Earth2Mama: And you were right! They’re gonna do their best to prevent their sister from being taken out of the country. Well, we’ve gotta admit, we think you’re right. Right now her safety is the most important thing to them, but the guys will definitely have to deal with their lack of knowledge in regards to Michael’s past.
Liz’ confidence is growing in leaps and bounds. She totally deserved the chance to go a little crazy on the field of battle, lol! Max will continue to be supportive as Liz begins to test out her newfound assertiveness and independence.
You can look for Liz to help Max out with that.
Cardinal: Max is a man who knows that it isn’t necessary to push; Liz will take things at her own pace and he’s perfectly comfortable to wait and be supportive while she makes new discoveries and learns what she is and isn’t ready for.
That is something that does happen all too often! Good question about the “oops!” defense, lol!
Michael and Tess have an interesting relationship. Kyle is patient and eventually Tess will either come around or he’ll have to say something.
There’s no way that Brendan could ever fully understand, but as you said, he doesn’t need to. The important thing is for them to move forward from this point and build a stronger relationship.
Michael may be reluctantly willing to bring that issue to light if it’ll help keep his parents from taking Brooke with them.
We’ll be posting a bit early since lots of folks are probably gonna be busy with family stuff on Turkey Day!
begonia9508: Hopefully the guys are able to stop their parents from taking Brooke out of the country!
They’re having a great time in Texas, huh?
keepsmiling7: LOL, thanks!
Natalie36: They’re gonna do their best!
80s_UnLove_Child: Michael isn’t gonna be easy to calm once he finds out about this. Liz is taking it one step at a time for now. How long do ya think she’ll be able to resist? Thanks!
mary mary: Awesome!
Jordyn deserved it.
Keep Michael calm… hmm, we’ll see. Sorry about that… this next update may not help to lower your blood pressure! Tell ya what, keep one of those days, lol, we’ll update a day early since Thursday is Turkey Day!
kismet: Tess wasn’t expecting it either!
We agree with you.
We’ll see… you never know with Michael.
Alien_Friend: Aww, we’re sorry! Um, this next update may have a few of those moments as well. The only thing that kept Alex calm was knowing that reacting any other way could have resulted in damaging any chance he has of gaining custody of his sister.
The twins are making good progress towards rebuilding their relationship.
Max has avoided facing that because he has some unresolved anger issues related to his brother’s death.
Aww, we don’t want you to be sad… and especially not super sad! How ‘bout we promise that it’ll be resolved soon?
sarammlover: Liz may have developed slowly, but now that she’s gotten out of her stagnant relationship with Sean she’s beginning to breathe and realize that she can set her own boundaries.
You can expect the twins’ relationship to get stronger from here on out.
LOL, okay, we won’t tell you.
Hey, look! We’re updating on Wednesday… why? ‘Cause Thursday is Turkey Day!
Maiqu: Yeah, we totally understand that!
Brendan will be pursuing things with Karen… look for it around Christmas, fic-time.
The boys are gonna do their best.
destinyc: Well, it’s all new to her, but don’t expect her to hold out too long!
Tess is making progress!
While it’s a horrible thing to happen, it’s another important significant thing for Michael and Maria.
LOL, we didn’t think of that!
Author’s Note: Hey, we wanted to post a little early for all of y’all goin’ home for the holiday! Happy Thanksgiving!
Part 71 – A Plan… Maybe
Brooke sat as far away from her father as she could get, hugging her dogs close and hoping that Alex could take her back from her parents. Her brothers wouldn’t abandon her; they would fight to keep her with them. Her gaze was blurry as she stared at the house that had become her home over the past few months, watching it disappear as they reached the end of the block and turned to head into the city.
She jumped when her father spoke unexpectedly, ordering the driver to pull over to the side of the road. She looked around, wondering why he would want to stop there, when he suddenly leaned forward and reached for Buffy. “What’re you doin’?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“When I told you to get your things together, I wasn’t talking about those mutts.” He jerked Buffy out of her arms and reached for Spike. The small dog growled, sensing his owner’s distress and he snapped at the large hand coming towards him. “If he bites me, I’ll break his neck before I dump him on the side of the road,” Hank threatened.
Brooke couldn’t control her tears any longer and she gave Spike the command to back off as her father took him from her. She knew if she fought to hold onto the dog he would only end up getting hurt and she had to hope that all of their training would keep the dogs from going out on the busy road. They were several miles from the house and she didn’t know if the dogs could make it back home; they had never walked in this direction because the road was too busy and she had been worried that they might get hurt.
She slumped down in the corner of the leather seat and her body shook with sobs when she heard a sharp squeal from Spike as Hank literally tossed them out of the car and slammed the door shut again. He ordered the driver to continue on his way and he reached for the phone in the console to make a business call, uncaring of his daughter’s pain.
*****
Alex and Isabel were in the kitchen making coffee when the front door slammed shut and seconds later the twins rushed into the room, demanding to know what was going on.
“You said you couldn’t talk on the phone,” Brendan said, leaning against the doorframe. “Well, we’re here now, so what’s goin’ on?”
“Yeah,” Michael agreed. He started to say more, but the silence in the house suddenly caught his attention and he looked around suspiciously. “Where’s Brooke?”
“That’s why you’re here,” Alex began slowly.
Michael straightened up from where he had been leaning on the island in the center of the kitchen. “Alex? Where’s the kid?”
“Hank...” His voice cracked and he took a deep breath to start again. “Hank’s got her.”
Brendan’s heart started to pound; his last meeting with their father was still too fresh in his mind. He reached out to place a calming hand on his twins’ shoulder when Michael’s hands clenched at his sides.
“What the fuck do you mean, ‘Hank’s got her’?” Michael asked.
“He came over with the police and took her with him,” Isabel said when she noticed that her boyfriend couldn’t answer.
Michael’s fists came down so hard on the counter in front of him that several tiles cracked under the pressure. “You let him take her?!” he shouted.
“What should I have done, Michael?” Alex yelled back.
Rationally he knew it wasn’t Alex’ fault, but he wasn’t thinking rationally; all he could see was the damage Hank could do in his state of mind.
“You should’ve fuckin’ stopped him!” His right hand waved around aimlessly. “Did you just let him walk in here and take her?”
“Michael,” Brendan called his name to get his attention, not surprised when it didn’t work. “Michael, hey, take it easy.” He wrapped his hand around his brother’s arm, tugging on it and taking a step back when Michael turned on him unexpectedly.
Michael just barely caught himself before he swung on Brendan. He wasn’t thinking straight, and he needed to get himself under control.
“Alright, what do we do now?” Brendan asked.
“Where did they go?” Michael asked, ready to go after them.
“You can’t go – “
He shook his head at Alex’s words, refusing to be placated. “Did they go back to the hotel?”
Alex sighed. He had hoped to avoid this, but realistically he had known that there could be no other reaction from Michael. “I would imagine that they went back to the hotel, yes.”
“Michael, you could jeopardize any chance we have of getting Brooke back if you go after your father like this,” Isabel said when he turned to leave the room. “I know your first reaction is to do whatever is necessary to protect her, but for her sake, you have got to control yourself for now.”
Michael stopped in the doorframe and hesitated; he knew that she was probably right, but he felt so damned helpless. “Damn it,” he muttered as he threw his car keys across the kitchen.
“What’s the plan?” Brendan asked, confident that Alex had one.
“My lawyer will be available soon, so I think I’m gonna drive over to his office to talk to him... see what we can do.”
“What d’you need to make this happen, Alex?” Michael asked, his jaw clenched tightly.
“I don’t know. We’re gonna have to come up with some good reasons... I... I don’t know if telling the law that she’d prefer to live with us will be enough.” He shook his head. “I don’t think it will be, but it’s a place to start.”
Michael drew in a shaky breath as he ran a hand over his face. “What if you told them that he’s an abusive monster?” he asked.
“Huh?” Alex looked at his brother, puzzled. Hank was an asshole, a cruel asshole, but they couldn’t just make something up, unless...
Michael looked away as his hand moved to his injured side out of habit. “I’m askin’ you if it would make a difference to tell them that he has a history of physical abuse.”
“Uh, well, I guess it might make a difference, but... did he hit you, Michael?” Alex asked, shocked. He had witnessed Hank’s behavior on Thanksgiving, but he hadn’t let himself actually consider what it meant.
“Yeah, okay? He liked to knock me around when I was younger, and no, I don’t wanna talk about it unless it’s gonna help Brooke.”
“Fuck,” Alex muttered. Sure, he had suspected that there was something going on; there had been little signs, like the way Michael would flinch if someone woke him unexpectedly, or the way he was so physically reserved, but he had never let himself try to get the truth out of his brother.
“Look, it’s not a big deal,” Michael mumbled. He didn’t want anyone’s pity.
“You’re willin’ to say that in front of my lawyer?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, if it’ll get the kid out of Hank’s hands, I’ll say it.”
“We have to try. Alright, I’ll drive,” he said as he grabbed his keys off of the hooks by the door.
“This won’t go any further, right?” Michael asked. It wasn’t something he talked about – ever – and he didn’t want the information going anywhere it didn’t need to go.
“No.” Alex shook his head, proud of Michael and his unexpected confession. His brother had made a lot of progress the last few months.
Michael nodded. “Okay an’... we don’t have to talk about it or anything either, right?”
“No, not if you don’t want to.”
“I don’t.”
“Okay, you... you’ll just have to answer my lawyer’s questions.”
He nodded again. He could do that... right? Tell a perfect stranger what Hank had done to him for most of his life. His palms were starting to sweat and his heart was racing at the thought of talking about it.
“We should probably leave. The sooner we get there the sooner we might get her back.”
*****
Ben Kingston looked up when his secretary knocked on his door and announced his unscheduled appointment. He had gotten the frantic message his client had left and he had been expecting the man to show up. What he hadn’t expected was the little group that rushed into his office as soon as his secretary stepped aside.
He shook Alex’ hand and motioned to the furniture in the spacious office. “Have a seat, everyone. Alex, I got your message, but didn’t receive an answer when I returned your call. Your message wasn’t very clear; you’re having some sort of problem with your sister?”
“My father took her from us a couple of hours ago.”
“Your father took her from you,” Ben said slowly. “Alex, your parents only gave you temporary guardianship of a minor... they have the right to revoke that at any time they choose.” He hated problems of this nature; there was never an easy solution and the cases often turned ugly.
“Yeah, I know that,” Alex said impatiently, “but, she didn’t want to go.”
“And again, I must remind you that she is a minor. Unless you have some proof that they’re unfit as parents, that she is in imminent danger by being in their care, we do not have a case.”
Michael knew this was cue to say something, but the words refused to come out.
“What if... what if there was a history of abuse?” Brendan asked, sensing that his twin was having a difficult time.
Ben sighed and rested one hip against his desk. “Is there?” He shook his head when they remained silent. “False allegations won’t help you to gain custody of your sister. Unless there were charges filed at the time that the alleged abuse occurred, unless there is official documentation that the alleged abuse occurred, you’re grasping at straws. If there is no official paper trail that will even lead up to your father being brought in for questioning then past charges of abuse won’t hold up in a court of law.”
“Fuck,” Michael hissed, kicking the desk.
Ben frowned at the younger man’s volatile response before turning back to his client. “Alex, I wish it were as simple as your sister saying she wanted to live with you, but it’s not. The only way to achieve the goal you’re after is for your parents to sign a document that will terminate their parental rights. That is really your only course of action at this point.”
“You pay this guy for advice like that?” Michael snarled, irritated with the response they were getting.
Alex glared at him. “That’s not helping.”
“Neither is this bullshit legal talk!” He shoved himself to his feet and prowled around the room. “What if we just... take her from them?”
“Then the police will be called, they will search for you, arrest you once you’ve been found, return your sister to your parents, and we’ll be sitting across from each other in a jail discussing your options,” Ben explained simply. “You would also lose your sister because no court in the world would ever give custody to you after a stunt like that.”
“There’s gotta be another option, Ben,” Alex said, grateful for Isabel’s quiet presence beside him.
“So, either way, we lose her,” Michael said, determined to hold his feelings together.
“The only legal way to gain custody of your sister is to find a way to get them to sign away their parental rights.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe there’s a way to force their hand.”
That got Michael's attention. “How?”
“Your father has been the focus of a lot of media attention lately with his acquisition of several new companies that are opening up a lot of new jobs, so the last thing he would want is bad publicity...”
“What’re you suggesting?” Brendan asked.
“The allegations of abuse... they may provide the leverage you would need to force his hand.”
“So, you’re suggesting we blackmail him?” Alex questioned, surprised that his lawyer would suggest such a thing.
“Blackmail is such an ugly word,” Ben said, shaking his head with a rueful smile. “No, I’m not suggesting blackmail; I’m simply suggesting that if you were to imply the possibility of that information leaking to the press – while the press is nearby – that he may be more receptive to your wishes.”
“I bet the press will be at the airport tomorrow,” Michael said. “We’d need to find out when his flight is... which gate... How’re we gonna get that information? We don’t even know which hotel they’re stayin’ at now.”
Alex ran his hand over his face tiredly. He had called the hotel, hoping to speak to his mother and find out what had set his father off, but he had been told that his parents had left the hotel earlier that afternoon.
“Damn it, so our only chance is to spend the next day at the airport waiting for them to show up,” Michael said, more than willing to do that for his little sister.
Ben watched them, wondering just how much of a mark Hank Guerin had left on them; emotional scars couldn’t be seen and physical scars faded with time, but it was obvious they had all been affected one way or another. “Don’t make plans to do that just yet; let me make a few calls and see what I can do about getting that information for you.”
“Alright, is there anything else we can do besides wait?” Alex wanted to know.
“Go home and get some rest,” he advised, knowing how meaningless the words were. “I’ll make some calls and I’ll draw up the papers for termination of parental rights; I’ll stop by your house this evening to drop them off and hopefully I’ll have the flight information for you as well at that time.”
“Thanks, Ben.” Alex got to his feet to shake the man’s hand.
“Alex, let me worry about this, okay? That’s what you pay me for; go home and take care of your family.”
“I’ll try.” He glanced at Michael; he had no idea how he would manage to calm him down until this mess was all over.
Ben walked them out, watching as his client’s girlfriend kept them all together and herded them out to the truck in the parking long. This was why he hated custody cases, he thought morosely. “Abby, get Detective Ranier on the phone for me,” he said to his secretary as he walked back to his office.
*****
Alex walked into the house behind Isabel, his mind running over the things his lawyer had said. Ben hadn’t exactly inspired a lot of confidence and now he was more worried than before. He dropped his keys on the table next to the phone and pressed the message button when he noticed the light blinking on the machine.
“This is Dr. Kelvin at the Pacific Veterinary Care office and I’m calling in regards to two Chihuahuas... a Spike and Buffy, that were dropped off in the office earlier today wearing tags with your number on them. Please give me a call if they belong to you.” The man’s voice rattled off a phone number and asked that they call before the office closed at six that evening.
“He dropped her dogs off?” Michael grated out.
“Unbelievable,” Brendan mumbled. He glanced at his watch. “It’s already quarter after five.”
Alex nodded. “Let me give them a call.” He picked the handset up and dialed the number the vet had left on the machine, talking to a receptionist for several minutes before he was able to speak with the man who had called.
After a short conversation he hung up and his hand wrapped around the phone tightly as he struggled to keep from throwing it. “He didn’t drop the dogs off,” he said finally.
“No? What’re you talkin’ about?” Michael asked, irritated because he already knew he wouldn’t like the answer.
“He dumped ‘em off on the highway; some lady picked them up when the car ahead of her swerved to avoid hitting them.”
“Fuckin’ bastard,” Michael hissed.
“Oh, my God,” Isabel murmured. Hank really had no conscience at all! She supposed it wasn’t that much of a leap considering the way he treated his own children.
“Okay, Michael, Brendan, why don’t you two go pick the dogs up,” Alex said as he wrote the address down and handed it to Brendan. He pulled his credit card out of his wallet and held that out as well. “There’s gonna be a bill; Spike had to be treated for a laceration to his right front leg, so treatment, medication, whatever else... just pay for it and bring them back here.”
“I’ll drive,” Michael said, heading for the door.
Brendan grabbed his oldest brother’s credit card and scrambled to follow Michael. He slid into the bucket seat and he barely had time to pull the door closed behind him before Michael was gunning the engine and pulling out of the driveway. “Okay, Michael, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t have to take ME to the doctor today... so, let me get inside first, would ya?”
“Yeah, sorry,” Michael said, running his left hand through his hair.
Brendan hurried to pull the seatbelt over his body and snap it into place. “No, it’s cool, just... kinda wanna stay in one piece.”
Michael tugged at his seatbelt as he stared at the road ahead of them. “This’s my fault,” he said finally. “I should’ve just...” He didn’t know what he could’ve done, but he should’ve stopped this from happening.
Brendan shook his head. “You can blame me for this, Michael.”
“Why would you be to blame for this shit?”
Brendan stared out on the road for several long seconds before answering. “I got Hank pretty upset today when I went to him.”
“You’re not at fault for this, Bren, but you shouldn’t have done that.” His hand tightened on the steering wheel as he shook his head. “You have no idea what he’s capable of. He could’ve hurt you.”
“He almost did...” his twin confessed.
Michael’s head jerked to the side. “What’d he do to you?” he demanded.
“I attacked him with words and he came over and pushed me into the wall, ready to hit me.” Brendan frowned when he thought back to that moment. “But then he suddenly realized that it was me in front of him.”
He shifted uncomfortably and took a right turn. “But he didn’t hit you?” Not that hitting was the only way to hurt or intimidate someone, he thought.
“No, he let go of me then. I think the realization that it was me and not you surprised him.”
He reached up to scratch his eyebrow. “Look, Bren, we can sit here and blame ourselves for this, but the fact of the matter is that Hank is a mean, vindictive son of a bitch, and he would’ve come after Brooke regardless of anything you or I did or didn’t do.”
“I know, but I have a feeling that I kinda pushed him over the edge with my actions this mornin’.”
Michael shook his head. “It was only a matter of time before he did somethin’ like this.”
“Damn, I feel so stupid!” Brendan suddenly screamed and slammed his hand on the dashboard of the car.
“Whoa, let’s not damage the interior,” Michael said, leaning forward to run his right hand over the dashboard. “Easy, baby, he didn’t mean to be so rough with you,” he murmured to his car.
“Sorry,” Brendan muttered.
He shook his head at his twin as he leaned back in his seat once more. “I can see I’m gonna have to teach you some things about cars.”
The veterinarian’s office was only about five miles away and they reached it without incident. Michael pulled up in front of the brick building and he and Brendan hurried inside.
“We’re here for the Chihuahuas,” he said, not bothering with formalities as he glared at the woman behind the counter.
Brendan nudged his twin out of the way and spoke directly to the woman. “Hi, we got a call that our sister’s two dogs had been found out off of the highway and that someone had dropped them off here.” He glanced down at the paper Alex had given him. “Our brother spoke with a Dr. Kelvin a little while ago...”
“Oh, yes, of course!” She smiled at him and stood up. “I’ll go get him for you.”
Brendan’s mouth dropped open when she winked and sent him a flirtatious smile over her shoulder as she disappeared through a door on the opposite side of the room.
“Stop droolin’, Brendan,” Michael said, watching his brother’s expression as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
“I’m not droolin’,” he denied, still in shock. As a rule women just didn’t flirt with him... or did they and he just missed it? He was so used to keeping his nose to the grindstone that he rarely paid much attention to what was going on around him.
“Must be your new look,” Michael said, grinning.
Brendan reached up to run his fingers through his hair as he glanced down at his clothes. “Oh, I forgot about that... yeah, that’s probably what it is.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “I was just kiddin’, bro.”
They looked up when the woman came back with a man in a white lab coat and the two dogs under her arms. Brendan quickly moved to speak with the vet before Michael could vocalize whatever rude thought was in his head. “Dr. Kelvin?”
“Yeah, you’re Mr. Guerin?”
“One of them, anyway. You spoke with our brother, Alex, about the dogs; he sent us to pick them up.”
“Yeah. You can count yourself lucky that they’re still alive. They were found on a very busy highway.”
Michael frowned when the vet started to speak, his tone directed at Brendan as if he were speaking to a child. “Hey,” he interrupted, “we’re not the ones who left the dogs out on the highway, so save the speech, Doc.”
Dr. Kelvin raised his eyebrows at the younger man's belligerent tone. “Young man, my point is that these dogs were found wandering around near one of the busiest highways in this part of the city. Responsible pet owners – “
“Look, Dr. Kelvin,” Brendan said, as he reached for the wounded dog and turned to hand Spike to Michael, knowing it would distract him, “the dogs were taken from our sister and obviously abandoned on the highway.”
Michael carefully cradled the small dog in his arms, running his fingers over the tiny leg encased in a heavy bandage before he settled for stroking the dog’s head. Spike pushed his muzzle into the crook of Michael's arm, snuffling softly and just lying there. “Are you sure he’s okay?" he demanded, motioning to the animal.
“Yeah, he’s just terribly frightened by his… accident, and it’ll take a few days before he starts to behave as usual.”
“What about her?” He lifted his chin to indicate Buffy as the receptionist transferred the little dog into Brendan’s arms.
“She’s fine; we checked both of them completely and couldn’t find any other injuries.”
Michael nodded, satisfied for the moment that the dogs would live.
“You’ll just need to sign these forms so we can release the dogs into your care and then you can take them with you,” the receptionist said after the vet had gone into the back once more. “You’ll want to make sure Spike has plenty of rest over the next few days, and he’ll need to stay off of his injured leg as much as possible.”
Michael took Buffy when Brendan handed her to him so he could pay the bill and get Spike’s prescription. He only half-listened as the receptionist rattled off a list of things to watch for and handed his brother a card with the vet’s information on it in case he had any questions.
He rolled his eyes when she lowered her voice, letting him know that her home number was on the back of the card in case he had any questions after hours. He nearly laughed aloud when Brendan actually blushed at the woman’s forward behavior. The poor kid stuttered his way through thanking her and nearly tripped over himself trying to get out the door ahead of Michael.
“You haven’t flirted with anyone in a while, huh?” Michael asked when they got into the car and he handed Brendan both dogs.
“In a while?” Brendan echoed as he settled the dogs in his lap. “Try since Karen. No one before and no one after.” He shook his head at his brother’s speculative expression. “Maria doesn’t count... and anything that might have been considered flirting with her only ended up bein’ a big embarrassment anyway.”
Michael laughed at that. “Well, I guess I can count myself lucky for that.”
Brendan snorted. “Yeah, because I existed in any sort of romantic notion once she realized you were around.” He grinned to let his brother know that he was teasing. “You were right when you said she was too much woman for me. You an’ Maria, you guys are perfectly matched, you balance each other; me an’ Maria... well, we never would’ve had that.”
“You think we balance each other?” Michael asked. “Right now I’ve got the feelin’ that one wrong word would be enough to fuck it all up again, ya know?” he admitted.
“Why?” Brendan asked, interested in his brother’s thoughts.
Michael sighed. “I don’t know, it’s just… we said some pretty bad things to each other in the past and, well, I don’t trust myself to keep things goin’ in the right direction, ‘cause I know I’m just gonna screw it up.”
“Do you trust her?”
“To keep things goin’ in the right direction?”
“In anything, everything... whatever... Do you trust her?”
Michael scratched his eyebrow and thought about it for a few seconds. “Yeah... yeah, I guess I do.”
“Then why are you so sure you’re gonna fuck it up?”
“Cause I’ve done that a lot the last few years, or have you forgotten?”
“You’ve kinda got a clean start with Maria though,” Brendan disagreed. “She’s aware of your flaws and for some reason, the girl still wants you.” He smiled to take the sting out of the words. “She’s not goin’ anywhere, Michael; so you’ve fucked some things up in the past... so what? Who hasn’t? You think she’s just waitin’ for you to fuck somethin’ up?”
“I hope not,” Michael said, almost sure she wasn’t waiting for that. “But, have you looked at her lately? The woman is so amazing, Bren, but she could have anyone she wants.”
“And yet she’s chosen your scruffy ass... why d’you think that is?”
He shrugged. “Because I’m irresistible,” he answered with a smirk. Maybe Brendan was right and he worried too much.
Brendan shook his head at Michael’s flippant reply. “Y’know, I can understand why you’d be scared that something’s gonna happen; it’s your first real relationship and you’re in completely new territory, but maybe you need to shift just a little of the energy you’re expending on those negative thoughts over to somethin’ positive.”
“Yeah, maybe… maybe when we get Brooke back.”
Brendan nodded. “Yeah, I can’t believe what’s happened.”
“We need to get her outta there.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “So, what d’you think about what Alex’s lawyer said? You think threatening to expose him to the press will actually make a difference?”
“I don’t know if it’ll be enough.”
Brendan scratched Buffy behind her ears when she nudged his hand. “Were you serious when you asked about just takin’ her from them?”
“I’m not lettin’ him take her to another continent, Brendan,” Michael answered and his tone made it obvious that he was serious.
He wondered if his brother would seriously engage in a kidnapping if it meant keeping Brooke from staying with their parents. No, scratch that, he thought, he had no doubts that Michael would do just that if he thought there was no other way to keep her safe. “But, you’ll let Alex try to get her back legally first, right?”
Michael nodded slightly. He hoped that their plan would work. If not he would have to do it in a different way, even if he knew that it would probably make things worse... at least for him.
Brendan glanced at their brother’s house when Michael pulled into the driveway. “Are you gonna talk to Maria about what’s goin’ on?”
“I don’t know, probably not.”
“Really?” Brendan supposed he shouldn’t be surprised; Michael wasn’t the type of person who just talked about things. He had to be drawn out and there were very few people who he allowed to pry that way.
“I don’t wanna worry her,” Michael lied, but in all honesty he just didn’t wanna talk about it. He felt so helpless and weak when it came to the situation with Brooke and he didn’t want anyone else to see it, especially not Maria.
Brendan bit his bottom lip as he debated whether he should say anything. He had a feeling Maria would be able to help Michael deal with what was going on, but he also knew how stubborn his twin was. He had obviously made his mind up and he didn’t like to be challenged... maybe he should leave it alone.
“Let’s see if Alex has any news for us,” Michael said as they got out of the car.
Brendan paused as he handed Spike to Michael, glancing over his shoulder at the unfamiliar car pulling up behind them. “Who’s that?”
“Hopefully someone with good news,” he muttered when he recognized Ben stepping out of the other car.
“Sorry it’s so late, guys,” Ben apologized as he joined them. “I was waiting on some last-minute information. I didn’t think it would be almost seven before I could make it over here.”
Seven? Michael hurriedly glanced at his watch. Damn it! He was supposed to be having dinner with Maria. He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he followed his brother and the lawyer up to the house.
He quickly punched in a message and sent it, letting her know that he wasn’t going to be able to make it. Her reply came back lightening fast and he wondered how she did that.
Why? Is Brendan okay? Will you come by later?
His thumb danced over the keys as he punched in another message.
Just got some stuff to do. Bren’s fine.
He sent it, turned the ringer off and sat on the arm of the couch as he waited for Alex to come back after speaking with his lawyer. The two men had retreated to the office, most likely to prevent anymore outbursts from him, and he slouched down on the couch with Spike propped up on his stomach. He tried not to be impatient, but it was difficult.
“Okay,” Alex said after seeing his lawyer out, “Ben got some information for us; they’re leavin’ tomorrow mornin’; they’ll be at the airport at 11am.”
“So, what’s the plan? Do we threaten exposing him to the media?”
“Yeah, we just have to make sure he believes it.”
“He’ll believe it,” Michael muttered, absently stroking Spike’s short fur. “Bastard won’t have a choice.”
“Okay, Michael,” Alex said as he sat down on the coffee table in front of his brother, “believe me, it would be a pleasure to kick Dad’s ass – not only in a literal sense, but we have to be calm; we can’t risk anything at this point.”
Michael smiled slowly. People were always so quick to assume that any threat he made involved the physical. “Oh, c’mon, Alex, even I can be calm and in control of my baser animal instincts when I need to be.”
“Even if this doesn’t work tomorrow and they take her with them?” Alex asked doubtfully.
“Like I said, Alex... when I need to be.”
“Alright. So how’re we gonna do this?” Brendan asked.
“We should be at the airport before they’re scheduled to arrive; we don’t wanna risk missin’ ‘em. We know the press will be there and I’d suggest one of us bein’ seen talkin' to the press while someone else confronts him just close enough to the press to make him uncomfortable.”
“And you think he’s gonna fall for that?” Michael asked, concerned that Alex’ plan wasn’t going to work.
Alex met his brother’s gaze evenly. “I guess a lot of that’s gonna depend on you, Michael.”
Michael sighed and drove his hand through his hair. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He stood up to walk around, his movements erratic.
“From what you’ve said... or better yet, from what you haven’t said, I believe that you’re the one who actually has leverage against him.” He shook his head when he saw Michael tensing up. “I’m not suggesting that you need to tell us all about it, although if you decide you need or want to, we’re here. That’s the main reason why I said we should confront him near the reporters instead of with them. I don’t want your hand forced so that you have to reveal anything that you’re not comfortable with in front of the press. I don’t want your personal life splashed across the newspapers.”
“I’m gonna do whatever is necessary to get Brooke away from them,” Michael said resolutely, even though he was scared of what that might require of him.
Alex nodded, hoping it wouldn’t come to that. Despite Michael’s popularity on campus he was an incredibly private person and having something so personal shared with anyone who read the paper or watched the news would be devastating for him.
“Did Ben bring that paper for them to sign?” Brendan wanted to know.
Alex held up a manila envelope. “Yeah, it’s all here.”
“I’m gonna get some air,” Michael said when he realized that there was nothing they could do now but wait until tomorrow.
Alex nodded and scratched his chin as he looked around. “I guess I’ll go give Isabel a hand with dinner; Brendan, you gonna stick around to eat?”
“Yeah, I guess I will”
“Good. Why don’t you find somethin’ to watch on TV? Play a video game or put a movie in.”
“Yeah, Alex, it’s okay; you can go. I’m a big boy, I know to entertain myself.”
“Right, well... I’ll just... go, then.”
Alex disappeared into the kitchen while Brendan slouched down on the couch and just stared at the blank television screen for several minutes.
Michael sat down on the porch swing, staring out at the ocean while the two dogs lay in his lap softly snoring.
He couldn’t keep his thoughts from Brooke. Where was she? How did she feel? Was she crying about her brothers and her dogs right now? He clenched his other hand into a fist and had a hard time not just screaming into the cooling night air. What if their plan didn’t work? He couldn’t get that question out of his head and it scared him that he didn’t have an answer. If they took her with them to another continent... what chance did they have of getting her back?
It would be different if he only knew where she was. Why hadn’t she called any of them? He suddenly remembered that he had turned the ringer off earlier and he shifted to get his phone out of his pocket. He noticed that Maria had called him twice after his last message and he wondered if he should call her back or not.
But she would know from his first message to her that something was wrong and he didn’t want to talk about it right then. But he couldn’t just ignore her either. So he turned the ringer on again and was about to push the call button when it rang again.
He waited to see Maria’s name show up on the caller ID again and his heart clenched at the thought of not answering it, but he froze in shock when he saw that it was Brooke. He almost dropped the phone when he opened it to answer the call. “Brooke? Are you okay?”
The dogs moved to jump out of his lap from the sudden movement and Michael just barely caught Spike.
“Michael?”
“Yeah.” He could tell that she was only whispering and she sounded scared.
Her voice was trembling as she tried to stay quiet so her father wouldn’t hear her and realize that she had her phone. “Michael, they’re gonna take me to Munich... and he... he...” She choked as the tears started to overwhelm her and she had to force the words out. “You’ve gotta go find Buffy an’ Spike... he threw them out of the car right on the highway.”
“Don’t cry, Brooke. We already got them and they’re okay. Where are you, do you know?”
She couldn’t think beyond knowing that he had her precious babies. “They’re okay? Are you sure? I heard Spike when Dad threw him out of the car... he was hurt, Michael!”
“Yeah, he has a little cut on his leg, but he’s okay. They’re both here with me, you can trust me to take care of ‘em for you.”
“They’re okay,” she breathed in relief. She had been so terrified that they would be killed by an oncoming car. She suddenly remembered him asking where they were staying. “I don’t even know what hotel we’re at, Michael; I just know they’re takin’ me outta the country tomorrow.”
“We’ll be at the airport tomorrow. We’re not gonna let that happen.”
Brooke felt a momentary sense of calm settle over her at his reassuring words. His voice was low, his tone fierce, and she knew he would keep his word.
“Have they anything done to you?” Michael asked, desperately needing to know.
“Besides manhandle me like some little ragdoll?” she asked, sounding annoyed. “No.”
“I’m sorry,” Michael whispered into the phone. Maybe he should’ve known this was coming after Thanksgiving. Maybe he should’ve taken her to his place after his parents had gone.
“Michael, you couldn’t have seen this comin’,” Brooke said, knowing that he had found some way to blame himself for her situation.
“I’m getting you outta there Brooke, I promise.”
Buffy barked at his words as if she understood what Michael had just said.
“Was that Buffy?” she asked excitedly. She was just about to speak again when the phone was snatched out of her grasp and a rough hand wrapped around her arm and yanked her up off of the floor, flinging her across the room to land on the bed.
“What’d I tell you about callin’ anyone?”
Michael froze when he heard his father’s voice followed by a fleshy smack. A moment later he heard his sister scream his name and the line went dead. “Brooke?” Michael almost screamed into the phone even thought he knew the call had been disconnected
Brendan came onto the porch when he heard Michael calling for their sister. “What’s wrong?”
Michael leaned forward, his head held in his hands as he fought to keep his temper from boiling over. “Brooke called and Hank caught her... slapped the shit out of her from the sounds of it... lost the connection after that.”
“Damn!” Brendan kicked one of the empty chairs on the porch.
Michael stood up from the swing and carefully set Spike down. He walked into the house, barely aware of the fact that Brendan was following him. “Where’re you goin’?”
“I don’t know... I just need to get out and clear my head.”
Brendan watched him leave and turned to Alex when he came out of the kitchen.
“What happened?”
He shrugged. He only knew the basics. “He got a call from Brooke, but Hank caught her and put an end to it... Michael said it sounded like he hit her.” He reached up to scratch his neck. “He said he needed some space.”
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) [COMPLETE]
Moderators: Itzstacie, Forum Moderators
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 71 - 11/25/09
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 72 - 11/29/09
Earth2Mama: As much as we’d all like to see Michael take Hank out for the ultimate smackdown, he’d have a lot of territory to cover because there are a lot of hotels in Long Beach and they don’t know which one Hank is staying in.
Don’t worry, the puppies are safe and sound. Hank didn’t really care who was on the line, for him it was a matter of her ignoring one of his ‘orders’. We’re pretty sure it would get really ugly if Michael was able to get his hands on Hank right now and then he’d end up in trouble while the real bad guy got away free.
You might be surprised by what Michael does.
sarammlover: You’re welcome! We’re glad we got it posted before ya left!
Hank is a sad excuse for a human being and someday he will get what’s coming to him. Hope ya had a happy Turkey Day!
mary mary: Hopefully Michael will avoid any trouble.
We had a great holiday, thanks!
80s_UnLove_Child: We actually chose the names for the dogs because Brooke is a teenager and we kinda figured she’d be into that type of show, lol. Hmm… an argument could happen… maybe. Lookin’ for a little Dreamer scenery, huh? Comin’ right up! Lots of football and too much food… what’s not to love?
kismet: Aww, we’re sorry! Hmm… Estonian curse words, huh? Neither of us know any of those… care to share?
Hopefully Michael will follow his heart.
Thanks!
begonia9508: Believe it… he is a horrible excuse for a human being.
We’ll see soon!
Eva: If you’re proud of him now, wait until he really begins to open up.
Whatcha think? Is he gonna talk to Maria? We know you already have a suspicion of what he’ll do next and you’re just not givin’ it away!
Alien_Friend: The pups are fine despite Hank’s careless and cruel treatment.
Michael is learning to follow his heart, so maybe he’ll listen to it now. Unfortunately, with no documented evidence and no prior reports on record, Ben’s hands are tied.
Yeah, it won’t be drawn out very long.
Maiqu: Poor little critters, they didn’t do anything to him! They’ll be getting to the airport soon. Michael’s making some progress, huh?
Part 72 – Taking New Steps
Max knocked lightly on Liz’ door when he got back upstairs and he nudged it open, glancing inside and seeing that the bathroom door was standing wide open. He smiled when he realized she wasn’t there and he turned to go over to his own bedroom, stepping inside and closing the door behind him so he could lean back against it. She was sitting on the side of the bed, leaning over to rub her legs, and she looked up when she heard him come into the room.
“I was getting sleepy in the tub,” she admitted.
“I’ll bet,” he said as he pushed away from the door and moved to kneel down in front of her. “You had a pretty exhausting afternoon.”
Liz felt her breath catch in her throat when his hands brushed over her left calf as he lifted her leg and shifted her foot so that it was braced on his thigh. His touch elicited the most exciting feelings and in the most interesting places, she thought as she felt the tingling sensation radiating out from where he was touching her.
Max glanced up at her as his hands carefully moved along her soft, smooth skin, brushing the robe she was wearing aside, and he smiled when he saw the way her eyes were so intensely focused on his every move. “Looks like you’ve only got a couple that’re gonna bruise pretty good; the rest of them are fairly small.”
“They’re gonna be hideous in a few days,” she complained.
“Nah, they’re battle wounds,” he said, his breath whispering across her skin as he leaned in to press a kiss to one of the larger bruises on her upper thigh.
She drew in a ragged breath at the feel of his lips on her flesh and without even realizing it her right hand moved up to tangle in his hair, tugging just enough to get his attention. “Max…”
He lifted his head at her breathless demand and he shifted, leaning into her when her foot slipped off of his thigh and gave him enough room to settle between her legs. He waited patiently as she adjusted to the feel of him against her, her fingers slowly moving over his face, mapping his features and studying his expressions.
Liz released a surprised huff of laughter when her fingertips traced over his lips and he growled, baring his teeth and nipping at her playfully. She moved her hands to cradle his jaw as she leaned in and kissed him, her lips slowly exploring his and deepening the kiss as she grew bolder.
Max let her lead the way, showing him when she was ready for him to engage more fully in the kiss and when the tip of her tongue slipped out to tease his lips he surged up against her and took control. He groaned when her arms came around him and one of her hands curled over his shoulder to pull him closer.
He gentled the kiss as his right hand eased under her robe and his palm slid over her skin where it was bared between the hem of her tank top and her panties. “Still interested in that massage?” he asked gruffly.
She leaned back just a bit to stare into his darkened eyes and she smiled shyly. “We need to slow down, huh?”
“Just for a little while, yeah.” He knew she wasn’t ready to take things to the next level yet and he didn’t want to pressure her, so when he felt the need to go further he took a step back. “You’re learnin’ fast,” he teased as he leaned in to give her a soft kiss.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Max?” she asked uncertainly. “I mean, you’re used to havin’ sex…” She trailed off when he pressed his fingertips to her lips to silence her.
“I’m fine, darlin’,” he assured her. “I don’t wanna push you into anything you’re not ready for and the occasional cold shower isn’t gonna kill me.” He chuckled. “It might feel like it at the time, but I promise it won’t.”
“Cold showers aren’t any fun. Aren’t there other ways you can… you know…” she gestured to his lap and blushed, “make it go away?”
Max cleared his throat in an effort to keep from laughing at her question. “There are methods for makin’ it… go away…” he was fighting to keep a straight face, “that’re more… stimulating, than an icy blast of water in the shower, yes.”
“Well, you can, y’know, do that, if you want.”
“Darlin’,” he laughed, “I may jerk off on occasion like any other guy, but as a rule I don’t do it in my parents’ house. Yeah, before movin’ out on my own I did, but now?” He shook his head.
“So, you just blast your… you know… it, with ice cold water? Isn’t that kinda cruel?”
“My it?” he mocked gently.
She thumped her fisted hand against his shoulder. “Well, what do you call it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really call it anything… it’s my dick, it’s not a pet.”
“But it’s your special guy part, so – “
“Um, no.” He bit back a laugh and shook his head at her. “We will not be callin’ it that. You wanna name it at some point after the two of you have gotten acquainted, feel free to do so, but we are not callin’ it that.” He grinned at her. “I reserve the right for final approval of any and all names you may choose.”
Liz laughed at the absurdity of their conversation. Just a few days ago she never would’ve imagined talking about such a thing with anyone, much less Max, and even though it was a topic she really had no experience with he made it so easy. He didn’t push or pressure her, but he was honest about what he wanted, he made it clear that they would wait until she was ready, and his easygoing manner somehow made it much less scary and intimidating.
“So… can I still interest you in that backrub?” he asked after a while.
Her eyes dropped to his hands where they were resting on her thighs and after a moment she lifted her head to meet his dark gaze. “Um… yes?”
“Is that a question?” His hand came up to cradle her cheek. “Because if it’s not somethin’ you’re comfortable with you need to tell me.”
“I’m not sayin’ that I’m not comfortable, but I am still kinda new to this so there are probably gonna be things you wanna do that – “
“Huh-uh, darlin’, nothin’ we do together should ever make you uncomfortable and you shouldn’t do somethin’ just because you think I wanna do it. You might be nervous or a little scared at times, but if you’re uncomfortable, you’ve gotta tell me to put the brakes on, you understand?”
Liz smiled at him. “I understand, Max, and this doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I was actually thinkin’ about you.”
“Me?” he asked, confused.
“Well, y’know…” She gestured to his lap and rolled her expressive eyes. “You were, y’know, um…”
“Hard? Erect? Aroused?” He chuckled at the blush that heated her cheeks and he leaned in to kiss her.
“Um, yes, that, and if you give me a massage that means more touching and that just seems to make it…” She cleared her throat and rolled her eyes again when she realized he was trying not to laugh at her explanation.
“Yes, to all of the above, darlin’, and I appreciate you thinkin’ of me, but I’m perfectly fine with givin’ you a massage. If you’re okay with knowin’ that I’m aroused,” he said, choosing the word she was most comfortable with, “while givin’ you a massage then I can handle it, too. Bein’ aroused around you is not somethin’ that’s new for me.”
“Really?”
He smiled and tugged on the belt at her waist. “Really. Now… as much as I really like the tank top and panties look, are you okay like this or you wanna put somethin’ else on before we get started?”
Liz wondered if she should be more hesitant about being around him wearing so little since he had already seen her in less than Sean had after years of dating. “No, if it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother me,” she answered honestly.
“Then let me help you disrobe, m’lady,” he said in a horrible Scottish accent that had her doubling over in laughter.
“Max, that was terrible!” she choked out after several minutes.
“It was pretty bad,” he agreed, leaning back to give her room when she shifted to shrug out of the robe. She was relaxed as she moved to the center of his bed and settled on her stomach and he could see the sleepy look on her features as she turned her head to rest her cheek on her forearms. “I think you’re gonna go to sleep on me.”
She made a sound of protest and tried to shake her head but quickly realized that it would require too much effort.
“Yes, you are,” he said as he grabbed the throw hanging over the footboard and shook it out over her. “Why don’t we just do that massage a little later when you’re awake enough to enjoy it,” he suggested as he settled down beside her. He brushed her hair back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll wake you for dinner.”
She murmured something completely unintelligible and shifted closer to him, snuggling into his side and sighing contentedly.
*****
Hank stared at his daughter, furious that she had dared to defy him. He glanced at the name on the caller ID and hatred burned in his veins. His gaze swept dismissively over the girl where she lay in a crumpled heap on the bed and he flexed his hand, his palm still stinging where it had made contact with her cheek. He turned his head when his wife suddenly ran into the room, her gaze disbelieving as she quickly realized what had just happened.
“Well, don’t just stand there, woman!” he roared. “Go and make sure the girl’s alright; it won’t do for her to hold up our plans for tomorrow’s flight.”
“What have you done?” Maureen whispered, rushing to Brooke’s side.
Hank shook his head at her ridiculously emotional response to a little discipline. “I told her no contact with that ungrateful brother of hers and I came in here to find her talking to him.”
“She didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye, Hank,” Maureen said, shaking her head at him as she sat down beside her daughter. “Brooke,” she stroked the hair back from the girl’s face, “are you alright, dear?”
Brooke refused to look at her mother and the tears trailing down her face only made her stinging cheek burn more. “I wanna go home,” she whispered.
“Leave us alone, Hank,” Maureen insisted.
Hank considered reminding her who wore the pants in their relationship, but after a moment he decided it was of no consequence. He walked towards the door, pausing with one hand on the knob as he glanced back at them. “I will not tolerate a night of crying and temper tantrums; you control that girl or you’ll both regret it.” He slammed the door after himself and headed for the liquor cabinet.
“I’m so sorry,” Maureen whispered over and over again, while caressing her daughter’s back.
“Why do you stay with him?” Brooke cried, drying her face even though she knew it was a waste of time.
Maureen had never witnessed Hank hitting one of their children until she had seen him hit Michael on Thanksgiving. She had thought about it, wondered about it sometimes, but she had always pushed those thoughts aside. “I don’t know,” she answered confused. “I’m scared to leave him, I guess.”
“Why? What could be worse than this?”
“He wouldn’t just let me go.”
Brooke sighed. That didn’t make any sense to her. “He treats you like crap... he treats all of us like that. I’m never gonna get married and end up like you,” she said, too hurt to see the devastation on her mother’s face at her words. She tensed when the door to the room was flung open again and a moment later Hank cleared his throat.
“How long does it take to make sure the girl’s alright?” he demanded in a belligerent tone.
“Please, let me stay with her a little longer,” Maureen said, keeping her arm around her daughter protectively.
Hank slammed back the rest of the whiskey in his glass and his forefinger began to tap in an irritated rhythm against the side of the glass. “Don’t make me come in there and get you, Maureen; you know what’ll happen if I have to do that.”
Maureen bent down to give her daughter a kiss on her cheek before leaving the room. She knew if she didn’t go now Hank would only inflict more pain.
Brooke grabbed one of the pillows and the top cover off of the bed, walking over to the furthest corner and lying down on the floor, curling up as tight as possible and staring at the door.
*****
Michael unlocked the front door with the key he had conveniently forgotten to return to Tess, pocketing it just as soon as he was inside. It was late so he decided to start looking for Maria in her bedroom. Jackpot, he thought when he saw the soft light spilling out through the open door. He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze sliding over her as she lay on the bed on her stomach, reading.
“You awake?” he asked carelessly.
“Do you care?” She rolled over, paying no attention when the book she had been pretending to read fell to the floor.
“I don’t generally have sex with women who’re asleep, so yeah, I care,” he snarled.
“Oh, no,” she snapped, responding to his tone and the fact that he hadn’t bothered to return her calls or respond to her text messages beyond his last message. “I know you don’t think you’re getting laid tonight.”
“So, last night? That was what, a pity fuck?”
Maria suddenly realized that he was trying to pick a fight and she bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at him. She sat up, studying his features and detecting… anger, obviously, but there was hurt and fear buried beneath the more tempestuous emotion. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Forget it. I came over to get laid, so if all you’re interested in is pickin’ me apart, I’m outta here.”
“You came over here to pick a fight.”
“Fuck this!” he yelled. “I don’t need this bullshit!”
“What do you need?” She had to keep him talking, had to keep him from going anywhere in his current mood because he would only find a way to get in trouble. What had happened in the time they had been apart? He had been perfectly fine when they had separated that afternoon.
“I need to hit somethin’… I need to break somethin’…”
“Then why come here?” She was aware of his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. “Why not go to a bar where you could easily find someone to fight with?”
“Because I think if I hit someone while I’m like this…” He swallowed hard. “I don’t think I’d stop.” He took a step back when Maria got up and moved towards him. “Don’t come near me,” he ordered. “You don’t understand; I can feel it in me, the violence, the need to hit somethin’, the hatred that just drowns everything else out until… until it all just fades into the background.”
He was trying so hard to fight himself that he was beginning to shake and Maria wondered what she should do. She had never seen him like this and she wasn’t sure how to proceed. Should she call his brothers? Kyle? He came to you, her conscience reminded her. She reached out to him, barely brushing her fingers against his arm before he jerked away and moved to stand on the other side of the room.
“Don’t touch me! Fuck, Maria, don’t you listen to anything I say? It doesn’t matter how much I deny it or pretend that it isn’t true, that bastard is my father and his blood runs through my veins… I’ve tried to fight it – “
“No, Michael, you are nothing like him!”
He desperately wanted to believe her, but she was wrong. He could feel it inside, clawing to get free, and he was exhausted from trying to fight it. He froze when she suddenly appeared in front of him again, her hands wrapping tightly around his wrists.
“Tell me what happened,” she demanded in a soft tone.
She knew something bad had to have happened to set him off this badly, but she wasn’t expecting the story that erupted in a rush of words. She listened without interrupting as he paced erratically, his words tumbling over each other as seconds turned into minutes and minutes to an hour.
“He hit ‘er… because she was talkin’ to me; he’s never hit her, it’s always been me… she’s always been safe from that…”
“Oh, Michael,” she murmured as she cornered him and pulled his resisting body into her arms. “She’s never been safe; it’s just a miracle he’s never raised a hand to her before this.” She felt sick to her stomach after all that he had told her and she could only imagine how he felt. “Hank hit your sister because he’s a horrible human being, not because of you. And you’re not the monster you think you are.”
His arms remained at his sides and his body was taut with tension as he tried to control his emotions. “Then why do I feel like this?” he grated out finally.
“Because after so many years of Hank telling you such terrible things over and over you started to believe that they were true,” Maria said sadly.
Michael shook his head. “Why do I have all of these violent feelings inside if I’m not like him?” he clarified.
“You’re angry, Michael, and you’ve been hurt a lot in your life...” Maria didn’t know what to say to make him believe that he wasn’t like his father.
“I wasn’t kiddin’ when I told you that I think if I had gotten into a fight tonight I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself.”
“But you came here, baby.”
Michael suddenly pulled away. He had come to her, he realized. What if he had hurt her? God, how stupid could he be?
“Don’t leave,” Maria whispered. What if he shut everybody out of his life again? Was she strong enough to start all over again?
“I can’t stay here, Maria...” God, why didn’t she understand how easily he could hurt her? “I don’t trust myself,” he admitted finally, his voice hoarse. His hands curled into fists at his sides as he tried to make her see it from his point of view. “It would kill me if I hurt you, Maria... and if I stay... if you take that risk and I fail you...”
“You won’t do that, Michael. Please, baby, let me stay with you and don’t exclude me from you life again.”
Michael stared at her, wanting so badly to believe her, but terrified at the same time. What if he betrayed her trust? She sounded so sure that he would never hurt her. “How do you know?” he asked.
“I just know. We’ve had some really bad fights, Michael. You were angry and hurt after Thanksgiving and you stayed with me, you came here tonight... but you never thought about it, did you?”
“Thought about it?” he repeated. “What, comin’ here?”
“Hurtin’ me.”
“No, of course not,” he denied without stopping to think. He paused as he realized what she had just done.
“See?” She took the risk and stepped in his direction, hoping that he wouldn’t back away again.
Michael stood rooted to the spot as she approached him again and he could see the look in her eyes. Please stop pushing me away. He forced himself to stay still, to accept her touch when she reached out to him.
She let her hands trail down from his shoulders along his arms until they reached his fisted hands.
Michael’s gaze followed her hands and he couldn’t stop the feelings that sparked to life at her touch. He was scared to let himself act on his feelings, worried that in his frame of mind he’d be too rough with her.
She felt a little relief when his hands relaxed and their fingers intertwined.
“Maria, I really should go. There’s a reason I normally isolate myself when I feel like this; I don’t want to hurt you.” He shook his head when he saw that she was about to protest. “I know you don’t believe I would and I want to believe you... I do, but there’s still a part of me that I can’t just shut off. It needs time to cool down and if we... if we have sex tonight I can’t promise that I won’t be rough, so you should probably let me go because I think we both know if I stay we’re gonna end up havin’ sex.”
“So, you don’t think we’re capable of just stayin’ together and takin’ care of each other without havin’ sex?” she asked, irritated. She hadn’t even thought about having sex right now.
“What? No!” Michael took a step back, surprised by her anger. “I’m just bein’ realistic...” He frowned as he thought about what she had just said. “You hadn’t thought about us havin’ sex tonight?”
“No.”
“Um... no? Seriously?”
She stared into his confused eyes, not able to go after him again. “No,” she whispered again, shaking her head.
Michael reached up to scratch his head, confused by her answer. How could she not be thinking about sex? “Um, well, okay... what’re we gonna do then?”
“So, you’re staying?” Maria hoped that he would; she didn’t want to spend the night alone, not when she knew he was upset.
Wasn’t that what he just said? he wondered. He shrugged his left shoulder to cover his confusion. “Yeah, I guess so. So, what d’you wanna do?” he asked cautiously. Michael watched her as she debated her options and he just knew she was going to say they should talk some more.
“We could watch a movie.” She could tell he wasn’t in the mood for anymore talking and he probably wasn’t anywhere close to being ready to go to sleep.
Watch a movie, he thought. Of course they were going to watch a movie. “Alright, what’ve you got?”
“Hmmm...” She walked over to the stack of DVD’s. “What about Live Free or Die Hard?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s okay.” He ran over the movie in his mind, trying to remember if there were any hot chicks in it.
“Or, I also have Transformers, if you wanna watch a hot chick bending over the hood of a car?” she asked with a smirk.
“Transformers was fuckin’ awesome!” he enthused. And, okay, the chick wasn’t bad either. “We could go outside an’ you could show me what a hot chick looks like bendin’ over my car,” he growled.
Maria lifted her eyebrow in question. “I thought you didn’t wanna risk havin’ sex with me, baby?” She was glad that he had calmed down a little and he was acting a little more like the Michael she loved.
Oh, so that’s the game they were playing. Okay, well two could play that game. “I’m just offerin’ to let you check out my engine.”
“Well, sorry, I don’t know anything about engines,” she said, smirking as she walked over to lie down on her bed after putting the DVD in the player.
Like he cared if she knew anything about engines. Why was she bein’ so damn difficult about this? “You want me to turn the light off?”
“Uh-huh.”
Michael crossed the room to flip the light switch, throwing the room into darkness for a few moments before the television screen came to life. He turned to look back at her and suddenly his insecurities came flooding back. Maybe he should just sit in the chair at her desk?
“What’re you waitin’ for, baby?” Maria asked when she felt him hesitate.
“Nothin’,” he muttered, relieved when she motioned for him to join her. She was serious about trusting him and he didn’t want to do anything to betray that. He kicked his shoes off and pounced on the bed, landing next to her and stretching out.
The movie had been playing for more than fifteen minutes and Maria wondered if Michael was really paying attention to any of it. His gaze had been absent the whole time, he was lost in his thoughts – and they weren’t good ones from what she could tell. He hadn’t made a single movement, he had avoided touching her, and his body looked as if it was tense.
Michael stared at the television screen but he wasn’t really watching the movie. He could feel the tension inside of him as it started to build up again; it had started to ease up while Maria was talking to him, but it was still there. He couldn’t get his mind off of his sister or the fact that Hank had hit her. The kid was probably scared to death and there was nothing he could do for her.
His hands clenched unconsciously as that thought ran through his mind. He needed to do something physical, something that would allow him to release all of the pent-up energy that was screaming to be let out. He felt like there was so much tension building up that his body couldn’t contain it.
“How about a massage?” Maria offered.
Michael turned his head, feeling the stiffness in his neck. He frowned at her when he realized that he had no idea what she had just asked him. “What?”
“I could give you a massage?”
His eyes moved to her hands and he swallowed hard. Just the thought of her hands on his skin sent a frisson of heat through his body, but he tamped it down and just shrugged. “If you want.”
“Okay, lay down on your stomach then.”
It’s just a massage, Guerin, he reminded himself. “You want me to take my shirt off?”
“Yeah.” She bit her lip when he removed his shirt. It was obvious that he worked out and played sports, and she was so glad he did.
He sat up and pulled his tee shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor beside the bed as he rolled over. He wrapped his arms around the pillow as he shifted around to get comfortable and he inhaled her scent when he settled his head down on her pillow.
Maria placed one leg on either side of his body as she settled over him and she leaned forward until her upper body was almost touching his back. “Just try to get rid of all those thoughts about Brooke and Hank for a few minutes baby, okay?” She sat up straight again and started to knead his shoulders and neck.
He grunted in response, his mind immediately obeying her quiet command without bothering to ask for his consent. It would be next to impossible to think about anything but her when she was on top of him like that.
She let her hands wander further down to his lower back, adding more pressure now and then to loosen his tensed muscles.
Michael bit back a groan when her fingers found a particularly tense set of knotted muscles. It hurt like hell, but at the same time it felt good.
Maria ran her hands along his sides back to his shoulders and let her fingernails trail over his skin.
“You’re playin’ with fire, Maria,” he warned gruffly.
She chuckled. “Yeah, my mom says I do that a lot.”
His muscles twitched when her fingernails skimmed against his sides again. “She tell you what happens if you keep it up?”
“Well, she always told me that it could be dangerous,” Maria teased.
“She wasn’t lyin’ there.” He was trying to ignore it, but his body was reacting to every single touch despite his best intentions. He felt too wired and he was still worried that if he touched her he’d be too rough.
“Hmmm... weird, that never scared me.”
Michael swallowed hard, trying to figure out if she was saying what he thought she was saying. Was she trying to tell him that she wasn’t afraid of him? “Maybe it should.”
“You think so? Why?”
Why did she insist on making him talk about every-damn-thing? “I wasn’t kiddin’ when I told you I’m in a... rough mood, Maria.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Don’t start somethin’ we can't finish,” he warned.
“Who says we can’t finish, Michael? Maybe you think a little too much.”
Oh, hell, she was saying exactly what he thought she was saying. He shifted suddenly, turning over and rolling them so that he was pressing her into the mattress. He stared into her eyes, searching for any sign that she was scared of him. She lifted her hand and let her fingers drive through his hair, waiting for his next move.
Her touch was accepting, encouraging, and something in him snapped in response. He forced every thought from his head with the exception of one – to make her his. He moved, taking her mouth in a hard, bruising kiss as he reached for the front of her shirt. He quickly grew frustrated with the buttons and made a mental note to tell her that she should never wear anything with buttons again.
He growled in irritation when they refused to cooperate with him and he pulled on the fabric too hard making two of the buttons fly off. He figured it was ruined by that point anyway so he finished the job by jerking the panels apart. Buttons flew in every direction and one ricocheted off of the headboard and smacked him in the forehead but he was too busy to notice.
Michael was momentarily appeased by the sight of her flushed breasts, the soft mounds heaving gently from her ragged breathing but the realization that it didn’t have a front clasp annoyed him. No matter, he mused, simply shoving it out of his way and freeing her flesh. He growled low in his throat when she pushed up against him and his mouth settled over her breast, making her moan.
Her fingers clenched in his hair and the stinging sensation only added to the insane feelings pulsing through his body. His right hand slid down to her waist and over her hip so he could squeeze her perfect ass. God, he loved her body! She cried out when he bit down on her nipple and the sound pushed past the roar of his blood as it rushed through his veins. He needed to be inside of her more than he needed his next breath and he quickly fumbled the button and zipper of her jeans open.
“FUCK!!” he snarled when he tried to push them down and out of the way and they didn’t budge an inch. There was some cosmic force at work tonight, he thought, and it was trying to keep him from getting laid.
He was finally forced to release her breast and he reared up on his knees as he glared at her. “I love the way you look in tight jeans, but you’re fuckin’ killin’ me tonight.”
“Don’t give up so soon,” she teased and reached down to shove her jeans down her legs.
Michael grabbed her hand and placed it over the bulge in his jeans. “Does it feel like I’m givin’ up?” he growled.
She wriggled around until she was on her knees as well, leaning her forehead against his while opening his belt. “No, I know you want me,” she breathed before capturing his lips yearningly.
He was surprised that she was teasing him considering his aggressive behavior, but he just added it to his growing list of reasons to love her. “Enough of that,” he said when her hand shifted under his and she started to stroke him. He was about to push her hand away when she suddenly switched gears on him and she took control.
“Lay down, baby,” she demanded and waited to see if he would play along.
Michael studied her as he went over his options. He could ignore her and continue with his own plans or he could actually let her have control. What would she do with it? he wondered. There was only one way to find out, wasn't there? He capitulated and turned around, lying down on his back and looking up at her, waiting to see what she was going to do.
She settled over him and reached between them to shove his jeans and boxers down just enough to reveal his erection. She took him in her hand again, stroking him hard for a few seconds before she raised herself up, pushed her panties aside and let him slide inside her quickly.
Michael couldn’t believe how fast she had him on the edge and he reached behind him to grab the headboard. She wanted control and he knew that if he touched her he was going to have her on her back before she had time to blink. He should’ve known that she wouldn’t be put off by him admitting that he could be rough during sex and his eyes rolled back when she rode him without mercy.
Maria placed her hands on his chest to steady herself; she could feel that she was almost on the edge after a short time.
Michael bit his bottom lip, determined to hold out until she came. She was getting close, he could feel it, but she wasn’t there just yet.
“Sit up,” Maria demanded, reaching out for him to help him lift his upper body. She grabbed his wrists and pulled his arms around her until his hands rested on her ass. Her own hands grasped handfuls of his hair to keep him close, so she could make even more contact with his body.
Michael had always been a quick study and this was no different. His fingers clenched against her soft flesh, tightening in an effort to pull her harder against him. “Fuck, Maria,” he breathed harshly before his mouth settled over hers again. His tongue quickly became tangled with hers and his heart was pounding with every single thrust into her body.
Maria broke the kiss to take a deep breath as she felt her orgasm building. “Michael,” she moaned and wrapped his arms around his neck.
His name on her lips was all it took for the tenuous thread on his control to snap and he wrapped his right arm around her waist, holding her against him as he rolled them over. “Sorry,” he muttered, “can’t wait any longer.”
“No, it’s fine,” she breathed, grabbing the pillow when she felt the first waves of her orgasm washing over her and it took every ounce of her strength to not black out.
Michael felt satisfaction roar through him when she vocalized the arrival of her orgasm and he sped up his movements, quickly following her over the edge and collapsing against her. He felt her weakly shoving his left shoulder, reminding him that he wasn’t exactly a lightweight, and he rolled over, taking her with him.
They stayed in that position several long minutes, just holding each other without saying anything. Maria could feel his chest rising and falling with every breath he took and she realized that he had finally fallen asleep. She raised herself up to look at him, noticing that they were both still partially dressed and she got out of bed to get rid of her clothes.
She went to her dresser to grab a big tee shirt and pulled it over her head while she walked over to the bed again and then pulled Michael’s boxers back over him before getting rid of his jeans. She slipped down next to him and pulled the blankets over them, giving him a light kiss on his forehead and settling in for the night.
Don’t worry, the puppies are safe and sound. Hank didn’t really care who was on the line, for him it was a matter of her ignoring one of his ‘orders’. We’re pretty sure it would get really ugly if Michael was able to get his hands on Hank right now and then he’d end up in trouble while the real bad guy got away free.
You might be surprised by what Michael does.
sarammlover: You’re welcome! We’re glad we got it posted before ya left!
Hank is a sad excuse for a human being and someday he will get what’s coming to him. Hope ya had a happy Turkey Day!
mary mary: Hopefully Michael will avoid any trouble.
We had a great holiday, thanks!
80s_UnLove_Child: We actually chose the names for the dogs because Brooke is a teenager and we kinda figured she’d be into that type of show, lol. Hmm… an argument could happen… maybe. Lookin’ for a little Dreamer scenery, huh? Comin’ right up! Lots of football and too much food… what’s not to love?
kismet: Aww, we’re sorry! Hmm… Estonian curse words, huh? Neither of us know any of those… care to share?
Hopefully Michael will follow his heart.
Thanks!
begonia9508: Believe it… he is a horrible excuse for a human being.
We’ll see soon!
Eva: If you’re proud of him now, wait until he really begins to open up.
Whatcha think? Is he gonna talk to Maria? We know you already have a suspicion of what he’ll do next and you’re just not givin’ it away!
Alien_Friend: The pups are fine despite Hank’s careless and cruel treatment.
Michael is learning to follow his heart, so maybe he’ll listen to it now. Unfortunately, with no documented evidence and no prior reports on record, Ben’s hands are tied.
Yeah, it won’t be drawn out very long.
Maiqu: Poor little critters, they didn’t do anything to him! They’ll be getting to the airport soon. Michael’s making some progress, huh?
Part 72 – Taking New Steps
Max knocked lightly on Liz’ door when he got back upstairs and he nudged it open, glancing inside and seeing that the bathroom door was standing wide open. He smiled when he realized she wasn’t there and he turned to go over to his own bedroom, stepping inside and closing the door behind him so he could lean back against it. She was sitting on the side of the bed, leaning over to rub her legs, and she looked up when she heard him come into the room.
“I was getting sleepy in the tub,” she admitted.
“I’ll bet,” he said as he pushed away from the door and moved to kneel down in front of her. “You had a pretty exhausting afternoon.”
Liz felt her breath catch in her throat when his hands brushed over her left calf as he lifted her leg and shifted her foot so that it was braced on his thigh. His touch elicited the most exciting feelings and in the most interesting places, she thought as she felt the tingling sensation radiating out from where he was touching her.
Max glanced up at her as his hands carefully moved along her soft, smooth skin, brushing the robe she was wearing aside, and he smiled when he saw the way her eyes were so intensely focused on his every move. “Looks like you’ve only got a couple that’re gonna bruise pretty good; the rest of them are fairly small.”
“They’re gonna be hideous in a few days,” she complained.
“Nah, they’re battle wounds,” he said, his breath whispering across her skin as he leaned in to press a kiss to one of the larger bruises on her upper thigh.
She drew in a ragged breath at the feel of his lips on her flesh and without even realizing it her right hand moved up to tangle in his hair, tugging just enough to get his attention. “Max…”
He lifted his head at her breathless demand and he shifted, leaning into her when her foot slipped off of his thigh and gave him enough room to settle between her legs. He waited patiently as she adjusted to the feel of him against her, her fingers slowly moving over his face, mapping his features and studying his expressions.
Liz released a surprised huff of laughter when her fingertips traced over his lips and he growled, baring his teeth and nipping at her playfully. She moved her hands to cradle his jaw as she leaned in and kissed him, her lips slowly exploring his and deepening the kiss as she grew bolder.
Max let her lead the way, showing him when she was ready for him to engage more fully in the kiss and when the tip of her tongue slipped out to tease his lips he surged up against her and took control. He groaned when her arms came around him and one of her hands curled over his shoulder to pull him closer.
He gentled the kiss as his right hand eased under her robe and his palm slid over her skin where it was bared between the hem of her tank top and her panties. “Still interested in that massage?” he asked gruffly.
She leaned back just a bit to stare into his darkened eyes and she smiled shyly. “We need to slow down, huh?”
“Just for a little while, yeah.” He knew she wasn’t ready to take things to the next level yet and he didn’t want to pressure her, so when he felt the need to go further he took a step back. “You’re learnin’ fast,” he teased as he leaned in to give her a soft kiss.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Max?” she asked uncertainly. “I mean, you’re used to havin’ sex…” She trailed off when he pressed his fingertips to her lips to silence her.
“I’m fine, darlin’,” he assured her. “I don’t wanna push you into anything you’re not ready for and the occasional cold shower isn’t gonna kill me.” He chuckled. “It might feel like it at the time, but I promise it won’t.”
“Cold showers aren’t any fun. Aren’t there other ways you can… you know…” she gestured to his lap and blushed, “make it go away?”
Max cleared his throat in an effort to keep from laughing at her question. “There are methods for makin’ it… go away…” he was fighting to keep a straight face, “that’re more… stimulating, than an icy blast of water in the shower, yes.”
“Well, you can, y’know, do that, if you want.”
“Darlin’,” he laughed, “I may jerk off on occasion like any other guy, but as a rule I don’t do it in my parents’ house. Yeah, before movin’ out on my own I did, but now?” He shook his head.
“So, you just blast your… you know… it, with ice cold water? Isn’t that kinda cruel?”
“My it?” he mocked gently.
She thumped her fisted hand against his shoulder. “Well, what do you call it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really call it anything… it’s my dick, it’s not a pet.”
“But it’s your special guy part, so – “
“Um, no.” He bit back a laugh and shook his head at her. “We will not be callin’ it that. You wanna name it at some point after the two of you have gotten acquainted, feel free to do so, but we are not callin’ it that.” He grinned at her. “I reserve the right for final approval of any and all names you may choose.”
Liz laughed at the absurdity of their conversation. Just a few days ago she never would’ve imagined talking about such a thing with anyone, much less Max, and even though it was a topic she really had no experience with he made it so easy. He didn’t push or pressure her, but he was honest about what he wanted, he made it clear that they would wait until she was ready, and his easygoing manner somehow made it much less scary and intimidating.
“So… can I still interest you in that backrub?” he asked after a while.
Her eyes dropped to his hands where they were resting on her thighs and after a moment she lifted her head to meet his dark gaze. “Um… yes?”
“Is that a question?” His hand came up to cradle her cheek. “Because if it’s not somethin’ you’re comfortable with you need to tell me.”
“I’m not sayin’ that I’m not comfortable, but I am still kinda new to this so there are probably gonna be things you wanna do that – “
“Huh-uh, darlin’, nothin’ we do together should ever make you uncomfortable and you shouldn’t do somethin’ just because you think I wanna do it. You might be nervous or a little scared at times, but if you’re uncomfortable, you’ve gotta tell me to put the brakes on, you understand?”
Liz smiled at him. “I understand, Max, and this doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I was actually thinkin’ about you.”
“Me?” he asked, confused.
“Well, y’know…” She gestured to his lap and rolled her expressive eyes. “You were, y’know, um…”
“Hard? Erect? Aroused?” He chuckled at the blush that heated her cheeks and he leaned in to kiss her.
“Um, yes, that, and if you give me a massage that means more touching and that just seems to make it…” She cleared her throat and rolled her eyes again when she realized he was trying not to laugh at her explanation.
“Yes, to all of the above, darlin’, and I appreciate you thinkin’ of me, but I’m perfectly fine with givin’ you a massage. If you’re okay with knowin’ that I’m aroused,” he said, choosing the word she was most comfortable with, “while givin’ you a massage then I can handle it, too. Bein’ aroused around you is not somethin’ that’s new for me.”
“Really?”
He smiled and tugged on the belt at her waist. “Really. Now… as much as I really like the tank top and panties look, are you okay like this or you wanna put somethin’ else on before we get started?”
Liz wondered if she should be more hesitant about being around him wearing so little since he had already seen her in less than Sean had after years of dating. “No, if it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother me,” she answered honestly.
“Then let me help you disrobe, m’lady,” he said in a horrible Scottish accent that had her doubling over in laughter.
“Max, that was terrible!” she choked out after several minutes.
“It was pretty bad,” he agreed, leaning back to give her room when she shifted to shrug out of the robe. She was relaxed as she moved to the center of his bed and settled on her stomach and he could see the sleepy look on her features as she turned her head to rest her cheek on her forearms. “I think you’re gonna go to sleep on me.”
She made a sound of protest and tried to shake her head but quickly realized that it would require too much effort.
“Yes, you are,” he said as he grabbed the throw hanging over the footboard and shook it out over her. “Why don’t we just do that massage a little later when you’re awake enough to enjoy it,” he suggested as he settled down beside her. He brushed her hair back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll wake you for dinner.”
She murmured something completely unintelligible and shifted closer to him, snuggling into his side and sighing contentedly.
*****
Hank stared at his daughter, furious that she had dared to defy him. He glanced at the name on the caller ID and hatred burned in his veins. His gaze swept dismissively over the girl where she lay in a crumpled heap on the bed and he flexed his hand, his palm still stinging where it had made contact with her cheek. He turned his head when his wife suddenly ran into the room, her gaze disbelieving as she quickly realized what had just happened.
“Well, don’t just stand there, woman!” he roared. “Go and make sure the girl’s alright; it won’t do for her to hold up our plans for tomorrow’s flight.”
“What have you done?” Maureen whispered, rushing to Brooke’s side.
Hank shook his head at her ridiculously emotional response to a little discipline. “I told her no contact with that ungrateful brother of hers and I came in here to find her talking to him.”
“She didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye, Hank,” Maureen said, shaking her head at him as she sat down beside her daughter. “Brooke,” she stroked the hair back from the girl’s face, “are you alright, dear?”
Brooke refused to look at her mother and the tears trailing down her face only made her stinging cheek burn more. “I wanna go home,” she whispered.
“Leave us alone, Hank,” Maureen insisted.
Hank considered reminding her who wore the pants in their relationship, but after a moment he decided it was of no consequence. He walked towards the door, pausing with one hand on the knob as he glanced back at them. “I will not tolerate a night of crying and temper tantrums; you control that girl or you’ll both regret it.” He slammed the door after himself and headed for the liquor cabinet.
“I’m so sorry,” Maureen whispered over and over again, while caressing her daughter’s back.
“Why do you stay with him?” Brooke cried, drying her face even though she knew it was a waste of time.
Maureen had never witnessed Hank hitting one of their children until she had seen him hit Michael on Thanksgiving. She had thought about it, wondered about it sometimes, but she had always pushed those thoughts aside. “I don’t know,” she answered confused. “I’m scared to leave him, I guess.”
“Why? What could be worse than this?”
“He wouldn’t just let me go.”
Brooke sighed. That didn’t make any sense to her. “He treats you like crap... he treats all of us like that. I’m never gonna get married and end up like you,” she said, too hurt to see the devastation on her mother’s face at her words. She tensed when the door to the room was flung open again and a moment later Hank cleared his throat.
“How long does it take to make sure the girl’s alright?” he demanded in a belligerent tone.
“Please, let me stay with her a little longer,” Maureen said, keeping her arm around her daughter protectively.
Hank slammed back the rest of the whiskey in his glass and his forefinger began to tap in an irritated rhythm against the side of the glass. “Don’t make me come in there and get you, Maureen; you know what’ll happen if I have to do that.”
Maureen bent down to give her daughter a kiss on her cheek before leaving the room. She knew if she didn’t go now Hank would only inflict more pain.
Brooke grabbed one of the pillows and the top cover off of the bed, walking over to the furthest corner and lying down on the floor, curling up as tight as possible and staring at the door.
*****
Michael unlocked the front door with the key he had conveniently forgotten to return to Tess, pocketing it just as soon as he was inside. It was late so he decided to start looking for Maria in her bedroom. Jackpot, he thought when he saw the soft light spilling out through the open door. He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze sliding over her as she lay on the bed on her stomach, reading.
“You awake?” he asked carelessly.
“Do you care?” She rolled over, paying no attention when the book she had been pretending to read fell to the floor.
“I don’t generally have sex with women who’re asleep, so yeah, I care,” he snarled.
“Oh, no,” she snapped, responding to his tone and the fact that he hadn’t bothered to return her calls or respond to her text messages beyond his last message. “I know you don’t think you’re getting laid tonight.”
“So, last night? That was what, a pity fuck?”
Maria suddenly realized that he was trying to pick a fight and she bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at him. She sat up, studying his features and detecting… anger, obviously, but there was hurt and fear buried beneath the more tempestuous emotion. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Forget it. I came over to get laid, so if all you’re interested in is pickin’ me apart, I’m outta here.”
“You came over here to pick a fight.”
“Fuck this!” he yelled. “I don’t need this bullshit!”
“What do you need?” She had to keep him talking, had to keep him from going anywhere in his current mood because he would only find a way to get in trouble. What had happened in the time they had been apart? He had been perfectly fine when they had separated that afternoon.
“I need to hit somethin’… I need to break somethin’…”
“Then why come here?” She was aware of his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. “Why not go to a bar where you could easily find someone to fight with?”
“Because I think if I hit someone while I’m like this…” He swallowed hard. “I don’t think I’d stop.” He took a step back when Maria got up and moved towards him. “Don’t come near me,” he ordered. “You don’t understand; I can feel it in me, the violence, the need to hit somethin’, the hatred that just drowns everything else out until… until it all just fades into the background.”
He was trying so hard to fight himself that he was beginning to shake and Maria wondered what she should do. She had never seen him like this and she wasn’t sure how to proceed. Should she call his brothers? Kyle? He came to you, her conscience reminded her. She reached out to him, barely brushing her fingers against his arm before he jerked away and moved to stand on the other side of the room.
“Don’t touch me! Fuck, Maria, don’t you listen to anything I say? It doesn’t matter how much I deny it or pretend that it isn’t true, that bastard is my father and his blood runs through my veins… I’ve tried to fight it – “
“No, Michael, you are nothing like him!”
He desperately wanted to believe her, but she was wrong. He could feel it inside, clawing to get free, and he was exhausted from trying to fight it. He froze when she suddenly appeared in front of him again, her hands wrapping tightly around his wrists.
“Tell me what happened,” she demanded in a soft tone.
She knew something bad had to have happened to set him off this badly, but she wasn’t expecting the story that erupted in a rush of words. She listened without interrupting as he paced erratically, his words tumbling over each other as seconds turned into minutes and minutes to an hour.
“He hit ‘er… because she was talkin’ to me; he’s never hit her, it’s always been me… she’s always been safe from that…”
“Oh, Michael,” she murmured as she cornered him and pulled his resisting body into her arms. “She’s never been safe; it’s just a miracle he’s never raised a hand to her before this.” She felt sick to her stomach after all that he had told her and she could only imagine how he felt. “Hank hit your sister because he’s a horrible human being, not because of you. And you’re not the monster you think you are.”
His arms remained at his sides and his body was taut with tension as he tried to control his emotions. “Then why do I feel like this?” he grated out finally.
“Because after so many years of Hank telling you such terrible things over and over you started to believe that they were true,” Maria said sadly.
Michael shook his head. “Why do I have all of these violent feelings inside if I’m not like him?” he clarified.
“You’re angry, Michael, and you’ve been hurt a lot in your life...” Maria didn’t know what to say to make him believe that he wasn’t like his father.
“I wasn’t kiddin’ when I told you that I think if I had gotten into a fight tonight I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself.”
“But you came here, baby.”
Michael suddenly pulled away. He had come to her, he realized. What if he had hurt her? God, how stupid could he be?
“Don’t leave,” Maria whispered. What if he shut everybody out of his life again? Was she strong enough to start all over again?
“I can’t stay here, Maria...” God, why didn’t she understand how easily he could hurt her? “I don’t trust myself,” he admitted finally, his voice hoarse. His hands curled into fists at his sides as he tried to make her see it from his point of view. “It would kill me if I hurt you, Maria... and if I stay... if you take that risk and I fail you...”
“You won’t do that, Michael. Please, baby, let me stay with you and don’t exclude me from you life again.”
Michael stared at her, wanting so badly to believe her, but terrified at the same time. What if he betrayed her trust? She sounded so sure that he would never hurt her. “How do you know?” he asked.
“I just know. We’ve had some really bad fights, Michael. You were angry and hurt after Thanksgiving and you stayed with me, you came here tonight... but you never thought about it, did you?”
“Thought about it?” he repeated. “What, comin’ here?”
“Hurtin’ me.”
“No, of course not,” he denied without stopping to think. He paused as he realized what she had just done.
“See?” She took the risk and stepped in his direction, hoping that he wouldn’t back away again.
Michael stood rooted to the spot as she approached him again and he could see the look in her eyes. Please stop pushing me away. He forced himself to stay still, to accept her touch when she reached out to him.
She let her hands trail down from his shoulders along his arms until they reached his fisted hands.
Michael’s gaze followed her hands and he couldn’t stop the feelings that sparked to life at her touch. He was scared to let himself act on his feelings, worried that in his frame of mind he’d be too rough with her.
She felt a little relief when his hands relaxed and their fingers intertwined.
“Maria, I really should go. There’s a reason I normally isolate myself when I feel like this; I don’t want to hurt you.” He shook his head when he saw that she was about to protest. “I know you don’t believe I would and I want to believe you... I do, but there’s still a part of me that I can’t just shut off. It needs time to cool down and if we... if we have sex tonight I can’t promise that I won’t be rough, so you should probably let me go because I think we both know if I stay we’re gonna end up havin’ sex.”
“So, you don’t think we’re capable of just stayin’ together and takin’ care of each other without havin’ sex?” she asked, irritated. She hadn’t even thought about having sex right now.
“What? No!” Michael took a step back, surprised by her anger. “I’m just bein’ realistic...” He frowned as he thought about what she had just said. “You hadn’t thought about us havin’ sex tonight?”
“No.”
“Um... no? Seriously?”
She stared into his confused eyes, not able to go after him again. “No,” she whispered again, shaking her head.
Michael reached up to scratch his head, confused by her answer. How could she not be thinking about sex? “Um, well, okay... what’re we gonna do then?”
“So, you’re staying?” Maria hoped that he would; she didn’t want to spend the night alone, not when she knew he was upset.
Wasn’t that what he just said? he wondered. He shrugged his left shoulder to cover his confusion. “Yeah, I guess so. So, what d’you wanna do?” he asked cautiously. Michael watched her as she debated her options and he just knew she was going to say they should talk some more.
“We could watch a movie.” She could tell he wasn’t in the mood for anymore talking and he probably wasn’t anywhere close to being ready to go to sleep.
Watch a movie, he thought. Of course they were going to watch a movie. “Alright, what’ve you got?”
“Hmmm...” She walked over to the stack of DVD’s. “What about Live Free or Die Hard?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s okay.” He ran over the movie in his mind, trying to remember if there were any hot chicks in it.
“Or, I also have Transformers, if you wanna watch a hot chick bending over the hood of a car?” she asked with a smirk.
“Transformers was fuckin’ awesome!” he enthused. And, okay, the chick wasn’t bad either. “We could go outside an’ you could show me what a hot chick looks like bendin’ over my car,” he growled.
Maria lifted her eyebrow in question. “I thought you didn’t wanna risk havin’ sex with me, baby?” She was glad that he had calmed down a little and he was acting a little more like the Michael she loved.
Oh, so that’s the game they were playing. Okay, well two could play that game. “I’m just offerin’ to let you check out my engine.”
“Well, sorry, I don’t know anything about engines,” she said, smirking as she walked over to lie down on her bed after putting the DVD in the player.
Like he cared if she knew anything about engines. Why was she bein’ so damn difficult about this? “You want me to turn the light off?”
“Uh-huh.”
Michael crossed the room to flip the light switch, throwing the room into darkness for a few moments before the television screen came to life. He turned to look back at her and suddenly his insecurities came flooding back. Maybe he should just sit in the chair at her desk?
“What’re you waitin’ for, baby?” Maria asked when she felt him hesitate.
“Nothin’,” he muttered, relieved when she motioned for him to join her. She was serious about trusting him and he didn’t want to do anything to betray that. He kicked his shoes off and pounced on the bed, landing next to her and stretching out.
The movie had been playing for more than fifteen minutes and Maria wondered if Michael was really paying attention to any of it. His gaze had been absent the whole time, he was lost in his thoughts – and they weren’t good ones from what she could tell. He hadn’t made a single movement, he had avoided touching her, and his body looked as if it was tense.
Michael stared at the television screen but he wasn’t really watching the movie. He could feel the tension inside of him as it started to build up again; it had started to ease up while Maria was talking to him, but it was still there. He couldn’t get his mind off of his sister or the fact that Hank had hit her. The kid was probably scared to death and there was nothing he could do for her.
His hands clenched unconsciously as that thought ran through his mind. He needed to do something physical, something that would allow him to release all of the pent-up energy that was screaming to be let out. He felt like there was so much tension building up that his body couldn’t contain it.
“How about a massage?” Maria offered.
Michael turned his head, feeling the stiffness in his neck. He frowned at her when he realized that he had no idea what she had just asked him. “What?”
“I could give you a massage?”
His eyes moved to her hands and he swallowed hard. Just the thought of her hands on his skin sent a frisson of heat through his body, but he tamped it down and just shrugged. “If you want.”
“Okay, lay down on your stomach then.”
It’s just a massage, Guerin, he reminded himself. “You want me to take my shirt off?”
“Yeah.” She bit her lip when he removed his shirt. It was obvious that he worked out and played sports, and she was so glad he did.
He sat up and pulled his tee shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor beside the bed as he rolled over. He wrapped his arms around the pillow as he shifted around to get comfortable and he inhaled her scent when he settled his head down on her pillow.
Maria placed one leg on either side of his body as she settled over him and she leaned forward until her upper body was almost touching his back. “Just try to get rid of all those thoughts about Brooke and Hank for a few minutes baby, okay?” She sat up straight again and started to knead his shoulders and neck.
He grunted in response, his mind immediately obeying her quiet command without bothering to ask for his consent. It would be next to impossible to think about anything but her when she was on top of him like that.
She let her hands wander further down to his lower back, adding more pressure now and then to loosen his tensed muscles.
Michael bit back a groan when her fingers found a particularly tense set of knotted muscles. It hurt like hell, but at the same time it felt good.
Maria ran her hands along his sides back to his shoulders and let her fingernails trail over his skin.
“You’re playin’ with fire, Maria,” he warned gruffly.
She chuckled. “Yeah, my mom says I do that a lot.”
His muscles twitched when her fingernails skimmed against his sides again. “She tell you what happens if you keep it up?”
“Well, she always told me that it could be dangerous,” Maria teased.
“She wasn’t lyin’ there.” He was trying to ignore it, but his body was reacting to every single touch despite his best intentions. He felt too wired and he was still worried that if he touched her he’d be too rough.
“Hmmm... weird, that never scared me.”
Michael swallowed hard, trying to figure out if she was saying what he thought she was saying. Was she trying to tell him that she wasn’t afraid of him? “Maybe it should.”
“You think so? Why?”
Why did she insist on making him talk about every-damn-thing? “I wasn’t kiddin’ when I told you I’m in a... rough mood, Maria.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Don’t start somethin’ we can't finish,” he warned.
“Who says we can’t finish, Michael? Maybe you think a little too much.”
Oh, hell, she was saying exactly what he thought she was saying. He shifted suddenly, turning over and rolling them so that he was pressing her into the mattress. He stared into her eyes, searching for any sign that she was scared of him. She lifted her hand and let her fingers drive through his hair, waiting for his next move.
Her touch was accepting, encouraging, and something in him snapped in response. He forced every thought from his head with the exception of one – to make her his. He moved, taking her mouth in a hard, bruising kiss as he reached for the front of her shirt. He quickly grew frustrated with the buttons and made a mental note to tell her that she should never wear anything with buttons again.
He growled in irritation when they refused to cooperate with him and he pulled on the fabric too hard making two of the buttons fly off. He figured it was ruined by that point anyway so he finished the job by jerking the panels apart. Buttons flew in every direction and one ricocheted off of the headboard and smacked him in the forehead but he was too busy to notice.
Michael was momentarily appeased by the sight of her flushed breasts, the soft mounds heaving gently from her ragged breathing but the realization that it didn’t have a front clasp annoyed him. No matter, he mused, simply shoving it out of his way and freeing her flesh. He growled low in his throat when she pushed up against him and his mouth settled over her breast, making her moan.
Her fingers clenched in his hair and the stinging sensation only added to the insane feelings pulsing through his body. His right hand slid down to her waist and over her hip so he could squeeze her perfect ass. God, he loved her body! She cried out when he bit down on her nipple and the sound pushed past the roar of his blood as it rushed through his veins. He needed to be inside of her more than he needed his next breath and he quickly fumbled the button and zipper of her jeans open.
“FUCK!!” he snarled when he tried to push them down and out of the way and they didn’t budge an inch. There was some cosmic force at work tonight, he thought, and it was trying to keep him from getting laid.
He was finally forced to release her breast and he reared up on his knees as he glared at her. “I love the way you look in tight jeans, but you’re fuckin’ killin’ me tonight.”
“Don’t give up so soon,” she teased and reached down to shove her jeans down her legs.
Michael grabbed her hand and placed it over the bulge in his jeans. “Does it feel like I’m givin’ up?” he growled.
She wriggled around until she was on her knees as well, leaning her forehead against his while opening his belt. “No, I know you want me,” she breathed before capturing his lips yearningly.
He was surprised that she was teasing him considering his aggressive behavior, but he just added it to his growing list of reasons to love her. “Enough of that,” he said when her hand shifted under his and she started to stroke him. He was about to push her hand away when she suddenly switched gears on him and she took control.
“Lay down, baby,” she demanded and waited to see if he would play along.
Michael studied her as he went over his options. He could ignore her and continue with his own plans or he could actually let her have control. What would she do with it? he wondered. There was only one way to find out, wasn't there? He capitulated and turned around, lying down on his back and looking up at her, waiting to see what she was going to do.
She settled over him and reached between them to shove his jeans and boxers down just enough to reveal his erection. She took him in her hand again, stroking him hard for a few seconds before she raised herself up, pushed her panties aside and let him slide inside her quickly.
Michael couldn’t believe how fast she had him on the edge and he reached behind him to grab the headboard. She wanted control and he knew that if he touched her he was going to have her on her back before she had time to blink. He should’ve known that she wouldn’t be put off by him admitting that he could be rough during sex and his eyes rolled back when she rode him without mercy.
Maria placed her hands on his chest to steady herself; she could feel that she was almost on the edge after a short time.
Michael bit his bottom lip, determined to hold out until she came. She was getting close, he could feel it, but she wasn’t there just yet.
“Sit up,” Maria demanded, reaching out for him to help him lift his upper body. She grabbed his wrists and pulled his arms around her until his hands rested on her ass. Her own hands grasped handfuls of his hair to keep him close, so she could make even more contact with his body.
Michael had always been a quick study and this was no different. His fingers clenched against her soft flesh, tightening in an effort to pull her harder against him. “Fuck, Maria,” he breathed harshly before his mouth settled over hers again. His tongue quickly became tangled with hers and his heart was pounding with every single thrust into her body.
Maria broke the kiss to take a deep breath as she felt her orgasm building. “Michael,” she moaned and wrapped his arms around his neck.
His name on her lips was all it took for the tenuous thread on his control to snap and he wrapped his right arm around her waist, holding her against him as he rolled them over. “Sorry,” he muttered, “can’t wait any longer.”
“No, it’s fine,” she breathed, grabbing the pillow when she felt the first waves of her orgasm washing over her and it took every ounce of her strength to not black out.
Michael felt satisfaction roar through him when she vocalized the arrival of her orgasm and he sped up his movements, quickly following her over the edge and collapsing against her. He felt her weakly shoving his left shoulder, reminding him that he wasn’t exactly a lightweight, and he rolled over, taking her with him.
They stayed in that position several long minutes, just holding each other without saying anything. Maria could feel his chest rising and falling with every breath he took and she realized that he had finally fallen asleep. She raised herself up to look at him, noticing that they were both still partially dressed and she got out of bed to get rid of her clothes.
She went to her dresser to grab a big tee shirt and pulled it over her head while she walked over to the bed again and then pulled Michael’s boxers back over him before getting rid of his jeans. She slipped down next to him and pulled the blankets over them, giving him a light kiss on his forehead and settling in for the night.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 73 - 12/3/09
kismet: We’re glad that part made ya laugh! Max and Liz will be leaving to go back to Long Beach on Sunday (fic time, that is).
That decision showed just how much Michael trusts Maria.
We’ll see more about Maureen and her reasons for staying with Hank in some upcoming parts.
begonia9508: Don’t we all? To our knowledge, most girls don’t feel the need to assign names the way guys do. LOL, well, guys do tend to do a lot of their thinking with IT, so we’re guessing it only stands to reason that they’ve got sex on the brain every few minutes.
Eva: Wow, thanks!
They’re Michael and Maria, so the occasional bump is a given, but facing things together makes them so much stronger.
Alien_Friend: Doesn’t she though? Michael’s still got some things to work through, but with Maria’s help he’ll learn to trust himself. At least he went to Maria instead of going out and getting himself in trouble.
We totally understand. Maureen had her reasons for staying with Hank and we’ll learn about them in some upcoming parts. But letting your kids suffer like hers have is not excusable. If Maureen did ever manage to leave Hank, do you think she’d have a chance to build a relationship with her kids?
We’re glad you’re lovin’ Max and Liz!
mary mary: She definitely knows her man, lol!
Thanks, we’re glad you’re enjoying all of them!
80s_UnLove_Child: We’ve got a little bit of Dreamer to go along with the Candy in this next update. No, Maureen definitely isn’t a cold-hearted bitch, but we’ll find out later on why she made some of the choices she made.
Natalie36: Yep, that seems to be the general consensus, lol!
Earth2Mama: Wow, so… thank you!
Max is a rare breed, and he knows Liz is worth the wait.
Michael does have a tendency to strike out verbally and that can be just as damaging (and sometimes even more damaging) as physical abuse.
April: No doubt!
Cardinal: We can understand that!
Nah, Michael and Maria will reach light-hearted status eventually.
sarammlover: Hank will get what’s coming to him… yes, we’re gonna say it… eventually.
Maria is determined to make Michael believe he’s the man she knows and loves.
kay-b: Slowly but surely, she’ll get through to him and undo the damage that Hank’s done.
Max is pretty awesome. Liz is one lucky girl!
sunrise102: Liz thanks you for the encouragement, lol!
Well, maybe not soon, but Hank will get what’s coming to him!
Michael and Maria are making progress as a couple and despite what could have turned into an ugly fight, they dealt with it much better than they would have in the past.
keepsmiling7: LOL, we’re so glad you enjoyed that part!
Maiqu: She’s still learning, lol!
We understand. We’ll take a look at Maureen and her choices soon.
He did good, huh?
Part 73 – A Glimpse Into The Past
Liz could almost feel Max’ distraction as he lay next to her, his eyes focused on the balcony doors across the room. The curtains were pulled back allowing the moonlight to pour inside and she wondered what was on his mind. His left arm was wrapped around her, his hand absently stroking over her shoulder.
“Max?”
“Hmm?”
“What’re you thinkin’ about?”
He shifted to look at her and he gave her a small smile as he shook his head. He wasn’t ready to talk about Lacey’s suggestion that he visit his brother’s grave. “Just somethin’ somebody said today.”
“Uh-huh.” She could tell that he wasn’t ready to share who or what it was.
“You enjoy yourself today?” he asked, needing to change the subject before she decided they needed to talk about it.
“Yeah it was fun,” her thoughts went back to the paintball game earlier that day and suddenly insecurity washed over her. What if that somebody had been his ex, the way-too-beautiful girl?
He couldn’t hold back the grin as he remembered the first hour or so on the course when she had been learning how to use her weapon. “I noticed that your aim improved with everyone but my ex,” he teased.
Yeah, that had been fun, Liz remembered. “That obvious, huh?”
He chuckled. “She looked like a leprechaun from the back, Liz.”
“Sorry,” she muttered, “guess I had to make sure that she didn’t look so perfect anymore.”
Max came up on his side, resting his weight on his forearm as he looked down at her. “You were worried about her?”
Liz shrugged. “The woman looked like a model, Max; show me one girlfriend who wouldn’t have been worried about that.”
“But I’m with you.” The two things had nothing to do with each other as far as he was concerned.
“I know...”
“Um-hmm...” He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. “Do you?”
“Well, if I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that you can’t be too sure about anything.”
“I’m gonna change your mind about that.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “C’mon, Liz, me an’ Jordyn were over a long time ago.”
“Does she know that?” Liz asked doubtfully. “I mean, the way she looked at you and talked about you told a different story.”
“I didn’t do anything to make her think otherwise. After we broke up we still flirted with each other and this’s the first time she’s seen me with someone else, so she was probably just surprised, that’s all.”
Liz nodded and rolled over to lie on her side to face him. “How long were you together?”
“Just our senior year. We knew we weren’t gonna be together past high school; we were headed to different colleges, our interests were goin’ in different directions, and we knew from the beginning that we wanted completely different things so we agreed to end things when we graduated.”
“Looking back now, I really think I should’ve broken up with Sean way earlier,” Liz admitted.
“Did you ever think about it?” he asked curiously.
“There were a lot of times when I asked myself if he was really what I wanted, if love between people was really sooo... I don’t know… empty...” She sighed and shrugged one shoulder.
Max shifted and his dog tags dropped down to rest between her breasts and his gaze automatically followed them, roaming over the material covering her skin. “And whatcha think now?”
“Now I think how could I have been so stupid to even consider a marriage with him?”
“The important thing is that he’s outta the picture,” Max said as he reached out and picked up the tags. “And now you have the opportunity to really be happy.”
“And I’ve got the perfect man for that.”
He smiled as he met her gaze. “I hope I never do anything to make you regret your choices,” he said, his tone sincere.
“Can’t think of anything right now,” she whispered and let her hand run along his chest.
There was something else he had been going to bring up, but now he couldn’t think of what it was. He used the edge of one of the tags to trace around her nipples, hearing the immediate hitch in her breathing.
Liz moved closer against him and lifted her head to kiss him deeply. He was everything that she had been missing in her relationship with Sean.
Max let the tags drop as he slid his arm around her, holding her against him and letting her take the lead and set the pace.
Liz continued to kiss him slowly and passionately, her hand wandering to the back of his neck to hold him in place. “I don’t wanna go back tomorrow,” she mumbled against his lips. Going back home would probably mean that they would sleep in separate apartments and separate beds again, go to classes and study alone.
“You gonna be okay when we get back? Now that we’re together, I mean?”
“Sure, I don’t care what others think and Sean knows that we’re together now, well... kinda. I’m sure the girls will have a lot of questions, though, so I think I’d better avoid Tess as long as possible.”
“Avoidance might not be that easy,” he said with a grin. “She an’ Kyle got back to Long Beach earlier today and I’m kinda lookin’ forward to you spendin’ some time with me at my place.”
“We have to stay in your room then,” she joked. “Nah, it’s okay, I kinda miss the girls anyway and I’m curious to find out how Tess liked New York and what happened with Maria and Michael.”
“We can stay in my room,” he said agreeably. “It’ll be good to catch up with everyone though.”
“God, I just really hope that there isn’t even more drama now,” Liz snuggled closer against him and placed her head on his chest.
“More drama? On the Michael and Maria front?”
“Yeah, especially on that front.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know, Liz... drama and those two just seem to go together.”
“True, but Maria was really hurting lately. I hope they figured it out, just like I figured out that it was time to leave my past behind.”
“Michael’s been havin’ a tough time, too,” he said, nodding. “I hope they can get past whatever happened between them at the cabin.”
“You think the other guys will be cool with me hanging out at your place?”
“Yeah, the guys will be cool with it,” he assured her.
“Okay, ‘cause it would suck to go back to the sleeping in separate beds every night now.”
“I was hopin’ you’d say that.”
“I should probably think about gettin a bigger bed at my place.” When they had moved to Long Beach, she had been okay with a small bed because she and Sean had never really spent a whole night together.
“You’ve got a small bed?”
“Yeah.”
“Um-hmm, we’re gonna have to replace that then.” He gave her a teasing smile. “It’s much nicer when you’ve got more room to play.”
She smiled. “It is.”
“But, until we get around to that, I’ve got a nice big bed at my place.”
“And you can make me breakfast,” she said dreamily. “The girls always sleep so late that we never really have breakfast together.”
“What makes you think I can cook?”
“C’mon, you don’t need real cooking skills to make breakfast.”
“True... so, you’d be happy with cereal and milk? Toast and juice?”
“And pancakes, you have to make them, Max.”
“Pancakes?” He chuckled and kissed her. “I think you should make breakfast.”
“Not fair,” she complained.
“You get to sleep in my bed... with me... and I have awesome coffee, too.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully. “I think pancakes in exchange for all that sounds fair.”
“Okayyyy,” she answered slowly. “I guess tomorrow means breakfast on the plane, huh?”
“Ungh, gross. No way.” He shuddered at the thought of airplane food for breakfast. “My parents always set my flight times for late mornin’ or early afternoon so they can get one more meal with me before I leave again.”
“Your parents are really great, Max, your whole family is.”
“Yeah, they are.” He took a deep breath. “Speakin’ of family, Liz, I talked to Lacey earlier.”
Liz’ body straightened, she hadn’t expected that he would do that so soon. “Um, what’d she say?”
“She apologized. She told me that she hadn’t even known what she was doin’ until the past few days and that she would watch herself from now on.”
“God, I hope she doesn’t think of me as a total bitch now because I brought that up.”
“She doesn’t think anything like that, Liz. She was kinda worried about what you think of her...” He came up on his elbow again and met her gaze. “I know this was a really weird thing to have to deal with, especially just now when we’ve just gotten together, and it couldn’t have been easy for you to bring it up.”
“It wasn’t,” she admitted. “I don’t know much about your brother Jason and I know that your family’s had a hard time lately, so I wasn’t sure if I should even say anything or not.”
He nodded as his fingertips traced over her cheek. “I’m glad you did. It wasn’t somethin’ I really wanted to deal with, but it needed to be handled... and now it has been.”
She placed her hand over his. “You and your brother, you were really close, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, even though I was a few years younger he always had time for me, y’know? He let me go just about everywhere with him. He taught me how to ride a motorcycle, bought me my first beer, and he helped me get over it when I got dumped by my first girlfriend.”
Liz nodded. She could only imagine how it had hurt him when his brother was taken away from him. “Do you want to go to visit his grave before we leave?” Liz suddenly realized that he hadn’t been there since she had arrived and she didn’t know if he went there often or not.
He tensed up at the mention of visiting his brother’s final resting place. He cleared his throat and lay down beside her again. “I don’t know.”
Liz’ eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment when realization hit her. “You’ve never been there?”
“No, not since his funeral,” he admitted.
“Are you scared to go there?”
“It’s like...” he swallowed with difficulty, “... if I go there I’m gonna have to really accept that he’s not comin’ back and I don’t know if I can do that.”
“We can do that together,” she offered quietly.
“I don’t know, maybe,” he answered in a non-committal tone.
She nodded. “Think about it, Max. You already know that he’s not coming back and going there will maybe help you to accept it and let go.”
“I’ll think about it.”
*****
Alex paced back and forth on the deck that stretched out past his bedroom. He couldn’t sleep and he had finally given up after several hours of tossing and turning. He had hoped to avoid disturbing Isabel, but he had leaned over to check on her before getting up and realized that she wasn’t sleeping either.
“Hey.”
He turned to look at her when she opened one of the French doors and stepped outside to join him.
“Maria just called; Michael’s with her.”
“Is he okay?”
“She said he’s doin’ fine.” Isabel blocked his path when he started to pace again. “Alex, you can’t blame yourself for this.”
“I should’ve known, Isabel,” he insisted fiercely. “The signs were all there… the way he withdrew, the anger, the way he would suddenly get quiet and just retreat into his own little world, the way he’d flinch away from contact… the way he still does at times. If I could live in the same house while that was goin’ on and not suspect anything how can I possibly be a good father?”
“And how old were you when you started noticing those signs?”
Alex leaned back against the railing as he tried to remember. “I’m not sure… 15, maybe 16?” He shook his head when the wind blew just enough to bring a slight chill with it and he saw her shiver. “Let’s go inside.”
Isabel rolled her eyes when he ushered her inside and closed and locked the doors behind them. “Would you like me to make some coffee since you can’t sleep?” she asked.
“Not unless it’s decaffeinated.” He grinned at her disgusted look as they walked out of their bedroom to go to the kitchen; she hated decaf but she wasn’t drinking regular coffee because of the pregnancy.
“Maybe I’ll just have a glass of milk.”
“That sounds good. I’m just gonna check on Brendan and then I’ll be there, okay?”
She nodded. Isabel sighed and reminded herself that Alex had switched to decaffeinated coffee to show his support, but that wasn’t much help when she was craving caffeine.
*****
Michael jerked awake, once again rudely pulled out of a peaceful sleep by the intrusive nightmares. He glanced at Maria, thankful that he hadn’t woken up screaming and scared the hell out of her. He eased out from under her and got up, wincing as his boxers pulled against his flesh now that they were practically glued to his skin. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on before creeping out of the room and walking down the hall to the kitchen.
His throat was dry and he desperately needed something to drink. He pulled the refrigerator door open, glancing over the available selection and finally reaching for a bottle of water. He uncapped it and took a long drink, soothing his parched throat as he leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his bare chest.
He ran one hand over his face, wishing he could forget about his past. He sighed and took another drink of water as he glanced back towards Maria’s bedroom. He couldn’t hide the smile that surfaced as he thought about earlier that night. She was an amazing woman and she was all his.
Maria had felt him getting up and walking out of the room. His tee shirt and shoes were still there, so she knew he hadn’t left. Minutes had passed and he hadn’t come back, so she decided to get up and go make sure that he was alright.
She walked along the hallway into the kitchen, shivering slightly from the loss of warmth from bed. She found Michael leaning against the kitchen counter, staring into thin air again. “Hey, baby,” she said tiredly, checking to see if he was in the mood to say anything.
Michael shook himself out of his thoughts when she spoke and he realized that she had been in his line of sight and he hadn’t even noticed her. “Did I wake you up?”
“No,” she lied.
He nodded and glanced down at the bottle in his hand before holding it out to her.
“No, thanks.” She walked over to stand right in front of him, looking into his eyes. “You had a nightmare.” It wasn’t a question, it was a fact she already knew.
He was pretty sure that she was going to want to talk now, to ask questions that maybe for the first time in his life he was ready to answer. He shrugged and lowered his gaze to his hands, his fingers constantly twisting and untwisting the cap. “Yeah,” he answered hesitantly.
She gently took the bottle out of his hands and placed it on the counter. “You have them pretty often, huh?”
“Often enough, I guess,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers. Her hands were so small next to his, he thought. He took a deep breath, watching the way she so easily accepted his touch. “Don’t really remember a time when I didn’t have them.”
“You remember them when you wake up?”
Michael squeezed his eyes shut as he nodded. “It’s easy to remember when your nightmares and reality are one and the same.”
It broke her heart to hear what she already knew and there was nothing that she could do apart from listening to what he was willing to share.
“I was twelve years old the first time he hit me.” He let his mind drift back to that day as he stared out into the darkness.
It’s a beautiful summer day, the kind where he can smell the heat of the sun as it beats down on his shoulders and the sky is so blue it almost hurts to look at it. The temperature is in the 90’s but there’s just enough of a breeze to keep it from being uncomfortable as he and his younger brother run through the park.
“We’re gonna be late,” Brendan pants as he tries to keep up with Michael’s increasing pace.
“It’s your fault,” Michael reminds him. “We should’ve left at the end of the last inning, but you wanted to play until the end.” He doesn’t really care that they’re going to be late for their afternoon session with their tutor, but he knows it matters to his brother.
“I know. Sorry.”
“It’s only a couple of minutes.” He grins as they weave through the standstill traffic. “You could totally play for the Yankees one day, Bren.”
“Really?” Brendan actually stops to stare at him, his eyes wide. “You think so?”
“C’mon, Bren, hurry up!” he calls, grinning up at Robert, the doorman who’s been there everyday for as long as he can remember.
“You think Dad will let us go to the game on Saturday?” Brendan asks as he gets into the elevator and pushes the button for their floor.
“Probably. I mean, he knows how much you love baseball.” Michael watches the numbers for the floors change on the digital readout above the door as he thinks about the answer he just gave his brother.
Brendan loves baseball as much as he himself loves football, but chances are a lot better that they’ll be going to a baseball game than ever going to a football game. He isn’t sure when it happened, but at some point their father had started to favor Brendan and he doesn’t understand it.
The doors slide open soundlessly on the 14th floor to reveal their father standing on the other side. His arms are crossed over his chest and he looks madder than ever.
“You’re late,” he snaps as he grabs their arms and hauls them off of the empty car. His gaze slides over their clothes, turning disapproving when he sees the dirt and grass stains. “Brendan, go and get cleaned up; your tutor is waiting and time is money.”
Brendan pulls his baseball cap off and looks up at his father. “Well, shouldn’t Michael go with me?”
“The two of you will have separate tutors from now on.” He looks at the younger boy. “Do not make me repeat myself.”
Michael watches his father after Brendan leaves and he has a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. “How come we got separate tutors now?” He sees the twitch in his father’s right cheek, sees the way his eyes change, but he never sees him move.
The back of his head smacks against the wall behind him when the back of his father’s hand suddenly cracks against his cheek. His head is still spinning when he’s jerked to his feet and dragged inside and down the hall to the guestroom. He looks around, not understanding when he sees all of his things thrown about the room.
“This’s your room now,” his father states.
He turns to look at the man, confusion written clearly across his young face. “But, me an’ Bren share – “
“You no longer share a room or anything else. Unlike you, Brendan is going to make something of himself.”
Michael frowns at that, not understanding why his father is being so mean. “But, I’m gonna be somethin’ too, Dad,” he protests.
“You’re gonna be worthless and good for nothing like you’ve always been,” the man says in a cruel tone.
He’s only twelve, but he knows what those words mean and they hurt worse than when his father slapped him earlier. “I’m not worthless,” he insists defiantly. He knows immediately that he’s said too much and his eyes widen when his father unbuckles his belt; there’s nowhere to go, no way to avoid the beating he knows is coming.
When his father leaves he collapses on the bed, facedown to avoid any contact with the raised welts on his back. He refused to give his father the satisfaction of seeing him cry and that only seemed to make the man angrier. He wants someone to make the pain go away, someone to take him in their arms and tell him that he’s not worthless like his father believes, but there is no one.
He can’t tell his mother because she’s always been distant and when she looks at him there’s a sadness that he doesn’t understand. He could tell Alex, but his older brother is away with friends and his father said if he told anyone he would regret it. What if his father meant that he would hurt Brendan? Or even worse, what if he hurt Brooke? She’s a girl, and so little… He knows he can’t let that happen.
“It was the first time, but...” He averted his gaze. “Wasn’t the last time.” He had never told anyone about that and now he was nervous. Would she think he was weak? Pathetic for still having nightmares at his age?
Maria shook her head. “How could anyone hit their own child?”
“Apparently it’s not that hard.”
“I could never do that... and I could never stay with a man who would hit my child.”
“Just one more difference between you an’ my mother.”
“Did anyone know? Your siblings? Kyle?”
“No, they don’t know; I never intended for them to know. Kyle suspects… well, I think he knows; he’s never directly asked, but I’m pretty sure he knows. I could only blame the bruises on football for so long...”
Maria nodded. Her thoughts were tumbling over all the ways Hank might had hurt him over the years. She released his hands to wrap her arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know what to say, it’s so cruel. Nobody deserves this.”
Michael slowly brought his arms up around her, holding her close and resting his chin on her head. He didn’t know what to say in response to her words; he had never let anyone in like this. “I hate him,” he grated out through clenched teeth. It was something that he had never admitted to anyone else. It wasn’t a secret and plenty of people probably suspected it was true, but he had never said the words aloud.
“You don’t have to be scared to be like him in any way, baby. I hate him, too, for telling you your whole life that you’re worthless and that you don’t belong anywhere.” She leaned back to look at him. Did he still feel like that now? she wondered.
“I’ve never had anywhere that I really belonged.” He stared into her eyes, surprised by the intensity he saw there. “But, maybe I’ve finally found somewhere that I belong... someone I belong with.”
“I hope I can always be that someone for you.”
His hands came up to gently cradle her face as he leaned in closer to kiss her. “I hope I don’t fuck it up.”
“Don’t worry about that, baby, we will always find our way back to each other… even if you’re gonna be a bad boy and lose your way once in a while.”
Michael smirked at her when he heard the teasing words. “I thought you liked me bein’ a bad boy?” he asked, purposefully misunderstanding her words.
“As long as you’re a good bad boy.”
“A good bad boy,” he snorted. He looked down at her as his hands moved down to her hips, pulling her tighter against him. “I can be very good,” he growled.
“I know you can,” she whispered back and pressed her body against his in response to his touch.
Michael lifted her up and set her on the counter so that they were at eye level and he rested his forehead against hers as his fingers trailed over her bare legs beneath the hem of her tee shirt.
Maria let her gaze wander over his naked upper body and she reached out to caress his chest. “You’re incredible,” she breathed, not really noticing that she had expressed her thoughts out loud.
Michael’s chest swelled up proudly in response to her praise. “I am pretty incredible,” he agreed, knowing she wouldn’t be able to leave it alone.
She rolled her eyes. “I should watch my mouth or your ego’s gonna explode soon,” she said with a smirk.
“I got a better idea,” he muttered gruffly. “I’ll watch your mouth for you because it needs to be watched closely.”
“Hmmm, does that mean I’m not allowed to talk ever again?”
He chuckled gruffly and shook his head. “I can’t imagine you not talkin’,” he teased.
“Won’t happen. There’s always somethin’ I wanna talk about. And...” she added, “I enjoy tellin’ anyone and everyone that Michael Guerin is my boyfriend now.”
“You like that, huh?”
“Uh-huh, I love it,” she admitted, grinning.
“Y’know what I love?”
Me, I hope, she thought. “Tell me?”
“I’d really love a shower right about now.” He winced as he shifted. “I’m all sticky from earlier,” he complained.
“You wanna shower at three in the mornin’?” Maria asked.
“Depends... wanna shower with me? Can’t make any promises about how much actual showerin’ we’ll get done, but I can promise it’ll be fun.” He grinned wickedly.
“If you’re gonna carry me to the bathroom; my feet are cold.”
“Carry you? Y’know I’ve got practice all week and a game next weekend... and you want me to risk throwin’ my back out?”
She smacked his arm. “Thank you.”
“I’m just sayin’...” He bit back a grin when he realized she was pouting. He wrapped his hands around her thighs and pulled her towards him as he leaned in to kiss her. “Just sayin’ I'll risk it for you.”
“Yeah, you’d better,” she mumbled against his lips.
“Maybe you should carry me,” he suggested.
“Carry you?”
“Yeah, save my back.”
“And ruin mine?”
Michael straightened up and looked at her, offended. “Are you sayin’ I’m overweight?”
“Well…” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back to have a good look at him. Of course there was nothing on his body that wasn’t perfectly formed, but she wasn’t going to admit it.
Michael frowned when her eyes kept roaming over him but she stayed silent. He glanced down at himself and frowned. “Well?” he demanded. He was starting to get self-conscious the longer she stared at him without saying anything and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay, you know what? I’ll just take a shower by myself,” he grumbled.
She sighed. “Okay, I can’t find anything I wanna change.”
His smug grin immediately surfaced again. “That’s what I thought.”
She dropped down to the floor again and started to walk in the direction of the bathroom. “Are you comin’?”
Michael hurried to catch up with her and lifted her up in his arms. “I thought you wanted me to carry you?”
“I thought you didn’t wanna throw your back out?”
“Y’know I was just kiddin’ about that, right?”
“Yeah.” She let her head rest on his shoulder as he carried her along the hallway.
Michael glanced down at her when she relaxed against him. “You just wanna go back to bed?”
“No, I don’t wanna miss a shower with you.”
“Hope you weren’t expectin’ an argument from me.”
They reached the bathroom and Michael set her down so she could sit on the edge of the tub while he was turning on the water. He adjusted the temperature of the water and frowned at the single showerhead. “We’re gonna have to stay over at my place more often.” His shower was bigger, had multiple showerheads, and the pressure was better too.
“Yeah, I don’t have a problem with that; I like your room and this apartment has gotten kinda lonely here lately, anyway.” Isabel had practically moved out, Tess was with Kyle most of the time... and Liz would be distracted for a while since she and Sean had broken up.
“You’ll love my shower... this one’s just...” He shook his head. “Sad.”
“I already know your shower, remember? And you’re right, I like it.”
“Yeah, but you don’t know my shower with me in it... I promise it’s a lot better.”
“I hope we’re gonna find out soon.” Maria stood up and walked over next too him, reaching for the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head so she was standing there naked.
Michael’s gaze traveled over her body, still unable to believe that she was his or that she really wanted to be with him. He reached out, letting his hands trace over her shoulders and down her arms until he reached her hands. He threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her up against his body. “Thanks,” he whispered gruffly. “For, y’know, bein’ here.”
“Every time you need me,” she promised.
He nodded, accepting her words without question. “So, about that shower...”
“Yeah?”
He rolled his eyes and shoved his jeans and boxers down and off. “Do you ever make anything easy?”
“Hmmm, no, I guess not, sorry.” She stepped into the shower first, letting the hot water run down over her body.
Michael stepped in behind her and pressed up against her since she was hogging all of the water. “You just like things hard, huh?” he growled, nudging his erection against her.
“Sometimes...” she said, leaning back against his body and enjoying the feeling of being so close to him.
His arms wrapped around her, his hands skimming over her wet skin. He ran his right foot over the bottom of the tub, checking to make sure that it wasn’t the kind with the slick surface that would have them both on their asses if he picked her up and lost his footing. He turned her around and pressed her back to the wall, not thinking about the fact that the tile would be cold.
“Whoa, Michael, that’s damn cold!” she yelped as she fought to get away from the tile and back into his arms.
“Sorry, baby,” he growled, turning and hissing when he pressed his own back against the wall. Mike Jr. hadn’t liked that, he thought, grimacing. But, it was for a worthwhile cause – he had plans for that wall and it was gonna have to be warmed before Maria let him press her up against it again.
“That’s my man,” Maria said when she realized he was going to warm it up for her.
“Might have to change Mike Jr.’s name to Mini Me after this,” he grunted, wishing the tile would hurry up and get warm.
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” she said and let her hands travel up his thighs.
“Keep that up... maybe it won’t be.”
His hands settled on either side of her neck as he lowered his head to kiss her, easily forgetting all about the cold tile when she returned the kiss without restraint.
She let her hands wander further upwards to brush against his erection. “Mike Jr. feels fine to me,” she observed.
No need to change names, he thought when she touched him.
“I think the tile’s fine.” He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him as he turned and pressed her to the warmed tile.
“Definitely better, thank you.”
“You in the mood for slow? Or...” He nudged the tip of his erection against her opening, leaving the decision up to her.
“Yeah, keep things slow this time, baby,” she decided. The sex earlier had been great, but she needed some tenderness right now.
Michael nodded and eased her legs down as he kissed his way down her neck, paying attention to her breasts as her hands came up to tangle in his wet hair. He took his time, worshipping every part of her body as he slowly continued his journey south. He finally had to get on his knees and he looked up at her; water sluiced down her body, making her skin wet and sleek.
She stared down at him and it felt like nothing could ever separate them again. She could see his feelings for her in his eyes for the first time and they matched her own feelings. She loved him, but she couldn’t get the words out. She was scared that it was too early or that the words would scare him off.
As Michael looked up at her he was hit with emotions that he only had one name for, but he couldn’t express his feelings, couldn’t get the words past his closed throat. It was too soon to voice it and he could only hope that she knew he felt strongly about her. He finally had to break her gaze and his hands skimmed over her thighs as he rested his forehead on her flat belly. When he felt like he had himself under control again he leaned back to press a kiss to her skin.
He glanced up at her and grinned as he lifted her right leg, resting it over his shoulder. “Ready to take a ride?” He watched her eyes darken as he slid one finger through her slick folds, loving the way her voice sounded so breathless when she answered.
“Uh-huh.” She placed one hand on the corner shelf to steady herself. “Don’t stop, Michael.”
His eyes stayed locked on hers as he slowly kissed his way down her belly and over her mound. Her encouragement was all he needed and he let his tongue replace his finger, teasing her mercilessly. He quickly brought her to the edge, leaving her teetering right on the brink as he backed off to look up at her with a gin. “So... how slow, exactly?”
“You are so evil, Michael,” she pouted.
Every time, he thought, every damn time! All she had to do was pull that pout into play and he would do anything she wanted. He nodded and put his tongue back to work, knowing it wouldn’t take long to bring her right back to the edge. As soon as he felt her approaching orgasm he quickly pushed two fingers into her and nipped her clit before sucking on it and drawing her orgasm out.
Maria had a very hard time staying upright and she grabbed his shoulder to show him that she needed him to keep her from falling.
Michael carefully lowered her leg and stood to take her trembling body in his arms. He kissed her gently, hands running over her to soothe her through the aftermath as he turned to lean against the wall.
“Just give me a few seconds to get my legs under control again,” she mumbled into his neck, holding onto him tightly.
“So, I make you go weak in the knees, huh?” he bragged.
“That’s boosting your ego again, huh?” she asked, her mind still clouded.
He chuckled. “That’s not all it’s boosting.”
“Yeah, believe me, I can feel that.”
“I hope so... it is pretty impressive.”
“Uh-huh.” She let her hand trail to the back of his neck and pulled him down to brush her lips against his before biting his bottom lip playfully. “Think you can show me how impressive it is?” she asked teasing.
He snorted. “Do people in hell want ice water?” he countered. “Hell yeah, I can show you. Any requests?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m trusting you with that.”
“So, you want me to do all the work and figure out what position you want?”
“Exactly.”
“Are we devoted to the shower or can we take it to the bedroom?”
“We’re the only ones in the apartment, so we can take in anywhere we want to.”
“Anywhere, huh?”
“Well, anywhere but the other girls’ bedrooms of course.”
Michael shuddered at that thought. “Okay, never say that again.” Ungh… did she even realize what she had just said? The bedrooms belonged to a virgin, his brother’s girlfriend, and his best friend’s girlfriend! “How d’you feel about sex on the patio?”
“Well, under normal circumstances I would love to, but we’re all wet, Michael, and I’m not looking forward to another round of the flu this year.”
“Fuck, I forgot about that. Maybe in the summer when it’s good and warm outside in the middle of the night,” he said, not even realizing the importance of his assumption that they would still be together well into the next year.
“Yeah, I can’t wait for that.”
“Okay, movin’ on to Plan B... although I’m really glad to hear that you wouldn’t be opposed to sex out on the patio,” he grinned.
“Tell me about Plan B.”
“Plan B... Plan B... Hold on, I’m thinkin’...” He turned the water off since it was beginning to get cool and stepped out to grab a towel. He helped her out and dried her off before running the towel over himself, getting rid of the excess water.
His eyes lifted to hers as he tossed the towel up to hang it over the shower rod, amazed once again at how comfortable she was with her body. He caught his reflection in the mirror and a slow grin slid over his face.
“What’s on your mind, baby?”
He shook his head, his thoughts momentarily leaving his newest idea and focusing on her again. “You are so sexy,” he whispered roughly.
She walked over to him in slow motion, letting her hands rest on each side of his neck and standing on her tiptoes to kiss him passionately.
Michael returned her kiss with every bit of heat and fire he possessed as he walked them over to the vanity area and pressed her back against the counter. “Mirrors,” he muttered gruffly, pulling back just enough to speak. “How d’you feel about watchin’ yourself?”
“Never done it before,” she confessed.
“Yeah? Me either... too weird?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Really?” He nodded at the mirror behind her. “Wanna try it?”
“Yeah.” She took his hands in hers as she looked down at the ground. “There isn’t much that I wouldn’t do with you,” she said quietly.
Michael raised their joined hands to nudge her chin up so he could look into her eyes. He was on the verge of talking too much and losing the mood, but he had to know what she meant. “What wouldn’t you do with me?”
She looked into his eyes, trying to think of anything that she wasn’t willing to do with him. “Well, something crazy, like bungee jumping for example.”
Michael relaxed. “Oh, hell, baby, you ain’t gotta worry about that... too high for me. I’m scar... I mean, I don’t like heights, remember?”
She laughed. “Right, I forgot about that. But you seemed to be doing okay on the Ferris wheel after a while.”
He grinned when Mike Jr. got with the program again. “Yeah, that wasn’t so bad.” He turned her around and pressed up against her, meeting her gaze in the mirror. “Now, about my mirror question...”
She moaned softly when he pressed his erection against her. “How can you do this to me all the time?” she breathed, resting her hands on the counter
“That’s a two-way street, baby, ‘cause you do this to me all the time, too.” He watched her reflection for a moment, the way her eyes slid closed when she felt him against her. “I want you to keep your eyes open the whole time,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.
“I’m not sure I’m gonna able to do that, baby.”
“Just try.” He had read that staring into each other’s eyes during sex heightened the connection between couples, but he wasn’t about to admit that. Maria would never let him hear the end of it if she knew he had been reading one of Tess’s stupid chick magazines.
“Okay, I’ll try.”
She was ready for him and he easily slid into her tight opening before covering her hands where they were gripping the edge of the counter. He stayed still, giving her time to adjust; he knew she would let him know when she was ready for more.
Maria fought the natural instinct to close her eyes and forced herself to look at him through the mirror. She pressed her back further against him, wanting him to start moving slowly.
Michael followed her lead, amazed at how easy it was, and he moved his hips in a torturously slow back and forth motion. He couldn’t have taken his eyes off of hers at that moment for anything. Her green eyes were a maelstrom of wild emotions and she was so open that it felt like he was seeing straight into her soul. He bit his bottom lip and sweat broke out along his back as he fought to keep his movements slow.
His intense gaze sent shivers down her back. I love you, I love you, I love you, she repeated the words in her mind over and over again, but they weren’t leaving her mouth.
Michael had never felt anything so intense and he kept his fingers intertwined with hers as he brought their arms around her waist so he could pick up his pace.
Maria could feel that she was already close to her next orgasm. “I’m close,” she whispered.
Michael nodded wordlessly, barely blinking when a drop of sweat crept down and dripped into his eye. Damn, that stung like hell! But he refused to look away, refused to do anything that would prevent him from seeing the look in her eyes when he pushed her completely over the edge.
He held her tighter, his arm a band of steel around her, as his hips slammed into her. He was seconds away from losing it and he felt her body beginning to clamp down on him, letting him know she was right there.
“Oh, God,” she breathed out, keeping her eyes locked with his.
He would’ve known the exact moment she reached her peak even if he hadn’t been inside of her; the look of ecstasy on her face was expression in its purest form and he was spellbound by it.
Moments later he came and it took everything he had to keep his eyes open. He didn’t think he had ever in his life let anyone see him at that moment and after seeing the look in her eyes, he understood why. That stupid article hadn’t been lying about that connection, he realized.
After they had calmed down a little, Maria turned around and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly and taking in his scent. “Don’t leave me.” she whispered against his skin. The last few days with him had been the best in her life and she couldn’t imagine going on without him anymore.
His heart was pounding and he was sure she could feel it and hear it where the side of her head was pressed against his chest. Leave her?! What was she thinking? He lifted her chin and shook his head as he met her eyes. “Crazy girl,” he murmured as he kissed her. “I could never leave you.”
She nodded, hoping that he really meant it and it wasn’t just something he was saying because of the incredible sex they had shared. She had completely fallen for him and it scared her.
Michael tilted his head to one side, frowning when some of the light seemed to disappear from her eyes. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“No, I’m just... I’m...” She sighed. Since when did she have a problem talking?
Michael looked down when she started to play with his dog tags, her movements almost... nervous? “Maria? Talk to me.”
“I’m just scared of losin’ you,” she finally admitted quietly.
“Baby, I’m not goin’ anywhere.” How else could he reassure her? “Listen to me, okay? I know I’ve got a shitty track record with girls in my past, but... don’t...” He cleared his throat. “Don’t judge what I’m capable of based on that. I can’t change my past, and to be honest, I wouldn’t if I could, ‘cause I know what I’ve been missin’ out on all along now, and I don’t ever wanna miss out on it again.”
She nodded slightly. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I do. It’s just... I can’t even explain it. I’m scared of losin’ you, not only because you could meet someone else, but... It sounds stupid, sorry. You are so important to me and the last few days have changed a lot, ya know?”
Wow, it had only been a few days, Michael realized. His entire life had changed and he couldn’t imagine her not being in it now. “I do know, yeah... and, y’know, it’s changed a lot for me, too.” He kissed her forehead. “I could meet someone else, but it wouldn’t matter ‘cause I’ve already got you.”
It felt good to hear him say that and she started to relax again. “Can we go to bed?”
“Can you carry me?” he teased, glad to see that she seemed a little more confident about them now. “You’ve just about worn my ass out tonight.”
“Me?” she asked innocently.
“Don’t pull that innocent shit on me, Maria… we both know better.” He laughed when she started to pout and he kissed her before lifting her up in his arms and carrying her back into the bedroom.
That decision showed just how much Michael trusts Maria.
We’ll see more about Maureen and her reasons for staying with Hank in some upcoming parts.
begonia9508: Don’t we all? To our knowledge, most girls don’t feel the need to assign names the way guys do. LOL, well, guys do tend to do a lot of their thinking with IT, so we’re guessing it only stands to reason that they’ve got sex on the brain every few minutes.
Eva: Wow, thanks!
They’re Michael and Maria, so the occasional bump is a given, but facing things together makes them so much stronger.
Alien_Friend: Doesn’t she though? Michael’s still got some things to work through, but with Maria’s help he’ll learn to trust himself. At least he went to Maria instead of going out and getting himself in trouble.
We totally understand. Maureen had her reasons for staying with Hank and we’ll learn about them in some upcoming parts. But letting your kids suffer like hers have is not excusable. If Maureen did ever manage to leave Hank, do you think she’d have a chance to build a relationship with her kids?
We’re glad you’re lovin’ Max and Liz!
mary mary: She definitely knows her man, lol!
Thanks, we’re glad you’re enjoying all of them!
80s_UnLove_Child: We’ve got a little bit of Dreamer to go along with the Candy in this next update. No, Maureen definitely isn’t a cold-hearted bitch, but we’ll find out later on why she made some of the choices she made.
Natalie36: Yep, that seems to be the general consensus, lol!
Earth2Mama: Wow, so… thank you!
Max is a rare breed, and he knows Liz is worth the wait.
Michael does have a tendency to strike out verbally and that can be just as damaging (and sometimes even more damaging) as physical abuse.
April: No doubt!
Cardinal: We can understand that!
Nah, Michael and Maria will reach light-hearted status eventually.
sarammlover: Hank will get what’s coming to him… yes, we’re gonna say it… eventually.
Maria is determined to make Michael believe he’s the man she knows and loves.
kay-b: Slowly but surely, she’ll get through to him and undo the damage that Hank’s done.
Max is pretty awesome. Liz is one lucky girl!
sunrise102: Liz thanks you for the encouragement, lol!
Well, maybe not soon, but Hank will get what’s coming to him!
Michael and Maria are making progress as a couple and despite what could have turned into an ugly fight, they dealt with it much better than they would have in the past.
keepsmiling7: LOL, we’re so glad you enjoyed that part!
Maiqu: She’s still learning, lol!
We understand. We’ll take a look at Maureen and her choices soon.
He did good, huh?
Part 73 – A Glimpse Into The Past
Liz could almost feel Max’ distraction as he lay next to her, his eyes focused on the balcony doors across the room. The curtains were pulled back allowing the moonlight to pour inside and she wondered what was on his mind. His left arm was wrapped around her, his hand absently stroking over her shoulder.
“Max?”
“Hmm?”
“What’re you thinkin’ about?”
He shifted to look at her and he gave her a small smile as he shook his head. He wasn’t ready to talk about Lacey’s suggestion that he visit his brother’s grave. “Just somethin’ somebody said today.”
“Uh-huh.” She could tell that he wasn’t ready to share who or what it was.
“You enjoy yourself today?” he asked, needing to change the subject before she decided they needed to talk about it.
“Yeah it was fun,” her thoughts went back to the paintball game earlier that day and suddenly insecurity washed over her. What if that somebody had been his ex, the way-too-beautiful girl?
He couldn’t hold back the grin as he remembered the first hour or so on the course when she had been learning how to use her weapon. “I noticed that your aim improved with everyone but my ex,” he teased.
Yeah, that had been fun, Liz remembered. “That obvious, huh?”
He chuckled. “She looked like a leprechaun from the back, Liz.”
“Sorry,” she muttered, “guess I had to make sure that she didn’t look so perfect anymore.”
Max came up on his side, resting his weight on his forearm as he looked down at her. “You were worried about her?”
Liz shrugged. “The woman looked like a model, Max; show me one girlfriend who wouldn’t have been worried about that.”
“But I’m with you.” The two things had nothing to do with each other as far as he was concerned.
“I know...”
“Um-hmm...” He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. “Do you?”
“Well, if I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that you can’t be too sure about anything.”
“I’m gonna change your mind about that.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “C’mon, Liz, me an’ Jordyn were over a long time ago.”
“Does she know that?” Liz asked doubtfully. “I mean, the way she looked at you and talked about you told a different story.”
“I didn’t do anything to make her think otherwise. After we broke up we still flirted with each other and this’s the first time she’s seen me with someone else, so she was probably just surprised, that’s all.”
Liz nodded and rolled over to lie on her side to face him. “How long were you together?”
“Just our senior year. We knew we weren’t gonna be together past high school; we were headed to different colleges, our interests were goin’ in different directions, and we knew from the beginning that we wanted completely different things so we agreed to end things when we graduated.”
“Looking back now, I really think I should’ve broken up with Sean way earlier,” Liz admitted.
“Did you ever think about it?” he asked curiously.
“There were a lot of times when I asked myself if he was really what I wanted, if love between people was really sooo... I don’t know… empty...” She sighed and shrugged one shoulder.
Max shifted and his dog tags dropped down to rest between her breasts and his gaze automatically followed them, roaming over the material covering her skin. “And whatcha think now?”
“Now I think how could I have been so stupid to even consider a marriage with him?”
“The important thing is that he’s outta the picture,” Max said as he reached out and picked up the tags. “And now you have the opportunity to really be happy.”
“And I’ve got the perfect man for that.”
He smiled as he met her gaze. “I hope I never do anything to make you regret your choices,” he said, his tone sincere.
“Can’t think of anything right now,” she whispered and let her hand run along his chest.
There was something else he had been going to bring up, but now he couldn’t think of what it was. He used the edge of one of the tags to trace around her nipples, hearing the immediate hitch in her breathing.
Liz moved closer against him and lifted her head to kiss him deeply. He was everything that she had been missing in her relationship with Sean.
Max let the tags drop as he slid his arm around her, holding her against him and letting her take the lead and set the pace.
Liz continued to kiss him slowly and passionately, her hand wandering to the back of his neck to hold him in place. “I don’t wanna go back tomorrow,” she mumbled against his lips. Going back home would probably mean that they would sleep in separate apartments and separate beds again, go to classes and study alone.
“You gonna be okay when we get back? Now that we’re together, I mean?”
“Sure, I don’t care what others think and Sean knows that we’re together now, well... kinda. I’m sure the girls will have a lot of questions, though, so I think I’d better avoid Tess as long as possible.”
“Avoidance might not be that easy,” he said with a grin. “She an’ Kyle got back to Long Beach earlier today and I’m kinda lookin’ forward to you spendin’ some time with me at my place.”
“We have to stay in your room then,” she joked. “Nah, it’s okay, I kinda miss the girls anyway and I’m curious to find out how Tess liked New York and what happened with Maria and Michael.”
“We can stay in my room,” he said agreeably. “It’ll be good to catch up with everyone though.”
“God, I just really hope that there isn’t even more drama now,” Liz snuggled closer against him and placed her head on his chest.
“More drama? On the Michael and Maria front?”
“Yeah, especially on that front.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know, Liz... drama and those two just seem to go together.”
“True, but Maria was really hurting lately. I hope they figured it out, just like I figured out that it was time to leave my past behind.”
“Michael’s been havin’ a tough time, too,” he said, nodding. “I hope they can get past whatever happened between them at the cabin.”
“You think the other guys will be cool with me hanging out at your place?”
“Yeah, the guys will be cool with it,” he assured her.
“Okay, ‘cause it would suck to go back to the sleeping in separate beds every night now.”
“I was hopin’ you’d say that.”
“I should probably think about gettin a bigger bed at my place.” When they had moved to Long Beach, she had been okay with a small bed because she and Sean had never really spent a whole night together.
“You’ve got a small bed?”
“Yeah.”
“Um-hmm, we’re gonna have to replace that then.” He gave her a teasing smile. “It’s much nicer when you’ve got more room to play.”
She smiled. “It is.”
“But, until we get around to that, I’ve got a nice big bed at my place.”
“And you can make me breakfast,” she said dreamily. “The girls always sleep so late that we never really have breakfast together.”
“What makes you think I can cook?”
“C’mon, you don’t need real cooking skills to make breakfast.”
“True... so, you’d be happy with cereal and milk? Toast and juice?”
“And pancakes, you have to make them, Max.”
“Pancakes?” He chuckled and kissed her. “I think you should make breakfast.”
“Not fair,” she complained.
“You get to sleep in my bed... with me... and I have awesome coffee, too.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully. “I think pancakes in exchange for all that sounds fair.”
“Okayyyy,” she answered slowly. “I guess tomorrow means breakfast on the plane, huh?”
“Ungh, gross. No way.” He shuddered at the thought of airplane food for breakfast. “My parents always set my flight times for late mornin’ or early afternoon so they can get one more meal with me before I leave again.”
“Your parents are really great, Max, your whole family is.”
“Yeah, they are.” He took a deep breath. “Speakin’ of family, Liz, I talked to Lacey earlier.”
Liz’ body straightened, she hadn’t expected that he would do that so soon. “Um, what’d she say?”
“She apologized. She told me that she hadn’t even known what she was doin’ until the past few days and that she would watch herself from now on.”
“God, I hope she doesn’t think of me as a total bitch now because I brought that up.”
“She doesn’t think anything like that, Liz. She was kinda worried about what you think of her...” He came up on his elbow again and met her gaze. “I know this was a really weird thing to have to deal with, especially just now when we’ve just gotten together, and it couldn’t have been easy for you to bring it up.”
“It wasn’t,” she admitted. “I don’t know much about your brother Jason and I know that your family’s had a hard time lately, so I wasn’t sure if I should even say anything or not.”
He nodded as his fingertips traced over her cheek. “I’m glad you did. It wasn’t somethin’ I really wanted to deal with, but it needed to be handled... and now it has been.”
She placed her hand over his. “You and your brother, you were really close, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, even though I was a few years younger he always had time for me, y’know? He let me go just about everywhere with him. He taught me how to ride a motorcycle, bought me my first beer, and he helped me get over it when I got dumped by my first girlfriend.”
Liz nodded. She could only imagine how it had hurt him when his brother was taken away from him. “Do you want to go to visit his grave before we leave?” Liz suddenly realized that he hadn’t been there since she had arrived and she didn’t know if he went there often or not.
He tensed up at the mention of visiting his brother’s final resting place. He cleared his throat and lay down beside her again. “I don’t know.”
Liz’ eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment when realization hit her. “You’ve never been there?”
“No, not since his funeral,” he admitted.
“Are you scared to go there?”
“It’s like...” he swallowed with difficulty, “... if I go there I’m gonna have to really accept that he’s not comin’ back and I don’t know if I can do that.”
“We can do that together,” she offered quietly.
“I don’t know, maybe,” he answered in a non-committal tone.
She nodded. “Think about it, Max. You already know that he’s not coming back and going there will maybe help you to accept it and let go.”
“I’ll think about it.”
*****
Alex paced back and forth on the deck that stretched out past his bedroom. He couldn’t sleep and he had finally given up after several hours of tossing and turning. He had hoped to avoid disturbing Isabel, but he had leaned over to check on her before getting up and realized that she wasn’t sleeping either.
“Hey.”
He turned to look at her when she opened one of the French doors and stepped outside to join him.
“Maria just called; Michael’s with her.”
“Is he okay?”
“She said he’s doin’ fine.” Isabel blocked his path when he started to pace again. “Alex, you can’t blame yourself for this.”
“I should’ve known, Isabel,” he insisted fiercely. “The signs were all there… the way he withdrew, the anger, the way he would suddenly get quiet and just retreat into his own little world, the way he’d flinch away from contact… the way he still does at times. If I could live in the same house while that was goin’ on and not suspect anything how can I possibly be a good father?”
“And how old were you when you started noticing those signs?”
Alex leaned back against the railing as he tried to remember. “I’m not sure… 15, maybe 16?” He shook his head when the wind blew just enough to bring a slight chill with it and he saw her shiver. “Let’s go inside.”
Isabel rolled her eyes when he ushered her inside and closed and locked the doors behind them. “Would you like me to make some coffee since you can’t sleep?” she asked.
“Not unless it’s decaffeinated.” He grinned at her disgusted look as they walked out of their bedroom to go to the kitchen; she hated decaf but she wasn’t drinking regular coffee because of the pregnancy.
“Maybe I’ll just have a glass of milk.”
“That sounds good. I’m just gonna check on Brendan and then I’ll be there, okay?”
She nodded. Isabel sighed and reminded herself that Alex had switched to decaffeinated coffee to show his support, but that wasn’t much help when she was craving caffeine.
*****
Michael jerked awake, once again rudely pulled out of a peaceful sleep by the intrusive nightmares. He glanced at Maria, thankful that he hadn’t woken up screaming and scared the hell out of her. He eased out from under her and got up, wincing as his boxers pulled against his flesh now that they were practically glued to his skin. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on before creeping out of the room and walking down the hall to the kitchen.
His throat was dry and he desperately needed something to drink. He pulled the refrigerator door open, glancing over the available selection and finally reaching for a bottle of water. He uncapped it and took a long drink, soothing his parched throat as he leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his bare chest.
He ran one hand over his face, wishing he could forget about his past. He sighed and took another drink of water as he glanced back towards Maria’s bedroom. He couldn’t hide the smile that surfaced as he thought about earlier that night. She was an amazing woman and she was all his.
Maria had felt him getting up and walking out of the room. His tee shirt and shoes were still there, so she knew he hadn’t left. Minutes had passed and he hadn’t come back, so she decided to get up and go make sure that he was alright.
She walked along the hallway into the kitchen, shivering slightly from the loss of warmth from bed. She found Michael leaning against the kitchen counter, staring into thin air again. “Hey, baby,” she said tiredly, checking to see if he was in the mood to say anything.
Michael shook himself out of his thoughts when she spoke and he realized that she had been in his line of sight and he hadn’t even noticed her. “Did I wake you up?”
“No,” she lied.
He nodded and glanced down at the bottle in his hand before holding it out to her.
“No, thanks.” She walked over to stand right in front of him, looking into his eyes. “You had a nightmare.” It wasn’t a question, it was a fact she already knew.
He was pretty sure that she was going to want to talk now, to ask questions that maybe for the first time in his life he was ready to answer. He shrugged and lowered his gaze to his hands, his fingers constantly twisting and untwisting the cap. “Yeah,” he answered hesitantly.
She gently took the bottle out of his hands and placed it on the counter. “You have them pretty often, huh?”
“Often enough, I guess,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers. Her hands were so small next to his, he thought. He took a deep breath, watching the way she so easily accepted his touch. “Don’t really remember a time when I didn’t have them.”
“You remember them when you wake up?”
Michael squeezed his eyes shut as he nodded. “It’s easy to remember when your nightmares and reality are one and the same.”
It broke her heart to hear what she already knew and there was nothing that she could do apart from listening to what he was willing to share.
“I was twelve years old the first time he hit me.” He let his mind drift back to that day as he stared out into the darkness.
It’s a beautiful summer day, the kind where he can smell the heat of the sun as it beats down on his shoulders and the sky is so blue it almost hurts to look at it. The temperature is in the 90’s but there’s just enough of a breeze to keep it from being uncomfortable as he and his younger brother run through the park.
“We’re gonna be late,” Brendan pants as he tries to keep up with Michael’s increasing pace.
“It’s your fault,” Michael reminds him. “We should’ve left at the end of the last inning, but you wanted to play until the end.” He doesn’t really care that they’re going to be late for their afternoon session with their tutor, but he knows it matters to his brother.
“I know. Sorry.”
“It’s only a couple of minutes.” He grins as they weave through the standstill traffic. “You could totally play for the Yankees one day, Bren.”
“Really?” Brendan actually stops to stare at him, his eyes wide. “You think so?”
“C’mon, Bren, hurry up!” he calls, grinning up at Robert, the doorman who’s been there everyday for as long as he can remember.
“You think Dad will let us go to the game on Saturday?” Brendan asks as he gets into the elevator and pushes the button for their floor.
“Probably. I mean, he knows how much you love baseball.” Michael watches the numbers for the floors change on the digital readout above the door as he thinks about the answer he just gave his brother.
Brendan loves baseball as much as he himself loves football, but chances are a lot better that they’ll be going to a baseball game than ever going to a football game. He isn’t sure when it happened, but at some point their father had started to favor Brendan and he doesn’t understand it.
The doors slide open soundlessly on the 14th floor to reveal their father standing on the other side. His arms are crossed over his chest and he looks madder than ever.
“You’re late,” he snaps as he grabs their arms and hauls them off of the empty car. His gaze slides over their clothes, turning disapproving when he sees the dirt and grass stains. “Brendan, go and get cleaned up; your tutor is waiting and time is money.”
Brendan pulls his baseball cap off and looks up at his father. “Well, shouldn’t Michael go with me?”
“The two of you will have separate tutors from now on.” He looks at the younger boy. “Do not make me repeat myself.”
Michael watches his father after Brendan leaves and he has a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. “How come we got separate tutors now?” He sees the twitch in his father’s right cheek, sees the way his eyes change, but he never sees him move.
The back of his head smacks against the wall behind him when the back of his father’s hand suddenly cracks against his cheek. His head is still spinning when he’s jerked to his feet and dragged inside and down the hall to the guestroom. He looks around, not understanding when he sees all of his things thrown about the room.
“This’s your room now,” his father states.
He turns to look at the man, confusion written clearly across his young face. “But, me an’ Bren share – “
“You no longer share a room or anything else. Unlike you, Brendan is going to make something of himself.”
Michael frowns at that, not understanding why his father is being so mean. “But, I’m gonna be somethin’ too, Dad,” he protests.
“You’re gonna be worthless and good for nothing like you’ve always been,” the man says in a cruel tone.
He’s only twelve, but he knows what those words mean and they hurt worse than when his father slapped him earlier. “I’m not worthless,” he insists defiantly. He knows immediately that he’s said too much and his eyes widen when his father unbuckles his belt; there’s nowhere to go, no way to avoid the beating he knows is coming.
When his father leaves he collapses on the bed, facedown to avoid any contact with the raised welts on his back. He refused to give his father the satisfaction of seeing him cry and that only seemed to make the man angrier. He wants someone to make the pain go away, someone to take him in their arms and tell him that he’s not worthless like his father believes, but there is no one.
He can’t tell his mother because she’s always been distant and when she looks at him there’s a sadness that he doesn’t understand. He could tell Alex, but his older brother is away with friends and his father said if he told anyone he would regret it. What if his father meant that he would hurt Brendan? Or even worse, what if he hurt Brooke? She’s a girl, and so little… He knows he can’t let that happen.
“It was the first time, but...” He averted his gaze. “Wasn’t the last time.” He had never told anyone about that and now he was nervous. Would she think he was weak? Pathetic for still having nightmares at his age?
Maria shook her head. “How could anyone hit their own child?”
“Apparently it’s not that hard.”
“I could never do that... and I could never stay with a man who would hit my child.”
“Just one more difference between you an’ my mother.”
“Did anyone know? Your siblings? Kyle?”
“No, they don’t know; I never intended for them to know. Kyle suspects… well, I think he knows; he’s never directly asked, but I’m pretty sure he knows. I could only blame the bruises on football for so long...”
Maria nodded. Her thoughts were tumbling over all the ways Hank might had hurt him over the years. She released his hands to wrap her arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know what to say, it’s so cruel. Nobody deserves this.”
Michael slowly brought his arms up around her, holding her close and resting his chin on her head. He didn’t know what to say in response to her words; he had never let anyone in like this. “I hate him,” he grated out through clenched teeth. It was something that he had never admitted to anyone else. It wasn’t a secret and plenty of people probably suspected it was true, but he had never said the words aloud.
“You don’t have to be scared to be like him in any way, baby. I hate him, too, for telling you your whole life that you’re worthless and that you don’t belong anywhere.” She leaned back to look at him. Did he still feel like that now? she wondered.
“I’ve never had anywhere that I really belonged.” He stared into her eyes, surprised by the intensity he saw there. “But, maybe I’ve finally found somewhere that I belong... someone I belong with.”
“I hope I can always be that someone for you.”
His hands came up to gently cradle her face as he leaned in closer to kiss her. “I hope I don’t fuck it up.”
“Don’t worry about that, baby, we will always find our way back to each other… even if you’re gonna be a bad boy and lose your way once in a while.”
Michael smirked at her when he heard the teasing words. “I thought you liked me bein’ a bad boy?” he asked, purposefully misunderstanding her words.
“As long as you’re a good bad boy.”
“A good bad boy,” he snorted. He looked down at her as his hands moved down to her hips, pulling her tighter against him. “I can be very good,” he growled.
“I know you can,” she whispered back and pressed her body against his in response to his touch.
Michael lifted her up and set her on the counter so that they were at eye level and he rested his forehead against hers as his fingers trailed over her bare legs beneath the hem of her tee shirt.
Maria let her gaze wander over his naked upper body and she reached out to caress his chest. “You’re incredible,” she breathed, not really noticing that she had expressed her thoughts out loud.
Michael’s chest swelled up proudly in response to her praise. “I am pretty incredible,” he agreed, knowing she wouldn’t be able to leave it alone.
She rolled her eyes. “I should watch my mouth or your ego’s gonna explode soon,” she said with a smirk.
“I got a better idea,” he muttered gruffly. “I’ll watch your mouth for you because it needs to be watched closely.”
“Hmmm, does that mean I’m not allowed to talk ever again?”
He chuckled gruffly and shook his head. “I can’t imagine you not talkin’,” he teased.
“Won’t happen. There’s always somethin’ I wanna talk about. And...” she added, “I enjoy tellin’ anyone and everyone that Michael Guerin is my boyfriend now.”
“You like that, huh?”
“Uh-huh, I love it,” she admitted, grinning.
“Y’know what I love?”
Me, I hope, she thought. “Tell me?”
“I’d really love a shower right about now.” He winced as he shifted. “I’m all sticky from earlier,” he complained.
“You wanna shower at three in the mornin’?” Maria asked.
“Depends... wanna shower with me? Can’t make any promises about how much actual showerin’ we’ll get done, but I can promise it’ll be fun.” He grinned wickedly.
“If you’re gonna carry me to the bathroom; my feet are cold.”
“Carry you? Y’know I’ve got practice all week and a game next weekend... and you want me to risk throwin’ my back out?”
She smacked his arm. “Thank you.”
“I’m just sayin’...” He bit back a grin when he realized she was pouting. He wrapped his hands around her thighs and pulled her towards him as he leaned in to kiss her. “Just sayin’ I'll risk it for you.”
“Yeah, you’d better,” she mumbled against his lips.
“Maybe you should carry me,” he suggested.
“Carry you?”
“Yeah, save my back.”
“And ruin mine?”
Michael straightened up and looked at her, offended. “Are you sayin’ I’m overweight?”
“Well…” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back to have a good look at him. Of course there was nothing on his body that wasn’t perfectly formed, but she wasn’t going to admit it.
Michael frowned when her eyes kept roaming over him but she stayed silent. He glanced down at himself and frowned. “Well?” he demanded. He was starting to get self-conscious the longer she stared at him without saying anything and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay, you know what? I’ll just take a shower by myself,” he grumbled.
She sighed. “Okay, I can’t find anything I wanna change.”
His smug grin immediately surfaced again. “That’s what I thought.”
She dropped down to the floor again and started to walk in the direction of the bathroom. “Are you comin’?”
Michael hurried to catch up with her and lifted her up in his arms. “I thought you wanted me to carry you?”
“I thought you didn’t wanna throw your back out?”
“Y’know I was just kiddin’ about that, right?”
“Yeah.” She let her head rest on his shoulder as he carried her along the hallway.
Michael glanced down at her when she relaxed against him. “You just wanna go back to bed?”
“No, I don’t wanna miss a shower with you.”
“Hope you weren’t expectin’ an argument from me.”
They reached the bathroom and Michael set her down so she could sit on the edge of the tub while he was turning on the water. He adjusted the temperature of the water and frowned at the single showerhead. “We’re gonna have to stay over at my place more often.” His shower was bigger, had multiple showerheads, and the pressure was better too.
“Yeah, I don’t have a problem with that; I like your room and this apartment has gotten kinda lonely here lately, anyway.” Isabel had practically moved out, Tess was with Kyle most of the time... and Liz would be distracted for a while since she and Sean had broken up.
“You’ll love my shower... this one’s just...” He shook his head. “Sad.”
“I already know your shower, remember? And you’re right, I like it.”
“Yeah, but you don’t know my shower with me in it... I promise it’s a lot better.”
“I hope we’re gonna find out soon.” Maria stood up and walked over next too him, reaching for the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head so she was standing there naked.
Michael’s gaze traveled over her body, still unable to believe that she was his or that she really wanted to be with him. He reached out, letting his hands trace over her shoulders and down her arms until he reached her hands. He threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her up against his body. “Thanks,” he whispered gruffly. “For, y’know, bein’ here.”
“Every time you need me,” she promised.
He nodded, accepting her words without question. “So, about that shower...”
“Yeah?”
He rolled his eyes and shoved his jeans and boxers down and off. “Do you ever make anything easy?”
“Hmmm, no, I guess not, sorry.” She stepped into the shower first, letting the hot water run down over her body.
Michael stepped in behind her and pressed up against her since she was hogging all of the water. “You just like things hard, huh?” he growled, nudging his erection against her.
“Sometimes...” she said, leaning back against his body and enjoying the feeling of being so close to him.
His arms wrapped around her, his hands skimming over her wet skin. He ran his right foot over the bottom of the tub, checking to make sure that it wasn’t the kind with the slick surface that would have them both on their asses if he picked her up and lost his footing. He turned her around and pressed her back to the wall, not thinking about the fact that the tile would be cold.
“Whoa, Michael, that’s damn cold!” she yelped as she fought to get away from the tile and back into his arms.
“Sorry, baby,” he growled, turning and hissing when he pressed his own back against the wall. Mike Jr. hadn’t liked that, he thought, grimacing. But, it was for a worthwhile cause – he had plans for that wall and it was gonna have to be warmed before Maria let him press her up against it again.
“That’s my man,” Maria said when she realized he was going to warm it up for her.
“Might have to change Mike Jr.’s name to Mini Me after this,” he grunted, wishing the tile would hurry up and get warm.
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” she said and let her hands travel up his thighs.
“Keep that up... maybe it won’t be.”
His hands settled on either side of her neck as he lowered his head to kiss her, easily forgetting all about the cold tile when she returned the kiss without restraint.
She let her hands wander further upwards to brush against his erection. “Mike Jr. feels fine to me,” she observed.
No need to change names, he thought when she touched him.
“I think the tile’s fine.” He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him as he turned and pressed her to the warmed tile.
“Definitely better, thank you.”
“You in the mood for slow? Or...” He nudged the tip of his erection against her opening, leaving the decision up to her.
“Yeah, keep things slow this time, baby,” she decided. The sex earlier had been great, but she needed some tenderness right now.
Michael nodded and eased her legs down as he kissed his way down her neck, paying attention to her breasts as her hands came up to tangle in his wet hair. He took his time, worshipping every part of her body as he slowly continued his journey south. He finally had to get on his knees and he looked up at her; water sluiced down her body, making her skin wet and sleek.
She stared down at him and it felt like nothing could ever separate them again. She could see his feelings for her in his eyes for the first time and they matched her own feelings. She loved him, but she couldn’t get the words out. She was scared that it was too early or that the words would scare him off.
As Michael looked up at her he was hit with emotions that he only had one name for, but he couldn’t express his feelings, couldn’t get the words past his closed throat. It was too soon to voice it and he could only hope that she knew he felt strongly about her. He finally had to break her gaze and his hands skimmed over her thighs as he rested his forehead on her flat belly. When he felt like he had himself under control again he leaned back to press a kiss to her skin.
He glanced up at her and grinned as he lifted her right leg, resting it over his shoulder. “Ready to take a ride?” He watched her eyes darken as he slid one finger through her slick folds, loving the way her voice sounded so breathless when she answered.
“Uh-huh.” She placed one hand on the corner shelf to steady herself. “Don’t stop, Michael.”
His eyes stayed locked on hers as he slowly kissed his way down her belly and over her mound. Her encouragement was all he needed and he let his tongue replace his finger, teasing her mercilessly. He quickly brought her to the edge, leaving her teetering right on the brink as he backed off to look up at her with a gin. “So... how slow, exactly?”
“You are so evil, Michael,” she pouted.
Every time, he thought, every damn time! All she had to do was pull that pout into play and he would do anything she wanted. He nodded and put his tongue back to work, knowing it wouldn’t take long to bring her right back to the edge. As soon as he felt her approaching orgasm he quickly pushed two fingers into her and nipped her clit before sucking on it and drawing her orgasm out.
Maria had a very hard time staying upright and she grabbed his shoulder to show him that she needed him to keep her from falling.
Michael carefully lowered her leg and stood to take her trembling body in his arms. He kissed her gently, hands running over her to soothe her through the aftermath as he turned to lean against the wall.
“Just give me a few seconds to get my legs under control again,” she mumbled into his neck, holding onto him tightly.
“So, I make you go weak in the knees, huh?” he bragged.
“That’s boosting your ego again, huh?” she asked, her mind still clouded.
He chuckled. “That’s not all it’s boosting.”
“Yeah, believe me, I can feel that.”
“I hope so... it is pretty impressive.”
“Uh-huh.” She let her hand trail to the back of his neck and pulled him down to brush her lips against his before biting his bottom lip playfully. “Think you can show me how impressive it is?” she asked teasing.
He snorted. “Do people in hell want ice water?” he countered. “Hell yeah, I can show you. Any requests?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m trusting you with that.”
“So, you want me to do all the work and figure out what position you want?”
“Exactly.”
“Are we devoted to the shower or can we take it to the bedroom?”
“We’re the only ones in the apartment, so we can take in anywhere we want to.”
“Anywhere, huh?”
“Well, anywhere but the other girls’ bedrooms of course.”
Michael shuddered at that thought. “Okay, never say that again.” Ungh… did she even realize what she had just said? The bedrooms belonged to a virgin, his brother’s girlfriend, and his best friend’s girlfriend! “How d’you feel about sex on the patio?”
“Well, under normal circumstances I would love to, but we’re all wet, Michael, and I’m not looking forward to another round of the flu this year.”
“Fuck, I forgot about that. Maybe in the summer when it’s good and warm outside in the middle of the night,” he said, not even realizing the importance of his assumption that they would still be together well into the next year.
“Yeah, I can’t wait for that.”
“Okay, movin’ on to Plan B... although I’m really glad to hear that you wouldn’t be opposed to sex out on the patio,” he grinned.
“Tell me about Plan B.”
“Plan B... Plan B... Hold on, I’m thinkin’...” He turned the water off since it was beginning to get cool and stepped out to grab a towel. He helped her out and dried her off before running the towel over himself, getting rid of the excess water.
His eyes lifted to hers as he tossed the towel up to hang it over the shower rod, amazed once again at how comfortable she was with her body. He caught his reflection in the mirror and a slow grin slid over his face.
“What’s on your mind, baby?”
He shook his head, his thoughts momentarily leaving his newest idea and focusing on her again. “You are so sexy,” he whispered roughly.
She walked over to him in slow motion, letting her hands rest on each side of his neck and standing on her tiptoes to kiss him passionately.
Michael returned her kiss with every bit of heat and fire he possessed as he walked them over to the vanity area and pressed her back against the counter. “Mirrors,” he muttered gruffly, pulling back just enough to speak. “How d’you feel about watchin’ yourself?”
“Never done it before,” she confessed.
“Yeah? Me either... too weird?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Really?” He nodded at the mirror behind her. “Wanna try it?”
“Yeah.” She took his hands in hers as she looked down at the ground. “There isn’t much that I wouldn’t do with you,” she said quietly.
Michael raised their joined hands to nudge her chin up so he could look into her eyes. He was on the verge of talking too much and losing the mood, but he had to know what she meant. “What wouldn’t you do with me?”
She looked into his eyes, trying to think of anything that she wasn’t willing to do with him. “Well, something crazy, like bungee jumping for example.”
Michael relaxed. “Oh, hell, baby, you ain’t gotta worry about that... too high for me. I’m scar... I mean, I don’t like heights, remember?”
She laughed. “Right, I forgot about that. But you seemed to be doing okay on the Ferris wheel after a while.”
He grinned when Mike Jr. got with the program again. “Yeah, that wasn’t so bad.” He turned her around and pressed up against her, meeting her gaze in the mirror. “Now, about my mirror question...”
She moaned softly when he pressed his erection against her. “How can you do this to me all the time?” she breathed, resting her hands on the counter
“That’s a two-way street, baby, ‘cause you do this to me all the time, too.” He watched her reflection for a moment, the way her eyes slid closed when she felt him against her. “I want you to keep your eyes open the whole time,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.
“I’m not sure I’m gonna able to do that, baby.”
“Just try.” He had read that staring into each other’s eyes during sex heightened the connection between couples, but he wasn’t about to admit that. Maria would never let him hear the end of it if she knew he had been reading one of Tess’s stupid chick magazines.
“Okay, I’ll try.”
She was ready for him and he easily slid into her tight opening before covering her hands where they were gripping the edge of the counter. He stayed still, giving her time to adjust; he knew she would let him know when she was ready for more.
Maria fought the natural instinct to close her eyes and forced herself to look at him through the mirror. She pressed her back further against him, wanting him to start moving slowly.
Michael followed her lead, amazed at how easy it was, and he moved his hips in a torturously slow back and forth motion. He couldn’t have taken his eyes off of hers at that moment for anything. Her green eyes were a maelstrom of wild emotions and she was so open that it felt like he was seeing straight into her soul. He bit his bottom lip and sweat broke out along his back as he fought to keep his movements slow.
His intense gaze sent shivers down her back. I love you, I love you, I love you, she repeated the words in her mind over and over again, but they weren’t leaving her mouth.
Michael had never felt anything so intense and he kept his fingers intertwined with hers as he brought their arms around her waist so he could pick up his pace.
Maria could feel that she was already close to her next orgasm. “I’m close,” she whispered.
Michael nodded wordlessly, barely blinking when a drop of sweat crept down and dripped into his eye. Damn, that stung like hell! But he refused to look away, refused to do anything that would prevent him from seeing the look in her eyes when he pushed her completely over the edge.
He held her tighter, his arm a band of steel around her, as his hips slammed into her. He was seconds away from losing it and he felt her body beginning to clamp down on him, letting him know she was right there.
“Oh, God,” she breathed out, keeping her eyes locked with his.
He would’ve known the exact moment she reached her peak even if he hadn’t been inside of her; the look of ecstasy on her face was expression in its purest form and he was spellbound by it.
Moments later he came and it took everything he had to keep his eyes open. He didn’t think he had ever in his life let anyone see him at that moment and after seeing the look in her eyes, he understood why. That stupid article hadn’t been lying about that connection, he realized.
After they had calmed down a little, Maria turned around and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly and taking in his scent. “Don’t leave me.” she whispered against his skin. The last few days with him had been the best in her life and she couldn’t imagine going on without him anymore.
His heart was pounding and he was sure she could feel it and hear it where the side of her head was pressed against his chest. Leave her?! What was she thinking? He lifted her chin and shook his head as he met her eyes. “Crazy girl,” he murmured as he kissed her. “I could never leave you.”
She nodded, hoping that he really meant it and it wasn’t just something he was saying because of the incredible sex they had shared. She had completely fallen for him and it scared her.
Michael tilted his head to one side, frowning when some of the light seemed to disappear from her eyes. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“No, I’m just... I’m...” She sighed. Since when did she have a problem talking?
Michael looked down when she started to play with his dog tags, her movements almost... nervous? “Maria? Talk to me.”
“I’m just scared of losin’ you,” she finally admitted quietly.
“Baby, I’m not goin’ anywhere.” How else could he reassure her? “Listen to me, okay? I know I’ve got a shitty track record with girls in my past, but... don’t...” He cleared his throat. “Don’t judge what I’m capable of based on that. I can’t change my past, and to be honest, I wouldn’t if I could, ‘cause I know what I’ve been missin’ out on all along now, and I don’t ever wanna miss out on it again.”
She nodded slightly. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I do. It’s just... I can’t even explain it. I’m scared of losin’ you, not only because you could meet someone else, but... It sounds stupid, sorry. You are so important to me and the last few days have changed a lot, ya know?”
Wow, it had only been a few days, Michael realized. His entire life had changed and he couldn’t imagine her not being in it now. “I do know, yeah... and, y’know, it’s changed a lot for me, too.” He kissed her forehead. “I could meet someone else, but it wouldn’t matter ‘cause I’ve already got you.”
It felt good to hear him say that and she started to relax again. “Can we go to bed?”
“Can you carry me?” he teased, glad to see that she seemed a little more confident about them now. “You’ve just about worn my ass out tonight.”
“Me?” she asked innocently.
“Don’t pull that innocent shit on me, Maria… we both know better.” He laughed when she started to pout and he kissed her before lifting her up in his arms and carrying her back into the bedroom.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 74 - 12/6/09
mary mary: Michael will be much more ready to deal with his father now.
And Max, well… yeah, he really does.
begonia9508: Exactly what happens when they let the brain behind the zipper make their decisions for them!
Earth2Mama: You did read what you thought you read, lol! We think it’s pretty special! That scene’s already been written, but not tellin’ ya when it’ll post.
We’ll take that as a big compliment. Hmm… but if we’re makin’ ya late for work, maybe we need to post shorter parts?
You were right about that suggestion and we’ll get to see that scene in this next part. While Max and Liz will encounter the occasional bump in the road neither of them are the type to let situations build until things are out of hand.
True, there really isn’t much Alex could have done had he realized what was going on. Hope ya got some work done and the Sunday update won’t keep you from anything important, lol!
kay-b: LOL, that was funny! Maybe you’ve just avoided those territorial types.
The reason for Hank’s choice had a lot to do with the twins’ personalities. He saw Michael as the more stubborn and wilful of the two while Brendan was the most likely to do what he wanted him to do.
It was totally the kinda thought Michael would have at that moment, huh? LOL, we thought so, too!
sarammlover: They knew it… they fought it… they lost to it! LOL, but we all knew it was only a matter of time, right? Max and Liz… we’ll see in this next part.
kismet: Finally, it’s good progress!
Max and Liz are in-tune with each other and so are Michael and Maria.
The airport scene… we’ll find out in this next update.
80s_UnLove_Child: Alex will begin to relax a bit and realize that there isn’t anything he could’ve done. Well, that scene has already been written… we think we’ve safely avoided that cliché.
Liz is definitely in for a serious interrogation, lol!
keepsmiling7: We’re so glad!
It’s okay, Jordyn won’t have to see it for long, lol.
And it’s a trip he will make!
Alien_Friend: Uh-oh, not spoiling you too much, we hope! Michael is doing very well despite his past. His childhood was unexpectedly cruel and it’s something he will deal with for quite a while. As for Alex, that’s something that is difficult to deal with.
We think he will. Yeah, the girls’ apartment is gonna be pretty empty soon, huh?
That kind of forgiveness would be hard to give and there’s a lot this group will have to work through. Family can count in situations such as this… we’ll see what, if anything, happens on that front later on.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
Eva: It was a painful, horrible scene. It’s a sad reality that too many kids face every day, and knowing that the people hurting you are the ones who should be protecting you… it’s not an easy thing to deal with.
Yes, it definitely helped rid Michael of that nightmare. For a while anyway.
Maiqu: Michael’s doing very well! Max and Liz will be getting back soon.
Part 74 – Taking Brooke Back
Liz blinked a few times when the movement of the mattress woke her up. She turned around slowly and found Max sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to her. A quick glance at the alarm clock at the nightstand told her that it was only 7am. “Can’t sleep anymore?” she mumbled wearily and let her hand wander over his lower back.
Max rubbed his hands over his face. “No.” He hadn’t slept much after talking about his brother the night before.
Liz could sense that something was wrong with him and she forced herself to wake up more. She slipped closer to him and raised her upper body so she could press a kiss to his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just thinkin’ about what you said last night.”
“I’m good with whatever you decide, okay?”
He nodded. “I’m gonna go for a run down by the lake, try to clear my head a little bit.” He reached back and patted her leg. “You should try to get a little more sleep before breakfast.”
“Okay,” she replied quietly. She didn’t like that he was pushing her away to be alone and it was obvious that his behavior was connected to his brother, but she didn’t want to press either.
Max heard the hesitation in her voice and instead of getting up like he had intended he found himself staring out through the balcony doors again. “I think maybe I should go out...” he swallowed with difficulty, “...to the gravesite.”
“You wanna do it alone?” she asked and tried to hide her surprise.
He shook his head silently and lowered his gaze to his hands.
She sat up in the bed again and slipped closer to him on her knees. “Want me to come with you?”
“You really want to?” he asked doubtfully. He wanted her to go but he didn’t want her to go if she didn’t really want to.
Liz nodded. “I’m going if you want me to.”
“It’s just not right for him to be there,” he muttered quietly.
“I know, Max, it’s never easy to lose someone close. Especially not when that person was way too young to die.” She rested her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
He leaned back into her touch and let it soothe him for a few minutes before he sat up again and reached for his tennis shoes. “Alright, I’m gonna go for a run and after that maybe we can go... out there, to the... y’know...” He rubbed his hand over his goatee. “I don’t think I can eat before goin’ out there.”
“Okay, I’m gonna take a quick shower and get ready while you go for your run.” She climbed out of bed and gave him a quick kiss before she headed to the bath to prepare for what was coming up.
*****
Michael was unaware of the faint light beginning to filter in through the windows as morning began to quietly announce itself. He was propped up on his right elbow, chin in hand as he watched the woman sleeping next to him. He needed to leave soon but he didn’t want to go without letting her know first.
Maria stirred, stretching lazily before shifting closer to him and sighing contentedly when she settled against him. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest, enjoying the feel of his sleep-warmed skin against hers. “What’s on your mind?” she rasped, easily identifying his mental distance.
“Huh?” Michael had been watching her but hadn’t even noticed that she was waking up. He gave her a tight smile when she opened her eyes and repeated her question. “Oh, just... I’m gonna have to leave pretty soon,” he said, waiting for the questions he knew would come next.
“Where d’you have to go so early?”
He bit his bottom lip, wondering what she would say about their plan. “I’m meetin’ my brothers so we can get to the airport.”
Maria was suddenly wide awake and raised her upper body from the bed. “To the airport?”
“We’re gonna get there before my parents take off with Brooke.” He ran his left hand through his hair to distract himself. “We’re gonna try to force my father’s hand... make him sign over full custody to Alex.”
“How’re you gonna do that?” Maria asked, but the answer came to her as soon as the words had left her mouth.
“Oh... you’re gonna bring up the abuse?”
Michael nodded uncomfortably. “There’s nothin’ else we can use to make him sign the papers... it might not even work.” He shrugged and dropped his gaze. “It’s a risk we’re gonna have to take.”
“Can I come with you?” She didn’t want him to go through all of this alone, but she had a feeling that he would say no.
“I appreciate the support and I’d like to say yes, but I think it’s somethin’ that we need to do alone.” He shrugged one shoulder, hoping she would understand. “I don’t think Isabel’s goin’ either.”
She nodded and let herself rest back on the bed again, staring at the ceiling. “Okay.”
Michael reached out to her, cupping her cheek and turning her face to him. “You do understand, right?” He shook his head, dark eyes seeking proof. “It has nothin’ to do with you.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said slowly. “Can you call me when it’s over? I... it’s just, I know you don’t wanna talk all the time, but when you just wrote that little message last night... it felt weird, ya know? To not know what was goin’ on.”
He nodded. “I’ll call,” he promised. “I’ll probably stay over at Alex’s place tonight; the kid’s gonna need us to be around a lot for the next few days to get her settled back in.”
“Yeah.” She hugged him tightly, letting her head rest against his chest. “I’m gonna miss you.”
“Well, just don’t forget that... it’ll more than likely only be for tonight though.” He wondered how traumatized his sister would be over this mess. “She just needs to know we’re all there for her, y’know?”
“Let me know if I can do anything.”
Michael’s chest tightened as he experienced that feeling that seemed to be occurring with more frequency when she was around. “Just keep your phone close by... just in case.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
He glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand and sighed. “I need to get movin’ here pretty soon.”
“I hope things will be normal one day soon,” Maria said, remembering the last few weeks.
“That makes two of us.” He grinned suddenly. “Last night was pretty good though.”
“It was, huh?”
“You have to ask?” he growled.
“No, it was amazing.”
He grinned again, a combination of arrogance, pride, and plain happiness. “It was amazing.”
“Yeah, we’re a good match,” she said, grinning.
Michael nodded and he reluctantly sat up. “I’d better grab a shower and get goin’; I don’t wanna be late meetin’ my brothers.” He paused for a moment. “That sounds weird, ya know? For so long me an’ Brendan haven’t had anything to say to each other and now... now it’s different.”
Maria stared at him for several seconds. “You’re more similar then you think you are!”
“No, I just meant that it’s so different bein’ able to really talk to him.” He turned to look at her. “You think we’re alike?”
“Yeah, it’s hard to explain, but you are. Hank created that huge distance between you two, but I think you finally found a way to get past it.”
“Brendan went to see him.”
“To see Hank? Why?”
“I think he was hopin’ to get some information about Karen... he just got a lot more than he bargained for.”
“Did Hank hit him, too?”
“Yeah, Hank took a shot at him. He wasn’t expectin’ it, so it scared him... at least he wasn’t hurt badly.” He shook his head. “He went over there lookin’ like me, thinkin’ that the old man would be more honest if he thought he was dealin’ with me.”
“And Hank bought that?”
“He must’ve because he told Brendan a lot of stuff that he never would’ve said otherwise... and even as mad as he was at dinner, I can’t imagine him hittin’ Brendan.”
“Pfff,” Maria shook her head, “unbelievable. A father who can’t even tell which of his sons is standing in front of him.”
Michael smirked as he shifted, rolling over and pinning her beneath him. “I seem to recall a time when you couldn’t tell us apart either.”
“Well, I didn’t know you had a twin; I realized the difference, but there was no explanation for it at first.”
“Admit it, you thought Brendan was schizo.”
“Yeah, I thought about that, ‘cause it all made no sense. I thought if he had a twin he would’ve told me, so I excluded that possibility.”
“Um-hmm... you can just tell me the truth, y’know. I won’t tell him you thought he was crazy.”
Maria laughed. “I’m glad he wasn’t.”
“If I had the time we’d stay right here until you admitted you thought he was crazy.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Okay, I admit it, I had some doubts about his mental... stability. But luckily, it turned out that he just had a twin brother who went after me.” She gave him a saucy grin.
Michael grinned. Yeah, he had known he was right! “He’s got a twin brother who isn’t gonna let you go either.”
“I wouldn’t let him go anyway.”
“Make sure you don’t.” He lowered his head to give her a quick kiss before sitting up and rolling out of bed. “I’m gonna go before the temptation to stay with you overrules my brain.”
“I’m gonna be here when you come back,” she said when he walked into the bathroom. “I always be,” she whispered to herself.
*****
Max took a deep breath as he stepped out of his mom’s SUV and looked around at the beautifully landscaped grounds of the cemetery. He was glad he had decided to do this before eating because his stomach was tied up in knots and he felt nauseas. He walked around the front of the Escalade so he could open Liz’ door and help her out.
He appreciated her silence as she walked beside him, knowing exactly where Jason’s grave was despite having only been there the one time. He slowed as he neared the location and he released her hand as he turned to look at her. “I think maybe I should, y’know, go by myself first.”
She nodded and reached out to squeeze his arm supportively before letting him go and watching him from a distance.
Max walked slowly, feeling his legs start to shake as he neared the small hill where his brother’s headstone was placed, marking his final resting place. He had never seen the headstone and his hand trembled as he reached out to run his fingertips over the smooth, cold marker.
The headstone was black granite with his brother’s name etched into the polished stone above the dates that indicated his birth and death. He crouched down and let his fingers trace over the etchings, the numbers a cruel reminder that his brother’s life had been taken too soon.
“I fuckin’ hate you,” he whispered hoarsely. “Why couldn’t you just be like everyone else and keep goin’ when you saw someone stranded on the side of the road? No, not you... you had to stop, had to be the one to take that extra step and change some old guy’s tire instead of letting him wait for the service he’d already called.”
His hand curled into a fist and he slammed it down against the top of the headstone, not even feeling the pain that radiated out from the point of impact. He felt the emotions that he had denied for so long pushing to the surface – pain, anger, hurt, and at the very edge, just a hint of acceptance along with the knowledge that he had to let his brother go.
“You fucked everything up, Jason... left your wife without a husband, your son without a father, our parents without their oldest son, me an’ Tay without our brother...” His hand unclenched and he unconsciously started to rub his palm over the edge of the headstone. “You said you’d be there for me when I finally met the right girl... well, I’ve finally met her and you’re not here.”
He stared at his brother’s name and he shook his head when he realized that his vision was blurry. “You had no right to just leave like that.” He chuckled, the sound forced. “Y’know with you gone I’ve gotta go to Dad for advice... you were supposed to prevent that from happening.” He smiled to himself and looked up when the sun shifted higher in the sky and its light fell over the ground nearby.
“Dad gives good advice, he always has, but it’s just not quite the same as bein’ able to go to my big brother. God, I wish you were here...” He laughed out loud after a moment. “You so would’ve kicked my ass for goin’ after an engaged woman... and then you would’ve sat down and helped me figure out how to get her away from a fiancé that wasn’t worth her time.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the woman waiting patiently for him to ask her to join him, her expression concerned and openly hurting... for him. “I wish like hell I could introduce the two of you; Lacey suggested introducing her to you here, but I can’t even tell you how stupid that makes me feel.” He shook his head. “You’re probably sittin’ up in heaven laughin’ your ass off about that.”
He ran his hand over the headstone once more. “You would’ve liked her, Jason.” He cleared a few stray weeds away from the edge of the marker and let his forehead rest against the cold granite for a moment. “I don’t really hate you, ya know, but I’m sure as hell still pissed at you for leavin’ the way you did.” He gave the headstone a final pat and stood up again as he turned and motioned for Liz to join him.
Liz took in a deep breath when he finally wanted her to come over. She had heard him talking to his brother, and even if she hadn’t understood the words, she knew it had been a mix of anger, hurt and defenselessness.
“Hey,” she said quietly and felt her heart sink even more when she saw tears glistening in Max’ eyes.
He swallowed hard and nodded, unable to speak at that moment. He reached for her hand and they stood there in silence for a few minutes before he was able to work past the lump in his throat.
“Are you gonna feel totally stupid if I introduce you to my brother?”
Liz glanced from the grave to Max and shook her head slightly. She knew he needed this and even if it was a little awkward, she would do it for Max. She remembered too well Anna’s death back home. Though Anna had been friends with Maria and Tess more than Isabel or her, it had hurt to lose her and Liz had visited the grave a few times after the accident to tell the girl how things were going in school.
“Okay, ‘cause I’ve gotta admit, it’s makin’ me feel pretty stupid.” He shrugged one shoulder. “But, I’m never gonna get the chance to really introduce the two of you, so this’s as close as...” He cleared his throat and laughed nervously as he turned and gestured to the headstone. “Liz, this’s...” He frowned. “This’s stupid, isn’t it? It’s not like he’s really here.”
Liz squeezed his hand slightly. “No, it’s not, Max.” She crouched down in front of the grave and placed one hand on the headstone. “Hey, Jason, I’m Liz and your little brother over here has turned my life upside down recently.”
Max sighed, relieved that she had taken the reins and made the introductions on her own. “Jason would’ve liked you, Liz.”
She smiled sadly and got to her feet again. “Yeah, I would’ve liked him as well.”
He smiled and nodded. He had no doubts that she and Jason would’ve gotten along well. “Thanks for comin’ out here with me.”
“You’re welcome.” She leaned against his side and they both looked down at the headstone for a while in silence.
*****
The airport was filled with people making their way home after the long holiday weekend, but the Guerin brothers paid no attention to the crowd around them as they made their way to the gate at the far end of the terminal. Alex had the papers carefully tucked away in one of his jacket pockets and he kept reaching up to make sure they were still there.
The crowd began to thin out as they reached their destination and Michael swallowed nervously when he noticed the reporters milling about in an area that had been cordoned off for the press. He ignored them when he heard the murmured comments as the lot of them realized that all three of them were there and within seconds the reporters were talking over each other in an effort to get a few words from them.
“I’ll talk to them,” Alex said, motioning for his brothers to keep an eye out for their parents and sister. He walked over to the horde of reporters, flashing his charming smile and greeting some of them by name. He was used to the attention even though he didn’t enjoy it and he fielded a dozen questions before someone pointed out that the man they were all there to interview had arrived.
He turned to follow his parents’ progression and he felt anger building within him when he saw his little sister walking between them, holding her head down and flinching away from the flashes of the reporters’ cameras. He enjoyed the momentary expression of confusion that crossed his father’s features when he saw all of his sons waiting for him and he waved to get the man’s attention as he moved to cut him off.
“Alex, what’re you doing here?” Hank asked, his eyes moving over each of the boys in turn as they stood in front of him.
“Oh, we just wanted to stop by and pick up Brooke, tell the press what a great father you are, and that you raised three young men who are willin’ to take care of their sister so that she could finish her schoolin’ here in the States.”
“That is not an option that is open for discussion,” Hank stated confidently.
Brooke looked up and met Michael’s eyes.
Michael’s hands fisted at his sides when he saw the dark bruise on his sister’s cheek and he nodded once to let her know everything was going to be okay. “No, you’re right,” he said, taking a step towards Hank, “it’s not an option. You’re gonna sign the fuckin’ papers and you’re gonna terminate your so-called parental rights... and you’re gonna do it before you get on that plane.”
It was obvious that Hank was getting uncomfortable at the prospect of having a fight with his sons in front of the press. “Brooke is coming with us.”
Alex shook his head. “She’s not goin’ anywhere with you... ever again. You taught me all about interacting with the press, remember? I know how to turn the words around to make a situation look good or bad... and right now, I don’t have to turn anything around to make you look bad.”
Brendan glanced at his mother, shocked at her horrified expression.
Hank’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Boy, I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but you’d do well to remember that I don’t take well to threats.”
Michael took a step forward, bringing him face to face with his father. “Sign the damn papers or we’re gonna let everyone know that the great businessman Hank Guerin abused his own children and maybe even his wife.” She glanced at his mother for a second.
Anger caused Hank’s face to flush bright red and he stared at Michael in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what the boy had just said; he had been so sure that those words would never cross the boy’s lips. He pulled himself together, certain that it was just a tactic and that Michael was bluffing. “And you have proof?” His gaze shifted to Alex. “I know you keep a lawyer on retainer... you must know that without proof, you have no foundation for a case against me.”
Michael’s heart thudded painfully against the wall of his chest. He had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, that his father would simply take the threat at face value and sign the damn papers... he should’ve known better. “I’m prepared to walk over to those reporters waitin’ right behind me and give them a blow by blow account of every single fuckin’ time you ever raised a hand to me or beat me black and blue with your belt,” he snarled, his voice low and filled with rage. “I won’t hold back, Hank... and your reputation will be ruined. I don’t have shareholders and stockholders to impress... the only people I need to worry about don’t care what gets printed about me in the papers.”
“And if that isn’t enough, I’ll give them proof,” Brooke said suddenly. She shoved Hank’s hand away from her and lifted her head up for the first time so that her bruised face came into full view. She walked over to Michael, so that she was facing her father as well.
Maureen’s eyes filled with tears as she watched her children stand united against her husband... and her. She placed a shaking hand on her husband’s arm. “Let her go, Hank,” she whispered.
Alex pulled the papers out and held them right in his father’s face. “Make your decision.”
Hank’s gaze bounced between his wife, his children, and the all-too-important group of reporters watching the scene with interest. They were far enough away that he knew they couldn’t hear what was going on, but he could see the truth in Michael’s eyes and he knew the boy had finally been pushed too far. All it would take would be the rumor of abuse and it could potentially bring his empire down and destroy him.
He snatched the papers out of his oldest son’s hand and flipped through them, glancing over the forms. “Termination of parental rights, huh?” His eyes turned to ice as he reached for the pen in his breast pocket. “Fine, it’s a small price to pay to keep my reputation. The four of you together aren’t worth another minute of my time.”
Brooke could hear her mother sobbing quietly behind Hank. She wasn’t sure what that meant and she didn’t know what to think about it.
“We don’t want another damn minute,” Michael snarled as he ripped the signed papers out of Hank’s hand.
Alex shook his head when his father opened his mouth to speak. “You might as well save it for the press... tell them how you so generously decided to allow your only daughter to remain with her brothers and her friends because you didn’t want to upset her daily routine... spin whatever lie you want to, but don’t you ever come near us again.”
Brooke felt relief washing over her when the signed papers were in her brother’s hand and she grabbed Michael’s shoulder when she realized that her body was suddenly starting to weaken.
Michael wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tightly against his side. “You think you can walk outta here or you want me to carry you?” he asked gruffly. He couldn’t believe that Alex’s plan had worked; Hank had signed the papers and he hadn’t had to reveal his deepest, darkest secrets to a bunch of strangers.
Brooke didn’t answer Michael’s question, she just held onto him tightly and whispered, “Take me away from him,” over and over again.
“Let’s go,” Alex said, carefully putting the papers back in his pocket as he took his sister’s other arm for support. He handed his keys to Brendan and nodded when his youngest brother asked if he should go and get the car and pick them up at the entrance. He and Michael exchanged a glance and they could see the relief in each other’s eyes that their plan had worked out.
Their relief slowly turned to concern when Brooke began to withdraw. She stayed next to Michael, leaning against him in the backseat, but emotionally she was distancing herself.
Brendan glanced into the backseat before turning to look at Alex. “She’s gonna be okay, right?”
Alex nodded. “It’ll just take a while”
Michael carefully lifted Brooke’s chin and turned her head to the side so he could get a better look at the discolored flesh of her cheek. He winced when her eyes filled with tears that quickly spilled over, but she didn’t make a sound. He sighed and pulled her back into his side, wrapping his arms around her and dropping a kiss on her bent head. “He won’t ever hurt you again, Brooke,” he promised.
Brooke softly cried in her brother’s arms and she was barely aware of the fact that he carried her into Alex’s house after a while. He carried her to her room and she grabbed a handful of his shirt in her hand when he leaned over to settle her in her bed. “Don’t go away,” she pleaded, when she felt him pulling back.
“I’m not goin’ anywhere, kid.” Michael leaned back against the headboard and lifted his legs up on the bed as he gently stroked her back. He glanced up when Brendan came back in and placed the dogs on the foot of the bed.
“You need anything else?”
“Brendan?” Brooke looked up at him.
“What’s up?” he asked, pausing in the doorway to turn and look at her.
“Can you stay here for a while, too?”
Brendan nodded, surprised to be included. “Yeah.”
*****
Maria was staring down at her Modern Architecture textbook, her eyes scanning over the same paragraph that she had been attempting to read for the past hour. She gave up and closed the textbook, carrying it down to her bedroom and adding it to the pile of books on her desk before walking back to the living room. She had given it her best effort, but her brain just wouldn’t cooperate with her plans to study; she was worried about Michael and his family, concerned about how things had gone at the airport.
She walked out on the balcony and leaned on the railing as she looked out over the manicured landscape behind the complex. She glanced down when she heard her phone ringing and she pulled it out of her pocket, checking the caller ID and smiling before flipping it open and putting it up to her right ear.
Michael slouched down in the deck chair, long legs stretched out in front of him as he let her voice wash over him. Brooke had finally fallen asleep about an hour earlier but he had stayed with her until he was sure she wasn’t going to wake up when he moved.
“Hey, how’s your day goin’?” he asked.
“Sloooooooowwww,” Maria said, dragging the word out.
“Yeah? You thought about dinner yet?”
“I was thinking about orderin’ somethin’. I don’t feel like cookin’ anything.”
“Feel like comin’ over to Alex’s for dinner?”
“I don’t know,” Maria said as she slouched down to sit on the floor of the balcony. “If you wanna be alone with your family, it’s okay.”
“It might be good for Brooke if you came over... make things feel more normal, y’know?” he hedged. He reached up to scratch his eyebrow when she made a sound of consideration. “And, y’know, I’d like it if you could come over, too...”
“You would, huh?” Maria smiled into her phone. She was glad that he had kept his promise and called her.
“Yeah.” He held the phone away for a moment as he cleared his throat. “Yeah, it was kinda rough today an’ so... yeah, I wouldn’t mind seein’ you, too.”
“So, your plan worked out like you wanted it to?”
“Yeah, it worked out. It was pretty rough for Brooke and she’s takin’ it hard... I don’t know what to do to make her feel better, Maria,” he admitted quietly.
“It’ll take time for her, baby. I’m sure it helps a lot that you’re around.”
“I just... I’m bullshittin’ my way through it with her because I don’t know what to say.”
“Has she said anything yet?”
“No, not really. She’s just... here.” He sighed raggedly, knowing he wasn’t explaining himself very well. “It’s like she’s here physically, but her mind’s a million miles away.”
“She has a lot to handle right now, Michael; maybe she just needs some time to clear her head before she can talk about it.”
Michael nodded and leaned over to scoop Buffy up when she jumped up against his right leg. He settled the dog in his lap and scratched behind her ears as she rested her muzzle against his chest. “Yeah, you’re probably right. So, come over for dinner and distract me for a while, woman.”
Maria laughed at that. She knew he hadn’t meant it the way it sounded. He was just confused and worried and he was looking for a distraction. “How am I supposed to come over? I don’t have a car.”
“Well, Iz said she was goin’ out to pick up somethin’ that she needed for dinner... I can ask her to swing by and pick you up too.”
“Oh, wait.” Maria walked back inside and stepped out through the front door, leaning forward to look down into the parking lot. “Tess’ car is here; I don’t think she’ll mind if I take it.”
“So, you’ll be here soon?”
“When d’you want me to be there?”
Michael smiled. “Soon as you can get here.”
“Well, since there is absolutely nothing for me to do... I can be there really soon. Just have to change clothes.”
“Gotta change, huh?” His voice lowered as he let his imagination run wild. “What’re you wearin’ now?” he growled.
She looked down at herself. “Ungh... you don’t wanna know...”
“Guess that means you’re not just loungin’ around in somethin’ really sexy?”
“Um... no.”
“Naked?” he asked hopefully.
“Michael, I’m not just wandering around naked – maybe in your fantasies. Okay, if you wanna know, I’m just wearin’ some really old shorts and a tank top.”
“Definitely naked in my fantasies,” he agreed. “And if you don’t mind, you can just stay that way.”
“Well, I’m not leavin’ this apartment dressed like that.”
Michael laughed out loud at that. “I sure as hell hope not! You can just stay naked in my mind... my bed... my apartment... your apartment... definitely not out in public.”
“Your apartment? With Max and Kyle walkin’ around?” Maria bit back a laugh.
“They wouldn’t be walkin’ around for long,” he muttered. “Fine, let me redefine that... naked in my apartment within the four walls of my bedroom or my bathroom.”
“Okay, baby, I’m gonna hang up now. Can’t wait to see you.” And she wasn’t lying about that. It already felt like they hadn’t been together for days.
“And you’ll be here soon?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Alright, if you’re gonna drive yourself over I guess I’ll go check on Brooke and then go see if Iz wants me to run to the store so she doesn’t have to go out.”
“Aww, I’m so proud of you.”
“Feel free to show me how proud you are when you get here.” He bit his tongue as he waited for her response.
“You are so horny.” She rolled her eyes, but grinned.
“Oh, yeah, and you’re not?”
“I will be as soon as you kiss me.”
Michael frowned. “So, you’re not now?”
“I’m still recovering from last night.”
Smugness colored his tone as he slouched down even more and nodded to himself. “Alright, I’ll let you get away with that this time.”
“I’m really hangin’ up this time, Michael. I’ll see you in a little while.” She hung up before he could say anything else to distract her. She had to get ready and that just wasn’t going to happen if she stayed on the phone with him.
*****
Max was leaning against one of the kitchen counters, slowly drinking his coffee as Kyle updated him on what had been going on over the weekend. He couldn’t believe what Hank Guerin had gotten up to and he could just imagine how it had affected the man’s children. There were a lot of old wounds there and he knew this had only added to them and probably brought up some things that were better left forgotten.
He glanced over his shoulder when Tess walked into the room wearing one of Kyle’s jerseys and most likely nothing else. He was careful to keep his eyes at a respectable level and he glared at her when she nudged him out of the way to get to the coffee pot. “What’re you doin’?” he demanded when he saw the mug in her hand.
“Getting a cup of coffee,” she growled back. “What’s it look like I’m doin’?”
“It looks like you’re takin’ somethin’ that in no way belongs to you.” Max turned and opened the cabinet door above the coffee maker, reaching in and pulling out the small can of obscenely expensive imported coffee that he drank religiously. “This right here… this single pound of coffee costs me $35.00, and for the past couple of months I’ve been goin’ through it two times faster than I normally do; any idea why that is?”
Tess was still staring at the small can. “You pay how much for that?”
“Not the point.”
“Okay, so maybe I’ve had a cup or two,” she hedged.
“A cup or two?” he echoed.
Kyle watched them, wondering which one was going to give in first. Max was pretty easy-going about most things, but his coffee was a different story.
Tess rolled her eyes. “I’ll split the cost with you.”
“That’s not the point!” Max slammed the can down on the counter and he moved until he was towering over her. “You just come in here and start goin’ through it like it belongs to you; it’s mine and you didn’t even bother to ask before you started goin’ through it.”
“Okay,” she said slowly, trying to figure out what the big deal was. She had offered to pay for half of the coffee! Oh, wait… “You’re upset because I drank it without your permission?”
“Well, it is mine,” he grumbled.
“Alright, I apologize for drinkin’ your prissy coffee without askin’ for your permission first.” Her eyebrows lifted and she motioned for him to move. “Well? Can I have a cup of coffee now?”
Max stared at her for a full minute before he backed away, shaking his head. “I order over the Internet; next order goes in Friday… you can pay for it.”
“Whatever.” Tess rolled her eyes as she filled her mug and then moved to where Kyle was standing. She gave him a kiss before hopping up to sit on the counter next to him and she leaned against him, resting her right forearm on his shoulder as she glanced between the two men. “So, what’re we talkin’ about?”
“I was just tellin’ Max about the situation over the weekend with Brooke.”
“Oh, I know! Isn’t that just terrible? I can’t believe the way their parents are!”
“So, they got the kid back, forced the old man’s hand to keep her here, and now she’s recovering from the weekend,” Max mused.
“Michael said he’s worried about how skittish she’s been since they brought her home.”
“Didn’t he tell you that Alex had kept her home from school today?”
“Oh, yeah…”
“What?” Max asked, certain he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Hank hit ‘er, bruised her face up pretty good, so she’s been a little self-conscious.” His blood boiled just saying the words; there was no excuse for hitting a woman.
Max shook his head, disgusted by what he was hearing. “That man needs a severe ass-kickin’ an’ I’d sure as hell like to be the one to give it to him.”
“You too?”
“Alright, the kid needs reassurance right now, right? So, what’re you guys doin’ after classes today?”
Kyle and Tess exchanged a quick look. “You tell us.”
“Let’s barbeque; we’ll take care of everything so all they’ve gotta do is come over, hang out, and have a good time. Tess, you can get everyone here, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”
“Okay, well, I don’t have any classes after lunch today so I’ll head over to the grocery store and grab the food and drinks.”
“What about me?” Kyle asked.
“You’re in charge of getting everything set up and you also get to handle the grill.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You only let anyone use that grill if you’re hangin’ over their shoulder supervisin’ the entire process… and none of us enjoy that.”
Max shrugged one shoulder carelessly. “I won’t say one word to you about the grill.”
“Uh-huh… alright, but one word, and I’m done handlin’ the grill.”
“Agreed. Oh, Tess, you don’t have class this mornin’, right?”
She shook her head. “No, why?”
Max rolled his eyes at her hesitant tone. “Make up a list for the barbeque… email it to me before you head to class.”
They hammered out the rest of the details and figured out who was doing what before Max grabbed his things and ran out of the apartment so he could make it to class on time.
And Max, well… yeah, he really does.
begonia9508: Exactly what happens when they let the brain behind the zipper make their decisions for them!
Earth2Mama: You did read what you thought you read, lol! We think it’s pretty special! That scene’s already been written, but not tellin’ ya when it’ll post.
We’ll take that as a big compliment. Hmm… but if we’re makin’ ya late for work, maybe we need to post shorter parts?
You were right about that suggestion and we’ll get to see that scene in this next part. While Max and Liz will encounter the occasional bump in the road neither of them are the type to let situations build until things are out of hand.
True, there really isn’t much Alex could have done had he realized what was going on. Hope ya got some work done and the Sunday update won’t keep you from anything important, lol!
kay-b: LOL, that was funny! Maybe you’ve just avoided those territorial types.
The reason for Hank’s choice had a lot to do with the twins’ personalities. He saw Michael as the more stubborn and wilful of the two while Brendan was the most likely to do what he wanted him to do.
It was totally the kinda thought Michael would have at that moment, huh? LOL, we thought so, too!
sarammlover: They knew it… they fought it… they lost to it! LOL, but we all knew it was only a matter of time, right? Max and Liz… we’ll see in this next part.
kismet: Finally, it’s good progress!
Max and Liz are in-tune with each other and so are Michael and Maria.
The airport scene… we’ll find out in this next update.
80s_UnLove_Child: Alex will begin to relax a bit and realize that there isn’t anything he could’ve done. Well, that scene has already been written… we think we’ve safely avoided that cliché.
Liz is definitely in for a serious interrogation, lol!
keepsmiling7: We’re so glad!
It’s okay, Jordyn won’t have to see it for long, lol.
And it’s a trip he will make!
Alien_Friend: Uh-oh, not spoiling you too much, we hope! Michael is doing very well despite his past. His childhood was unexpectedly cruel and it’s something he will deal with for quite a while. As for Alex, that’s something that is difficult to deal with.
We think he will. Yeah, the girls’ apartment is gonna be pretty empty soon, huh?
That kind of forgiveness would be hard to give and there’s a lot this group will have to work through. Family can count in situations such as this… we’ll see what, if anything, happens on that front later on.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
Eva: It was a painful, horrible scene. It’s a sad reality that too many kids face every day, and knowing that the people hurting you are the ones who should be protecting you… it’s not an easy thing to deal with.
Yes, it definitely helped rid Michael of that nightmare. For a while anyway.
Maiqu: Michael’s doing very well! Max and Liz will be getting back soon.
Part 74 – Taking Brooke Back
Liz blinked a few times when the movement of the mattress woke her up. She turned around slowly and found Max sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to her. A quick glance at the alarm clock at the nightstand told her that it was only 7am. “Can’t sleep anymore?” she mumbled wearily and let her hand wander over his lower back.
Max rubbed his hands over his face. “No.” He hadn’t slept much after talking about his brother the night before.
Liz could sense that something was wrong with him and she forced herself to wake up more. She slipped closer to him and raised her upper body so she could press a kiss to his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just thinkin’ about what you said last night.”
“I’m good with whatever you decide, okay?”
He nodded. “I’m gonna go for a run down by the lake, try to clear my head a little bit.” He reached back and patted her leg. “You should try to get a little more sleep before breakfast.”
“Okay,” she replied quietly. She didn’t like that he was pushing her away to be alone and it was obvious that his behavior was connected to his brother, but she didn’t want to press either.
Max heard the hesitation in her voice and instead of getting up like he had intended he found himself staring out through the balcony doors again. “I think maybe I should go out...” he swallowed with difficulty, “...to the gravesite.”
“You wanna do it alone?” she asked and tried to hide her surprise.
He shook his head silently and lowered his gaze to his hands.
She sat up in the bed again and slipped closer to him on her knees. “Want me to come with you?”
“You really want to?” he asked doubtfully. He wanted her to go but he didn’t want her to go if she didn’t really want to.
Liz nodded. “I’m going if you want me to.”
“It’s just not right for him to be there,” he muttered quietly.
“I know, Max, it’s never easy to lose someone close. Especially not when that person was way too young to die.” She rested her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
He leaned back into her touch and let it soothe him for a few minutes before he sat up again and reached for his tennis shoes. “Alright, I’m gonna go for a run and after that maybe we can go... out there, to the... y’know...” He rubbed his hand over his goatee. “I don’t think I can eat before goin’ out there.”
“Okay, I’m gonna take a quick shower and get ready while you go for your run.” She climbed out of bed and gave him a quick kiss before she headed to the bath to prepare for what was coming up.
*****
Michael was unaware of the faint light beginning to filter in through the windows as morning began to quietly announce itself. He was propped up on his right elbow, chin in hand as he watched the woman sleeping next to him. He needed to leave soon but he didn’t want to go without letting her know first.
Maria stirred, stretching lazily before shifting closer to him and sighing contentedly when she settled against him. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest, enjoying the feel of his sleep-warmed skin against hers. “What’s on your mind?” she rasped, easily identifying his mental distance.
“Huh?” Michael had been watching her but hadn’t even noticed that she was waking up. He gave her a tight smile when she opened her eyes and repeated her question. “Oh, just... I’m gonna have to leave pretty soon,” he said, waiting for the questions he knew would come next.
“Where d’you have to go so early?”
He bit his bottom lip, wondering what she would say about their plan. “I’m meetin’ my brothers so we can get to the airport.”
Maria was suddenly wide awake and raised her upper body from the bed. “To the airport?”
“We’re gonna get there before my parents take off with Brooke.” He ran his left hand through his hair to distract himself. “We’re gonna try to force my father’s hand... make him sign over full custody to Alex.”
“How’re you gonna do that?” Maria asked, but the answer came to her as soon as the words had left her mouth.
“Oh... you’re gonna bring up the abuse?”
Michael nodded uncomfortably. “There’s nothin’ else we can use to make him sign the papers... it might not even work.” He shrugged and dropped his gaze. “It’s a risk we’re gonna have to take.”
“Can I come with you?” She didn’t want him to go through all of this alone, but she had a feeling that he would say no.
“I appreciate the support and I’d like to say yes, but I think it’s somethin’ that we need to do alone.” He shrugged one shoulder, hoping she would understand. “I don’t think Isabel’s goin’ either.”
She nodded and let herself rest back on the bed again, staring at the ceiling. “Okay.”
Michael reached out to her, cupping her cheek and turning her face to him. “You do understand, right?” He shook his head, dark eyes seeking proof. “It has nothin’ to do with you.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said slowly. “Can you call me when it’s over? I... it’s just, I know you don’t wanna talk all the time, but when you just wrote that little message last night... it felt weird, ya know? To not know what was goin’ on.”
He nodded. “I’ll call,” he promised. “I’ll probably stay over at Alex’s place tonight; the kid’s gonna need us to be around a lot for the next few days to get her settled back in.”
“Yeah.” She hugged him tightly, letting her head rest against his chest. “I’m gonna miss you.”
“Well, just don’t forget that... it’ll more than likely only be for tonight though.” He wondered how traumatized his sister would be over this mess. “She just needs to know we’re all there for her, y’know?”
“Let me know if I can do anything.”
Michael’s chest tightened as he experienced that feeling that seemed to be occurring with more frequency when she was around. “Just keep your phone close by... just in case.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
He glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand and sighed. “I need to get movin’ here pretty soon.”
“I hope things will be normal one day soon,” Maria said, remembering the last few weeks.
“That makes two of us.” He grinned suddenly. “Last night was pretty good though.”
“It was, huh?”
“You have to ask?” he growled.
“No, it was amazing.”
He grinned again, a combination of arrogance, pride, and plain happiness. “It was amazing.”
“Yeah, we’re a good match,” she said, grinning.
Michael nodded and he reluctantly sat up. “I’d better grab a shower and get goin’; I don’t wanna be late meetin’ my brothers.” He paused for a moment. “That sounds weird, ya know? For so long me an’ Brendan haven’t had anything to say to each other and now... now it’s different.”
Maria stared at him for several seconds. “You’re more similar then you think you are!”
“No, I just meant that it’s so different bein’ able to really talk to him.” He turned to look at her. “You think we’re alike?”
“Yeah, it’s hard to explain, but you are. Hank created that huge distance between you two, but I think you finally found a way to get past it.”
“Brendan went to see him.”
“To see Hank? Why?”
“I think he was hopin’ to get some information about Karen... he just got a lot more than he bargained for.”
“Did Hank hit him, too?”
“Yeah, Hank took a shot at him. He wasn’t expectin’ it, so it scared him... at least he wasn’t hurt badly.” He shook his head. “He went over there lookin’ like me, thinkin’ that the old man would be more honest if he thought he was dealin’ with me.”
“And Hank bought that?”
“He must’ve because he told Brendan a lot of stuff that he never would’ve said otherwise... and even as mad as he was at dinner, I can’t imagine him hittin’ Brendan.”
“Pfff,” Maria shook her head, “unbelievable. A father who can’t even tell which of his sons is standing in front of him.”
Michael smirked as he shifted, rolling over and pinning her beneath him. “I seem to recall a time when you couldn’t tell us apart either.”
“Well, I didn’t know you had a twin; I realized the difference, but there was no explanation for it at first.”
“Admit it, you thought Brendan was schizo.”
“Yeah, I thought about that, ‘cause it all made no sense. I thought if he had a twin he would’ve told me, so I excluded that possibility.”
“Um-hmm... you can just tell me the truth, y’know. I won’t tell him you thought he was crazy.”
Maria laughed. “I’m glad he wasn’t.”
“If I had the time we’d stay right here until you admitted you thought he was crazy.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Okay, I admit it, I had some doubts about his mental... stability. But luckily, it turned out that he just had a twin brother who went after me.” She gave him a saucy grin.
Michael grinned. Yeah, he had known he was right! “He’s got a twin brother who isn’t gonna let you go either.”
“I wouldn’t let him go anyway.”
“Make sure you don’t.” He lowered his head to give her a quick kiss before sitting up and rolling out of bed. “I’m gonna go before the temptation to stay with you overrules my brain.”
“I’m gonna be here when you come back,” she said when he walked into the bathroom. “I always be,” she whispered to herself.
*****
Max took a deep breath as he stepped out of his mom’s SUV and looked around at the beautifully landscaped grounds of the cemetery. He was glad he had decided to do this before eating because his stomach was tied up in knots and he felt nauseas. He walked around the front of the Escalade so he could open Liz’ door and help her out.
He appreciated her silence as she walked beside him, knowing exactly where Jason’s grave was despite having only been there the one time. He slowed as he neared the location and he released her hand as he turned to look at her. “I think maybe I should, y’know, go by myself first.”
She nodded and reached out to squeeze his arm supportively before letting him go and watching him from a distance.
Max walked slowly, feeling his legs start to shake as he neared the small hill where his brother’s headstone was placed, marking his final resting place. He had never seen the headstone and his hand trembled as he reached out to run his fingertips over the smooth, cold marker.
The headstone was black granite with his brother’s name etched into the polished stone above the dates that indicated his birth and death. He crouched down and let his fingers trace over the etchings, the numbers a cruel reminder that his brother’s life had been taken too soon.
“I fuckin’ hate you,” he whispered hoarsely. “Why couldn’t you just be like everyone else and keep goin’ when you saw someone stranded on the side of the road? No, not you... you had to stop, had to be the one to take that extra step and change some old guy’s tire instead of letting him wait for the service he’d already called.”
His hand curled into a fist and he slammed it down against the top of the headstone, not even feeling the pain that radiated out from the point of impact. He felt the emotions that he had denied for so long pushing to the surface – pain, anger, hurt, and at the very edge, just a hint of acceptance along with the knowledge that he had to let his brother go.
“You fucked everything up, Jason... left your wife without a husband, your son without a father, our parents without their oldest son, me an’ Tay without our brother...” His hand unclenched and he unconsciously started to rub his palm over the edge of the headstone. “You said you’d be there for me when I finally met the right girl... well, I’ve finally met her and you’re not here.”
He stared at his brother’s name and he shook his head when he realized that his vision was blurry. “You had no right to just leave like that.” He chuckled, the sound forced. “Y’know with you gone I’ve gotta go to Dad for advice... you were supposed to prevent that from happening.” He smiled to himself and looked up when the sun shifted higher in the sky and its light fell over the ground nearby.
“Dad gives good advice, he always has, but it’s just not quite the same as bein’ able to go to my big brother. God, I wish you were here...” He laughed out loud after a moment. “You so would’ve kicked my ass for goin’ after an engaged woman... and then you would’ve sat down and helped me figure out how to get her away from a fiancé that wasn’t worth her time.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the woman waiting patiently for him to ask her to join him, her expression concerned and openly hurting... for him. “I wish like hell I could introduce the two of you; Lacey suggested introducing her to you here, but I can’t even tell you how stupid that makes me feel.” He shook his head. “You’re probably sittin’ up in heaven laughin’ your ass off about that.”
He ran his hand over the headstone once more. “You would’ve liked her, Jason.” He cleared a few stray weeds away from the edge of the marker and let his forehead rest against the cold granite for a moment. “I don’t really hate you, ya know, but I’m sure as hell still pissed at you for leavin’ the way you did.” He gave the headstone a final pat and stood up again as he turned and motioned for Liz to join him.
Liz took in a deep breath when he finally wanted her to come over. She had heard him talking to his brother, and even if she hadn’t understood the words, she knew it had been a mix of anger, hurt and defenselessness.
“Hey,” she said quietly and felt her heart sink even more when she saw tears glistening in Max’ eyes.
He swallowed hard and nodded, unable to speak at that moment. He reached for her hand and they stood there in silence for a few minutes before he was able to work past the lump in his throat.
“Are you gonna feel totally stupid if I introduce you to my brother?”
Liz glanced from the grave to Max and shook her head slightly. She knew he needed this and even if it was a little awkward, she would do it for Max. She remembered too well Anna’s death back home. Though Anna had been friends with Maria and Tess more than Isabel or her, it had hurt to lose her and Liz had visited the grave a few times after the accident to tell the girl how things were going in school.
“Okay, ‘cause I’ve gotta admit, it’s makin’ me feel pretty stupid.” He shrugged one shoulder. “But, I’m never gonna get the chance to really introduce the two of you, so this’s as close as...” He cleared his throat and laughed nervously as he turned and gestured to the headstone. “Liz, this’s...” He frowned. “This’s stupid, isn’t it? It’s not like he’s really here.”
Liz squeezed his hand slightly. “No, it’s not, Max.” She crouched down in front of the grave and placed one hand on the headstone. “Hey, Jason, I’m Liz and your little brother over here has turned my life upside down recently.”
Max sighed, relieved that she had taken the reins and made the introductions on her own. “Jason would’ve liked you, Liz.”
She smiled sadly and got to her feet again. “Yeah, I would’ve liked him as well.”
He smiled and nodded. He had no doubts that she and Jason would’ve gotten along well. “Thanks for comin’ out here with me.”
“You’re welcome.” She leaned against his side and they both looked down at the headstone for a while in silence.
*****
The airport was filled with people making their way home after the long holiday weekend, but the Guerin brothers paid no attention to the crowd around them as they made their way to the gate at the far end of the terminal. Alex had the papers carefully tucked away in one of his jacket pockets and he kept reaching up to make sure they were still there.
The crowd began to thin out as they reached their destination and Michael swallowed nervously when he noticed the reporters milling about in an area that had been cordoned off for the press. He ignored them when he heard the murmured comments as the lot of them realized that all three of them were there and within seconds the reporters were talking over each other in an effort to get a few words from them.
“I’ll talk to them,” Alex said, motioning for his brothers to keep an eye out for their parents and sister. He walked over to the horde of reporters, flashing his charming smile and greeting some of them by name. He was used to the attention even though he didn’t enjoy it and he fielded a dozen questions before someone pointed out that the man they were all there to interview had arrived.
He turned to follow his parents’ progression and he felt anger building within him when he saw his little sister walking between them, holding her head down and flinching away from the flashes of the reporters’ cameras. He enjoyed the momentary expression of confusion that crossed his father’s features when he saw all of his sons waiting for him and he waved to get the man’s attention as he moved to cut him off.
“Alex, what’re you doing here?” Hank asked, his eyes moving over each of the boys in turn as they stood in front of him.
“Oh, we just wanted to stop by and pick up Brooke, tell the press what a great father you are, and that you raised three young men who are willin’ to take care of their sister so that she could finish her schoolin’ here in the States.”
“That is not an option that is open for discussion,” Hank stated confidently.
Brooke looked up and met Michael’s eyes.
Michael’s hands fisted at his sides when he saw the dark bruise on his sister’s cheek and he nodded once to let her know everything was going to be okay. “No, you’re right,” he said, taking a step towards Hank, “it’s not an option. You’re gonna sign the fuckin’ papers and you’re gonna terminate your so-called parental rights... and you’re gonna do it before you get on that plane.”
It was obvious that Hank was getting uncomfortable at the prospect of having a fight with his sons in front of the press. “Brooke is coming with us.”
Alex shook his head. “She’s not goin’ anywhere with you... ever again. You taught me all about interacting with the press, remember? I know how to turn the words around to make a situation look good or bad... and right now, I don’t have to turn anything around to make you look bad.”
Brendan glanced at his mother, shocked at her horrified expression.
Hank’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Boy, I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but you’d do well to remember that I don’t take well to threats.”
Michael took a step forward, bringing him face to face with his father. “Sign the damn papers or we’re gonna let everyone know that the great businessman Hank Guerin abused his own children and maybe even his wife.” She glanced at his mother for a second.
Anger caused Hank’s face to flush bright red and he stared at Michael in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what the boy had just said; he had been so sure that those words would never cross the boy’s lips. He pulled himself together, certain that it was just a tactic and that Michael was bluffing. “And you have proof?” His gaze shifted to Alex. “I know you keep a lawyer on retainer... you must know that without proof, you have no foundation for a case against me.”
Michael’s heart thudded painfully against the wall of his chest. He had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, that his father would simply take the threat at face value and sign the damn papers... he should’ve known better. “I’m prepared to walk over to those reporters waitin’ right behind me and give them a blow by blow account of every single fuckin’ time you ever raised a hand to me or beat me black and blue with your belt,” he snarled, his voice low and filled with rage. “I won’t hold back, Hank... and your reputation will be ruined. I don’t have shareholders and stockholders to impress... the only people I need to worry about don’t care what gets printed about me in the papers.”
“And if that isn’t enough, I’ll give them proof,” Brooke said suddenly. She shoved Hank’s hand away from her and lifted her head up for the first time so that her bruised face came into full view. She walked over to Michael, so that she was facing her father as well.
Maureen’s eyes filled with tears as she watched her children stand united against her husband... and her. She placed a shaking hand on her husband’s arm. “Let her go, Hank,” she whispered.
Alex pulled the papers out and held them right in his father’s face. “Make your decision.”
Hank’s gaze bounced between his wife, his children, and the all-too-important group of reporters watching the scene with interest. They were far enough away that he knew they couldn’t hear what was going on, but he could see the truth in Michael’s eyes and he knew the boy had finally been pushed too far. All it would take would be the rumor of abuse and it could potentially bring his empire down and destroy him.
He snatched the papers out of his oldest son’s hand and flipped through them, glancing over the forms. “Termination of parental rights, huh?” His eyes turned to ice as he reached for the pen in his breast pocket. “Fine, it’s a small price to pay to keep my reputation. The four of you together aren’t worth another minute of my time.”
Brooke could hear her mother sobbing quietly behind Hank. She wasn’t sure what that meant and she didn’t know what to think about it.
“We don’t want another damn minute,” Michael snarled as he ripped the signed papers out of Hank’s hand.
Alex shook his head when his father opened his mouth to speak. “You might as well save it for the press... tell them how you so generously decided to allow your only daughter to remain with her brothers and her friends because you didn’t want to upset her daily routine... spin whatever lie you want to, but don’t you ever come near us again.”
Brooke felt relief washing over her when the signed papers were in her brother’s hand and she grabbed Michael’s shoulder when she realized that her body was suddenly starting to weaken.
Michael wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tightly against his side. “You think you can walk outta here or you want me to carry you?” he asked gruffly. He couldn’t believe that Alex’s plan had worked; Hank had signed the papers and he hadn’t had to reveal his deepest, darkest secrets to a bunch of strangers.
Brooke didn’t answer Michael’s question, she just held onto him tightly and whispered, “Take me away from him,” over and over again.
“Let’s go,” Alex said, carefully putting the papers back in his pocket as he took his sister’s other arm for support. He handed his keys to Brendan and nodded when his youngest brother asked if he should go and get the car and pick them up at the entrance. He and Michael exchanged a glance and they could see the relief in each other’s eyes that their plan had worked out.
Their relief slowly turned to concern when Brooke began to withdraw. She stayed next to Michael, leaning against him in the backseat, but emotionally she was distancing herself.
Brendan glanced into the backseat before turning to look at Alex. “She’s gonna be okay, right?”
Alex nodded. “It’ll just take a while”
Michael carefully lifted Brooke’s chin and turned her head to the side so he could get a better look at the discolored flesh of her cheek. He winced when her eyes filled with tears that quickly spilled over, but she didn’t make a sound. He sighed and pulled her back into his side, wrapping his arms around her and dropping a kiss on her bent head. “He won’t ever hurt you again, Brooke,” he promised.
Brooke softly cried in her brother’s arms and she was barely aware of the fact that he carried her into Alex’s house after a while. He carried her to her room and she grabbed a handful of his shirt in her hand when he leaned over to settle her in her bed. “Don’t go away,” she pleaded, when she felt him pulling back.
“I’m not goin’ anywhere, kid.” Michael leaned back against the headboard and lifted his legs up on the bed as he gently stroked her back. He glanced up when Brendan came back in and placed the dogs on the foot of the bed.
“You need anything else?”
“Brendan?” Brooke looked up at him.
“What’s up?” he asked, pausing in the doorway to turn and look at her.
“Can you stay here for a while, too?”
Brendan nodded, surprised to be included. “Yeah.”
*****
Maria was staring down at her Modern Architecture textbook, her eyes scanning over the same paragraph that she had been attempting to read for the past hour. She gave up and closed the textbook, carrying it down to her bedroom and adding it to the pile of books on her desk before walking back to the living room. She had given it her best effort, but her brain just wouldn’t cooperate with her plans to study; she was worried about Michael and his family, concerned about how things had gone at the airport.
She walked out on the balcony and leaned on the railing as she looked out over the manicured landscape behind the complex. She glanced down when she heard her phone ringing and she pulled it out of her pocket, checking the caller ID and smiling before flipping it open and putting it up to her right ear.
Michael slouched down in the deck chair, long legs stretched out in front of him as he let her voice wash over him. Brooke had finally fallen asleep about an hour earlier but he had stayed with her until he was sure she wasn’t going to wake up when he moved.
“Hey, how’s your day goin’?” he asked.
“Sloooooooowwww,” Maria said, dragging the word out.
“Yeah? You thought about dinner yet?”
“I was thinking about orderin’ somethin’. I don’t feel like cookin’ anything.”
“Feel like comin’ over to Alex’s for dinner?”
“I don’t know,” Maria said as she slouched down to sit on the floor of the balcony. “If you wanna be alone with your family, it’s okay.”
“It might be good for Brooke if you came over... make things feel more normal, y’know?” he hedged. He reached up to scratch his eyebrow when she made a sound of consideration. “And, y’know, I’d like it if you could come over, too...”
“You would, huh?” Maria smiled into her phone. She was glad that he had kept his promise and called her.
“Yeah.” He held the phone away for a moment as he cleared his throat. “Yeah, it was kinda rough today an’ so... yeah, I wouldn’t mind seein’ you, too.”
“So, your plan worked out like you wanted it to?”
“Yeah, it worked out. It was pretty rough for Brooke and she’s takin’ it hard... I don’t know what to do to make her feel better, Maria,” he admitted quietly.
“It’ll take time for her, baby. I’m sure it helps a lot that you’re around.”
“I just... I’m bullshittin’ my way through it with her because I don’t know what to say.”
“Has she said anything yet?”
“No, not really. She’s just... here.” He sighed raggedly, knowing he wasn’t explaining himself very well. “It’s like she’s here physically, but her mind’s a million miles away.”
“She has a lot to handle right now, Michael; maybe she just needs some time to clear her head before she can talk about it.”
Michael nodded and leaned over to scoop Buffy up when she jumped up against his right leg. He settled the dog in his lap and scratched behind her ears as she rested her muzzle against his chest. “Yeah, you’re probably right. So, come over for dinner and distract me for a while, woman.”
Maria laughed at that. She knew he hadn’t meant it the way it sounded. He was just confused and worried and he was looking for a distraction. “How am I supposed to come over? I don’t have a car.”
“Well, Iz said she was goin’ out to pick up somethin’ that she needed for dinner... I can ask her to swing by and pick you up too.”
“Oh, wait.” Maria walked back inside and stepped out through the front door, leaning forward to look down into the parking lot. “Tess’ car is here; I don’t think she’ll mind if I take it.”
“So, you’ll be here soon?”
“When d’you want me to be there?”
Michael smiled. “Soon as you can get here.”
“Well, since there is absolutely nothing for me to do... I can be there really soon. Just have to change clothes.”
“Gotta change, huh?” His voice lowered as he let his imagination run wild. “What’re you wearin’ now?” he growled.
She looked down at herself. “Ungh... you don’t wanna know...”
“Guess that means you’re not just loungin’ around in somethin’ really sexy?”
“Um... no.”
“Naked?” he asked hopefully.
“Michael, I’m not just wandering around naked – maybe in your fantasies. Okay, if you wanna know, I’m just wearin’ some really old shorts and a tank top.”
“Definitely naked in my fantasies,” he agreed. “And if you don’t mind, you can just stay that way.”
“Well, I’m not leavin’ this apartment dressed like that.”
Michael laughed out loud at that. “I sure as hell hope not! You can just stay naked in my mind... my bed... my apartment... your apartment... definitely not out in public.”
“Your apartment? With Max and Kyle walkin’ around?” Maria bit back a laugh.
“They wouldn’t be walkin’ around for long,” he muttered. “Fine, let me redefine that... naked in my apartment within the four walls of my bedroom or my bathroom.”
“Okay, baby, I’m gonna hang up now. Can’t wait to see you.” And she wasn’t lying about that. It already felt like they hadn’t been together for days.
“And you’ll be here soon?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Alright, if you’re gonna drive yourself over I guess I’ll go check on Brooke and then go see if Iz wants me to run to the store so she doesn’t have to go out.”
“Aww, I’m so proud of you.”
“Feel free to show me how proud you are when you get here.” He bit his tongue as he waited for her response.
“You are so horny.” She rolled her eyes, but grinned.
“Oh, yeah, and you’re not?”
“I will be as soon as you kiss me.”
Michael frowned. “So, you’re not now?”
“I’m still recovering from last night.”
Smugness colored his tone as he slouched down even more and nodded to himself. “Alright, I’ll let you get away with that this time.”
“I’m really hangin’ up this time, Michael. I’ll see you in a little while.” She hung up before he could say anything else to distract her. She had to get ready and that just wasn’t going to happen if she stayed on the phone with him.
*****
Max was leaning against one of the kitchen counters, slowly drinking his coffee as Kyle updated him on what had been going on over the weekend. He couldn’t believe what Hank Guerin had gotten up to and he could just imagine how it had affected the man’s children. There were a lot of old wounds there and he knew this had only added to them and probably brought up some things that were better left forgotten.
He glanced over his shoulder when Tess walked into the room wearing one of Kyle’s jerseys and most likely nothing else. He was careful to keep his eyes at a respectable level and he glared at her when she nudged him out of the way to get to the coffee pot. “What’re you doin’?” he demanded when he saw the mug in her hand.
“Getting a cup of coffee,” she growled back. “What’s it look like I’m doin’?”
“It looks like you’re takin’ somethin’ that in no way belongs to you.” Max turned and opened the cabinet door above the coffee maker, reaching in and pulling out the small can of obscenely expensive imported coffee that he drank religiously. “This right here… this single pound of coffee costs me $35.00, and for the past couple of months I’ve been goin’ through it two times faster than I normally do; any idea why that is?”
Tess was still staring at the small can. “You pay how much for that?”
“Not the point.”
“Okay, so maybe I’ve had a cup or two,” she hedged.
“A cup or two?” he echoed.
Kyle watched them, wondering which one was going to give in first. Max was pretty easy-going about most things, but his coffee was a different story.
Tess rolled her eyes. “I’ll split the cost with you.”
“That’s not the point!” Max slammed the can down on the counter and he moved until he was towering over her. “You just come in here and start goin’ through it like it belongs to you; it’s mine and you didn’t even bother to ask before you started goin’ through it.”
“Okay,” she said slowly, trying to figure out what the big deal was. She had offered to pay for half of the coffee! Oh, wait… “You’re upset because I drank it without your permission?”
“Well, it is mine,” he grumbled.
“Alright, I apologize for drinkin’ your prissy coffee without askin’ for your permission first.” Her eyebrows lifted and she motioned for him to move. “Well? Can I have a cup of coffee now?”
Max stared at her for a full minute before he backed away, shaking his head. “I order over the Internet; next order goes in Friday… you can pay for it.”
“Whatever.” Tess rolled her eyes as she filled her mug and then moved to where Kyle was standing. She gave him a kiss before hopping up to sit on the counter next to him and she leaned against him, resting her right forearm on his shoulder as she glanced between the two men. “So, what’re we talkin’ about?”
“I was just tellin’ Max about the situation over the weekend with Brooke.”
“Oh, I know! Isn’t that just terrible? I can’t believe the way their parents are!”
“So, they got the kid back, forced the old man’s hand to keep her here, and now she’s recovering from the weekend,” Max mused.
“Michael said he’s worried about how skittish she’s been since they brought her home.”
“Didn’t he tell you that Alex had kept her home from school today?”
“Oh, yeah…”
“What?” Max asked, certain he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Hank hit ‘er, bruised her face up pretty good, so she’s been a little self-conscious.” His blood boiled just saying the words; there was no excuse for hitting a woman.
Max shook his head, disgusted by what he was hearing. “That man needs a severe ass-kickin’ an’ I’d sure as hell like to be the one to give it to him.”
“You too?”
“Alright, the kid needs reassurance right now, right? So, what’re you guys doin’ after classes today?”
Kyle and Tess exchanged a quick look. “You tell us.”
“Let’s barbeque; we’ll take care of everything so all they’ve gotta do is come over, hang out, and have a good time. Tess, you can get everyone here, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”
“Okay, well, I don’t have any classes after lunch today so I’ll head over to the grocery store and grab the food and drinks.”
“What about me?” Kyle asked.
“You’re in charge of getting everything set up and you also get to handle the grill.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You only let anyone use that grill if you’re hangin’ over their shoulder supervisin’ the entire process… and none of us enjoy that.”
Max shrugged one shoulder carelessly. “I won’t say one word to you about the grill.”
“Uh-huh… alright, but one word, and I’m done handlin’ the grill.”
“Agreed. Oh, Tess, you don’t have class this mornin’, right?”
She shook her head. “No, why?”
Max rolled his eyes at her hesitant tone. “Make up a list for the barbeque… email it to me before you head to class.”
They hammered out the rest of the details and figured out who was doing what before Max grabbed his things and ran out of the apartment so he could make it to class on time.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 75 - 12/10/09
begonia9508: That’s one possibility…
Earth2Mama: You’re absolutely right, there’s no excuse for not doing something… even if she didn’t know for sure, she had her suspicions.
The boy’s will do their best to help their little sister get past this. Well, really, it was more the threat that the reporter’s might catch wind of his abuse than anything Maureen did or said. But, it was a small step in the right direction for her.
Max took a big step with that visit and Liz’ quiet support helped him a great deal. They do make an awesome couple!
Yes, some folks are just crazy for their coffee, lol! Oh, don’t tempt us to write that scene because really… we could! Let’s get to that barbeque.
Now that’s quite a record! You’re in good company then, lol. Aw, you get to read at work? You are sooo lucky!!
keepsmiling7: Max is making good progress and he really needed to deal with that.
80s_UnLove_Child: Awesome idea!
LOL, that might cheer Brooke up, but maybe after she’s feeling a little more secure.
More temptation…
Well, at least you’re not going into debt over the Pringles, lol. Hmm… suppose that depends on how much you like them!
Natalie36: Things are moving right along for everyone!
Cardinal: LOL, yes she is!
We think you’re right. She’s got a great support system.
Oh, you’re on a roll here! Liz is definitely coming out of her shell in a big way!
Don’t worry… you haven’t missed everyone’s reactions!
Maiqu: She’s where she needs to be.
For two people who are so blasted mule-headed they are getting pretty cute, huh?
Max and Liz are gonna be a great couple!
Alien_Friend: Yup, we just couldn’t let it go on any longer.
The ‘Guerin Brothers’… you’re right. Two words, but very powerful. It was past time for Hank to lose something.
We’ve got a big soft spot for brothers and sisters, too. That kind of relationship is something special. Thanks for the compliment! So, did ya email your bro?
The guys have each other, their girlfriends, and their friends to fall back on, so Brooke has an amazing support system to get her through this. It’s not an easy thing for Michael to see someone he cares about hurting and feeling like he can’t make it all better.
Having your person is so important!
mary mary: We totally agree with you!
kay_b: Nope, these boys will be there with her and for her while she deals with this and anything else that comes up.
What can we say, he’s Max! LOL, no they don’t know… not yet!
sunrise102: We’re pretty sure you’re right about that! Most likely, no one will even notice when he’s gone!
LOL, it was a pretty busy holiday weekend, wasn’t it? Hehehe… just wait until Christmas, lol!
sarammlover: Max had kinda gone back and forth between acknowledging his brother wasn’t there and refusing to accept it… the visit to the gravesite was a big step and one that he really needed to take.
Don’t think so, huh? Well, you could be right. Try as we might… no matter how often we update we seem to have at least 500 pages in reserve… and we’re still not finished!
kismet: Liz is making great progress and learning to come out of her shell.
We’ll be learning more about Maureen soon.
LOL, sexual frustration, huh? Don’t think he was really pissy over his $35/lb coffee?
Well, if you’re missing the parts where they’re together… we have several of those coming up!
And there it is… more temptation…
Eva: Thanks!
It’s a support system that just can’t be beat! This group will survive this and come out stronger on the other side.
That is so true! They’re still learning, but the guys – and the girls, too – are realizing that it’s about more than just the good times.
Part 75 – Girl Talk
Brooke followed her brothers and Isabel into Michael’s apartment, holding her dogs close and keeping her head lowered so her hair fell forward and hid the hideous discolored bruise on her cheek. She didn’t know why her brothers had insisted on dragging her out to hang out when she just wanted to stay in her bedroom and hide from everyone. She constantly felt like she was on the verge of tears and she hated feeling like she wasn’t in control of her emotions.
She was contemplating whether or not she could just sneak away to hide out in Michael’s room when Kyle suddenly appeared in front of her and pulled her into a hug. “Want me to hop on a plane and kick his ass?” he asked quietly.
“Only if you can do it without getting yourself in trouble,” she whispered.
“Not sure I can promise that part.”
She shook her head when he stepped back to give her some space. “Then no, but thanks for the thought.”
“You sure, kid?” Max asked, taking his turn at hugging her. “Because we could be on a plane tonight.”
“As much as I’d love for that to happen, I wouldn’t want you guys to risk getting thrown in jail.”
Max leaned back and cupped her chin, lifting her downcast gaze up to meet his concerned gaze. “You’re worth the risk, ya know that, right? Don’t you let that bastard make you question your worth, girl.”
Brooke felt her eyes filling with tears when his thumb gently brushed over the bruised portion of her cheek; not from pain, but from the reminder that she was loved by this rowdy group and they would do anything for her. Her father no longer had any claim on her and as much as she didn’t want anything to do with him, it hurt that he had willingly signed away his parental rights just to save face in front of the press.
“Hey, why don’t you come sit on the beach with me an’ I’ll tell you a secret,” he said, knowing she wouldn’t be able to resist learning something that no one else knew. He caught her hand when it automatically lifted to cover her face and he shook his head. “Anyone says anything, just tell ‘em they should see the other guy.” He nodded at the dogs she was holding so close. “Want me to take a look at the tiny warrior there?”
A tentative smile lifted one corner of her mouth and she glanced down at Spike before carefully handing him over to Max. “So, you’ve got a secret?”
Max gently collared her with his right arm and they walked out through the patio doors, down off of the back patio, and about a dozen feet out on the beach where they had set up enough seats for all of them.
Alex released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding when Brooke went with Max and he reached up to run his right hand over his face. “Okay, maybe this was a good idea.”
Kyle placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder to get his attention. “Alex, you need to relax a little bit, man; why don’t you come with me and try out the tropical fruit salad that my girl made. It’s soaked in rum and it’s fuckin’ awesome!” He made a waving motion at the twins as he moved towards the patio. “C’mon, Brendan, you too.”
“Um…”
Michael gave his younger brother a gentle shove. “Go on, one of us can give you a ride home later or you can just crash here if you have too much to drink.” He looked at Tess when the guys all made their way out to the patio. “Wasn’t it your job to get the girls here?”
“Are there or are there not three girls here?” she countered.
He glared at her. “Oh, yeah, you, my little sister, and my brother’s girlfriend… wow, I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself. Where’s Maria?”
Isabel laughed at his sarcastic tone, relieved to see things getting back to normal. She had been up most of the night, unable to sleep while Alex prowled around the house, constantly checking over his sister and the twins as if he were worried that they might disappear.
“Hey, Guerin,” Kyle called from the open doorway. “You want a burger, dog, or steak?”
“I thought you said Maria was gonna be here?”
Kyle glanced at Tess, knowing without asking that she had been baiting his roommate. “She’ll be here; she said she an’ Liz had to go pick somethin’ up first. Now, about the food…?”
“Oh, uh, burgers. But don’t burn the shit out of ‘em like you normally do; I don’t like havin’ to chip an inch of burnt meat off to get to the middle of the damn things.”
“Y’know what? If one more person criticizes the way I grill someone else will be grillin’ the fuckin’ food.” He turned to look at the tall blond across the room. “How ‘bout you, Iz?”
Isabel thought about the food and debated whether or not she wanted to risk it; a hamburger sounded good, but the baby had shown itself to be incredibly picky about the food she ate. “I think I’ll try a hamburger; can you make it so that it’s not greasy?”
Kyle grinned and turned to wave at the door as he bowed graciously. “Your wish is my command.” He glanced at his girlfriend. “Tess, crank the music up, babe.”
Michael shook his head as he watched his friends and family hanging out together and having a good time. Brooke was laughing at something Max had said and he felt himself start to relax when the teenager moved her chair closer to his roommate and rested her head on his shoulder.
He grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and popped the top off before walking outside to join everyone. He leaned back against the wall and watched as Isabel and Tess discussed something about an upcoming sale at one of their favorite stores and nearly choked on a swallow of beer at the trapped look on Kyle’s face when his girlfriend volunteered his services as a mule. It didn’t take long before his attention was drawn to his brothers and their conversation and he moved to lean on the railing so he could hear them better.
“You guys went hang gliding this summer?” he asked, unable to remain silent any longer.
Alex and Brendan motioned for him to join them and he kicked his shoes and socks off before he ambled through the sand to sit across from them. For the next half hour they talked about things they had done over the summer and he felt a stab of regret for all that he had missed doing with them. Well, he mused, he didn’t regret missing the hang gliding experience. He hadn’t even realized that his brothers hung out together all that often until now.
He tipped his head back when a pair of hands settled on his shoulders and he grinned when Maria leaned over to kiss him. “Where’ve you been?” he asked a few moments later.
“Liz had to run somewhere…” She leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. “It’s one of those woman things.”
“Huh?”
“Birth control pills.”
He snorted and shook his head as he glanced back at Liz where she was standing on the patio watching Max. “And a virgin needs those for what reason?”
“It’s a woman thing and if I explain it you’re gonna wish I hadn’t said anything.”
Realization dawned and his hands shot up to keep her from saying more just to screw with him. “Okay, wait! Don’t go any further with that explanation!” He was about to say more when Max noticed that the last of their guests had arrived and he said something to Brooke before standing up and moving towards Liz.
The teenager scrambled around to rest her chin on the back of her chair as she watched along with everyone else as Liz met Max halfway, but she knew something the rest of them didn’t know… yet.
Maria’s mouth dropped open in shock when Max caught Liz in his arms and pulled her up against his body for a kiss that was scorching.
“Okay,” Tess muttered, “how long has this been goin’ on? That is not a first kiss!”
“No, it’s not,” Isabel agreed, eyebrows lifting in surprise when Liz not only participated in the kiss, but her hands managed to find their way up under his shirt to press against his back.
“Maria!”
She turned to look at her friends when they both called her name at the same time, easily detecting the accusation in their tones. “What?” Her hands came up in a defensive gesture. “Hey, this is news to me, too!”
“Elizabeth Parker!” Tess called as soon as the couple came up for air. She nodded when Liz turned around and blushed as she realized that she had just kissed Max right in front of everyone. “Yeah, you heard me, Parker; get your ass over here because I think it’s time for the four of us to have a talk.”
Liz rolled her eyes before turning back to look up at Max, smiling when she saw the concerned look in his eyes. “Don’t worry, they’ll be happy for us… they’re gonna kill me for keepin’ this to myself for the past few days, but once they’re over the shock they’ll be happy.”
“I don’t suppose I can be part of the conversation, huh?”
Liz thought about that for a few moments before shaking her head. “Um… no.”
Maria pulled her gaze away from what looked to be the newest couple in their group and nudged Michael’s shoulder. “Michael?”
“What? I didn’t know anything about this.”
Maria rolled her eyes at his immediate denial. “No, baby, I need you to move some chairs out for us; the four of us need to talk,” she said, motioning to her own roommates.
“Meanin’ you want some privacy,” he guessed.
“Um-hmm.”
“Okay.” He stood up and glanced at his brothers. “You guys wanna give me a hand?”
Maria made her way over to the unusually quiet teenager and sat down in the chair Max had vacated. “Hey,” she greeted with a smile.
“Hey, Maria.”
“You feelin’ any better today?” she asked, knowing how concerned the girl’s brothers were for her.
“Yeah,” she answered, knowing that she didn’t sound very convincing.
“C’mon,” Maria teased lightly, “you’ve got all of the guys doin’ whatever you want.”
Brooke smirked slightly. “Yeah, they are very agreeable right now.”
“When are these boys not agreeable with you?”
“Well, when it comes to dating guys or going out in the evening...”
Maria snorted. “You may have a point there.” She could just imagine the poor girl trying to go out on a date with this group of guys as chaperones.
“Yeah, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. I know they love me and I know they’re just worried.”
“Um-hmm, I don’t think you can go wrong with this group on your side.”
Brooke nodded and stared down on the ocean for a few seconds. “I’m sorry that I’ve kept him away from you the last couple of days,” she finally said, glancing at Maria.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Brooke! You needed him and I would have questioned his character if he had ignored you to stay with me.” She smiled and waved when she looked up and caught the man in question watching them while his brothers moved the lawn furniture and he directed them.
“It’s just that I know the two of you have had a hard time lately and it’s understandable that you wanna be together.”
Maria wished the teenager knew more about being a kid; most of the time she was more like an adult trapped in a 16-year-old’s body. “We are together, but there are going to be times when his family needs him and he’ll need to be there for you guys. If I can’t understand that then I don’t deserve him.”
Brooke studied Maria’s features for several long moments. “I’m glad he found you, Maria. You’re perfect for him...” She glanced up to look at Michael where he was standing on the patio, talking to Brendan, “I’ve never seen him like this. Happy.”
Maria followed the teenager’s gaze and nodded in agreement. “It is a good look for him.”
“Yeah…” she cleared her throat. “He’s dealt with everything on his own for so long. Y’know, he thinks I’m still upset and scared because my father hit me...” She shook her head.
“It’s somethin’ else?” Maria asked, sensing that the teenager was about to open up a little bit.
“All I’ve been able to think about the whole time is how he had to go through that all those years. He was bein’ hit by Hank for so long and nobody knew. I feel so horrible for not knowing it… I should have known it.”
“Brooke, you can’t hold yourself responsible for that.” She shook her head, amazed once again. “He didn’t want you to know; he didn’t want anyone to know. Michael is stubborn and proud, and let’s not forget that he’s also a man, right?” She rolled her eyes when he grinned at her, and she shook her head as she turned back to face the water. “They live by their own code and some of them are more frustrating than others. You love him, you worship the ground he walks on, and for him it would’ve been too much for you to see him as anything less than the larger-than-life image you have of him.”
“I know you’re right. I just can’t push the thoughts away so easily.”
“No, and I’m not suggesting that it would be that easy. Have you really talked to him about this? About how you’re feeling?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Why?”
“He doesn’t want to talk about this stuff and he gets defensive most of the time when personal stuff comes up.”
“Well, that much is true. Have you considered that maybe it would help him to have someone to talk to about it?”
Brooke shook her head slightly and looked down at the sand. “It’s so hard to talk about it.”
Maria knew it was a difficult subject to discuss, especially when it came to Michael; the man was many things, but an open book was not one of them. “Has he tried to bring it up at all?”
“No, I think he tries to avoid it as much as possible. Has he talked to you about it?”
“We’ve talked about it a little, enough to open the door. I think it’s somethin’ that he’ll bring up if he decides he wants to talk about it.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Be careful about tellin’ her she’s right,” Michael said as he leaned over their chairs. “You two talkin’ about me?”
“You will never find out,” Maria replied with a grin.
“Never?” he repeated. “You tossin’ a challenge at me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Y’know I’m gonna find out eventually, so why don’t you just save me the work and tell me?”
“Well, girls need their secrets, baby, you’re just gonna have to accept this little fact of life.”
“Brooke, y’know you’re no match for the tickle monster, and Maria...” He leaned in so he could whisper in her ear. “I’ve got a whole lot of ways to torture the information out of you... and I can go all night long, baby.” He nipped her ear before he glanced back at his sister and reached around her chair to dig his fingers in her ribs, making her squeal and squirm around to get away from him.
“That’s not fair, Michael,” Brooke giggled and stood up to get away.
“Who said anything about fair?” Brendan asked when she collided with him as she tried to escape from Michael. He glanced at his twin and a slow smile settled over his features.
“Looks like you’re trapped, Brooke,” Michael said, laughing when she tried to step around Brendan and he shifted to block her path.
“Oh, no, you two, leave me alone!” Brooke shouted, laughing.
Brendan and Michael exchanged a quick look and then shook their heads at the same time.
“You get a 10-second head start,” Michael offered, his tone indicating that he felt it was more than generous. “After that... we’re comin’ to get you.”
Maria shook her head as the chase began, watching them for several minutes before she got up and made her way over to the chairs that the guys had set up for them.
Isabel watched Alex as he speared another piece of the rum-soaked cantaloupe before leaning back in his chair and slouching down. Between the comfortable atmosphere and the alcohol he was consuming he was more relaxed than she had seen him in the past few days and she was so glad she had been able to talk him into coming to the barbeque. His gray gaze was following his brothers and Brooke as they ran around on the beach, the teenager doing everything she could to avoid the twins.
“Alex?”
“Hmm?” he mumbled as he rolled his head along the back of his chair to look at his girlfriend. “Wha’s up?”
Isabel called Tess, drawing her attention away from Kyle. “How much rum did you put in this fruit salad?” she asked, pushing it back out of the way when Alex made an uncoordinated grab for the bowl.
Tess bit back a laugh when she saw the way Alex was comfortably slouched in the deck chair, a slight scowl on his face in response to being told to lay off of the tropical fruit salad. “Leave that man alone and let him have some fun, Isabel; matter of fact, let Kyle keep an eye on him because we’ve got some talkin’ to do.”
“’m fine, honey,” Alex said with a goofy smile. “Go on an’ talk to the girls… I’m just gonna sit here an’ have some more fruit salad.” He shifted around and pulled his key ring out of his front pocket to hand them over to his girlfriend. “See? I’m not even plannin’ to drive home tonight.”
“Alright, but take it easy on that stuff.”
“What’re you worried about?” Tess asked as they walked out to the chairs grouped together far enough out that the guys wouldn’t overhear their conversation.
“He doesn’t drink very often and when he does it’s never very much; I just don’t want him to overdo it and then regret it later.”
“You think he can’t handle a little hangover?”
“No, but I think he’d regret his sister seein’ him in that condition.” She shrugged one shoulder as she took one of the chairs.
“Well, okay, but she’s his sister, Iz, not his daughter. Hell, she saw Michael totally trashed when we were up at the cabin.”
“It’s a very thin line, Tess; Alex has full custody of her and that kinda alters that line between brother and sister.”
“Oh, yeah, I guess I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
“What’re y’all talkin’ about over here?” Maria asked as she joined them and took the chair next to Tess.
“Responsibility,” Tess answered, wrinkling her nose. She took a drink from the beer she held in her right hand and smiled. “I hadn’t really thought about how Alex havin’ custody of Brooke would change their relationship. It kinda makes him more of a parental figure than her brother.”
“True,” Maria mused, watching her boyfriend and his twin as they tried to capture their sister as she watched them from the other side of the volleyball net set up on the beach. “Alright, where’s Miss I’ve-Got-A-Secret hidin’?”
Tess turned and pointed at their roommate who was smiling at something Max was saying. “You wanna get her or you want me to do it?”
“Let’s go, Parker!” Maria hollered. She grinned when Liz blushed and nodded at whatever Max was asking her before slowly turning to walk over and join them.
Liz walked over to her roommates, preparing herself for all the questions; she knew there would be a lot of them.
Maria had taken the seat next to Tess, purposefully leaving the one beside Isabel open for their youngest roommate but before she could open her mouth to set the tone for the conversation Tess jumped right in.
“Okay, Parker, spill it – what’s goin’ on with you and Evans?”
“Um…” Liz stumbled. She was used to Tess’s straight-to-the-point kink, but she always had a hard time with it.
Isabel rolled her eyes and reached out to place a hand on Liz’s arm as she gave her a reassuring smile. “Just take your time... go at your own pace and pretend that Tess has some tact like the rest of us do.”
“Hey, I do know how to be tactful!” Tess insisted, sounding insulted.
Maria shook her head. “You couldn’t be tactful if you tried.”
“Yes, I could,” she argued.
“Okay, then ask that question with some tact,” Isabel said, lifting her right eyebrow in a challenge.
Tess sighed and gritted her teeth. What was the point? she wondered. They all wanted to know the same thing. “So, Liz, you and Max look like you’re getting along pretty well...?”
Maria laughed out loud. That was sooo not Tess.
“See? It just sounds stupid comin’ from me!” Tess slouched down in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest as she sulked.
“What happened over Thanksgiving?” Maria asked Liz.
Liz took a deep breath, readying herself for a roller coaster of an explanation. “Well, I went back home with Sean just like we planned, but we decided that we couldn’t keep the charade up... it wasn’t fair to us and it wasn’t fair to...” Her eyes sought out Max and she smiled when she located him standing next to Kyle, overseeing his roommate’s grilling techniques. “And it wasn’t fair to Max.”
“So, you told your parents that you and Sean broke up?” Maria asked, horrified. She could only imagine their reaction.
“Um, yeah... they really weren’t happy... things were said and I finally told my parents that if they couldn't accept my decision that I’d leave.” She reached up to brush a tear away as it slipped down her cheek. “My mom told me to leave,” she choked out.
“She... she what?” Isabel asked, stunned. She pulled Liz into a hug as she exchanged a look with the other girls. How could her parents be so cold? she wondered.
“She did... that was the last thing she said to me. My dad never said that and I don’t think he wanted me to leave, but...”
“But he didn’t stand up to your mom either, did he?” Tess asked.
Maria glanced at Tess and shook her head once in warning. “So, you and Sean came back to Long Beach for the whole weekend?”
Tess rolled her eyes, but nodded. She had never understood Liz’s parents and she hated that Jeff Parker never stood up to his wife, especially when it came to their daughter.
“No, Tony took us to the airport and we were planning to come back to Long Beach, but I called Max and his mother kinda convinced me to go to Texas instead.” A small smile appeared on her lips as she remembered the conversation with the woman on the phone.
“Wait, so you called him?” Tess was excited at the news; Liz Parker had made a first move on her own!
“Yeah, I did.”
“Oh, my God! So, you spent the weekend in Dallas, with Max and his family?” Maria asked, shocked.
“Uh, yeah. They invited me and I didn’t really have a chance to say no to his mother on the phone.”
Isabel’s perfect eyebrows lifted in speculation. “Uh-huh... did you want to say no?”
“No, I just wasn’t sure if this was a little too fast... y’know? I just broke my engagement to Sean and I’ve already started a new relationship with Max.”
Tess was fidgeting in her chair, doing everything she could to control her mouth because she was just bursting with questions.
“And now? You still think it wasn’t the right decision to go to Texas?” Isabel wanted to know.
Liz’s gaze softened as it once again locked on Max; he was watching her, looking for any sign that she was in distress and needed him to step in and rescue her. “No, it was the right decision.”
“Okay, I’m sorry, but I can’t hold it in any longer,” Tess apologized. “I’ve gotta know... did you sleep at his house? You did, right? Please tell me you at least kissed a little? Made out some?”
Liz blushed at Tess’ questions, even if she had been expecting them. She nodded softly and cleared her throat. “Yeah, we did.”
All three girls’ mouths dropped open at her admission. “WHAT?” they all shouted in unison.
“Wait, wait, wait! Back it up, Parker... yes, to which part?” Tess was sure Liz was trying to kill her with these evasive answers.
“Um, well, y’know… yes, to both.”
“You made out with him?” Maria asked, surprised and she had to admit, a little proud. “How far did you go?” She couldn’t help it, she had to know.
“We were both fully dressed...” Liz started with the harmless part.
Fully clothed, Tess thought. Of course they were fully clothed, it was safe. Okay, Tess, be supportive! “Oh, so, just like kissing?”
Liz shook her head. “No, not just kissing... we also um... touched each other... all over.”
“All over?” Isabel echoed.
Liz nodded. “And then we got rid of our shirts.”
Maria’s eyes widened. “Wait, there was nudity?”
“Just the shirts.”
“But, full nudity from the waist up,” Tess demanded, impressed.
Liz nodded quietly, still blushing.
“Oh, my God!” Tess squealed as she bounced up and down in her chair. “What else? What else?”
“Well... IthinkIhadanorgasm,” Liz mumbled and looked at the ground.
Tess jumped up and started doing a little dance around their circle of chairs, totally oblivious to the eye-rolling going on.
“Ignore her, Liz... she’s very happy for you and she just has a weird way of showing it.” Maria made a rolling motion with her right hand. “So, how did it feel? You’ve gotten yourself off before, so y’know what it feels like, but was it different? Did it feel better?” God, she was starting to channel Tess!
“It felt different... definitely better,” Liz admitted, finally looking up again.
Isabel could see that despite Liz’s normal reservations she was enjoying the opportunity to share her new experience with her friends. “Alright, it's my turn for a question... separate rooms or did you sleep in his room?”
“Same room.”
“So, you slept in his bed... with him, right?” Tess asked, seeking clarification.
“Yeah, we shared the same bed overnight.”
“So, you didn’t get back late last night?” Maria asked, frowning. She had just assumed when she had run into Liz that morning as they were getting ready to leave for class that the girl had gotten in late the night before.
“Um, no. We got back yesterday afternoon, but neither of us was ready to answer a bunch of questions, so… we kinda… y’know, we just… we got a hotel room and stayed there overnight. Max dropped me off this mornin’ and then went to his place to get ready.”
“Okay, so you’ve slept with him in his bed, stayed together in a hotel, gotten naked from the waist up, you’ve touched each other, and you got off together, right?” Her right fist shot up in the air when Liz nodded. “Yes!” Tess pounced on the unsuspecting girl, hauling her up out of her chair and into her arms as she danced around in the sand, hugging her tightly.
“Okay, you are so crazy, Tess,” Liz said, but smiled.
“What? You have taken your first official step out of virgin-land!”
Liz looked pleadingly at her other friends, who were still sitting in their chairs. “Help me out,” she mouthed to Maria.
“Okay, Tess, I think it’s time for you to let go of Liz and go to your happy place,” Maria said as she stood and extricated the younger girl from the overly-exuberant blonde’s clutches.
“Thank you,” Liz whispered.
“Tess, how was New York?” Isabel asked since it was the first time they had seen each other after the long weekend apart.
“Yeah, tell her about the shopping,” Maria suggested, knowing that would distract Tess for a while.
“Oh, it was sooo great. Kyle’s mom is hilarious and she took me to shopping-paradise.”
“I’m glad you had such a good weekend even though it started out pretty shitty,” Maria said quietly, taking the seat next to Liz when Tess moved over to sit next to Isabel.
“Yeah, but I’m glad my parents know... even if they do hate me now.”
“I know it feels like that, Liz, but your parents don’t hate you.”
“I don’t know if my mother will talk to me ever again.”
Maria bit her bottom lip, not sure what to say.
“If she doesn’t talk to you again then she’s a fool,” a male voice growled.
They all turned to look at Max when he leaned over Liz’s chair so he could kiss her slowly.
“C’mon, go for a walk with me.”
Liz accepted his hand and smiled at her friends. “See you guys in a while.”
Maria waved and smiled. Max was the right man for her, she just knew it.
“Now,” Tess said after Liz and Max had walked a little ways off, “haven’t I been tellin’ you all along that he was the right man for her?”
Isabel rolled her eyes, knowing that if they didn’t sidetrack Tess they were going to be listening to her go on and on about how she had been right for the rest of the night. “Tell me more about the shopping,” she insisted, hoping to derail the Harding Train before it picked up enough steam to really get going.
“Hey, are you done with all the girl talk?” Michael asked, leaning over and bracing his forearms on the back of the chair that Liz had vacated. “I’m seriously needin’ some attention, woman.”
She smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t call me that.”
“What would you like me to call you?” he growled against her lips as he leaned in for a kiss. “I don’t know why you’d have a problem with it... you’re definitely all woman.”
Maria wondered how he always managed to say just the right words sometimes. “I am!”
“No argument from me.” He grinned and nipped at her bottom lip. “Woman.”
She pinched his side. “Jerk.”
“Hey! It was meant as a compliment!” Michael jumped back away from her fingers. “There’s no need to be insulting.”
She rolled her eyes. “We should work on your compliments, baby.”
“We can work on that... among other things.” He grinned playfully.
“Other things?”
“Mike Jr. hasn’t been out to play in a couple of days...”
“Is there a chance we can spend the night together?” she asked, not sure if he was able to leave Brooke alone.
Michael’s gaze shifted to his sister, watching her as she teased Alex and Brendan about something and he nodded. “I think she’ll be okay if I hang at my place tonight.” He looked back at Maria. “So, question is, can you spend the night?”
“Well, I don’t think that anyone else will need me tonight.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good, ‘cause I need you.” He studied her eyes as he took a deep breath. “When I say that... that I need you... y’know it’s for more than just sex, right?”
Maria nodded, knowing that he was being serious. “I missed you last night. And not just for sex either.”
“Okay, as long as we’re both clear on that.” Michael straightened up and held his hand out to her. “So, you gonna come hang out with me or did you want me to have a seat and we can all discuss the latest in shoes and fashion?”
“Well, if you wanna talk about shoes, then...” She saw his horrified expression and laughed. “Just kidding, where’re we goin’?”
Michael glanced over his shoulder. “Looks like we’ve got a few minutes before Kyle starts turnin’ the food into ash... wanna go for a walk?”
“Okay,” she agreed before bending down to get rid or her sandals.
Tess watched them walk off together before glancing at Isabel. “Can you believe how serious they’ve gotten?”
“They’ve admitted their feelings for each other; that’s all that was necessary, I think.”
“So, how’re things goin’ with you and Alex? I know you guys didn’t get the chance to tell everyone about the baby.”
“No, there just hasn’t been a right time yet. First his parents showed up on Thanksgiving and now the situation with Brooke. He’s just been very lost the last few days”
“I guess even though their parents suck that it’s still been pretty hard on him, huh?”
Isabel shook her head. “God, Tess, you can’t even begin to imagine the things their father said to them. It was just so cruel.”
“Yeah, Kyle said their father’s pretty brutal.”
“Hank is like the worst father you can imagine.”
“Would it be too personal to ask how far the abuse extends?”
Isabel shrugged. “I don’t really know. I guess Michael’s the only one who really knows; it seems like he got the worst of it.”
“What an asshole!” Tess muttered. “Not Michael,” she clarified, “his father.”
“Yeah, and he got away with nothing.”
“But, he’s out of their lives for good now, right? Kyle said from the way he understood it that Hank’s pretty much out of the picture.”
“Yeah, I think he is.”
“Good riddance! Okay, happy topic! Have you guys decided on a theme for the nursery?”
“No, not yet.”
“What? Are you guys gonna find out if it’s a boy or a girl? Or are you gonna wait and be surprised?”
“Um, we haven’t discussed that, either.”
“Well, how am I gonna know what kinda stuff to buy if I don’t know if I’m havin’ a niece or a nephew?”
Isabel laughed. “Two words, Tess… neutral colors.”
*****
Alex was getting his things together when the doorbell rang and the dogs tore through the house, barking and growling at the noise. He was picking Isabel up since she had the afternoon free due to a class cancellation and they were going to look at furniture for the baby’s room. He called the dogs down and waited for them to settle before he opened the front door and he was shocked to see the woman waiting on the porch.
“Mom… what’re you doin’ here?” he asked, looking around for any sign of his father.
“I’m here alone, Alex,” Maureen said quietly. She motioned to the taxi waiting at the curb before speaking again. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be home or not.”
“Well, yes and no; I was actually just on my way out. I have plans with Isabel this afternoon and then we’ll be pickin’ Brooke up from school.”
“You pick her up from school?”
“Normally Brendan or Michael pick her up, but we have a meetin’ with her academic counselor today.”
“We?” she echoed. “You and Isabel?”
“Yes, we handle things like that together.” He shook his head, wondering why he was bothering to explain anything to his mother. “I really need to get goin’, so unless you need somethin’…”
“Oh, well, I was hoping I could talk to you about a few things, and I’d like to speak to Brooke as well – “
“No, ma’am,” he denied forcefully but respectfully. “She’s been through enough this past week and I’m not gonna subject her to more of the same. I will not put her in that situation; she’s been hurt enough.” He swallowed hard, torn over what he was about to say. “Regardless of what’s happened, you’re our mother, but my responsibility lies with and to my family, so I’m gonna ask you to stay away from us.”
Maureen stared at him through vision blurred by tears. “For how long?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“I don’t know.” He felt himself wavering at her obvious distress and he forced himself to think about the abuse Michael had suffered, the way Hank had controlled Brendan, and last he pictured his sister’s face when they had picked her up from the airport. “I don’t know, Mom, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to get in contact with Brooke.” He glanced at his watch and he reached inside to grab his jacket before stepping outside and pulling the door closed behind him. “I really need to get goin’, so…”
Maureen nodded and turned to walk down to the waiting taxi; she was terrified that she had lost any chance of reconciling with her children. Alex had always been the most understanding and even though she had seen how much it had taken for him to ask her to leave and not contact them again she knew he meant every word of what he’d said.
She leaned over the seat and gave the driver the next address before slumping against the door and covering her face with her hands.
Earth2Mama: You’re absolutely right, there’s no excuse for not doing something… even if she didn’t know for sure, she had her suspicions.
The boy’s will do their best to help their little sister get past this. Well, really, it was more the threat that the reporter’s might catch wind of his abuse than anything Maureen did or said. But, it was a small step in the right direction for her.
Max took a big step with that visit and Liz’ quiet support helped him a great deal. They do make an awesome couple!
Yes, some folks are just crazy for their coffee, lol! Oh, don’t tempt us to write that scene because really… we could! Let’s get to that barbeque.
Now that’s quite a record! You’re in good company then, lol. Aw, you get to read at work? You are sooo lucky!!
keepsmiling7: Max is making good progress and he really needed to deal with that.
80s_UnLove_Child: Awesome idea!
LOL, that might cheer Brooke up, but maybe after she’s feeling a little more secure.
More temptation…
Well, at least you’re not going into debt over the Pringles, lol. Hmm… suppose that depends on how much you like them!
Natalie36: Things are moving right along for everyone!
Cardinal: LOL, yes she is!
We think you’re right. She’s got a great support system.
Oh, you’re on a roll here! Liz is definitely coming out of her shell in a big way!
Don’t worry… you haven’t missed everyone’s reactions!
Maiqu: She’s where she needs to be.
For two people who are so blasted mule-headed they are getting pretty cute, huh?
Max and Liz are gonna be a great couple!
Alien_Friend: Yup, we just couldn’t let it go on any longer.
The ‘Guerin Brothers’… you’re right. Two words, but very powerful. It was past time for Hank to lose something.
We’ve got a big soft spot for brothers and sisters, too. That kind of relationship is something special. Thanks for the compliment! So, did ya email your bro?
The guys have each other, their girlfriends, and their friends to fall back on, so Brooke has an amazing support system to get her through this. It’s not an easy thing for Michael to see someone he cares about hurting and feeling like he can’t make it all better.
Having your person is so important!
mary mary: We totally agree with you!
kay_b: Nope, these boys will be there with her and for her while she deals with this and anything else that comes up.
What can we say, he’s Max! LOL, no they don’t know… not yet!
sunrise102: We’re pretty sure you’re right about that! Most likely, no one will even notice when he’s gone!
LOL, it was a pretty busy holiday weekend, wasn’t it? Hehehe… just wait until Christmas, lol!
sarammlover: Max had kinda gone back and forth between acknowledging his brother wasn’t there and refusing to accept it… the visit to the gravesite was a big step and one that he really needed to take.
Don’t think so, huh? Well, you could be right. Try as we might… no matter how often we update we seem to have at least 500 pages in reserve… and we’re still not finished!
kismet: Liz is making great progress and learning to come out of her shell.
We’ll be learning more about Maureen soon.
LOL, sexual frustration, huh? Don’t think he was really pissy over his $35/lb coffee?
Well, if you’re missing the parts where they’re together… we have several of those coming up!
And there it is… more temptation…
Eva: Thanks!
It’s a support system that just can’t be beat! This group will survive this and come out stronger on the other side.
That is so true! They’re still learning, but the guys – and the girls, too – are realizing that it’s about more than just the good times.
Part 75 – Girl Talk
Brooke followed her brothers and Isabel into Michael’s apartment, holding her dogs close and keeping her head lowered so her hair fell forward and hid the hideous discolored bruise on her cheek. She didn’t know why her brothers had insisted on dragging her out to hang out when she just wanted to stay in her bedroom and hide from everyone. She constantly felt like she was on the verge of tears and she hated feeling like she wasn’t in control of her emotions.
She was contemplating whether or not she could just sneak away to hide out in Michael’s room when Kyle suddenly appeared in front of her and pulled her into a hug. “Want me to hop on a plane and kick his ass?” he asked quietly.
“Only if you can do it without getting yourself in trouble,” she whispered.
“Not sure I can promise that part.”
She shook her head when he stepped back to give her some space. “Then no, but thanks for the thought.”
“You sure, kid?” Max asked, taking his turn at hugging her. “Because we could be on a plane tonight.”
“As much as I’d love for that to happen, I wouldn’t want you guys to risk getting thrown in jail.”
Max leaned back and cupped her chin, lifting her downcast gaze up to meet his concerned gaze. “You’re worth the risk, ya know that, right? Don’t you let that bastard make you question your worth, girl.”
Brooke felt her eyes filling with tears when his thumb gently brushed over the bruised portion of her cheek; not from pain, but from the reminder that she was loved by this rowdy group and they would do anything for her. Her father no longer had any claim on her and as much as she didn’t want anything to do with him, it hurt that he had willingly signed away his parental rights just to save face in front of the press.
“Hey, why don’t you come sit on the beach with me an’ I’ll tell you a secret,” he said, knowing she wouldn’t be able to resist learning something that no one else knew. He caught her hand when it automatically lifted to cover her face and he shook his head. “Anyone says anything, just tell ‘em they should see the other guy.” He nodded at the dogs she was holding so close. “Want me to take a look at the tiny warrior there?”
A tentative smile lifted one corner of her mouth and she glanced down at Spike before carefully handing him over to Max. “So, you’ve got a secret?”
Max gently collared her with his right arm and they walked out through the patio doors, down off of the back patio, and about a dozen feet out on the beach where they had set up enough seats for all of them.
Alex released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding when Brooke went with Max and he reached up to run his right hand over his face. “Okay, maybe this was a good idea.”
Kyle placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder to get his attention. “Alex, you need to relax a little bit, man; why don’t you come with me and try out the tropical fruit salad that my girl made. It’s soaked in rum and it’s fuckin’ awesome!” He made a waving motion at the twins as he moved towards the patio. “C’mon, Brendan, you too.”
“Um…”
Michael gave his younger brother a gentle shove. “Go on, one of us can give you a ride home later or you can just crash here if you have too much to drink.” He looked at Tess when the guys all made their way out to the patio. “Wasn’t it your job to get the girls here?”
“Are there or are there not three girls here?” she countered.
He glared at her. “Oh, yeah, you, my little sister, and my brother’s girlfriend… wow, I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself. Where’s Maria?”
Isabel laughed at his sarcastic tone, relieved to see things getting back to normal. She had been up most of the night, unable to sleep while Alex prowled around the house, constantly checking over his sister and the twins as if he were worried that they might disappear.
“Hey, Guerin,” Kyle called from the open doorway. “You want a burger, dog, or steak?”
“I thought you said Maria was gonna be here?”
Kyle glanced at Tess, knowing without asking that she had been baiting his roommate. “She’ll be here; she said she an’ Liz had to go pick somethin’ up first. Now, about the food…?”
“Oh, uh, burgers. But don’t burn the shit out of ‘em like you normally do; I don’t like havin’ to chip an inch of burnt meat off to get to the middle of the damn things.”
“Y’know what? If one more person criticizes the way I grill someone else will be grillin’ the fuckin’ food.” He turned to look at the tall blond across the room. “How ‘bout you, Iz?”
Isabel thought about the food and debated whether or not she wanted to risk it; a hamburger sounded good, but the baby had shown itself to be incredibly picky about the food she ate. “I think I’ll try a hamburger; can you make it so that it’s not greasy?”
Kyle grinned and turned to wave at the door as he bowed graciously. “Your wish is my command.” He glanced at his girlfriend. “Tess, crank the music up, babe.”
Michael shook his head as he watched his friends and family hanging out together and having a good time. Brooke was laughing at something Max had said and he felt himself start to relax when the teenager moved her chair closer to his roommate and rested her head on his shoulder.
He grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and popped the top off before walking outside to join everyone. He leaned back against the wall and watched as Isabel and Tess discussed something about an upcoming sale at one of their favorite stores and nearly choked on a swallow of beer at the trapped look on Kyle’s face when his girlfriend volunteered his services as a mule. It didn’t take long before his attention was drawn to his brothers and their conversation and he moved to lean on the railing so he could hear them better.
“You guys went hang gliding this summer?” he asked, unable to remain silent any longer.
Alex and Brendan motioned for him to join them and he kicked his shoes and socks off before he ambled through the sand to sit across from them. For the next half hour they talked about things they had done over the summer and he felt a stab of regret for all that he had missed doing with them. Well, he mused, he didn’t regret missing the hang gliding experience. He hadn’t even realized that his brothers hung out together all that often until now.
He tipped his head back when a pair of hands settled on his shoulders and he grinned when Maria leaned over to kiss him. “Where’ve you been?” he asked a few moments later.
“Liz had to run somewhere…” She leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. “It’s one of those woman things.”
“Huh?”
“Birth control pills.”
He snorted and shook his head as he glanced back at Liz where she was standing on the patio watching Max. “And a virgin needs those for what reason?”
“It’s a woman thing and if I explain it you’re gonna wish I hadn’t said anything.”
Realization dawned and his hands shot up to keep her from saying more just to screw with him. “Okay, wait! Don’t go any further with that explanation!” He was about to say more when Max noticed that the last of their guests had arrived and he said something to Brooke before standing up and moving towards Liz.
The teenager scrambled around to rest her chin on the back of her chair as she watched along with everyone else as Liz met Max halfway, but she knew something the rest of them didn’t know… yet.
Maria’s mouth dropped open in shock when Max caught Liz in his arms and pulled her up against his body for a kiss that was scorching.
“Okay,” Tess muttered, “how long has this been goin’ on? That is not a first kiss!”
“No, it’s not,” Isabel agreed, eyebrows lifting in surprise when Liz not only participated in the kiss, but her hands managed to find their way up under his shirt to press against his back.
“Maria!”
She turned to look at her friends when they both called her name at the same time, easily detecting the accusation in their tones. “What?” Her hands came up in a defensive gesture. “Hey, this is news to me, too!”
“Elizabeth Parker!” Tess called as soon as the couple came up for air. She nodded when Liz turned around and blushed as she realized that she had just kissed Max right in front of everyone. “Yeah, you heard me, Parker; get your ass over here because I think it’s time for the four of us to have a talk.”
Liz rolled her eyes before turning back to look up at Max, smiling when she saw the concerned look in his eyes. “Don’t worry, they’ll be happy for us… they’re gonna kill me for keepin’ this to myself for the past few days, but once they’re over the shock they’ll be happy.”
“I don’t suppose I can be part of the conversation, huh?”
Liz thought about that for a few moments before shaking her head. “Um… no.”
Maria pulled her gaze away from what looked to be the newest couple in their group and nudged Michael’s shoulder. “Michael?”
“What? I didn’t know anything about this.”
Maria rolled her eyes at his immediate denial. “No, baby, I need you to move some chairs out for us; the four of us need to talk,” she said, motioning to her own roommates.
“Meanin’ you want some privacy,” he guessed.
“Um-hmm.”
“Okay.” He stood up and glanced at his brothers. “You guys wanna give me a hand?”
Maria made her way over to the unusually quiet teenager and sat down in the chair Max had vacated. “Hey,” she greeted with a smile.
“Hey, Maria.”
“You feelin’ any better today?” she asked, knowing how concerned the girl’s brothers were for her.
“Yeah,” she answered, knowing that she didn’t sound very convincing.
“C’mon,” Maria teased lightly, “you’ve got all of the guys doin’ whatever you want.”
Brooke smirked slightly. “Yeah, they are very agreeable right now.”
“When are these boys not agreeable with you?”
“Well, when it comes to dating guys or going out in the evening...”
Maria snorted. “You may have a point there.” She could just imagine the poor girl trying to go out on a date with this group of guys as chaperones.
“Yeah, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. I know they love me and I know they’re just worried.”
“Um-hmm, I don’t think you can go wrong with this group on your side.”
Brooke nodded and stared down on the ocean for a few seconds. “I’m sorry that I’ve kept him away from you the last couple of days,” she finally said, glancing at Maria.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Brooke! You needed him and I would have questioned his character if he had ignored you to stay with me.” She smiled and waved when she looked up and caught the man in question watching them while his brothers moved the lawn furniture and he directed them.
“It’s just that I know the two of you have had a hard time lately and it’s understandable that you wanna be together.”
Maria wished the teenager knew more about being a kid; most of the time she was more like an adult trapped in a 16-year-old’s body. “We are together, but there are going to be times when his family needs him and he’ll need to be there for you guys. If I can’t understand that then I don’t deserve him.”
Brooke studied Maria’s features for several long moments. “I’m glad he found you, Maria. You’re perfect for him...” She glanced up to look at Michael where he was standing on the patio, talking to Brendan, “I’ve never seen him like this. Happy.”
Maria followed the teenager’s gaze and nodded in agreement. “It is a good look for him.”
“Yeah…” she cleared her throat. “He’s dealt with everything on his own for so long. Y’know, he thinks I’m still upset and scared because my father hit me...” She shook her head.
“It’s somethin’ else?” Maria asked, sensing that the teenager was about to open up a little bit.
“All I’ve been able to think about the whole time is how he had to go through that all those years. He was bein’ hit by Hank for so long and nobody knew. I feel so horrible for not knowing it… I should have known it.”
“Brooke, you can’t hold yourself responsible for that.” She shook her head, amazed once again. “He didn’t want you to know; he didn’t want anyone to know. Michael is stubborn and proud, and let’s not forget that he’s also a man, right?” She rolled her eyes when he grinned at her, and she shook her head as she turned back to face the water. “They live by their own code and some of them are more frustrating than others. You love him, you worship the ground he walks on, and for him it would’ve been too much for you to see him as anything less than the larger-than-life image you have of him.”
“I know you’re right. I just can’t push the thoughts away so easily.”
“No, and I’m not suggesting that it would be that easy. Have you really talked to him about this? About how you’re feeling?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Why?”
“He doesn’t want to talk about this stuff and he gets defensive most of the time when personal stuff comes up.”
“Well, that much is true. Have you considered that maybe it would help him to have someone to talk to about it?”
Brooke shook her head slightly and looked down at the sand. “It’s so hard to talk about it.”
Maria knew it was a difficult subject to discuss, especially when it came to Michael; the man was many things, but an open book was not one of them. “Has he tried to bring it up at all?”
“No, I think he tries to avoid it as much as possible. Has he talked to you about it?”
“We’ve talked about it a little, enough to open the door. I think it’s somethin’ that he’ll bring up if he decides he wants to talk about it.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Be careful about tellin’ her she’s right,” Michael said as he leaned over their chairs. “You two talkin’ about me?”
“You will never find out,” Maria replied with a grin.
“Never?” he repeated. “You tossin’ a challenge at me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Y’know I’m gonna find out eventually, so why don’t you just save me the work and tell me?”
“Well, girls need their secrets, baby, you’re just gonna have to accept this little fact of life.”
“Brooke, y’know you’re no match for the tickle monster, and Maria...” He leaned in so he could whisper in her ear. “I’ve got a whole lot of ways to torture the information out of you... and I can go all night long, baby.” He nipped her ear before he glanced back at his sister and reached around her chair to dig his fingers in her ribs, making her squeal and squirm around to get away from him.
“That’s not fair, Michael,” Brooke giggled and stood up to get away.
“Who said anything about fair?” Brendan asked when she collided with him as she tried to escape from Michael. He glanced at his twin and a slow smile settled over his features.
“Looks like you’re trapped, Brooke,” Michael said, laughing when she tried to step around Brendan and he shifted to block her path.
“Oh, no, you two, leave me alone!” Brooke shouted, laughing.
Brendan and Michael exchanged a quick look and then shook their heads at the same time.
“You get a 10-second head start,” Michael offered, his tone indicating that he felt it was more than generous. “After that... we’re comin’ to get you.”
Maria shook her head as the chase began, watching them for several minutes before she got up and made her way over to the chairs that the guys had set up for them.
Isabel watched Alex as he speared another piece of the rum-soaked cantaloupe before leaning back in his chair and slouching down. Between the comfortable atmosphere and the alcohol he was consuming he was more relaxed than she had seen him in the past few days and she was so glad she had been able to talk him into coming to the barbeque. His gray gaze was following his brothers and Brooke as they ran around on the beach, the teenager doing everything she could to avoid the twins.
“Alex?”
“Hmm?” he mumbled as he rolled his head along the back of his chair to look at his girlfriend. “Wha’s up?”
Isabel called Tess, drawing her attention away from Kyle. “How much rum did you put in this fruit salad?” she asked, pushing it back out of the way when Alex made an uncoordinated grab for the bowl.
Tess bit back a laugh when she saw the way Alex was comfortably slouched in the deck chair, a slight scowl on his face in response to being told to lay off of the tropical fruit salad. “Leave that man alone and let him have some fun, Isabel; matter of fact, let Kyle keep an eye on him because we’ve got some talkin’ to do.”
“’m fine, honey,” Alex said with a goofy smile. “Go on an’ talk to the girls… I’m just gonna sit here an’ have some more fruit salad.” He shifted around and pulled his key ring out of his front pocket to hand them over to his girlfriend. “See? I’m not even plannin’ to drive home tonight.”
“Alright, but take it easy on that stuff.”
“What’re you worried about?” Tess asked as they walked out to the chairs grouped together far enough out that the guys wouldn’t overhear their conversation.
“He doesn’t drink very often and when he does it’s never very much; I just don’t want him to overdo it and then regret it later.”
“You think he can’t handle a little hangover?”
“No, but I think he’d regret his sister seein’ him in that condition.” She shrugged one shoulder as she took one of the chairs.
“Well, okay, but she’s his sister, Iz, not his daughter. Hell, she saw Michael totally trashed when we were up at the cabin.”
“It’s a very thin line, Tess; Alex has full custody of her and that kinda alters that line between brother and sister.”
“Oh, yeah, I guess I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
“What’re y’all talkin’ about over here?” Maria asked as she joined them and took the chair next to Tess.
“Responsibility,” Tess answered, wrinkling her nose. She took a drink from the beer she held in her right hand and smiled. “I hadn’t really thought about how Alex havin’ custody of Brooke would change their relationship. It kinda makes him more of a parental figure than her brother.”
“True,” Maria mused, watching her boyfriend and his twin as they tried to capture their sister as she watched them from the other side of the volleyball net set up on the beach. “Alright, where’s Miss I’ve-Got-A-Secret hidin’?”
Tess turned and pointed at their roommate who was smiling at something Max was saying. “You wanna get her or you want me to do it?”
“Let’s go, Parker!” Maria hollered. She grinned when Liz blushed and nodded at whatever Max was asking her before slowly turning to walk over and join them.
Liz walked over to her roommates, preparing herself for all the questions; she knew there would be a lot of them.
Maria had taken the seat next to Tess, purposefully leaving the one beside Isabel open for their youngest roommate but before she could open her mouth to set the tone for the conversation Tess jumped right in.
“Okay, Parker, spill it – what’s goin’ on with you and Evans?”
“Um…” Liz stumbled. She was used to Tess’s straight-to-the-point kink, but she always had a hard time with it.
Isabel rolled her eyes and reached out to place a hand on Liz’s arm as she gave her a reassuring smile. “Just take your time... go at your own pace and pretend that Tess has some tact like the rest of us do.”
“Hey, I do know how to be tactful!” Tess insisted, sounding insulted.
Maria shook her head. “You couldn’t be tactful if you tried.”
“Yes, I could,” she argued.
“Okay, then ask that question with some tact,” Isabel said, lifting her right eyebrow in a challenge.
Tess sighed and gritted her teeth. What was the point? she wondered. They all wanted to know the same thing. “So, Liz, you and Max look like you’re getting along pretty well...?”
Maria laughed out loud. That was sooo not Tess.
“See? It just sounds stupid comin’ from me!” Tess slouched down in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest as she sulked.
“What happened over Thanksgiving?” Maria asked Liz.
Liz took a deep breath, readying herself for a roller coaster of an explanation. “Well, I went back home with Sean just like we planned, but we decided that we couldn’t keep the charade up... it wasn’t fair to us and it wasn’t fair to...” Her eyes sought out Max and she smiled when she located him standing next to Kyle, overseeing his roommate’s grilling techniques. “And it wasn’t fair to Max.”
“So, you told your parents that you and Sean broke up?” Maria asked, horrified. She could only imagine their reaction.
“Um, yeah... they really weren’t happy... things were said and I finally told my parents that if they couldn't accept my decision that I’d leave.” She reached up to brush a tear away as it slipped down her cheek. “My mom told me to leave,” she choked out.
“She... she what?” Isabel asked, stunned. She pulled Liz into a hug as she exchanged a look with the other girls. How could her parents be so cold? she wondered.
“She did... that was the last thing she said to me. My dad never said that and I don’t think he wanted me to leave, but...”
“But he didn’t stand up to your mom either, did he?” Tess asked.
Maria glanced at Tess and shook her head once in warning. “So, you and Sean came back to Long Beach for the whole weekend?”
Tess rolled her eyes, but nodded. She had never understood Liz’s parents and she hated that Jeff Parker never stood up to his wife, especially when it came to their daughter.
“No, Tony took us to the airport and we were planning to come back to Long Beach, but I called Max and his mother kinda convinced me to go to Texas instead.” A small smile appeared on her lips as she remembered the conversation with the woman on the phone.
“Wait, so you called him?” Tess was excited at the news; Liz Parker had made a first move on her own!
“Yeah, I did.”
“Oh, my God! So, you spent the weekend in Dallas, with Max and his family?” Maria asked, shocked.
“Uh, yeah. They invited me and I didn’t really have a chance to say no to his mother on the phone.”
Isabel’s perfect eyebrows lifted in speculation. “Uh-huh... did you want to say no?”
“No, I just wasn’t sure if this was a little too fast... y’know? I just broke my engagement to Sean and I’ve already started a new relationship with Max.”
Tess was fidgeting in her chair, doing everything she could to control her mouth because she was just bursting with questions.
“And now? You still think it wasn’t the right decision to go to Texas?” Isabel wanted to know.
Liz’s gaze softened as it once again locked on Max; he was watching her, looking for any sign that she was in distress and needed him to step in and rescue her. “No, it was the right decision.”
“Okay, I’m sorry, but I can’t hold it in any longer,” Tess apologized. “I’ve gotta know... did you sleep at his house? You did, right? Please tell me you at least kissed a little? Made out some?”
Liz blushed at Tess’ questions, even if she had been expecting them. She nodded softly and cleared her throat. “Yeah, we did.”
All three girls’ mouths dropped open at her admission. “WHAT?” they all shouted in unison.
“Wait, wait, wait! Back it up, Parker... yes, to which part?” Tess was sure Liz was trying to kill her with these evasive answers.
“Um, well, y’know… yes, to both.”
“You made out with him?” Maria asked, surprised and she had to admit, a little proud. “How far did you go?” She couldn’t help it, she had to know.
“We were both fully dressed...” Liz started with the harmless part.
Fully clothed, Tess thought. Of course they were fully clothed, it was safe. Okay, Tess, be supportive! “Oh, so, just like kissing?”
Liz shook her head. “No, not just kissing... we also um... touched each other... all over.”
“All over?” Isabel echoed.
Liz nodded. “And then we got rid of our shirts.”
Maria’s eyes widened. “Wait, there was nudity?”
“Just the shirts.”
“But, full nudity from the waist up,” Tess demanded, impressed.
Liz nodded quietly, still blushing.
“Oh, my God!” Tess squealed as she bounced up and down in her chair. “What else? What else?”
“Well... IthinkIhadanorgasm,” Liz mumbled and looked at the ground.
Tess jumped up and started doing a little dance around their circle of chairs, totally oblivious to the eye-rolling going on.
“Ignore her, Liz... she’s very happy for you and she just has a weird way of showing it.” Maria made a rolling motion with her right hand. “So, how did it feel? You’ve gotten yourself off before, so y’know what it feels like, but was it different? Did it feel better?” God, she was starting to channel Tess!
“It felt different... definitely better,” Liz admitted, finally looking up again.
Isabel could see that despite Liz’s normal reservations she was enjoying the opportunity to share her new experience with her friends. “Alright, it's my turn for a question... separate rooms or did you sleep in his room?”
“Same room.”
“So, you slept in his bed... with him, right?” Tess asked, seeking clarification.
“Yeah, we shared the same bed overnight.”
“So, you didn’t get back late last night?” Maria asked, frowning. She had just assumed when she had run into Liz that morning as they were getting ready to leave for class that the girl had gotten in late the night before.
“Um, no. We got back yesterday afternoon, but neither of us was ready to answer a bunch of questions, so… we kinda… y’know, we just… we got a hotel room and stayed there overnight. Max dropped me off this mornin’ and then went to his place to get ready.”
“Okay, so you’ve slept with him in his bed, stayed together in a hotel, gotten naked from the waist up, you’ve touched each other, and you got off together, right?” Her right fist shot up in the air when Liz nodded. “Yes!” Tess pounced on the unsuspecting girl, hauling her up out of her chair and into her arms as she danced around in the sand, hugging her tightly.
“Okay, you are so crazy, Tess,” Liz said, but smiled.
“What? You have taken your first official step out of virgin-land!”
Liz looked pleadingly at her other friends, who were still sitting in their chairs. “Help me out,” she mouthed to Maria.
“Okay, Tess, I think it’s time for you to let go of Liz and go to your happy place,” Maria said as she stood and extricated the younger girl from the overly-exuberant blonde’s clutches.
“Thank you,” Liz whispered.
“Tess, how was New York?” Isabel asked since it was the first time they had seen each other after the long weekend apart.
“Yeah, tell her about the shopping,” Maria suggested, knowing that would distract Tess for a while.
“Oh, it was sooo great. Kyle’s mom is hilarious and she took me to shopping-paradise.”
“I’m glad you had such a good weekend even though it started out pretty shitty,” Maria said quietly, taking the seat next to Liz when Tess moved over to sit next to Isabel.
“Yeah, but I’m glad my parents know... even if they do hate me now.”
“I know it feels like that, Liz, but your parents don’t hate you.”
“I don’t know if my mother will talk to me ever again.”
Maria bit her bottom lip, not sure what to say.
“If she doesn’t talk to you again then she’s a fool,” a male voice growled.
They all turned to look at Max when he leaned over Liz’s chair so he could kiss her slowly.
“C’mon, go for a walk with me.”
Liz accepted his hand and smiled at her friends. “See you guys in a while.”
Maria waved and smiled. Max was the right man for her, she just knew it.
“Now,” Tess said after Liz and Max had walked a little ways off, “haven’t I been tellin’ you all along that he was the right man for her?”
Isabel rolled her eyes, knowing that if they didn’t sidetrack Tess they were going to be listening to her go on and on about how she had been right for the rest of the night. “Tell me more about the shopping,” she insisted, hoping to derail the Harding Train before it picked up enough steam to really get going.
“Hey, are you done with all the girl talk?” Michael asked, leaning over and bracing his forearms on the back of the chair that Liz had vacated. “I’m seriously needin’ some attention, woman.”
She smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t call me that.”
“What would you like me to call you?” he growled against her lips as he leaned in for a kiss. “I don’t know why you’d have a problem with it... you’re definitely all woman.”
Maria wondered how he always managed to say just the right words sometimes. “I am!”
“No argument from me.” He grinned and nipped at her bottom lip. “Woman.”
She pinched his side. “Jerk.”
“Hey! It was meant as a compliment!” Michael jumped back away from her fingers. “There’s no need to be insulting.”
She rolled her eyes. “We should work on your compliments, baby.”
“We can work on that... among other things.” He grinned playfully.
“Other things?”
“Mike Jr. hasn’t been out to play in a couple of days...”
“Is there a chance we can spend the night together?” she asked, not sure if he was able to leave Brooke alone.
Michael’s gaze shifted to his sister, watching her as she teased Alex and Brendan about something and he nodded. “I think she’ll be okay if I hang at my place tonight.” He looked back at Maria. “So, question is, can you spend the night?”
“Well, I don’t think that anyone else will need me tonight.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good, ‘cause I need you.” He studied her eyes as he took a deep breath. “When I say that... that I need you... y’know it’s for more than just sex, right?”
Maria nodded, knowing that he was being serious. “I missed you last night. And not just for sex either.”
“Okay, as long as we’re both clear on that.” Michael straightened up and held his hand out to her. “So, you gonna come hang out with me or did you want me to have a seat and we can all discuss the latest in shoes and fashion?”
“Well, if you wanna talk about shoes, then...” She saw his horrified expression and laughed. “Just kidding, where’re we goin’?”
Michael glanced over his shoulder. “Looks like we’ve got a few minutes before Kyle starts turnin’ the food into ash... wanna go for a walk?”
“Okay,” she agreed before bending down to get rid or her sandals.
Tess watched them walk off together before glancing at Isabel. “Can you believe how serious they’ve gotten?”
“They’ve admitted their feelings for each other; that’s all that was necessary, I think.”
“So, how’re things goin’ with you and Alex? I know you guys didn’t get the chance to tell everyone about the baby.”
“No, there just hasn’t been a right time yet. First his parents showed up on Thanksgiving and now the situation with Brooke. He’s just been very lost the last few days”
“I guess even though their parents suck that it’s still been pretty hard on him, huh?”
Isabel shook her head. “God, Tess, you can’t even begin to imagine the things their father said to them. It was just so cruel.”
“Yeah, Kyle said their father’s pretty brutal.”
“Hank is like the worst father you can imagine.”
“Would it be too personal to ask how far the abuse extends?”
Isabel shrugged. “I don’t really know. I guess Michael’s the only one who really knows; it seems like he got the worst of it.”
“What an asshole!” Tess muttered. “Not Michael,” she clarified, “his father.”
“Yeah, and he got away with nothing.”
“But, he’s out of their lives for good now, right? Kyle said from the way he understood it that Hank’s pretty much out of the picture.”
“Yeah, I think he is.”
“Good riddance! Okay, happy topic! Have you guys decided on a theme for the nursery?”
“No, not yet.”
“What? Are you guys gonna find out if it’s a boy or a girl? Or are you gonna wait and be surprised?”
“Um, we haven’t discussed that, either.”
“Well, how am I gonna know what kinda stuff to buy if I don’t know if I’m havin’ a niece or a nephew?”
Isabel laughed. “Two words, Tess… neutral colors.”
*****
Alex was getting his things together when the doorbell rang and the dogs tore through the house, barking and growling at the noise. He was picking Isabel up since she had the afternoon free due to a class cancellation and they were going to look at furniture for the baby’s room. He called the dogs down and waited for them to settle before he opened the front door and he was shocked to see the woman waiting on the porch.
“Mom… what’re you doin’ here?” he asked, looking around for any sign of his father.
“I’m here alone, Alex,” Maureen said quietly. She motioned to the taxi waiting at the curb before speaking again. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be home or not.”
“Well, yes and no; I was actually just on my way out. I have plans with Isabel this afternoon and then we’ll be pickin’ Brooke up from school.”
“You pick her up from school?”
“Normally Brendan or Michael pick her up, but we have a meetin’ with her academic counselor today.”
“We?” she echoed. “You and Isabel?”
“Yes, we handle things like that together.” He shook his head, wondering why he was bothering to explain anything to his mother. “I really need to get goin’, so unless you need somethin’…”
“Oh, well, I was hoping I could talk to you about a few things, and I’d like to speak to Brooke as well – “
“No, ma’am,” he denied forcefully but respectfully. “She’s been through enough this past week and I’m not gonna subject her to more of the same. I will not put her in that situation; she’s been hurt enough.” He swallowed hard, torn over what he was about to say. “Regardless of what’s happened, you’re our mother, but my responsibility lies with and to my family, so I’m gonna ask you to stay away from us.”
Maureen stared at him through vision blurred by tears. “For how long?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“I don’t know.” He felt himself wavering at her obvious distress and he forced himself to think about the abuse Michael had suffered, the way Hank had controlled Brendan, and last he pictured his sister’s face when they had picked her up from the airport. “I don’t know, Mom, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to get in contact with Brooke.” He glanced at his watch and he reached inside to grab his jacket before stepping outside and pulling the door closed behind him. “I really need to get goin’, so…”
Maureen nodded and turned to walk down to the waiting taxi; she was terrified that she had lost any chance of reconciling with her children. Alex had always been the most understanding and even though she had seen how much it had taken for him to ask her to leave and not contact them again she knew he meant every word of what he’d said.
She leaned over the seat and gave the driver the next address before slumping against the door and covering her face with her hands.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 76 - 12/14/09
80s_UnLove_Child: Tess is just a bit crazy, huh? LOL, but she’s lovable. Knowing Tess? She won’t.
He is a sweetheart. What is that secret…
We’ll see soon enough. Secrets do have a way of revealing themselves in time.
LOL, now there’s a potential scene!!!
mary mary: Well, we’ll see what happens with Maureen.
Alien_Friend: The group scenes are a lot of fun!
Brooke has an awesome support system with this group and they would do anything for her.
Alex is in a difficult situation, but he knows that he has to protect Brooke from any further pain from their parents.
Damn that studying, lol! Maybe this’ll be the year you guys get to hang out. Yeah, we think that’s true of a lot of brother/sister relationships. That’s one of the reasons we enjoy the ones in this fic so much!
kismet: You’re gonna have more group scenes coming up. They may not be related, but this group has created their own little family.
Max’ secret… maybe.
Alex is in a tough spot, but he knows he has to protect his family.
An extra long Max & Liz part for your B-day, huh? We’ll discuss…
Earth2Mama: Thanks!
Who doesn’t? Neither of us knows any guy who’d be willing to take that on! Oh, Alex’ other kids are gonna learn about the pregnancy soon… before Christmas… fic-time, that is.
Tess and Kyle do have a way of breaking up the serious tones to the fic, don’t they?
Well, chances are good that misery is coming.
Should we start attaching “PMS warnings” at the beginning of each part? LOL!
kay_b: They are a family. They accept and love each other for who they are.
The guys are happy!
Um… no. We keep posting, and each part is fairly sizable, but somehow we continue to have 500+ pages in reserve, so, no… not close to the end of this fic, lol!
sarammlover: It is too bad and we’ll see what happens with her in the next few parts.
Aww, they are sweet, huh? You’re right, it would be good for Michael and Brooke to really talk about things.
sunrise102: Oh, wow… most of them Tesses… wow!
Hmm, only mildly, huh? So, you already suspected that she would be reappearing? Nope, if that is her intention, it won’t be easy, but we’ll see…
keepsmiling7: You too?
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
Cardinal: LOL, they probably do!
Alex really needed a break to kick back and just relax and let someone else take the reins for a while. LOL, you’re so right about that Bacardi!
Nope… won’t be the food preferences.
Be patient. Kyle may be letting her run roughshod over him right now, but the tide will turn.
You have a very good idea there and it would help both Michael and Brooke.
Liz is slowly coming out of her shell, but she’s getting there. She’ll find herself discovering more about who she is the more she and Max are together. LOL, let’s hope Maria doesn’t let that slip then!
Oh, you’re very on-target here. It took a lot for Maureen to show up at Alex’ door and the fact that Hank wasn’t with her was a very important bit of information. Alex may not be as blind as he appeared to be where his mother is concerned.
begonia9508: No, that doesn’t excuse what Maureen did.
We’ll be taking a closer look at her very soon.
Maiqu: Girl talk is always fun! Tess is crazy, but she’s a lot of fun.
Eva: You’re so right!
Looks like Maureen may have something going on as well. Protecting your children is something that any mother owes her children. We’ll see what she has to say.
Author’s Note: Ooookay…. Here we go… Reposting again!
Part 76 – An Unexpected Revelation
Max parked the jeep in the parking lot in front of the college building where he knew Liz would be coming out in just a few moments, as soon as her class ended. It was shortly after 1pm and Max had two hours left before his afternoon class started. Originally they had planned to have lunch at one of the fast food restaurants near the campus together, but he didn’t felt like eating in a hot, over-crowded room.
Liz glanced around when she stepped out of the building, her eyes needing a few seconds to get used to the bright sunlight.
“Over here, beautiful,” Max called when she still hadn’t seen him.
Liz turned around and was surprised to see him sitting in his jeep. “I thought we were walking? It’s a nice day.”
“I thought we’d have a picnic on the beach instead... whatcha think?” he asked as he leaned over and opened the door for her.
“Great,” she said, excited. “But I thought you have afternoon classes?”
“I do, but my next class won’t start for almost two more hours.”
“Which beach are we goin’ to?” she asked and gave him a quick kiss.
“A private one if we had more time, but since our time is a little bit limited, I don’t wanna waste it drivin’, so there’s a beach nearby that’s usually not too crowded at this time of the day.”
“Okay, I’m already starving, so I hope you packed something good for lunch.”
“Depends on your definition of good, I suppose,” he teased.
“Come on, Max, tell me,” Liz said as she turned in her seat to see if she could reach the picnic hamper from her seat.
“You can’t reach it unless you intend to actually climb into the backseat.”
“No fair, Max,” she pouted and gave up.
“What? I got your favorite,” he said, knowing that would make her smile.
“My favorite? So you made grilled cheese sandwiches with extra cheese?”
“Um, no.”
Liz groaned. “You are so frustrating right now.”
He laughed. “C’mon, I’ll make you a grilled cheese later... they taste like crap once they get cold.”
“You’d better come up with something even better now,” she said, pouting and smirking at the same time.
“Hmm... fried calamari?” he asked.
“Ungh, Max, are you serious? You’d better stop at the next fast food restaurant then.” She made a disgusted face.
“What, you don’t like squid tentacles? Battered and fried? Mmm-mmm, good!” he said, unable to hold back his laughter at her expression.
“Uh-huh, maybe Michael’s right and you really are a weird person when it comes to food and especially coffee,” she teased back.
“Michael said I’m weird?” He rolled his eyes and caved. “Nah, seriously, I went Southern; fried chicken and all the fixin’s.”
Her stomach growled in response. “Hurry then.”
He took the turn that would lead them down near the beach, parking in the lot that only held a few cars. He got out and walked around to open her door for her before moving to the back and reaching inside for the hamper and the blanket.
“Should we go over there?” She pointed to a place on the beach near some rocks.
“Anywhere you want, darlin’.”
A shiver ran down her spine, just like it did every time he called her that. “Okay, let’s go then. I’m a very hungry person.”
Max grinned and followed her to the spot she had picked out. He set the hamper down and shook the blanket out, spreading it out on the sand and then sitting the hamper in the center.
Liz crashed down to the blanket and was already opening the hamper to get the food. “Next time we stay at your place we have to make it outta bed earlier. I need breakfast,” she grumbled.
He dropped down beside her and leaned in to kiss her neck. “You’re the one who wouldn’t let me outta bed.”
“Yeah, but it’s your fault that you’re so irresistible.”
“That’s not my fault,” he denied. “Blame my parents for good genes.”
“Remind me when we go to Texas next time,” she mumbled while chewing on her first bite.
Max laughed and shook his head when she didn’t waste a second and went right for the food. “You weren’t kiddin’ about bein’ hungry, were you?”
“Nope,” she grinned.
He fixed himself a plate and settled down next to her. They ate in silence for a while, watching a couple playing with their dog down by the water.
“Do you already have an idea where you want to go after college?” she asked after she had finished her plate.
“I’ve thought pretty seriously of goin’ back home to Texas. Maybe not right there in Dallas, but somewhere that’s within a couple hours’ drive so I can be closer to my family.”
Liz wondered if that was related to his brother’s death, but didn’t say anything. Would he go right after college? That would mean she’d have to do her last year here alone. She shook her head inwardly. Who knew if they would still be a couple then. “Yeah, your family is great.”
“They are,” he agreed. “I probably wouldn’t go right away though.”
“No?”
“Huh-uh. See, I’ve got this girlfriend and if things go the way I think they’re gonna go... the way I want them to go...” He looked at her and smiled. “Well, we’re not spendin’ a year apart while you finish school. I know you’ll have more school to do after the first four years, just like I will, but Katy was tellin’ me that they’ve got some pretty good programs in Texas.”
Liz couldn’t help but grin stupidly. He was already making plans for their future. “I was hoping you would say something like that.”
“Has Katy already started talkin’ your ear off about the programs?” He knew the two girls had stayed in contact since their visit to Texas.
“Well... she has already given me some tips, yes.”
“I’m glad the two of you got along so well. I’ve gotta admit, I never paid much attention to what she was studyin’.” He ducked his head, embarrassed.
“Uh-huh, you’d better change that then, ‘cause your girlfriend’s studyin’ for the same field.”
“Consider it changed.”
*****
Isabel was waiting out in front of the campus library talking to a classmate when she saw Alex’s truck pull in at the entrance. She met him at the curb, sensing his distraction when he opened the door for her and brushed a kiss against her cheek. She could tell by his expression that something was wrong and as soon as they were on their way she brought it up.
“What’s the matter, Alex?”
“My mom stopped by the house.”
Isabel nodded as she carefully studied his body language; his left hand kept moving up to tug on his ear and his right hand flexed as it tightened and relaxed repeatedly on the steering wheel. Both were signs that he was agitated and she reached over to place her hand on his tensed arm.
“I told her to leave and not to contact us again.”
He was having a hard time with his decision. “Why don’t we save furniture shoppin’ for another day,” she suggested.
“What? No, I don’t want this to screw up our plans.”
“Alex, I love you for that, but we’ve got plenty of time to shop, and right now I think it’s more important to deal with your dilemma.” She smiled, hoping this wouldn’t be one of those rare occasions when his stubborn side surfaced and he refused to talk. Most of the time Alex was good about talking things out and she knew how lucky she was that he was so open.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with us bein’ just a few exits from that little Mexican restaurant you like, would it?” He smiled to let her know he was teasing as he flipped the turn signal on and changed lanes.
“Can I help it if your child is addicted to Mexican food?” she asked, following his lead and letting the subject of his mother drop for the moment.
“I think we should call the baby Hector.”
“What?” Isabel asked, laughing at his absurd suggestion. “We are not callin’ our baby Hector.”
They kept the conversation light until they were settled inside the cozy little restaurant and the waitress had taken their orders.
“I did the right thing, tellin’ my mom to stay away,” he said, his expression pensive. “I know it was the right thing, but I feel like shit for sayin’ it to her.”
Isabel reached out to cover his hands where they were knotted together on the table in front of him. “Tell me why,” she urged quietly.
“It’s stupid,” he muttered. “I know I need to protect Brooke; I have to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that Hank never hurts her again, but I felt like a jerk for shuttin’ my mom out like that.”
“That’s not stupid, Alex; you love your mom and you care about her, so I know it was hard for you to tell her that.”
“I don’t even know if she knew what was goin’ on with Michael.” He shook his head. “I don’t really think she knew, but I think she suspected it was goin’ on.”
“Do you think your father ever hit her?”
“I don’t know. She’s always been timid, especially with him, but if you suspect your kids are bein’ abused shouldn’t that be enough incentive to take them and get out?”
“Honey, women in abusive situations tend to stay there; the men in their lives control the money, they belittle the women until they have no self-esteem or confidence left, they convince them that they’re useless and no one else would ever want them or even put up with them. And when children are involved a lot of times they become little more than leverage in an abusive relationship.”
Alex eased his left hand out from under hers as he turned to face her and he reached down to rest his palm against her still-flat stomach. “Our kid’s never gonna have to deal with anything like this, Isabel,” he stated in a fierce tone. “I promise you that he or she will be spared that kind of pain.”
Isabel’s hand covered his again, pressing his warm palm tighter against her body as she leaned in to kiss him. “Hector and I both love you and we know you’ll always do everything within your power to protect us.”
Some of the tension in his body eased at her teasing tone and he grinned at her. “Hector, huh? See? I told you it’d stick.”
She rolled her eyes and glanced up when their waitress came back with their meals. “We can call the baby Hector for now, but that is NOT what we’re naming our baby for real.”
Alex nearly choked on his iced tea. “Oh, hell, Iz, I wasn’t suggestin’ that we should name our kid Hector for real!”
She laughed at him when he realized that she was just messing with him and his expression turned sheepish. She shook her head at him and pulled her plate closer as she turned the conversation to dinner and what they were going to do afterwards.
*****
Brendan froze as he rounded the corner of his apartment building and saw his mother sitting in one of the deck chairs that had been placed on either side of his front door. He wasn’t prepared to see her and he felt his heart rate increase as he looked around for his father.
Maureen glanced up at that moment and she saw the mixed look of apprehension and fear on his face and it hit her hard. She had done this to her children; she had stayed with a monster and let him raise her children and they were all paying for her mistakes.
“Hey, Bren, what’re you doin’?”
She turned her head when she heard Michael’s voice and a moment later he appeared behind his twin. Her youngest son responded but his voice was too low for her to hear.
“What’re you doin’ here?” Michael demanded harshly as he stepped around Brendan to move closer to her. Like his brothers, his gaze scanned the area in an effort to locate his father and when he didn’t find him his wary gaze locked on her.
“I need to talk to you, Michael.” She glanced at Brendan who was avoiding eye contact with her. “Please? It’s important.”
“Maybe you should’ve tried that sometime over the past twenty years or so instead of just standin’ back and lettin’ Hank…” He gritted his teeth together and shook his head. “No, I’m not gonna do this; I can’t handle hearin’ you defend him one more time. I don’t wanna see you or hear from you ever again.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket and turned back towards the parking lot.
“Brendan? Please, just listen to what I have to say,” Maureen pleaded.
He lifted his head when Michael paused beside him and rested one hand on his shoulder.
“You’ve gotta do what’s right for you, kid. It’s not an either/or situation; if you choose to stay and talk to her there won’t be any hard feelings.”
Brendan studied his brother for several seconds before nodding. “Okay,” he said quietly and turned back to look at their mother. “Mom, I love you, but…” He cleared his throat and stood up straighter. “I need to discover who I am without my father’s shadow loomin’ over me and I can’t do that if you’re involved in my life… at least it sounds like that’s what you want and I don’t really understand that because you’ve never really been involved before.”
She hadn’t been involved in her children’s lives and there was nothing she could do to fix that or make up for it now. “I want to change that, Brendan.”
He took a step back when she moved towards him. “No, I need to figure my life out right now and I need to figure out what happened with Karen… after that, maybe we can talk, but not now.”
“I just want to make things better – “
“Better?” he interrupted incredulously. “What’s the point this late in the game? You can’t exactly fix years of physical, mental, and emotional abuse! Can you take back all the times he hit Michael? Or take back all the times that he made Brooke feel like she was worthless because she had the misfortune of bein’ born a girl? Can you give me back the last two years that I missed with Karen?” He shook his head. “You wanna make things better? Stay out of our lives!”
Michael’s eyebrows shot up at Brendan’s angry tirade, surprised by the rare display of temper. “Hey, c’mon, kid, let’s go.” He knew Brendan and he knew his twin would only end up regretting it if he continued.
Maureen followed them to the parking lot, listening to them as they carried on a conversation. She was happy to see that they seemed to have moved past whatever had kept them apart for so long, but she was losing any hope she had that she could build some sort of new beginning with her children. She stopped at the sidewalk and placed another call to the taxi service, requesting a pick up.
“Did Alex say what was for dinner?” Brendan asked as he walked around to the passengers’ side of the Charger.
“Huh-uh, but who cares? He’s become quite the chef since he hooked up with Isabel and if they’re cookin’ it means we don’t have to figure out what we’re eatin’ for dinner tonight.”
“Good point. Maria gonna be there?”
“Huh-uh, she’s grabbin’ somethin’ to eat with Liz and then they’re gonna hit the campus library. She’s got an exam on Friday and she said when I’m around she can’t concentrate on that goofy-ass Art class she’s takin’.”
Their voices faded as the doors closed after them and the engine roared to life. Maureen felt a pang of sadness when they drove off without a second glance in her direction but she knew she didn’t deserve any sympathy from them. How was she going to get through to them? How was she even going to get them to listen to her?
She was still trying to figure that out when the taxi pulled up in front of her and the driver got out and held the back door open for her. As soon as she was settled inside he shut the door and climbed back in behind the wheel, adjusting his mirror before turning to look at her.
“Where to, lady?”
Maureen glanced back at the apartment building as her mind began to race. She was running out of options and she was getting desperate to find a way to make her children listen to her. “The campus library… the university…” She frowned at the realization that she had no idea where it was located. “I’m afraid I don’t have an address…”
“No problem, lady; fares to and from the campus are what pays the bills.”
She nodded and sat back, pondering her spur-of-the-moment decision to approach an unlikely individual for help reaching out to her children.
*****
Maria was walking away from the library when she noticed the woman sitting at one of the picnic tables scattered around under the many trees that dotted the manicured campus lawns. She had no idea why the woman would be there; shouldn’t she be in Europe with her evil husband? Maria wondered. She turned to change direction to avoid the woman, not interested in talking to her after everything she had learned about Michael’s childhood.
He had called her a while ago and he was expecting her to come over to Alex’s place where he was having dinner. She was glad that he was spending time with his family, that he was really trying to make an effort with Brendan, and that he wasn’t trying to hide from his past any longer.
“Maria!”
She cringed when she heard the voice that belonged to her boyfriend’s mother and she suddenly knew she had two choices: she could be rude and ignore her or she could be polite and find out what the woman wanted. The hell with that, she decided. The woman didn’t deserve for anyone to give her the time of day, especially not anyone who was involved with any of her children.
She shook her head and kept walking. She was getting close to the parking lot when the woman suddenly appeared beside her and grabbed her arm. Maria pulled her arm free and took several steps back away from Maureen. “I have somewhere to be,” she said, shaking her head. She moved around the woman and started to walk away, only to be stopped when her path was blocked once more.
“Please, Maria, you have to listen to me,” Maureen begged her.
Maria could see the desperation in the woman’s expression, but she had seen Michael’s parents in action and she didn’t trust them. “No, I don’t. I don’t have to listen to you and I don’t want to listen to anything you have to say.”
Maureen sighed. “I know you’re mad at me and you have every right to be, but Maria,” she grabbed the girl by her shoulders, “there’s something important... something that I’ve never said out loud before.”
“Do you have any idea what your son has been through? All of your children, really, but Michael specifically. Your husband is a heartless bastard and you turned him loose on your children! And you think I’m gonna stand here and listen to you?”
Maria’s words hurt her, but she knew that the girl was right. “What I have to tell you is important. Especially for Michael.”
Maria paused at that, debating the validity of the woman’s claim. It could just be a ploy to get her to stay and listen to what she had to say. On the other hand, the distraught woman did appear to be sincere. She sighed and shook her head as she glanced at her watch. Damn it! She was supposed to be meeting Michael soon. “Is this gonna take long?” she asked, wincing when the words came out harsher than she had intended.
Relief washed over Maureen; that meant she was willing to listen, right? “Depends on how much you wanna know.”
“About?”
“About what had happened 20 years ago.”
Fuck, this wasn’t gonna be a five-minute conversation, Maria thought. “I need to make a call first.”
Maureen nodded. “I’ll just wait over there,” she said and motioned to one of the picnic tables.
Maria pulled her cell phone out and quickly called Michael, explaining that she was going to be late because she had gotten caught up at school and she would call him when she was on her way. After putting her phone away she took a deep breath and moved to join the older woman. This conversation had better be enlightening, she mused. She was missing out on Michael-time to talk to his mother and if he knew he’d have a fit!
“You wanna stay here or go somewhere else?” Maureen asked when Maria joined her.
“There’s a little restaurant not far from campus; why don’t we go over there,” Maria suggested. “It’ll give us a little bit of privacy.”
Maureen nodded. She was glad that Maria had suggested it. A little privacy would be good. The upcoming conversation wasn’t going to be easy for her.
“I don’t have a car. D’you mind if we walk? It’ll only take a few minutes to get there.”
“No, that’s okay.”
They walked in silence and after a few minutes they arrived at the small restaurant. It was in between the rush hours of lunch and dinner, so it was fairly quiet and the waitress motioned for them to seat themselves instead of waiting the way they normally would. They settled in a booth at the back and after ordering coffee they fell silent for several long minutes.
Maria cleared her throat and smiled at the waitress when she placed their cups on the table and filled them while they watched. Once they were left alone again she looked at the woman sitting across from her. “You said you wanted to talk...”
Maureen nodded, staring at her hands. “I think I should start at the very beginning...”
Maria waited expectantly but the woman remained silent. She wondered if she was collecting her thoughts or if she just didn’t know how to start.
The older woman cleared her throat quietly before she started to speak. “I met Hank in my second year in college. He was already a well-known and busy man. He knew what he wanted; he had a lot of money, and a big company that was waiting for him to take it over right after his graduation from college.”
“Okay...”
“I had never had anything like that. My parents were poor people and I had to work hard to get a scholarship for college to afford it. So, I was excited when he seemed to be interested in me.” She sighed heavily. “He was the perfect gentleman in college. He opened the door for me, he took me out to expensive restaurants... and my parents loved him because they knew he would be able to take care of me, financially, I mean.”
“So, what changed?” Maria couldn’t reconcile the man Maureen was describing with the man she had met on several occasions.
“He proposed shortly before we graduated. He said he needed a wife at his side when he started to run the company...” She sipped on her coffee. “I wasn’t sure about it. I mean, I loved him at the time, but I also had a lot of doubts about getting married so early.”
“But you married him anyway... what changed your mind?”
“Mostly my parents; they convinced me that it would be best for me to marry him.” She looked up at Maria. “It was a different time back then. Today you young girls know what you want, you grow up with the knowledge that a woman can survive easily without a man at her side.”
Maria was so glad her mother would never try to convince her to marry a man just to have financial security. “So, you married him and then what?”
“We moved to New York right after college and at the beginning everything seemed to be alright. He traveled a lot, but he bought us a big apartment in Manhattan and he cared about me. I wanted to find a job as well, because I got bored at home after a while and I had no friends there to spend time with, but he didn’t want me to work. He said it wasn’t necessary because he had more than enough money for both of us.”
“And you were okay with that?” Maria couldn’t imagine letting any man call all the shots in her life.
“I wasn’t really okay with it. But, I let it happen... and after two more years, I got pregnant with Alex.”
“Were you happy with him? With Hank, I mean.”
Maureen shrugged. “I didn’t know anything else and I had never been with anyone else before so I didn’t know any different. I called my mother now and then and told her about my doubts, my concerns that my decision wasn’t right. But she always calmed me down and told me that relationships are never easy and that there are often times when you want out but you have to be strong and stay.”
“Even if you’re not happy?”
“I didn’t know what it meant to be really happy, Maria. I thought my relationship with Hank was normal. And when I got pregnant... I pushed all my doubts away and concentrated on Alex.”
“Was Hank happy when you got pregnant?”
“He was happy when I told him that it would be a boy.”
“But, that must’ve been very late in your pregnancy back then.” She cleared her throat when she realized how that sounded. “I just meant that the technology was a lot different what, 24 or 25 years ago, and they couldn’t determine the baby’s sex as early as they can now.”
Maureen nodded. “He didn’t show any real reaction when I told him I was having a baby. He just nodded and went to work as usual.”
“Seriously? He didn’t even act like he was happy?”
Maureen shook her head and took another sip of her coffee.
“So, you must’ve talked to your mom about that, right?”
“I did and she was very happy about it.”
“What about the fact that Hank didn’t show any emotion about it? Did you tell her that?”
“Yeah, and she told me that it could happen that men might react like that first because they don’t have the same connection with the baby that women have before it’s born. I accepted that and I thought she was right because when I told him he would have a little boy he seemed to be happy.”
“And when Alex was born? Was Hank different with him? More involved?”
Maureen shook her head sadly. “I can remember the day when Alex was born like it was yesterday. Hank showed up a few hours after the birth; he came to my room, glanced at the baby in the cradle next to my bed and just asked if he was healthy. He didn’t take him in his arms, he didn’t ask about me or anything.”
“He wasn’t with you for the birth?”
“No, he was at work as always. It was the first time that I really realized that something was very wrong.”
“Well, your parents must’ve been with you, right? Didn’t they see the way he treated you and Alex?”
“They lived in Arizona and didn’t get the chance to visit me very often.”
Maria shook her head. The man was unbelievable! “Well, he’s several years older than the twins... how did things go in the time between Alex’s birth and you getting pregnant with Michael and Brendan?”
“Most of the time I was alone with Alex while Hank traveled around the country and overseas. He refused to take us with him. He told me that it would be too exhausting and he didn’t need a crying baby around. So I stayed in New York... and when Alex got a little older we went out and spent time in Central Park quite often.” Maureen’s lips moved, but the next sentence was stuck in her throat.
“You must’ve been so lonely,” Maria said, beginning to feel sympathetic towards the older woman.
Maureen nodded. “I was... until I met Adam.”
Maria’s eyebrows shot up in shock when Maureen mentioned another man’s name and she couldn’t miss the way the older woman’s voice altered. “Adam?” she echoed.
“I met him in Central Park; he was there with his little niece and we started to talk.”
“So, this guy Adam... you became... friends?” She had a feeling she already knew the answer based on nothing more than the woman’s expression and the way her voice softened when she said the man’s name.
“At first, yes. We met daily at the same place and talked. But, then one day... it was my birthday and Hank had forgotten about it… Adam kissed me.”
“You had an affair,” Maria guessed.
Maureen shook her head wildly. “It was more than that, Maria. I fell in love with that man. He was everything Hank wasn’t.”
“You fell in love with him,” she said slowly. “And he felt the same way?”
“I think so, yes.”
“But...” Maria didn’t understand. “You’re still with Hank.”
Maureen nodded sadly. “I had planned to leave him. Adam knew I was married – but not who I was married to; I told him that I wanted to be with him and that I was planning to get divorced.” Her hands started to shake as she went on. “The day I was going to tell Hank the truth I found a letter from Adam. He wrote that he had to leave town and that we couldn’t see each other again.”
“He didn’t say why?”
“No, but I found out soon enough... Hank got home that evening and he knew everything. I’m sure he made Adam leave. He has so much influence, so I’m sure he found a way to get rid of Adam.”
“Did you try to find him?”
“His last name is Smith, do you have any idea how many Adam Smiths exist? I didn’t know where to start... and besides that, Hank took me with him everywhere he went from that moment on.”
“So, you and Alex traveled with him after that so he could keep an eye on you?”
Maureen nodded. “He said if I ever dared to leave him I wouldn’t see Alex again. I couldn’t handle that thought. Hank wasn’t a loving father in any way.”
Ungh, staying with a man like that would be horrible! “And you had more children with him...” Her eyes widened as she ran the numbers in her head and her gaze shot to the other woman. “Or did you?”
“I realized that I was pregnant a few weeks after Adam left,” Maureen whispered.
“Michael and Brendan aren’t Hank’s children, are they?”
“No.” The woman hid her face in her hands and sobbed.
Maria was too shocked to do anything but stare. She suddenly snapped out of it and she couldn’t keep the anger from creeping into her voice. “How could you let them believe that he’s their father?!”
“Hank threatened to destroy everything if I ever told anyone,” Maureen said tearfully.
“Mrs. Guerin... Maureen, do you have any idea how much Michael torments himself by believing that he’s gonna turn out mean and abusive like Hank?”
“I... I... Michael hates me, Maria. He hasn’t really talked to me for more than five years now.”
Maria shook her head. “Michael doesn’t hate you... Hank, yeah, but he’s never said that about you. He doesn’t understand why you’ve stayed with Hank, and he doesn’t know how the man he believes is his father could hurt him the way he has and you didn’t stop it.”
“I never knew that Hank hit our children until I saw it last week and I was scared that he would do something cruel to any of us if I had tried to take them and leave him. I didn’t even tell him that I was pregnant with the twins until it was too late for an abortion because I knew he would have forced me to have one if he found out.”
“I’m not tryin’ to be insensitive or rude here, but how could you not know?”
“He never did it in front of me and he never hurt him visibly... I’m not gonna lie; I suspected it a few times, but I was too scared to ask him.”
Maria still didn’t understand how that was possible, but the woman seemed to be sincere in her explanation. “They need to know the truth.”
“That’s why I’m here, but they’ve refused to talk to me. I swore to myself that I would tell them once all my kids were away from Hank and he wasn’t a threat to them anymore.”
“Oh.” Maria could see the woman’s dilemma. “You’ve already tried to talk to them?”
“They don’t want to talk to me and I can’t blame them for that. I probably wouldn’t talk to me either. I failed at being a mother... but I love them, all of them. And they have to know the truth.” Maureen looked up at Maria. “Especially Michael… he deserves to know. God, what he did to him on Thanksgiving.” The woman started to cry again.
Maria reached across the table to touch the woman’s arm. “How have you managed to approach them? Where’s Hank?”
“He’s back in Europe.”
“But, you’re here... how?”
“The moment Brooke walked away from us I knew that I had nothing left to lose anymore.”
“What’re you sayin’?”
“I realized that there’s no reason to stay with Hank any longer. Our kids are all far away and strong enough to live on their own now. Our parental rights have been terminated and Hank won’t fight that because it would mean negative publicity.”
“Wait, are you saying you left him?”
Maureen nodded.
“And none of them know that,” she mused aloud.
“No.”
“And you’ve tried to talk with all of them?”
“I talked to Alex and then went to Brendan and Michael.”
Maria winced. She couldn’t imagine that any of them had been willing to listen to a word she had to say. “But you haven’t tried to talk to Brooke?”
“Alex told me to stay away from her.”
That made sense; Alex was very protective of the teenager. “Well, after seeing how seriously he’s taken his responsibilities where she’s concerned, I can understand that.”
Maureen nodded absently. “I know that Brooke felt unwanted a lot of the time. But that’s not true, not for me. I love her just as I love the rest of them.”
“You can be sure that Brooke is someplace now where she doesn’t have to worry about feeling like she isn’t wanted. Those boys will never let her feel that way.”
“Michael and Brooke have always had a strong connection. I know he’s taken care of her the last few years.”
“They do have a very strong connection, and it’s something that I think both of them need.”
“How did you manage to get through to him?”
Maria paused to think about that. “Time, patience, understanding, and sometimes just flat out arguing with him... he can be incredibly frustrating at times, believe me. He hasn’t been easy, but then again, I’m not the easiest person to deal with either.”
Maureen nodded. “I’m glad he’s finally willing to share his life with someone.”
Maria snorted. “Some days he’s willing to share and other days it’s a matter of bullying my way into his life. But, he’s worth the headache and I wouldn’t change his stubborn ass if I could.” She glanced at her watch, surprised to see that they had been talking for well over an hour. “I really need to get goin’, Maureen; I’m already late for...” There was really no point in lying about it, was there? “I was supposed to be meetin’ Michael earlier, so I need to get goin’.”
“Okay.” She reached for the girl’s wrist. “Just one more thing, Maria.”
She glanced down when the woman reached out to her, surprised by the gesture. “What?”
“You have to tell him the truth.”
“Oh, no,” Maria denied, taking a step back and holding her hands up. “No, you can’t ask me to do that.”
“Please, Maria. I would do it myself but he won’t talk to me.”
“You have no idea what you’re askin’ me to do!”
“I know what I’m asking for, believe me.”
“Uh-huh,” Maria said doubtfully, “I don’t think you know your son very well.”
Maureen sighed. “Okay, if you don’t wanna talk to him, then maybe you can convince him to talk to me.”
Maria cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, maybe I’ll just talk to him.” She was never going to convince him to talk to his mother.
*****
Liz glanced up when Max came back from the kitchen with a can of soda for her and a bottle of beer for him. He placed the drinks on the coffee table and sat down next to her again, his eyes still following the action on the television screen.
She smiled when he didn't even look away from the movie that was playing. She had let him pick it out and less than five minutes into it she had known it had been a mistake. But he was completely engrossed in the story unfolding in what felt like a never ending two hours. She was pretty sure the plot was pointless and while the acting was okay she just couldn’t get into the film.
Oh well, she thought when he slouched down and lifted his legs up on the couch and she settled against him once more. At least there were some perks to hanging out with him. She let her fingers play with the buttons on his shirt as she glanced at the television and rolled her eyes at the subtitles. If she had wanted to read she would’ve just gotten a book!
Max reached up to scratch his chest when he felt something tickling him and his eyebrows shot up when a scene went in a different direction than what he had been anticipating.
Liz frowned at him when he brushed her hand away, but she quickly realized that he wasn’t even paying any attention to her. “Max?”
He grunted, the sound distracted.
“Max?” she called him more insistently and let her hand move up to lightly scratch her fingernails over his goatee.
“Just a minute, darlin’... this part’s important.”
Liz snorted and rested her head on his shoulder. “Doubtful.”
“Um-hmm,” he murmured in agreement even though he had no idea what he was agreeing with.
How could someone be so distracted by a movie? she wondered and closed her eyes to relax a little. Maybe she would fall asleep and then the movie would be over... well, she could hope anyway, right?
The doorbell rang but before either of them could move Maria ran into the room and rushed to the door.
He is a sweetheart. What is that secret…
We’ll see soon enough. Secrets do have a way of revealing themselves in time.
LOL, now there’s a potential scene!!!
mary mary: Well, we’ll see what happens with Maureen.
Alien_Friend: The group scenes are a lot of fun!
Brooke has an awesome support system with this group and they would do anything for her.
Alex is in a difficult situation, but he knows that he has to protect Brooke from any further pain from their parents.
Damn that studying, lol! Maybe this’ll be the year you guys get to hang out. Yeah, we think that’s true of a lot of brother/sister relationships. That’s one of the reasons we enjoy the ones in this fic so much!
kismet: You’re gonna have more group scenes coming up. They may not be related, but this group has created their own little family.
Max’ secret… maybe.
Alex is in a tough spot, but he knows he has to protect his family.
An extra long Max & Liz part for your B-day, huh? We’ll discuss…
Earth2Mama: Thanks!
Who doesn’t? Neither of us knows any guy who’d be willing to take that on! Oh, Alex’ other kids are gonna learn about the pregnancy soon… before Christmas… fic-time, that is.
Tess and Kyle do have a way of breaking up the serious tones to the fic, don’t they?
Well, chances are good that misery is coming.
Should we start attaching “PMS warnings” at the beginning of each part? LOL!
kay_b: They are a family. They accept and love each other for who they are.
The guys are happy!
Um… no. We keep posting, and each part is fairly sizable, but somehow we continue to have 500+ pages in reserve, so, no… not close to the end of this fic, lol!
sarammlover: It is too bad and we’ll see what happens with her in the next few parts.
Aww, they are sweet, huh? You’re right, it would be good for Michael and Brooke to really talk about things.
sunrise102: Oh, wow… most of them Tesses… wow!
Hmm, only mildly, huh? So, you already suspected that she would be reappearing? Nope, if that is her intention, it won’t be easy, but we’ll see…
keepsmiling7: You too?
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
Cardinal: LOL, they probably do!
Alex really needed a break to kick back and just relax and let someone else take the reins for a while. LOL, you’re so right about that Bacardi!
Nope… won’t be the food preferences.
Be patient. Kyle may be letting her run roughshod over him right now, but the tide will turn.
You have a very good idea there and it would help both Michael and Brooke.
Liz is slowly coming out of her shell, but she’s getting there. She’ll find herself discovering more about who she is the more she and Max are together. LOL, let’s hope Maria doesn’t let that slip then!
Oh, you’re very on-target here. It took a lot for Maureen to show up at Alex’ door and the fact that Hank wasn’t with her was a very important bit of information. Alex may not be as blind as he appeared to be where his mother is concerned.
begonia9508: No, that doesn’t excuse what Maureen did.
We’ll be taking a closer look at her very soon.
Maiqu: Girl talk is always fun! Tess is crazy, but she’s a lot of fun.
Eva: You’re so right!
Looks like Maureen may have something going on as well. Protecting your children is something that any mother owes her children. We’ll see what she has to say.
Author’s Note: Ooookay…. Here we go… Reposting again!
Part 76 – An Unexpected Revelation
Max parked the jeep in the parking lot in front of the college building where he knew Liz would be coming out in just a few moments, as soon as her class ended. It was shortly after 1pm and Max had two hours left before his afternoon class started. Originally they had planned to have lunch at one of the fast food restaurants near the campus together, but he didn’t felt like eating in a hot, over-crowded room.
Liz glanced around when she stepped out of the building, her eyes needing a few seconds to get used to the bright sunlight.
“Over here, beautiful,” Max called when she still hadn’t seen him.
Liz turned around and was surprised to see him sitting in his jeep. “I thought we were walking? It’s a nice day.”
“I thought we’d have a picnic on the beach instead... whatcha think?” he asked as he leaned over and opened the door for her.
“Great,” she said, excited. “But I thought you have afternoon classes?”
“I do, but my next class won’t start for almost two more hours.”
“Which beach are we goin’ to?” she asked and gave him a quick kiss.
“A private one if we had more time, but since our time is a little bit limited, I don’t wanna waste it drivin’, so there’s a beach nearby that’s usually not too crowded at this time of the day.”
“Okay, I’m already starving, so I hope you packed something good for lunch.”
“Depends on your definition of good, I suppose,” he teased.
“Come on, Max, tell me,” Liz said as she turned in her seat to see if she could reach the picnic hamper from her seat.
“You can’t reach it unless you intend to actually climb into the backseat.”
“No fair, Max,” she pouted and gave up.
“What? I got your favorite,” he said, knowing that would make her smile.
“My favorite? So you made grilled cheese sandwiches with extra cheese?”
“Um, no.”
Liz groaned. “You are so frustrating right now.”
He laughed. “C’mon, I’ll make you a grilled cheese later... they taste like crap once they get cold.”
“You’d better come up with something even better now,” she said, pouting and smirking at the same time.
“Hmm... fried calamari?” he asked.
“Ungh, Max, are you serious? You’d better stop at the next fast food restaurant then.” She made a disgusted face.
“What, you don’t like squid tentacles? Battered and fried? Mmm-mmm, good!” he said, unable to hold back his laughter at her expression.
“Uh-huh, maybe Michael’s right and you really are a weird person when it comes to food and especially coffee,” she teased back.
“Michael said I’m weird?” He rolled his eyes and caved. “Nah, seriously, I went Southern; fried chicken and all the fixin’s.”
Her stomach growled in response. “Hurry then.”
He took the turn that would lead them down near the beach, parking in the lot that only held a few cars. He got out and walked around to open her door for her before moving to the back and reaching inside for the hamper and the blanket.
“Should we go over there?” She pointed to a place on the beach near some rocks.
“Anywhere you want, darlin’.”
A shiver ran down her spine, just like it did every time he called her that. “Okay, let’s go then. I’m a very hungry person.”
Max grinned and followed her to the spot she had picked out. He set the hamper down and shook the blanket out, spreading it out on the sand and then sitting the hamper in the center.
Liz crashed down to the blanket and was already opening the hamper to get the food. “Next time we stay at your place we have to make it outta bed earlier. I need breakfast,” she grumbled.
He dropped down beside her and leaned in to kiss her neck. “You’re the one who wouldn’t let me outta bed.”
“Yeah, but it’s your fault that you’re so irresistible.”
“That’s not my fault,” he denied. “Blame my parents for good genes.”
“Remind me when we go to Texas next time,” she mumbled while chewing on her first bite.
Max laughed and shook his head when she didn’t waste a second and went right for the food. “You weren’t kiddin’ about bein’ hungry, were you?”
“Nope,” she grinned.
He fixed himself a plate and settled down next to her. They ate in silence for a while, watching a couple playing with their dog down by the water.
“Do you already have an idea where you want to go after college?” she asked after she had finished her plate.
“I’ve thought pretty seriously of goin’ back home to Texas. Maybe not right there in Dallas, but somewhere that’s within a couple hours’ drive so I can be closer to my family.”
Liz wondered if that was related to his brother’s death, but didn’t say anything. Would he go right after college? That would mean she’d have to do her last year here alone. She shook her head inwardly. Who knew if they would still be a couple then. “Yeah, your family is great.”
“They are,” he agreed. “I probably wouldn’t go right away though.”
“No?”
“Huh-uh. See, I’ve got this girlfriend and if things go the way I think they’re gonna go... the way I want them to go...” He looked at her and smiled. “Well, we’re not spendin’ a year apart while you finish school. I know you’ll have more school to do after the first four years, just like I will, but Katy was tellin’ me that they’ve got some pretty good programs in Texas.”
Liz couldn’t help but grin stupidly. He was already making plans for their future. “I was hoping you would say something like that.”
“Has Katy already started talkin’ your ear off about the programs?” He knew the two girls had stayed in contact since their visit to Texas.
“Well... she has already given me some tips, yes.”
“I’m glad the two of you got along so well. I’ve gotta admit, I never paid much attention to what she was studyin’.” He ducked his head, embarrassed.
“Uh-huh, you’d better change that then, ‘cause your girlfriend’s studyin’ for the same field.”
“Consider it changed.”
*****
Isabel was waiting out in front of the campus library talking to a classmate when she saw Alex’s truck pull in at the entrance. She met him at the curb, sensing his distraction when he opened the door for her and brushed a kiss against her cheek. She could tell by his expression that something was wrong and as soon as they were on their way she brought it up.
“What’s the matter, Alex?”
“My mom stopped by the house.”
Isabel nodded as she carefully studied his body language; his left hand kept moving up to tug on his ear and his right hand flexed as it tightened and relaxed repeatedly on the steering wheel. Both were signs that he was agitated and she reached over to place her hand on his tensed arm.
“I told her to leave and not to contact us again.”
He was having a hard time with his decision. “Why don’t we save furniture shoppin’ for another day,” she suggested.
“What? No, I don’t want this to screw up our plans.”
“Alex, I love you for that, but we’ve got plenty of time to shop, and right now I think it’s more important to deal with your dilemma.” She smiled, hoping this wouldn’t be one of those rare occasions when his stubborn side surfaced and he refused to talk. Most of the time Alex was good about talking things out and she knew how lucky she was that he was so open.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with us bein’ just a few exits from that little Mexican restaurant you like, would it?” He smiled to let her know he was teasing as he flipped the turn signal on and changed lanes.
“Can I help it if your child is addicted to Mexican food?” she asked, following his lead and letting the subject of his mother drop for the moment.
“I think we should call the baby Hector.”
“What?” Isabel asked, laughing at his absurd suggestion. “We are not callin’ our baby Hector.”
They kept the conversation light until they were settled inside the cozy little restaurant and the waitress had taken their orders.
“I did the right thing, tellin’ my mom to stay away,” he said, his expression pensive. “I know it was the right thing, but I feel like shit for sayin’ it to her.”
Isabel reached out to cover his hands where they were knotted together on the table in front of him. “Tell me why,” she urged quietly.
“It’s stupid,” he muttered. “I know I need to protect Brooke; I have to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that Hank never hurts her again, but I felt like a jerk for shuttin’ my mom out like that.”
“That’s not stupid, Alex; you love your mom and you care about her, so I know it was hard for you to tell her that.”
“I don’t even know if she knew what was goin’ on with Michael.” He shook his head. “I don’t really think she knew, but I think she suspected it was goin’ on.”
“Do you think your father ever hit her?”
“I don’t know. She’s always been timid, especially with him, but if you suspect your kids are bein’ abused shouldn’t that be enough incentive to take them and get out?”
“Honey, women in abusive situations tend to stay there; the men in their lives control the money, they belittle the women until they have no self-esteem or confidence left, they convince them that they’re useless and no one else would ever want them or even put up with them. And when children are involved a lot of times they become little more than leverage in an abusive relationship.”
Alex eased his left hand out from under hers as he turned to face her and he reached down to rest his palm against her still-flat stomach. “Our kid’s never gonna have to deal with anything like this, Isabel,” he stated in a fierce tone. “I promise you that he or she will be spared that kind of pain.”
Isabel’s hand covered his again, pressing his warm palm tighter against her body as she leaned in to kiss him. “Hector and I both love you and we know you’ll always do everything within your power to protect us.”
Some of the tension in his body eased at her teasing tone and he grinned at her. “Hector, huh? See? I told you it’d stick.”
She rolled her eyes and glanced up when their waitress came back with their meals. “We can call the baby Hector for now, but that is NOT what we’re naming our baby for real.”
Alex nearly choked on his iced tea. “Oh, hell, Iz, I wasn’t suggestin’ that we should name our kid Hector for real!”
She laughed at him when he realized that she was just messing with him and his expression turned sheepish. She shook her head at him and pulled her plate closer as she turned the conversation to dinner and what they were going to do afterwards.
*****
Brendan froze as he rounded the corner of his apartment building and saw his mother sitting in one of the deck chairs that had been placed on either side of his front door. He wasn’t prepared to see her and he felt his heart rate increase as he looked around for his father.
Maureen glanced up at that moment and she saw the mixed look of apprehension and fear on his face and it hit her hard. She had done this to her children; she had stayed with a monster and let him raise her children and they were all paying for her mistakes.
“Hey, Bren, what’re you doin’?”
She turned her head when she heard Michael’s voice and a moment later he appeared behind his twin. Her youngest son responded but his voice was too low for her to hear.
“What’re you doin’ here?” Michael demanded harshly as he stepped around Brendan to move closer to her. Like his brothers, his gaze scanned the area in an effort to locate his father and when he didn’t find him his wary gaze locked on her.
“I need to talk to you, Michael.” She glanced at Brendan who was avoiding eye contact with her. “Please? It’s important.”
“Maybe you should’ve tried that sometime over the past twenty years or so instead of just standin’ back and lettin’ Hank…” He gritted his teeth together and shook his head. “No, I’m not gonna do this; I can’t handle hearin’ you defend him one more time. I don’t wanna see you or hear from you ever again.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket and turned back towards the parking lot.
“Brendan? Please, just listen to what I have to say,” Maureen pleaded.
He lifted his head when Michael paused beside him and rested one hand on his shoulder.
“You’ve gotta do what’s right for you, kid. It’s not an either/or situation; if you choose to stay and talk to her there won’t be any hard feelings.”
Brendan studied his brother for several seconds before nodding. “Okay,” he said quietly and turned back to look at their mother. “Mom, I love you, but…” He cleared his throat and stood up straighter. “I need to discover who I am without my father’s shadow loomin’ over me and I can’t do that if you’re involved in my life… at least it sounds like that’s what you want and I don’t really understand that because you’ve never really been involved before.”
She hadn’t been involved in her children’s lives and there was nothing she could do to fix that or make up for it now. “I want to change that, Brendan.”
He took a step back when she moved towards him. “No, I need to figure my life out right now and I need to figure out what happened with Karen… after that, maybe we can talk, but not now.”
“I just want to make things better – “
“Better?” he interrupted incredulously. “What’s the point this late in the game? You can’t exactly fix years of physical, mental, and emotional abuse! Can you take back all the times he hit Michael? Or take back all the times that he made Brooke feel like she was worthless because she had the misfortune of bein’ born a girl? Can you give me back the last two years that I missed with Karen?” He shook his head. “You wanna make things better? Stay out of our lives!”
Michael’s eyebrows shot up at Brendan’s angry tirade, surprised by the rare display of temper. “Hey, c’mon, kid, let’s go.” He knew Brendan and he knew his twin would only end up regretting it if he continued.
Maureen followed them to the parking lot, listening to them as they carried on a conversation. She was happy to see that they seemed to have moved past whatever had kept them apart for so long, but she was losing any hope she had that she could build some sort of new beginning with her children. She stopped at the sidewalk and placed another call to the taxi service, requesting a pick up.
“Did Alex say what was for dinner?” Brendan asked as he walked around to the passengers’ side of the Charger.
“Huh-uh, but who cares? He’s become quite the chef since he hooked up with Isabel and if they’re cookin’ it means we don’t have to figure out what we’re eatin’ for dinner tonight.”
“Good point. Maria gonna be there?”
“Huh-uh, she’s grabbin’ somethin’ to eat with Liz and then they’re gonna hit the campus library. She’s got an exam on Friday and she said when I’m around she can’t concentrate on that goofy-ass Art class she’s takin’.”
Their voices faded as the doors closed after them and the engine roared to life. Maureen felt a pang of sadness when they drove off without a second glance in her direction but she knew she didn’t deserve any sympathy from them. How was she going to get through to them? How was she even going to get them to listen to her?
She was still trying to figure that out when the taxi pulled up in front of her and the driver got out and held the back door open for her. As soon as she was settled inside he shut the door and climbed back in behind the wheel, adjusting his mirror before turning to look at her.
“Where to, lady?”
Maureen glanced back at the apartment building as her mind began to race. She was running out of options and she was getting desperate to find a way to make her children listen to her. “The campus library… the university…” She frowned at the realization that she had no idea where it was located. “I’m afraid I don’t have an address…”
“No problem, lady; fares to and from the campus are what pays the bills.”
She nodded and sat back, pondering her spur-of-the-moment decision to approach an unlikely individual for help reaching out to her children.
*****
Maria was walking away from the library when she noticed the woman sitting at one of the picnic tables scattered around under the many trees that dotted the manicured campus lawns. She had no idea why the woman would be there; shouldn’t she be in Europe with her evil husband? Maria wondered. She turned to change direction to avoid the woman, not interested in talking to her after everything she had learned about Michael’s childhood.
He had called her a while ago and he was expecting her to come over to Alex’s place where he was having dinner. She was glad that he was spending time with his family, that he was really trying to make an effort with Brendan, and that he wasn’t trying to hide from his past any longer.
“Maria!”
She cringed when she heard the voice that belonged to her boyfriend’s mother and she suddenly knew she had two choices: she could be rude and ignore her or she could be polite and find out what the woman wanted. The hell with that, she decided. The woman didn’t deserve for anyone to give her the time of day, especially not anyone who was involved with any of her children.
She shook her head and kept walking. She was getting close to the parking lot when the woman suddenly appeared beside her and grabbed her arm. Maria pulled her arm free and took several steps back away from Maureen. “I have somewhere to be,” she said, shaking her head. She moved around the woman and started to walk away, only to be stopped when her path was blocked once more.
“Please, Maria, you have to listen to me,” Maureen begged her.
Maria could see the desperation in the woman’s expression, but she had seen Michael’s parents in action and she didn’t trust them. “No, I don’t. I don’t have to listen to you and I don’t want to listen to anything you have to say.”
Maureen sighed. “I know you’re mad at me and you have every right to be, but Maria,” she grabbed the girl by her shoulders, “there’s something important... something that I’ve never said out loud before.”
“Do you have any idea what your son has been through? All of your children, really, but Michael specifically. Your husband is a heartless bastard and you turned him loose on your children! And you think I’m gonna stand here and listen to you?”
Maria’s words hurt her, but she knew that the girl was right. “What I have to tell you is important. Especially for Michael.”
Maria paused at that, debating the validity of the woman’s claim. It could just be a ploy to get her to stay and listen to what she had to say. On the other hand, the distraught woman did appear to be sincere. She sighed and shook her head as she glanced at her watch. Damn it! She was supposed to be meeting Michael soon. “Is this gonna take long?” she asked, wincing when the words came out harsher than she had intended.
Relief washed over Maureen; that meant she was willing to listen, right? “Depends on how much you wanna know.”
“About?”
“About what had happened 20 years ago.”
Fuck, this wasn’t gonna be a five-minute conversation, Maria thought. “I need to make a call first.”
Maureen nodded. “I’ll just wait over there,” she said and motioned to one of the picnic tables.
Maria pulled her cell phone out and quickly called Michael, explaining that she was going to be late because she had gotten caught up at school and she would call him when she was on her way. After putting her phone away she took a deep breath and moved to join the older woman. This conversation had better be enlightening, she mused. She was missing out on Michael-time to talk to his mother and if he knew he’d have a fit!
“You wanna stay here or go somewhere else?” Maureen asked when Maria joined her.
“There’s a little restaurant not far from campus; why don’t we go over there,” Maria suggested. “It’ll give us a little bit of privacy.”
Maureen nodded. She was glad that Maria had suggested it. A little privacy would be good. The upcoming conversation wasn’t going to be easy for her.
“I don’t have a car. D’you mind if we walk? It’ll only take a few minutes to get there.”
“No, that’s okay.”
They walked in silence and after a few minutes they arrived at the small restaurant. It was in between the rush hours of lunch and dinner, so it was fairly quiet and the waitress motioned for them to seat themselves instead of waiting the way they normally would. They settled in a booth at the back and after ordering coffee they fell silent for several long minutes.
Maria cleared her throat and smiled at the waitress when she placed their cups on the table and filled them while they watched. Once they were left alone again she looked at the woman sitting across from her. “You said you wanted to talk...”
Maureen nodded, staring at her hands. “I think I should start at the very beginning...”
Maria waited expectantly but the woman remained silent. She wondered if she was collecting her thoughts or if she just didn’t know how to start.
The older woman cleared her throat quietly before she started to speak. “I met Hank in my second year in college. He was already a well-known and busy man. He knew what he wanted; he had a lot of money, and a big company that was waiting for him to take it over right after his graduation from college.”
“Okay...”
“I had never had anything like that. My parents were poor people and I had to work hard to get a scholarship for college to afford it. So, I was excited when he seemed to be interested in me.” She sighed heavily. “He was the perfect gentleman in college. He opened the door for me, he took me out to expensive restaurants... and my parents loved him because they knew he would be able to take care of me, financially, I mean.”
“So, what changed?” Maria couldn’t reconcile the man Maureen was describing with the man she had met on several occasions.
“He proposed shortly before we graduated. He said he needed a wife at his side when he started to run the company...” She sipped on her coffee. “I wasn’t sure about it. I mean, I loved him at the time, but I also had a lot of doubts about getting married so early.”
“But you married him anyway... what changed your mind?”
“Mostly my parents; they convinced me that it would be best for me to marry him.” She looked up at Maria. “It was a different time back then. Today you young girls know what you want, you grow up with the knowledge that a woman can survive easily without a man at her side.”
Maria was so glad her mother would never try to convince her to marry a man just to have financial security. “So, you married him and then what?”
“We moved to New York right after college and at the beginning everything seemed to be alright. He traveled a lot, but he bought us a big apartment in Manhattan and he cared about me. I wanted to find a job as well, because I got bored at home after a while and I had no friends there to spend time with, but he didn’t want me to work. He said it wasn’t necessary because he had more than enough money for both of us.”
“And you were okay with that?” Maria couldn’t imagine letting any man call all the shots in her life.
“I wasn’t really okay with it. But, I let it happen... and after two more years, I got pregnant with Alex.”
“Were you happy with him? With Hank, I mean.”
Maureen shrugged. “I didn’t know anything else and I had never been with anyone else before so I didn’t know any different. I called my mother now and then and told her about my doubts, my concerns that my decision wasn’t right. But she always calmed me down and told me that relationships are never easy and that there are often times when you want out but you have to be strong and stay.”
“Even if you’re not happy?”
“I didn’t know what it meant to be really happy, Maria. I thought my relationship with Hank was normal. And when I got pregnant... I pushed all my doubts away and concentrated on Alex.”
“Was Hank happy when you got pregnant?”
“He was happy when I told him that it would be a boy.”
“But, that must’ve been very late in your pregnancy back then.” She cleared her throat when she realized how that sounded. “I just meant that the technology was a lot different what, 24 or 25 years ago, and they couldn’t determine the baby’s sex as early as they can now.”
Maureen nodded. “He didn’t show any real reaction when I told him I was having a baby. He just nodded and went to work as usual.”
“Seriously? He didn’t even act like he was happy?”
Maureen shook her head and took another sip of her coffee.
“So, you must’ve talked to your mom about that, right?”
“I did and she was very happy about it.”
“What about the fact that Hank didn’t show any emotion about it? Did you tell her that?”
“Yeah, and she told me that it could happen that men might react like that first because they don’t have the same connection with the baby that women have before it’s born. I accepted that and I thought she was right because when I told him he would have a little boy he seemed to be happy.”
“And when Alex was born? Was Hank different with him? More involved?”
Maureen shook her head sadly. “I can remember the day when Alex was born like it was yesterday. Hank showed up a few hours after the birth; he came to my room, glanced at the baby in the cradle next to my bed and just asked if he was healthy. He didn’t take him in his arms, he didn’t ask about me or anything.”
“He wasn’t with you for the birth?”
“No, he was at work as always. It was the first time that I really realized that something was very wrong.”
“Well, your parents must’ve been with you, right? Didn’t they see the way he treated you and Alex?”
“They lived in Arizona and didn’t get the chance to visit me very often.”
Maria shook her head. The man was unbelievable! “Well, he’s several years older than the twins... how did things go in the time between Alex’s birth and you getting pregnant with Michael and Brendan?”
“Most of the time I was alone with Alex while Hank traveled around the country and overseas. He refused to take us with him. He told me that it would be too exhausting and he didn’t need a crying baby around. So I stayed in New York... and when Alex got a little older we went out and spent time in Central Park quite often.” Maureen’s lips moved, but the next sentence was stuck in her throat.
“You must’ve been so lonely,” Maria said, beginning to feel sympathetic towards the older woman.
Maureen nodded. “I was... until I met Adam.”
Maria’s eyebrows shot up in shock when Maureen mentioned another man’s name and she couldn’t miss the way the older woman’s voice altered. “Adam?” she echoed.
“I met him in Central Park; he was there with his little niece and we started to talk.”
“So, this guy Adam... you became... friends?” She had a feeling she already knew the answer based on nothing more than the woman’s expression and the way her voice softened when she said the man’s name.
“At first, yes. We met daily at the same place and talked. But, then one day... it was my birthday and Hank had forgotten about it… Adam kissed me.”
“You had an affair,” Maria guessed.
Maureen shook her head wildly. “It was more than that, Maria. I fell in love with that man. He was everything Hank wasn’t.”
“You fell in love with him,” she said slowly. “And he felt the same way?”
“I think so, yes.”
“But...” Maria didn’t understand. “You’re still with Hank.”
Maureen nodded sadly. “I had planned to leave him. Adam knew I was married – but not who I was married to; I told him that I wanted to be with him and that I was planning to get divorced.” Her hands started to shake as she went on. “The day I was going to tell Hank the truth I found a letter from Adam. He wrote that he had to leave town and that we couldn’t see each other again.”
“He didn’t say why?”
“No, but I found out soon enough... Hank got home that evening and he knew everything. I’m sure he made Adam leave. He has so much influence, so I’m sure he found a way to get rid of Adam.”
“Did you try to find him?”
“His last name is Smith, do you have any idea how many Adam Smiths exist? I didn’t know where to start... and besides that, Hank took me with him everywhere he went from that moment on.”
“So, you and Alex traveled with him after that so he could keep an eye on you?”
Maureen nodded. “He said if I ever dared to leave him I wouldn’t see Alex again. I couldn’t handle that thought. Hank wasn’t a loving father in any way.”
Ungh, staying with a man like that would be horrible! “And you had more children with him...” Her eyes widened as she ran the numbers in her head and her gaze shot to the other woman. “Or did you?”
“I realized that I was pregnant a few weeks after Adam left,” Maureen whispered.
“Michael and Brendan aren’t Hank’s children, are they?”
“No.” The woman hid her face in her hands and sobbed.
Maria was too shocked to do anything but stare. She suddenly snapped out of it and she couldn’t keep the anger from creeping into her voice. “How could you let them believe that he’s their father?!”
“Hank threatened to destroy everything if I ever told anyone,” Maureen said tearfully.
“Mrs. Guerin... Maureen, do you have any idea how much Michael torments himself by believing that he’s gonna turn out mean and abusive like Hank?”
“I... I... Michael hates me, Maria. He hasn’t really talked to me for more than five years now.”
Maria shook her head. “Michael doesn’t hate you... Hank, yeah, but he’s never said that about you. He doesn’t understand why you’ve stayed with Hank, and he doesn’t know how the man he believes is his father could hurt him the way he has and you didn’t stop it.”
“I never knew that Hank hit our children until I saw it last week and I was scared that he would do something cruel to any of us if I had tried to take them and leave him. I didn’t even tell him that I was pregnant with the twins until it was too late for an abortion because I knew he would have forced me to have one if he found out.”
“I’m not tryin’ to be insensitive or rude here, but how could you not know?”
“He never did it in front of me and he never hurt him visibly... I’m not gonna lie; I suspected it a few times, but I was too scared to ask him.”
Maria still didn’t understand how that was possible, but the woman seemed to be sincere in her explanation. “They need to know the truth.”
“That’s why I’m here, but they’ve refused to talk to me. I swore to myself that I would tell them once all my kids were away from Hank and he wasn’t a threat to them anymore.”
“Oh.” Maria could see the woman’s dilemma. “You’ve already tried to talk to them?”
“They don’t want to talk to me and I can’t blame them for that. I probably wouldn’t talk to me either. I failed at being a mother... but I love them, all of them. And they have to know the truth.” Maureen looked up at Maria. “Especially Michael… he deserves to know. God, what he did to him on Thanksgiving.” The woman started to cry again.
Maria reached across the table to touch the woman’s arm. “How have you managed to approach them? Where’s Hank?”
“He’s back in Europe.”
“But, you’re here... how?”
“The moment Brooke walked away from us I knew that I had nothing left to lose anymore.”
“What’re you sayin’?”
“I realized that there’s no reason to stay with Hank any longer. Our kids are all far away and strong enough to live on their own now. Our parental rights have been terminated and Hank won’t fight that because it would mean negative publicity.”
“Wait, are you saying you left him?”
Maureen nodded.
“And none of them know that,” she mused aloud.
“No.”
“And you’ve tried to talk with all of them?”
“I talked to Alex and then went to Brendan and Michael.”
Maria winced. She couldn’t imagine that any of them had been willing to listen to a word she had to say. “But you haven’t tried to talk to Brooke?”
“Alex told me to stay away from her.”
That made sense; Alex was very protective of the teenager. “Well, after seeing how seriously he’s taken his responsibilities where she’s concerned, I can understand that.”
Maureen nodded absently. “I know that Brooke felt unwanted a lot of the time. But that’s not true, not for me. I love her just as I love the rest of them.”
“You can be sure that Brooke is someplace now where she doesn’t have to worry about feeling like she isn’t wanted. Those boys will never let her feel that way.”
“Michael and Brooke have always had a strong connection. I know he’s taken care of her the last few years.”
“They do have a very strong connection, and it’s something that I think both of them need.”
“How did you manage to get through to him?”
Maria paused to think about that. “Time, patience, understanding, and sometimes just flat out arguing with him... he can be incredibly frustrating at times, believe me. He hasn’t been easy, but then again, I’m not the easiest person to deal with either.”
Maureen nodded. “I’m glad he’s finally willing to share his life with someone.”
Maria snorted. “Some days he’s willing to share and other days it’s a matter of bullying my way into his life. But, he’s worth the headache and I wouldn’t change his stubborn ass if I could.” She glanced at her watch, surprised to see that they had been talking for well over an hour. “I really need to get goin’, Maureen; I’m already late for...” There was really no point in lying about it, was there? “I was supposed to be meetin’ Michael earlier, so I need to get goin’.”
“Okay.” She reached for the girl’s wrist. “Just one more thing, Maria.”
She glanced down when the woman reached out to her, surprised by the gesture. “What?”
“You have to tell him the truth.”
“Oh, no,” Maria denied, taking a step back and holding her hands up. “No, you can’t ask me to do that.”
“Please, Maria. I would do it myself but he won’t talk to me.”
“You have no idea what you’re askin’ me to do!”
“I know what I’m asking for, believe me.”
“Uh-huh,” Maria said doubtfully, “I don’t think you know your son very well.”
Maureen sighed. “Okay, if you don’t wanna talk to him, then maybe you can convince him to talk to me.”
Maria cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, maybe I’ll just talk to him.” She was never going to convince him to talk to his mother.
*****
Liz glanced up when Max came back from the kitchen with a can of soda for her and a bottle of beer for him. He placed the drinks on the coffee table and sat down next to her again, his eyes still following the action on the television screen.
She smiled when he didn't even look away from the movie that was playing. She had let him pick it out and less than five minutes into it she had known it had been a mistake. But he was completely engrossed in the story unfolding in what felt like a never ending two hours. She was pretty sure the plot was pointless and while the acting was okay she just couldn’t get into the film.
Oh well, she thought when he slouched down and lifted his legs up on the couch and she settled against him once more. At least there were some perks to hanging out with him. She let her fingers play with the buttons on his shirt as she glanced at the television and rolled her eyes at the subtitles. If she had wanted to read she would’ve just gotten a book!
Max reached up to scratch his chest when he felt something tickling him and his eyebrows shot up when a scene went in a different direction than what he had been anticipating.
Liz frowned at him when he brushed her hand away, but she quickly realized that he wasn’t even paying any attention to her. “Max?”
He grunted, the sound distracted.
“Max?” she called him more insistently and let her hand move up to lightly scratch her fingernails over his goatee.
“Just a minute, darlin’... this part’s important.”
Liz snorted and rested her head on his shoulder. “Doubtful.”
“Um-hmm,” he murmured in agreement even though he had no idea what he was agreeing with.
How could someone be so distracted by a movie? she wondered and closed her eyes to relax a little. Maybe she would fall asleep and then the movie would be over... well, she could hope anyway, right?
The doorbell rang but before either of them could move Maria ran into the room and rushed to the door.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 77 - 12/17/09
Eva: You’re right, she should have! We’re totally not defending her for not standing up to Hank, but at the same time, too many women get stuck in relationships with abusive men and never get out.
Oh, we’ll find out soon… kinda.
Earth2Mama: Uh-oh… whatever will you do now?
Just out of curiosity, what was it that Michael said earlier that you put together with Maureen’s confession? Hank is psycho, but he knew he would never be able to control Michael. Adam Smith… where is he? We may just find out…
Well, she had nothing left to lose by leaving him at this point. Even though she’s made some bad choices she also deserves to discover life and happiness. We’ll see if that happens… or at least has a chance of happening.
The boys weren’t gonna listen, so she went to the one person Michael would listen to. LOL, it’s okay… save some of those nails!
Playful Max will come back, we promise!
No, not a good name! Hector Guerin… just doesn’t have a ring to it, lol! But, at least the kid has a temporary name, and you’re right, it’s better than “it” or “the baby”.
Reactions will be… well, some expected and some not so expected.
mary mary: Hurrying back!
Maiqu: Don’t worry, Max will come back out to play. Now let’s see what Maria does with that information! Thanks for the compliment!
Alien_Friend: Does Hank know that the twins aren’t his? Oh, he knows. Michael’s had a difficult time growing up, believing that he could turn out like Hank. He just might try to find Adam… we’ll see. It is a risk and that’s something that he’ll consider because he’s already had one very bad experience with a ‘father’. Thanks for the compliment! Yup, Brooke and Alex are both Hank’s by blood.
The boys aren’t in a place where they can deal with their mother right now. And when even Brendan refused to talk to her and sent her away… she knew she had to find another person who would listen. Adam may come into the picture. And Maureen does deserve better, but it’s gonna take a while before they can forgive her… if they can.
More Dreamer moments to come!
sarammlover: No, Hank will never be deserving of any kind of sympathy! Maureen has possibilities, but it’s going to take time for the four of them to reach a place where they can forgive her.
Maria couldn’t just walk away even though part of her wanted to.
Ah, your premonition is likely to be correct!
80s_UnLove_Child: LOL! Well, it’s not gonna be easy… Addictive, huh? Awesome!
begonia9508: That’s okay… only time will tell if she was telling the truth or not.
Probably because neither of them would’ve ever opened the letter, lol.
Natalie36: Who knows? But, we’re thinking he’s gonna get with the program real quick.
Author’s Note: Thanks to everyone who reposted their reviews! That meant a lot to us! We were able to save some of them in between the board crashes (or whatever it was, lol), but we know we missed several of them. So, if we didn’t reply to your review, it was lost before we could save it – so to anyone whose review didn’t get replied to, we just wanted to say thanks for reading!
Part 77 – Impossible Situations
Maria shifted restlessly in her bed as she waited for Michael to show up. She had called him after her talk with Maureen and asked him to come over because she wasn’t in the mood for going out anymore.
“How am I gonna tell him?” she whispered to herself. She heard the doorbell ring in that moment. “I’d better come up with something good soon,” she muttered, while walking to the front door to open it. “Hey,” she greeted him quietly.
Michael was leaning against the doorframe when she opened the door and his gaze swept over her as he tried to determine her mood. “Hey,” he said. He leaned in for a brief kiss, pulling back when she didn’t move to deepen it. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just kinda tired.”
His eyebrow lifted in interest when he noticed Max and Liz on the couch and he shut the door before crossing the room and leaning over his roommate.
Max glanced up when Michael leaned over to flick his ear. “Cut it out, Guerin!”
“Seriously? You’re watchin’ a foreign film?”
“Shut up, man.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Please don’t distract him... otherwise he’s gonna wanna watch it again.”
Max looked at her. “Aren’t you enjoying the movie?”
“It’s boring...” she admitted.
“Really?” He looked back at the television. “Not into Samurai warriors?”
She made a face. “Not really.”
“You should’ve said somethin’, darlin’. We didn’t have to watch this.”
“Uh-huh, you weren’t even paying any attention to me.”
“Huh?”
She waved him off. “Nothing, just watch your movie. Thank God, there’s only half an hour left.”
Michael rolled his eyes and moved to hook his arm over Maria’s shoulders and pull her up against his side as they moved toward the hallway. “What’s got you so tired?” he asked.
“Studyin’ with Liz,” she lied. She couldn’t just drop the bomb.
“Uh-huh. How come she’s in the livin’ room with Max and she didn’t seem all that tired?”
Maria shrugged. “She’s used to studyin’ all day.”
“So, you’ve been studyin’ all day?” he asked, easing inside and shutting the door. “You must be exhausted.”
“Oh, I am.” They walked down the hallway down to her room.
Michael watched her closely as they entered her bedroom, trying to silence the suspicious little voice that kept telling him she was lying about something. “So, whatcha wanna do tonight?”
“I don’t know.” She climbed up on her bed. “But I’m not in the mood for goin’ anywhere.”
He kicked his shoes off and stretched out beside her, propping himself up on his right arm. He reached out with his free hand to brush a few stray strands of hair from her face and his fingertips trailed over her features. “I’m perfectly content to stay right here.”
She tried to smile a little and slid closer to him to hug him tightly. “Good.”
“You’re sure everything’s okay?” he pushed, worried that something was wrong.
She sighed heavily. She didn’t want to let go of him right now, but she also knew that he would be mad at her after she told him that she’d had a conversation with his mother. “There’s somethin’ I need to tell you,” she began quietly.
Michael felt uneasy at her tone and every guy knew that those words never led to anything good. “Okay,” he said slowly. He held his hand up when his phone rang and he shifted to pull it out of his pocket.
Great timing, Maria thought bitterly.
He carried on a short conversation and hung up, sighing as he looked at his girlfriend. “I need to go,” he said regretfully. “Brooke needs me.”
“Oh, okay.” Maria didn’t know how to feel. Relieved that she didn’t have to tell him right now? Guilty that she had a secret? Sad, because he had to go?
Michael sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, reaching down for his shoes and only finding one of them. He grunted in irritation and dropped down to his knees, leaning forward and reaching under the bed to feel around for his other shoe. He pulled out a shoe that didn’t belong to him and tossed it aside before feeling around again. His hand closed over what felt like a box and he pulled it out, glancing at it and almost tossing it over to join the lone shoe when it registered what he was holding in his hand. He swallowed down the immediate panic that surged up past everything else to surface. “Uh, Maria?”
“Yeah?” She leaned over the edge of the bed, her eyes widening in horror when she saw what he had just found. Great, on a day like this... this was just what she needed!
“Somethin’ you wanna tell me?” he asked, not reassured in the least when he saw her expression.
“Um, they belong to a friend in one of my classes. She was too nervous to do it so I told her I’d help her with it.”
Michael glanced under the bed and then sat up to look at her once more. “How many potentially pregnant friends do you have?”
“Just one. She wanted to be sure so she bought several of them.”
“Uh-huh. She bought nearly a dozen pregnancy tests and left them here.” He studied her face and after a moment he realized that he didn’t believe her. “Why don’t you tell me the truth, Maria?”
“It is the truth,” she insisted. And it was, she had just left out the detail that the friend was Isabel. He didn’t know it yet and it wasn’t her secret to tell.
“Who’s your friend?”
Maria shook her head. “I can’t tell you. She doesn’t want anyone to know about it yet.”
“Because it’s you?”
“What?” she snapped, not believing that he had just asked her that.
“It’s a simple question, Maria. Do you think you’re pregnant?”
“And it’s a simple answer, Michael: No.”
“Then why’re they here?” It made no sense to him why she would have pregnancy tests stashed under her bed. “Why’re you hidin’ ‘em? You live in an apartment full of girls!”
“My friend didn’t want to take them with her because she didn’t want anybody to find them. That’s why they’re here. Look, Michael, we just started to have sex, there is no way I could be pregnant, okay?”
“I’m not stupid, Maria; we may have just started havin’ sex recently, but we’re pretty fuckin’ active and we don’t use protection.”
“I’m on the pill.” She reached into her nightstand drawer and pulled the little pack outside to show him.
Michael wasn’t sure what he was feeling or even what he knew in that moment. The pregnancy test story just didn’t make sense to him... but, then again, he was a guy and it’s not like he had any experience with it. “Alright,” he said reluctantly, “if you’re sure that you’re not...”
“I’m totally sure, okay?”
“I just don’t want that complication in my life.”
She didn’t know why, but his last words had hurt. Did that mean he never wanted kids?
“I’ve got enough shit goin’ on as it is,” he muttered, turning around to sit on the floor as he pulled his shoes on and tied them. He went on, unaware of how his words were affecting her. “Last thing I want is to have to deal with my girlfriend bein’ pregnant.”
“Well, don’t worry, you don’t have to deal with a pregnant girlfriend,” she said coldly, climbing from the bed and walking over to the bathroom. “Lock the door behind you,” she said before entering the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.
Michael stood up and turned to face the door she had just slammed. “What’d I say?” He threw his hands up in the air when she continued to swear, the muffled insults bouncing off of the walls in the small room. “Fine! I’m leavin’ now!” He shook his head as he walked out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. “No idea what we’re arguin’ about, but...” He growled under his breath as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. He’d figure it out after he stopped by to check on Brooke.
*****
Max glanced around to make sure Michael and Maria had made themselves scarce and he shifted slightly, pinning Liz against the back of the couch. “I can watch the movie anytime,” he whispered.
“You’d better never watch this movie again when I’m around.”
“Never, huh? What’re you gonna do if I watch it while you’re around?”
“Um, escape?”
“Make your escape... really? Not gonna try to distract me or anything?”
“Didn’t work a few minutes ago...”
“You didn’t try to distract me,” he denied.
“See... you didn’t even realize it.”
“You’re makin’ that up!” he accused, certain that she hadn’t tried to pull his attention away from the movie.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Whatever.”
He frowned when he realized that she was serious. “I’m sorry, darlin’,” he apologized. “Wanna distract me now? I promise you’ll have my full attention.”
Liz waggled her eyebrows. “Full attention, huh?” She grabbed his collar and pulled him closer until their lips met in a hot kiss.
Yeah, she had his full attention alright, he thought as he tugged her shirt free of her waistband and let his fingers tease the bare skin beneath.
“Think we should go to my room?” she mumbled against his neck.
Max growled low in his throat when she voiced that question. “Last time we did that my ass ended up on the floor. We should’ve gone back to my place,” he whispered as he shifted to kiss her again. “Your bed’s too damn small.”
“I know,” she made a face. “Sorry, but Tess asked me if we could stay outta the house at least until midnight.”
He frowned at that and quickly shook off all thoughts related to his roommate and Tess. He did not want to know what they were doing or more importantly, where they were doing it, if they needed the apartment clear until midnight.
“That’s still a couple hours away,” he complained, the words trailing away when he heard yelling and he twisted from the waist so he could look over his shoulder.
“Are they fighting?” Liz asked with a frown when she heard muffled sounds coming from Maria’s bedroom.
“Sounds like it.”
“Hmmm, that’s weird.”
“Why?” It wasn’t all that unusual for Michael and Maria to argue over anything, everything, and nothing.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maria just told me this afternoon when we were studying together that everything’s just great with Michael and her.”
“Yeah, they have been getting along pretty well.” He grimaced when the shouting got louder. “Doesn’t sound like that’s the case right now.”
Liz shoved her shirt back into her waistband. “In case someone comes out soon…”
Max smiled at her and shook his head. “That’s not necessary, y’know.”
“It’s not?”
He chuckled. “No.”
Suddenly the door to Maria’s bedroom was ripped open and slammed shut again. Michael came down the hallway, heading straight for the front door.
Max shifted completely and sat up when Michael stalked through the room. He was debating whether or not to say anything when Michael grabbed the doorknob and twisted it viciously. “You might wanna avoid the apartment for a while,” he said, deciding that in Michael’s current mood the last thing he needed was to walk in on Kyle and Tess going at it.
Michael stopped in the door frame and turned around. “What’re you talkin’ about, Evans?”
“Just that Kyle and Tess wanted the place to themselves until midnight, so chances are good they’re not keepin’ things behind his bedroom door.”
Michael made a face and glanced at his watch. “He’d better hurry then.”
Max just shook his head. “Better you than me, buddy; walkin’ in on them once was enough to just about scar me for life.”
Michael shrugged. “I’m not gonna go straight home anyway. Go back to what you were doin’ before I interrupted,” he said and with that he closed the door and headed to his car.
He looked back at Liz when she sat up beside him. “You gonna go see if Maria’s okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, gimme a couple of minutes?”
He nodded. “I’ll just wait out here,” he said, knowing that the girls would want privacy and her bedroom was next to Maria’s.
Liz stood up from the couch and walked towards Maria’s bedroom slowly. She wanted to give her a short moment alone before she joined her. Who knew how bad the fight had been. She raised her hand slowly and knocked on the bedroom door softly.
Maria crossed the room and jerked the door open, hoping irrationally that Michael had come back to apologize for being unreasonable.
Liz took a step back, surprised.
“Oh, sorry, Liz,” Maria apologized when she realized that she had startled the younger girl. “I thought you might be Michael.”
“He’s um... he just took off.”
“Of course he did,” she muttered. “Asshole.”
“Is everything okay? I mean,” Liz shook her head, “it’s obviously not, but is it something serious?”
Maria sighed and sat down on her bed. “Just a... misunderstanding.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
She shook her head. “No.” She paused and looked at her friend when a thought occurred to her. “Wasn’t Max here earlier?”
“Yeah, he’s waiting out in the living room.”
“I appreciate you letting perfectly good make-out time pass by so you could come and check on me, but get your ass back out to Max.”
Liz smirked. “Are ya sure? Ya know, ‘cause you are my friend and I can spend time with my boyfriend later...”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Get outta here, girl.”
*****
Michael grabbed his shower gel out of his locker after football practice and then went to hit the shower, ignoring the other guys as he stepped under the spray. His eyebrows lifted when he saw the claw marks on Kyle’s back. “Had a wild night with Tess, huh?”
Kyle just grinned and ducked under the warm spray to rinse off. “Every night’s a wild night with that woman.”
Michael thought about his last meeting with Maria – it had been anything but wild. He still couldn’t figure out why she had been acting so weird the night before. And those pregnancy tests... He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts yet again.
Max and Kyle glanced at each other when their roommate fell silent and contemplative.
“Hey, Evans, been seein’ you around campus with the little bookworm here recently,” Lance yelled from a few showers down. “How long you been hittin’ that?”
Max turned in Lance’s direction, glancing at him dangerously. “I’d shut up if I were you,” he growled.
“Think I’m about to collect on some bets, Evans,” he said, uncaring that he was treading on dangerous ground.
“Shut the fuck up, Pruitt,” Michael warned. Max could be good-humored about a lot of things, but having his girlfriend talked about like that was not one of them.
“Little bit touchy there, Guerin.” He glanced around at some of the other guys, ignoring the warning looks they were shooting at him. “Think somebody’s not getting laid.” He snickered as he rinsed off. “Either that or you’re tired of hittin’ a piece of ass that’s been around.”
Michael was about to go after Lance, but Max and Kyle stopped him, shaking their heads at him. Pruitt was an asshole and he had barely a real friend on the team, but they knew that they could be suspended from the team if they started a fight.
Lance rolled his eyes. He should’ve known better than to bait Guerin when his roommates were around. He left the showers and headed for his locker, his mind already coming up with a way to push Guerin into a fight.
“Man, why d’you let him get to you?” Max asked. “Y’know he’s just tryin’ to provoke you into a fight because he’s got some weird obsession with getting you kicked off the team.”
Michael clenched his teeth and stared in the direction Lance had taken. “You two can let go of me now.”
Kyle dropped Michael’s arm and stepped back, shaking his head when he realized how that could look. “Three naked guys in a shower and we’re all touchin’...” He shuddered and grabbed his towel. “I’ll see you guys later. I think I need some time alone with my girlfriend.”
Michael and Max finished their showers and walked back to their lockers to dry off and get dressed. They went out to the parking lot together and said their goodbyes when Max hurried in a different direction to meet Liz on campus.
Lance was sitting in his car, scanning through radio stations when he heard Guerin and Evans talking and he watched them as they separated and went to their own cars. As soon as Evans’ jeep turned out of the parking lot he focused on Guerin where he was putting his bag in the trunk. A slow smile crept over his face as he got out of the car and crossed the parking lot to stand behind his teammate
“Get out of my face,” Michael growled as soon as he noticed him.
“C’mon, Guerin, let’s do this while your little bitches are outta the picture.” His hands came up and he shoved the other guy. “Or can you only talk shit when they’re around because you can’t hold your own in a fight?”
“You wish.” He grabbed Lance’s hand where it was touching his shoulder and shoved the guy back away from him.
“Hell, if this is all the fight you’ve got it’s no wonder your girl had to come to me to know what it’s like to fuck a real man,” Lance taunted.
Michael laughed out loud. “C’mon, can’t you think of anything better than that?”
“Think I’m lyin’?”
“I know you’re lyin’!”
Uh-huh, he was pushing the right buttons, Lance thought. “Y’know, I could be... but if I was lyin’ would I know about that cute little tattoo?” He nodded in satisfaction when he saw Guerin’s eyes darken suspiciously.
Michael didn’t know what to say in response to that. How the fuck would he know about her tattoo? It was very well hidden. “Okay, then tell me when this little fantasy hook-up happened.”
Lance’s mind scrambled and quickly came up with the answer. “Let’s just say she wasn’t studyin’ at the library yesterday.”
Michael felt like something had hit him hard. Suddenly it all made sense... Maria’s weird behavior yesterday, the knowledge about her tattoo, the fact that she cancelled their date... “Did that happen before?” Michael choked out, remembering the pregnancy tests under her bed.
“Hey, man, I told you the night of that last beach party when we ran into each other that she’d come back to me.” He held his arms out at his sides. “Girl just can’t get enough of me.”
Michael didn’t know what to say or to do. He couldn’t feel anything at that moment. “I’m givin’ you five seconds to leave, Pruitt, or I swear, I’m gonna kill you.”
Lance heard the threat in Guerin’s tone and he slowly took a step back. “Whatever. Just tell your girl to come see me when she’s done with you.” He turned and walked off, a sneaky smile lifting his lips up at the corners. If nothing else, he had just fucked with Guerin’s head and he’d be useless for their next game.
Michael slammed the open trunk closed and ran his hands through his still wet hair. His heart was hammering wildly in his chest. He had to talk to Maria, but first he had to calm down. He braced his hands on the trunk and leaned forward, eyes closed as he focused on keeping his breathing under control. It wasn’t true, he thought. It couldn’t be; Maria wasn’t like that.
Lance had implied that he and Maria had hooked up on more than one occasion and he didn’t believe it. They had been together for several months now and for that to be true that meant she would have cheated on him and she wasn’t the kind of person who would do that.
Then where was she yesterday? his little voice asked, expressing doubt. She was supposed to be at the library studying and then she turned around and called you to change the time you were supposed to be meeting.
No, he denied, she wouldn’t do that. Stop letting that prick’s lies get to you! But, were they lies? How did Lance know about the tattoo? Why did she really have all those pregnancy tests hidden under her bed? Why had she been in such a weird mood the day before?
He slammed the side of his fist down against the trunk as all of the doubts came tumbling down on him and suddenly he remembered what she had said when he had gotten to her apartment the night before. ‘There’s somethin’ I need to tell you’ she had said and her tone, her voice, her expression... they had all indicated that whatever she had to tell him wasn’t going to be something he wanted to hear.
*****
Maria had been walking aimlessly around on campus for over an hour now. Her last class had ended several hours earlier, but she wasn’t ready to go home because she knew she had to talk to Michael about the night before... about his family. She just didn’t know how to tell him.
She suddenly realized that Michael’s car was still in the parking lot in front of the football field. She hadn’t expected that. What now? She took a deep breath and took the next step towards the parking lot. She had to talk to him... the sooner she did it, the sooner it would be over, right?
He wasn’t anywhere near his car, but she knew that he couldn’t be far away. He would never leave his car there and walk or catch a ride with someone else. She walked around one of the buildings where the locker room was housed and she recognized him standing alone out on the field. That was weird, why would he walk around here all alone after practice?
Michael stood in the middle of the field, dead center on the 50-yard line, and looked around at the stadium. If he listened hard enough he could almost hear the Saturday afternoon crowd cheering, their voices so loud it could just about drown all of his thoughts out. He wished it could drown his thoughts out right now.
Maria stopped a few feet away from him. He hadn’t noticed her yet and she was trying to figure out which mood he was in. “Hey,” she greeted him quietly.
Michael’s heart started to pound when her voice came from behind him and unfortunately it wasn’t due to her close proximity. He slowly turned to look at her and when he saw that she was still wearing the expression from the night before... nervous, unsure, wary... it pissed him off and he snapped a sharp “What?” out.
Maria took another step back, almost scared by his harsh tone. Was he still mad because of the pregnancy test? No, it couldn’t be just that. “Is somethin’ wrong?”
“I don’t know, Maria, why don’t you tell me.”
Did he know something about her meeting with his mother? She didn’t know what to say because she knew that one wrong word would send him over the edge.
“Where were you yesterday?”
She sighed heavily. She couldn’t tell him as long he was pissed like this. “Maybe we should wait and talk about this when you’re in a better mood, Michael.”
“No, we’re gonna fuckin’ talk about it now!” he snarled. He hated it when his temper got the best of him when he was with her because he never wanted to treat her badly, but he was mad, confused, and hurt, and he couldn’t control the way it was coming out.
“Well, since you’re already pissed and totally mad at me, why don’t you tell me where you think I was?” she asked, her eyes challenging.
“You called to change the time we were supposed to meet yesterday, you’ve got pregnancy tests hidden under your bed, and you’re actin’ like someone who’s got somethin’ to hide...” He took a deep breath and plowed his hands through his hair. “How does Lance know about your tattoo?”
Maria’s eyes widened in surprise at his abrupt question. “What? Who?”
“Lance Pruitt,” he grated out. “He’s in your English Lit class? We ran into him at a party a while back and he insinuated that the two of you had... history?”
She rolled her eyes. Now she remembered that jerk, and she had run into him the day before. “Why would he know anything about my tattoo?”
“You tell me! It’s not exactly in a public domain, Maria! Other guys do not get to see that part of your body if we’re together!” he shouted, pointing at the area where her tattoo resided.
“And no one has!” she stated angrily.
“Then how the fuck does he know about it?!”
She tried to come up with an answer, but there was no reason she could think of for him to know anything about her tattoo. “I don’t know, Michael,” she finally answered, helplessly.
“You don’t know?” he repeated incredulously. “How do you not know? Unless you were walkin’ around fuckin’ naked in front of him, how would he know about it?!” He was well past the point of controlling his temper or the volume of his voice now and his jealousy was coming out uncensored.
Maria placed her hands on her hips and took a deep breath. “Are you tellin’ me that you think I cheated on you with that jerk?” she yelled at him.
“You’re not exactly denyin’ it!”
She took a few steps forward to stand right in front of him. “I never would’ve believed you would think so little of me.”
Why wouldn’t she deny it? he wondered. “Tell me where you were yesterday.” He frowned. “You said you had to tell me somethin’, so tell me.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t tell you right now. But it’s not about anything between you and me.”
“You can’t tell me right now? Either you tell me or I’m walkin’, Maria.”
“I’m not tellin’ you right now.”
“Y’know what, I don’t need this shit! I’ve got enough complications in my life without havin’ to worry about whether or not my girlfriend is fuckin’ another guy behind my back! If that’s what’s goin’ on just tell me so I can – “
He suddenly fell silent when Maria slapped him across the face. “You know what, Michael? Think whatever you want about me. You don’t have to worry about your girlfriend fuckin’ someone else behind your back, ‘cause right now you don’t have one anymore!” She screamed at him furiously and the words hurt as they came out of her mouth.
Michael took several involuntary steps backwards, reeling from the slap as well as her words. “No! Bullshit, you’re not fuckin’ breakin’ up with me! Me an’ you, we’re not just quittin’ an’ walkin’ away from this!” He reached out to grab her arm, missing when she suddenly moved out of range.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she backed away from him. “Go ahead and ask Lance about my tattoo. Did he say what it looks like? Did he tell you where he fucked me? I’d be pleased to see your face the moment you realize what bullshit you’re talkin’!” Maria turned away and didn’t look back at him, running across the field until she was out of his sight.
Michael was stunned and he dropped down to sit on the field, staring after her until she had disappeared from sight.
*****
Kyle winced at the words being hurled back and forth between his best friend and Maria, wishing he could hear anything but them. He had only stopped back by to get his watch out of his locker because he had forgotten it earlier and he had gone to investigate when he heard the shouting. He remained silent and pressed his back against the wall when Maria ran past him, not even seeing him where he was hidden in the shadowed recesses of the tunnel that led back to the locker rooms.
He pulled his cell phone out and pushed his girlfriend’s number in, lifting it to his ear and listening to the familiar ringtone. He shifted away from the wall, glancing around the edge to check on Michael and he shook his head with he saw him lying back on the grass, staring up at the sky.
“Hey, babe,” he greeted when she answered from her end. “I think you need to give your girl a call.” He shook his head at her immediate barrage of questions. “They just had a major blowout and she looked pretty upset.” He chuckled when she cursed both of their stubborn friends. “Yeah, I’m gonna go talk to him. Call me when you know how she’s doin’.” He nodded and smiled at her response. “Yeah, I promised I’d make dinner tonight, and no, I’m not tryin’ to get out of it.”
He shook his head at his crazy girlfriend as he disconnected and shoved his phone into his pocket, taking a deep breath before going out to deal with Michael.
*****
Tess hung up after a very brief conversation with Maria and resisted the urge to scream in frustration. She had no idea what was going on between her best friend and Michael, but the two of them were not making life easy… for anyone! She had known the moment she had heard Maria’s voice that the fight was serious; she was upset and she had willingly accepted Tess’s invitation to meet up and talk.
She hadn’t really been surprised when Maria had suggested meeting on the private beach where she and Michael had really started to get close and thankfully it wasn’t that far from Kyle’s apartment. She passed a taxi as she turned to take the street that would take her to the parking area above the private beach and she knew that Maria was already there.
She tossed her sandals on the floorboard of her car, locked the doors, and quickly found the path that led down to the beach. The sand was warm beneath her feet, but she barely considered it as she hurried to join her friend. Maria was sitting several hundred feet down the beach, her back braced against a large boulder as she stared out at the white-tipped waves rolling up over the sand.
“Hey, girl,” she greeted as she approached her slowly.
“Hey,” Maria replied hoarsely.
Tess frowned when Maria didn’t even raise her head to look at her, but she could see that her friend was in pain. She sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around her, rocking her gently and rubbing her back. “Tell me what happened,” she urged. “I need to know how badly I have to hurt him before I unleash ‘Warrior Tess’ on his ass.”
Maria couldn’t say anything. The moment Tess took her in her arms she started to sob badly and she wasn’t able to get a single word out.
Tess sighed, wondering what the couple had gotten into an argument about this time. Whatever it was, it had to be pretty bad, she thought. This wasn’t just their basic run-of-the-mill argument; this one had been important enough to cause real pain and she hated seeing her friends in pain. She just couldn’t imagine what they could be fighting about; she had watched them when they had all been together at the guy’s apartment a few days earlier and they had been so happy.
Maria started to calm down after a few minutes. She knew she had to get back at least some of her control. “I broke up with him,” she finally said. The words hurt like nothing else had ever hurt.
“You broke up... what?!”
“I told him he doesn’t have a girlfriend anymore.”
“Okay, why don’t we start at the beginning because I’m totally lost. You guys were perfectly fine the other day, so what happened?”
Maria took a deep, shaking breath. “Okay... we... um, we were supposed to meet yesterday evening, but I couldn’t make it in time, so we met later at our apartment and he was kind of suspicious about where I had had been before.” Maria sat up a little to give Tess more room. “I couldn’t tell him where I was Tess, because I was meeting with his mother...”
“Whoa, you met with his mother? Isn’t that like a major no-no?”
Maria nodded. “Yeah, but the woman was so desperate and she wouldn’t go away and, well, what she had to tell, it was really important.”
“Okay, so... I don’t understand. Why didn’t you just tell him where you were?”
“I wanted to, but first I didn’t know how to start and when I finally came up with somethin’ he got a call from Brooke and said he had to leave.”
“Still not understandin’ how you got from there to breakin’ up with him,” Tess said, trying to be supportive but feeling confused.
“Well, next thing you should know is that he found Isabel’s pregnancy tests under my bed.” She shook her head when she realized how that combination had to look to him. “And of course I couldn’t tell him they were hers ‘cause the guys don’t know about it yet.” Maria glanced up at Tess. “He thought they were mine.”
Tess winced. This was just getting worse and worse!
“I told him they belonged to a friend, but he didn’t believe me; he left after that and we didn’t talk again until today.”
“Where does he think you were when you were supposed to be meeting him last night?”
Maria laughed out ironically. “He thinks I was with Lance, you know, the jerk from the football team.”
“Um, what?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Okay, why would he think you were with that pansy-ass?”
“I don’t know. Michael and Lance can’t stand each other. He must have told Michael that we had sex or something, but I don’t know why he’d believe him. The weird thing is that Lance knows about my tattoo and I can’t think of any explanation for why he would know about it.” Maria took a little stone out of the sand and threw it into the water. “It’s all fucked up. I don’t have an alibi for last night… well, I do, but I can’t tell him while he’s like this, he found the pregnancy tests under my bed, and then Lance told him about my tattoo.”
“Damn, you’re totally fucked!”
“That’s not helpin’, girlfriend,” Maria said with a weak smile.
Tess shook herself out of her shock and grinned. “Yeah, wrong kinda fucked, huh? Okay, serious stuff here,” she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “How would Lance know about your tat? It’s in a naked place!”
“I really don’t have a clue. Maybe he just suggested it and it was nothin’ more than a bluff that he just happened to guess right.”
“Okay, that’d make sense... unless... did he describe the tat? Or did he just know you’ve got one?”
“I don’t know. Michael was so angry; he didn’t really go into any detail.”
“Well, we both know there’s no way Lance has ever seen you naked so we can remove that from the list of possibilities.” She shook her head. “It had to be a lucky guess.”
“Yeah, can you tell that to Michael, please?” Maria requested tiredly and leaned her head against Tess’s shoulder.
“Before or after I break out the mojo and kick his scruffy ass?”
“After.”
“Alright, we can’t do anything about the pregnancy tests, but what’re you gonna do about talkin’ to his mother?”
Maria shrugged. “I can’t tell him as long as he’s mad at me.”
“Why?”
“Because what she told me isn’t somethin’ you just say and then go on your merry way.”
“Uh-huh, well... wow, this’s hard, Maria.” She nudged her friend with her shoulder. “Okay, we’ll come back to that. I realize that he’s bein’ a jackass and jumpin’ to every wrong conclusion in the book – although, to be fair, the evidence is stacked against you and you’re not givin’ him anything to go on – but, how did you get to a point where you decided to break up with him?”
Maria tried to remember what had happened. “I don’t know. He was so angry and he said something about havin’ enough complications in his life and he doesn’t need to worry about his girlfriend cheatin’ on him so…”
“So, you gave him an easy out and broke up with him?”
Maria shook her head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just so mad at him, so I told him he doesn’t need to worry about any girlfriend cheatin’ on him because he doesn’t have one anymore. He tried to stop me, but I didn’t want to cry in front of him so I left.”
“Oh, boy.” Tess sighed, falling silent as she tried to think of a good solution.
“Okay, he definitely jumped to conclusions, but you’re in a bad position, too, Maria. You’re protecting Isabel and you’re protecting him even though he doesn’t know it.” She shook her head. “He doesn’t get a pass on Lance though; he should know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t cheat on him.”
“Can you just take me home, Tess? I want to lock myself into my room and never come out again. At least for today.”
Tess nodded and stood up, helping Maria up before reaching back to brush the sand from her clothes. “Alright. You want me to stay with you?”
“No, you’ve got plans with Kyle and I’m not gonna be good company right now anyway.”
“Kyle will understand if we need to change our plans.”
“No, it’s okay. I appreciate it, but I’m just gonna hide in my bed.” She sighed as she followed Tess back along the path that led to the parking area where she had left her car. How was it possible for everything to fall apart in less than a day?
Oh, we’ll find out soon… kinda.
Earth2Mama: Uh-oh… whatever will you do now?
Just out of curiosity, what was it that Michael said earlier that you put together with Maureen’s confession? Hank is psycho, but he knew he would never be able to control Michael. Adam Smith… where is he? We may just find out…
Well, she had nothing left to lose by leaving him at this point. Even though she’s made some bad choices she also deserves to discover life and happiness. We’ll see if that happens… or at least has a chance of happening.
The boys weren’t gonna listen, so she went to the one person Michael would listen to. LOL, it’s okay… save some of those nails!
Playful Max will come back, we promise!
No, not a good name! Hector Guerin… just doesn’t have a ring to it, lol! But, at least the kid has a temporary name, and you’re right, it’s better than “it” or “the baby”.
Reactions will be… well, some expected and some not so expected.
mary mary: Hurrying back!
Maiqu: Don’t worry, Max will come back out to play. Now let’s see what Maria does with that information! Thanks for the compliment!
Alien_Friend: Does Hank know that the twins aren’t his? Oh, he knows. Michael’s had a difficult time growing up, believing that he could turn out like Hank. He just might try to find Adam… we’ll see. It is a risk and that’s something that he’ll consider because he’s already had one very bad experience with a ‘father’. Thanks for the compliment! Yup, Brooke and Alex are both Hank’s by blood.
The boys aren’t in a place where they can deal with their mother right now. And when even Brendan refused to talk to her and sent her away… she knew she had to find another person who would listen. Adam may come into the picture. And Maureen does deserve better, but it’s gonna take a while before they can forgive her… if they can.
More Dreamer moments to come!
sarammlover: No, Hank will never be deserving of any kind of sympathy! Maureen has possibilities, but it’s going to take time for the four of them to reach a place where they can forgive her.
Maria couldn’t just walk away even though part of her wanted to.
Ah, your premonition is likely to be correct!
80s_UnLove_Child: LOL! Well, it’s not gonna be easy… Addictive, huh? Awesome!
begonia9508: That’s okay… only time will tell if she was telling the truth or not.
Probably because neither of them would’ve ever opened the letter, lol.
Natalie36: Who knows? But, we’re thinking he’s gonna get with the program real quick.
Author’s Note: Thanks to everyone who reposted their reviews! That meant a lot to us! We were able to save some of them in between the board crashes (or whatever it was, lol), but we know we missed several of them. So, if we didn’t reply to your review, it was lost before we could save it – so to anyone whose review didn’t get replied to, we just wanted to say thanks for reading!
Part 77 – Impossible Situations
Maria shifted restlessly in her bed as she waited for Michael to show up. She had called him after her talk with Maureen and asked him to come over because she wasn’t in the mood for going out anymore.
“How am I gonna tell him?” she whispered to herself. She heard the doorbell ring in that moment. “I’d better come up with something good soon,” she muttered, while walking to the front door to open it. “Hey,” she greeted him quietly.
Michael was leaning against the doorframe when she opened the door and his gaze swept over her as he tried to determine her mood. “Hey,” he said. He leaned in for a brief kiss, pulling back when she didn’t move to deepen it. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just kinda tired.”
His eyebrow lifted in interest when he noticed Max and Liz on the couch and he shut the door before crossing the room and leaning over his roommate.
Max glanced up when Michael leaned over to flick his ear. “Cut it out, Guerin!”
“Seriously? You’re watchin’ a foreign film?”
“Shut up, man.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Please don’t distract him... otherwise he’s gonna wanna watch it again.”
Max looked at her. “Aren’t you enjoying the movie?”
“It’s boring...” she admitted.
“Really?” He looked back at the television. “Not into Samurai warriors?”
She made a face. “Not really.”
“You should’ve said somethin’, darlin’. We didn’t have to watch this.”
“Uh-huh, you weren’t even paying any attention to me.”
“Huh?”
She waved him off. “Nothing, just watch your movie. Thank God, there’s only half an hour left.”
Michael rolled his eyes and moved to hook his arm over Maria’s shoulders and pull her up against his side as they moved toward the hallway. “What’s got you so tired?” he asked.
“Studyin’ with Liz,” she lied. She couldn’t just drop the bomb.
“Uh-huh. How come she’s in the livin’ room with Max and she didn’t seem all that tired?”
Maria shrugged. “She’s used to studyin’ all day.”
“So, you’ve been studyin’ all day?” he asked, easing inside and shutting the door. “You must be exhausted.”
“Oh, I am.” They walked down the hallway down to her room.
Michael watched her closely as they entered her bedroom, trying to silence the suspicious little voice that kept telling him she was lying about something. “So, whatcha wanna do tonight?”
“I don’t know.” She climbed up on her bed. “But I’m not in the mood for goin’ anywhere.”
He kicked his shoes off and stretched out beside her, propping himself up on his right arm. He reached out with his free hand to brush a few stray strands of hair from her face and his fingertips trailed over her features. “I’m perfectly content to stay right here.”
She tried to smile a little and slid closer to him to hug him tightly. “Good.”
“You’re sure everything’s okay?” he pushed, worried that something was wrong.
She sighed heavily. She didn’t want to let go of him right now, but she also knew that he would be mad at her after she told him that she’d had a conversation with his mother. “There’s somethin’ I need to tell you,” she began quietly.
Michael felt uneasy at her tone and every guy knew that those words never led to anything good. “Okay,” he said slowly. He held his hand up when his phone rang and he shifted to pull it out of his pocket.
Great timing, Maria thought bitterly.
He carried on a short conversation and hung up, sighing as he looked at his girlfriend. “I need to go,” he said regretfully. “Brooke needs me.”
“Oh, okay.” Maria didn’t know how to feel. Relieved that she didn’t have to tell him right now? Guilty that she had a secret? Sad, because he had to go?
Michael sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, reaching down for his shoes and only finding one of them. He grunted in irritation and dropped down to his knees, leaning forward and reaching under the bed to feel around for his other shoe. He pulled out a shoe that didn’t belong to him and tossed it aside before feeling around again. His hand closed over what felt like a box and he pulled it out, glancing at it and almost tossing it over to join the lone shoe when it registered what he was holding in his hand. He swallowed down the immediate panic that surged up past everything else to surface. “Uh, Maria?”
“Yeah?” She leaned over the edge of the bed, her eyes widening in horror when she saw what he had just found. Great, on a day like this... this was just what she needed!
“Somethin’ you wanna tell me?” he asked, not reassured in the least when he saw her expression.
“Um, they belong to a friend in one of my classes. She was too nervous to do it so I told her I’d help her with it.”
Michael glanced under the bed and then sat up to look at her once more. “How many potentially pregnant friends do you have?”
“Just one. She wanted to be sure so she bought several of them.”
“Uh-huh. She bought nearly a dozen pregnancy tests and left them here.” He studied her face and after a moment he realized that he didn’t believe her. “Why don’t you tell me the truth, Maria?”
“It is the truth,” she insisted. And it was, she had just left out the detail that the friend was Isabel. He didn’t know it yet and it wasn’t her secret to tell.
“Who’s your friend?”
Maria shook her head. “I can’t tell you. She doesn’t want anyone to know about it yet.”
“Because it’s you?”
“What?” she snapped, not believing that he had just asked her that.
“It’s a simple question, Maria. Do you think you’re pregnant?”
“And it’s a simple answer, Michael: No.”
“Then why’re they here?” It made no sense to him why she would have pregnancy tests stashed under her bed. “Why’re you hidin’ ‘em? You live in an apartment full of girls!”
“My friend didn’t want to take them with her because she didn’t want anybody to find them. That’s why they’re here. Look, Michael, we just started to have sex, there is no way I could be pregnant, okay?”
“I’m not stupid, Maria; we may have just started havin’ sex recently, but we’re pretty fuckin’ active and we don’t use protection.”
“I’m on the pill.” She reached into her nightstand drawer and pulled the little pack outside to show him.
Michael wasn’t sure what he was feeling or even what he knew in that moment. The pregnancy test story just didn’t make sense to him... but, then again, he was a guy and it’s not like he had any experience with it. “Alright,” he said reluctantly, “if you’re sure that you’re not...”
“I’m totally sure, okay?”
“I just don’t want that complication in my life.”
She didn’t know why, but his last words had hurt. Did that mean he never wanted kids?
“I’ve got enough shit goin’ on as it is,” he muttered, turning around to sit on the floor as he pulled his shoes on and tied them. He went on, unaware of how his words were affecting her. “Last thing I want is to have to deal with my girlfriend bein’ pregnant.”
“Well, don’t worry, you don’t have to deal with a pregnant girlfriend,” she said coldly, climbing from the bed and walking over to the bathroom. “Lock the door behind you,” she said before entering the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.
Michael stood up and turned to face the door she had just slammed. “What’d I say?” He threw his hands up in the air when she continued to swear, the muffled insults bouncing off of the walls in the small room. “Fine! I’m leavin’ now!” He shook his head as he walked out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. “No idea what we’re arguin’ about, but...” He growled under his breath as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. He’d figure it out after he stopped by to check on Brooke.
*****
Max glanced around to make sure Michael and Maria had made themselves scarce and he shifted slightly, pinning Liz against the back of the couch. “I can watch the movie anytime,” he whispered.
“You’d better never watch this movie again when I’m around.”
“Never, huh? What’re you gonna do if I watch it while you’re around?”
“Um, escape?”
“Make your escape... really? Not gonna try to distract me or anything?”
“Didn’t work a few minutes ago...”
“You didn’t try to distract me,” he denied.
“See... you didn’t even realize it.”
“You’re makin’ that up!” he accused, certain that she hadn’t tried to pull his attention away from the movie.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Whatever.”
He frowned when he realized that she was serious. “I’m sorry, darlin’,” he apologized. “Wanna distract me now? I promise you’ll have my full attention.”
Liz waggled her eyebrows. “Full attention, huh?” She grabbed his collar and pulled him closer until their lips met in a hot kiss.
Yeah, she had his full attention alright, he thought as he tugged her shirt free of her waistband and let his fingers tease the bare skin beneath.
“Think we should go to my room?” she mumbled against his neck.
Max growled low in his throat when she voiced that question. “Last time we did that my ass ended up on the floor. We should’ve gone back to my place,” he whispered as he shifted to kiss her again. “Your bed’s too damn small.”
“I know,” she made a face. “Sorry, but Tess asked me if we could stay outta the house at least until midnight.”
He frowned at that and quickly shook off all thoughts related to his roommate and Tess. He did not want to know what they were doing or more importantly, where they were doing it, if they needed the apartment clear until midnight.
“That’s still a couple hours away,” he complained, the words trailing away when he heard yelling and he twisted from the waist so he could look over his shoulder.
“Are they fighting?” Liz asked with a frown when she heard muffled sounds coming from Maria’s bedroom.
“Sounds like it.”
“Hmmm, that’s weird.”
“Why?” It wasn’t all that unusual for Michael and Maria to argue over anything, everything, and nothing.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maria just told me this afternoon when we were studying together that everything’s just great with Michael and her.”
“Yeah, they have been getting along pretty well.” He grimaced when the shouting got louder. “Doesn’t sound like that’s the case right now.”
Liz shoved her shirt back into her waistband. “In case someone comes out soon…”
Max smiled at her and shook his head. “That’s not necessary, y’know.”
“It’s not?”
He chuckled. “No.”
Suddenly the door to Maria’s bedroom was ripped open and slammed shut again. Michael came down the hallway, heading straight for the front door.
Max shifted completely and sat up when Michael stalked through the room. He was debating whether or not to say anything when Michael grabbed the doorknob and twisted it viciously. “You might wanna avoid the apartment for a while,” he said, deciding that in Michael’s current mood the last thing he needed was to walk in on Kyle and Tess going at it.
Michael stopped in the door frame and turned around. “What’re you talkin’ about, Evans?”
“Just that Kyle and Tess wanted the place to themselves until midnight, so chances are good they’re not keepin’ things behind his bedroom door.”
Michael made a face and glanced at his watch. “He’d better hurry then.”
Max just shook his head. “Better you than me, buddy; walkin’ in on them once was enough to just about scar me for life.”
Michael shrugged. “I’m not gonna go straight home anyway. Go back to what you were doin’ before I interrupted,” he said and with that he closed the door and headed to his car.
He looked back at Liz when she sat up beside him. “You gonna go see if Maria’s okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, gimme a couple of minutes?”
He nodded. “I’ll just wait out here,” he said, knowing that the girls would want privacy and her bedroom was next to Maria’s.
Liz stood up from the couch and walked towards Maria’s bedroom slowly. She wanted to give her a short moment alone before she joined her. Who knew how bad the fight had been. She raised her hand slowly and knocked on the bedroom door softly.
Maria crossed the room and jerked the door open, hoping irrationally that Michael had come back to apologize for being unreasonable.
Liz took a step back, surprised.
“Oh, sorry, Liz,” Maria apologized when she realized that she had startled the younger girl. “I thought you might be Michael.”
“He’s um... he just took off.”
“Of course he did,” she muttered. “Asshole.”
“Is everything okay? I mean,” Liz shook her head, “it’s obviously not, but is it something serious?”
Maria sighed and sat down on her bed. “Just a... misunderstanding.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
She shook her head. “No.” She paused and looked at her friend when a thought occurred to her. “Wasn’t Max here earlier?”
“Yeah, he’s waiting out in the living room.”
“I appreciate you letting perfectly good make-out time pass by so you could come and check on me, but get your ass back out to Max.”
Liz smirked. “Are ya sure? Ya know, ‘cause you are my friend and I can spend time with my boyfriend later...”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Get outta here, girl.”
*****
Michael grabbed his shower gel out of his locker after football practice and then went to hit the shower, ignoring the other guys as he stepped under the spray. His eyebrows lifted when he saw the claw marks on Kyle’s back. “Had a wild night with Tess, huh?”
Kyle just grinned and ducked under the warm spray to rinse off. “Every night’s a wild night with that woman.”
Michael thought about his last meeting with Maria – it had been anything but wild. He still couldn’t figure out why she had been acting so weird the night before. And those pregnancy tests... He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts yet again.
Max and Kyle glanced at each other when their roommate fell silent and contemplative.
“Hey, Evans, been seein’ you around campus with the little bookworm here recently,” Lance yelled from a few showers down. “How long you been hittin’ that?”
Max turned in Lance’s direction, glancing at him dangerously. “I’d shut up if I were you,” he growled.
“Think I’m about to collect on some bets, Evans,” he said, uncaring that he was treading on dangerous ground.
“Shut the fuck up, Pruitt,” Michael warned. Max could be good-humored about a lot of things, but having his girlfriend talked about like that was not one of them.
“Little bit touchy there, Guerin.” He glanced around at some of the other guys, ignoring the warning looks they were shooting at him. “Think somebody’s not getting laid.” He snickered as he rinsed off. “Either that or you’re tired of hittin’ a piece of ass that’s been around.”
Michael was about to go after Lance, but Max and Kyle stopped him, shaking their heads at him. Pruitt was an asshole and he had barely a real friend on the team, but they knew that they could be suspended from the team if they started a fight.
Lance rolled his eyes. He should’ve known better than to bait Guerin when his roommates were around. He left the showers and headed for his locker, his mind already coming up with a way to push Guerin into a fight.
“Man, why d’you let him get to you?” Max asked. “Y’know he’s just tryin’ to provoke you into a fight because he’s got some weird obsession with getting you kicked off the team.”
Michael clenched his teeth and stared in the direction Lance had taken. “You two can let go of me now.”
Kyle dropped Michael’s arm and stepped back, shaking his head when he realized how that could look. “Three naked guys in a shower and we’re all touchin’...” He shuddered and grabbed his towel. “I’ll see you guys later. I think I need some time alone with my girlfriend.”
Michael and Max finished their showers and walked back to their lockers to dry off and get dressed. They went out to the parking lot together and said their goodbyes when Max hurried in a different direction to meet Liz on campus.
Lance was sitting in his car, scanning through radio stations when he heard Guerin and Evans talking and he watched them as they separated and went to their own cars. As soon as Evans’ jeep turned out of the parking lot he focused on Guerin where he was putting his bag in the trunk. A slow smile crept over his face as he got out of the car and crossed the parking lot to stand behind his teammate
“Get out of my face,” Michael growled as soon as he noticed him.
“C’mon, Guerin, let’s do this while your little bitches are outta the picture.” His hands came up and he shoved the other guy. “Or can you only talk shit when they’re around because you can’t hold your own in a fight?”
“You wish.” He grabbed Lance’s hand where it was touching his shoulder and shoved the guy back away from him.
“Hell, if this is all the fight you’ve got it’s no wonder your girl had to come to me to know what it’s like to fuck a real man,” Lance taunted.
Michael laughed out loud. “C’mon, can’t you think of anything better than that?”
“Think I’m lyin’?”
“I know you’re lyin’!”
Uh-huh, he was pushing the right buttons, Lance thought. “Y’know, I could be... but if I was lyin’ would I know about that cute little tattoo?” He nodded in satisfaction when he saw Guerin’s eyes darken suspiciously.
Michael didn’t know what to say in response to that. How the fuck would he know about her tattoo? It was very well hidden. “Okay, then tell me when this little fantasy hook-up happened.”
Lance’s mind scrambled and quickly came up with the answer. “Let’s just say she wasn’t studyin’ at the library yesterday.”
Michael felt like something had hit him hard. Suddenly it all made sense... Maria’s weird behavior yesterday, the knowledge about her tattoo, the fact that she cancelled their date... “Did that happen before?” Michael choked out, remembering the pregnancy tests under her bed.
“Hey, man, I told you the night of that last beach party when we ran into each other that she’d come back to me.” He held his arms out at his sides. “Girl just can’t get enough of me.”
Michael didn’t know what to say or to do. He couldn’t feel anything at that moment. “I’m givin’ you five seconds to leave, Pruitt, or I swear, I’m gonna kill you.”
Lance heard the threat in Guerin’s tone and he slowly took a step back. “Whatever. Just tell your girl to come see me when she’s done with you.” He turned and walked off, a sneaky smile lifting his lips up at the corners. If nothing else, he had just fucked with Guerin’s head and he’d be useless for their next game.
Michael slammed the open trunk closed and ran his hands through his still wet hair. His heart was hammering wildly in his chest. He had to talk to Maria, but first he had to calm down. He braced his hands on the trunk and leaned forward, eyes closed as he focused on keeping his breathing under control. It wasn’t true, he thought. It couldn’t be; Maria wasn’t like that.
Lance had implied that he and Maria had hooked up on more than one occasion and he didn’t believe it. They had been together for several months now and for that to be true that meant she would have cheated on him and she wasn’t the kind of person who would do that.
Then where was she yesterday? his little voice asked, expressing doubt. She was supposed to be at the library studying and then she turned around and called you to change the time you were supposed to be meeting.
No, he denied, she wouldn’t do that. Stop letting that prick’s lies get to you! But, were they lies? How did Lance know about the tattoo? Why did she really have all those pregnancy tests hidden under her bed? Why had she been in such a weird mood the day before?
He slammed the side of his fist down against the trunk as all of the doubts came tumbling down on him and suddenly he remembered what she had said when he had gotten to her apartment the night before. ‘There’s somethin’ I need to tell you’ she had said and her tone, her voice, her expression... they had all indicated that whatever she had to tell him wasn’t going to be something he wanted to hear.
*****
Maria had been walking aimlessly around on campus for over an hour now. Her last class had ended several hours earlier, but she wasn’t ready to go home because she knew she had to talk to Michael about the night before... about his family. She just didn’t know how to tell him.
She suddenly realized that Michael’s car was still in the parking lot in front of the football field. She hadn’t expected that. What now? She took a deep breath and took the next step towards the parking lot. She had to talk to him... the sooner she did it, the sooner it would be over, right?
He wasn’t anywhere near his car, but she knew that he couldn’t be far away. He would never leave his car there and walk or catch a ride with someone else. She walked around one of the buildings where the locker room was housed and she recognized him standing alone out on the field. That was weird, why would he walk around here all alone after practice?
Michael stood in the middle of the field, dead center on the 50-yard line, and looked around at the stadium. If he listened hard enough he could almost hear the Saturday afternoon crowd cheering, their voices so loud it could just about drown all of his thoughts out. He wished it could drown his thoughts out right now.
Maria stopped a few feet away from him. He hadn’t noticed her yet and she was trying to figure out which mood he was in. “Hey,” she greeted him quietly.
Michael’s heart started to pound when her voice came from behind him and unfortunately it wasn’t due to her close proximity. He slowly turned to look at her and when he saw that she was still wearing the expression from the night before... nervous, unsure, wary... it pissed him off and he snapped a sharp “What?” out.
Maria took another step back, almost scared by his harsh tone. Was he still mad because of the pregnancy test? No, it couldn’t be just that. “Is somethin’ wrong?”
“I don’t know, Maria, why don’t you tell me.”
Did he know something about her meeting with his mother? She didn’t know what to say because she knew that one wrong word would send him over the edge.
“Where were you yesterday?”
She sighed heavily. She couldn’t tell him as long he was pissed like this. “Maybe we should wait and talk about this when you’re in a better mood, Michael.”
“No, we’re gonna fuckin’ talk about it now!” he snarled. He hated it when his temper got the best of him when he was with her because he never wanted to treat her badly, but he was mad, confused, and hurt, and he couldn’t control the way it was coming out.
“Well, since you’re already pissed and totally mad at me, why don’t you tell me where you think I was?” she asked, her eyes challenging.
“You called to change the time we were supposed to meet yesterday, you’ve got pregnancy tests hidden under your bed, and you’re actin’ like someone who’s got somethin’ to hide...” He took a deep breath and plowed his hands through his hair. “How does Lance know about your tattoo?”
Maria’s eyes widened in surprise at his abrupt question. “What? Who?”
“Lance Pruitt,” he grated out. “He’s in your English Lit class? We ran into him at a party a while back and he insinuated that the two of you had... history?”
She rolled her eyes. Now she remembered that jerk, and she had run into him the day before. “Why would he know anything about my tattoo?”
“You tell me! It’s not exactly in a public domain, Maria! Other guys do not get to see that part of your body if we’re together!” he shouted, pointing at the area where her tattoo resided.
“And no one has!” she stated angrily.
“Then how the fuck does he know about it?!”
She tried to come up with an answer, but there was no reason she could think of for him to know anything about her tattoo. “I don’t know, Michael,” she finally answered, helplessly.
“You don’t know?” he repeated incredulously. “How do you not know? Unless you were walkin’ around fuckin’ naked in front of him, how would he know about it?!” He was well past the point of controlling his temper or the volume of his voice now and his jealousy was coming out uncensored.
Maria placed her hands on her hips and took a deep breath. “Are you tellin’ me that you think I cheated on you with that jerk?” she yelled at him.
“You’re not exactly denyin’ it!”
She took a few steps forward to stand right in front of him. “I never would’ve believed you would think so little of me.”
Why wouldn’t she deny it? he wondered. “Tell me where you were yesterday.” He frowned. “You said you had to tell me somethin’, so tell me.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t tell you right now. But it’s not about anything between you and me.”
“You can’t tell me right now? Either you tell me or I’m walkin’, Maria.”
“I’m not tellin’ you right now.”
“Y’know what, I don’t need this shit! I’ve got enough complications in my life without havin’ to worry about whether or not my girlfriend is fuckin’ another guy behind my back! If that’s what’s goin’ on just tell me so I can – “
He suddenly fell silent when Maria slapped him across the face. “You know what, Michael? Think whatever you want about me. You don’t have to worry about your girlfriend fuckin’ someone else behind your back, ‘cause right now you don’t have one anymore!” She screamed at him furiously and the words hurt as they came out of her mouth.
Michael took several involuntary steps backwards, reeling from the slap as well as her words. “No! Bullshit, you’re not fuckin’ breakin’ up with me! Me an’ you, we’re not just quittin’ an’ walkin’ away from this!” He reached out to grab her arm, missing when she suddenly moved out of range.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she backed away from him. “Go ahead and ask Lance about my tattoo. Did he say what it looks like? Did he tell you where he fucked me? I’d be pleased to see your face the moment you realize what bullshit you’re talkin’!” Maria turned away and didn’t look back at him, running across the field until she was out of his sight.
Michael was stunned and he dropped down to sit on the field, staring after her until she had disappeared from sight.
*****
Kyle winced at the words being hurled back and forth between his best friend and Maria, wishing he could hear anything but them. He had only stopped back by to get his watch out of his locker because he had forgotten it earlier and he had gone to investigate when he heard the shouting. He remained silent and pressed his back against the wall when Maria ran past him, not even seeing him where he was hidden in the shadowed recesses of the tunnel that led back to the locker rooms.
He pulled his cell phone out and pushed his girlfriend’s number in, lifting it to his ear and listening to the familiar ringtone. He shifted away from the wall, glancing around the edge to check on Michael and he shook his head with he saw him lying back on the grass, staring up at the sky.
“Hey, babe,” he greeted when she answered from her end. “I think you need to give your girl a call.” He shook his head at her immediate barrage of questions. “They just had a major blowout and she looked pretty upset.” He chuckled when she cursed both of their stubborn friends. “Yeah, I’m gonna go talk to him. Call me when you know how she’s doin’.” He nodded and smiled at her response. “Yeah, I promised I’d make dinner tonight, and no, I’m not tryin’ to get out of it.”
He shook his head at his crazy girlfriend as he disconnected and shoved his phone into his pocket, taking a deep breath before going out to deal with Michael.
*****
Tess hung up after a very brief conversation with Maria and resisted the urge to scream in frustration. She had no idea what was going on between her best friend and Michael, but the two of them were not making life easy… for anyone! She had known the moment she had heard Maria’s voice that the fight was serious; she was upset and she had willingly accepted Tess’s invitation to meet up and talk.
She hadn’t really been surprised when Maria had suggested meeting on the private beach where she and Michael had really started to get close and thankfully it wasn’t that far from Kyle’s apartment. She passed a taxi as she turned to take the street that would take her to the parking area above the private beach and she knew that Maria was already there.
She tossed her sandals on the floorboard of her car, locked the doors, and quickly found the path that led down to the beach. The sand was warm beneath her feet, but she barely considered it as she hurried to join her friend. Maria was sitting several hundred feet down the beach, her back braced against a large boulder as she stared out at the white-tipped waves rolling up over the sand.
“Hey, girl,” she greeted as she approached her slowly.
“Hey,” Maria replied hoarsely.
Tess frowned when Maria didn’t even raise her head to look at her, but she could see that her friend was in pain. She sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around her, rocking her gently and rubbing her back. “Tell me what happened,” she urged. “I need to know how badly I have to hurt him before I unleash ‘Warrior Tess’ on his ass.”
Maria couldn’t say anything. The moment Tess took her in her arms she started to sob badly and she wasn’t able to get a single word out.
Tess sighed, wondering what the couple had gotten into an argument about this time. Whatever it was, it had to be pretty bad, she thought. This wasn’t just their basic run-of-the-mill argument; this one had been important enough to cause real pain and she hated seeing her friends in pain. She just couldn’t imagine what they could be fighting about; she had watched them when they had all been together at the guy’s apartment a few days earlier and they had been so happy.
Maria started to calm down after a few minutes. She knew she had to get back at least some of her control. “I broke up with him,” she finally said. The words hurt like nothing else had ever hurt.
“You broke up... what?!”
“I told him he doesn’t have a girlfriend anymore.”
“Okay, why don’t we start at the beginning because I’m totally lost. You guys were perfectly fine the other day, so what happened?”
Maria took a deep, shaking breath. “Okay... we... um, we were supposed to meet yesterday evening, but I couldn’t make it in time, so we met later at our apartment and he was kind of suspicious about where I had had been before.” Maria sat up a little to give Tess more room. “I couldn’t tell him where I was Tess, because I was meeting with his mother...”
“Whoa, you met with his mother? Isn’t that like a major no-no?”
Maria nodded. “Yeah, but the woman was so desperate and she wouldn’t go away and, well, what she had to tell, it was really important.”
“Okay, so... I don’t understand. Why didn’t you just tell him where you were?”
“I wanted to, but first I didn’t know how to start and when I finally came up with somethin’ he got a call from Brooke and said he had to leave.”
“Still not understandin’ how you got from there to breakin’ up with him,” Tess said, trying to be supportive but feeling confused.
“Well, next thing you should know is that he found Isabel’s pregnancy tests under my bed.” She shook her head when she realized how that combination had to look to him. “And of course I couldn’t tell him they were hers ‘cause the guys don’t know about it yet.” Maria glanced up at Tess. “He thought they were mine.”
Tess winced. This was just getting worse and worse!
“I told him they belonged to a friend, but he didn’t believe me; he left after that and we didn’t talk again until today.”
“Where does he think you were when you were supposed to be meeting him last night?”
Maria laughed out ironically. “He thinks I was with Lance, you know, the jerk from the football team.”
“Um, what?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Okay, why would he think you were with that pansy-ass?”
“I don’t know. Michael and Lance can’t stand each other. He must have told Michael that we had sex or something, but I don’t know why he’d believe him. The weird thing is that Lance knows about my tattoo and I can’t think of any explanation for why he would know about it.” Maria took a little stone out of the sand and threw it into the water. “It’s all fucked up. I don’t have an alibi for last night… well, I do, but I can’t tell him while he’s like this, he found the pregnancy tests under my bed, and then Lance told him about my tattoo.”
“Damn, you’re totally fucked!”
“That’s not helpin’, girlfriend,” Maria said with a weak smile.
Tess shook herself out of her shock and grinned. “Yeah, wrong kinda fucked, huh? Okay, serious stuff here,” she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “How would Lance know about your tat? It’s in a naked place!”
“I really don’t have a clue. Maybe he just suggested it and it was nothin’ more than a bluff that he just happened to guess right.”
“Okay, that’d make sense... unless... did he describe the tat? Or did he just know you’ve got one?”
“I don’t know. Michael was so angry; he didn’t really go into any detail.”
“Well, we both know there’s no way Lance has ever seen you naked so we can remove that from the list of possibilities.” She shook her head. “It had to be a lucky guess.”
“Yeah, can you tell that to Michael, please?” Maria requested tiredly and leaned her head against Tess’s shoulder.
“Before or after I break out the mojo and kick his scruffy ass?”
“After.”
“Alright, we can’t do anything about the pregnancy tests, but what’re you gonna do about talkin’ to his mother?”
Maria shrugged. “I can’t tell him as long as he’s mad at me.”
“Why?”
“Because what she told me isn’t somethin’ you just say and then go on your merry way.”
“Uh-huh, well... wow, this’s hard, Maria.” She nudged her friend with her shoulder. “Okay, we’ll come back to that. I realize that he’s bein’ a jackass and jumpin’ to every wrong conclusion in the book – although, to be fair, the evidence is stacked against you and you’re not givin’ him anything to go on – but, how did you get to a point where you decided to break up with him?”
Maria tried to remember what had happened. “I don’t know. He was so angry and he said something about havin’ enough complications in his life and he doesn’t need to worry about his girlfriend cheatin’ on him so…”
“So, you gave him an easy out and broke up with him?”
Maria shook her head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just so mad at him, so I told him he doesn’t need to worry about any girlfriend cheatin’ on him because he doesn’t have one anymore. He tried to stop me, but I didn’t want to cry in front of him so I left.”
“Oh, boy.” Tess sighed, falling silent as she tried to think of a good solution.
“Okay, he definitely jumped to conclusions, but you’re in a bad position, too, Maria. You’re protecting Isabel and you’re protecting him even though he doesn’t know it.” She shook her head. “He doesn’t get a pass on Lance though; he should know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t cheat on him.”
“Can you just take me home, Tess? I want to lock myself into my room and never come out again. At least for today.”
Tess nodded and stood up, helping Maria up before reaching back to brush the sand from her clothes. “Alright. You want me to stay with you?”
“No, you’ve got plans with Kyle and I’m not gonna be good company right now anyway.”
“Kyle will understand if we need to change our plans.”
“No, it’s okay. I appreciate it, but I’m just gonna hide in my bed.” She sighed as she followed Tess back along the path that led to the parking area where she had left her car. How was it possible for everything to fall apart in less than a day?
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 78 - 12/20/09
Earth2Mama: Messed up, yes… but not unfixable.
He should know better, but the evidence is stacked up and he’s reacting without really processing what he does know – Maria. LOL, guess Maria never really thought anyone would be under her bed! S’okay, Maria was just reacting to the situation – she didn’t mean it and Michael isn’t about to let things just end like that.
They’re getting there. We know it doesn’t seem like it, but they are.
Max has been warned… he’ll behave.
Don’t worry, it won’t take that long to fix.
keepsmiling7: Uh-oh, Max will remember that!
80s_UnLove_Child: Even Max can make a mistake or two, lol. But, he’s also a fast learner.
Michael is going to feel like an idiot. Well, if you must know more… then we simply must give you more!
Alien_Friend: Yeah, that information wouldn’t have gone over too well at that time. It’s not likely to be something he wants to hear at first anyway, but at that point in time… no.
They are and now we’ll see what Kyle has to say.
mary mary: Yeah, and when you’re dealing with two people who tend to react first and think later, well…
kismet: Well, it’ll be a happy Christmas in fic-land, but of course Christmas in fic-land will happen after the New Year because it’s still several posts away.
So true… only these two.
Okay, we tried and tried to come up with a way to extend the scene and give you that extra long Max and Liz part, but it just wouldn’t work out right, so… look for something a little extra later for ya on the board today.
Natalie36: They’re gonna get past this soon.
sarammlover: Deep down inside he does know… he’s just letting his fears and insecurities get the best of him. Oh, wow, three days… is that three days in fic-land time? ‘Cause if so, we’re good to go!
begonia9508: It’s difficult but they’re gonna get past it.
sunrise102: It was a stupid fight and they were both wrong about things. They’re still learning, but they’re getting there. Both of them are reactionary people, but they’ll work it out.
kay_b: … it pours. Yes, it does!
No haters here, lol! Conversations that begin with “I have something to tell you” just drag out the tension in a situation. But, she’s trying to find a way to tell him without hurting him and in the process only managed to dig herself in deeper. They’re gonna get this worked out though.
Eva: Well, we don’t really have an answer for why, but we can tell you it won’t take them long to get their acts together and work this thing out.
Cardinal: It was a bad situation all around, but they will deal with it and move past it.
We’ll see who it is that Michael listens to.
Part 78 – Hindsight’s 20/20
Kyle walked out onto the field and approached Michael slowly. He dropped down next to his friend, sitting on the grass and waiting for Michael to notice him.
“What’re you doin’ here, Kyle?” he muttered without looking at him.
“I just came back to get something I forgot. Better question is what’re you doin’ here, man?”
“Wonderin’ how it’s possible to fuck yourself over and over again.”
“I accidentally overheard your fight with Maria. What was that all about?”
“It’s about Lance-fuckin’-Pruitt an’ Maria.”
“Huh? Both names in one sentence, what’s the connection?”
“I don’t know. Pruitt says they’ve been screwin’ around an’ she hasn’t exactly come right out an’ denied it, but... he knew about her fuckin’ tattoo, Kyle!” he exploded finally. “It’s not exactly in a location where just anyone would know about it.” He sat up, pulling his knees up as he went and propped his forearms on them. “She couldn’t tell me how he knew about the tattoo.”
Kyle seemed to be deep in thought for several seconds and then he winced. “Um, maybe there is an explanation... some of the guys from the team and I were talkin’ about tattoos the other day after practice and I suggested that tattoos are only cool if there’s a meaning behind them and if they’re on parts of the body where you can hide them. I told them about Tess havin’ a tattoo dedicated to her dead friend and I think I may have mentioned that Maria has the same one. I’m not sure, but I think Lance was around, too.” Kyle shrugged. “He might’ve overheard it and used it against you.”
Michael fell back on the grass with a heavy thump, covering his face and groaning at Kyle’s information. “That’s just fuckin’ great. Still doesn’t explain what she’s hidin’ from me though.”
“You think she’s hidin’ somethin’?”
“I know she’s hidin’ somethin’. We were supposed to meet last night and she called and changed the time on me, she said she was studyin’ with Liz, but she was with Max when I got th the girls’ apartment and she didn’t look like she’d been studyin’, when we did finally meet up she said there was somethin’ she needed to tell me, but Brooke called and I had to go, so I didn’t find out what it was, and when I was lookin’ for my shoe under her bed I found a bunch of unopened pregnancy tests.” He frowned and rubbed his eyes. “She said they belonged to a friend, but... man, who stashes the fuckin’ things under their bed for a friend?”
“Well, I can’t tell you anything about where she was or who those pregnancy tests are for, but I can tell you that she wasn’t with Lance ‘cause I saw him last night.”
Michael could see daylight slipping away as Kyle threw the next shovelful of dirt on his grave. “You saw him last night... where?”
“Tess and I went and we stopped at the little restaurant on the beach. He was there with some other guys playin’ volleyball. It was around 6:30pm and they were still there when we left at 8pm.”
“Fuck!” Michael snarled. “That falls right in the time frame when she called me and when I saw her.”
“So what’re you gonna do now?”
“I have no fuckin’ clue.” Michael turned his head to look at his best friend. “What would you do?”
“Well, you definitely need a big apology for your woman.”
“Oh, well, thanks for that, Kyle.”
“You said she didn’t deny it. What did she say?”
Michael grimaced as he recalled the words she had hurled at him. “She asked if Lance had described the tat.” No reason to mention the rest of her tirade, he thought.
“That’s all?”
He struggled to remember if she had said anything... the argument had happened lightning fast. “She denied that any other guy here had seen that part of her body.” He sighed and ran his hands over his face. “Did I mention she broke up with me?” Fuck, it hurt just to say those words.
“What?” Kyle’s head snapped up.
“So, I didn’t mention it then.”
“Why? I mean, there’s no reason to just break up, is there?”
“Do I look like I think like a chick to you?” Michael snapped. “I told her we weren’t breakin’ up over this, but apparently she’s got different ideas.”
“You think she meant it? Maybe she was just overreacting.”
Michael got to his feet and started to pace, hands waving erratically as he started to speak. “Well, of course she was overreacting!” he muttered. “She’s a fuckin’ woman and they overreact about every damn thing!”
“Uh-huh,” Kyle murmured, knowing that woman weren’t the only ones who tended to overreact.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, stopping to stare at his best friend.
Kyle rolled his eyes. “You’re not a very calm person either.”
Michael took a deep breath, fully intending to approach Kyle’s comment from a calm position. “I’m not the one who fuckin’ broke up with her! She could’ve just stayed here an’ fought it out with me, but no! She went an’ broke up with me and then took off!” Okay, so much for the calm approach.
“Okay, maybe you should just come home with me and calm down. I called Tess to let her know what was goin’ on so she could check on Maria.”
“Yeah, that’s a great fuckin’ idea, Kyle... let me go home so I can watch you an’ Tess feel each other up, and Max an’ Liz moon over each other...” He shook his head. “No thanks, I’d rather not.”
“Fine, then let’s go somewhere else.”
“No, you go on home, man.” He shook his head again. “I’m not lookin’ to fuck up your night just because mine’s all screwed up. I know you’ve got plans with Tess.” When didn’t Kyle have plans with the girl?
“I can cancel them. She’s probably gonna stay with Maria anyway.”
Michael wavered at Kyle’s offer; he knew the guy well enough to know that his offer was genuine, but he didn’t want to be completely selfish and fuck up his plans. On the other hand, he felt like shit and he didn’t really wanna be alone either. “You got somethin’ in mind?”
“I don’t know, we can go to the bar... y’know, where we hung out over the summer before we met the girls.”
Michael considered that for several seconds before nodding. “Yeah, okay, that sounds good.”
Kyle glanced at his watch. But, what to do until then? It was too early to hit the bar.
“Hold on a sec,” Michael said when his phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID before flipping it open. “It’s my sister.” He lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey, brat, what’s up?”
“Hey, favorite brother. We’re gonna order pizza for dinner; you wanna come over?”
He couldn’t hold back a smile at her greeting. At least he was still the favorite in somebody’s world. “Extra cheese and pepperoni?”
“Of course,” she answered, as if she would ever forget about his favorite pizza.
“You gonna tell Alex to spring for deep dish?”
“Yeah, you know he loves pizza as well, and Isabel, too.”
“Okay, count me in... you guys already ordered?”
“No, I wanted to make sure you could make it over here first. You wanna bring Maria too?”
Michael’s back teeth ground together for several long seconds and he lowered the phone long enough to get his breathing under control. He cleared his throat, shoving away the pain that surfaced at the mention of Maria’s name. “Nah, I’ll be flyin’ solo tonight... she had other...” He swallowed hard. “She had some other plans, so you’ll have to suffer with just my company.”
Brooke noticed the sudden change in his tone and wondered where it had come from. “Okay, so you’ll be here soon?”
“Yeah, just gotta send Kyle to hang with his girl an’ then I’ll be headin’ your way.”
“Okay, talk to ya soon,” she said and then hung up.
He turned to look at Kyle. “You mind just meetin’ up for a beer after a while? The kid wants me to come over for dinner.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m gonna check on Tess and then go back to our place to get ready. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to convince Evans to join us as well.”
Michael snorted. “Uh-huh, you think you’re gonna pry him an’ Parker apart?”
“He definitely needs some man-time. He’s gotten too soft lately.”
“I’m gonna tell Evans you said that... and when I get a good look at his face I’ll decide who I’m puttin’ my money on.”
Kyle laughed. “Alright, how ‘bout I pick you up around ten at your brother’s place?”
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”
*****
Kyle parked his car in front of the girls’ apartment building and noticed Tess’s car in the parking lot as well. Good, she was still there. He hurried up the stairs and knocked on the door. It took a few seconds before he heard a sound inside the apartment and a moment later the door was pulled open by his girlfriend. “Hey, babe.”
“Kyle! What’re you doin’ here?” She glanced behind her to look at the clock on the wall. “You’re early!”
“Yeah, I know, can I come in for a second?”
“Oh, of course!” She hurried to take a step back and pull the door open wider. “Sorry, this mess with our friends has kinda had me preoccupied.”
Kyle glanced through the room. “Yeah, I know what ya mean. Where is she?”
“She’s in her room... refuses to come out.” She sighed. “As much as I’d like to lay all of the blame on Michael, this one’s on both of them.”
“So, she broke up with him, huh?”
“Heat of the moment thing... she didn’t mean it.”
Kyle nodded. “It hit him hard anyway.”
“Yeah, after watching them together the other night at your apartment...” She shook her head and moved to wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head against his chest. “I’m so glad we can talk about things and deal with them as they come up, Kyle.”
He nodded as he wrapped his arms around her small body and let his chin rest on her hair. “I know we had plans for tonight, babe, but would you mind if we put them on hold for a bit? I think I need to hang out with Michael a little bit to distract him.”
“That’s probably a good idea, but only if it includes you swingin’ by to pick me up afterwards.”
“No problem with that, but it’s probably gonna be late.”
“That’s okay. After several hours of dealing with Maria and her Michael troubles I’m gonna need some one-on-one time with my man.”
They both looked up when Maria’s bedroom door was opened and she walked through the room like a ghost to get something to drink.
Kyle glanced down at his girlfriend. “I think it’s time for me to perform my disappearing act,” he whispered.
Tess nodded, noticing how horrible Maria looked. “Yeah, I guess I’ll try to talk to her again.”
“You think they’re gonna be able to work this out?”
“They have to! Or else it’s gonna be horrible for all of us.” Tess shook her head. “It’s obvious that they have strong feelings for each other and they probably just don’t know how to deal with them.”
“Well, I’m not tryin’ to be a dick or anything, but, they need to stop runnin’ from their feelings and just deal with them.”
She smiled and leaned in closer to him. “I’m so glad you’re mine, babe.”
Kyle tipped her chin up so he could kiss her. “That’s good, ‘cause I’m not plannin’ to go anywhere.”
*****
Max saw the huge building that housed the campus library slowly growing larger as he approached it and he glanced at his watch, wincing when he realized that he was already five minutes late. He had promised Liz that he would pick her up at 7:30pm and take her to a nice little restaurant for dinner.
Unfortunately, their plans had changed for the night. Kyle had just called him at home – the reason why he was late now. He had said something about an emergency guys night for Michael and he wondered if it had anything to do with the fight Liz and he had overheard the other night at the girl’s apartment.
Liz was already standing out in front of the building and she sighed when she saw Max’ jeep slowly coming closer. Good, he didn’t forget me, she thought, relieved.
Max stopped directly next to her and opened the door for her from the inside. “Hey,” he leaned to the side to look at her, “sorry, I know I’m a little late.”
Liz studied his features as she ducked down to slide inside and leaned over to give him a quick kiss. “Everything okay?” It wasn’t normal for him to be late for anything; on the contrary he was usually early.
“Yeah,” he kissed her again, “I mean, I don’t really know. Kyle called me, that’s why I’m late. Sounds like Michael’s really upset about somethin’ but Kyle didn’t give me any details.”
“Oh.” She bit back her disappointment when she realized that there was a very good chance that he was going to postpone dinner.
Max sighed and started to drive again – in the direction of the girl’s apartment. “I’m sorry, but I think I’m gonna have to cancel dinner, darlin’.”
She nodded. “You think you guys will be out late?”
“Don’t know yet. Depends on how bad it is, I guess. Kyle didn’t sound very happy about whatever happened and I think a little bit of guys only time could help.”
Liz wrinkled her nose. Guys only time, she thought with a silent snort. It was taking time to get used to sharing him with his friends.
“If it’s not too late I’ll stop by your apartment afterwards, okay? Kyle told me that Tess is already at your apartment, so maybe Maria needs some friends right now, too?”
“You think she and Michael got into another fight?”
“I don’t know, but maybe it has somethin’ to do with what we overheard yesterday?”
“Oh.” She tapped her thumb against her bottom lip. “Maria didn’t wanna talk about whatever they were fighting about.”
“I guess we’ll know more soon.”
“Max, why do you think they fight so much?” She shrugged when he glanced at her. “I just mean that I don’t know any other couples who fight the way they do.”
“Well, I think a lot of the reasons for that are in Michael’s past.”
“Sometimes I think they fight just to fight... like there’s really no definitive reason for it. There’re times I could swear they do it just because they enjoy it.”
Max chuckled. “They’re both very passionate, so I think fighting will always be an issue for them.”
Liz sat back in her seat as she considered his answer. “We don’t fight a lot,” she mused aloud.
“No...” Max answered slowly, unsure where the conversation was leading.
“You can be passionate without fighting a lot though, right?”
“Of course. Look, Liz, Michael is used to picking fights when he feels unsure or attacked and Maria isn’t the kinda person who’s just gonna let him act like that.”
“So, I don’t need to be worried just because we don’t fight a lot.”
“What?” Max laughed. “You’re worried because we’re not fightin’?”
She reached over and smacked his arm. “Don’t laugh at me! You just said they fight like that because they’re passionate people!”
“That’s probably just one of a lot of reasons, darlin’.”
“I can’t believe you laughed at me,” she huffed indignantly as she slouched down in her seat.
“C’mon, Liz,” Max said. The last he needed right now was an argument with her about the fact that they didn’t fight.
She hid a smirk when she heard the exasperation in his voice.
Max stopped the jeep in front of the girls’ apartment and turned to look at her. “I love that we don’t fight, Liz, ‘cause I’m not really interested in fightin’ with you.”
She reached up to finger the collar of his shirt. “Not even a little one?” she teased as she slipped her finger inside his shirt to follow the chain he wore.
“We could just skip that and get right to the makin’ up part,” he suggested with a smirk.
Liz smiled and shook her head at him as she shifted back to sit with her back against the door. “No makin’ out for you, Max... I’m not interested in a couple minutes of your times squeezed in before you run off to play with the boys.”
“Don’t be mean, Liz,” he complained.
No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t keep the smile from surfacing in response to his pathetic tone.
“Alright,” Max sighed, “I’ll let you know if I’m gonna make it tonight.”
“Um-hmm... hope you do.” She reached for the door handle, pausing when he spoke again.
He frowned. “No goodbye kiss?”
She bit her lip as she looked at him. “I’m not sure you deserve one,” she said in a playful tone. “You were late, you cancelled our dinner plans, and now you’re tellin’ me I may be sleeping all by myself tonight. What would you do in my place?”
“I think I’d understand that your best friends need you now and then,” he countered.
“Um-hmm, we’ll see.” She paused to study him, trying to figure out if he had realized that she was just playing with him.
Max glanced at his watch. “Sorry, I kinda need to hurry.”
Oh, no, he did not! she thought. She shook her head at him as she leaned across the gearshift to grab his collar and pull him closer. “Y’know I’m just messin’ with you, right? I would never expect you to turn your back on your friends.”
He smirked. “The girls are a bad influence.”
She rolled her eyes. “I think you just like it when I make the first move,” she whispered, her breath ghosting across his lips.
“I think you’re right,” he closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply.
Her eyes slid closed and her right hand moved to his neck, easing up so she could tangle her fingers in his hair.
Max groaned softly when his phone started to ring again. He broke the kiss and glanced at his cell where it was lying in the little compartment under the radio. Kyle had sent him a message to let him know he was expecting him to be there in ten minutes. “Guess it’s time for me...” he said to his girlfriend.
She growled at the interruption and kissed him once more before letting him go. “Alright, but I expect to see you when you get done with whatever guy thing you’re gonna be doin’.”
He nodded. “Okay, guess I shouldn’t drink too much then, huh?”
“Call me if you do and I’ll come and get you, just don’t get behind the wheel if you have too much, okay?”
He smiled when he realized that she was serious about that. “Don’t worry, Kyle’s the driver for the night and he doesn’t drink anything hard when he drives… doesn’t really drink much of anything when he’s drivin’.”
“Alright. Have fun with the boys then and I’ll see ya later,” she said as she stepped out of the jeep and shut the door.
*****
Michael cut the engine as he pulled up behind his older brother’s car and released his seatbelt as he opened the door. He barely had time to unfold his tall frame before his little sister barreled into him and hugged him tightly. “Hey, brat,” he greeted as he returned her energetic hug.
He glanced over her head and noticed that Brendan’s car was parked on the other side of the truck. “You didn’t tell me Bren was gonna be here.”
“Do you mind?” she asked, surprised. Her brothers had gotten along so well lately.
“Huh? No, of course not. I would’ve picked up chocolate ice cream as well as the strawberry if I’d known he was gonna be here.”
“Oh, he brought some chocolate ice cream, so don’t worry about it.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Should’ve known that,” he muttered, releasing her so he could lean back inside the car and grab the sack with her favorite flavor of ice cream. “Here, carry this.” He straightened up and slung his right arm around her shoulders as he closed the door with his hip. “There’re a couple of little rawhide chew things in there for your rodents.”
“And that’s why you are my favorite brother,” she said with a smirk.
“Because I spoil you and your dogs?”
“Because you love me so much,” she answered, half kidding, half serious.
Michael tugged her closer to drop a kiss on her head. Why couldn’t things be this simple with Maria? he wondered. “Pizza here yet?” he asked in an effort to pull his thoughts away from his girlfriend. And she was still his girlfriend, regardless of her words earlier.
“Yeah, it just arrived a few minutes ago.”
“Timing is everything. So, what’s goin’ on with you? Things okay at school?”
“Oh, yeah, it’s going well.” She bit back any comments about her last meeting with Luke earlier that day.
“Uh-huh, and what about that kid you like? What’s his name? Lucky?”
“Michael,” she complained, knowing that he remembered his name perfectly well.
“Fine, what’s goin’ on with him? He done anything that would require me to kick his little ass?”
“No, he’ll probably never even try to kiss me ‘cause he’s afraid that you’re gonna kill him.”
Michael smirked. “Then your virtue is safe and I have done my job as your older brother.”
“You mean ruining my life is your job?”
“Keepin’ guys from puttin’ the moves on you is not ruining your life,” Alex countered as they entered the kitchen. He handed a stack of plates to Brendan, who was sitting at the table eyeing the pizza boxes and then went back to help Isabel with the drinks.
“See,” Michael said, “I’m not the only one who thinks little Luke needs some observation.”
Brooke shoved Michael away as she moved to put the ice cream in the freezer. “Luke – who is not little by the way, he’s just... skinny – does not need to be observed by any of you.”
“Okay, let’s skip that,” Alex said, not wanting to get into an argument about Brooke’s potential boyfriend.
Brooke stuck her tongue out at Michael when their older brother put an end to any further discussion on the Luke front.
They all sat down at the dining table and started to eat. Michael had to force his food down his throat; it was his favorite kind of pizza, but he wasn’t hungry by any means.
Isabel watched Michael as he ate without his usual enthusiasm. A quick glance at Brendan showed that nothing was slowing down his appetite or his appreciation of pizza. “So, Michael, how was practice today?”
He almost choked on his last bite of pizza. That was a topic he really didn’t want to talk about because it would lead to Lance and that would lead to Maria... and that was something he didn’t want to tell everyone. “Just the usual,” he answered and hoped that he was convincing.
Isabel nodded, sensing that it was a topic that he wanted to avoid. “What about you, Brendan? Anything new going on?”
“I booked my ticket for my flight today. I’m gonna leave to visit Karen soon.”
Silence fell over the table as they all looked at him as if he had just announced that aliens had landed and set up camp at his apartment.
“When’re you plannin’ to go?” Alex asked.
“The week before Christmas.”
Isabel glanced at her boyfriend before looking back at Brendan. “But, you’ll be here for Alex’s birthday, right?”
“Oh, yeah, of course.”
“Okay, good.”
“I can’t wait to go to Roswell; I’ve never been there,” Brooke said, excited.
Michael frowned. “What’re you talkin’ about?”
“Oh, Isabel wants to go to visit her family to Roswell around Christmas and she asked us to come with her. I talked to Maria the other day and she said you two are going as well. That’ll be sooo cool.”
He swallowed hard. She had been planning to take him with her to meet her family at Christmastime… she probably wasn’t thinking about that right now! “Oh, right, I just didn’t realize that you guys were doin’ the same thing.”
Once again, Isabel realized that something was wrong with Michael, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
“You think you’re ready to face Karen?” Alex asked, watching his youngest brother as he started to pick at his pizza.
Brendan nodded. “I need to know the whole truth and hopefully she’ll help me with that.”
“You gonna let her know you’re comin’?” Michael asked, “or you just gonna show up and surprise her?”
“I think I’m gonna go with the last one.”
“Probably a good idea. Surprise her, keep her off balance so you can get in and talk to her.”
“Yeah.”
“You think she’s gonna talk to you?” Brooke asked curiously.
“I hope she will,” Brendan said, not wanting to think about it now.
Alex wiped his hands on his napkin and leaned back in his chair as he looked around at his family. “Has Mom tried to contact any of you recently?”
Brendan and Michal looked up at him and nodded. “Yeah, she showed up at my apartment when Michael and I were there.”
Brooke looked at her brothers. “What’re you guys talkin’ about? Mom’s in Europe.”
Alex shook his head. “No, she’s not. Seems like she stayed in the States and let Hank go back to Germany alone.”
“Why would she do that? Are you sure Dad’s not here?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Michael reached out to lay his hand over hers. “She was alone, don’t worry.”
“He can’t touch you, Brooke,” Alex said, his tone reassuring. “He has no claim on you anymore.”
The young girl nodded and tried to relax again.
Brendan got up and went to get the ice cream out of the freezer. “I can’t believe you guys don’t have chocolate syrup,” he complained as he grabbed the carton of ice cream he had brought with him. How was he supposed to eat his ice cream without covering it with chocolate syrup? “What about hot fudge? You got that anywhere in the kitchen?”
“I don’t think so,” Isabel said, wondering how the guy could eat so much chocolate.
Brendan frowned. “Well, I guess it’ll just have to be eaten plain.”
“Oh, hey, can we eat the ice cream in the living room, Alex? Armageddon’s on TV.”
“As long as there are no food fights,” he agreed.
“No worries, big brother,” Brooke muttered, grabbing the carton of ice cream and heading into the living room.
Brendan grabbed his own carton of ice cream and hurried after her.
“You’d think they could at least be civilized enough to put it in a bowl,” Alex grumbled as he cleared the table.
“Why don’t you take them some?” Isabel said, placing some bowls in his hand.
“Well, they’re gonna make a mess either way now... transferrin’ the ice cream from the carton to the bowl in the living room...” He rolled his eyes and did as she had suggested when she motioned for him to get moving.
Isabel glanced at Michael after everyone else had left the kitchen. He was staring into thin air, unaware of what was going on right next to him. “You want some ice cream?”
“Nah, but I’ll take a beer if you’ve got one.”
“Yeah, okay.” She walked over to the refrigerator to get a beer out.
Michael became suspicious when she handed him the chilled bottle and sat down across from him once more.
“What happened?”
“Whatcha mean?” he asked, opting for a confused expression.
“I know that something’s wrong with you, Michael, so don’t try to underplay it, ‘cause it won’t work.”
“Will it work if I say I don’t wanna talk about it?” Like he didn’t already know the answer to that one!
She shrugged. “I’m not gonna force you to tell me somethin’ you don’t wanna tell me, Michael. But, if your bad mood is related to Maria then I might be able to help you, ‘cause I’ve known her for a long time, ya know?”
“She broke up with me,” he blurted out.
Isabel let her spoon drop to the table. “Huh? Why?”
“Probably because I accused her of cheatin’ on me... accused her of bein’ pregnant, or at the very least, thinkin’ she was and hidin’ it from me... do I need to go on?”
“Ooookay, why don’t you start with the first one? Why did you think she was cheatin’ on you?”
“Because I’m a jealous fuckin’ moron,” he admitted. “She cancelled on me last night, changed times on me at the last minute, and then when we met up I ended up findin’ these pregnancy tests under her bed.” He drummed his fingers on the table and sighed heavily. “She said they belonged to a friend, but she wouldn’t tell me who, so I started thinkin’ she was lyin’ about it because she wouldn’t tell me where she’d been. But, then Brooke called and I had to leave, so we didn’t get a chance to talk about it anymore. Then today at practice Lance – one of my teammates – started in on how he and Maria have been hookin’ up.” He ran his right hand through his hair. “He said somethin' about her tat, implied that she was with him last night, and I lost it... it just got worse when she came out to talk to me. I accused her of cheatin’ on me and she wouldn’t come right out and deny it. I kept waitin’ for the fuckin’ denial and she wouldn’t give it to me. That’s when she broke up with me.” He shook his head. “I talked to Kyle afterwards and found out that Lance probably knows about the tat because Kyle was talkin’ about tats the other day with some of the guys and he thinks Lance was around.” He folded his arms on the table and leaned forward to rest his head on them. “I don’t know what to do now.”
His voice was muffled as he spoke again, “I can deal with it if she’s pregnant, y’know? It wouldn’t be easy and I don’t know that we’re ready for somethin’ that huge, but what I can’t deal with is her lyin’ to me about it.” He lifted his head and looked directly at Isabel. “Why’d she have to lie to me about them and tell me that the fuckin’ things belonged to some phantom friend?”
Isabel took a deep breath, preparing for what she was going to tell him. “She didn’t lie about them, Michael.”
“How can you say that? If they weren’t hers why wouldn’t she just tell me who they did belong to? How much of an ass does she think I am that she won’t tell me the truth?”
Isabel looked down at her hands. “’Cause I asked her to not tell anyone,” she answered slowly.
Michael snorted. “What difference would it make to you if she...” His eyes widened as he realized what she was telling him. “Oh, fuck... it’s you... you’re the friend she’s coverin’ for.” His gaze shot to the living room where his family was gathered. “Does Alex know?”
Isabel wiped away a single tear and laughed a little when she saw Michael’s face. “Yeah, he knows. But Brooke and Brendan don’t know yet. We planned to tell everyone on Thanksgiving, but your parents got in the way and then Brooke was taken by Hank... we decided to wait a few days before we drop the next bomb, ya know?”
“So, you guys are happy about it? You’re keepin’ the baby?”
“Yeah, we’re keeping it. It was a shock, but I’m getting a little bit more comfortable with it every day.”
“Wow, so...” He felt tongue-tied all of the sudden. “So, a baby... how does Brooke fit in with that change?”
“We’ll try to make it as normal for her as possible. The house is big enough and for now, we don’t need to worry about any financial problems.”
Michael controlled the urge to smile at that. She obviously had no idea just how large their trust funds really were. “That’s good. She’s had it rough here recently. The last thing she needs is to worry about whether or not she’s wanted at home or if she’s gonna be replaced by a new baby.”
“I love her like I would love my own sister, Michael. She’s a part of this family just like you and Brendan, and I could never replace her.”
Michael nodded, satisfied with her answer. “You make a good addition to the family, Isabel.” He reached over to pat her hand. “You and the baby.”
“Thank you, I’m glad you’re okay with it.”
“You guys started thinkin’ about names yet?”
Isabel laughed. “Your brother’s calling the baby Hector for now.”
“Hector?!”
“Don’t worry, we’re not gonna name our kid Hector.”
Michael snorted. “I hope not.”
He sighed as he became serious once more. “Give me some advice, Isabel... tell me what to do about Maria.”
“I’m sure she already regrets breaking up with you. She’s not stupid; she’ll put one and one together and be aware of the fact that the circumstances were bad and that you got jealous because of a lot of misunderstandings. Go and talk to her again tomorrow.”
“I said she broke up with me, Isabel, not the other way around.” He forced a smile. “She doesn’t get to make that decision for both of us and I’m not lettin’ her go. I just don’t know how to fix it. Kyle has assured me that a major apology will be required, but I’m not sure what all that entails.”
Isabel shook her head. “I don’t think that a big apology is necessary. You’re not the only one who made mistakes here. You were jealous for the wrong reasons, but she didn’t really talk to you, right?”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” he said, appreciating her ability to see that he and Maria were both at fault.
“She’s my friend, but you’re my friend, too. So, there’s no reason to take one side here. I know her and can tell you that she can be stubborn sometimes, but don’t hesitate to have a little more faith in her, Michael. She’s never cheated on anyone. And she wouldn’t have lied to you about the pregnancy tests if they had been hers.”
“You think I should give her some time to cool down before I go talk to her?”
“When did all this happen?”
“The argument about Lance where I made my brilliant and totally wrong accusation? A couple of hours ago.”
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe you should wait a little longer then. It’s hard to say. She’s probably alone in her room now and crying.” Isabel thought about what she had just said and felt bad for her friend. “She prefers to be alone after something like this has happened but Tess won’t leave her alone for long.”
Michael felt his heart clench in his chest. “You think she’s alone in her room... cryin’?”
“Yeah, that or Tess is trying to distract her.”
How the hell was he supposed to leave her alone now? “Maybe I should go over there tonight,” he said hesitantly.
“I can’t tell you when it would be the best time to go to her. Just try to talk to her without making more accusations that’ll just make her mad and probably end in an even worse fight.”
“Y’know, I’ve never gotten involved with any woman like this and I swear she pisses me off more than anyone I’ve ever known. But, on the other hand, I can’t imagine not havin’ her in my life.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “So, I’ll give it a little while before I go talk to her.” He chuckled, feeling just a little bit better. “But, no matter how much of a fight I’m gonna have on my hands – and I’m expectin’ a major one – I’m not lettin’ her get away so easily.”
Isabel smiled. “I’m glad you care about her that much. She loves you, Michael, trust me on this.”
“You might just as well be askin’ me to trust you with my life, Isabel.”
“What’re you two talkin’ about?” Alex asked when he came back into the kitchen.
“Just getting some advice about women straight from the horse’s mouth,” Michael said with a grin.
“Okay, I’m just grabbing a beer,” Alex said. He trusted his girlfriend and didn’t want to disturb their conversation.
Michael watched his brother as he crossed the room to kiss his girlfriend. His gaze followed the subtle move as Alex momentarily let his palm rest over her stomach before going back out to the living room. “He’s very happy, y’know,” he said.
Isabel couldn’t hide her smile. “Yeah.”
“So, when’re you guys gonna tell everyone?”
“The girls already know. I guess we’ll tell Brendan and Brooke soon. And then,” she sighed, “I need to tell my parents.”
“How d’you think they’re gonna take the news?”
“I hope they’ll understand our decision to keep the baby.”
“You get along with your parents?”
“Yeah, very well, to be honest. I hope that won’t change now.”
“Well, Alex has always made a good impression on parents.”
“As far as I know Amy adores you as well,” Isabel said grinning
“She wouldn’t if she talked to Maria right now.”
“Everything’s gonna be okay, Michael, don’t worry about that.”
“I hope so. Is it a good or bad sign that she slapped the shit out of me earlier?”
Isabel winced. “She did, huh?”
Michael rubbed his cheek where he could still feel the stinging imprint of the palm of her hand. “Yeah.” And damn he could still feel it!
Author's Note: We’ve written a little fic for today’s birthday girl, Kismet. So, happy birthday! It’s a Christmas fic, and we hope you’re gonna like it – all of you. Merry Christmas!!
http://www.roswellfanatics.net/viewtopi ... 20&start=0
He should know better, but the evidence is stacked up and he’s reacting without really processing what he does know – Maria. LOL, guess Maria never really thought anyone would be under her bed! S’okay, Maria was just reacting to the situation – she didn’t mean it and Michael isn’t about to let things just end like that.
They’re getting there. We know it doesn’t seem like it, but they are.
Max has been warned… he’ll behave.
Don’t worry, it won’t take that long to fix.
keepsmiling7: Uh-oh, Max will remember that!
80s_UnLove_Child: Even Max can make a mistake or two, lol. But, he’s also a fast learner.
Michael is going to feel like an idiot. Well, if you must know more… then we simply must give you more!
Alien_Friend: Yeah, that information wouldn’t have gone over too well at that time. It’s not likely to be something he wants to hear at first anyway, but at that point in time… no.
They are and now we’ll see what Kyle has to say.
mary mary: Yeah, and when you’re dealing with two people who tend to react first and think later, well…
kismet: Well, it’ll be a happy Christmas in fic-land, but of course Christmas in fic-land will happen after the New Year because it’s still several posts away.
So true… only these two.
Okay, we tried and tried to come up with a way to extend the scene and give you that extra long Max and Liz part, but it just wouldn’t work out right, so… look for something a little extra later for ya on the board today.
Natalie36: They’re gonna get past this soon.
sarammlover: Deep down inside he does know… he’s just letting his fears and insecurities get the best of him. Oh, wow, three days… is that three days in fic-land time? ‘Cause if so, we’re good to go!
begonia9508: It’s difficult but they’re gonna get past it.
sunrise102: It was a stupid fight and they were both wrong about things. They’re still learning, but they’re getting there. Both of them are reactionary people, but they’ll work it out.
kay_b: … it pours. Yes, it does!
No haters here, lol! Conversations that begin with “I have something to tell you” just drag out the tension in a situation. But, she’s trying to find a way to tell him without hurting him and in the process only managed to dig herself in deeper. They’re gonna get this worked out though.
Eva: Well, we don’t really have an answer for why, but we can tell you it won’t take them long to get their acts together and work this thing out.
Cardinal: It was a bad situation all around, but they will deal with it and move past it.
We’ll see who it is that Michael listens to.
Part 78 – Hindsight’s 20/20
Kyle walked out onto the field and approached Michael slowly. He dropped down next to his friend, sitting on the grass and waiting for Michael to notice him.
“What’re you doin’ here, Kyle?” he muttered without looking at him.
“I just came back to get something I forgot. Better question is what’re you doin’ here, man?”
“Wonderin’ how it’s possible to fuck yourself over and over again.”
“I accidentally overheard your fight with Maria. What was that all about?”
“It’s about Lance-fuckin’-Pruitt an’ Maria.”
“Huh? Both names in one sentence, what’s the connection?”
“I don’t know. Pruitt says they’ve been screwin’ around an’ she hasn’t exactly come right out an’ denied it, but... he knew about her fuckin’ tattoo, Kyle!” he exploded finally. “It’s not exactly in a location where just anyone would know about it.” He sat up, pulling his knees up as he went and propped his forearms on them. “She couldn’t tell me how he knew about the tattoo.”
Kyle seemed to be deep in thought for several seconds and then he winced. “Um, maybe there is an explanation... some of the guys from the team and I were talkin’ about tattoos the other day after practice and I suggested that tattoos are only cool if there’s a meaning behind them and if they’re on parts of the body where you can hide them. I told them about Tess havin’ a tattoo dedicated to her dead friend and I think I may have mentioned that Maria has the same one. I’m not sure, but I think Lance was around, too.” Kyle shrugged. “He might’ve overheard it and used it against you.”
Michael fell back on the grass with a heavy thump, covering his face and groaning at Kyle’s information. “That’s just fuckin’ great. Still doesn’t explain what she’s hidin’ from me though.”
“You think she’s hidin’ somethin’?”
“I know she’s hidin’ somethin’. We were supposed to meet last night and she called and changed the time on me, she said she was studyin’ with Liz, but she was with Max when I got th the girls’ apartment and she didn’t look like she’d been studyin’, when we did finally meet up she said there was somethin’ she needed to tell me, but Brooke called and I had to go, so I didn’t find out what it was, and when I was lookin’ for my shoe under her bed I found a bunch of unopened pregnancy tests.” He frowned and rubbed his eyes. “She said they belonged to a friend, but... man, who stashes the fuckin’ things under their bed for a friend?”
“Well, I can’t tell you anything about where she was or who those pregnancy tests are for, but I can tell you that she wasn’t with Lance ‘cause I saw him last night.”
Michael could see daylight slipping away as Kyle threw the next shovelful of dirt on his grave. “You saw him last night... where?”
“Tess and I went and we stopped at the little restaurant on the beach. He was there with some other guys playin’ volleyball. It was around 6:30pm and they were still there when we left at 8pm.”
“Fuck!” Michael snarled. “That falls right in the time frame when she called me and when I saw her.”
“So what’re you gonna do now?”
“I have no fuckin’ clue.” Michael turned his head to look at his best friend. “What would you do?”
“Well, you definitely need a big apology for your woman.”
“Oh, well, thanks for that, Kyle.”
“You said she didn’t deny it. What did she say?”
Michael grimaced as he recalled the words she had hurled at him. “She asked if Lance had described the tat.” No reason to mention the rest of her tirade, he thought.
“That’s all?”
He struggled to remember if she had said anything... the argument had happened lightning fast. “She denied that any other guy here had seen that part of her body.” He sighed and ran his hands over his face. “Did I mention she broke up with me?” Fuck, it hurt just to say those words.
“What?” Kyle’s head snapped up.
“So, I didn’t mention it then.”
“Why? I mean, there’s no reason to just break up, is there?”
“Do I look like I think like a chick to you?” Michael snapped. “I told her we weren’t breakin’ up over this, but apparently she’s got different ideas.”
“You think she meant it? Maybe she was just overreacting.”
Michael got to his feet and started to pace, hands waving erratically as he started to speak. “Well, of course she was overreacting!” he muttered. “She’s a fuckin’ woman and they overreact about every damn thing!”
“Uh-huh,” Kyle murmured, knowing that woman weren’t the only ones who tended to overreact.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, stopping to stare at his best friend.
Kyle rolled his eyes. “You’re not a very calm person either.”
Michael took a deep breath, fully intending to approach Kyle’s comment from a calm position. “I’m not the one who fuckin’ broke up with her! She could’ve just stayed here an’ fought it out with me, but no! She went an’ broke up with me and then took off!” Okay, so much for the calm approach.
“Okay, maybe you should just come home with me and calm down. I called Tess to let her know what was goin’ on so she could check on Maria.”
“Yeah, that’s a great fuckin’ idea, Kyle... let me go home so I can watch you an’ Tess feel each other up, and Max an’ Liz moon over each other...” He shook his head. “No thanks, I’d rather not.”
“Fine, then let’s go somewhere else.”
“No, you go on home, man.” He shook his head again. “I’m not lookin’ to fuck up your night just because mine’s all screwed up. I know you’ve got plans with Tess.” When didn’t Kyle have plans with the girl?
“I can cancel them. She’s probably gonna stay with Maria anyway.”
Michael wavered at Kyle’s offer; he knew the guy well enough to know that his offer was genuine, but he didn’t want to be completely selfish and fuck up his plans. On the other hand, he felt like shit and he didn’t really wanna be alone either. “You got somethin’ in mind?”
“I don’t know, we can go to the bar... y’know, where we hung out over the summer before we met the girls.”
Michael considered that for several seconds before nodding. “Yeah, okay, that sounds good.”
Kyle glanced at his watch. But, what to do until then? It was too early to hit the bar.
“Hold on a sec,” Michael said when his phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID before flipping it open. “It’s my sister.” He lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey, brat, what’s up?”
“Hey, favorite brother. We’re gonna order pizza for dinner; you wanna come over?”
He couldn’t hold back a smile at her greeting. At least he was still the favorite in somebody’s world. “Extra cheese and pepperoni?”
“Of course,” she answered, as if she would ever forget about his favorite pizza.
“You gonna tell Alex to spring for deep dish?”
“Yeah, you know he loves pizza as well, and Isabel, too.”
“Okay, count me in... you guys already ordered?”
“No, I wanted to make sure you could make it over here first. You wanna bring Maria too?”
Michael’s back teeth ground together for several long seconds and he lowered the phone long enough to get his breathing under control. He cleared his throat, shoving away the pain that surfaced at the mention of Maria’s name. “Nah, I’ll be flyin’ solo tonight... she had other...” He swallowed hard. “She had some other plans, so you’ll have to suffer with just my company.”
Brooke noticed the sudden change in his tone and wondered where it had come from. “Okay, so you’ll be here soon?”
“Yeah, just gotta send Kyle to hang with his girl an’ then I’ll be headin’ your way.”
“Okay, talk to ya soon,” she said and then hung up.
He turned to look at Kyle. “You mind just meetin’ up for a beer after a while? The kid wants me to come over for dinner.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m gonna check on Tess and then go back to our place to get ready. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to convince Evans to join us as well.”
Michael snorted. “Uh-huh, you think you’re gonna pry him an’ Parker apart?”
“He definitely needs some man-time. He’s gotten too soft lately.”
“I’m gonna tell Evans you said that... and when I get a good look at his face I’ll decide who I’m puttin’ my money on.”
Kyle laughed. “Alright, how ‘bout I pick you up around ten at your brother’s place?”
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”
*****
Kyle parked his car in front of the girls’ apartment building and noticed Tess’s car in the parking lot as well. Good, she was still there. He hurried up the stairs and knocked on the door. It took a few seconds before he heard a sound inside the apartment and a moment later the door was pulled open by his girlfriend. “Hey, babe.”
“Kyle! What’re you doin’ here?” She glanced behind her to look at the clock on the wall. “You’re early!”
“Yeah, I know, can I come in for a second?”
“Oh, of course!” She hurried to take a step back and pull the door open wider. “Sorry, this mess with our friends has kinda had me preoccupied.”
Kyle glanced through the room. “Yeah, I know what ya mean. Where is she?”
“She’s in her room... refuses to come out.” She sighed. “As much as I’d like to lay all of the blame on Michael, this one’s on both of them.”
“So, she broke up with him, huh?”
“Heat of the moment thing... she didn’t mean it.”
Kyle nodded. “It hit him hard anyway.”
“Yeah, after watching them together the other night at your apartment...” She shook her head and moved to wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head against his chest. “I’m so glad we can talk about things and deal with them as they come up, Kyle.”
He nodded as he wrapped his arms around her small body and let his chin rest on her hair. “I know we had plans for tonight, babe, but would you mind if we put them on hold for a bit? I think I need to hang out with Michael a little bit to distract him.”
“That’s probably a good idea, but only if it includes you swingin’ by to pick me up afterwards.”
“No problem with that, but it’s probably gonna be late.”
“That’s okay. After several hours of dealing with Maria and her Michael troubles I’m gonna need some one-on-one time with my man.”
They both looked up when Maria’s bedroom door was opened and she walked through the room like a ghost to get something to drink.
Kyle glanced down at his girlfriend. “I think it’s time for me to perform my disappearing act,” he whispered.
Tess nodded, noticing how horrible Maria looked. “Yeah, I guess I’ll try to talk to her again.”
“You think they’re gonna be able to work this out?”
“They have to! Or else it’s gonna be horrible for all of us.” Tess shook her head. “It’s obvious that they have strong feelings for each other and they probably just don’t know how to deal with them.”
“Well, I’m not tryin’ to be a dick or anything, but, they need to stop runnin’ from their feelings and just deal with them.”
She smiled and leaned in closer to him. “I’m so glad you’re mine, babe.”
Kyle tipped her chin up so he could kiss her. “That’s good, ‘cause I’m not plannin’ to go anywhere.”
*****
Max saw the huge building that housed the campus library slowly growing larger as he approached it and he glanced at his watch, wincing when he realized that he was already five minutes late. He had promised Liz that he would pick her up at 7:30pm and take her to a nice little restaurant for dinner.
Unfortunately, their plans had changed for the night. Kyle had just called him at home – the reason why he was late now. He had said something about an emergency guys night for Michael and he wondered if it had anything to do with the fight Liz and he had overheard the other night at the girl’s apartment.
Liz was already standing out in front of the building and she sighed when she saw Max’ jeep slowly coming closer. Good, he didn’t forget me, she thought, relieved.
Max stopped directly next to her and opened the door for her from the inside. “Hey,” he leaned to the side to look at her, “sorry, I know I’m a little late.”
Liz studied his features as she ducked down to slide inside and leaned over to give him a quick kiss. “Everything okay?” It wasn’t normal for him to be late for anything; on the contrary he was usually early.
“Yeah,” he kissed her again, “I mean, I don’t really know. Kyle called me, that’s why I’m late. Sounds like Michael’s really upset about somethin’ but Kyle didn’t give me any details.”
“Oh.” She bit back her disappointment when she realized that there was a very good chance that he was going to postpone dinner.
Max sighed and started to drive again – in the direction of the girl’s apartment. “I’m sorry, but I think I’m gonna have to cancel dinner, darlin’.”
She nodded. “You think you guys will be out late?”
“Don’t know yet. Depends on how bad it is, I guess. Kyle didn’t sound very happy about whatever happened and I think a little bit of guys only time could help.”
Liz wrinkled her nose. Guys only time, she thought with a silent snort. It was taking time to get used to sharing him with his friends.
“If it’s not too late I’ll stop by your apartment afterwards, okay? Kyle told me that Tess is already at your apartment, so maybe Maria needs some friends right now, too?”
“You think she and Michael got into another fight?”
“I don’t know, but maybe it has somethin’ to do with what we overheard yesterday?”
“Oh.” She tapped her thumb against her bottom lip. “Maria didn’t wanna talk about whatever they were fighting about.”
“I guess we’ll know more soon.”
“Max, why do you think they fight so much?” She shrugged when he glanced at her. “I just mean that I don’t know any other couples who fight the way they do.”
“Well, I think a lot of the reasons for that are in Michael’s past.”
“Sometimes I think they fight just to fight... like there’s really no definitive reason for it. There’re times I could swear they do it just because they enjoy it.”
Max chuckled. “They’re both very passionate, so I think fighting will always be an issue for them.”
Liz sat back in her seat as she considered his answer. “We don’t fight a lot,” she mused aloud.
“No...” Max answered slowly, unsure where the conversation was leading.
“You can be passionate without fighting a lot though, right?”
“Of course. Look, Liz, Michael is used to picking fights when he feels unsure or attacked and Maria isn’t the kinda person who’s just gonna let him act like that.”
“So, I don’t need to be worried just because we don’t fight a lot.”
“What?” Max laughed. “You’re worried because we’re not fightin’?”
She reached over and smacked his arm. “Don’t laugh at me! You just said they fight like that because they’re passionate people!”
“That’s probably just one of a lot of reasons, darlin’.”
“I can’t believe you laughed at me,” she huffed indignantly as she slouched down in her seat.
“C’mon, Liz,” Max said. The last he needed right now was an argument with her about the fact that they didn’t fight.
She hid a smirk when she heard the exasperation in his voice.
Max stopped the jeep in front of the girls’ apartment and turned to look at her. “I love that we don’t fight, Liz, ‘cause I’m not really interested in fightin’ with you.”
She reached up to finger the collar of his shirt. “Not even a little one?” she teased as she slipped her finger inside his shirt to follow the chain he wore.
“We could just skip that and get right to the makin’ up part,” he suggested with a smirk.
Liz smiled and shook her head at him as she shifted back to sit with her back against the door. “No makin’ out for you, Max... I’m not interested in a couple minutes of your times squeezed in before you run off to play with the boys.”
“Don’t be mean, Liz,” he complained.
No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t keep the smile from surfacing in response to his pathetic tone.
“Alright,” Max sighed, “I’ll let you know if I’m gonna make it tonight.”
“Um-hmm... hope you do.” She reached for the door handle, pausing when he spoke again.
He frowned. “No goodbye kiss?”
She bit her lip as she looked at him. “I’m not sure you deserve one,” she said in a playful tone. “You were late, you cancelled our dinner plans, and now you’re tellin’ me I may be sleeping all by myself tonight. What would you do in my place?”
“I think I’d understand that your best friends need you now and then,” he countered.
“Um-hmm, we’ll see.” She paused to study him, trying to figure out if he had realized that she was just playing with him.
Max glanced at his watch. “Sorry, I kinda need to hurry.”
Oh, no, he did not! she thought. She shook her head at him as she leaned across the gearshift to grab his collar and pull him closer. “Y’know I’m just messin’ with you, right? I would never expect you to turn your back on your friends.”
He smirked. “The girls are a bad influence.”
She rolled her eyes. “I think you just like it when I make the first move,” she whispered, her breath ghosting across his lips.
“I think you’re right,” he closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply.
Her eyes slid closed and her right hand moved to his neck, easing up so she could tangle her fingers in his hair.
Max groaned softly when his phone started to ring again. He broke the kiss and glanced at his cell where it was lying in the little compartment under the radio. Kyle had sent him a message to let him know he was expecting him to be there in ten minutes. “Guess it’s time for me...” he said to his girlfriend.
She growled at the interruption and kissed him once more before letting him go. “Alright, but I expect to see you when you get done with whatever guy thing you’re gonna be doin’.”
He nodded. “Okay, guess I shouldn’t drink too much then, huh?”
“Call me if you do and I’ll come and get you, just don’t get behind the wheel if you have too much, okay?”
He smiled when he realized that she was serious about that. “Don’t worry, Kyle’s the driver for the night and he doesn’t drink anything hard when he drives… doesn’t really drink much of anything when he’s drivin’.”
“Alright. Have fun with the boys then and I’ll see ya later,” she said as she stepped out of the jeep and shut the door.
*****
Michael cut the engine as he pulled up behind his older brother’s car and released his seatbelt as he opened the door. He barely had time to unfold his tall frame before his little sister barreled into him and hugged him tightly. “Hey, brat,” he greeted as he returned her energetic hug.
He glanced over her head and noticed that Brendan’s car was parked on the other side of the truck. “You didn’t tell me Bren was gonna be here.”
“Do you mind?” she asked, surprised. Her brothers had gotten along so well lately.
“Huh? No, of course not. I would’ve picked up chocolate ice cream as well as the strawberry if I’d known he was gonna be here.”
“Oh, he brought some chocolate ice cream, so don’t worry about it.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Should’ve known that,” he muttered, releasing her so he could lean back inside the car and grab the sack with her favorite flavor of ice cream. “Here, carry this.” He straightened up and slung his right arm around her shoulders as he closed the door with his hip. “There’re a couple of little rawhide chew things in there for your rodents.”
“And that’s why you are my favorite brother,” she said with a smirk.
“Because I spoil you and your dogs?”
“Because you love me so much,” she answered, half kidding, half serious.
Michael tugged her closer to drop a kiss on her head. Why couldn’t things be this simple with Maria? he wondered. “Pizza here yet?” he asked in an effort to pull his thoughts away from his girlfriend. And she was still his girlfriend, regardless of her words earlier.
“Yeah, it just arrived a few minutes ago.”
“Timing is everything. So, what’s goin’ on with you? Things okay at school?”
“Oh, yeah, it’s going well.” She bit back any comments about her last meeting with Luke earlier that day.
“Uh-huh, and what about that kid you like? What’s his name? Lucky?”
“Michael,” she complained, knowing that he remembered his name perfectly well.
“Fine, what’s goin’ on with him? He done anything that would require me to kick his little ass?”
“No, he’ll probably never even try to kiss me ‘cause he’s afraid that you’re gonna kill him.”
Michael smirked. “Then your virtue is safe and I have done my job as your older brother.”
“You mean ruining my life is your job?”
“Keepin’ guys from puttin’ the moves on you is not ruining your life,” Alex countered as they entered the kitchen. He handed a stack of plates to Brendan, who was sitting at the table eyeing the pizza boxes and then went back to help Isabel with the drinks.
“See,” Michael said, “I’m not the only one who thinks little Luke needs some observation.”
Brooke shoved Michael away as she moved to put the ice cream in the freezer. “Luke – who is not little by the way, he’s just... skinny – does not need to be observed by any of you.”
“Okay, let’s skip that,” Alex said, not wanting to get into an argument about Brooke’s potential boyfriend.
Brooke stuck her tongue out at Michael when their older brother put an end to any further discussion on the Luke front.
They all sat down at the dining table and started to eat. Michael had to force his food down his throat; it was his favorite kind of pizza, but he wasn’t hungry by any means.
Isabel watched Michael as he ate without his usual enthusiasm. A quick glance at Brendan showed that nothing was slowing down his appetite or his appreciation of pizza. “So, Michael, how was practice today?”
He almost choked on his last bite of pizza. That was a topic he really didn’t want to talk about because it would lead to Lance and that would lead to Maria... and that was something he didn’t want to tell everyone. “Just the usual,” he answered and hoped that he was convincing.
Isabel nodded, sensing that it was a topic that he wanted to avoid. “What about you, Brendan? Anything new going on?”
“I booked my ticket for my flight today. I’m gonna leave to visit Karen soon.”
Silence fell over the table as they all looked at him as if he had just announced that aliens had landed and set up camp at his apartment.
“When’re you plannin’ to go?” Alex asked.
“The week before Christmas.”
Isabel glanced at her boyfriend before looking back at Brendan. “But, you’ll be here for Alex’s birthday, right?”
“Oh, yeah, of course.”
“Okay, good.”
“I can’t wait to go to Roswell; I’ve never been there,” Brooke said, excited.
Michael frowned. “What’re you talkin’ about?”
“Oh, Isabel wants to go to visit her family to Roswell around Christmas and she asked us to come with her. I talked to Maria the other day and she said you two are going as well. That’ll be sooo cool.”
He swallowed hard. She had been planning to take him with her to meet her family at Christmastime… she probably wasn’t thinking about that right now! “Oh, right, I just didn’t realize that you guys were doin’ the same thing.”
Once again, Isabel realized that something was wrong with Michael, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
“You think you’re ready to face Karen?” Alex asked, watching his youngest brother as he started to pick at his pizza.
Brendan nodded. “I need to know the whole truth and hopefully she’ll help me with that.”
“You gonna let her know you’re comin’?” Michael asked, “or you just gonna show up and surprise her?”
“I think I’m gonna go with the last one.”
“Probably a good idea. Surprise her, keep her off balance so you can get in and talk to her.”
“Yeah.”
“You think she’s gonna talk to you?” Brooke asked curiously.
“I hope she will,” Brendan said, not wanting to think about it now.
Alex wiped his hands on his napkin and leaned back in his chair as he looked around at his family. “Has Mom tried to contact any of you recently?”
Brendan and Michal looked up at him and nodded. “Yeah, she showed up at my apartment when Michael and I were there.”
Brooke looked at her brothers. “What’re you guys talkin’ about? Mom’s in Europe.”
Alex shook his head. “No, she’s not. Seems like she stayed in the States and let Hank go back to Germany alone.”
“Why would she do that? Are you sure Dad’s not here?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Michael reached out to lay his hand over hers. “She was alone, don’t worry.”
“He can’t touch you, Brooke,” Alex said, his tone reassuring. “He has no claim on you anymore.”
The young girl nodded and tried to relax again.
Brendan got up and went to get the ice cream out of the freezer. “I can’t believe you guys don’t have chocolate syrup,” he complained as he grabbed the carton of ice cream he had brought with him. How was he supposed to eat his ice cream without covering it with chocolate syrup? “What about hot fudge? You got that anywhere in the kitchen?”
“I don’t think so,” Isabel said, wondering how the guy could eat so much chocolate.
Brendan frowned. “Well, I guess it’ll just have to be eaten plain.”
“Oh, hey, can we eat the ice cream in the living room, Alex? Armageddon’s on TV.”
“As long as there are no food fights,” he agreed.
“No worries, big brother,” Brooke muttered, grabbing the carton of ice cream and heading into the living room.
Brendan grabbed his own carton of ice cream and hurried after her.
“You’d think they could at least be civilized enough to put it in a bowl,” Alex grumbled as he cleared the table.
“Why don’t you take them some?” Isabel said, placing some bowls in his hand.
“Well, they’re gonna make a mess either way now... transferrin’ the ice cream from the carton to the bowl in the living room...” He rolled his eyes and did as she had suggested when she motioned for him to get moving.
Isabel glanced at Michael after everyone else had left the kitchen. He was staring into thin air, unaware of what was going on right next to him. “You want some ice cream?”
“Nah, but I’ll take a beer if you’ve got one.”
“Yeah, okay.” She walked over to the refrigerator to get a beer out.
Michael became suspicious when she handed him the chilled bottle and sat down across from him once more.
“What happened?”
“Whatcha mean?” he asked, opting for a confused expression.
“I know that something’s wrong with you, Michael, so don’t try to underplay it, ‘cause it won’t work.”
“Will it work if I say I don’t wanna talk about it?” Like he didn’t already know the answer to that one!
She shrugged. “I’m not gonna force you to tell me somethin’ you don’t wanna tell me, Michael. But, if your bad mood is related to Maria then I might be able to help you, ‘cause I’ve known her for a long time, ya know?”
“She broke up with me,” he blurted out.
Isabel let her spoon drop to the table. “Huh? Why?”
“Probably because I accused her of cheatin’ on me... accused her of bein’ pregnant, or at the very least, thinkin’ she was and hidin’ it from me... do I need to go on?”
“Ooookay, why don’t you start with the first one? Why did you think she was cheatin’ on you?”
“Because I’m a jealous fuckin’ moron,” he admitted. “She cancelled on me last night, changed times on me at the last minute, and then when we met up I ended up findin’ these pregnancy tests under her bed.” He drummed his fingers on the table and sighed heavily. “She said they belonged to a friend, but she wouldn’t tell me who, so I started thinkin’ she was lyin’ about it because she wouldn’t tell me where she’d been. But, then Brooke called and I had to leave, so we didn’t get a chance to talk about it anymore. Then today at practice Lance – one of my teammates – started in on how he and Maria have been hookin’ up.” He ran his right hand through his hair. “He said somethin' about her tat, implied that she was with him last night, and I lost it... it just got worse when she came out to talk to me. I accused her of cheatin’ on me and she wouldn’t come right out and deny it. I kept waitin’ for the fuckin’ denial and she wouldn’t give it to me. That’s when she broke up with me.” He shook his head. “I talked to Kyle afterwards and found out that Lance probably knows about the tat because Kyle was talkin’ about tats the other day with some of the guys and he thinks Lance was around.” He folded his arms on the table and leaned forward to rest his head on them. “I don’t know what to do now.”
His voice was muffled as he spoke again, “I can deal with it if she’s pregnant, y’know? It wouldn’t be easy and I don’t know that we’re ready for somethin’ that huge, but what I can’t deal with is her lyin’ to me about it.” He lifted his head and looked directly at Isabel. “Why’d she have to lie to me about them and tell me that the fuckin’ things belonged to some phantom friend?”
Isabel took a deep breath, preparing for what she was going to tell him. “She didn’t lie about them, Michael.”
“How can you say that? If they weren’t hers why wouldn’t she just tell me who they did belong to? How much of an ass does she think I am that she won’t tell me the truth?”
Isabel looked down at her hands. “’Cause I asked her to not tell anyone,” she answered slowly.
Michael snorted. “What difference would it make to you if she...” His eyes widened as he realized what she was telling him. “Oh, fuck... it’s you... you’re the friend she’s coverin’ for.” His gaze shot to the living room where his family was gathered. “Does Alex know?”
Isabel wiped away a single tear and laughed a little when she saw Michael’s face. “Yeah, he knows. But Brooke and Brendan don’t know yet. We planned to tell everyone on Thanksgiving, but your parents got in the way and then Brooke was taken by Hank... we decided to wait a few days before we drop the next bomb, ya know?”
“So, you guys are happy about it? You’re keepin’ the baby?”
“Yeah, we’re keeping it. It was a shock, but I’m getting a little bit more comfortable with it every day.”
“Wow, so...” He felt tongue-tied all of the sudden. “So, a baby... how does Brooke fit in with that change?”
“We’ll try to make it as normal for her as possible. The house is big enough and for now, we don’t need to worry about any financial problems.”
Michael controlled the urge to smile at that. She obviously had no idea just how large their trust funds really were. “That’s good. She’s had it rough here recently. The last thing she needs is to worry about whether or not she’s wanted at home or if she’s gonna be replaced by a new baby.”
“I love her like I would love my own sister, Michael. She’s a part of this family just like you and Brendan, and I could never replace her.”
Michael nodded, satisfied with her answer. “You make a good addition to the family, Isabel.” He reached over to pat her hand. “You and the baby.”
“Thank you, I’m glad you’re okay with it.”
“You guys started thinkin’ about names yet?”
Isabel laughed. “Your brother’s calling the baby Hector for now.”
“Hector?!”
“Don’t worry, we’re not gonna name our kid Hector.”
Michael snorted. “I hope not.”
He sighed as he became serious once more. “Give me some advice, Isabel... tell me what to do about Maria.”
“I’m sure she already regrets breaking up with you. She’s not stupid; she’ll put one and one together and be aware of the fact that the circumstances were bad and that you got jealous because of a lot of misunderstandings. Go and talk to her again tomorrow.”
“I said she broke up with me, Isabel, not the other way around.” He forced a smile. “She doesn’t get to make that decision for both of us and I’m not lettin’ her go. I just don’t know how to fix it. Kyle has assured me that a major apology will be required, but I’m not sure what all that entails.”
Isabel shook her head. “I don’t think that a big apology is necessary. You’re not the only one who made mistakes here. You were jealous for the wrong reasons, but she didn’t really talk to you, right?”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” he said, appreciating her ability to see that he and Maria were both at fault.
“She’s my friend, but you’re my friend, too. So, there’s no reason to take one side here. I know her and can tell you that she can be stubborn sometimes, but don’t hesitate to have a little more faith in her, Michael. She’s never cheated on anyone. And she wouldn’t have lied to you about the pregnancy tests if they had been hers.”
“You think I should give her some time to cool down before I go talk to her?”
“When did all this happen?”
“The argument about Lance where I made my brilliant and totally wrong accusation? A couple of hours ago.”
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe you should wait a little longer then. It’s hard to say. She’s probably alone in her room now and crying.” Isabel thought about what she had just said and felt bad for her friend. “She prefers to be alone after something like this has happened but Tess won’t leave her alone for long.”
Michael felt his heart clench in his chest. “You think she’s alone in her room... cryin’?”
“Yeah, that or Tess is trying to distract her.”
How the hell was he supposed to leave her alone now? “Maybe I should go over there tonight,” he said hesitantly.
“I can’t tell you when it would be the best time to go to her. Just try to talk to her without making more accusations that’ll just make her mad and probably end in an even worse fight.”
“Y’know, I’ve never gotten involved with any woman like this and I swear she pisses me off more than anyone I’ve ever known. But, on the other hand, I can’t imagine not havin’ her in my life.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “So, I’ll give it a little while before I go talk to her.” He chuckled, feeling just a little bit better. “But, no matter how much of a fight I’m gonna have on my hands – and I’m expectin’ a major one – I’m not lettin’ her get away so easily.”
Isabel smiled. “I’m glad you care about her that much. She loves you, Michael, trust me on this.”
“You might just as well be askin’ me to trust you with my life, Isabel.”
“What’re you two talkin’ about?” Alex asked when he came back into the kitchen.
“Just getting some advice about women straight from the horse’s mouth,” Michael said with a grin.
“Okay, I’m just grabbing a beer,” Alex said. He trusted his girlfriend and didn’t want to disturb their conversation.
Michael watched his brother as he crossed the room to kiss his girlfriend. His gaze followed the subtle move as Alex momentarily let his palm rest over her stomach before going back out to the living room. “He’s very happy, y’know,” he said.
Isabel couldn’t hide her smile. “Yeah.”
“So, when’re you guys gonna tell everyone?”
“The girls already know. I guess we’ll tell Brendan and Brooke soon. And then,” she sighed, “I need to tell my parents.”
“How d’you think they’re gonna take the news?”
“I hope they’ll understand our decision to keep the baby.”
“You get along with your parents?”
“Yeah, very well, to be honest. I hope that won’t change now.”
“Well, Alex has always made a good impression on parents.”
“As far as I know Amy adores you as well,” Isabel said grinning
“She wouldn’t if she talked to Maria right now.”
“Everything’s gonna be okay, Michael, don’t worry about that.”
“I hope so. Is it a good or bad sign that she slapped the shit out of me earlier?”
Isabel winced. “She did, huh?”
Michael rubbed his cheek where he could still feel the stinging imprint of the palm of her hand. “Yeah.” And damn he could still feel it!
Author's Note: We’ve written a little fic for today’s birthday girl, Kismet. So, happy birthday! It’s a Christmas fic, and we hope you’re gonna like it – all of you. Merry Christmas!!
http://www.roswellfanatics.net/viewtopi ... 20&start=0
Last edited by Double Trouble on Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 79 - 12/24/09
Earth2Mama: They’re both good influences on Michael and now he’s kicking himself. The information about Hank is going to be life changing. She’ll be telling him soon… should she tell Bren at the same time? We’ll see.
Brendan isn’t going to let anything get in the way of getting back to see Karen. You can bet that Hank the Evil was involved, lol.
They are stubborn, but they’re gonna get through this.
LOL, they are sweet, aren’t they?
Thursday is sooo far away… but, since it’ll be Christmas Eve, how’s about we update a bit earlier?
begonia9508: Ah, he’s already changed so much. Don’t give up on him just yet.
Alien_Friend: Friendship is what it’s all about! Now that Michael’s on the right path, he’s just gotta go deal with Maria and get things straightened out.
80s_UnLove_Child: Now there’s an idea!
They are cute. But, she’s learning quickly, isn’t she?
keepsmiling7: Families and odd nicknames… Whaddaya do?
mary mary: Yep, it would’ve made things easier, but she promised, and Maria keeps her word.
More will be revealed about Hank and why he chose Brendan later. Yes, well, a hefty trust fund always makes life a little easier, lol.
Friendship is so important!
Ya know we’re gonna have our update before Christmas!
kismet: Michael has let Isabel in without ever even realizing it. Yup, got the scenes for the guys and the girls. Maria and Michael will be beginning to deal with that particular problem in our next update. Liz is making some big steps – Max is really bringing it out in her!
Ah, Christmas with the gang… we think you’ll like it!
Eva: Nah, not silly! We’re pretty proud of him, too!
sarammlover: Isabel’s a good enough friend to see that Michael and Maria were both right and both wrong. The relationship between Michael and Isabel is very special and it’s something Michael really needs. Well… we tried to get them to work it out before Christmas, but it’s not gonna quite make it.
Part 79 – Support Systems
Tess was rummaging through the refrigerator when the front door opened and she paused to straighten up and turn around. “Oh, hey, Liz... your plans got cancelled too, I guess?”
Liz made a face. “I’m beginning to understand your annoyance with the interruptions. Max said they needed some,” she lifted her hands to make little air quotes, “’guys only time’.”
Tess tried not to laugh and ended up snorting instead. “Um, he said that?” she choked out. “’Guys only time’? That’s gotta be the gayest thing I’ve heard him say; I’m so giving him shit over that next time I see him.”
Liz rolled her eyes at Tess and reached past her for a drink. “Why do you have to mess with him all the time?”
“Why? Because it’s fun. He’s like the calmest guy I’ve ever known and I just enjoy getting a rise out of him.” She shrugged and went back to her search of the refrigerator.
Liz just shook her head and sat down on one of the barstools, leaning forward and resting her forearms on the counter. “You didn’t have dinner either?”
“Um, no... no, I got ditched so the boys could go deal with Michael.”
“Wanna order somethin’? Pizza, Chinese, Thai? I’m good with any of them.”
“Good idea, but let’s do pizza today; I’m not really in the mood for anything else.”
“Okay,” Liz agreed. “Have you talked to Maria?”
“No, she’s locked herself in her bedroom and she wouldn’t even talk to me through the door.”
“That’s bad... do you know what happened between them? I know they were fighting last night, but she didn’t wanna talk about it... it didn’t seem this bad last night though.”
“Wanna hear the short or the long story?” Tess grabbed the flyer for the pizza place off of the refrigerator door and tried to decide what she wanted.
Knowing Tess’ penchant for getting wrapped up in a good drama, Liz made a rolling motion with her right hand. “Short version, please, and I want the usual toppings.”
Tess lifted her gaze from the paper she was holding. “Alright. Michael found Isabel’s pregnancy tests under Maria’s bed and now he thinks she could be pregnant. Maria met his mother and talked to her about something important, but I don’t know what. She hasn’t told him yet, but he knows she’s hiding something. Lance Pruitt from the football team told Michael he had sex with Maria the other day when she was meeting his mother. This afternoon they got into another bad fight and Maria kinda broke up with him ‘cause he really believed that she cheated on him.”
Liz’ eyes widened in shock. “Oh, my God... all this happened just in the last couple of days?”
“Yeah pretty much since yesterday afternoon. I think I wanna pizza with extra cheese and bacon. What about you?”
“Extra pepperoni and cheese with pan crust.”
“Alright, I’ll order the same for Maria. Let’s see if we can get her outta her room.”
“Okay.” Liz frowned when Tess looked at her expectantly. “What? You want me to go get her?”
“Of course. She’s more… decent with you.”
“Well, alright,” she said slowly and slid down off of her stool. She left Tess ordering the pizza and walked down the hall that led to Maria’s bedroom, pausing when she saw that the door was closed. She altered her path and went into her room, walking through the bathroom and knocking on the door to Maria’s room.
Maria rolled her eyes. She had heard Liz arriving home a little earlier and she had already expected her to show up. “I don’t wanna talk to anyone,” she grumbled and stared out the window like she had been doing before the interruption. She was sitting on the window seat, hugging her knees.
Liz took a deep breath when she heard the grumbling from the other side and she risked Maria’s wrath by opening the door and entering the other girl’s room. “Hey, Maria...”
“Liz, please... I’m really not in the mood for talking, okay?”
“Well, Tess is ordering pizza for dinner and we just thought you might wanna come out and eat with us.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Liz bit her bottom lip and wondered why Tess had sent her into the lion’s den. “Um, well... I know, but you should still eat even if you don’t feel like it.”
“Will you leave me alone if I tell you that I’ll come and eat something?”
“Me? Yeah, I just think you need to eat something so you don’t feel any worse.”
“Fine, I’ll come out as soon as the pizza gets here.”
Liz sighed in relief and backed out of the room. “Okay, I’ll let you know as soon as it’s here.”
Maria didn’t respond to that and waited until Liz had left the room before she stood up and walked over to her bed to throw herself down on it. She wasn’t hungry, not even the slightest bit, but she knew that Liz and Tess wouldn’t leave her alone until she ate something.
Tess looked up when Liz came back into the living room. “Is she comin’ out of her room any time soon?”
“Yeah, she said she’d come out when dinner arrives.”
“She didn’t want to though, huh?”
“No, she didn’t even look at me. I think she just agreed so I’d leave her alone.”
“Well, that’s Maria for you. Alright, we’ll leave her alone until the pizza gets here. So, what kinda plans did you and Captain Wonderful have for tonight?”
Liz shrugged. “We wanted to go to a restaurant for dinner and then hang out at the guys’ apartment. You?”
“Dinner, maybe a walk on the beach after that...” She wrinkled her nose. “He’s really into doin’ romantic stuff and I’m still getting used to it.”
“But you like it, right?”
“Yeah, it’s just I’ve never had that with any other guy,” she admitted and then shrugged. “Sometimes I wish I had an idea how to do the same kinda things for him, y’know? But, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Everyone just assumes that women are all romantic and stuff...” She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m romantically challenged.”
Liz laughed. “Maybe you worry about it too much.”
“I’m bein’ serious, Liz. Sex, no problem, but when it comes to doin’ romantic stuff I’m like... I’m like a romance retard!”
“I don’t think Kyle is expecting you to be the perfect romantic girlfriend, Tess. But if ya do wanna do somethin’ romantic then maybe write him a text message when he’s not expecting it or surprise him with a home-cooked meal. It’s not that hard to make a little romantic gesture.”
“Okay, you’re into all that mushy stuff, Liz, so it’s easy for you to say that.”
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted them and Liz looked at the other girl in surprise. “Is that the food already?”
“Probably, I’m not expecting anyone else.”
“Okay, you answer the door and I’ll get Maria.”
Tess nodded and grabbed her bag to get her money. “Alright.”
Liz decided to take the direct route to Maria’s bedroom this time and knocked on the closed door softly. “Dinner’s here, girl.”
On the other side of the door Maria tried to dredge up enough energy to roll her eyes but after a moment decided it was just too much of an effort. She pushed herself to her feet and crossed the room, opening the door and biting back the urge to scream at Liz for pestering her.
Liz could sense that it was better to stay quiet, so she just walked back to the living room when she was sure that the other girl was behind her.
Tess was pulling plates down out of the cabinet when Liz entered the room with Maria close behind. “Hey, you wanna beer with dinner?”
“How about tequila?” Maria muttered.
“Um, well... if that’s what you want,” she said and made a face.
Maybe it would help to forget what had happened earlier that day, Maria thought bitterly. Besides that, she was pretty sure that HE was doing the same damn thing right now.
Liz motioned for Tess to hand her the plates and she set them down next to the pizza boxes so she could open them up. “One slice or two?”
“Two for me,” Tess said.
“D’you care if I have a slice of yours?” she asked when she opened the box and took a look at the toppings on the pizza.
“No, go ahead.”
Maria’s nerves felt too raw to deal with all the pleasantries and she reached past Liz to take a slice of pizza. She changed her mind about the tequila and grabbed a beer before turning to head back to her room.
“Oh, no, girl, you’re gonna eat in here with us,” Tess said, when she realized what Maria was up to.
“I’m really not in the mood to socialize,” she grated out.
“We don’t have to talk at all, okay? But Liz and I are stuck here because our boys had to take care of Michael. So, sit down, blondie.”
“So that’s my fault?”
“I didn’t say that, Maria. I just don’t want you to be alone all night.” Tess glanced at Liz, motioning for her to say something.
“Yeah, we know you feel pretty bad. Maybe it’ll help if we hang out a little bit together. We don’t have to talk about it if ya don’t want to.”
“And what would you suggest we talk about, hmm?”
“We don’t have to talk about anything,” Liz said. “We could watch a movie.”
“Yes,” Maria snapped, “because a movie will make it all better.”
“Girl,” Tess placed her plate on the counter, “everything’s gonna be okay with you and Michael. Kyle and Max are with him and they’ll make him see that he acted like a jerk.”
“How do you know that, Tess? You don’t know! And while he did act like a complete ass, he doesn’t need either of the saints to tell him about it.”
“Michael wants you Maria, there’s no doubt about that,” Tess tried.
“What makes you think either of you needs to be giving me advice?” Normally she was open to what her friends had to say, but she was hurting and worried that everything she and Michael had been through had all been for nothing
Tess frowned. “We’re just trying to be your friends, Maria.”
“Look who’s talking: Ms. I-have-my-first-boyfriend-who-is-by-the-way-totally-perfect, and Ms. I’ve-only-had-two-boyfriends-and-both-were-perfect-gentlemen-who-did-everything-for-me... Yes, you two are full of advice that fits my situation.” She took a drink of her beer and shook her head. “Hell, you should’ve just invited Isabel over for your little Maria intervention... and she could’ve shared something about her Mr. Perfect.”
Liz and Tess looked at their friend, stunned as she walked back to her room without any of the pizza, her beer, or another word.
The brunette winced when she heard the door slam shut. “What the hell was that?”
“That was Maria in bitch mode,” Tess growled as she threw her slice of pizza back on her plate and grabbed a towel to wipe her hands on. “And now she’s gonna get a taste of Tess in bitch mode.”
Tess stalked down the hallway, pissed off beyond rational thought, and she didn’t bother knocking before she shoved Maria's door open and glared at her best friend. “How dare you come in there and act like that and just run off... that’s not the way we fight!”
“We’re not fighting right now, Tess.” Maria’s voice was quieter than the other girl had expected it to be. She didn’t look at Tess from where she was sitting at the window again, arms wrapped around her knees.
Tess felt some of her anger begin to fade away in the face of Maria’s sadness. “Maria, look, me and you, we can totally be a couple of bitches and go off on each other because in a few hours we’ll be over it... you can’t go off on Liz like that, sweetie... she hasn’t developed a thick enough skin to go a round with either of us in full attack mode.”
Maria rubbed her temples, hoping that her head wasn’t going to burst anytime soon. “I’m gonna apologize later.”
“It might help if you just talk about it, Maria.” She turned around when Liz entered the room behind her and she was surprised when she realized that their youngest friend looked less than happy.
“Okay, y’know what? I know I’m not like you guys and I don’t yell and scream and argue about things, but I’m not a doormat either, and as your friend, I deserve to be treated better than...” she waved her hand toward the living room, “whatever that was out there. I’m sorry you’re hurting, Maria, but that doesn't give you the right to be mean to me.” She swallowed hard when she realized they were both staring at her.
Maria almost smiled a little after Liz’ little rant. “God, Parker, how did ya manage to change so much since Thanksgiving?”
“I’m just... standin’ up for myself.”
Maria nodded. “You can be proud of yourself, Liz.” She turned to look at both of them and placed her feet on the floor. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to be such a bitch. It’s just... God, I’m so envious of what you two have right now, okay? That makes it really hard to be in the same room with you.”
“Why?” Liz asked, confused. “It’s not that unusual for you and Michael to fight. You always get past it and you’re so happy with him.”
Maria frowned. “But I don’t wanna fight with him, Liz. And this fight, it wasn’t like something either of us can just shrug off.”
“Again, completely new to this, but, why don’t you just talk to him? Was whatever he did that bad?”
“He thinks I cheated on him, Liz. And on top of that, he also thinks that I think that I could be pregnant.”
“Okay, but you didn’t and you aren’t,” Liz said, not requiring any proof or a denial on Maria’s part to know she was right.
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that or he doesn’t want to believe it.”
“Since when do you back down in a fight? Make him believe it!”
Tess was staring at Liz with new found respect as she actually went back and forth with Maria and held her ground.
“I’m not backin’ down, okay?” Maria said furiously. “You’ve never fought with Michael; it’s not like you can get anywhere when he’s like that.”
Liz had seen them fight and she couldn’t imagine ever fighting the way they did. “So, what’re you gonna do?”
Maria shook her head, baffled. “I really don’t know.”
“It’ll probably require physical violence on your part considering his thick head,” Tess muttered.
“I’m not goin’ to him; not in the next few days,” Maria said, determined.
“You’re just as fuckin’ stubborn as he is.” Tess shook her head. “I swear, I don’t think I’ve ever met two more stubborn people in my entire life!”
Maria snorted. “Yeah, and what about you? Look, as long as he thinks I had sex with Pruitt he won’t even listen to me.”
“Did you tell him you didn’t?” Liz asked.
“I…” Her mouth opened and shut as she tried to remember. Had she denied it? “I was probably too shocked to say anything about that, but from my reaction, he should’ve figured it out. Why would I cheat on him after all the shit we’ve been through? Why would he think so little of me?”
Tess rolled her eyes. “He’s a guy, Maria, he needs to actually hear the words in that type of situation. He’s probably not even thinkin’ of you... he’s just thinkin’ that Pruitt got his hands on you; it’s a territorial thing.”
“Whatever,” she muttered tiredly. “I really don’t wanna think about it anymore right now.”
Liz could see the exhaustion in Maria’s features and she glanced at Tess. “Why don’t we let Maria get some rest?”
Tess nodded. “Okay, we’ll be in the living room, if ya need us, okay? We can just watch a movie without talking if ya want to.”
Maria nodded and motioned for them to leave. She appreciated the offer, but she had her doubts that Tess would be able to sit through an entire movie without bringing the subject up again.
*****
“Hey, guys, what can I get you?” the tall, buxom woman asked, leaning on the counter and throwing a flirtatious smile at them.
“Jack and Coke,” Michael said with barely a glance at her breasts that were threatening to spill out of her top.
“Okay,” she winked at him and left.
Max frowned. “Are we invisible?” he asked, glancing at Kyle.
“It would seem so...”
Michael shook his head as he listened to his roommates grumbling about the bartender not waiting for their orders.
The woman came back with Michael’s drink and placed it in front of him. “What about you guys?” she asked Max and Kyle, but her eyes stayed on Michael almost the whole time.
Max rolled his eyes, wondering why any woman in her right mind would focus on Michael when he was in his current mood. He ordered a whiskey since Kyle was driving and nodded when their designated driver opted for a beer.
“Okay, I’ll be right back with your drinks.” She left again, swaying her hips to the music playing over the sound system.
Michael glanced at Kyle when the bartender went to fill their orders. “So, were you able to salvage your evening with Tess?”
“Yeah, she was cool with it and I think she wanted to stay with Maria anyway.”
“What about you, Evans? How’d you get away for the night?”
“I don’t have to ask anyone if I want to spend a night out with my friends.”
“Your girl understands that?”
“Of course she does.”
Michael took a drink from his glass and glanced over at the guys. “So, how’s that goin’?”
“What?” Kyle and Max asked at the same time.
“The new relationship with Liz... how’s that goin’?”
“It’s goin’ pretty good.”
He nodded. “You seem to be happy with her.”
“I am; she’s great.”
Kyle accepted his beer from the overly-attentive barkeeper – at least where Guerin was concerned – and then ordered a basket of hot wings before she could start drooling on the bar. “So, what’re you gonna do to fix things with your girl?” he asked when she went away again.
Michael shrugged. “Talk to her, I guess.”
“That’s good,” Max said, nodding. “You’re so... non-verbal, that should work well for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, considering your lack of verbal communication I hope you’ve got another trick up your sleeve.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Kyle glanced between his two friends before reaching out to pat Michael on the back. “You’ll figure it out, man.”
“Can we just talk about somethin’ else?”
“Hey, what would you guys think about all of us getting together and rentin’ a cabin for Christmas?” Kyle asked.
“Who does ‘all of us’ include?”
“Y’know, all of us. You’ll fix things between you an’ Maria before then. So, you guys, me an’ Tess, Max an’ Liz, Alex an’ Isabel, Brooke an’ Brendan... all of us.”
“I don’t know. Maria wasn’t able to see her family on Thanksgiving; she might wanna spend the holidays with her mom.”
“Okay, so we leave that as a possible option... although Tess seemed to think that Maria’s mom was gonna be workin’ over the holiday, but whatever. We’ll count on you as a maybe.” He turned to look at Max. “What about you, Evans?”
“I guess I’m in.”
“Could you guys be any less enthusiastic?” Kyle grumbled. “We’re talkin’ mountains, snow...” He sighed and glanced at Michael when he realized that the guy was staring at something across the room.
“Fuck!” he muttered when he noticed Lance Pruitt at the entrance of the bar. “Michael, relax!” He placed one hand on his friend’s arm.
“I’m gonna relax... just as soon as I kick his fuckin’ ass!”
Kyle glanced at Max for some help.
“Michael, just calm down, buddy,” Max said as he grabbed his drink and moved to sit on Michael’s other side.
Lance was high-fiving one of his companions when he lifted his head and his gaze locked with Guerin’s. He made it a point to walk over to the bar to order a drink just so he could taunt his teammate. “Flyin’ solo tonight, Guerin? Guess that’s because your girlfriend’s in my bed, waitin’ for a piece of this,” he said, grabbing his crotch.
Kyle could see the tension growing in Michael’s body as he prepared for everything that could happen. “The only woman anywhere near your bed is probably your mother when she’s strippin’ your sheets to wash ‘em from your last hot date with your hand.”
“At least my mother doesn’t act like I don’t exist.” Lance frowned when that didn’t seem to bother Guerin in the least.
Michael leaned back and stared at Lance. “And? I don’t give a fuck about my mother.”
Huh, well, that had been the wrong tact to take, he thought. “Just figures you’d have a dysfunctional family,” he muttered. He leaned in between Guerin and Valenti to take the bottle of beer the bartender held out to him. “Not that it matters.” He leaned back and took a long, slow pull off of his beer. “Tell ya what, I’ll tell Maria you said hey.” He took a couple of steps back. “Hope you don’t mind if I wait to tell her after I fuck her through the mattress.”
Michael laughed out loud at that. He knew now that Lance had never laid a hand on his girl, and that made him more comfortable this time. “You’re so pathetic, Pruitt.”
He frowned. That comment should’ve pushed Guerin right over the edge. “What?”
“I said,” Michael turned to look at him again, “you should leave and invent another imaginary girl that you’re fuckin’, ‘cause it seems like your story about a real one isn’t workin’ for you.”
“You think I haven’t had your girl?”
“What’s her tattoo look like?” Michael asked.
Lance froze as he realized that he had miscalculated Guerin’s reaction; he wasn’t supposed to be this calm. “Does it matter?”
“Not really, ‘cause you don’t know what it is,” Michael stated.
Lance felt his temper spike in response to the smug tone in Guerin’s voice and before he gave a single moment of thought to his next action he brought his right hand up and smashed the full bottle against his rival’s temple.
Michael almost lost consciousness for a second when the bottle hit him. But he pulled himself together and stood up, grabbing Lance by the collar and shoving him backwards until he fell to the ground. “You’re gonna regret that, Pruitt.”
Lance fought back, using his weight to counter Guerin’s bulk and shoving him back and off of him as people scattered to get out of their way. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this,” he snarled as his hands fisted at his sides.
“’Cause you have nothin’ better to do?” Michael asked, taunting him as he knocked him back with one single fist in his face. He got to his feet again, waiting for the other man to get up again as well.
Lance jumped to his feet, refusing to be bested by Guerin. He was reaching for what was left of the jagged neck of the broken bottle when a booted foot pinned his hand to the ground. He glanced up, following the leg until he saw Evans looking down at him.
“You wanna fight him, you fight fair.”
“Looks like you can’t hold pace with me in any way,” Michael said. “Not in a fight, not out on the field, and sure as fuck not with Maria.”
“Get off my fuckin’ wrist, Evans,” Lance growled, rubbing it when the guy complied. “Not a fair fight if you hold me down while Guerin comes at me.”
“Sounds like a date for you, Pruitt,” Kyle muttered, leaning back against the bar as he waited to see what happened next.
Lance rubbed his wrist and as soon as Evans reached down to grab the broken bottle he launched himself up and threw a punch that caught him on the left side of his jaw.
Michael shoved Max back out of the way, unwilling for the situation between him and Lance to be diverted.
Max rubbed his jaw as he ran his tongue over his teeth to make sure nothing had been knocked loose and he nodded in response to Michael’s warning look. It was his fight and he wanted it that way. No problem, Max thought. He could hold his own in a fight – and had when the occasion called for it – but he didn’t wanna scare the hell out of Liz by showing up at her door all battered and bruised.
“C’mon, Guerin,” Lance taunted as he faced off with his opponent again. “Let’s get this over with.”
“I’m just waitin’ for you to get up again, Pruitt,” Michael answered.
“I’m on my feet, what more d’you want?” He shook his head and judged the distance between them as he flexed his fist. Deciding that it was just the right distance he widened his stance and threw the punch.
Michael caught his fist with one hand and smirked at him. “That all you got?” he asked, tightening the grip abound his fist and shoving him. He didn’t notice one of Lance’s companions coming closer and Michael took a few steps backwards when the guy’s fist came into contact with his face.
He remained in a standing position, wiping away some blood form his lips and staring at the man who had just hit him. Kyle was already moving, and he grabbed the guy’s arms tight behind his body. “And who the hell are you?” Michael snarled.
“You mess with him, you mess with me,” the guy answered.
“That’s right, Guerin, you hear that? My buddy here’s got my back!” Lance crowed.
“So, you’re admitting that you don’t stand a chance against me alone?” Michael asked, amused. His face was hurting badly, but he ignored it.
“You’re not exactly alone, are you?” he asked, looking back and forth between Evans and Valenti.
“You stay where you are,” Kyle growled at the guy who had just hit Michael.
“And unlike your friend, mine didn’t step in and throw a punch.”
“He just hates you as much as I hate you.”
Michael leaned back against the counter behind him. “You wanna talk or you wanna fight, Pruitt?”
“Let’s go, Guerin.” Lance ran at Michael and launched himself at him, throwing wild punches. His intention was to do as much damage as possible before he took a disabling hit.
Kyle kept an eye on the guy that had interfered while watching the fight, wincing when Michael took a hard uppercut and he knew that would leave a mark.
Michael pulled all of his strength together and pushed Lance away from him so that the guy had to take several steps back and almost lost his balance, nearly falling to the ground before he caught himself. “Do us all a favor and get your ass off the team, Pruitt. You’re never gonna get my position.” He swung one fist, connecting with Lance’s jaw and the guy tumbled backwards. Michael grabbed him just before he fell to the ground, “and you’re never gonna get my woman!”
With that, he let go of him and threw another fist right into Lance’s face, satisfied when he fell to the ground. Michael walked back to the counter and sat down where he had been sitting before. He grabbed his drink and took a long sip of it before leaning back and sighing loudly.
“That was incredible sexy,” the bartender said, leaning over to have a look at his bruised face.
Kyle shoved the other guy after Lance. “Go on and get him to a doctor.”
Michael brushed the woman’s hands away, knowing that if it couldn’t be the woman he wanted touching him he wasn’t even interested.
“So, you were a lot calmer than I expected you to be,” Max commented.
“Yeah?” Michael asked with a smirk and quickly regretted it when he felt it pull at the cut on his lip.
“Uh-huh,” Kyle agreed, “what’s up with that? I expected you to seriously tear his ass up.”
“Yeah, and he expected it too, so it made him totally mad that I didn’t play it that way... And besides that, I need some strength left if I’m gonna face Maria.”
“Whatcha gonna do ‘bout that?” Kyle asked.
“Just show up at her place I guess.”
“Flowers,” Max said, snapping his fingers. “Take flowers.”
“Flowers?” Michael asked. “I don’t know, I’m not a flower kinda guy.”
“Exactly! She’ll never see it comin’.”
“Dude,” Kyle interrupted, shaking his head, “seriously, Guerin is not the kinda guy who shows up with flowers.”
“Exactly,” Michael said, mentally thanking Kyle for that. He doubted that Maria would really be a flower kinda girl either. “Besides, I don’t think there’s a flower in existence that says ‘I’m sorry I accused you of fuckin’ another guy… forgive me?’.”
“No, not flowers... somethin’, but not flowers,” Kyle mused. “Ah, you’ll think of somethin’ to pull your ass outta the fire, Michael.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Yeah, hopefully.”
Max finished his drink and leaned against the counter as he glanced at his friends. “Well, this has been a little slice of heaven, but I think I’m ready to go have Liz fuss over me for a while.”
“I guess I could use a new tee shirt,” Michael said, glancing down at himself.
“I just hope I’ve got somethin’ to throw over my seats because you’re a mess,” Kyle muttered.
“That bad, huh?”
“Bad enough, and no, you do not need to offer to strip down.” He shuddered, knowing that it would’ve been the next thing out of Guerin’s mouth.
“You gonna pick Tess up from the girl’s apartment?”
“Yup, least I can do since I changed plans on her earlier.” He nudged Michael with his elbow. “Although, unlike you, I actually do have a romantic bone in my body and I think I’ll stop and pick up some flowers.”
“Great, how bad am I gonna look if you get flowers for Tess and I’m gonna try to talk to Maria without anything?”
“Told you, Guerin,” Max said, slapping Michael on the back, “buy the flowers. I promise, it won’t make you less of a man.”
“I’ll just think of somethin’ else,” Michael decided. Maria wouldn’t be looking for flowers if he showed up like this at her place, would she?
*****
Tess opened the front door with flourish, expecting to be swept up in her boyfriend’s arms and whisked away to his apartment, and frowning when she noticed that he had company. “Um, Kyle?” she questioned, unable to hide the hint of annoyance that colored her tone when she saw Michael. “What is he doin’ here?”
“He has a name, you little witch,” Michael snarled, shoving his way inside. “Where’s Maria?”
“Like I would tell you,” she hissed. “How dare you treat her the way you did, make such horrible accusations and then just show up here like you think you have any right to see her?”
“I’m not the slightest bit interested in what you think.”
“She’s my best friend and I will not allow you to – “
“She’s my girlfriend.”
“Not what I heard.” She took a step back when he suddenly moved, towering over her. “You can see her after I warn her that you’re here,” she stated defiantly.
“Bullshit!”
Kyle squeezed in between them before Tess had enough time to gather her thoughts and mortally wound Michael with a well-placed kick. “Okay, hey, look… Michael, she’s right, man. Maria at least deserves fair warning that you’re here and she probably needs a few minutes to get herself together before she sees you.”
“Not that she’s gonna be happy to see your raggedy ass,” Tess muttered derisively as her eyes traveled over his face. “What the hell happened to you anyway?”
“Aw, I didn’t know you cared,” he snarled sarcastically.
“Only so far as they didn’t finish the job.” She shook her head at him and turned away. “I’ll just go let Maria know you’re here,” she called sweetly over her shoulder while shooting daggers at him.
Brendan isn’t going to let anything get in the way of getting back to see Karen. You can bet that Hank the Evil was involved, lol.
They are stubborn, but they’re gonna get through this.
LOL, they are sweet, aren’t they?
Thursday is sooo far away… but, since it’ll be Christmas Eve, how’s about we update a bit earlier?
begonia9508: Ah, he’s already changed so much. Don’t give up on him just yet.
Alien_Friend: Friendship is what it’s all about! Now that Michael’s on the right path, he’s just gotta go deal with Maria and get things straightened out.
80s_UnLove_Child: Now there’s an idea!
They are cute. But, she’s learning quickly, isn’t she?
keepsmiling7: Families and odd nicknames… Whaddaya do?
mary mary: Yep, it would’ve made things easier, but she promised, and Maria keeps her word.
More will be revealed about Hank and why he chose Brendan later. Yes, well, a hefty trust fund always makes life a little easier, lol.
Friendship is so important!
Ya know we’re gonna have our update before Christmas!
kismet: Michael has let Isabel in without ever even realizing it. Yup, got the scenes for the guys and the girls. Maria and Michael will be beginning to deal with that particular problem in our next update. Liz is making some big steps – Max is really bringing it out in her!
Ah, Christmas with the gang… we think you’ll like it!
Eva: Nah, not silly! We’re pretty proud of him, too!
sarammlover: Isabel’s a good enough friend to see that Michael and Maria were both right and both wrong. The relationship between Michael and Isabel is very special and it’s something Michael really needs. Well… we tried to get them to work it out before Christmas, but it’s not gonna quite make it.
Part 79 – Support Systems
Tess was rummaging through the refrigerator when the front door opened and she paused to straighten up and turn around. “Oh, hey, Liz... your plans got cancelled too, I guess?”
Liz made a face. “I’m beginning to understand your annoyance with the interruptions. Max said they needed some,” she lifted her hands to make little air quotes, “’guys only time’.”
Tess tried not to laugh and ended up snorting instead. “Um, he said that?” she choked out. “’Guys only time’? That’s gotta be the gayest thing I’ve heard him say; I’m so giving him shit over that next time I see him.”
Liz rolled her eyes at Tess and reached past her for a drink. “Why do you have to mess with him all the time?”
“Why? Because it’s fun. He’s like the calmest guy I’ve ever known and I just enjoy getting a rise out of him.” She shrugged and went back to her search of the refrigerator.
Liz just shook her head and sat down on one of the barstools, leaning forward and resting her forearms on the counter. “You didn’t have dinner either?”
“Um, no... no, I got ditched so the boys could go deal with Michael.”
“Wanna order somethin’? Pizza, Chinese, Thai? I’m good with any of them.”
“Good idea, but let’s do pizza today; I’m not really in the mood for anything else.”
“Okay,” Liz agreed. “Have you talked to Maria?”
“No, she’s locked herself in her bedroom and she wouldn’t even talk to me through the door.”
“That’s bad... do you know what happened between them? I know they were fighting last night, but she didn’t wanna talk about it... it didn’t seem this bad last night though.”
“Wanna hear the short or the long story?” Tess grabbed the flyer for the pizza place off of the refrigerator door and tried to decide what she wanted.
Knowing Tess’ penchant for getting wrapped up in a good drama, Liz made a rolling motion with her right hand. “Short version, please, and I want the usual toppings.”
Tess lifted her gaze from the paper she was holding. “Alright. Michael found Isabel’s pregnancy tests under Maria’s bed and now he thinks she could be pregnant. Maria met his mother and talked to her about something important, but I don’t know what. She hasn’t told him yet, but he knows she’s hiding something. Lance Pruitt from the football team told Michael he had sex with Maria the other day when she was meeting his mother. This afternoon they got into another bad fight and Maria kinda broke up with him ‘cause he really believed that she cheated on him.”
Liz’ eyes widened in shock. “Oh, my God... all this happened just in the last couple of days?”
“Yeah pretty much since yesterday afternoon. I think I wanna pizza with extra cheese and bacon. What about you?”
“Extra pepperoni and cheese with pan crust.”
“Alright, I’ll order the same for Maria. Let’s see if we can get her outta her room.”
“Okay.” Liz frowned when Tess looked at her expectantly. “What? You want me to go get her?”
“Of course. She’s more… decent with you.”
“Well, alright,” she said slowly and slid down off of her stool. She left Tess ordering the pizza and walked down the hall that led to Maria’s bedroom, pausing when she saw that the door was closed. She altered her path and went into her room, walking through the bathroom and knocking on the door to Maria’s room.
Maria rolled her eyes. She had heard Liz arriving home a little earlier and she had already expected her to show up. “I don’t wanna talk to anyone,” she grumbled and stared out the window like she had been doing before the interruption. She was sitting on the window seat, hugging her knees.
Liz took a deep breath when she heard the grumbling from the other side and she risked Maria’s wrath by opening the door and entering the other girl’s room. “Hey, Maria...”
“Liz, please... I’m really not in the mood for talking, okay?”
“Well, Tess is ordering pizza for dinner and we just thought you might wanna come out and eat with us.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Liz bit her bottom lip and wondered why Tess had sent her into the lion’s den. “Um, well... I know, but you should still eat even if you don’t feel like it.”
“Will you leave me alone if I tell you that I’ll come and eat something?”
“Me? Yeah, I just think you need to eat something so you don’t feel any worse.”
“Fine, I’ll come out as soon as the pizza gets here.”
Liz sighed in relief and backed out of the room. “Okay, I’ll let you know as soon as it’s here.”
Maria didn’t respond to that and waited until Liz had left the room before she stood up and walked over to her bed to throw herself down on it. She wasn’t hungry, not even the slightest bit, but she knew that Liz and Tess wouldn’t leave her alone until she ate something.
Tess looked up when Liz came back into the living room. “Is she comin’ out of her room any time soon?”
“Yeah, she said she’d come out when dinner arrives.”
“She didn’t want to though, huh?”
“No, she didn’t even look at me. I think she just agreed so I’d leave her alone.”
“Well, that’s Maria for you. Alright, we’ll leave her alone until the pizza gets here. So, what kinda plans did you and Captain Wonderful have for tonight?”
Liz shrugged. “We wanted to go to a restaurant for dinner and then hang out at the guys’ apartment. You?”
“Dinner, maybe a walk on the beach after that...” She wrinkled her nose. “He’s really into doin’ romantic stuff and I’m still getting used to it.”
“But you like it, right?”
“Yeah, it’s just I’ve never had that with any other guy,” she admitted and then shrugged. “Sometimes I wish I had an idea how to do the same kinda things for him, y’know? But, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Everyone just assumes that women are all romantic and stuff...” She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m romantically challenged.”
Liz laughed. “Maybe you worry about it too much.”
“I’m bein’ serious, Liz. Sex, no problem, but when it comes to doin’ romantic stuff I’m like... I’m like a romance retard!”
“I don’t think Kyle is expecting you to be the perfect romantic girlfriend, Tess. But if ya do wanna do somethin’ romantic then maybe write him a text message when he’s not expecting it or surprise him with a home-cooked meal. It’s not that hard to make a little romantic gesture.”
“Okay, you’re into all that mushy stuff, Liz, so it’s easy for you to say that.”
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted them and Liz looked at the other girl in surprise. “Is that the food already?”
“Probably, I’m not expecting anyone else.”
“Okay, you answer the door and I’ll get Maria.”
Tess nodded and grabbed her bag to get her money. “Alright.”
Liz decided to take the direct route to Maria’s bedroom this time and knocked on the closed door softly. “Dinner’s here, girl.”
On the other side of the door Maria tried to dredge up enough energy to roll her eyes but after a moment decided it was just too much of an effort. She pushed herself to her feet and crossed the room, opening the door and biting back the urge to scream at Liz for pestering her.
Liz could sense that it was better to stay quiet, so she just walked back to the living room when she was sure that the other girl was behind her.
Tess was pulling plates down out of the cabinet when Liz entered the room with Maria close behind. “Hey, you wanna beer with dinner?”
“How about tequila?” Maria muttered.
“Um, well... if that’s what you want,” she said and made a face.
Maybe it would help to forget what had happened earlier that day, Maria thought bitterly. Besides that, she was pretty sure that HE was doing the same damn thing right now.
Liz motioned for Tess to hand her the plates and she set them down next to the pizza boxes so she could open them up. “One slice or two?”
“Two for me,” Tess said.
“D’you care if I have a slice of yours?” she asked when she opened the box and took a look at the toppings on the pizza.
“No, go ahead.”
Maria’s nerves felt too raw to deal with all the pleasantries and she reached past Liz to take a slice of pizza. She changed her mind about the tequila and grabbed a beer before turning to head back to her room.
“Oh, no, girl, you’re gonna eat in here with us,” Tess said, when she realized what Maria was up to.
“I’m really not in the mood to socialize,” she grated out.
“We don’t have to talk at all, okay? But Liz and I are stuck here because our boys had to take care of Michael. So, sit down, blondie.”
“So that’s my fault?”
“I didn’t say that, Maria. I just don’t want you to be alone all night.” Tess glanced at Liz, motioning for her to say something.
“Yeah, we know you feel pretty bad. Maybe it’ll help if we hang out a little bit together. We don’t have to talk about it if ya don’t want to.”
“And what would you suggest we talk about, hmm?”
“We don’t have to talk about anything,” Liz said. “We could watch a movie.”
“Yes,” Maria snapped, “because a movie will make it all better.”
“Girl,” Tess placed her plate on the counter, “everything’s gonna be okay with you and Michael. Kyle and Max are with him and they’ll make him see that he acted like a jerk.”
“How do you know that, Tess? You don’t know! And while he did act like a complete ass, he doesn’t need either of the saints to tell him about it.”
“Michael wants you Maria, there’s no doubt about that,” Tess tried.
“What makes you think either of you needs to be giving me advice?” Normally she was open to what her friends had to say, but she was hurting and worried that everything she and Michael had been through had all been for nothing
Tess frowned. “We’re just trying to be your friends, Maria.”
“Look who’s talking: Ms. I-have-my-first-boyfriend-who-is-by-the-way-totally-perfect, and Ms. I’ve-only-had-two-boyfriends-and-both-were-perfect-gentlemen-who-did-everything-for-me... Yes, you two are full of advice that fits my situation.” She took a drink of her beer and shook her head. “Hell, you should’ve just invited Isabel over for your little Maria intervention... and she could’ve shared something about her Mr. Perfect.”
Liz and Tess looked at their friend, stunned as she walked back to her room without any of the pizza, her beer, or another word.
The brunette winced when she heard the door slam shut. “What the hell was that?”
“That was Maria in bitch mode,” Tess growled as she threw her slice of pizza back on her plate and grabbed a towel to wipe her hands on. “And now she’s gonna get a taste of Tess in bitch mode.”
Tess stalked down the hallway, pissed off beyond rational thought, and she didn’t bother knocking before she shoved Maria's door open and glared at her best friend. “How dare you come in there and act like that and just run off... that’s not the way we fight!”
“We’re not fighting right now, Tess.” Maria’s voice was quieter than the other girl had expected it to be. She didn’t look at Tess from where she was sitting at the window again, arms wrapped around her knees.
Tess felt some of her anger begin to fade away in the face of Maria’s sadness. “Maria, look, me and you, we can totally be a couple of bitches and go off on each other because in a few hours we’ll be over it... you can’t go off on Liz like that, sweetie... she hasn’t developed a thick enough skin to go a round with either of us in full attack mode.”
Maria rubbed her temples, hoping that her head wasn’t going to burst anytime soon. “I’m gonna apologize later.”
“It might help if you just talk about it, Maria.” She turned around when Liz entered the room behind her and she was surprised when she realized that their youngest friend looked less than happy.
“Okay, y’know what? I know I’m not like you guys and I don’t yell and scream and argue about things, but I’m not a doormat either, and as your friend, I deserve to be treated better than...” she waved her hand toward the living room, “whatever that was out there. I’m sorry you’re hurting, Maria, but that doesn't give you the right to be mean to me.” She swallowed hard when she realized they were both staring at her.
Maria almost smiled a little after Liz’ little rant. “God, Parker, how did ya manage to change so much since Thanksgiving?”
“I’m just... standin’ up for myself.”
Maria nodded. “You can be proud of yourself, Liz.” She turned to look at both of them and placed her feet on the floor. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to be such a bitch. It’s just... God, I’m so envious of what you two have right now, okay? That makes it really hard to be in the same room with you.”
“Why?” Liz asked, confused. “It’s not that unusual for you and Michael to fight. You always get past it and you’re so happy with him.”
Maria frowned. “But I don’t wanna fight with him, Liz. And this fight, it wasn’t like something either of us can just shrug off.”
“Again, completely new to this, but, why don’t you just talk to him? Was whatever he did that bad?”
“He thinks I cheated on him, Liz. And on top of that, he also thinks that I think that I could be pregnant.”
“Okay, but you didn’t and you aren’t,” Liz said, not requiring any proof or a denial on Maria’s part to know she was right.
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that or he doesn’t want to believe it.”
“Since when do you back down in a fight? Make him believe it!”
Tess was staring at Liz with new found respect as she actually went back and forth with Maria and held her ground.
“I’m not backin’ down, okay?” Maria said furiously. “You’ve never fought with Michael; it’s not like you can get anywhere when he’s like that.”
Liz had seen them fight and she couldn’t imagine ever fighting the way they did. “So, what’re you gonna do?”
Maria shook her head, baffled. “I really don’t know.”
“It’ll probably require physical violence on your part considering his thick head,” Tess muttered.
“I’m not goin’ to him; not in the next few days,” Maria said, determined.
“You’re just as fuckin’ stubborn as he is.” Tess shook her head. “I swear, I don’t think I’ve ever met two more stubborn people in my entire life!”
Maria snorted. “Yeah, and what about you? Look, as long as he thinks I had sex with Pruitt he won’t even listen to me.”
“Did you tell him you didn’t?” Liz asked.
“I…” Her mouth opened and shut as she tried to remember. Had she denied it? “I was probably too shocked to say anything about that, but from my reaction, he should’ve figured it out. Why would I cheat on him after all the shit we’ve been through? Why would he think so little of me?”
Tess rolled her eyes. “He’s a guy, Maria, he needs to actually hear the words in that type of situation. He’s probably not even thinkin’ of you... he’s just thinkin’ that Pruitt got his hands on you; it’s a territorial thing.”
“Whatever,” she muttered tiredly. “I really don’t wanna think about it anymore right now.”
Liz could see the exhaustion in Maria’s features and she glanced at Tess. “Why don’t we let Maria get some rest?”
Tess nodded. “Okay, we’ll be in the living room, if ya need us, okay? We can just watch a movie without talking if ya want to.”
Maria nodded and motioned for them to leave. She appreciated the offer, but she had her doubts that Tess would be able to sit through an entire movie without bringing the subject up again.
*****
“Hey, guys, what can I get you?” the tall, buxom woman asked, leaning on the counter and throwing a flirtatious smile at them.
“Jack and Coke,” Michael said with barely a glance at her breasts that were threatening to spill out of her top.
“Okay,” she winked at him and left.
Max frowned. “Are we invisible?” he asked, glancing at Kyle.
“It would seem so...”
Michael shook his head as he listened to his roommates grumbling about the bartender not waiting for their orders.
The woman came back with Michael’s drink and placed it in front of him. “What about you guys?” she asked Max and Kyle, but her eyes stayed on Michael almost the whole time.
Max rolled his eyes, wondering why any woman in her right mind would focus on Michael when he was in his current mood. He ordered a whiskey since Kyle was driving and nodded when their designated driver opted for a beer.
“Okay, I’ll be right back with your drinks.” She left again, swaying her hips to the music playing over the sound system.
Michael glanced at Kyle when the bartender went to fill their orders. “So, were you able to salvage your evening with Tess?”
“Yeah, she was cool with it and I think she wanted to stay with Maria anyway.”
“What about you, Evans? How’d you get away for the night?”
“I don’t have to ask anyone if I want to spend a night out with my friends.”
“Your girl understands that?”
“Of course she does.”
Michael took a drink from his glass and glanced over at the guys. “So, how’s that goin’?”
“What?” Kyle and Max asked at the same time.
“The new relationship with Liz... how’s that goin’?”
“It’s goin’ pretty good.”
He nodded. “You seem to be happy with her.”
“I am; she’s great.”
Kyle accepted his beer from the overly-attentive barkeeper – at least where Guerin was concerned – and then ordered a basket of hot wings before she could start drooling on the bar. “So, what’re you gonna do to fix things with your girl?” he asked when she went away again.
Michael shrugged. “Talk to her, I guess.”
“That’s good,” Max said, nodding. “You’re so... non-verbal, that should work well for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, considering your lack of verbal communication I hope you’ve got another trick up your sleeve.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Kyle glanced between his two friends before reaching out to pat Michael on the back. “You’ll figure it out, man.”
“Can we just talk about somethin’ else?”
“Hey, what would you guys think about all of us getting together and rentin’ a cabin for Christmas?” Kyle asked.
“Who does ‘all of us’ include?”
“Y’know, all of us. You’ll fix things between you an’ Maria before then. So, you guys, me an’ Tess, Max an’ Liz, Alex an’ Isabel, Brooke an’ Brendan... all of us.”
“I don’t know. Maria wasn’t able to see her family on Thanksgiving; she might wanna spend the holidays with her mom.”
“Okay, so we leave that as a possible option... although Tess seemed to think that Maria’s mom was gonna be workin’ over the holiday, but whatever. We’ll count on you as a maybe.” He turned to look at Max. “What about you, Evans?”
“I guess I’m in.”
“Could you guys be any less enthusiastic?” Kyle grumbled. “We’re talkin’ mountains, snow...” He sighed and glanced at Michael when he realized that the guy was staring at something across the room.
“Fuck!” he muttered when he noticed Lance Pruitt at the entrance of the bar. “Michael, relax!” He placed one hand on his friend’s arm.
“I’m gonna relax... just as soon as I kick his fuckin’ ass!”
Kyle glanced at Max for some help.
“Michael, just calm down, buddy,” Max said as he grabbed his drink and moved to sit on Michael’s other side.
Lance was high-fiving one of his companions when he lifted his head and his gaze locked with Guerin’s. He made it a point to walk over to the bar to order a drink just so he could taunt his teammate. “Flyin’ solo tonight, Guerin? Guess that’s because your girlfriend’s in my bed, waitin’ for a piece of this,” he said, grabbing his crotch.
Kyle could see the tension growing in Michael’s body as he prepared for everything that could happen. “The only woman anywhere near your bed is probably your mother when she’s strippin’ your sheets to wash ‘em from your last hot date with your hand.”
“At least my mother doesn’t act like I don’t exist.” Lance frowned when that didn’t seem to bother Guerin in the least.
Michael leaned back and stared at Lance. “And? I don’t give a fuck about my mother.”
Huh, well, that had been the wrong tact to take, he thought. “Just figures you’d have a dysfunctional family,” he muttered. He leaned in between Guerin and Valenti to take the bottle of beer the bartender held out to him. “Not that it matters.” He leaned back and took a long, slow pull off of his beer. “Tell ya what, I’ll tell Maria you said hey.” He took a couple of steps back. “Hope you don’t mind if I wait to tell her after I fuck her through the mattress.”
Michael laughed out loud at that. He knew now that Lance had never laid a hand on his girl, and that made him more comfortable this time. “You’re so pathetic, Pruitt.”
He frowned. That comment should’ve pushed Guerin right over the edge. “What?”
“I said,” Michael turned to look at him again, “you should leave and invent another imaginary girl that you’re fuckin’, ‘cause it seems like your story about a real one isn’t workin’ for you.”
“You think I haven’t had your girl?”
“What’s her tattoo look like?” Michael asked.
Lance froze as he realized that he had miscalculated Guerin’s reaction; he wasn’t supposed to be this calm. “Does it matter?”
“Not really, ‘cause you don’t know what it is,” Michael stated.
Lance felt his temper spike in response to the smug tone in Guerin’s voice and before he gave a single moment of thought to his next action he brought his right hand up and smashed the full bottle against his rival’s temple.
Michael almost lost consciousness for a second when the bottle hit him. But he pulled himself together and stood up, grabbing Lance by the collar and shoving him backwards until he fell to the ground. “You’re gonna regret that, Pruitt.”
Lance fought back, using his weight to counter Guerin’s bulk and shoving him back and off of him as people scattered to get out of their way. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this,” he snarled as his hands fisted at his sides.
“’Cause you have nothin’ better to do?” Michael asked, taunting him as he knocked him back with one single fist in his face. He got to his feet again, waiting for the other man to get up again as well.
Lance jumped to his feet, refusing to be bested by Guerin. He was reaching for what was left of the jagged neck of the broken bottle when a booted foot pinned his hand to the ground. He glanced up, following the leg until he saw Evans looking down at him.
“You wanna fight him, you fight fair.”
“Looks like you can’t hold pace with me in any way,” Michael said. “Not in a fight, not out on the field, and sure as fuck not with Maria.”
“Get off my fuckin’ wrist, Evans,” Lance growled, rubbing it when the guy complied. “Not a fair fight if you hold me down while Guerin comes at me.”
“Sounds like a date for you, Pruitt,” Kyle muttered, leaning back against the bar as he waited to see what happened next.
Lance rubbed his wrist and as soon as Evans reached down to grab the broken bottle he launched himself up and threw a punch that caught him on the left side of his jaw.
Michael shoved Max back out of the way, unwilling for the situation between him and Lance to be diverted.
Max rubbed his jaw as he ran his tongue over his teeth to make sure nothing had been knocked loose and he nodded in response to Michael’s warning look. It was his fight and he wanted it that way. No problem, Max thought. He could hold his own in a fight – and had when the occasion called for it – but he didn’t wanna scare the hell out of Liz by showing up at her door all battered and bruised.
“C’mon, Guerin,” Lance taunted as he faced off with his opponent again. “Let’s get this over with.”
“I’m just waitin’ for you to get up again, Pruitt,” Michael answered.
“I’m on my feet, what more d’you want?” He shook his head and judged the distance between them as he flexed his fist. Deciding that it was just the right distance he widened his stance and threw the punch.
Michael caught his fist with one hand and smirked at him. “That all you got?” he asked, tightening the grip abound his fist and shoving him. He didn’t notice one of Lance’s companions coming closer and Michael took a few steps backwards when the guy’s fist came into contact with his face.
He remained in a standing position, wiping away some blood form his lips and staring at the man who had just hit him. Kyle was already moving, and he grabbed the guy’s arms tight behind his body. “And who the hell are you?” Michael snarled.
“You mess with him, you mess with me,” the guy answered.
“That’s right, Guerin, you hear that? My buddy here’s got my back!” Lance crowed.
“So, you’re admitting that you don’t stand a chance against me alone?” Michael asked, amused. His face was hurting badly, but he ignored it.
“You’re not exactly alone, are you?” he asked, looking back and forth between Evans and Valenti.
“You stay where you are,” Kyle growled at the guy who had just hit Michael.
“And unlike your friend, mine didn’t step in and throw a punch.”
“He just hates you as much as I hate you.”
Michael leaned back against the counter behind him. “You wanna talk or you wanna fight, Pruitt?”
“Let’s go, Guerin.” Lance ran at Michael and launched himself at him, throwing wild punches. His intention was to do as much damage as possible before he took a disabling hit.
Kyle kept an eye on the guy that had interfered while watching the fight, wincing when Michael took a hard uppercut and he knew that would leave a mark.
Michael pulled all of his strength together and pushed Lance away from him so that the guy had to take several steps back and almost lost his balance, nearly falling to the ground before he caught himself. “Do us all a favor and get your ass off the team, Pruitt. You’re never gonna get my position.” He swung one fist, connecting with Lance’s jaw and the guy tumbled backwards. Michael grabbed him just before he fell to the ground, “and you’re never gonna get my woman!”
With that, he let go of him and threw another fist right into Lance’s face, satisfied when he fell to the ground. Michael walked back to the counter and sat down where he had been sitting before. He grabbed his drink and took a long sip of it before leaning back and sighing loudly.
“That was incredible sexy,” the bartender said, leaning over to have a look at his bruised face.
Kyle shoved the other guy after Lance. “Go on and get him to a doctor.”
Michael brushed the woman’s hands away, knowing that if it couldn’t be the woman he wanted touching him he wasn’t even interested.
“So, you were a lot calmer than I expected you to be,” Max commented.
“Yeah?” Michael asked with a smirk and quickly regretted it when he felt it pull at the cut on his lip.
“Uh-huh,” Kyle agreed, “what’s up with that? I expected you to seriously tear his ass up.”
“Yeah, and he expected it too, so it made him totally mad that I didn’t play it that way... And besides that, I need some strength left if I’m gonna face Maria.”
“Whatcha gonna do ‘bout that?” Kyle asked.
“Just show up at her place I guess.”
“Flowers,” Max said, snapping his fingers. “Take flowers.”
“Flowers?” Michael asked. “I don’t know, I’m not a flower kinda guy.”
“Exactly! She’ll never see it comin’.”
“Dude,” Kyle interrupted, shaking his head, “seriously, Guerin is not the kinda guy who shows up with flowers.”
“Exactly,” Michael said, mentally thanking Kyle for that. He doubted that Maria would really be a flower kinda girl either. “Besides, I don’t think there’s a flower in existence that says ‘I’m sorry I accused you of fuckin’ another guy… forgive me?’.”
“No, not flowers... somethin’, but not flowers,” Kyle mused. “Ah, you’ll think of somethin’ to pull your ass outta the fire, Michael.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Yeah, hopefully.”
Max finished his drink and leaned against the counter as he glanced at his friends. “Well, this has been a little slice of heaven, but I think I’m ready to go have Liz fuss over me for a while.”
“I guess I could use a new tee shirt,” Michael said, glancing down at himself.
“I just hope I’ve got somethin’ to throw over my seats because you’re a mess,” Kyle muttered.
“That bad, huh?”
“Bad enough, and no, you do not need to offer to strip down.” He shuddered, knowing that it would’ve been the next thing out of Guerin’s mouth.
“You gonna pick Tess up from the girl’s apartment?”
“Yup, least I can do since I changed plans on her earlier.” He nudged Michael with his elbow. “Although, unlike you, I actually do have a romantic bone in my body and I think I’ll stop and pick up some flowers.”
“Great, how bad am I gonna look if you get flowers for Tess and I’m gonna try to talk to Maria without anything?”
“Told you, Guerin,” Max said, slapping Michael on the back, “buy the flowers. I promise, it won’t make you less of a man.”
“I’ll just think of somethin’ else,” Michael decided. Maria wouldn’t be looking for flowers if he showed up like this at her place, would she?
*****
Tess opened the front door with flourish, expecting to be swept up in her boyfriend’s arms and whisked away to his apartment, and frowning when she noticed that he had company. “Um, Kyle?” she questioned, unable to hide the hint of annoyance that colored her tone when she saw Michael. “What is he doin’ here?”
“He has a name, you little witch,” Michael snarled, shoving his way inside. “Where’s Maria?”
“Like I would tell you,” she hissed. “How dare you treat her the way you did, make such horrible accusations and then just show up here like you think you have any right to see her?”
“I’m not the slightest bit interested in what you think.”
“She’s my best friend and I will not allow you to – “
“She’s my girlfriend.”
“Not what I heard.” She took a step back when he suddenly moved, towering over her. “You can see her after I warn her that you’re here,” she stated defiantly.
“Bullshit!”
Kyle squeezed in between them before Tess had enough time to gather her thoughts and mortally wound Michael with a well-placed kick. “Okay, hey, look… Michael, she’s right, man. Maria at least deserves fair warning that you’re here and she probably needs a few minutes to get herself together before she sees you.”
“Not that she’s gonna be happy to see your raggedy ass,” Tess muttered derisively as her eyes traveled over his face. “What the hell happened to you anyway?”
“Aw, I didn’t know you cared,” he snarled sarcastically.
“Only so far as they didn’t finish the job.” She shook her head at him and turned away. “I’ll just go let Maria know you’re here,” she called sweetly over her shoulder while shooting daggers at him.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
- Obsessed Roswellian
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am
Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 80 - 12/27/09
Earth2Mama: So, ya liked those lines, lol!
They do balance each other quite nicely, don’t they? Wow, your best friend, huh? She must be quite a character!
Liz has definitely stepped out of her shell. She’s a fast learner!
Yeah, Lance and his buddy both suck. Wishing for a bit of violence from Max, huh? LOL, yup, you did say that.
We’ll see about Maria’s reaction here pretty soon. Kyle and Tess… well, we only bet on a sure thing, so…
Alien_Friend: Yeah, that fight’s been coming for a while. Yeah, he’s reaching a point where he knows that running from an argument with Maria won’t solve it any faster.
She’s doing good, huh?
We’ll be looking for your return!
80s_UnLove_Child: Hang tough, we’re keeping to our updating schedule!
Pruitt’s best buddy… just another jerk.
LOL, looking forward to that, are ya?
begonia9508: It was about time for Lance to get his ass kicked!
kismet: We’re glad you got to read this for Christmas morning!
Liz is coming out of her shell quite nicely, isn’t she? The girls are very proud of her!
Yup, Michael’s starting to use that brain above his shoulders. He’s gonna do… oh, wait, we can’t tell you just yet!
The Christmas parts are extended, too, lol, and the whole gang will be there.
mary mary: Here’s hopin’ you can get your hands on your daught-in-law’s mother’s computer… we think we got that right!
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
Maiqu: Christmas shopping does have a way of cutting into everything else, doesn’t it? Ya know it’s gonna work out in time.
destinyc: They’re still learning. They’re gonna fix this and let their friends settle back down to do their own things. That’s coming, too.
keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!
Author's Note: 80s_UnLove_Child sent us a pm about a song, which fits for our candies in the next part. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16nIUMwcZXg
Maybe you wanna listen to it, while reading this part? Thanks for the song!
Part 80 – A Step In The Right Direction
Maria was lying on her bed, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a white tee shirt. She knew she looked like shit from all the crying she had done that day but who cared anyway? She reached for the remote to turn the volume on the depressing music down when she heard voices in the living room.
Tess barged in without bothering to knock, knowing that Maria would only ignore her or tell her to go away if she announced herself. “Your toad has arrived.”
Maria sat up a little. “Who?”
“Well, he’s not exactly in the range of prince charming right now, so I’m assuming that means he’s reverted back to his former status as a toad... anyway, his worthless, raggedy ass is waiting for you in the other room.” Okay, she had told herself she wasn’t going to choose sides, especially since she knew they both had valid arguments, but Maria was her friend first!
Maria shook her head. “No, tell him I don’t wanna see him right now.”
“Well, I can tell him that, but you know he’s not gonna listen.”
Maria glanced in the mirror next to her wardrobe. “Look at me, Tess; I look horrible. I can’t face him like this.”
“I bought you some time as far as that’s concerned, but I don’t know how long Kyle will be able to keep him out there.”
“Great,” Maria muttered. She didn’t have enough strength for another fight with him right now, but she knew he wouldn’t leave. Hopefully this wouldn’t make everything worse. “Fine,” she reached into her nightstand and grabbed a scrunchi to put her hair up in a ponytail, “let him in.”
Tess eyed her best friend doubtfully. “Um, seriously?”
“Like you said, Tess, he won’t listen to you anyway.”
“Well, no, he won’t listen to me, but... um... the scrunchi is your only effort to...” She waved her right hand uselessly, trying to convey the fact that Maria looked like the victim of a disaster without just saying it.
Maria rolled her eyes and walked over to the place where she had dropped a pair of jeans carelessly a little earlier. She changed into them and looked at her friend again. “I still look like shit, don’t I?”
“Look, Maria, y’know I love you, so please remember that when I tell you that...” She sighed because there was really no way around it. “Yes, you do.” She quickly held her hands up when Maria looked like she was on the verge of another meltdown. “But, hey, that could work in your favor here! He’s gonna take one look at you and feel like the low-down, dirty dog that he is.”
“Do me a favor and get out,” Maria said. Sometimes it would be alright if Tess could be just a little less honest with everyone.
Tess rolled her eyes and walked to the door. No one appreciated honesty, she thought. “I’m going and I’ll keep your boy busy for a few more minutes and then I’m gone for the night.”
“Okay, have fun,” Maria replied and she meant it.
“It would be impossible not to!”
“Yeah, ‘cause you have the perfect boyfriend, I know.”
“Well, I’m not tryin’ to brag or anything...” Oh, hell, who was she lying to? “Okay, he is perfect, and I make no apologies for that, but you wouldn’t be happy with a guy who didn’t have those rough edges that Michael has... you like that gruff exterior, that surly manner, and the only sucky thing about that is the fact that when you get into an argument he fights just as dirty as you do.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Maria answered quietly.
“Look,” Tess said, turning and closing the door because she certainly didn’t want the toad to hear what she was about to say, “I know you love him, Maria, and because I know that it means I’ve gotta believe that he’s worth the fight. Did I think that about Billy and the other couple of guys? Fuck, no! But you weren’t in love with them and you know it. So, don’t just take this lyin’ down, girl! Get up and fight for it if you want it – and I think we both know you’re not ready or willin’ to just let him go.” She snorted. “Despite your earlier declaration that it was over between you, I don’t think you believed it anymore than he did.”
Maria nodded, wiping away a few tears that had come with the realization that Tess was right. “I’m gonna fight.”
“He’s a complete and total ass and I’m mad at him for hurtin’ you like he did, but he’s the perfect fit for you, Maria, and I’d die if he ever found out, but I actually do like him.” She glanced over her shoulder as if checking to make sure that he wasn’t behind her. “Do not ever tell him I said that,” she insisted.
“Okay,” she answered, smirking.
“I’ll see if we can’t keep him occupied for a few minutes, give you a little time to get yourself together.”
“Thanks. Oh, hey, how does he look?” Please, tell me he looks at least a little worse than I do, Maria thought.
“Like he had a run-in with the ugly stick,” Tess said with a grin.
“Ha ha, that’s funny, Tess.”
“It is funny,” she agreed smugly, “and it’s true. I think he’s been in a fight; he’s got a split lip and a few bruises.”
Maria’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re serious?”
“Would I make that up?”
Maria sighed. What had happened now? “Okay, just let him in, I guess.”
Tess nodded and opened the door. “Alright, I’m gonna get my stuff and head out with Kyle. Chances are good that Liz will most likely go too, since Prince Charming showed up with Kyle and the toad.”
“Okay, I think that’s for the best since it could get down and dirty between me an’ Michael again.”
“Well, considering your personalities… let me go make sure that Liz is going with us before the next battle breaks out.”
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You might.” She winked. “Depends on how creative that man of mine’s feelin’ tonight.”
“Okay, out now!” She didn’t want to hear anything about that right now.
“I’m goin’!” Tess huffed indignantly when Maria practically shoved her out the door.
Maria leaned against the wall next to the door, taking several deep breathes to prepare for what was coming next.
Tess walked back out into the living room, glancing around when she noticed that Max was missing. Kyle was slouched down on the couch and Michael was pacing between the kitchen and living room like a caged animal. “Where’s Max?” she asked.
“He’s out on the balcony with Liz,” Kyle answered.
“Are you finished passin’ out the warnings?” Michael snapped when he heard her speak.
“I am,” she took a few steps forward, poking her index finger into his chest, “and Guerin, be nice to her or I’m gonna kick your ass.”
“You think I’m worried about anything you can do to me?” He shook his head as he stared into her eyes, seeing the warning there. “If she won’t listen to me, anything you could do to me won’t even matter.”
Tess knew the real meaning behind his words. Maria was all that mattered to him. She stepped aside and gestured in the direction of Maria’s bedroom while glaring at him.
He returned her glare and gave a sarcastic bow as he passed her. “Hope you’re not expectin’ a ‘thank you’, your highness.”
Tess walked over to sit next to Kyle. “We should leave before they start throwin’ things around the apartment.”
Kyle nodded. “Probably a good idea,” he agreed. “You gotta get your stuff together?”
“Yeah.” She stood up again and walked over to her own room.
He pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the sliding doors that led out onto the balcony and pushed one of them open. “Hey, we’ll be ready to roll in a few minutes,” he said.
Max glanced up at him and nodded, waiting for his roommate to go back inside before he looked down at Liz. She was standing in front of him, leaning on the railing as she looked out over the parking lot below. “So, ya wanna stay over at my place tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah, that sounds nice.”
“Sweet.” Max was enjoying taking his relationship with Liz slow and he had an entirely new appreciation for just taking the time and not rushing into anything. They slept together on occasion and had yet to do much more than fool around, but he had no desire to look for satisfaction elsewhere. He knew it would happen when the time was right, when she was ready, and he was content to wait for it.
“I just have to get my overnight bag.”
His smile was genuine and he was just about to lean in to kiss her when the door was pulled open again. He growled low in his throat, which drew a giggle from Liz, as he turned his head to glare at his roommate. “What, Kyle?”
“We’re gonna leave, are you ready?”
“Yeah, just give Liz a minute to grab her bag and we’ll be with you.”
“You think it’s safe to leave them here alone? Michael and Maria I mean?”
“They’re probably safer together than apart,” he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
“How was your boy’s night?”
“Couple drinks, a fight... it was a typical night out with the guys.”
“Fights are typical, huh?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”
She glanced at his jaw and detected a little bruise there. “And who hit you?”
“Pruitt. I was reachin’ down to get a bottle he had broken and he slugged me.”
“That’s the guy who claimed he had sex with Maria, right?”
“Um-hmm.”
“Does Michael still believe that?”
“No, but I think he’s got his work cut out for him with Maria.”
Liz nodded. “I missed you...”
“Yeah?” He braced his elbow on the wide railing and smiled at her. “I’m here now... whatcha gonna do with me?”
“Hmm... I don’t know,” she started playfully and tugged on his collar.
He glanced down, trying to follow her hand as she pulled him closer. “C’mon, you can tell me... you must have somethin’ in mind.”
She grinned. “It’s probably nothing we should do while our friends are waitin’ for us in the living room since they’re gonna come lookin’ for us again soon.”
“Oh, really?” He was enjoying the opportunity to see her expanding her own boundaries and he grinned at her. “So, what if you just tell me about it?”
“Well,” she leaned closer and nudged his cheek with her nose, “it would mean losing some of our clothes.”
“Give me details,” he growled. “Will we be losin’ the same pieces of clothing?”
“Uh-huh... first your tee shirt and my top. Our hands will wonder over each other’s naked upper bodies. And I’ll run my nails over your sides softly… and you know how that always raises goosebumps on your skin.”
Max chuckled. “You do know you’re makin’ it difficult for me to walk outta here, right?”
“Evans, what the fuck are ya waitin’ for? Either you start moving now or we’re gonna leave without you,” Kyle barked from the living room.
“Somebody’s in a damn pissy mood,” he muttered, aiming a glare at his roommate through the doors.
“I’d better get my stuff then, huh?”
“Yeah, the sooner we get outta here the sooner we can ditch my roommate and get busy losin’ our clothes.”
Liz laughed at his eager response and leaned in for a quick kiss before taking his hand and leading him back inside.
*****
Michael bit his lip nervously and then winced at the quick pain that reminded him it had already taken enough abuse for one night. He stared at the door to Maria’s room, taking notice of the fact that it was closed. Not exactly an invitation, he thought as he debated whether to knock or just walk in.
After a moment of indecision he shook his head and reached for the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open. Maria was standing at her desk, staring out through the window over it, and even though they weren’t exactly getting along he couldn’t help but let his gaze wander over her appreciatively.
He closed the door quietly, but it made just enough of a sound to draw her attention and she turned to look at him. The look in her dull green eyes hit him like a sucker punch and he was glad the door was at his back to provide support. Her features were ravaged by emotions and he felt his heart twist painfully in his chest at the realization that he was responsible for the pain he could see in her expression.
Maria stared at him in shock. He looked much worse than Tess had described.
What was he supposed to say? ‘I’m sorry’ just seemed so lame and somehow, so not enough. “So, um...” He reached up to scratch his eyebrow with his thumb. “I don’t, uh, I don’t really know where to start here, Maria.” He paused when she asked a question instead of responding to his stuttered beginning.
“What happened to your face?” Maria asked hoarsely. She wrapped her arms around herself uncomfortably when she noticed the way Michael was staring at her.
“Huh?” It took him a moment to put her question together. “Oh, I, uh...” Shit, was this gonna make things better or worse? He had no idea, but he knew he had to be honest with her. “I ran into Lance.”
Maria had expected that answer. “And? Who won?”
He tried to control it, he really did, but in the end he couldn’t stop himself from standing up straighter and his chest swelled up. “I kicked his ass.”
“Did you start the fight?”
“No, but I finished it.”
“He’s still alive, right?”
“I’d assume so... he had to still be breathin’ to crawl outta the bar, right?”
“Go into the bathroom; we should clean those cuts.”
“I’m not really worried about a few cuts, Maria,” he started.
“I know you aren’t. But, I’m the daughter of a nurse, so move.”
He stood, stubbornly rooted to the spot. “I’m not tryin’ to start another fight here, but, I’m thinkin’ my face isn’t anywhere near as important as what happened earlier and maybe we should talk about it...”
“We can talk while I have a look at your face, can’t we?” God, why was he so stubborn all the time?
“Okay,” he said uncertainly. Maybe it would be better to just let her have her way because the other option was surely going to lead them right into another argument.
She followed him into the bathroom and got some antiseptics out of the medicine cabinet. “You can sit down on the edge of the tub and take your shirt off, it’s got blood all over it.”
“Think you can control yourself if I’m showin’ that much skin?” he asked and immediately kicked himself for the question. She wasn’t gonna find that amusing, he thought.
She glared at him. Did he really think that she was having one single sexual thought right now? “You’ll be surprised at how much control I’m gonna have.”
“Oh,” he mumbled, disappointed. “So, um... about what happened earlier...”
She walked over to him and placed the stuff she needed to attend to his wounds next to him on the edge of the tub. She turned his head slightly so she could have a better look at the temple, where the bottle had hit him earlier. “Go on, Michael, I’m listening.”
Okay, you’ve got her attention, Guerin, now tell her how you’re sorry for being such a dick. He averted his gaze as he realized just how ashamed he was of jumping to the conclusion he had jumped to. “Right, um... where should I start...” He was talking to himself, but he would be more than happy if she started the conversation.
Maria took some of the absorbent cotton and soaked it with the antiseptic to place it carefully over the scratches that the glass had left on his skin. “Maybe you can tell me first if you still think I cheated on you?”
Michael swallowed hard and shook his head. “No, and if I had been thinkin’ clearly earlier I wouldn’t have ever thought that.”
Maria nodded, satisfied. “The circumstances were bad and I still don’t know how Lance could know anything about my tattoo, but seriously, Michael, how could you think I would cheat on you after all we’ve been through the last few weeks?”
“You cancelled on me last night, Maria, and you wouldn’t tell me where you were,” he blurted out and then shook his head. “I’m not makin’ accusations here, I’m just statin’ facts. Then you told me you had to tell me somethin’ and I found those pregnancy tests under your bed... when Lance hit me with that the pieces just all fell together and I lost it.”
She turned his face in her direction to get a better look at the cut on his bottom lip. “I’m totally content with what I get from you, Michael; there’s no need for another man in my life, especially not someone like Lance.”
Michael nodded. “I should’ve trusted you, Maria... I know that and there’s nothin’ I can do to take that back. I just... the thought that any other guy had put his hands on you made me see red. It pissed me off, it hurt, and I didn’t deal with it very well... I know that.”
Maria took a deep breath. “Me neither. I mean, it’s your first relationship, right? And maybe I expected too much from you. There haven’t been many people in your life who were worth trusting, so I understand that this isn’t easy for you.”
Michael reached up to take her hands and he held them under his chin as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against her stomach. “I don’t want you to stop expecting that stuff from me, Maria... you make me more than I am and I need that.” He took a deep breath. “I need it and you deserve it from me.”
She could feel his words melting her heart and she had a hard time not just bending down and wrapping her arms around him to kiss him. “I... I didn’t mean it when I told you that you don’t have a girlfriend anymore.” She couldn’t help it, she had to make sure that he knew that.
He was relieved and he was sure it showed. “That’s okay. I meant it when I said I wasn’t lettin’ you break up with me.”
“Michael, about those pregnancy tests... I still can’t tell you the story behind them, but I promise you they’re not mine.”
“I talked to Isabel earlier this evening, so I know why you couldn’t tell me about them.”
“She told you?”
“She told me,” he said, nodding.
Maria was relieved that he knew. Now, there was only one big secret between them... “So, relieved that it wasn’t me, huh?” Maria asked.
“Well, I could lie here, but you’d see right through it anyway.” He shrugged one shoulder. “We're not ready for kids, we both know that, and just so you know, it’s not that I don’t want kids or anything... I just... I honestly don’t want kids now or right away in the near future, Maria. I’ve got a lot of stuff in my past that I need to deal with before I’ll ever be in a position where I can say I’m ready for that.”
“You’ll be a good dad someday,” she whispered, knowing that he wouldn’t believe it as long as he didn’t know the truth about his own family.
“What if I’m not?” he asked, feeling the old insecurities rearing their ugly head. “What if I lose my temper and...” He shook his head, unable to finish vocalizing the thought.
Maria shook her head. It hurt to see him like this. “You would never raise a hand against me or your child, baby.”
“There’re studies that say it’s genetic,” he said, admitting something he had never told another soul. The fear that he could turn out like Hank was one that he lived with everyday; it was a shadow that he couldn’t escape. He had spent countless hours doing research on the subject and while the majority of the research indicated that abuse wasn’t genetic, there was enough suggestion that it was to make him worry about it.
God, I desperately need to tell him, Maria thought. She placed one hand on his head and drove her fingers through his hair. What could she tell him that would make him feel better?
“God, I’m so tired,” he mumbled, realizing just how true it was in that moment. He was exhausted in every way possible – physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“You wanna go to bed?”
“You gonna let me hold you?” he asked.
She was still far from being okay and this big secret between them was still there, too. She felt horrible about it. But on the other hand, she missed him and his touch and she could feel that he needed it, too. He would be hurt if she said no to his request and it would just be more proof for him that he wasn’t worth being loved. No, she couldn’t do that to him. “Yeah,” she answered quietly.
He just nodded, scared that if he opened his mouth he would say something that would start another fight.
She took his hand and guided him back to her bedroom again. “Does it hurt bad?” She gestured to the bruises on his sides. “I can get you some painkillers.”
“No, you’re all the painkiller I need, baby.”
“Okay.” She walked over to her wardrobe and changed into a pair of comfortable shorts and a shirt for the night.
“Can I strip down to my boxers, or would you rather...” He felt stupid for asking, but what if she wasn’t comfortable with him anymore?
“No, it’s okay.”
He nodded in relief and he unbuckled his belt, undid the snap and zipper and sat down when he realized that his side was more tender than he had realized before.
Maria watched him. Of course, he would never admit how much in pain he was really in. She walked over to him and crouched down in front of him. “Let me help you.”
“I can get it,” he insisted, feeling unworthy of her caring attention.
She looked up at him. “It’s okay, Michael,” she assured him as she reached for the hem of his jeans to pull them down and over his feet.
A part of him wanted to refuse her help, but that bigger part that craved her attention, her care... her love, that part of him shoved the other part back down and he allowed her to pull his jeans off of him.
She stood up straight again and walked over to the bathroom. “You can go ahead and lay down. I’m just gonna try to wash the blood out of your shirt. I’ll be right back.” She glanced into the mirror in front of the sink. “You have to tell him the truth,” she whispered to her reflection.
Michael shifted around to work his way under the covers while making the smallest effort possible. He grabbed a pillow and fussed with it until it was fluffy enough for his liking and then he laid back to wait for Maria.
The exhaustion that he had just recognized quickly took note of the fact that he was lying down and his eyes slowly slid closed to the sound of water running and Maria whispering to herself. Probably cursing him for making such a mess of things, he thought as sleep finally pulled him under.
She walked back to her bedroom after a few minutes and realized that he was already asleep. Making as little movement or sound as possible, she switched the lights off and sat down on the other side of her bed, pulling her feet under the blanket and shifting carefully to lie down.
Michael sensed her presence even though he was sound asleep and he shifted closer to her, his body automatically seeking hers out. His brow pulled down in a slight frown until his arm draped over her and he felt her body settle snugly against his. Contentment eased the frown lines and he snuffled against her neck as his entire body relaxed into restful sleep.
*****
Max wasn’t paying any attention to the movie they had all agreed to watch; he could’ve been staring at a blank screen and been just as happy. He was lying on the couch, head resting on his right arm where it was folded under him, and Liz was curled up next to him, pressed between him and the back of the couch. His left arm was curled around her waist, his hand comfortably attached to her backside, and he was so pleased that she no longer jumped in surprise when his hand would settle there.
She was watching the movie, but her left hand had a mind of its own and it was currently in the process of pushing the unbuttoned panels of his shirt aside. He controlled the urge to laugh when she encountered more material and it provided just enough distraction to draw her attention away from the movie. Liz frowned as she looked down at Max and she shook her head. “Why do you always wear a tee shirt under your shirts?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I like the way it looks. And I love the way you get so frustrated with it and it focuses those brown eyes on me.”
She smiled, satisfied with his answer and leaned forward to steal a quick kiss from him.
“Hey you two, you decided to watch this boring movie and now you’re not even payin’ any attention to it,” Kyle complained.
“Nobody told you to hang around and watch it,” Max said, barely sparing a glance at Kyle and Tess where they were wedged into the recliner.
“Be nice, Max,” Liz chastised with a smile. “We all agreed on the movie, but we are the ones who picked it out.”
“Hey, Evans, you give any thought about my idea for Christmas? You interested in my earlier suggestion?”
“I don’t know.” He looked at Liz and he wondered if she had any idea what she did to him. “What would you think about spendin’ Christmas – all of us, together – at a cabin up in the mountains?”
Liz’s eyes glistened with excitement. “That would be cool. My family’s refusing to talk to me anyway.”
He pulled his right arm from under his head so he could reach up to cup her cheek in his hand. “I’m sorry you’ve gotta deal with that, darlin’.”
Liz placed her hand over his. “It’s okay. Actually it feels kinda freeing, you know?”
“Freeing?” Max asked, gently mocking her.
“My parents always told me what to do, even after I turned 18. So, yeah, it’s freeing to decide what I want on my own.”
Max’s dark eyes met Liz’s gaze and he saw the twinkle of happiness there, the look of excitement and he smiled at her. “So, now that you’re deciding what you wanna do all on your own... got anything in mind?”
“Have you ever had sex out in the snow?” Tess whispered, looking into her boyfriend’s eyes as she bit his earlobe playfully.
Kyle eyed her curiously. “In the snow? Like, actually outside, in that white stuff that falls from the sky? Where it’s cold enough to freeze my nuts off? As much as my dick and I both love you, I don’t think that’s the kinda exposure it’d appreciate,” he growled back.
“Babe, I swear, I would never let your nuts freeze off.” She shifted lightly in her position, brushing her knee carefully against his cock.
Kyle had a feeling he was going to end up with his bare ass in the snow at some point over Christmas. He just knew she was going to talk him into having sex in the snow and the family jewels were gonna react predictably and refuse to come out and play. No reason to worry about that now, he thought as her knee brushed against him. He could deal with that particular fear later; right now there were no issues with shrinkage... matter of fact, he thought smugly, there was a serious lack of room behind his zipper. “I think I’ve got a problem that needs your personal brand of attention,” he whispered as he let his fingers dip into her waistband to tease the bare skin below.
“Uh-huh, what about goin’ to your room?” Tess breathed against his lips.
Kyle’s eyes shot up to collide with his girlfriend’s ice blue gaze. “Let’s go while I can still walk.”
Liz looked up when the other couple disappeared into their room. “Well, I think we should go to your room.”
“Just be glad my room’s at the opposite end of the apartment,” he muttered as he helped her up.
*****
Isabel sat down on the couch next to Alex and rested her head on his shoulder. “What’re we watchin’?”
Alex glanced up at the television that he hadn’t been paying much attention to and studied it for several minutes. “Uh, I really have no idea.”
She laughed. “Where were your thoughts the last ten minutes or so while you were starin’ at the television?”
He smiled and glanced down at the notebook he had been sketching in. “Wonderin’ what was botherin’ Michael; he seemed like he had somethin’ on his mind.”
“He had a big fight with Maria,” Isabel told him. She laughed when she saw the surprised look on his face. “He told me earlier, when we were alone in the kitchen.”
“Must’ve been a bad fight... is he okay?”
“Not too bad, I think. He got jealous because of some things that didn’t add up and Maria broke up with him. But I think it was just an overheated reaction, you know?”
He cleared his throat, wondering how to phrase his next question. “I know she’s your friend, so don’t take this the wrong way, but, I’ve seen the way he is with her and... can she be trusted with his heart?”
“Maria would never hurt him intentionally, Alex. And, yeah, you can totally trust her here.”
“He just doesn’t trust easily, y’know? And I don’t wanna see him get hurt anymore.” He sighed. “I don’t want to see any of them get hurt again.”
“He’s changed a lot since he’s been with Maria. We know that and she knows it, too. They were both overreacting during their fight, but I’m sure they’ll work it out again. Um, Alex, there’s somethin’ I need to tell you.”
He looked at her when he heard her tone, and his eyebrows lifted. “What is it, honey?”
“Y’know, one of the reasons for their fight was because he found some pregnancy tests under Maria’s bed...”
“You told him about Hector,” he guessed.
“I had to, he didn’t believe the story Maria told him.”
“That’s okay, I’m fine with that. Now, we just need to figure out when we’re gonna tell the others.”
“What about your birthday? You know I was a little scared how they were gonna react. Especially with Michael, but he seemed pretty cool with it.”
“Michael loves kids... he acts all rough and tough, but get him around kids and you’ll see the difference.” He thought about her other question and he nodded. “Yeah, we could tell everyone on my birthday.”
“I’m sure you’ll be really fantastic with Hector.” She leaned in and placed a tender kiss on his cheek.
“Speakin’ of Hector...” He held the notebook out to her, showing her the sketches he had been working on. “I was thinkin’ about makin’ some changes to the office so we can convert it into a nursery.”
She looked over it with excitement. “Oh, my God, I love it.” Isabel hugged him tightly. “You’re the best man in the world, honey.”
“Yeah? I thought maybe we could include the others; Michael knows about architecture and Brendan and Brooke could help with the design or painting or somethin’... or would that be too much?”
“No, it would be a little bit of everyone. That’s a great idea.”
Alex pulled her close and kissed her. “I’m full of great ideas... wanna hear another one?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Brooke’s sound asleep and the dogs have been out for the last time for the night, which means we’re all alone...”
“Well, what’re we waitin’ for then?” She stood up and walked in the direction of the bedroom.
“Nothin',” he said, turning the television off, pulling his glasses off and tossing them on the coffee table before scrambling after her.
*****
Maria blinked a few times when she woke up the next morning. A glance at her watch told her that it was still early. She shifted lightly and realized that she wasn’t alone in her bed. She suddenly remembered everything that had happened the last couple of days and she wished she could just go back to sleep for a while longer.
Michael was still sound asleep and she didn’t want to wake him up because she knew what was coming... what had to come. She had to tell him the truth about where she had been the night he had thought she had cheated on him. He deserved to know the truth. She was just scared that it would make things go back to bad between them again.
She turned lightly to rest on her back and she glanced over at him. His face showed a lot of bruises and cuts and they would definitely start to hurt after he woke up. She let her fingers trail over his shoulder. Hopefully he would sleep a little longer, she thought, before she had to tell him something that was probably going to change his life. She wondered if he was having a nightmare again because his breathing was unsettled every now and then and she took one of his hands in hers.
Michael mumbled in his sleep but the familiar touch had him relaxing once more and he shifted, throwing his arm over Maria.
He hovered in that nice, warm, comfortable place that existed in the realm of dreamless sleep and wakefulness and he resisted the pull of the sunlight that he somehow knew was waiting for him once he opened his eyes.
Michael finally gave in to the pull of the sunlight filtering in through the windows, making a face as he burrowed in closer to the warmth surrounding him. His fuzzy brain registered two things – one, that the warmth belonged to Maria and two, Mike Jr. was very happy about that.
A third thought quickly followed on the heels of the first two and he remembered that things still weren’t completely right between them. That little mental warning disappointed Mike Jr. just enough to curb his enthusiasm and Michael made a face before rolling over onto his back and running his hands through his hair.
“G’mornin’,” he rumbled before rolling out of bed and making his way to the bathroom.
“Mornin’,” Maria replied, her heartbeat raised with the realization that she couldn’t avoid telling him any longer.
“You got coffee?” he called as he dug around in the drawers for a new toothbrush. Girls always had extra stuff lying around and a guy just never knew when his luck would change.
“Yeah,” she responded from the bedroom while changing into some shorts and a tank top. “I’m gonna make some.”
Michael nodded at his reflection as his hand closed around a brand new, still-wrapped toothbrush. He pulled the plastic wrapper off and slid it out of the thin cardboard packaging, glancing down when he realized that it felt different. He rolled his eyes when he saw the Scooby Doo handle. It had to be Maria’s, he thought.
He brushed his teeth, deciding that the cartoon character wrapped around the handle was appropriate. Morning breath, dog breath... same difference, he mused.
He wandered out into the hallway and followed it to the kitchen where he could hear Maria moving around. The scent of coffee hung in the air and, since coffee was something that went with breakfast and that meant food, his stomach growled in interest.
“You want somethin’ to eat?” Maria asked when she heard him behind her.
If things were normal between them he would’ve walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulled her back against him and suggested something more satisfying than breakfast. Instead, he changed his route at the last minute and settled down on one of the barstools and leaned forward to rest his forearms on the counter.
Her tone was just hesitant enough to let him know that they still had talking to do and that set his stomach to churning. “Nah, well, maybe a couple pieces of toast.”
She nodded. “Okay,” she agreed and started to look around the kitchen for the things she needed. After several minutes she was finished preparing the food and coffee and she placed it all on the counter in front of him. She took a seat of her own and grabbed her own mug of coffee. She couldn’t even think of eating anything right now.
“Thanks.” Michael ate in silence and then washed the toast down with a drink of the coffee. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was on her mind just because her expression was worrying him. He had a bad feeling she was going to tell him something he didn’t want to know.
He took a deep breath and pushed his plate back as he turned to face her. “Okay, you’ve still got somethin’ on your mind, so...” He shrugged. “Hit me with it before I run outta here because the way you keep starin’ at me’s makin’ me nervous as hell.”
Maria took a shaky breath and nodded. “You remember when I said I had to tell you somethin’, uh, the night you found those pregnancy tests under my bed...” She looked down at the counter, her hands fumbling with her cup of coffee.
His heart started to pound, but he refused to give in to that little voice telling him to run as fast and as far as he could in the opposite direction. He reached out and covered her hand, stopping her nervous movements. “You might as well just put it out there... we’ve made it this far, Maria.”
She shook her head, pulled her hands back and walked around the kitchen nervously. “You’re gonna be so mad at me, Michael.”
She looked out of the window for several long seconds before turning back to him again. “Okay, the reason why I canceled on you the other night was because something... someone came to me and wanted to talk.”
“Someone wanted to talk to you,” he said slowly. “Okay, so why’s that such a big deal? So you talked to...” His heart pounded against the wall of his chest and he shook his head as the pieces began to fall into place once again. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions again, but he had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that he was right this time. “You talked to my mother.”
Maria just nodded, preparing herself for the screaming that she knew was coming.
They do balance each other quite nicely, don’t they? Wow, your best friend, huh? She must be quite a character!
Liz has definitely stepped out of her shell. She’s a fast learner!
Yeah, Lance and his buddy both suck. Wishing for a bit of violence from Max, huh? LOL, yup, you did say that.
We’ll see about Maria’s reaction here pretty soon. Kyle and Tess… well, we only bet on a sure thing, so…
Alien_Friend: Yeah, that fight’s been coming for a while. Yeah, he’s reaching a point where he knows that running from an argument with Maria won’t solve it any faster.
She’s doing good, huh?
We’ll be looking for your return!
80s_UnLove_Child: Hang tough, we’re keeping to our updating schedule!
Pruitt’s best buddy… just another jerk.
LOL, looking forward to that, are ya?
begonia9508: It was about time for Lance to get his ass kicked!
kismet: We’re glad you got to read this for Christmas morning!
Liz is coming out of her shell quite nicely, isn’t she? The girls are very proud of her!
Yup, Michael’s starting to use that brain above his shoulders. He’s gonna do… oh, wait, we can’t tell you just yet!
The Christmas parts are extended, too, lol, and the whole gang will be there.
mary mary: Here’s hopin’ you can get your hands on your daught-in-law’s mother’s computer… we think we got that right!
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
Maiqu: Christmas shopping does have a way of cutting into everything else, doesn’t it? Ya know it’s gonna work out in time.
destinyc: They’re still learning. They’re gonna fix this and let their friends settle back down to do their own things. That’s coming, too.
keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!
Author's Note: 80s_UnLove_Child sent us a pm about a song, which fits for our candies in the next part. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16nIUMwcZXg
Maybe you wanna listen to it, while reading this part? Thanks for the song!
Part 80 – A Step In The Right Direction
Maria was lying on her bed, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a white tee shirt. She knew she looked like shit from all the crying she had done that day but who cared anyway? She reached for the remote to turn the volume on the depressing music down when she heard voices in the living room.
Tess barged in without bothering to knock, knowing that Maria would only ignore her or tell her to go away if she announced herself. “Your toad has arrived.”
Maria sat up a little. “Who?”
“Well, he’s not exactly in the range of prince charming right now, so I’m assuming that means he’s reverted back to his former status as a toad... anyway, his worthless, raggedy ass is waiting for you in the other room.” Okay, she had told herself she wasn’t going to choose sides, especially since she knew they both had valid arguments, but Maria was her friend first!
Maria shook her head. “No, tell him I don’t wanna see him right now.”
“Well, I can tell him that, but you know he’s not gonna listen.”
Maria glanced in the mirror next to her wardrobe. “Look at me, Tess; I look horrible. I can’t face him like this.”
“I bought you some time as far as that’s concerned, but I don’t know how long Kyle will be able to keep him out there.”
“Great,” Maria muttered. She didn’t have enough strength for another fight with him right now, but she knew he wouldn’t leave. Hopefully this wouldn’t make everything worse. “Fine,” she reached into her nightstand and grabbed a scrunchi to put her hair up in a ponytail, “let him in.”
Tess eyed her best friend doubtfully. “Um, seriously?”
“Like you said, Tess, he won’t listen to you anyway.”
“Well, no, he won’t listen to me, but... um... the scrunchi is your only effort to...” She waved her right hand uselessly, trying to convey the fact that Maria looked like the victim of a disaster without just saying it.
Maria rolled her eyes and walked over to the place where she had dropped a pair of jeans carelessly a little earlier. She changed into them and looked at her friend again. “I still look like shit, don’t I?”
“Look, Maria, y’know I love you, so please remember that when I tell you that...” She sighed because there was really no way around it. “Yes, you do.” She quickly held her hands up when Maria looked like she was on the verge of another meltdown. “But, hey, that could work in your favor here! He’s gonna take one look at you and feel like the low-down, dirty dog that he is.”
“Do me a favor and get out,” Maria said. Sometimes it would be alright if Tess could be just a little less honest with everyone.
Tess rolled her eyes and walked to the door. No one appreciated honesty, she thought. “I’m going and I’ll keep your boy busy for a few more minutes and then I’m gone for the night.”
“Okay, have fun,” Maria replied and she meant it.
“It would be impossible not to!”
“Yeah, ‘cause you have the perfect boyfriend, I know.”
“Well, I’m not tryin’ to brag or anything...” Oh, hell, who was she lying to? “Okay, he is perfect, and I make no apologies for that, but you wouldn’t be happy with a guy who didn’t have those rough edges that Michael has... you like that gruff exterior, that surly manner, and the only sucky thing about that is the fact that when you get into an argument he fights just as dirty as you do.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Maria answered quietly.
“Look,” Tess said, turning and closing the door because she certainly didn’t want the toad to hear what she was about to say, “I know you love him, Maria, and because I know that it means I’ve gotta believe that he’s worth the fight. Did I think that about Billy and the other couple of guys? Fuck, no! But you weren’t in love with them and you know it. So, don’t just take this lyin’ down, girl! Get up and fight for it if you want it – and I think we both know you’re not ready or willin’ to just let him go.” She snorted. “Despite your earlier declaration that it was over between you, I don’t think you believed it anymore than he did.”
Maria nodded, wiping away a few tears that had come with the realization that Tess was right. “I’m gonna fight.”
“He’s a complete and total ass and I’m mad at him for hurtin’ you like he did, but he’s the perfect fit for you, Maria, and I’d die if he ever found out, but I actually do like him.” She glanced over her shoulder as if checking to make sure that he wasn’t behind her. “Do not ever tell him I said that,” she insisted.
“Okay,” she answered, smirking.
“I’ll see if we can’t keep him occupied for a few minutes, give you a little time to get yourself together.”
“Thanks. Oh, hey, how does he look?” Please, tell me he looks at least a little worse than I do, Maria thought.
“Like he had a run-in with the ugly stick,” Tess said with a grin.
“Ha ha, that’s funny, Tess.”
“It is funny,” she agreed smugly, “and it’s true. I think he’s been in a fight; he’s got a split lip and a few bruises.”
Maria’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re serious?”
“Would I make that up?”
Maria sighed. What had happened now? “Okay, just let him in, I guess.”
Tess nodded and opened the door. “Alright, I’m gonna get my stuff and head out with Kyle. Chances are good that Liz will most likely go too, since Prince Charming showed up with Kyle and the toad.”
“Okay, I think that’s for the best since it could get down and dirty between me an’ Michael again.”
“Well, considering your personalities… let me go make sure that Liz is going with us before the next battle breaks out.”
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You might.” She winked. “Depends on how creative that man of mine’s feelin’ tonight.”
“Okay, out now!” She didn’t want to hear anything about that right now.
“I’m goin’!” Tess huffed indignantly when Maria practically shoved her out the door.
Maria leaned against the wall next to the door, taking several deep breathes to prepare for what was coming next.
Tess walked back out into the living room, glancing around when she noticed that Max was missing. Kyle was slouched down on the couch and Michael was pacing between the kitchen and living room like a caged animal. “Where’s Max?” she asked.
“He’s out on the balcony with Liz,” Kyle answered.
“Are you finished passin’ out the warnings?” Michael snapped when he heard her speak.
“I am,” she took a few steps forward, poking her index finger into his chest, “and Guerin, be nice to her or I’m gonna kick your ass.”
“You think I’m worried about anything you can do to me?” He shook his head as he stared into her eyes, seeing the warning there. “If she won’t listen to me, anything you could do to me won’t even matter.”
Tess knew the real meaning behind his words. Maria was all that mattered to him. She stepped aside and gestured in the direction of Maria’s bedroom while glaring at him.
He returned her glare and gave a sarcastic bow as he passed her. “Hope you’re not expectin’ a ‘thank you’, your highness.”
Tess walked over to sit next to Kyle. “We should leave before they start throwin’ things around the apartment.”
Kyle nodded. “Probably a good idea,” he agreed. “You gotta get your stuff together?”
“Yeah.” She stood up again and walked over to her own room.
He pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the sliding doors that led out onto the balcony and pushed one of them open. “Hey, we’ll be ready to roll in a few minutes,” he said.
Max glanced up at him and nodded, waiting for his roommate to go back inside before he looked down at Liz. She was standing in front of him, leaning on the railing as she looked out over the parking lot below. “So, ya wanna stay over at my place tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah, that sounds nice.”
“Sweet.” Max was enjoying taking his relationship with Liz slow and he had an entirely new appreciation for just taking the time and not rushing into anything. They slept together on occasion and had yet to do much more than fool around, but he had no desire to look for satisfaction elsewhere. He knew it would happen when the time was right, when she was ready, and he was content to wait for it.
“I just have to get my overnight bag.”
His smile was genuine and he was just about to lean in to kiss her when the door was pulled open again. He growled low in his throat, which drew a giggle from Liz, as he turned his head to glare at his roommate. “What, Kyle?”
“We’re gonna leave, are you ready?”
“Yeah, just give Liz a minute to grab her bag and we’ll be with you.”
“You think it’s safe to leave them here alone? Michael and Maria I mean?”
“They’re probably safer together than apart,” he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
“How was your boy’s night?”
“Couple drinks, a fight... it was a typical night out with the guys.”
“Fights are typical, huh?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”
She glanced at his jaw and detected a little bruise there. “And who hit you?”
“Pruitt. I was reachin’ down to get a bottle he had broken and he slugged me.”
“That’s the guy who claimed he had sex with Maria, right?”
“Um-hmm.”
“Does Michael still believe that?”
“No, but I think he’s got his work cut out for him with Maria.”
Liz nodded. “I missed you...”
“Yeah?” He braced his elbow on the wide railing and smiled at her. “I’m here now... whatcha gonna do with me?”
“Hmm... I don’t know,” she started playfully and tugged on his collar.
He glanced down, trying to follow her hand as she pulled him closer. “C’mon, you can tell me... you must have somethin’ in mind.”
She grinned. “It’s probably nothing we should do while our friends are waitin’ for us in the living room since they’re gonna come lookin’ for us again soon.”
“Oh, really?” He was enjoying the opportunity to see her expanding her own boundaries and he grinned at her. “So, what if you just tell me about it?”
“Well,” she leaned closer and nudged his cheek with her nose, “it would mean losing some of our clothes.”
“Give me details,” he growled. “Will we be losin’ the same pieces of clothing?”
“Uh-huh... first your tee shirt and my top. Our hands will wonder over each other’s naked upper bodies. And I’ll run my nails over your sides softly… and you know how that always raises goosebumps on your skin.”
Max chuckled. “You do know you’re makin’ it difficult for me to walk outta here, right?”
“Evans, what the fuck are ya waitin’ for? Either you start moving now or we’re gonna leave without you,” Kyle barked from the living room.
“Somebody’s in a damn pissy mood,” he muttered, aiming a glare at his roommate through the doors.
“I’d better get my stuff then, huh?”
“Yeah, the sooner we get outta here the sooner we can ditch my roommate and get busy losin’ our clothes.”
Liz laughed at his eager response and leaned in for a quick kiss before taking his hand and leading him back inside.
*****
Michael bit his lip nervously and then winced at the quick pain that reminded him it had already taken enough abuse for one night. He stared at the door to Maria’s room, taking notice of the fact that it was closed. Not exactly an invitation, he thought as he debated whether to knock or just walk in.
After a moment of indecision he shook his head and reached for the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open. Maria was standing at her desk, staring out through the window over it, and even though they weren’t exactly getting along he couldn’t help but let his gaze wander over her appreciatively.
He closed the door quietly, but it made just enough of a sound to draw her attention and she turned to look at him. The look in her dull green eyes hit him like a sucker punch and he was glad the door was at his back to provide support. Her features were ravaged by emotions and he felt his heart twist painfully in his chest at the realization that he was responsible for the pain he could see in her expression.
Maria stared at him in shock. He looked much worse than Tess had described.
What was he supposed to say? ‘I’m sorry’ just seemed so lame and somehow, so not enough. “So, um...” He reached up to scratch his eyebrow with his thumb. “I don’t, uh, I don’t really know where to start here, Maria.” He paused when she asked a question instead of responding to his stuttered beginning.
“What happened to your face?” Maria asked hoarsely. She wrapped her arms around herself uncomfortably when she noticed the way Michael was staring at her.
“Huh?” It took him a moment to put her question together. “Oh, I, uh...” Shit, was this gonna make things better or worse? He had no idea, but he knew he had to be honest with her. “I ran into Lance.”
Maria had expected that answer. “And? Who won?”
He tried to control it, he really did, but in the end he couldn’t stop himself from standing up straighter and his chest swelled up. “I kicked his ass.”
“Did you start the fight?”
“No, but I finished it.”
“He’s still alive, right?”
“I’d assume so... he had to still be breathin’ to crawl outta the bar, right?”
“Go into the bathroom; we should clean those cuts.”
“I’m not really worried about a few cuts, Maria,” he started.
“I know you aren’t. But, I’m the daughter of a nurse, so move.”
He stood, stubbornly rooted to the spot. “I’m not tryin’ to start another fight here, but, I’m thinkin’ my face isn’t anywhere near as important as what happened earlier and maybe we should talk about it...”
“We can talk while I have a look at your face, can’t we?” God, why was he so stubborn all the time?
“Okay,” he said uncertainly. Maybe it would be better to just let her have her way because the other option was surely going to lead them right into another argument.
She followed him into the bathroom and got some antiseptics out of the medicine cabinet. “You can sit down on the edge of the tub and take your shirt off, it’s got blood all over it.”
“Think you can control yourself if I’m showin’ that much skin?” he asked and immediately kicked himself for the question. She wasn’t gonna find that amusing, he thought.
She glared at him. Did he really think that she was having one single sexual thought right now? “You’ll be surprised at how much control I’m gonna have.”
“Oh,” he mumbled, disappointed. “So, um... about what happened earlier...”
She walked over to him and placed the stuff she needed to attend to his wounds next to him on the edge of the tub. She turned his head slightly so she could have a better look at the temple, where the bottle had hit him earlier. “Go on, Michael, I’m listening.”
Okay, you’ve got her attention, Guerin, now tell her how you’re sorry for being such a dick. He averted his gaze as he realized just how ashamed he was of jumping to the conclusion he had jumped to. “Right, um... where should I start...” He was talking to himself, but he would be more than happy if she started the conversation.
Maria took some of the absorbent cotton and soaked it with the antiseptic to place it carefully over the scratches that the glass had left on his skin. “Maybe you can tell me first if you still think I cheated on you?”
Michael swallowed hard and shook his head. “No, and if I had been thinkin’ clearly earlier I wouldn’t have ever thought that.”
Maria nodded, satisfied. “The circumstances were bad and I still don’t know how Lance could know anything about my tattoo, but seriously, Michael, how could you think I would cheat on you after all we’ve been through the last few weeks?”
“You cancelled on me last night, Maria, and you wouldn’t tell me where you were,” he blurted out and then shook his head. “I’m not makin’ accusations here, I’m just statin’ facts. Then you told me you had to tell me somethin’ and I found those pregnancy tests under your bed... when Lance hit me with that the pieces just all fell together and I lost it.”
She turned his face in her direction to get a better look at the cut on his bottom lip. “I’m totally content with what I get from you, Michael; there’s no need for another man in my life, especially not someone like Lance.”
Michael nodded. “I should’ve trusted you, Maria... I know that and there’s nothin’ I can do to take that back. I just... the thought that any other guy had put his hands on you made me see red. It pissed me off, it hurt, and I didn’t deal with it very well... I know that.”
Maria took a deep breath. “Me neither. I mean, it’s your first relationship, right? And maybe I expected too much from you. There haven’t been many people in your life who were worth trusting, so I understand that this isn’t easy for you.”
Michael reached up to take her hands and he held them under his chin as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against her stomach. “I don’t want you to stop expecting that stuff from me, Maria... you make me more than I am and I need that.” He took a deep breath. “I need it and you deserve it from me.”
She could feel his words melting her heart and she had a hard time not just bending down and wrapping her arms around him to kiss him. “I... I didn’t mean it when I told you that you don’t have a girlfriend anymore.” She couldn’t help it, she had to make sure that he knew that.
He was relieved and he was sure it showed. “That’s okay. I meant it when I said I wasn’t lettin’ you break up with me.”
“Michael, about those pregnancy tests... I still can’t tell you the story behind them, but I promise you they’re not mine.”
“I talked to Isabel earlier this evening, so I know why you couldn’t tell me about them.”
“She told you?”
“She told me,” he said, nodding.
Maria was relieved that he knew. Now, there was only one big secret between them... “So, relieved that it wasn’t me, huh?” Maria asked.
“Well, I could lie here, but you’d see right through it anyway.” He shrugged one shoulder. “We're not ready for kids, we both know that, and just so you know, it’s not that I don’t want kids or anything... I just... I honestly don’t want kids now or right away in the near future, Maria. I’ve got a lot of stuff in my past that I need to deal with before I’ll ever be in a position where I can say I’m ready for that.”
“You’ll be a good dad someday,” she whispered, knowing that he wouldn’t believe it as long as he didn’t know the truth about his own family.
“What if I’m not?” he asked, feeling the old insecurities rearing their ugly head. “What if I lose my temper and...” He shook his head, unable to finish vocalizing the thought.
Maria shook her head. It hurt to see him like this. “You would never raise a hand against me or your child, baby.”
“There’re studies that say it’s genetic,” he said, admitting something he had never told another soul. The fear that he could turn out like Hank was one that he lived with everyday; it was a shadow that he couldn’t escape. He had spent countless hours doing research on the subject and while the majority of the research indicated that abuse wasn’t genetic, there was enough suggestion that it was to make him worry about it.
God, I desperately need to tell him, Maria thought. She placed one hand on his head and drove her fingers through his hair. What could she tell him that would make him feel better?
“God, I’m so tired,” he mumbled, realizing just how true it was in that moment. He was exhausted in every way possible – physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“You wanna go to bed?”
“You gonna let me hold you?” he asked.
She was still far from being okay and this big secret between them was still there, too. She felt horrible about it. But on the other hand, she missed him and his touch and she could feel that he needed it, too. He would be hurt if she said no to his request and it would just be more proof for him that he wasn’t worth being loved. No, she couldn’t do that to him. “Yeah,” she answered quietly.
He just nodded, scared that if he opened his mouth he would say something that would start another fight.
She took his hand and guided him back to her bedroom again. “Does it hurt bad?” She gestured to the bruises on his sides. “I can get you some painkillers.”
“No, you’re all the painkiller I need, baby.”
“Okay.” She walked over to her wardrobe and changed into a pair of comfortable shorts and a shirt for the night.
“Can I strip down to my boxers, or would you rather...” He felt stupid for asking, but what if she wasn’t comfortable with him anymore?
“No, it’s okay.”
He nodded in relief and he unbuckled his belt, undid the snap and zipper and sat down when he realized that his side was more tender than he had realized before.
Maria watched him. Of course, he would never admit how much in pain he was really in. She walked over to him and crouched down in front of him. “Let me help you.”
“I can get it,” he insisted, feeling unworthy of her caring attention.
She looked up at him. “It’s okay, Michael,” she assured him as she reached for the hem of his jeans to pull them down and over his feet.
A part of him wanted to refuse her help, but that bigger part that craved her attention, her care... her love, that part of him shoved the other part back down and he allowed her to pull his jeans off of him.
She stood up straight again and walked over to the bathroom. “You can go ahead and lay down. I’m just gonna try to wash the blood out of your shirt. I’ll be right back.” She glanced into the mirror in front of the sink. “You have to tell him the truth,” she whispered to her reflection.
Michael shifted around to work his way under the covers while making the smallest effort possible. He grabbed a pillow and fussed with it until it was fluffy enough for his liking and then he laid back to wait for Maria.
The exhaustion that he had just recognized quickly took note of the fact that he was lying down and his eyes slowly slid closed to the sound of water running and Maria whispering to herself. Probably cursing him for making such a mess of things, he thought as sleep finally pulled him under.
She walked back to her bedroom after a few minutes and realized that he was already asleep. Making as little movement or sound as possible, she switched the lights off and sat down on the other side of her bed, pulling her feet under the blanket and shifting carefully to lie down.
Michael sensed her presence even though he was sound asleep and he shifted closer to her, his body automatically seeking hers out. His brow pulled down in a slight frown until his arm draped over her and he felt her body settle snugly against his. Contentment eased the frown lines and he snuffled against her neck as his entire body relaxed into restful sleep.
*****
Max wasn’t paying any attention to the movie they had all agreed to watch; he could’ve been staring at a blank screen and been just as happy. He was lying on the couch, head resting on his right arm where it was folded under him, and Liz was curled up next to him, pressed between him and the back of the couch. His left arm was curled around her waist, his hand comfortably attached to her backside, and he was so pleased that she no longer jumped in surprise when his hand would settle there.
She was watching the movie, but her left hand had a mind of its own and it was currently in the process of pushing the unbuttoned panels of his shirt aside. He controlled the urge to laugh when she encountered more material and it provided just enough distraction to draw her attention away from the movie. Liz frowned as she looked down at Max and she shook her head. “Why do you always wear a tee shirt under your shirts?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I like the way it looks. And I love the way you get so frustrated with it and it focuses those brown eyes on me.”
She smiled, satisfied with his answer and leaned forward to steal a quick kiss from him.
“Hey you two, you decided to watch this boring movie and now you’re not even payin’ any attention to it,” Kyle complained.
“Nobody told you to hang around and watch it,” Max said, barely sparing a glance at Kyle and Tess where they were wedged into the recliner.
“Be nice, Max,” Liz chastised with a smile. “We all agreed on the movie, but we are the ones who picked it out.”
“Hey, Evans, you give any thought about my idea for Christmas? You interested in my earlier suggestion?”
“I don’t know.” He looked at Liz and he wondered if she had any idea what she did to him. “What would you think about spendin’ Christmas – all of us, together – at a cabin up in the mountains?”
Liz’s eyes glistened with excitement. “That would be cool. My family’s refusing to talk to me anyway.”
He pulled his right arm from under his head so he could reach up to cup her cheek in his hand. “I’m sorry you’ve gotta deal with that, darlin’.”
Liz placed her hand over his. “It’s okay. Actually it feels kinda freeing, you know?”
“Freeing?” Max asked, gently mocking her.
“My parents always told me what to do, even after I turned 18. So, yeah, it’s freeing to decide what I want on my own.”
Max’s dark eyes met Liz’s gaze and he saw the twinkle of happiness there, the look of excitement and he smiled at her. “So, now that you’re deciding what you wanna do all on your own... got anything in mind?”
“Have you ever had sex out in the snow?” Tess whispered, looking into her boyfriend’s eyes as she bit his earlobe playfully.
Kyle eyed her curiously. “In the snow? Like, actually outside, in that white stuff that falls from the sky? Where it’s cold enough to freeze my nuts off? As much as my dick and I both love you, I don’t think that’s the kinda exposure it’d appreciate,” he growled back.
“Babe, I swear, I would never let your nuts freeze off.” She shifted lightly in her position, brushing her knee carefully against his cock.
Kyle had a feeling he was going to end up with his bare ass in the snow at some point over Christmas. He just knew she was going to talk him into having sex in the snow and the family jewels were gonna react predictably and refuse to come out and play. No reason to worry about that now, he thought as her knee brushed against him. He could deal with that particular fear later; right now there were no issues with shrinkage... matter of fact, he thought smugly, there was a serious lack of room behind his zipper. “I think I’ve got a problem that needs your personal brand of attention,” he whispered as he let his fingers dip into her waistband to tease the bare skin below.
“Uh-huh, what about goin’ to your room?” Tess breathed against his lips.
Kyle’s eyes shot up to collide with his girlfriend’s ice blue gaze. “Let’s go while I can still walk.”
Liz looked up when the other couple disappeared into their room. “Well, I think we should go to your room.”
“Just be glad my room’s at the opposite end of the apartment,” he muttered as he helped her up.
*****
Isabel sat down on the couch next to Alex and rested her head on his shoulder. “What’re we watchin’?”
Alex glanced up at the television that he hadn’t been paying much attention to and studied it for several minutes. “Uh, I really have no idea.”
She laughed. “Where were your thoughts the last ten minutes or so while you were starin’ at the television?”
He smiled and glanced down at the notebook he had been sketching in. “Wonderin’ what was botherin’ Michael; he seemed like he had somethin’ on his mind.”
“He had a big fight with Maria,” Isabel told him. She laughed when she saw the surprised look on his face. “He told me earlier, when we were alone in the kitchen.”
“Must’ve been a bad fight... is he okay?”
“Not too bad, I think. He got jealous because of some things that didn’t add up and Maria broke up with him. But I think it was just an overheated reaction, you know?”
He cleared his throat, wondering how to phrase his next question. “I know she’s your friend, so don’t take this the wrong way, but, I’ve seen the way he is with her and... can she be trusted with his heart?”
“Maria would never hurt him intentionally, Alex. And, yeah, you can totally trust her here.”
“He just doesn’t trust easily, y’know? And I don’t wanna see him get hurt anymore.” He sighed. “I don’t want to see any of them get hurt again.”
“He’s changed a lot since he’s been with Maria. We know that and she knows it, too. They were both overreacting during their fight, but I’m sure they’ll work it out again. Um, Alex, there’s somethin’ I need to tell you.”
He looked at her when he heard her tone, and his eyebrows lifted. “What is it, honey?”
“Y’know, one of the reasons for their fight was because he found some pregnancy tests under Maria’s bed...”
“You told him about Hector,” he guessed.
“I had to, he didn’t believe the story Maria told him.”
“That’s okay, I’m fine with that. Now, we just need to figure out when we’re gonna tell the others.”
“What about your birthday? You know I was a little scared how they were gonna react. Especially with Michael, but he seemed pretty cool with it.”
“Michael loves kids... he acts all rough and tough, but get him around kids and you’ll see the difference.” He thought about her other question and he nodded. “Yeah, we could tell everyone on my birthday.”
“I’m sure you’ll be really fantastic with Hector.” She leaned in and placed a tender kiss on his cheek.
“Speakin’ of Hector...” He held the notebook out to her, showing her the sketches he had been working on. “I was thinkin’ about makin’ some changes to the office so we can convert it into a nursery.”
She looked over it with excitement. “Oh, my God, I love it.” Isabel hugged him tightly. “You’re the best man in the world, honey.”
“Yeah? I thought maybe we could include the others; Michael knows about architecture and Brendan and Brooke could help with the design or painting or somethin’... or would that be too much?”
“No, it would be a little bit of everyone. That’s a great idea.”
Alex pulled her close and kissed her. “I’m full of great ideas... wanna hear another one?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Brooke’s sound asleep and the dogs have been out for the last time for the night, which means we’re all alone...”
“Well, what’re we waitin’ for then?” She stood up and walked in the direction of the bedroom.
“Nothin',” he said, turning the television off, pulling his glasses off and tossing them on the coffee table before scrambling after her.
*****
Maria blinked a few times when she woke up the next morning. A glance at her watch told her that it was still early. She shifted lightly and realized that she wasn’t alone in her bed. She suddenly remembered everything that had happened the last couple of days and she wished she could just go back to sleep for a while longer.
Michael was still sound asleep and she didn’t want to wake him up because she knew what was coming... what had to come. She had to tell him the truth about where she had been the night he had thought she had cheated on him. He deserved to know the truth. She was just scared that it would make things go back to bad between them again.
She turned lightly to rest on her back and she glanced over at him. His face showed a lot of bruises and cuts and they would definitely start to hurt after he woke up. She let her fingers trail over his shoulder. Hopefully he would sleep a little longer, she thought, before she had to tell him something that was probably going to change his life. She wondered if he was having a nightmare again because his breathing was unsettled every now and then and she took one of his hands in hers.
Michael mumbled in his sleep but the familiar touch had him relaxing once more and he shifted, throwing his arm over Maria.
He hovered in that nice, warm, comfortable place that existed in the realm of dreamless sleep and wakefulness and he resisted the pull of the sunlight that he somehow knew was waiting for him once he opened his eyes.
Michael finally gave in to the pull of the sunlight filtering in through the windows, making a face as he burrowed in closer to the warmth surrounding him. His fuzzy brain registered two things – one, that the warmth belonged to Maria and two, Mike Jr. was very happy about that.
A third thought quickly followed on the heels of the first two and he remembered that things still weren’t completely right between them. That little mental warning disappointed Mike Jr. just enough to curb his enthusiasm and Michael made a face before rolling over onto his back and running his hands through his hair.
“G’mornin’,” he rumbled before rolling out of bed and making his way to the bathroom.
“Mornin’,” Maria replied, her heartbeat raised with the realization that she couldn’t avoid telling him any longer.
“You got coffee?” he called as he dug around in the drawers for a new toothbrush. Girls always had extra stuff lying around and a guy just never knew when his luck would change.
“Yeah,” she responded from the bedroom while changing into some shorts and a tank top. “I’m gonna make some.”
Michael nodded at his reflection as his hand closed around a brand new, still-wrapped toothbrush. He pulled the plastic wrapper off and slid it out of the thin cardboard packaging, glancing down when he realized that it felt different. He rolled his eyes when he saw the Scooby Doo handle. It had to be Maria’s, he thought.
He brushed his teeth, deciding that the cartoon character wrapped around the handle was appropriate. Morning breath, dog breath... same difference, he mused.
He wandered out into the hallway and followed it to the kitchen where he could hear Maria moving around. The scent of coffee hung in the air and, since coffee was something that went with breakfast and that meant food, his stomach growled in interest.
“You want somethin’ to eat?” Maria asked when she heard him behind her.
If things were normal between them he would’ve walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulled her back against him and suggested something more satisfying than breakfast. Instead, he changed his route at the last minute and settled down on one of the barstools and leaned forward to rest his forearms on the counter.
Her tone was just hesitant enough to let him know that they still had talking to do and that set his stomach to churning. “Nah, well, maybe a couple pieces of toast.”
She nodded. “Okay,” she agreed and started to look around the kitchen for the things she needed. After several minutes she was finished preparing the food and coffee and she placed it all on the counter in front of him. She took a seat of her own and grabbed her own mug of coffee. She couldn’t even think of eating anything right now.
“Thanks.” Michael ate in silence and then washed the toast down with a drink of the coffee. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was on her mind just because her expression was worrying him. He had a bad feeling she was going to tell him something he didn’t want to know.
He took a deep breath and pushed his plate back as he turned to face her. “Okay, you’ve still got somethin’ on your mind, so...” He shrugged. “Hit me with it before I run outta here because the way you keep starin’ at me’s makin’ me nervous as hell.”
Maria took a shaky breath and nodded. “You remember when I said I had to tell you somethin’, uh, the night you found those pregnancy tests under my bed...” She looked down at the counter, her hands fumbling with her cup of coffee.
His heart started to pound, but he refused to give in to that little voice telling him to run as fast and as far as he could in the opposite direction. He reached out and covered her hand, stopping her nervous movements. “You might as well just put it out there... we’ve made it this far, Maria.”
She shook her head, pulled her hands back and walked around the kitchen nervously. “You’re gonna be so mad at me, Michael.”
She looked out of the window for several long seconds before turning back to him again. “Okay, the reason why I canceled on you the other night was because something... someone came to me and wanted to talk.”
“Someone wanted to talk to you,” he said slowly. “Okay, so why’s that such a big deal? So you talked to...” His heart pounded against the wall of his chest and he shook his head as the pieces began to fall into place once again. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions again, but he had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that he was right this time. “You talked to my mother.”
Maria just nodded, preparing herself for the screaming that she knew was coming.
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas