A/N - I'm back with a new part but before I get to that I just want to point out that you are not meant to "like" Maria in this story, that wasn't my plan, so I understand how pissed you guys are with her and I can't say it will get better! lol!
Thanks for the "heated" but GREAT f/b guys
LittleHottie510 - Thanks *twin* love you!
Frenchkiss70
Earth2Mama
Gaby7tvm - Hey there! Yeah I actually like Liz alot lol! But you will understand not so much in this part but the next one how Max feels about everything that has happened as well as in further parts to come.
NewYorker18
Lullaby
linliz68
livia - Max is definetely not a saint at all in this story and he knows it more than anyone else.
begonia9508
pookie76
Itzstacie
g7silvers
roswellluver
Emz80m
kay_b
sweetbrowneyes
Dreamer06
MilesToGo99
I am a dreamer
FSUMSW94
anonymousarfan
Lukers
Chapter 4
“Maria, you’re a girl… you’re supposed to be good at these types of things.” Max says while he and Maria browse through their tenth store in the mall in search of the perfect present for his cousin, who’s coming to visit next week. It’s her twenty-first birthday and he wants to get her something special. He hasn’t seen Serena in over six months, although he talks to her on the phone every night.
They don’t get to see each other that often because she lives in Chicago with her parents. For Max, Serena epitomized everything to do right in your life. She finished high school, went to college and is working her way up the latter to becoming editor in chief of a book publishing company. Max always knew she would be doing great things in life, he hoped that for her more than anything. Her parents were, as his father would so bluntly state, “Self centered, egotistical morons who care more for themselves than their own family.”
Things between his uncle and father never went smoothly, they always disagreed on everything. When to move out, get married, start a family and his father didn’t want to be bound by someone else’s rules or beliefs on what’s right and wrong. So, although Max got to see his cousin, they were always short visits, but they always had their telephone conversations.
“Look Max, I only met the girl… what, once? How the hell am I supposed to know what she does and doesn’t like?” Maria was tired and still very irritable from yesterday’s confrontation with Liz. She just couldn’t help herself and to be honest she doesn’t even remember everything she’d shouted, but she wasn’t sorry about it. She knew Max was upset but he hasn’t said anything about it…yet.
“I know that Maria, but I mean I don’t know what to get her. I want it to be something that will make her smile and…” He knew he was whining at this point, but he was just so frustrated. Maria stopped walking and reached out her hand to him. Max turned and looked back at her and slipped his hand in hers.
“Max we need a break, so why don’t we get something to eat, then we can start looking again.” Max simply nodded and they headed towards the food court.
****
“Chris, come on! I just need for you to look at them with me. God! It’s our wedding but I’m the only person doing anything for it.” Liz was beyond frustrated with her fiancé, she understood that he worked hard but he hasn’t given her any input for the wedding arrangements at all. Liz picked the day, the place, the colors, the food…everything. Now, she was simply asking him to come and look at the invitations, but he wasn’t interested.
“Liz, honey look just pick whatever, I really don’t care. I have about a half hour so I wanted to spend it with you alone, not in some crowded mall.” He was not understanding at all to her needs and wants. He never has, and never would. Chris wanted to marry Liz because he cared about her and knew she would never leave him as long as he kept her happy. Besides that, his parents loved her; he loved her too… in his own way. She was his safety girl, not the one he spent his nights with but definitely the one he came home to.
“You act like you don’t give a shit if we get married in a barn or reception hall, it’s like no matter what you don’t want to have anything to do with this wedding!” Liz was furious and hurt more than anything. She always imagined that when she got married her fiancé would want to be a part of all the wedding details. Now she understood that since he was a man, he wouldn’t care too much, but all she was looking for was for him to show a little bit of interest.
“Stop whining Liz, it’s not becoming at all. Now go look at the invitations and let’s get out of here!” He raised his voice because he was tired of having the same arguments with her day in and day out about this wedding. He was beginning to think it just wasn’t worth it; the reward was maybe not worth all this aggravation.
Liz couldn’t believe it, what was his problem with her all of a sudden? She knew she was not being unreasonable about things. At first she thought she was, but now she knew it wasn’t her. “Stop yelling at me!” Liz said just as both her and Chris rounded the corner slamming straight into Max and Maria.
“Watch where the hell you’re going!” Maria shouted before she even had a chance to see who ran straight into her.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you.” Liz looked up at Maria; at the exact moment Maria recognized Liz’s voice. Max quickly spoke up before Maria had a chance.
“Hi Liz!” He didn’t realize how glad he would be to see her again, but he was. He also couldn’t hold back the smile that formed at his mouth.
“Max! Hi.” Liz said a little too enthusiastic for Chris’s liking. He cleared his throat grabbing the attention of both Liz and Max. Maria just stood by watching the small exchange between Max and Liz, and she didn’t like it one bit. She would be sure to talk to Max about that later.
“Oh, honey this is Max and Maria, we… I… they…” Max saw how uncomfortable Liz looked and decided to help her out. He held his hand out to Chris.
“We were friends back in high school; it’s nice to meet you.” Chris was a little wary. After all, this guy was just looking at his fiancé a little too friendly for his liking but decided to brush it off. Chris extended his hand shaking Max’s. Then he turned to Maria to say hello.
Maria simply stood next to Max with her arms crossed, she didn’t care who this guy was, and she saw it as another dig at Max from Liz. Max softly elbowed Maria’s side, trying to get to her to be a little friendlier than she was being at the moment.
“Yeah, nice to meet you. Look Max, can we get going? I have to meet Michael.” Max simply nodded and they bid their farewells to one another.
“You know Maria, you could have been a little friendlier and he didn’t do anything to you.” Max was upset that the time he spent with Liz was cut short because of Maria. He knew he was pathetic, but seeing her again yesterday and again today did something to him. It made him happy and he didn’t want Maria ruining it for him.
“No Max, I couldn’t because she did that on purpose. I don’t know why you’re so blind when it comes to her!” She didn’t, she never could understand Max’s obsession with Liz Parker. Even when she and Liz were friends and he would just sit in class and follow her with his eyes, she didn’t get it. He could have any girl and he did, but something changed when he started dating Liz, he became even more obsessed with her. She, to this day, still didn’t understand why he cheated on her. He obviously liked her a lot, which was no secret, but why? She figured he would never talk about it, and so far he’d held that secret.
“No she didn’t Maria.” He sighed in exasperation; he was tired of this endless conversation that had been going on since yesterday. “She was just as surprised to see me and I was to see her.” Maria simply kept walking ahead of Max after she let out a little huff.
“What is that supposed to mean, why are you so pissed off Maria? It’s been years let it go already… I have.”
“No you haven’t Max! You say you have, but I saw the look you gave her and trust me… so did her fiancé.” Max knew she was right but he didn’t care at the time, now he realized how inappropriate that was.
“Fine, Maria. Look, let’s just go, I’ll have to come back with my mom or something.” Max said while walking passed Maria.
“Good! Great!” Maria shouted after Max.
****
For the entire car ride home, Liz was silent. Chris really didn’t mind at all, he was just thankful he was able to dodge wedding details for another day.
Liz couldn’t get the expression on Max’s face out of her mind. She thought he looked… happy? She couldn’t understand why he would be; after all, she threw her engagement in his face. Still she couldn’t help but smile at him, she knew she shouldn’t be happy to see him but she was. He looked at her the way he did when they were dating, like she was special and important to her. No! She knew she was wrong, he was just pretending, but it still felt good to see him again.
“Are you okay Liz?” Chris asked as they pulled up to their apartment, he noticed that his fiancé has been staring out her window for the entire ride with a small smile adorning her face.
“What? Oh yeah, I’m fine; I just need to lie down for a little while. It’s been a long day.” Liz tried to cover up the far away look she knew she had on her face. She couldn’t stop thinking about Max and she knew that she needed to change that right away.
“Alright, well I’m going to head over to the site for a little while, maybe we’ll go out to dinner tonight.” Chris said as he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips before she exited the car.
“Okay, love you.”
“Love you too Liz.” After he pulled away, Liz headed inside to take a much-needed rest.
****
“Mom! I’m home!” Max shouts as he and Maria enter the living room. Diane emerges from the kitchen cradling her granddaughter against her chest.
“Hi honey, Maria. How was shopping?” She asked knowing by the look on both their faces that things didn’t go well and if that wasn’t enough of an indication the fact that they were not carrying any bags was a red flag.
“It was okay, I didn’t find anything for Serena though, so I’ll have to go back.” Max said while crossing the room quickly to pluck his daughter from his mother’s arms.
“How was she?” He places a kiss on her forehead before gently laying her against his chest while rubbing her back when she started to fuss.
“She was good, as usual, but she’s been fussy, I think she missed you.” Max grew worried; he started to feel her body to make sure she wasn’t getting sick. So far she has had a few ear infections that went away fairly quickly with medication. That was; of course, only after they found out she was allergic to penicillin. She had broken out in a really bad rash all over her body and Max was panicked because he didn’t know what was wrong. When they took her to the hospital it was confirmed that she was indeed allergic and after a week the rash went away and she was able to take a different type of medicine for her infection. He hated it when she was sick or in pain, because he couldn’t help her, he couldn’t fix it and that left him paralyzed with fear. His baby was hurt and he couldn’t do anything about it but hold her until she would fall asleep, but he never left her side.
“Max she’s fine, no fever or anything. She just wants her daddy that’s all.” Max lifts Kylei up in the air so she’s hovering over him, with her yellow jumper that has little white bunnies all over it. “Are you okay sweetie? Did you miss me? I missed you pumpkin.” He smiles brightly when he looks at her, then brings her back down and places kisses all over her face. She squirms but she loves it, she nuzzles her head against his chest and bunches his T-shirt into her tiny fist. She starts making little gurgling noises, and smiling and Max knows that she’s okay, even though she can’t speak, not for a lack of trying on her part of course, when she makes certain noises it’s like he knows what she’s saying. Diane could not figure out how that was possible but he did. It was their way of communicating, unbelievable to her if she didn’t see it with her own eyes.
Maria was sitting on the couch while all of this was going on, but the second Max placed Kylei back in his arms, she rises from the couch to place a kiss on Kylei’s cheek. “Hey beautiful. You missed your daddy didn’t you? Don’t worry he missed you more.” Maria gives Max a smile after she places one last kiss on Kylei’s cheek. Kylei removes her tiny hand from her father’s chest to reach for her aunt.
“Hey there cutie pie! Did you miss me too?” Kylei gives a tiny smile and returns to burying her head in her daddy’s neck. “Well I have to go and get ready for my date with Michael.” Maria says while placing a kiss on Diane’s cheek then makes her way to her room.
“Is everything okay Max? I mean with Maria?” She sensed the tension in the room between them. She wondered what that was all about.
“Yeah…No, she’s mad at me because of Liz.”
“Liz?” Diane hadn’t heard that name for years, at least not from her son’s mouth. Max takes a seat on the couch; he figures he better get comfortable since he has yet to discuss with his mother what happened yesterday. Max places Kylei in his lap and pulls one of her toys off the coffee table. She takes it eagerly and places it in her mouth immediately.
Max begins to tell his mother everything that happened yesterday and just this afternoon, she wasn’t sure how to take the news. She knew what happened between her son and Liz, she knows that it was his fault just as much as he knows it’s his; she just doesn’t go around reminding him of that though.
“So that’s why Maria is mad at you then? She thinks you’re being light on Liz or something?” Diane understands Maria’s closeness to Max but sometimes she wonders why she holds so much animosity for a girl she used to be best friends with. She knew that Liz failed to keep contact, but she didn’t blame the girl, especially after Diane found out what her son did. She definitely didn’t approve of it, but she knows he’s not the same person he was three years ago, he’s what she likes to call, a work in progress.
“Yeah, but she’s wrong mom. I mean, I cheated on Liz twice while we were dating, I was wrong and it was completely my fault, but for some reason, it’s like Maria has forgotten that or something.” It was true Max couldn’t figure out why it seems like Maria just brushes what he did under the table, like it never happened. No matter how many times he tries to address it with her, she says it was years ago and he’s changed. She tells him that he shouldn’t hold it against himself, but he does. The reason he does, it’s because he lost Liz because of it, so he can’t forget it or pretends that it never happened. But he also can’t regret it either, he can only regret the way she found out, but not the fact that they are not together because that would mean his daughter; his world, would not exist. No, Max was not willing to give her up for anything.
“I know honey; I don’t know what to tell you to do but talk to Maria about it. Maybe she thinks you’re past it and doesn’t want to keep pushing you down with it or something. I’m sorry I don’t have better advice for you, but just be honest with your feelings.” With that Diane leaned over, giving her granddaughter a quick kiss, as well as placing one on her sons’ cheek before leaving the room to finish dinner.
****
Liz had a very restless nap. Her mind kept wandering back to the last two days, the words, the looks and the thoughts that were running rabid through her mind. Why does he still affect me? She thought to herself. She was trying to convince herself that she had no feelings for him, but that wasn’t true and after a few minutes she knew it. Deep down she still held onto ‘what if’. What if he didn’t cheat on her? What if she never found out? Would they still be together? The scenarios were endless but the fact remained it happened and she can’t change it. She felt like she was a bad person for even thinking it, because after all she was getting married in less than five months to Chris, whom she loves. Is he her soul mate? Liz knows with all her heart the answer to that question and the answer is no.
****
“Alright is my baby girl ready for her bath?” Max leans in and places a kiss on his daughters belly before placing her in the tub for her bath. She loved bath time; she splashed and made funny faces when the water would hit her face. Like she couldn’t breath then she would giggle, it would warm Max’s heart to see her like that. He would laugh right along with her.
After a few minutes he went to washing her hair, he slowly placed a little shampoo on her hair and then slowly cups water in his palm to rinse it out. Meanwhile she’s kicking the water everywhere as usual. Max has to mop the floor every time after he gives her a bath, but he doesn’t mind because his daughter loves it. Just then she plops her leg into the water and a big splash of water lands right in Max’s face. She looks up and sees the water in her daddy’s face and just giggles.
“Oh you think that’s funny huh? If only you were older cause daddy would splash you right back.” He finishes giving her a bath and wraps her in a towel and takes her out to her room, gently placing her on the changing table. He pulls out her light pink pajamas, he loves her in pink because her skin has an olive tone to it and with her dark hair he thought she looked absolutely beautiful…perfect. He didn’t even want to try to imagine what she would look like when she got older; no he wanted her to be his baby forever.
“Alright let’s get downstairs so daddy can eat his dinner. Are you hungry pumpkin? I bet you are. I still don’t know how you eat that mashed up food though. I’ll have to teach you the techniques of fine eating when you’re older.” He hugs her protectively to his body and makes his way downstairs.
On his way he passes by Maria’s room, he thinks about stopping in and just making sure she was okay but decides against it.
“Oh is my angel all washed up and ready for dinner.” Diane says while finishing setting the table.
“Yes mom I’m all washed up and ready!” Max says jokingly to his mother, because he knew damn well she was talking about Kylei.
“Very funny Max. Oh Maria is going out tonight, right?”
“Yes, with Michael.” Max says while placing his daughter in her high chair pushing it next to his seat at the table so he can feed her. They serve themselves and begin to eat in silence, when Maria enters the room.
“Hey guys! I’m going to be heading out in a few minutes but I will be back early because Michael has to work in the morning.” She steps closer to the table and Max watches her closely, she seemed okay, he thought. He decided that they needed to talk when she returns later on.
“How many jobs does he have now?” Diane asks as she rises to deposit the plates in the sink to wash.
“He’s down to only two now, he had to quit the other one due to the fact that he wasn’t sleeping longer than an hour a day, and he was killing himself.” Maria said with a concerned look on her face. Max knew exactly what Maria was talking about; in fact Max is the one that convinced him to quit, a small fact that remains a secret between the both of them.
“I see, well have a good time.” Diane begins to wash the dishes without another word.
“Maria, when you get back home tonight can you stop by my room?”
“Yeah sure Max.” With that Maria turns and places a kiss on top of her nieces’ head of curls and leaves the room.
Max was busy removing his daughters bib; he lifts her up and places her in the playpen in the corner of the kitchen. They had one in every room of the house, since his mother would have to clean the house and watch her at the same time; it was the easiest thing then to have to leave her in a room by herself for very long.
“Mom, let me finish the rest.” He tries to step in and take over the washing, but his mother refuses.
“No Max it’s fine, besides I’m almost done.” He nods and heads over to the table to remove the placemats to shake them off.
“Max?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you something?” He turns to face his mother on the other side of the counter.
“Sure of course you can, you can ask me anything, you know that.” She just smiles and turns off the water to walk around and stand in front of him.
“Why don’t you date sweetheart? I mean it’s been what, six months? Honey, you need to get back out there. You can’t stay home with your mom forever and you can’t hide behind your daughter.”
“I’m not hiding mom, I’m tired after work, playing and taking care of Kylei, it all wares me out.” He says in his defense but if he was honest that was exactly what he was doing. It has been several months, years if he counts before he and Cassandra got together that he has dated anyone.
“Alright I’m not pushing you but it might be nice that’s all I’m saying.” She says while running a hand down the side of her only child’s face.
“I know mom, I’ll think about it, but right now I’m going upstairs to relax until Maria gets home.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night mom.” He takes his daughter out of her playpen and makes his way upstairs.
He places one foot inside of his bedroom before his telephone starts ringing. He quickly makes his way around his bed to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hey sexy, how are you doing?” Max rolls his eyes and takes a seat on the bed placing Kylei on her back and rubbing her belly as he addresses his caller.
“Real funny, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? Seriously it’s getting old.”
“Yeah right Max, you know you love that name. Besides what are cousins for if not to make fun right?”
“Ha, ha, right whatever, so what’s going on? I can’t wait until you get here!” Max says enthusiastically, he cannot wait until she gets here.
“Two weeks, then you’ll be graced with my presence. I’m doing okay, you know… same shit, different day. How’s my adorable niece who looks just like me doing?” Max lies down next to his daughter while laughing into the phone at his cousin’s comment.
“Ah, no she looks like me, not you so get over it.”
“Actually Max you and I could pass for twins, except for our eye color so yes she does look like me.” Serena states, knowing what she’s saying is right. Her eyes were greener than Max’s who has a more honey-gold color to them. Other than that difference they looked identical.
“Okay I’ll give you that one, but she and I have the same eyes so I will say I have that one up on you, so she looks like me.”
“Aww your right, she’s going to be sexy just like her daddy when she grows up.” Max springs up from the headboard.
“Sexy?! No! My daughter is not going to be sexy! Beautiful, pretty and smart yes, but not sexy!”
“Oh sure daddy whatever you say.” They both laugh into the phone.
“She’s doing good Sere; she’s getting so big I can’t believe it.” He says in awe, it’s true she’s growing up so fast.
“I know, so what’s new with you Max?” That’s a loaded question, he thought. Since he keeps nothing from his cousin he decides to tell her.
“I saw Liz yesterday and then again this afternoon. She’s getting married and I met her fiancé. Maria is not happy, to say the very least.” He sighed into the phone placing the phone between his shoulder and cheek to pick up Kylei and lay her on his chest.
“Wow! I mean, after all this time she comes to town, I wonder why? I mean did she say why Max?” Serena asked genuinely concerned over her cousin’s feelings. She knew everything about Max, how many girls he’s been with and when, she even knew when Max was cheating on Liz, and although she seriously advised him against it, she knew she couldn’t change his mind at the time. Now though, Max has grown up and learned to own up to his responsibilities and his mistakes.
“She said that her fiancé was here for work, he’s a contractor or something. Anyway she came in and asked how I was, and when I asked her she told me she was great and that she was getting married. Married Sere, I still can’t believe it, you know? It’s like this is all a dream. I know I shouldn’t even think about her, but I do.” He knew he was acting desperate but he couldn’t help it, it’s like now that she’s back he doesn’t want her to leave again because maybe this time it would be forever.
“I know Max, I know you do. And I’m sorry things turned out like they did, but you are past that. You fucked up really bad and she hasn’t forgiven you and to be honest, because you know I always am with you; you don’t deserve it Max. She doesn’t know you now, she doesn’t know about your life, just like you don’t know about hers. How long is she here for?” Serena was always honest with Max, she held nothing back. If it hurt him she was sorry but if it was the truth then he needed to hear it.
“I don’t know, probably not long. She’ll be gone again Sere and what if she never comes back?” His voice begins to shake from the emotion he’s feeling.
“Max, maybe you need to let her go for good. I know you don’t want to, but what are you going to say to her? Sometimes you have to let go no matter how hard it might be. If she wants to talk, she knows where to find you. And unfortunately, that’s the way it has to be because even if you found her and you apologized, if she’s not ready to hear it, it won’t matter to her. She has to want it; she has to want to know why you did what you did. And the only advice I can give you for that one is be honest, even if it hurts her, she deserves the truth. Even if it’s just to say that you were a horny bastard.” She says seriously to him.
“What if…”
“No Max, it’s not up to you anymore, there can be no more what ifs for you. I’m sorry but that’s the way it is. The what ifs lie with Liz now. I hope she does though Max, I really do.”
“Thanks. Look I have to get going I have to get this one to bed and then have my oh so fun conversation with Maria.”
“Okay goodnight Max.”
“Night Sere, I love you.”
“Love you too.” Max hung up the phone and looked down to see his daughter sleeping soundly on his chest, he decides to leave her there for a little while just gently rubbing his hands through her soft curls down her back and up again. He had a lot to think about before Maria got home.
The main thing that he needed to realize though was as hard as it might be that he is finally going to have to give up, and for Max that wasn’t easy. He didn’t just give up on things when they got hard, but his cousin was right and he knew it. It was time to finally let her go and just pray that one day she would return, but he couldn’t hold out for that any longer. He needed to live his life, not only for himself but for his daughter as well.
TBC…
Yeah and Max was a jerk...but I hope to redeem him soon 
