HAPPY EASTER, everyone!
Sarah, thanks for leaving great comments and feedback! You've got my attention! Here's the next chapter. I'm thinking of posting chapter 58.
And of course thanks to all the other readers!
Chapter 57
[Liz]
After stepping out of the church, I made sure that I was walking alongside my best friend.
“Pretend like you’re talking to me, Maria,” I ordered.
“What?” she laughed.
I gave a quick glance over my shoulder at Max and Maria caught my drift.
“Ah,” she sounded. “I see. So, you agreed to have the wedding go on, but you’re going to avoid your fiancé?”
I linked arms with Maria and started a quick pace. “I don’t want to talk to him right now,” I told her. “I know that if I was by myself when we walked out of the church, he would want to talk to me alone, and I didn’t want to do that right now.”
“Well, come on, you can ride with me over to Chez Pierre.”
I gave a delighted smile as I quickly glanced over my shoulder once more. We were heading to Maria’s car, and Max stopped dead in his tracks when he got the hint that I didn’t want to be with him at the moment.
*~*
It took us all of five minutes to get to the quaint Chez Pierre, but Maria and I spent another ten minutes, waiting in her car until the others arrived. We had assumed that there was further discussion or persuasion between the others about the conversation held earlier. So, Maria and I held our own private discussion about the topic.
“You’re really going to let the wedding go on even despite the fact that Max could snap and run himself into the path of a speeding bus?” Maria wondered.
“No, that won’t happen,” I insisted. “I won’t let that happen.”
I couldn’t think about losing Max again. Maybe that was the reason why I decided to have the wedding go on. Maybe I wanted to fulfill my dream of marrying Max. What if the conscience was successful in getting Max to kill himself? I need to take advantage of the time I had with Max.
“Here they are,” Maria pointed out.
We looked over our shoulders and stared out the back windshield as four cars came to a park in the Chez Pierre parking lot. I quickly climbed out the car and started towards Max's Chevelle.
“I guess you’re over not wanting to talk to Max!” Maria shouted after me as I picked up into a jog.
Max was just stepping out of his convertible when I jumped into his arms.
“Hi,” he laughed. “I thought you were mad at me.”
I nodded and kissed his lips. “I was,” I said as I broke away. “But, um, I don’t want to be mad at you anymore.”
His right eyebrow elevated. “Just because?” he wondered.
I shook my head and kissed his lips once more. “Because I love you.”
Max gave a wide grin. “Well, come on then. There’s a party inside that awaits us.”
As Max dragged me across the parking lot towards the restaurant I gave his hand a little squeeze.
“We still have to talk about all of this,” I warned.
{Max}
I lifted my glass and tapped it lightly with my fork. “Can I have everyone’s attention?”
Everyone set down their forks and glasses and turned to me.
“Thank you,” I smiled. “I just want—We just want,” I corrected, grinning at Liz. “We just want to thank you all for making the trip to come here for our wedding. We’re so glad that you all could make it. So, please, enjoy yourself and enjoy the weekend.”
I slowly sat down as a small applause started and then subsided.
“That was great,” she whispered to me.
I nervously nodded. “But I won’t ever do that again.
Liz started to laugh.
“What?” I wondered.
“You do know that this is a rehearsal dinner, right?”
I nodded.
“Meaning this is a rehearsal for our reception, also meaning that that little speech you just made was a rehearsal for the actual speech you have to make at the reception.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and my eyebrow automatically hiked up. “What?” I squeaked.
“Maria wants us to make speeches at the reception.”
That was just great. Not only did I have to get married and say my vows to the woman I love in front of seventy people, but I also had to make a speech in front of the seventy plus another twenty. Did getting married have to get so much attention?
“Great,” I smirked.
[Liz]
“How’s your filet?” Max asked.
Where had I heard that before? Max hadn’t said it to me before, but I remember some male saying it to me. Was it Kyle? No, it was someone who kind of looked like Kyle.
Doug. It was Doug Shellow who asked me how my steak was on that blind date I won. While the date had not been the greatest of my life, that night was one of the greatest nights of my life aside from the way the night ended. Doug Shellow was the only guy besides Kyle and Max that I had gone out on a date with. I definitely wasn’t comfortable being on a date with someone other than Max.
“Liz?” Max wondered.
I shook my head and snapped out of my daze. “Yeah?”
“How’s your steak?” Max laughed.
“Oh, it’s fine,” I finally answered. “What about you? How’s yours?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It could use some Tabasco.”
I nodded in understanding and went back to my filet as Max did the same. He stuffed a few bites into his mouth while I watched. The night had run smoothly so far, but it still didn’t change the fact that just an hour earlier, Max had dropped a huge bomb on the whole family.
“Max,” I said softly. “Are you scared about this as much as I am?”
Max shook his head as he finished chewing his food. “Nope, I can’t wait to marry you, Liz.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” I sighed.
Max slowly placed his fork down. “What are you talking about?”
“The conscience, or whatever it is,” I told him. “Are you scared about—?”
“Come on,” Max interrupted, grabbing my hand.
He pulled me up from my seat and led us away from our table. We weaved through all the tables of the restaurant, both of us giving quick waves to familiar faces. Finally, when we reached the other end of the restaurant, Max stopped and pulled me to his side.
“There’s someone I want you to meet,” he told me.
He turned to the table we stood next to and smiled at an older man. The man seemed to be in his early 70s and he looked an old Max. The old man smiled back, and his smile was identical to Max's and Mr. Evans’s.
“Liz,” Max grinned. “This is Grandpa Clark.”
Max's grandfather scooted his chair back and stood up to grab my hand and kiss the back of it. “Actually, it’s Ethan Evans Sr. It’s an honor to meet you, Liz.”
I blushed at Grandpa Clark’s chivalry. “Um, you too, sir. I’m a little confused,” I admitted. “Why do you call him Grandpa Clark?” I asked Max.
“He’s Superman,” Max smiled.
The charming old man laughed. “When I first met Max,” he began, “he called me ‘Clark Kent’. That was nine years ago, and all his cousins and nieces and nephews followed after him and have been calling me Clark ever since.”
Max simply shrugged his shoulders. “He looked like Clark Kent/Superman to me,” he whispered as he kissed my cheek. Then he looked to his grandfather. “Listen,” he said. “I heard Dad told you about mine and Iz’s little secret.”
Grandpa Clark nodded and cracked a smile. “I always knew Max and Isabel were special,” he winked to me.
Max leaned towards me and kissed my forehead. “That’s why he’s Superman,” he whispered again.
“Your cousins have been waiting to see Liz,” Grandpa Clark told us. “Cutter, Madelyn, and Ethan Jr. took their kids back to the hotel and your grandmother went with them.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet Grandma Maddie,” Max said to me. “She’s absolutely great. You’ll love her.”
Grandpa Clark agreed with a nod and went on. “But your other cousins—Riley, Katie, and Jake—are still here. You might want to visit their table.”
“Ok,” Max smiled. “Thanks Grandpa.”
“I hate to say it,” Grandpa Clark said, “but I better get back to the hotel, too. I’ve got to get up early, your grandmother wants to go on a hot air balloon ride.” He walked around the table and gave Max a hearty hug. “You’ve got a great one here, Max. I know it,” I heard him whisper. “Don’t let her go.”
“You have a knack for seeing things like this,” Max replied.
Grandpa Clark nodded and patted his grandson on the back. “So you make sure you listen to me.”
“I will,” Max nodded. “I won’t ever let her go. Have a good night, Grandpa.”
The elder Evans nodded back and then moved to me, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “Liz, it was a pleasure meeting you,” he smiled. “Have a good night.”
I nodded and sent back the same sentiment. “Enjoy your balloon ride.”
Grandpa Evans flashed a famous Evans Smile and walked out of the restaurant.
“So, what do you think?” Max wondered.
I gave a little sigh and smiled. “Grandpa Clark’s great.”
“I’m glad you like him,” Max smiled with a relieved grin.
I nodded happily as he sat me down. Now, I could’ve sworn that he and I were talking about something pertinent just minutes earlier. Oh, right, “the conscience”. And more than that thought just filled my head. I could tell that Max knew that I was talking to him about the conscience. He purposely avoided the subject and brought me over to meet his grandfather.
“Max,” I sighed, disconcertingly.
I stared at a spot on the carpeted floor but broke out of my gaze when Max grabbed my hands in my lap.
“Is there something wrong?” he wondered.
I nodded assertively. “Yes!” I insisted. “Max, there’s something going on with you and you toss the issue aside like it’s nothing. Aren’t you scared?”
Max rubbed his hands over mine, back and forth, creating friction and warmth. “My grandfather turns 72 this year. Do you think he looks like he’s 72?”
Not this again. He wasn’t going to talk his way out of this again.
I rolled my eyes, adding a heated sigh to my exasperated demeanor. “Max, don’t change the subject again.”
“Just go with me on this,” he requested. “Does Grandpa Clark look like a man in his 70s?”
I stared into Max's eyes and realized he was serious. He wasn’t going to stop talking about his grandfather, and he had a reason why.
“No,” I finally answered. “He looks like a man in his 60s.”
“And he acts like it too?”
I nodded in reply.
“Ok,” Max said. “My Grandma Maddie’s the same way. They were married when they were seventeen, just a year younger than you and me,” he began to reason. “They’ve been through so much. They both met when my grandfather’s father, Maxwell, who I was named after, got stationed in Quantico, Virginia. Grandma and Grandpa were next-door neighbors. She was shy and quiet while Grandpa was…well, a lot like you,” Max smiled. “Now, great-grandpa Maxwell was a Marine Corps general. It was the late 1930s, and he was shipped off to France to fight in the war. He died in action.”
“I’m sorry, Max,” I told him.
“Grandpa Clark was 10 and the only male in a family full of girls,” Max continued on without skipping a beat. “Suddenly, he had to be the man of the household. It was dropped into his lap. His sisters looked up to him, even his older ones. He didn’t ask for that type of responsibility, he was just a kid…”
Suddenly, it all sounded so familiar.
“Six months after his father’s death,” Max sighed, “his youngest sister contracted polio. Medical bills were insane. When Grandpa Clark was 13, his mother, Eliza, passed away died from pneumonia. She was only 39. He and his sisters were going to be split up and sent to foster homes and orphanages, but Grandpa couldn’t let that happen, he couldn’t just let his family be torn apart.
“So, he dragged his five sisters across country to New Mexico, to Roswell, where no one would find them and tear them apart,” Max continued to retell. “But there was a problem: My grandparents were in love with each other, since the first moment they laid eyes on each other,” Max said with a grin he tried to hide, “when he caught her staring out her window, watching he and his family move in. But moving his sisters across the country was vital. So he left Grandma Maddie back in Virginia, promising to come back for her.”
I sat totally captivated by the story as Max retold it with such passion. “What happened in Roswell?” I wondered, eager to hear an answer.
“Roswell must be some magical town,” Max smiled, “because my grandfather was offered a job at Moon Cheese Corp. and was making a lot of money. He worked his way up the ladder. At 30, he became vice president of the factory.”
I gave a laugh. “The local cheese factory?”
Max nodded. “Believe so,” he said. “Yeah, he made more than enough to support his sisters and was able to put a whole bunch of money in his savings. I think he’s got a few million dollars in his will. He didn’t even finish high school, but despite that, he was able hold an executive position while raising his sisters. He did one hell of a job.
“And the five years my grandparents were apart from each other,” Max continued, “they kept in touch. They wrote to each other every day, every single day. I mean, they even saved the letters. When my grandfather was 17, he left his three younger sisters with his two older sisters and went back to Quantico and married my grandmother. A year later, they had my Aunt Mackenzie.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I wondered. I had pressed an issue that didn’t have to be pressed, and I was wondering why he had revealed the story of his grandfather’s hard life to me.
“Because through all that my grandfather had been through,” Max began to answer, “he had my grandmother. She was a country away, but they still had each other.”
Inside, I was smiling from ear to ear. I finally saw where Max was heading.
“Liz, you asked me if I was scared about…about what’s happening to me,” he hesitantly said. “When my grandfather was 10, his father died. His youngest sister got sick. Three years after his father’s death, Grandpa Clark’s mother died. He was stuck raising his five sisters in a town that was completely alien to him. They lived in a one room, shitty-ass apartment. I bet you he was scared everyday of his life. And I’ll admit it, Liz,” Max said to me, staring in my eyes with his honey-colored eyes, “everyday of my life I’m just as scared.
“My grandparents, they’ve had each other since…since they were little kids. My grandfather was afraid, but he turned to my grandmother for safety and security. That’s what I need from you, Liz. I’ll be afraid for the two of us, but you, you have to stay strong and have faith that nothing bad will happen to me. If you’re scared like I am, Liz, then there’s no hope. But if you keep strong like I want you to, then we’ll live happily ever after in love forever. We’ll live like Grandpa Clark and Grandma Maddie. And you know, eventually, we’ll have nothing to be afraid of, ever.”
Simplicity/Beginnings-M/L**[COMPLETE]**
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 57
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 58: Part 2
Ok, since it's Sunday here, and it's Easter, I've decided to post the first part of Chapter 58.
Chapter 58: Part 1
{Michael}
“This sucks, Maxwell,” I complained. “This isn’t even a sport.”
Max pulled his club back and gave the golf ball one good whack. He sent the ball flying down the fairway a good 200 yards. “Michael, quit complaining,” he ordered. “Just because golf doesn’t involve hitting, that doesn’t mean it’s not a sport.”
“Nice one, son,” Mr. Evans smiled. “Your turn, Michael.”
I gave a little nod and took my place. I slowly leaned forward, pushing the wooden tee into the soft grass and carefully placing the white, dimpled ball on top. Standing next to the ball, just a fee inches away, I closed my eyes and pictured driving the ball through the air. I pulled my club back and swung it at the ball. There was a loud crack as the head of my club impacted the ball, sending it down the fairway, approximately 200 yards, landing a foot or two behind Maxwell’s.
“That was great, Michael!” Philip laughed. “Wow, you’re a natural.”
I shrugged my shoulders and stepped to the side as Max stared me down. I gave a little grin.
“No cheating, Michael,” Max scolded. “We’re not playing to win, we’re just playing to relax.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why play a sport to relax?”
“Ah!” Jesse pointed. “So, you admit that it’s a sport.”
Once again, I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, you guys. Why are we stuck here playing golf when we should trying to figure out what’s going on with you?”
“First of all,” Max sighed. “We have absolutely no leads. So, there’s no point. We just have to wait until…the conscience slips up. It hasn’t so far. So, we just have to hang out and wait. Second, we can’t go on our scavenger hunts, not with all these people here for the wedding.”
Max was right. For weeks, we were practically sitting ducks. We had absolutely nothing. All we could do was sit and wait and hope that the conscience would make a mistake and give us a clue to figuring out what exactly it was and why it was doing this to Max, why it was putting him through hell.
“Gotcha,” I replied to Maxwell. “We’ll leave it alone. There is a slight problem though. Your honeymoon, it’s in Santa Barbara. I don’t want to intrude on that, so I’m not going to be with you. What are you going to do?”
After minutes of concentrating, Philip finally hit the damn golf ball, sending it farther down the fairway than Maxwell and I could have mustered.
Max gave a contented sigh as we started walking to the golf carts. “Liz will take care of it,” he smiled. “She can handle it.”
I didn’t understand what Maxwell meant.
{Isabel}
“Did you call him?” I wondered. “Did he call you?”
Liz rolled her eyes and shook her head. “We haven’t talked to each other.”
“Uh-huh, whatever,” I said skeptically. “Katie! Riley!” I called. “Come here and tell Liz and Maria about that summer we shaved Max's legs and put makeup on him!”
“What?!” Maria laughed.
My 17-year-old cousin came running over pulling along beside her, her Yale junior sister, Riley. Riley was voted our family’s “Most Likely to Succeed” female, while my brother won the male honor. Riley had dreams of going into law and becoming a politician, eventually becoming president of the United States. We all knew she had the drive and the intelligence to do so. Katie, meanwhile, was so much like my brother. When we had family gatherings, the two of them were inseparable. She wasn’t as quiet as Maxwell or shy, but they shared the same interests. So, they got along well.
Katie and Riley pulled some chairs in front of ours and took a seat as manicurists worked on Liz, Maria, and I.
“Ok,” Katie began. “We’re at Aunt Mackenzie’s house in Phoenix and us Strawberries are in this tent in her backyard. We’re getting ready for bed, and we’ve spent the day doing absolutely nothing, but Max, that wimp,” Katie said with a laugh, “falls asleep first. Now, it’s like the written law that whoever falls asleep first gets totally worked.”
I gave a devious grin as Liz and Maria listened closely.
“Now,” Katie continued, “all I want to do is make it look like Maxwell wet his sleeping bag, but Ry, here,” she said, tilting her head towards her sister, “says that we should do Max over.”
“How old were you guys?” Liz wondered in humored shock.
Riley took a sip of her Starbucks cappuccino. “Kat was 14, Max, 15, Iz, 16, and sadly, the one who came up with the idea, me, I was 18.”
Maria and Liz gave little giggles.
“Ok,” Katie said, “so, our older brother, Ethan Jr.’s on board too, and he’s 23, and our two older cousins, Madelyn and Cutter are also. They were 27 and 29, respectively. Us Evanses, we’re devious. Madelyn’s the one to run into the house and grab the shaving cream and razor while Riley and Iz grab their makeup.”
“Iz and I rush back,” Riley continued on for her sister. “Max is still dead asleep and now his legs are coated with shaving cream, all the way up to his boxer line. Cutter and Ethan start shaving and Iz and I start applying this horrible blue eye shadow. Katie carefully applies the lipstick and Madelyn’s brushing on some blush. In ten minutes, Max is now Maxine.”
“No way!” Maria laughed. “That’s amazing! The whole family working together. We don’t see much of that anymore these days.”
I rolled my eyes even though a wide grin swept across my face. It had to be one of the best days in my life. I could picture that night in my mind. Max with the blue eye shadow on along with the ruby red lipstick and the bright pink blush and me standing over him with a camera. I wonder whatever happened to those pictures.
“Max woke up the next morning in an empty tent,” Katie laughed.
“He must’ve been furious,” Liz smiled.
I gave a little shrug. “I don’t know,” I replied. “I think we did Max a favor, because I think he likes his legs hairless. He still shaves his legs.”
“You’re kidding me!” Maria cackled. “This is great stuff. I need you guys to write that all down for me or something.”
TBC
Chapter 58: Part 1
{Michael}
“This sucks, Maxwell,” I complained. “This isn’t even a sport.”
Max pulled his club back and gave the golf ball one good whack. He sent the ball flying down the fairway a good 200 yards. “Michael, quit complaining,” he ordered. “Just because golf doesn’t involve hitting, that doesn’t mean it’s not a sport.”
“Nice one, son,” Mr. Evans smiled. “Your turn, Michael.”
I gave a little nod and took my place. I slowly leaned forward, pushing the wooden tee into the soft grass and carefully placing the white, dimpled ball on top. Standing next to the ball, just a fee inches away, I closed my eyes and pictured driving the ball through the air. I pulled my club back and swung it at the ball. There was a loud crack as the head of my club impacted the ball, sending it down the fairway, approximately 200 yards, landing a foot or two behind Maxwell’s.
“That was great, Michael!” Philip laughed. “Wow, you’re a natural.”
I shrugged my shoulders and stepped to the side as Max stared me down. I gave a little grin.
“No cheating, Michael,” Max scolded. “We’re not playing to win, we’re just playing to relax.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why play a sport to relax?”
“Ah!” Jesse pointed. “So, you admit that it’s a sport.”
Once again, I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, you guys. Why are we stuck here playing golf when we should trying to figure out what’s going on with you?”
“First of all,” Max sighed. “We have absolutely no leads. So, there’s no point. We just have to wait until…the conscience slips up. It hasn’t so far. So, we just have to hang out and wait. Second, we can’t go on our scavenger hunts, not with all these people here for the wedding.”
Max was right. For weeks, we were practically sitting ducks. We had absolutely nothing. All we could do was sit and wait and hope that the conscience would make a mistake and give us a clue to figuring out what exactly it was and why it was doing this to Max, why it was putting him through hell.
“Gotcha,” I replied to Maxwell. “We’ll leave it alone. There is a slight problem though. Your honeymoon, it’s in Santa Barbara. I don’t want to intrude on that, so I’m not going to be with you. What are you going to do?”
After minutes of concentrating, Philip finally hit the damn golf ball, sending it farther down the fairway than Maxwell and I could have mustered.
Max gave a contented sigh as we started walking to the golf carts. “Liz will take care of it,” he smiled. “She can handle it.”
I didn’t understand what Maxwell meant.
{Isabel}
“Did you call him?” I wondered. “Did he call you?”
Liz rolled her eyes and shook her head. “We haven’t talked to each other.”
“Uh-huh, whatever,” I said skeptically. “Katie! Riley!” I called. “Come here and tell Liz and Maria about that summer we shaved Max's legs and put makeup on him!”
“What?!” Maria laughed.
My 17-year-old cousin came running over pulling along beside her, her Yale junior sister, Riley. Riley was voted our family’s “Most Likely to Succeed” female, while my brother won the male honor. Riley had dreams of going into law and becoming a politician, eventually becoming president of the United States. We all knew she had the drive and the intelligence to do so. Katie, meanwhile, was so much like my brother. When we had family gatherings, the two of them were inseparable. She wasn’t as quiet as Maxwell or shy, but they shared the same interests. So, they got along well.
Katie and Riley pulled some chairs in front of ours and took a seat as manicurists worked on Liz, Maria, and I.
“Ok,” Katie began. “We’re at Aunt Mackenzie’s house in Phoenix and us Strawberries are in this tent in her backyard. We’re getting ready for bed, and we’ve spent the day doing absolutely nothing, but Max, that wimp,” Katie said with a laugh, “falls asleep first. Now, it’s like the written law that whoever falls asleep first gets totally worked.”
I gave a devious grin as Liz and Maria listened closely.
“Now,” Katie continued, “all I want to do is make it look like Maxwell wet his sleeping bag, but Ry, here,” she said, tilting her head towards her sister, “says that we should do Max over.”
“How old were you guys?” Liz wondered in humored shock.
Riley took a sip of her Starbucks cappuccino. “Kat was 14, Max, 15, Iz, 16, and sadly, the one who came up with the idea, me, I was 18.”
Maria and Liz gave little giggles.
“Ok,” Katie said, “so, our older brother, Ethan Jr.’s on board too, and he’s 23, and our two older cousins, Madelyn and Cutter are also. They were 27 and 29, respectively. Us Evanses, we’re devious. Madelyn’s the one to run into the house and grab the shaving cream and razor while Riley and Iz grab their makeup.”
“Iz and I rush back,” Riley continued on for her sister. “Max is still dead asleep and now his legs are coated with shaving cream, all the way up to his boxer line. Cutter and Ethan start shaving and Iz and I start applying this horrible blue eye shadow. Katie carefully applies the lipstick and Madelyn’s brushing on some blush. In ten minutes, Max is now Maxine.”
“No way!” Maria laughed. “That’s amazing! The whole family working together. We don’t see much of that anymore these days.”
I rolled my eyes even though a wide grin swept across my face. It had to be one of the best days in my life. I could picture that night in my mind. Max with the blue eye shadow on along with the ruby red lipstick and the bright pink blush and me standing over him with a camera. I wonder whatever happened to those pictures.
“Max woke up the next morning in an empty tent,” Katie laughed.
“He must’ve been furious,” Liz smiled.
I gave a little shrug. “I don’t know,” I replied. “I think we did Max a favor, because I think he likes his legs hairless. He still shaves his legs.”
“You’re kidding me!” Maria cackled. “This is great stuff. I need you guys to write that all down for me or something.”
TBC
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 58: Part 2
Glad you guys are enjoying it all! 
Chapter 58: Part 2
{Max}
“You better get this one, Philip,” Jeff said to my father. “You can’t afford a bogey.”
My father jokingly rolled his eyes and concentrated back on the ball. We had all given up on golf etiquette and were now playing on the same course. Mr. Parker, Valenti, Kyle, my father, Jesse, Michael, and I, circled the small green. We started the day off in two groups. It was Jesse, Michael, my father, and I; and then the others, but now we merged into one big group.
“Do we get to eat after this?” Kyle wondered.
Jesse shook his head as he took an interest in my father as he concentrated on his putt. “We’ve still got two holes to go to.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Michael sighed. “What time is it?”
I reached into my slacks and pulled out my phone to glance at its clock. “A quarter to two.” After looking at the time, I noticed that I had four text messages waiting for me. I gave a smile and started to open them.
“Luv u!”
“Miss u!”
And the other two, basically, reiterating both.
“From Liz?” Mr. Parker wondered.
I nervously snapped my phone shut in a rush. “Wha?”
“You got some text messages,” Mr. Parker went on. “They were from Liz?”
“Oh!” I stupidly replied. “Yes, they’re from Liz.”
Mr. Parker bobbed his head as we watched Jesse remove his marker from the grass and replace it with his ball.
“How you holding up?” Mr. Parker wondered. “You’re awfully bold to go the day before the wedding without seeing your bride.”
I gave a little shrug as if it were nothing, but it really wasn’t. It was definitely hard. Whenever things weren’t chaotic, all Liz and I wanted to do was be with each other. So, I was definitely dying to be in her arms, to have her in my arms. We agreed a while ago that we would spend the day and morning before the wedding apart to get some alone time. So, last night, after our little talk, I gave Liz one final kiss goodbye as boyfriend and girlfriend. Our next kiss would be as husband and wife. Only about 25 hours until then.
“I’m holding up well,” I claimed. “It’s hard, but this golf game’s helping.”
“Liar,” Jeff laughed. “Tell me the truth, Max.”
I looked into Mr. Parker’s eyes, he was being light-hearted, but dead-serious. I finally nodded, caving in. Mr. Parker still intimidated me.
“Honestly, sir,” I sighed, “I miss her a whole lot. This day was a bad idea.”
Mr. Parker patted me on the back a few times. “Good answer,” he grinned. “You’ll see her this time tomorrow, at the altar. So, stay strong.”
I wish I could, but I couldn’t.
[Liz]
I glanced down at my nails and smiled happily. They were cleaned up and trimmed to the perfect length. The clear nail polish shined in the light and gleamed up at me. My toes looked the same, clean and well-trimmed.
Isabel walked up, blowing on her nails. “I just paid for us,” she told Maria and me. “Come on. Let’s go to the video store and head back to my place.”
The three of us waddled our way out of the little parlor on our heels to make sure we didn’t touch and ruin our nails. We wanted to get as much of the wedding preparation done today so that we could relax and remain calm tomorrow.
First thing we did today was have the final fitting for our dresses. The dresses still fit perfectly on all of us and afterward we had a hairstyle run through and had our nails done. Now, we were heading back to Isabel’s for an early dinner.
“Do we want to rent Casablanca,” Maria began to poll, “or The Princess Bride?”
“The Princess Bride,” Isabel and I answered in unison.
While Casablanca was the #1 romance film ever made, The Princess Bride had a happily ever after ending, and that’s something that I wanted and needed to see tonight.
We strode into Rocket Rental and started roaming the aisles.
“I’m hitting the snack wall,” Isabel announced. “You guys get the movies.”
“Don’t forget to get enough popcorn for us and your cousins,” I reminded Isabel.
My future-sister-in-law nodded back and headed for the other end of the local video store. I loved Max and Isabel’s family. The members I had met so far were so great and happy. They made me feel good just being around them. I couldn’t wait to be a part of their family.
I slowly walked through the horror section just passing through to get to the new releases. A VHS tape box with a blinding holographic light on it caught my eye. I looked closely to see three aliens. The stereotypical aliens. The grey ones with the giant heads and creepy, pitch-black, hazelnut-shaped eyes. I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but rationalize how wrong movie makers were.
I jumped in fright as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Hopefully, it was Max. I had sent him four text messages this morning, but he hadn’t replied back. I flipped my phone open and was delighted to see Max's number and name flash up on the screen.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi,” Max replied back. “I’ve missed you…I still do.”
My cheeks burnt red as I slowly crouched to the floor. Max and I weren’t supposed to be talking to each other. Maria and Isabel had a bet that Max and I wouldn’t be able to stick to his and my plan of not seeing each other the day before the wedding. They then upped the bet by claiming we wouldn’t be able to go the day without talking to each other either. I couldn’t lose the bet.
“You know,” I continued to whisper, “you’re going to make us lose. I do not want to have to do Maria’s AP bio homework. Mr. Seligman’s killing us with all the work and tests he’s giving us.”
“Well, I don’t want to be Isabel’s personal chauffeur.”
I giggled silently. “Ok, so we’ll have to make this quick.”
“Right,” Max agreed. “How was your day?”
“It would be better if I could see you.”
“I know,” Max regretfully sighed. “I was thinking that this was a bad idea. Maybe we should just give in.”
I shook my head and refused. “No way,” I told him. “We are not going to prove Maria and Isabel right.”
“Liz?” Max said, skeptically. “We already have.”
“Right,” I agreed. “But they don’t know that.”
“Liz?” Maria called.
My eyes jumped wide open. “Crap! That was Maria, I have to go. I love you.”
“Liz, wait,” Max pleaded. “Let’s just call it off. I want to be with you.”
“Stay strong,” I grinned. “Only…20 or so hours until the wedding. Now I have to go.”
I heard a sigh on the other end. “Fine, but I’m calling you again tonight.”
“You better,” I jokingly threatened. “I love you.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
“I don’t think so,” I grinned.
Max laughed. “Oh, but I do.”
“Bye, Max.”
“Bye, Liz.”
“Liz!” Maria called again.
I snapped my phone shut just as she rounded the corner.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Who were you talking to?”
I looked at the phone in my hand as I stood up. “No one. I wasn’t talking to anybody.”
“Why do you have your phone out then?” Isabel said. She surrounded me by entering the aisle from the other end.
“I—I,” I stuttered. “I dropped my phone, I was just checking to see if it still worked.”
Maria and Isabel bobbed their heads. “Right,” they both said in disbelief.
“So, how is Max?” Isabel wondered.
I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. “I wouldn’t know.”
Chapter 58: Part 2
{Max}
“You better get this one, Philip,” Jeff said to my father. “You can’t afford a bogey.”
My father jokingly rolled his eyes and concentrated back on the ball. We had all given up on golf etiquette and were now playing on the same course. Mr. Parker, Valenti, Kyle, my father, Jesse, Michael, and I, circled the small green. We started the day off in two groups. It was Jesse, Michael, my father, and I; and then the others, but now we merged into one big group.
“Do we get to eat after this?” Kyle wondered.
Jesse shook his head as he took an interest in my father as he concentrated on his putt. “We’ve still got two holes to go to.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Michael sighed. “What time is it?”
I reached into my slacks and pulled out my phone to glance at its clock. “A quarter to two.” After looking at the time, I noticed that I had four text messages waiting for me. I gave a smile and started to open them.
“Luv u!”
“Miss u!”
And the other two, basically, reiterating both.
“From Liz?” Mr. Parker wondered.
I nervously snapped my phone shut in a rush. “Wha?”
“You got some text messages,” Mr. Parker went on. “They were from Liz?”
“Oh!” I stupidly replied. “Yes, they’re from Liz.”
Mr. Parker bobbed his head as we watched Jesse remove his marker from the grass and replace it with his ball.
“How you holding up?” Mr. Parker wondered. “You’re awfully bold to go the day before the wedding without seeing your bride.”
I gave a little shrug as if it were nothing, but it really wasn’t. It was definitely hard. Whenever things weren’t chaotic, all Liz and I wanted to do was be with each other. So, I was definitely dying to be in her arms, to have her in my arms. We agreed a while ago that we would spend the day and morning before the wedding apart to get some alone time. So, last night, after our little talk, I gave Liz one final kiss goodbye as boyfriend and girlfriend. Our next kiss would be as husband and wife. Only about 25 hours until then.
“I’m holding up well,” I claimed. “It’s hard, but this golf game’s helping.”
“Liar,” Jeff laughed. “Tell me the truth, Max.”
I looked into Mr. Parker’s eyes, he was being light-hearted, but dead-serious. I finally nodded, caving in. Mr. Parker still intimidated me.
“Honestly, sir,” I sighed, “I miss her a whole lot. This day was a bad idea.”
Mr. Parker patted me on the back a few times. “Good answer,” he grinned. “You’ll see her this time tomorrow, at the altar. So, stay strong.”
I wish I could, but I couldn’t.
[Liz]
I glanced down at my nails and smiled happily. They were cleaned up and trimmed to the perfect length. The clear nail polish shined in the light and gleamed up at me. My toes looked the same, clean and well-trimmed.
Isabel walked up, blowing on her nails. “I just paid for us,” she told Maria and me. “Come on. Let’s go to the video store and head back to my place.”
The three of us waddled our way out of the little parlor on our heels to make sure we didn’t touch and ruin our nails. We wanted to get as much of the wedding preparation done today so that we could relax and remain calm tomorrow.
First thing we did today was have the final fitting for our dresses. The dresses still fit perfectly on all of us and afterward we had a hairstyle run through and had our nails done. Now, we were heading back to Isabel’s for an early dinner.
“Do we want to rent Casablanca,” Maria began to poll, “or The Princess Bride?”
“The Princess Bride,” Isabel and I answered in unison.
While Casablanca was the #1 romance film ever made, The Princess Bride had a happily ever after ending, and that’s something that I wanted and needed to see tonight.
We strode into Rocket Rental and started roaming the aisles.
“I’m hitting the snack wall,” Isabel announced. “You guys get the movies.”
“Don’t forget to get enough popcorn for us and your cousins,” I reminded Isabel.
My future-sister-in-law nodded back and headed for the other end of the local video store. I loved Max and Isabel’s family. The members I had met so far were so great and happy. They made me feel good just being around them. I couldn’t wait to be a part of their family.
I slowly walked through the horror section just passing through to get to the new releases. A VHS tape box with a blinding holographic light on it caught my eye. I looked closely to see three aliens. The stereotypical aliens. The grey ones with the giant heads and creepy, pitch-black, hazelnut-shaped eyes. I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but rationalize how wrong movie makers were.
I jumped in fright as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Hopefully, it was Max. I had sent him four text messages this morning, but he hadn’t replied back. I flipped my phone open and was delighted to see Max's number and name flash up on the screen.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi,” Max replied back. “I’ve missed you…I still do.”
My cheeks burnt red as I slowly crouched to the floor. Max and I weren’t supposed to be talking to each other. Maria and Isabel had a bet that Max and I wouldn’t be able to stick to his and my plan of not seeing each other the day before the wedding. They then upped the bet by claiming we wouldn’t be able to go the day without talking to each other either. I couldn’t lose the bet.
“You know,” I continued to whisper, “you’re going to make us lose. I do not want to have to do Maria’s AP bio homework. Mr. Seligman’s killing us with all the work and tests he’s giving us.”
“Well, I don’t want to be Isabel’s personal chauffeur.”
I giggled silently. “Ok, so we’ll have to make this quick.”
“Right,” Max agreed. “How was your day?”
“It would be better if I could see you.”
“I know,” Max regretfully sighed. “I was thinking that this was a bad idea. Maybe we should just give in.”
I shook my head and refused. “No way,” I told him. “We are not going to prove Maria and Isabel right.”
“Liz?” Max said, skeptically. “We already have.”
“Right,” I agreed. “But they don’t know that.”
“Liz?” Maria called.
My eyes jumped wide open. “Crap! That was Maria, I have to go. I love you.”
“Liz, wait,” Max pleaded. “Let’s just call it off. I want to be with you.”
“Stay strong,” I grinned. “Only…20 or so hours until the wedding. Now I have to go.”
I heard a sigh on the other end. “Fine, but I’m calling you again tonight.”
“You better,” I jokingly threatened. “I love you.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
“I don’t think so,” I grinned.
Max laughed. “Oh, but I do.”
“Bye, Max.”
“Bye, Liz.”
“Liz!” Maria called again.
I snapped my phone shut just as she rounded the corner.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Who were you talking to?”
I looked at the phone in my hand as I stood up. “No one. I wasn’t talking to anybody.”
“Why do you have your phone out then?” Isabel said. She surrounded me by entering the aisle from the other end.
“I—I,” I stuttered. “I dropped my phone, I was just checking to see if it still worked.”
Maria and Isabel bobbed their heads. “Right,” they both said in disbelief.
“So, how is Max?” Isabel wondered.
I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. “I wouldn’t know.”
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 59: Part 1
Thanks for the feedback, you guys! Here's the next part. Sorry to ruin the happy feel.
Chapter 59: Part 1
{Max}
Bottles of cologne and lotion fell to the floor as I stumbled across my dresser, using it to keep my balance, trying to hold onto something that would help me from falling. My head began to throb in pain, intensifying as each second passed. I dropped to the floor.
The world trembled around me as my eyes burned. They didn’t just sting, they felt as if they were on fire. The pain was forcing tears to secrete from my eyes. I felt as though I had been stabbed in the head repeatedly. My body began to grow warmer as I kneeled on the floor with my chest to my thighs. There was no pain worse than this.
I had known pain in my life, both mental and physical. I had endured it when I was in the White Room, what they did to me….but this was more intense.
It was like being ripped in two and I couldn’t seem to control it. I wasn’t able to think clearly enough to try to stop it. My head was killing me and it was nothing like I had ever known.
I felt like I was crushed between two thick walls that were going to kill me in a matter of seconds. I felt like my head was going to explode from the pressure. The pain was so intense like an explosion or a fire burning me from the inside out. I thought I was going to die from the excruciating tremors that wracked my body.
I couldn't feel anything outside this nor hear what was going on. Too much pain to handle...nothing outside the pain...white hot pain...so much I thought it was going to kill me...
I fought hard to subside the pain, but I slowly began to weep more and more. Clenching my teeth, I concentrated hard. I put images of Liz into my head, searing them into my mind permanently, believing that it was the last time I was going to see her face. My hands sandwiched my head as if literally pressing the memories of Liz into my mind.
“Liz!” I cried.
[Liz]
“Shhh!” Maria hissed.
Katie and Riley laughed. “Is she always this anal?” Katie grinned.
I nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”
We quieted down and went back to watching the movie. I sat on Jesse’s recliner and had it all to myself while the others sat a slight distance away on the couches.
The Princess Bride was one of my favorite movies of all time. I had seen it somewhere near a hundred times. It was nothing new to me. So, my thoughts flowed elsewhere.
A flag or some kind of alert went up in my mind and my emotions went into overdrive. My eyes began to sting as tears filled my eyes. There was something wrong. It was Max.
{Michael}
“Jesus!” I cried out.
Max was lying on the floor in a fetal position. He looked exhausted and beaten. Sweat coated his face and his eyes were blood red.
“What the hell happened?” I wondered, helping him onto his bed.
TBC
Chapter 59: Part 1
{Max}
Bottles of cologne and lotion fell to the floor as I stumbled across my dresser, using it to keep my balance, trying to hold onto something that would help me from falling. My head began to throb in pain, intensifying as each second passed. I dropped to the floor.
The world trembled around me as my eyes burned. They didn’t just sting, they felt as if they were on fire. The pain was forcing tears to secrete from my eyes. I felt as though I had been stabbed in the head repeatedly. My body began to grow warmer as I kneeled on the floor with my chest to my thighs. There was no pain worse than this.
I had known pain in my life, both mental and physical. I had endured it when I was in the White Room, what they did to me….but this was more intense.
It was like being ripped in two and I couldn’t seem to control it. I wasn’t able to think clearly enough to try to stop it. My head was killing me and it was nothing like I had ever known.
I felt like I was crushed between two thick walls that were going to kill me in a matter of seconds. I felt like my head was going to explode from the pressure. The pain was so intense like an explosion or a fire burning me from the inside out. I thought I was going to die from the excruciating tremors that wracked my body.
I couldn't feel anything outside this nor hear what was going on. Too much pain to handle...nothing outside the pain...white hot pain...so much I thought it was going to kill me...
I fought hard to subside the pain, but I slowly began to weep more and more. Clenching my teeth, I concentrated hard. I put images of Liz into my head, searing them into my mind permanently, believing that it was the last time I was going to see her face. My hands sandwiched my head as if literally pressing the memories of Liz into my mind.
“Liz!” I cried.
[Liz]
“Shhh!” Maria hissed.
Katie and Riley laughed. “Is she always this anal?” Katie grinned.
I nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”
We quieted down and went back to watching the movie. I sat on Jesse’s recliner and had it all to myself while the others sat a slight distance away on the couches.
The Princess Bride was one of my favorite movies of all time. I had seen it somewhere near a hundred times. It was nothing new to me. So, my thoughts flowed elsewhere.
A flag or some kind of alert went up in my mind and my emotions went into overdrive. My eyes began to sting as tears filled my eyes. There was something wrong. It was Max.
{Michael}
“Jesus!” I cried out.
Max was lying on the floor in a fetal position. He looked exhausted and beaten. Sweat coated his face and his eyes were blood red.
“What the hell happened?” I wondered, helping him onto his bed.
TBC
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scarlettlily
- Enthusiastic Roswellian
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:30 pm
- Location: Chicago in the summer and NJ for college during the year
- Contact:
WTF????? What just happened? What is going on with Max? Why is he in pain? Why? Why? Come on, post soon, I want to know what is wrong with him. Not right before the wedding! WHAT IS GOING ON?????
Post soon Holly or you are going to have many many people jumping down your throat to tell us what is up.
Post soon Holly or you are going to have many many people jumping down your throat to tell us what is up.
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soulmates4eva
- Enthusiastic Roswellian
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Feb 22, 2003 9:13 pm
- Location: mn
- Contact:
help
i found this story a couple days ago and just want to say i love it but i can't read the last two parts could you repost them or something
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hoLLyBEHRy
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 215
- Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 12:00 am
Chapter 59: Part 2
bballchick: thanks for reading!!! i'll PM you the last 2 parts.
sorry you guys, this part is pretty short but i'll try to post the next part tomorro morning, but it's really late now and i've got school tomorro.
Chapter 59: Part 2
[Maria]
Liz was crying. Why was she crying? We weren’t even that far into the movie. I got up, unnoticed by the other girls who were captivated by the movie. I pretended to walk towards the bathroom, grabbing Liz’s arm and dragging her off the chair.
I didn’t even bother looking over my shoulder at Liz. I just dragged her off into Isabel’s bedroom with me.
“What’s going on?” I immediately asked, shutting and locking the door.
Liz shook her head and dried her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“So, what’s with the tears? Happy tears? Sad tears?”
Again, Liz shook her head. “I don’t know. Scared tears.”
No, she was not about to get cold feet, not the night before the wedding. Tomorrow, she and Max were going to get married. I would literally drag the two to the church if I had to.
“Not that kind of scared,” Liz said to me, reading my mind. “I think something happened to Max.”
I shook my head in confusion. Max and Liz had a special connection that only they shared. Our whole group knew that. We just had no idea the content of that connection or what that connection entitled them to.
“Are you sure?” I asked Liz.
“No,” Liz replied. “But it’s this feeling. I’m scared, Maria.”
I pulled Liz into my arms and maneuvered my phone out of my pocket. “Let me give Michael a call.”
{Michael}
I rushed out of the bathroom, handing Max a cup of water.
“Thanks,” he replied gratefully.
I nodded. “No problem. Are you ok now?”
Max took a sip and nodded as he did. “I think so,” he mumbled. “I’m just weak. It took a lot of energy to fight it, way too much.”
I nodded in understanding, but not really. We sat in awkward silence. Conversation between Maxwell and I was usually short. Odd how we’re best friends.
We had no idea what to say. I had found Max on the floor. He was conscious but he looked like he went through hell a few times. If I hadn’t walked into his room when I did, who knows what I might have seen.
“I’m scared, Michael,” Max sighed.
I shook my head in confusion. “Of what?”
“Michael, today’s Friday,” he replied. “It wasn’t supposed to happen today, but it did.” His voice quivered slightly.
For a long while now, Max had been so afraid and so vulnerable.
“Max, you can stop being so scared. At least you can sense it coming,” I sighed. “You’re strong and you can fight it now. It’s finally slipping up.”
“So is your phone,” Max replied.
My eyebrow arched up. “What?”
“Your phone,” Max repeated, looking at my pocket. “It’s slipping out of your pocket and vibrating.”
I quickly reached for my phone, flipping it open and pressing the “talk” button. “Hello?” I answered.
“Michael, it’s Maria.”
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I need you to do something for me,” she requested. “I’ve got Liz here and she’s crying. She thinks that there’s something wrong with Max. Please tell me there isn’t.”
Max tapped my arm. “Who is it?” he said silently.
I covered the transmitter of my phone. “It’s Maria,” I whispered back. “She said Liz thinks that something happened to you. What do I tell her?”
Max finished off the glass of water and shook his head. “Don’t tell her what happened. Nothing happened. I’m fine.”
I nodded and relayed the information to Maria, who did the same to Liz.
“Don’t worry about anything,” I told Maria. “I’m looking out for him. I’ve got to go.” I hung up and tossed my phone aside. “Liz isn’t going to be very happy that you just lied to her the night before the wedding about something as serious as this.”
“I’ll make it up to her,” Max promised.
(did you guys get what happened, by the way? just let me know if you're confused.)
sorry you guys, this part is pretty short but i'll try to post the next part tomorro morning, but it's really late now and i've got school tomorro.
Chapter 59: Part 2
[Maria]
Liz was crying. Why was she crying? We weren’t even that far into the movie. I got up, unnoticed by the other girls who were captivated by the movie. I pretended to walk towards the bathroom, grabbing Liz’s arm and dragging her off the chair.
I didn’t even bother looking over my shoulder at Liz. I just dragged her off into Isabel’s bedroom with me.
“What’s going on?” I immediately asked, shutting and locking the door.
Liz shook her head and dried her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“So, what’s with the tears? Happy tears? Sad tears?”
Again, Liz shook her head. “I don’t know. Scared tears.”
No, she was not about to get cold feet, not the night before the wedding. Tomorrow, she and Max were going to get married. I would literally drag the two to the church if I had to.
“Not that kind of scared,” Liz said to me, reading my mind. “I think something happened to Max.”
I shook my head in confusion. Max and Liz had a special connection that only they shared. Our whole group knew that. We just had no idea the content of that connection or what that connection entitled them to.
“Are you sure?” I asked Liz.
“No,” Liz replied. “But it’s this feeling. I’m scared, Maria.”
I pulled Liz into my arms and maneuvered my phone out of my pocket. “Let me give Michael a call.”
{Michael}
I rushed out of the bathroom, handing Max a cup of water.
“Thanks,” he replied gratefully.
I nodded. “No problem. Are you ok now?”
Max took a sip and nodded as he did. “I think so,” he mumbled. “I’m just weak. It took a lot of energy to fight it, way too much.”
I nodded in understanding, but not really. We sat in awkward silence. Conversation between Maxwell and I was usually short. Odd how we’re best friends.
We had no idea what to say. I had found Max on the floor. He was conscious but he looked like he went through hell a few times. If I hadn’t walked into his room when I did, who knows what I might have seen.
“I’m scared, Michael,” Max sighed.
I shook my head in confusion. “Of what?”
“Michael, today’s Friday,” he replied. “It wasn’t supposed to happen today, but it did.” His voice quivered slightly.
For a long while now, Max had been so afraid and so vulnerable.
“Max, you can stop being so scared. At least you can sense it coming,” I sighed. “You’re strong and you can fight it now. It’s finally slipping up.”
“So is your phone,” Max replied.
My eyebrow arched up. “What?”
“Your phone,” Max repeated, looking at my pocket. “It’s slipping out of your pocket and vibrating.”
I quickly reached for my phone, flipping it open and pressing the “talk” button. “Hello?” I answered.
“Michael, it’s Maria.”
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I need you to do something for me,” she requested. “I’ve got Liz here and she’s crying. She thinks that there’s something wrong with Max. Please tell me there isn’t.”
Max tapped my arm. “Who is it?” he said silently.
I covered the transmitter of my phone. “It’s Maria,” I whispered back. “She said Liz thinks that something happened to you. What do I tell her?”
Max finished off the glass of water and shook his head. “Don’t tell her what happened. Nothing happened. I’m fine.”
I nodded and relayed the information to Maria, who did the same to Liz.
“Don’t worry about anything,” I told Maria. “I’m looking out for him. I’ve got to go.” I hung up and tossed my phone aside. “Liz isn’t going to be very happy that you just lied to her the night before the wedding about something as serious as this.”
“I’ll make it up to her,” Max promised.
(did you guys get what happened, by the way? just let me know if you're confused.)
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hoLLyBEHRy
- Addicted Roswellian
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Chapter 60
Hope you guys enjoy the next part. Thanks once again for all the feedback!!!
-hoLLy
Chapter 60
[Liz]
Maria and I walked back to Isabel’s living room. My best friend started to move back towards the floor where she had been sitting earlier while I continued to stand. I ran my hands through my hair.
“You know, I’m a little tired,” I announced. “I think I’ll call it a night.”
Maria looked up at me in confusion and Isabel was a spitting image. Katie and Riley smirked sympathetically.
“That’s actually a good idea,” Riley replied. “You want a good night’s rest for the big day tomorrow.”
Katie grinned happily in agreement. They smiled and nodded not knowing what really was going on. Max's parents had only told Grandpa Clark, and so none of the other Evanses knew.
“I’ll drive you,” Maria announced.
Isabel jumped off the couch. “I’ll walk you two out.”
We left Isabel’s cousins in the living room and walked out of Isabel’s quaint home. Maria and I started down the steps when Isabel latched onto my arm.
“What’s wrong?” she wondered.
I shook my head. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”
“Liz, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Isabel threatened. “It’s seven o’clock and you want to go to bed. Either tell me what’s going on, or I’ll walk into your dreams.”
Isabel had never threatened me that way. She must have been genuinely concerned for me.
“Honestly, Isabel,” Maria began. “It really was nothing. It was a false alarm.”
“What happened?” Isabel asked sternly.
Maria tried to speak for me again, but I held up my hand, silencing her.
“I thought something happened to Max,” I admitted. “I felt something, but it was just a false alarm. I could be PMS-ing.”
Isabel crossed her arms and irritably tapped her foot. “Are you sure? Because Liz, I know that you have this…bond with Max, and so when you’ve got a hunch, it’s more than a hunch.”
Maria shook her head. “No, we called Michael. He was with Max and told us that he was fine.”
“Are we sure?” Isabel asked.
I nodded. “We just have to believe them.”
“I’ll go pay my brother a visit.”
“No,” I shook my head. “We just have to trust that they’re ok. Max told me to do that. So, I’m telling you guys, now. They would have told us if something was wrong.”
{Max}
After finding me nearly unconscious on the floor, Michael told me to stay in bed. Now I know how Liz felt when I forced her to stay confined to her bed three months ago. I reached over and grabbed the remote control for my Plasma TV. I turned the tv on and started flipping through the channels. I stopped on FoxFamily. They were playing The Princess Bride. A classic movie, and I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s one of my favorites. Westley and Buttercup were together in the end and they lived happily ever after, something that I would love to have with Liz, something that I knew I was going to have with Liz.
*~*
The credits started to roll when Michael walked in.
“Is that a tear I see?” he asked me.
“Shut up,” I said, wiping my eyes. “There was something…”
“In your eye,” Michael finished. “Don’t worry about it. I cry too.”
I breathed out a laugh and sat up in my bed. “What’s up?’
Michael shrugged and took a seat on the foot of my bed. “Nothing. I just wanted to check up on you.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. “You didn’t happen to tell Jesse and Kyle, did you?”
Michael looked at me skeptically and shook his head. “No, I just told them you were tired and you wanted to hit the sack early, so they left. I’ve been hanging out on your couch. I hope you don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m glad you’re here. You talk to any of the girls lately?”
“Maria called, said that Liz went home early, said she was tired too.”
Instantly, I knew that Liz knew something had happened to me. Sometimes, I knew how Liz was feeling, I knew if she was alright or not, and I always assumed that Liz had the same sixth sense. So of course Liz sensed that something had happened.
“Ok, thanks, Michael,” I said gratefully. “Listen, you can go home. It’s late. You should get some sleep.”
“Actually, I was hoping I can just crash here tonight. My tux is here and I have to help you get ready tomorrow anyway.”
That was just great. I had to sneak out of my own apartment tonight.
*~*
I slowly pried my bedroom door open to find Michael asleep on the couch. The sound of my door sliding slightly against my carpet caused him to stir. Michael was always a light sleeper. He was always alert and cautious because he felt that he had to be. He always had to look out for himself. So, Michael was always on pins and needles when he slept.
I paced around my room wondering just how I was going to get out of my apartment. I lived on the seventh floor of a grand apartment complex where there were no outside fire escapes to climb down.
Turning back to my door, I calmed my nerves and tried my best to escape as quietly as I could. Just pull the door open, like a band-aid, quick and painless, I thought to myself. So, I grabbed the door knob and pulled it open. Nice and quick. Not so much painless.
Michael shot up in bed and his head turned to my door and me, standing in the doorway. “Maxwell, what are you doing up?” he asked me. “What time is it?”
“Midnight,” I sighed. “Go back to bed.”
Michael rubbed his eyes. “What are you doing up? You should be asleep.”
“My toilet’s busted,” I lied. “I was just going to use the bathroom out here. Go back to sleep.”
“Alright,” Michael said, curling back up on my couch.
I rolled my eyes in relief and walked through the foyer and past the bathroom, out the door.
[Liz]
What I felt today was so real and intense, I had spent all night awake in my bed wondering just why I had a strong feeling that something had happened to Max. I still believed that something happened to Max. He didn’t even call—
“Liz?”
It was a quiet night and cool, too. So I had left my window open and was able to hear the night’s silence. Max's whisper broke the stillness.
I crawled off the foot of my bed and climbed through my window and onto my balcony. Looking over the edge, I saw the most beautiful, smiling face looking up at me.
“Hi,” I whispered down to him. “You know, you’re not supposed to be here.”
Max shrugged. “Well, I forgot to give you a call. When I realized that, it was 11:30 and I wasn’t sure if you were awake.”
“So, you decided to come to my room instead and wake me up anyway?” I laughed.
“Well, that’s not true. You were already awake.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “How do you know that?”
“I just do. Can I come up?”
I nodded and Max walked to the ladder while I decided to wait for him on my lawn chair. I heard a pang each time Max's shoes hit a rung. He finally made it over after twenty pangs. I stood up to greet him and give him a kiss.
“Mmm,” I hummed. “I’ve missed you.”
Max nodded as he savored the kiss, smiling and keeping his eyes closed. “Me too,” he sighed.
We pressed our foreheads together and closed our eyes tight. We acted as if we had been separated for years. That’s what it felt like, and it felt so good to be back in his presence, to have him with me in his arms.
I shivered slightly. It was cool outside, but I was in running shorts and a spaghetti strap tee. Max rubbed his hands up and down my upper arms, trying to generate some warmth for me.
“Let’s get you inside,” he finally said.
I nodded in agreement and led the way. I took a seat on my bed and watched Max climb in. Once he did, he pulled my computer chair from my desk and up to my bed. He sat straddling the chair, resting his arms against the back of the chair and his chin against his crossed arms.
“Approximately 14 hours,” he grinned. “Are you ready?”
{Max}
“Absolutely,” Liz replied.
I gave a small smile. “That’s good. Me too.”
We sat silently, me swiveling on her computer chair and her, kicking her legs as they hung off the edge of the bed. She was so beautiful and innocent, and stronger than me, Michael, and Isabel put together. She was so smart and intelligent, full of so much knowledge. God, I loved her so much.
“I think I’ll get a little nervous before the wedding,” Liz told me. “But definitely no cold feet.”
I gave a small smile and thought about today and lying to her.
Liz smiled back. “The only thing that I’m worrying about is the Crashdown. Maria’s kept a tight lock on the place. She’s got Kyle guarding the door downstairs. He’s asleep on the break room couch.”
I nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I saw that the windows were covered.”
Liz laughed. “Yeah, it’s kind of getting me worried. I really want to see—”
“Liz,” I interrupted. I was going to tell her. I had to tell her. “Liz, I lied to you today.”
There, I told her.
“Well, technically, I lied to you yesterday,” I began to babble.
She looked bothered instantly. How I hated making her feel anything but happy.
“Wh—what are you talking about?” she asked me softly.
I lifted off her computer chair and pushed it away from me. I crouched down in front of her and grabbed her hands. “Don’t worry,” I told her. “It’s actually good news. I just didn’t want to get you upset.”
“Well, you’re about to be too late if you don’t tell me soon.”
I nodded. “Ok,” I agreed. “Well, I know that you felt in your heart, inside of you, that there was something wrong with me or that something had happened to me.”
Liz bobbed her head along.
“So, Maria called Michael,” I continued. “He was sitting next to me on my bed when he got the call. He told me that you felt something, but I didn’t want you to get worried, so I told him to tell you guys that there was nothing wrong with me.”
Liz stared at me.
I forced down the lump in my throat. “Well, this is where the lying comes in. Something happened to me, Liz.”
Her eyes got watery and her mouth hung open slightly.
“It’s nothing bad,” I went on. “Like I said, it’s something good.”
“What happened?” Liz wanted to know.
I rubbed my hands over hers and then kissed the pile of hands. “The conscience tried to take over.”
“How is that something good?” Liz wondered, scooting away and removing her hands from mine.
I stared at my empty hands. I knew she was going to be angry with me. I lied to her. I wasn’t supposed to lie to my future-wife.
“It is,” I insisted. With my eyes, I pleaded for Liz to forgive me. “I was able to stop it,” I said, pleased by that effort I made to fight it today. “I felt it coming, and it hurt. It was like I was being stabbed in the head repeatedly, but I fought it. I stopped it from controlling me again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Liz cried.
“I—I didn’t want you to be worried.”
Liz scoffed. “All day, I was second guessing myself. I was worried about you, but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, because you told me to trust you. You told me to have faith in you and us.”
Now I mirrored Liz’s previous expression. My mouth hung open just a tad and my eyes probably glistened in the moonlight. “Liz, I’m sorry.”
She sighed heavily.
“Please don’t be angry,” I begged. “I was trying to protect you.”
“I’m not angry,” Liz told me. “I just wish you had let us know. Max, this is big news that deserves to be shared among our group. You’ve been fighting…the conscience for who knows how long, and today…yesterday, whatever, you sense it coming and you fought it and beat it? You should have told us.”
I nodded. “I know,” I said apologetically.
“We all care about you, Max. We are all worried about you. We are all part of your life. Max, I’m going to be your wife tomorrow—today.”
Again, I nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“This is what I’m talking about. You have to stop doing this. You have to tell us these things. You have to stop taking things upon yourself and dealing with it by yourself. You’re not alone.”
Liz was right. I had to stop being so controlling and demanding and selfish. In 14 hours, it wasn’t just going to be just me, it was going to be me and Liz, officially.
“Liz, I apologize,” I told her. “I don’t want to keep having these fights. I don’t want you to keep having to forgive me. So, I’m going to stop being so selfish. I swear, I’m going to try.”
She gave a small smirk and nodded. “Good,” she said, kissing my lips. “Good.”
Again, we were in silence. Silence; it bothered me. I looked around Liz’s room, trying to spot a radio. I looked on her headboard.
“Is that a radio?” I wondered.
Liz glanced at my stare over her shoulder and spotted her clock that I had been staring at. She nodded. “Yeah, why?”
I gave a small smile and stood up, holding my hand out for Liz. “Get up,” I told her.
She arched her eyebrow up.
“Come on,” I smiled.
Liz reluctantly placed her hand in mine and stood up. I held up my other hand and turned on the radio with my powers, finding the perfect station with a nice, slow song playing. Ah, Gomez. Perfect choice.
[Liz]
“May I have this dance?” he asked me.
I rolled my eyes, giving a little laugh. Max pulled me into his arms where I rested my head against his chest as we started to dance.
“Last dance as boyfriend and girlfriend,” he said.
I knew there was a smile on his face. I pulled my head back to confirm that he was grinning happily. Something called the conscience was taking over Max's body, but for some reason, being in his arms, I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t as scared as I should be. Max was strong. He fought whatever the conscience was and I didn’t have anything to worry about.
I was angry that Max lied to me. No one likes being lied to. I was still angry that he lied to me, but I had to move past it. I couldn’t be angry at him and definitely not on our wedding day.
Today was going to start a new slate, and we had to stop all the lying and the grudges.
“Thank you,” I said out of the blue.
Max's eyes narrowed as his eyebrows met at the bridge of his nose. “For what?”
“Thank you for smiling,” I replied. “Thank you for caring about me first.”
That’s why Max lied, because he thought of me. He didn’t want me to worry. He was protecting me.
“Granted that pretty much the first thing that you did to me on my wedding day was upset me, thank you for putting me first,” I explained. “I love you.”
Max laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. “I love you too.”
The song playing on the radio stopped, prompting Max and I to stop dancing. He glanced at my radio-clock.
“It’s almost one,” he announced. “I better go.”
I gave a little sigh. I didn’t want him to leave. “Ok,” I said anyway. “I’ll walk you to the balcony.”
Max shook his head. “Just walk me to the window. It’s cool outside, but I don’t want you to catch a chill.”
He was right, so I walked him the two steps to my window where he grabbed both my hands.
“I’ll see you in 14 hours,” he smiled.
I gave a little nod and we gave each other a kiss goodbye. Once we kissed, it was so hard to pull away. Max kissed me harder and I kissed him back just as intensely. It was like a little battle. A battle I didn’t mind losing. Each kiss brought a flash of us together. A touch of his tongue brought intense feelings and emotions that we felt when we kissed. It was like heaven kissing Max Evans.
We didn’t stop kissing. We just kept on going at it. Every brief moment we broke away, we both tried out best to catch our breaths. Suddenly it wasn’t so cool.
Max's warm, soft lips danced around mine as our tongues grazed over each other, darting in and out of our mouths. He tasted so sweet.
He pulled away from me and oddly looked at my door. “Your parents are asleep?” he whispered.
Dense wrinkles formed across my forehead. “Why?”
I followed his eyes to my bed.
“I thought you wanted to wait,” I told him.
Max breathed heavily. “I—I did,” he nervously stuttered. “But I, uh, I…”
I nodded in agreement. “I want you too.”
I grabbed the collar of his shirt as I backed up towards my bed, dragging him with me as we kissed again. Each kiss better than the one preceded by it. My heart began to race as my insides continued to churn. I lowered myself to the bed, continuing to drag Max along.
He stopped for a brief moment and glanced at my door again. “I know I may ruin our chances of doing this, but what about your parents?”
I gave a little laugh. “Their room is way down the hall,” I told him. “This whole building is made of bricks, not a sound will go through, and my door has a lock on it.”
Max kissed me once more, giving a little chuckle. “You’re well prepared, aren’t you?”
I nodded and pulled Max on top of me. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
Max sighed heavily. “Me too, Liz.”
We inched our way up the bed where I rested my head on my pillows as we continued kissing. I turned my head away so that I could focus on unbuttoning his shirt. He kissed my cheeks and moved his way down to my neck. His lips, moist and gentle.
I worked at the buttons on his shirt, undoing each as fast as I could, but not too fast. I didn’t want to seem to eager and inexperienced, even though I was both. Max took his time, slowly sliding one hand up my top and running it up and down my side.
Finally, all the buttons of his shirt became undone, only to reveal his wife-beater. Why did guys have to wear to many layers? I just knew that under his pants he was wearing boxers. Max stood up on his knees and saved me the trouble by lifting his wife-beater over his shirt to expose his glorified body. While he did that, I grabbed a hold of his belt and unlatched the buckle. He stepped off the bed and let his pants slide down to his ankles where he kicked them loose. Max rejoined me on the bed.
My hands held his sides and moved over his very well-toned body, feeling his taut muscles and smooth skin, not a hair on his body. I looked down at his legs and gave a little giggle, nothing there too.
“What?” Max said, his breaths uneven.
I shook my head and held in my laugh. “Nothing,” I smiled. “Absolutely nothing.”
*~*
Max hovered above me, shifting up and down, plunging forward in a well-paced pattern with a rhythm to it. Our bodies moved together in perfect harmony, like we were one body. We kissed each other passionately. Our lips barely parted, only once in awhile to catch quick breaths of air and to release tension and emotion building up inside.
“My God…,” he had gasped when he saw all of me for the first time. “You’re beautiful.”
The moment our bodies became joined together, a giant bomb of emotions, feelings, thoughts, and memories hit both of us. Making love to Max was magical, literally. At one point, it felt like we lifted off the bed. At different points, I felt flashes of warmth flow over my body.
God, if my parents weren’t home, I would have expressed myself vocally, thanking Max for making me feel so wonderful, but I couldn’t think about that. I couldn’t think about my parents, not when I was making love to Max, which brought non-stop pleasure. Excitement flowed all over my body. I could never have imagined that making love to Max would be so mind-blowing. I bit down, trying to hide my smile because I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I was going to be able to make love to Max for the rest of my life.
He continued to slide up and down, pleasing me and himself. He hovered over me just about an inch—maybe less—away and continued to thrust gently. He rested his forehead on mine as we continued to rock together.
I could feel his warm breath blanketing my lips. His tongue flickered out of his mouth, gracing my lips with its presence. I couldn’t hold myself back. I attacked his mouth and kissed his lips, tasting his tongue with mine. Max maneuvered his teeth over my bottom lip, grabbing a delicate hold and sliding away. I loved it when he did that. Max closed his eyes tight and focused on the wonderful sensation I knew he was feeling. I observed him as brought his head back down onto mine. He continued to pump below, clenching his jaw shut.
“God,” he growled.
His gorgeous body was coated with sweat that glistened in the moonlight. His breaths deep and steady, just like his pace. I knew he was almost as inexperienced as I was, but he worked like a pro, knowing how to satisfy me.
Max opened his eyes and stared deep into mine. He gave a smile and lifted his hand to move a lock of hair away from my face and tuck it behind my ear as he continued to thrust gently. That simple action of moving strands of hair away from my face and tucking it behind my ear made me feel safe, loved, and beautiful. Then Max let the same hand graze my cheek.
“Liz…” Max moaned.
My hands roamed over his body, feeling every inch of him. His muscles moved beneath my hands, bulging his skin up somewhat. Max sped up the pace slightly, keeping a rhythmic beat as I dug my fingers into his back as I knew it was coming.
“Max!” I sighed excitedly.
A burst of ecstasy exploded inside of me as I clenched onto Max. My arms wrapped under his armpits, my hands grasped onto his shoulders, and my legs circled around his waist. I tilted my head back and arched my back in pure elation.
Max did the same thing, pulling his head back in pleasure and fulfillment, revealing his throat from which grunted. He collapsed on top of me, resting his head on my chest. I loosened my grip on his shoulders and brought my hands in between his shoulder blades and dropped my legs back on my bed.
A tear escaped my eyes and ran down my temple, into my ear. I sighed heavily, trying to catch my breath. “I love you, Max.”
Max looked up and continued to pant as he smiled when he saw my tear, which he wiped away with a gentle touch. “And I love you more than you know.”
A smile stretched across my face as he brought his head back down. I kissed the top of his head and closed my eyes. Then I shuddered slightly, trembling almost.
“Are you ok?” he asked, genuinely concerned. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
I looked down at him and shook my head. “No, I’m fine. I’m more than fine.”
Max slowly closed his eyes and brought his head back down onto my chest. “Me too, Liz.”
-hoLLy
Chapter 60
[Liz]
Maria and I walked back to Isabel’s living room. My best friend started to move back towards the floor where she had been sitting earlier while I continued to stand. I ran my hands through my hair.
“You know, I’m a little tired,” I announced. “I think I’ll call it a night.”
Maria looked up at me in confusion and Isabel was a spitting image. Katie and Riley smirked sympathetically.
“That’s actually a good idea,” Riley replied. “You want a good night’s rest for the big day tomorrow.”
Katie grinned happily in agreement. They smiled and nodded not knowing what really was going on. Max's parents had only told Grandpa Clark, and so none of the other Evanses knew.
“I’ll drive you,” Maria announced.
Isabel jumped off the couch. “I’ll walk you two out.”
We left Isabel’s cousins in the living room and walked out of Isabel’s quaint home. Maria and I started down the steps when Isabel latched onto my arm.
“What’s wrong?” she wondered.
I shook my head. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”
“Liz, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Isabel threatened. “It’s seven o’clock and you want to go to bed. Either tell me what’s going on, or I’ll walk into your dreams.”
Isabel had never threatened me that way. She must have been genuinely concerned for me.
“Honestly, Isabel,” Maria began. “It really was nothing. It was a false alarm.”
“What happened?” Isabel asked sternly.
Maria tried to speak for me again, but I held up my hand, silencing her.
“I thought something happened to Max,” I admitted. “I felt something, but it was just a false alarm. I could be PMS-ing.”
Isabel crossed her arms and irritably tapped her foot. “Are you sure? Because Liz, I know that you have this…bond with Max, and so when you’ve got a hunch, it’s more than a hunch.”
Maria shook her head. “No, we called Michael. He was with Max and told us that he was fine.”
“Are we sure?” Isabel asked.
I nodded. “We just have to believe them.”
“I’ll go pay my brother a visit.”
“No,” I shook my head. “We just have to trust that they’re ok. Max told me to do that. So, I’m telling you guys, now. They would have told us if something was wrong.”
{Max}
After finding me nearly unconscious on the floor, Michael told me to stay in bed. Now I know how Liz felt when I forced her to stay confined to her bed three months ago. I reached over and grabbed the remote control for my Plasma TV. I turned the tv on and started flipping through the channels. I stopped on FoxFamily. They were playing The Princess Bride. A classic movie, and I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s one of my favorites. Westley and Buttercup were together in the end and they lived happily ever after, something that I would love to have with Liz, something that I knew I was going to have with Liz.
*~*
The credits started to roll when Michael walked in.
“Is that a tear I see?” he asked me.
“Shut up,” I said, wiping my eyes. “There was something…”
“In your eye,” Michael finished. “Don’t worry about it. I cry too.”
I breathed out a laugh and sat up in my bed. “What’s up?’
Michael shrugged and took a seat on the foot of my bed. “Nothing. I just wanted to check up on you.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. “You didn’t happen to tell Jesse and Kyle, did you?”
Michael looked at me skeptically and shook his head. “No, I just told them you were tired and you wanted to hit the sack early, so they left. I’ve been hanging out on your couch. I hope you don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m glad you’re here. You talk to any of the girls lately?”
“Maria called, said that Liz went home early, said she was tired too.”
Instantly, I knew that Liz knew something had happened to me. Sometimes, I knew how Liz was feeling, I knew if she was alright or not, and I always assumed that Liz had the same sixth sense. So of course Liz sensed that something had happened.
“Ok, thanks, Michael,” I said gratefully. “Listen, you can go home. It’s late. You should get some sleep.”
“Actually, I was hoping I can just crash here tonight. My tux is here and I have to help you get ready tomorrow anyway.”
That was just great. I had to sneak out of my own apartment tonight.
*~*
I slowly pried my bedroom door open to find Michael asleep on the couch. The sound of my door sliding slightly against my carpet caused him to stir. Michael was always a light sleeper. He was always alert and cautious because he felt that he had to be. He always had to look out for himself. So, Michael was always on pins and needles when he slept.
I paced around my room wondering just how I was going to get out of my apartment. I lived on the seventh floor of a grand apartment complex where there were no outside fire escapes to climb down.
Turning back to my door, I calmed my nerves and tried my best to escape as quietly as I could. Just pull the door open, like a band-aid, quick and painless, I thought to myself. So, I grabbed the door knob and pulled it open. Nice and quick. Not so much painless.
Michael shot up in bed and his head turned to my door and me, standing in the doorway. “Maxwell, what are you doing up?” he asked me. “What time is it?”
“Midnight,” I sighed. “Go back to bed.”
Michael rubbed his eyes. “What are you doing up? You should be asleep.”
“My toilet’s busted,” I lied. “I was just going to use the bathroom out here. Go back to sleep.”
“Alright,” Michael said, curling back up on my couch.
I rolled my eyes in relief and walked through the foyer and past the bathroom, out the door.
[Liz]
What I felt today was so real and intense, I had spent all night awake in my bed wondering just why I had a strong feeling that something had happened to Max. I still believed that something happened to Max. He didn’t even call—
“Liz?”
It was a quiet night and cool, too. So I had left my window open and was able to hear the night’s silence. Max's whisper broke the stillness.
I crawled off the foot of my bed and climbed through my window and onto my balcony. Looking over the edge, I saw the most beautiful, smiling face looking up at me.
“Hi,” I whispered down to him. “You know, you’re not supposed to be here.”
Max shrugged. “Well, I forgot to give you a call. When I realized that, it was 11:30 and I wasn’t sure if you were awake.”
“So, you decided to come to my room instead and wake me up anyway?” I laughed.
“Well, that’s not true. You were already awake.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “How do you know that?”
“I just do. Can I come up?”
I nodded and Max walked to the ladder while I decided to wait for him on my lawn chair. I heard a pang each time Max's shoes hit a rung. He finally made it over after twenty pangs. I stood up to greet him and give him a kiss.
“Mmm,” I hummed. “I’ve missed you.”
Max nodded as he savored the kiss, smiling and keeping his eyes closed. “Me too,” he sighed.
We pressed our foreheads together and closed our eyes tight. We acted as if we had been separated for years. That’s what it felt like, and it felt so good to be back in his presence, to have him with me in his arms.
I shivered slightly. It was cool outside, but I was in running shorts and a spaghetti strap tee. Max rubbed his hands up and down my upper arms, trying to generate some warmth for me.
“Let’s get you inside,” he finally said.
I nodded in agreement and led the way. I took a seat on my bed and watched Max climb in. Once he did, he pulled my computer chair from my desk and up to my bed. He sat straddling the chair, resting his arms against the back of the chair and his chin against his crossed arms.
“Approximately 14 hours,” he grinned. “Are you ready?”
{Max}
“Absolutely,” Liz replied.
I gave a small smile. “That’s good. Me too.”
We sat silently, me swiveling on her computer chair and her, kicking her legs as they hung off the edge of the bed. She was so beautiful and innocent, and stronger than me, Michael, and Isabel put together. She was so smart and intelligent, full of so much knowledge. God, I loved her so much.
“I think I’ll get a little nervous before the wedding,” Liz told me. “But definitely no cold feet.”
I gave a small smile and thought about today and lying to her.
Liz smiled back. “The only thing that I’m worrying about is the Crashdown. Maria’s kept a tight lock on the place. She’s got Kyle guarding the door downstairs. He’s asleep on the break room couch.”
I nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I saw that the windows were covered.”
Liz laughed. “Yeah, it’s kind of getting me worried. I really want to see—”
“Liz,” I interrupted. I was going to tell her. I had to tell her. “Liz, I lied to you today.”
There, I told her.
“Well, technically, I lied to you yesterday,” I began to babble.
She looked bothered instantly. How I hated making her feel anything but happy.
“Wh—what are you talking about?” she asked me softly.
I lifted off her computer chair and pushed it away from me. I crouched down in front of her and grabbed her hands. “Don’t worry,” I told her. “It’s actually good news. I just didn’t want to get you upset.”
“Well, you’re about to be too late if you don’t tell me soon.”
I nodded. “Ok,” I agreed. “Well, I know that you felt in your heart, inside of you, that there was something wrong with me or that something had happened to me.”
Liz bobbed her head along.
“So, Maria called Michael,” I continued. “He was sitting next to me on my bed when he got the call. He told me that you felt something, but I didn’t want you to get worried, so I told him to tell you guys that there was nothing wrong with me.”
Liz stared at me.
I forced down the lump in my throat. “Well, this is where the lying comes in. Something happened to me, Liz.”
Her eyes got watery and her mouth hung open slightly.
“It’s nothing bad,” I went on. “Like I said, it’s something good.”
“What happened?” Liz wanted to know.
I rubbed my hands over hers and then kissed the pile of hands. “The conscience tried to take over.”
“How is that something good?” Liz wondered, scooting away and removing her hands from mine.
I stared at my empty hands. I knew she was going to be angry with me. I lied to her. I wasn’t supposed to lie to my future-wife.
“It is,” I insisted. With my eyes, I pleaded for Liz to forgive me. “I was able to stop it,” I said, pleased by that effort I made to fight it today. “I felt it coming, and it hurt. It was like I was being stabbed in the head repeatedly, but I fought it. I stopped it from controlling me again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Liz cried.
“I—I didn’t want you to be worried.”
Liz scoffed. “All day, I was second guessing myself. I was worried about you, but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, because you told me to trust you. You told me to have faith in you and us.”
Now I mirrored Liz’s previous expression. My mouth hung open just a tad and my eyes probably glistened in the moonlight. “Liz, I’m sorry.”
She sighed heavily.
“Please don’t be angry,” I begged. “I was trying to protect you.”
“I’m not angry,” Liz told me. “I just wish you had let us know. Max, this is big news that deserves to be shared among our group. You’ve been fighting…the conscience for who knows how long, and today…yesterday, whatever, you sense it coming and you fought it and beat it? You should have told us.”
I nodded. “I know,” I said apologetically.
“We all care about you, Max. We are all worried about you. We are all part of your life. Max, I’m going to be your wife tomorrow—today.”
Again, I nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“This is what I’m talking about. You have to stop doing this. You have to tell us these things. You have to stop taking things upon yourself and dealing with it by yourself. You’re not alone.”
Liz was right. I had to stop being so controlling and demanding and selfish. In 14 hours, it wasn’t just going to be just me, it was going to be me and Liz, officially.
“Liz, I apologize,” I told her. “I don’t want to keep having these fights. I don’t want you to keep having to forgive me. So, I’m going to stop being so selfish. I swear, I’m going to try.”
She gave a small smirk and nodded. “Good,” she said, kissing my lips. “Good.”
Again, we were in silence. Silence; it bothered me. I looked around Liz’s room, trying to spot a radio. I looked on her headboard.
“Is that a radio?” I wondered.
Liz glanced at my stare over her shoulder and spotted her clock that I had been staring at. She nodded. “Yeah, why?”
I gave a small smile and stood up, holding my hand out for Liz. “Get up,” I told her.
She arched her eyebrow up.
“Come on,” I smiled.
Liz reluctantly placed her hand in mine and stood up. I held up my other hand and turned on the radio with my powers, finding the perfect station with a nice, slow song playing. Ah, Gomez. Perfect choice.
[Liz]
“May I have this dance?” he asked me.
I rolled my eyes, giving a little laugh. Max pulled me into his arms where I rested my head against his chest as we started to dance.
“Last dance as boyfriend and girlfriend,” he said.
I knew there was a smile on his face. I pulled my head back to confirm that he was grinning happily. Something called the conscience was taking over Max's body, but for some reason, being in his arms, I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t as scared as I should be. Max was strong. He fought whatever the conscience was and I didn’t have anything to worry about.
I was angry that Max lied to me. No one likes being lied to. I was still angry that he lied to me, but I had to move past it. I couldn’t be angry at him and definitely not on our wedding day.
Today was going to start a new slate, and we had to stop all the lying and the grudges.
“Thank you,” I said out of the blue.
Max's eyes narrowed as his eyebrows met at the bridge of his nose. “For what?”
“Thank you for smiling,” I replied. “Thank you for caring about me first.”
That’s why Max lied, because he thought of me. He didn’t want me to worry. He was protecting me.
“Granted that pretty much the first thing that you did to me on my wedding day was upset me, thank you for putting me first,” I explained. “I love you.”
Max laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. “I love you too.”
The song playing on the radio stopped, prompting Max and I to stop dancing. He glanced at my radio-clock.
“It’s almost one,” he announced. “I better go.”
I gave a little sigh. I didn’t want him to leave. “Ok,” I said anyway. “I’ll walk you to the balcony.”
Max shook his head. “Just walk me to the window. It’s cool outside, but I don’t want you to catch a chill.”
He was right, so I walked him the two steps to my window where he grabbed both my hands.
“I’ll see you in 14 hours,” he smiled.
I gave a little nod and we gave each other a kiss goodbye. Once we kissed, it was so hard to pull away. Max kissed me harder and I kissed him back just as intensely. It was like a little battle. A battle I didn’t mind losing. Each kiss brought a flash of us together. A touch of his tongue brought intense feelings and emotions that we felt when we kissed. It was like heaven kissing Max Evans.
We didn’t stop kissing. We just kept on going at it. Every brief moment we broke away, we both tried out best to catch our breaths. Suddenly it wasn’t so cool.
Max's warm, soft lips danced around mine as our tongues grazed over each other, darting in and out of our mouths. He tasted so sweet.
He pulled away from me and oddly looked at my door. “Your parents are asleep?” he whispered.
Dense wrinkles formed across my forehead. “Why?”
I followed his eyes to my bed.
“I thought you wanted to wait,” I told him.
Max breathed heavily. “I—I did,” he nervously stuttered. “But I, uh, I…”
I nodded in agreement. “I want you too.”
I grabbed the collar of his shirt as I backed up towards my bed, dragging him with me as we kissed again. Each kiss better than the one preceded by it. My heart began to race as my insides continued to churn. I lowered myself to the bed, continuing to drag Max along.
He stopped for a brief moment and glanced at my door again. “I know I may ruin our chances of doing this, but what about your parents?”
I gave a little laugh. “Their room is way down the hall,” I told him. “This whole building is made of bricks, not a sound will go through, and my door has a lock on it.”
Max kissed me once more, giving a little chuckle. “You’re well prepared, aren’t you?”
I nodded and pulled Max on top of me. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
Max sighed heavily. “Me too, Liz.”
We inched our way up the bed where I rested my head on my pillows as we continued kissing. I turned my head away so that I could focus on unbuttoning his shirt. He kissed my cheeks and moved his way down to my neck. His lips, moist and gentle.
I worked at the buttons on his shirt, undoing each as fast as I could, but not too fast. I didn’t want to seem to eager and inexperienced, even though I was both. Max took his time, slowly sliding one hand up my top and running it up and down my side.
Finally, all the buttons of his shirt became undone, only to reveal his wife-beater. Why did guys have to wear to many layers? I just knew that under his pants he was wearing boxers. Max stood up on his knees and saved me the trouble by lifting his wife-beater over his shirt to expose his glorified body. While he did that, I grabbed a hold of his belt and unlatched the buckle. He stepped off the bed and let his pants slide down to his ankles where he kicked them loose. Max rejoined me on the bed.
My hands held his sides and moved over his very well-toned body, feeling his taut muscles and smooth skin, not a hair on his body. I looked down at his legs and gave a little giggle, nothing there too.
“What?” Max said, his breaths uneven.
I shook my head and held in my laugh. “Nothing,” I smiled. “Absolutely nothing.”
*~*
Max hovered above me, shifting up and down, plunging forward in a well-paced pattern with a rhythm to it. Our bodies moved together in perfect harmony, like we were one body. We kissed each other passionately. Our lips barely parted, only once in awhile to catch quick breaths of air and to release tension and emotion building up inside.
“My God…,” he had gasped when he saw all of me for the first time. “You’re beautiful.”
The moment our bodies became joined together, a giant bomb of emotions, feelings, thoughts, and memories hit both of us. Making love to Max was magical, literally. At one point, it felt like we lifted off the bed. At different points, I felt flashes of warmth flow over my body.
God, if my parents weren’t home, I would have expressed myself vocally, thanking Max for making me feel so wonderful, but I couldn’t think about that. I couldn’t think about my parents, not when I was making love to Max, which brought non-stop pleasure. Excitement flowed all over my body. I could never have imagined that making love to Max would be so mind-blowing. I bit down, trying to hide my smile because I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I was going to be able to make love to Max for the rest of my life.
He continued to slide up and down, pleasing me and himself. He hovered over me just about an inch—maybe less—away and continued to thrust gently. He rested his forehead on mine as we continued to rock together.
I could feel his warm breath blanketing my lips. His tongue flickered out of his mouth, gracing my lips with its presence. I couldn’t hold myself back. I attacked his mouth and kissed his lips, tasting his tongue with mine. Max maneuvered his teeth over my bottom lip, grabbing a delicate hold and sliding away. I loved it when he did that. Max closed his eyes tight and focused on the wonderful sensation I knew he was feeling. I observed him as brought his head back down onto mine. He continued to pump below, clenching his jaw shut.
“God,” he growled.
His gorgeous body was coated with sweat that glistened in the moonlight. His breaths deep and steady, just like his pace. I knew he was almost as inexperienced as I was, but he worked like a pro, knowing how to satisfy me.
Max opened his eyes and stared deep into mine. He gave a smile and lifted his hand to move a lock of hair away from my face and tuck it behind my ear as he continued to thrust gently. That simple action of moving strands of hair away from my face and tucking it behind my ear made me feel safe, loved, and beautiful. Then Max let the same hand graze my cheek.
“Liz…” Max moaned.
My hands roamed over his body, feeling every inch of him. His muscles moved beneath my hands, bulging his skin up somewhat. Max sped up the pace slightly, keeping a rhythmic beat as I dug my fingers into his back as I knew it was coming.
“Max!” I sighed excitedly.
A burst of ecstasy exploded inside of me as I clenched onto Max. My arms wrapped under his armpits, my hands grasped onto his shoulders, and my legs circled around his waist. I tilted my head back and arched my back in pure elation.
Max did the same thing, pulling his head back in pleasure and fulfillment, revealing his throat from which grunted. He collapsed on top of me, resting his head on my chest. I loosened my grip on his shoulders and brought my hands in between his shoulder blades and dropped my legs back on my bed.
A tear escaped my eyes and ran down my temple, into my ear. I sighed heavily, trying to catch my breath. “I love you, Max.”
Max looked up and continued to pant as he smiled when he saw my tear, which he wiped away with a gentle touch. “And I love you more than you know.”
A smile stretched across my face as he brought his head back down. I kissed the top of his head and closed my eyes. Then I shuddered slightly, trembling almost.
“Are you ok?” he asked, genuinely concerned. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
I looked down at him and shook my head. “No, I’m fine. I’m more than fine.”
Max slowly closed his eyes and brought his head back down onto my chest. “Me too, Liz.”
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hoLLyBEHRy
- Addicted Roswellian
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- Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 12:00 am
Chapter 61
Hey. Thanks you guys for the feedback. Keep 'em coming!
-hoLLy
Chapter 61
{Max}
I woke up to the sound of rhythmic beating in my ear. My eyes opened to see Liz’s beyond gorgeous body. My head rested on her chest, where it was early this morning. I was currently listening to her heart beat. It was steady and calm. I gave a small smile and placed a soft kiss on her chest. I was amazed that Liz was able to support my weight on her. She never ceased to amaze me.
The sunlight rushed into Liz’s room and the rays of warmth hit both of us. Sunlight. Sunlight equals morning.
THE MORNING OF OUR WEDDING!!!
My head shot up off Liz’s chest, but instead of having my eyes scramble around to search for a clock, Liz caught my eye. She was absolutely glowing as she slept and I was amused by the smile on her face. Even as she slept she was beautiful. Liz was my very own sleeping beauty.
After taking in the moment and registering it into my memory bank, my eyes finally scrambled around to search for a clock. I found the radio-clock on the headboard. It was seven.
I slowly eased from under the blankets I had draped over us in the middle of the night and made it off Liz’s bed. I slid on my boxers and reached for my pants. I finished buckling my belt when Liz woke up.
“Hey,” I smiled. I leaned across the bed and kissed her lips. “Good morning.”
Liz rubbed her sleepy eyes and rolled onto her side. “Morning. Where are you going? What time is it?”
“It’s 7:05,” I answered. “I’ve got to go.”
Liz stretched out across her bed and hooked her fingers around my belt loops, using them to pull herself up. She kissed my lips and then my neck.
“Don’t go,” she begged.
I was instantly enthralled by her kisses. They were so wonderful. I was distracted by them and the beautiful sensation I felt when I kissed her.
“I don’t want to go,” I sighed, “but I have to. I have to go before someone catches us.”
“No one’s going to catch us,” Liz replied. “It’s Saturday the Crashdown opens late. My parents are sleeping in.”
I laughed. “Liz, it’s our wedding day. Odds are, Maria’s downstairs putting finishing touches on our reception hall.”
Liz’s eyes shot wide open. She had forgotten it was our wedding day. It brought a smile to my face. “Oh my God. Hurry up,” she said eagerly. “Get dressed. You’re not supposed to see me before the wedding.”
I scoffed. “Liz, I wasn’t supposed to make love to you before the wedding either. Things happen,” I grinned.
She rolled her eyes and slapped my bare chest. “Just get dressed.”
I changed into the clothes I wore last night while Liz changed into something decent. Then we rushed to her window and out onto the balcony. The sun was shining bright, not a cloud in the sky, and no humidity or insanely hot sun rays.
“The weather’s perfect,” I smiled.
Liz pushed me to the ladder, handed me my shoes and nodded. “Yes, it’s beautiful. Now, hurry up. Your groomsmen are supposed to be showing up at your apartment sometime soon.”
“Michael’s already there.”
“What?” Liz gasped.
I gave a little laugh and gave Liz a kiss. “Relax,” I told her. “He stayed the night. But I’ve got it covered. I almost always wake up with the sun. Michael will probably think that I went to go get breakfast. So, I’ll stop by Krispy Kreme Donuts and buy some. Ok? Just calm down,” I chuckled. “No worries on our wedding day.”
Liz took a deep breath and nodded. “Right, because this is our wedding day.”
“Right,” I smiled. One more kiss and I climbed onto the ladder and started my decent down. “Less than eight hours until the wedding. I love you,” I told her.
Liz smiled and blew me a kiss. “I love you, too. And thank you!”
“Thank you for what?” I asked.
“For loving me and for the best night of my life!”
“We’ll have many more!” I smiled and gave a small wave. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2002
9 AM
6 HOURS UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Max}
“10 to 9,” I announced. “Game point.”
Michael shoved the ball at the pavement, bouncing into my hands. “Just go,” he sighed.
“Michael,” Kyle said, “your phone’s ringing.”
He swatted the announcement away. “Leave it. It’s probably Maria. Go, Maxwell.”
I held the basketball in my hands, jabbed my right foot left, jabbed it to the right with Michael jumping slightly each time. I faked to the left once more and finally wrapped the ball around my back and drove right, right past Michael and straight to the basket. I lifted my right arm, laying the ball up against the backboard and into the hoop. Score for me!
“That’s game!” I smiled.
Michael stood where I had left him and tossed up his arms in frustration. “I give up. I can never win.”
“Neither can we,” Kyle sighed.
He and Jesse sat on the park bench along the side of the court. After breakfast, we went over to the park to play some ball. First, we played two-on-two. Jesse and I against Michael and Kyle. Needless to say, Jesse and I won. Then we played a few games one-on-one, with me defeating each one of my groomsmen.
“Who wants next?” I smiled.
Kyle gave a little laugh. “You really like winning, don’t you?”
My eyebrow hiked up. “What?”
“Basketball’s your sport, you know that, we all know that” Kyle explained. “Makes me wonder why you never tried out. But anyway, you know you’re good, you know you can beat us, but you’ve been awful confident and happy in your victories and definitely proud of yourself,” Kyle continued.
“He hasn’t been smiling because he loves kicking our asses, it’s something else,” Michael deduced. “Maxwell’s been smiling all morning. This morning, he walks into his apartment with the hugest grin on his face.”
I kept on smiling, laughing quietly to myself. None of them had any idea just why I was so happy. It was because my life was absolutely perfect and it was only going to continue heading uphill.
I shrugged and bounced the ball. “It’s my wedding day, can’t I be happy? Ok, so what do you guys want to do now since you guys don’t want to lose again?”
“Let’s get some brunch,” Michael suggested.
I gave a little laugh. “But we just ate.”
“That was an hour ago,” Kyle said. “I’m hungry too. So I agree with Michael. Let’s get some brunch.”
I wasn’t going to argue. Truth was, I needed some coffee after the night/morning I had.
[Liz]
“Girls spend the morning of their wedding day getting ready while the boys get to go play some stupid sport,” Isabel sighed.
We all sat in the beauty parlor getting our hair done and our nails touched up. Isabel sat to the left of me with tons of tinfoil in her hair. She was getting light brown, almost caramel, highlights in her mild brunette hair. My best friend, and maid-of-honor, sat to my right with her beautician putting her hair in loose ringlets. My own hair had been curled, made into loose ringlets, and then eventually they went slightly wavy. My wavy locks bounced off my cheeks and felt so soft and silk-like. It brought a bashful smile on my face, remembering when Max brushed some hair away from my face when we made love.
Max and I. We had made love. It was something I had wanted for so long. It really was the best night of my life. So much pleasure, joy, happiness, and love. I couldn’t even explain it. It was breathtaking, amazing, astonishing, all of the above. I had a smile on my face that wasn’t dying away, not yet anyway.
“All they have to do is jump in their tuxedos and they’re done,” Maria added. “Oh, that reminds me,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I need to call Michael.” Maria held her phone to her ear while her stylist had to move around the obstacle.
“That’s the sixth time she’s called him,” Isabel sighed.
“Why has she called them so many times?” I wondered.
Isabel shrugged. “Maria wants to make sure that Michael’s taking care of his obligations and that Max is taking care of.”
My smile grew slightly wider at the thought of Max.
“He’s taken care of,” Isabel went on, “but what about you? How are you doing?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m fine,” I said, nodding my head. “I’m really, surprisingly fine.”
“That’s good,” Isabel smiled.
We heard Maria’s phone snap shut. We had blocked out her nagging at Michael as Isabel and I spoke.
“The boys just finished playing basketball in the park and they’re heading over to the country club to get some brunch with your dads,” she informed us.
“Michael didn’t happen to mention how Max was doing, did he?” I wondered.
Max was ambushed by the conscience yesterday and it was a Friday. It wasn’t supposed to happen yesterday. Max and Michael had said the conscience was only supposed to come on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, but it didn’t. It came as surprise. Was it going to happen today?”
“No,” Maria shook her head. “Except, Michael did mention that Max was awfully happy. Why?”
I shook my head, hoping that neither Isabel or Maria saw my blushing cheeks and wide grin. “I was just wondering.”
“The boys aren’t going start getting ready?” Isabel asked.
Maria shook her head and let her stylist finish up her hair. “They want to get some brunch first. Once they do, they’re going to head over to the barbershop and then back to Max's apartment to get dressed.”
“What about us?” I wondered. “Do we have a lot to take care of? ‘Cause I’m getting hungry too.”
Maria laughed at me. “Liz, we’ve got a long way to go.”
-hoLLy
Chapter 61
{Max}
I woke up to the sound of rhythmic beating in my ear. My eyes opened to see Liz’s beyond gorgeous body. My head rested on her chest, where it was early this morning. I was currently listening to her heart beat. It was steady and calm. I gave a small smile and placed a soft kiss on her chest. I was amazed that Liz was able to support my weight on her. She never ceased to amaze me.
The sunlight rushed into Liz’s room and the rays of warmth hit both of us. Sunlight. Sunlight equals morning.
THE MORNING OF OUR WEDDING!!!
My head shot up off Liz’s chest, but instead of having my eyes scramble around to search for a clock, Liz caught my eye. She was absolutely glowing as she slept and I was amused by the smile on her face. Even as she slept she was beautiful. Liz was my very own sleeping beauty.
After taking in the moment and registering it into my memory bank, my eyes finally scrambled around to search for a clock. I found the radio-clock on the headboard. It was seven.
I slowly eased from under the blankets I had draped over us in the middle of the night and made it off Liz’s bed. I slid on my boxers and reached for my pants. I finished buckling my belt when Liz woke up.
“Hey,” I smiled. I leaned across the bed and kissed her lips. “Good morning.”
Liz rubbed her sleepy eyes and rolled onto her side. “Morning. Where are you going? What time is it?”
“It’s 7:05,” I answered. “I’ve got to go.”
Liz stretched out across her bed and hooked her fingers around my belt loops, using them to pull herself up. She kissed my lips and then my neck.
“Don’t go,” she begged.
I was instantly enthralled by her kisses. They were so wonderful. I was distracted by them and the beautiful sensation I felt when I kissed her.
“I don’t want to go,” I sighed, “but I have to. I have to go before someone catches us.”
“No one’s going to catch us,” Liz replied. “It’s Saturday the Crashdown opens late. My parents are sleeping in.”
I laughed. “Liz, it’s our wedding day. Odds are, Maria’s downstairs putting finishing touches on our reception hall.”
Liz’s eyes shot wide open. She had forgotten it was our wedding day. It brought a smile to my face. “Oh my God. Hurry up,” she said eagerly. “Get dressed. You’re not supposed to see me before the wedding.”
I scoffed. “Liz, I wasn’t supposed to make love to you before the wedding either. Things happen,” I grinned.
She rolled her eyes and slapped my bare chest. “Just get dressed.”
I changed into the clothes I wore last night while Liz changed into something decent. Then we rushed to her window and out onto the balcony. The sun was shining bright, not a cloud in the sky, and no humidity or insanely hot sun rays.
“The weather’s perfect,” I smiled.
Liz pushed me to the ladder, handed me my shoes and nodded. “Yes, it’s beautiful. Now, hurry up. Your groomsmen are supposed to be showing up at your apartment sometime soon.”
“Michael’s already there.”
“What?” Liz gasped.
I gave a little laugh and gave Liz a kiss. “Relax,” I told her. “He stayed the night. But I’ve got it covered. I almost always wake up with the sun. Michael will probably think that I went to go get breakfast. So, I’ll stop by Krispy Kreme Donuts and buy some. Ok? Just calm down,” I chuckled. “No worries on our wedding day.”
Liz took a deep breath and nodded. “Right, because this is our wedding day.”
“Right,” I smiled. One more kiss and I climbed onto the ladder and started my decent down. “Less than eight hours until the wedding. I love you,” I told her.
Liz smiled and blew me a kiss. “I love you, too. And thank you!”
“Thank you for what?” I asked.
“For loving me and for the best night of my life!”
“We’ll have many more!” I smiled and gave a small wave. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2002
9 AM
6 HOURS UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Max}
“10 to 9,” I announced. “Game point.”
Michael shoved the ball at the pavement, bouncing into my hands. “Just go,” he sighed.
“Michael,” Kyle said, “your phone’s ringing.”
He swatted the announcement away. “Leave it. It’s probably Maria. Go, Maxwell.”
I held the basketball in my hands, jabbed my right foot left, jabbed it to the right with Michael jumping slightly each time. I faked to the left once more and finally wrapped the ball around my back and drove right, right past Michael and straight to the basket. I lifted my right arm, laying the ball up against the backboard and into the hoop. Score for me!
“That’s game!” I smiled.
Michael stood where I had left him and tossed up his arms in frustration. “I give up. I can never win.”
“Neither can we,” Kyle sighed.
He and Jesse sat on the park bench along the side of the court. After breakfast, we went over to the park to play some ball. First, we played two-on-two. Jesse and I against Michael and Kyle. Needless to say, Jesse and I won. Then we played a few games one-on-one, with me defeating each one of my groomsmen.
“Who wants next?” I smiled.
Kyle gave a little laugh. “You really like winning, don’t you?”
My eyebrow hiked up. “What?”
“Basketball’s your sport, you know that, we all know that” Kyle explained. “Makes me wonder why you never tried out. But anyway, you know you’re good, you know you can beat us, but you’ve been awful confident and happy in your victories and definitely proud of yourself,” Kyle continued.
“He hasn’t been smiling because he loves kicking our asses, it’s something else,” Michael deduced. “Maxwell’s been smiling all morning. This morning, he walks into his apartment with the hugest grin on his face.”
I kept on smiling, laughing quietly to myself. None of them had any idea just why I was so happy. It was because my life was absolutely perfect and it was only going to continue heading uphill.
I shrugged and bounced the ball. “It’s my wedding day, can’t I be happy? Ok, so what do you guys want to do now since you guys don’t want to lose again?”
“Let’s get some brunch,” Michael suggested.
I gave a little laugh. “But we just ate.”
“That was an hour ago,” Kyle said. “I’m hungry too. So I agree with Michael. Let’s get some brunch.”
I wasn’t going to argue. Truth was, I needed some coffee after the night/morning I had.
[Liz]
“Girls spend the morning of their wedding day getting ready while the boys get to go play some stupid sport,” Isabel sighed.
We all sat in the beauty parlor getting our hair done and our nails touched up. Isabel sat to the left of me with tons of tinfoil in her hair. She was getting light brown, almost caramel, highlights in her mild brunette hair. My best friend, and maid-of-honor, sat to my right with her beautician putting her hair in loose ringlets. My own hair had been curled, made into loose ringlets, and then eventually they went slightly wavy. My wavy locks bounced off my cheeks and felt so soft and silk-like. It brought a bashful smile on my face, remembering when Max brushed some hair away from my face when we made love.
Max and I. We had made love. It was something I had wanted for so long. It really was the best night of my life. So much pleasure, joy, happiness, and love. I couldn’t even explain it. It was breathtaking, amazing, astonishing, all of the above. I had a smile on my face that wasn’t dying away, not yet anyway.
“All they have to do is jump in their tuxedos and they’re done,” Maria added. “Oh, that reminds me,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I need to call Michael.” Maria held her phone to her ear while her stylist had to move around the obstacle.
“That’s the sixth time she’s called him,” Isabel sighed.
“Why has she called them so many times?” I wondered.
Isabel shrugged. “Maria wants to make sure that Michael’s taking care of his obligations and that Max is taking care of.”
My smile grew slightly wider at the thought of Max.
“He’s taken care of,” Isabel went on, “but what about you? How are you doing?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m fine,” I said, nodding my head. “I’m really, surprisingly fine.”
“That’s good,” Isabel smiled.
We heard Maria’s phone snap shut. We had blocked out her nagging at Michael as Isabel and I spoke.
“The boys just finished playing basketball in the park and they’re heading over to the country club to get some brunch with your dads,” she informed us.
“Michael didn’t happen to mention how Max was doing, did he?” I wondered.
Max was ambushed by the conscience yesterday and it was a Friday. It wasn’t supposed to happen yesterday. Max and Michael had said the conscience was only supposed to come on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, but it didn’t. It came as surprise. Was it going to happen today?”
“No,” Maria shook her head. “Except, Michael did mention that Max was awfully happy. Why?”
I shook my head, hoping that neither Isabel or Maria saw my blushing cheeks and wide grin. “I was just wondering.”
“The boys aren’t going start getting ready?” Isabel asked.
Maria shook her head and let her stylist finish up her hair. “They want to get some brunch first. Once they do, they’re going to head over to the barbershop and then back to Max's apartment to get dressed.”
“What about us?” I wondered. “Do we have a lot to take care of? ‘Cause I’m getting hungry too.”
Maria laughed at me. “Liz, we’ve got a long way to go.”
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hoLLyBEHRy
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 215
- Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 12:00 am
Chapter 62
*So I come home and the first thing I do is check the phone. And what do you know? They worked!!! I came straight here to post the next two chapters!!!
Thanks for your concern, sare and thanks a ton for reading!!! Thanks to all of you!!! And now...Chapter 62. Yay!!!*
Chapter 62
11 AM
4 HOURS UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Michael}
“Michael, if your phone rings one more time,” Jesse threatened, “I’m throwing it out the window.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. I flipped my phone back open a second after closing it and put it on silent mode. I shoved it back into my pocket. “Maria just wants to make sure that we’re all on schedule.”
There literally was a schedule/to-do list that Maria made for me. The first thing on the schedule was to get Maxwell up at eight, but he already was. He was walking in with a box of doughnuts and two cups of coffee. It wasn’t anything new. Maxwell was always up to get the worm, but he had walked in with such a giant grin. I figured it must’ve been because it was his wedding day. Honestly, I would be just as happy if it was my wedding day.
Max hopped out of the barber’s chair after getting his growing hair slightly trimmed. “You’re up next, Michael,” he said, dusting off the back of his neck and his shoulders.
I replaced Max's seat on the barber’s chair and the barber covered me with a smock. “What’ll it be?” he asked.
I looked to Maxwell who just shrugged his shoulders. I didn’t really know what to do with my hair. I always thought that growing it out was what I wanted, but it wasn’t working for me. “Take it off,” I finally replied.
Max laughed in disbelief. “Are you sure?”
I nervously nodded and gripped on tightly to the armrests of the chair. “All of it,” I sighed. “I want it shaved off, not bald, just shaved.”
The barber nodded and grabbed his scissors. I closed my eyes when he grabbed a few locks of hair. I heard him open the scissors, the metal scraping against metal. One quick snip and my hair felt lighter.
“Wait!” I cried. “I changed my mind.”
Kyle laughed. “Too late, Michael.”
I opened my eyes and glanced into the mirror. On one side of my head, my hair touched my shoulders, on the other side, my hair came up to my earlobe. “J—Just tidy it up,” I told the barber. “Just leave it near the ears. I’ll slick it back.” I sighed in relief and closed my eyes again.
The barber moved to the other side and started to make a few snips.
“What was that about?” Max chuckled.
I sighed an unsteady breath. “I don’t know,” I replied.
Max chuckled a laugh and looked out the wide barber shop window. “The weather’s great,” he said out of the blue. “Will it stay like this?”
Jesse, standing beside him, nodded. “Yeah, the newspaper and weather man said it’ll be nothing but sunshine and warmth and cool breeze for the whole weekend.”
“Your day will be perfect,” I added. “Don’t worry ab—”
“Don’t say that!” Max snapped.
I looked at him oddly. “What? Why?”
“You—you might jinx it,” Max stuttered.
I laughed incredulously. “You’re kidding, right?” I said.
“No,” he shook his head, asserting his point. “Weddings have all these traditions and superstitions. I just don’t…—This day has to…—I want this day to be—”
“It will, Maxwell. I promise,” I told him.
12:10 PM
2 HOURS, 50 MINUTES UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Michael}
I lounged aimlessly on Maxwell’s couch while we watched a Lakers-Kings game on TV. Lakers were ahead 52-38 going into the second half. It definitely looked like Maxwell’s team was going to win, adding just a little more icing to Maxwell’s cake.
However, he didn’t seem to be enjoying the game as much as I thought he would. He sat in his recliner, tapping his foot and staring out the window.
“You ok?” I asked him.
Max snapped out of his days. “Wha?” he said. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Don’t feel ‘spacey’, do you?”
“No,” Max shook his head. “I really do feel fine. I’m just thinking.”
“About your vows I hope,” Jesse smiled.
Max gave a little nod as I went back to the game. I was dead tired. It had been a long first half of the day. First it was a few games of basketball early in the morning, then we went over to the country club in our basketball shorts and sleeveless shirts. We got a few looks, but we didn’t care. We were too hungry.
After breakfast, we went to the club’s barber shop. After that, Max relaxed at the country club with his father and Mr. Parker while I ran around town running essential errands, according to Maria. We all met back at Max's apartment where we currently watching the game. I had showered at my place and then rushed right over to help Maxwell get ready and because my suit and the other groomsmen’s suit were here also, but I had walked into Max's apartment and found him still in his basketball gear, watching the game. So, Jesse, Kyle, and I took a seat in the living room and joined him.
If Max needed help with his vows, all he had to do was read the paper. I didn’t feel like helping him anymore. This whole day, I was his little bitch, Maria’s too.
“I’ve got those memorized,” Max said in response to Jesse.
I stared at the TV, not even really paying attention to the halftime report. From the corner of my eye, I caught Maxwell glimpsing my way.
“Hey, Michael,” he said. “Did you make sure that you got my gift to the girls?”
I gave a quick nod.
“Are you ok?” Max asked me.
“I’m fine,” I snapped. “I’m just a little tired.” I knew that I was being rather short with him. I wanted some time to myself. Not in a long time had I been so busy or around the friends for long periods of time.
I had kept my eyes glued to the flat screen TV hanging on his wall, but I could see the look on Max's face. He wasn’t necessarily pleased with my rudeness.
Thanks for your concern, sare and thanks a ton for reading!!! Thanks to all of you!!! And now...Chapter 62. Yay!!!*
Chapter 62
11 AM
4 HOURS UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Michael}
“Michael, if your phone rings one more time,” Jesse threatened, “I’m throwing it out the window.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. I flipped my phone back open a second after closing it and put it on silent mode. I shoved it back into my pocket. “Maria just wants to make sure that we’re all on schedule.”
There literally was a schedule/to-do list that Maria made for me. The first thing on the schedule was to get Maxwell up at eight, but he already was. He was walking in with a box of doughnuts and two cups of coffee. It wasn’t anything new. Maxwell was always up to get the worm, but he had walked in with such a giant grin. I figured it must’ve been because it was his wedding day. Honestly, I would be just as happy if it was my wedding day.
Max hopped out of the barber’s chair after getting his growing hair slightly trimmed. “You’re up next, Michael,” he said, dusting off the back of his neck and his shoulders.
I replaced Max's seat on the barber’s chair and the barber covered me with a smock. “What’ll it be?” he asked.
I looked to Maxwell who just shrugged his shoulders. I didn’t really know what to do with my hair. I always thought that growing it out was what I wanted, but it wasn’t working for me. “Take it off,” I finally replied.
Max laughed in disbelief. “Are you sure?”
I nervously nodded and gripped on tightly to the armrests of the chair. “All of it,” I sighed. “I want it shaved off, not bald, just shaved.”
The barber nodded and grabbed his scissors. I closed my eyes when he grabbed a few locks of hair. I heard him open the scissors, the metal scraping against metal. One quick snip and my hair felt lighter.
“Wait!” I cried. “I changed my mind.”
Kyle laughed. “Too late, Michael.”
I opened my eyes and glanced into the mirror. On one side of my head, my hair touched my shoulders, on the other side, my hair came up to my earlobe. “J—Just tidy it up,” I told the barber. “Just leave it near the ears. I’ll slick it back.” I sighed in relief and closed my eyes again.
The barber moved to the other side and started to make a few snips.
“What was that about?” Max chuckled.
I sighed an unsteady breath. “I don’t know,” I replied.
Max chuckled a laugh and looked out the wide barber shop window. “The weather’s great,” he said out of the blue. “Will it stay like this?”
Jesse, standing beside him, nodded. “Yeah, the newspaper and weather man said it’ll be nothing but sunshine and warmth and cool breeze for the whole weekend.”
“Your day will be perfect,” I added. “Don’t worry ab—”
“Don’t say that!” Max snapped.
I looked at him oddly. “What? Why?”
“You—you might jinx it,” Max stuttered.
I laughed incredulously. “You’re kidding, right?” I said.
“No,” he shook his head, asserting his point. “Weddings have all these traditions and superstitions. I just don’t…—This day has to…—I want this day to be—”
“It will, Maxwell. I promise,” I told him.
12:10 PM
2 HOURS, 50 MINUTES UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Michael}
I lounged aimlessly on Maxwell’s couch while we watched a Lakers-Kings game on TV. Lakers were ahead 52-38 going into the second half. It definitely looked like Maxwell’s team was going to win, adding just a little more icing to Maxwell’s cake.
However, he didn’t seem to be enjoying the game as much as I thought he would. He sat in his recliner, tapping his foot and staring out the window.
“You ok?” I asked him.
Max snapped out of his days. “Wha?” he said. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Don’t feel ‘spacey’, do you?”
“No,” Max shook his head. “I really do feel fine. I’m just thinking.”
“About your vows I hope,” Jesse smiled.
Max gave a little nod as I went back to the game. I was dead tired. It had been a long first half of the day. First it was a few games of basketball early in the morning, then we went over to the country club in our basketball shorts and sleeveless shirts. We got a few looks, but we didn’t care. We were too hungry.
After breakfast, we went to the club’s barber shop. After that, Max relaxed at the country club with his father and Mr. Parker while I ran around town running essential errands, according to Maria. We all met back at Max's apartment where we currently watching the game. I had showered at my place and then rushed right over to help Maxwell get ready and because my suit and the other groomsmen’s suit were here also, but I had walked into Max's apartment and found him still in his basketball gear, watching the game. So, Jesse, Kyle, and I took a seat in the living room and joined him.
If Max needed help with his vows, all he had to do was read the paper. I didn’t feel like helping him anymore. This whole day, I was his little bitch, Maria’s too.
“I’ve got those memorized,” Max said in response to Jesse.
I stared at the TV, not even really paying attention to the halftime report. From the corner of my eye, I caught Maxwell glimpsing my way.
“Hey, Michael,” he said. “Did you make sure that you got my gift to the girls?”
I gave a quick nod.
“Are you ok?” Max asked me.
“I’m fine,” I snapped. “I’m just a little tired.” I knew that I was being rather short with him. I wanted some time to myself. Not in a long time had I been so busy or around the friends for long periods of time.
I had kept my eyes glued to the flat screen TV hanging on his wall, but I could see the look on Max's face. He wasn’t necessarily pleased with my rudeness.
Last edited by hoLLyBEHRy on Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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