Nice To Meet You Anyway(AU,M/L,Mature) (Complete)

[willowbv]

****

Max’s POV

With Xan in my arms, I stand in the doorway to his nursery while she packs his things.

She’s already packed her things, I watched her do it. She wouldn’t look at me. She’s not looking at me now as she packs his teddies and blankets.

“Don’t forget his Nightstory book, it’s his favourite,” I add.

I know she knows that, we read it to him every night. I do the male voices while she does the female ones.

She picks up the book. It’s the last thing to do and then she’s done.
She’s packed. They’re leaving me.

I could stop her but what would be the point? I want her to want to be here, to want to live with me, but she doesn’t so I’ve got to let her leave.

She stands with me in the doorway.
She meets my eyes, she’s been crying.
So have I.
At least I know it’s hurting us both…that’s something.

I reluctantly let her take Xan. He cries a little during the exchange almost as if he knows what’s going on, but she soothes him to silence. She’s really good at doing that.

There’s nothing and everything left to say.

“I’ll bring the bags down,” I tell her.

“We’ll be by the car,” she responds.

****

The drive back to her house is silent except for Xan’s baby noises.

I miss them already and all too soon, I pull into her house.

****

We manage to unload her bags and enter the house without talking to each other. The house has been re-arranged with Xan in mind, I notice.

She really didn’t think it was permanent.

I put Xan into the area set up for him in the living room.

I feel like I’m giving him up. I know that I’m not and that I’ll see him and spend time with him, but I won’t be there during the non-meaningful moments which when I’m about to lose them, have acquired meaning.

I plant a small kiss on his forehead and brush it away. “I love you.”

I don’t know how long I just stare at him, but when I look up, I find Liz watching me a few feet away.

I don’t speak or move, maybe if we just stay like this, then my life won’t change.

“I’m all set,” she tells me.

She breaks the quiet, breaks the stillness. My life changes.

“I better see you out,” she continues.

We stop by the door. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Liz,” I begin.

I want to ask her if she loves me. I felt something behind the kisses we shared and the moments we spent together. I know there’s something between us and it’s mutual. I want to hear her say it, but if she doesn’t, if I ask her and she says no, I don’t know how I’ll get home because I won’t be able to think or speak let alone drive; and if I did, I’d probably wrap the car around a tree.

“Were you ever- was it- were you happy? Did I make you happy?” I ask instead.

I close my eyes briefly when her fingers brush against my cheek. “I was happy. You made me happy Max,” she replies.

Her hand drops away from me and I feel empty.

“Then why are you doing this?”.

I don’t understand.

“You need to give your future relationships a fair go without me and Xan under your roof cramping your style.”

My eyes narrow at her reply.

“Is this about Tess? Do you think we’re together?”.

“I think you spent the night with her and didn’t come home till late afternoon,” she replies.

“Are you doing this to punish me?”.

Because that would be cold and heartless.

“I’m not that petty,” she replies. “What you do with Tess, I couldn’t care less about.”

“Liar.”

I’m pissed off now. If she did this to get back at me…that’s low.

“You want to know what Tess and I did last night?”, I challenge.

She shakes her head. “No.”

I don’t care.

“We fucked. We had great mind-blowing sex all night. That‘s what you want to hear isn‘t it?!”

It’s all lies but I don’t give a damn.

“No.” She’s pale and trembling now, I can see the pain in her eyes but right now it doesn’t matter to me, I’m hurting too.

“She moaned and screamed my name as I pounded into her-”

“Shut up-”

“It was fun. It was good.”

“Stop it”.

I’m pummelling her and she’s just taking it. I hate her. I want to hate her so much because of the power she has over me.

“And I’d do it again,” I finish.

Suddenly, her eyes clear, she stands rigid and sharp. “You bastard” she whispers in a lethally wounded tone.

That pulls me out of my hazy thirst for revenge. Something in her eyes tells me that I’ve gone too far, stepped over the line and screwed it up to hell.

“Liz, I-”

“That’s not what I wanted to hear and you know it.”

I’d have rather she punched me than to se the ice I’ve forced her to seek refuge behind.

What can I say? Sorry won’t make it any better. Not yet, not now.

She yanks open the door. “Get out.”

More than ashamed of my behaviour, I oblige knowing that there’s nothing I can do tonight to make it up to her.

****

Liz’s POV

It’s 11pm when my doorbell rings.

If that’s Max, I won’t open it. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want to talk to anyone. With Xan finally asleep, I just want to crawl into my bed and cry myself to sleep.

I peer through the peep hole, jerk back and rub the tiredness out of my eyes - which no doubt will be swollen by morning - to make sure I’m not hallucinating.

I look through the hold again and no, I’m not hallucinating, he’s really here.
Too emotionally exhausted fully appreciate his appearance, I open the door with a wry smile.

“L.P., rumour has it your living arrangements have changed as of tonight.”

“How long have you had your dogs on me Jules?” I ask.

“Long enough for me to get an idea of what’s going on in you life without talking to the source,” he replies. “We’re not going to fight over this,” he rubs my cheek gently with the back of his thumb. “You’re too hurt to be fighting with me.”

I hate it when he’s right, which is all of the time.

“You called your dogs off?” I ask.

“As of half an hour ago.” He holds up a bottle of wine. “the 2000 Chateau Cos-D’Estourn. You‘ll like it.”

I can’t help but smile. “One glass. I’m a single mother now, can’t afford to get hammered out of my head.”

“We’ll see what we can do about that,” he tells me.

I stand at the door just staring at his sinfully beautiful face.

“I’d forgotten how good you looked,” I tell him.

“You too, even with the results of heartbreak evident on your face. It makes you even more appealing to me.”

Flustered. That’s always my reaction to him when he says things like that in that silkily seductive voice of his in combination with his mystic green eyes.

Amusement tinged with concern dances in his eyes. “You going to invite me in L.P. or are we going to do this out here?”.

He’s so strong. So perfectly in-tune with me it’s scary. He’s-

“I’m exactly what you need tonight,” he finishes.

I’m in his arms in a heartbeat, knowing that he’s enough to bear me, raw and unadulterated, fall apart in his arms and then help put me back together again.

****

[willowbv]

AN: .....hmmm....what can I say that hasn't already been said about our dreamer couple? (exitingman, Realistic Dreamer...wow is all I have to say ), lol

Really guys, it's been interesting to read your takes on the whole situation. I think we're all in agreement that Max and Liz need to have a proper, truthful talk...but that won't be coming for a few more parts

About this next part...

No one's a fan of Julian, so I'd really be interested to see what you make of him in this next part. Not getting a lot of Max's POV in this next part, mostly Julian's and it will be in response to Liz who is going to be looking back on it all and coming to a few conclusions. Max will be doing the same in the part 22

I’m surprised. Surprised and delighted.
No twinge of hurt or jealousy, I’m happy for him. The fact that I’m not upset at all, just adds more weight to the theory of us being too perfect for each other.

Ok, I'm confused. Am I missing something? If she and Alex were too perfect for each other wouldn't it hurt seeing him with someone else? It makes me sad to hear about them being soulmates who for whatever reason just can't be together. So instead they decide to settle for second best.

Alex and Liz are soulmates but, but because they are, because they're too perfect for each other, they can only be the best of friends because they're really comfortable with each other. They know each other so well that there would be nothing to learn about each other, their relationship would...I can't think of a better word than comfortable and they each deserve more than that.
I'll delve more into the different loves of Liz Parker in the next part and hopefully, you'll see what I mean.

Care to give me an estimate on how long the angst will last?

This fic will be no more than 40 parts, so that means we're half-way through. By part 30, maybe before that, this phase of the angst should be settled with.


PREVIOUSLY

I stand at the door just staring at his sinfully beautiful face.

“I’d forgotten how good you looked,” I tell him.

“You too, even with the results of heartbreak evident on your face. It makes you even more appealing to me.”

Flustered. That’s always my reaction to him when he says things like that in that silkily seductive voice of his in combination with his mystic green eyes.

Amusement tinged with concern dances in his eyes. “You going to invite me in L.P. or are we going to do this out here?”.

He’s so strong. So perfectly in-tune with me it’s scary. He’s-

“I’m exactly what you need tonight,” he finishes.

I’m in his arms in a heartbeat, knowing that he’s enough to bear me, raw and unadulterated, fall apart in his arms and then help put me back together again.

****

Nice to meet you anyway - 21b

Julian’s POV

I look around her place and I’m pleased to find that I’m not surprised by it. It’s exactly who she is, warm and open.

Finds me in the living room, with a corkscrew and two wine glasses in her hands.

Warm and open, with Liz, I remember, is also complication and passion.

We settle down on the sofa. I’m fixed on her movements as she pours the wine. It’s been years since we’ve been this close. I’ve seen pictures and watched her on MTV Diary of…, but it doesn’t compare to being with her here and now, so different yet so much the same girl I met and fell in love with five years ago.
The girl has become a woman, more beautiful and more troubled. More endearing to me.

“Want him dead? A few broken ribs?” I ask.

It does my heart good to see her smile.

“No. As much as I would like to take you up on that offer, sadly I’m in love with him,” she tells me.

I don’t lie to her, she can read me like no-one else. “I’m hurt.”

“Sorry. I couldn’t help it.,” she shrugs apologetically. “Besides, how do I know you’re not in love with some rich, elegantly groomed purebred?”.

“I’m not,” I reply simply.

“Oh.”

I didn’t anticipate on meeting someone like Liz. She isn’t my usual type and I never planned on giving any woman the power to hurt me, but she got me. When she casually made her way to my table, sat down, told me exactly what she thought of me and then proceeded to toss a glass of champagne in my face.

All eyes were on us. Who would are to that to me and live?.
My thoughts were along the same lines when I gripped her wrist and tugged her to sit back down. Curiosity overwhelmed anger and she got me.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“What’s yours?” she challenged.

“I don’t play games.”

“No, you just love to play with people’s hearts,” she’d countered.

“Julian Reed.”

She lifted her eyebrow at my tone. “Should I be impressed by your name?”.

“Yes.”

She inclined her head to the side as if considering the idea. “I’d rather not.”

We ended up talking the whole night. She didn’t know why the waiter pandered to me or why everyone seemed to know me and when she found out, aside from being impressed by my tenacity and ambition, she hadn’t been too much in awe.
She didn’t let me take her home. She hailed a cab and before getting in, shook my hand.

“It was nice to have met you Julian Reed.”

She slipped into the cab never expecting to see my again. I had other ideas.


“Your last email, I quote: Having Max Evans’ baby, but we’re not together. I’m with Alex. It’s complicated - end quote. Care to elaborate?” I ask.

Razors nicked at my heart when I read that email. I immediately got in touch with my contacts to confirm. I hadn’t expected her to wait for me, it’s not like I waited, that had been part of our agreement, to live our lives, to grow. There were moments of fear where I’d think she would forget about me, but she didn’t. We kept up with our brief life emails and lived our lives, I just thought that she’d drop everything for me.

If I told her this, she’d call me egotistical and arrogant. She’d be right.

“You’re in love with him,” I state. “Are you in love with me?”

The soft light of the tall table-side lamp catches her inner turmoil and illuminates it. “You can’t ask me that, not now.”

I sigh, knowing she’s right. “That was unfair. I apologise.”

“Accepted.” She smiles burden free for a brief instance before the troubled clouds hide her from me. “After Max though, I gotta tell you ace, I might give up the whole relationship gig. Maybe men in general.”

I quell the panic and recompose myself my next heartbeat.

“If you do, I really will have to hurt him.”

She smiles again, chasing the cloud away.

I really do want to hurt Max Evans for bringing her so much pain.

“Tell me about it?” I ask.

“You first.”

“My catch-up does not end with me and progeny, so as the more interesting one, you go first.”

She lets out a trembling breath, lowers her glass and shifts until she’s comfortable on the sofa.

I can tell this is going to be some story.

“Okay. Maria- Maria Deluca, she plays Grace on Orange Sky…”

I nod. “I know her.”

I know about the people in her life. A year ago, I had to know what she was doing, so I got in touch with some people, who got me the information I needed. I will tell her about it later on, she’s going to be more then pissed but now’s not the time.

“Well we went out one night. She met Michael, who she’s engaged to by the way…”

Hhmmm, I should send her flowers.

“Not ‘til they know about you first.” she tells me.

“…I met Max. He was at the time, still kind of is sometimes I guess, but then, he was this handsome cocky no-ones-ever-said-no-to-me actor, so I thought I’d be the first.”

Her eyes are bright with recollection and I can’t help the pang that rings through me.
He hurt her but they had some good times.

“…We ended up talking and strangely became friends. We were total opposites, he was a man-whore, you would know something about that Jules- and I’m not.”

“Lucky for me.”

“Thinking about it, you and him have a lot in common,” she says. “Rich, handsome, like to sleep with beautiful women. It’s my fault really for being attracted to guys like you…of course you haven’t done what Max has.”

“Which is?” I prompt because I really want to know.

“I’m getting there. We talked on the phone like every night. He propositioned, couldn’t resist himself, I said no. We stayed friends until out of the blue, I fall for him. Had a girlfriend and didn’t want what I wanted so I broke off our friendship to spare me more pain.”

“I take it that didn’t work out,” I say dryly.

“Don’t be a smart-ass,” she chides me with a smile. “Anyway, where was I- ah yes, we broke up and then became friends again although I don’t know how I thought that was going to work- but we made up and then that’s when he decided to think that he was in love with me-”

“Like an episode of Orange Sky, the drama,” I murmur.

“Tell me about it. I’d rather write about it than live it. Back on track, he thinks he loves me and I foolishly believe him a little but then taking me out and then ditching me for one of his old friends to get a blow job, wiped out that belief.”

“Idiot.”

He was a fool. I’ve been in his place. I didn’t screw Liz around but I’ve been with enough women to know when to keep a hold of that special one who reads you like no other.

“He was sorry afterwards but it was too late. He kept sending flowers and presents, but I was way past that. He broke up with his girlfriend- but wait, that was before I slept with him because he wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“What?.” My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. They never bulge out of my head.

“Don’t freak out. He isn’t dangerous Jules, except to my heart maybe, but I was a challenge and he wouldn’t leave it and I loved him and was looking for payback, so I slept with him…and then left him the next day.”

“Ouch. You did that to me, I’d hunt you down, seduce you and then leave. Then crawl back because that would be an asinine thing to do,” I input.

“Was the best thing, since he wasn’t serious about me that way. I didn’t give him the chance to use protection-”

“Liz!” I protest more out of jealousy than anything else. I hope I get to see that side of Liz Parker.

“Anyway turns out the morning after pill isn’t 100% and I got pregnant. Didn’t realise it at first and by then I was doing okay. I was with Alex and Max was out of my life, I couldn’t be dragged back in again. Alex and I…”, a fond smile sweeps across her features causing me to pull the image of Alex Whitman.

He’s good guy. Handsome in an non-obvious sort of way. Good-natured, very smart. I can see why Liz would be with him.

“…were gonna get married, he was going to propose…”

Suddenly I’m not big fan of Alex Whitman.

“…except I was pregnant and had to tell Max. I couldn’t do it yet, so I had Alex pretend to be the father…I know,” she adds in response to my raised eyebrow. “…but it’s what I did. Max came back and we were friends again and I loved him still, my dad ended up telling him. I went into labour. Max and Alex were there at the birth. There was a lot of drama.”

“Tell me.”

And she does, every detail: Xan’s premature birth, her fear, Max being with her, her friends’ reactions, her and Alex’s break-up, moving in with Max.

“If you did that to me,” I tell her, “I’d have demanded visitation rights, threatened to take Xan away from you, just to hurt you.”

“Thanks.”

“Then I’d have let it go, begged for forgiveness and then do what Max did,” I add.

I’ve got to respect him for that. He did the right thing.
Damn it.

“You could have called me,” I tell her.

I know that we weren’t supposed to but important things were happening in her life, I could have been there and helped.

“Jules, bringing you in the mix would have complicated things to the nth degree and we had a deal. I was living my life and you yours. Our worlds couldn’t collide again yet.”

“They have now. Go on.”

I want to hear the rest of it. Of how she got from living with Max to moving back here.

“I moved in, it was fine. We got along and he loves Xan and I thought-”, she breaks off blinking back the tears that shimmer in the light. “I don’t know, that maybe he’d love me too. We fell into this pattern that…intimate,” she blushes.

“Spare details,” I tell her.

“I wouldn’t do that to you, except, we didn’t have sex…”

I’m more than relieved. I know I’ve got no right but I’m relieved.

“…I wasn’t stupid. Which was a good thing because he picked it up with Tess again.”

“With you and Xan there?!”, I explode.

I want to hurt him, badly.

“Initially, they picked up as friends,” she explains soothing my temper. “I can’t fault that, Alex and I are friends.”

She’s not the only one who can understand the unsaid in this relationship. “It bothered you. Why didn’t you tell him?”.

“What would I say? ‘Max could ya not become friends with your ex, even though I’m friends with mine because I’m jealous and want to have a relationship with you even though I lied to you about our son a few months back?’”.

“Pain taken.”

“It would be different if he loved me. If he had designs on me, then I could have the jealous talk with him but he’s not and maybe that’s a good thing seeing as what happened next sucked.”

“He really took up with Tess.”

She nods grimly. “Last night. Stepped in as her date last minute. Didn’t get in till after six pm. Called to say, he and Tess were in no state to get home.”

“Stupid lie. Could have taken a cab,” I critique.

“Yep. At least he didn’t bring her back to the house. That was the last straw for me Jules. What kind of pathetic person hangs onto someone who’s with someone else? Me that’s who,” she wails.

Me too.

“And I’m tired of it.” Gone is the sadness, the shimmer of tears and the dark cloud. Here is the fire, the determination and desire to break free from emotional anguish. “So we had this massive fight and Xan and I moved back. But not before Max gave me a blow by blow of his shenanigans with Tess.”

I wait a beat before responding.
“You sure you don’t want me to hurt him?”, I ask.

“Wouldn’t solve anything,” she answers.

“What would?”.

“Nothing. We’re too far gone to be just friends. We both emotionally pulverized each other, I see that now. All we can do is be civil because we share a son, we need to be fair to him.”

“That’s bull,” I tell her cheerfully.

“Excuse me?”.

“The emotional pulverization is on the spot, but ‘being civil’,” I shake my head, “You’re avoiding it L.P., you’re running…curious, I thought you’d be the type to deal with things.”

That pushes her buttons.

“I am.”

“It’s a control thing isn’t it?” I ask as the picture becomes clear.

“Huh?”.

“This thing with Max got out of control. You’ve never hurt anyone the way you hurt him with intent or screwed up so badly or complicated your life so much. You can’t deal. You can write about it, but you don’t want it in your own life.”

“And do you see why? Look at me!”.

She’s sitting up on her knees now, dressed in an oversized shirt, with puffy eyes haunted by the need for sleep. Beneath all of that, I see a fire burning bright waiting to be unleashed.

“I’m looking.”

“I’m a mess! This isn’t my life. This is chaos.” She slumps back down.

“Life is chaos. Chaos is life,” I tell her philosophically.

“Are you saying I didn’t have a life before I met Max?” she asks with narrowed eyes. “When my life was simple, ordered, not full of emotional complexity and heartbreaking angst?”.

“You’ve just got more life since Max,” I answer carefully.

“You know what? I don’t want more life right now. I want to be that smart, sassy, carefree, independent spirit not weighed down by a mountain of emotional baggage.”

“That emotional baggage gave you Xan,” I remind her gently.

“Yeah,” she beams and I know she wouldn’t take anything that’s happened back because she has him.

“Do I get to meet him?” I ask.

“I’ll take you later, he’s asleep.”

We sit in silence. I know she’s thinking, I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head.

“I’m pathetic,” she announces.

“I won’t waste my time with that one,” I respond.

“I feel pathetic. Jules, I can’t swing from relationship to relationship with no breather like some kind of relationship addict. I was normal till Max. Then it was Max, then Alex, then Max and now…you’re back in the picture and although I’m glad you are, I’m off relationships, forget that, men and sex, the whole thing in general.”

I’m not sure if her declaration is serious or just due to her state of mind, either way my input is definitely needed.

“Let’s not get hasty.”

“It’s not haste Jules, it’s my first really brilliant idea in a long time. I’m done. I’m spent. My heart’s a muscle and it’s tired, my soul is screaming for peace and my mind is a haze of confusion and you know what I just realised? I’m seeing a pattern with my relationships. Noah and I dated, now, he’s got someone else he loves and no doubt marry and him and I are friends. Same MO with Alex except, he’s just dating. Max and I aren’t even friends but time will pass and we may have a semi-friendship while he’s with Tess. You’re next in line Jules and I can tell you now, I’m not doing it. I’m not going through an emotional ringer only to end up as friends with you. Since we’re already friends, lets cut out the emotional ringer part.”

I make a non-committal sound hoping that will be enough.
It’s not.

“Agree with me for tonight at least,” she pushes.

“Okay. No emotional ringer, not from me.”

“Good. Talking it through, I feel better, more in control. More me. Thanks Jules.”

“Glad to be of service.”

“What about you? Last I heard: ‘ Bought C&E publishing, dating Kendal Ryan, getting richer, thinking about you’,” she quotes.

“Well,” I grin, “the last part was a constant. Kendal Ryan was my last relationship before that, Cameron Reese;supermodel, Carnie Jacobs; rich

[willowbv]

corporate type; Daisy Rowen; Broadway actress…” I run down the list of women I’ve been involved with. They’re always sexual, always brief and since Liz, we part on good terms. The only problem was, they weren’t Liz.

“Rich beautiful, successful women,” she muses. “True to form. Fall in love?”.

“Only once and I’m looking at her.”

“Jules,” she sighs tiredly.

“It’s unfair considering the state of your personal life right now, I know that. What I am above all things Liz, is a patient man. I know we said that we’d live our lives and see where we were, but I couldn’t just let go. You being out there somewhere affected me. I dated up until a year ago. Then I stopped. There was no point because I didn’t want them. I wanted you. I’ll admit, I checked up on you to see if you were married because if you were, I’d need a year to handle the news, but you weren’t, so I waited and hope.” I take her hand and lift it to my lips. “I still wait and hope.”
She takes her hand back and slowly rubs it with her other hand. “Well shit Mr. Monogamous,” she breaths.

I grin. Liz only swears when she’s stunned stupid or when she’s angry. Right now, I think it’s the former.

“How’d you think this would play out Miss Writer?” I ask.

“Um, I expected- you know what? I really don’t know. I guess that we’d meet up, catch up, see if there was a spark and take it from there. I’m not the same person I was five years ago Jules and neither are you.”

“No I’m not. Your birthday’s next weekend. Give us a week.”

“I suck at the whole time frame thing, Jules.”

“I know timings way off, but if you didn’t feel anything for me, then I’d let it go.”

I leave that hanging between us, giving her the choice.

“I’m a mess Jules.”

I smile. “I’m a patient man. You get to check me out and vice-versa. A week and we’ll see where we go from there.”

“If it turns out bad, don’t get bitter, revenge vicious on me,” she tells me.

“Won’t have the strength to,” I tell her.

If this turns out bad, I’ll be crushed.

“Emotional ringer Jules. Not up for it,” she reminds me.

“Right.”

I don’t tell her that she hasn’t yet dealt with her Max emotional ringer and that an emotional ringer is always the case when you risk your heart. She’ll find out eventually.

“Well see what we can do about that,” I add.

We let it drop for now and move onto my businesses. C&E publishing comes up again and I take it as a sign.

“Ever thought of crossing over to books from the screen Liz?”.

“You know I have.”

“Karen Rei? Remember her? She’s got a successful book series going.”

“Karen? No way.”

“Yep. She’s looking to develop a new project different from the murder stuff she’s doing now. Last time we were all together I remember her saying how it would be great for you two to do something together. She always said you had the most inventive ideas.”

I see the interest in her eyes, in her contemplative biting of her lower lip. “I’m contracted for the next season of Orange Sky, the final season, but that’s not for a few months.”

“Start something different. Something new. I’ll get the details to you. She’s in San F. so don’t think I want to whisk you away to New York,” I add.

“Great. If we click hopefully, we’ll come up with something to make you lots of money,” she tells me.

“Money I have and if it’ll but your happiness, so be it,” I smile.

“If we suck Jules, say so.”

“I’ve got Karen for a reason and I’m suggesting you two as a team for a reason. I don’t joke about business, which is why I’m so rich.”

“And so modest.”

She takes me by surprise by hugging me. “Thanks Jules, I needed that. I need to get my life back.”

“I’ll help anyway you let me,” I tell her.

“Good answer. Come on.” She pulls me to my feet. “I’ll introduce you to Xan.”

****

Xan is beautiful and peacefully asleep.

I watch him at first, then I watch her watch him.
The love of a mother, so precious and powerful.
I don’t care that he’s not mine, he’s a part of Liz. That makes him okay in my book.
This will be more complicated than I thought, but I’m pathetically in love. It still amazes me that the petite little figure beside me managed to break through my defences in a few weeks. I remember the exact instant I knew deep in my bones that I loved her.

It was a week after I’d ‘coincidentally’ visited art show at the same time as her. A week after I’d taken her out to lunch.

Since my family owned the hotel she was staying at, I let myself in to her room. She came in, saw me and asked me to get out.

“I don’t’ know what game you’re playing ace, but I don’t want any part it.”

She had been caught in the rain and was wet and furious and wary. I was intrigued and told her so.

“Well lucky me. Got the intrigue of one of the Reed clan. I. Don’t. Care. Get out of my hotel room and I don’t care if you own it. You think that just because you’re some rich conglomerate owning billionaire that you can have everything you want on a whim? New flash ace, you can’t…why are you looking at me like that?…back off…”

I shut her up by kissing her then. The taste of her left me yearning for more.

Her loud yawn in the present, brushes away my memories.

“You’re tired L.P. let’s get you to bed.”

We both look at the double bed on the other side of the room. Xan has his own nursery but Liz wanted him in her room for tonight.

“You’re not joining me,” she says.

“Nope. I’ll crash on the couch, but hopefully, you’ll be more hospitable in the bedroom department for me the rest of the week?” I ask.

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t you have a permanent hotel room somewhere? One you own?”.

“Yes, but the company wouldn’t be as delightful.”

“Bite me Jules.”

And I do. I wrap my arm around her waist, tug her towards me and taste the warm inviting flesh of her neckline until I settle the urge in me that needed to mark her as mine.

I step back, meet her glassy eyes and wink before kissing her softly on her forehead.

“You asked for it,” I tell her softly. “Get some sleep Liz, tomorrow’s a whole new day.”

****

Noah’s POV

I pull into Liz’s house just as Alex and Max get out of their cars.

“Alex, Max,” I greet them as we walk about the drive. “What are you guys doing here?”.

“I came to apologise to Liz,” answers Max.

So he should. I called last night to talk to Liz when he told me that she’d moved out. He didn’t want to talk about it and I figured neither would she. Which is why I’m here today.

“I came to tell her about my date,” replies Alex.

“How do you know that she was here?” I ask.

“Called her cell, some guy picked up and said she was here instead.”

We stop at the door.

“What guy?” asks Max.

“I don’t know,” he replies. “A friend. Thought I’d check on her.”

“Same here,” I tell them.

“What happened?” asks Alex as he rings the doorbell.

“We had a fight, I said things I didn’t mean,” Max answers.

I don’t know about the other guys, but I can’t hide the shock and surprise on my face when I see who opens the door…
It’s definitely not Liz holding a smiling happy Xan.

“Oh shit,” I murmur.

Max and Liz might just be over for good.

“Who are you?” asks a suspicious Max.

“Julian Reed,” answers Alex in awe. “Electronic, entertainment, security, real estate, hotels- you have your hand in anything worth anything. Wow, you’re Liz’s friend?”.
“You must be Alex,” Julian greets him.

“Yeah.”

I can see that Alex will be no use to us. He’s already on board as part of the Julian fan club. Not that I hate the guy but Max is a friend now.

Julian’s eyes land on me. “Noah.”

“Jules,” I greet him levelly.

His focus drifts to Max. “You must be Max, Xan’s father.”

“Yes,” Max answers curtly. “How do you know Liz?”.

With a guy like Julian, that would be my question too. I’d also be gritting my teeth, clenching my fist and getting him the hell away from Liz, but I don’t think Max understands the gravity of the situation. I’ll have to help him out with that.

“We’re old friends,” Julian replies.

“Oh yeah, they go way back,” I mutter.

Max hears and from the expression on his face, he wants to know everything and why he doesn’t know about Julian.

“How rude of me to keep you waiting,” Julian steps aside to let us in. “Do come in.”

Max clenches his jaw.
About damn time. I’d be counting the ways to throw a guy like Julian out if he came into my love interests home, made himself very at home and handles my son like he’s his.

“Where is the lady of the manor?” I ask.

She has a lot of explaining to do.

“Taking a shower,” Julian replies. “We had a late night.”

I see lightening in Max’s eyes.

Oh Lizzie what have you done this time? I wonder.

We all settle in the living room. Alex and I sit while Max and Jules stand sizing each other up.

I can almost hear the ding ding of the boxing ring bell.

“Oh I am sorry, you probably want Xan. Liz didn’t mention you coming by,” he says cordially as he hands Xan over to Max.

“She didn’t know,” he responds holding Xan as if reassuring himself that he hasn’t lost his place.

I feel like it’s my duty to break the ice.

“When did you get in Jules?” I ask.

“Last night. Late. Liz wasn’t expecting me either,” he replies but he’s not looking at me, he’s looking at Max.

“She must have been surprised,” I comment.

“I was a pleasant and much needed surprise. She’d had a rough day.”

The steely tone is definitely not aimed at me.

“So ah, not to knock Liz or anything, but how does she go way back with a billionaire business man?” asks Alex conversationally. “And why wouldn’t she tell anyone aside from Noah.” Turning to me he asks, “How do you know about that anyway?”.

“Hey Jules, I don’t think there’s anything lunch-worthy in my fridge, what are your views on…” Liz trails off as she takes us in.

Jules’ sparked but amused eyes, my bemused smirk, Alex’s curiosity and Max’s…what-the-hell?, expression.

“Hey guys,” she greets us. “What are you all doing here?”.

“More important Parker, is how come you didn’t tell me you know Julian Reed on a pal like level,” says Alex.

Liz still has the same bewildered expression as she stares at him and then at all of us. She’s wrapped up in a towel and I just know that she’s wondering if this is all a dream.
“Could you guys go to the kitchen first, grab something to drink, whatever, while I talk to Jules please?” she asks.

Because I’m her friend and I take pity on her, I cut of Max and agree to her request leading them into the kitchen.

Once we get there, Max turns on me. “Who the hell is Julian Reed?” he asks.

“Liz’s one and only skeleton in the closet,” I reply.

“He’s not just a friend is he?” he asks.

“He’s more than a friend. How much more is as of yet to be decided,” I tell him.

“What does that mean?” asks Alex. “He was pretty comfortable being here and so was she.”

“How well do they know each other?” finishes Max.

I think of a way to summarise Liz and Julian….

“They have short-speak,” I tell them.

“Short what?”.

Before I can go on to explain, Liz comes in looking pretty flustered. I can take a few guesses as to why. I feel back for Max. What a time to have a fight with her.

“Okay. What are you guys doing here?” she asks.

“What the heck is Julian doing here? In fact, who the hell is he to you?” asks Max.

“Um Liz,” Jules comes in shoes on, jacket on, car keys in hand. “I’m gonna-”.

“Yeah sure,” she responds waving him off.

“So I’ll-”

“Definitely. I should be in anyway.”

“And-”

“I won’t forget,” she smiles at him.

“See,” I whisper to Max. “Short speak.”

It’s the weirdest thing. They don’t finish each other’s sentences, one certain things, it’s like they have a silent conversation and only talk about some bits aloud.

“It was nice meeting you all,” Julian tells us. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

That comment wasn’t for me or Alex.

****

Liz waits till the front door shuts before speaking.

“I have too many men in my life,” she says more to herself than to us. “Okay. First off, Julian,” she tells Max, “good friend. We haven’t seen each other in years.”

“Five to be exact,” I add.

She fixes me with a not-now look. “True, we’re catching up. Secondly, what are you all doing here on a Saturday afternoon. Noah?”.

“Came to hang out,” I reply innocently.

She doesn’t buy it. “I’m fine. Thanks for caring. Alex?”

“Came to tell you about my date,” he replies.

“Went well?” she asks.

“Promising,” he replies.

“Very happy for you. Max?”.

“Came to apologise for yesterday. I had no right-”

“You really didn’t and apology accepted,” she tells him. “I’m good. I just need a little alone time, so if you guys don’t mind….”

To put it bluntly, she wants us out.

“Sure,” I respond.

“I’ll call you tonight,” I tells her as she ushers us to the door.

“Okay. Max did you want to stop by later for Xan, spend a few hours with him?” she asks.

“Sure. I’ll call,” he replies.

“I love you guys really, thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit but can we please start using phones?” she asks.

I meet her eyes and we have our own best-friend silent conversation. “I’ll call you tonight,” I repeat one more time before we leave.

Once the door is closed behind us, Max wait’s a beat, then two as we head to our cars.

“Tell me about Liz and Julian,” he demands.

“This conversation is fit for the basketball court. You in?” I ask.

“I’m free.”

“Alex?” I ask.

“Could use some time on the court,” he replies.

I nod. “Let’s see if we can round up Kyle and Michael for this. We’re going to need the whole arsenal for this one.”

****

[willowbv]

AN: Hey all, we've been pruned! yay!

the next part is up and it's pretty long too.

You know one of the worst things about the Liz/Max relationship is that when they were just friends, they were so open and honest with each other. Now they can't even be honest about the simplest things. They are both so guarded; both of them are afraid of getting hurt again by the other person. !

Have you been looking over my shoulder as I'm typing this up? lol . That's an issue that will be explored in the next part.

I have been reading this story for a while now, and have been pissed off with both Max and Liz at various times throughout the story. But I would have to say that Liz pisses me off the most. Sure, I hated what Max did to her at the party, but she has consistently been super-bitch. She just decides that they aren't gonna be friends anymore, and then decides that she will take revenge on him by sleeping with him and having nothing else to do with him. Then she keeps his baby a secret from him, and now she has decided that they are just gonna move out because of something she just assumes that he is with Tess again (of course Max and his big mouth didn't help).

~Dani

You guys are picking up on all the issues huh? Max is going to confront Liz's tendency to make solo decisions about their relationship in the next part. Which will be a two parter by the way due to its length.

Oh and I forgot to say that I hate how Julian has basically moved in and acts like Xan is his baby. WTF!

~Dani

...yeah...the Jules' issues are for later

And would the Liz that was original introduced to us allow someone to drop back in her life and let him “mark her as his.” No argument, no complaint, and get all glassy-eyed to boot?? The Liz at the beginning of the story would have been flame-eyed and thrown him out for crossing the line she’d established. And don’t let me start on her acceptance of Julian having people watch her.

Where oh where is the Liz we met at the beginning of the story? I hope to have her come out soon, she's a little lost right now

Grace52373 - don't think I've seen you on this fic before, thanks for the feedback
FSUMSW94 - welcome on board
sunrise102 - In the last post I wasn't sure about the angst length. Now I can say that by the end of the next part there will be a marked decrease in angst.

Hmm, so Liz's love for Max is being questioned huh? well I could explain more about it here...but I think I'll leave it to be explored in the next few parts...


PREVIOUSLY

Once the door is closed behind us, Max wait’s a beat, then two as we head to our cars.

“Tell me about Liz and Julian,” he demands.

“This conversation is fit for the basketball court. You in?” I ask.

“I’m free.”

“Alex?” I ask.

“Could use some time on the court,” he replies.

I nod. “Let’s see if we can round up Kyle and Michael for this. We’re going to need the whole arsenal for this one.”

****

Nice to meet you anyway - part 22

Max’s POV

Kyle passes the ball to me and I sink it into the hoop. We’re tied now. Noah picks up the ball and we head back to centre circle.

“Julian. What’s his deal?” I ask him.

“You first. Why’d Liz move out?” he asks.

I steal the ball from him, pass to Kyle who has to battle Michael. Michael get it and heads for the basket. I block him off but he manages to get past me and slam dunks it just for the hell of it.

“If you’re gonna play like that, better get it out,” he taunts.

Kyle gets the ball and dribbles it down court before sinking it neatly into the basket. “Yeah, Max, we’re all on the edge of our seats wondering how you managed to screw up.”

“Tess called last night and wanted me to escort her to a perfume launch party at the last minute,” I explain.

We’ve fallen into playing one on ones; whoever wins stays in and someone else steps in.

Right now, it’s Kyle vs. Noah.

“Riight. Like Tess would need a last minute date,” he quips sceptically.

Beside me, Michael mutters in agreement. They weren’t all too supportive of me restoring my friendship with Tess in the first place, so I guess their reactions aren’t too surprising.

“Even given what Liz has put you through, I’d have you with her any day instead of Tess,” Michael tells me.

“She’s a friend. I couldn’t let her down,” I argue.

“I’m sure Liz didn’t mind,” says Noah.

They’re going best of three. Kyle’s in the lead.

“She didn’t,” I respond.

Michael snorts.

“She didn’t!”, I protest.

“And you expected her to tell you the truth?” he asks shaking his head in annoyed amusement. “You’re clueless man.”

Noah dunks. He wins. Kyle steps off and I’m up.

Noah’s eyes glint with hints of violence and anger.
I have to watch my step.
Sure he’s on my side, but I hurt Liz and he’ll be pissed when he finds out why.

“I went. Had a good time. I dropped Tess home when I got a call about Liz’s birthday present surprise I‘m organising. I had to go deal with it asap, so I called her and told her that Tess and I were in no state to drive, so I’d see her in the morning.”

I steal the ball from him and dunk. We set up again and he’s jaw is clenched. There is no way to avoid what’s going to happen and I deserve it, but damned if I’m not a bit scared by the dark lightening sweeping across his face.
I’m glad we’re in public, kind of. Not that I can’t hold my own, but there’s an almost superhuman strength a person gets when they want to protect someone they love.

“I didn’t turn up till after 6pm yesterday,” I finish.

Kyle whistles at the implications of my statement. “She thinks you slept with Tess.”

“Did you?” Noah asks.

Our eyes are locked yet we both know where the ball is. He fakes left, tries to take a shot but he doesn’t get it past me.

“No,” I reply.

“What’s the present you’re sorting out?” Alex asks.

I tell them, I haven’t told anyone till now and not a word is said for almost a minute.

“Woah, dude…” Kyle begins, “that’s…”

“One heck of a present,” finishes Alex.

“How many strings did you have to pull for that one?” asks Michael.

“A lot,” I reply. “That’s why I needed to get the one-on-one part done. Think she’ll love it?”.

“If all night thank-you sex was the only thing you were looking for with her, you’d sure as hell get it,” Noah replies.

His dribbling of the ball cues that the game is back on and that I should keep talking.

“I came home, saw the roses and got a little ticked off. I thought they were from you Alex, but then I realised they weren’t.”

“Two guesses. Though you’ll only need one,” Alex adds.

“Julian?” supplies Kyle.

“You got it.” I raise an eyebrow at Noah.

“We’ll get to him,” he tells me. “How’d Liz move out?”.

The question throws me off guard and allows him to get to the basket.
Michael’s right, I really need to get this out.

Technically we should swap now, since he’s won, but I don’t think that’ll happen till I’m done.

“I got jealous and she thought I slept with Tess. We got into it, she wanted to move out, I couldn’t stop her,” I summarise.

Noah raises an eyebrow wanting it all.

“I was frustrated,” I tell him ,“with the whole situation and pissed at her…I’m not proud of it…I lashed out, gave her a crude blow by blow of what she thinks happened between Tess and I.”

I prepare myself.

Noah continues dribbling. Kyle lets out a low whistle. Then suddenly, Noah blind passes to Michael on the sidelines. The movement catches my attention and when I turn back to Noah, I’m met with one mother of a right hook which has me on the ground and seeing stars.

“Woah, woah.” The guys step between us.

“Let’s not do this,” says Kyle.

“It’s fine,” I tell them.

I feel like I’ve been punched by a bat instead of fist but I’m fine.

Not taking my word for it since I’m the one on the ground, they wait for Noah’s okay. When he gives it, they step back.

Noah stands over me. “Anything else?” he asks.

“That’s it,” I reply.

He holds out his hand to me and pulls me up.

“Julian must have come over after I left,” I add.

“I don’t doubt it,” he concurs. “He probably had people watching the place.”

The game’s over now. We just hang around the court.

“What do you mean?” I ask. “He stalking her?”.

“I’d better start from the beginning,” Noah replies. “In Liz’s dating history timeline, Jules is after me and before Alex. Liz and I broke up junior year, very amicably by the way. She didn’t date senior year, neither did I. We went to prom together, figured we’d have a better time with each other than random dates.”

I can see him reliving the memory.
Cute, but I haven’t got time for it.

“Can we fast forward to Jules?” I ask.

“Last semester of her freshman year in college, she transferred to New York, change of scene. She’d never done the Big Apple, wanted an adventure and her grandmother lives there, so there was a safety. She went, had fun and being the way she is, not dazed by money or status much, made friends with a few high class, rich influential people. They took her out to stuff, exclusive museum openings, parties, the usual. She met Julian at one of these dinner do things.”

I listen attentively as Noah gives us a run down.
Apparently, Liz, a little tipsy that night, found some girl crying in the girl’s bathroom. Turns out, Jules had brought her to dinner, a public place so she wouldn’t cause a scene and broke up with her with diamond earrings.

“I’m not interested but here’s some diamonds to make it up. Interesting style,” Alex comments dryly.

“Well Julian was a playboy like Max, except he didn’t do open relationships. Just had brief sexual relationships with the rich and famous who wanted to snag themselves a rich hubby,” Noah continues.

“How old was he?” I ask.

“23.”

“And she was 19?”, I ask.

He nods.

Michael takes the words right out of my mouth. “That seems wrong somehow.”

Noah shrugs and continues. Liz took it upon herself to cause a scene for Jules that night; threw champagne in his face.
Most people would be ticked off by that, but apparently, that’s the way into Jules’ heart because they spent the rest of the night talking.

“I remember on the phone to me, she called him ‘some arrogant rich boy who liked to casually fling it’. He permanently flinged it with her for the whole semester and the summer. He showed up at places where she’d be, she tried not to be charmed but she was and they had passion and crap.
He broke her when- she puts it romantically, but I have issues with it- the guy’s family owns the hotel she’s staying in. In my book, that doesn’t give him the right to break in and wait for her like a stalker.”

“Get out!”, says Michael.

“That’s what she told him,” quips Noah. “But that obviously didn’t work because they ended up lip-locking. Trust me, I didn’t ask for details. The guy treated her like a queen. He flew me up to see her over the summer because she missed me.
I was a bit worried at first about him, but turns out, he was in love with Liz - like full blown, lights, fireworks, the whole show. Thought it would be a summer romance at best but heck no, when she came back, he visited her. They were pretty intense- one of the reasons why they broke it off. Liz wanted to grow, not be tied down blah blah and he was ploughing into the family business.
They made this pact to keep in touch briefly, live their lives separately and meet up five years later- Liz’s 25th and see what was up.”

He pauses waiting for everything he’s just said to sink in. “I’ll tell you what’s up,” he continues. “Julian wants her.”

“I got that,” I respond solemnly.

I got that loud and clear.

“No. Like permanently wants her,” he clarifies. “ He’s a one relationship type of guy however brief the relationship is and Liz was special to him. He’s not come back to just see what’s up. I’ll bet you anything, come her birthday, he’s popping out a ring. He knows what’s been going on in her life, the guy’s possessive of what he cares about.”

“Sounds like a bit of psycho to me,” says Kyle.

“They were intense,” Noah repeats. “He wouldn’t hurt her, she has more power to hurt him where it counts anyway. He just likes to be prepared and has connections, legal or otherwise to find out what he wants to know and what he wanted to know was whether Liz was married and where she was exactly.”

I swallow back the bitter taste in my mouth.

“If he proposes-” I begin.

“When he proposes,” interrupts Michael.

This is not what I need right now.

“Michael-”

“Maxwell. I’ve read a few things about Julian Reed, he does not mess around. He wants something, he’ll get it,” he tells me.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mutter.

“Just calling it,” he shrugs.

“You think she’ll say yes?” I ask them.

“Let’s review,” begins Kyle. “I’m Julian Reed, good looking, super-rich billionaire, who always gets what he wants-”

“And has never taken Liz out and dumped her for a blow job-” Alex adds.

“Or jerked her around in anyway-” Michael supplies.

“And have excellent chemistry with her,” Noah finishes.

Kyle picks it up again. “Compare me to Max Evans, who’s been shacked up with the girl he’s in love with for nearly five months and hasn’t told her-”

“And before that, couldn’t get his act together long enough to give her what she needed,” Michael follows on.

“And sure, he’s got the money and the looks…” says Alex.

“But unfortunately, he managed to piss her off just at the same time that Julian Reed,” Kyle points to Alex who takes a bow, “steps back into the picture.”

“Hell, I know who I’d choose if I were Liz,” Michael supplies.

That’s really helped out. Helped feel like a complete loser.

“Thanks guys, really,” I tell them.

****

[willowbv]

****

Michael’s POV

What is it about Liz Parker that has so many men falling for her? I mean she’s a cool chick but what is it about her that makes normal guys lose it?

Must be the eyes.
And also, when she’s not screwed up by emotional drama, that no-bull attitude which Maria has in spades.

Thank God, that the love of my life - green eyes, delectable mouth and constantly stimulating personality aka Maria Deluca soon to be Deluca-Guerin, is more of my type.

Right now, it sucks to be Max Evans and it’s hella good to be Michael Guerin. Never thought I’d see the day.

“I know I’ve been an ass,” Max begins.

We just gave him a beating, I take pity on him.

“Liz hasn’t been perfect either,” I tell him.

He nods. “But I’m not giving her up. She can choose in the end, but I’m not just gonna let some guy stroll in to take what’s mine.”

Go Max.
Now that’s the spirit that’s going to get him the girl.

“Hence why we’re here,” says Noah. “We need to figure out a plan of action.”

“You choosing Max over Jules?” I ask him surprised. Noah is Liz’s best friend, I thought he’d choose the one to treat his friend most like a queen, but then there is something about Julian Reed, I wouldn’t want him for Liz either.

I’m all for Liz and Max. Left to themselves, they’ve managed to screw up their relationship. It’s time we stepped in to fix it.

“Go to Liz and tell her you love her. You want her. End of story,” Kyle tells him.

“Which is why you don’t have a girl man,” Alex teases.

“Hey! I working on Isabel,” Kyle defends himself.

“Back to my problem please,” Max snaps. “Why can’t I tell her how I feel now?”.

I shake my head at him. Has he learned nothing?
Luckily, I’ve learned a lot from Maria.

I map it out for him. “You sleep with Tess, or so she thinks. She leaves you. Along comes a guy who’s interested in her and suddenly you love her?”.

“He’s right,” Noah agrees. “She’ll think you’re just saying it to get her to move back in, not that you really mean it, which will push her towards Jules.”

“But if I don’t, I’m still pushing her towards him,” Max points out.

“Catch-22 man,” I tell him. “Chicks are complex beings.”

“I cannot lose her to him,” he tells us in a tone that has me do a double take. He is determined, in love and suddenly has a warrior’s presence about him.
“I can’t just do nothing and not fight for her”.

“We’re not saying you should,” Alex tells him calmly.

“You’re just gonna have to go stealth about it,” Kyle adds. “Way I figure it, she’s probably told him the deal with you two. He’s gonna spend this week showing her he’s the better man and then go in for the kill on her birthday.” He glances around for support. “Am I right or am I right?”.

“He’s right,” Noah nods. “Liz is big on occasions, it would be the perfect time.”

“Maybe for you too,” I tell him.

“What are you thinking?” he asks.

“I’m thinking, it’s about time you talked the walk Maxwell,” I reply. “First time around, you told Liz you loved her but didn’t walk the talk. Second time, you’ve been showing her you love her but haven’t told her. Third time, needs to be lucky. Talk the walk.”

“He’s right,” Noah agrees.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am on a roll.

“Screw whatever Jules has planned. You need to get Liz alone and have this out once and for all. Lay all the cards on the table,” Noah advises.

“I really do,” Max agrees. “It’s just, it’s Liz you know? She’s it. If she rejects me…”

I roll my eyes. “Then you’ll know where you both stand and can get on with your lives without the stupid will-they-won’t-they tension we’ve had to bear”.

I slap him forcefully on the back. “She’s your woman, grow some balls Max! If it was Maria, you’re damn right I’d do everything I could to get her to see sense and dump Johnny loser no matter how loaded he is.”

“You’re right,” he nods vehemently.

“Damn straight I am!”.

“I’ve got a week to get my act together then.”

“That’s plenty time,” Alex encourages.

“Yeah.” He waits a beat. And because I know what‘s coming, I take them time to release a patient sigh.

“Seriously guys, how am I supposed to compete with a rich powerful guy she has fireworks, passion, whirlwind with?” he asks.

Woah. This Reed guy must be a piece of work in the flesh to make Max so insecure.

I wait for someone to reply to his question.
I mean the answer is pretty obvious.
But no-ones’ saying it and Max’s confidence and hope is falling by the second.

Glancing around, I realise that they’re trying to figure out an answer.
What the hell?! don’t they know?
Am I the only one of us who gets it?

I look at Max, the growing despair on his face.

[Oh hell!

“Because you’re the love of her life, you dumbass.”

There, I said it and didn’t even choke on it.

I can see the dim light bulbs slowly getting brighter on top of their heads.

Max seems shocked by my response- even he didn’t know?!
What the hell- is everyone in denial land?

“I’m the love of her life?” he asks dubiously.

Obviously, denial has been going around.

“Look, here’s how I see it- here’s how anyone looking in sees it. Noah is Liz’s first love. You never forget those, but you move on…”

Or so Maria tells me.

“…Jules was her dangerous bad boy but changed by a good girl, whirlwind passion romance guy. Every girl needs one.
Her and Alex have this whole soul mate, best friend, comfortable thing with each other blah blah blah and you,” I wave my hand at him, “You’re all these guys rolled into one and then some. You’re the love of her life man, Jules’ll be lacking.”

An awed silence follows.

“Damnnn,” drawls Kyle. “What chick mag have you been reading and can I borrow it?”.

I shrug. Half listening to Maria’s ramblings pays off sometimes.

“You definitely have something there my friend,” Noah gives me a congratulatory slap on the back. “You hit the nail on the head.”

He looks Max up and down as if critically assessing his worthiness. “Well, I guess you’ll do for her then.”

Max‘s eyes meet mine and shine with gratitude. “Thanks Mike.”

“Yeah,” I shrug nonchalantly. “Now that we’ve got the mushy stuff out of the way, let’s do something manly.”

“We can finish the game?” supplies Max.

“Pool?” chips in Alex.

“See what’s on the tube?” suggests Kyle.

“PSP2?”, Noah adds.

As we try to figure out what to do next, I see Maria approaching us dressed in a pair of shorts and a ‘naughty boy go up to my room’ printed t-shirt.

I definitely will take that order sometime today.

My eyes narrow as I notice the tray she’s carrying filled with beer, coke and lemonade.

“Hey guys,” she greets us all sugary sweet.

What’s she up to?

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I had some free time and knew you guys were out here on the court. I thought you might like a drink,” she replies.

“That’s nice of you,” Alex tells her.

I’m still cautious. I watch as one by one, she gives them a beer, coke or lemonade. By the time she reaches Max, the beers are gone. He and I have a choice over coke or lemonade.

“Max?” she asks.

“Coke thanks,” he replies.

“Sure.” The tray in one hand, the can in the other, she presents it to him at an angle.

I catch her arm just as she jerks the can at him. “Woah there!.”

The tray drops to the ground. Max narrowly misses getting doused in coke as I lift her and swoop her away.

“Let go me Michael!”, she protests struggling in my grasp. “I wanna hit that asshole!”.

“Not yet,” I tell her through gritted teeth.

I manage to restrain her, but that doesn’t stop her from shouting abuse at Max with extreme venom.

I set her down a safe distance from the guys. “I take it you heard from Liz.”

The Deluca temper is in full force. I brace myself.

“You’re damn right I did! Why did you stop me? Michael that guy is scum! An asshole. After being all nicey nice to Liz, ‘come live with me, I’m in love you with’, he goes and screws her over by doing Tess. He’s a freaking…” I whistle in shock at the slew of curse words I never expected to flow from her beautiful lips.

She moves to get past me but I hold her back.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” she threatens.

“Before you hurt Max, you need to know a few things,” I begin.

“What? That he’s an undeserving jerk who needs his balls sliced off and fed to him?!”.

I gulp. Graphic but…

“No. That he’s a guy in love,” I tell her.

“Try another one.”

“Just shut up and listen okay?”. I could have shouted but a trick I’ve learnt after many arguments, is that she shuts up quicker when I reign in my temper.

****

Maria’s POV

My fury quickly dissipates when Michael explains where Max was and that he didn’t sleep with Tess. Although his lashing out at Liz wasn’t a good thing, I’m past it because of the lengths he went to to sort out her present.

“I should apologise,” I tell him.

He nods biting back a grin. He’s so cute right now, I can’t help but circle my arms around his neck and press my body against his. I don’t know how we managed to get our act together but I’m glad we did without the drama Max and Liz are going through.

His body responds to mine as my lips tease his. “Before we leave the subject, love of my life, “ I murmur between kisses, “husband to be…”

I pull back against his protests. “…if you ever cheat on me, I’ll do worse than slice your balls off,” I tell him pleasantly.

The lust flees his eyes in a flash. My amusement only lasts for a few seconds because he pulls me to him again. “I love it when you talk dirty,” he murmurs before his lips crash onto mine.

I could seriously rip off his clothes and take him right now, but I don’t think the other guys would appreciate the show. I break away and pat him on the cheek. “I better go apologise.”

I feel his eyes burning into me as I breeze past. I know he’ll make me pay for leaving him…strained, later. I can’t wait.

They all pretend not to notice me till I’m near.

“Hey Max, sorry about that. Michael explained,” I tell him.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re a good friend,” he responds.

“It’s really sweet what you’re doing for her birthday,” I tell him.

He gives me a modest smile just as Michael joins us. I bite back my smile.

“Did she tell you about Julian?,” Max asks me.

“I didn’t really give her a chance to say anything else after I heard about what you did, but didn’t do with Tess,” I reply. “Who’s Julian?”.

“An old flame here to win her back, so to speak,” replies Noah.

“Oh well, if you can stop making her think you’re an ass for long enough, you’ll beat down the competition,” I tell him.

“It’s Julian Reed,” Alex tells me.

My brows lift in surprise. Liz and Julian Reed?

“As in hot, rich, powerful, charming billionaire Julian Reed?” I ask.

“You know him?” Michael asks.

“Any woman into gossip entertainment worth her salt knows who Julian Reed is. He is fit as! Those eyes, that body- who wouldn’t say no?”.

“Apparently not you,” quips Michael.

I put my arm around his waist to make him feel better.

“And hopefully Liz,” adds Alex.

“Right okay. Fill me in on their history,” I demand.

Kyle does a quick summary for me and by the end of it, I can’t help but feel sorry for Max.

“I think that you really need to make her see how you feel about her. If you don’t, Jules will be an easy choice. You do your thing, let him do his but ultimately, it’s down to Liz but you gotta give her the truth to work with,” I tell him.

He tells me of his plan and I must say I’m impressed, maybe finally they can clear things up.

“Meanwhile, I’ll see what’s going on with Jules,” I tell him.

“I can’t ask you to lie to her,” he tells me.

Oh please.

“If it came down to it, you would. So I’ll save you the trouble of getting all tied up about it. I want to see you and Liz happy and I want to make sure that Julian’s on the level and not some slime ball in real life, so I am willingly playing both sides,” I tell him.

“Thanks Maria.”

“Let’s not dole out the thanks yet till the lady makes her choice,” I tell him.

****

Max’s POV

The support of my friends and Michael’s words that I’m the love of Liz’s life are what’s going to get me through the week.

Liz is the love of my life, which is why I wouldn’t be doing her role in my life justice if I just gave up on us.

I arrive at her house in the evening to spend time with Xan. It’s only been a few hours but I’ve missed them.
I missed their voices around the house when I woke up this morning.
I missed the ordinariness of them just being there.

“Hey, we’ve been waiting for you,” she welcomes me in.

Her hair’s out, hanging loosely around her face. She’s dressed in a simple black top and jeans but they have the same effect on me as if she was wearing a beautiful expensive evening dress.
There’s no hint of bitterness in her as we both play with Xan. Things are awkward at first but when I ask her about her day, everything becomes natural again.

She didn’t do anything major; cleaning, shopping, talking to Maria on the phone.

“Haven’t got a black eyes this time,” she comments with a small smile.

“She wounded me more with her words believe me,” I tell her.

She doesn’t bring up Tess or about me lashing out at her, so I do.

“Liz, I want you to know that I am really sorry about what I said last night,” I tell her.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s not go back and cover the same ground again, I’m tired of that.”

Respecting her request I leave it and proceed to I tell her about my day, an edited version of course and then we talk about nothing and anything in general, fight over the remote control, she makes dinner, I help her do the dishes, we put Xan to bed and it’s almost like nothing’s changed.
Then she lifts her hair up for a second, before it falls back down around her, I see the hickey. It reminds me that things aren’t the same.

We don’t kiss or snuggle up and watch t.v., we arrange times for me to visit Xan. And it’s then that she drops it that Jules will be living here for the week, since they haven’t seen each other in years.

No, things definitely aren’t the same, by Liz’s birthday, they’re going to be changes in my and Julian’s life.

May the best man win.

****

Maria’s POV

“How’s San F.?”, I ask.

“It’s great. I met up with Karen and it’s like we were never apart. We might be developing a book together,” she tells me.

“That’s great,” I tell her.

All Julian’s doing. I gotta give him credit, he’s looking out for her interests.

I met him on Tuesday before he whisked her and Xan off to San. F for three days. They travelled in style, flew them over in his plane, limo, a hotel he owns. He offered to take her shopping but she refused. He could spoil her rotten, I’d let him if I were her.

“How’s it going with Jules?” I ask.

“Good. We’re getting to know each other again.”

“Sparks still there?”.

“Yeah,” she replies almost dreamily.

Biting my lip, I feel bad for Max.

Julian Reed is stiff competition, mighty fine competition. Not that I’d trade Michael, but the guy is sinfully gorgeous. He’s a suit guy but anything he wears is perfect on him.

When I met him when he was dressed in a suit and I nearly died. Then he changed into jeans and a t-shirt and I had to pick my jaw up from the floor. He’s charming, rich and has just a hint of danger around him, but he’s whipped when it comes to Liz and a little bit possessive.

It was interesting watching Max, Liz and Xan and Jules, Liz and Xan interact. She’ll be okay with whoever she picks but I’m routing for Max. There’s something right about the two of them together, like two pieces of a puzzle, they fit, it’s natural.

“Could you put him on the phone please?” I ask.

I wait as she hands it over to him.

“Maria.” His voice is so hot.

“Julian. How goes it?” I ask.

“Good.”

“Great. Just so you know, we’re throwing Liz a surprise party on Saturday, so keep any plane trips to Italy or wherever off till at least a day after,” I tell him pleasantly.

“Sure.” There’s amusement in his voice.

“And I’m extending the invite to you.”

“Appreciate it.”

“Take care of her and Xan,” I tell him.

“I plan to.”

Double meaning there or what?

He hands the phone back to Liz and we chat for a bit till she has to go.

****

I make my way downstairs where Michael, Noah, Kyle, Jesse, Courtney, Alex and Isabel are lounging.

“Invited Jules to the party,” I tell them

“This should be interesting,” Isabel comments.

“Any news on how it’s going?” asks Kyle.

“Great,” I reply.

“Hmm. It’s going to be a hard decision for her…” he muses.

“Yeah,” I agree.

“…Anyone wants to work out some odds?” he asks.

“A bet?” I ask unimpressed but not surprised.

He nods.

“That’s out of order,” objects Isabel. “Betting on your friend’s future relationship?-”

“Trivialising it like that?” adds Alex.

“I’m in,” says Noah.

“Noah!” I shoot him a stern look.

“What? I think we should get some fun out of this,” he replies.

“I’m in,” says Alex.

“What kind of friends are you?” I ask with my hands on my hips.

“Friends testing out our powers of prediction?” supplies Courtney. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” shrugs Isabel.

Max, Jules or reject them both and swear off men for a while - just what will Liz Parker do?

They all join in and since I’m confident in my powers of prediction, what the hell, I join in too.

****

[willowbv]

AN: Hey all, this is a quick post-through as I've got to hit bed for an really early and busy day tomorrow but thought I'd get posting on part 23, which it turns out, will be in three sections due to length and also as I felt that Max and Liz needed their own separate parts for this.

Lyrics to to Fast Car and Baby Can I hold you belong to Tracy Chapman

and the *dialogue belongs to the Chris-crossed episode of Charmed S6.

P.S. thanks for all the feedback and I'll be posting the parts this week whenever I can score some free time.


PREVIOUSLY

“What? I think we should get some fun out of this,” he replies.

“I’m in,” says Alex.

“What kind of friends are you?” I ask with my hands on my hips.

“Friends testing out our powers of prediction?” supplies Courtney. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” shrugs Isabel.

Max, Jules or reject them both and swear off men for a while - just what will Liz Parker do?

They all join in and since I’m confident in my powers of prediction, what the hell, I join in too.

****

Nice to meet you anyway - part 23a

Liz’s POV

I have this notebook. I started writing in it during high school, it started off with lists of things I wanted to accomplish in my life. Some had an age limit whereas others had a broad time scale. Through the years, the lists have been amended, plans changed and new dreams added.

Since today is my birthday, I took out the notebook, just to see, to remind myself. I could tick off the requirement of me to be: independent, self-sufficient and own my own property.

Career-wise, I’ve accomplished what I wanted earlier than expected, which is good and now there’s the possibility of being a co-author to a book, something I’ve always wanted to do, again sooner than I planned to do it.

My personal life…by 25, It would be nice for me to be in a serious relationship. It would be nice, if that relationship would lead to marriage.
Oh and to marry him, I must be utterly and completely in love with him.
Then after that, marriage, kids…the important thing is that whatever I’m doing, I’m happy.

My personal life didn’t go the way I’d neatly written it down in my notebook. I’ve done some of the things I wanted to do, but not in the order I planned to do them. That’s life though, and looking around Maria and Michael’s living room at the numerous faces I know, I wouldn’t have wanted it to happen any differently.

The plan for my birthday as I was aware, was that me and gang would go out for a birthday dinner, which is why I didn’t think more than expected at Julian’s request that I be dressed for lunch because he was taking me and Xan out for a birthday celebration.

Since it’s a nice day, I picked out the baby blue dress I fell for and had to buy in San F. It has a high neck conservative cut up front but the back cuts low into a v shape running down my back. I love the fabric, it’s not clingy, it just sits perfectly. Since the dress is the focal point, I put my hair up with a clip, didn’t bother with make-up, just lip gloss and was good to go…which was right about the time Maria called asking me to quickly stop by so she could give me an early birthday presents.
I’m a sucker for presents…who isn’t? especially on their birthday.
I expected something wrapped in a box, I definitely didn’t expect a surprise party of not just close friends, but everyone.

The cast and some of the crew of Orange Sky, Quinn, Noah and his girlfriend Linda- I haven’t seen her in months.
Alex brought Laurie! Which is a complete surprise.
Leslie brought her husband, Max’s parents are here, so are mine. My nearest and dearest and friends and acquaintances are all here!

I’ve had a hard time trying to keep from crying, my heart’s swelled so much that it hurts.

I hug the culprits responsible for this: Noah, Alex, Maria, Isabel, Jules. I save the last hug for Max as he was the brains behind the operation.

“Thank you for this,” I tell him. I can’t keep my voice from trembling.

This is just too much, way more than I expected.

He wipes away the few tears that escape and roll down my cheeks.

Good thing I didn’t wear make-up.

“You’re welcome.”

Maybe it’s because I’m emotional, but there’s something about the way he’s looking at me that has my pulse racing.
Before I can even begin the process of frantically trying to think of something to say, my mum draws me away talking a mile a minute. I re-introduce her to Jules. She met him when we were together before, she was completely charmed by him.

I watch amused as he says something to make her laugh.

Jules, always the charmer.

She tells us that they’ve got a daycare set up for the kids upstairs where we could leave Xan. I’m impressed, they thought of everything.

****

The party spills outdoors where they have a big barbecue going.

“I know it’s not summer,” Noah tells me, “but you like your barbecues.”

“It’s perfect.” I love barbecues, they remind me of summer and fun and they bring people together. “Thank you again.”

I survey the scene around me; music plays from speakers I can’t spot, people play in the pool, chat and dance and most of them are people I know. It’s a strange but good feeling to see people I see separately all together like this.

I start to mingle, Julian’s by my side in the beginning but I somehow get separated from him as I catch up with people I haven’t spoken to in a while.
I chat to Laurie who is a complete sweetheart. I take it she must be pretty comfortable with Alex if she agreed to come to his ex’s birthday party.

****

When it’s time for the cake and presents, I feel like I’m in a dream.

“Make a wish, Liz,” Kyle pushes me good-naturedly.

I glance around at the faces surrounding me and think of the experiences we’ve had, the memories we’ve made.

What more could I wish for?

Max’s deep intense eyes stand out demanding my attention. I give them a few timeless seconds before closing my eyes, making my wish and blowing out the candles.

Onto the presents. There are so many, I don’t get around to opening them all, but I get a lot of flowers and cards.
Sarah gives me a How to find great sex after pregnancy book. Jules seems intrigued by that one.
When he wiggles is eyebrows suggestively at me, I just have to roll my eyes. “You wish buddy.”

Noah gives me Earth Girls Are Easy on dvd.
Because it’s my favourite film on the planet? No.
It’s cheesy and funny and just for sentimental value. It was the first movie we watched together after we broke up. He’d rented it on dvd because of the title and we ended just making cracks all through the movie. So you could say it’s sort of a landmark movie in our friendship history.

Julian leans down to my ear. “I’ll give your present later birthday girl.”

I’m too excited and distracted by everyone around us to note the distinct tone he uses, if I‘d paid attention, maybe I could have been better prepared.

I’m interrupted in the midst of unwrapping Maria’s present by the music abruptly cutting off.

“Excuse me.” Max’s voice rings through the speakers instead of music.

I look up at the stage area I didn’t pay too much attention to before. It looks like there’s a band set up.

“Can I get everyone’s attention please? Especially the birthday girl”, he continues. When he catches my eyes, he smiles and winks.

“What’s going on?” I ask no-one in particular.

“You’ll see,” Maria replies.

“Liz,” Max continues, “Here’s my present to you...”

I don’t get it, is he going to sing?

“…happy birthday.”

One of the guitarists starts strumming a familiar melody.

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere

It sounds like…wait it is!.

Tracy Chapman!!! is playing live in Maria’s backyard for me!.

Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose

My hands fly to my mouth. “Oh my God!”.

But me myself I got nothing to prove…

Tears of shock flow freely as I make my way closer to the stage area. I stand there, swaying to the music. This is amazing…this is….

I love over to Maria who sways side to side with me. “I can’t believe he did this- how did he do this?”.

I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won’t have to drive too far
Just ’cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living…

“Yours is not to ask how, but to just enjoy,” she replies grinning.

“You knew”, I accuse.

She responds with a feigned modest shrug. “Is there anything I don’t know?.”

The chorus hits and we break out from swaying and really enjoy it.

I remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us

To anyone who doesn’t know otherwise, what Max has done is just really sweet. But it’s more than that. Tracy Chapman’s music has always been a background constant in my life, I’ve never made a big deal about being a fan but the music means a lot to me. I never thought anyone noticed enough to do this and how did he do this because Tracy Chapman doesn’t really tour or do private gigs like this that I’m aware of.

I enjoy the music, appreciate the words and the voice.

…And your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

To most around me, what Max has done is thoughtful, but to me, what he’s done isn’t just thoughtful, it hasn’t just touch my heart, it’s touched my soul.

****

Max’s POV

She forgets everyone around her, it’s just her and the music. She closes her eyes, moves fluidly with the melody, surrendering to it.
I want her to surrender to me like that.

“She’s something isn’t she?” Julian comments beside me.

All I want to do is punch him.

I’m not even going to wonder where the hell he came from. He’s been keeping an eye on me, just as I have on him. I’m not going to give him any ammunition.

“Hmm,” I reply, my eyes never leaving her.

He’s not the one who requires my energies today, Liz is.

****

Liz’s POV

After two more songs, I break out of beautiful lyrical spell enough to go look for Max. I haven’t seen him since the stage, I want to thank him personally for this.

I pinpoint him talking to Michael just as a familiar extended introduction by Tracy draws couples onto the dance area. Just as I reach them, Maria slips her hand around Michael and leads him to the dance floor.

I tap Max on the shoulder, he turns.

Sorry
Is all that you can’t say.

We stand there, just staring at each other.

Years gone by and still
Words don’t come easily

“Dance with me?” I ask.

Like sorry, like sorry

“Sure.”

He takes my hand and we find space on in the dancing area.

Forgive me
Is all that you can’t say

Our bodies adjust to each other naturally…

Years gone by and still

…our movements aren’t thought out…

Words don’t come easily

…it’s all automatic, all surprisingly natural.

Like forgive me forgive me

“Max, thank you so much for this,” I tell him. “I never expected this, ever.”

He flashes me that boyishly charming half-smile of his. “You’re the only woman I know who dances around the house to Tracy Chapman and sings it out loud when she thinks no one‘s listening”.
But you can say baby
Baby can I hold you tonight

“I guess, but I never said anything about how much it meant to me…you just knew.” I tilt my head up to him, “How did you know that?”.

Maybe if I told you the right words
At the right time, you’d be mine

“I just knew. You look really good today, Liz.”

I blush under his stare. It‘s been a long time since Max Evans has made me blush. “It’s the dress.”

“No.” he playfully tugs at one of my hair tendrils.

Oh God, I actually can’t breathe.

“It’s the woman in it.”

Okay, take a breath Liz, it’s just Max- oh forget it, he’s never been just Max, but I must diffuse this effect he’s having on me.

“You’re just wracking up those points today aren’t you Evans?”, I joke.

He doesn’t say anything to that, just continues to penetrate me with his stare.

I love you,

There’s something in his eyes that doesn’t just set my heart on a dangerous flutter pattern…

Is all that you can’t say

…or my throat to dry, palms to sweat and has me dizzy with fear and anticipation…

Years gone by and still

…there’s something in his eyes that has me quietly, softly, fighting for breath.

Words don’t come easily
Like I love you I love you

My eyes flutter shut against the finger that trails slowly down my nose line and traces my lips.

But you can say baby

“Liz I…”

Baby can I hold you tonight

“Max I…”

Our sentences fade in a breath and go unfinished…

Maybe if I told you the right words,

…they go unheard in the afternoon breeze.

At the right time

We both share a small smile.

…you’d be mine.

It’ll keep.

I rest my head against his chest, he pulls me closer. With him so near that I can hear his heart beat and breathe him in, it feels like we’re dancing upon the air, into the clouds above.

I love you
Is all that you can’t say


****

The song ends and another faster one begins, we don’t stop dancing or change our pace, we don’t talk, just hold each other until Alex interrupts for a dance.

“You look like you’re having a good time,” he comments as we break out into our well practiced crazy dance.

“I am. Talked to Laurie,” I grin.

“And?”.

“She’s nice, just what you needed,” I reply.

“She likes you too. So…how about you?”.

“How about me?” I ask.

“Well there’s Julian and there’s Max…which one?”.

What is he talking about?

“There’s only Julian and I’m not sure what’s going on there,” I reply.

“Don’t rule Max out yet Lizzie.”

I narrow my eyes at that knowing smile. “What do you know Alex?” I ask.

“All I’m saying is that someone would have to feel a certain way about someone to do what Max did for you today.”

I think I’m pretty good at understanding the english language, but I have no idea what he’s talking about. When I tell him that, he just smiles, gives me a quick peck on the cheek and off he goes.

Puzzled, I turn back to the stage just as Tracey finishes off her set. We clap, whistle, the whole works. This was unbelievably awesome!!!

I’m not star-struck a lot, but I definitely am when she and a friend make their way over to me.

“I wanted to say happy birthday,” she tells me.

“Thank you. And thank you for doing this.”

“I don’t make a habit of it,” she smiles, “but Max has a way about him. You got a good one there.”

I don’t know what else to say but, “Thanks.”

****

[willowbv]

****

It’s late afternoon when Jules leads me round to a secluded area of the gardens. There are a few benches and flowers beds arranged, it’s pretty soothing.

It needs to be because I think Julian is nervous.
I know he’s nervous sometimes but he never lets it show. Now he’s letting it show.

“Jules, you’re making me nervous,” I tell him.

“I’m sorry,” he takes a breath. “Okay L.P. Here’s the thing.”

We come to a stop in front of a bench.

“We’ve spent time together this past week, got to know each other again,” he begins.

“We have yes.”

I’m not quite sure where he’s going with this.

“The purpose of meeting up again was to see if there was anything between us and I think there is and it’s mutual?”.

“It is,” I reply.

“Good, because spending time with you has just confirmed the feelings I had before. I want to take what we have and make it something more. Me, you, Xan, all of us.”

Umm…

“You asking me to officially go steady with you Jules?” I joke.

“Marry me Liz.”

I blink and suddenly there’s a one beauty of diamond glittering, nestled in a black velvet box.

I wasn’t expecting this, I was not expecting a marriage proposal from Jules today or in the near foreseeable future.

I look at the ring, at him and then back at the ring again.

Thankful that we’re standing in front of the bench, I slowly sit down.

“I know it’s sudden.”

“Uh huh,” I nod.

How did I not see this coming?

He kneels down in front of me. “From the second you threw champagne in my face, you stole my heart. I’ve been in a lot of relationships, but none of them compare to what we had, what we still have.”

I should say yes. I should be laughing and crying, I should be ecstatic but I’m not.

He slips the ring onto my finger.

Images of Max as he held me when danced, putting Xan to bed, wrestling with me suddenly push their way to my conscious mind.

I open my mouth but nothing comes out.

“Say something,” he smiles.

He just put himself out there, more than he’s ever done in a relationship before and I…I…

“I…”. I look at the ring - it’s beautiful- and then back at him, he‘s beautiful.

My fight for words is momentarily put on hold when he kisses me.

I try again.

“I…”

“You’ve made me a very happy man, Liz.”

Okay! I have talk now.

“Jules, I can’t marry you.”

Oh God, I can’t believe I just said that. But it’s true, I can’t.

“What?,” he slowly rises confused, “But you…”

I stand up so we‘re sort of equal. “I didn’t say yes. You just assumed,” I tell him softly.

I stand there for a few breathless seconds watching various emotions sweep his features until he settles on one to work with.

Anger.

“Why the hell wouldn’t you want to marry me?!”.

I resist the urge to reach out and touch him. It’s not what he needs right now.

“Don’t be like that,” I plead.

“I do apologise,” his extreme politeness covers a lethal fury I’d rather he not unleash. “Am I supposed to smile as you rip my heart in two?!”.

I cover my face in my hands. This is so not what I expected, not what I wanted.

Clasping my fingers together for strength, I meet the fury and hurt in his eyes head on.

“I’m sorry.”

I am sorry, but it doesn’t quite seem enough.

“Why?” he asks.

And I know he’s talking about why I’m sorry.

I can’t hide it from him, one look at my face and he knows.

“Max. Why would you want to be with a man who has hurt you the way he has?! I can give you so much more than he can. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you!”.

I cover my mouth to keep ‘I‘m sorry,’ from spilling out again because he it won’t help him.

“Say something,“ he advances towards me and for a second, I’m scared of him. “TELL ME WHY!”.

I flinch, I can’t help it just as I can’t help it that I’m crying even though I have no right to be because I’m not the one who just got rejected.

That’s right.

I take a quivering stabilising breath.

I’m not the one who just got rejected. I’m not the one who deserves more than tears.

Taking it slow, I begin. “I should have said yes. It makes sense to, I care about you a lot Jules and I do have feelings for you..”

Here comes the hard part.

“…but not the kind to marry you with.”

He flinches at my words. Jules never flinches from words.

I hate myself right now.

“This week has been great,“ I continue, “you’re…” I lift my hands unable to describe him. He’s been…Jules.

“But you won’t marry me, because of Evans.”

His voice is cold now, I hug myself in response because I can almost feel it.

“When I sat down, while you slipped the ring on my finger, another part of me saw Max doing that and my reactions were completely different. The feelings I have for Max - I didn’t realise it ‘til you proposed, but- they’re the ones I should have for the person I’m going to marry and I just don’t have those feelings for you Jules.”

Can the ground just open up and swallow me please?

“Max is screwing around with his ex, the last time you checked and he isn’t involved with you.”

“It’s not about him!”.

The instant the words come out, I know it’s true. Everything is suddenly becoming clear to me.

“Max’s feelings for me are irrelevant,” I continue, “I’m responsible for my own feelings. He hurt me and I sure as hell hurt him. Our relationship was messy and screwed up. I screwed him up but he still had me move in with him, treated me with nothing but kindness and patience and…”

Love? Nah, that can’t be right.

“…I love him, Jules.”

“More than you love me?” he asks.

Oh…why did he have to ask that?

I wipe cheeks dry before replying. “A lot more. I’m sorry.”

He nods as if accepting it but I know him. He‘s doesn’t give up easily, which is why this is so hard.

“So what? You’re going to spend your life pinning for someone who’s with someone else?” he asks.

“I hope not,” I reply honestly.

Where is all this revelatory stuff coming from? And why did I not figure it all out before?

“I will work through my feelings for Max somehow. Somewhere along the line,” I shrug, “I don’t know Jules, but what I do know is that I can’t marry you.”

“We don’t have to get married now, we can be what we are and see where it goes. Like I said before, I’m a patient man Liz.”

I blink back tears. I wish I could go with it, I really do, it would make things easier. But easier isn’t always what’s best.

“No matter how patient you’d be, somewhere along the line you’d want it all,” I tell him “and I won’t be able to give it to you.”

“I’ll be fine with what you can give me.”

I shake my head sadly. “I won’t.”

Now I know how Alex felt, what he was thinking when he was breaking up with me in the hospital. I completely understand why he did it.

“I care about you Jules, which is why if it’s within my power, I won’t allow you to be in something serious with a person who isn’t giving you all they are when they have the capacity to, especially if that person is me. You don’t believe in being second in anything Jules and if we did this, you’d be second best. I can’t do that to you or to me. We both deserve more than that.”

“Max doesn’t deserve your love,” he tells me.

“He didn’t ask for it. You can’t choose who you love Julian, but you can choose whether to act on it or not. I did once and you just did, the results however haven’t been what we’d hoped, but we can’t settle, no matter how appealing the idea is. We can give so much more than we can give each other.”

He takes my hand into his. “Maybe you can, but I can’t. While I’m second best to you, you’re the first and only to me L.P.”

He has a tight grip but I manage to detach myself.

“Hurting you like this is the last thing I’d ever want”, I tell him. “This isn’t easy for me.”

“Good. Because I don’t think I’ll ever get over you.”

I think I’ve written a line like that before for a character and while it seems so romantic for them and should make the female love interest blissfully sigh or hope, in this situation, it only worries me.

“Remember when I said that if this didn’t work out, I didn’t want you to get all bitter and revenge bent?” I ask him.

The anger instantly fades and suddenly he looks tired.

“Remember when I said I wouldn’t have the strength to?”.

It’s over. He gets it. And I don’t know what else to do apart from…

“Um.” I take off the ring and hand it to him. “Here.”

He takes it, then lifts my right hand and slips it on. “Keep it, as a symbol of what we had.”

“Diamonds during the break-up, still haven’t ditched that classic style have you?” I tease lightly trying to bring out a smile.

It works. It’s a smile, but it’s sad and wistful. I don’t suppose it would be anything else.

“This one’s uniquely cut for you, one of a kind and therefore not my classic style.”

I’ll keep it for the memories and because it’s pretty and because…

“I-”

He cuts me off with a nod. “I know.”

He kisses me, one slow, last kiss and I’m not sure whose tears I can taste, his or mine.

He breaks away and lifts my right hand to meet his lips before taking a step back.

“I can’t be around you for a while, so…”

“I know.”

He doesn’t need to say it. I know.

“I know you know, but let me say it okay?”.

“Okay.” I take a bracing breath and wait for it.

*“Haven’t we been here before?”

“Maybe we will be again,” I reply.*

It’s what we used to say to each other when we talked on the phone, when he went back to New York, in every email we signed off. Even though we’re not together, some traditions are ongoing.

“I’ll see you around L.P.”

I stand exactly where he leaves me and watch him go. The sinfully attractive billionaire who has the world as his playground, walks away, visibly crushed by an ordinary girl.
I wonder, for the last time, what made me stand out from the beautifully gorgeous women he dated; he told me countless times when we were together, but now I know it all just comes down to one thing and that’s the heart. You can’t tell it who to fall in love with.

When I can’t see him anymore, I sit back down on the bench, looking up at the sky, thinking about nothing, fiddling with the ring on my finger.

****

“Hey Liz, everyone’s wondering where you are,” Maria comes upon me after I don’t know how long.

“Oh. I just needed some…time,” I respond getting up.

“Did something happen with Jules?” she asks as we make our way back to the party.

I hold out my right hand. We come to a sudden halt.

“He proposed,” I tell her.

“Oh my…”. She’s staring at the ring.

“It’s on my right hand,” I tell her incase she didn’t notice. “I said no. He wanted me to keep it.”

“I have never seen one cut like this. Not that diamonds are the same but.”

“He had it specially cut.”

He would, he’s Jules.

“You okay?” she asks.

“Surprisingly,” I nod. “I’m better than I should be. It’s strange. I feel like I’ve been swimming underwater all this time and I’ve finally come up for air. It feels good.”

“Why did you turn him down?”.

“Because I couldn’t give him the best of me.”

“Did you want to?” she asks.

I reply with a loud, heavy sigh while trying to figure out how to articulate everything that I’m thinking and feeling. There’s so much I don’t know where to start.

“Liz.”

Max comes out of nowhere, but maybe it’s because I haven’t been paying much attention to my surroundings.

He takes me by the hand. “I have to talk to you privately,”

“Sure,” I respond easily.

I think I’m in some kind of shock, but I’m riding the wave. Max needs to talk privately? Why not? I’m free, just turned down a marriage proposal, crushed the heart of a guy I care about. I feel like I can pretty much handle anything right now.

“Max, can I have a word?” Maria asks.

“Not now,” he replies.

She holds up her hands palms outwards as if she’s surrendering. “Okay. I’ll see you two later.”

What is up with her sudden sing-song voice?

****

Max’s POV

I lead her to one the quieter rooms away from curious ears and prying eyes. I don’t talk till I close and lock the door.
We’re in one of the two hang-out rooms, Michael and Maria have. This one has a cinema area at one side, pool table and games at the other and a bar in the middle. Liz sits one of the bar stools and swivels in it, waiting expectantly.

“What’s up?” she asks.

Here goes.

“I realise that there are some things you need to know about me,” I begin.

“Okay,” she smiles cautiously.

“One of them, well the main thing, would be that I love you.”

Her smile fades. She closes her eyes briefly against my words as if shutting them out to protect herself. I think in a way, that’s what she’s been doing all along and I didn’t notice.

“Max,” she says my name tiredly and hops off the stool.

I move towards her. She holds out her hand to stop me. I pause to let her say what she has to.

“I’m not going to go through this again. You feel like you may need to, but I really don’t. So let’s just leave it and move on okay?”.

I shake my head. “Not okay.”

“This conversation is over.” She moves to get past me but I reach her before she’s even two steps away from her stool.

“Like fuck it is”.

Her eyes flare up. “Funny you should say that because fuck is exactly what you did with Tess and why this conversation is-”.

I cover her lips with mine, in a soft gentle kiss. Resting my forehead against hers, I look into her surprised eyes. “No.”

“Max.”

I kiss her again, this time longer and deeper.

She bumps up against the stool to break away.

“You keep talking, keep interrupting and I’ll keep kissing you,” I warn her. “And for the record, we’re not going to have a conversation, we’re having a monologue where you’re going to shut up, not interrupt and hear every word I have to say.”

“Why are you doing this?”.

Cupping her face in-between by hands, I find her lips once more.

She’s not learning.

“Because you’re always the one to make the decisions about our relationship Liz. You say it’s over, I respect that and I comply to your wishes.” Leaning one arm against the bar table, I brush my body against hers. I grin when I hear her shark intake of breath. “I think it’s about time you returned the favour. Now I want you to sit and listen.”

“What if I don’t?”.

She’s a little angry, which I like. And she also just spoke, which I like a lot.

I capture her lips in mine until I feel an urgent heat trying to claw its way to the surface.

“I’m prepared to make you,” I reply. “Now…” With my free arm, I ease her down, “sit.”

She sits with her arms folded across her chest, her brows raised expectantly.

Good.

Falling in love is an experience in itself, but being in love with a challenging woman makes the experience all the more enjoyable. Liz has always been a challenge, she’s work and I love her for it.

I want her defences up, I want her angry and stubborn, because I want to break past all of that. I want her to surrender to me like she does to her music.

****

[willowbv]

AN: Hey all. Here's the next part...

I was holding my breath when Jules proposed to Liz, and I knew the ring was going to be a doozy, but I am so glad Liz finally realized she would only be settling for him. I hope we've seen the last of him.

I'm not saying yes and I'm not saying no either

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loved the feedback guys


PREVIOUSLY


She’s a little angry, which I like. And she also just spoke, which I like a lot.

I capture her lips in mine until I feel an urgent heat trying to claw its way to the surface.

“I’m prepared to make you,” I reply. “Now…” With my free arm, I ease her down, “sit.”

She sits with her arms folded across her chest, her brows raised expectantly.

Good.

Falling in love is an experience in itself, but being in love with a challenging woman makes the experience all the more enjoyable. Liz has always been a challenge, she’s work and I love her for it.

I want her defences up, I want her angry and stubborn, because I want to break past all of that. I want her to surrender to me like she does to her music.

****

Nice to meet you anyway - part 23b

Max’s POV

“I. Love. You,” I tell her.

She almost rolls her eyes. I smile sadly. “See, because of what I did or didn’t do, say or didn’t say, you can’t accept the words or that I feel them for you. The recent reason for that is because you think I sleep with Tess.”

“I don’t think,” she interrupts, “You-”. I cup her face between my hands, one, twice, slow and gently, I kiss her.

Her eyes have that drugged dazed look about them. At least I’m not the only one getting drunk off the kisses.

“I told you that yes,” I continue, “but only because I was jealous and hurt. I come home after making preparations with Tracy for you and I find red roses not from me and listening to you start to tell Alex how bad it is living with me…why would all that hurt me? Because I love you.”

Her eyes narrow, brows crease as if she’s trying to figure me out.

“I didn’t sleep with Tess, Liz. She asked me to step in last minute and I went as a friend. We had a good time, as friends, well on my part at least, and then I took her home. No kiss goodnight, no freebie of any kind. I just dropped her home.”

“But you said-”.

I pour the nervous frustration her interruptions are causing into my kiss. This time, her arms curve around my neck and I have a really hard time breaking away.

“Let me talk,” I tell her breathlessly. “Let me get this all out and then you can say whatever you want . This is my time, Liz.”

I broke through one layer of defence, not just with that kiss but with the explanation before it. She’s back to folding her arms again, but this time, she seems less resolute.

“I dropped Tess home and then went to sort things out with Tracy. It was late, I stayed over in a hotel, we went over the final preparations and then I came home…to find Alex and the roses.


“Are you definitely sure I had to tell about Xan, move in with him and you and me break up?”.

“I don’t get it, I thought you guys were getting along great.”

“We are…Max is a good guy, we get along, he’s a great father, he loves Xan so much.”

“Liz, are you happy here?”.


“To hear that there was a possibility that you weren’t happy…that’s what hurt the most when I’d tried my best to make you feel comfortable and treat my house as if it was your home.”

“I…”

I muffle her moan of protest with my tongue. I explore the recess of her mouth in a slow languid kiss.

I press my index finger against her lips. “Sshh, let me talk. When I drove you back to your house, I lashed out at you using the only thing I knew that could hurt you. I’m sorry for that.”

My fingers hover just above her cheeks, wanting desperately to brush them across her skin, but I hold back. It’s not time yet.

“Now let’s go back to the beginning to when we first met…”


"Am I still not eligible for a dance?" I ask.

I have never before been so desperate to dance with someone.

"Nope," she answers.

"Can I at least have your number?".


“…I was in an open-relationship with a beautiful girlfriend, who I’d been with a for long time. I thought I had it all relationship wise. That what I had was good enough. And it was, ‘til I met you. The girl who ‘doesn’t dance with boys she doesn’t know’.”

Her eyebrows rise in perplexed surprise.

I can read the question behind her expression and I answer it.

“Yeah, I remember what you said,” I tell her. “I see to remember a lot of what you say. You shot me down straight off and I’ll admit that’s why you intrigued me. The challenge to win you over and yes, get you into my bed that night. I didn’t get you into my bed that night, but I made a friend...”


"So, not so soon after you just had sex with someone, you sneaked out of bed into the..."

"more or less the living room.”

"You sneak into the living and called me?".

"Yep."

"Did you even cuddle?".

"She's not the cuddling type which is what I needed tonight. So are you going to tell me about your day?".

"Not this time. Next time, don't call me right after you've just had sex with someone and maybe I'll tell you about my day.”


“…A friend I’d call almost every night to talk about everything and nothing to. A friend who’s view on relationships was in direct opposition to mine, who voiced her disapproval and no matter what I said, could still stand to be around me. I remember that night I came over to your house to drop off your c.d.s and sneaked to your room to watch you work.”

We both smile at the memory.


"How long have you been standing there?".

"Through two songs, so about six minutes."

"I don't appreciate being watched like that. It's creepy."

"Sorry."

"No you're not".

"You're right, I'm not. "

"What do you want Max?".


I wanted her for much more than sex and didn’t even know it.

“I should have know then that you were different, that I was falling in love with you but I couldn’t. I was so comfortable with my lifestyle, that I didn’t really consciously enjoy falling in love, how sad is that?
I said I loved Tess and I did, but the level and quality of it, pales in comparison to how I felt, how I still feel about you. Your opinion even back then meant so much to me.”


"What is your problem with me?".

"Excuse me?".

"On the phone, on Sunday, that's when it started. I mean it was there before that was just normal but since then, you have this intense dislike of me. What's up with that?".

"I'm sorry. It's just when I met you, you were just this boy. This cocky, good-looking boy, who wouldn't take the hint-"

"You think I'm good-looking?".


“You’d say the simplest things to me, just small observations and they had a lot more of an effect on more than a magazine spread.”


What?".

"Nothing...it's just, you have a nice smile.”

"Was that a compliment?".

"Don't let it go to your head."


“And the premiere for Dementia?, I’d never tried so hard with a girl before.”


“So, am I forgiven? Will you be my date?" .

"The chocolates are tasty and the flowers were beautiful.”

"Is that a yes?".

"It's a try harder.”


“That night was the most fun I’d had at a premiere and it was because of you. The after party, when I left you for Chrissy Lane, that’s where I started to really screw up without knowing it.”


“Was she worth it?”.

“The sex was good but after that, I kinda wished I was back at the party spending time with you“.

“Am I supposed to be flattered by that?”.

“Yes. I could get the best of both worlds if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I know what you. So let me remind you again. We’re friends. Platonic. That’s it Evans.”


“And even after that, you still let yourself fall in love with me, but you didn’t act on it the first time. You broke off our friendship instead. I really missed you, missed your insults, hanging up the phone, slamming doors in my face. I wouldn’t admit to myself that I was in love with you and I guess because I felt I wouldn’t be good enough.”

She’s struggling to keep her composure, to keep her walls up and she’s doing a pretty good job of it. I’ll just have to do one better.

“After the blatant honesty in our friendship, you knew every sordid sex date detail, I was ashamed. What I didn’t understand then of course is that love takes all the faults, all the mistakes and makes them okay somehow.
Only when I wrote down my feelings your you, when they stared at me in black and white, is when I realised that I couldn’t hide anymore.


“To recap, three months ago, you were "confused" over Liz. You couldn't eat or sleep properly and suffered from minor depression…over Liz, so you came to me.
The majority of your journal entries are about Liz or in someway linked back to her, how she's doing, what things remind you of her or of something you two did together. You've only slept with one random woman in the last three months and after that experience, you wrote that you felt sick and guilty.
You haven't wanted to sleep with any other woman since then. You have dreams about Liz which include sexual fantasises, your sex life with your girlfriend has significantly decreased and more often than not, when you do have sex with her, you're thinking about Liz."

"I know all this.”

"You do, but you don't see it do you?".

"See what?!".

"Max, you're in love with her."

"Who Liz?".

"Yes Liz. She's all you think about! All you talk about especially now that she's talking to you again. Your journal is like an "here's-just-how-much-Liz-Parker has-stolen-my-heart" diatribe. You loved her enough to let her go when she asked you, even though it hurt you. You don't want to acknowledge your feelings for her. You have this fear of really committing yourself to someone but snap out of it before you lose her."

"All this time…'m in love with Liz Parker."

"Yeah. And what are you going to do about it?".

"I'm going to tell her”


“But, I didn’t do things the right way. I told you I loved you, but was still with Tess, I didn’t explain that I love you differently. Then after breaking up with Tess, I take you out and ditch you for a blow job”.

I shake my head, disappointed with myself. “No wonder you didn’t believe in my feelings for you. I was always contradicting between what I said or did- of course you’d close yourself off from the possibility. I was too stupid and self-involved to notice. You gave up and went with Alex.”


"We're both consenting adults. You want me, I want you. What's there to argue against?".

"Liz. We can't do this. I lov-"

"Don't say it. You don't mean it."

"I mean it. I won't just have sex with you. I want to make love to you."

"Okay."

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving…Your loss Evans."

[willowbv]

“When you came to my house that day and offered to me the one thing that no-one else has ever had from you, I thought I could be satisfied with that, you seemed to be. But when I woke up to the note you left me, I felt cheaper than a one-night stand, more like a cheap prostitute. After that, I realised that one night wasn’t enough, having a bit of you wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to be good enough for you, so I took time out, to become a better man - which is pretty easy to do providing you have a motivating incentive…”

Her eyes glisten in a pool of turbulent tears. She’s still so strong, so controlled. Scepticism has faded away and in its place is a guarded panic to safeguard herself...from me.

I want her to know that she doesn’t have to. To know that…

“…there’s nothing better than you, Liz. Then I heard about you, Alex and Xan, that almost killed me and still I loved you. When I found out Xan was mine, I was pissed…”


"You evil, selfish, vindictive bitch!".

"I am sorry that I hurt you Max, but I was pregnant. Dealing with that and trying to get over you was enough. I couldn't handle you being in my life. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing.”

"YOU BROKE MY HEART! Now you've destroyed me and you wouldn't change a thing?!”.


“…and I felt betrayed, but looking back on it now, I can understand why you did what you did. Even though I’d changed, it took you a while to see that, if you see that at all, I mean did you-do you? I want you to answer now, just this one thing, did you notice?.”

She blinks back the tears. “I-I”, her voice wavers then steadies, “I noticed.”

I sigh a breath of relief. “Good…that…means a lot. I wanted you to see me, to trust me again, so that the next time I told you I loved you, you’d believe it, receive it, accept it.
Because we’re here, I obviously didn’t do a very good job of that, mainly because I let you think that I asked you to move in with me just for Xan, for way too long. Then the Tess and Julian thing starts happening and,” I shrug apologetically, “here we are”.

Not that I need to pin her in to make her stay, but the deer-caught-in-the-headlights look she’s got right now is a cause for some precautions. I’m not done yet.

“Since we are here”, I lean in until our foreheads touch and she has no choice but to keep looking into me. My words are soft and firm. “I’ll let you know now, I asked you to move in with me because I love you and I love our son. I’ve had this week to think about our relationship and what to say to you.”
I lean back and give her back her space. “Retrospect is a useful thing, it’s helped me work out another reason why you won’t accept my feelings.”


"Parker, you are so lucky you're worth it.”

"Hey Evans, don't put me on a pedestal or I'll get performance anxiety.”


“Remember you told me not to put you on a pedestal?“.

She nods. I don’t think she’s strong enough to handle another kiss. I could break her with a kiss, but I’d rather do it with words.

“I didn’t but you did and you fell off. You felt guilty after hurting me with Xan and Alex, after your share of mistakes, I’d bet my life you thought I deserved better. You told me yourself once, at the hospital and again when you pushed me towards resuming a friendship with Tess and also when you were so accommodating about me having sex with randoms.”

Her lips are trembling. She gulps but doesn’t pull away when I brush my fingers across her cheek.

“You wouldn’t see the message behind every caring gesture I showed you because you were scared to put yourself out there again, because you thought, maybe still think, that I hate you.”

I lean in again and rest my forehead against hers. “Let’s clear that up right now. I don’t hate you Parker, I forgive you because I’m crazy, helpless in love with you and that’s what people who love each other do. I. Love. You.”

I desperately search her eyes for it, that bright light of knowing, of really knowing. I search and I hope until…

“Ah. There it is.”

She opens her mouth to say something, makes several attempts but nothing comes out.

The pain in my heart is that caused by absolute, crazy, ecstatic relief.

“Stunned speechless?,“ I tease her lightly. “Not your usual M.O. Parker.”

I back off and once again, give her back her space. “You know when we put Xan to bed and sometimes kisses? I’d go back to my room and think about you. In any case, I know Julian’s better looking and has more money than me- not that I think you place extreme value on those things, but he’s never hurt you like I have”.

It pains me in a heartbreaking way to say it, but…

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you chose him over me, but I wanted you to know the truth, all of it, no lies, or pretence, of my feelings for you.”

I come up right in front of her, until her knees bump into my thighs. I look down at her, she looks up at me, completely defenceless, completely open. I blink back the burning in my eyes.

“I’m going to kiss you now, so after this, when you go to sleep tonight, you’ll think about me, think about what I can do to you and think about the feelings behind this kiss and know that they’re not going away.”

My lips brush against hers in a kiss that’s almost a whisper, then slowly I deepen, nibbling on her bottom lip, then her top, enjoying the feel or her, the taste of her until she responds with equal fervour and passion.

I love this woman. She sets me on fire with a kiss, wakens anything and everything right and beautiful inside of me. She doesn’t have to tell me, I know that I do the same to her. We don’t just kiss, we’ve never just kissed, it’s always something more, which is why it takes a considerable amount of strength to break away, but I do.

“I’ll give you some time to process Parker, but it’s limited and when it’s up, I’m coming for you.”

At the door, I turn and glance back at her, she’s in the same spot looking utterly stunned, ravished and teasingly beautiful. It’s then that I notice the ring on her finger.

I must have been too focused to notice it before and she had her arms folded most of the time, but now I see it.

I swallow the lump in my throat. I guess she already made her decision.

Well fuck that, because I’m not giving her up that easily.

“Liz?”.

Startled, as if surprised to see me here, she meets my eyes.

“I love you.”

Her eyes widen in surprise.

“Get used to it,” I grin delighted with her.

****

Maria ambushes me in the kitchen.

“Well?”.

I am so not in the mood to give her a detailed rundown.

“I told her. She’s wearing a diamond ring.”

“He proposed,” she tells me.

“I got that and her answer,” I respond dryly.

“The ring, if you paid attention, was on her right hand,” she tells me. “He proposed, she turned him down. He told her to keep the ring.”

“She turned him down?” I ask unable to keep from smiling.

“Yes and you just cleared up all the confusion between the both of you, so,” I try to avoid her flailing hands as she tries to shoo me out of the room, “go back in there and get the girl!!”.

“I can’t!”.

Her hands are instantly on her hips. “What you mean you can’t?”.

“Just because she turned him down, it doesn’t mean she’ll choose me and besides that, she needs time to process what I just told her and how she feels about it.”

“Don’t you think you’ve wasted enough time?”.

“Maria, trust me. I know what she needs now…”

I feel a surge of pure confidence. I actually do know what she needs.

“…I’m going to give her some time and then-”

“I get the picture,” she nods, impressed. “You’re a hell of guy Max. Do I need to go in there?” she asks.

“I think she’ll find you when she’s ready.”

****

I spend the rest of the time at the party avoiding Liz, giving her space. I watch her from afar though, as she converses with Linda. She seems attentive but her fingers rub together, there’s a slight crease on her brow and when she turns and meets my gaze, her eyes are dark and distracted.

I hold her stare and wink.

She blinks like she’s been hit with a bolt from the blue. Then with a small smile, she winks back before turning back to Linda.

“Hey, I heard the news,” says Michael. “You did good.”

“I’m not done yet,” I respond.

I cast one last look at Liz before allowing Michael to lead me off to the games room where some of the guys are.

I’m definitely not done yet.

****

[willowbv]

AN: Hey all, I haven't been able to update as frequently as I've liked to for the past couple of weeks, but life has slowed down now, so I should be able to from now on.

Glad you all loved the last part, I can promise much more dreamer love to come but for now here's the next part...

Alma
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How about introducing Julian to Tess? That could keep both of them occupied for awhile.

I'm not done with these two yet


PREVIOUSLY

“Maria, trust me. I know what she needs now…”

I feel a surge of pure confidence. I actually do know what she needs.

“…I’m going to give her some time and then-”

“I get the picture,” she nods, impressed. “You’re a hell of guy Max. Do I need to go in there?” she asks.

“I think she’ll find you when she’s ready.”

****

I spend the rest of the time at the party avoiding Liz, giving her space. I watch her from afar though, as she converses with Linda. She seems attentive but her fingers rub together, there’s a slight crease on her brow and when she turns and meets my gaze, her eyes are dark and distracted.

I hold her stare and wink.

She blinks like she’s been hit with a bolt from the blue. Then with a small smile, she winks back before turning back to Linda.

“Hey, I heard the news,” says Michael. “You did good.”

“I’m not done yet,” I respond.

I cast one last look at Liz before allowing Michael to lead me off to the games room where some of the guys are.

I’m definitely not done yet.

****

Nice to meet you anyway - part 24a

Liz’s POV

I come home to find that true to his word, Julian has cleared out, leaving a single red velvet rose on my bed as evidence of him ever being there. I don’t have the emotional space to add that gesture to processing, I just put it aside on my bedside table and spend time with my baby boy. He is an everlasting source of pleasurable distraction. It’s only when he’s sound asleep that I let myself think about Max Evans.


“I don’t hate you Parker, I forgive you because I’m crazy, helpless in love with you and that’s what people who love each other do. I. Love. You.”

He’s in love with me.
He’s actually in love with me!
Love, love, the real deal.
He’s been in love with me all this time and I didn’t see it. Bu how could I? Between his issues with Tess and sex and my issues with just about everything to do with us, we did a pretty good job of screwing with each other’s minds.

But now everything’s unscrewed.

A heavy sigh helps reduce tension in my muscles, at the same time the door bell rings and I’m right back up to tense again.

I approach the door with trepidation and excitement. It could be Max. If it is, what would I say? I have nothing to say to him right now. I actually have no words for him.

I’m relieved and not one bit disappointed that it’s Maria at the door. I didn’t get into it with her at the party, I just told her that Max and I talked and that I’d call her tomorrow because I needed time to think.

Obviously, since she’s looking at me expectantly with her arms crossed over her chest, she didn’t like that arrangement.

“Well?”she demands.

“Well what?” I respond dancing around her.

“I’m not going to play dumb anymore. I know Max declared his undying love for you. I’ve known that he’s in proper love with you all week.”

Whoa, what?

“I asked, he told me,” she replies to my unspoken questions. “I think that all things considered, I’ve been patient with you, but since you didn’t come to me…”

“You took the choice out of my hands,” I finish with dry smile.

“Exactly.”

This is Maria Deluca I‘m dealing with, I really shouldn’t have expected anything less from her.

She makes herself comfortable on my couch and pats the space beside her signalling my space. “So, tell me everything.”

Why not? I was going to go over it in my mind again anyway.

I do exactly as she says, I tell her everything for my benefit more than hers. Hearing it aloud, playing back the look in his eyes as he said the words, I see it all over again and it’s blindingly clear.

“He loves me,” I tell her.

It still amazes and baffles me that he does.

“And you love him,” Maria smiles.

Her eyes sparkle with joy while mine are murky with uncertainty.

“What do I do now?” I ask.

She looks at me as if I’m insanely stupid. “Tell him you love him too, have great makeup sex and become the happy couple we all know you’re capable of being.”

“Maria,” I blush.

“What?”.

“I can’t just do that”.

“Why the hell not?”.

“I’ll give you some time to process Parker, but it’s limited and when it’s up, I’m coming for you.”

The unbridled passion, love and determination I saw in his eyes when he said those words are what fills me with pain and joy simultaneously to Maria’s suggestion.

“Because I don’t know how to do this. I mean, how does one have a romantic relationship with Max Evans?”.

She stares at me for a beat before responding. “Give me more clues as to where you’re at.”

I lean rest my head back in exasperation. “I don’t know where I’m at, that’s the problem.”

Lifting my head back up, I turn to face her. I might as well get this all out, maybe then I’ll know what to do.

“With all my other relationships, I’ve always known where I stand,” I begin.

“Even with Julian?”.

I laugh at her incredulous tone. I guess no one really knows Julian the way I do. “Especially with Jules. I knew how he felt about me and vice versa. When we were together the first time, we talked about where our relationship was headed, that’s how we made the whole five year meet up thing…there was just complete honesty. But with Max, we have the honesty in our friendship, that bit’s clear, it’s the rest of it that’s confusion. Until yesterday, I’ve never known where I’ve stood with him. I haven’t since I realised that I loved him and he proceeded to break my heart.”

I pause to take a breath and to give Maria a chance to say something.
To my surprise, she doesn’t, she just waits me out. I guess she knows that I need to say this too.

“Since then, I just concentrated on protecting my heart and couldn’t see what he felt for me, while he was reacting to me and now that I do, I have no choice. I feel it down to my bones that he loves me, but I’m not sure that I can let go of protecting my heart against him.”

That’s it, that’s the reason for the panic and uncertainty. I feel better once I’ve said it out loud but I’m not sure if it’s helped any.

“Do you want to?” Maria asks.

I think about it for a moment. “I do,” I reply. “I love him and I’m so happy that he loves me, but then at the same time,” I grip her hand, “I’m so scared”.

I’m scared because this thing with Max is different. Our relationship would be different from the others I’ve had. I’ll give him everything in the end and if it doesn’t work out, if he breaks my heart again, I don’t know how I’ll deal with that.

He was right about me feeling guilty for hurting him by not telling him about Xan. The guilt was another way to protect myself, another reason we couldn’t be together. I’ve got to let that go now, forgive myself because he’s forgiven me.
I did what I thought was right. I don’t regret it. I am sorry that I hurt him, but it couldn’t be helped. I accept that now and because breath by breath I do, I’m more than scared, I’m petrified.

“Don’t you think he is too?” Maria asks.

Max? Why would he?

“He put it all out there Liz,” she continues, “every action and thought, good and bad. You need to talk to him.”

“I know. I don’t know what to say to him though.”

“Why not start with ‘I love you’ and then tell him everything you just told me and”, she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, “see where it goes?”.

I roll my eyes. “Maria.

“Hey, I can be concerned about my friend’s sex life. You haven’t got any since Xan.”

“Since Max,” I correct her.

Alex and I didn’t actually have sex in that way so it doesn’t really count.

“Oh,” she shakes her head in sympathy. “That is too long my friend. And Max, he’s been dry waiting for you. You need to be at it like bunnies. Catch up.”

I can’t help but smile. “Good to know we have your support in the sex department.”

She immediately sobers up. “That’s not all I want for you two. You know that right?.”

“I know.”

“Good. I better get going and leave you to think.”

“Thanks for coming over, I needed that,” I tell her.

“I know.” She pauses at the door before heading out. “Liz, can I just vent one thing?”.

“Sure.”

“Max loves you. You love him. Don’t ruin this just because you’re scared. It’s a risk, always a risk, but it’s worth it.” She wiggles at ring finger at me and smiles. “I know.”

I nod, I guess she does.

“And if you do screw it up, I will have to come down here and get a lot physical with you.”

“You’re backing Max?”, I asked taken aback.

“I’m backing you both,” she replies. “Your relationship and your love. What you two have is not something you throw away. No dancing around Petunia, get your man.”

****