Max does need to be patient and let Liz think on it.
Natalie36: Thanks! Moving in with Max would provide them with a safe place… if things worked out… and if she knew Max better. She and Max really don’t know each other very well just yet, not well enough for her to move in with him.
Earth2Mama: Lol, we’ll find out today.
CandyliciousLovah: Nope, not too shabby at all.
They’ve both built those walls but what they don’t see is that by protecting themselves so religiously, they’re also imprisoning themselves.
begonia9508: Thanks!
You’re right, Liz didn’t refuse simply because the offer was made by Max. While they do have history, they don’t know each other that well. She doesn’t want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.
keepsmiling7: Yes! There are no guarantees but Liz just wants a little more than jumping into a new situation on blind faith. She and Max both need to be willing to open up and let the other in if they’re ever going to make any progress.
xilaj: Reliable childcare is a big consideration and Max understands that to a point, but as someone who doesn’t have kids and doesn’t really spend much time around them, Max has things to learn, lol. They’ll talk again though.
We’ll check in on Tess and Maria this week. Isabel’s definitely taking some steps in the right direction. As for the little guys… maybe we’ll catch up with them today too.
Healerfan: Welcome back!
Very true, but Liz hasn’t quite come to that conclusion just yet.
Alien_Friend: Lol, well…
Max and Liz are off in the right direction. A little rocky at the moment, but at least it is a start.
Now that Isabel sees Alex as more than just the nerd king it’s allowed her to open up a bit.
Pretty sure Max is right about Kyle.
secretk: We totally understand! Work and health can interfere with the fun stuff.
Courtney is having a bit of trouble fitting in while Liz and Alex have sort of blended into the group.
She does have a point and she has every right to expect her boyfriend to keep such things private because it’s between him and her.
Kyle is distracted right now. He’s got some pretty big family issues going on at the moment. But Max is right… Tess is on his radar.
Liz is in a difficult position. She’s trying to do what is best for Aaron, and she knows staying with Trent isn’t the answer. But she’s trapped at the moment. Yes, the option that Max has provided is there, but when it all comes down to it, he and Liz don’t really know each other well enough to live together so she knows that could just end up causing more problems than it solves. The two of them have to really open up and listen to each other before they make that kind of move.
Isabel and Alex have definitely made some progress. Now, if he could just get her to see that Richard is more than just a nuisance… he’s a threat. Well, one thing at a time, lol. Isabel is really seeing him as a person now and she wants to do something to help him. They’re both getting a chance to see each other in a different light and it’s making a difference.
Rodney: Liz is frustrating at this point, but she just wants to be sure that she doesn’t take Aaron out of one bad situation and put him right into another one.
Courtney has a right to be excited about getting the cover. And you’re right, Michael does need to understand and respect her wishes.
Part 61
New and Old Friendships
“Expecting someone else, huh?” Tess asked quietly.
She wasn’t ready to deal with this situation. “What do you want, Tess?”
“I saw your face when Courtney spilled the oh-so-fantastic news… I know you wanted that cover.”
She shrugged. “It’s not like that’s news.”
“No, but it’s worse that it was her and not somebody else that got it, isn’t it?”
“Do you care, Tess?” she snapped as she whirled around to face her fully.
“Would I be here if I didn’t?”
“I don’t know!”
“Despite your opinion, I don’t get a kick out of it when you feel miserable.”
“Really? ‘Cause it sure felt like that might be the case when you just took off without any warning!”
Tess fumbled with her hair and brushed it out of her face when the wind picked up. “I didn’t leave to hurt you.”
“Then why did you leave? Let’s just get it out once and for all, Tess!” she shouted. “I’m sick of not knowing and I think I deserve the truth!”
“Oh, really? You can’t even see the truth when it’s biting you on the ass.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!” She couldn’t believe Tess was playing games with her right now.
“It means it’s time for you to realize who the hell you really want,” Tess said furiously. “You already knew you wouldn’t get the cover, so why’re you makin’ a big drama out of it now that you know you lost against Courtney?” She paused for one meaningful moment, but not enough for Maria to say anything. “I’ll tell you why. Because you’re bothered over the thought that she’s becoming number one for him and you’ll just be his second choice now.”
Maria was taken aback by the verbal outburst. Okay, yes, she’d known the cover wasn’t hers and she wasn’t thrilled that Courtney had gotten it. Under different circumstances she knew she would’ve been happy for the other girl and it wasn’t even all about the money, she admitted to herself. “You make it sound like I have an interest in him beyond our friendship and that’s ridiculous.”
“You can deny it all you want, Maria, but one day you’re gonna have to face the truth and finally admit that my brother is more than just a friend for you. What’re you gonna do if she stays, huh? If she doesn’t go away after a few weeks like you’re hoping?”
“I’m not hoping anything like that!” she denied.
“You can’t comfort yourself with other men for the rest of your life.”
“I’m not sure how this got turned around on me but whatever’s going on with me and Michael has nothing to do with why you left.”
Maybe not directly, but if Maria wasn’t so stubborn about her feelings she would’ve never started something with Kyle. “If you had pulled your head outta your ass already, it’d be all different now,” Tess shouted in frustration.
“Damn it, Tess, would you just give me a straight answer and stop talking in riddles!”
“Would you finally admit your feelings for Michael?” she countered. Thank God they were already far away from the others, so they wouldn’t hear any of this.
“Michael is my best friend and he has nothing to do with why you left!”
Tess snorted. “You are in so much denial, Maria, and I’m really sick of it. Maybe Courtney’s appearance is just what you need to finally realize a few things. I just hope it’s not too late for you when you do.” Okay, she really had no room to talk to her like this, but it was just a matter of self protection.
“You know what? Either tell me why you left or just go back to the house and leave me the hell alone!”
Tess was silent for a long while as she glanced back at the others, watching them laugh about something. Was it time to tell? Finally?
“Well?” Maria demanded. “I’m waiting. You’re so full of advice for my life... let’s hear what you have to say for yourself.”
Kyle appeared on the beach in the distance, throwing a stick in the opposite direction and Leo ran after it, barking excitedly. Tess’ eyes locked on him, trying to find the courage to tell the other girl the truth, but hesitating because it would mean leaving herself totally vulnerable.
Maria huffed out an irritated breath and started walking again. “Whatever, Tess, don’t tell me if you don’t want to.”
“It’s him,” she said quietly, her voice barely audible.
Somehow, some way, the two words carried over the sound of the ocean and the gulls crying overhead and she slowly turned to follow Tess’s gaze to Kyle. She frowned as she recalled the conversation they’d had when she had confronted Tess about him. “No, you swore he had nothing to do with it.”
Tess swallowed, remembering how she had done everything to make her friend believe she was wrong. It was the biggest lie she had ever made anyone believe and she was still ashamed of it. “I know, I did say that…”
Maria shook her head. “You LIED to me?!” she exclaimed furiously.
“You’d already slept with him, what chance did I have? It was already too late.”
“It wasn’t serious, Tess, and damn it if you’d just been honest with me at the time we wouldn’t have kept hooking up!” She shook her head in disbelief. “I wouldn’t have knowingly hurt you like that!”
“I know you wouldn’t have,” Tess said and wiped away the tears that were starting to fall.
“Then why didn’t you just tell me?” Maria was still mad, but the pieces had just fallen into place. At the time she had confronted Tess she had been suspicious that the other girl was into Kyle but she had put up such a convincing argument that she had finally accepted that she had it wrong.
“Why? Because it was all a mess at the time. If I had told you, you would’ve stopped, Kyle would’ve wondered why, and it would’ve only been a matter of time until the truth came out.”
“He didn’t need to know anything if you didn’t want him to. Kyle wasn’t looking for anything serious at the time and neither was I. He wouldn’t have questioned it if we hadn’t hooked up again.”
Tess shook her head. “You don’t know how it felt to see him looking at you hungrily while I was just the annoying little sister of his best friend.”
“Tess, you aggravate him on purpose! Why would he look at you any differently if you’re intentionally pissing him off and acting like you’re still 16?”
“Doesn’t matter, he doesn’t want me anyway.”
“Sometimes you’ve gotta make a guy see what’s in front of him.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re not always the brightest crayons in the box.”
She snorted. “Sometimes my brother isn’t either.”
Maria let that go. There was no point in continuing to go over it. She studied Tess for several long minutes, wondering how things would’ve been if she hadn’t let Tess convince her that Kyle had nothing to do with her moodiness back when this mess had all started. “I should’ve seen it.”
“You knew it,” the other girl denied. “I just did everything possible to convince you that you were wrong.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I did know. And you should’ve been honest with me.”
“I know, but once the first lie was out I just couldn’t see a way back and it was all a mess.”
She bit her bottom lip. “I guess we were both wrong.”
“Both of us?” Tess asked, confused.
“I should’ve listened to myself because I knew and you should’ve just told the truth.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.”
Tess sat down on the sand and looked back at Kyle again. It was finally out and she could feel a heavy weight falling from her shoulders, combined with a mixture of fear that now somehow the truth would come out and everyone in the group would know.
“That why you were hangin’ with Max?”
“Just a stupid idea to make people jealous.” She snorted. “Worked with Parker, but that’s it. We ended it and now we’re just friends.”
Maria nodded. “That’ll be a relief for your brother.”
“Only until he finds out the truth,” Tess said bitterly. God, hopefully he wouldn’t.
“That you’re into Kyle?”
“Yeah, that’d be really awful.”
“Michael might surprise you if anything ever happens with Kyle.”
“Well, maybe one day he’ll surprise you too,” Tess said, looking at her former best friend.
Maria glanced back at the deck, feeling nauseated as she watched Michael and Courtney kissing. “He already has,” she mused more to herself.
“Uh-oh.” Tess tried to get up when she noticed Leo running towards her, but she didn’t have time to get to her feet before the dog barreled into her and started licking her. “Ungh, Leo, stop that.”
“I see you and Leo have become good friends.”
“I don’t know why this dog picked me out of everyone here,” she said and sat up again, wiping her face where Leo had licked it. “Ungh.”
“Leo’s very particular about who he likes.” She smirked when the dog barked for no reason, slinging slobber over Tess’ bare legs.
“Wanna trade?” the other girls asked and looked at her leg, horrified at the sight of dog drool.
“No thanks. I’ll just stay slobber-free over here.”
“He’s kinda developed a preference for you I guess,” Kyle said when he neared the girls, wondering what they were talking about. He had been shocked to see Tess walking after Maria and then he had noticed the yelling. But now they seemed to be quiet and he didn’t know if that was good or bad.
“Yeah, lucky me.” She felt her heart trip over itself when he brushed his hands over her leg again. “Where’d you get Leo anyway?”
“My uncle gave him to me for a birthday,” he said and held the dog by his collar when he started sniffing at Tess’ leg.
“He’s very... inquisitive.”
“With a few people,” Kyle agreed and resisted the urge to brush another trace of dog drool from her leg since Leo had managed to hit her thigh pretty high this time.
She reached up to scratch the dog behind his ears, glancing up at Kyle when her hand accidentally brushed against his.
Maria took the opportunity to leave them alone, deciding to go and check on Cody to see if he was awake yet. It was nearly time for his meds and he needed to eat a little something before he could take them.
“You two okay now?” He glanced between her and Maria, forcing his eyes to stay on her face and away from her legs.
She shrugged. Were they okay? She didn’t think so, but maybe they were better than they had been before this. “Let’s just say we took a step in that direction.”
He nodded and got up again. “Good.”
“How’re you doing, Kyle?” she asked, hoping to keep him from leaving already.
“Doin’ good,” he shrugged, not ready to think about his parents and their mess again. “I think we should head back to the house, someone said something about some snacks a while ago.”
“Snacks, huh? I hope you’re not talking about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”
“Got somethin’ against them?”
“No, I was just thinking those pizza bites sound a lot better.”
****
Tony leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. Dinner had been great and dessert had been even better but now he was full and could easily take a nap. He glanced down when he felt someone touch his arm and he smiled at Chase. “What’s up, partner?”
“Izzy says I gotta brush my teef,” he said quietly.
He turned in his seat to face the little boy directly. “Yeah, she probably wants you to do somethin’ else that really sucks too, huh?” He tickled the boy’s tummy and nodded. “Bet she wants you to take a bath.”
“Yeah.” Chase made a face and glanced at his aunt over his shoulder. “She said I gotta.”
“She’s right about that. You don’t wanna be all stinky do you?”
“I don’t stink,” he denied.
“Your mommy wants you to do that stuff, right?” He smirked when Chase dragged the toe of his right shoe across the floor. “Uh-huh, and when you call her to say goodnight she’s gonna ask you if you did that stuff, right?”
Chase’s eyes widened. “How’d you know?”
“’Cause I’ve got a mom too and she used to ask me questions like that.” He tapped the little boy’s chin. “Tell ya what. You do what your aunt wants you to do and when it’s time for bed I’ll read you a story.”
“Can I pick the story out?”
“Sure, your choice.”
He smiled brightly. “Okay. I gotta talk to Mommy ‘fore I go to bed though.”
“That’s alright.” He nodded when Isabel mouthed a ‘thank you’ at him before leaving the room with her nephew. He glanced across the room where Maria was drying her hands after helping out with the dishes and he got up and stretched. “Hey, Liz?”
She looked up from the last of the dishes she was washing. “What’s up, Tony?”
“I was thinkin’ about takin’ a walk on the beach, walk off some of that food and I thought I’d see if the boys wanted to go with. You mind?”
She thought about it for a moment but finally decided it would be alright since Tony was a fireman and he had first aid training. “No, that’s fine.”
“Cool.” He glanced at Maria. She had been too quiet all evening and for the first time since he had become a part of this group Guerin had been too busy to notice it. “Hey, you up for a walk on the beach?”
“Yeah, why not,” she agreed and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Cool, I’ll get the boys and we’ll wait for you on the beach.” He left the kitchen and rounded up Cody and Aaron, herding them outside and down to the beach.
Maria walked back into her bedroom and got rid of the dress she had been wearing for dinner, slipping in her favorite pair of jean shorts and a black tank top before she went down to the beach, her bare feet sinking into the sand.
Tony was kneeling on the sand, crouched over a small turtle he and the boys had found. He picked it up and it pulled its head back into its shell.
“How come it did that, Tony?” Cody asked curiously.
Aaron reached out to touch the turtle with his forefinger and jerked it back as soon as he felt the shell.
“It’s a defense mechanism.” He gently tapped his knuckles against the shell. “See, his shell protects him from predators.”
“What’d you find?” Maria asked when she neared them.
“It’s a turtle, M’ria,” Cody whispered loudly.
“I think it’s scared,” Aaron said as he touched the shell again.
“It is. We look like giants to it.”
The boys looked back at the little turtle, their matching expressions amazed.
“Maybe we should put him over in the grass, huh?” Tony suggested. “If he stays over here he might not get far enough back before the tide rolls in.”
“Can I?” Cody asked, his expression filled with amazement.
“Sure.” Tony held the turtle in front of Cody, showing him how to hold it. “Here, put your hands on his sides ‘cause sometimes they’ll bite.”
“Be careful,” Chase whispered and crawled up in the sand next to Cody.
“I am.” Cody turned the turtle over to look at its face where it was hiding in its shell. “He’s cool.”
Maria smiled at Tony when the boys took the animal over to the grass. “Keep going like that and he won’t ever let you away again.”
He grinned. “Just wait’ll I show him that seahorse skeleton. That’ll seal the deal right there.”
She snorted. “You won’t get rid of him after that.”
“It’s good to see you smile again. You’ve been kinda, I don’t know, distant today. Anything you wanna talk about?”
“It’s been just a day with some weird information,” Maria shrugged. “I’m okay.”
He nodded, not pushing it. “Does Cody have any pets at home?”
“No. He’d like to, but my mom’s already really busy and they spend a lot of days in the hospital, so a pet would just be one more responsibility and they just don’t have the time.”
“That’s a shame. He’s really got a thing for dolphins and sharks, doesn’t he?”
“Thanks to Michael, yes.”
“For such a little guy he sure knows a lot about ‘em.”
“Yeah, he’s got a lot of books about them and whenever he’s in the hospital he takes them with him and then Michael has to read them to him any time he gets the chance to. I think Cody knows much more about sharks than all of us together.”
He wondered just how adversely Michael’s new relationship with Courtney was going to affect Maria and her family. “Has Cody ever been close enough to touch a dolphin?”
“No, never.”
“You know, there’re facilities that have programs that allow people to swim with dolphins.”
“I know, but it’s pretty expensive.”
“Depends on who you know. I didn’t wanna say anything to him earlier but I was browsing online earlier this afternoon, doing some research on heart conditions and flights... can he fly with his condition?”
She looked at him, wondering why he would ask all these questions and why he cared about the little guy so much. They had only had met yesterday but he was already considering taking Cody to see dolphins? “He’s allowed to fly generally. Depends on the day and all.”
“I’ve got a friend who works at a facility in Florida and they have that kinda program there. I’d be happy to put a call in to him. He works with kids with a lot of different health conditions so I think Cody would be comfortable with him.”
“He’d love that, I think,” Maria said, her voice thick while her eyes shimmered with tears. Gosh, she was such a cry baby lately. Must be the stress, she thought bitterly and tried to get herself under control again.
“That’d be fun.” He rested his hand on her back, rubbing it lightly. “I can imagine how difficult it is on you, always putting on a brave face for him. Might do you some good to swim with the dolphins too... my buddy says it’s an experience that’s very therapeutic.”
“It’ll help me if it makes Cody happy.”
He smiled. “You don’t ask for much do you?”
She smirked just slightly. “Let’s just say I’ve learned not to expect too much in life.”
“That does cut down on the disappointments but it also cuts down on other opportunities. Tell ya what, if it’s cool with your mom and with Cody’s doc, and of course, when you can get a few days off, we’ll head down there for a weekend.”
“Okay,” she agreed quietly.
“C’mon,” he said as he draped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her up against his side. “Let’s take these little guys further down the beach before they decide that turtle needs a home with them.”
“My mom would just love that,” she said and called for the boys.
The boys were stretched out on their stomachs, chins resting in their hands as they watched the turtle slowly make its way into the higher grass. Cody looked at Aaron as they got up. “Did you know there are really big turtles?” he asked as he held his arms outstretched. “They’re big like this.”
Aaron’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Cody nodded. “Yep, there’s two at the ‘quarium Mike takes me to an’ you can pet ‘em too. Oh, and Mike’s daddy has big fishes in the pond at their house an’ I get to feed them.”
“C’mon you two,” Maria caught her little brother in her arms and whirled him around.
Cody laughed and smiled up at his sister. “This’s fun, Maria!”
“Man, you get heavier every day,” she teased.
“It’s ‘cause I’m getting bigger!”
“Yes, you are,” she rested him against her side comfortably and kissed his cheek.
He looped his arms around her neck loosely and laid his head on her shoulder. “How come Mike’s always with that girl?” he asked after a few minutes.
Maria shot a quick look at Tony, checking to see if he had heard her brother’s question and of course he had. “Well, Courtney is his new girlfriend, I guess. He likes her.” God, it felt so weird to say that about him.
“Is that why he kisses her all the time?” He made a face.
“Um-hmm,” she nodded and smiled at her friend slightly when he picked Aaron up and settled him on his shoulders.
“How come you don’t kiss Kyle no more?” he asked, lifting his head up so he could look at her.
Why did kids always come up with so many uncomfortable questions, she wondered. “Kyle and I decided to just be friends, sweetie.”
Tony chuckled and glanced up when Aaron leaned to the side to look at him.
“What’s so funny, Tony?”
“I was just thinkin’ about that sand castle that Max was workin’ on earlier.”
“Leo messed it all up when he runned over it. Max makes good castles though.”
“Max is the best at sand castles,” Maria agreed.
“He had a bridge an’ water around the castle an’ everything.”
The little guy was really fascinated with Max, she noticed. It seemed like big old gruff Evans had a loveable side when it came to children. “That’s cool, huh?”
“Uh-huh. He’s really nice an’ he likes me an’ Lizzie. He makes good macaroni an’ cheese too. It’s the kind his mommy makes but he makes it really good.”
Tony and Maria exchanged a surprised look at the things Aaron knew about their friend. Seemed like Max had already gotten really close to the boy.
“Are you gonna kiss my sister, Tony?” Cody asked suddenly, still wondering about the situation.
Tony smiled. “You’re an inquisitive little fella, aren’t you? Your sister and me, we’re just friends,” he said. He had a feeling nothing was going to develop with Maria so he didn’t want to confuse the little boy.
Cody bit his bottom lip and thought about it. “How come you don’t have a boyfriend, M’ria?”
“There just isn’t anyone I’m really interested in right now.”
“Therefore she has a lot of friends,” Tony said, bumping her side slightly.
“Me too,” Cody said, laughing when he and Aaron knocked their fists together.
“Someone’s tired,” Maria said when her brother yawned widely after they had walked a while in silence.
“Do you get bedtime stories?” Aaron asked as he looked at his new friend.
“Yes, I have a cool new book.”
“Max don’t got no kids books but he readed to me about a spaceship an’ some alien people.”
“Should we head back?” Tony glanced at Maria. He had hoped she would share a bit more about what was bothering her so much, but either she wasn’t ready or she just didn’t want to talk in front of her brother.
“Yeah, little man’s gonna weigh a ton if he falls asleep.”
“Want me to take them both?”
“Are you sure?” she asked when Cody nodded.
“Yeah, I’m stronger than I look,” he teased.
“I know that,” she said, elbowing him. She turned and handed Cody over to him, rolling her shoulder to stretch it a bit. “Thanks.”
“You okay up there?” Tony squeezed Aaron’s leg while he settled a half-asleep Cody safely against his side.
“Uh-huh. Is Chase gonna be sad ‘cause he didn’t get to come with us?”
“Nah,” Maria denied. “Why don’t you guys share a room tonight again, huh? The bed’s big enough for all three of you.”
“Okay. Will Lizzie be sad if she’s alone? ‘Cause she always stays with me while I sleep.” His eyes widened. “Can I ask Max to stay with her so she won’t be all alone? Is that okay?”
Maria and Tony both had to grin widely at the boy’s question. “You can try.”
He started to smile but it was interrupted by a yawn. “’kay.”
