The Ex Factor..(M/L, Mature) Part 43 7/9/09 Complete

[sweetbrowneyes]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I really enjoy reading what you think. It keeps me on my toes.

keepsmiling7
mezz
Alien614: Yes she is. Finally! lol
DreamerMaxBehrian: Thanks. I’m trying to get better at FB to FB lol. I’m glad you picked up on how Max was suddenly less tired when Liz showed up. Yes he’s been missing her a bit, even if he’s not ready to admit it yet. And as you said, it took courage for Liz to go over to Maria’s. She has a lot of potential that’s unaware she has and hasn’t tapped into yet. And no you weren’t rambling. I really appreciate you taking the time out to write any feedback let alone the awesome lengthiness that you provide. lol
Emz80m
XYZ
begonia9508: lol That would be interesting if Kyle was jealous of Max and Liz.
RoninBehr: Since the "good kind of torture" doesn't exist, you're just gonna have to deal with the regular kind of torture for a little while. lol
dreamerbabylioness
Tamashii
jake17: Max was just teasing her a bit. He wasn't serious and she got that. He was just trying to help her out a bit.
roswell4life
behrluv32
roswell3053
lockheart
nitpick23: I agree that Liz might need to see life without Max to fall back on for a bit.
ythaler
Behrsgirl77: Oh man! Is that you?!? Where have you been? It's been sooo long but in your absence you remained my fav person lol And yes Max is awesome and I'm trying to do right by him and all his awesomeness. I'm glad you noticed.

Alright, this is by far, shorter than the last but I didn't want to keep you waiting. Anyway. Enjoy!

Part 31

Max huffed in annoyance, his eyes rolling upwards. This experience had the potential to give him a headache.

“Are you going to do it right or not?”

“I am,” Liz growled, glaring at him. “You said to clean them and I did.”

She was holding the raw chicken wing out by her fingertips, extending it as far from her body as her arm would allow. Rolling his eyes once more, Max snatched the wing from her hands and rinsed it off himself. “For God’s sake it’s not going to bite you.”

“I don’t like the way it feels. It’s all slimy and I can feel the bone. All those germs…” She trailed off, shuddering.

“You eat chicken don’t you?”

“Yeah, but it’s cooked and the skin doesn’t look like actual skin. I’m just imagining a chicken somewhere clucking around, minding its own chicken business… ”

Max sighed. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“…and then… WHAM!! It’s on someone’s dinner plate.”

He knew he shouldn’t have given into her when she played the part of poor little starving girl and he agreed to teach her how to cook. He was such a sucker and he knew it. She knew it, which was why she promptly pulled out the puppy dog eyes when he was initially hesitant, unsure of the kind of student she would be in the kitchen. As he suspected, she complained the second they started their first lesson.

She watched him clean several small wings before she spoke again. “Why’d you have to start with fried chicken?”

“I was in the mood for chicken tonight.”

“Couldn’t you have taught me how to cook a salad or something first?”

He stopped moving and swiveled on his heels to face her. He wanted to laugh, but she looked so serious.

He frowned. “What type of salad would you like to cook, Liz?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but she caught sight of the twinkle in his eyes. “You’re mocking me.”

He immediately broke out into a grin. “What? I was just asking a question.”

“You know what I meant. I’m not that stupid.”

He laughed and she began to untie the apron he’d loaned her. “Wha…Come on, Liz. I’m sorry okay? Put the apron back on.”

She did, albeit reluctantly. “Loser,” she muttered.

Max instructed her on how to season the chicken as the cooking oil heated and crackled in the frying pan.

“Now, lay the chicken in gently because the grease will pop,” he instructed.

The grease popped as soon as he finished speaking. Liz yelped as she felt it hit her arm and on reflex, she immediately pulled away. She dropped the chicken into the pan, causing the grease to pop and splash over onto the stove. Liz scampered back into Max as it hissed and fizzled.

“I told you to be careful,” Max chuckled.

“I didn’t do anything,” she cried, rubbing the spot where she got hit. “It popped me for no reason.”

He laughed. “Watch how I do it.” He laid a wing in the pan. The grease hissed but didn’t pop. “Now, you try.”

After being popped a few more times, Liz refused to go anywhere near the stove. She sat a safe distance away at the kitchen table and watched as he finished frying the rest.

She wouldn’t let him show her how to cook the rice until the chicken was done. She found that easier and safer and once it was finished, claimed she was an expert.

They settled down at his kitchen table to eat.

“I’m awesome,” she said. “This rice is perfection.”

“Yeah, even though rice takes all of five minutes to make.”

Childishly, she stuck out her tongue.

“When did you turn twelve?” he teased.

“Oh hush. I’m just beginning. In time, I’ll be able to open my own restaurant that will rival yours.”

He smiled at her from across the table. “I must admit, you seasoned the chicken pretty well. Congratulations.”

She giggled and made a show of doing a little bow in her seat. Max laughed and she felt the first stirrings of accomplishment.
*********

It had been at least ten minutes since Liz first walked into Isabel’s boutique with Maria and she had yet to say a word. She wandered around, admiring the clothing and touching the fabrics, feeling amazed, impressed and a bit jealous.

Finally she said, “Isabel, you’re really talented.”

Isabel wore a bright smile. “Thanks. This place is my baby.”

“You designed everything yourself?”

“Mostly. My employees will do a sketch sometimes and we all collaborate to make the designs.”

Liz nodded, as she again strolled around the shop. The style of each outfit varied from the utmost elegance to the simple, and from funky to chic.

A particular dress caught her eye and she ran her fingers over the soft, deep blue fabric. It was a strapless bubble hem dress with a cinched bust line. She pulled it of the rack and held it up to herself.

“You like that one? I think it’ll look fabulous on you,” Isabel said as she guided her towards the closest mirror. “I think you should wear this one tonight.”

Liz caught the taller girl’s eyes in the mirror and frowned. “Tonight?”

“We’re going out. You are coming out with us aren’t you? It’s girls’ night.”

“Oh,” she said. She looked down, seemingly contemplating the offer before she looked up again. “Sure. It’ll be fun.”

“Great! Why don’t you go try this on and then we can get you fitted for the bridesmaid dress like we’re supposed to be doing.”

Liz giggled before she hurried off into the dressing room.

The dress fit her perfectly. It hugged her small breasts, something she was so embarrassed of, and then flared out, reaching mid thigh.

Because Maria loved Isabel’s work and couldn’t stop praising her on her talent, she convinced her to make the bridesmaids’ dresses for her wedding. Isabel was planning on making the dresses from scratch but as Maria poked around the boutique for ideas, she found several dresses of similar design and color that would be perfect for the wedding. They decided it would be better if Isabel could alter those dresses to fit the women instead. And so far, Maria was extremely happy with the results.

“You look great, Liz!” Maria said, gesturing for her to do a little spin.

“Do you like it?” Isabel asked, looking over the fabric with an expert’s eye. “You don’t need me to take it in or out do you? Because it looks great on you.”

Liz grinned. So this was what it was like to have supportive people around, she thought. She remembered how Morgan acted around her. She would have for sure told her she looked ugly in the dress and then bought it for herself.

“No it’s perfect. How much do I owe you?” She pulled some cash from her purse.

“Fifteen.”

“Fifteen?” Liz glanced at the price tag hanging off the side. “But the tag says thirty.”

Isabel shrugged. “Friends and employees get a discount.”

Liz was speechless. She was considered a friend? She attempted to say thank you, but the words got caught in her throat. She knew it was silly to get emotional over a dresses and she had never been such a cry baby before she started living on her own. But she couldn’t help it.

Isabel seemed to realize this because she took the twenty that was dangling from Liz’s fingers and made change at the register.

“You’re welcome,” Isabel laughed. “Now go get changed so we can get you fitted for the dress.”

Liz did as she was told, dabbing her eyes as she went.
***********

The music was loud and it had a strong, steady beat that made her want to bob her head in tune to the rhythm.

It had been so long since she’d been out. She looked out over all the hot, sweaty bodies as they gyrated on the dance floor and smoothed down the front of her dress self-consciously.

She guessed in some way, she was a little worried that she would run into her old group of friends. She wondered what they would think. And she wondered if they had the same effect on her as they used to.

She was unable to dwell on her thoughts for long because soon Maria, Isabel and Tess were pulling her towards the floor.

Maria smiled at her as they bumped hips. She was so excited that Liz seemed to finally start to come around. They had been close when they were little girls. Liz was her best friend until junior high when they fell into different homerooms and different crowds. And being an only child, Maria felt as if she lost a sister. It was why she tried so hard to help Liz out even when she seemed indifferent. She always hoped it would lead to them getting close again, and perhaps, that was selfish reasoning on her part, but she missed her cousin. And she was glad she was no longer hanging around those dreadful friends of hers.

They had been there for awhile and now al four girls were a bit buzzed, occupying an overstuffed couch in the corner.

Liz had volunteered to get the next round of drinks. She leaned against the counter, silently flirting with the bartender in hopes of getting a few free drinks. She batted her lashes and flipped her hair and she let her eyes wander over him as she licked her lips.

He seemed to buy it and she realized that if she didn’t have anything else, she still had her sex appeal.

The bartender was cute with jet black hair and he smiled widely and promised the next round would be on the house.

“I see you’re still coning free drinks from people,” a voice laughed beside her.

The face next to her was familiar and she gave a small smile. “A girl’s gotta do…”

Chase laughed and leaned in to avoid being drowned out by the music. “How have you been, Liz?” He smiled and then added before she could answer, “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. I’ve been doing well. I have my own place now….again. No furniture but…”

Chase chuckled and pushed her hand away when she tried to pay for the drinks. He told the bartender to put in on his tab.

She admitted him for a moment. He had lost some weight, Liz could tell. But he looked good. His blue eyes had a light in them she hadn’t seen when she’d known him before.

“How have you been?” She often thought about him, and worried what he was getting into with his “hobby.” But he hadn’t wanted to stop then.

“I’ve been great. I uh,” he scratched his neck self-consciously, “I kicked my hobby.”

“Chase, that’s great!”

“Yeah. I nearly got caught selling by the cops so I gave it up. It wasn’t worth it. I’m going back to school. I’m not sure for what yet, but…” he laughed. “I’ll figure it out.”

“That’s great, Chase. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. I saw you over here and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to apologize for how everything went down the last time I saw you. I feel like I pressured you or something…”

Liz was shaking her head as he was speaking, almost not believing she was having this conversation in a club. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I was… you didn’t force me or anything. And it wasn’t like it went anywhere.”

He nodded and she jerked her thumb over to where her friends were waiting. “I should get back.”

“Okay. But wait!” he grabbed her arm when she began to walk away. “You think maybe I could call you sometime. I miss you and I’d like us to be friends.”

She tilted her head, trying to gauge him. She remembered when she couldn’t trust herself enough to tell when someone was being sincere. She had felt so betrayed by Lynn and Morgan she questioned all those that she thought were her friends.

She realized Chase was the only one out of that group she used to hang around with that she could trust. And friends were what she needed right now.

“I miss you, too. And I would like that.”

TBC………

[sweetbrowneyes]

I come with a new part. Finally! It seemed like everyone I knew had a birthday this last week and I hadn't had a chance to sit down and write. But, I'm back finally so... HOoRAY!

bettylove8: lol I would love to see you resorting to violence on Liz's ass. And thanks. I hope you didn't cringe reading my older stories like I do.
XYZ
keepsmiling7
begonia9508
Behrsgirl77: Okay I'm kinda offended you went to freaking Miami without me!! lol I'll be stuck in Michigan forever. And yes I will take care of Max and his awesomeness. Especially cause I don't want you hunting me down. lol
RoninBehr: Okay. It'll be less horrifying torture. But still torture nonetheless.
kyliemou
lockheart
Emz80m
jake17: lol
DreamerMaxBehrian: When you get used to the grease popping you, chicken isn't that hard to cook I don't think. But then again, that's like the only thing I can cook. And you're not getting worked up for nothing. There'll be a reprieve from the angst soon.
Tamashii
martine
paper
roswell3053

Thanks for the feedback! Enjoy!

Part 32

He watched from the floor of her living room as she hoisted her radio up onto the counter that separated her small kitchen from the living room.

When she bent over to watch the dial as she changed stations, his eyes met her backside. He quickly turned away.

“This is so stupid,” he complained as he studied the blinds that covered her patio door.

“It’s not stupid,” she countered dismissively.

“Why are you making me do this?” He didn’t mean for it to come out as whiny as it did, but it was out there and he added a pout for effect. He wasn’t in the mood to humiliate himself at the moment.

She turned up the volume when she found the station she was looking for and ignored his little boy lost look. A hip hop beat blared from the speakers. “I’m not making you do anything. You’re a grown man.”

“Fine. Why did I let you talk me into this?”

She grabbed onto his hand and helped him roll to his feet. “Because I’m awesome at persuasion and you are a man which makes you weak against a woman.”

“Wha…”

She interrupted quickly. “No complaining! Let’s get started.”

He complained anyway. “What valid reason is there for you to teach me to dance? I’m doing just fine with two left feet.”

“You are coming out with us next time we go to a club so you need to learn to dance. And lucky for you, you’re a guy so you don’t have to do much anyway. Most of the time, you basically hold the girl’s ass as she grinds against you.”

His eyebrows shot upwards and she smiled. “You can’t just stay in your apartment for the rest of your life.”

“I do more than staying at home. Besides, going out too expensive. How much are drinks now? Like a billion dollars?”

“They’re not a billion dollars, Max,” she said dryly.

“I was being sarcastic. But what I mean is, is there’re more economical ways to have fun without going to a club. What about bowling or… or the movies…”

“The movies?! What are tickets and popcorn now? Like a billion dollars?”

He mimicked her, his voice rising to a higher pitch. “They’re not a billion dollars, Liz.”

He smiled and she laughed, playfully pushing him away. “Come on!”

“I can’t help it if I’m not a club going person. I’d rather stay at home or something. It’s really just not all that much fun for me.”

He remembered when he used to go with the guys. He sat at the bar all night, too embarrassed to get up and dance. Girls came and went, but he refused to step foot on the dance floor.

“But that’s only because you can’t dance. You’re missing out on the whole point of going. So just let me teach you….” He sighed and she said, “I promise I won’t let anyone laugh at you. I’ll make you look good.”

He still looked unconvinced. Rolling her eyes, she moved over to her balcony. The door was open just a crack. It was getting colder as November rolled closer, but she liked the fresh, cool air blowing in. She shut the door and pulled the string that closed the blinds. The sun’s rays fell in neat little slits on the floor in the dim room.

When she came to stand in front of him again, his arms were folded. And for a moment, Liz could see that teenage boy back at homecoming when she was trying to pull him onto the dance floor. He looked, for some reason, vulnerable.

“No one but me can see you here.”

She took his booth hands and pulled him toward the middle of the room.

“You won’t laugh at me?” he asked.

“I’ll try my damnedest not to,” she replied, drawing a smile from him.

The song playing had a heavy beat that was easy to move along to. She stepped out with her right foot, and then brought it back together with her left. Max mimicked her. She stepped out with her left and then brought it back. Max did the same.

Holding their hands between them, she repeated the moves in time with the beat. Max was frowning down at her feet, trying to follow her.

“Good, good,” she encouraged. “Now, bend you’re knees a little while you’re doing it. Just kind of bounce with it.”

She illustrated as she instructed, bouncing as she stepped out with the right and then out with the left. “Right. Left. Right. Left.” He looked up at her briefly and she smiled encouragingly.

Again, he bowed his head, watched her feet and bounced.

Right. Left. Right. Left.

“See, you’ve got rhythm! You’re not totally hopeless.”

He chuckled but didn’t look away from their feet. “Shush. I’m trying not to step on your feet.”

They were so close. And he supposed he looked stupid, but at least he was moving and he was trying. He was getting there. He looked up at her and smiled.

“Who told you, you couldn’t dance?” She found no truth in that. Max’s problem was that he didn’t know how to move to music and he needed to relax a bit. He was so afraid of looking stupid he couldn’t see how good he could be.

He was still smiling, still looking at her. “I think that’s pretty obvious. No one had to tell me.”

She giggled. They were still moving to the beat. “You can, just let the music take over.” She placed his hands on her waist and let go. “Listen to the beat and move with it. Watch.”

She turned under his hands, her back to his front. Max stopped moving, stood stiff as she dipped low and grabbed a hold of his legs. His eyes widened as she slowly rose to her full height, her nails dragging against his jeans and her hips rolling. Her butt was a feather’s width from his front.

His look of shock dissolved into a smirk when she looked at him over her shoulder.

“Hi there,” he said deeply.

She bit her lip, aware that what she had done was a bit ambitious. But that’s what went on in the clubs. She was just teaching him. “You good?”

He cleared his throat, his hands still on her waist. “Nearly so. You?”

“Great. You got it?”

He frowned, wondering why they were talking in such short sentences. “Got what?”

She rolled her eyes. He was clearly distracted and she liked that she was the reason why. But she ignored that fact.

She began to rock her hips. She reached back, grabbed onto his hips, and attempted to get him to loosen up. “You have to relax and stay loose. It’s all in the hips. Pay attention to how the girl responds to you.” And to see how he would react, she arched her back, pressing her butt into his front a bit. “Always remember, dancing can be like sex.”

He sucked in a deep breath and then nearly choked on the air as it reached his throat when she brushed against him. He reflexively held her tighter but when he saw her peeking at him over her shoulder, he knew she was playing with him.

He quickly schooled his features. “Can it now? Is there going to be a demonstration?”

Max smirked when she turned in his arms, both her eyebrows raised.

The Max Evans she knew back in high school would have never said anything like that. And she realized she enjoyed it as soon as the shock wore off. Finally she bantered back, “Not the kind you’re thinking of.”

He feigned innocence. “How do you know what I’m thinking of?”

“Because you’re a guy, you loser.”

“Why do I always have to be a loser?”

“I think that’s something you have to figure out yourself.”

He chuckled. “You’re so mean.”

“Just listen!” she commanded. Max rolled his eyes but stayed quiet nonetheless. “Everything’s in the hips. You have to move smoothly. When you first start dancing with a girl, mostly with one you just met, you have to feel her out. Not all girls want you to go straight for the ass grabbing. Watch how she reacts and respond accordingly.”

Her hips rolled under his hands and he tried to mimic her movements. He had to admit, he was getting a bit better. He was able to move in tune with the music. He was moving freely, his hips bumping with Liz’s. He was dirty dancing, and he liked it.

“Nice,” she said, smiling.

The song playing was a slower beat and they changed rhythms accordingly. Max grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his neck. One hand sprawled over her shoulder blade and the other across the small of her back.

They were closer now then they were a moment ago. His head was dipped down towards hers and her gaze flickered to his lips. When she licked her lips, she was sure his arms tightened around her.

There was a moment when he tried to smile, as if everything was normal. But the second her fingers dug themselves into his hair, it died and he was feeling it too. She was staring intently up at him and he was staring right back, both still moving to the beat and waiting for the other to make the first move.

After minutes of waiting, Max moved first. He stepped back and let his arms drop from around her as he eyes swung around to her shrilling vibrating phone on the counter. She flashed a small smile and answered it. Max excused himself into the bathroom.

He couldn’t move quick enough to splash some cold water on his face. He quickly brushed away whatever snuck up on him when they were dancing.

Liz was a beautiful woman. His friend, Liz, was a beautiful woman. He couldn’t deny that. But together as a couple, they didn’t work. Their history in high school proved that. He didn’t want to go back down that road when he was enjoying being her friend.

Just friends.

Any attraction he may have felt was normal. Any guy would be crazy not to find Liz gorgeous. And he wasn’t a bad looking guy either. He was sure she didn’t mind looking at him.

When he returned to the living room, Liz was smiling and giggling at whoever was on the other end.

“I’m not sure what I’m doing tonight. Call me back later on and we’ll figure it out. Bye.”

She hung up and turned to him when he lowered himself to the floor. He was tempted to ask who she was talking to, but it was none of his business.

She grabbed one of the few drinking cups that weren’t plastic from her cabinet. “Let’s take five,” she said as she made a glass of water for Max and herself. Hers contained multiple ice cubes. She needed to cool off.
************

“You really need to get some furniture,” he said. It was the fifth time in the half hour that he’d commented on her lack of furniture. But she couldn’t blame him. They had been sitting on the floor for hours. And the comforter and pillows she spread across the floor weren’t a great substitution for chairs.

“I’m pretty sure I know that, Max,” she said.

She picked up his empty plate and discarded it along with hers in the sink. She grabbed the empty Chinese takeout bags and threw them in the garbage bin. She returned to the floor with another glass of wine for them both.

They had already had quite a bit. And both were tipsy enough to be near the category of drunk.

He rolled onto his back with a pillow under his head and his bare feet flat against the floor, his knees bent in the air. “I’m just making sure you knew. My back is… very uncomfortable.”

The TV droned on in the background and Liz was lying beside him, on her side facing him. Max couldn’t remember the last time he had been drunk. He had to admit that he was a bit of a lightweight because he didn’t drink often. It was something that Liz had a blast teasing him about.

His heavy head lolled on the pillow, until his eyes found hers. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You just did.”

He frowned, his intoxicated mind slow to comprehend. “No I…” He trailed off as it came to him. And then he burst into laughter. Loud belly laughs shook his entire frame and Liz could only roll her eyes in amusement.

“Okay,” he said once he’d calmed down. “Can I ask you another question?”

“You just…”

His eyes widened and his arm flailed out and landed against her shoulder to stop her. “No wait! Can I ask you two… no three more questions?”

“That was one. What are the other two?”

He gulped down a mouthful of wine, as if more alcohol was what he needed. “You ‘member those blue contacts you used to wear?”

She hummed in acknowledgement as she took a sip herself.

“Why did you wear’em?”

She answered simply. “I think I look better with blue eyes. My eyes are so plain and blaggh.”

“You wanna know what I think?” He gave his opinion without waiting for her response. “I think you were just hiding behind’em. You wanted everyone to think you were this… this enigma when underneath, you’re just plain ol’ Liz Parker.”

She watched him watch her, trying to gauge whether what he was saying was just the babblings of a drunk or what he really felt.

“You know what? Plain ol’ Liz Parker isn’t half bad. She’s pretty cool and I think you should get to know her.” He smiled at her.

“Drink your wine, Max,” she said, deciding to brush him off. She knew why she wore those contacts. She hated her brown eyes and after years of teasing she decided to just change them.

He kept on anyway. “Plus I happen to think brown eyes are awesome. I have a pair myself.”

“Technically, your eyes aren’t brown. They’re like a goldish green slash brown slash yellow.”

“Same thing.”

“It’s not really but what’s your next question?”

He was quiet at first and only the quiet murmurs from the TV broke the silence. Then he frowned, stared at some spot on her neck and asked, “When we… That time we were together um, were you really a virgin like you said you were?”

“What?!” She sat up quickly; too quickly because her head immediately began to spin. With a hand to her forehead she asked, “Why would you ask me that?”

Max wasn’t so drunk that he didn’t know what he was saying and doing. But he had consumed enough alcohol to enable him to ask the question that had been bugging him for years.

“I couldn’t sleep in my bed for a long time after that. It still smelled like you. You were all over my pillows, my sheets. I could still smell you on my skin and it drove me nuts. I couldn’t understand why you would lie to me.”

“I wasn’t,” she said. Guilt from the past that she thought she had put behind her came to the surface.

Max looked devastated and she realized he misunderstood her. “I wasn’t lying I mean,” she clarified quickly. “I was a very much a virgin. Everyone told me it wasn’t okay for me to like you, but I did and I just really… I really wanted to do something for me for once, something I wanted to do. I wanted to lose my virginity to you.”

Max didn’t respond. He simply looked at her, unable to assess how he felt at that moment.

Liz’s phone chimed, interrupted them again, and Max turned his attention to the TV.

“Hello?”

Chase sounded eager and hopeful. “Hey Liz. Did you still want to get together tonight? Did you have dinner already?”

Liz rolled over onto her back, glanced at Max who was staring at the TV and sighed. “I’ve already eaten and I’m a bit tired. But we can get together for coffee or something tomorrow? I can’t splurge like I used to though so...”

He chuckled a bit. “Whatever you want is fine. But I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have been paying anyway.”

When she giggled, Max looked at her, curious. “Why is that?” she teased.

“Because a gentleman never lets the lady pay,” Chase responded quickly. “I’ll buy you dinner.”

She wondered if he would be looking for something in return if their relationship blossomed. She found herself bouncing back and forth from being wary of him to trusting him. For the most part, she believed, he was a good guy. “I’m not going to let you…”

“Liz, I owe it to you. I need to do something to make it up to you for lying.”

“I don’t…”

“Please, Liz.”

She smiled. “Fine. I’ll let you buy me dinner.”

“Great! Then I will see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

When she hung up, she looked at Max. He turned away quickly and pretended that he wasn’t eavesdropping in on his conversation.

“So, new boyfriend?” he asked casually giving her a sidelong glance.

“Oh no! That was just Chase. He wants to go out to dinner tomorrow.”

He frowned. He really didn’t like the sound of this. “Chase? The drug dealer?”

“He’s not a drug dealer anymore. He’s clean now and he’s going back to school.”

He looked incredulous with his eyebrows arched upwards. “He told you that?”

“Well… yeah.”

“And you believe him?” His voice rose with every word he uttered.

“Yeah. What’s… are you mad?”

He let out an ironic chuckle as he shook his head. “How can you be talking to him, letting him take you out after everything’s he’s done to you?”

She frowned, the beginnings of annoyance creeping on her. “He’s changed. I trust him.”

He was sitting up now, nearly yelling. “Really? After he lied to you about dealing drugs?”

She could handle only certain people telling her what to do, namely Lynn and Morgan or anyone else that ran in her former circle. But Max, he didn’t have that power over her which led her to get defensive. “He didn’t lie. He just didn’t tell me about it.”

He snorted. “Oh! I’m sorry. Because something like dealing illegal drugs can just slip someone’s mind.”

Her face was red with anger as she jabbed her finger in his direction. “Who are you to tell me who I can and can’t talk to? You don’t even know him.”

“He’s a drug dealer, Liz!”

“He’s not…” She sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to convince him. He had the trump card. Chase had been a drug dealer and might still be one. But she couldn’t bring herself to believe that. Her instincts were telling her that he was a good guy but the problem was that she didn’t know whether her instincts were accurate or not.

“He’s not a bad guy, Max. I know it.”

“Good guys can still get caught up in some shit, Liz.” He stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. “But you do whatever you want. Just don’t come running to me when he screws you over again.”

TBC…………

[sweetbrowneyes]

Okay... again, I'm sorry about that long ass wait. I had to revise my outline and when I started on this part, I changed it like 50 times... anyway. I'm back finally. lol

paper
begonia9508
Emz80m
keepsmiling7
roswell3053
jake17: No I'm not trying to kill you lol. That would be illegal. It's quite possible, as you mentioned, that I'm torturing you but... that's not intensional lol.
Tamashii
RoninBehr: I'm sorry!! lol It's going to be a little bit of worse before it gets better. We're almost there and then the torture will be over.
kay_b
behrluv32
Behrsgirl77: Oh no! Tag teaming between you and RoninBehr would be bad. lol And yes you can slap Chase Tanya, but he's not going to go away. He's a stubborn little bugger.
Addicted2AmberEyes
pookie76
Alien614
nitpick23: I agree. She really needs to work some things out for herself and by herself.

Thanks for the feedback! I hope you enjoy. And sorry about this part. We're getting close. But it had to be done....

Part 33

Two months later

When her doorbell rang her heart leapt into her throat and beat rapidly against across her windpipe. She didn’t want to admit that just the thought of seeing him and knowing that he was on the other side of her door made it a little bit harder for her to breathe.

She ran her hands down the front of her dress, smoothing out any wrinkles that may have been present. And after a calming deep breath, she answered her door. “Hey.”

Max was standing on the other side of the door, hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels. He looked just as awkward as she felt. They hadn’t spoken in a month and the only time they saw one another was if the entire group got together. There was awkwardness between them that they couldn’t shake which made it difficult for him to be around her.

He wouldn’t deny that maybe a lot of their discomfort came from feelings he might have for her and vice versa. An incident over Thanksgiving, when he invited her to his parents’ house, proved that. It was something he liked to consider a weak moment. He had no intentions of getting involved in an intimate relationship with Liz Parker again because he enjoyed their friendship. But over Thanksgiving, surrounded by the calm countryside his parents’ house provided and a wine glass in hand, he had given in to feelings from the past.

It would not happen again.

So now, he would play the role of good friend because it wouldn’t go any further than that.

Still warmth spread through him when he saw her. “Hi.”

They stepped toward each other and engaged in a clumsy hug for what reason, neither knew. Their arms were outstretched, rocking in the air as they tried to figure out where to place their hands.

Finally, Max wrapped his arms around her waist and Liz screwed hers around his shoulders. After an awkward pat on the back, the two separated.

His hands found their way to his pockets again. “Been a long time.”

“Yeah. Come in.”

Liz stepped aside to let him in. He looked around her apartment as if he had never been there before. Though he hadn’t visited in awhile, not much had changed. She had a small eighteen inch, tri-legged table she bought for fifteen dollars at a Family Dollar store which served as her dining table. Also new to her apartment were a few cheap, plastic folding chairs; one in front of the television and another settled at the table.

When he was done scanning her apartment, he turned to face her.

“Have a seat, because you can do that now. Notice you no longer have to sit on the floor. I have hard plastic now.” She grinned brightly, causing him to laugh.

“Impressive,” he teased because it really wasn’t. When he sat down, he quickly realized it was more comfortable to sit on the floor.

She smoothed down her dress and gracefully lowered herself to the floor. Max sat across from her. They smiled at each other and then looked away when looking was getting too close to staring. Liz turned on her TV to drown out some of the silence, but the awkwardness was still present.

He cleared his throat. “So. Um… How have you been?”

“Good. I’ve been working a lot. Uh… Oh! I taught myself how to make an awesome grilled cheese sandwich,” she said, smiling proudly.

“Great! You’ll have to make it for me some time.” He sounded so fake to his own ears. But he was trying to leave the unease in the past but he didn’t know how to get back to normal. Because every time he looked at her, he thought of that night. How she moaned when he kissed that spot behind her ear and how easily his fingers glided through her hair.

The purpose of him coming over was so that they could get some semblance of normalcy back. But now that he was here and all he could think about was her skin on his. He was sure it wasn’t such a good idea for them to hang out. Alone.

Liz was apparently feeling the same when she said, “So uh, do you want to do something? A movie or dinner…”

He shrugged. “Yeah. But it doesn’t matter.”

“There’s a party we can go to.”

He quickly agreed, though parties weren’t really his scene. Loud music and people crammed together like sardines was probably just what he needed to distract his mind and wandering thoughts.

“Sounds good.”

“It’s supposed to be the first party of the New Year.”

He chuckled. “I thought that was what New Year’s was for?”

“Well second anyway,” she answered, laughing. “It’s just an excuse to get together and party again. Don’t ask me. He’s calling it the Resolution Party. Supposed to be celebrating the New Year and the promises we never keep to ourselves.”

He frowned. “Who’s calling it that?”

“Chase.”

“Chase,” he repeated slowly. “It’s his party?”

“The party’s at his friend’s house who asked him to host it. I wasn’t going to go because I didn’t have anyone to go with me. But since you said…”

“Wait,” he interrupted. “This is Chase’s party? You know I don’t like that guy.”

“And I don’t understand why you don’t. He likes you.”

“He doesn’t even know me.”

“And whose fault is that?”

He eyes narrowed. “Excuse me if I don’t trust that guy.”

“Max you won’t have to see him much. He’ll probably be all over the place. Please go. I don’t want to go by myself.”

“I’m not in the mood,” was his excuse.

But Liz wasn’t buying it. “He’s proven that’s he’s loyal. He’s my friend and you’re being immature.”

“Immature? How is me not trusting him being immature. Liz, what he was into was dangerous and he didn’t even care enough about you to let you know.”

“Key word was into. And he would have told me,” she defended weakly. “Beside you won’t even get to know him.”

“I know enough. And he only came clean because he got caught.”

She shook her head, trying to ward off what he was saying because he was making her second guess herself. “Stop it! He made a mistake. I know he’s a good guy. I’m sorry if everyone can’t be perfect like you, Max!”

“I never said I was perfect.”

“You don’t have to. As soon as someone makes a mistake, you’re automatically done with them. You act as if you’ve never made a mistake.”

“I never said…” He caught himself, because he could see this quickly getting out of hand. “Look. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter because I know he’s a good guy.”

“So just because you like him, that means I should too?”

“No but you can at least play nice. If you cared for me, you could maybe try and get along. You both are good friends…”

“I’m not going, Liz.”

“Max, you should trust me enough to believe me when I say that he’s a good guy.”

“Then I guess that’s the problem.” If he was honest with himself, he didn’t trust her judgment in choice of friends. He didn’t trust that she knew what she was doing when it came to Chase. He didn’t trust that she wouldn’t break his heart again.

“How can you call yourself my friend if you don’t trust me?”

He didn’t have an answer for that. So he scoffed and got to his feet. “This was stupid. I don’t even know why we’re trying…”

When he turned to leave, she jumped to her feet and caught his wrist, holding it with both her hands. There was a pang of hurt stabbing her chest and she tried to ignore it.

“Okay. I know you’re still uncomfortable about what happened during Thanksgiving…” His eyes widened, surprised that she had brought it up. Neither one spoke a word of it in two months. “But it’s no reason to take it out on me. And it was just as much your fault…”

“My fault!? You kissed me first.”

“But you did a lot of kissing back didn’t you? You can’t act like nothing happened. You can’t ignore it.”

“I’m not the only one ignoring things here, Liz,” he accused, eyes narrowed. “You’re running around with that Chase guy.”

“That… Whatever. Let’s just forget it.” She was tired of defending herself about Chase.

“That’s what I was doing until you brought it up.”

“Well forget it again!” she said, crossing her arms in a huff. “We had had a few drinks…”

“I know what happened, Liz. You can’t forget it if you keep talking about it.”

“Fine.”

“Great.” She stared ahead at the TV screen. Whenever they would talk, this is how it ended. But she stupidly hoped that they would be a bit removed from the incident now because she couldn’t not see him. But every time she saw him, she couldn’t help but think back to that night. The way he touched her, kissed her. Just a look from him that night melted her insides.

“Why don’t you just come with me to the party and we can forget everything?”

He shook his head. “I’m leaving now.”

She could see his jaw grinding and she shook his head in disbelief. “Why are you being an asshole?”

He yanked his arms free from her grasp. “Go by yourself.”

“Max…”

“Liz, seriously you want to trust Chase, then that’s your business. Don’t let me stand in your way. I’m pretty sure it won’t kill you to go by yourself. You’re a grown woman and I think its time you grow up or you’ll always be an insecure, dependent girl looking for someone to save her.”

“What?”

“And you wonder why I don’t trust you. You’re so insecure, how do I know that you’re not going to run off with the first person that’s going to boost your sinking ego?”

And now she knew they were talking about something other than Chase.

“Max, how many times do I have to say I’m sorry?”

“It’s not even about apologizing,” he said slowly, trying to get her and his own muddled mind to comprehend. “It’s… I just told you I couldn’t trust you and yet you still want to go to a party with me? Is this how it was with your friends? You don’t even have the… the self value to defend yourself.”

As he began to pace, he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, anger, disappointment, passion… He couldn’t figure out what irritated him more about Liz Parker.

“You were so unhappy with yourself that you started hanging around those airheads you called friends when you were clearly so much better than that. Your parents cut you off and your friends dump you, you run to Chase to fix everything. He screws up and you’re back at me again. When are you going to do something for yourself, Liz? When are you going to grow a pair and pick your own self up?”

She stepped forward, her face burning red as she poked his chest angrily. “Look, I’m sorry that I can’t be whatever it is that you fucking want me to be or think I am…was. Whatever. I know you’re bitter about that but whatever it was you thought you saw, it wasn’t true. And don’t fucking tell me what’s wrong with me when you’ve got a shit load of problems yourself.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You are the last person to be preaching about having a lack of confidence when you can’t even have a real relationship because I dumped you ten years ago.”

He reared back for a moment before coming back full force, bellowing out, “I was in love with you! And if you weren’t so weak and let your friends tell you who you could and couldn’t date…”

“Go to hell, Max!”

“Fuck you!”

He stalked out, slamming the door behind him.
***********

She gathered her purse and planned the best possible excuse route.

“Liz, you’re leaving already?”

She was caught. She sat back down in her seat and put on a pleasant smile for Chase as he came in front of her. “No, I was just coming back from the bathroom.”

Chase’s friend, Sean, had a slightly smaller house than the one she grew up in. It was packed with people from the entrance foyer, stretching through the living room and into the backyard.

She had been so worked up after her argument with Max, she needed to do something to work off the extra adrenaline. She thought this party would help. But as soon as she walked in she wanted to turn around and head back to the safety of her apartment. If she hadn’t been swallowed inside by a wave of partiers and immediately greeted by Chase, she would have done just that.

Chase, for the most part, was out of her sight, fulfilling his hosting duties, leaving her sitting alone on the couch, watching everyone else. Those who occupied the space beside her were either passed out drunk or on their way there.

He sat beside her. “You good?” he asked, rubbing her arm soothingly. When she first arrived, she followed him around, terrified of being left alone. But when she when grew tired she figured sitting alone would be easier than killing her feet in her stilettos. He tried to pop in as often as he could to keep her company but he kept getting pulled away.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not having fun?” It was written all over her face. She looked overwhelmed.

“Yeah I just… Max and I got into this really bad fight and I’m just…” She waved her hand as if dismissing her thoughts.

“What happened?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll get over it,” she said, offering a small smile.

“You sure? We can go outside or somewhere if you need to.”

Liz smiled, reassured by his sincerity. “I’m sure. You can go do what you need to do. You don’t have to keep checking on me,” she said.

“I know I don’t. But I’m still going to anyway. I’ll be right back.” With a kiss to her forehead, he was gone.

She watched him go, ashamed that he felt he had to baby sit her all night when both of them should be having fun. There were so many people. And with every unfamiliar face, she collapsed into herself, wishing to hide from all the scrutinizing eyes.

It took one look from a woman she didn’t know and she felt as if she had worn the wrong dress. Another look had her wishing she had worn her hair up. Then, her shoes really didn’t go with her outfit. She looked so stupid here by herself.

She reached into her clutch and gripped her cell phone. She wanted to call Max and ask him to pick her up. She didn’t know why she thought she could do this herself.

Then she would be subjected to the disappointment in his eyes. The same look her parents wore when she was evicted and had let them down so many times.

In the middle of the party, music blaring, people gyrating and sweating, bustling and drinking, her mind still wandered. Were these looks from people she didn’t even know worse than the look of disappointment she got from the people closest to her?

And she was disheartened to think that Max was right. She did need someone always guiding her and holding her hand. As a teen, someone was always influencing her, making her thoughts, feelings, and opinions something that wasn’t hers. And now, as an adult, she had no idea who she truly was but a mass of insecurities without a flock of superficial friends to build her up when she was high and leave her when she was low.

And now she was sitting alone at a party, surrounded by people who were having fun. And she should be joining them. There was no reason for her not to join them. The entourage she used to have was gone, but her esteem shouldn’t have left with them. If she ever had it in the first place.

It was easier said than done as she stood on her shaky legs. Her pace slowed and the loud thumping of the beat rattled her bones making every step closer to her target harder and harder.

Finally she came upon him. He had jet black hair and blue eyes and standing against the wall with a drink. She noticed him when she first arrived but didn’t have it in her to greet him. She never had courage with guys she truly liked and she was sure she still didn’t.

Still, she found herself standing in front of him.

She took a deep breath, willing herself to at least seem confident and slipped beside him. She turned to him and smiled.

“Hi,” she said.

He smiled back. “Hey.”

She could possibly do this.

TBC……….

[sweetbrowneyes]

Yay! I'm back on time for once! As usual, thanks for all your feedback.

pookie76
Tamashii: You'll get to see everything that happened during Thanksgiving soon.
trulov: I agree. Liz needs to start doing things on her own, includung finding her own friends and etc. And Max definately needs to move on. It just has taken him a while, ten years in fact. lol
RoninBehr: Okay! Okay! I promise we're getting there. lol Besides, Michigan is a pretty big state it'll take you guys a while to find me, giving me ample time to make a getaway. Am I in the Upper Peninsula? Do I live in smack dab in the middle of this gloved state? You'll never know.
Natalie36
lizandzackfan: Welcome!
kay_b: This is 100% dreamer insured.
Jbehrbabe
jake17: You'll see everything that happened during Thanksgiving. I promise.
keepsmiling7
pookie76
roswell3053
Alien614
begonia9508
Emz80m
bigears

Okay, so this part is a bit short. It's meant to be a filler or transitional part, or whatever you call them. lol Anyway, enjoy!

Part 34

With her eight hour shift behind her, Liz pulled her coat tighter around her as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Her pace was quick as the bitter cold swept across her face and turned her cheeks a rosy red.

Her check was safely tucked into her purse and she hurried by other leisurely pedestrians in order to make it to the bank in time. Her heels clicked against the freshly shoveled sidewalk and she supposed she should slow down in case she hit a patch of ice but the bank was four blocks away and she had ten minutes to get there.

She made it with two minutes to spare. Still getting used to the concept of saving, she cashed her check, deposited the majority of it and was out in the cold once more.

Stopped at a corner, waiting for the light to change, she pulled out her phone and dialed the number she memorized in just three weeks.

“Y’elloooo?”

Liz giggled. “You are so lame.”

After stuffing food in his mouth, Mark answered. “Wha id I fell eu ‘bou weing yeawous, Wiz?”

“What?”

He choked down the mouthful and replied, “I said, ‘what did I tell you about being jealous?’ It’s unhealthy.” He stuffed his face once he was done.

“Well I’m just wondering why you can’t just say ‘hello’ like a normal person?”

What he said was incoherent and Liz frowned. “What was that?”

“I said, ‘I knew it was you calling and I know how much it annoys you.”

“What are you eating?”

“Hot dog.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re awesome! Can I not eat a hot dog? Are you too good for a hot dog?”

“Such as ass,” she said, shaking her head.

This time when he took a big bite, he chewed and swallowed before he replied. “Why am I an ass when you’re the one who’s prejudice against hot dogs?”

“You can’t be prejudice against food,” she bantered back. “And I like them. I just never had one in the middle of winter before. I didn’t think other people did either.”

“Well clearly you are unable to appreciate the dog so…”

Liz rolled her eyes and interrupted him. “May I speak to your better half please?”

“Why don’t you ever call to talk to me anymore? It’s always Stephanie this, Stephanie that. I want to talk to Stephanie…”

“Aw you’re jealous.”

“I was your friend first,” he whined.

“Someone once told me jealousy was unhealthy,” she teased. She could just see him pouting those full lips of his and it made her smile. “I’m sorry. What can I do for you?”

“What are you doing for dinner?”

“I don’t know. It depends on how long it takes me to do my errands.”

“Well if you’re done, do you want to come over here for dinner? Steph’s trying out a new recipe and it would be awesome to have someone else here to pretend to enjoy the meal.”

“Stephanie’s an awesome cook. What are you talking about?”

Mark grimaced and groaned at the thought of the act he would have to put on later. “Yeah that’s because you’ve been fed the things she’s had practice cooking and makes on a regular occasion. But when she tries these new concoctions for the first time, it’s…please I need someone there this time.”

Rolling her eyes at the drama he was trying to spin, she replied, “Yeah I’ll be there.”

“Great! You are forgiven for your negligence,” he exclaimed in a weird accent. “Let me go get her. See ya later tonight!”

Liz laughed as Mark bellowed out for Stephanie in the background. The last few weeks felt like it could have been stretched out into a couple of months, so much had happened. Not so much by anyone else’s standards but to Liz, it felt like she had been in a whirlwind.

She met Mark at Chase’s Resolution Party. Once she’s talked herself up, realizing that the worst he could do was refuse to talk to her, she introduced herself. To her surprise, they instantly clicked.

By the end of the night, they had exchanged phone numbers and Liz left the party, her cheeks sore from grinning. She had done something by herself for once and she resisted the urge to call Max at three in the morning to brag that he was wrong. She could be independent if she wanted to. And that night proved it.

And it inspired her.

She had just recently been given full responsibility of all her bills. It wasn’t until then that the awareness that she was never going back to her old life, at least not by way of her parents’ money, stood at the forefront of her mind. Kicking, screaming, and pouting, all the things she used to do, wasn’t going to get her what she wanted anymore. Now, she realized, she was being treated like an adult, something that had never been done before.

After their initial meeting, Mark and Liz spent a nearly a week speaking on the phone before he invited her out to lunch to meet his fiancée’, Stephanie. From that day forward, she and Liz spoke at least once a day.

It was something that she never had before. Before when she, Morgan, and Lynn were all friends and they would call each other, the only topic of discussion would be their shopping and party agenda. With Stephanie, she was having real conversations, topics of substance that she wasn’t aware she was lacking in a girl friend until now.

She had Maria, Isabel, and Tess but still, they weren’t as close.

She hadn’t seen or spoken to Max since that night he left her apartment. And she believed it was for the best. They were never going to be friends without something getting in the way. They had too much history and it was a shame because as reluctant as she was to admit it aloud, she missed being around him. But it was too awkward, too complicated… too much of the wrong things to make it work.

“Hey girlie!” Stephanie squealed into the phone. “Where are you?”

Liz groaned. “On my way to the ‘you know what’ store.”

Stephanie laughed. “A lot of people shop at thrift stores. There’s no shame in it.”

Liz mentioned to a co-worker that she was looking for some affordable furniture and she suggested that she try some thrift stores. She was reluctant initially, thinking about owning a used couch. Who knew what the previous owners had done to and/or on it. But she was resigned to the fact that anything was better than the hard plastic she was sitting on now.

“I know that,” she whined, forcing herself to accept that. “But I’ve never been to one before.”

“Do you want me to meet you there?”

“No. Its fine I can handle it.” She knew it was silly, but she wanted to do this herself. “Besides, Mark invited me over for dinner tonight. He’s jealous because I like you better than him,” she teased.

She laughed. “Well that’s to be expected. So, how about we see you over here around eight?”

“Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

When she hung up, she was standing at the entrance of the thrift store. She was tired of sitting on the floor.

She barged through the front doors.
***********

“Did something happen between you and Liz when you were up at your parents’ house?”

Max’s eyebrows rose and silence fell over the group of men. A resounding ‘hell yeah it did’ would have been a sufficient response, but he didn’t say that out loud.

Instead, he decided to play dumb. “Why do you ask that?” he said innocently.

After exchanging looks with Kyle and Alex, Michael rolled his eyes. He wasn’t buying it. But if Max didn’t want to admit what happened, he wasn’t about to push it. “It just seems that you two have been awkward around each other since then. I just thought that…”

“Nothing happened, Michael,” he said wryly. “We just… nothing happened.”

Kyle looked incredulous, though he wanted to believe that Max was telling the truth. He had somewhat warmed up to Liz. But it certainly didn’t mean that he thought Max should get involved with her again. “You sure?”

Max nodded and immediately after, deflected attention elsewhere. “You guys want another drink?” Max asked, already sliding off the stool and grabbing their glasses.

He escaped to the back of the diner for a few moments of relief. But it would be short-lived because he would have to eventually go back out there. He wanted to forget about Thanksgiving and that would be difficult to do without everyone talking about it, which he was sure they would do if they knew. How pathetic was he to still get caught up with a girl that rejected him ten years ago?

But he couldn’t help it. That night he couldn’t help it.

But it couldn’t go any further than what it did. He and Liz had too much baggage between them to have anything of substance.

“So why can’t you get along?” Alex said when Max returned. “Why didn’t you forgive her like you said you did?”

Max shook his head, wondering the same thing. He thought he had forgiven her and he wanted to but he couldn’t find a reason why it hadn’t happened yet except for, “It’s complicated…”

“It’s simple, Max,” Michael added. “You need to move on. Hanging around her and resenting her for what she did is not going to help either of you.”

“That’s not…”

“Max, seriously…”

Max sighed, denial dying on his lips as his head dropped, his gaze falling to the coke in his hands.

Alex spoke up. “Move on. I think you need to let go, loosen up and stop taking everything so seriously. You probably just need to get laid and you’ll feel better.”

“What?!”

He continued, “You’re a sensitive guy, I know that. You take things to heart. But maybe you should try and relax and stop working so hard on finding ‘the one.’ Have some fun, date some girls you wouldn’t normally date and I bet you, the right person will come along when you least expect it.”

Max snorted and then muttered under his breath, but Michael and Kyle heard him anyway. “Says the guy who just cheated on his girlfriend.”

“What?!” Kyle bellowed. “When did this happen?”

Alex ignored him and turned to Max, shame darkening his features. “I already explained that it was a mistake.”

“What happened?” Kyle asked again.

“I met this girl at a party and I don’t know.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe that it had actually happened. He really thought Isabel was going to be the one to keep him straight but… “One thing led to another and…it was just one night. I was being stupid. It’s as simple as that.” One night missed up the best thing that had ever happened to him.

“Can’t tame that dick just yet, huh?” Michael said.

“Apparently not,” Kyle snickered, earning him a glare from Max and Alex. “What? Michael said it!”

Alex continued. “Isabel found out and she broke up with me.”

“That sucks dude.”

“You are an idiot.”

“Basically,” Alex laughed softly, grimly. He took a gulp of his coke, wishing it was strong liquor. He had some major groveling ahead of him.
***********

Max smiled at the woman across the table. She laughed loudly, one hand on her chest and the other reaching across the table for his hand.

It had taken some convincing but Max decided to set up on a date. He was matched with a woman Isabel worked with, Amy. She was a tall, beautiful, red head obviously athletic, judging by her toned arms. She was smart, warm, funny and undeniably attractive.

But it wasn’t a love connection and for once, Max was fine with that. Taking his friends advice for once, he just let go and had fun, enjoyed her company.

The one would come around eventually. He just had to wait a bit longer for her.

TBC………

[sweetbrowneyes]

Here's the repost of the part that got erased.

WOW!!! It's been a month!!! And I don't really have an excuse except for that I was stuck on this chapter and I don't really know why. I'm still not happy with it but I decided that I should just go ahead and post it instead of making you guys wait.

And as usual, thanks for the feedback and bumps!

behrluv32
katydid
begonia9508
kay_b
Emz80m
jake17: Thanksgiving is coming up in a few parts. Don't worry, you'll see it.
RoninBehr:LOL I'm sorry for sucking. I'll try to redeem myself with the next parts coming up.
Addicted2AmberEyes
martine
nitpick23
Tamashii
Temptation_K: Thanksgiving is coming up in a few parts
keepsmiling7
LairaBehr4: Of course I missed you!! But you've probably lost this story again considering it took me a friggin month to update again. lol
paper

Sorry if I missed anyone. I'm like half asleep right now. I just wanted to get this posted. This is also my excuse if there are any mistakes.

Enjoy!

Part 35

Four months later

Her wedding was beautiful. Maria was stunning, enjoying the many congratulations and compliments she received as she made rounds, table to table at her reception. Michael was content to stand behind her, hand on her waist and smile. Like most guys in his situation, he was already thinking about the honeymoon.

It was a perfect day. It was an unseasonably warm afternoon and evening for April and no mishap dared to happen, no cloud showed itself in the sky. The wedding and reception was held in the large, luxurious backyard of a long time family friend and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Gorzelany. There were over one hundred and fifty guests mingling, most of which neither the bride nor groom knew and much more than they would have preferred. But it was a small compromise to be able to have their wedding in such a perfect location with no cost to them.

“I’m so happy for you honey,” Mrs. Deluca cried.

“Yes,” Mr. Deluca added, “You’ve got yourself a fine young man. I couldn’t have picked anyone better for you.”

Michael accepted the older man’s hand, expecting a firm hand shake. But he was pleasantly surprised to be pulled into a hug with a warm pat on the back. “Thank you, Mr…um Dad.”

“Good man,” Mr. Deluca grinned.
*********

Tess had been talking to Isabel when suddenly she was seeing darkness. Warm, soft hands covered her eyes and an obviously masculine body pressed against her back.

“I suppose I have to guess who this is now?” she said, highly amused.

The mystery man chuckled over the loud background noise of the reception happening behind them. “I believe that’s the reason for all of this, yes.”

Tess grinned, immediately recognizing the voice that belonged to the hands. “Okay, well guessing from the feminine hands,” she palmed the person’s wrists and forearms, “and the bony limbs, I think I can safely rule out you being a man.”

“That’s very funny, Tess,” he laughed sarcastically. He lowered his hands and then walked around her to reveal himself. He flexed his arms though his muscles were constricted and hidden by his suit. “If these pipes are your description of bony, then I think you need to look up the definition of the word.”

Tess rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop from grinning wildly at her high school friend. “Hi Jake.”

“Tess. Look at you looking like a real woman.”

Tess pressed her hand against her chest as if she were flattered by the insult. “Thank you! Have you learned how to pleasure a woman yet?”

His grin was immediately wiped from his face. “That was so mean.”

Tess glanced at Isabel before the two women burst into laughter. Jake glared at them both. “These lips,” he held a finger to both of the women’s lips, “can meet this ass.” He angled his body until his backside was in sight and wiggled accordingly.

Isabel scrunched up her nose as Tess shook her head. “No thanks,” the shorter blonde said, “our lips are fine where they are.”

As Jake rolled his eyes, Tess continued. “Besides, I’m sure our lips aren’t worthy of getting acquainted with such a fine ass such as yours.”

Isabel hummed in agreement and as Jake continued to wiggle, she reached around to pat his butt lightly. “Oh! I like that!” he teased arching his back in an attempt to encourage her to tap him again.

Tess giggled. “You are such a fool! And I’m glad you made it!”

Jake, a well respected and well traveled businessman, was supposed to arrive two days earlier in order to make it to the bachelor party and the rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, he got caught up with a client in Chicago. His client, who was an indecisive, fidgety man, took this as an opportunity to pull out of the deal.

Jake possessed an immense amount of charm and wit to go along with it. After negotiating and trying to calm the nervous client for a day and a half, Jake finally closed the deal and just barely caught a flight in time to make the wedding.

The high school friends embraced tightly. “I’m glad I made it too. But I’m a bit upset that I missed the bachelor party. I heard that it got a little wild.”

“Not so wild that we couldn’t tame it,” Isabel laughed. It was just a case of too much alcohol and testosterone. The guys, especially Kyle, seemed like they drunk half their weight in liquor and got so belligerent and out of control, their party of about twenty guys were kicked out of the bar.

The cops were there when the girls showed up to rescue them and they were already shoving drunken men into the back seats of the cars. After some ‘oh please Mr. Officers,” and “it won’t happen agains,” accompanying fluttering lashes, the men were released into the care of the woman.

“Here comes this asshole now,” Tess grumbled her eyes narrowing at her boyfriend.

Kyle, Max, Liz and Alex approached the group.

Alex purposely stood next to Isabel, offering her a small smile to which she returned an icy glare. The smile that previously occupied her face immediately dropped and her arms folded tightly over her beautiful silk dress.

Unbeknownst to the tension, Kyle snarled playfully at Jake. “You want to release my girlfriend? She belongs to me now.”

Tess snorted. “Not for much longer if you continue to speak about me as if I’m your property.”

Liz interrupted before Kyle and Tess could get into a full blown argument. “Maria’s looking for you two. The photographer wants to get some pictures of the bridesmaids by the fountain.”

Jake hadn’t noticed the small brunette standing next to Alex until she spoke. He was pretty good at hiding his surprise when he realized who she was.

Isabel followed Liz hastily, eager to distance herself from Alex. Jake released Tess with a smile. “Save me a dance,” she said.

He nodded. “I still can’t believe you two are dating. And living together no less! Back in high school, you two were the first people to start an argument with one another.”

Kyle grinned. “I know you’re all upset cause you have to travel the world and see all those amazing places but, don’t be jealous cause my girlfriend is awesome.”

“I would never do such a thing,” he raised his hands in defeat. “And that’s Liz Parker right?”

Alex glanced towards the women, posing by the large fountains. “Pretty sure it is.”

“She’s hot!” He blurted out. Max choked out an audible, uncomfortable breath and Jake immediately began to apologize. “I mean…” Max held up his hand and shrugged as if to say ‘it’s no big deal.’ “We’re all aware of the history here though, right?” He received nods. “And everything’s cool and…. everything.”

All eyes swung to Max because they were all aware of the distance between Max and Liz but neither acknowledged it. Max simply shrugged. “She’s Maria’s cousin,” he rationed. “Why wouldn’t she be here? Besides, everything’s cool as you put it.” As cool as it could be when they had avoided each other as much as possible since their fight, he thought. They were polite, spoke when it was necessary. The tension was there but as time wore on it seemed like they saw less and less of each other and it got easier to deal with.

Kyle and Jake exchanged looks. It was obvious that something happened between Max and Liz. Max was suspiciously quiet and thoroughly stated that nothing went on. But comparing now to six months ago, there was a stark difference in the status of their relationship.

Max was a pretty easy going guy. He was content with what he had and went through life with a calm disposition. But if there was one thing that he was passionate about, one person that could disrupt his peace, it was Liz Parker. At least that was the case back in high school. It was something Kyle and Jake witnessed first hand.

Granted it had been ten years since high school, feelings change and people move on. But for some reason, Liz got to him. Kyle and Jake knew it and so did Max. There was no way he was calm about anything regarding Liz.
***********

The band was playing a song he didn’t care to identify in the background. It was soft and slow and made him want to run across the room, grab her and never let go.

He realized now how stupid he had been because before her, it was a new girl every week. No one could hold his interest. No one excited him and no one challenged him. No one until her.

He knew that.

But it had been four months since Alex cheated on her and she was still smarting with anger. She was stubborn. And that made him love her more.

He cursed under his breath as he started toward her. The few times they’d spoken, her words had been curt and her demeanor, unwelcoming. But he was going to keep trying until he made some headway.

“Hey Isabel.”

She promptly ignored him; took a sip of her wine and watched Maria and Michael dance as if Alex wasn’t even there.

He nearly shuddered from the coldness he felt rolling off her. He tried again. “Great wedding, huh?”

“I don’t want to talk to you, Alex.” She had spent week after week crying over him. She already had experience with a relationship where she was cheated on and she wouldn’t go through it again. Alex had proven that all guys couldn’t help themselves.

“Isabel, don’t be like that…”

“I loved you, Alex!”

He was disappointed by the past tense. “Loved?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, voice quaking.

“It does. I love you Isabel.” She finally turned to face him. At least she wasn’t completely cut off from him. “I don’t do this with just anyone.”

“Congratulations to me huh,” she muttered sarcastically. “What’s my prize? You gonna hurt me some more?”

“No Hon, I…” Her eyes watered at the endearment that slipped passed his lips. “I’ve been miserable without you. And I know that was horribly cheesy and I give you permission to tease me about that later, but it’s true. I made the biggest mistake.”

Her head dropped and he could easily tell she was fighting back tears.

“Can we go somewhere and talk?”

Her nod was barely perceptible after a moment’s hesitation. But it was there. It was all he needed. And she let him guide her away from the crowd.
**********

Max rolled his eyes when Danni failed to hide her smile. She dropped her head, her forehead resting against his chest in an attempt to hide. But he could hear her giggling and he finally pulled away, smiling.

“What?”

She shook her head, her curls dancing around her face. “Nothing. It’s just weird seeing you dance.”

“Why is it weird? I have rhythm!” he exclaimed in mock offense.

“I can see that. But you were so adamant about how horrible you were at dancing. You’ve obviously had some lessons. Who was your teacher?”

His smile faded and he tried so hard not to look across the room, glance at the table she was sitting at with her parents. He didn’t want to think about her. He was done thinking about her.

“It doesn’t matter,” he answered as nonchalantly as he could muster. “Just know that I have skills.”

He twirled her and then led her into a dip.

“Oh! Look at you mister twinkle toes,” she teased.

“Don’t call me that.”

Her laughter swirled around him as they quieted into a companionable silence. He remembered back when Maria asked him if he would be okay with Danni attending the wedding.

She had been so cute and shy, looking like a little kid who had committed a minor offence when she pulled him aside and asked him if he would be okay if Danni came to the wedding. Of course she would come regardless of his answer because it was her wedding and she could invite anyone she wanted.

But with all the awkwardness within the wedding party already with Isabel and Alex, Max and Liz, she didn’t want to add another dimension with Max and Danni.

But they ended their relationship on a good note and the few occasions that they did speak after their break up, it was always friendly.

Over Danni’s shoulder, Max caught Jake’s eye. He had been watching Danni closely as the night progressed and he was charmed the moment he saw her. She stirred up nerves in him that he rarely felt and he was only able to get close to her when they were watching the bride and groom cut the cake. He was unable to gather the courage to speak to her.

Max must have seen the way he was staring at her because with a subtle jerk of his head, he motioned his long time friend over. Jake eagerly set his wine glass down and tried not to hurry over.

Keeping his eyes on Jake, Max leaned down to whisper in Danni’s ear. “I want you to meet someone.”

Jake’s grin intensified, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He came upon the two and cleared his throat.

“Hi!” he said a little bit too loudly when she turned around. Behind Danni, Max rolled his eyes. Jake could be such a dork when he wanted to.

“Jake, this is Danni. Danni, this is Jake. I’m pretty sure he would have keeled over if he didn’t get the chance to talk to you tonight,” he said, chuckling. But he quickly silenced when he caught sight of Jake’s stare; his glare so hot it could melt the polar ice caps.

“I mean…” he stumbled to recover, “because I told him you were into journalism and he’s really interested in… in um… that.”

“Really?” She raised a perfectly arched brow, easily seeing through Max’s tale. But she decided to play along.

Jake shook his head in despair. “Actually, I don’t know the first thing about journalism,” he confessed. “But I’d really love to get to know… journalism. If that’s okay with you. You could tell me about what you do and uh how uh…you do it.” His handsome features scrunched up in a wince. He was bombing and he knew it.

“I think I can do that,” she giggled. “Just, if you could excuse me for one second, we could get started on that.”

“Oh! Of course!” He almost bowed as he stepped aside and watched her hurry off in the direction of the restrooms. When she was out of ear shot, he said, “This is gonna sound weird and all but, I love her, dude! She’s awesome and beautiful and…” he added on second thought, “you don’t mind do you? I mean cause you two were…”

“No, go ahead. I think she really likes you anyway. Though I don’t see why…” He narrowed his eyes and pretended to look Jake over.

“Thanks, Max. I owe you.”

He only wished that Danni could have made it. He was ready to settle down. He didn’t know many men his age who would admit that, but he was. And Danni was exactly what he thought he was looking for.

But it hadn’t worked out and he still didn’t quite understand why they didn’t have the passion and chemistry they needed to survive. But she and Jake seemed to have it because he eyes sparkled brightly at just the thought of getting to talk to her.

That’s exactly what Max was looking for.
************

“So Liz, when are you going to come and visit us again?”

Liz whipped around in her seat and to regard Mrs. Evans. For some odd reason, the Evans’ had been seated at the same table as the Parkers.’ Weeks ago, Maria originally had Liz’s family sitting with the bride and groom’s family. But she obviously changed the seating arrangements and didn’t tell her.

“Um… I don’t…”

Liz’s mother perked up with interest. “Oh when did visit them, Lizzie?”

Diane spoke before Liz could even open her mouth. “She didn’t tell you? Max invited her over for Thanksgiving and they spent the weekend with us.”

“Oh that’s sounds nice,” Nancy cooed. “Can you believe those two dated in high school and we never really got the chance to talk?”

Diane gushed. “I know! And then they meet up again now. It’s got to be fate.”

“It must be,” Nancy agreed, beaming.

“Mom,” Liz warned.

“Now don’t go talking like that ladies,” Phillip scolded.

“Yes, you’re embarrassing Liz,” Jeff pointed out.

It wasn’t a secret that Nancy would like for her daughter to ‘move forward’ with her relationship with Max. “He’s such a good boy,” she always said. And now, it seemed that Diane had the same idea.

Liz sighed. She didn’t need all this pressure.

The parents continued chatting but Liz turned her attention across the room.

He was dancing with Danni again. And he looked happy, smiling at her and holding her hips firmly. Now she was starting to see why it was so easy for her to bounce back and forth between hating him and wanting to call him and rekindle their friendship.

She had feelings for him.

She felt like everyone at the reception should have turned to her and yelled “DUH!!!” in unison while she wore an idiot hat, if there was such a thing.

“I think you look better with him than she does,” her mother whispered to her. Her eyes rolled to meet her mother’s. “You deserve a good man. You’re worth it and I’m so proud of you honey.”

She smiled as her mother kissed her temple.

So she had feelings for Max.

Her mom was proud of her and thought she was worthy.

But the problem was Liz wasn’t so sure.

TBC…………..

[sweetbrowneyes]

Okay and here's the new part! I hope you enjoy!

Part 36

Four months later

It was a hot, yet breezy August afternoon. Liz, Pam and Stephanie had been watching afternoon talk shows when they decided, on a whim to have a poolside barbeque in the courtyard of Liz’s complex, sort of as a last major get-together before summer ended.

The sun was hot and bright, beaming down with yellow and orange rays. Liz squinted, cupped a hand above her eyes as she looked across the yard. Chase and Mark were arguing over the grill, blaming the other when neither could get it started.

“Use some more fire wood stuff!” Liz yelled in an attempt to be helpful. But all she received was a glare from both men and then they returned to their tiff.

“You mean charcoal, Hon?” Stephanie laughed.

Liz reached for her sunglasses and slid them over her eyes. She settled back against the lounger and relaxed. “You know what I mean.”

John, Pamela’s husband, scuffed as he rolled his six foot body out of his own lounger and onto his feet. “I bet I can get it started.”

“Good luck, babe,” Pam called after him.

After Pamela quit her job at the hotel, she and her fiancé moved to Illinois to start college. She hadn’t been gone long when Liz received the invitation to the wedding.

Pam and John had been planning for the wedding for months. But soon planning the wedding and starting school all at once proved to be too much and in the end, the couple decided to scrap all wedding plans and have a simple ceremony at a local park near their dorms. Only those close to them were invited and in the short time they had known each other that included Liz. But unfortunately she couldn’t afford the trip to Chicago and back and being a struggling college student, Pam wasn’t able to fly her in either.

But the couple flew back home for the summer and was supposed to leave again in two weeks, this time to their own apartment.

Even though Pam was a few years younger than Liz, she had become one of her best friends. Pam was like a little sister that she never had and it was a companionship that she never experienced before.

“Stupid grill!” came a shout from across the yard. John wiped his sweaty brow and glared at the grill as if the heat of his stare would cause it to start. He looked back at the women, his dark, shirtless chest glistening in the sun and said, “This stupid thing is broken, Liz. They don’t keep another grill out here for you guys to use?”

“There’s another one over there,” she pointed to the opposite side of the pool. “But whoever used it last didn’t clean it.” This group of friends was too lazy to clean up someone else’s mess, as Stephanie had said. “I know it works. Some other tenants were using it yesterday,” Liz returned.

“Let me go do this,” Stephanie said, groaning as she slid out of her seat. “It’s a woman’s job anyway.”

Liz smiled as she watched her go, wishing she looked half as good in a bikini as Stephanie did. She was paler than Liz, tall with slender legs and hips that flared out perfectly. Her breasts were full, straining against the solid black triangle bikini top she wore.

And then beside her, Pam wore a deep red bandeau top that complimented her rich chocolate skin nicely. Pam had toned up since she left for college and Liz certainly envied her.

Meanwhile, as she looked down at her own body, she was disgusted to find a flat chest that barely filled out her yellow triangle top. Her legs and arms were stumpy and she was far from voluptuous. She couldn’t compare to the other women.

Pamela sighed and pushed her sun glasses to the top of her head. “What do you hate about yourself now?”

Liz whipped around to face her friend with a frown creasing her forehead. “You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

Rolling her eyes in response, she replied, “You have that look.”

“What look?”

“That look that all women get when they’re being self-conscious. What’s wrong?”

Liz relaxed back against the chair and tried to appear nonchalant as she looked out over the pool. “Nothing. I don’t really know what you’re talking about.”

Pam was in the verge of protesting but was interrupted by Maria announcing her arrival as she, Michael, and Danni pushed through the gate of the fenced in courtyard. “Hey everyone!”

“The life of the party has arrived!” Michael yelled, holding a six pack of beer in one hand and an inflated inner tube in the other.

Maria rolled her eyes at her husband’s lameness. “Okay that wasn’t funny the first time you’ve used that joke and it’s not funny now.”

Michael looked perplexed. “I’m funny! That was funny. Look, Danni’s laughing,” he said, pointing to the giggling woman.

“Actually I’m laughing at the fact that you seriously brought that stupid looking inner tube,” she laughed. “Are you really that horrible of a swimmer?”

Maria leaned over Michael as if she was going to whisper to Danni, but she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. “We were on vacation once, at the pool in our hotel…” she let out a bark of laugher before she finished her thought.

“Alright!” Michael interrupted, “no need to tell that story. Hi Liz, how are you?”

Liz smiled and let Michael pull her into a hug. “I’m good…”

Maria continued to laugh hysterically. “He was only in three feet of water!”

Everyone but Michael couldn’t help but smile; give at least a little chuckle while Maria turned bright red from laughing. Michael turned red for another reason entirely.

He huffed. “I want a divorce.”

“Too late for that buddy,” she smiled as she calmed down, and wiggled her ring finger. “This is for life now.”

As Maria and Michael continued to banter back and forth, Danni turned her attention to Liz. “Thanks for inviting me.”

Liz managed to put on a warm smile. “I’m glad you can make it. We just planned this thing like an hour ago.” Sure Danni had a semi serious relationship with the man Liz currently had feelings for. And of course Max and Danni, from what Liz heard from others, were still close. Liz was a bit jealous, no doubt, but she was trying to be an adult for once. She could make nice and if she was honest, Danni was someone she admired and could really be friends with.

“So how about I introduce you guys to the rest of the group…”

Introductions were done and Liz was pleased to see everyone gel together as if they had been friends for years.

Stephanie was able to get the grill working, much to the dismay of the men. Chase, Michael and Danni began to set up the volleyball net Danni brought. John, Mark and Pam fussed over the ripped, plastic table cloth, which was too small for the table to begin with, as they tried to spread it over the picnic table.

Maria and Liz busied themselves with organizing the various snacks, drinks and paper plates, and utensils.

“So where’s everyone else?” Liz asked casually.

“Isabel is at work, so she’ll be over as soon as she gets off at two. Alex and Kyle were playing basketball when I called them but they said they’ll be over in about an hour. Tess was supposed to come with them.”

“Oh.” She quieted and waited for Maria to continue. She’d left one person off that listing of friends. When Maria didn’t say anything more, Liz cleared her throat and concentrated hard of unwrapping a package of napkins. “That’s everyone right? I don’t want anyone to be left out.”

“Yep. Just about.”

She said nothing more because she knew Liz was waiting for her to mention Max. The girl was crazy about him and it was so obvious. It was sad how horribly she hid it.

Liz lasted about thirty seconds before she blurted out, “Where’s Max?”

Maria shrugged carelessly as she watched her cousin out of the corner of her eye. “I assumed you already invited him.”

Liz stopped what she was doing and looked at Maria wide eyed, afraid that her secret was out. “Why would you assume that?” she asked cautiously.

“Well because you two live in the same complex. I just thought…”

She sighed in relief. “Oh. No I didn’t…”

“You should go up and invite him then. I’m pretty sure he’s off today. In fact, I know I saw his truck parked when we were driving in.”

Liz knew he was home. She had stared at his raggedy jeep as they drove out of the complex to get the food, paper plates, etc. And again when they came back, contemplating whether or not she should call and invite him.

“Go up there, Liz,” she pushed gently. “I’m sure he could use the fresh air.”
*************

Max tiredly flipped through the channels, finding nothing remotely interesting on.

His apartment felt warm even with the air-conditioning on and he reached over the arm of the couch to turned up the speed of his fan.

He could hear faint music, most likely coming from the courtyard below. And he was a moment away from calling the guys to get together for a pickup game of basketball. But he thought against it. He really didn’t feel like doing anything.

It had only been a few days since he and Holly broke up. She was a sweet girl that he met at a book store and the sparks were instantaneous. But sparks weren’t enough to keep her because after three months, she told him she had fallen for someone else.

And if he was honest, he couldn’t be mad at her. He knew how it felt to love someone and not be loved in return. It was rare when it was mutual and it was real. He knew that when it’s finally uncovered, its best not to let go.

But that didn’t bode well for him because honestly, he was really starting to fall for her. And though he knew now that nothing would come of their relationship, it excited him because he realized he could love someone other than Liz Parker, something he previously thought was impossible. He was so close to moving on.

He shut off the TV and stretched out on the couch. The whir of the fan mingled with the faint bass from the music below. He stared up at his off white ceiling.

Jessica was before Holly. She was so beautiful and so perfect. But it lasted all of three weeks. She had guy friends. Lots of them. He had flashbacks to football stars and cheerleaders, loneliness and heartache. His jealousy flared like it never had before and he sabotaged the relationship before it even started.

It was then that he realized that he wasn’t going to truly be able to move on and be with someone else unless he let go of the past. The baggage that he carried wasn’t healthy and was sure to doom any romantic relationship he began. He was sure he had given himself this same advice before, but now he was exhausted. Tired of being angry and jealous and all these things he promised himself he’d never be.

Yes, he had been in love with a girl who didn’t feel the same. She played him like an instrument. But that was so long ago and they were just kids. If he was meant to have anything meaningful with Liz it wouldn’t have worked out this way. It wasn’t meant to be and that knowledge was what hurt the most because his sixteen year old heart knew better. It recognized her as the one.

But that was just it. He had been only sixteen, a boy who didn’t know the first thing about love. He was an adult now and the best he could do was learn from his experience, and move on. There was no sense in wasting energy on a grudge, especially since Liz had seemed to change.

Having nothing else to do, he dozed off for about an hour and then puttered around his apartment. He just started to doze off again just as his doorbell rang. He swung his legs over the side of the couch and tried to roll the kinks out of his neck as he walked to the door.

“Oh!” He gasped and then tried to school his features. Liz was the last person he expected to show up at his door, wearing short blue jeans shorts and a yellow bikini top no less.

“Hi.”

“Uh, hey. What’s up?” He tried to casually lean against the doorframe but he was caught off guard by her presence and appearing cool proved to be difficult.

She was distracted by his tousled hair, sticking up in every which way as if he had just run his hands through the thick strands. He looked like he did back in high school, when he came over her house. After he pulled himself out of her pool he had carelessly rubbed a towel through his hair. It looked a mess. It was hours before they first kissed.

She shook herself free of the memory. “I was just… uh. I didn’t catch you at a bad time, did I? You weren’t busy?”

He stepped aside to let her in. “No, no.” He was napping. How lame would it sound if he actually told her he was napping. “I was watching TV.” He tried not to but he couldn’t help but look her over once more. “Um… I know its hot out but, I hope you’re not running errands in that. I’m sure the folks at the local grocery store would frown on your attire.”

Liz leaned awkwardly against the arm of the couch. She smiled, blushing as she folded her arms over her chest. “No we um, we’re having a barbeque downstairs and I was… we were wondering if you wanted to join us?”

“So you’re the cause of the music I was hearing. I was wondering where it came from.”

“Are you sure it was me and not those voices in your head again?” she teased.

He breathed out a quick laugh. “That’s great Liz, very mature. Just for that, I’m going to crash your little pool party.”

“Great!” she said, happy that there was at least a glimmer of their friendship still there.

“Let me go change,” he said and then left her alone in the living room as he disappeared into his bedroom.

His apartment hadn’t changed one bit since the last time she had been there months and months ago. The only new additions she saw were several photos, some of them framed, of Max and a blonde haired, blue eyed woman. She recognized her as Holly.

She was aware that Max had been dating but she tried to stray away from any updates in that department in his life. She didn’t want to hear about him happily being with someone else. Because she realized a while ago that if she hadn’t have messed things up with him, she would be the one with him instead of this Holly person.

She met Holly only once when Max brought her to a dinner Maria was having. She seemed nice, sweet and very likeable and Max seemed comfortable with her. He looked at Holly like he used to look at her and she had to step away from the table to contain herself several times because she knew she would be better for him. Holly wasn’t enough for him, but she was pretty sure that she was.

It had taken a while for her to believe that she deserved someone like Max; something her parents told her constantly. Before she moved out on her own she relied on her parents and her friends or anyone else for her self confidence. Now that wasn’t enough anymore. She needed to prove to herself that she was worthy enough to be with anyone.

It took some time but she finally saw her value.

The jiggling of a door knob and creak of the bedroom door startled her and she quickly set the photos back where she found them.

Max reappeared wearing a white t-shirt and green swim trunks with a blue strip down the sides. Her heart thudded against her chest. These feelings she had for him snuck up on her. They had been building for awhile and when it finally came to a point where she couldn’t deny them anymore, she was overwhelmed.

Liz couldn’t even look at him without getting lightheaded and she had to avert her eyes. “You ready?”

“Yep. Just let me…” he disappeared into the kitchen and reemerged with an opened, half eaten bag of barbeque chips.

Rolling her eyes, she said incredulously, “And that’s for…?”

He grinned as he slipped on a pair of sandals. “I’m just trying to contribute.”

“So cheap.”

TBC………..

[sweetbrowneyes]

LairaBehr4: I like it when I update too.
keepsmiling7
Emz80m
roswell4life
RoninBehr: lol I really don't mean to torture you and drag this out. I promise we're soooo close to all the "action" lol
begonia9508
Tamashii
roswell3053
Alien614
jake17: I haven't forgotten about Thanksgiving. It's coming.

And now the conclusion of the barbeque. Enjoy!

Part 37

Feeling a presence behind him, Max turned away from the sizzling grill. Chase was studying him carefully.

“So you’re Max, huh?” he said, handing Max a bag of hamburger buns.

“As far as I know,” he said without disdain or esteem. He looked over to where Liz was sitting on a lounger beside the pool. Chase had occupied the space beside her a moment before.

“It’s nice to finally get to meet you in person, man. I’ve heard a lot about you. You know, being that you were good friends with Liz and all.”

Were was right, Max thought. “Same here, man.” He didn’t really know what to say to him, because apparently, Max had been wrong about Chase. He was still around, being a good friend to Liz. And it was something he never would have thought could happen months ago.

Max concentrated on flipping the hamburgers until Chase sighed loudly. “Look I know that I’m probably not your favorite person. Liz told me…”

“No, we’re cool, man. It’s obvious that you’re a good friend to her. I was wrong and I’m glad she found a friend in you. I shouldn’t have judged you and I didn’t even know you. You seem like a good guy.”

“You too. I just didn’t want things to be awkward.”

“No it’s good.”

“Great.”

“Great,” Max repeated.

After another smile, Chase turned on his heels to rejoin Liz.

And Max had the feeling that they weren’t going to be the best of friends.
************

“You know if your eyes were heat rays, she’d be a pile of ashes by now.”

Startled by her cousin’s voice in her ear, Liz dropped the beer she had been holding tightly. It spilled onto the lush grass in the form of dark liquid and foam. She cursed under her breath as she bent over to pick up her spilled drink. Luckily, she was drinking from a can and there was no glass to pick up.

Maria chuckled softly. “You are a mess, girl.”

Scowling, Liz threw the now empty can away. “What are you talking about?”

Maria made a deliberate, slow turn until she was facing Max and Danni. They were playing volleyball against Pam and Mark and were bickering after a lost point.

“There’s nothing going on between them,” Maria assured her.

Annoyed that Maria might be on to her, Liz huffed. “Why should I care?” She didn’t care; not about Danni at least. What really worried her was Holly. She didn’t know how serious Max was with her and she wondered if she would ever get her chance with him. She blew it the first time, when he was truly interested in her. He saw her like no one else did and she was too young, impressionable and stupid to realize what a good thing she had in her relationship with him.

Now she understood and she was waiting for her chance. And if she ever got it, she wouldn’t mess it up this time.

“I’m not saying you do. I know you and Max haven’t been on the best of terms and I’d like to know why…”

She shook her head, a frown creasing her forehead. No on knew about Thanksgiving but Pam and all Liz mentioned was that she and Max kissed. “No Maria.”

“But if you don’t want to tell me you don’t have to. I thought you would want to know what’s going on with him since you don’t really talk anymore.”

It was clear to Maria that either Liz was content with playing dumb or she was still in denial about her feelings for Max. But she was certain Liz would realize it when she was ready.

Max however was harder to read and it didn’t help that he had just got of a semi serious relationship, however serious a relationship could get in three months. She could tell that Max really cared for Holly and it was why she didn’t think it was wise to push Liz on him so soon. But it didn’t mean that she couldn’t get them to spend more time together. And hopefully as a result, they could rekindle their friendship and let that lead them to something deeper.

“Thanks but I don’t care who he’s dating,” she said, her tone a bit too harsh. She tried to recover by speaking more gently. “So are you having fun?”

“Yeah this was a great idea. But we’re running out of ice, beer, plates, chips…”

Sighing in exasperation, Liz said dryly, “In other words, you want me to go to the store.”

Maria smiled as her eyes glanced past Liz, over her shoulder. “Pretty much.”

A shadow fell over her and Liz turned around to find Max standing behind her. After spending the majority of the party shirtless, he had pulled on his white t-shirt again with a baseball cap worn low over his eyes. But she was just short enough to be able to look up and still see that lovely shade of hazel.

He twirled his keys around his finger and she nearly visibly shivered when he spoke. “You ready to go?”

She let out an apprehensive, “Where?”

Maria frowned, looked back and forth from Max to Liz. There was noticeable tension as soon as he arrived and she knew something had to be between them.

“I asked Max to take you.”

“Oh,” she said, “Uh let me just run up to my apartment for my purse and a shirt.”

Liz caught his eyes briefly lowering resting on her yellow bikini before he lifted them again and smiled. He couldn’t help it. He was a man after all. “Sure. I’ll be in the jeep.”
***********

She was always nervous around the guys she really liked and Max was no different now. She never had enough confidence to let a guy know what she truly felt for fear she would get rejected.

The first couple of minutes in Max’s raggedy jeep together were bathed in silence. Liz contented herself with watching his forearm, his muscles mainly as they flexed when he switched gears.

Max felt as if his neck would snap if he worked any harder on keeping himself from turning his head to look at her. He had gotten past all the problems in their past, and he knew they needed to talk about it. But still, he hadn’t really spoken to Liz is so long, he had no idea where to start.

Finally he decided on, “How have you been? I haven’t spoken to you in a while.”

She shrugged. “I’ve been good you know? Working and everything.”

“Oh. That’s good,” he said lamely. “I’m glad you decided to have a barbeque. It’s nice doing something other than working, sleeping and eating.”

“I know. It seems that’s about all I do nowadays. I work for eight plus hours, come home eat, sleep and then do it all over again. If I’m lucky I’ll squeeze a little TV in there somewhere.”

He pulled into the parking lot of a small grocery store five minutes from their apartment. He parked and finally looked at her. “Wow. You have changed so much,” he said, smiling.

“I pay bills now, Max!” she proclaimed proudly. “I’m actually kind of a responsible adult.”

“Have you been cooking?” he asked. He chuckled while he remembered the one and only cooking lesson he tried to give her.

She hopped out of the jeep and walked around to where he was waiting. “If frozen pizza and take out count, then yeah I’ve been cooking.”

He nodded, his features contorting into a serious look. “Oh it totally does. Welcome to independent living Ms. Parker,” he teased.

She made a show of doing a tiny bow. “Thank you.”

They meandered up and down the aisles, throwing random bags of chips, snacks and drinks into their cart. Max took the opportunity to do a little grocery shopping that he had been neglecting to do for awhile. But this became a problem because in line, both pulled out their wallet.

Max waved at her wallet and pushed it back towards her purse. “Liz, put that away. I got it.”

“Don’t wave me away. It’s my party.”

“So. Your guests can bring things. Like a BYOB or a Tupperware party.”

“Tupperware? When did you become a woman?”

He shoved her aside, thrusting his money at the cashier. “I want to contribute.”

“You brought that delicious half empty bag of chips. I think you’ve contributed enough.”

“Liz a lot of this stuff is mine anyway.”

“Don’t take his money,” she told the cashier.

The young girl at the register seemed amused as she looked back and forth from Max to Liz. There was no one behind the couple to hold up and she saw their banter as a nice way to kill the five minutes before she could leave for the day.

“Don’t tell her what to do,” Max chided. He peered into her wallet and spotted a couple of tens and twenties. “Well, look at you big spender.”

“I don’t know how being a secretary qualifies me being a big spender.”

“Oh you got a new job?”

She shoved him aside and held out her money for the cashier to take.

“Liz,” he warned.

“Max, you are not paying.”

“Somebody’s gotta pay,” the cashier said. But she was ignored as Max and Liz exchanged frowns. “Why don’t you split it down the middle,” the girl suggested.

Max blinked at her as if he was just noticing her for the first time. He considered her suggestion and broke into a smile as he gave in. “Fine.”

Bogus glares were exchanged as they dramatically paid the bill. Max sprinted out of the store before Liz could give him the change.

He waited until she climbed into the passenger seat before he asked, “So you were telling me about your new job?”

“Yeah. I’m just a secretary at a small office. It paid better than the hotel but I might have to go back there.”

“Why?”

She got a whiff of the soap he used when he swung his arm around to hold the back of her seat as he backed out of the parking space. She wanted so much to lean against him. His bicep looked so inviting. She turned to look out the window. “Because it’s so much farther away and I’m spending so much on cab fare.”

“The bus?”

Smiling knowingly, she said, “Do you see me on a bus?”

He laughed. “No.”

“There are too many weirdoes around this city. Would you like to see me waiting at a bus stop at six in the morning?”

“I suppose not.”

She laughed with him. But when the chuckles and giggles died, he could fell the tension creeping back on them. He quickly scrabbled for something to say but Liz beat him to it.

“So um…. At your apartment I was looking at those pictures of you and uh…Holly? Was that her name?” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Yeah.

“How’s that going?”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Oh actually we broke up. I was actually going to get rid of those.”

Maybe she had a chance. “Oh I’m sorry.”

“Yeah.” He whispered to himself but unfortunately for Liz, she heard him clearly. “Me too.”

Maybe she didn’t.
*********

Liz unlocked her door and stepped in. Heavy footsteps fell behind her and she turned to gauge his reaction.

“So, this is it,” she said with a flourish.

Max studied her newly redecorated apartment with an appreciative eye. It had changed so much since the last time he’d been there. “This is nice, Liz. You did all this yourself?

Her apartment was splashed in color, but everything blended together perfectly. He was amazed that she was able to do such a good job with her limited budget.

“Yeah,” she said timidly. “I mean I had a little help but…” She had come a long way from folding chairs and a mattress on the floor. “The furniture isn’t as good as it looks though. The couch is uncomfortable and really battered beneath the slip cover.”

“Yeah but it’s your uncomfortable, battered couch.” He ran his fingers over a wooden book case that held numerous cook books and design catalogues. He picked up a cookbook. “Have you tried any recipes from here?”

“Unfortunately,” she laughed. “They’ve all ended up as a burnt lump of coal. I was actually going to ask you if you didn’t mind giving me lessons again. I’m getting sick of frozen food and take out.”

Facing her now, he grinned and let out a puff of laughter. He could easily imagine her standing over a plate of burned dinner, pouting as she resigned herself to calling to order yet another pizza.

“Yeah. Just let me know when.”

“Okay,” she said, her eyes glittering.

“So leftovers?” he pointed to the platter of food that was leftover from the barbeque.

“Oh yeah.” Liz had forgotten she was holding them. “Right. I have some containers we can put them in.”

It was well after ten in the evening and everyone left nearly twenty minutes ago. Maria stayed to help Max and Liz clean up outside but left shortly after everything had been tidied.

They worked in silence, transferring everything into plastic containers. As Liz wiped down the counters, Max rinsed off the platters and utensils to be washed in the dishwasher.

Everything was put up and cleaned. Liz didn’t want to see him leave just yet. “So uh do you want to watch a movie or something? I’m not ready to go to bed yet.”

“Sure. What do you have?”

“My DVDs are in the cabinet under the TV.” He left the kitchen and she grabbed two wine glasses and a large bowl from the cabinet.

When she joined him in the living room, he had already picked a movie and was loading it into the player. He saw her struggling to juggle both drinks and a bowl of popcorn and jumped up to help her.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

The previews began and they settled on the couch, the bowl of popcorn between them, separating them. It was inevitable that their hands would meet as they reached for the kernels at the same time. She timed it well and was rewarded with a smile from him.

As the movie played on, Max studied her as discreetly as he could. He was unable to get over how different she was from the woman he knew years and even months ago. And yet she was so familiar like he had known this new Liz Parker before.

He whispered softly to get her attention, “Hey.” Her brows rose in expectation. “I know my opinion probably doesn’t matter and this may mean nothing to you but I just wanted you to know that I… I’m proud of you, Liz.”

She licked her lips, and then pulled them inward as an obvious attempt at hiding a smile. She had to look away from him to get the tears that were threatening to spill into her eyes under control. She didn’t need anyone’s approval anymore. But it was nice to have it anyway. Especially Max’s.

“Thank you,” she said finally, her voice cracking just the slightest bit. “That really does mean a lot coming from you.”

His bright smile lit up her heart and the next time her hand “accidentally” met his in the popcorn bowl, he held on.

TBC……….

[sweetbrowneyes]

Sorry for the wait. But I'm back with a considerably long part so yay! lol

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kay_b : Well on my outline, I have five more parts left until the end. That may change, but it'll be roughly around that.
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Thanksgiving is coming. We're so close to it you should be able to taste it. Anyway, I wanted to try a different format with this part. I hope it's not too confusing. So enjoy!

ETA: There's a little homage to The Office tucked in the chapter. If you watch the show, see if you can find it. It's a bit obvious I'm afaid. lol

Part 38

Five weeks later

Sunday 7:23 a.m

Her eyes weren’t ready to open but she felt lips brushing against her neck. For warmth, she tried to scoot closer to the body behind her.

“Wakey, wakey, Parker,” his voice rumbled deep in her ear. He lightly kissed behind her ear, then her cheek.

She rolled over to bury herself in his chest. “Urg! My back hurts,” she moaned. She had slept directly on top of the broken spring in her couch. Max had been smashed against the back of the couch behind her after they had fallen asleep watching movies late into the night. “I don’t like pain,” she growled.

He chuckled. “Pain does suck.”

She was annoyed that he was so wide awake when she was struggling to keep her eyes open. “If you’re going to make a habit of being this chipper in the morning, we’re going to have a problem.”

“I’ll work on that,” he promised teasingly.

He dragged his lips over hers and she smiled.

“Good.”
*************

Saturday 11:48 p.m

The sky was bright and clear. Stars shimmered and the full moon was high and vivid. She shivered against the cool breeze but she didn’t want to go in yet. The night was too beautiful and the deep growl of Max’s laughter creeping across the several feet that separated them sent a quake through her body. She had long since forgotten what they were laughing at, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. As long as he was here, as long as he was laughing with her, she was content.

“I am so full. I ate way too much,” he groaned, rubbing his stomach. She giggled in response and he noticed her shivering. “Do you want to go back inside?”

She shifted against the old, rickety lounger she’d gotten from a thrift store. Max was occupying its twin. They didn’t look the best but they were comfortable. “No. I like it out here.”

“Well do you have some blankets? You’ll catch a cold out here in that t-shirt.” He was up out of his seat before she could protest.

She counted to ten before she followed him, breathing deeply to calm her racing heart. He was bent into her hall closet and he must have heard her coming because he straightened and turn to her, holding an old bed sheet.

“This is the only thing I could find,” he said as she advanced towards him. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything…”

She hadn’t meant to come on so roughly but the closer she got to him, the less she could help it. Holding on to his shoulders, she caught him off guard when she shoved him against the wall, pressed her lips to his.

He was understandably tense, seeing as she basically attacked him. But she could feel him gradually falling into her as his lips moved against hers. His hands resting respectfully at her waist, he enticed a moan from her when he titled his head, kissed her a bit deeper.

She wanted to get closer. It had been nearly a year since she had been here like this with him and once again she marveled at how much better he was than when he was younger. It wasn’t that he didn’t get to her then, but now, he knew how to make her weak and lightheaded with just the motion of his lips on hers.

She had to stand on her tip toes to screw her arms fully around his neck. As soon as she pulled herself closer, he grew bolder, leaving her squirming when he ran his fingertips up and down the sides of her body, brushing her hips then wandering up to the side of her breasts.

By the time his hands drifted underneath her shirt, his palms flat on the small of her back, and her fingers curled into his hair, her lips were swollen and red, tender from his wine-flavored kisses.

Then she was leading him down the hall, exchanging neither words nor explanations. Her bed was waiting.

His heart was pounding as he crawled over her, kissing whatever his lips could reach. They always ended up here, like this. Together. His face buried in her neck, his lips kissing her pulse, he could feel her heart beating just as fast as his.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked suddenly.

He hovered over her, a hand on either side of her head. Their eyes met and she let a breathy, “Anything.”

He smiled, happy to know she was just as affected as he was. “When we were younger and we… you know. Were you really a virgin?”

Her eyes registered the shock she was surely feeling because the question came out of left field. He had no idea why the question decided to pop into his head now of all times, but it was something that bugged him for years. He needed to know.

“I was. I really wanted you to be my first.”

With a heavy sigh, he rolled away, onto his back. His shoulder pressed against hers and he asked, “Why?”

She sighed. She wasn’t expecting to get into this now, but if he wanted to know, she’d tell him. She didn’t want anything between them anymore. “I had deeper feelings for you then and I didn’t want to admit it,” she explained, tentatively grabbing his hand. She closed her eyes in relief when he squeezed her fingers tightly in return. “Everyone else was telling me who I should and shouldn’t date. And I wanted to lose my virginity to someone who truly cared about me and who I cared about in return.”

He hummed in acknowledgement then said honestly, “I’m glad that we um… I’m glad we had that experience together.”

Squeezing his hand, she giggled at his choice of words and the light blush staining his cheeks. “Me too. My alternative probably would have been some dumb, insensitive football jock that couldn’t care less about me, just the lay.”

Max smiled in agreement and they fell into a peaceful silence, hands gripping in contrast to the calm. They lay side by side, ten years from where they began.

“I think we should slow down,” he suggested quietly. “I mean, not screech to a complete stop like last time but…”

Laughing, she agreed, “We’ve got some things to work out.”

“We’ll get there, though.”
*********
Saturday 7:48 p.m

He was nearly twenty minutes late.

He had been in a deep debate with himself unable to decide whether it was best he stayed home or showed up for dinner at her apartment. Alone.

Liz called him earlier to invite him over, claiming she had a big surprise. He couldn’t fathom what it could be but that was the least of his worries.

Liz had really become his closest friend, though things between them had been strained lately by his own doing. When they spent time together, they tended to stray away from topics of their past and it was nothing short of amazing to him that they had managed to become so close even while they avoided the big issues.

And because of that, after hours of self deliberating, he decided to let go for once and let the night take him wherever it took him.

“Get lost?” she teased when she answered her door.

“No. Not lost,” he murmured. She was wearing closely fitting jeans and a plain pink t-shirt. Max gulped, wondering if coming had been the best idea.

“Come in! I’m so excited!” she squealed as she grabbed his hand and bounced on her toes as she pulled him into her apartment.

Her eagerness seeped into him. “What are you so excited about? What’s the big surprise?” He was being pulled further into the apartment and he could smell something cooking in the kitchen. He guessed it was pork steak.

“I was going to wait to tell you this over dinner but I don’t think I’m going to be able to wait that long.”

She shoved him onto the couch before she skipped off into her bedroom. She returned, beaming so widely she had to bite her lip to try to contain her smile.

“What?” he laughed.

She grabbed his hand and placed folded paper in his palm. It was a brochure for a local college.

“What’s this?” He unfolded the flaps and looked over the programs the school was offering. Interior design was circled in bold red ink. “Seriously?!”

She was wringing her hands together nervously, almost as if she expected him to tell her it was the dumbest idea for her to go back to school. “Yeah. I really liked decorating my own apartment and I always thought it would be cool to do something like that. And I like to think I have a good eye for color and design and just, I just wanted to give it a try. I guess.”

Max smiled as she continued to ramble on because he could tell that she was excited, nervous and terrified at the prospect of going back to school.

“My parents are insisting on paying for tuition... I have to find some way to pay for books though and I should probably start looking to get a car cause I have no idea how I’m going to get back and forth… you think maybe I’m jumping into this too fast? Do you think I’ll be any good? What if…”

“Liz,” he interrupted gently. She looked like she was able to have a nervous breakdown and she fell into him when he took her in his arms. “You’ll do fine. Don’t worry about it. If the way you decorated your apartment is any indication, then I know you’re going to be great.”

“You think so?” she said, looking so hopeful and scared he wanted to do anything to make her feel better.

“I’m sure of it. I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m happy for me too.”

“And you know how proud I am of you?”

“Yeah. I’m proud of myself too,” she parroted before they burst into a fit of laughter.

Over wine and the low murmur of the television in the background, they talked about her future career in design. He came up with names she could use for the business he was sure she could open. She sat facing him, her legs pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. If she could get the courage, she would close space separating them. It had been awhile since she last tasted his lips and it took her this long to realize that she missed it.

When she was younger, she never really understood how great he was. No one was perfect, but now as she looked back, she saw that to her, he was the closest thing to it. She remembered during a homecoming game when she was unable to complete her stunts and had been full of disappointment and embarrassment. Max was there when the ones she called her friends weren’t. He was the one supporting her, telling her how proud he was of her and making her smile. She was too young to appreciate that kind of relationship. She didn’t get it.

But she did now. And she wanted to be, for him, all those wonderful things he had been to her.

He was still suggesting names for her business. She laughed out loud when he suggested Interior Designs R Us.

“What’s wrong with that?” he whined when she immediately shot that suggestion down when she realized how serious he was.

“I am not naming my business Interior Designs R Us. What’s wrong with you?”

“That’s an awesome name. I don’t know what you find so funny. Okay, what about…” he scrunched his face as he pretended to think hard. “What about Design Mart?”

“No,” she said quickly, giggling.

“Okay, what about…”

“You know what, Max? How about you don’t give me any more suggestions on the name? You’re horrible at it.”

“So rude,” he muttered playfully. “I was just trying to...” he paused when he got a whiff of a foreign aroma. It took him a while to realize it was smoke. “I think something’s burning.”

Her eyes bulged. “My dinner!” she shrieked. She scurried off into the kitchen, disappearing among the smoke. Max grabbed their empty wine glasses and followed her calmly.

He found her standing in the middle of the kitchen wearing large oven mitts and holding a smoking pot. The pout she wore was so adorable it took all he had to keep himself from going to her.

“It’s ruined!” she wailed.

“It’s not ruined,” he reasoned, coming to stand beside her as she sat the pot in the sink. The meat was scorched. “Okay its kinda ruined,” he joked.

She let out a strangled cry as she turned on the faucet. Cold water ran into the sink, hitting the pot with a sizzle. The smoke was starting to make his eyes water and as she scraped the remains of the burnt dinner into the trash, he opened the balcony doors.

“It’s not that bad.” He tried to fan some of the smoke toward the balcony.

She came stomping out of the kitchen, pout still in place. “We’re probably going to die of smoke inhalation now.”

Laughing, he said, “Stop being dramatic.”

“I just wanted this night to be special. I wanted to show you the progress I’ve made.”

He left the balcony door open a crack to let the remaining smoke filter out. He took her by the shoulders and gently guided her to the couch. “The night isn’t over yet.” He went into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and their glasses.

“So,” he said, reaching for her phone, “what will it be? Pizza or Chinese?”
*********
Wednesday 11:51 p.m

Max let his eyes slide shut and his brow crinkle. The quiet hum of his office heightened his senses and the dull lighting from the lamp on his desk seemed to only amplify his headache.

The diner closed nearly an hour ago but he was supposed to be home five hours ago. He couldn’t bring himself to leave. And it gave him an excuse to stay away from Liz. He needed some time to think.

His phone jingled, shrilling with a generic tone. It was Liz calling, as the caller id revealed, leaving him to debate on whether he should answer. He had been avoiding her, giving the excuse that he was sick. But he knew that wouldn’t keep her away for long and he would have to face her sooner or later.

Finally, he flipped open his phone, cautiously put it to his ear, “Hello?”

“Hey it’s me. I’m out front. Let me in.”

He mumbled something incoherent before she hung up. It took all his strength to stand, perspiration broke out on his furrowed brow and by the time he made it out to the main room of the diner, he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him.

Maybe he really was coming down with something.

He could see her silhouette as he approached the door and he could only manage to look just beside her as he unlocked the door. “Hi!” she greeted. “No wonder you’re coming down with a cold. You’re working too hard,” she said, patting his chest as she brushed by him.

“How’d you know I was here?” he asked with a bit of unintentional accusation.

She shrugged brushing off his bad mood. “I just figured. I wanted to see you… to see how you were doing.” She pulled her lips inward, eyes widening as she hoped he didn’t catch her slip. It had been a long time since they had gone a whole twenty four hours without seeing each other and it had been just a little too weird. “So, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Nothing too serious,” he said, watching her slip onto a stool at the counter. He cleared his throat and found the ceiling interesting to look at.

“So you owe me dinner and a movie. You want to go tonight since our cooking lesson was cancelled?” She wasn’t blind. Max looked as healthy as ever but for some reason he felt the need to lie to her. He was avoiding her and it hurt to realize it.

But as cliché it sounded, she wasn’t going to let him slip away so easily. She made her mistakes with him years ago and she wasn’t about to do a repeat.

Rubbing his forehead, he found perspiration. His heart was pounding and his head was throbbing. He looked at her and so many conflicting thoughts collided, leaving him lightheaded. “I think I need to lie down,” he said, more to himself.

Liz was next to him in half a second, ushering him to the seat she had just vacated. He looked green and she wondered if maybe he really was sick.

She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water for him. “You really don’t look good,” she said watching him gulp down the cool liquid.

He wished it was something stronger. Her hand resting on his knee, her fingers massaging soothingly only made him feel worse. “You want me to make you some soup? You know how great of a cook I am,” she teased.

He was able to crack a smile. His headache intensified as she looked at him with such sincere concern, her long brown hair flowing around her like smooth silk.

He was nearly shaking and wondering, “how could this have happened again.”
*************

Tuesday 11:56 a.m

“I think it’s time I swear off of women.”

Max chuckled at his miserable looking friend. “You’d never make it.”

Kyle scoffed, removed his hands from his head and glared at Max. “Way to have some confidence in me, Max.”

Michael pointed a half eaten fry at Max. “No, I gotta agree with Max here, Kyle. You wouldn’t last a day.”

“I so would,” he defended weakly.

“You’re a whore, Kyle,” Michael said impassively as he doused his fry in ketchup.

“What!?”

Max laughed, felt a buzz in his pocket. He had a text message from Liz. if i quit my job and become a bum would u still b my friend?

Chuckling under his breath, he answered, probably not lol

He tuned back into Michael and Kyle. “Tess actually told me that she doesn’t think I’m ready to commit,” Kyle scoffed.

Max frowned. “Well are you?”

“First of all,” Kyle started, lifting a finger to count off his point. “How does she know whether or not I’m ready to commit? Unless Tess can suddenly read minds, I’m sure she doesn’t know what I’m thinking and feeling. Secondly,” he lifted another finger, “she’s basing her argument on things that I’ve done in the past. What kind of shit is that?”

Max’s phone buzzed and he tuned out again. ur so mean!!

He replied, y r u considering being a bum Parker? Bad day?

Max attempted to jump back into the conversation at the table. “…Tess knows she’s different than those other girls.”

“Well haven’t you considered that she might actually think this is another fling to you? I mean you haven’t been in a lasting relationship since I’ve known you,” Max reasoned.

Kyle pondered this as Alex rushed up to their booth. He was a half hour late. “Finally decided to show up?” Michael teased.

“Car trouble,” he explained shortly as he plopped down next to Kyle. He tried to smooth a hand through his hair but it did no good. His dark locks stuck up on ends and his wrinkled t-shirt and jeans looked like he had slept in them.

Besides his haggard clothing, there was a visible bruise on his neck which Kyle spotted instantly. He made no attempt at being discrete as he hollered, “Car trouble my ass! Is that a hickey!?”

Kyle pressed his hand to the side of Alex’s head and pushed so that Michael and Max could get a look at the bite marks.

“Kyle! My head is kind of attached to my neck. Would you let go?” he grunted as he pushed Kyle away.

Max laughed but his attention was pulled away again. Another message from Liz. company sexual harassment day… my boss brought in a blow up sex doll and i’ve been harassed total of 5 times already… thats 3 times more than usual!!!

He answered, in that case I will be ur friend if u decide to become a bum… how about I let u pick the movie 2nite?

with extra butter on the popcorn rite?

of course Parker who do u think ur talking to?

Max looked up from his phone to catch the tail end of Michael’s sentence. “… who this girl is?”

Alex shook his head defiantly. “It’s not really any of your business…”

“The minute you walked in here with lipstick on your collar, it became our business,” Kyle said, practically foaming at the mouth, waiting for the details.

Alex sighed, visibly giving in. It would be easier to save them the trouble of pestering him and Alex the trouble of holding out only to give in later if he just told them now.

“I uh… spent the night at Isabel’s. We’ve been seeing each other on and off since Michael’s wedding. She really didn’t want anyone to know and…”

Max’s phone buzzed in his lap. where r we going 4 dinner?

doesn’t matter…ur gonna make me pay anyway

don’t u no it

y can’t u treat me 4 once

aww u feeling neglected? ur actually pouting at the phone aren’t u?

Max grinned. its possible

asshole! U always make me feel bad… fine I’ll buy but we r going to the cheapest place in town…

u treat me sooo well Parker <-- sarcasm

ur the only one i no whos a smart ass even in text form

He chuckle softly and tried to ease himself back into the conversation at the table. But the three other men were all looking at him in question.

“What?”

Alex, happy to have the attention from him asked, “Who are you texting so frantically?”

“Liz,” he answered simply.

“You two have been spending a lot of time together lately, huh?” Michael said.

“A little bit, I guess,” Max admitted as his phone vibrated once more.

Kyle frowned as Max continued to text. “What’s going on between you two? You guys act like you’re a couple or something. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you without Liz attached to your side and vice versa.”

“It’s nothing,” Max insisted as he punched away on his phone.

The other three men exchanged looks. Michael spoke up. “We’re all going to get together tonight. You know, just do a guy’s night without the girls for once. You in Max?”

“I can’t. I promised Liz I’d take her to the movies.”

Michael pressed on. “Okay, so what about tomorrow?”

“It’s Liz’s cooking lesson. I’m trying to teach her how to make spaghetti.”

“Thursday?” Kyle asked.

“Liz wants to watch the premiere of CSI.” Max laughs when he thinks about her upset and huffing because Warrick was shot last season. “She wants to see if Warrick lives or not. She said she was boycotting the show if he dies. I told her that one person wasn’t going to make any difference…”

Alex, Kyle and Michael continue to exchange knowing glances. “Oh boy…”

“…But she swears up and down that the writers will feel her abandonment.”

“And what about Friday? Or are you booked?”

“Another cooking lesson. And then movie night where I finally get to pick what we watch.”

“You are so far gone Max.”

“So gone he doesn’t even see it.”

Max frowned, completely oblivious. “What?”

“You’re in love with Liz.”

He scoffed at that. “No I’m not.”

“Max look at what you’re doing. You’ve been texting her non-stop ever since we got here even though I’m pretty sure you’re going to see her later tonight because in the last few weeks, there hasn’t been a night that you weren’t with her. It’s like you guys go off on these “non-date” dates. You’re constantly talking about her and if I have to sit through one more ‘high-larious’ story about Liz’s mishaps in the kitchen, I’m going to strangle you both.”

Michael picked up where Kyle left off. “Max you brighten whenever she comes near you and you visibly…” He struggled to search for the words “like cave into yourself or something when she leaves. I know that I look just as goofy as you do when I’m around Maria. You’re in love with her.”

He snorted, ready to deny it. “No. No I’m…” His eyes widened and the emotions he had kept buried so deep for so long finally broke free. “I can’t be.” He was bombarded with all of these feelings it literally took the breath out of him. He felt sick.

“Jesus Max! Don’t pass out!”

“Let him get some air!”

Alex was the quickest to react. Concerned, he ushered a hyperventilating Max outside. He looked earnestly shocked and when he realized the magnitude of his feelings he had to take a gasping breath. “Oh my God.”

How could this have happened…again?

TBC……….

[sweetbrowneyes]

Guess who!! lol I'm so sorry about the wait. This part just gave me a whole lot of trouble and pair that with school and work, you get weeks in between updates. But anyway, I'm back and thank you so much for the feedback and bumps. It's motivation to get back here as soon as possible.

sylvia37
Emz80m
begonia9508
behrluv32
azure_horizon
pookie76
Natalie36
Tamashii
paper : The five weeks applies to the entire part.
roswell4life
kay_b
RoninBehr: lol you won't get Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. I won't torture you that much
roswell3053
martine
Dreams_stars_Candy
Dziumka
jake17
behrstars
sunrise102
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Morning Dreamgirl
azure
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Okay, hope you enjoy

Part 39

When he wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly to his side, she sighed and tried to keep the grin off her face. She was hardly concentrating on the movie. Instead, she focused on his fingers that slipped underneath her shirt.

Their first date was nothing like she was used to. Her former dates might have tried to impress her with dinner at an expensive restaurant, candle light and expensive wine, followed by the VIP section at the hottest club in town. Presented with anything else, and she wouldn’t give the guy the time of day.

With Max she got a home cooked meal, grocery store wine and whatever late movie was playing on television. With anyone else, she might have left the guy as soon as she heard of his plans. But because Max was able to make her heart race with just one look, she stayed. And she had to admit, the change of pace was nice.

“Did I do good?” he asked referring to her approval of the night.

With a smile, her head resting on his shoulder, she closed her eyes but she could still see the flicker and swirls of light from the television and feel his fingers making tiny circles over her waist, tickling her.

She giggled softly. “You did very good,” she purred, absently, running her hand over his chest. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only man who’s ever cooked for me.”

He was sure she didn’t notice the way his muscles tensed as her fingers moved over them. He cleared his throat and muttered hoarsely, “Really?”

She sat up a bit so that she could see him. “Yeah. I’m starting to see a pattern here,” she said with a teasing glint in her eyes. “You tried to woo me with dinner way back in high school. Is this your way of working your way into a woman’s pants?”

His retort was quick. “Only yours.”

She didn’t know how to interpret his straight face. Was he serious? Still she managed out a sarcastic, “Nice.”

“You remember that though, back in high school?”

“I also remember trying not to laugh at you when you dropped the dessert you made on the floor. You were so nervous.”

He was able to chuckle a bit at his sixteen year old self. He tried so hard to impress her because he thought it was the end of the world if she wasn’t satisfied and she rejected him. Now he knew he could survive without her if this relationship didn’t work out. He didn’t really to, but he could do it if he had to.

“I’m glad my discomfort was amusing to you.”

“It was,” she laughed. Max tried to glare at her, but was unable to hold it. They returned their attention to the movie.

It could hold Max’s attention for long. And soon, his gaze was wondering to the smooth skin of her neck. Her fresh, clean scent wafted up to his nose on regular intervals. It wasn’t long before he let his head drop and his lips met her neck for a taste.

It was a quick kiss, one that would leave a small smile on her face when he pulled away. He swooped in again mere moments later, unable to stay away. She squeezed his knee tightly when bit her gently.

“Give me a hickey and I’ll kill you,” she warned breathlessly, all the while tilting her head to give him more room to play.

“I might not be able to help myself,” he answered on his way to her lips.

The movie moved further from their minds as they moved closer. But minutes later, she convinced herself that pulling away was the right thing to do. Although as soon as he looked at her, lips puffy and pouting, his brow furrowing in wonder of why her lips would ever venture far from his, she felt she just needed to brush her lips against his one more time.

Framing his face gently, she said softly, “I should go.”

“Yeah,” he agreed reluctantly. They agreed to take things slow, but he was sure he wasn’t going to be able to conform to that plan. When he was younger, he was never able to control himself when it came to Liz and he knew that as an adult, it would be no different.

“I have to work in the morning. I should go get some sleep.” She wasn’t sure how long she would be able to hold out before she let things get to far.

“Or,” he hummed, slipping his hands under her shirt and laid his palms flat on the small of her back. “You can go back to your place, grab a change of clothes, and come back here…” He kissed her gently when she started to shake her head. Her protest was halted immediately. “We’ll finish the movie and you can stay the night.”

No matter how wrong she knew this was, she couldn’t stop smiling. She had been waiting so long for this and now that it was happening, she wasn’t sure if the newness of it all would ever go away.

Still, she felt as if she should object. She didn’t want to mess up a good thing before it began. She wanted this too much. “I thought we were going to take this slow. It was your idea.”

“We’re just sleeping,” he reasoned. He tried to distract her by letting his fingers run the expanse of her back. When she shivered under his touch, he had to fight a grin. “We’re adults,”

“Max,” she breathed her last refusal.

“Liz,” he countered playfully. “I’ll even take you to work in the morning.”

She chewed on his bottom lip, obviously torn and it made him want her to stay all the more. She didn’t want to rush and neither did he.

But still, “I’m not ready for you to not be here.”

That got her and she was packing a bag and rushing back to him before she could think.

Max offered to change in the living room while she occupied the bathroom. She found it funny that they were changing in separate rooms because they had bared much more in front of the other before.

She was in his bed, under the covers when he poked his head in. Beckoning him forward, she tried not to seem too eager because when he crawled in beside her it gave her a thrill.

He set his alarm and then turned off the light and in complete darkness she was unable to see him. But she felt his bare leg brush against hers as he moved closer and the weight of his arms when he flung it over her waist.

“See, we can do this,” he boasted, grinning in the dark.

Her response was interrupted when she felt coldness against her leg. She yelped. “Is that your feet?”

“Kinda,” he said meekly. “Sorry.”

“They’re icicles.” She pressed a hand to his arm and then dragged it until it was resting on his chest. “The rest of you is warm. What’s wrong with you?”

“Shut up,” he said, laughing. “Or else I’ll keep them there.”

“And freeze me to death? No thank you. I won’t say another word about your ice feet.” She cackled and he chuckled along.

They shared random conversation until they both grew quiet, eyes drooping and muscles relaxing.

He pulled her closer and she watched him slip into sleep. He looked so innocent and boyish, so cute. Shifting her fingers through his hair, he let out a little sigh as she massaged his scalp.

As she settled down, drowsiness overcoming her, she could help but think back to the last time they shared a bed. Images of that night flashed behind her eyes. And she knew what she would be dreaming about.
**********

Thanksgiving 2008

She was roused awake when the car jerked as it sped over a pot hole. Her head bumped against the window and she sat up, drowsily rubbing the sore spot.

It had started to snow sometime during their drive home. The silent flakes painted the highway with a fresh coat of white up ahead. Behind them, the car made traceable tracks as they sped down the highway towards home. The radio was down low, playing an instrumental, jazz version of a popular Christmas song. It was hard to believe it was so close already.

It had been a nice, albeit long day. After spending the holiday with Max’s family, Liz couldn’t feel more tired and at home than she did now. And she really had to give Max credit for that. He went out of his way to make her feel welcome and comfortable around his family. They didn’t need any help in doing that, but having Max there, right beside her made the holiday all the more special.

After working the morning shift, Max closed his diner at noon, picked her up, and then drove two hours to his parent’s house where they piled into his father’s sedan and drove another hour to his aunt’s home. There, for a large portion of the night, Max and Liz fielded questions from his aunts and grandmothers about their relationship, because “no man brings a woman home to meet his family for no reason,” his maternal grandmother reasoned.

Lethargic, she slowly became aware of the head of dark hair resting against her. She could hear his breathing, deep and even. She angled her head to watch his face. His cheek nuzzled her chest and while he was momentarily illuminated by the passing street lights, she was able to admire his long lashes that rested peacefully on his cheeks without abandon.

His head started off on her shoulder but had slipped off sometime during the ride. His lips touched the swell of her breast where her coat had opened and the v-neck of her sweater gave way to exposed flesh. And sometime while they slept, they shifted and now he palmed her thigh, his hand warm and strong where it lay.

Sleeping had never felt so erotic to her and she tried to pass it off to the glasses of wine she’d had during dinner. But thoughts of his hands moving up, closer to the junction between her legs made her heart thump violently. She imagined his lips dragging over her breast, nipping and making her back arch in pleasure.

And all he was doing was sleeping. She wondered what was wrong with her.

But she found she was unable to control her thoughts. Images and fantasies that she shouldn’t be thinking about in the backseat of his parent’s sedan took hold on her and she pressed her legs together to quench the desire.

“Liz?”

She was brought back to reality and found Diane staring at her from the front seat. She hadn’t noticed the bright lights until now and she realized they had pulled into a gas station.

“You okay, honey?” Diane asked, looking on in concern.

Liz could feel her face burning. “Yeah. I’m just a bit tired.”

Diane smiled as her eyes roamed over Max and Liz could swear Diane knew what she was thinking. She wondered how horrible Diane thought she was with her son’s lips on her breast and impure thoughts running wild through her head. Luckily, Phillip had already ventured into the gas station.

“We’re only about twenty minutes from home. Do you want anything from inside?”

“No thanks,” she said, vigorously shaking her head. Her cheeks burned even harder.

As soon as she left Max and Liz alone, she removed his hand from her thigh and guided his head back onto her shoulder. He stirred slightly, nuzzling closer to her while he mumbled something resembling, “where are we?”

She didn’t bother answering because he was out again within moments, his thigh still pressed along the length of hers. Thoroughly embarrassed and aroused, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to make it home without exploding.
*********

Max rubbed his tired eyes, blinked away the blurriness and continued to stare at the ceiling. It was close to midnight and he was exhausted. But he couldn’t bring himself to relax and let himself sleep even though he knew he had a long drive home in the morning. He was on edge for a reason he couldn’t decipher.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet landed on the cold hardwood floor. He listened to the creeks and moans of the house and could hear nothing but the muffled voices of his parents down stairs, watching a movie. All else was quiet.

He crept across the room and swung open the door. Liz was on the other side, hand hovering as if she were about to knock.

He jumped back in surprise. “Hey! I was just on my way to your room.”

“You mean my futon in your parent’s study?”

“Hey I offered to sleep in there and you didn’t want to take it.”

She pushed by him. “Whatever.” Perching herself on the edge of his bed, she pouted. “I can’t fall asleep.”

“Me either. Want to watch some TV? They still have cable in here, just gotta find the remote somewhere…” He searched through several drawers before he found it hidden in the nightstand.

“Sure.” She snatched the device from his hand and pointed it at the TV sitting on top of the dresser. “I get control of the remote.”

He mumbled his disapproval but didn’t protest as he left the room. When he returned with a bottle of wine, two glasses and a bowl of popcorn, Liz had burrowed under the covers and was watching the snow collect on the branch that jutted out against the window.

“Really? Wine this late?” she giggled, taking an offered glass.

He shrugged, sat the bowl between them and climbed under the covers beside her. “It’ll put us to sleep.”

By the time 1 o’clock rolled around, they had finished enough of the bottle to feel buzzed and sleep was the furthest thing from their minds.

The television was on mute, ignored and the bowl of popcorn was nothing but crumbs sitting off to the side.

Liz giggled loudly, just buzzed enough to feel a bit looser than normal. “So I went on and on about how much of an obnoxious dick my boss was. I just poured my heart out saying these awful things. And he waited until after I finished my lunch and got ready to leave. He stuck out his hand and said, ‘I probably should have introduced myself. I’m your boss’ son!’”

Max burst into laughter, feeling the warmth of the wine bubbling inside of him as she exclaimed, “I nearly died, Max! Can you imagine?”

Between laughter he managed, “Just make sure you don’t piss off that guy.”

“I know! God, I’m still so embarrassed,” she moaned.

“You’re turning red!”

Swatting him away when he reached to pinch her cheeks, she wailed, “Leave me alone!” Embarrassed, she closed her eyes and hid her face beneath her pillow.

His laughter, however subsided when he became aware of the fact that her leg was thrown over his and he had been absently rubbing her thigh.

As if he had been shocked, he immediately pulled his hand away. Sobriety began to over take him until she came out from hiding and opened her eyes. Her smile held a bit timidity and embarrassment which threatened to pull him under. And he felt lightheaded and dizzy and warm and his vision swam as he looked at her because he could pretend for a moment that this was real.

Still he continued to tease her, loving that even as she tried, she couldn’t hide her smile. Because he would pretend for as long as she did. “I can’t believe you’re blushing.”

Her lashes fluttered when she lowered her gaze as if she were about to reveal a big secret. “I used to get teased all the time because I blushed so easily.”

She bit her lip and he cursed to himself. “I think it’s cute,” he admitted.

It was the way he said it that made her scoot closer. His voice was soft and deep at the same time and his speech a bit slurred. It sent a jolt of fire through her.

When she kissed him, it felt like everything stilled for a moment. There was nothing but the two of them and the heat between them beneath the sheets. It had been so long since they had been together so closely and in that still moment, they became accustomed again.

He let her over take him because then maybe it would be easier for him to believe that even after all of his efforts, they still ended up like this. Back in his bed, her fingers in his hair, his heart pounding like if she let go, he would die.

Some how she managed to wiggle her way back to him, though he knew that this was partially his fault. What was he doing offering his bed and wine to her in the middle of the night? Or presenting her to his family as if she were more to him than a friend? Or getting close to her like he didn’t know the affect she could have on him.

Yeah, this was his fault. The fact that she was freeing him from the constraints of his t-shirt and boxers was his blunder. He knew what she could do to him. But he let her straddle him as he stared helplessly up at her. He gave into her.

Staring down at the man beneath her, she knew she needed to forcibly restrain herself because it was all moving too fast. She was at least sober enough to realize that once the night ended, their relationship would be forever changed. But she was inebriated enough to carelessly throw that thought away. His hands gripping her hips felt too good to ignore. And he looked at her with a look she hadn’t seen in years. It made her weak and the gasp she took in caught in her throat. She needed to be closer to him.

Grabbing his ears, she tugged until he sat up. “I love these ears,” she growled.

He only managed a short chortle before they met again. He flipped them over so fast it made her head spin and it took her a moment to realize he was clawing at her top.

She protested, pulling her shirt down after he pulled it up. “Don’t hide,” he murmured softly against her neck. “Don’t hide.” He kissed her cheek, nose, and forehead while his hands moved beneath her shirt, pulling it higher until it was over her head.

She blushed in shame of her small mounds that were presented to him. “So cute,” he laughed, kissing her blush stained cheeks. “So beautiful,” he added, now brushing his lips over the swell of her breast. When he moved further down, her shame faded and all she could concentrate on was his lips.

She mewed and purred as he removed her shorts and panties. Gripping the bed sheets tightly in her balled fists, her restrained moan was a testament to the tortuous sensation he was creating with his tongue.

“You’re good at that, but I want you now.” Her words were caught some where between a moan and a gasp.

He was happy to oblige, standing at attention as he was on the verge of entering her.

The long, red scratches on his back would sting in the morning and various dark bruises, and teeth marks on her neck and breasts would settle. But now, none of that mattered. They were lost, moving together in a dance that only the two of them could follow.

The high still remained when it was over and she lay beneath his weight, sleek with sweat and panting into his shoulder. When he rolled away, he didn’t go far. She curled against him, wanting this to be real for just one night. They were together with no complications and no explanations.

Twenty minutes later, he was pushing inside of her again. And he felt like he had come home.
*************

She thought about sitting in the backseat just so she wouldn’t have to sit next to him. And she would have if their luggage didn’t take up the entire seat.

They hadn’t said more than a few words to each other since they woke up, tangled together in the sheets.

His eyes had been glued on the road for the past hour and her neck had become stiff from leaning against the window. But the crook in her neck was becoming unbearable and she had to sit up.

Noticing her moving for the first time in a long while, Max quickly glanced at her. But when he saw she was looking his way, he turned away.

“We um…” he cleared his throat, trying to sound steadier than he was feeling. He could clearly see the beginning of several hickeys on her neck. “We didn’t use anything…”

“And that’s my fault?” she said, immediately defensive though she thought about it too.

“I didn’t say that,” he assured, his hands gripping the steering wheel just a bit harder. “You’re not on anything?”

“Nope.”

The car filled with silence, the tension so thick, it threatened to strangle them both. Both relived the events of the night. The wine wasn’t so plentiful that recapping wasn’t clear. It was neither a blessing nor curse.

Max was the one to finally break the silence. “It’ll be okay, you know. Whatever happens, I’ll be there.”

She hadn’t doubted that for a second. “I know you will.”
************

He hadn’t heard from her in over two weeks and he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. So it was a surprise when she called, her voice quiet as she stammered. “I’m not… I got my um…” In her fist she held her blood stained underwear and the box to a pregnancy test she took two days ago.

He blew out a sigh of relief. Regret? “Oh. That’s good.”

“I also took a test… to be sure… I don’t know how early you can take the test and get the right results but…”

Sinking down onto his couch, his heavy head fell into his hands. “But if you got your, you know… then…”

“Yeah,” she finished. “I would have called you, but I didn’t know if you wanted to be here to see me pee on a stick um…” Blushing feverishly now, she tried to gulp down the lump in her throat. “So…”

“So. Okay then.”

“Right.”

“Yeah.”

“So. I guess I’ll just hang up now?”

“Right. Uh…”

“Bye, Max.”

“Bye Liz.”

TBC………

[sweetbrowneyes]

Guess who!! lol Over a month later and I'm back. So sorry about making you all wait, I know its annoying but I've been a bit busy and this part never quite felt like I got it right and it still doesn't to me. Anyway, I didn't want to make you wait any more so here it is.

Thanks for the feedbacka and the bumps. I really, truely appreciate it.

Dziumka
Alien614
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mareli
paper
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Morning Dreamgirl

We only have a couple more parts to go! Enjoy!

Part 40

“How about a little sex on the beach?”

Frowning at the man in front of her, Liz slouched further into herself. “Not right now, Chase,” she groaned, pushing his hand away.

Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, he purred, “So that means you’ll have a little later?”

Again, she pushed his hand and the drink in question away. “I’m not in the mood.”

His eyes swept over the mass of people in the crowded club. Sitting her ‘sex on the beach’ aside, he reluctantly took a seat beside her, mimicking her position with her chin in hand, elbow on knee. He sighed. “You know when people come out to a club they usually do it to have a good time.”

“Yeah. Sorry.” She stood, smoothing her hands down her dress and faked a bright smile. Sulking wouldn’t help anything anyway. “Let’s dance.”

He didn’t buy her smile and her obvious attempt to hide the fact that something was bothering her. “Liz…”

“Come on,” she interrupted him, pulling him to his feet.

“Did something happen with Max?”

She stopped pulling him, and frowned. “We just got into an argument. Nothing too serious.” Turning her back to him she headed to the dance floor.

She swung her hips to the beat, felt Chase grab onto her. She could feel his eyes on her, questioning, but she refused to return his gaze. Closing her eyes, she let the rhythm over take her and tried to let go, though not even the pounding music and the gyrating bodies could stop her from thinking of earlier that evening.
**********

“What are we doing tonight?” She tucked her feet underneath her and relaxed against the cushions of his couch, lazily flipping through channels, not looking for anything particular to watch.

Max raised his head, which had been buried in the refrigerator. “What?” He grabbed two bottles of beer, bumped the refrigerator door closed with his hip before he joined her in the living room. He offered her the cool bottle to which she scrunched her nose.

“You don’t have any wine?”

Sighing, he set the bottle meant for her on the coffee table and retreated into the kitchen. “You know wine and beer are kinda the same thing,” he called from the kitchen.

The refrigerator door shut with a soft thump and she could hear him fumbling through the cabinets for wine glasses. “They are so not,” she argued.

“They’re both alcoholic drinks,” he countered. She frowned at him when he returned and held her drink out to her. “What? Did you want me to put a little umbrella in it too?”

She sputtered. “Do you want me to leave?” she said, an edge to her tone. If he was looking for a fight, she wasn’t going to disappoint.

But, he seemed to soften as he sunk down beside her, his annoyance giving way to weariness. “No. I’m sorry. I’m just exhausted and in a cranky mood. I love my diner, but sometimes I just want to smash some customers’ faces in the deep fryer.”

She giggled when his lips twisted into a small, half smile. “Poor baby. You want me to rub your back?”

“No.” He tugged on her ankle with a gleam in his eyes. She wore that smirk that made him melt and want to throw her down simultaneously and he knew that she knew what he was thinking about. “I want you to come over here.”

“What ever for?” she teased. “I’m quite fine right where I am.”

“I’m sure you are, but I think you’d be more comfortable over here.” He even went as far as to pat the empty space between them.

Still she scrunched up her nose again and shook her head in protest. “No thanks I think I’ll stay over here.”

Sighing in mock displeasure he pretended to suddenly spot something on her cheek. “I think you’ve got something on your cheek though.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Here, let me…” She squealed when he tugged her arm and she feel forward, towards him and his awaiting lips. A peck on her cheek and then he pulled away smiling. “There. I got it.”

“Thank you. I didn’t even know I had anything on my face. What would I do without you?”

He shrugged, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. “What would you do without me?”

Too distracted by his lips against her jaw she hummed something that sounded like ‘I don’t know.’ But he had already forgotten about the conversation and was focused only on her lips against his.

They had yet to take their physical relationship all the way, both insisting that they take it slow. But as he slid down until he was prone and she on top of him, he knew it wouldn’t be long. He already knew what it felt like to be inside her, to feel her withering and moaning in ways that heightened every one of his senses. And it made it difficult because he knew what was waiting for him. It was like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, he didn’t know how long he could keep his hands to himself.

They eventually cooled but the lust burned within as she stretched out on top of him, burying her head in the crook of his neck. He made her tingle with heightened sensitivity as he continuously ran his fingers through her long, silky hair and then trailed them down her back.

She had never been in a relationship where kissing was just for the sake of kissing. Making out always lead to something more and it never stood alone. There was no pressure to please and she felt completely at ease.

Still there was a growing burn deep inside her. And she knew that if she stayed like this, stretched out over him, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her, the premise of “taking it slow” was going to be thrown out the window.

He gave a start when she sat up suddenly and then rolled to her feet. His eyes tracked her as she disappeared into the bathroom and then followed her as she returned.

She climbed back on top of him and engaged him in a deep kiss, her tongue moving just so to produce a moan from him. She pulled away, hovering above him with a hand on both sides of his head. He looked up in a daze as she asked, “So what are we doing to tonight?”

“Huh?” He frowned, confused and a bit breathless.

Giggling, she pecked his lips once more before she sat up and moved to the far end of the couch so that he could do the same. “I think you should take me to a nice restaurant and then dancing.”

“I thought this is what we were doing tonight,” he said, gesturing between them. “We can get a movie and I’ll make dinner.”

In the four weeks since their last first date, though they hadn’t had sex yet, they had already begun to share a bed. In the middle of the night, when they lay together, deep in sleep, it was the only time they shared together. Their days were filled with work and their nights branched in two different directions. When he was getting ready for bed to prepare for an early morning, she was preparing to go out for a late night. They were used to this conversation and eventually they both gave in and decided to go their separate ways for the night.

But the lack of time spent together was beginning to wear on them both.

“No, let’s go out. I’m thinking Italian food…”

“Why can’t we just watch a movie?”

“And why can’t we go out?” she countered immediately, rolling her eyes, “You always stay in. Why not something different?”

“And you always go out. Why not something different?”

She scoffed, mirroring the frown he now wore. “Whatever.”

“Liz seriously? You can’t stay in one night? I thought we were having a good night.”

“I just really want to go out.” She pouted, looking at him from beneath her lashes. “Please Max.”

He shook away his immediate reaction to give in to her. She always got her way. She always went out when she wanted and left him at home by himself. And he admitted that he could simply go out with him, but he was too stubborn to do so. He shouldn’t have to go out to be able to spend time with his girlfriend, with everyone around them.

He just wanted it to be him and her for a little while. But it seemed like that was the last thing she wanted. And that was what irritated him the most because she never wanted to be truly alone with him.

“I’m exhausted, Liz. I’ll order in…”

Her mouth opened and a retort was on its way but the shrill sound of her cell phone playing one of the many current popular songs interrupted. She answered promptly and immediately broke into a smile.

Chase.

Max knew it was him. The two men found a way to be civil and Max could see them maybe, one day, becoming friends. Max wasn’t normally jealous when Liz spent time with Chase. He knew that whatever romantic relationship she had with Chase was over. But sometimes it bugged him. Nights like this, when it seemed that Liz preferred to be with everyone else but him, he found himself growing envious with Chase because he seemed to understand her better than Max did.

And he felt like he was in high school all over again.

She let out a loud belly laugh, the one that made Max fall for her even more, and ended her call moments later.

“That was Chase,” she said and Max fought the urge to roll his eyes. “He’s hosting a party downtown and invited us to come. So I’m thinking we should grab a bite to eat and then meet up with him.”

He gawked. Clearly she had forgotten who she was with. Because he wasn’t like her past boyfriends who rolled over and did whatever she wanted them too… like he was in high school. “Forget it, Liz. You go and do whatever.”

She felt like they had had this arguments many times before and couldn’t believe they were still in the same place. “Max, what the hell is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem. You go do whatever you want.”

“What I want is for you to stop being so anti-social. All you ever do is work and come home. When are you going to do something other than your mundane routine?”

“You call going to the same clubs, hearing the same music and seeing the same people night after night more exotic than my “mundane routine?” Excuse me for having responsibilities.”

Frowning, she dug her heels into the carpet, prepared to fight. “I have responsibilities too. But that doesn’t mean I have to hole myself up in this apartment with you.”

He reeled back as if she’d just punched him, then scoffed in disgust of the entire situation. Because here they were, back in the same tussle again, unable to move forward. “You know what? Go be with Chase. I really don’t care anymore. You run to him every time he calls.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“If you want someone more exciting than I suggest you go to Chase because that’s not me.”

“God, you’re such a dick!”

“Fuck off, Liz!”

“Fuck you!”
***********

Chase pulled to a stop in front of her apartment building and cast a worried glance her way. Liz wanted to stay out later than usual but she didn’t dance, nor did she drink much of anything. After she pleaded with him to stay, she returned to their table where she sat with a pout like she had been doing, like she continued to do until they left. He knew it was all because of Max.

“You sure you’re going to be okay?” he asked, his voice shocking her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah. I think I just need to get some rest.” She managed a small smile.

“Okay.” She undid her seatbelt and pushed open her door. One foot out of the car and he called for her. “Hey, I don’t know what’s going on with you and Max, but, if our friendship is causing any problems…”

She sighed, touched he would be so considerate. “No. He’s just being an asshole right now. He’ll get over it.”

“I don’t know, Liz. If I had a girlfriend and she was always hanging around someone as handsome as me…”

“Shut up,” she laughed, punching his arm lightly. “But seriously, it’s not entirely about you. And even if it was, I’m not letting him tell me who I can and can’t be friends with. I’ve had enough of that in the past.”

“Okay,” he said cautiously. “I just want everything to be alright. Max is a good guy and he’s good for you.”

Leaning over the middle panel, she kissed his cheek and whispered, “Thanks. I’ll call you later.”

“Alright. Bye.”

She scurried into her building, the cold nipping at her. In her apartment, she pulled her dress off and tried to think of a legitimate reason for her to go over and see him at three in the morning. She wanted to see if she affected him as much as she affected her. Because she couldn’t stop thinking about how he reacted and how mad she was with him; how much she just wanted to curl up next to him with the lights off and his arm around her waist.

Finally, she threw on a pair of sweatpants and a short coat over her nightgown and trekked the short distance between their buildings. He opened the door, squinting his eyes against the dim light in the hallway. It was obvious he’d been asleep to which she found a bit disappointing because she had hope he’d been up, agonizing over their tussle like she had been.

“My cell phone is about to die and I left my phone charger over here. Can I get it, please?”

As he stepped aside to let her in, he watched her closely. He had just fallen asleep not thirty minutes before she showed up, waiting to see when she would get home and felt anxiety build with each minute she stayed out. “You’re just now getting home?”

“Yeah. Chase and I were one of the last few to leave because we were having so much fun,” she lied, watching him out of the corner of her eye. Besides the visible evidence of his clinched jaw, he watched her blankly and she knew he was jealous. It sent a shiver of thrill through her at his minute reaction. He was always so controlled, so steady and stable, he never broke too far from the norm. She wanted to see him lose control.

She wanted to make him jealous and perhaps get him back for their earlier argument, for punishing her for things she did in the past. It was obvious he hadn’t gotten over their past as well as they both thought he did. And she realized that maybe provoking him wasn’t the best idea, but she couldn’t take back her comment now.

“You’ve been out this whole time with Chase?”

“Mmhm,” she hummed, locating her phone charger still plugged into the wall, sitting on the bar that separated his kitchen from living room.

He advanced toward her as she unplugged it and wrapped the cord into a ball. “What does he have, Liz?” he asked, his eyes darkening to a dangerous dark brown.

Crossing her arms she blurted out, “He’s not boring for one.” His eyes widened and her mouth snapped shut. She regretted them the moment the words came out of her mouth. “No. I mean…”

“What do you mean?” he prodded, advancing even closer. And with each step, her breath quickened and her heart beat a little harder. By way of his clinched fists and jaw, she knew he was angry, pissed would be a better word. But so was she. She said what she knew would hurt him the most.

And yet, she was unable to ignore how incredible sexy he was, his eyes dark, huffing and looking every bit all male.

Back in high school, he was too timid to go after her when she left him. And maybe he hadn’t completely let go as he thought he did. But he wasn’t going to allow her to slip through his fingers without him having a say this time.

Before she knew it, he had backed her against the bar, his hands gripping the edge on either side of her, preventing her from leaving.

“Move, asshole,” she demanded, her voice strong.

He bent forward so that he was eye level with her and spewed, “You want spontaneity? You want fucking excitement?”

Her palms flat on his chest, she was prepared to shove him away. He only held her closer, in fact, wrapping his arms around her, their lips crashing together like waves against the beach.

Molding himself to her, he wanted to pour himself into her as he let a trail of teeth marks down her neck. When he grabbed a handful of her ass, driving his hips toward hers, her moan made him rise. Her back arched over the edge of the bar and God, he wanted her so bad. He wanted to just let go.

But he couldn’t help but wonder aloud. “Does he make you feel like this?”

She let out a cry, for if it weren’t for the flurry of frenzied hands gripping and grasping and roaming, she would be able to contest the fact that there was something other than friendship between her and Chase. Instead, she simply let out a strangled, “No.”

“Only me?” he demanded.

“Only you.”

And in a rapid succession of events she was rid of her sweatpants and panties, his boxers were pushed precariously around his thighs and they joined amid grunts and moans.

When it was over, she was left gripping the bar to keep herself standing and if it weren’t for the stool right beside him, he would have collapsed on the floor.

His eyes were so dark, filled with need and anger, possessiveness and fervor, she felt as if she would lose it again just from looking at him.

Irritated that he made her want him even when she was so mad at him, she muttered, “Asshole.”

To which he responded, “Bitch.”

Her hand connected with his cheek. Moments later, they were stumbling toward his room, to his bed.

TBC……….