Winner Round 10
Title: Pieces of Me
Author: Emma
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything; I’m just borrowing it for the purposes of this story.
Category: M/L
Rating: ADULT
Authors Note: Some of the ideas used in this story have come from Will & Grace. The events will be different obviously, sine Max is not gay.
Summery: Max and Liz have been best friends since childhood. They’ve been through most of life’s obstacles together, as well as relationships. What will happen when they make a decision to make drastic change to their relationship? And most importantly will their friendship survive?
One
“I’m coming,” Max called out as he rushed out of the bathroom, sweat pants slung low on his hips, to answer the pounding on the door.
He opens the door and is surprised when he finds his best friend standing on the other side. Her face is read and puffy and tears are still pouring down her face.
“Liz, what’s wrong?” He asks panicked. The Liz Parker that Max Evans knew very rarely cried. Those incidents were normally saved for her other best friend and coincidentally his sister in law Maria.
“We broke up,” she cried and fell into his open arms and began to sob all over again.
Max felt his heart fall for Liz. They both knew that the break up with her boyfriend of a year, Sean, was coming eventually. Liz had confided in him that things weren’t really working, but he still hated to see Liz cry.
“What happened sweetie?” He asked as he led her into his apartment and towards the couch.
“He showed up at the apartment earlier, I haven’t heard or seen him in over a week, and he got angry when I asked where he had been,” she explained as she dried her eyes on the sleeve of her top.
Sean had a habit of disappearing on Liz for days at a time, and every time it happened Liz would think of every scenario to where he was, and what he was doing, almost sending herself crazy. Their relationship left Liz upset more times than happy and other than her tears; Max thought it was best they had broken up.
“So I told him to pack up anything he had left there and to fuck off,” she said.
“You did the right thing,” Max told her.
“You think?” Liz asked a little unsure. Liz Parker was 29 years old and other than Max, she was the only one of her friends who wasn’t married. Max however was in a serious relationship and Liz’s biggest fear was that she was going to end up alone.
“Of course,” Max assured her. “You can do so much better than a guy like Sean, Liz,” Max said. Secretly Max hadn’t ever liked Sean and had always wondered what Liz had seen in him. Max just wanted Liz to be happy and that was most of the reason he didn’t like Sean, because he didn’t make Liz happy.
Max wrapped his arms around her then. “I’m going to end up alone,” Liz cried against his chest. “Why isn’t there a guy out there for me, Max?”
“There is,” Max told her as he tried to sooth her by running a hand through her long hair.
“Where is he then? Everyone else has someone that loves them except me. It’s not fair Max,” she cried.
Max didn’t know what to say to make her feel better; he didn’t know if there were words to make Liz feel better about the situation.
That was how they were when Max’s girlfriend Katie walked through the front door ten minutes later. She stopped short at the sight of her boyfriend, half naked with Liz in his arms.
“Hi,” she said trying to hide her surprise.
“Hi,” Max smiled at her.
Liz sat up then and dried her eyes. “Hi Katie,” she said.
“Hey Liz, how are you?” She asked.
Liz shrugged; “I should go,” she whispered and then turned to Max. “Thank you,” she said.
Max smiled and leaned in and left a kiss on her forehead, “I’ll come by later ok?”
“Ok,” she nodded.
She stood up then, “I’ll see you later Katie,” she said, her head down in an effort to hide the tear tracks on her face, before she continued towards the door and let herself out.
Max approached his girlfriend who was placing a grocery bag down on the kitchen bench.
“Hey,” he said as he kissed her. “How was your day?” He asked.
“It was good,” she smiled, her face turned curious then, “What’s up with Liz?” She asked.
It wasn’t unusual to come home and find Liz in the apartment she shared with Max, and even though Katie knew that they were only friends, it still unnerved her a little at how affectionate they were. She wondered if she would ever get used to her boyfriend sharing such a close relationship with a women that wasn’t her.
“Her and Sean broke up,” Max said.
“Oh,” Katie said.
“Yeah,” he frowned.
Max moved around the kitchen putting the groceries away then.
“Did you get final numbers for dinner tomorrow night?” Katie asked him then.
They were having a family dinner the following night. Katie thought it would be a nice idea that their families get to know each other a little better.
Max and Katie had been dating on and off three years but she had moved in with Max six months earlier. So far, she thought things were going well and she was hoping that things were going to become more serious in the next few months. She wanted to get married and have children and she knew that Max also wanted a family.
“Yeah I spoke to Mum today,” Max said from inside the fridge. “So there will be seven,” he said.
Katie frowned as she did the numbers in her head, “Seven?” She questioned, that seemed like too many.
“Yeah,” Max nodded, “Mum & Dad, Isabel & Alex, Michael & Maria, and Liz,” he told her.
“Why is Liz coming?” Katie asked.
Max looked up from his perusal of the food, “Liz is family, Katie you know that,” he said.
Not wanting to get into an argument Katie sighed. She should have realised that they couldn’t have a dinner party without inviting Liz. It wasn’t that Katie didn’t like Liz; she thought she was a lovely person. Katie just hated the fact that Liz was part of every part of Max’s life, including sometimes their relationship. She knew she would be able to accept their relationship more if there were some boundaries between them but in the three years that Katie had been with Max she had come to realise there weren’t any at all.
“It’s just that I thought this was just going to be our immediate families, a chance for them to get to know each other,” she explained.
“It is,” he said.
“Ok, well I understand that you and Liz are close but I’m not inviting Lisa or Kerri,” she told him.
Lisa and Kerri were Katie’s best friends. Truthfully, Max didn’t really like them all that much, they were bitchy girls and he didn’t particularly like the way Katie acted around them.
“Why would you invite them?” Max asked.
“That’s what I mean, Max we’re not inviting best friends, just family,” she sighed.
“Liz might be my best friend but she is also family, Katie,” Max said stiffly.
Katie sighed again, “Ok,” she told him.
“So is all of your family coming?” Max asked then.
In the past, Katie’s family had always been difficult to organise anything with. Her parents still worked and she was especially close to her brother and his wife.
“Yes they’re coming,” she smiled.
“Great,” Max nodded.
***
After dinner Max pulled on his joggers and walked to the freezer. He pulled out the tub of fudge brownie which he knew was in there for this type of thing.
Katie walked out of their bedroom, freshly showered. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m heading over to Liz’s,” he explained.
Looking at the time Katie frowned. “At this time?” she asked.
Both Katie and Max worked hectic schedules and this was the only time they really have to spend together. Katie resented the fact that she had to share this time with Liz.
“Yeah,” Max nodded. “Liz is upset and she needs someone to talk to.”
“Can’t she ring Maria or something?” Katie whined as she approached Max and wrapped her arms around his waist hoping to entice him to stay and have an early night with her instead.
“I’m sure she’s already talked to Maria,” Max grinned knowing what his girls were like. Isabel, Maria and Liz could all talk anyone’s ear off and he new his sister and sister in law would have already given Liz their opinion by now on the Sean situation.
“I won’t be late,” Max said as he pulled back from the hug and headed for the door.
“You’re taking the ice cream?” Katie whined then. Fudge brownie was her favourite and they hardly ever had it in the house.
“Yep sorry, but it’s an emergency,” he grinned.
Walking back Max kissed Katie gently. “I’ll see you later honey,” he said.
Katie waited for the door to shut before she frowned. When she had moved in with Max it had taken her a while to get used to the fact that Liz lived in the same apartment building, on the same floor as him. At first, Liz used to let herself into the apartment without knocking but Katie had soon put a stop to that after she had walked in on some unideal situations.
With a final huff, she picked up a packet of chips and headed for a lonely night on the couch with the TV.
. 
