TITLE: Solitude
AUTHOR: Zoey T. (roswells_angel285)
RATING: Teen-Adult
CATEGORY: AU w/o Aliens
COUPLES: M/L, M/T, K/T
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Roswell (it belongs to Melinda Metz) or the
songs "Solitude", "Away From Me", "October", "Whisper", "Surrender", or
"Before the Dawn" (they belongs to Evanescence). Neither is "Here With Me"
(it's Dido's) or "It Was You" (that one belongs to Trace Adkins). "Don't Turn
Around" belongs to Ace of Base. The idea, however, is purely my own. If it
reflects any real people/events, it's a total coincidence.
SUMMARY: Max is in love with Tess. Liz is in love with Max. Let's see what
happens when Liz's secret comes out.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is going to start out angsty, but I'm hoping to
make it more fluff and dreamer friendly. I'm sorry, dreamers, but I
needed to use Tess, as much as I hate to. *makes face* I posted this
story a LONG time ago, but I never completed it, b/c I lost the last
part when my computer got fried, and I just never got around to rewriting
the ending. But now I have, so, YAY! Enjoy, and leave me lots of feedback!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Prolouge:
Liz Parker sat on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands. Max Evans,
her best friend, had left only moments earlier after coming to talk to her
about the love of his life. Aparently, he'd decided he wanted to take their
relationship to the next level, and, Max being as sensitive to his girlfriend's
feelings as he was, had wanted advise from Liz.
Liz gave a self-hating, half-sobbed laugh. How ironic life was....
Automatically, Liz turned on her c.d. player and skipped to track two on
her album.
"How many times have you told me you love her?
As many times as I've wanted to tell you the truth.
How long have I stood here, beside you?
I lived thru you, you looked thru me...."
Silent tears ran down Liz's face as she listened to the lyrics. This song
might as well have been written about her and Max. And Tess. Beautiful,
perfect Tess Harding, the girl Max loved more than life.
"Oh, solitude
Still with me is only you
Oh, solitude
I can't stay away from you...."
For as long as she could remember, Liz had loved Max. She'd dropped
hints and spent years pining over him. But he remained oblivious, no
matter what she did or how hard she tried to turn his head.
"How many times have I done this to myself?
How long will it take before I see?
When will this hole in my heart be mended?
Who now is left alone, but me?...."
Liz had thought that when the other four people in their little group of
friends paired up, Max would get a clue, at least wonder what it would be
like. But he never did, never approached her about anything of that
nature. Finally desperate, she'd started sending him love letters and small
gifts, hoping it'd pique his interest. And it had... until she came.
"Oh, solitude
Forever me and forever you
Oh, solitude
Only you, only true...."
As soon as Tess walked thru the door to West Roswell High School, Max
had been gone. He paid no attention to the gifts or notes that Liz left
anonymously in his locker, he hardly spent any time with the group, and
Liz was stuck with the two happy couples alone.
"Everyone leaves me stranded,
Forgotten, abandoned
Left behind
I can't stay here another night...."
Then, when Max finally started hanging out with them again, he wasn't
alone. Tess was his girlfriend, and Max seemed content to flaunt that fact
everywhere, including in Liz's face. When Liz asked about the stuff that
had been arriving in his locker, he replied that he'd just put it all in a box,
not bothering to open the gifts or read the letters. Liz had spent that night
crying her eyes out.
"Your secret admirer, who could it be?
Can't you see, all along, it was me?
How can you be so blind as to see right thru me?...."
Ever since then, Liz had hidden her feelings completely, smiling and
helping Max with his relationship, only to cry her eyes out when he was
gone. She was so alone. It just wasn't fair.
With heavy sobs, Liz fell back on her bed and buried her head in the pillow
that Max had lain on when he'd been outlining his problem. It smelled of
soap and Axe and Max, and it made her cry harder. She was convinced
she'd never be happy.
"Oh, solitude
Still with me is only you
Oh, solitude
I can't stay away from you...."
"Oh, solitude
Forever me and forever you
Oh, solitude
Only you, only true...."
As the song ended, Liz gave a hiccup and blinked her swollen eyes,
fighting to stop the flow of tears as the same thought repeated in her head.
I'm going to be alone forever....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 1:
Max Evans sat in his beat-up Jeep outside his girlfriends house, nervously
tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He'd thought about taking things
to the next level with Tess for awhile now, but he'd always held back
because it had never felt quite right. When he'd talked to Liz an hour ago,
he'd been convinced he was ready, that it was time. Now, sitting in the
dark, the unease that plagued him every time he'd thought about going all
the way was back. And if it was back, then he'd been fooling himself, and
he knew it.
With a sigh, Max started the car and headed back to his house, cursing
himself for being such a sissy. Here he was, eighteen years old, a virgin,
and too uncomfortable with himself to make love to the girl he'd been with
for the last year. They'd discussed everything about their future in detail,
yet he didn't have the balls to take the first step toward cementing their
relationship, physically or emotionally. It was becoming ridiculous.
As he pulled into his driveway, Max decided he'd go talk to Liz about it
some more tomorrow. She was, after all, a girl and his best friend. Maybe
she could help him out with his problems.
Because if she couldn't, Max was convinced no one could.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Midnight. Liz's bloodshot eyes made out the numbers on her alarm clock
as she came out of her drunken stupor to the sound of someone knocking
on her balcony window. Standing, she stumbled to the glass and peered
out, groaning when she made out Tess's blond curls and blue eyes.
Dejectedly, Liz lifted the window and staggered back to her bed, collapsing
next to the half-empty bottle of vodka.
Tess stepped thru the curtains, looking gorgeous in her midriff-and-
cleavage-baring top and hip-slung blue jean flares. She glanced around
the room, taking in the clothing scattered around, the box full of
memorbrillia, and the bottle that Liz was raising to her lips, and frowned.
Liz only did this when she was extremely depressed. Although Tess had
only been around for one such incident, Max had filled her in. He'd claimed
that he had no idea what caused Liz to get so down, but Tess was pretty
sure she knew. And, as much as she hated the idea of giving Max up, this
had to stop.
Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, Liz slurred, "Whaddaya
want, Tess?" She was looking at Tess with jealousy and deep sadness in
her eyes. She was so sick of Tess getting everything she wanted, while
little Lizzie Parker had to sit back and watch all her dreams go up in
smoke.
"Liz, what's wrong?" Tess stepped carefully around the wooden box, noting
as she passed that everything inside had to do with Max. Not that Tess
was surprised. She'd had a suspition about this ever since she and Max
had gotten together. "Please, talk to me."
Liz shook her head stubbornly, before taking another gulp of the booze. "I
don' wanna talk to you, Tess. I wanna talk to Max, but he doesn' care wha'
I have to say."
"That's not true." Tess smiled sweetly, though her heart hurt a little. She
knew what she was going to have to do, but she was trying to put it off.
She was beginning to realize that she had run out of time. "Why don't you
call him and ask him to come over?"
Liz's brow wrinkled, as if she'd just remembered something of importance,
and she didn't like it. "Why aren' you wiff him? He was suppose'o make
looove to you tonigh'."
Tess blinked at this, but brushed it off. She knew Max was clueless to what
was really going on, otherwise he wouldn't have ended up with her in the
first place. It was time that Liz told Max the truth, and Max faced up to
what he was really feeling. "I haven't seen him, or talked to him, for that
matter, since yesterday." Tess picked up the phone next to Liz's
bed. "Here, I'll call him for you."
Liz rolled her eyes. "Sure you will...." She downed some more liquior.
Ignoring her, Tess dialed Max's cell from memory. He picked up on the
second ring.
"'Ello?" Max sounded out of breath, like he'd had to run to grab the phone.
"Hey Max. It's Tess. Look, you really need to get over to Liz's. She's on
another of her binges."
"What?! Why?"
"I don't know. She won't tell me. But she said she wanted to talk to you,
so...." Tess worried her lip with her teeth, hoping she was doing the right
thing.
"Okay. I'll be there in about five minutes." Max hung up without saying
goodbye, the worry in his voice still thick in Tess's ear.
Tess hung up the phone and looked at Liz. "He'll be here in a few minutes."
Liz nodded distractedly, not really paying much attention.
Tess sighed. "Liz, I came over to try and talk you into telling Max the
truth."
This got Liz's attention. She looked up at Tess slowly, suspitiously. "The
truth abou' wha'?"
"How you feel about him." When Liz started to protest, Tess shushed
her. "You've hidden it long enough, and you can't keep doing this to
yourself. It's time." She smiled at Liz and kissed her forehead. "I'll see
you tomorrow." And with that, she was out the window again, only
stopping long enough to press play on Liz's cd player.
"I hold my breath as this life starts to take it's toll
I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds
But, oh, God, I feel I've been lied to
Lost all faith in the things I have achieved...."
"And I, I've woken now to find myself
In the shadow of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
Away from this place I've made
Won't you take me away from me...."
The song brought tears to Liz's eyes, but she wiped them away furiously.
It didn't matter what Tess said. Liz had sworn that Max would never know
her secret. But how good it would feel to finally get it off her chest, to see
the look on his face.
Continuing to drink from her bottle, Liz let herself drift into daydreams of
what could happen if she told him. Fantasies of him taking her in his arms
and proclaiming his undying love to her, of kissing her senseless.... With a
smile, she said the words she wished she could say to him.
"Crawling thru this world as disease flows thru my veins
I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed
I can't go on like this
I loath all I've become...."
"And I, I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
Away from this place I've made
Won't you take me away from me...."
"I love you, Max Evans."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stood frozen outside Liz's window, his eyes wide, hand poised to
knock on the sill. He couldn't believe it. Liz loved him?
As he watched, Liz's eyes filled up with tears. She downed the rest of the
alcohol with a sob. "Why can't you see it? I love you, dammit!"
"Lost in a dying world
I reach for something more
I have grown so weary of this
Lie I live...."
"I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in
Away from this place I've made...."
"And it's time I told you." Resolutely, Liz stood up and stumbled towards
the window. She had her hand on the sill when she saw him standing on
the other side, and her eyes widened in surprise. Max could only stare at
her in shock, a thousand emotions warring inside him.
"M-max?" Liz whispered.
Without a word, Max turned and bolted to her ladder and down it.
Sobbing, Liz watched him go, sinking to the ground and burying her face
against her knees. What had she done?
"I've woken now to find myself
I'm lost in shadows of my own
I'm longing to be lost in you
Away from this place I've made
Won't you take me away from me...."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 2:
Max sat in his room, hearing Liz's words over and over.
"I love you, Max Evans."
She's not supposed to love me. She's my best friend. She's my confidant, she's
supposed to be like my sister.... Even as these thoughts went thru Max's head, he
knew. He knew, without a doubt that what Liz had said was true. Looking back
now, he could see all the clues, all the hints. And he'd ignored them, refusing
to acknowledge what had been in the back of his mind for years.
And what was worse, knowing Liz loved him had brought up feelings inside him.
Feelings he'd thought were for Tess and Tess alone. But he'd confused himself. The
feelings he'd attributed to Tess were actually aroused by Liz, but he'd had it in his head
that Liz was off-limits, and he'd gone to the next best thing.
It wasn't that Max didn't care deeply for Tess, but he realized now that he'd never really
loved her. And he had a funny feeling Tess knew what had been going on the whole time,
but had been trying to keep her nose out of it. He wouldn't be surprised if she was
working on the break up speech right now. Not that he was that worried about it....
Another thought hit him that stopped his breath. Every time Liz had gone on one of her
drinking binges, he'd been talking to her about Tess and himself. She'd taken to drinking
because he was ignorant and she didn't want to hurt him or mess with his life.
Why was he so blind? He'd been hurting her for at least a year, and he'd been completely
oblivious to it. How could he even call himself her best friend? It was unacceptable for him
to not have noticed something so important, something that had made Liz so depressed and
hurt. He felt selfish for letting things get this bad.
Suddenly, the words to a song Liz always played when he left her after their conversations
about Tess went thru his head.
"How many times have you told me you love her?
As many times as I've wanted to tell you the truth
How long have I stood here beside you?
I lived thru you, you looked thru me...."
"Oh, solitude
Still with me is only you
Oh, solitude
I can't stay away from you...."
Tears welled in Max's eyes as the lyrics played out in his head, and he was forced to realize
the extent of Liz's pain.
"How many times have I done this to myself?
How long will it take before I see?
When will this hole in my heart be mended?
Who now is left alone but me?...."
"Oh, solitude
Forever me, and forever you
Oh, solitude
Only you, only true...."
"Everyone leaves me stranded
Forgotten, abandoned
Left behind
I can't stay here another night...."
They'd made her the odd-one-out for a year, and none of them, not Maria, not Michael, not
Isabel, not Alex, and not Max himself had seen what it was doing to her. Only Tess, who'd
only known Liz a year to the rest of the groups 15 years, had picked up on what was going on.
"Your secret admirer, who could it be?..."
And that was another thing. Liz had been the one who left the gifts and notes in his locker at
school. And he'd talked like they were nothing, like she was nothing. No
wonder she'd look so devestated when he'd told her what he'd done with the items.
"Oh, can't see all along it was me?
How can you be so blind
As to see right thru me?...."
"Solitude
Still with me is only you
Oh, solitude
I can't stay away from you...."
"Oh, solitude
Forever me, forever you
Oh, solitude
Only you, only true...."
Standing up and swiping the tears off his face, he grabbed his keys and hightailed it to his Jeep.
He needed to talk to Liz now, before he hurt her any more than he already had.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Max reached Liz's balcony, the first thing he heard was the music blasting from Liz's cd
player in her room, playing another of the songs by the band she'd taken to listening to all the
time.
"I can't run anymore
I fall before you
Here I am
I have nothing left
Though I've tried to forget
You're all that I am
Take me home
I'm thru fighting it
Broken
Lifeless
I give up
You're my only strength
Without you
I can't go on
Anymore
Ever again...."
Under the music, Max became aware of desperate sobbing, and his heart clenched as he
realized how Liz must feel after watching him run. It had been over an hour since then, and
she was still crying. He crept to her window, expecting to see her on the bed, but she was
nowhere in sight.
"Liz?" Max murmurred as he leaned in the window.
The gasping sob came from beneath him, and he looked down to find Liz huddled in the fetal
position next to the window, where he'd last seen her. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying,
and there were angry tear-stains all the way down her face. She glanced up at him, then quickly
away, before saying hoarsely, "Go away, Max."
"My only hope
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace
(To walk away from you)
My only joy
My only strength
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power
My only life
(And love is where I am)
My only love...."
"No." Max climbed in the window as he muttered the word, his eyes following the path of a
tear as it escaped from beneath her closed lashes. She was shaking, her arms wrapped tightly
around herself, as if she was afraid she'd fall into little pieces if she loosened her grip. He
knelt before her and reached out to wipe away the tear.
Liz must have seen what he had planned, because she jerked backwards, almost falling over
because of her stiff muscles. She shook her head at him as she huddled into the corner, even
though it was only about a foot away from him. She scrunched herself into a ball, trying to make
herself as small as possible as another sob erupted from her throat.
Max blinked, fighting back the pang of hurt that had sprung from her retreat. After all, she had
every right to not want him near her. He'd abandoned her in a moment of need, and made it
out to be something that was wrong. No matter how much it hurt him, it had hurt her worse, and
he had to remember that.
"Liz, please, I need to talk to you." He crawled forward, reaching out to her again.
Liz kept shaking her head. "Please don't touch me. It doesn't mean anything to you, so don't
pretend it does."
"But I'm not pretending." Max let the tears he'd been keeping at bay come. He wanted her to
see that he was telling the truth, that he wasn't just here to make empty promises to make her
feel better for the time being. "I'm sorry, Liz. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
Liz sniffled, and he saw a spark of anger enter her eyes.
"I can't run anymore
I give myself to you
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
In all my bitterness
I ignored
All that's real and true
All I need is you
When night falls on me
I'll not close my eyes
I'm too alive
And you're too strong
I can't lie anymore
I fall down before you
I'm sorry
I'm sorry...."
"Well, you should have." Liz's furious words lost some of their luster in light of her cracking voice.
She let her eyes meet Max's straight on as she sniffled. "I tried everything short of just shouting
my feelings for you, but you didn't want to see it. You knew, you just didn't want to acknowledge
it. It would have messed up your perfect little world." Her voice got thicker as she spoke. "You
were only thinking of yourself, and Tess made it easy. Me loving you would have made things too
complicated so you...." She trailed off as she began sobbing again. She tried to finish, but the lump
that had formed in her throat refused to let her speak past it.
Max shook his head. "No, Liz. Until I heard what you said, it had never even crossed my mind that
you might feel that way about me." When the tears and sobs came faster, he realized she'd taken
his words wrong. He tried to elaborate better. "I mean, asking you out had crossed my mind, but I
never really thought you'd go for it. I feel so stupid now." His voice trembled as he made his
confession.
"My only hope
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace
(To walk away from you)
My only joy
My only strength
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power
My only life
(And love is where I am)
My only love...."
Liz looked up at him as she fought to calm herself. "Then why did you run to Tess the second she
showed up? You never even bothered to show any interest in me."
Max scratched behind his ear, turning a little red. "Well, it was a little embarassing that I had a crush
on my best friend, and Tess was a perfect distraction. I thought that the crush had gone away and I'd
fallen for Tess, but I hadn't, I'd just been desperate to get rid of the feelings I was having." He
couldn't believe he was actually telling her this. It had been over a year since he'd even thought about
anything like this. "It sounded like a good idea at the time."
Liz gave a snort as her sobs quieted to hiccups. "I'll bet."
"Constantly ignoring
The pain consuming me
But this time it's gone too deep
I'll never stray again...."
"My only hope
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace
(To walk away from you)
My only joy
My only strength
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power
My only life
(And love is where I am)
My only love...."
"Please, Liz." Max looked at her imploringly, tears still glistening in the corners of his eyes. "Let me
try to fix this."
"I don't know if you can." Liz blinked back fresh tears as she took a shuddering breath. "It hurts too
much, Max. I can't keep doing this."
Max shook his head. "I don't want you to." At Liz's disbelieving look, he gave a small smirk. "Just
give me a chance, okay? Is it really so bad that you won't even let me try now that I know what's
been going on?"
Liz seemed to think about it for a second. "I suppose I can hear you out, at the very least."
"My only hope
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace
(To walk away from you)
My only joy
My only strength
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power
My only life
(And love is where I am)
My only love...."
"Thank you." Max stood, then reached his hand down to her hesitantly.
Liz took it slowly, and let Max help her up and lead her to the bed. They had a lot to talk about.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 3:
They sat in silence, staring at each other, not quite sure where to begin. Max
shifted uncomfortably as he tried to get his thoughts in order. He had so
much on his mind it was surprising his brain hadn't exploded. Now that he'd
realized the extent of his feelings for Liz, the need to tell her, to show her,
how he felt became more important than anything.
"Liz...." He turned to face her fully, crossing his legs indian style on the blue
comforter. "I know that I've been ignorant and mean the last year, taking you
for granted in every way possible. I've broken your faith in me, and I know
I don't even deserve to be called your friend. And I'm so sorry that I hurt
you." Max blinked, trying hard to keep his emotions in check, at least until
he could finish his little speech. "I know I don't deserve a chance to prove how
much you mean to me, but I'd like one just the same." He gave a ragged
exhale, and whispered, "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Catch me as I fall
Say you're here
And it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here
And I fall into myself
This truth drives me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
If I will it all away...."
Liz sighed. She had gone from being beyond depressed to just feeling
numb. Although she knew that she should be reacting to Max's speech,
she failed to see the point to anything anymore. After all....
"Wha' abou' Tess?" It came out of Liz's mouth in a slur. "Remember
her? Same height as me, blond curls, blue eyes, huge rack. Ring any
bells?"
Max frowned at Liz's description, but ignored her hostility. It was no
longer news that Tess made Liz uncomfortable, especially in the looks
department. Not that Liz had any reason to feel threatened. She was a
girl-next-door beauty with her long, dark brown hair and her chocolate-
colored doe eyes. Granted, she wasn't large in the chest department, but
that didn't matter to Max in the least. Not that that's what he was thinking
about or anything....
He shook his head to clear it and replied, "I think Tess has known about
our feelings for each other for awhile, but she was trying to stay out of
our buisness. Otherwise, I think she'd've stuck around."
Liz scowled at him. "Whatever. You're just trying to make excuses, and it's
not gonna work." She got unsteadily to her feet. "I think you should go
before I start crying again."
"Don't turn away
(Don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide
(Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes
(God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn off the light
(Never sleep, never die)...."
Max had stood up to make sure Liz didn't fall, and he looked
at her sharply when she made this comment. "No, Liz, I'm not leaving. Not now."
Tears began to gather in Liz's eyes as she looked at his earnest face. "Why are
you making this so hard? You're with her, you love her, so why don't you go
get on with your plans for the evening?" She turned away and stumbled toward
the bathroom, fighting the urge to throw herself against him and bury her face
in his shoulder. She didn't have that right; she was just the best friend, after
all.
In her haste, Liz stumbled over the clothes she'd tossed onto the floor earlier
in the night. Max caught her easily and pulled her against him, stroking her
back, pressing the side of her face into his collarbone with the other hand
under her hair.
Liz didn't struggle, just kept still except for the heaves of her chest as she
tried to keep her sobs under control. She was afraid of what might happen if
she moved anything more than that.
"I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know
That there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
And seem to be
Blinded by tears
I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
If I will it all away..."
"Liz, please," Max murmurred against the top of her head, inhaling the scent
that had always been hers. "I don't love her. I thought I did. I went to her
house after I left here and I just couldn't do it. It's never felt quite right,
and I didn't understand why. Not until tonight."
Liz stayed silent for a few moments before replying, "It doesn't matter." She
finally managed to pull away from him, taking two steps back. Her buzz was
gone, and things were becoming clearer, but she knew the facts. "You're still
with her, Max. No matter what I want, or you want, we can't do this, and you
know it."
Just then, Max's cell phone began ringing, and Liz stared at Max as he pulled
it from his pocket sheepishly. Flipping it open, he answered it without looking
at the caller ID. "Hello?"
"It's Tess. How's Liz?"
"Not so good." Max glanced at the young woman before him as he replied. "But not
as bad as before. What's up?"
"Look, Max, I can't do this. I can't keep coming between something that is so
obviously meant to be." Tess gave a soft chuckle on the other end of the line.
"I know I shouldn't've let this go on this long, but I kept hoping I was wrong.
But I know I'm not, so...."
"Are you sure?" Max asked, concerned.
"Yes, I'm sure. I think I've found someone. He's never going to be you, but I
think he'll do." Max could hear the smile in her voice, and he had to give a
soft laugh.
"Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" Max said.
"Okay. Night."
"Night." Max hung up the phone with a sigh of relief.
"Who was that?" Liz inquired, the anger still in her eyes.
"Tess."
Angry tears welled up in Liz's eyes again and she turned on her heel toward her
bathroom once again, but Max caught her arm. Liz stood stock still, refusing to
turn and meet his gaze.
"Don't turn away
(Don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide
(Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes
(God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn off the light
(Never sleep, never die)..."
"Let go." Liz said through clenched teeth, her voice shaking with pain and rage.
It wasn't fair. She never seemed to be enough for anyone, no matter how she tried.
She was to the point where she just wanted to give up.
Max's grip tightened, barely. "Never."
When Liz tried to jerk away, he used her momentum to swing her into his arms. They
stood there, faces inches apart, Liz's hands against his chest, his arm around her
back, staring at each other. "I'll never let you go. Not now that I've figured out
who I'm really in love with."
"Max..." Liz warned, but her voice was breathy, and her heart beat so fast in her
chest that it hurt. "Don't."
"I love you, Liz." He let out his breath, and it tickled her face, made her close
her eyes at the sensation, at the feelings that welled inside her at his words.
She couldn't let him be a fool. But could she stop herself from believing what he
said?
"Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
She beckons me
Shall I give in?
Upon my end
Shall I begin?
Forsaking all I've fallen for
I rise to meet the end..."
Max didn't give her a chance to try and argue. Instead, he pressed his lips against
hers in a light carress, but the way his body reacted was anything but subtle.
Without a thought, the hand that had gripped her arm moved behind her neck, angling
it so that he could deepen the kiss. His arm around her tightened, and he fought the
urge to press her back against the wall and ravage her.
Liz reacted instinctively to Max's touch. Her arms moved up his chest to wind around
his neck, pressing her body fully against the muscles of Max's. Her lips parted for
his questing tongue and his answering groan raised goosebumps on her flesh.
When her back met the wall, she moaned, loving the feeling of him against her. It
felt so right to be here with him, in his arms. How could she deny herself this?
"Don't turn away
(Don't give into the pain)
Don't try to hide
(Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes
(God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn off the light
(Never sleep, never die)..."
Because he's taken. The thought came unbidden to Liz's mind, and gave her will to
pull back. Resting her forehead against Max's, she gazed at his closed eyelids.
"What about Tess?"
"She broke up with me. Because she knew I was in love with you." He gave a small
smile, his eyes cracking open.
Liz stared at him in disbelief. "I'd call you a liar, but I know that you wouldn't
lie to me, especially about something like this."
"Good to hear." His lips brushed hers every time he spoke, and it made Liz's heart
skip. "Can I kiss you again now? Or did you have other questions?" He said it only
half-jokingly.
Instead of answering his question, Liz buried her fingers into the hair at his nape
and fused their lips together, causing Max to give a surprised growl of pleasure.
His hands gripped her hips, pressing her more firmly between the wall and his body.
He couldn't get enough of her. He knew they had to stop, but he didn't want to, and
the feeling of having her so pliable against him was making it very hard for him to
think straight....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 4:
"Is this real enough for you?
You were so confused
Now that you've decided to stay
We'll remain together
You can't abandon me
You belong to me...."
Liz could hardly believe she was in her room, pressed between Max's hard
body and the wall, his lips making a heated trail down her neck. It felt
too good to be true, but when he nipped at her earlobe, she knew she
couldn't be dreaming. It was too real to be anything but real.
Max's mind screamed at him as he continued to ravage the girl in his arms,
demanding that he come to his senses, but he couldn't stop. She fit against
him perfectly, and the taste of her skin and the sounds she made drove
away any willpower he might've had to pull away. His heart pounded hard in
his chest, echoing hers, as he returned to her lips, his tongue diving into
her mouth like it was the most natural thing in the world. He groaned
inwardly, wondering how he'd gone without her kiss for so long.
"Breathe in and take my life in you
No longer myself only you
There's no escaping me, my love
Surrender...."
Liz could feel Max's reaction to their activities against her stomach and
couldn't help it when her hips gyrated against him instictively. This
brought a ragged sound from Max and caused him to suck her tongue into his
mouth as he mimicked her movements. She became less and less aware of her
brain's warnings that they were going too fast as her body became electrified
and her heart sang with the feelings that were rejoicing within her.
Liz's mouth wondered to the hollow of his throat of it's own accord, and she
nibbled him there as their midsections danced against each other. Her blood
felt like molten lava, flushing her body and making it hard to breathe.
"Darling, there's no sense in running
You know I will find you
Everything is perfect now
We can live forever...."
It was no longer enough to just kiss and grind. The need to feel flesh
against flesh became overwhelming, and before Max could stop himself, he'd
slipped his had up the back of Liz's tanktop, tracing her spine as Liz did
the same. Her nails raked his back softly, and his body arched into hers,
and the need to feel her intensified. He couldn't stop, couldn't
pull himself away.
"Liz," he moaned against her mouth as she slid her hand around to his chest,
running her nails over his pecs and abs. He was on the edge of losing control,
and it was too soon. They weren't ready to take that step yet, but it was
hard to restrain himself with the way Liz was moving against him. "Liz, please..."
Liz bit his nipple thru his shirt, smiling at his gasp of surprise. "Hmmm,
please what?"
"Liz, you have to tell me to stop." Even as he said it, his hands began running
up her sides, stopping to rest his thumbs just under each breast. He took deep
breaths, trying to hold on to the last thread of his will.
She looked up at him thru her lashes, resting her forehead against his as her
hands settled on his hips. "What if I don't want you to stop?"
"Breathe in and take my life in you
No longer myself only you
There's no escaping me, my love
Surrender...."
Liz jerked him to her by the band of his jeans, her leg coming to rest on his
hip as she kissed him passionately. She ground against him, gasping at the
feeling of his arousal against her core. She felt the moment his control snapped,
and the growl that came out of his mouth made it obvious that he could take
no more of her teasing.
Without thinking, Max lifted Liz up, pinning her against the wall and wrapping
her other leg around his middle to help support her. He massaged her thighs
as his body quaked, his need to be one with her fueling a fire he hadn't known
existed until earlier that night. If it hadn't been for the slamming of the
front door of the apartment, Max was sure he would've taken her right then
and there.
"Breathe in and take my life in you
No longer myself, only you
There's no escaping me, my love
Surrender...."
Liz groaned in annoyance at the interruption, thinking it was Maria come to
lift her spirits or something. She started to return to her previous activities,
but Max was staring at her wide-eyed as they heard the voice outside her door.
"Lizzie?"
"Surrender..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 5:
"Meet me after dark again
And I'll hold you
I am nothing more
Than you see there
And maybe tonight
We'll fly so far away
We'll be lost
Before the dawn..."
Max let Liz slide down the wall as his eyes widened. It wasn't uncommon
for him to be in Liz's room this late at night, but he knew Mr. Parker wouldn't
be too happy with the fact that the door was closed with them both inside.
Especially if he realized what had been going on.
Liz quickly smoothed her hair back into place and straightened her shirt as
she motioned Max to the bed. "Yeah, Dad?" she called as she walked to the
door, and opened it just enough to show Max laying on the bed, pretending
to be drifting off to sleep.
Jeff Parker glanced at Max, then looked back at his flushed daughter. "I heard
some strange sounds when I walked in. What were you doing in here?" he
asked, shooting another look in Max's direction.
Liz wrinkled her brow, pretending to be confused. "I didn't hear anything. But
I was on the balcony writing in my journal." She motioned to her window. "Max
has been kinda back and forth for the last little while, so I decided to head out
there for a few minutes."
"Oh, okay. Maybe it was you coming in then," Jeff concluded. He looked down
at his daughter adoringly and smiled. "I know it's late, but your mother and I just
came home to pack. We have to head to Clovis for a day or two."
"Alright." Liz replied, giving her father a reassuring grin.
"We'll call to check in with you and give you important numbers and everything
tomorrow morning." Liz nodded as Mr. Parker added, "And remember the rule
about no boys staying the night, even if said boy's name is Max." He smirked
and kissed Liz's cheek, then turned to go back down the hall. "We'll see you on
Monday at the latest."
"Alright. Have a good trip. Love you." Liz closed the door, leaning her back
against it with a relieved sigh. As soon as she heard the front door close, she
climbed onto the bed and straddled Max's lap.
"Hmmm." Max mumbled, still pretending to sleep. But his eyes popped open
when Liz grinded into his lap, and with a growl, he sought out her lips.
"If only night can hold you
Where I can see you
My love
Then let me never ever
Wake again
And maybe tonight
We'll fly so far away
We'll be lost
Before the dawn...."
Moments later, Max's shirt was on the floor and Liz was tracing the lines of
his pecs, making Max arch into her touch. Liz smiled wickedly, loving the
power she had over him. She leaned down to trail kisses from his neck to
his chest, teasing his skin with her breath.
Unable to keep from touching her, Max slid his hands into her top and caressed
her stomach, making Liz shiver as his hands moved up her tummy to cup her
breast, which were encased in a sports bra. He stroked her nipple with his thumb,
letting go a low chuckle of satisfaction when she gasped. He thrusted his hips up
against her, making Liz give a moan of pleasure above him.
Without preamble, he flipped her over so she lay on her back and began ravaging
her lips, leaving a trail of heat down her neck to her chest. Her shirt was over her
head a second later, and he buried his face between her mounds, inhaling the
scent that belonged to her alone.
"Somehow I know that
We can't wake again
From this dream
It's not real
But it's ours...."
Liz threw her head back at his actions and hummed in joy. She moved her hips
against his as he continued to move beneath her. Soon, his movements became
stuttered, and, with a groan, he grabbed Liz's hips and held her against him.
They lay there for a moment, breathing heavily, Liz's head resting on Max's chest.
He looked down at her sheepishly. "Wow. Uh...."
Liz just smiled and moved so that he could get up, laying down on her back in her
bra and pajama bottoms.
"I'll be back in just a sec." Max moved to the bathroom and cleaned up the mess
he'd made in his pants. When he returned to the room, he found Liz on her side,
her breathing steady. Smiling at how adorable she looked, he slipped off his shoes
and jeans and climbed into bed next to her.
He pulled the blanket up and over her, cuddling her close, and whispered as he
drifted off to sleep, "I love you, Liz Parker."
"Maybe tonight
We'll fly so far away
We'll be lost
Before the dawn
"And maybe tonight
We'll fly so far away
We'll be lost
Before the dawn..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 6:
"I didn't hear you leave
I wonder how am I
Still here
And I don't want to
Move a thing
It might change
My memory...."
Liz snuggled further into her pillow, trying to fight off conscienceness. She
was having the best dream ever. Max was with her and he loved her. He and
Tess were no longer together so they could be. She sighed in contentment,
and tensed when a low chuckle reached her ears, throwing her to her senses.
Peeking open her eyes, she found an expanse of skin over firm muscle under
her cheek. She followed the chest up the neck to the face of the body she
was using as her pillow. There was Max, smiling sleepily, his hair mussed from
sleep.
"That tickled," he told her as he reached down to stroke her hair out of her face.
Liz jerked back, surprised by his presence for a moment. Then their activities the
night before came back to her, and she blushed at how erotic it had been. She
cuddled back into him with a small smile, erasing the frown that had marred Max's
features when she'd pulled away. "Good morning to you, too." She laid a kiss on
the skin over Max's heart, then rested her head over the same spot.
"You slept well." He made it a statement as he ran his fingers thru her locks
absentmindedly.
"Yeah," Liz replied. "Did you?" She looked up at him thru her lashes.
"Better than I have in forever." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and let
go a small sigh. "But I have to get up. I have to work in half an hour."
Liz yawned and reluctantly sat up. "What time is it anyway?"
"Ten-thirty."
"WHAT?!" Liz cried, jumping out of bed and running to her closet. "The Crash
was supposed to open hours ago!"
Max stood and walked to Liz who was trying to get her uniform off of a hanger.
Wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, he pulled her back from
the clothing. Nuzzling the side of her neck and tracing a line of kisses down her
throat, he replied huskily, "The Crash is closed for the weekend, as per your dad."
Liz stopped struggling and looked up at Max over her shoulder. "Really?"
Max nodded.
Liz squealed in delight, turning in his arms to lay a kiss on his lips. "Yay! No work
for me!" She wiggled in his arms in happiness, making Max release a sharp
breath when she brushed against the front of him.
Liz stopped, looking up at him. His eyes had already lowered halfway over his
expressive eyes, which burned with a desire that he was holding at bay. Slowly,
Liz lifted up on her tiptoes and touched her mouth to his, only closing her eyes once
their lips met. The kiss was meant to be gentle, to tell him that she understood how
he was feeling. But the kiss exploded into something far greater, his tongue
possessing her. His hands pressed into her back, fitting her against him with a
groan.
After a few moments, Max ripped his mouth away and rested his forehead against
hers, his breathing heavy. "If I don't let go of you right now, I'll never make it to work."
Liz gave him a sultry look, but slowly released her hold on his shoulders. She stared
into his eyes as she let go, then pecked his lips once more before she stepped back.
Max blew out his breath, then reached to the floor to get his discarded clothes. "I have
to run home and change." After sliding into his jeans and pulling on his shirt, he pulled
her back into his arms. "Have lunch with me?"
She smiled at how adorable he looked, looking at her like she was his world. With a grin,
she nodded her head in consent.
"Okay, I'll see you at two, okay?" He brushed a light kiss over her lips, then fled out the
window before he could do more.
"Oh, I am what I am
I'll do what I want
But I can't hide...."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It seemed like time wasn't passing at a normal rate. Liz had taken a shower and
primped herself before getting dressed in a red midriff-baring top and flaired black slacks.
Her hair was down around her shoulders, and she had on eyeliner, pink eyeshadow, and
just a little lipgloss. When she'd found it was only noon when she'd finished, she painted
her nails red to match the outfit and had tried to study.
Glancing at the clock for the umteenth, she saw it was finally one-thirty. Putting down her
Biology book without having read a word, she ventured down into the kitchen to fix a
meal for Max and herself. Looking thru the contents of the walk-in fridge and freezer, Liz
decided to just run to one of the fast-food places and grab something, and save the REAL
cooking for tonight, if Max wished to join her.
Twenty minutes later, she padded down the stairs into the bomb shelter that was home to
the UFO Center where Max worked, a bag in hand. She found Max at the information desk.
He smiled at her as she approached.
"Hey," he said, his voice taking on that husky quality that made chills go down her spine and
things low in her body clench in reaction.
"Hey." She held up the bag. "Lunch."
Max nodded. "Just let me tell Milton that I'm taking my break." He picked up the phone in the
booth and explained that he was taking his lunch hour. From the sound of it, Milton was
unconcerned. Hanging up, Max smiled up at Liz again. "Let's eat in the back room."
Liz followed Max to a door marked "Employees Only" and entered behind him. Setting the
food on a metal desk in the middle of the room, she glanced around at all the files and boxes
stacked on metal shelves throughout the area before sitting down.
"They contain cases about alien abduction, UFO sightings, government cover-ups. You know,
that kind of stuff," Max replied to her questioning glance as he pulled out the tacos she'd
purchased from the bag, handing her a Chalupa.
"Oh." Liz shot a look around the room again before her eyes settled on Max, who had started on
his first crunchy taco supreme droused in fire sauce. "How's work?"
"Good," Max answered after wiping some sauce off his lips. "Rather be at the Crash with you,
though." He smiled at her shyly.
Liz blushed and returned the smile. They talked about a little of everything as they ate their lunch.
With five minutes left to spare before he had to go back to work, Max slipped out of his chair and
helped Liz up, pulling her against him.
They stood like that for a few moments, just breathing each other in. Their hearts beat in time, and
they closed their eyes to savor the closeness they shared.
"And I won't go
I won't sleep
I can't breath
Until you're resting
Here with me
And I won't leave
I can't hide
I cannot be
Until you're resting
Here with me...."
"I have to go back to work," Max said quietly, pained. He didn't want to let go of her. He
wanted to hold her for the rest of the day and just be. But that wouldn't, couldn't happen
and they both knew it.
"I know," Liz whispered. "Want to have dinner with me?" She looked up at him, waiting for
his answer.
A brilliant smile broke across his face and he nodded. "I'd like that."
"Okay." Liz smiled back. "I'll see you around seven?"
"Earlier, if I have anything to say about it." Liz's laugh was silenced when his lips captured
hers in a fiery kiss. When they pulled away, Max stared into her eyes. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Then Liz turned and walked out of the room, before the things going thru
her head could become a reality.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Liz arrived home, she figured out what she was fixing them for dinner then laid down
on her bed to think. She contemplated calling Maria and filling her in on what was going on,
but decided against it. This was her little secret. Hers, Max's, and Tess's. She didn't want
anyone to know and then accidentally mess it up.
"I don't want to
Call my friends
They might wake me
From this dream
And I can't
Leave this bed
And risk forgetting
All that's been...."
With a sigh, Liz got comfortable and decided to take a nap to pass the long hours still ahead
of her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Liz awoke, she found Max next to her, fast asleep. Looking at the clock, she found it was
eight o'clock and frowned. She needed to fix dinner. But she stayed there in bed, gazing at
Max as he slept. She couldn't make herself move.
She traced his features with her finger lightly. His eyebrows, his eyes, his nose, and, finally, his
lips. When Max's lips opened slightly and touched her digit with his tongue gently, Liz looked back
at his eyes. They were open, and he was staring at her heatedly. Before Liz could do anything,
she found herself beneath him with his lips on hers in a passionate kiss. After a few moments,
Max pulled back and smiled down at her lovingly, making Liz's heart flutter.
She could imagine having him like this for the rest of her life.
"Oh, I am what I am
I'll do what I want
But I can't hide....
"And I won't go
I won't sleep
I can't breathe
Until you're resting
Here with me
And I won't leave
I can't hide
I cannot be
Until you're resting
Here with me...."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WARNING!!! NC-17!!!
Chapter 7:
"Some people say
Fallin' in love is purely chance
The random blend of time and place
Circumstance
That couldn't be further from the truth
'Cause with you...."
Max buried his face against the curve of her neck and breathed in the scent
that belonged to only Liz. It did erotic things to his body, making his breath
come faster as he smoothed his hand into the hair at her nape and gently
tugged her head to the side so he could taste her skin.
Liz let go a ragged breath when Max's tongue touched her neck, making her
shiver. Her body came alive like never before and she fought the urge to
moan as his teeth grazed her throat. "Max?" she said shakily, her hands
finding their way into his hair as she moved her head futher to the side to
give him better access.
"Mmmm?" Max replied as he kissed his way up to her face. He sprinkled
kisses over her cheeks and eyelids as Liz tried unsuccessfully to speak.
Pulling back only an inch or two, he stared into her eyes. "What is it, love?"
"I... I..." Liz was unable to articulate her words. Instead, she used the pressure
of her hands on the back of his head to fuse his mouth to hers, parting his lips
with her questing tongue.
"It wasn't the stars in the sky
That got to me that night
Or the music that we were dancing to
It wasn't the moon up above
That had me falling in love
It was more than all those things alone could do
It was you...."
With a groan, Max gave into her demanding kiss, unconsciencely grinding
his hips against hers. Their tongues fought for dominance, chasing each
other back and forth. Breaking the kiss, Max, made a hot trail down her throat
and once again tasted the skin there, moving downward quickly.
Liz twisted under him, her pelvis meeting his time and again in a futile attempt
to quell the ache in her loins. She quickly slid her hands down Max's back and
pulled at his shirt until he broke away enough for her to pull it over his head.
Rolling Max onto his back, she ripped her shirt over her head, baring her breasts
to his greedy gaze, before she bent over to lick a trail down his neck to his chest,
where she tweeked his nipples with her tongue, scoring his stomach with her
nails. She moaned as he grabbed her hips and pushed up against her core,
letting out a desperate sound when she nibbled at his upper abs.
Liz quickly got to work on his jeans, pulling at the button with shaking fingers
as she continued to tease his stomach. Just as the button FINALLY came out of
the hole, and Liz threw her hair over her shoulder to glance up at him, Max ran
his hands up her sides and cupped her tits, squeezing them gently as he moved
his thumbs over her hardened nipples.
Her head fell back with a cry, thrusting against him in reaction. A moment later,
she was once again on her back with Max wrestling with her own jeans. He
slipped them over her hips and, with her help, slid them down her legs and off,
leaving her in nothing but a pair of red boyshort undies. Max felt his balls tighten
at the sight of her, spread out on her bed, flushed from his attentions, wearing
nothing but that little piece of cloth over her most private anatomy.
Without even having to think about it, he lay down between her legs and, looking
up at her, lowered his mouth to her mound.
"I do believe that we are
All part of a greater plan
That only angels in our hearts
Can understand
Somehow I'd known
I'd found my place
When I saw
Your face..."
He laved her thru the thin lace, groaning at the taste of her. Unable to stop himself,
he pulled the crotch of her panties to the side and slipped his tongue into her,
revelling in her cry of reaction. After a few moments, he slid his mouth up to her
clit and began laving it, getting an even more enthusiastic sound from Liz's lips.
Slowly, he moved a finger to her entrance and slipped it inside, carefully moving
it in and out, pausing in his ministrations on her bud so he could watch her face.
Liz had her head thrown back as she moved, thrusting her hips up to meet his
digit. Her eyes were closed, her lips swollen, her breasts tight with the ache in
her belly. She'd fisted her hands into the sheets, clawing them.
As his cock hardened again at how wanton she looked, he returned to licking her
as his finger began to move faster within her. As her cries got louder, he added
a second finger to her twat, moving them in and out as he continued to tongue
her.
"Oh, God, Max!" Liz screamed, her hands moving to fist in his hair. "Oh, God, don't
stop." Her head thrashed on the pillow as her breaths became gasps. "OH, Max!"
she shreiked as she reached her climax, feeling herself explode into a million
pieces as Max continued to eat at her.
After lapping up all of her juices, Max moved up her body and kissed her fiercely,
moaning when Liz scratched her nails down his back, leaving a trail of delicious
fire in their wake and making the kiss become all the more passionate.
Ripping her mouth from his, she gave him a slight push. "Lose the clothes," she
told him in a husky voice.
And Max had no choice but to comply.
"It wasn't the stars in the sky
That got to me that night
Or the music that
We were dancing to
It wasn't the moon up above
That had me falling in love
It was more than all those things
Alone could do
It was you...."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 8:
"I will survive...
Without you...."
"Don't tell me
That you wanna leave..."
"If you wanna leave
I won't beg you to stay
If you gotta go, darlin'
Maybe it's better
That way...."
Tess sat on her bed, thinking over the events of the last twenty-four hours.
She couldn't believe she'd actually managed to break up with Max. She'd
imagined being with him for the rest of her life on many occations, but she
just couldn't go on with the pretense anymore. She knew that Max loved
Liz more than anything in the world, and it was time to let him follow his
true destiny. To be with Liz. If seeing Max at the Crashdown this evening
was any indication, they'd finally revealled their feeling for each other.
Max had walked in the front door of the Crash, whistling softly to himself,
a smile on his face and a dozen white roses in hand. He'd gone straight thru
the swinging doors to the backroom and vanished, so Tess assumed he and
Liz had a dinner date. She'd sat in her car, watching for a sign of them, so
she could confirm her theory, but neither had ventured downstairs, so she'd
returned to her apartment.
She was glad she'd done the right thing, instead of being selfish.
Now she was waiting for Kyle Valenti to come over, but she couldn't help
replaying all the good times she'd had with Max over in her head.
"I'm gonna be strong
I'm gonna be fine
Don't worry about
This heart of mine..."
"Walk out that door
See if I care
Go on
And go..."
"But don't turn around
'Cause you're gonna see
My heart breaking
Don't turn around
I don't want you
Seeing me cry
Just walk away
It's tearing me apart
That you're leaving
I'm letting you go
But I won't
Let you know
I won't
Let you know....."
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Tess said as she clutched the bar in front of
her on the rollercoaster at the carnival. "I hate coasters."
"Oh, c'mon, Tess," Max had replied, glancing back at the rest of the group,
who'd filed into the remaining seats in the cart. "It's not that bad."
"Easy for you to say," she'd muttered, her knuckles turning white.
Max took her hand in his, stroking his thumb over the bad of her palm. "I'm
right here. Everything's fine." And he grinned, before kissing her cheek.
The rollercoaster had started its accent to the top of the first hill, and Tess
clutched Max's fingers fearfully. As they rode along the twists and turns and
inclines, Tess found herself relaxing and smiling.
When the cart came to a stop afterwards and they got out, Tess jumped into
Max's arms and kissed him soundly on the lips. "That was great!" she
exclaimed. She smiled at Max, then at the rest of the group beyond him.
"Wanna go again?"
Cheers of approval sounded from everyone, except Liz, who'd watched with
stricken eyes.
That had been their first date, and the first incling she'd had of what was going
on with Liz. Once she and Max started dating, Liz had avoided most of the
group activities if Tess would be attending. She knew that Liz had nothing against
her, even liked her as a friend, she just couldn't take seeing Max with her.
So, she'd let him go.
"I won't miss
Your arms around me
Holding me tight
And if you ever
Think about me
Just know that
I'll be alright..."
"I'm gonna be strong
I'm gonna be fine
Don't worry about
This heart of mine..."
"I will survive
I'll make it thru
I'm even learn
To live without you...."
She was surprised to find that she wasn't as upset as she'd thought she'd be.
Tess actually felt better than she had in awhile. Who knew that a breakup
could make both people involved this happy?
"Don't turn around
'Cause you're gonna see
My heart breaking
Don't turn around
I don't want you
Seein' me cry
Just walk away
It's tearing me apart
That you're leaving
I'm letting you go
But I won't
Let you know....."
Not that Tess wasn't heartbroken. She was just coping better than most people did.
She really wished she could tell Max how much she loved him and yada yada, but
then he'd feel guilty and it would be counterproductive.
"I wish I could
Scream out loud
That I love you
I wish I could
Say to you
Don't go...."
"As he walks away
Feels the pain
Getting strong
People in life
That don't know
What's going on
Too proud to turn around
He's gone...."
Tess smiled sadly and stood as the doorbell rang. Even though she'd lost Max, she'd
kept her friends. She'd spent the afternoon hanging out with Maria and Izzy at the mall,
and she was supposed to hang out with the group tomorrow night. She was happier
than she'd been in a long time.
"Don't turn around
'Cause you're gonna see
My heart breaking
Don't turn around
I don't want you
Seeing me cry
Just walk away
It's tearing me apart
That you're leaving
I'm letting you go
Baby, don't turn around..."
"Don't turn around
Just walk away
It's tearing me apart
That you're leaving
I'm letting you go
Don't turn around....."
Later, as she cuddled beside Kyle while they watched the X-Men trilogy, she decided
that she'd definitely made the right choice.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WARNING: ANOTHER NC-17 PART!
Chapter 9:
Nude, Max crawled back onto the bed and cuddled up next to Liz, holding
her close. With a sigh of contentment, he kissed her temple.
Liz's fingers skimmed over his shoulder and over his chest, exploring his
masculine body appreciatively. She smiled at Max's sharp inhalation when
one finger circled his nipple, and he shivered. Dragging her nails downward,
she looked up at him thru her lashes as she played on his abdomen.
"Hey Max?" she whispered huskily. When he looked down at her with half-
lidded eyes, she smiled shyly. "I love you."
Smiling back, he leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips, murmurring his
reply against her mouth before deepening the kiss.
Triumphant, Liz's hand slid down his stomach and wrapped around Max's
impressive hardness.
Max jerked back with a groan of pleasure, his fingers clawing in the hair
at her nape in surprise. When Liz stroked him experimentally, his eyes
rolled back into her head, and he thrusted his hips up in open invitation.
Giving a hum of approval, Liz looked down at his magnificant anatomy,
watched how her hand moved over him, measuring his length and girth
as the ache in her belly reemerged, more exquisite than before. She
could visualize what she wanted to do, and slid down to fulfill a
fantasy she'd had for awhile.
When Liz's tongue gently traced the head of his cock, Max nearly came
off the bed. He gritted his teeth to keep from spilling his seed right there.
Looking down at her, he let out a husky whimper at the sight she was.
Her mouth surrounded the tip of his dick, her hair falling over her shoulder
and out of the way of his view. Her hand was wrapped around the base as
she sucked softly on him, making him wince in pleasure once again.
Liz managed to lower her mouth most of the way over him before she
pulled back again. She did it one, two, three times more, and then Max
pulled her away with a harsh groan, his breath coming short.
"As much as I love what you're doing," he whispered,"I don't want this
to be over before it really gets started."
Feeling heat rise to her cheeks, Liz gave a sexy smirk. Nodding, she
reached under her pillow and retrieved a condom. Tearing it open,
she noticed Max's surprised look. With a shrug, she answered his un-
asked question. "Better safe than sorry."
With a look of relief, Max leaned forward and tongued one pearled
nipple, laving it against the roof of his mouth as Liz moaned.
Pushing him away lightly, Liz slid down his body until she was straddling
his thighs and gave him one more lick for good measure before rolling
the latex down his shaft and stroking him a few times so she could hear
his sounds of ecstacy.
Unable to wait another second, Liz lined up their bodies and sank slowly
onto his rod, only going a few inches before stopping to adjust, then slid
a few more millimeters farther.
Max clenched his jaw, grimacing in reaction. But when he saw the unease
on Liz's face, Max realized something.
Liz was a virgin.
Putting his hands on her hips, he tried to stop her. "Liz, wait...."
Liz smiled at him through her slight discomfort and leaned down to give
him a soft kiss. "I'm fine, Max." She went down a little farther, and Max
felt himself brush her virginal wall. Cupping his cheek, she kissed him
again, a little harder, and thrust herself downward, crying out in pain
as he groaned in pleasure.
Liz collapsed on top of him, and he felt her tears drop onto his chest.
As he rolled her under him, Max's heart consticted in sorrow and he
stroked her hair to sooth her the best he could. When her tears subsided,
he lifted her face and slid a finger over her cheek.
"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, searching her eyes. When she
nodded he continued. "Why'd you do that?"
"Because, it felt right." She gave him a smile. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he replied, kissing her gently.
After a few moments, the kiss grew into a passionate game of tag,
and Liz moved her hips slightly to test how it felt. She felt Max go
rigid with restraint, forcing himself to lay still. When she felt almost
no pain, she moved under him again, pushing him deeper into her
cavern.
"Liz," Max breathed thru gritted teeth. "I won't be able to hold on if you
keep doing that."
"Then lose control," she replied and met his eyes.
Groaning in defeat, he began pumping in and out of her, entwining
their fingers as he pushed them closer and closer to the edge. He
knew it wouldn't take much for him to lose it. Wanting Liz with him,
he reached one hand down between their bodies and stroked her
sensitive bundle of nerves.
Liz gave a cry of elation and wrapped her legs around his waist as
he went up onto his knees to get a better angle. She watched his
face as he took her harder, faster, deeper, until, just as she went
over the edge, he let out a howl of release.
Afterward, Max rolled onto his side, pulling her with him so she lay
half on him, her head cushioned on his chest under his chin. As
they drifted back to sleep, they whispered words of love and forever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 10:
The next day, the group met in the Crashdown. Michael and Alex pushed together three tables in the
center of the restaurant while Maria and Isabel made two Men in Blackberry pies and secured vanilla
ice cream from the diner's freezer. Tess arrived a few minutes late, blaming Kyle for the tardiness
playfully. The others looked on, confused, as Tess and Kyle flirted, then became alarmed when the
two kissed. Maria opened her mouth to comment when the swinging door to the backroom opened
to reveal Max and Liz, smiling and holding hands as they went to join their friends.
Maria's eyes widened and her mouth hung open, as Isabel, Alex, and Tess grinned happily at the
couple who'd just joined them. Max and Liz practically glowed, and Tess made a mental note to
ask Liz how things were going when they were alone.
Michael looked up as he set the steaming pies and the ice cream in the center of the tables, a
scowl creasing his brow when Max leaned over to kiss Liz's temple. He and Max were the
best of friends, but Liz was like his baby sister, and he treated her as such. When Max glanced
at Michael, the latter gave the first a look that said they'd talk later.
Everyone grabbed a seat, except Maria, who stood staring at the two dreamers in surprise. Only
when Tess looked at her in concern and called her name did Maria finally come out of her stupor.
As she sat down, Maria looked between Max and Liz and Tess.
"What is going ON?" Maria asked, bewildered.
"I thought it would be obvious," Tess replied with a shrug.
"Well, it's NOT, so what gives?!" Maria exclaimed, irritated that she wasn't in on whatever was
going on.
"I broke up with Max," Tess replied.
"And Max overheard me talking to myself, saying I loved him," Liz inserted.
"And I realized I was in love with Liz, and had always been," Max continued.
"So, now I'm dating Kyle, and Max and Liz are together," Tess finished.
The three shared smiles with Izzy, Alex, and Kyle, and Michael smirked as Maria laughed.
"It's about damn time," Alex said. "I'm glad it's finally out in the open."
Isabel squeezed Liz's hand. "I'm so happy for you. Alex is right." She looked over at her Max
with a raised eyebrow. "It IS about time that my darling brother got a clue." Izzy glanced at
the other blond. "No offence, Tess."
"None taken," Tess answered, a serene look settling over her features as Kyle slid an arm
around the back of her chair.
As everyone dug into their pie and ice cream, talking about everything and nothing, Liz looked
at Max to find his eyes on her. They shared a secret smile, and a short but love-filled kiss
before turning back to their friends.
They were together, all of them, and they'd never be lonely again.
THE END