, I don’t think our evening will go as smoothly if you’re all bruised up from a catfight.”
Courtney’s eyes widened when she overheard him even though he was speaking very low. She was losing and she didn’t like that one bit. “Whatever... he may be yours now, but everyone knows Michael doesn’t stick with any woman for very long.”
Maria didn’t even bother to look at her again; she just searched Michael’s eyes. “Maybe in the past,” she mumbled.
Michael smiled gently in response to her words. “It’s in the past because that’s where it belongs.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and hoped that she understood what he couldn’t put into words.
Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to kiss him. She could see Courtney disappear from the corner of her eye and she started to relax again.
Alan was sure his eyebrows were about to shoot right off of his forehead when Michael actively engaged in the public display of affection. He glanced to the side when Mandy smacked the back of her hand against his stomach.
“Quit staring.”
“Like you’re not just as shocked.”
“Not the point.”
Michael looked around when Maria ended the kiss, surprised to see that Courtney had disappeared. “I think you made your point, baby.”
“Good,” Maria said smiling, “’'cause I’m not sharing you with anyone.”
“Michael, I think you may have met your match,” Mandy said, laughing.
“He better have,” Maria said.
Michael met her gaze and he nodded. “You don’t have to make threats,” he teased.
Suddenly thunder clapped loudly and rain started to fall again.
“Can I keep your jacket tonight?” Maria asked.
“Sure, no problem,” Mandy assured her. “I can get it from you later; next time the guys meet up to play pool, maybe?”
“You play pool?” she asked, glancing between Michael and Alan.
“Yeah, we shoot a few games every once in a while,” Michael answered.
“Oh, okay, that’s cool.”
“I can show you how to play if you want. I’ve got some pretty dangerous moves with my... pool cue,” he said, shifting his hips suggestively as he nipped her earlobe.
“Sounds good to me,” she whispered, “it’ll be fun.”
Mandy rolled her eyes, amused as she witnessed a side of Michael Guerin that she doubted anyone had ever seen. “Okay, and on that note, we’re gone.”
“Yeah, we’re gonna go now, the weather’s kinda ruining the party anyway,” Alan said. “What about next Wednesday, Guerin?”
Michael lifted his head, surprised that they were still there. “Wednesday sounds good.”
“Cool.” Alan took his girlfriend’s hand and pulled her along with him. “We’ll see you around 8pm?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Michael nodded and waved them off, glad to be left alone with Maria.
“They’re pretty cool,” Maria said when the couple had gone.
“Yeah, he’s a good guy and Mandy keeps him in line.”
“So, what’re we gonna do now?” She shifted closer to him because the wind was picking up again.
The rain was starting to become a little more insistent and his mind shifted to the last time she had gotten caught out in bad weather and come down with a bad cold. “We should probably head home before you get sick.”
“As long as you care for me like you did the last time I was sick, I wouldn’t mind.”
“I can guarantee that I’ll take care of you if you get sick, but I think we’ll both like it a lot more if you don’t.”
“Okay, then let’s go.”
*****
Max stepped out of the shower and dried off before pulling a pair of flannel pajama bottoms on and walking out of the bathroom. His hair was damp, standing up in multiple directions and he ran his hand through it to smooth it down as he looked around his empty room and frowned. Liz had been quiet on the drive home and while he had hoped that she’d be waiting for him, he hadn’t expected it.
He stepped out of his room and moved across the hall when he saw that she had left her door open just enough to imply that he was welcome to come inside. He knocked quietly and pushed the door back to enter the room, smiling when he saw Bella lying on the floor next to the closed bathroom door. He thought about lying on her bed, but then decided that he didn’t want to push things; she had been distracted and just a little bit distant towards the end of the evening and he wasn’t sure what was on her mind.
Liz wasn’t surprised to see Max standing by the sliding glass doors when she came out of the bathroom after drying her hair. She was actually glad to see him because it made it a little bit easier to talk to him about his sister-in-law if they weren’t in his bedroom. She smoothed her hand over her tank top and shorts before crossing the room and sitting in the comfortable chair placed by the windows.
“Your friends are really nice,” she said, hedging as she tried to figure out how to bring up what was sure to be a touchy subject.
“Yeah, they’re great.” He turned to look at her, wondering if he should bring her distraction up or wait and see if she was going to do it on her own.
“I, um… Max, I need to talk to you about something, and I’m not exactly sure how to approach it.” She cleared her throat when she realized that she had his full attention with those few words. She was becoming used to that and she liked that he always responded to her slightest concern by giving her his full attention, but at the same time it made it even more difficult to be direct.
“Just tell me what’s on your mind, Liz.”
“Your sister-in-law,” she blurted out nervously.
“Lacey?” Max frowned. “Why?” He could see that whatever was bothering Liz was serious and that she was uncomfortable talking about it, but what could Lacey have done? “Did she say or do somethin’ that you’re not comfortable with?”
Liz cleared her throat and nodded. “She just… she… she touches you, Max… a lot.”
Max bit back the automatic response of ‘is that all?’ and nodded instead. “I’ll talk to her, Liz.”
The nervous feeling suddenly fled and she looked at him directly. “You know?”
“I’m aware of it, yes. I know I probably shouldn’t have let it go on, but she’s never crossed any lines; there’s nothin’ sexual about her touches.”
“But, that can’t be healthy, Max; she’s holding onto your brother through you.”
“It hasn’t been easy for her; losing Jason, having J.J., goin’ to college, and bein’ both parents for her son – “
“Max, you can’t let her use you to hold onto him.”
“It’s not intentional, Liz,” he said, irritation creeping into his tone. “There’s no need for you to be worried about it; Lacey would never do anything to betray my brother and I’m not – “
“No, Max! I understand that you guys are close and I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem with all of the touching. Some of it is downright inappropriate and I did not just walk out on one relationship where I never stood up and expressed myself just to get into another one just like it.”
“Is this about her askin’ me to dance a couple of times tonight?”
Liz shook her head. “You don’t want to understand what I mean.”
“Then explain it to me.” He wasn’t the type of guy who got defensive over things, but she was pushing him on one of the few things that were sure to piss him off.
“Lacey is searching for attention, YOUR attention, Max. And it’s obvious that it’s related to your brother.”
“Look, you don’t understand; sometimes she just needs somethin’ to hold onto. I’m not gonna just turn my back on my brother’s...” he swallowed hard. “Jason wouldn’t expect me to just turn my back on her just because she needs...” He didn’t really know how to go on because honestly, he didn’t understand it and he wasn’t that comfortable with it.
“Max,” she took his hands in hers, “nobody wants you to turn your back on her. But Lacey is holing onto Jason through you. And as long as you let her, she won’t be able to let him go.”
He sighed and looked down at her hands where they were wrapped around his. “I’ve tried to talk to her about it...” he admitted finally and shook his head. “Well, the conversation only took place in my head because I don’t know how to bring it up with her.”
“I know this isn’t a very comfortable conversation to have... and I’m sure she’ll be angry and hurt about it, but you need to do this Max. And I’m not just speaking as a jealous girlfriend.”
“This past year’s been really hard on her, Liz... losin’ Jason, tryin’ to keep up with school and work, and havin’ J.J.” He sat down on the foot of her bed and looked up at her. “It’s one of the reasons that I got to school late... she was goin’ through a rough patch and she needed some help. She dropped classes after J.J. was born and she’s been thinkin’ about goin’ back to school next year.” He hurried to continue when he saw her expression. “Not in California or anything,” he assured her. “Here, in Texas, where she an’ Jason were goin’ before...”
Liz let go of his hands and walked around the room. “You aren’t doin’ her any favors if you don’t say anything. Not for her and not for your brother.”
He felt his temper edging closer to the surface again. “I’ll handle it, Liz.”
She stopped pacing and looked at him. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he asked slowly. “That’s it?”
She shrugged. “I told you what I think, so yeah, that’s it. It’s up to you now.”
Max stared at her in disbelief. He wasn’t sure if he had expected her to turn it into an argument or not, but he was relieved that she was dropping the subject. He knew he needed to talk to his sister-in-law, but actually dealing with it was a different story altogether. “Then we’re good?”
“Of course we are.” She walked over to him and sat down next to him on the bed. “Max, I didn’t bring this up because I wanted to fight about it, but I needed to say something. You said you would handle it and I’m trusting you to keep your word and do that.”
He nodded, hearing the sincerity in her words. “So, since I’m gonna deal with this and we’re not gonna fight about it...” He shifted so that he was facing her and reached up to brush her hair back away from her face. “Does that mean you’re gonna come over to my room an’ spend the night with me?”
She leaned into his touch and smiled softly. “Yeah, why not?”
He grinned and his eyebrows waggled playfully. “Wanna make out?”
She leaned into him, settling into his embrace and reaching up to stroke his goatee. “Okay.”
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 68 - 11/15/09
Earth2Mama: Hmm, yeah, we’re thinkin’ that moment is coming up here pretty soon.
LOL, no need for worry or panic, promise! Yup, he’s known and yup, it definitely should’ve been dealt with before now, but he’s in a difficult position and it’s been easier to let it slide than dealing with such an uncomfortable situation. Plus, there’s the added convenience of distance; most of the year he’s in California and not at home where he’d have to deal with the issue.
A change like Michael’s exhibiting was bound to be noticed, lol!
kay_b: It’s nice to see, huh?
Liz definitely didn’t want a fight, she just wanted to make sure her point was made. Don’t worry, Max will deal with it; before now he hasn’t had anyone in his life so he hasn’t really felt a push to deal with the situation, but now he does and he will.
It’s amazing, isn’t it?
sarammlover: Security is an amazing thing and it has done wonders for these two!
Max is gonna deal with the issue and it won’t take long.
kismet: Now that they’re really together they’ve only got eyes for each other; in many ways the rest of the world just doesn’t exist for them.
You could be onto something.
keepsmiling7: Max is a man of his word.
Eva: The changes are allowing their confidence in themselves and their relationship to grow by leaps and bounds.
nibbles2: Michael will always have that jealous, possessive streak, but it may mellow slightly over time… we’ll see.
Maiqu: Thanks for reading!
Natalie36: Really?
mary mary: Weren’t expecting that, were ya? We’re sure you’re right and don’t worry, it’s not a situation that will be dragged out!
Alien_Friend: He is and he will! Now that Liz is with Max she’s realizing more and more what she wants and that she has an inner strength that she wasn’t aware of. Being with him will only encourage more growth and allow her to really discover who she is and who she can be because Max cares enough for her that he wants that for her.
Look at ‘em go! They’re strongest when they’re together.
Cardinal: Liz is quickly learning that she has depths she didn’t even know about. Max isn’t Sean and she knows that she has to stand up for herself and deal with things head on if she wants this relationship to work.
We’re pretty sure that Max has what it takes to man up and deal with the situation. Before now he hasn’t had enough of a reason or the willingness to face the problem, but now he has Liz and she’s let him know in no uncertain terms that the situation needs to be dealt with… and soon!
It’s only right that Michael and Maria should get their turn as the cute couple, lol!
April: He will, promise!
Wow, impending doom, huh? Us? Well, we do still have more than 500 pages, so it can’t be perfectly smooth sailing from now until then. But, but… no more blowouts that last for lots and lots of chapters. Yeah, there’re gonna be issues that crop up, but the worst of those problems will be dealt with as a united front.
destinyc: It’s not an easy position to be in. Liz is learning quickly, isn’t she?
Part 68 – The Wait Is Over
Michael and Maria stumbled into the apartment, soaking wet from the rain and dripping all over the floor. “C’mon, let’s go get some towels.” He pushed the door shut against the wind and slapped the locks into place before kicking his shoes off and carrying them to his bathroom.
Maria dropped her sandals on the floor with his shoes and she gratefully snatched one of the towels out of his hand when he pulled them out of the linen closet. “Maybe we should take a hot shower,” she suggested, shivering.
“Good idea,” he said, taking the towel from her and hanging it over his shoulder so he could rid her of her shirt. He was reaching for the towel again when the lights suddenly flickered and went out. “Or, it’s a good idea unless it’s pitch dark in here.”
“Damn it, I was thinkin’ the weather would be all good in California,” Maria complained. “Baby, where are you? I can’t see you anymore.”
Michael’s voice was husky as he reached for her in the darkness, his hands brushing against her breasts as he tried to find her arms. “Maybe I should go get some candles... otherwise, we’re not gonna be able to see anything.” He quickly stepped out of his wet clothes and helped her out of the rest of hers before he carefully led her out of the bathroom. He knew his room like the back of his hand so it was just a matter of leading her over to his bed and making sure she was wrapped in a towel before he sat her down and went in search of candles.
He found a flashlight in one of the kitchen drawers and switched it on before going back down the hall to Kyle’s room. He located a couple of candles that were sitting around the room and he grabbed them up before hurrying back to the other end of the apartment. He shut the door behind him and placed the candles on the nightstand, lighting them, and switching the flashlight off so he could set it aside in case he needed it later.
His gaze fell on Maria where she was sitting on his bed wearing nothing more than a towel and he was suddenly conscious of the fact that he wasn’t wearing more than that either. His heart started to pound as he realized that she was staring at him in a way that was unmistakable.
She was gorgeous on a normal day, but with her features damp from the rain and lit by candlelight, she was absolutely breathtaking. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured gruffly as he knelt down in front of her. Michael wanted so badly to reach out and touch her, but his mind suddenly flashed back to that moment at the cabin when she had shut him down and he suddenly realized that he was terrified of it happening again.
He could feel his emotions so close to the surface and the thought of putting himself out there only to get slapped down scared him in a way that nothing else could. Yeah, they had agreed to just take things as they came, and to hell with the stupid no-sex rule, but what if he let her see him that open and she decided she couldn’t go through with it? Could he deal with that rejection again?
He searched her green eyes, needing some kind of confirmation that this was real for her, too. All this worrying was just making him nervous and he didn’t want that. “Maria?”
“Yeah?” She could feel that something was wrong; he seemed so worried about something.
His hand shook as he reached out to cup her cheek. “I don’t want a repeat of the last time we got to this point... I’m...” He had to grit his teeth and take in a deep breath so he could continue. “This past week without you... it hurt... a lot… and I’m scared of losin’ you again.”
Her heart almost broke with his confession and she got down on the ground to kneel in front of him. “It’s different this time,” she promised. “You’re not gonna lose me, baby.”
Michael’s dark eyes glittered in the candlelight and he was so transfixed by her expression that he had to remind himself to breathe.
“Michael, d’you know why I said no that night?”
He nodded. “Because we had agreed…” He shook his head, unconsciously mimicking the movement she was making. His heart was racing when she reached up to cradle his face in her hands, her touch so gentle and caring. “There was another reason?”
“You have no idea just how resistible you are, do you?” And he didn’t know, she thought sadly. His parents had drilled their opinions into him for so long that he had started to believe what they said about him.
“Don’t make me believe that I’m somethin’ I’m not, Maria,” he begged. “I know what I am – “
She shook her head and her hold became firm when he tried to look away. “You already believe that you’re somethin’ you’re not, and I intend to change your way of thinking. The reason I said no was because I’m so close to fallin’ in love with you that it’s not gonna take much for me to be all the way there.” She brushed his damp hair back and leaned in to kiss him. “And when that happens, Michael, you’re not gonna be able to get rid of me and I’m not gonna be able to walk away from you.”
“I don’t wanna get rid of you, Maria.” He got to his feet and pulled her up with him. “And if you ever walked away from me…” He inhaled raggedly and shook his head. “I want somethin’ with you that I’ve never had with anyone else, somethin’ that’s not gonna end after a few weeks, and I’ll be damned if that doesn’t scare the hell outta me.”
“You’re not the only one who’s scared here, baby. Yeah, I’ve been in relationships before, I’ve let myself get involved before, but what I’ve never done is let myself fall in love, and I want that with you more than anything else.” She smiled when she saw the confusion in his eyes. “I’ve cared about the guys I’ve been in relationships with, but as far as love goes, I’ve managed to protect myself from getting in that deep… I’ve been runnin’ from that with you, and I’m tired of running.”
Michael’s fingertips brushed over the towel where she had knotted it between her breasts and he gave it a gentle tug, loosening it as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “So, stop runnin’ away from it,” he whispered, waiting for her to give him permission to continue. “Run to me because I swear to you, baby, I’ll catch you when you fall. I’ve never been this invested before and chances are good that I’m gonna fuck it up sometimes, but…”
Maria raised her hand and pressed her fingertips against his lips. “We’re not perfect, Michael, and we’re both gonna screw it up every now and then, but maybe we should worry about that when it happens instead of trying to predict what we’ll do when it does.” She lowered her hand to cover his where it rested over the knot on the towel, silently giving him permission to continue.
His fingers shook as they fumbled with the knot and his breath caught in his throat when it finally came apart and fell to the floor. He had lost count of the number of times they had seen each other naked, but this time was so different that he felt like he was seeing her for the first time. He felt like he had waited his entire life for this moment, for her, and he wanted to take his time, draw it out and savor it. He reached around her and grabbed one corner of the comforter, flinging it back and out of the way as he maneuvered her onto the mattress.
Maria stared up at him, transfixed by the expression on his face as his eyes traveled over her, visually mapping every inch of skin on display. It was a look of such intense concentration and she had never seen anything like it on his face. Her eyes began their own journey, tracing over the well-defined muscles that shifted and rippled with every movement, sliding to the side where the bandage was taped over his injury.
“It’s fine,” he said, drawing her attention back to his face.
She nodded and her gaze lowered when he reached for the knot that rested low on his hip below the stark white bandage. Her breathing quickened when his towel unknotted and came apart to slither to the floor in a nearly silent whisper of motion. It wasn’t the first time that she had seen him naked, but he was impressive; hard and so ready, but something about his demeanor said that he had no intention of rushing things.
He moved, bracing his right knee on the mattress as he waited for her to lift her gaze to his. “You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked as brown eyes collided with green.
She held her arms out to him, welcoming him into her embrace and pulling him down against her when he capitulated. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” she whispered, enjoying the feel of his hard body pressing her deeper into the mattress.
Michael lunged up to take her mouth in a hot, wet kiss that went on for what seemed like an eternity. If it hadn’t been for their lungs demanding oxygen it would’ve gone on even longer, but he finally had to break the kiss and he stared down at her, his chest heaving as his lungs pulled in the much-needed air.
As the pressing need for oxygen became less demanding he kissed her again, keeping it gentle and short before trailing a line of kisses along her jaw and down to her neck. He located her pulse point and settled there, sucking on the spot until he was certain that he would leave his mark on her body, and then his lips began forging a trail into new territory.
Maria tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him close when his lips brushed over her breasts, tracing over every inch of her soft flesh as he worked his way to her nipple. She was certain he was trying to drive her mad when he finally reached her nipple and he simply ran his tongue around it before moving to the other one. “Michael,” she moaned, shifting under him and trying to direct his attention back to her nipple.
Michael smiled against her skin, knowing he was making her crazy and loving every second of it. He pressed a kiss to the flesh between her breasts before lifting his head to meet her heated gaze. “Somethin’ I can do for you?”
“Yeah,” she said, nudging him, “I want equal time.”
He shook his head. “Huh-uh, you’ve got more interesting parts than I do, so it’s only fair that I get more time.” He laughed when she made a face and he suddenly realized that she was the only girl he had ever been able to laugh and joke around with in bed; they could talk seriously, joke around and goof off, and with any other girl he knew it would just ruin the mood, but with Maria it was just part of the whole package and it only enhanced the mood.
“You just don’t find your parts as interesting as I do.” She pushed him over on his back and climbed on top of him. “But, I can make you enjoy my appreciation of them if you’ll cooperate with me.”
Michael’s hands roamed over her back and sides as he watched her studying his body in the candlelight. She could turn him on with nothing more than a look and as much as he wanted to know what it felt like to make her come apart while he was inside of her, he didn’t want to rush any part of their night.
Maria teased him the same way he had teased her, slowly and torturously trailing her lips and tongue over every dip, hollow, and curve of his neck, chest, and abdomen. His skin was such an interesting combination of rough and smooth textures and she doubted she would ever tire of touching and exploring him.
It was Michael’s turn to groan when she gently grazed her teeth over one hard little nipple before sucking it into her mouth. She could feel his erection where it was pressed between them, hot and hard, and demanding attention and it took sheer willpower to stop herself from just going right to the main course.
She gave his nipples equal attention before sliding further down his body to press a kiss against his tip, unable to stop herself from following it up with a swipe of her tongue. She nudged his hard-on aside just enough to trace her tongue around his belly button, dipping her tongue inside to tease him. She squealed in surprise when he suddenly hauled her up over him and reversed their positions again and a moment later she was laughing when he blew a raspberry against her stomach.
Never in all of her sexually-active years had she ever been with a guy who could play around and be serious in bed. It wasn’t the kind of thing she would have expected from him when they had first met; back then she had expected him to be the type of guy who got a girl in bed, jumped right to the main event, and then took off just to avoid any kind of commitment issues. But now she knew differently, and she knew that until they had gotten together, her assessment of his past track record with women had been correct.
Michael loved the sound of her laughter and as much as he wanted to think that he would never do anything to silence it, he was too much of a realist to believe that was possible. But he swore to himself that he would do his best to keep his screw-ups to a minimum because even though he didn’t have a lot of faith that he was capable of maintaining an actual relationship, he really did want this thing to work out between them.
“Michael?”
He lifted his head when she called his name and she sat up to cradle his face in her hands. “Huh?”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Don’t let me fuck this up, Maria.”
She stared into his dark eyes and shook her head. “Tell ya what, Michael; I won’t let you fuck it up if you don’t let me fuck it up, okay?” She kissed him, running her hands over his back as he leaned over her, pressing her back against the pillows and letting his weight settle over her once more.
Michael growled low in his throat when he nudged her knees apart so that he could settle between her legs and the sound reverberated through his chest where it was pressed to hers. He released her lips so he could move back down her body, his lips trailing fire in their wake as he took the direct route to his destination. She was already wet and swollen, ready for him to make her his in the most elemental sense of the word.
“What’re you waitin’ for,” Maria teased, “an engraved invitation?”
“You should give up architecture and just go for a career in standup comedy, woman.” He shook his head as he trailed his fingertips over her thigh. “I was just thinkin’ about goin’ down on you, but since we’ve already done that, maybe you’re not – “
Maria hooked her left leg over his back and tugged him closer as she snatched up one of his pillows and whacked him across the head. “Trust me, that never gets old.”
“Never, huh?” He smiled at her wickedly. “That’s good to know.” He kept his eyes locked on hers as he put his fingers to work, sliding them between her folds to discover what he already knew – she was ready for him. He teased her for a while, bringing her to the edge and then backing off so that she was a whimpering bundle of raw nerves.
“Michael…”
Michael lowered his head and inhaled the musky scent of her arousal as his fingers teased her entrance. Her hips shifted restlessly when he slid one finger into her and then pulled it out so he could add another finger and repeat the process. He could feel her heartbeat pounding between her legs and he could feel her inner muscles twitching around his fingers.
Maria was beginning to feel frustration creep in as he kept his movements too slow to provide enough stimulation to give her the satisfaction she craved. She groaned when he removed his fingers but before she could form a protest he spread her slick folds and swiped his tongue over her. He wrapped his lips around her swollen clit and gave it a gentle nip with his teeth, enjoying the sounds she made.
Oh, God, she was so close… She bit her bottom lip and her breath started to come in short pants when he slid two fingers into her again, setting up a steady rhythm while he sucked on her clit, hard. She fought to thrust up against him when she felt her orgasm building, needing to move so badly that she could hardly see straight.
“Michael, wait,” she panted suddenly. She struggled to control her breathing when his movements stilled and she held her right hand out to him. “C’mere.”
“What’s the matter, baby?” Michael asked, crouching over her on all fours.
“I want you inside me when I come.”
His dick twitched in response to her words and he nodded in agreement. He wasn’t expecting it when she suddenly pushed him over onto his back and straddled his hips. “I’ve been waitin’ for this,” he growled.
“That makes two of us,” she whispered, leaning down to run her tongue over the hard column of flesh that was just begging for attention. The ends of her hair brushed against his balls and the sensation was strangely erotic. She paused to suck the weeping head into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the sensitive underside. She slowly eased back and let him slip from between her lips, pressing a kiss to the moist tip before she wrapped her hand around his dick and guided him to her entrance. She felt him twitch when she slid her wet folds over him before shifting into position and letting her body greedily accept the thick head. She braced her hand on his chest and forced her eyes to stay open so she could watch him.
Michael’s gaze met hers in the candlelight and he couldn’t have looked away at the moment if his life had depended on it. His heart was pounding and his blood was rushing through his veins as she slowly lowered herself onto his aching erection, one agonizing inch at a time.
When he was fully sheathed inside of her she sat back to savor the feeling of his hardness impaling her in the most amazing feeling of fullness she had ever experienced. “Michael?”
His hands were clenched in the sheets on either side of his body and he grunted when she shifted, lifting herself up before slowly lowering herself back down again.
“I’d really like to come like this, but only if you can hold out…” She panted raggedly as she rose up and slid back down on him once more. “I know you’ve gotta be close, too…”
“Do it, baby, I can hold on,” he gritted out between clenched teeth. He was fighting off the need to flip her over onto her back and pound his erection into her willing body but he could see the need in her eyes so he forced it down.
Maria leaned back, twisting slightly to the right so she could brace her hand on his knee as she started to ride him in earnest. Her free hand came up to cradle her breast, running her fingers over the flushed flesh before tugging and twisting her nipple.
“Oh, God,” she moaned breathlessly, her hips moving erratically as she threw her head back and started panting his name. Her hand was sliding down over her belly, intending to touch herself when her fingers collided with Michael’s.
“You are so fuckin’ beautiful,” he growled hoarsely as he sat up and gripped her hips in his big hands. He steadied her as her movements became stuttered and he knew the exact moment her fingers found her clit because she lost it and went wild. His right hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her against his chest, crushing her to his body as he kissed her roughly and swallowed her screams.
By some miracle he had managed to hold onto his control and he was still held tightly within her body as her inner walls contracted against him and drove him crazy. He relaxed his hold when she started to pull back and she rested her forehead against his, her forearms resting on his shoulders.
“You are amazing,” she huffed with a laugh.
“You think that was amazing?” he growled as he switched their positions without separating from her. “I’m about to show you amazing, baby.” He withdrew slowly and eased back inside, knowing he was angling his hips perfectly when her eyes rolled back in her head. Oh, yeah, there was definitely an advantage to all the making out with no sex, he thought. He already knew her body so well; he knew where her G-spot was and he knew what made her pant, moan, sob in frustration, and scream in ecstasy.
He kept his strokes long and slow, nudging her G-spot and keeping her right on the razor’s edge until he heard the tell-tale catch in her breathing that indicated frustration. He increased his speed slightly, thrusting into her with short, fast jabs and the new angle allowed him to constantly stimulate her clit and each pant and moan only drove his desire higher.
Sweat dripped off of him and splashed against her breasts and he grunted when her teeth sank into his flesh between his neck and shoulder. He rolled his hips, pushing in as deep as he could go and then withdrawing again. After several minutes of the sweet torture he pulled out until only his tip remained inside of her and he leaned down to kiss her. “Are you ready?”
Maria met his gaze, staring into the nearly black pools, and nodded. “Don’t hold back.”
“You either.” He grinned at her. “We’re all alone, baby, and I want that scream to rattle the walls.”
Before Maria could respond his hips slammed into hers and his erection pistoned in and out of her hungry body as he pushed her towards the orgasm she had been anticipating. The last one had been amazing but this time he was in the driver’s seat, and having his big body covering her while he pounded into her was a completely different sensation.
Maria felt the wave of her orgasm wash over her so fast and so powerfully that she had to fight to stay conscious. She threw her head back against the pillows, screaming her release; her body bowed up and he continued to thrust into her, quickly sending her over the edge again.
Michael felt completely wild and untamed as he rode her hard and fast. He was seconds away from release as he called her name, his voice rough. He met her gaze as he asked if she was sure one last time, ready to withdraw at the last second if she had any doubts.
She shook her head, touched that even so close to coming his first thought was for her. She wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him, assuring him without words that he could finish. She pulled his head down and kissed him as he picked his rhythm up again.
She was shocked to feel herself going over the edge a third time as he reached his own peak and her hoarse scream mingled with his own shout of release. They collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs, their harsh breathing the only sound in the room as their hearts slowly staggered back to a normal pattern. It took several minutes before either of them could formulate a thought much less string a sentence together.
“How d’you feel about cuddling after sex?” Maria asked when she had caught her breath.
“S’okay with you,” he mumbled drowsily. “Never really done it with anybody else.” He shifted just enough to pull her against his side and he wrapped his arms around her. “Gimme a few minutes to recover and we’ll go again.”
“Oh, well, please get some rest then, because I’m lookin’ forward to round two.” Maria snuggled up against him and buried her nose against his neck, snuffling just loud enough to make him chuckle. “You smell like hot, sweaty sex.”
“You complainin’ or complimentin’?” he asked, floating in that languid place between awake and asleep.
“Complimentin’, definitely.” She draped her arm over his stomach as she came up on her left elbow, resting her chin in her hand as she studied his features in the candlelight. She wasn’t surprised when he fell asleep; he hadn’t slept much the night before and what sleep he had gotten had been riddled with nightmares. Her poor baby was exhausted, she thought as she reached out to stroke his stubborn jaw.
She glanced up when the sound of rain hitting the windows caught her attention and she wondered how long the storm would last. Would they go to the airport together to pick up Kyle and Tess tomorrow? Was he still going to be as relaxed and accepting of the change in their relationship the next morning? What if he woke up and realized that he didn’t want the added complications of a relationship with her? What if –
“You’re thinkin’ too loud,” he grumbled.
His raspy voice startled her and she smiled when he pulled her down to sprawl against his big body. “Just wonderin’ about tomorrow,” she said, unwilling to express her real doubts at that moment. “Y’know, if we’re gonna pick Tess an’ Kyle up together…”
“Yeah, we’ll pick them up, take ‘em to lunch so you can brag up my abilities between the sheets, and you can keep an eye on me to make sure I haven’t changed my mind.” He tangled his fingers in her hair as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, baby.”
Maria snorted. “Brag up your abilities between the sheets?” she parroted, relieved that he had picked up on her doubts and responded to them without hesitating.
Michael moved so quickly and unexpectedly that Maria found herself flat on her back looking up at him before she had even realized that he was coherent enough to move. “My performance wasn’t good enough to brag about?” he demanded, dark eyes gleaming playfully.
This was a side of him that she hadn’t expected, but she liked it. “Yeah, it was definitely brag-worthy, but, what makes you think I’m gonna run around tellin’ everyone about it?”
“Please, like you girls don’t tell each other everything.”
“Well, that’s a good point, but I wouldn’t share that with her while she’s sittin’ right next to Kyle.” She made a face and slapped his shoulder. “Besides, I had to listen to her go on and on about sex with Kyle, and Isabel did the same thing about sex with Alex, so it’s only fair that I get to brag about my man bein’ a god in bed.”
“Ungh, Maria! You did not just bring up my best friend and my brother havin’ sex with your best friends while we’re in bed together!” He shuddered comically. “You just ruined any chance of me getting it up again tonight.”
“You’re so full of shit,” she said, laughing. “You can’t exactly hide it when you’re naked, on top of me, and sporting a very impressive hard-on.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Impressive, huh?” He nudged the tip of his erection against her center and she shifted to accommodate him. “Ready for round two?”
Oh, yeah, it was official, Maria thought, she was completely in love with him.
*****
Max ran along the footpath that wound through the park as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. He had left Liz sleeping in his bed, intending to go to the park for a jog to clear his head, but before long it had turned into a full out run as he tried to ignore the conversation they’d had the night before.
He knew Liz was right and he had known that eventually he was going to have to talk to his sister-in-law about the touching thing... he just hadn’t intended for it to happen while he was home for Thanksgiving. As uncomfortable as it was it needed to be dealt with, and not just for Liz’ benefit.
He slowed to a jog and then a walk as he neared the entrance to the park. He grabbed a bottle of water and a towel out of his mother's SUV and went over to a picnic table so he could put his things down and stretch. He propped his hands on his hips as he finished stretching and paced back and forth as he dropped his head back to stare at the blue sky overhead. After a few minutes he reached for the water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and poured some of it over his head, shaking the excess water out of his hair before taking a long drink.
He grabbed the towel and ran it over his head and shoulders as he tried to figure out how to do what he had promised Liz he would do. How was he supposed to ask Lacey to stop touching him? It was just a weird situation and he honestly didn’t think she meant anything by it or even realized she was doing it.
He leaned back against the edge of the picnic table, crossing his right ankle over his left as he stared out over the gently rolling hills. He took another drink of water and glanced over his shoulder when he heard a car door shut quietly.
Lacey had just dropped her little boy at the Evans’ house so she could do the grocery shopping for the next week without any interruptions. It wasn’t easy to remember all the things she needed when the little man was around, complaining about all the things she refused to buy him.
When she had noticed Max sitting on the picnic table in the park she had decided to stop by for a few minutes to talk before going on to the supermarket.
He had already recognized her as soon as she had closed the car door and now that she was walking up to him she wasn’t sure it had been such a good idea. Maybe he was here for a reason, maybe he wanted some time alone?
Max smiled hesitantly as his sister-in-law approached him. “Hey, Lacey, what’re you doin’ out this early?”
“I just dropped J.J. off with your parents. I wanna do the grocery shopping this morning and that’s next to impossible when he’s with me.”
“He’s still raisin’ a fuss if he doesn’t get everything he wants, huh?”
“Yeah and it’s hard to concentrate on the things I need to buy when he’s screaming in my ear because I won’t let him have whatever caught his eye.” She took a seat next to Max and glanced around the park. “You know, sometimes it’s not easy to do normal things like showering, cooking, and grocery shopping when you’re alone with a baby.”
Max nodded. “I can imagine.” He took a deep breath and turned to face her. “Lacey... I need to talk to you about somethin’ important.”
She looked at him, concerned. That sounded way too serious for a normal conversation. “What is it, Max?”
“I talked to Liz last night when we got back from the bar and she expressed some concerns...” He rubbed his hand over his jaw. Yep, this was just as difficult and uncomfortable as he had imagined it would be. He cleared his throat. “I’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about it, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”
Lacey could feel her palms beginning to sweat. She already had a small suspicion where this was leading, but she stayed silent just in case it wasn’t what she thought it was. “Just say it, Max,” she told him after several moments of awkward silence.
“Losin’ Jason was the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced and I can only imagine how hard it’s been on you, but... I’m not him, Lacey and I can’t be him for you.” He shook his head when she started to speak, afraid if he didn’t get this out he never would. “I should’ve brought it up sooner but I didn’t know how because it’s just kinda weird... and I don’t believe that you mean anything by it, but... you touch me a lot...”
It felt like a slap across the face when he said out aloud what she had thought before. So, it wasn’t just her imagination... she was touching him and it was obvious to other people as well. Oh, God! Her mouth opened and closed several times, but she couldn’t find any words.
“No, it’s okay, Lacey,” he rushed on when he saw the expression on her face. “Well, I mean, it’s not okay and it’s gotta stop, but... Hey, look, I know it’s not somethin’ you’ve been doin’ consciously, but it does need to stop.” He shook his head. “Not just because of my girlfriend either... it’s not healthy for you or me.”
She nodded apathetically, not really knowing how to deal with this situation. Lacey was so ashamed of herself, but there was no way to avoid the issue any longer. “I need to go, Max,” she finally said in a shaky voice and stood up.
“Lacey...” He didn’t know what to say but he wasn’t sure it was safe for her to drive while she was upset.
“No,” she lifted her hand when she saw that he was about to follow her, “I... I’m not mad at you or anything; I just need a little bit of time alone.”
Max bit his bottom lip and nodded, forcing himself to maintain his distance. “Be careful.”
Lacey hurried to her car. She knew that running away from the situation wasn’t the right way to handle it, but before she could talk to him she had to clear her head.
Max watched her leave and he decided it was time to go back to his parents’ house.
*****
Maria watched Michael as he maneuvered the car through the heavy airport traffic, her eyes so focused on his big hands that she never noticed it when he glanced at her. He had such amazing hands, so capable of touching her with extreme gentleness or bringing her to a fever pitch of need. His abilities as a lover hadn’t been unexpected, but she was still glad that they had waited as long as they had because the buildup had only enhanced the act itself.
“Okay, why’re you starin’ at me?” he asked finally.
She looked at him and grinned when he shifted around uncomfortably. “Oh, I don’t know… just thinkin’ about last night… this mornin’… twenty minutes before we were supposed to walk out the door…”
“I am a sex god, huh?”
She laughed when Michael’s chest puffed up with pride and he grinned at her smugly. Her man didn’t need any help in the ego department, at least not when it came to sex, but she had no qualms about stroking his ego just a little bit. “Yeah, baby, you are.”
He checked the notes he had scribbled down when Kyle had called that morning to remind him when their flight would be landing and which gate they would be waiting at. “I can’t believe how packed this place is on a fuckin’ holiday weekend,” he grumbled as he turned to drive to the next level in the parking garage.
“Oh, c’mon, people are just tryin’ to get home to their families or get back from – “
“It’s just stupid… all this fuss over a damn turkey.”
Maria’s eyebrows lifted when his mood suddenly took a nosedive and she wondered if it was just the reminder that Thanksgiving had been a disaster because of his parents. “Hey,” she reached over to place her hand on top of his where it was gripping the gearshift so tightly, “what’s the matter?”
“Nothin’,” he muttered. “I just hate the holidays.”
“Don’t hate the holidays just because your parents suck, Michael. Things were going so well before they showed up.”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
“Oh, c’mon, if they hadn’t showed up you would’ve ate too much and then spent the rest of the day yellin’ at the TV because you didn’t like the calls the ref made during the big game.”
“Sorry, it’s just gonna take some getting used to, y’know?”
Maria nodded. “So, would it be too soon to ask you about comin’ back to Roswell with me the week before Christmas?”
Michael glanced at her. “For the family thing?”
“Well, my mom’s workin’ over Christmas, so really it’s just a chance for us to get together for a little while. It’s not like some huge traditional thing. Tony’ll be there,” she added, thinking maybe that would be an added incentive.
“So, your cousin would be the big draw for me to go to some little alien-themed town?” Michael asked as he pulled into a parking space.
“No, but I know you guys hit it off pretty well, so I thought – “
“Maria…” He could see that it meant a lot to her to be able to share the holiday with him; he just wasn’t sure he wanted to be around a bunch of happy people celebrating another day that meant nothing to him. He turned his hand over under hers, linking their fingers together and lifted it so he could press a kiss to the back of her hand. “I’ll go, but I’m not gonna sleep in separate rooms, so if your mom’s got a hang-up about that, we’re stayin’ at a hotel.”
She laughed, relieved. “My mom works nights most of the time, so I think we’ll be okay.”
“Alright. Let’s go get our friends so we can go eat.” He opened his door and stepped out, walking around the back of the car to open her door for her. “I’m hungry.”
“You should be after the appetite you’ve worked up in the last 18 hours, big boy.”
They walked into the airport, checking the gate numbers and the information boards as they hurried to their destination. They heard the other couples’ voices before they actually saw them and they turned to follow the sound. They found them at the luggage carousel and Michael just shook his head when he saw the pile of luggage surrounding them and realized that Kyle wasn’t finished collecting their bags.
“Okay, Tess, I know you an’ my mom went shoppin’, but damn, babe, did you leave anything in the fuckin’ stores?”
Michael shook his head. “If you had said you were comin’ back with all this crap I would’ve rented a truck,” he commented as he stepped up to help Kyle haul a particularly heavy bag off of the conveyor belt.
Kyle shook his head. “Man, I didn’t know we had all this crap; my dad took care of checkin’ the bags in while my mom distracted us.” He glared at his girlfriend. “Wonder whose idea that was?”
“Come on, Kyle, who knows when I’ll have the chance to go shopping in New York again,” Tess complained. It wasn’t that much, was it? “Michael will help us carry everything.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “All I can say is my Christmas present better be in here somewhere.”
Michael frowned and shook his head. “No one told you to volunteer me to help carry all this shit,” he argued. “I’m not carryin’ this stuff back to the car... matter of fact, I’m not even sure there’s that much room in my car!”
“Hey, there you are,” Tess said, looking at Michael as if she had just seen him for the first time. “It’s not that much, c’mon guys... Maria? Hey, sweetie!” She hadn’t expected to see her best friend with Michael considering the fact that they had been fighting a few days ago. She hugged her friend when Maria ran towards her and threw herself into Tess’ arms.
“Yeah, here I am... and notice how I’m not rushin’ to load up with all your crap?” Michael said.
“Oh, c’mon,” she cajoled. She shot a look at Maria. “There are a few very nice tops in those bags that I picked up for ya, chica.”
Okay, that might actually be of some interest to him, Michael thought. “What kinda tops?” he asked.
“Sexy tops!” Tess said grinning.
His doubtful gaze slid over the growing mountain of luggage. “Which bag are they in?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said innocently, hoping to get all of her bags carried to the car.
Michael glanced at the bag Kyle was struggling to lower from the conveyor belt to the floor. Well, they definitely weren’t in that one, he mused. And they couldn’t be in the one he had helped move a minute ago, because it had weighed a ton. He gave up after several minutes of studying the bags. “Well, how ‘bout I just go get the car and you pay somebody to haul this shit out to the curb?”
Kyle rolled his eyes when Michael tried to get out of carrying the bags. “Hey, I’m not payin’ somebody else to move all this stuff. You have any idea what that’d cost?”
“Fine, you two go find a couple of those luggage carts,” Michael instructed, waving Maria and Tess away.
“Hey, don’t be so rude,” Maria said, shoving him playfully.
“I’m not bein’ rude,” he muttered. “I’m just kinda tired, seein’ as how I didn’t really get much sleep last night.” He grinned and pulled her up against his body so he could give her a quick kiss. “Somebody kept me up for most of it.”
“Huh? What d’you mean?” she asked innocently before pulling away to walk off with Tess.
“Okaaaay, what’ve I missed here?” Tess demanded as soon as they were far enough away from the guys.
“A lot,” Maria answered with a grin.
“Uh-huh, I saw that, but how much?”
“I’ll tell you later; it’s a looong story.”
“Oh, c’mon, Maria, don’t leave me hangin’ like that, it’s just cruel,” Tess complained.
“Hey, what’re you two doin’?” Kyle yelled, waving in the opposite direction from the one the girls had taken. “The luggage carts are over there!”
Michael shook his head when the girls just kept walking without altering their original path. “They have no intention of givin’ us a hand with this, y’know.”
“Somehow, I’m not that surprised.” Kyle motioned to the pile of luggage surrounding him. “D’you see all this shit? Y’know how I spent yesterday? With Tess and my mom; yeah, I spent the entire day followin’ them around carryin’ stuff like a pack mule! My dad was supposed to be there but he got lucky and had to work.”
Michael was relieved that Maria hadn’t dragged him to every store within the city limits to take advantage of the sales. He snorted and watched Kyle as he crossed the crowded lobby to retrieve two of the luggage carts. “You’re so whipped,” he laughed when his friend came back and started hefting bags onto the first one.
“Yeah, like you’re any different,” Kyle growled. “You think I can’t tell things have changed between the two of you? Just because I didn’t start rambling on like the girls doesn’t mean I’m blind, Guerin.”
Michael shrugged. “Hey, I’m not the one followin’ my woman around, carryin’ all of her shit, and runnin’ to answer her every beck and call.”
“But, you would if it was Maria’s luggage,” Kyle said without a single doubt.
“Whatever.” He leaned over to pick up one of the bags, got it about three inches off of the ground, and immediately dropped it again. “What the hell did she buy?”
“Man, I don’t know what she bought!”
“I’ve taken down 300-pound guys on the field and had less trouble.” Michael motioned for Kyle to get the other end of the bag and between the two of them they managed to get it on the cart. “I’m surprised the fuckin’ plane didn’t fall outta the sky with all this weight on it.”
LOL, no need for worry or panic, promise! Yup, he’s known and yup, it definitely should’ve been dealt with before now, but he’s in a difficult position and it’s been easier to let it slide than dealing with such an uncomfortable situation. Plus, there’s the added convenience of distance; most of the year he’s in California and not at home where he’d have to deal with the issue.
A change like Michael’s exhibiting was bound to be noticed, lol!
kay_b: It’s nice to see, huh?
Liz definitely didn’t want a fight, she just wanted to make sure her point was made. Don’t worry, Max will deal with it; before now he hasn’t had anyone in his life so he hasn’t really felt a push to deal with the situation, but now he does and he will.
It’s amazing, isn’t it?
sarammlover: Security is an amazing thing and it has done wonders for these two!
Max is gonna deal with the issue and it won’t take long.
kismet: Now that they’re really together they’ve only got eyes for each other; in many ways the rest of the world just doesn’t exist for them.
You could be onto something.
keepsmiling7: Max is a man of his word.
Eva: The changes are allowing their confidence in themselves and their relationship to grow by leaps and bounds.
nibbles2: Michael will always have that jealous, possessive streak, but it may mellow slightly over time… we’ll see.
Maiqu: Thanks for reading!
Natalie36: Really?
mary mary: Weren’t expecting that, were ya? We’re sure you’re right and don’t worry, it’s not a situation that will be dragged out!
Alien_Friend: He is and he will! Now that Liz is with Max she’s realizing more and more what she wants and that she has an inner strength that she wasn’t aware of. Being with him will only encourage more growth and allow her to really discover who she is and who she can be because Max cares enough for her that he wants that for her.
Look at ‘em go! They’re strongest when they’re together.
Cardinal: Liz is quickly learning that she has depths she didn’t even know about. Max isn’t Sean and she knows that she has to stand up for herself and deal with things head on if she wants this relationship to work.
We’re pretty sure that Max has what it takes to man up and deal with the situation. Before now he hasn’t had enough of a reason or the willingness to face the problem, but now he has Liz and she’s let him know in no uncertain terms that the situation needs to be dealt with… and soon!
It’s only right that Michael and Maria should get their turn as the cute couple, lol!
April: He will, promise!
Wow, impending doom, huh? Us? Well, we do still have more than 500 pages, so it can’t be perfectly smooth sailing from now until then. But, but… no more blowouts that last for lots and lots of chapters. Yeah, there’re gonna be issues that crop up, but the worst of those problems will be dealt with as a united front.
destinyc: It’s not an easy position to be in. Liz is learning quickly, isn’t she?
Part 68 – The Wait Is Over
Michael and Maria stumbled into the apartment, soaking wet from the rain and dripping all over the floor. “C’mon, let’s go get some towels.” He pushed the door shut against the wind and slapped the locks into place before kicking his shoes off and carrying them to his bathroom.
Maria dropped her sandals on the floor with his shoes and she gratefully snatched one of the towels out of his hand when he pulled them out of the linen closet. “Maybe we should take a hot shower,” she suggested, shivering.
“Good idea,” he said, taking the towel from her and hanging it over his shoulder so he could rid her of her shirt. He was reaching for the towel again when the lights suddenly flickered and went out. “Or, it’s a good idea unless it’s pitch dark in here.”
“Damn it, I was thinkin’ the weather would be all good in California,” Maria complained. “Baby, where are you? I can’t see you anymore.”
Michael’s voice was husky as he reached for her in the darkness, his hands brushing against her breasts as he tried to find her arms. “Maybe I should go get some candles... otherwise, we’re not gonna be able to see anything.” He quickly stepped out of his wet clothes and helped her out of the rest of hers before he carefully led her out of the bathroom. He knew his room like the back of his hand so it was just a matter of leading her over to his bed and making sure she was wrapped in a towel before he sat her down and went in search of candles.
He found a flashlight in one of the kitchen drawers and switched it on before going back down the hall to Kyle’s room. He located a couple of candles that were sitting around the room and he grabbed them up before hurrying back to the other end of the apartment. He shut the door behind him and placed the candles on the nightstand, lighting them, and switching the flashlight off so he could set it aside in case he needed it later.
His gaze fell on Maria where she was sitting on his bed wearing nothing more than a towel and he was suddenly conscious of the fact that he wasn’t wearing more than that either. His heart started to pound as he realized that she was staring at him in a way that was unmistakable.
She was gorgeous on a normal day, but with her features damp from the rain and lit by candlelight, she was absolutely breathtaking. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured gruffly as he knelt down in front of her. Michael wanted so badly to reach out and touch her, but his mind suddenly flashed back to that moment at the cabin when she had shut him down and he suddenly realized that he was terrified of it happening again.
He could feel his emotions so close to the surface and the thought of putting himself out there only to get slapped down scared him in a way that nothing else could. Yeah, they had agreed to just take things as they came, and to hell with the stupid no-sex rule, but what if he let her see him that open and she decided she couldn’t go through with it? Could he deal with that rejection again?
He searched her green eyes, needing some kind of confirmation that this was real for her, too. All this worrying was just making him nervous and he didn’t want that. “Maria?”
“Yeah?” She could feel that something was wrong; he seemed so worried about something.
His hand shook as he reached out to cup her cheek. “I don’t want a repeat of the last time we got to this point... I’m...” He had to grit his teeth and take in a deep breath so he could continue. “This past week without you... it hurt... a lot… and I’m scared of losin’ you again.”
Her heart almost broke with his confession and she got down on the ground to kneel in front of him. “It’s different this time,” she promised. “You’re not gonna lose me, baby.”
Michael’s dark eyes glittered in the candlelight and he was so transfixed by her expression that he had to remind himself to breathe.
“Michael, d’you know why I said no that night?”
He nodded. “Because we had agreed…” He shook his head, unconsciously mimicking the movement she was making. His heart was racing when she reached up to cradle his face in her hands, her touch so gentle and caring. “There was another reason?”
“You have no idea just how resistible you are, do you?” And he didn’t know, she thought sadly. His parents had drilled their opinions into him for so long that he had started to believe what they said about him.
“Don’t make me believe that I’m somethin’ I’m not, Maria,” he begged. “I know what I am – “
She shook her head and her hold became firm when he tried to look away. “You already believe that you’re somethin’ you’re not, and I intend to change your way of thinking. The reason I said no was because I’m so close to fallin’ in love with you that it’s not gonna take much for me to be all the way there.” She brushed his damp hair back and leaned in to kiss him. “And when that happens, Michael, you’re not gonna be able to get rid of me and I’m not gonna be able to walk away from you.”
“I don’t wanna get rid of you, Maria.” He got to his feet and pulled her up with him. “And if you ever walked away from me…” He inhaled raggedly and shook his head. “I want somethin’ with you that I’ve never had with anyone else, somethin’ that’s not gonna end after a few weeks, and I’ll be damned if that doesn’t scare the hell outta me.”
“You’re not the only one who’s scared here, baby. Yeah, I’ve been in relationships before, I’ve let myself get involved before, but what I’ve never done is let myself fall in love, and I want that with you more than anything else.” She smiled when she saw the confusion in his eyes. “I’ve cared about the guys I’ve been in relationships with, but as far as love goes, I’ve managed to protect myself from getting in that deep… I’ve been runnin’ from that with you, and I’m tired of running.”
Michael’s fingertips brushed over the towel where she had knotted it between her breasts and he gave it a gentle tug, loosening it as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “So, stop runnin’ away from it,” he whispered, waiting for her to give him permission to continue. “Run to me because I swear to you, baby, I’ll catch you when you fall. I’ve never been this invested before and chances are good that I’m gonna fuck it up sometimes, but…”
Maria raised her hand and pressed her fingertips against his lips. “We’re not perfect, Michael, and we’re both gonna screw it up every now and then, but maybe we should worry about that when it happens instead of trying to predict what we’ll do when it does.” She lowered her hand to cover his where it rested over the knot on the towel, silently giving him permission to continue.
His fingers shook as they fumbled with the knot and his breath caught in his throat when it finally came apart and fell to the floor. He had lost count of the number of times they had seen each other naked, but this time was so different that he felt like he was seeing her for the first time. He felt like he had waited his entire life for this moment, for her, and he wanted to take his time, draw it out and savor it. He reached around her and grabbed one corner of the comforter, flinging it back and out of the way as he maneuvered her onto the mattress.
Maria stared up at him, transfixed by the expression on his face as his eyes traveled over her, visually mapping every inch of skin on display. It was a look of such intense concentration and she had never seen anything like it on his face. Her eyes began their own journey, tracing over the well-defined muscles that shifted and rippled with every movement, sliding to the side where the bandage was taped over his injury.
“It’s fine,” he said, drawing her attention back to his face.
She nodded and her gaze lowered when he reached for the knot that rested low on his hip below the stark white bandage. Her breathing quickened when his towel unknotted and came apart to slither to the floor in a nearly silent whisper of motion. It wasn’t the first time that she had seen him naked, but he was impressive; hard and so ready, but something about his demeanor said that he had no intention of rushing things.
He moved, bracing his right knee on the mattress as he waited for her to lift her gaze to his. “You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked as brown eyes collided with green.
She held her arms out to him, welcoming him into her embrace and pulling him down against her when he capitulated. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” she whispered, enjoying the feel of his hard body pressing her deeper into the mattress.
Michael lunged up to take her mouth in a hot, wet kiss that went on for what seemed like an eternity. If it hadn’t been for their lungs demanding oxygen it would’ve gone on even longer, but he finally had to break the kiss and he stared down at her, his chest heaving as his lungs pulled in the much-needed air.
As the pressing need for oxygen became less demanding he kissed her again, keeping it gentle and short before trailing a line of kisses along her jaw and down to her neck. He located her pulse point and settled there, sucking on the spot until he was certain that he would leave his mark on her body, and then his lips began forging a trail into new territory.
Maria tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him close when his lips brushed over her breasts, tracing over every inch of her soft flesh as he worked his way to her nipple. She was certain he was trying to drive her mad when he finally reached her nipple and he simply ran his tongue around it before moving to the other one. “Michael,” she moaned, shifting under him and trying to direct his attention back to her nipple.
Michael smiled against her skin, knowing he was making her crazy and loving every second of it. He pressed a kiss to the flesh between her breasts before lifting his head to meet her heated gaze. “Somethin’ I can do for you?”
“Yeah,” she said, nudging him, “I want equal time.”
He shook his head. “Huh-uh, you’ve got more interesting parts than I do, so it’s only fair that I get more time.” He laughed when she made a face and he suddenly realized that she was the only girl he had ever been able to laugh and joke around with in bed; they could talk seriously, joke around and goof off, and with any other girl he knew it would just ruin the mood, but with Maria it was just part of the whole package and it only enhanced the mood.
“You just don’t find your parts as interesting as I do.” She pushed him over on his back and climbed on top of him. “But, I can make you enjoy my appreciation of them if you’ll cooperate with me.”
Michael’s hands roamed over her back and sides as he watched her studying his body in the candlelight. She could turn him on with nothing more than a look and as much as he wanted to know what it felt like to make her come apart while he was inside of her, he didn’t want to rush any part of their night.
Maria teased him the same way he had teased her, slowly and torturously trailing her lips and tongue over every dip, hollow, and curve of his neck, chest, and abdomen. His skin was such an interesting combination of rough and smooth textures and she doubted she would ever tire of touching and exploring him.
It was Michael’s turn to groan when she gently grazed her teeth over one hard little nipple before sucking it into her mouth. She could feel his erection where it was pressed between them, hot and hard, and demanding attention and it took sheer willpower to stop herself from just going right to the main course.
She gave his nipples equal attention before sliding further down his body to press a kiss against his tip, unable to stop herself from following it up with a swipe of her tongue. She nudged his hard-on aside just enough to trace her tongue around his belly button, dipping her tongue inside to tease him. She squealed in surprise when he suddenly hauled her up over him and reversed their positions again and a moment later she was laughing when he blew a raspberry against her stomach.
Never in all of her sexually-active years had she ever been with a guy who could play around and be serious in bed. It wasn’t the kind of thing she would have expected from him when they had first met; back then she had expected him to be the type of guy who got a girl in bed, jumped right to the main event, and then took off just to avoid any kind of commitment issues. But now she knew differently, and she knew that until they had gotten together, her assessment of his past track record with women had been correct.
Michael loved the sound of her laughter and as much as he wanted to think that he would never do anything to silence it, he was too much of a realist to believe that was possible. But he swore to himself that he would do his best to keep his screw-ups to a minimum because even though he didn’t have a lot of faith that he was capable of maintaining an actual relationship, he really did want this thing to work out between them.
“Michael?”
He lifted his head when she called his name and she sat up to cradle his face in her hands. “Huh?”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Don’t let me fuck this up, Maria.”
She stared into his dark eyes and shook her head. “Tell ya what, Michael; I won’t let you fuck it up if you don’t let me fuck it up, okay?” She kissed him, running her hands over his back as he leaned over her, pressing her back against the pillows and letting his weight settle over her once more.
Michael growled low in his throat when he nudged her knees apart so that he could settle between her legs and the sound reverberated through his chest where it was pressed to hers. He released her lips so he could move back down her body, his lips trailing fire in their wake as he took the direct route to his destination. She was already wet and swollen, ready for him to make her his in the most elemental sense of the word.
“What’re you waitin’ for,” Maria teased, “an engraved invitation?”
“You should give up architecture and just go for a career in standup comedy, woman.” He shook his head as he trailed his fingertips over her thigh. “I was just thinkin’ about goin’ down on you, but since we’ve already done that, maybe you’re not – “
Maria hooked her left leg over his back and tugged him closer as she snatched up one of his pillows and whacked him across the head. “Trust me, that never gets old.”
“Never, huh?” He smiled at her wickedly. “That’s good to know.” He kept his eyes locked on hers as he put his fingers to work, sliding them between her folds to discover what he already knew – she was ready for him. He teased her for a while, bringing her to the edge and then backing off so that she was a whimpering bundle of raw nerves.
“Michael…”
Michael lowered his head and inhaled the musky scent of her arousal as his fingers teased her entrance. Her hips shifted restlessly when he slid one finger into her and then pulled it out so he could add another finger and repeat the process. He could feel her heartbeat pounding between her legs and he could feel her inner muscles twitching around his fingers.
Maria was beginning to feel frustration creep in as he kept his movements too slow to provide enough stimulation to give her the satisfaction she craved. She groaned when he removed his fingers but before she could form a protest he spread her slick folds and swiped his tongue over her. He wrapped his lips around her swollen clit and gave it a gentle nip with his teeth, enjoying the sounds she made.
Oh, God, she was so close… She bit her bottom lip and her breath started to come in short pants when he slid two fingers into her again, setting up a steady rhythm while he sucked on her clit, hard. She fought to thrust up against him when she felt her orgasm building, needing to move so badly that she could hardly see straight.
“Michael, wait,” she panted suddenly. She struggled to control her breathing when his movements stilled and she held her right hand out to him. “C’mere.”
“What’s the matter, baby?” Michael asked, crouching over her on all fours.
“I want you inside me when I come.”
His dick twitched in response to her words and he nodded in agreement. He wasn’t expecting it when she suddenly pushed him over onto his back and straddled his hips. “I’ve been waitin’ for this,” he growled.
“That makes two of us,” she whispered, leaning down to run her tongue over the hard column of flesh that was just begging for attention. The ends of her hair brushed against his balls and the sensation was strangely erotic. She paused to suck the weeping head into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the sensitive underside. She slowly eased back and let him slip from between her lips, pressing a kiss to the moist tip before she wrapped her hand around his dick and guided him to her entrance. She felt him twitch when she slid her wet folds over him before shifting into position and letting her body greedily accept the thick head. She braced her hand on his chest and forced her eyes to stay open so she could watch him.
Michael’s gaze met hers in the candlelight and he couldn’t have looked away at the moment if his life had depended on it. His heart was pounding and his blood was rushing through his veins as she slowly lowered herself onto his aching erection, one agonizing inch at a time.
When he was fully sheathed inside of her she sat back to savor the feeling of his hardness impaling her in the most amazing feeling of fullness she had ever experienced. “Michael?”
His hands were clenched in the sheets on either side of his body and he grunted when she shifted, lifting herself up before slowly lowering herself back down again.
“I’d really like to come like this, but only if you can hold out…” She panted raggedly as she rose up and slid back down on him once more. “I know you’ve gotta be close, too…”
“Do it, baby, I can hold on,” he gritted out between clenched teeth. He was fighting off the need to flip her over onto her back and pound his erection into her willing body but he could see the need in her eyes so he forced it down.
Maria leaned back, twisting slightly to the right so she could brace her hand on his knee as she started to ride him in earnest. Her free hand came up to cradle her breast, running her fingers over the flushed flesh before tugging and twisting her nipple.
“Oh, God,” she moaned breathlessly, her hips moving erratically as she threw her head back and started panting his name. Her hand was sliding down over her belly, intending to touch herself when her fingers collided with Michael’s.
“You are so fuckin’ beautiful,” he growled hoarsely as he sat up and gripped her hips in his big hands. He steadied her as her movements became stuttered and he knew the exact moment her fingers found her clit because she lost it and went wild. His right hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her against his chest, crushing her to his body as he kissed her roughly and swallowed her screams.
By some miracle he had managed to hold onto his control and he was still held tightly within her body as her inner walls contracted against him and drove him crazy. He relaxed his hold when she started to pull back and she rested her forehead against his, her forearms resting on his shoulders.
“You are amazing,” she huffed with a laugh.
“You think that was amazing?” he growled as he switched their positions without separating from her. “I’m about to show you amazing, baby.” He withdrew slowly and eased back inside, knowing he was angling his hips perfectly when her eyes rolled back in her head. Oh, yeah, there was definitely an advantage to all the making out with no sex, he thought. He already knew her body so well; he knew where her G-spot was and he knew what made her pant, moan, sob in frustration, and scream in ecstasy.
He kept his strokes long and slow, nudging her G-spot and keeping her right on the razor’s edge until he heard the tell-tale catch in her breathing that indicated frustration. He increased his speed slightly, thrusting into her with short, fast jabs and the new angle allowed him to constantly stimulate her clit and each pant and moan only drove his desire higher.
Sweat dripped off of him and splashed against her breasts and he grunted when her teeth sank into his flesh between his neck and shoulder. He rolled his hips, pushing in as deep as he could go and then withdrawing again. After several minutes of the sweet torture he pulled out until only his tip remained inside of her and he leaned down to kiss her. “Are you ready?”
Maria met his gaze, staring into the nearly black pools, and nodded. “Don’t hold back.”
“You either.” He grinned at her. “We’re all alone, baby, and I want that scream to rattle the walls.”
Before Maria could respond his hips slammed into hers and his erection pistoned in and out of her hungry body as he pushed her towards the orgasm she had been anticipating. The last one had been amazing but this time he was in the driver’s seat, and having his big body covering her while he pounded into her was a completely different sensation.
Maria felt the wave of her orgasm wash over her so fast and so powerfully that she had to fight to stay conscious. She threw her head back against the pillows, screaming her release; her body bowed up and he continued to thrust into her, quickly sending her over the edge again.
Michael felt completely wild and untamed as he rode her hard and fast. He was seconds away from release as he called her name, his voice rough. He met her gaze as he asked if she was sure one last time, ready to withdraw at the last second if she had any doubts.
She shook her head, touched that even so close to coming his first thought was for her. She wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him, assuring him without words that he could finish. She pulled his head down and kissed him as he picked his rhythm up again.
She was shocked to feel herself going over the edge a third time as he reached his own peak and her hoarse scream mingled with his own shout of release. They collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs, their harsh breathing the only sound in the room as their hearts slowly staggered back to a normal pattern. It took several minutes before either of them could formulate a thought much less string a sentence together.
“How d’you feel about cuddling after sex?” Maria asked when she had caught her breath.
“S’okay with you,” he mumbled drowsily. “Never really done it with anybody else.” He shifted just enough to pull her against his side and he wrapped his arms around her. “Gimme a few minutes to recover and we’ll go again.”
“Oh, well, please get some rest then, because I’m lookin’ forward to round two.” Maria snuggled up against him and buried her nose against his neck, snuffling just loud enough to make him chuckle. “You smell like hot, sweaty sex.”
“You complainin’ or complimentin’?” he asked, floating in that languid place between awake and asleep.
“Complimentin’, definitely.” She draped her arm over his stomach as she came up on her left elbow, resting her chin in her hand as she studied his features in the candlelight. She wasn’t surprised when he fell asleep; he hadn’t slept much the night before and what sleep he had gotten had been riddled with nightmares. Her poor baby was exhausted, she thought as she reached out to stroke his stubborn jaw.
She glanced up when the sound of rain hitting the windows caught her attention and she wondered how long the storm would last. Would they go to the airport together to pick up Kyle and Tess tomorrow? Was he still going to be as relaxed and accepting of the change in their relationship the next morning? What if he woke up and realized that he didn’t want the added complications of a relationship with her? What if –
“You’re thinkin’ too loud,” he grumbled.
His raspy voice startled her and she smiled when he pulled her down to sprawl against his big body. “Just wonderin’ about tomorrow,” she said, unwilling to express her real doubts at that moment. “Y’know, if we’re gonna pick Tess an’ Kyle up together…”
“Yeah, we’ll pick them up, take ‘em to lunch so you can brag up my abilities between the sheets, and you can keep an eye on me to make sure I haven’t changed my mind.” He tangled his fingers in her hair as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, baby.”
Maria snorted. “Brag up your abilities between the sheets?” she parroted, relieved that he had picked up on her doubts and responded to them without hesitating.
Michael moved so quickly and unexpectedly that Maria found herself flat on her back looking up at him before she had even realized that he was coherent enough to move. “My performance wasn’t good enough to brag about?” he demanded, dark eyes gleaming playfully.
This was a side of him that she hadn’t expected, but she liked it. “Yeah, it was definitely brag-worthy, but, what makes you think I’m gonna run around tellin’ everyone about it?”
“Please, like you girls don’t tell each other everything.”
“Well, that’s a good point, but I wouldn’t share that with her while she’s sittin’ right next to Kyle.” She made a face and slapped his shoulder. “Besides, I had to listen to her go on and on about sex with Kyle, and Isabel did the same thing about sex with Alex, so it’s only fair that I get to brag about my man bein’ a god in bed.”
“Ungh, Maria! You did not just bring up my best friend and my brother havin’ sex with your best friends while we’re in bed together!” He shuddered comically. “You just ruined any chance of me getting it up again tonight.”
“You’re so full of shit,” she said, laughing. “You can’t exactly hide it when you’re naked, on top of me, and sporting a very impressive hard-on.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Impressive, huh?” He nudged the tip of his erection against her center and she shifted to accommodate him. “Ready for round two?”
Oh, yeah, it was official, Maria thought, she was completely in love with him.
*****
Max ran along the footpath that wound through the park as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. He had left Liz sleeping in his bed, intending to go to the park for a jog to clear his head, but before long it had turned into a full out run as he tried to ignore the conversation they’d had the night before.
He knew Liz was right and he had known that eventually he was going to have to talk to his sister-in-law about the touching thing... he just hadn’t intended for it to happen while he was home for Thanksgiving. As uncomfortable as it was it needed to be dealt with, and not just for Liz’ benefit.
He slowed to a jog and then a walk as he neared the entrance to the park. He grabbed a bottle of water and a towel out of his mother's SUV and went over to a picnic table so he could put his things down and stretch. He propped his hands on his hips as he finished stretching and paced back and forth as he dropped his head back to stare at the blue sky overhead. After a few minutes he reached for the water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and poured some of it over his head, shaking the excess water out of his hair before taking a long drink.
He grabbed the towel and ran it over his head and shoulders as he tried to figure out how to do what he had promised Liz he would do. How was he supposed to ask Lacey to stop touching him? It was just a weird situation and he honestly didn’t think she meant anything by it or even realized she was doing it.
He leaned back against the edge of the picnic table, crossing his right ankle over his left as he stared out over the gently rolling hills. He took another drink of water and glanced over his shoulder when he heard a car door shut quietly.
Lacey had just dropped her little boy at the Evans’ house so she could do the grocery shopping for the next week without any interruptions. It wasn’t easy to remember all the things she needed when the little man was around, complaining about all the things she refused to buy him.
When she had noticed Max sitting on the picnic table in the park she had decided to stop by for a few minutes to talk before going on to the supermarket.
He had already recognized her as soon as she had closed the car door and now that she was walking up to him she wasn’t sure it had been such a good idea. Maybe he was here for a reason, maybe he wanted some time alone?
Max smiled hesitantly as his sister-in-law approached him. “Hey, Lacey, what’re you doin’ out this early?”
“I just dropped J.J. off with your parents. I wanna do the grocery shopping this morning and that’s next to impossible when he’s with me.”
“He’s still raisin’ a fuss if he doesn’t get everything he wants, huh?”
“Yeah and it’s hard to concentrate on the things I need to buy when he’s screaming in my ear because I won’t let him have whatever caught his eye.” She took a seat next to Max and glanced around the park. “You know, sometimes it’s not easy to do normal things like showering, cooking, and grocery shopping when you’re alone with a baby.”
Max nodded. “I can imagine.” He took a deep breath and turned to face her. “Lacey... I need to talk to you about somethin’ important.”
She looked at him, concerned. That sounded way too serious for a normal conversation. “What is it, Max?”
“I talked to Liz last night when we got back from the bar and she expressed some concerns...” He rubbed his hand over his jaw. Yep, this was just as difficult and uncomfortable as he had imagined it would be. He cleared his throat. “I’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about it, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”
Lacey could feel her palms beginning to sweat. She already had a small suspicion where this was leading, but she stayed silent just in case it wasn’t what she thought it was. “Just say it, Max,” she told him after several moments of awkward silence.
“Losin’ Jason was the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced and I can only imagine how hard it’s been on you, but... I’m not him, Lacey and I can’t be him for you.” He shook his head when she started to speak, afraid if he didn’t get this out he never would. “I should’ve brought it up sooner but I didn’t know how because it’s just kinda weird... and I don’t believe that you mean anything by it, but... you touch me a lot...”
It felt like a slap across the face when he said out aloud what she had thought before. So, it wasn’t just her imagination... she was touching him and it was obvious to other people as well. Oh, God! Her mouth opened and closed several times, but she couldn’t find any words.
“No, it’s okay, Lacey,” he rushed on when he saw the expression on her face. “Well, I mean, it’s not okay and it’s gotta stop, but... Hey, look, I know it’s not somethin’ you’ve been doin’ consciously, but it does need to stop.” He shook his head. “Not just because of my girlfriend either... it’s not healthy for you or me.”
She nodded apathetically, not really knowing how to deal with this situation. Lacey was so ashamed of herself, but there was no way to avoid the issue any longer. “I need to go, Max,” she finally said in a shaky voice and stood up.
“Lacey...” He didn’t know what to say but he wasn’t sure it was safe for her to drive while she was upset.
“No,” she lifted her hand when she saw that he was about to follow her, “I... I’m not mad at you or anything; I just need a little bit of time alone.”
Max bit his bottom lip and nodded, forcing himself to maintain his distance. “Be careful.”
Lacey hurried to her car. She knew that running away from the situation wasn’t the right way to handle it, but before she could talk to him she had to clear her head.
Max watched her leave and he decided it was time to go back to his parents’ house.
*****
Maria watched Michael as he maneuvered the car through the heavy airport traffic, her eyes so focused on his big hands that she never noticed it when he glanced at her. He had such amazing hands, so capable of touching her with extreme gentleness or bringing her to a fever pitch of need. His abilities as a lover hadn’t been unexpected, but she was still glad that they had waited as long as they had because the buildup had only enhanced the act itself.
“Okay, why’re you starin’ at me?” he asked finally.
She looked at him and grinned when he shifted around uncomfortably. “Oh, I don’t know… just thinkin’ about last night… this mornin’… twenty minutes before we were supposed to walk out the door…”
“I am a sex god, huh?”
She laughed when Michael’s chest puffed up with pride and he grinned at her smugly. Her man didn’t need any help in the ego department, at least not when it came to sex, but she had no qualms about stroking his ego just a little bit. “Yeah, baby, you are.”
He checked the notes he had scribbled down when Kyle had called that morning to remind him when their flight would be landing and which gate they would be waiting at. “I can’t believe how packed this place is on a fuckin’ holiday weekend,” he grumbled as he turned to drive to the next level in the parking garage.
“Oh, c’mon, people are just tryin’ to get home to their families or get back from – “
“It’s just stupid… all this fuss over a damn turkey.”
Maria’s eyebrows lifted when his mood suddenly took a nosedive and she wondered if it was just the reminder that Thanksgiving had been a disaster because of his parents. “Hey,” she reached over to place her hand on top of his where it was gripping the gearshift so tightly, “what’s the matter?”
“Nothin’,” he muttered. “I just hate the holidays.”
“Don’t hate the holidays just because your parents suck, Michael. Things were going so well before they showed up.”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
“Oh, c’mon, if they hadn’t showed up you would’ve ate too much and then spent the rest of the day yellin’ at the TV because you didn’t like the calls the ref made during the big game.”
“Sorry, it’s just gonna take some getting used to, y’know?”
Maria nodded. “So, would it be too soon to ask you about comin’ back to Roswell with me the week before Christmas?”
Michael glanced at her. “For the family thing?”
“Well, my mom’s workin’ over Christmas, so really it’s just a chance for us to get together for a little while. It’s not like some huge traditional thing. Tony’ll be there,” she added, thinking maybe that would be an added incentive.
“So, your cousin would be the big draw for me to go to some little alien-themed town?” Michael asked as he pulled into a parking space.
“No, but I know you guys hit it off pretty well, so I thought – “
“Maria…” He could see that it meant a lot to her to be able to share the holiday with him; he just wasn’t sure he wanted to be around a bunch of happy people celebrating another day that meant nothing to him. He turned his hand over under hers, linking their fingers together and lifted it so he could press a kiss to the back of her hand. “I’ll go, but I’m not gonna sleep in separate rooms, so if your mom’s got a hang-up about that, we’re stayin’ at a hotel.”
She laughed, relieved. “My mom works nights most of the time, so I think we’ll be okay.”
“Alright. Let’s go get our friends so we can go eat.” He opened his door and stepped out, walking around the back of the car to open her door for her. “I’m hungry.”
“You should be after the appetite you’ve worked up in the last 18 hours, big boy.”
They walked into the airport, checking the gate numbers and the information boards as they hurried to their destination. They heard the other couples’ voices before they actually saw them and they turned to follow the sound. They found them at the luggage carousel and Michael just shook his head when he saw the pile of luggage surrounding them and realized that Kyle wasn’t finished collecting their bags.
“Okay, Tess, I know you an’ my mom went shoppin’, but damn, babe, did you leave anything in the fuckin’ stores?”
Michael shook his head. “If you had said you were comin’ back with all this crap I would’ve rented a truck,” he commented as he stepped up to help Kyle haul a particularly heavy bag off of the conveyor belt.
Kyle shook his head. “Man, I didn’t know we had all this crap; my dad took care of checkin’ the bags in while my mom distracted us.” He glared at his girlfriend. “Wonder whose idea that was?”
“Come on, Kyle, who knows when I’ll have the chance to go shopping in New York again,” Tess complained. It wasn’t that much, was it? “Michael will help us carry everything.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “All I can say is my Christmas present better be in here somewhere.”
Michael frowned and shook his head. “No one told you to volunteer me to help carry all this shit,” he argued. “I’m not carryin’ this stuff back to the car... matter of fact, I’m not even sure there’s that much room in my car!”
“Hey, there you are,” Tess said, looking at Michael as if she had just seen him for the first time. “It’s not that much, c’mon guys... Maria? Hey, sweetie!” She hadn’t expected to see her best friend with Michael considering the fact that they had been fighting a few days ago. She hugged her friend when Maria ran towards her and threw herself into Tess’ arms.
“Yeah, here I am... and notice how I’m not rushin’ to load up with all your crap?” Michael said.
“Oh, c’mon,” she cajoled. She shot a look at Maria. “There are a few very nice tops in those bags that I picked up for ya, chica.”
Okay, that might actually be of some interest to him, Michael thought. “What kinda tops?” he asked.
“Sexy tops!” Tess said grinning.
His doubtful gaze slid over the growing mountain of luggage. “Which bag are they in?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said innocently, hoping to get all of her bags carried to the car.
Michael glanced at the bag Kyle was struggling to lower from the conveyor belt to the floor. Well, they definitely weren’t in that one, he mused. And they couldn’t be in the one he had helped move a minute ago, because it had weighed a ton. He gave up after several minutes of studying the bags. “Well, how ‘bout I just go get the car and you pay somebody to haul this shit out to the curb?”
Kyle rolled his eyes when Michael tried to get out of carrying the bags. “Hey, I’m not payin’ somebody else to move all this stuff. You have any idea what that’d cost?”
“Fine, you two go find a couple of those luggage carts,” Michael instructed, waving Maria and Tess away.
“Hey, don’t be so rude,” Maria said, shoving him playfully.
“I’m not bein’ rude,” he muttered. “I’m just kinda tired, seein’ as how I didn’t really get much sleep last night.” He grinned and pulled her up against his body so he could give her a quick kiss. “Somebody kept me up for most of it.”
“Huh? What d’you mean?” she asked innocently before pulling away to walk off with Tess.
“Okaaaay, what’ve I missed here?” Tess demanded as soon as they were far enough away from the guys.
“A lot,” Maria answered with a grin.
“Uh-huh, I saw that, but how much?”
“I’ll tell you later; it’s a looong story.”
“Oh, c’mon, Maria, don’t leave me hangin’ like that, it’s just cruel,” Tess complained.
“Hey, what’re you two doin’?” Kyle yelled, waving in the opposite direction from the one the girls had taken. “The luggage carts are over there!”
Michael shook his head when the girls just kept walking without altering their original path. “They have no intention of givin’ us a hand with this, y’know.”
“Somehow, I’m not that surprised.” Kyle motioned to the pile of luggage surrounding him. “D’you see all this shit? Y’know how I spent yesterday? With Tess and my mom; yeah, I spent the entire day followin’ them around carryin’ stuff like a pack mule! My dad was supposed to be there but he got lucky and had to work.”
Michael was relieved that Maria hadn’t dragged him to every store within the city limits to take advantage of the sales. He snorted and watched Kyle as he crossed the crowded lobby to retrieve two of the luggage carts. “You’re so whipped,” he laughed when his friend came back and started hefting bags onto the first one.
“Yeah, like you’re any different,” Kyle growled. “You think I can’t tell things have changed between the two of you? Just because I didn’t start rambling on like the girls doesn’t mean I’m blind, Guerin.”
Michael shrugged. “Hey, I’m not the one followin’ my woman around, carryin’ all of her shit, and runnin’ to answer her every beck and call.”
“But, you would if it was Maria’s luggage,” Kyle said without a single doubt.
“Whatever.” He leaned over to pick up one of the bags, got it about three inches off of the ground, and immediately dropped it again. “What the hell did she buy?”
“Man, I don’t know what she bought!”
“I’ve taken down 300-pound guys on the field and had less trouble.” Michael motioned for Kyle to get the other end of the bag and between the two of them they managed to get it on the cart. “I’m surprised the fuckin’ plane didn’t fall outta the sky with all this weight on it.”
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 69 - 11/19/09
Earth2Mama: Wow, thank you! We have a feeling you’re right about it being a while before those three little words make an appearance.
Max and Lacey will finish that conversation. Right, avoidance isn’t the answer and would only end up making things more uncomfortable for everyone concerned in the end.
Maiqu: Well, the girl does love to shop!
kay_b: Lacey’s situation isn’t an easy one, but she’ll try to explain herself a little better in an upcoming part.
Sounds like you and Tess are on the same shopping wavelength!
begonia9508: Was it ever in doubt? LOL!
Max needed to get it out in the open and deal with it.
nibbles2: Yup.
Alien_Friend: We’re so glad it was worth the wait!
As uncomfortable as it was, it was a situation that needed to be dealt with.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
mary mary: We’re fairly certain that Tess purchased additional bags.
We’ll see Max and Lacey finish their conversation in an upcoming part. Lacey’s parents and family… we’ll see.
Cardinal: Tess is totally used to being catered to. She was raised by her father and completely spoiled, so she isn’t intentionally being lazy and selfish.
No arguments from us!
Well, they had some hurdles to get past before they cold get to this point.
Nah, no waffling for Max. He’s waited a long time for Liz, so he’s not about to screw it up.
We’re sure that things with Lacey will be fine.
sarammlover: Thanks!
Eva: Thanks, we’re glad it was worth the wait!
80s_UnLove_Child: Hi! Welcome to our little world. We’re glad you’re enjoying DT so much! We’ll find out about Isabel’s little announcement later on. Hmm… really? Well, as much as we’d like to deny that… chances are good that you’re right. We can tell you that we will be seeing both Amy and Tony again.
Part 69 – Getting To The Truth
Brendan stared at himself in the mirror over the bathroom sink, satisfied that there wasn’t much more he could do to look like his twin. His hair stood up in soft spikes, his tee shirt hung untucked over the waistband of his jeans, and he had been practicing Michael’s causal slouch all afternoon in an effort to get it just right. He had ducked out before dawn and hidden at a nearby restaurant for hours, knowing that his father would come by and expect him to go sailing with him despite his fear of the water.
He met his gaze for several minutes before he decided he was as ready as he was ever going to be. The drive to the hotel where his parents were staying passed much faster than he wanted it to and before he knew it he was standing at their door. He took a deep breath and fought down the urge to tuck his shirt in and try to smooth the wrinkles from his jeans as he reached out to knock on the door.
His father’s expression was laced with contempt when he pulled the door open and Brendan questioned the intelligence of his decision to engage in the deception. “What d’you want?” his father asked, his tone making it clear that he couldn’t care less.
He swallowed the urge to turn and run and forced his feet to carry him past the man and into the suite. “I want some answers.”
“Answers about what, boy?”
He turned when his father spoke up from the doorway and his gaze lowered to the glass in the man’s right hand. “I wanna know how you convinced Karen to break up with Brendan. I think it’s only fair since everyone thinks I was responsible.”
“You’ve never known when to leave things alone, have you?” Hank shook his head and drained his glass before nodding at his wife. “Get me another drink.”
“Why should I leave it alone? I’m not the reason she left.”
His father laughed and the sound was cold enough to send chills down his spine. “The only thing that matters is that your brother believes it… and you’re the one who made that possible.” He shook his head. “You finally did somethin’ that put just enough doubt in his mind and I can’t take credit for it.”
“What’re you talkin’ about?”
“That little piece of white trash you’re doin’.” He accepted the fresh drink his wife brought to him and took a sip, testing it. “You were all over her when she was dating Brendan so you can thank yourself for him believing that you took Karen from him. Saves me the trouble of workin’ so hard to make him believe it, not to mention the hassle of getting rid of another girl.”
And he had believed it, too, he thought regretfully. “So, how much of a hassle was it to get rid of Karen?”
“You’d be surprised how much work it took to pry that little gold digger out of your brother’s life. Looking back on it now I should’ve just gone through him; it would’ve been much easier.”
“You think you could’ve manipulated Brendan into letting her go?”
“He’s not you, Michael; Brendan’s much easier to control. He trusts blindly and he doesn’t have the backbone to stand up against me. I can make him do whatever I want and he’ll do it without question.” He chuckled cruelly. “I saw the two of you the other day and it didn’t go unnoticed that he’s obviously been spending time around you, but it won’t last, boy.”
“You’d be surprised what’ll last,” he said. This was what his father really thought of him?
“I’ve turned him against you before, I can do it again.”
Hank walked over to the bar and filled his glass again before turning back to face his son. “You think you can undo all the work I’ve put into Brendan with a little bit of attention?” He snorted and shook his head.
Brendan was speechless. How could he have ever trusted this man? “Maybe Brendan’s finally seen who you really are, Hank.”
“You’ve gotten pretty bold since you’ve been livin’ here, boy.” He shook his head. “Brendan may have worshipped you when you were kids and he may be enamored of you now that you’re payin’ him some attention, but I can assure you that it won’t last.”
“Why would you think that?” Brendan snapped back. Had he really been so boneless the last year that his father thought he was just a puppet?
“Michael, you’ve been a constant thorn in my side since you learned the word ‘no’.” He braced one hand on the bar as he looked at his son. “If it weren’t for your spineless mother I would’ve gotten rid of your ungrateful ass long ago.” The ice in his glass clinked against the sides as he took another drink. “How the two of you could be twins is beyond me; Brendan’s personality has always made him easy to manipulate. You give him the facts, twist them so that they make the most logical sense, add in his desire to please, and you have all you need to control him. I will never have to worry about my company with him running it because he will always defer to my wishes... he’ll never make a decision without making sure it’s one I would approve of.”
Brendan snorted. If Hank only knew what he had just revealed. “Listen, up, Hank; you can take all those little plans you made for him and wipe your ass with ‘em.”
Hank’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he slammed his glass down on the bar before he straightened up and moved across the room, grabbing the boy’s shirt and shoving him up against the nearest wall as his right hand came up, curled into a tight fist.
He pulled the punch at the last second and his fist impacted with the wall next to the boy’s head. He swallowed hard as he studied the expression on his son’s face and felt the trembling in the body he held pinned to the wall. The shock and fear he could see in the boy’s eyes was unmistakable and he shook his head as he took a step back.
He reached out, not missing the flinch when he grabbed the boy’s shirttail and jerked it up, searching for the damage he had suffered in the football game just a couple of days ago... and only finding smooth, unmarred flesh there.
“You’re not Michael,” he whispered, not believing that Brendan had deceived him in such a manner.
“Took you long enough to figure it out,” Brendan said when he had gotten some strength back.
“What the hell has he put you up to?” Hank hissed.
“Michael doesn’t know I’m here.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he scoffed. “Why else would you have come here dressed like...” He waved his hand in front of Brendan. “Like that.”
“Just to hear the truth from you; that it’s your fault that Karen broke up with me, that it’s your fault that Michael and I didn’t get along for such a long time. You’re scum, Hank, I know that now.”
Brendan started to head for the front door. He needed to get out, and soon.
Hank got to the door seconds before Brendan and he placed his hand against it, preventing him from opening it. “Brendan, listen to me. Karen was no good for you and Michael’s not someone you should be listening to or following just because he’s bothered to speak to you in the past few months. You’re like a damn puppy that he’s given a little bit of attention to and now you’re too stupid to – “
“Shut the fuck up!” Brendan screamed at his father. “You’re the only one in our lives that really sucks... always has. Do us all a favor and never talk to us again!”
Hank was so shocked at Brendan’s behavior that he let him walk out without another word. He turned when his wife entered the room and he shook his head at her. “Do not start in on me!” he snarled.
He had to figure out how to regain control... soon.
*****
Max dropped the tailgate on his brother-in-law’s truck and reached for his gear. Katy had offered to bring extra gear to share with Liz since they were close in size and he watched as they suited up.
“Hey, Travis, which course are we usin’?”
Danielle snorted and shoved her boyfriend out of the way to get to the case of paintballs. “You know better than that, Evans, we’ve got the entire course all to ourselves for the next four hours.”
Robbie nodded as he scrambled over the side of Travis’ truck to grab his own gear. “Yeah, just in case there’s anywhere on this course that Toby hasn’t ended up with his face in the dirt.”
“Hey,” Toby complained, “can we all agree to take it easy on my battered ego today?”
Katy reached over and smacked his ass as she passed him. “Cowboy up, Toby. We’re gonna be a girl short... wanna be on our side?”
“Wait, we’re doin’ guys against the girls?” Jack asked.
“He picks up on things so quickly,” Taylor said and shot a teasing glance at her husband.
“It’s always guys against the girls, Jack,” Max said while rolling his eyes. “This’s your chance to prove once and for all that you really are superior.”
Taylor snorted and shook her head as she checked her weapon of choice.
Jack’s gaze shot to his wife. “I need to prove superiority? Two words, buttercup... blinker fluid.” He howled and jumped back when a splash of green appeared on his thigh and he rubbed at the stinging spot as he glared at Taylor.
“Sorry,” she apologized with a sweet, overly-sincere expression. “Sensitive trigger.”
“Guess this means the girls have claimed the green and yellow for this round,” Travis said as he elbowed his girlfriend out of the way to take the case she had just claimed. “Those are red and blue, Red; better find someone else to share with ya.” He kissed her and quickly backed away as the group divided into two sides with Toby still standing in the middle.
“Seriously? I’ve gotta be on the girl’s team?”
“You don’t have to be on our team, Toby,” Danielle said after a few moments of laughter from both sides. “Better chance of goin’ undercover with Katy this way, but, if you’d rather be hidin’ in the bushes with Max or Travis...”
“Alright, fine, lemme switch paintballs...” He grinned suddenly and nudged the box by his foot closer to the guys. “I’ll let the rest of the guys have this case of blue balls.”
Robbie laughed and snatched the case up. “Well, you’d know more about that than any other guy here, wouldn’t you?”
Katy grabbed Toby and dragged him over to the girl’s side. “Don’t worry, we’ll take him out first,” she assured him.
“We’re takin’ the west end of the course,” Travis said. “Blue Team will use it as our base. Green Team will take the east end for their base.”
Liz was watching and listening as the rules were explained and Katy gave her a crash course in the weapon she had been given. “Does it hurt to get hit with one of these things?” she asked uncertainly.
“You might get bruised up a little bit, but nothin’ serious,” Katy promised.
“It stings like hell,” Toby answered. “It’s kinda like getting hit with a wet towel, but like Katy said, it’s nothin’ serious.”
“Uh-huh,” Liz answered doubtfully and glanced at the weapon in her hand.
Max smiled as he listened to the others trying to convince Liz that the game wasn’t as dangerous as it seemed to be. “Can I borrow my girl for a minute before the game gets goin’?” he asked as he joined them.
“Don’t believe anything he says. He’s just tryin’ to get some points for his team,” Katy hissed in amusement before leaving them alone.
Max shook his head after her. “You won’t get hit up close, darlin’; there’s a 15-foot rule.”
“15-foot rule?” Liz repeated, confused.
“Players have to have a distance of at least 15 feet between them and their opponent to shoot. Each game lasts until every member on a team has been hit and the other team is declared the winner.”
“I’m gonna suck at this,” Liz said, sure she wouldn’t be any good.
He laughed and shook his head. “You’ll do fine; just point and shoot.”
“What if I accidentally shoot someone in the face?”
“That’s why we wear the face masks but try to aim below the neck.” He leaned in and kissed her as he growled, “And try to avoid any hits directly below the belt.”
She made a face. “I’ll try.”
“I’d appreciate it.” He grinned and stepped back. “You ready for this?”
Before she could answer another voice interrupted. “Max Evans, is that you?”
He turned slowly as he recognized the voice and he smiled at the tall brunette walking towards them as she waved.
Liz glanced at the girl and somehow she knew this one wasn’t just an old friend. Tall, with dark hair, blue eyes, and a body straight out of a fashion magazine... nope, not just an old friend. She might be new to so many things, but the way the girl was watching Max, the way her confidence never faltered, and the way she walked right up to him and hugged him like she was certain of her welcome, easily identified her as an old girlfriend.
Max kept the hug brief, well aware that Liz was with him and he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable. He turned and draped his arm around her shoulders and motioned to the girl that had just arrived. “Liz, this’s Jordyn, ex-girlfriend and still very good friend. Jordyn, this’s my girlfriend, Liz; we’re just down for the weekend, visiting the family.”
Liz tried to force a smile. “Hey.”
Jordyn extended her hand, shaking the one Liz held out and she nodded at the girl. “So, you guys are gonna play a little paintball today, huh?” She glanced up at the beautiful blue sky. “Good day for it.”
Max nodded, knowing that she had expected him to flirt with her. Even after they had broken up, deciding that they wanted different things in life and that trying to maintain a long distance relationship wasn’t what either of them wanted, they had continued to flirt with each other.
Liz nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never played this game before though.”
“It’s a great game,” Jordyn enthused. “You guys need another player?”
“You can join our team,” Katy said.
“Does this mean I can be on the guys’ team now?” Toby asked.
“Yeah, Toby, back off,” Katy said with a grin.
Toby’s hands shot up in triumph and then he started to unload his weapon. “Okay, you can have your green paintballs back then.”
“Yeah, you’ll wanna exchange them for blue balls,” Katy said with a grin.
He stuck his tongue out at her. “Ya know you’re killin’ me, right? Is it intentional?”
“No,” she answered innocently.
He decided to throw the last shreds of his dignity to the wind. “If the guys win will you at least agree to go out with me?”
“The guys won’t win, sweetie,” she said and winked at him playfully.
“But, if we do,” he persisted, “you’ll go out with me?”
“I will,” she said, surprised by her answer.
“Oh, hell yeah!” he shouted, so excited that he dropped the paintballs all over the ground. “We are sooo winnin’ this game!” He rushed over to the case of paintballs Blue Team was using and hurried to reload. “You guys heard it... all of you! She’s gonna go out with me if the guys win.” He looked around at his teammates. “That means we had better win... ‘cause we’re not goin’ home until we do.”
Max rolled his eyes and turned to Liz again. “You ready?”
Liz laughed. “As ready as I’m ever gonna be I guess.” She had never in her life done anything like this, but she was going to give it her best effort.
“C’mon, girl,” Katy called to Liz, “I’m gonna keep you company until you get used to the game.” She had a feeling that Max’ new girlfriend wasn’t really comfortable and Jordyn’s appearance wasn’t making it any better.
“Yeah,” Danielle said as she stepped up on Liz’ other side. “Don’t worry, once you take a couple of them down and get the hang of usin’ your gun you’ll be fine. The biggest thing is gonna be not getting hit by the guys. Anytime the four of us...” she glanced at Jordyn, “well, the five of us get hit the game will end and then we’ll start a new one. Team with the most wins at the end of the day will be the winner... and in case anyone needs any clarification, that’s gonna be us.”
Katy rolled her eyes as she glanced at her friend. “Do I dare ask what you and Travis have wagered on today’s games?”
“Oh, Katy, I’m not sure your virgin ears are ready to hear what we’re wagering. Suffice it to say that no matter which of us loses – and by that I mean when Travis loses – he’ll still be winning.”
Liz’ eyebrows shot up and she glanced at Katy.
“Yes, it’s true,” Katy admitted with a grin. “I know, it’s like totally unheard of these days, but the right guy hasn’t made a move yet.”
“Toby doesn’t have enough experience to know what the right move is,” Danielle muttered as she glanced around the area they would be using as their base.
Taylor laughed at their conversation and shook her head as she reached for a small pair of binoculars in her vest pocket and scanned the opposite end of the course as she looked for the guys’ camp.
Liz was still in shock about Katy’s little confession as she followed the other girls around the camp.
*****
Michael slid into the booth beside Maria, his hip brushing against hers as he sat closer than he normally would. He accepted their menus from the seating hostess and handed one to Maria before leaning back and resting one arm on the back of the bench seat, ignoring his menu in favor of glancing over the one she was holding. He wasn’t expecting it when she reached for his dog tags and tugged him close, kissing him right in the middle of the restaurant before going back to her perusal of the menu.
Across the table Kyle and Tess exchanged a surprised look.
“So, you guys seem to be getting along pretty well,” Kyle commented as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the menu. Not easy to do when his girlfriend was letting her hand wander around below the table.
“We are,” Maria said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Yeah, we’re good,” Michael said, turning to wave a nearby waitress over.
“What can I get for you folks?” she asked, smiling pleasantly.
“We’re not ready to order yet, but, can I get a glass of raspberry tea?”
The waitress took drink orders from all of them and then disappeared with a promise to return quickly.
Michael shifted in his seat and despite his hopes that the inquisition was over, he had a feeling that it was just beginning.
“So, what happened? You two weren’t even talkin’ when we left.” Kyle asked, unknowingly confirming his friends’ suspicions.
And there it was, he thought. Kyle and his big mouth. He had no idea what he was supposed to say; he had so many feelings and emotions swirling around inside of him, but he wasn’t comfortable sharing them. He tugged at his collar, hoping that Maria would pick up the conversation.
“Well, we got together for Thanksgiving, we talked, and we’re together now,” Maria answered, feeling that Michael was uncomfortable with the conversation. She didn’t want to share any details right there in the public setting anyway, so hopefully that was enough information for Kyle.
Kyle watched them, amazed by the change that had occurred over just a couple of days. He could see that Michael wasn’t comfortable being put on the spot, so he knew he was going to drop the subject. He jumped when Tess’ grip on his more sensitive parts shifted from a teasing rub to a warning squeeze and he nodded at her before she had time to utter a single word. “Okay, movin’ on,” he said, breathing a little easier when she relaxed her grip. “No need to damage the goods,” he hissed at her.
“Sometimes you need a little… guidance… to send you in the right direction, babe,” Tess whispered back and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Michael glanced at Kyle when he nearly jumped out of his seat. “Man, what is wrong with you?”
“Uh... nothin’,” his friend answered, way too quickly.
“Uh-huh...” His gaze shifted to Tess and her too-innocent expression.
“Your drinks,” the waitress said as she stopped by their table again. “Do y’all already know what ya wanna eat?”
“Oh, I do!” Maria stated enthusiastically. She shot a teasing smile at her boyfriend when he just shook his head.
Michael could already feel the sweat breaking out on his back. She was gonna kill him no matter what she ordered, he just knew it. “You’re not gonna order the lasagna, are you?” he growled.
“Oh, I am ordering lasagna... and I’m gonna enjoy every... single... bite.”
“So, Guerin, you orderin’ the ravioli?” Kyle asked, smirking when his friend just glared at him.
“No, you’ve pretty much ruined ravioli for me for the rest of my life.” He glanced over Maria’s shoulder while she gave the waitress her order. “I’ll just have the steak and shrimp.”
“Steak and shrimp?” Maria asked surprised. “That’s not very... Italian, baby.”
“I think you’re gonna have enough Italian for both of us... and it’s not like I’m gonna be able to focus on my food anyway since you’re gonna sound...” He glanced at the other couple, but they were discussing their own orders.
“Since I’m gonna sound like what?” Maria asked, eyes sparkling playfully.
“Like you’re about to come,” he grumbled. “And I’m gonna be stuck sittin’ over here hard as a rock, and there ain’t gonna be anything I can do about it.”
“Well,” she leaned closer to him until her lips were almost brushing against his ear, “if it gets to be too much for you, baby, just tell me and we’ll find a way to take care of that problem.” She let her hand wander down over his thigh.
Michael’s heart started to pound when he realized that she wasn’t kidding. “Yeah?” He shifted when her hand slid down to cup him, widening his stance to give her more room to play. “Alright then. Hey, we should order a pint of their pistachio gelato before we leave... take it home for...” His dark gaze bored into her. “Dessert.”
Kyle pointed at one of the selections and nodded at the waitress. “I’ll have the lobster...” He glanced at his girlfriend when she made a negative sound. “What?”
“Kyle, you can’t order lobster... they boil them alive; it’s just so mean.”
Damn it, he really liked lobster! “But, Tess...”
“It’s so mean!”
He groaned when she looked at him, her blue eyes pleading with him. “Okay, forget that,” he said, waving at their waitress. “I’ll just have the spaghetti with meatballs.” It just wasn’t the same as lobster.
Tess smiled brightly at him and ordered the shrimp fettuccini, content to know that at least one lobster wouldn’t be sacrificed for lunch.
“Okay, how was New York?” Maria asked after they had ordered their food.
“Oh, girl, New York was amazing!” Tess said with a big smile. “The stores... the shopping...” She suddenly turned to look at Kyle and kissed him when she noticed his expectant look. “And Kyle’s family was just awesome!”
Maria nodded. She had known before they had left that Tess would do well with Kyle’s parents.
Michael shook his head when the conversation was suddenly focused on shopping and the girls were discussing it like there was no tomorrow. “How’s Summer?” he asked.
“Summer’s great,” Kyle answered, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the girls. “She asked about you.”
“Who’s Summer?” Maria asked when she overheard the guys’ conversation.
“Oh, she’s Kyle’s baby sister; she is sooo cute!” Tess rolled her eyes. “She has a really bad sense of timing though!”
Maria laughed. “Well, that or maybe you two just couldn’t stop touchin’ each other, which means that any kinda timing would’ve been bad.”
“No, it’s really bad timing,” Tess insisted. “Don’t get me wrong, we can’t keep our hands off of each other, but she managed to walk in on us while we were making out in Kyle’s room, the garage, and the kitchen in the middle of the night... really bad sense of timing!”
“Poor little girl,” Michael muttered. He had known the kid practically since she had been born and he loved her like his own sister.
“Poor little girl!” Kyle huffed.
“What about Sharon and Jim? Anything new with them?” Michael asked, knowing that Kyle’s mom had been upset that he hadn’t come around on Thanksgiving.
“They’re good,” Kyle answered. “Mom said to tell you that she’s sorry you couldn’t make it, but that she understands.”
Michael just nodded. It had felt good when Kyle had asked him to come home with him for Thanksgiving because his parents were like his second family. “She make that homemade pumpkin pie?”
“Of course, she always makes it on Thanksgiving.”
Michael nodded. Kyle’s mom could cook better than most restaurant chefs and he loved her food. “So, what’s Big Jim up to?”
“He still thinks he’s the boss of household Valenti, ya know? But the truth is he does what the girls want.”
Tess smirked. “You’re so much like your dad, Kyle.”
Kyle frowned at her. “Are you sayin’ that because I do whatever you want?” He shook his head when she grinned. “Hey,” he shoved her playfully, “watch your mouth, blondie.”
Tess just rolled her eyes and looked at Maria. “Girl, we have got to go to New York... maybe next summer, but we have definitely got to go. I’m tellin’ you, the shopping is just amazing. And Kyle is so good about carrying everything out to the car so that I can focus on more important things... like sales!”
“Kyle, don’t let your girlfriend put those thoughts in my girlfriend’s head,” Michael complained.
Kyle just shrugged. “Like I have any control over what this woman does.”
“Pussy-whipped,” Michael muttered under his breath.
“What?” Tess and Maria both asked at the same time.
“Huh?” Michael looked up, ignoring the fact that Kyle was sitting across from him with an incredibly smug look on his face.
“Repeat what you just said,” Maria demanded, drumming her fingers on the table.
“What’d I say?” he asked, not liking the dangerous look in her eyes.
“Uh-huh!”
“You, uh...” Fuck, he had just royally screwed up! “You wanna do anything specific this afternoon?” Damn, what was something that she’d wanna do? Something that he’d rather give up his right arm than ever consider doing? Something that would make her forget what he had just said?
Maria laughed at him and leaned into him. “Now, who’s pussy-whipped, baby?”
Michael nearly passed out with relief when she suddenly laughed and her tone turned teasing. “I’m not denyin’ it," he growled, grabbing her and kissing her hard and deep for several long breath-stealing minutes.
“Uh...” Kyle coughed slightly.
The kiss ended when Michael felt a spiked heel nudge his calf with no subtlety and he glared at Tess as he released Maria. “Why don’t you go find another sea creature to save and stop buggin’ me?”
“You two are actin’ as if you’re alone in the restaurant.”
“Um... and Summer interrupted the two of you where, again?” He shook his head at her, seeing that she was gearing up for a rant. “At least I haven’t scarred any small children.”
“Here we go with your food,” the waitress said, and Kyle was glad for the interruption.
Michael shook his napkin out and snatched up the utensils, going to work on his steak. He was hoping to get through at least part of his meal before Maria totally distracted him.
But, of course, it was totally hopeless because her appreciation of good Italian food reached his ears within seconds.
“Mmmm,” Maria groaned with the first bite of her lasagna.
Michael shifted uncomfortably and wished that he’d had the foresight to wear a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants instead of jeans. He reached for his glass, downing half of its contents in the hopes that the ice cold tea would help keep things under control.
“Why don’t you just pour it in your lap?” Tess suggested sweetly.
“Oh, God... this is sooo good,” Maria went on.
“Why don’t you bite me?” he snarled at his antagonist.
“You’re such a dick,” she said, enjoying their game.
“You would know.” Michael couldn’t keep his mind focused on the insults when Maria started to squirm in her seat. No one should enjoy food like that!
“Maria, baby, please try to control yourself and stop soundin’ like you’re havin’ an orgasm while you’re eatin’,” Michael said, pleading.
Kyle snorted when he overheard Michael begging and he nearly choked on a meatball that he swallowed whole.
“Are you tryin’ to kill me, man?”
“You think this is funny?”
“Kinda, yeah.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Okay, stop it, I’m gonna try to be quiet.”
Michael contemplated that for all of ten seconds. “Nah, I can take it, baby.” He leaned over the table to stab one of the shrimp coated in the thick sauce on Tess’ plate, smirking at her when she shrieked in indignation.
“Stop eating my food, Michael.”
“Who says I’m gonna eat it?” he countered, tipping his fork back and launching the shrimp across the table at Kyle. He laughed when it landed on Kyle’s forehead with a squishy sound and then slowly slid down to fall on his plate.
“You did not just do that,” Kyle growled, sticking one of the meatballs on his fork and throwing it at Michael.
“Oh, my God!” Tess muttered. She felt like she was sitting in a restaurant with two five-year-olds.
Michael looked down at his shirt when the meatball landed against his chest and rolled down to land in his lap, leaving a trail of marinara sauce behind. “Hey, Maria, looks like I’ve got three balls now... you wanna do somethin’ about that for me?”
“Love to.” She bent over and took the meatball out of his lap with her mouth. “Mmmm, delicious.”
Michael just stared at her, shocked, stunned, and so turned on he could hardly breathe. “Got two more down there,” he muttered, sounding strangled.
“Uh-huh. We’ll save them for dessert.”
Kyle glanced at Tess. “Are we that disgusting?”
“Not in public,” Tess said smirking. It was good to see her best friend happy again.
Michael looked across the table at the other couple. “No, just in front of small children,” he said, glancing down when Maria tried to clean him up with one of the linen napkins.
“Baby, that sauce ain’t goin’ anywhere and you’re only gonna keep Mike Jr. standin’ at attention if you keep that up,” he growled in her ear.
“We should have gotten dinner to go,” she muttered.
“We can still do that.” Hell, who was he to argue if his woman wanted to get him naked and in bed?
“Tempting,” Maria said, “but I guess we should try to control ourselves for now and later we’ll spend the rest of the afternoon together in bed?”
“Oh, there is a God,” Tess muttered. “I was sure you two were about to just go at it on the table.”
“You’re so lucky we’re not,” Maria said, sticking her tongue out at her best friend.
Tess giggled at Maria’s behavior; she had missed this side of her friend’s personality.
“Mmmm, oh...” Maria groaned after taking another bite of her meal.
Michael let his fork drop down to clatter against his plate and he leaned back in his seat. “Here we go again.” He glanced up when the waitress stopped by their table to ask if they needed anything and he nodded. “You guys still carry that homemade pistachio gelato, right?” Ha, that had Maria’s attention, he thought when she stopped eating.
“Yes, of course, sir. Would you like to order some?”
“Yeah, we’d like a pint to go. Just put it all on the same ticket,” he said, pulling his wallet out and retrieving his credit card and handing it over when she nodded and went to close their order out.
“Guerin, you feelin’ alright, buddy?” Kyle asked, eyeing Michael’s wallet suspiciously.
“Huh?”
“You just don’t normally offer to pay for everyone.”
“Things change,” he answered simply.
“Kyle, are you callin’ my boyfriend cheap?” Maria demanded, loving the way the word boyfriend sounded.
“What? No, I was just wondering, that’s all”
“Um-hmm... I don’t think I believe you.” She smiled at Michael. “I think when we get to the apartment, you have somethin’ else to do while Kyle haul’s Tess’ purchases up to the second floor.”
“Yeah, definitely,” Michael said, pulling her into his arms.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Kyle protested. “How did I become the bad guy?”
They both shrugged. “Your fault, Valenti.”
“Tess, make it stop,” he whined.
“Babe, they just can’t wait to get rid of their clothes; there’s nothin’ I can do about that.”
“But, they’re bein’ mean to me... where’s your sympathy?”
“You’ll get lots of it once my stuff is all safe in my room at home, babe.” She laughed and hugged him.
“I don’t want sympathy when I’m in bed with you,” he growled, unable to keep from laughing when she hugged him.
The waitress stopped by again and gave Michael his credit card and a sack with the dessert. “Hope you’ll visit us again,” she said, winking at Michael as she walked away.
Maria stared after her, shocked at the woman’s audacity. “Was she flirting with you?”
“Who?”
“The waitress, Michael!”
“I don’t know... wasn’t lookin’ at her.”
Maria smirked. “Good boy.”
“Does he sit up and beg for you, too?” Tess asked, rolling her eyes at Michael.
“With the right incentive,” Michael said, grinning at Maria as he shoved his wallet in his back pocket and leaned over to kiss her.
Kyle couldn’t get over the change in his best friend; he had known that Michael had the ability to care deeply because he had witnessed it when he was around certain people… Brooke and Summer were two good examples. But he had never seen Michael open up this much and he had a feeling it was a very good sign that his relationship with Maria had a chance of surviving and getting stronger.
“Okay, I think they’re officially worse than us,” Tess muttered.
“Oh, I don’t know, babe,” Kyle growled as he followed her out of the booth, “maybe we should give ‘em a break, huh?” He grinned, knowing that it would take an effort on her part to stop baiting Michael; for some reason she and Michael both enjoyed their weird antagonistic relationship.
Max and Lacey will finish that conversation. Right, avoidance isn’t the answer and would only end up making things more uncomfortable for everyone concerned in the end.
Maiqu: Well, the girl does love to shop!
kay_b: Lacey’s situation isn’t an easy one, but she’ll try to explain herself a little better in an upcoming part.
Sounds like you and Tess are on the same shopping wavelength!
begonia9508: Was it ever in doubt? LOL!
Max needed to get it out in the open and deal with it.
nibbles2: Yup.
Alien_Friend: We’re so glad it was worth the wait!
As uncomfortable as it was, it was a situation that needed to be dealt with.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
mary mary: We’re fairly certain that Tess purchased additional bags.
We’ll see Max and Lacey finish their conversation in an upcoming part. Lacey’s parents and family… we’ll see.
Cardinal: Tess is totally used to being catered to. She was raised by her father and completely spoiled, so she isn’t intentionally being lazy and selfish.
No arguments from us!
Well, they had some hurdles to get past before they cold get to this point.
Nah, no waffling for Max. He’s waited a long time for Liz, so he’s not about to screw it up.
We’re sure that things with Lacey will be fine.
sarammlover: Thanks!
Eva: Thanks, we’re glad it was worth the wait!
80s_UnLove_Child: Hi! Welcome to our little world. We’re glad you’re enjoying DT so much! We’ll find out about Isabel’s little announcement later on. Hmm… really? Well, as much as we’d like to deny that… chances are good that you’re right. We can tell you that we will be seeing both Amy and Tony again.
Part 69 – Getting To The Truth
Brendan stared at himself in the mirror over the bathroom sink, satisfied that there wasn’t much more he could do to look like his twin. His hair stood up in soft spikes, his tee shirt hung untucked over the waistband of his jeans, and he had been practicing Michael’s causal slouch all afternoon in an effort to get it just right. He had ducked out before dawn and hidden at a nearby restaurant for hours, knowing that his father would come by and expect him to go sailing with him despite his fear of the water.
He met his gaze for several minutes before he decided he was as ready as he was ever going to be. The drive to the hotel where his parents were staying passed much faster than he wanted it to and before he knew it he was standing at their door. He took a deep breath and fought down the urge to tuck his shirt in and try to smooth the wrinkles from his jeans as he reached out to knock on the door.
His father’s expression was laced with contempt when he pulled the door open and Brendan questioned the intelligence of his decision to engage in the deception. “What d’you want?” his father asked, his tone making it clear that he couldn’t care less.
He swallowed the urge to turn and run and forced his feet to carry him past the man and into the suite. “I want some answers.”
“Answers about what, boy?”
He turned when his father spoke up from the doorway and his gaze lowered to the glass in the man’s right hand. “I wanna know how you convinced Karen to break up with Brendan. I think it’s only fair since everyone thinks I was responsible.”
“You’ve never known when to leave things alone, have you?” Hank shook his head and drained his glass before nodding at his wife. “Get me another drink.”
“Why should I leave it alone? I’m not the reason she left.”
His father laughed and the sound was cold enough to send chills down his spine. “The only thing that matters is that your brother believes it… and you’re the one who made that possible.” He shook his head. “You finally did somethin’ that put just enough doubt in his mind and I can’t take credit for it.”
“What’re you talkin’ about?”
“That little piece of white trash you’re doin’.” He accepted the fresh drink his wife brought to him and took a sip, testing it. “You were all over her when she was dating Brendan so you can thank yourself for him believing that you took Karen from him. Saves me the trouble of workin’ so hard to make him believe it, not to mention the hassle of getting rid of another girl.”
And he had believed it, too, he thought regretfully. “So, how much of a hassle was it to get rid of Karen?”
“You’d be surprised how much work it took to pry that little gold digger out of your brother’s life. Looking back on it now I should’ve just gone through him; it would’ve been much easier.”
“You think you could’ve manipulated Brendan into letting her go?”
“He’s not you, Michael; Brendan’s much easier to control. He trusts blindly and he doesn’t have the backbone to stand up against me. I can make him do whatever I want and he’ll do it without question.” He chuckled cruelly. “I saw the two of you the other day and it didn’t go unnoticed that he’s obviously been spending time around you, but it won’t last, boy.”
“You’d be surprised what’ll last,” he said. This was what his father really thought of him?
“I’ve turned him against you before, I can do it again.”
Hank walked over to the bar and filled his glass again before turning back to face his son. “You think you can undo all the work I’ve put into Brendan with a little bit of attention?” He snorted and shook his head.
Brendan was speechless. How could he have ever trusted this man? “Maybe Brendan’s finally seen who you really are, Hank.”
“You’ve gotten pretty bold since you’ve been livin’ here, boy.” He shook his head. “Brendan may have worshipped you when you were kids and he may be enamored of you now that you’re payin’ him some attention, but I can assure you that it won’t last.”
“Why would you think that?” Brendan snapped back. Had he really been so boneless the last year that his father thought he was just a puppet?
“Michael, you’ve been a constant thorn in my side since you learned the word ‘no’.” He braced one hand on the bar as he looked at his son. “If it weren’t for your spineless mother I would’ve gotten rid of your ungrateful ass long ago.” The ice in his glass clinked against the sides as he took another drink. “How the two of you could be twins is beyond me; Brendan’s personality has always made him easy to manipulate. You give him the facts, twist them so that they make the most logical sense, add in his desire to please, and you have all you need to control him. I will never have to worry about my company with him running it because he will always defer to my wishes... he’ll never make a decision without making sure it’s one I would approve of.”
Brendan snorted. If Hank only knew what he had just revealed. “Listen, up, Hank; you can take all those little plans you made for him and wipe your ass with ‘em.”
Hank’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he slammed his glass down on the bar before he straightened up and moved across the room, grabbing the boy’s shirt and shoving him up against the nearest wall as his right hand came up, curled into a tight fist.
He pulled the punch at the last second and his fist impacted with the wall next to the boy’s head. He swallowed hard as he studied the expression on his son’s face and felt the trembling in the body he held pinned to the wall. The shock and fear he could see in the boy’s eyes was unmistakable and he shook his head as he took a step back.
He reached out, not missing the flinch when he grabbed the boy’s shirttail and jerked it up, searching for the damage he had suffered in the football game just a couple of days ago... and only finding smooth, unmarred flesh there.
“You’re not Michael,” he whispered, not believing that Brendan had deceived him in such a manner.
“Took you long enough to figure it out,” Brendan said when he had gotten some strength back.
“What the hell has he put you up to?” Hank hissed.
“Michael doesn’t know I’m here.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he scoffed. “Why else would you have come here dressed like...” He waved his hand in front of Brendan. “Like that.”
“Just to hear the truth from you; that it’s your fault that Karen broke up with me, that it’s your fault that Michael and I didn’t get along for such a long time. You’re scum, Hank, I know that now.”
Brendan started to head for the front door. He needed to get out, and soon.
Hank got to the door seconds before Brendan and he placed his hand against it, preventing him from opening it. “Brendan, listen to me. Karen was no good for you and Michael’s not someone you should be listening to or following just because he’s bothered to speak to you in the past few months. You’re like a damn puppy that he’s given a little bit of attention to and now you’re too stupid to – “
“Shut the fuck up!” Brendan screamed at his father. “You’re the only one in our lives that really sucks... always has. Do us all a favor and never talk to us again!”
Hank was so shocked at Brendan’s behavior that he let him walk out without another word. He turned when his wife entered the room and he shook his head at her. “Do not start in on me!” he snarled.
He had to figure out how to regain control... soon.
*****
Max dropped the tailgate on his brother-in-law’s truck and reached for his gear. Katy had offered to bring extra gear to share with Liz since they were close in size and he watched as they suited up.
“Hey, Travis, which course are we usin’?”
Danielle snorted and shoved her boyfriend out of the way to get to the case of paintballs. “You know better than that, Evans, we’ve got the entire course all to ourselves for the next four hours.”
Robbie nodded as he scrambled over the side of Travis’ truck to grab his own gear. “Yeah, just in case there’s anywhere on this course that Toby hasn’t ended up with his face in the dirt.”
“Hey,” Toby complained, “can we all agree to take it easy on my battered ego today?”
Katy reached over and smacked his ass as she passed him. “Cowboy up, Toby. We’re gonna be a girl short... wanna be on our side?”
“Wait, we’re doin’ guys against the girls?” Jack asked.
“He picks up on things so quickly,” Taylor said and shot a teasing glance at her husband.
“It’s always guys against the girls, Jack,” Max said while rolling his eyes. “This’s your chance to prove once and for all that you really are superior.”
Taylor snorted and shook her head as she checked her weapon of choice.
Jack’s gaze shot to his wife. “I need to prove superiority? Two words, buttercup... blinker fluid.” He howled and jumped back when a splash of green appeared on his thigh and he rubbed at the stinging spot as he glared at Taylor.
“Sorry,” she apologized with a sweet, overly-sincere expression. “Sensitive trigger.”
“Guess this means the girls have claimed the green and yellow for this round,” Travis said as he elbowed his girlfriend out of the way to take the case she had just claimed. “Those are red and blue, Red; better find someone else to share with ya.” He kissed her and quickly backed away as the group divided into two sides with Toby still standing in the middle.
“Seriously? I’ve gotta be on the girl’s team?”
“You don’t have to be on our team, Toby,” Danielle said after a few moments of laughter from both sides. “Better chance of goin’ undercover with Katy this way, but, if you’d rather be hidin’ in the bushes with Max or Travis...”
“Alright, fine, lemme switch paintballs...” He grinned suddenly and nudged the box by his foot closer to the guys. “I’ll let the rest of the guys have this case of blue balls.”
Robbie laughed and snatched the case up. “Well, you’d know more about that than any other guy here, wouldn’t you?”
Katy grabbed Toby and dragged him over to the girl’s side. “Don’t worry, we’ll take him out first,” she assured him.
“We’re takin’ the west end of the course,” Travis said. “Blue Team will use it as our base. Green Team will take the east end for their base.”
Liz was watching and listening as the rules were explained and Katy gave her a crash course in the weapon she had been given. “Does it hurt to get hit with one of these things?” she asked uncertainly.
“You might get bruised up a little bit, but nothin’ serious,” Katy promised.
“It stings like hell,” Toby answered. “It’s kinda like getting hit with a wet towel, but like Katy said, it’s nothin’ serious.”
“Uh-huh,” Liz answered doubtfully and glanced at the weapon in her hand.
Max smiled as he listened to the others trying to convince Liz that the game wasn’t as dangerous as it seemed to be. “Can I borrow my girl for a minute before the game gets goin’?” he asked as he joined them.
“Don’t believe anything he says. He’s just tryin’ to get some points for his team,” Katy hissed in amusement before leaving them alone.
Max shook his head after her. “You won’t get hit up close, darlin’; there’s a 15-foot rule.”
“15-foot rule?” Liz repeated, confused.
“Players have to have a distance of at least 15 feet between them and their opponent to shoot. Each game lasts until every member on a team has been hit and the other team is declared the winner.”
“I’m gonna suck at this,” Liz said, sure she wouldn’t be any good.
He laughed and shook his head. “You’ll do fine; just point and shoot.”
“What if I accidentally shoot someone in the face?”
“That’s why we wear the face masks but try to aim below the neck.” He leaned in and kissed her as he growled, “And try to avoid any hits directly below the belt.”
She made a face. “I’ll try.”
“I’d appreciate it.” He grinned and stepped back. “You ready for this?”
Before she could answer another voice interrupted. “Max Evans, is that you?”
He turned slowly as he recognized the voice and he smiled at the tall brunette walking towards them as she waved.
Liz glanced at the girl and somehow she knew this one wasn’t just an old friend. Tall, with dark hair, blue eyes, and a body straight out of a fashion magazine... nope, not just an old friend. She might be new to so many things, but the way the girl was watching Max, the way her confidence never faltered, and the way she walked right up to him and hugged him like she was certain of her welcome, easily identified her as an old girlfriend.
Max kept the hug brief, well aware that Liz was with him and he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable. He turned and draped his arm around her shoulders and motioned to the girl that had just arrived. “Liz, this’s Jordyn, ex-girlfriend and still very good friend. Jordyn, this’s my girlfriend, Liz; we’re just down for the weekend, visiting the family.”
Liz tried to force a smile. “Hey.”
Jordyn extended her hand, shaking the one Liz held out and she nodded at the girl. “So, you guys are gonna play a little paintball today, huh?” She glanced up at the beautiful blue sky. “Good day for it.”
Max nodded, knowing that she had expected him to flirt with her. Even after they had broken up, deciding that they wanted different things in life and that trying to maintain a long distance relationship wasn’t what either of them wanted, they had continued to flirt with each other.
Liz nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never played this game before though.”
“It’s a great game,” Jordyn enthused. “You guys need another player?”
“You can join our team,” Katy said.
“Does this mean I can be on the guys’ team now?” Toby asked.
“Yeah, Toby, back off,” Katy said with a grin.
Toby’s hands shot up in triumph and then he started to unload his weapon. “Okay, you can have your green paintballs back then.”
“Yeah, you’ll wanna exchange them for blue balls,” Katy said with a grin.
He stuck his tongue out at her. “Ya know you’re killin’ me, right? Is it intentional?”
“No,” she answered innocently.
He decided to throw the last shreds of his dignity to the wind. “If the guys win will you at least agree to go out with me?”
“The guys won’t win, sweetie,” she said and winked at him playfully.
“But, if we do,” he persisted, “you’ll go out with me?”
“I will,” she said, surprised by her answer.
“Oh, hell yeah!” he shouted, so excited that he dropped the paintballs all over the ground. “We are sooo winnin’ this game!” He rushed over to the case of paintballs Blue Team was using and hurried to reload. “You guys heard it... all of you! She’s gonna go out with me if the guys win.” He looked around at his teammates. “That means we had better win... ‘cause we’re not goin’ home until we do.”
Max rolled his eyes and turned to Liz again. “You ready?”
Liz laughed. “As ready as I’m ever gonna be I guess.” She had never in her life done anything like this, but she was going to give it her best effort.
“C’mon, girl,” Katy called to Liz, “I’m gonna keep you company until you get used to the game.” She had a feeling that Max’ new girlfriend wasn’t really comfortable and Jordyn’s appearance wasn’t making it any better.
“Yeah,” Danielle said as she stepped up on Liz’ other side. “Don’t worry, once you take a couple of them down and get the hang of usin’ your gun you’ll be fine. The biggest thing is gonna be not getting hit by the guys. Anytime the four of us...” she glanced at Jordyn, “well, the five of us get hit the game will end and then we’ll start a new one. Team with the most wins at the end of the day will be the winner... and in case anyone needs any clarification, that’s gonna be us.”
Katy rolled her eyes as she glanced at her friend. “Do I dare ask what you and Travis have wagered on today’s games?”
“Oh, Katy, I’m not sure your virgin ears are ready to hear what we’re wagering. Suffice it to say that no matter which of us loses – and by that I mean when Travis loses – he’ll still be winning.”
Liz’ eyebrows shot up and she glanced at Katy.
“Yes, it’s true,” Katy admitted with a grin. “I know, it’s like totally unheard of these days, but the right guy hasn’t made a move yet.”
“Toby doesn’t have enough experience to know what the right move is,” Danielle muttered as she glanced around the area they would be using as their base.
Taylor laughed at their conversation and shook her head as she reached for a small pair of binoculars in her vest pocket and scanned the opposite end of the course as she looked for the guys’ camp.
Liz was still in shock about Katy’s little confession as she followed the other girls around the camp.
*****
Michael slid into the booth beside Maria, his hip brushing against hers as he sat closer than he normally would. He accepted their menus from the seating hostess and handed one to Maria before leaning back and resting one arm on the back of the bench seat, ignoring his menu in favor of glancing over the one she was holding. He wasn’t expecting it when she reached for his dog tags and tugged him close, kissing him right in the middle of the restaurant before going back to her perusal of the menu.
Across the table Kyle and Tess exchanged a surprised look.
“So, you guys seem to be getting along pretty well,” Kyle commented as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the menu. Not easy to do when his girlfriend was letting her hand wander around below the table.
“We are,” Maria said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Yeah, we’re good,” Michael said, turning to wave a nearby waitress over.
“What can I get for you folks?” she asked, smiling pleasantly.
“We’re not ready to order yet, but, can I get a glass of raspberry tea?”
The waitress took drink orders from all of them and then disappeared with a promise to return quickly.
Michael shifted in his seat and despite his hopes that the inquisition was over, he had a feeling that it was just beginning.
“So, what happened? You two weren’t even talkin’ when we left.” Kyle asked, unknowingly confirming his friends’ suspicions.
And there it was, he thought. Kyle and his big mouth. He had no idea what he was supposed to say; he had so many feelings and emotions swirling around inside of him, but he wasn’t comfortable sharing them. He tugged at his collar, hoping that Maria would pick up the conversation.
“Well, we got together for Thanksgiving, we talked, and we’re together now,” Maria answered, feeling that Michael was uncomfortable with the conversation. She didn’t want to share any details right there in the public setting anyway, so hopefully that was enough information for Kyle.
Kyle watched them, amazed by the change that had occurred over just a couple of days. He could see that Michael wasn’t comfortable being put on the spot, so he knew he was going to drop the subject. He jumped when Tess’ grip on his more sensitive parts shifted from a teasing rub to a warning squeeze and he nodded at her before she had time to utter a single word. “Okay, movin’ on,” he said, breathing a little easier when she relaxed her grip. “No need to damage the goods,” he hissed at her.
“Sometimes you need a little… guidance… to send you in the right direction, babe,” Tess whispered back and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Michael glanced at Kyle when he nearly jumped out of his seat. “Man, what is wrong with you?”
“Uh... nothin’,” his friend answered, way too quickly.
“Uh-huh...” His gaze shifted to Tess and her too-innocent expression.
“Your drinks,” the waitress said as she stopped by their table again. “Do y’all already know what ya wanna eat?”
“Oh, I do!” Maria stated enthusiastically. She shot a teasing smile at her boyfriend when he just shook his head.
Michael could already feel the sweat breaking out on his back. She was gonna kill him no matter what she ordered, he just knew it. “You’re not gonna order the lasagna, are you?” he growled.
“Oh, I am ordering lasagna... and I’m gonna enjoy every... single... bite.”
“So, Guerin, you orderin’ the ravioli?” Kyle asked, smirking when his friend just glared at him.
“No, you’ve pretty much ruined ravioli for me for the rest of my life.” He glanced over Maria’s shoulder while she gave the waitress her order. “I’ll just have the steak and shrimp.”
“Steak and shrimp?” Maria asked surprised. “That’s not very... Italian, baby.”
“I think you’re gonna have enough Italian for both of us... and it’s not like I’m gonna be able to focus on my food anyway since you’re gonna sound...” He glanced at the other couple, but they were discussing their own orders.
“Since I’m gonna sound like what?” Maria asked, eyes sparkling playfully.
“Like you’re about to come,” he grumbled. “And I’m gonna be stuck sittin’ over here hard as a rock, and there ain’t gonna be anything I can do about it.”
“Well,” she leaned closer to him until her lips were almost brushing against his ear, “if it gets to be too much for you, baby, just tell me and we’ll find a way to take care of that problem.” She let her hand wander down over his thigh.
Michael’s heart started to pound when he realized that she wasn’t kidding. “Yeah?” He shifted when her hand slid down to cup him, widening his stance to give her more room to play. “Alright then. Hey, we should order a pint of their pistachio gelato before we leave... take it home for...” His dark gaze bored into her. “Dessert.”
Kyle pointed at one of the selections and nodded at the waitress. “I’ll have the lobster...” He glanced at his girlfriend when she made a negative sound. “What?”
“Kyle, you can’t order lobster... they boil them alive; it’s just so mean.”
Damn it, he really liked lobster! “But, Tess...”
“It’s so mean!”
He groaned when she looked at him, her blue eyes pleading with him. “Okay, forget that,” he said, waving at their waitress. “I’ll just have the spaghetti with meatballs.” It just wasn’t the same as lobster.
Tess smiled brightly at him and ordered the shrimp fettuccini, content to know that at least one lobster wouldn’t be sacrificed for lunch.
“Okay, how was New York?” Maria asked after they had ordered their food.
“Oh, girl, New York was amazing!” Tess said with a big smile. “The stores... the shopping...” She suddenly turned to look at Kyle and kissed him when she noticed his expectant look. “And Kyle’s family was just awesome!”
Maria nodded. She had known before they had left that Tess would do well with Kyle’s parents.
Michael shook his head when the conversation was suddenly focused on shopping and the girls were discussing it like there was no tomorrow. “How’s Summer?” he asked.
“Summer’s great,” Kyle answered, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the girls. “She asked about you.”
“Who’s Summer?” Maria asked when she overheard the guys’ conversation.
“Oh, she’s Kyle’s baby sister; she is sooo cute!” Tess rolled her eyes. “She has a really bad sense of timing though!”
Maria laughed. “Well, that or maybe you two just couldn’t stop touchin’ each other, which means that any kinda timing would’ve been bad.”
“No, it’s really bad timing,” Tess insisted. “Don’t get me wrong, we can’t keep our hands off of each other, but she managed to walk in on us while we were making out in Kyle’s room, the garage, and the kitchen in the middle of the night... really bad sense of timing!”
“Poor little girl,” Michael muttered. He had known the kid practically since she had been born and he loved her like his own sister.
“Poor little girl!” Kyle huffed.
“What about Sharon and Jim? Anything new with them?” Michael asked, knowing that Kyle’s mom had been upset that he hadn’t come around on Thanksgiving.
“They’re good,” Kyle answered. “Mom said to tell you that she’s sorry you couldn’t make it, but that she understands.”
Michael just nodded. It had felt good when Kyle had asked him to come home with him for Thanksgiving because his parents were like his second family. “She make that homemade pumpkin pie?”
“Of course, she always makes it on Thanksgiving.”
Michael nodded. Kyle’s mom could cook better than most restaurant chefs and he loved her food. “So, what’s Big Jim up to?”
“He still thinks he’s the boss of household Valenti, ya know? But the truth is he does what the girls want.”
Tess smirked. “You’re so much like your dad, Kyle.”
Kyle frowned at her. “Are you sayin’ that because I do whatever you want?” He shook his head when she grinned. “Hey,” he shoved her playfully, “watch your mouth, blondie.”
Tess just rolled her eyes and looked at Maria. “Girl, we have got to go to New York... maybe next summer, but we have definitely got to go. I’m tellin’ you, the shopping is just amazing. And Kyle is so good about carrying everything out to the car so that I can focus on more important things... like sales!”
“Kyle, don’t let your girlfriend put those thoughts in my girlfriend’s head,” Michael complained.
Kyle just shrugged. “Like I have any control over what this woman does.”
“Pussy-whipped,” Michael muttered under his breath.
“What?” Tess and Maria both asked at the same time.
“Huh?” Michael looked up, ignoring the fact that Kyle was sitting across from him with an incredibly smug look on his face.
“Repeat what you just said,” Maria demanded, drumming her fingers on the table.
“What’d I say?” he asked, not liking the dangerous look in her eyes.
“Uh-huh!”
“You, uh...” Fuck, he had just royally screwed up! “You wanna do anything specific this afternoon?” Damn, what was something that she’d wanna do? Something that he’d rather give up his right arm than ever consider doing? Something that would make her forget what he had just said?
Maria laughed at him and leaned into him. “Now, who’s pussy-whipped, baby?”
Michael nearly passed out with relief when she suddenly laughed and her tone turned teasing. “I’m not denyin’ it," he growled, grabbing her and kissing her hard and deep for several long breath-stealing minutes.
“Uh...” Kyle coughed slightly.
The kiss ended when Michael felt a spiked heel nudge his calf with no subtlety and he glared at Tess as he released Maria. “Why don’t you go find another sea creature to save and stop buggin’ me?”
“You two are actin’ as if you’re alone in the restaurant.”
“Um... and Summer interrupted the two of you where, again?” He shook his head at her, seeing that she was gearing up for a rant. “At least I haven’t scarred any small children.”
“Here we go with your food,” the waitress said, and Kyle was glad for the interruption.
Michael shook his napkin out and snatched up the utensils, going to work on his steak. He was hoping to get through at least part of his meal before Maria totally distracted him.
But, of course, it was totally hopeless because her appreciation of good Italian food reached his ears within seconds.
“Mmmm,” Maria groaned with the first bite of her lasagna.
Michael shifted uncomfortably and wished that he’d had the foresight to wear a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants instead of jeans. He reached for his glass, downing half of its contents in the hopes that the ice cold tea would help keep things under control.
“Why don’t you just pour it in your lap?” Tess suggested sweetly.
“Oh, God... this is sooo good,” Maria went on.
“Why don’t you bite me?” he snarled at his antagonist.
“You’re such a dick,” she said, enjoying their game.
“You would know.” Michael couldn’t keep his mind focused on the insults when Maria started to squirm in her seat. No one should enjoy food like that!
“Maria, baby, please try to control yourself and stop soundin’ like you’re havin’ an orgasm while you’re eatin’,” Michael said, pleading.
Kyle snorted when he overheard Michael begging and he nearly choked on a meatball that he swallowed whole.
“Are you tryin’ to kill me, man?”
“You think this is funny?”
“Kinda, yeah.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Okay, stop it, I’m gonna try to be quiet.”
Michael contemplated that for all of ten seconds. “Nah, I can take it, baby.” He leaned over the table to stab one of the shrimp coated in the thick sauce on Tess’ plate, smirking at her when she shrieked in indignation.
“Stop eating my food, Michael.”
“Who says I’m gonna eat it?” he countered, tipping his fork back and launching the shrimp across the table at Kyle. He laughed when it landed on Kyle’s forehead with a squishy sound and then slowly slid down to fall on his plate.
“You did not just do that,” Kyle growled, sticking one of the meatballs on his fork and throwing it at Michael.
“Oh, my God!” Tess muttered. She felt like she was sitting in a restaurant with two five-year-olds.
Michael looked down at his shirt when the meatball landed against his chest and rolled down to land in his lap, leaving a trail of marinara sauce behind. “Hey, Maria, looks like I’ve got three balls now... you wanna do somethin’ about that for me?”
“Love to.” She bent over and took the meatball out of his lap with her mouth. “Mmmm, delicious.”
Michael just stared at her, shocked, stunned, and so turned on he could hardly breathe. “Got two more down there,” he muttered, sounding strangled.
“Uh-huh. We’ll save them for dessert.”
Kyle glanced at Tess. “Are we that disgusting?”
“Not in public,” Tess said smirking. It was good to see her best friend happy again.
Michael looked across the table at the other couple. “No, just in front of small children,” he said, glancing down when Maria tried to clean him up with one of the linen napkins.
“Baby, that sauce ain’t goin’ anywhere and you’re only gonna keep Mike Jr. standin’ at attention if you keep that up,” he growled in her ear.
“We should have gotten dinner to go,” she muttered.
“We can still do that.” Hell, who was he to argue if his woman wanted to get him naked and in bed?
“Tempting,” Maria said, “but I guess we should try to control ourselves for now and later we’ll spend the rest of the afternoon together in bed?”
“Oh, there is a God,” Tess muttered. “I was sure you two were about to just go at it on the table.”
“You’re so lucky we’re not,” Maria said, sticking her tongue out at her best friend.
Tess giggled at Maria’s behavior; she had missed this side of her friend’s personality.
“Mmmm, oh...” Maria groaned after taking another bite of her meal.
Michael let his fork drop down to clatter against his plate and he leaned back in his seat. “Here we go again.” He glanced up when the waitress stopped by their table to ask if they needed anything and he nodded. “You guys still carry that homemade pistachio gelato, right?” Ha, that had Maria’s attention, he thought when she stopped eating.
“Yes, of course, sir. Would you like to order some?”
“Yeah, we’d like a pint to go. Just put it all on the same ticket,” he said, pulling his wallet out and retrieving his credit card and handing it over when she nodded and went to close their order out.
“Guerin, you feelin’ alright, buddy?” Kyle asked, eyeing Michael’s wallet suspiciously.
“Huh?”
“You just don’t normally offer to pay for everyone.”
“Things change,” he answered simply.
“Kyle, are you callin’ my boyfriend cheap?” Maria demanded, loving the way the word boyfriend sounded.
“What? No, I was just wondering, that’s all”
“Um-hmm... I don’t think I believe you.” She smiled at Michael. “I think when we get to the apartment, you have somethin’ else to do while Kyle haul’s Tess’ purchases up to the second floor.”
“Yeah, definitely,” Michael said, pulling her into his arms.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Kyle protested. “How did I become the bad guy?”
They both shrugged. “Your fault, Valenti.”
“Tess, make it stop,” he whined.
“Babe, they just can’t wait to get rid of their clothes; there’s nothin’ I can do about that.”
“But, they’re bein’ mean to me... where’s your sympathy?”
“You’ll get lots of it once my stuff is all safe in my room at home, babe.” She laughed and hugged him.
“I don’t want sympathy when I’m in bed with you,” he growled, unable to keep from laughing when she hugged him.
The waitress stopped by again and gave Michael his credit card and a sack with the dessert. “Hope you’ll visit us again,” she said, winking at Michael as she walked away.
Maria stared after her, shocked at the woman’s audacity. “Was she flirting with you?”
“Who?”
“The waitress, Michael!”
“I don’t know... wasn’t lookin’ at her.”
Maria smirked. “Good boy.”
“Does he sit up and beg for you, too?” Tess asked, rolling her eyes at Michael.
“With the right incentive,” Michael said, grinning at Maria as he shoved his wallet in his back pocket and leaned over to kiss her.
Kyle couldn’t get over the change in his best friend; he had known that Michael had the ability to care deeply because he had witnessed it when he was around certain people… Brooke and Summer were two good examples. But he had never seen Michael open up this much and he had a feeling it was a very good sign that his relationship with Maria had a chance of surviving and getting stronger.
“Okay, I think they’re officially worse than us,” Tess muttered.
“Oh, I don’t know, babe,” Kyle growled as he followed her out of the booth, “maybe we should give ‘em a break, huh?” He grinned, knowing that it would take an effort on her part to stop baiting Michael; for some reason she and Michael both enjoyed their weird antagonistic relationship.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 70 - 11/22/09
Earth2Mama: LOL, y’know what they say about payback! Michael’s relaxing and opening up as he becomes more comfortable and secure with Maria. Hank is still around and that definitely makes him a potential threat.
Hank didn’t even think to look past the exterior. All he saw was ‘Michael’ and he reacted without another thought until he saw the fear on his son’s face and became suspicious. You can look for him to go looking for Karen as we get closer to Christmas in the fic. Custody of Brooke is an issue that is about to come up very, very soon!
Well, we’re not ruling anything out as the ending of Double Trouble has yet to be written!
begonia9508: We’re thinking that paintball game is going very well… but, let’s just take a look and see…
Well, Tess tends to have a one-track mind and for now, lobsters are her concern.
sarammlover: Wow, another vote for Hank’s death! He is an asshole and he has no care or concern for his children. Unfortunately, he’s not out of the picture yet.
Eva: Definitely not an easy lesson to learn, but at least he’s beginning to see the truth.
We’re glad you enjoyed that!
Cardinal: We’ll see what happens with that in the future.
We don’t go too in-depth with the paintball game, but we do have a couple of scenes coming up that will deal with it. Well, if Jordyn is there to check Liz out and see if she’s ‘good enough’ we think she’ll be satisfied.
80s_UnLove_Child: He did good, huh? Look for Karen around Christmas, fic-time. LOL, she was, wasn’t she? Neither of us would’ve thought about that if you hadn’t mentioned it. Oh, he’d better not… but, it’d be a completely ‘Max’ thing to do!
Alien_Friend: Yes, they are! They’re finally starting to move forward and getting comfortable with each other.
Well, we figured chances were good that Liz would encounter at least one of Max’ ex’s over the weekend. But, we think she’s up to the challenge of dealing with Jordyn. She and Katy have a lot of potential to build a good friendship.
Weren’t expecting that one, huh? Poor Brendan, he was just trying to find out about Karen… he got a lot more than he bargained for!
keepsmiling7: We can assure you that there’s nothing to worry about with Jordyn.
Natalie36: We think Liz is gonna do great!
Well, he’s a work in progress, lol.
mary mary: Well, everyone’s gotta save something, right?
Sunday’s here!
kay_b: It wasn’t what he was expecting, but he needed to know the truth.
They’re gonna do their best.
Liz isn’t gonna run… but she isn’t just gonna stand there and let another woman get between them either.
kismet: Thanks!
Poor Brendan… he learned more than he expected to!
No, he doesn’t know the true extent of the abuse, but that will be revealed.
We think Liz is gonna do great with this game.
Max and Liz will be making up for lost time.
sunrise102: That wasn’t what Brendan was expecting at all when he decided to visit his father as Michael.
Liz is handling things well. You could be right about Liz being a good player.
So sure that other shoe’s gonna drop, huh? Michael is definitely a work in progress.
Part 70 – The Winds Of Change
For the last few hours they had lost themselves in the game, the teams tracking each other and targeting their opponents. The two teams were keeping the scoreboard very close and with three rounds left they called for a timeout. Danielle was sitting on a large rock, splattered with blue paint and annoyed that the guys were ahead for the moment.
Liz looked around at her teammates and was happy to see that they were just as ‘blue and red’ as she was. She winced at the green splotches that several of them were now sporting because in the beginning her aim had been horrible and she had accidentally shot several of her own teammates. Okay, she thought with an internal grin, the multiple green splotches all over Jordyn’s perfectly shaped ass had not been entirely accidental.
“God, my body hurts,” she complained and sat down on the ground because it didn’t make a difference anymore whether or not she sat in the dirt.
“No lie there,” Taylor grumbled as she dropped down beside Liz. She elbowed her brother’s girlfriend and motioned to Jordyn where she was standing at the edge of the clearing, keeping watch just in case the guys decided to launch a sneak attack. “Nice work.”
Liz grinned. “Couldn’t help it.”
“You’re in an awfully good mood, Katy,” Jordyn said when she realized the other girl was singing under her breath.
“Why shouldn’t I be?”
“We’re losin’.”
“We’re about to launch a whole new plan of attack. We’ve managed to keep it close all afternoon... now, we use our advantages.”
“And that would be?” Liz asked.
“You and me.”
“Us?”
“Oh, yeah,” Danielle agreed with a laugh. “Toby and Max are both totally goofy over you two. Your mission is to distract them and I don’t care what methods you use... although I’ve discovered that brief moments of nudity work quite well myself.”
“Uh-huh,” Liz said skeptically. “Well, we can try. To distract them, I mean.”
Katy glanced down at her chest. “I’m not sure how impressive it’s gonna be to flash Toby with these... I’m not sure they even qualify as breasts... seriously, I could still get away with wearing a training bra.”
Liz laughed. “I think all the guy needs is a smile from you and he’s gonna be distracted.”
“No problem there... my smile’s bigger than my boobs.”
“What about me?” Taylor asked.
Danielle shook her head. “Jack’s seen what you’ve got long enough that it can’t possibly be exciting anymore... and no one wants you to bust those sagging things out anyway.” She laughed at Taylor’s expression and nudged her with one booted foot. “I’m just kiddin’, girl.” She winked. “Even if you are gonna be 28 next summer.”
“Maybe I can do some distracting as well...” Jordyn suggested, already opening the first button of her tight jacket.
“I think Katy and I can handle it,” Liz said before the wanna-be model could unleash her oversized, inflated, and surely plastic-surgery enhanced breasts on them.
Jordyn looked at Liz in shock just for a brief moment. Was the girl showing her claws? “It’s all in fun.”
“Uh-huh.” Liz just shook her head at the taller girl. “I can handle Max on my own. Maybe you can work on Robbie.”
Jordyn made a face and stayed silent.
Danielle bit back a grin when she saw Liz’ fingers twitching over the trigger. She was gonna turn this girl into a worthy adversary on the paintball field yet, she thought.
“I can’t guarantee that I won’t hurt her,” Liz mumbled to Danielle as the girls got to their feet again.
“Well, if she starts flirtin’ with Max then I, as team leader, give my permission for you to take her out.” She smiled and patted Liz on the back. “Don’t worry though, that boy’s only got eyes for you.”
“Yeah, I know,” Liz answered proudly. Although she needed to know about the ex-girlfriend and she made a note to ask Max about her later.
“Alright, guys, last three rounds,” Danielle called to the rest of the group. “Let’s get them knocked out and go home winners!”
*****
Less than an hour later Max hefted his rifle up onto his shoulder and grinned as everyone came in from the ‘battlefield’, dirty, covered in paint, and exhausted after a long afternoon of chasing each other through the different courses.
“How’s it feel to lose, Evans?” Danielle asked as she smirked triumphantly and started taking her protective gear off.
“Well, we gave it a pretty good shot,” he said and then glanced over at Liz as she and Katy came up to the group, heads bent close together as they talked. “Way I see it, I didn’t really lose anything.”
“Speak for yourself, Evans,” Toby grumbled as he kicked a rock across the ground. “You got distracted and your girlfriend took you out.”
Max grinned and shook his head. “Hey, seems to me you had a bit of distraction goin’ on, too.”
Toby groaned because he couldn’t exactly deny it. “We needed that last win to break the tie... now I don’t have a date for tonight.”
“Don’t be so sure about that, Toby,” Katy said as she left Liz and crossed the space separating them. She reached up and brushed at a dried smudge of paint on his cheek before leaning in to give him a kiss.
His shock quickly turned into a big, dopey grin when she backed away and he dropped down to sit on the ground. “Really?”
“I’m hungry, so I’m gonna let you take me out to a good restaurant.”
“Dinner’s good,” he agreed. “You pick the place and we are so there.”
Liz walked up to Max and crashed against his chest. “I think you may have to carry me from here.”
Max wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. “Exhausted?”
“Yeah.” She snuggled against his neck, well aware that Jordyn was standing next to them.
He had a feeling that it was a little bit of jealousy and not just exhaustion that had her snuggling so close, but that was fine with him. There was no reason for her to worry about Jordyn, but she’d realize that in time.
“I think I’ve got bruises on my legs,” Liz said when she let go of him after several long moments. “But it was fun.”
“Uh-huh, why don’t we grab somethin’ quick to eat on the way home and then you can soak in the jacuzzi for a while, and after that,” he leaned down to growl in her ear, “I’ll give you a massage and see if we can’t get rid of some of those sore muscles.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “That sounds like even more fun.”
Not far away Jordyn rolled her eyes at them. “Y’all goin’ out tonight?”
“Nah,” Max shook his head. “We’re headin’ back to Long Beach tomorrow so tonight we’ll just be hangin’ with the family.”
“Oh, that’s too bad that you’re not home longer.”
“What about you? Headin’ back to Connecticut soon?” he asked.
“In a few days,” she said. “What about the rest of you?”
“Katy and I are goin’ out for dinner,” Toby said proudly.
“I think I’m gonna be tied up,” Travis said as he grinned at his girlfriend.
Robbie barreled to the front of the group. “I’m free tonight,” he offered with a big smile.
Jordyn looked at Max wistfully for a moment before she looked at the girl he held against his body. “Fine, Robbie, what’re we gonna do?”
He carefully hid his shock when she agreed to go out with him. “Whatever you wanna do, beautiful.”
Max glanced up at the others as Liz turned in his arms and leaned back against his chest. Jack was already stowing his gear while Taylor helpfully directed him and she held her hands up when he glared at her.
“What?”
Jack shook his head at her. “Don’t help, buttercup.”
“Well, I never,” she huffed indignantly.
“Leave the man alone, Tay,” Max called.
“You really wanna get involved in this, little brother?”
Max lifted his hands in defeat and glanced at Liz. “Whatcha wanna do for lunch?”
“Tacos.”
*****
Tess looked up when Michael entered the apartment without a single bag in his hands. “Um, Michael, did you forget something?”
“No, but your slave is on his way up with another load of your spoils of war.” He shook his head. “Where’s Maria?”
“Right here,” she said, popping up behind the counter in the kitchen. She held up a couple of bottles of beer. “Want one?” she asked.
“I’d love one, but I’ve gotta go.” He held his cell phone up. “Brendan just called and he sounded upset, so I need to go see if he’s okay.”
Maria nodded and put one of the bottles back in the refrigerator before walking into the living room. “He didn’t say what was wrong?”
“No, just didn’t sound right.”
“Okay, well, gimme a call and let me know if he’s okay or not. You’ll come by later if everything’s alright?”
Michael leaned in to kiss her, reminding himself to keep it brief so he wouldn’t forget that he needed to go. “I’ll give you a call and let you know if I’m not gonna be able to make it. If I don’t call, you can expect me back for dinner.”
Her green eyes sparkled in anticipation. “I can’t wait.”
Michael nodded at the sack sitting on the counter and winked at her. “Don’t forget to put that gelato in the freezer; we don’t want it to melt before we get to use it.”
Maria laughed and nodded, giving him a gentle shove towards the front door. “Go on, and I’ll see you back here for dinner.”
“Are you gonna help Kyle finish bringin’ my stuff up before you go?” Tess demanded.
“No. I’m gonna put it on the ground and you can just hope that no one steals it while he’s makin’ all those trips up here. Or...” he grinned at her, “you could get off your pampered ass and go give him a hand.”
Tess’ middle finger shot up and she grumbled under her breath when he only shook his head.
“Sorry, Harding, only one girl I’m interested in getting that invitation from... and it’s not you.”
“Yeah, that just breaks my heart, Guerin, because God only knows how much I have been dreamin’ about getting my hands on your ass.”
“Too bad you had to settle for Valenti then, huh? Although, I guess he is into that whole Buddha thing... which would explain the attraction. You’re small, golden, and... round...” He grinned and ducked out of the apartment when she jumped up off of the couch to chase after him.
Michael was saved from having to defend himself when he reached the parking lot and narrowly missed knocking Kyle over. The poor guy had managed to get everything that had been left in the trunk gathered up into his arms and he was trying to navigate his way to the stairs.
He rolled his eyes when Tess noticed her boyfriend and hurried to take some of the bags before he lost his balance and ended up on his ass on the asphalt.
Michael slid in behind the wheel and started the car, turning the stereo up and gunning the engine before pulling out of the parking lot. Brendan hadn’t been making a lot of sense on the phone, but he had been able to pick up on the emotional distress in his twins’ voice.
He quickly covered the distance to his brother’s apartment, pulling into a parking spot next to Brendan’s car. His gaze slid over the vehicle and he shook his head. He was gonna have to speak to Brendan about his choice of vehicles because he definitely needed to step up to something a little more... He frowned. They were just gonna have to go car shopping.
He leaned against the wall next to the door and rapped his knuckles against the wood, tipping his head to one side so he could listen for his brother’s footsteps. His footfalls were rapid, indicating that he was walking fast and Michael raised his head when the door was pulled open. He glanced at his brother’s face, trying to read the expression in his eyes and was surprised when he realized it was closed off. It was like looking into a mirror and he wondered what could have caused that look on Brendan’s face. His twin was usually an open book, so for him to look closed off something had to have upset him badly.
He straightened up and walked into the apartment when Brendan stepped back and motioned for him to come in. His gaze slid over his brother, taking in the clothes that looked like they had come out of his closet instead of Brendan’s. His hair was standing up in about a dozen different directions... kinda like his did when he had been running his hands through his hair repeatedly. Which didn’t make sense, he thought, because Brendan didn’t normally wear his hair the same way either. The kid looked more like Michael than himself.
“So, what’s goin’ on, Bren?”
“Uh, you might wanna take a seat,” Brendan said and motioned to the couch.
Michael frowned. “You alright?” he asked, certain something wasn’t right with his brother. He sat on the couch because it seemed like the longer he stood up the more agitated Brendan was getting.
“I went to see Hank,” Brendan blurted out.
“What?” All of his senses were suddenly on alert. “You didn’t go sailin’ with him did you?”
“No!”
“Then why go see him?”
“I wanted some answers.”
“About what?” Michael asked, not sure that Brendan was ready to deal with any truth Hank would ever share.
“About you, me, and Karen. About everything that’s gone wrong the last few years.”
That feeling that something was wrong only escalated at Brendan’s answer and Michael moved to sit on the edge of his seat as his gaze moved over his twin again. “You went to see Hank,” he said slowly. “Brendan, why’re you dressed like that?” He had a bad feeling that he already knew the answer.
Brendan scratched his neck nervously. “I pretended to be you...”
Michael’s first instinct was to jump up and start reading Brendan the riot act, but something made him stay where he was. “Because you thought you’d provoke a few answers out of him?”
His brother just nodded.
It took a huge effort on Michael’s part to control his temper. He forced his hands to stay flat, to not form fists, and after a few moments he slid his hands under his thighs to stop his fingers from curling into his palms. It was a natural reaction to any mention of Hank and he couldn’t control it as well as he would have liked. He studied his twin, not liking the way Brendan was avoiding his gaze.
He knew, he thought. Hank had said or done something and Brendan knew the ugly truth. His heart started to hammer and his palms began to sweat. “Did it work?” he asked, his casual tone forced.
“It did,” Brendan answered. “I’m sorry, I... I just thought... well, I don’t really know what I thought.” He shook his head because he didn’t know what to say.
Fuck, he was apologizing now! Okay, he’d just act like he wasn’t concerned and maybe Brendan would drop it. “You needed answers, no need to apologize for that, Bren.”
“I’m sorry I never realized how he treated you… God, I can’t believe it.”
Michael tensed when Brendan charged ahead with no sense of self-preservation. Relax, he’s just talking about the usual shitty treatment you always get from Hank. “It’s never been a big secret that I was the one he didn’t want,” he said, shrugging it off.
“No,” Brendan shook his head, “that’s not true; you just had enough backbone to oppose him... I never did that... unfortunately. I wish I had now.”
“All that matters is that you know what he is now.” Michael shrugged. “Did he tell you what happened to Karen?”
“Yeah, he pretty much told me that he was responsible for the breakup...” Brendan fell silent for several seconds before he gathered the courage to look into his brother’s eyes. “I’m sorry that I thought you were involved in that.”
Michael was tired of the contention that had plagued their relationship for so long. They had been getting along for the past few days and he didn’t want to jeopardize that. “Took ya long enough,” he growled, thumping his brother’s shoulder as he got up to go into the kitchen. “You got any beer?”
“Yeah, in the fridge.” There was still a very important point that he wanted to bring up, he just didn’t know how to start without Michael yelling at him and then leaving.
Michael pulled a couple of bottles out and turned to hand one to Brendan. He uncapped the one he still held, watching his brother as he waited to see if he would bring up the other thing. He could see it in his expression; the indecision, the fear of saying the wrong thing. “So, you’re really gonna look Karen up?” he asked, hoping to divert Brendan’s attention.
“Yeah, I am. I don’t know if we still have a chance of if she’s got someone new in her life… but, at the very least I’ve gotta tell her that I don’t care what Hank thinks about her or anyone else…” He sighed. “And I need to tell her I’m thinkin’ for myself now.”
“You’re ready to tell her that?”
“I’d never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t at least try.”
“She hasn’t moved on, Brendan. That girl was crazy in love with you.”
“What d’you mean by that? She hasn’t moved on? How could you know that?”
Michael lifted the hand holding the bottle to scratch his eyebrow with his thumb. “I ran into her while I was in New York visiting Brooke for a couple days over Spring Break.”
“You did?” Brendan asked, excited but also nervous.
“She’s not with anyone, Bren; she said she tried to date, but it was useless and a big waste of her time, so she’s devoted all of her time to school... just like you.” He shrugged. “Couldn’t get her to tell me why she called it quits between you though.”
“Do you know where she lives now?”
Michael nodded. “I’ve got her address.”
“Oh, wow...” He didn’t know what to say... again.
“Okay, little brother, we’re gonna have to work on your verbal skills... seriously.” He shook his head. There was no changing Brendan just like there was no changing him. They were who they were at the core of their beings, and people had to accept that about them, even if they were a little more difficult than everyone else at times.
“Uh-huh, I seem to remember a night... not too long ago when you where the one struggling for words.”
“Okay, that is sooo not the point. We’re talkin’ about you here.”
“No we’re talkin’ about us, so this is a good point to bring up. Things between you and Maria seemed pretty good yesterday…?”
How had they gone from talking about Brendan to talking about him and Maria? Oh, well, she was definitely his favorite topic these days. “Yeah, things are good.” His mind traced back over the past 24 hours and he couldn’t stop the grin that spread over his face. “Better than good, actually.”
Brendan laughed. He had never seen his brother like this… really happy… but it was a good look for him. “So, you have an official relationship now? And you’re not freakin’ out?”
“Yeah, it’s official, and no, there’s no reason to freak out over it. At first, yeah, but, now...” He shrugged. “It’s not as scary as I thought it would be.”
“You’re makin’ progress,” Brendan teased.
“Yeah, well... kinda hard to get anywhere if you don’t take a risk now and then, right?”
“Right.”
“So, you’re gonna take a risk of your own?”
“Yeah, I am.”
Michael nodded in approval. “She’ll be happy to see you, Bren.”
“I hope so. It feels like a lifetime since the last time I talked to her.”
“It’s gotta say somethin’ that neither of you have been able to move on.”
“Maybe...” Brendan hedged.
“Maybe? What d’you mean maybe?”
“Well, I don’t know, I just don’t wanna get all my hopes up and then be disappointed, ya know?”
“I can understand that, I guess. Are you scared she’s gonna think you didn’t fight for her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe that, maybe she’s scared of Hank...”
“And maybe she just needs to know that you’re still hers... that you can forgive her for leavin’.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what made her leave, but I could tell that she’s still hurtin’ over leavin’ you.”
“Yeah, she’s not alone there.”
“You still thinkin’ about goin’ to see her around Christmas?”
“Yeah.”
Michael nodded. “Y’know, if you happened to be in Boston around the... oh, the 16th of December... she’d be alone. Her roommate’s gonna be gone for the Christmas break and she just happened to mention that she was stayin’ there over the holiday.”
“Okay, well, thanks, I might take that chance then.”
“Take the chance, Bren; you deserve to be happy.”
“It’s good to talk to you like this again, Michael.” He shook his head and reached up to rub his neck. “How’d he manage to drive us so far apart?”
“He knew what buttons to push and he just never let up.” He smiled hesitantly. “So, maybe we shouldn’t give him the satisfaction of lettin’ him pull our strings anymore, huh?”
“Definitely not. Thanksgiving and today gave me plenty of proof that he’s not even worth thinkin’ about, so I’m kickin’ him outta my life.”
“Wise choice.” Now he just needed to find a way to change the subject before Brendan remembered his original train of thought and brought up Hank’s abusive behavior. “So, you got plans for the rest of the weekend?”
“Well, Sean’s already back from Roswell and he’s upset, so I guess I’ll be a nice roommate and give him some company,” he said quietly so that Sean wouldn’t overhear them from where he had barricaded himself in his room.
“What’s he upset about?” Michael asked, not really caring, but willing to discuss anything if it meant they could avoid talking about his past with Hank.
“I guess he and Liz brought up the breakup in front of their parents.”
Michael winced. “Got ugly?” He vaguely remembered Max bitching about her parents not helping Liz when her car broke down and then going off about her and Sean pretending they were still engaged over the weekend because neither of them wanted to disappoint their parents and ruin the holiday.
“Seemed like it, yeah.”
“Well, that’s cool then. I’ve got plans with Maria later anyway, so...”
“Later, huh?” Brendan teased when Michael’s phone started ringing.
*****
Kyle slumped down on Tess’ bed after everything had been carried to her room. How the hell had she managed to leave with just a few bags and return with more than twice that amount? And how had he survived the shopping marathon with her and his mother? He didn’t know, but the good thing was that Tess and his family had gotten along very well and they were back now. That meant carefree sex again.
He propped himself up on his forearms when Tess entered the room and closed the door behind her. “Can you believe what happened?” She gestured at the closed door. “They were so not talking when we left and now... look at them. They’re almost cute with each other.”
Kyle shrugged. He wasn’t really in the mood to talk about Guerin. “Yeah, sure.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. “I’m just happy for Maria, Kyle. You could at least pretend to be interested.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Well, I am interested… in you. Does that count?”
She smiled at him happily. “Maybe... a little, yes.”
He laughed at her response. “Thanks for goin’ home with me, Tess,” he said, his tone holding just a hint of seriousness.
She moved over and sat down in his lap, facing him. “I’m sorry I made such a big deal out of it at first. You were right, babe, there was nothing to worry about. Your family’s great and I would’ve really missed a great Thanksgiving if I had stayed here.”
“Things must’ve gotten pretty interesting around here considering Guerin’s rather... goofy mood at lunch.”
She grinned. “Thought you weren’t interested in talking about them?”
“I’m not, but I’ve gotta admit, I’ve never seen him like this.”
“Maria isn’t someone who backs off just because she gets pushed away, Kyle. And I think she finally made it into his stony heart.”
Kyle wrinkled his nose. “Okay, this’s turnin’ into a chick conversation. Let’s go back to focusin’ on us.”
Tess laughed and placed a kiss on the tip of his nose. “I’m all focused on you, Kyle Valenti.”
“You made quite an impression on my family, y’know. My parents both warned me that I’d better not let you get away.”
“That’s good, ‘cause you know, I’m not planning to go anywhere,” she said softly and brushed her lips against his.
Kyle’s left arm tightened around her as his right hand came up to cradle her jaw, holding her still as he deepened the kiss.
Tess let him take control for several minutes as they just sat on her bed and kissed each other. She still felt the tingle in her stomach that she had felt when they had first met in the bar a few months ago. Every kiss felt like their first kiss, she realized suddenly and broke the kiss to gasp for air.
He stared at her, studying her expression as she stared at him, her deep blue eyes tracing over his features. “What?” he asked curiously.
She bit her lip, knowing that what she was about to say was really important, for him and for her.
“Tess? What’s up, babe?”
She felt his nervousness and smiled to reassure him. “I love you, too, Kyle.”
“I...” He stared at her for a full minute as the impact of her words began to set in. “Just to clarify... you love me, and not like just a friend, right?”
She chuckled. “Kyle! You know what I meant.”
“Hey, I’m just coverin’ my bases,” he laughed and kissed her again. “I love you, Tess.”
*****
Max held his hand under the running water to make sure it had just the right temperature. He watched the tub as it filled with water and the foam built up slowly. He glanced up when Liz entered the bathroom wrapped up in a big yellow towel… and nothing else as far as he could tell.
“I’ve got at least ten bruises on my legs,” she complained and lifted the towel up just enough to show him.
“Um-hmm,” he growled when her bare legs were revealed to him. He stood up from the edge of the tub and glanced down at her. “You’d better not show that much skin in front of me right now,” he mumbled and kissed her quickly.
Liz bit her lip and considered making him an offer to join her in the hot water but she wasn’t sure that she was ready to take that step so soon. They hadn’t been a couple for very long and as much as she wanted to explore these new things, she didn’t have any experience with them before now.
Max could read the insecurity in her eyes and he forced himself to take a step back. “I’m gonna go downstairs and see if I can help Mom with watching J.J. Stay in here as long as you want, okay?”
Liz nodded softly. “Thanks.”
Max knew that she wasn’t just thanking him for the bubble bath itself. “Always,” he replied simply and walked out of the room to go downstairs.
He stopped on the bottom step when he saw Lacey in the living room and he knew she was probably there to pick J.J. up.
Lacey looked up when she caught movement from the corner of her eye and she saw her brother-in-law hesitate at the bottom of the staircase. She stood and walked out into the hallway as she met his cautious gaze. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Max nodded. “Sure. Wanna go outside? We can sit on the deck.”
“Yeah.”
They walked through the house until they reached the back door and they stepped outside. Max sat down on the bench next to the swing that was still there from his own childhood. He didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet and waited for her to start.
Lacey sat on the swing, leaving some distance between them as she looked at the sunlight reflecting off of the lake. “I didn’t mean to run off on you this morning, Max. I just needed to think about some things.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her, “I know it’s not a very comfortable thing to talk about.”
“No,” she agreed and laughed tightly. “I just wanted to apologize to you, Max; it was never my intent to make you uncomfortable.” Her eyes watered and she reached up to brush the tears away. “I just miss him so much.”
Max took a deep breath when he saw her crying quietly. “Me too.”
“I’ll do my best to stop touching you the way I have been. You were right; it’s not fair to either of us and I’ve got to let him go at some point if I’m ever gonna be able to move on.”
“You know that we’ll be always there for you and J.J. right? You will always be a part of this family.”
She nodded. “I really am sorry, Max. I didn’t really realize what I was doing until I caught the way your girlfriend was watching me the past couple of days.”
“She’s not mad at you, Lacey. It was just somethin’ that... bothered her.”
“She seems to be very nice.”
“She’s perfect for me, Lacey. I knew it the first time I saw her.” Max made a face. “And she was engaged at that point.”
“Max Evans, tell me you didn’t make a play for a woman with a fiancé!”
Max smirked. “I know, it really wasn’t right, but I can’t find it in me to regret it.”
“She makes you happy,” Lacey observed and nodded in approval. “Jason would’ve been so happy for you, Max.”
He stared at the horizon and nodded. “Yeah, I wish I could introduce her to him.”
“You should,” she said, knowing she was treading on dangerous ground. He had never visited the gravesite after the funeral, refusing to go no matter who asked.
Max shook his head. “I can’t go there, Lacey. I’ve tried, but it’s...” he sighed. “I can’t really explain it.”
“Just think about it,” she suggested and then let the subject drop.
*****
Alex rolled his head along the back of his chair when he heard the doorbell ring and he seriously thought about not answering it in favor of lazing around on the deck. He was saved from having to actually make a decision when his sister spoke up.
“I’ll get it,” Brooke said and headed for the door, hoping it would be Michael or Brendan.
Alex nodded; he was content to lounge around with his girlfriend and let Brooke handle their visitor.
“Were we expecting anyone?” Isabel asked.
“Not that I know of, but it might be Michael or Brendan.”
Brooke went through the hallway to open the door and froze when she opened it and saw who was on the other side.
“That doesn’t sound like Michael,” she said when they heard Brooke shouting.
Alex frowned when he heard the hysterical edge in his sister’s voice and he glanced at his girlfriend as they both hurried to get up and run into the house.
“What do you want?” Brooke snarled.
Hank pushed his way into the house and motioned for the police officer behind him to wait on the porch. “I want you to get your things together; you’re going to Munich with your mother and me.”
“What?!” Brooke shrieked hysterically.
“Where’s your brother?” Hank demanded as he moved further into the house.
“What do you want here, Hank?” Alex asked when he reached the foyer and saw his father and the policeman standing behind him on the porch.
“Your guardianship of Brooke was only temporary and I’m revoking it; this officer is here to make sure you don’t give me any trouble.”
“But, she doesn’t want to go with you. What is this? Some stupid revenge thing?”
Hank ignored his oldest child’s rant and turned to look at his daughter. “Either you go get some things together, or you can go with what you’re wearing.”
Brooke hadn’t even realized that she was crying as she glanced helplessly back and forth between Alex and Hank. “I don’t wanna go. Please, let me stay in the States with my brothers.”
Alex stared at his father as he tried to figure out what to do. His lawyer hadn’t yet come up with a solution to the problem and he knew he didn’t have a legal leg to stand on, but he couldn’t just let Hank take Brooke.
“You’ve got ten minutes and then we’re leaving with or without your things,” Hank said. “I told you the other day, Alex, you’re not her father.”
“He’s more of a father than you’ve ever been!” Brooke shouted.
“Hank, please, don’t do this. You won’t even have time to look after her. She doesn’t speak the language and she’s already adjusted to life here.”
Hank was unmoved by their pleas and he crossed his arms over his chest as he waited impatiently. “You’re down to eight minutes, girl.” He motioned to the officer standing behind him. “This officer will escort you out of here kicking and screaming if that’s what it takes.”
Alex realized that there was no way around it. He had to let her go – for now – and it was breaking his heart. He grabbed Brooke’s arm lightly and guided her to her room, the hallway seeming to be endlessly long in that moment. From the corner of his eye he could see Isabel following them and he was grateful for her silent support.
Brooke looked up at Alex as they entered her room and he let her go. “No, Alex, you promised I wouldn’t have to go back with them! You’ve gotta keep your promise!” She could hear the words as they came out of her mouth and she knew she sounded like a child, but at that moment she didn’t care.
“Brooke, listen to me,” Alex said, trying to keep his own emotions under control. It wouldn’t help her to see him losing it. “I need time... my lawyer said we don’t have a solid case right now... I know I promised I wouldn’t let them take you back, and I will fight this, but – “ He fell silent when she shoved him away angrily.
“I knew you were lying! I knew they would take me back,” she screamed at him.
Isabel fought back the tears she could feel rising to the surface. Alex and Brooke were both caught in an impossible situation and she felt badly for both of them. She knew Brooke was striking out and verbally attacking her brother because she was hurt, scared, and angry, but each word was cutting through Alex as efficiently as the blade of a knife.
Alex struggled to find some way to reassure his sister, to convince her that he would stop this from happening, but what if he couldn’t do it? What if they left the country with Brooke and he missed his chance? He turned to look at his girlfriend and spoke quietly. “Would you get my lawyer on the phone? His number’s on my desk.”
Isabel just nodded and was grateful for the chance to get away for a few seconds so that she could take some deep breaths and compose herself.
“Why bother?” Brooke muttered, shoving some of her clothes in a bag.
“Brooke,” Alex tried again and reached out to cradle her face between his hands, “look at me, Sis. We WANT you here and your brothers, Isabel, and I will do all that we can to get you back as soon as possible. I won’t give up, I promise you.”
“Whatever.”
Alex sighed. She was closing herself off, shutting down, the same way that Michael did when he was facing something that he couldn’t deal with. He sat down on the bed and rested his head in his hands. “I’m sorry that I can’t do anything else right now, Brooke. Short of tryin’ to stop him physically and getting myself arrested I’m not sure what I can do.”
Brooke bit her bottom lip as she turned to look at her brother. She didn’t want him to get arrested... she just didn’t want to go with their father either. Her anger wavered and a moment later she sat down beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Alex... I know it’s not your fault. You’re doin’ everything you can.”
Alex wrapped one arm around her. “I love you, you know that, right?”
Brooke hugged him tightly. “I know, Alex. I love you, too.”
“Hey,” Isabel said as she came back into the room. “I’m sorry, all I got was the answering machine; he won’t be available until 4 pm today.”
“Great,” Alex muttered.
Brooke’s gaze bounced between the two of them. “What’s that mean?” she asked, sounding scared.
“It just means that I have to wait a couple hours before I can talk to him.” He tried to let it sound not so important because she was scared enough.
“I’m not gonna have to go to Munich, am I?” Brooke just wanted them to tell her that it wasn’t going to happen.
Alex sighed heavily. “I don’t know. Depends on when they booked the flight and how long it’ll take my lawyer to come up with something. I’m not gonna lie to you, Brooke; you might have to fly over there, but even if you do, it won’t stop us from getting you back – not even from there.”
“Brooke, you know your brother’s been talking to his lawyer for a while now, right?” Isabel asked as she sat down on the girl’s other side.
Brooke nodded. She knew Alex had been trying to find a legal way to keep their parents from taking her away. She swallowed hard as she listened to what they were telling her. “I don’t wanna leave you guys,” she cried, throwing herself into her brother’s arms.
“We don’t want you to leave either,” Alex said, hugging her back and looking at Isabel sadly. Having the 16-year-old underfoot had certainly thrown his well-ordered life into chaos, but he wouldn’t change that for anything in the world. God, how am I gonna tell the twins about this, he wondered.
“Time’s up!” Hank shouted from the front of the house.
“Okay, Brooke,” he pushed her away a little to look at her, “you’ve gotta be strong now.”
She reached up to dry her eyes; she may have to go with her father but she wasn’t going to let him see her cry. “You promise you’ll come for me though, right?”
“I promise.”
Brooke tossed a few more things into her bag. “I’m leaving the rest here; that’ll remind me that this time with them,” she motioned toward the living room, “is just temporary.” She sighed heavily as she stood and grabbed her bag before leading the way out of the room. Stopping in the living room she paused to scoop up the two small dogs sitting in their basket near the fireplace, hugging them close for comfort.
She glanced at a photo on the mantle above the fireplace that showed the twins. She couldn’t even say goodbye to them.
Alex met his father’s hateful gaze as he stood in front of the man, fighting to keep his hands at his sides. Getting arrested wouldn’t do any of them any good, he reminded himself. “This isn’t over,” he said, his gray eyes cold.
Hank just laughed at that. “You can’t do anything about it, son, so just let it go.”
“We’ll see.” He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from doing something stupid. He was seconds away from doing something Michael would do, he thought. “When’s your flight?”
“Tomorrow afternoon,” Hank said, grinning. “Shocked at how soon we’ll be gone, huh?” he asked when he saw Alex’ determined expression. He didn’t bother saying anything else, just grabbed Brooke’s arm and walked her down to the limo where the driver held the back door open so she could slide inside.
The police officer blocked Alex’ path when he moved to follow his father and sister. He fought down his frustration as he watched the limousine pull away from the curb, nodding when the uniformed officer made an apology before taking his leave.
Isabel came up behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “We have to get her back, Alex,” she whispered.
He nodded, but his doubts were beginning to make themselves known. What if he couldn’t do it? What if the law prevented him from protecting his sister from his father? If it was just him, he would risk arrest by forcefully taking her from Hank, but he had Isabel and their baby to consider.
“I have to call the twins,” Alex said, not looking forward to those calls.
“You might wanna have them come here and tell them what happened,” she suggested. “You tell Michael about this over the phone and he’s liable to go straight over to the hotel where your parents are staying and get himself arrested.”
“Yeah,” he said and nodded absent-mindedly as he walked into the house to get the phone.
Isabel wished there was something she could do to help, but for the present time the only thing she had to offer was her presence. She followed him back inside, sitting down on the couch while he paced restlessly around the living room and made his first call. She listened as he talked to Michael and quickly realized that he and Brendan were together. The conversation was short as Alex asked them to come over as quickly as possible and as soon as he had their assurance that they were on their way he hung up and threw the phone on the coffee table.
Hank didn’t even think to look past the exterior. All he saw was ‘Michael’ and he reacted without another thought until he saw the fear on his son’s face and became suspicious. You can look for him to go looking for Karen as we get closer to Christmas in the fic. Custody of Brooke is an issue that is about to come up very, very soon!
Well, we’re not ruling anything out as the ending of Double Trouble has yet to be written!
begonia9508: We’re thinking that paintball game is going very well… but, let’s just take a look and see…
Well, Tess tends to have a one-track mind and for now, lobsters are her concern.
sarammlover: Wow, another vote for Hank’s death! He is an asshole and he has no care or concern for his children. Unfortunately, he’s not out of the picture yet.
Eva: Definitely not an easy lesson to learn, but at least he’s beginning to see the truth.
We’re glad you enjoyed that!
Cardinal: We’ll see what happens with that in the future.
We don’t go too in-depth with the paintball game, but we do have a couple of scenes coming up that will deal with it. Well, if Jordyn is there to check Liz out and see if she’s ‘good enough’ we think she’ll be satisfied.
80s_UnLove_Child: He did good, huh? Look for Karen around Christmas, fic-time. LOL, she was, wasn’t she? Neither of us would’ve thought about that if you hadn’t mentioned it. Oh, he’d better not… but, it’d be a completely ‘Max’ thing to do!
Alien_Friend: Yes, they are! They’re finally starting to move forward and getting comfortable with each other.
Well, we figured chances were good that Liz would encounter at least one of Max’ ex’s over the weekend. But, we think she’s up to the challenge of dealing with Jordyn. She and Katy have a lot of potential to build a good friendship.
Weren’t expecting that one, huh? Poor Brendan, he was just trying to find out about Karen… he got a lot more than he bargained for!
keepsmiling7: We can assure you that there’s nothing to worry about with Jordyn.
Natalie36: We think Liz is gonna do great!
Well, he’s a work in progress, lol.
mary mary: Well, everyone’s gotta save something, right?
Sunday’s here!
kay_b: It wasn’t what he was expecting, but he needed to know the truth.
They’re gonna do their best.
Liz isn’t gonna run… but she isn’t just gonna stand there and let another woman get between them either.
kismet: Thanks!
Poor Brendan… he learned more than he expected to!
No, he doesn’t know the true extent of the abuse, but that will be revealed.
We think Liz is gonna do great with this game.
Max and Liz will be making up for lost time.
sunrise102: That wasn’t what Brendan was expecting at all when he decided to visit his father as Michael.
Liz is handling things well. You could be right about Liz being a good player.
So sure that other shoe’s gonna drop, huh? Michael is definitely a work in progress.
Part 70 – The Winds Of Change
For the last few hours they had lost themselves in the game, the teams tracking each other and targeting their opponents. The two teams were keeping the scoreboard very close and with three rounds left they called for a timeout. Danielle was sitting on a large rock, splattered with blue paint and annoyed that the guys were ahead for the moment.
Liz looked around at her teammates and was happy to see that they were just as ‘blue and red’ as she was. She winced at the green splotches that several of them were now sporting because in the beginning her aim had been horrible and she had accidentally shot several of her own teammates. Okay, she thought with an internal grin, the multiple green splotches all over Jordyn’s perfectly shaped ass had not been entirely accidental.
“God, my body hurts,” she complained and sat down on the ground because it didn’t make a difference anymore whether or not she sat in the dirt.
“No lie there,” Taylor grumbled as she dropped down beside Liz. She elbowed her brother’s girlfriend and motioned to Jordyn where she was standing at the edge of the clearing, keeping watch just in case the guys decided to launch a sneak attack. “Nice work.”
Liz grinned. “Couldn’t help it.”
“You’re in an awfully good mood, Katy,” Jordyn said when she realized the other girl was singing under her breath.
“Why shouldn’t I be?”
“We’re losin’.”
“We’re about to launch a whole new plan of attack. We’ve managed to keep it close all afternoon... now, we use our advantages.”
“And that would be?” Liz asked.
“You and me.”
“Us?”
“Oh, yeah,” Danielle agreed with a laugh. “Toby and Max are both totally goofy over you two. Your mission is to distract them and I don’t care what methods you use... although I’ve discovered that brief moments of nudity work quite well myself.”
“Uh-huh,” Liz said skeptically. “Well, we can try. To distract them, I mean.”
Katy glanced down at her chest. “I’m not sure how impressive it’s gonna be to flash Toby with these... I’m not sure they even qualify as breasts... seriously, I could still get away with wearing a training bra.”
Liz laughed. “I think all the guy needs is a smile from you and he’s gonna be distracted.”
“No problem there... my smile’s bigger than my boobs.”
“What about me?” Taylor asked.
Danielle shook her head. “Jack’s seen what you’ve got long enough that it can’t possibly be exciting anymore... and no one wants you to bust those sagging things out anyway.” She laughed at Taylor’s expression and nudged her with one booted foot. “I’m just kiddin’, girl.” She winked. “Even if you are gonna be 28 next summer.”
“Maybe I can do some distracting as well...” Jordyn suggested, already opening the first button of her tight jacket.
“I think Katy and I can handle it,” Liz said before the wanna-be model could unleash her oversized, inflated, and surely plastic-surgery enhanced breasts on them.
Jordyn looked at Liz in shock just for a brief moment. Was the girl showing her claws? “It’s all in fun.”
“Uh-huh.” Liz just shook her head at the taller girl. “I can handle Max on my own. Maybe you can work on Robbie.”
Jordyn made a face and stayed silent.
Danielle bit back a grin when she saw Liz’ fingers twitching over the trigger. She was gonna turn this girl into a worthy adversary on the paintball field yet, she thought.
“I can’t guarantee that I won’t hurt her,” Liz mumbled to Danielle as the girls got to their feet again.
“Well, if she starts flirtin’ with Max then I, as team leader, give my permission for you to take her out.” She smiled and patted Liz on the back. “Don’t worry though, that boy’s only got eyes for you.”
“Yeah, I know,” Liz answered proudly. Although she needed to know about the ex-girlfriend and she made a note to ask Max about her later.
“Alright, guys, last three rounds,” Danielle called to the rest of the group. “Let’s get them knocked out and go home winners!”
*****
Less than an hour later Max hefted his rifle up onto his shoulder and grinned as everyone came in from the ‘battlefield’, dirty, covered in paint, and exhausted after a long afternoon of chasing each other through the different courses.
“How’s it feel to lose, Evans?” Danielle asked as she smirked triumphantly and started taking her protective gear off.
“Well, we gave it a pretty good shot,” he said and then glanced over at Liz as she and Katy came up to the group, heads bent close together as they talked. “Way I see it, I didn’t really lose anything.”
“Speak for yourself, Evans,” Toby grumbled as he kicked a rock across the ground. “You got distracted and your girlfriend took you out.”
Max grinned and shook his head. “Hey, seems to me you had a bit of distraction goin’ on, too.”
Toby groaned because he couldn’t exactly deny it. “We needed that last win to break the tie... now I don’t have a date for tonight.”
“Don’t be so sure about that, Toby,” Katy said as she left Liz and crossed the space separating them. She reached up and brushed at a dried smudge of paint on his cheek before leaning in to give him a kiss.
His shock quickly turned into a big, dopey grin when she backed away and he dropped down to sit on the ground. “Really?”
“I’m hungry, so I’m gonna let you take me out to a good restaurant.”
“Dinner’s good,” he agreed. “You pick the place and we are so there.”
Liz walked up to Max and crashed against his chest. “I think you may have to carry me from here.”
Max wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. “Exhausted?”
“Yeah.” She snuggled against his neck, well aware that Jordyn was standing next to them.
He had a feeling that it was a little bit of jealousy and not just exhaustion that had her snuggling so close, but that was fine with him. There was no reason for her to worry about Jordyn, but she’d realize that in time.
“I think I’ve got bruises on my legs,” Liz said when she let go of him after several long moments. “But it was fun.”
“Uh-huh, why don’t we grab somethin’ quick to eat on the way home and then you can soak in the jacuzzi for a while, and after that,” he leaned down to growl in her ear, “I’ll give you a massage and see if we can’t get rid of some of those sore muscles.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “That sounds like even more fun.”
Not far away Jordyn rolled her eyes at them. “Y’all goin’ out tonight?”
“Nah,” Max shook his head. “We’re headin’ back to Long Beach tomorrow so tonight we’ll just be hangin’ with the family.”
“Oh, that’s too bad that you’re not home longer.”
“What about you? Headin’ back to Connecticut soon?” he asked.
“In a few days,” she said. “What about the rest of you?”
“Katy and I are goin’ out for dinner,” Toby said proudly.
“I think I’m gonna be tied up,” Travis said as he grinned at his girlfriend.
Robbie barreled to the front of the group. “I’m free tonight,” he offered with a big smile.
Jordyn looked at Max wistfully for a moment before she looked at the girl he held against his body. “Fine, Robbie, what’re we gonna do?”
He carefully hid his shock when she agreed to go out with him. “Whatever you wanna do, beautiful.”
Max glanced up at the others as Liz turned in his arms and leaned back against his chest. Jack was already stowing his gear while Taylor helpfully directed him and she held her hands up when he glared at her.
“What?”
Jack shook his head at her. “Don’t help, buttercup.”
“Well, I never,” she huffed indignantly.
“Leave the man alone, Tay,” Max called.
“You really wanna get involved in this, little brother?”
Max lifted his hands in defeat and glanced at Liz. “Whatcha wanna do for lunch?”
“Tacos.”
*****
Tess looked up when Michael entered the apartment without a single bag in his hands. “Um, Michael, did you forget something?”
“No, but your slave is on his way up with another load of your spoils of war.” He shook his head. “Where’s Maria?”
“Right here,” she said, popping up behind the counter in the kitchen. She held up a couple of bottles of beer. “Want one?” she asked.
“I’d love one, but I’ve gotta go.” He held his cell phone up. “Brendan just called and he sounded upset, so I need to go see if he’s okay.”
Maria nodded and put one of the bottles back in the refrigerator before walking into the living room. “He didn’t say what was wrong?”
“No, just didn’t sound right.”
“Okay, well, gimme a call and let me know if he’s okay or not. You’ll come by later if everything’s alright?”
Michael leaned in to kiss her, reminding himself to keep it brief so he wouldn’t forget that he needed to go. “I’ll give you a call and let you know if I’m not gonna be able to make it. If I don’t call, you can expect me back for dinner.”
Her green eyes sparkled in anticipation. “I can’t wait.”
Michael nodded at the sack sitting on the counter and winked at her. “Don’t forget to put that gelato in the freezer; we don’t want it to melt before we get to use it.”
Maria laughed and nodded, giving him a gentle shove towards the front door. “Go on, and I’ll see you back here for dinner.”
“Are you gonna help Kyle finish bringin’ my stuff up before you go?” Tess demanded.
“No. I’m gonna put it on the ground and you can just hope that no one steals it while he’s makin’ all those trips up here. Or...” he grinned at her, “you could get off your pampered ass and go give him a hand.”
Tess’ middle finger shot up and she grumbled under her breath when he only shook his head.
“Sorry, Harding, only one girl I’m interested in getting that invitation from... and it’s not you.”
“Yeah, that just breaks my heart, Guerin, because God only knows how much I have been dreamin’ about getting my hands on your ass.”
“Too bad you had to settle for Valenti then, huh? Although, I guess he is into that whole Buddha thing... which would explain the attraction. You’re small, golden, and... round...” He grinned and ducked out of the apartment when she jumped up off of the couch to chase after him.
Michael was saved from having to defend himself when he reached the parking lot and narrowly missed knocking Kyle over. The poor guy had managed to get everything that had been left in the trunk gathered up into his arms and he was trying to navigate his way to the stairs.
He rolled his eyes when Tess noticed her boyfriend and hurried to take some of the bags before he lost his balance and ended up on his ass on the asphalt.
Michael slid in behind the wheel and started the car, turning the stereo up and gunning the engine before pulling out of the parking lot. Brendan hadn’t been making a lot of sense on the phone, but he had been able to pick up on the emotional distress in his twins’ voice.
He quickly covered the distance to his brother’s apartment, pulling into a parking spot next to Brendan’s car. His gaze slid over the vehicle and he shook his head. He was gonna have to speak to Brendan about his choice of vehicles because he definitely needed to step up to something a little more... He frowned. They were just gonna have to go car shopping.
He leaned against the wall next to the door and rapped his knuckles against the wood, tipping his head to one side so he could listen for his brother’s footsteps. His footfalls were rapid, indicating that he was walking fast and Michael raised his head when the door was pulled open. He glanced at his brother’s face, trying to read the expression in his eyes and was surprised when he realized it was closed off. It was like looking into a mirror and he wondered what could have caused that look on Brendan’s face. His twin was usually an open book, so for him to look closed off something had to have upset him badly.
He straightened up and walked into the apartment when Brendan stepped back and motioned for him to come in. His gaze slid over his brother, taking in the clothes that looked like they had come out of his closet instead of Brendan’s. His hair was standing up in about a dozen different directions... kinda like his did when he had been running his hands through his hair repeatedly. Which didn’t make sense, he thought, because Brendan didn’t normally wear his hair the same way either. The kid looked more like Michael than himself.
“So, what’s goin’ on, Bren?”
“Uh, you might wanna take a seat,” Brendan said and motioned to the couch.
Michael frowned. “You alright?” he asked, certain something wasn’t right with his brother. He sat on the couch because it seemed like the longer he stood up the more agitated Brendan was getting.
“I went to see Hank,” Brendan blurted out.
“What?” All of his senses were suddenly on alert. “You didn’t go sailin’ with him did you?”
“No!”
“Then why go see him?”
“I wanted some answers.”
“About what?” Michael asked, not sure that Brendan was ready to deal with any truth Hank would ever share.
“About you, me, and Karen. About everything that’s gone wrong the last few years.”
That feeling that something was wrong only escalated at Brendan’s answer and Michael moved to sit on the edge of his seat as his gaze moved over his twin again. “You went to see Hank,” he said slowly. “Brendan, why’re you dressed like that?” He had a bad feeling that he already knew the answer.
Brendan scratched his neck nervously. “I pretended to be you...”
Michael’s first instinct was to jump up and start reading Brendan the riot act, but something made him stay where he was. “Because you thought you’d provoke a few answers out of him?”
His brother just nodded.
It took a huge effort on Michael’s part to control his temper. He forced his hands to stay flat, to not form fists, and after a few moments he slid his hands under his thighs to stop his fingers from curling into his palms. It was a natural reaction to any mention of Hank and he couldn’t control it as well as he would have liked. He studied his twin, not liking the way Brendan was avoiding his gaze.
He knew, he thought. Hank had said or done something and Brendan knew the ugly truth. His heart started to hammer and his palms began to sweat. “Did it work?” he asked, his casual tone forced.
“It did,” Brendan answered. “I’m sorry, I... I just thought... well, I don’t really know what I thought.” He shook his head because he didn’t know what to say.
Fuck, he was apologizing now! Okay, he’d just act like he wasn’t concerned and maybe Brendan would drop it. “You needed answers, no need to apologize for that, Bren.”
“I’m sorry I never realized how he treated you… God, I can’t believe it.”
Michael tensed when Brendan charged ahead with no sense of self-preservation. Relax, he’s just talking about the usual shitty treatment you always get from Hank. “It’s never been a big secret that I was the one he didn’t want,” he said, shrugging it off.
“No,” Brendan shook his head, “that’s not true; you just had enough backbone to oppose him... I never did that... unfortunately. I wish I had now.”
“All that matters is that you know what he is now.” Michael shrugged. “Did he tell you what happened to Karen?”
“Yeah, he pretty much told me that he was responsible for the breakup...” Brendan fell silent for several seconds before he gathered the courage to look into his brother’s eyes. “I’m sorry that I thought you were involved in that.”
Michael was tired of the contention that had plagued their relationship for so long. They had been getting along for the past few days and he didn’t want to jeopardize that. “Took ya long enough,” he growled, thumping his brother’s shoulder as he got up to go into the kitchen. “You got any beer?”
“Yeah, in the fridge.” There was still a very important point that he wanted to bring up, he just didn’t know how to start without Michael yelling at him and then leaving.
Michael pulled a couple of bottles out and turned to hand one to Brendan. He uncapped the one he still held, watching his brother as he waited to see if he would bring up the other thing. He could see it in his expression; the indecision, the fear of saying the wrong thing. “So, you’re really gonna look Karen up?” he asked, hoping to divert Brendan’s attention.
“Yeah, I am. I don’t know if we still have a chance of if she’s got someone new in her life… but, at the very least I’ve gotta tell her that I don’t care what Hank thinks about her or anyone else…” He sighed. “And I need to tell her I’m thinkin’ for myself now.”
“You’re ready to tell her that?”
“I’d never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t at least try.”
“She hasn’t moved on, Brendan. That girl was crazy in love with you.”
“What d’you mean by that? She hasn’t moved on? How could you know that?”
Michael lifted the hand holding the bottle to scratch his eyebrow with his thumb. “I ran into her while I was in New York visiting Brooke for a couple days over Spring Break.”
“You did?” Brendan asked, excited but also nervous.
“She’s not with anyone, Bren; she said she tried to date, but it was useless and a big waste of her time, so she’s devoted all of her time to school... just like you.” He shrugged. “Couldn’t get her to tell me why she called it quits between you though.”
“Do you know where she lives now?”
Michael nodded. “I’ve got her address.”
“Oh, wow...” He didn’t know what to say... again.
“Okay, little brother, we’re gonna have to work on your verbal skills... seriously.” He shook his head. There was no changing Brendan just like there was no changing him. They were who they were at the core of their beings, and people had to accept that about them, even if they were a little more difficult than everyone else at times.
“Uh-huh, I seem to remember a night... not too long ago when you where the one struggling for words.”
“Okay, that is sooo not the point. We’re talkin’ about you here.”
“No we’re talkin’ about us, so this is a good point to bring up. Things between you and Maria seemed pretty good yesterday…?”
How had they gone from talking about Brendan to talking about him and Maria? Oh, well, she was definitely his favorite topic these days. “Yeah, things are good.” His mind traced back over the past 24 hours and he couldn’t stop the grin that spread over his face. “Better than good, actually.”
Brendan laughed. He had never seen his brother like this… really happy… but it was a good look for him. “So, you have an official relationship now? And you’re not freakin’ out?”
“Yeah, it’s official, and no, there’s no reason to freak out over it. At first, yeah, but, now...” He shrugged. “It’s not as scary as I thought it would be.”
“You’re makin’ progress,” Brendan teased.
“Yeah, well... kinda hard to get anywhere if you don’t take a risk now and then, right?”
“Right.”
“So, you’re gonna take a risk of your own?”
“Yeah, I am.”
Michael nodded in approval. “She’ll be happy to see you, Bren.”
“I hope so. It feels like a lifetime since the last time I talked to her.”
“It’s gotta say somethin’ that neither of you have been able to move on.”
“Maybe...” Brendan hedged.
“Maybe? What d’you mean maybe?”
“Well, I don’t know, I just don’t wanna get all my hopes up and then be disappointed, ya know?”
“I can understand that, I guess. Are you scared she’s gonna think you didn’t fight for her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe that, maybe she’s scared of Hank...”
“And maybe she just needs to know that you’re still hers... that you can forgive her for leavin’.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what made her leave, but I could tell that she’s still hurtin’ over leavin’ you.”
“Yeah, she’s not alone there.”
“You still thinkin’ about goin’ to see her around Christmas?”
“Yeah.”
Michael nodded. “Y’know, if you happened to be in Boston around the... oh, the 16th of December... she’d be alone. Her roommate’s gonna be gone for the Christmas break and she just happened to mention that she was stayin’ there over the holiday.”
“Okay, well, thanks, I might take that chance then.”
“Take the chance, Bren; you deserve to be happy.”
“It’s good to talk to you like this again, Michael.” He shook his head and reached up to rub his neck. “How’d he manage to drive us so far apart?”
“He knew what buttons to push and he just never let up.” He smiled hesitantly. “So, maybe we shouldn’t give him the satisfaction of lettin’ him pull our strings anymore, huh?”
“Definitely not. Thanksgiving and today gave me plenty of proof that he’s not even worth thinkin’ about, so I’m kickin’ him outta my life.”
“Wise choice.” Now he just needed to find a way to change the subject before Brendan remembered his original train of thought and brought up Hank’s abusive behavior. “So, you got plans for the rest of the weekend?”
“Well, Sean’s already back from Roswell and he’s upset, so I guess I’ll be a nice roommate and give him some company,” he said quietly so that Sean wouldn’t overhear them from where he had barricaded himself in his room.
“What’s he upset about?” Michael asked, not really caring, but willing to discuss anything if it meant they could avoid talking about his past with Hank.
“I guess he and Liz brought up the breakup in front of their parents.”
Michael winced. “Got ugly?” He vaguely remembered Max bitching about her parents not helping Liz when her car broke down and then going off about her and Sean pretending they were still engaged over the weekend because neither of them wanted to disappoint their parents and ruin the holiday.
“Seemed like it, yeah.”
“Well, that’s cool then. I’ve got plans with Maria later anyway, so...”
“Later, huh?” Brendan teased when Michael’s phone started ringing.
*****
Kyle slumped down on Tess’ bed after everything had been carried to her room. How the hell had she managed to leave with just a few bags and return with more than twice that amount? And how had he survived the shopping marathon with her and his mother? He didn’t know, but the good thing was that Tess and his family had gotten along very well and they were back now. That meant carefree sex again.
He propped himself up on his forearms when Tess entered the room and closed the door behind her. “Can you believe what happened?” She gestured at the closed door. “They were so not talking when we left and now... look at them. They’re almost cute with each other.”
Kyle shrugged. He wasn’t really in the mood to talk about Guerin. “Yeah, sure.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. “I’m just happy for Maria, Kyle. You could at least pretend to be interested.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Well, I am interested… in you. Does that count?”
She smiled at him happily. “Maybe... a little, yes.”
He laughed at her response. “Thanks for goin’ home with me, Tess,” he said, his tone holding just a hint of seriousness.
She moved over and sat down in his lap, facing him. “I’m sorry I made such a big deal out of it at first. You were right, babe, there was nothing to worry about. Your family’s great and I would’ve really missed a great Thanksgiving if I had stayed here.”
“Things must’ve gotten pretty interesting around here considering Guerin’s rather... goofy mood at lunch.”
She grinned. “Thought you weren’t interested in talking about them?”
“I’m not, but I’ve gotta admit, I’ve never seen him like this.”
“Maria isn’t someone who backs off just because she gets pushed away, Kyle. And I think she finally made it into his stony heart.”
Kyle wrinkled his nose. “Okay, this’s turnin’ into a chick conversation. Let’s go back to focusin’ on us.”
Tess laughed and placed a kiss on the tip of his nose. “I’m all focused on you, Kyle Valenti.”
“You made quite an impression on my family, y’know. My parents both warned me that I’d better not let you get away.”
“That’s good, ‘cause you know, I’m not planning to go anywhere,” she said softly and brushed her lips against his.
Kyle’s left arm tightened around her as his right hand came up to cradle her jaw, holding her still as he deepened the kiss.
Tess let him take control for several minutes as they just sat on her bed and kissed each other. She still felt the tingle in her stomach that she had felt when they had first met in the bar a few months ago. Every kiss felt like their first kiss, she realized suddenly and broke the kiss to gasp for air.
He stared at her, studying her expression as she stared at him, her deep blue eyes tracing over his features. “What?” he asked curiously.
She bit her lip, knowing that what she was about to say was really important, for him and for her.
“Tess? What’s up, babe?”
She felt his nervousness and smiled to reassure him. “I love you, too, Kyle.”
“I...” He stared at her for a full minute as the impact of her words began to set in. “Just to clarify... you love me, and not like just a friend, right?”
She chuckled. “Kyle! You know what I meant.”
“Hey, I’m just coverin’ my bases,” he laughed and kissed her again. “I love you, Tess.”
*****
Max held his hand under the running water to make sure it had just the right temperature. He watched the tub as it filled with water and the foam built up slowly. He glanced up when Liz entered the bathroom wrapped up in a big yellow towel… and nothing else as far as he could tell.
“I’ve got at least ten bruises on my legs,” she complained and lifted the towel up just enough to show him.
“Um-hmm,” he growled when her bare legs were revealed to him. He stood up from the edge of the tub and glanced down at her. “You’d better not show that much skin in front of me right now,” he mumbled and kissed her quickly.
Liz bit her lip and considered making him an offer to join her in the hot water but she wasn’t sure that she was ready to take that step so soon. They hadn’t been a couple for very long and as much as she wanted to explore these new things, she didn’t have any experience with them before now.
Max could read the insecurity in her eyes and he forced himself to take a step back. “I’m gonna go downstairs and see if I can help Mom with watching J.J. Stay in here as long as you want, okay?”
Liz nodded softly. “Thanks.”
Max knew that she wasn’t just thanking him for the bubble bath itself. “Always,” he replied simply and walked out of the room to go downstairs.
He stopped on the bottom step when he saw Lacey in the living room and he knew she was probably there to pick J.J. up.
Lacey looked up when she caught movement from the corner of her eye and she saw her brother-in-law hesitate at the bottom of the staircase. She stood and walked out into the hallway as she met his cautious gaze. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Max nodded. “Sure. Wanna go outside? We can sit on the deck.”
“Yeah.”
They walked through the house until they reached the back door and they stepped outside. Max sat down on the bench next to the swing that was still there from his own childhood. He didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet and waited for her to start.
Lacey sat on the swing, leaving some distance between them as she looked at the sunlight reflecting off of the lake. “I didn’t mean to run off on you this morning, Max. I just needed to think about some things.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her, “I know it’s not a very comfortable thing to talk about.”
“No,” she agreed and laughed tightly. “I just wanted to apologize to you, Max; it was never my intent to make you uncomfortable.” Her eyes watered and she reached up to brush the tears away. “I just miss him so much.”
Max took a deep breath when he saw her crying quietly. “Me too.”
“I’ll do my best to stop touching you the way I have been. You were right; it’s not fair to either of us and I’ve got to let him go at some point if I’m ever gonna be able to move on.”
“You know that we’ll be always there for you and J.J. right? You will always be a part of this family.”
She nodded. “I really am sorry, Max. I didn’t really realize what I was doing until I caught the way your girlfriend was watching me the past couple of days.”
“She’s not mad at you, Lacey. It was just somethin’ that... bothered her.”
“She seems to be very nice.”
“She’s perfect for me, Lacey. I knew it the first time I saw her.” Max made a face. “And she was engaged at that point.”
“Max Evans, tell me you didn’t make a play for a woman with a fiancé!”
Max smirked. “I know, it really wasn’t right, but I can’t find it in me to regret it.”
“She makes you happy,” Lacey observed and nodded in approval. “Jason would’ve been so happy for you, Max.”
He stared at the horizon and nodded. “Yeah, I wish I could introduce her to him.”
“You should,” she said, knowing she was treading on dangerous ground. He had never visited the gravesite after the funeral, refusing to go no matter who asked.
Max shook his head. “I can’t go there, Lacey. I’ve tried, but it’s...” he sighed. “I can’t really explain it.”
“Just think about it,” she suggested and then let the subject drop.
*****
Alex rolled his head along the back of his chair when he heard the doorbell ring and he seriously thought about not answering it in favor of lazing around on the deck. He was saved from having to actually make a decision when his sister spoke up.
“I’ll get it,” Brooke said and headed for the door, hoping it would be Michael or Brendan.
Alex nodded; he was content to lounge around with his girlfriend and let Brooke handle their visitor.
“Were we expecting anyone?” Isabel asked.
“Not that I know of, but it might be Michael or Brendan.”
Brooke went through the hallway to open the door and froze when she opened it and saw who was on the other side.
“That doesn’t sound like Michael,” she said when they heard Brooke shouting.
Alex frowned when he heard the hysterical edge in his sister’s voice and he glanced at his girlfriend as they both hurried to get up and run into the house.
“What do you want?” Brooke snarled.
Hank pushed his way into the house and motioned for the police officer behind him to wait on the porch. “I want you to get your things together; you’re going to Munich with your mother and me.”
“What?!” Brooke shrieked hysterically.
“Where’s your brother?” Hank demanded as he moved further into the house.
“What do you want here, Hank?” Alex asked when he reached the foyer and saw his father and the policeman standing behind him on the porch.
“Your guardianship of Brooke was only temporary and I’m revoking it; this officer is here to make sure you don’t give me any trouble.”
“But, she doesn’t want to go with you. What is this? Some stupid revenge thing?”
Hank ignored his oldest child’s rant and turned to look at his daughter. “Either you go get some things together, or you can go with what you’re wearing.”
Brooke hadn’t even realized that she was crying as she glanced helplessly back and forth between Alex and Hank. “I don’t wanna go. Please, let me stay in the States with my brothers.”
Alex stared at his father as he tried to figure out what to do. His lawyer hadn’t yet come up with a solution to the problem and he knew he didn’t have a legal leg to stand on, but he couldn’t just let Hank take Brooke.
“You’ve got ten minutes and then we’re leaving with or without your things,” Hank said. “I told you the other day, Alex, you’re not her father.”
“He’s more of a father than you’ve ever been!” Brooke shouted.
“Hank, please, don’t do this. You won’t even have time to look after her. She doesn’t speak the language and she’s already adjusted to life here.”
Hank was unmoved by their pleas and he crossed his arms over his chest as he waited impatiently. “You’re down to eight minutes, girl.” He motioned to the officer standing behind him. “This officer will escort you out of here kicking and screaming if that’s what it takes.”
Alex realized that there was no way around it. He had to let her go – for now – and it was breaking his heart. He grabbed Brooke’s arm lightly and guided her to her room, the hallway seeming to be endlessly long in that moment. From the corner of his eye he could see Isabel following them and he was grateful for her silent support.
Brooke looked up at Alex as they entered her room and he let her go. “No, Alex, you promised I wouldn’t have to go back with them! You’ve gotta keep your promise!” She could hear the words as they came out of her mouth and she knew she sounded like a child, but at that moment she didn’t care.
“Brooke, listen to me,” Alex said, trying to keep his own emotions under control. It wouldn’t help her to see him losing it. “I need time... my lawyer said we don’t have a solid case right now... I know I promised I wouldn’t let them take you back, and I will fight this, but – “ He fell silent when she shoved him away angrily.
“I knew you were lying! I knew they would take me back,” she screamed at him.
Isabel fought back the tears she could feel rising to the surface. Alex and Brooke were both caught in an impossible situation and she felt badly for both of them. She knew Brooke was striking out and verbally attacking her brother because she was hurt, scared, and angry, but each word was cutting through Alex as efficiently as the blade of a knife.
Alex struggled to find some way to reassure his sister, to convince her that he would stop this from happening, but what if he couldn’t do it? What if they left the country with Brooke and he missed his chance? He turned to look at his girlfriend and spoke quietly. “Would you get my lawyer on the phone? His number’s on my desk.”
Isabel just nodded and was grateful for the chance to get away for a few seconds so that she could take some deep breaths and compose herself.
“Why bother?” Brooke muttered, shoving some of her clothes in a bag.
“Brooke,” Alex tried again and reached out to cradle her face between his hands, “look at me, Sis. We WANT you here and your brothers, Isabel, and I will do all that we can to get you back as soon as possible. I won’t give up, I promise you.”
“Whatever.”
Alex sighed. She was closing herself off, shutting down, the same way that Michael did when he was facing something that he couldn’t deal with. He sat down on the bed and rested his head in his hands. “I’m sorry that I can’t do anything else right now, Brooke. Short of tryin’ to stop him physically and getting myself arrested I’m not sure what I can do.”
Brooke bit her bottom lip as she turned to look at her brother. She didn’t want him to get arrested... she just didn’t want to go with their father either. Her anger wavered and a moment later she sat down beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Alex... I know it’s not your fault. You’re doin’ everything you can.”
Alex wrapped one arm around her. “I love you, you know that, right?”
Brooke hugged him tightly. “I know, Alex. I love you, too.”
“Hey,” Isabel said as she came back into the room. “I’m sorry, all I got was the answering machine; he won’t be available until 4 pm today.”
“Great,” Alex muttered.
Brooke’s gaze bounced between the two of them. “What’s that mean?” she asked, sounding scared.
“It just means that I have to wait a couple hours before I can talk to him.” He tried to let it sound not so important because she was scared enough.
“I’m not gonna have to go to Munich, am I?” Brooke just wanted them to tell her that it wasn’t going to happen.
Alex sighed heavily. “I don’t know. Depends on when they booked the flight and how long it’ll take my lawyer to come up with something. I’m not gonna lie to you, Brooke; you might have to fly over there, but even if you do, it won’t stop us from getting you back – not even from there.”
“Brooke, you know your brother’s been talking to his lawyer for a while now, right?” Isabel asked as she sat down on the girl’s other side.
Brooke nodded. She knew Alex had been trying to find a legal way to keep their parents from taking her away. She swallowed hard as she listened to what they were telling her. “I don’t wanna leave you guys,” she cried, throwing herself into her brother’s arms.
“We don’t want you to leave either,” Alex said, hugging her back and looking at Isabel sadly. Having the 16-year-old underfoot had certainly thrown his well-ordered life into chaos, but he wouldn’t change that for anything in the world. God, how am I gonna tell the twins about this, he wondered.
“Time’s up!” Hank shouted from the front of the house.
“Okay, Brooke,” he pushed her away a little to look at her, “you’ve gotta be strong now.”
She reached up to dry her eyes; she may have to go with her father but she wasn’t going to let him see her cry. “You promise you’ll come for me though, right?”
“I promise.”
Brooke tossed a few more things into her bag. “I’m leaving the rest here; that’ll remind me that this time with them,” she motioned toward the living room, “is just temporary.” She sighed heavily as she stood and grabbed her bag before leading the way out of the room. Stopping in the living room she paused to scoop up the two small dogs sitting in their basket near the fireplace, hugging them close for comfort.
She glanced at a photo on the mantle above the fireplace that showed the twins. She couldn’t even say goodbye to them.
Alex met his father’s hateful gaze as he stood in front of the man, fighting to keep his hands at his sides. Getting arrested wouldn’t do any of them any good, he reminded himself. “This isn’t over,” he said, his gray eyes cold.
Hank just laughed at that. “You can’t do anything about it, son, so just let it go.”
“We’ll see.” He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from doing something stupid. He was seconds away from doing something Michael would do, he thought. “When’s your flight?”
“Tomorrow afternoon,” Hank said, grinning. “Shocked at how soon we’ll be gone, huh?” he asked when he saw Alex’ determined expression. He didn’t bother saying anything else, just grabbed Brooke’s arm and walked her down to the limo where the driver held the back door open so she could slide inside.
The police officer blocked Alex’ path when he moved to follow his father and sister. He fought down his frustration as he watched the limousine pull away from the curb, nodding when the uniformed officer made an apology before taking his leave.
Isabel came up behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “We have to get her back, Alex,” she whispered.
He nodded, but his doubts were beginning to make themselves known. What if he couldn’t do it? What if the law prevented him from protecting his sister from his father? If it was just him, he would risk arrest by forcefully taking her from Hank, but he had Isabel and their baby to consider.
“I have to call the twins,” Alex said, not looking forward to those calls.
“You might wanna have them come here and tell them what happened,” she suggested. “You tell Michael about this over the phone and he’s liable to go straight over to the hotel where your parents are staying and get himself arrested.”
“Yeah,” he said and nodded absent-mindedly as he walked into the house to get the phone.
Isabel wished there was something she could do to help, but for the present time the only thing she had to offer was her presence. She followed him back inside, sitting down on the couch while he paced restlessly around the living room and made his first call. She listened as he talked to Michael and quickly realized that he and Brendan were together. The conversation was short as Alex asked them to come over as quickly as possible and as soon as he had their assurance that they were on their way he hung up and threw the phone on the coffee table.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas