A/N - And so I have returned from my Bon Jovi high...bringing with me and update (which is pretty long) and pictures!! Pictures can be found here:
Bon Jovi if you're interested
*waves* to the new readers...thank you all for the encouraging feedback! I'm glad you are enjoying my little story...which by the way only has 2 more parts after this
Maya
FSU/MSW-94
LairaBehr4
Force
begonia9508
candycane14
Shadowlynxbehr
Poison Ivy
Aussietrueblue
BehrObsession
Dreamsatnight
Clueless
RosyLady
Martine
jamy21
Liz86000
dreamer19
max and liz believer
roswell3053
Lurkers
Angela & Andre...yes I have been slacking, but I still thank you for your time and help!
Chapter Eight
It had been three long weeks since she’d seen him. His closing must have already taken place, since it seemed that he had already begun moving some of his things. Not that she was paying that much attention to him. Not in the least. Could she help that her living room window granted her a perfect view of his front door? And that when he loaded his car, she couldn’t help the ache she felt in thinking she might actually never see him after he finished moving?
Nonsense, she knew that. It didn’t mean anything, but she could admit that she would miss their banter and his smugness. It kept her entertained. Of course he would probably visit his mother, but he wouldn’t bother her. Damn him for making her care that he wouldn’t be irritating her any longer.
Lifting her notebook from the table and placing it in her lap she finished up the last of her work and was set to stuff the sheets of paper into the manila folders and ship them off. She needed to hurry along; she couldn’t be late for work again. Lately, it just felt like nothing mattered, but she had no idea why.
“Get a grip, Liz.” Giving herself a little pep talk as she sipped the last bit of her coffee, pulled on her heels and left the house.
Just as she reached her car, she was stopped by a familiar voice.
“Hi Liz,” Diane said from her front porch. Her son had explained everything that had transpired between them, and even though she understood her sons reasoning for staying away, she couldn’t help the sympathy she felt for Liz. It wasn’t long ago that she herself was in a similar situation.
“Hi Diane, how are you?” Liz asked nervously as she threw her briefcase and other paperwork into her backseat, then turned around to face Max’s mother.
“I’m doing good. Max is moving out next week…” Diane offered with a small smile, which she hid behind her cup of tea.
“Oh really? Well that’s great. I’m glad he finally settled on a house,” Liz smiled genuinely. Because despite what happened between them, she wished him well. Bah! To hell with wishing him well, her mind screamed. She almost ached to know what he was doing, and…and this was nonsense. She did not care about him, at least wasn’t that what she was trying to beat into her own head for weeks now?
Diane watched her closely, it seemed she was fighting and internal battle, which she could empathize with. “Actually, it was the house you came with us to see. Do you remember it?” she asked, surveying the look on Liz’s face closely. She hoped she was right and that Max wouldn’t be upset for her little interference. Women were complicated and sometimes they just needed a little push. It wasn’t as if she was telling Liz what to do with her life, just merely helping to settle some of the confusion. She had tried to explain to her son that sometimes women were their own worst enemy, which he just couldn’t understand because despite how he said he didn’t care that it had been weeks since Liz had spoken to him, he was not hurt. Not in the least, he adamantly explained to her…every day since then.
Liz’s heart stopped beating for a moment, did she remember, how could she forget? It was a beautiful house, one she wished she herself could live in, but was that it? Was that the only thing she was feeling? Taking a quick glance up at Diane, Liz couldn’t hide the pain she felt…in her heart. It was that familiar ache of longing, of wanting something she couldn’t have.
But why not? Why couldn’t she have him? Because he would break her heart, even if it was unintentional, she reminded her irrational head.
“Y-yes I do. It was a beautiful home, I’m sure he’s very happy about it.” Liz smiled weakly. She knew she needed to leave before she broke down, and that would not be good in front of his mother. Reaching for the driver’s side door she excused herself, but Diane’s question stopped her.
“Will you come to dinner tonight?”
“I…thank you but I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Liz rushed out breathlessly. Diane nodded but wouldn’t accept no for an answer, too bad for the nervous girl, she mused.
“We are going to be neighbors for a while, as it seems, and I just wanted to invite my neighbor to dinner, nothing fancy. Oh, and I promise that it will just be you and I,” Diane winked and offered Liz a knowing smile.
Liz couldn’t resist, she shook her head and firmed up the plans for dinner later that day.
Now she knew exactly where Max got his irresistible charm.
<center>*******</center>
She was pathetic, and there was no saving her. She knew it, but she also didn’t do a damn thing to stop it either. Resting her head against the steering wheel, she reached for her purse and fished out her cell phone.
After three rings the familiar voice picked up. “Maria, you need to come and get me,” she mumbled into the phone.
“Where are you?”
“Where do you think?” Liz muttered self-depreciatingly. It was the same place she went everyday for the past two weeks.
“I’ll be right there.” Maria hung up the phone and excused herself from work, saying that she would be taking an early lunch…again.
Maria was worried about her friend. For the past two weeks she had to rescue her from her current location and bring her back to work. And then afterwards she would visit her on her way home from work. She had never seen Liz this way, ever. Not even when she found out that her husband was cheating on her. Maybe, Maria thought, it was different then. Liz was different then, after that situation she didn’t expect much from the human race, but Max changed that. In a few short weeks he managed to wrap himself around her heart and her mind and now Liz didn’t know what to do with herself.
Maria wondered if Liz realized that what she was feeling, the longing, loneliness was true love. Probably not, she scoffed. Liz would never be the first to admit that she was really in love with Max. Maybe always had been…love at first sight. Liz would deny it and call it lust, but Maria knew better. Liz didn’t get that upset and angered by just anyone, and if she did, they would be dismissed, but not Max.
No matter how much he irritated her and argued with her, Liz always went back for more. She enjoyed the chase, it was about time someone chased her friend, and she deserved it. But what of Max? Michael had told her that he had never seen his best friend like that. Not that Max was walking around sulking, but Michael said he was just different.
Yeah, well love will do that to you, she smiled delightfully.
Finally, she pulled up to the parking lot where she spotted Liz’s car, parked in the far corner. She shook her head and took a deep fortifying breath, preparing herself for the confrontation that was long over due.
“Liz, get out of the car.” Liz nodded her head. She stood and fixed her skirt and jacket, without looking up into Maria’s knowing eyes. She hated that she needed her friend to physically remove her from where she was.
“What are you doing?”
Liz’s eyes began to water; she was never this weak in her life. Yet, one meaningful glare from Maria reduced her to tears. Damn him! Somehow this was all his fault, and when her mind cleared she would figure it out and go back to work, good as new…for today.
“I can’t help it. Do you see him? He looks so good, Maria.” Liz pointed over the railing to the construction site below. Max had worn a dark gray t-shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans, his usual work attire, but today it was different. God, she was a mess!
Maria looked down and caught sight of Max, and of Michael, with a small smile she turned to her friend.
“Maybe you should go talk to him,” she began, and watched as her friend took two steps back.
“Are you crazy! Why would I do such a thing?” Liz asked shaking her head, why was Maria not telling her to walk away, the way she did everyday?
“Because you’re in love with him, but you’re too damn stubborn to accept it.”
“I am not! I never said—”
“Sweetie, you don’t have to say it. It’s written all over your face. When you look at him, what do you feel?” Maria asked softly.
“I don’t feel anything but anger,” she answered honestly. Maria crossed her arms and nodded.
“Why are you angry at him?”
“B-because…Maria lets just go.” Liz turned and made a quick retreat…not quick enough though.
“Because why? Don’t lie to me Liz. I know you better than you know yourself sometimes, so tell me why are you running from him?”
“I’m not running! I hate him, Maria, don’t you understand?” Liz let out a shuddering breath; this was not what she wanted to talk about.
“I understand that your ex-husband was an asshole, who used you and played with your feelings, but that wasn’t Max. And you can’t continue to make him suffer for something he didn’t do.”
“I’m not making him suffer,” she denied vehemently. How was Max suffering? He’s the one that walked away…and you let him, her mind reminded her.
“So why are you angry with him? And why do you hate him?” Maria asked coming to stand in front of her friend. She saw the tears and knew they were real, but that wouldn’t stop her from making Liz understand what she was doing to not only herself, but Max as well.
“Because he walked away and hasn’t talked to me in weeks! He doesn’t care about me, he just wanted to sleep with me…” Liz trailed off, her soft sobs taking over full force, and she was quickly wrapped in Maria’s comforting arms.
Maria stroked her back gently, finally she admitted it, she thought. “Liz, what was the last thing he said to you?” she asked patiently.
“W-what?” Liz asked pulling away to wipe her tear stained face.
“You told me, that he said something to you before he left…but you never told me what it was. Now I’m asking, what did he say?”
Liz didn’t want to repeat it, because she knew that her last statement was false. She had avoided him. With a sigh of regret she began to explain their last few minutes together.
“…and then he said that, I loved him but I wouldn’t let it in. And that it was right underneath the surface…and that whenever I was ready that he would be there,” she sputtered out the rest through her tear clogged voice.
“And do you?” Maria asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.
Liz didn’t respond, she just looked over her shoulder at him. Was it love that she felt? But what if it was? Would he just get tired of her, be disappointed that she wasn’t all that he thought? Or would he…she stopped mid thought. Max never expected anything from her, he accepted her the way she was. He never asked her to change, and even though he didn’t need to put up with her bullshit, he did…but why?
“You do, don’t you?” Maria whispered out, not at all surprised when she saw her friend nod her head.
“I do. I don’t know when or how…but I do Maria. Now what am I supposed to do? I swore I would never fall in love again.” Liz’s voice was desperate; she needed a quick solution to the problem she created.
“Liz, I can’t tell you the right answer, but you need to do what you feel. If you love him, you need to tell him.”
“What if he doesn’t l-love me back? I can’t go through that again…I can’t,” she choked out a strangled cry. She had made a mess of her life.
Maria reached out her arms and rested her hands on her friends shoulder. “If he doesn’t love you back, its okay. It will hurt, but you will survive. Although…” she trailed off with a smile.
“What?”
“You are just being stubborn. The man loves you Liz, he didn’t say it but in so many words he has. He told you that he believed you loved him, and he told you when you were ready he would be there, if that’s not love, then I’m just a dumb blonde.” Maria joked, trying to get her friend to crack a little smile.
“Do you really think so? God! I’ve messed this up. He’s probably so angry with me…but…”
“But?”
“I’m having dinner with his mother tonight. Oh Maria, she said it would just be the two of us, what if she’s really angry with me and…”
“And you need to snap out of it. Max’s mother, from what you’ve told me about her doesn’t seem like the type of person to be spiteful. Liz maybe she’s just a concerned mother who is looking out for her sons best interest, which is you.” Maria smiled brightly and kissed her friend on the cheek.
“But he’s so young Maria.”
“Please, I know you are not climbing back on that old horse are you?”
“It’s true!” she argued persistently.
“Liz, he’s twenty four and very mature for his age, you on the other hand are eight years older and a lot less wiser. Hey,” she raised her hands in defense. “I just call it like I see it. I love you Liz and if I thought Max would hurt you, I wouldn’t be here talking to you. I would have dragged you back to work. Now go down there, and get your man.”
“I can’t!” Liz let out a frustrated sigh.
“Why the hell not?”
“It’s just not the right time. I’ll do it tonight, after dinner with his mother.”
“Liz…” Maria warned. They had finally made progress and she was shrinking away.
“Maria, just let me do it my way.”
“Okay, but do it soon Liz.” Liz nodded and hugged her friend goodbye.
She had some serious thinking to do. First of all she needed to get through dinner, and then if that went well she would be making a late night call at a certain construction workers home.
<center>******</center>
It was seven thirty on the dot, when Liz rang the Evans’ doorbell. To her surprise though, it wasn’t Diane that answered, it was Max. Great! Trust him to ruin her plans, just when she finally got the nerve to face him.
“Liz! What are you doing here?” he asked, his eyes roaming her body, God how he missed her. She looked as beautiful as ever.
“I-I’m here for dinner with you mother. I didn’t know you would be here,” she let out a shaky breath and hoped that she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt.
“Liz? Is that you?” Relief flooded Liz’s body. Diane poked her head around her sons arm and offered her a bright smile.
“Max, would you let the poor girl in?” Diane pushed Max out of the way and offered Liz inside.
“Thank you.” Liz smiled and tried to avoid Max’s hot gaze. She swallowed once, twice and then because she couldn’t resist she looked over her shoulder, and sure enough he was staring right at her. He looked confused, welcome to my world, she thought ruefully.
“I’m sorry, my son decided he would just drop in a few minutes ago. He was just leaving.” Diane pinned her son with a look that said he had better follow along.
“Right! I was just going to take a shower and then I was…uhm…going to the bar.” He improvised, since he of course had no idea what Liz was doing there. And for that matter, just what in the hell his mother was doing inviting her to dinner, on the same night she told him to come over for dinner? His eyes widened in realization, his mother was trying to play matchmaker.
Well it wouldn’t work. Liz had successfully avoided him for almost a month, even though he lingered outside, talking on his cell phone and packing his truck up with meticulous slowness just waiting to get a glimpse of her. The hell he would just fall all over her now that she was here.
“I’ll just to upstairs and shower.” Max brushed past Liz and made his way up the stairs.
“I’m so sorry, he just dropped in. Anyway, he’ll be gone soon and dinner is just about ready. Why don’t you follow me to the dining room, we can have a quick drink beforehand.” Diane smiled and ushered Liz into the next room. She did feel bad that she had set up the evening, but she knew that her son was too damn stubborn for his own good and he really did care about her, so she was just inflicting some motherly love his way.
Liz took a sip of her wine and tried to settle more comfortably in her chair. Diane had left her for a minute to get the food, which she insisted that Liz not help with. But how could she get comfortable knowing that Max was upstairs, naked and despite everything she thought before, she wanted to be with him. She had planned to have a nice dinner and then work up her nerves to speak to him, but now he was here and she lost all her nerve.
Diane emerged a few minutes later with a tray of chicken parmesan and then left her for another moment to get the pasta. It was an awful lot of food for just the two of them, she thought.
“Now, we are ready to eat,” Diane said once she was settled in her seat and lifted the bowl of pasta.
“Mom, I’m headed out,” Max called out from the living room, but Diane frowned, he was really leaving? What was wrong with him, surely he wasn’t that slow.
“Max Evans get in here!” she yelled for him and then turned her attentions to Liz. “I’m sorry dear, please eat up.”
“Oh, sure.” Liz smiled despite the fact that she suddenly felt ill. She thought he would leave the house and she wouldn’t need to see him.
“Yeah?” he peeked his head inside, fully intending on not entering the room. He did not want to see her again.
“What are you going to have for dinner?” Max rolled his eyes, and groaned.
“Something at the bar,” he mumbled out, knowing how much his mother hated him going to the bar to begin with, but she never said anything. Then again, she never really needed to say anything, her eyes did enough talking for the both of them.
“Do you want me to save you some dinner?” she asked with a smile in her voice.
“Ah…sure…what are you having?” He only asked because it smelt so good.
“Chicken parm,” she winked knowingly.
“Couldn’t you have waited until I left to serve it up?” he asked with a pout in his voice that made Liz giggle.
“And what is so funny over there?” he couldn’t help but smile at her. He had already entered the room, what was the big deal in teasing her?
Liz shook her head and tried to hide her smile behind her napkin, but it was futile. She burst out laughing the moment Diane did.
“So is this some kind of a joke? I don’t appreciate it,” he announced as he turned on his heels. Were all women so evil, even…he shuddered…his mother?
“Max come back!” Liz called out to her own astonishment.
“What?” he retorted blandly.
“Why don’t you stay, seeing as how this is your favorite meal?”
“How did you know that?” he asked surprised.
She shrugged her shoulders. “You did that little pouty thing with her bottom lip,” she looked away but continued on, “you always do that when you don’t get something you want.”
“Oh honey, she’s caught you there. You’ve done that for as long as I can remember,” Diane offered and Max scoffed lightly, as he pulled out a chair to take a seat.
“You sure I’m not imposing on your dinner?” he asked, his gaze directed at Liz.
“Not at all.” Liz smiled and as their eyes met, she felt her heart begin to race. She could do this. It was only dinner. Not a big deal at all.
<center>******</center>
“So Liz, what do you do for a living?” Diane asked as she sliced the warm angel food cake and fresh strawberries.
Max hadn’t said a word; he just let his mother and Liz talk during dinner. He was actually hungrier than he thought.
“I actually work as a paralegal, but that’s my day job. My other job is writing…greeting cards.” Liz finished quickly as she took a bite of the spongy cake. Her eyes tried to avoid Max’s but it was nearly impossible, seeing as he sat directly across from her.
“How interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that wrote greeting cards,” Diane smiled genuinely interested.
They continued to chatter on about Liz’s profession but all Max could do is focus on Liz’s lips as she bit into the strawberries. He tried to stop his body’s strong reaction to her, but it was pointless. At night, he would dream about her. And during his waking hours he would think about her, to the point of distraction. He needed to get over it. He needed to just let her go because she didn’t want him.
“I’ve always wanted to open my own store, and sell only my greeting cards but its just taking me a little longer than I planned,” Liz paused and sipped her coffee, and in that moment Max’s eyes lifted to hers, he had a question. Great, she hoped it wouldn’t be too terrible.
“I didn’t know that,” he said not realizing he’d said it out loud.
“Yeah, only Maria knows. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Anyway, I applied for a loan so we’ll see how this one turns out,” she smiled and answered another of Diane’s questions.
“What do you mean, how this one turns out? Have you applied before?” he interjected softly. Liz turned her attention back to him and shrugged her shoulders, this was so much more than she planned on revealing at dinner.
“Yeah, I’ve been turned down at least a dozen times before.”
“Why, if you don’t mind me asking,” he said and they continue their conversation as if they are the only people in the room. Diane smiled to herself. She was a genius.
“Well, I have no collateral, and only a small down payment,” she answered, her eyes locked on his.
“But you own a house,” he said confused by why she would be turned down.
“What? No, I don’t. I rent it,” she answered and looked away blushing. She never had many things in life, but what she had she worked hard for. That didn’t mean it got her far in life.
He didn’t know…of course how would he if she didn’t let him in?
“What’s the name of the bank? I mean I just wonder if I’m familiar with it…” he trailed off trying not to sound too eager. In that moment a idea formed in his mind.
“First Bank Trust.”
“That’s funny.”
“What is?”
“Hmm, that’s where I get all my business loans from,” Max said as he stabbed his strawberry with a new found interest in it. He lifted it to his lips and took a big bite, to which Liz almost groaned out loud at. Was he doing that on purpose, she wondered.
“If you both would excuse me, I’m feeling quite tired suddenly.” Diane didn’t give either of them time to protest, as she left the room.
“Liz, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked as she prepared herself to leave a few minutes later.
“Sure,” she smiled softly and turned to follow him outside. She took a seat on one of the rocking chairs on the porch. It soothed her, to her amazement; the soft back and forth motion.
“I wanted to apologize to you.”
“For what?” she stopped and looked up at him.
“For looking through your things that day. I had no right. And I’m sorry if I hurt you because of it. I just wanted…” he paused searching for the right words. Liz however remained completely still.
“I wanted to know you better. If I even thought for a minute it would have led to…to what you told me, I swear I would have let it drop. I can’t imagine what it was like and I don’t know your situation exactly, but I know my mom’s better than anyone.” Max looked down at her, before taking a seat next to her. Staring out into the night sky, he leaned his head back and began to explain a little piece of his life, which made him who he was today.
“My mom tells me she would never forget the day she had me, and even though she says it’s because she loves me so much, I think a part of her won’t forget what came right after I was born,” he started out slowly and watched from the corner of his eye how Liz watched him closely.
“My father wasn’t there when she had me, and when she brought me home from the hospital, he was there, but he wanted nothing to do with me. He saw me as this thing that got in the way of his happy life. He didn’t even want my mother to have me, but she said she loved me the moment she knew she was having me. She told me that after she told him she was pregnant, he changed and became cold. But she still loved him and thought he would come around…but he didn’t.” Max held back the tears that were threatening to fall, which is the last thing he wanted to do.
“W-what happened?” she asked softly, reaching out a hand to rest on his knee.
“The day after she brought me home, he left. He never said goodbye, just walked out of her life after four years of dating and three years of marriage,” he explained as he turned to face Liz.
“He never wanted kids. My mother did and she wanted me more than anything and was willing to risk her marriage to have me. Since my father was the only one working, my mother took me to my grandmother’s house. We lived there for a while, and my mother worked two jobs. She even went back to school and now she doesn’t have to work, I promised her when I turned seventeen that when I graduated high school she would never have to work again, if she didn’t want to. And after I graduated she quit both her jobs and volunteered her time at a homeless shelter and a battered woman’s shelter. She’s devoted her life to helping others and it makes her happy.”
“Max…” she started but he shook his head.
“Seeing me succeed, makes her happy. But I know she misses him, even though she has sworn that she hated my father. And deep down I believe her, but sometimes I think she misses what they had before she had me. You know what though?”
“What?” she asked, tears slipping down the side of her face.
“She doesn’t regret it. Not one single day of her life has she regretted having me. She told me it was hard but that she would do it again if I was the end result,” he smiled as he swiped the tears from his eyes. He never meant to tell her that much about his life.
Liz felt terrible, and her problems seemed so insignificant in comparison to what both Diane and Max had gone through. Looking at them, one could never have guessed that together they had made it through.
“I didn’t tell you this because I didn't want you to feel bad for me and my mom. I guess I just wanted you to know that I understand how you feel. We all have scars Liz and some run deeper than others, but that doesn’t make them any less important,” he said as he stood and kneeled in front of her.
Reaching out his hand he wiped away her tears, and waited until their eyes locked. He would give her time. He would give her the world, God if she would just let him in.
“I love you, Liz. You don’t have to say it back but I wanted you to know.” Liz didn’t know what to say, and thankfully, as always Max understood. He smiled and kissed her cheek softly.
“Max…I…I…”
I love you, it was on the tip of her tongue, but it wouldn’t come out.
“Goodnight, Liz.” He stood and smiled down at her.
“Goodnight, Max.”
She was a coward.
TBC…
Sorry for any mistakes guys...