Always and Forever (AU M/L MATURE) Epilogue, A/N pg 9, 3/3

[Heavenli24]

Banner by Behrsgirl77

Title: Always and Forever
Author: Heavenli24
Pairings/Couples/Category: M/L
Rating: MATURE
Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.
Summary: This is the third in the series. Liz and Max are now engaged to be married and the wedding is being planned for the summer after Graduation. But before they can get married and begin their life together, Liz has to spend one final year at Harvard, while Max is studying back at home in New Mexico. You may want to read You Can Always Count On Me and I’ll Be There first, although you can probably still understand the story if you haven’t read them.

Author’s Note: This installment will be a little different in structure from the other two stories in that it will show both Liz and Max’s POV’s (usually one POV per part). The story begins with the wedding (present day), but will chiefly cover their senior year of college up to the wedding. However, these parts will be interspersed with ‘Interludes’ of sorts showing present day glimpses of Max and Liz’s married life.


***


Prologue

Liz

Present day – July 2006

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Max’s lips begin to descend towards mine and as I tilt my head up to meet him halfway, I realise something with amazing clarity.

This is absolutely, without a doubt, the best day of my life. I’ve never been happier than in this exact moment.

I’ve just married the love of my life, a man I’ve waited so long to be with, and now, finally, all my dreams are coming true.

“I love you,” Max whispers a second before his soft lips meet mine. The taste of his kiss and the warmth of his hand, which has now lifted up to cup my cheek, send shivers down my spine and I feel a tingling sensation spreading along my arms to my fingers and all the way down to the tips of my toes.

God, I could just kiss him like this forever.

Unfortunately, the sound of Michael clearing his throat behind Max reminds us that we are in fact in a church and are currently being watched by our families, more than one hundred guests and the vicar. Not forgetting of course, the bridal party, consisting of Michael and Maria, and Alex and Isabel, just behind us.

Reluctantly, we break apart, my lips longing for his again almost immediately.

“I love you, too,” I whisper back, before pulling away. I can feel the sting of joyous tears forming in the corner of my eyes and I blink quickly to force them away. I can’t cry now, everyone’s watching and I don’t want to end up with panda eyes for the wedding photos.

Max takes my hand and grins at me quickly before we turn to face the congregation to walk back up the aisle together as husband and wife. We walk past our friends and family, who are all clapping and cheering for us. My gaze first falls on Becca and Jack and then on Tim and Kelly who are sitting just behind them. They all have happy grins on their faces and I swear I see tears in Becca’s eyes. On Max’s side, I can see his roommates John, Mark and Pete, along with Alexandra, all clapping enthusiastically (well, the guys are, anyway).

And I can’t keep the ecstatic smile off my face.

Max Evans is my husband.

***

The reception is a beautiful affair. The decorators that Diane Evans found have done a wonderful job and Mario’s, Roswell’s finest catering company, has provided the most gorgeous food I have ever tasted.

All through the evening, I feel like I’m walking on air.

Michael and Maria’s best man and maid of honour speeches are brilliant and so heartfelt that I actually burst into tears, despite the fact that I swore I wouldn’t.

I’ve lost count of the number of songs that Max and I have danced to tonight, the only thing my brain can register right now is the fact that Max’s warm, strong arms are wrapped around me, holding my body close. His left hand is sending electrifying tingles up and down my spine as he lovingly caresses my back, his fingers gently skimming over the silky satin of my wedding dress.

About four songs ago, I decided to throw tradition and formality out of the window and I slide my hands up over Max’s chest and broad shoulders to enfold them around his neck, resting my head against his shoulder.

So here we are swaying dreamily to the music (well I am anyway. I’m not sure Max would refer to it as dreamy). My eyes drift closed and I get lost in the music; it’s one of my favourite songs, Sheryl Crow’s I Shall Believe. When I was a kid, I would listen to it for hours on end, dreaming about falling in love and marrying the most wonderful man.

And now I’ve found him.

***

It’s my wedding night, the only one I will ever have, and it’s just perfect.

Obviously, it is not our first time making love to each other, but tonight is the most wonderful experience I’ve ever had – it is the first time we’ve made love as husband and wife.

Max has been, is being, so loving and attentive with me that he’s making me light-headed and dizzy. My insides are all warm and fuzzy and all I can manage are small, breathy moans and whispers of ‘I love you’ over and over again.

He took his time undressing me earlier, peeling off my dress, inch by agonising inch and he wouldn’t let me undress him or even touch him until he’d finished. When he’d divested me of my white silk dress, he spent long minutes touching and admiring and caressing me, and simply driving me wild with desire. Then finally, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, he allowed me to free him of his gorgeous black tuxedo and have my wicked way with him.

And then I was the one taking my time. I placed sweet, tender kisses first on his lips, then lower to his jaw, his neck and his solid chest. I caressed and nibbled every inch of bare skin I could, until he was whimpering and pleading for release.

When we finally came together for the first time tonight, it was just…there are no words to describe it. I’ve never felt like that before in my entire life. I was surrounded by so much love, and tenderness and passion that I couldn’t think straight.

Now, right at this moment, Max is planting open-mouthed kisses all over my body. He started at my toes and has made his way slowly and intently up over my legs, my hips, my stomach, my chest and now my neck.

I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, leaning down to capture his lips with mine once again as I prepare myself for yet another intense, passionate round of wedding-night lovemaking.

***

I am so happy, so content with my life right now.

I’m standing alone on the balcony of the honeymoon suite, admiring the gorgeous view of the ocean and the bright blue, cloudless sky. My husband of fourteen days is, at this moment, frantically checking through our luggage, trying to figure out if we’ve forgotten anything.

I smile at the thought. I’ve always known that Max is totally anal about organisation and packing, but somehow it’s as if I’m noticing it even more now. It usually annoys me how particular he is; but I must really still be in the honeymoon phase because right now, I’m actually finding it sexy.

I let out a long, contented sigh as I feel his strong arms come around me from behind.

“Hey,” he whispers so as not to disturb the peaceful calm that has settled over the balcony.

“Hey.”

He rests his chin on my shoulder and I tilt my head slightly to accommodate him.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” he says.

I smile. I can’t help it. “Yeah, it is,” I agree. “Are we all packed and ready?” I ask.

I feel him grin against my neck; he knows I’ve noticing his packing obsession. “Yeah, just about,” he tells me. But then the grin disappears. “Liz, let’s not go back. Let’s just stay here together forever.”

I sigh again. “I’d love to, Max. I’d love to spend all my time here with you in this hotel room, but we have lives to get back to, remember?” I remind him. “And just think, Max, we’re going home; to our home. We have our whole lives ahead of us and we’ll be spending them together.”

Before I can comprehend what’s happening, he’s spinning me around and my face comes into contact with his hard chest.

“Wha –?” I try to question but he cuts me off.

“Don’t,” he tells me, just before he captures my lips in a sweet kiss full of promise and love.

It turns passionate rather quickly and I open my mouth slightly to allow his tongue to caress mine. Somewhere in the back of my mind, it registers that we can’t get carried away here. We have a plane to catch, but Max’s kisses are making me weak in the knees and I can’t concentrate. Luckily, the shrill ring of the hotel room phone interrupts us a few minutes later. It’s the front desk; our car is downstairs and waiting to take us to the airport.

“Shit!” I exclaim and grab our bags from the bed. I look back at Max who is leaning against the wall, watching me. “Max, come on! We have to go,” I tell him impatiently. But he just continues to stare at me.

“What?” I question self-consciously.

He just smiles, his eyes warm and inviting. “What you said just now, about going back to our home, I guess it just hit me, you know. You’re my wife and I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I’ll get to wake up next to you every morning and go to bed with you every night,” he sounds awed and my eyes begin to well up. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Liz and now it’s really happening. I just can’t believe it.”

I drop the bags and walk over to him. Taking his hands in mine, I tell him, “Believe it, Max. I’m not going anywhere; I’m yours. Forever.”

He smiles at me, “And I’m yours, Liz. Forever.”

Hand-in-hand, we pick up our luggage once again and make our way out of the hotel, determined to be as happy as we possibly can, for as long as we possibly can.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Thanks for the feedback guys:

Erina - Thanks .

jbangelo - Thanks .

Alien614 - Thanks .

Queen Fee - Thanks - and yes, we'll have Max's POV too (approximately every other part). I was originally going to keep it in just Liz's POV, but Max's view is kind of important to this story.

guelbebek - Thank you .

anonymousarfan - Thanks .

LairaBehr4 - Yeah, I finally got it ready to post !

Emz80m - Thanks - you know you could be right about the calm before the storm, although we're going back almost a year now, so you won't find out whether it is for a while .

clueless - Thanks - I'm intending on posting this one more regularly than I'll Be There .

Okay, I hope I'm not going to confuse everyone too much with the set up for this story. We're now going back to the beginning of senior year...


***

Part One

Liz

Tuesday September 20th 2005

You know, I really hope that I’ll be able to make it through this coming year. I’ve only been back at college for two days, and I’m already missing Max more than I’d care to admit. He’s already been back at UNM for three weeks, because his semester began a few weeks earlier than mine did. At first, we’d decided that I would go and stay with him in his apartment in Albuquerque until I had to leave for Massachusetts. But so many things got in the way of our plans that I had to let him go up there alone. First off, my father decided to inform me that one of his full-time waitresses at the Crashdown had just given in her notice and that he was relying on me to help him and Mom out until I went back to school. As much as I wanted to refuse, in the end I just couldn’t bring myself to let him down. Secondly, Max received a letter from his old soccer coach at UNM, letting him know that even though he hadn’t been on the team last semester, he was perfectly happy to accept him back on the team. Enclosed in with the letter was a timetable for the team’s training practices, which I have to say, looked very gruelling to me.

In the end, we had to resign ourselves to the fact that me spending two and a half weeks in Albuquerque with Max just wasn’t going to happen. Therefore, three weeks ago, I saw him off with a tearful goodbye and a promise that next time we were able to see each other; I’d definitely make it worth the wait. So, here’s where the good part comes in…I managed to arrange it so that I could surprise Max by coming up to Albuquerque a day before my flight out to Boston and spend some time with him before I left. I convinced my dad that I would be fine getting to the airport and leaving New Mexico without him, so he and my mom dropped me, along with my luggage outside Max’s apartment and said their goodbyes in the car.

And let me just say that it was definitely a good thing they didn’t insist on staying overnight nearby because every time I think about that last night with Max, I blush right down to my toes…


Saturday September 17th 2005

I suck in a breath and exhale it slowly as I try to contain my excitement. I stand on Max’s doorstep, surrounded by bags with my hand poised to knock. Oh God, I hope he’s in – maybe I should have called ahead to let him know that I was coming? No, that would have just spoiled the surprise.

I bite my lip in anticipation when I hear someone moving towards the door and a grin spreads across my face. The door swings open to reveal…Max’s roommate John…My face falls in disappointment.

“Liz?” he questions in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh…um…hey, John,” I mutter quickly. “Is Max in?”

“Um, yeah he is,” he says slowly, looking bewildered. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Boston?”

I glance down to my bags, “Oh, I don’t leave until tomorrow, so I thought I’d come up and surprise Max before I left.”

“Oh, okay,” he says in understanding, his expression softening. “Well, come on in, then,” he invites. “You can leave your stuff over here. Max is in his room.”

“Thanks, John,” I smile as I drop my bags in the corner of the living room and begin making my way down the hall towards Max.

“Oh, by the way,” calls John as I leave the room. I turn back to face him. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Thanks,” I grin happily. He nods in return and I continue on down the hallway until I reach Max’s room.

I knock on the door and open it when I hear his smooth voice telling me to come in. I step into the room and close the door behind me, to find that he is sitting at his desk, his nose in a textbook.

“Yeah?” he asks distractedly, not turning round.

“I thought you might like some company,” I offer from the doorway and try not to giggle when he straightens in his chair and very slowly turns to face me.

“Liz?” he wonders incredulously.

“Hi,” I grin and give him a little wave. “Surprise.”

“What are you doing here?” he asks, as he stands up and walks towards me.

“Well, I couldn’t go all the way back to school without seeing you one last time,” I tell him softly, my gaze drifting to his lips as he comes to a stop in front of me. In a flash, his mouth is devouring mine, his hands placed either side of my head, effectively pinning my body against the door. I sink my fingers into his hair and rise up on tiptoes to deepen the kiss. God, I love him so much; this man is my soulmate.

“Liz,” he murmurs against my lips, “Liz…Liz…I’ve missed you.”

“Mmm, me too,” I manage between kisses. I arch my back and let out a moan of approval as our lower bodies come into contact. Max’s breath hitches in his throat and I feel him harden against me. Purely on instinct, I jump up and wrap my legs around his waist, eliciting another intake of breath from him.

When oxygen finally becomes an issue, we break apart and I cling to Max as he buries his head in my shoulder, his hands dropping to support my thighs. Closing my eyes briefly, I let out a giggle at our urgency. We haven’t even said hello properly yet!

“What’s so funny?” Max raises his head to look at me.

“Nothing,” I smile. “Just…I mean, look at us – and I’ve only just got here!”

He drops his eyes to where he’s holding my legs around him and lets out a chuckle, “See, that’s the thing, Lizzie; I just can’t control myself around you.”

“So I see,” I smirk playfully.

“So, why are you here?” he asks then.

“I wanted to spend some time with you before I left, so I persuaded my parents to drive up today and drop me off.”

“So I’ve got you for the whole night?” he asks hopefully.

“Yep,” I grin, “I’m all yours.”

“Great,” he says, leaning in for another kiss.

“Wait a sec,” I stop him just as our lips touch. “Before we ‘get down to business’ –” he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at my comment. “ – I need food; I’m starving.”

“Okay,” he sighs, letting go of my legs so that I can stand. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

He sounds so dejected that I can’t help teasing him.

“Don’t worry, I intend to make it worth your while later,” I tell him with a wink.

He straightens up, “Well, let’s get going then; we don’t want to waste any time.”

I roll my eyes as he grabs his jacket from the bed and heads for the door, with me trailing behind him.

***

“Oh God…yes, right there,” he groans, as I stroke him with my hand. I let my gaze run up his naked body to his face. His eyes are closed in pleasure and his brow is glistening with sweat. I feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me as I observe his reactions; some days I still can’t quite believe that I’m the only one who can make him feel this way.

Still watching him intently, I lower my mouth to his tip, excitement curling in my own stomach when he hisses in response.

“God, Liz…” he exhales breathily, his fingers clutching at my shoulders as I pleasure him.

However, as much as I’d love to continue, his reactions are turning me on so much that if I don’t feel him inside me soon, I’ll explode. I place a tender kiss to his tip and quickly slide up his body.

“Liz?” he questions throatily, his eyes flying open to see what’s going on.

“I need you now, Max,” I tell him softly, as I position my body above him.

“Okay,” he whispers, reaching for the box of condoms on the table.

“No, wait,” I tell him. He stops his hand in mid-air. “Don’t,” I say, shaking my head. “I want to feel all of you tonight.”

“Liz, I don’t think –”

“It’s supposed to be so much better without condoms,” I cut in. “Please?”

“Liz, I’m not making love to you without protection, okay?” he says firmly.

“You won’t be,” I protest. “I’m on the pill, remember?”

He looks dubious, but I’m pretty good at reading him and I know part of him wants to do this too.

“Okay, fine,” he says eventually. “But, just this once, okay? I don’t want to risk it again.”

“Thank you,” I grin and lean down for a kiss. “But you know, the pill is effective – close to 100% – it’s really not that much of a risk. And trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”

His eyes darken at that and his hands move to grip my waist as I lower myself onto him. We both gasp as he fills me up. The sensation of being skin-to-skin with him is like nothing I’ve ever felt before and my sudden orgasm takes us both by surprise. Max begins to move his hips beneath me as my inner muscles contract around him frantically. As the waves of pleasure subside somewhat, I use the opportunity to move above him, creating a delicious rhythm. At first we go slow in an attempt fully experience these new feelings, but after a while the anticipation becomes too great and Max pulls my upper body down towards him and then deftly flips me beneath him. Pinning my arms to the pillow above my head with his hands, he begins pounding into me mindlessly. I throw back my head in ecstasy as his mouth makes its way down to my breasts, licking and sucking, slowly driving me crazy.

Seconds later, a second, more intense wave of pleasure starts building in my belly. It flows through my entire body, like the sun’s rays warm the earth as the clouds move away, and slip my hands from Max’s slackened grip on them and cling to his shoulder as though he’s my lifeline. At that very moment, he lets out a throaty cry and he lengthens inside me as he reaches his release. His climax, his seed, spills into my body and the feel of it triggers yet another release. I shudder and moan beneath him as he collapses above me in exhaustion.

I never knew it could feel that good...


I shake my head to bring myself back to the present – where am I again? Oh yeah, at Harvard. Without Max. You know, the memory of that incredible night is what’s going to get me through the next few weeks until I can see him again. It’s going to be more difficult being away from him this semester, compared to the last couple of years. See, Becca and Jack decided that they wanted to try living together as a couple, so they’re renting a studio apartment just off Main Street this year. To make things worse, Tim and Kelly are living together as well now, which means I’m out of a house to live in senior year. Over the summer, I spent a lot of time trying to decide what to do about my living situation and in the end I chose to go with university accommodation, so now I’m living in a 4-bedroom apartment on campus with three other seniors.

It’s actually quite fun to meet and live with new people, although I do miss the closeness that I had with Jack and Becca last year. Luckily though, they’ve decided that they’re gonna make me go to clubs and parties with them and generally spend as much time with them as possible to make up for abandoning me. Personally, I think they want to make sure that I don’t relapse and become depressed again, which actually I’m really grateful for because that’s the last thing I want to happen again.

I’m really happy right now, and I’m determined to stay that way.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Thanks to:

jbangelo - Thanks - you know, this could be the calm before the storm, but I can guarantee several nice fluffy parts in this fic - it's not going to be as angsty as I'll Be There .

anonymousarfan - Thanks - yes, things are going well for Max and Liz .

clueless - Thanks .

LairaBehr4 - Thanks .

for your feedback .

A/N: I'm having an Author's chat at Roswell Heaven to discuss this story (and any others) on Sunday October 15th at 4pm EST. I'd love to see you there .


***


Part Two


Max

Tuesday September 27th 2005

…There she is, walking along the beach towards me, her long silky hair flowing down her back, her pretty, floaty dress blowing in the wind, moulding to her every curve. She looks so beautiful, like a goddess, that I almost can’t believe she’s really mine and that in a few months’ time, she’ll be my wife. If only she knew how much I want to reach out and touch her, how much I need to take her in my arms and never let go. She looks away from the horizon and I can feel her gaze on me. She smiles and beckons for me to join her; I grin and jog towards her, taking her in my arms and twirling her around until we’re both dizzy. We come to a stop, yet she doesn’t let go of me; instead, she tights her grip on my neck and lowers her mouth for a breathtaking kiss…

“Excuse me, is this seat free?”

The sudden question startles me out of my Liz-dream (that’s what I call my Liz-induced daydreams) and I shake my head, trying to work out where I am. Oh yeah, that’s right, I’m in the library – studying, supposedly.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” comes the voice again. I quickly run the back of my hand across my mouth to wipe away any evidence of drool (which apparently happens a lot when I start thinking about my fiancée) and raise my head to look up at the owner of the voice.

The first thing I notice is bright, blue eyes staring down at me as I shift in my seat. It seems that full, pink lips, currently upturned in a sheepish smile, and long wavy blonde hair, accompany those piercing eyes.

“Sorry, did you say something?” I ask in confusion, as I begin rearranging my books on the table.

The girl laughs, most likely at my fumbling.

“I was just wondering if this seat was free?” she asks, pointing to the chair opposite me.

“Oh, um, yeah, it is,” I mumble. “Take a seat.”

“Thanks,” she smiles, slipping into the chair. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m not really in the mood to sit alone today.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” I assure her. “I don’t mind at all.”

“I’m Alex, by the way,” she says, holding out her hand to me.

“Max,” I tell her, shaking her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Max,” she smiles.

“You, too,” I reply, before gently extracting my hand from hers and turning back to my textbook.

“Not a conversationalist, then, I take it?”

“I’m sorry?” I glance up at her in confusion.

“You just seem rather eager to get back to your studying,” she says.

I frown slightly, “Well, this is a library.”

“Yeah, you’re right, it is. Sorry for the interruption,” she backtracks quickly, before opening her books and starting to read.

I sigh, and close my book. “Look, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” I apologise. “I’m just a little distracted today.”

She looks up with a sympathetic smile, “Girl trouble?”

“Well, yeah…” I concede. “But not in the way you’re thinking.”

“Oh?”

“We have a good relationship; a great one, actually,” I tell her.

“But?”

“She lives in Boston.”

“Oh,” repeats Alex, a little more subdued.

“Yeah,” I agree with a sigh. “It’s just hard, you know? Being so far apart.”

I don’t really know why I’m spilling my guts to a girl I’ve only just met, but she seems friendly and easy to talk to, so why not?

She nods, “I can relate to that. My ex lived in Seattle and I was in California. It wasn’t easy. I guess that’s why we only lasted a few months.” She exhales and glances down at the table briefly, before looking back up at me, “So, how long have you and your girl been together?”

“Just over three years,” I tell her with a smile. “And still going strong.”

“Wow,” her eyes widen. “Well, good for you.”

“Thanks.”

Our conversation seemingly over, I turn back to my studying and Alex does the same. However, we do partake in casual small talk as we study and by 7pm, I’ve discovered that her full name is Alexandra Jacobs, but she prefers to go by Alex; she’s a transfer student from UC Berkley, although she’s originally from Southern California; she’s a junior, majoring in History; and she’s renting an apartment off campus with a very nice girl she met at orientation. In turn, I tell her all the basics about myself; you know, like how I grew up in Roswell and although I was a good student in high school, I just couldn’t afford out-of-state tuition fees to go to another college; that I share an apartment with three of my friends from the soccer team; that Liz was my best friend for years before we got together and that I was lucky enough to be able to attend Harvard with her for a semester last year.

We end up leaving the library together and since it appears our apartments are pretty close to each other, I offer to walk her home. On the way, we exchange numbers and she says that if I ever need someone to vent to or to have fun with, I shouldn’t hesitate to give her a call. I give her a grateful smile and say goodnight before walking back to my own apartment. You know, it’s funny how much spending a few hours studying and conversing with a complete stranger can really lift your spirits – I think that Alex could become a good friend of mine this year.

***

“Anyone home?” I call as I let myself in through the apartment door and drop my keys on the table beside it.

“Hey, man, in here,” comes John’s voice from the kitchen.

I enter the kitchen to find all three of my roommates sitting around the table in the centre, playing cards.

“Alright, guys?” I greet as I take a seat. Mark and Pete nod in response, their eyes not leaving the playing cards in their hands. “What’s going on?”

“Poker,” mumbles Mark distractedly, his brow furrowed.

“Oh,” I say. “So, who’s winning?”

“I am,” Pete informs me, looking up from his cards just long enough to give me a grin before concentrating on the game again. I smirk; as much as both Mark and John like to think they can win, Pete’s always been the best at poker.

“Cool,” I say, reaching for one of the beers on the table. I take a swig and sit back to watch them play. I’m not really into poker myself, mostly because I’m really crap at it, so I’m happy to just relax and watch them play.

“Oh, hey, Max,” says John a few minutes later, in between games, “Liz called earlier. She said could you call her back when you got in?”

“Oh, okay. Great,” I thank him, a grin spreading across my face. At the mere mention of Liz, I can’t help but remember the perfect night we shared last weekend before she flew back to Cambridge. She gave me a call Sunday to let me know she’d arrived, but I haven’t spoken to her since.

“I guess I’ll go call her back,” I add casually, trying not to make it obvious that I’m trying not to leap out of my chair and run to my room to call her. I don’t think it works, because the three of them share a smirk as John hands me the cordless phone.

“Here you go, buddy.”

“Thanks,” I take the phone from him and head towards my room, dialling Liz’s number as I go. She picks up just as I reach my room.

“Hello?” comes her soft voice.

“Hey, it’s me,” I tell her.

“Hey, you,” she murmurs happily.

“John said you called,” I state with a smile.

“Yeah, I did. Thanks for calling back.”

“No problem,” I smile again – any excuse to call her

“So, how are you?” she asks lightly. “Recovered from the weekend yet?”

I chuckle at her straight forwardness, “Just about. Still really tired for some reason, though.”

“I bet,” she laughs and my heart just about melts at the beautiful sound.

“So, what’s up?” I ask, when her laughter subsides.

“Oh, I wanted to talk to you about the wedding plans,” she tells me almost matter-of-factly.

“Okay. What’s going on?” I ask as I take a seat on the bed and lean back, supporting myself with one hand.

“My mom called this afternoon; she and Diane are trying to sort out numbers and want to know if we’ve finalised our guest lists yet,” she sighs.

“What, already?” I exclaim in surprise. “Isn’t it a bit soon for that?”

“Well, that’s what I told her,” she mutters and I can just picture her rolling her eyes down the phone. “But according to her, ‘weddings take time to plan; it’s not going to happen overnight’, and I just don’t have the time right now.”

“Hey, it’s going to be alright,” I assure her gently. “Look, we’ll each work on something small, make sure we keep our parents informed and we should make it to next July relatively unscathed,” I add with a chuckle.

She sighs on the other end of the line, “I guess…”

I frown, “Liz, what’s wrong?”

“I just…Max, this last year of school is going to be hard enough for me, for both of us, without adding the stress of organising a wedding to it. What if July is just too soon after graduation? Maybe we should move it forward a couple of months – have the ceremony in September or October?”

Part of me thinks that perhaps she’s right – that July is too soon; but the thought of having to wait another two months to make her my wife makes my chest hurt.

“Honestly, Liz, I don’t know if I have the willpower to wait that long,” I start softly. “But if you think it might be too much for you, then I’m happy to wait.”

“Oh, I just don’t know,” she sighs in frustration. “You know, I really don’t want to wait either; but I feel like maybe we’re taking on too much right now, with school work and everything.”

“Look, I’ll tell you what,” I suggest, trying to settle her fears. “How about we leave it as July for now – after all the church is booked and everything – but if at any time, you feel like it’s getting too much, just tell me and we’ll work something out, okay?”

“Okay,” she agrees, her relief evident in her tone. “Thank you, Max.”

“No problem,” I smile through the phone.

We talk for a while longer, almost until we fall asleep. Liz tells me about her senior classes and what it’s like living with new roommates. Apparently Jack and Becca are settling into their apartment happily, and so are Tim and Kelly. She’s also pretty excited because Maria is coming up to Boston to visit her this weekend and they’re going to spend the two days going shopping and having gossip sessions (for once, I’m actually glad I’ll be safely on the other side of the country for that one).

All in all, she sounds relatively happy to be back at Harvard, although I know she’s missing me as much as I’m missing her – she keeps telling me as much, over and over. I just hope that she manages to enjoy herself this year; I’d hate it if she became miserable again and I couldn’t be there to help her.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback :

Queen Fee - Glad you like it . As for Alex...who knows what will happen there?

jbangelo - Thanks . My friend just got married and she planned the wedding during the year after she graudated - it was pretty stressful, so I imagine that doing it during the school year would be even tougher!

anonymousarfan - Thanks . Alex, trouble? Hmm, we'll have to see...


Here is the first interlude of the story...


***

Interlude One

Max

Present day – August 2006


“Okay, are you ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” she grins up at me. “I am also willing and able.”

“Great,” I return the grin, holding out my arms to her. “Shall we?”

She nods eagerly and jumps into my outstretched arms. I briefly adjust my hold on her, so she doesn’t fall, and kick the door open with my foot. Carefully (I don’t want to hit her head on the doorway), I carry her over the threshold of our new apartment.

“Welcome home, Mrs Evans,” I murmur in her ear.

She tightens her grip around my neck, leaning up to reply, “You, too, Mr Evans,” before capturing my lips with her own.

The kiss becomes heated quickly and I fear that if we continue like this, I will lose my balance and drop her; so I stumble across the room to the couch and gently lay her on the soft cushions, my mouth not leaving hers for a second. She parts her thighs in invitation and I settle my weight above her, my hands coming to rest on either side of her head. I let out a low groan as I feel her legs tighten around my waist and I harden in response. Man, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of doing this.

Liz’s hands find their way under my shirt and I shiver as her warm fingers traced small circles on my lower back. Instinctively, my hips begin moving against her and we both gasp at the friction between our bodies. I reach for Liz’s shirt and pull it over her head, dropping it to the floor as I lower my mouth to her chest. I get as far as unhooking her bra and closing my lips around her right nipple, before the phone rings.

“Ignore it,” Liz mutters, her fingers now buried in my hair.

“Hi, Liz; hi Max, just calling to see if you were back from the honeymoon yet…”

I try to ignore it, honestly I do, but when your new mother-in-law’s voice comes over the answer phone, you just can’t continue defiling her daughter, even if you’re married to her. So I stop.

“What? What’s wrong?” she asks when I lift myself off her.

“Liz, that’s your mom on the phone. I can’t make love to you while she’s here!”

Liz chuckles, “Max, she’s not actually here, and it’s not like she knows what we’re doing!”

“Still, it’s just not right,” I state with a shudder, crossing my arms.

“Fine,” she sighs and refastens her bra, although I can see the laughter in her eyes. God, she thinks it’s funny?! “Let’s start getting this place organised then, shall we?”

“Right,” I compose myself. “Well, I’d better go get the bags out of the car.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure everything’s tidy before we unpack,” she replies, pulling her shirt over her head. She stands up and gives my lips a quick peck before heading towards the bedroom.

I watch her retreating figure for a moment, drinking her in, before turning to leave the apartment. As I jog down the two flights of stairs to the cars, my mind travels back over the last year. So much has happened in the last few months that part of me is surprised we actually made it to the wedding. We’ve both had a tough year and I’ve made a few mistakes that I completely regret, but we got through everything and now we’re married. Just the thought that Liz is really my wife is enough to bring a huge grin to my face; in fact, I find myself whistling happily as I retrieve our luggage from the car and begin climbing the stairs once again.

“Okay, I’ve got the bags,” I call out as I let myself back into our new apartment. “Where do you want them?”

“In here, please,” she replies from the bedroom, her voice slightly muffled.

I carry our suitcases into the room and drop them onto our queen-sized bed, before taking a seat on the end. Liz is kneeling in front of the wardrobe, her upper body hidden inside it. I’m guessing she’s trying to make more room for all her shoes. You know, before we moved our things into the apartment three weeks ago, I never realised the full extent of Liz’s shoe collection. I mean; she must have at least twenty pairs in there, not counting the five pairs of sandals she bought in Barbados last week!

“Hey, what are you waiting for?” she asks suddenly. “Let’s get unpacked.” I look up from my musings to find her standing in front of me, her hands on her hips in a mock-annoyed stance.

I just raise an eyebrow and smirk at her. Her frown only lasts for only two more seconds before she breaks into a grin and practically jumps onto my lap.

“I can’t believe we finally made it,” she cries ecstatically. “Max, we’re married!”

“I know,” I reply just as enthusiastically, leaning in for a kiss as I murmur, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she pulls back, smiling serenely. “And don’t you just love this apartment? I’m so glad we found it.”

“Me, too,” I tell her. “It’s perfect.”

It wasn’t until almost three months ago that I realised we hadn’t really thought through the ‘let’s get married’ thing practically. Sure, we’d arranged the ceremony for July and I’d booked the two-week honeymoon in Barbados, but neither one of us had given much thought as to where we were gonna live after that. Part of the decision was made for us when I was offered a job with a publishing company in Santa Fe (I start on Monday) – it will mainly be office work, but at least it’s a job and it pays pretty well. Anyway, as you might have gathered, I accepted the job and after graduation, Liz and I began looking for apartments in Santa Fe. We can’t afford to buy a place of our own, but we have enough to rent for a few months until we can afford to put a deposit down on something.

After viewing almost a dozen places, we eventually found the perfect place. It’s not massive and it’s on the third floor, but it’s cosy and just right for newlyweds (at least, that’s what the realtor said). The front door leads right into a fairly spacious living room, with a fireplace. Off to the right, is the kitchen, which is pretty small, but brand new and all the equipment works, so we have nothing to complain about. Opposite the kitchen is the bathroom, complete with a bath and shower combo and a small countertop by the sink. We have two bedrooms, next to each other, between the kitchen and bathroom. The guest room is really small and will only fit a single bed, but our room is just the right size for us. We have a joint wardrobe, two chests of drawers, a dressing table with a mirror and, as I mentioned before, a queen-size bed; the bed that Liz is currently pushing me down onto, despite the fact that our bags are in the way.

Needless to say, the unpacking doesn’t get done for quite a while.

***

“Okay, so what shall we make for dinner?” wonders Liz as she opens and closes the cupboards in the kitchen. I lean against the table, cross my arms and simply watch her as she moves about the kitchen. I can’t seem to take my eyes off her cute butt. “Max? Hello?”

“Huh?” I look up sheepishly. She’s waving her hand in front of my face to get my attention.

“Dinner,” she clarifies. “What do you want?”

“You?” I try.

She smirks and raises an eyebrow, “Sorry, not good enough; I meant food. And besides, you just had me an hour ago.”

“Do we have to cook tonight, Lizzie?” I ask with my best attempt at a pout. “It’s our first night here and I’m exhausted!”

“Yeah, I wonder why that could be?” she grins. I shrug, feigning ignorance. “Okay, okay, we won’t cook tonight. How does Chinese sound?”

“Chinese sounds great, my darling,” I murmur, reaching to wrap my arms around her waist.

“Okay, great,” she smiles, twisting out of my grip. “I’ll just go call them.”

I sigh with disappointment; I wanted to hold her.

“Oh, and Max?” she calls over her shoulder as she reaches for the phone. “Don’t call me ‘darling’, I can’t stand it.”

“I’m sorry honey,” I retort playfully. “I won’t do it again.”

She flips through the yellow pages and dials the number for the nearest Chinese takeout place, although just before she speaks into the receiver I swear I hear her mutter,

“You bet your ass you won’t, my beloved.”

I shudder, getting her point. The thought alone of being called ‘beloved’ almost makes me break out in hives.

I think I’ve just learned the first rule of marriage: Never call your spouse by any kind of nickname other than her own personal one given to her by you, and you’ll do just fine.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thank you for your feedback and comments :

guelbebek - Thanks

confusedfool - Thanks . I don't want to spoil the story, so I'm not gonna mention anything about Max's mistakes !

LairaBehr4 - Thank you .

anonymousarfan - Thanks - sorry, but you're just gonna have to wait a while to find out Max's mistakes .

jbangelo - Thanks . You'll find out what happened eventually, but not just yet .

A/N: From now on, I'm gonna try to stick to a minimum of 2 updates a week for this story. I already have several parts written, but I've just started grad school this week and although classes don't start until Monday, the course is almost entirely research-based (my final thesis is 100% of the degree), so I can't guarantee having a great deal of time to spend on writing over the next 12 months.On the upside however, our professor has given us 4 destination choices for our fieldwork trip in March: Naples, Monserrat, Chile or Guatemala !!


Anyway, here's the next part for you...


***


Part Three


Liz

Saturday October 1st 2005

“Wow, I’m exhausted,” exclaims Maria, as we drop our shopping bags on the kitchen table.

“Me, too,” I agree, walking over to the fridge to grab a couple of sodas. “But you have to agree that it was fun.”

“Yeah, it was,” she chuckles.

Maria has come up from New York to stay with me for the weekend and we’ve just spent six hours shopping in the city. However, as tiring as it was, I can’t deny that I love spending time with my best friend from home. We haven’t been able to get together that often over the last three years, what with me living out here and her at home in Roswell, and I miss having her around to share gossip and have fun. Maria arrived yesterday afternoon, so last night we went out to a club with Becca, Jack, Tim and Kelly and had a great time. It’s funny how having her around, despite the fact that she reminds me of home, actually keeps my mind off Max and how much I miss seeing him every day.

Tonight however, we’ve decided to have a girl’s night in with my roommates, Lauren, Grace, and Emma, all three of whom are lovely girls and I really think I’ll enjoy living with them this year. Grace is the outgoing one, not surprising considering that she’s studying Dramatic Arts, and even though I’ve only known her a week, she’s already decided that we’re going to be the best of friends all year (I am a little sceptical though, since from what I’ve seen, she appears to have a habit of promising to do all these different things, but then not actually following through). Lauren and Emma are both English majors and although they seem like a lot of fun, they do know the importance of studying hard, which I think is a good balance to have.

“So, how’s the wedding planning going?” asks Maria as I take a seat at the table and hand her a can of Fresca. I make a face, causing her to add, “Or shouldn’t I ask?”

“No, I mean, it all seems to be going smoothly so far,” I tell her.

“But…?”

“I just can’t help thinking that maybe it’s a stupid idea to try to juggle both planning the wedding and finishing college this year,” I confess with a sigh. “I’d rather just concentrate on one life-changing thing at a time, you know?”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” she replies thoughtfully. “Have you spoken to Max about this?”

“Yeah, I mentioned it to him the other day. He suggested that we kept the date booked and everything for now, but that I had to tell him if I start feeling like it’s too much,” I say softly, looking down at the can of soda in my hand.

“Well, then, what are you worrying about?” cries Maria, waving her drink in the air as she speaks. “Just tell him that you want to wait a while – until after Graduation – to make the plans and then you guys can get married in the winter.”

“But I don’t want to wait,” I protest, “I want to get married as soon as we can.”

Okay, so I know I’m contradicting myself, but I just don’t know what to do right now.

Maria chuckles, shaking her head, “Liz, you’re hopeless.”

I shrug and smile sheepishly.

“Look, Liz,” she starts, leaning across the table towards me, “honestly, you’re so lucky to have a guy like Max, who understands your concerns and is willing to put his own feelings aside to make you happy. My advice? Make the most of it.”

I smile and roll my eyes, “But, Ria, you know I’d just feel guilty about making him wait.”

“Liz!” she cries in exasperation. “You can’t have it both ways, okay? Look, you just concentrate on getting through this year and graduating top of your class.” I roll my eyes again. “Okay, so maybe not top of the class, but as high up as you can,” she amends. “I’m sure your mom and Max’s mom won’t mind sorting things out for you. In fact, I know they won’t – they’ve been practically buzzing about this for months!”

“Yeah, I guess they have,” I admit. I take in a breath and exhale slowly. “Okay, I’ll do what you say and stop worrying about it.”

“That’s a good girl,” she grins, patting my hand in a motherly gesture, before straightening up in her seat in a business-like fashion. “Now then, tell me what exciting things are on the agenda for tonight.”

***

“Okay, ladies,” announces Grace lavishly, her wine glass raised in the air. “Let’s really get this party started!”

Her suggestion is met with groans from Emma and Lauren, who have known Grace a few weeks longer than I have, but Maria perks up at the words.

“Ooh, what did you have in mind?” she asks almost mischievously, with a wink in my direction. I just roll my eyes – for about the tenth time today. I know what she’s doing; she’s trying to cheer me up over the whole wedding thing. From what I’ve heard, though, I’m not sure that one of Grace’s party starters is going to do that.

“What do you say to Truth or Dare?” she grins.

“I say I’m in; how about you, Liz?” Maria looks at me with pleading eyes.

Oh God, why did I have to introduce her and Maria to one another?

“I guess.”

“Great,” grins Grace. “And you guys?”

Lauren and Emma share a look. “Yeah, alright,” replies Emma for both of them.

“Okay, I’ll start,” announces Grace. “Em, truth or dare?”

“Umm…truth?” replies Emma, almost nervously.

“Right, here we go…how many people have you slept with?”

“Three,” she answers promptly, looking kind of relieved. She gives Grace a triumphant look, before turning to Lauren. “Truth or dare, L?”

Lauren looks a little more relaxed as she answers confidently, “Truth.”

“Have you ever had a one-night-stand, and if so, who with?” asks Emma.

“Um…” Lauren mumbles, looking embarrassed. “Yeah, I have. There was this cute guy in my Spanish class freshman year – his name was Tim-something, I think; anyway, we got to talking at the campus bar one night, one thing led to another and we ended up in his dorm room. I was so embarrassed afterwards, that I avoided him like the plague after that. I haven’t seen him since the end of that class,” she tells us, sounding somewhat thankful. “So, Liz, your turn.”

“Okay,” I exhale slowly as I try to decide which option to go for. “Truth,” I state resolutely after a few seconds.

“Okay…where’s the most adventurous place you’ve had sex?”

I can feel my cheeks turning pink as the memories flit though my mind – Max and I have been known to be pretty creative when it comes to sex.

“Um…” I start guiltily; knowing that one person in this room is not going to like my answer. “On one of the kitchen tables in my parent’s restaurant – when they were upstairs asleep,” I admit shamefacedly.

“Whoa,” whistles Emma incredulously, “I don’t think I’d have had the balls to do something like that. I mean what if you’d gotten caught?”

Maria is less impressed.

“Oh my God, Liz!” she exclaims in disgust. “I used to make food in that kitchen! That’s just…eww.”

“Okay, so I’ll admit we felt bad about it afterwards, but it definitely wasn’t ‘eww’ at the time,” I smirk, remembering that incredible, exciting night.

“Wow, too much information, Liz!” she cries, holding up a hand to stop me. “Oh God, I’m never going to be able to look at Max the same way again. Urgh,” she shudders, while beside us, the other three start laughing.

“You know what, Maria?” I begin, with a glare in her direction. “I think it’s your turn now; so which is it…truth or dare?”

See, I already know which one she’s gonna pick. She had a bad experience with a dare in junior high – something involving raw eggs and not much clothing (don’t ask) – which is why I already have a question picked out for her.

“Truth,” she states, rolling her eyes. What did I tell you?

“Okay, you asked for it,” I tell her smugly; time to get my own back. “Tell me, Maria, what exactly were you and Michael up to when we couldn’t find you that day last summer down by the lake?”

“Um,” Maria fidgets uncomfortably, her cheeks turning slightly pink. However, she feigns innocence, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I beg to differ,” I retort with a smirk.

“I…I…” she fumbles briefly, before letting out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping in surrender. “Okay, fine…that day at the lake, when you guys were swimming, Michael and I…” she trails off suddenly, before taking a deep breath. “Michael and I were…I was…givinghimablowjob,” she finishes hurriedly. I hide a grin; finally, the truth is out. Ever since that afternoon, we’ve been trying to get that out of them and both Maria and Michael have been extremely tight-lipped about it. And you wanna know why? Here goes…

“Aha, I knew it! So then what happened?” I hedge, fully knowing the answer, but feeling the need to embarrass her.

“Um…hmm…” she mumbles, lowering her head.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.” I know I’m being mean, but I can’t seem to help it tonight.

She sighs and closes her eyes briefly, as if preparing herself. “I was right in the middle of…you know…when the park ranger pulled up and caught us in the act. I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life,” she finishes and glares at me as Grace, Emma and Lauren simultaneously start sniggering.

“See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?” I tease unashamedly.

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that, Liz Parker,” she threatens, before adding quickly, “Okay, let’s move on, shall we? Grace, truth or dare?”

“You know what, I’m going for dare this time,” she tells us with an air of confidence, after her giggles have subsided. “Hit me.”

Maria sends a sly glance my way before replying. Uh oh, what’s she up to?

“Okay, Grace, I dare you to call Max,” she shoots me a sly smirk, “Liz’s lovely fiancé, pretend to be an avid admirer and offer him the best sex of his life.”

“Maria, you can’t do that!” I cry, my reaction immediate. Shit, Max isn’t too comfortable with female attention – and believe me, he gets quite a lot, even when I’m with him – this could be disastrous. Although, on the other hand, it might be kind of fun to hear him squirm…I know, I know, I’m evil; but sometimes you just have to poke a little bit of fun at the guy you’re marrying.

“Come on, Liz – after what you just pulled, this is deserved,” retorts Maria.

“Actually, you know what? I say go for it, Grace. In fact, why don’t you put him on speakerphone? I wanna hear this,” I tell her impishly.

“Ooh, that’s more like it, chica,” she grins. “Let’s get on and embarrass Maxie-boy, shall we?”

“Hang on, wait a sec, guys,” starts Grace. “You do realise I haven’t agreed to this yet, don’t you?”

“Hey, it’s your dare,” shrugs Maria. “You have to do it.”

“Okay, fine,” she grins. “Hand me the phone. Liz, what’s your guy’s number?”

I reel off the digits that have become so familiar to me over the last couple of years. She punches them in and then presses the speakerphone button.

“Okay, guys, get ready, it’s ringing!”

“Hello?”

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thanks for your feedback :

Erina
jbangelo
clueless
anonymousarfan
LairaBehr4
dreamsatnight

At first I was going to include the phone conversation in part 3, but then I thought it might be fun to show it from Max's POV, so here it is...


***

Part Four


Max

Saturday October 1st 2005


“Oh, come on,” cries Mark incredulously, throwing his hands up in despair. “What the fuck was that?!”

“You know, someone should shoot that ref,” adds Pete. “I mean, where the hell did he train? The Spanish School for the Blind?”

“That’s the third foul he’s missed today,” I agree with a roll of my eyes. I mean, honestly, what is the matter with referees these days? Surely it can’t be that hard to concentrate on what the person with the ball is doing?

“More beer, anyone?” offers John as the half-time whistle is blown and the camera goes back to the studio, where the sports presenters are discussing the first 45 minutes of the match.

“Sure,” Pete, Mark and I agree simultaneously and John heads to the kitchen.

We’re currently watching the pre-recorded soccer match between Arsenal and Real Madrid that was played live in Spain last night. Since that part of Europe is eight hours ahead, the only TV station in the southwest that airs men’s soccer won’t show the games live (apparently the time difference affects ratings), so we get stuck watching it on the weekend.

John appears back in the living room with two six-packs of Bud and three large bags of chips, some of which he hands to the three of us on the couch before relaxing into the armchair by the window with a beer and a handful of chips for himself. As we wait for the second half to begin, we relax back into soccer talk, discussing the unexpected goal by Arsenal in the eighteenth minute, the equaliser by Real Madrid in the forty-third and the fact that David Beckham isn’t playing a particularly good game this match, having missed two opportunities to score for Real Madrid already.

About two minutes later, however, the phone rings, disrupting a somewhat heated argument between Pete and Mark over a particular foul at the beginning of the match. Since it’s closest to me, I reach for it and press the ‘call’ button.

“Hello?”

“Hi there,” a soft feminine voice with a southern accent comes through the line. “Is this Max?”

“Yes, it is…” I say slowly, wondering who on Earth is calling for me; it’s definitely not Liz.

“Hello, Max,” the voice continues breathily. “It’s Sandy; you know, from your…uh…American Lit class.”

“Sandy…?” I frown as I try to picture her face. Nope, I don’t think I know any Sandy.

“Oh, so you remember me, then,” the sultry voice giggles. I frown again; this girl is weird.

“Um –” I really don’t know what to say.

“Look, Max, I know I probably shouldn’t be calling you, but I just can’t get you out of my mind.” I hear some kind of scuffling in the background, but I ignore it, finding myself more concerned with the fact that this girl seems to think she knows me.

“I’m sorry, who did you say you were again?” I ask, but she just seems to ignore me.

“What do you say we get together some night next week?” she continues, her voice becoming throaty. I’m tempted to ask her if she’s alright.

“I don’t think that –”

“Oh Maxie, don’t be like that,” she gasps then and I can almost see the pout over the phone. “All I want is one night. Just one night and I’ll give you the best sex of your life.”

My eyes go wide and I sit up straight on the couch. “I – I’m sorry, you want to…what?!”

“Oh, come on, Max,” she coaxes. I roll my eyes. “I want to show you what you’ve been missing out on all your life. Just thinking about what I want to do to you is making me wet.” Oh. My. God. “I want to take you in my mouth and suck you like a lollipop until you come like you’ve never come before.”

That’s it. I shoot out of the chair, holding the phone away from my ear with a disgusted face. Taking a deep breath, I raise the receiver back up to my ear. As I begin to speak, I can hear that strange scuffling noise again, but I ignore it. I am too angry right now.

“Look here, lady. I don’t know who you think you are, but I am not interested in your disgusting, kinky ideas, okay?” I fume. “I am happily engaged to the love of my life and I don’t need to be ‘satisfied’ by you or anyone else. Got it?”

There’s a brief silence on the other end, before I hear another weird noise and then her voice again, “Okay, okay, I got it. No need to be rude.” Seriously, what is with this girl? “But, seriously, if you ever wanna hook up, you know where to find me.” Oh right, my American Lit class…apparently.

“I’m sorry, but whatever happens, I will never ‘hook up’ with you,” I grind out. “Now, goodbye!”

I hang up on her, shuddering as I toss the phone on the coffer table and sink back down into the couch with my head in my hands. “Urgh.”

There’s silence for a moment, until John pipes up with an innocent, “So who was that then?” and they all burst out laughing.

I look up from my hands. “Oh ha, ha, laugh it up, guys,” I retort. “Just be thankful you don’t have random women calling you up and offering you oral sex.”

Mark and Pete exchange glances with each other and then snort with laughter once more.

“Urgh,” I shudder again in disgust. “You guys carry on watching the game,” I tell them as I stand up. “I have to go call Liz – get my mind off that revolting woman.”

I leave the room and head for my bedroom. When I get there, I march in, push the door closed behind me and grab my cell phone from the bed. I press number one on the speed dial and wait impatiently for her to pick up.

“Hey, Max,” she answers a moment later, laughter in her voice. “What’s up?”

“Liz, you will not believe what just happened to me!” I exclaim loudly, not even pausing to say hello to her.

“Hello to you, too,” she answers playfully.

“I’m sorry,” I lower my voice a little, speaking more calmly this time. “It just…I can’t believe the nerve of that – that…” I trail off, anger overtaking my body.

There’s a pause on the other end and I hear muffled giggling in the background before, “What happened, Max?”

“Some girl named Sandy just called me and offered to…she said she wanted to…God, I can’t even say it!” I stutter out.

“She did what, Max?” inquires Liz, sounding almost…amused?

I frown, forgetting my mortification for a moment. “Liz…is something going on?”

“Oh, um…no,” she says quickly, innocently. “But there’s someone here who wants to have a word with you.”

“Liz…what –?” I don’t get any further because there’s a sudden shuffling and then I hear a different voice.

“Well, hi there again, Max,” comes the southern feminine tone. My eyes widen in horror. It’s her! “So, I take it you’ve changed your mind about us, then?”

“Shit,” I breathe, totally shocked. “What the hell is this?!”

I hear giggling from the other end and then Liz’s voice comes over the phone again, “Sorry, what was that you were saying, Max? Someone named Sandy, was it? See and I thought her name was Grace!”

Realisation finally dawns and my mouth falls open, “Oh my God, that was you calling earlier? You were playing me? I can’t believe this!” I slap a hand to my forehead in bewilderment.

“Aww, come on, even you have to admit it was funny,” she chuckles.

“Not when I’m the one you’re playing jokes on!”

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” she apologises with a sigh. “But it wasn’t actually my idea. We were playing Truth or Dare and calling you was Grace’s dare, so if you’re going to accuse anyone, blame our lovely friend Maria here for coming up with the punishment.”

I take that in. Actually, now that I know the call wasn’t real, I have to admit that the dare was good. Although I’m surprised Liz didn’t stop them – she knows I hate that kind of attention from girls. An unintentional chuckle escapes from my throat and I sink down to the bed and let out a sigh of relief.

“Okay, I’ll admit it; it was kinda funny,” I confess. “But, I’m surprised that you just sat there and let her call me like that.”

“Ah, see,” she chuckles again. “I was going to protest at first, but then I decided it could be rather amusing to hear you squirm.”

“You were listening?” I exclaim, embarrassed. Her silence says it all. “Oh God, I was on speakerphone, wasn’t I?” More silence. “Shit.”

A loud giggle suddenly sounds through the line, followed by her amused voice, “Well, at least we’ll have an entertaining story for the wedding speeches.”

“Oh, ha, ha,” I mumble, my face red. I’m actually glad she can’t see me right now. “Very funny.”

“Well, I thought so,” she replies cheekily.

“I bet you did,” I retort playfully and we both laugh.

“Oh, shit!” Liz cries in annoyance a moment later. “Max, I’m gonna have to go – Maria is threatening to tell the others all the embarrassing things you and I used to get up to when we were kids. I have to stop her.”

“Well, we’d better hang up now then; I wouldn’t trust Maria’s version of the truth in any event,” I tell her hurriedly.

“Okay…well bye, then. I love you,” she tells me softly.

“I love you too,” I reply, my lips curling up in a smile. “Talk to you soon”

She murmurs one last, “Bye, Max,” down the phone and then she’s gone.

As I drop my cell phone back onto the mattress, I breathe a sigh of relief that ‘Sandy’ was just a cruel, twisted joke and head back to the living room to catch up on the soccer match. I flop down onto the couch once more and grab a beer as I explain to John, Mark and Pete about the Truth or Dare game at Liz’s and what her roommate had been dared to do. In fact, I find myself chuckling along with them as the absurdity of the whole situation finally catches up with me.

By the time we’ve calmed down enough to concentrate on the game again, there’s only a few minutes left of the second half. However, in the eighty-seventh minute, it becomes pretty obvious, that the match will be going into extra time as the score is still one-all and it’s unlikely that either team with score a goal in the next two-and-a-half minutes. As the thirty minutes of extra time begins, I look down at my watch, mentally calculating how long the game will go on for. It’s okay though, because even if there ends up being a penalty shootout, I’ll still have time to shower and change before Alex comes over to pick me up. She’s invited me to a house party tonight – one that’s being hosted by a friend of hers – and despite my initial reservations about spending the evening in a cramped bungalow with a load of drunken students, she insisted it would cheer me up, so I reluctantly agreed.

Now all I can do is sit back, relax and hope that I don’t end up totally bored by the end of the night.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thanks for your feedback :

guelbebek - Thanks - I think Max was in shock!!

maya - Thanks .

LairaBehr4 -

clueless - Thanks .

Behrsgirl1230 - Thanks and since I made it up, Real Madrid won!PS. How's life at Disney World?

hazz - Thanks - glad you like it .

anonymousarfan - Thanks ...and as for Alex? We'll have to wait and see about her.

jbangelo - Thanks .

So, it seems new girl Alex is causing quite a stir! For the sake of the storyline, I'm not gonna say much about her here, so I'll just leave it up to you guys to figure her out .

A/N: Just a quick reminder that my Author's chat is this Sunday (Oct 15th) at Roswell Heaven, 4pm EST...I'd love to see you there !


***


Interlude Two


Liz

Present day – August 2006


“Hmm…” I mutter as I shift in the bed, running my hand over the sheets where Max should be. Wait a minute. My eyes fly open and I’m suddenly alert. Where is he?

“Morning, sleepyhead,” comes the smooth velvety tone from inside the wardrobe. I glance at the clock. 6.45 a.m.

“What are you doing up at this time in the morning?” I wonder as I pull myself up into a sitting position, letting the covers fall to my waist.

“Don’t you remember, Lizzie? It’s my first day at work,” he replies; his voice is slightly muffled due to the wardrobe, but I can tell he’s rolling his eyes at me.

“But you don’t start until nine and it’s only four blocks away; it’s not like you’re gonna get stuck in traffic. Come back to bed.” Okay, so I know I’m on the verge of whining, but I miss him already.

“Liz, I want to be prepared for this…I really ought to make a good impression,” he says, emerging from the wardrobe with a white shirt in his hand. He’s wearing black suit pants…and not much else. “I can’t turn up late on the first morn –”

He stops short, his eyes fixed on something. I follow his gaze; he’s staring at my…chest? Oh God, when I sat up, I kinda forgot I was naked. Now I’m giving him an eyeful.

“Max?” I query, in an attempt to get him to look at me. He seems to be spacing out on me a lot these days!

“You know what?” he announces suddenly, a grin appears on his handsome features. “What the hell; I don’t have to leave for two hours.”

Before I know what’s happening, he’s crossed the room and practically pounced on me. We sink down to the mattress, our tongues dancing together, our hands roaming each other’s bodies frantically. Within seconds, his neatly pressed pants have been tossed to the floor in a heap and we’re indulging in frantic, early-morning lovemaking.

***

“Wow,” Max exhales as we lay beside each other on our backs more than an hour later.

“Yeah,” I murmur dreamily in reply. “I love being married!”

He chuckles, turning his head to gaze into my eyes. I shiver.

“Me, too. It’s the best!” he declares, sounding like a little boy, excited about his first bike.

“And to think, we almost didn’t make it here,” I return softly, only fully realising what I’ve said when the grin slides from his face.

He shifts onto his side, supporting his head on his hand as he wraps an arm around me and pulls me flush against him. He leans down and presses a firm kiss to my lips before he starts to speak.

“Liz, I don’t think I can ever tell you how sorry I am for what happened back in March. I’ll always regret not being there for you,” he tells me sincerely.

I lift my hand to his cheek, stroking it tenderly. “But Max, you were there for me and I’m so grateful for that. I don’t know if I would have gotten through it without you,” I assure him. “And we’re together now. We’re married; and there’s no better feeling in the world.”

His smile returns and he kisses my lips once more, “I love you so much.”

“And I you,” I return, burying my face in his neck, inhaling his wonderful scent.

Max shifts again so we’re lying back once more. He hugs me to his chest, his hands roaming my back comfortingly. I let out a sigh of contentment.

“I could just stay like this all day,” I tell him with my eyes closed.

“Me, too,” he replies. “But I really do have to get to work.”

“I know,” I murmur, contradicting myself by tightening my arms around him when he tries to get up.

“Liz, come on,” he chuckles after several attempts to sit up. He rolls his eyes and then leans down to whisper in my ear, “Okay, here’s the deal: you let me get up and go to work, and I’ll make it more than worth your while when I get home this evening.”

My eyes snap open at his words and I loosen my grip on him. “Okay,” I reply quickly, practically shoving him out of the bed. “I’ll go make breakfast while you get ready,” I suggest as I stand up and pull on my robe, wrapping it tightly around my naked body. I head for the door, leaving him standing by the bed.

“Liz, what –?” he seems bewildered by my sudden change of heart.

I send him a ‘duh, Max!’ look as I explain slowly, “Hey, the sooner you go to work, the sooner you’ll be home, right?”

“Um, Liz,” he scratches his head. “It doesn’t quite work that way. I still have to stay until five, no matter what time I get in.”

“Not in my mind,” I insist as I leave the room to fix breakfast.

I grin when I hear his exasperated sigh from the bedroom.

***

Once in the kitchen, I fix a quick breakfast of toast and orange juice and then sit at the table reading a magazine while I wait for Max. When he enters the kitchen a few minutes later, presses a chaste kiss to my lips and takes a seat next to me, a strange sensation washes over me. For the first time since we got married, it actually feels like we’re a real married couple. I watch him take a bite out of his toast, followed by a large gulp of juice and, believe it or not, my stomach does a flip and my heart starts racing.

I’m not at all sure what it is because his movements aren’t turning me on as such, but just seeing him enjoying the breakfast I prepared gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. You know, I’ve always told myself that I’d never turn into the stereotypical housewife, who does all the cooking and cleaning, but there’s something about this scene that fills me with a sense of achievement that Max and I are living life as a married couple; that I’m the one who gets to make him happy (and make his breakfast), and not anyone else.

“So, what are you going to do today?” Max asks suddenly, his voice muffled by his mouthful of toast. I shoot him a slightly distasteful look before I answer. God, didn’t anyone ever teach him not to speak with his mouth full?

“You now, I’m not sure really,” I reply. “Maybe I’ll spend some time finding my way around Santa Fe today.”

He nods, “You wanna meet me for lunch? We could grab something from one of the cafés by the plaza.”

A smile lights up my face. I wasn’t really looking forward to the prospect of not seeing him until dinnertime.

“Sure, that’d be great. You wanna give me a call when you’re on lunch?”

“Okay,” he grins and leans over for another kiss.

We eat in comfortable silence for the next few minutes and then when we’re done, Max finishes getting ready for work and I see him off at the door with a tender kiss…that quickly becomes passionate…and almost results in Max being late…Oops.

After he’s gone, I find myself at a loss for what to do. It’s the first time in the last two-and-a-half weeks that we’ve spent a significant time away from each other. Now that’s not to say that I’m one of those girls who can’t spend more than five minutes away from her man, but I’ve just become so used to his company that it feels weird that he’s not here.

I sink down onto the comfy couch we purchased a week before the wedding. We’d spent so long wandering the shops, trying to find the right one, that I think Max was almost ready to kill me by the time we reached the last store. To be honest, I don’t think I’d blame him if he had, because as far as he was concerned, the first couch we sat on would have been fine; but in my head, I had a picture of the perfect first couch and until we arrived at the final furniture place, I still hadn’t seen it. That was, until I laid my eyes on this one. One glance and I knew; it was the one. It’s a nice, big, two-piece suite in dark blue soft material with armrests that you can rest your head on and just fall asleep. It’s perfect for relaxing on…for curling up on at the end of a long day…for making love on (as we discovered yesterday).

I sit there on the couch for as long as I can before I find the dirty plates and glasses on the table are calling my name; so I stand up, head for the kitchen and move the breakfast things to the sink. There, that’s better. I can wash them later. I leave the room to go take a shower.

***

Two hours later, I’m showered and dressed and wandering around the quaint art shops in Santa Fe plaza. Max and I have agreed to meet for lunch at twelve-thirty, which gives me an hour-and-a half to wander around the shops.

As I drift from store to store, occasionally picking up the various artefacts to look at, my mind drifts to the decisions I’m going to have to make in the near future. Although I graduated with fairly decent grades back in May, I still haven’t found a job. I haven’t even decided if I want to work or go back to school to get a masters. I know that my choices are slightly limited, since Max’s job is here in Santa Fe and there are few employment opportunities for science graduates here. I guess there’s always the Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque or the Los Alamos National Laboratories, but I’m not even sure anymore that research is the way I want to go.

However, if I go back to school, I’m gonna have to attend somewhere close by and no offence to New Mexico colleges, but there really isn’t all that much choice here compared to the rest of the country. At the same time, though, I guess I can’t really complain; because despite how that might have sounded just now, I’m happy here in Santa Fe, I really am. Just being here with Max is enough for me, so if I have to go to a New Mexico college for grad school, so be it.

At least it would mean I wouldn’t have to spend another couple of years thousands of miles away from Max.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thank you for your comments :

LairaBehr4 -

guelbebek - Thanks .

jbangelo - Thanks - Everything will be revealed eventually . Sorry you can't make it to the chat. Where are you seeing The Lion King? I went to see it on Broadway a couple of years ago and it was brilliant - the best musical I've ever seen !

Behrsgirl1230 - Thanks - yeah, Liz could get pregnant and solve the job problem...but will it happen? You'll have to keep reading .
Glad you're having fun at Disney World. A few years ago I thought about the possibility of worknig at Disneyland Paris, but quickly dismissed it because I'd need to be fluent in at least 2 languages (English, French and possibly German) !

anonymousarfan - Thanks .

Strawberry88 - Thank you .

clueless - Thanks .

hazz - Thanks .

Behrystrwbry - Thanks, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to live with the suspense for a little while longer .

dreamsatnight - Thanks, I'm glad you liked the phone call - I really had fun writing it . Yeah, Max in just suit pants...wow !



A/N: Just one last reminder about my Author's chat, 4pm EST at Roswell Heaven this afternoon. I hope to see you there .


***


Part Five

Liz

Monday October 31st 2005 - Halloween


“Hey, Liz, you ready yet?” the voice comes through my bedroom door – it’s Jack; he and Becca have come over to pick me up. We’re going to a Halloween party at a friend of Becca’s tonight.

“Just a minute,” I call back.

I smooth my hands over my outfit and look at my appearance in the mirror. Even now, five minutes before we have to leave, I’m still having doubts about wearing this; I can’t believe Becca actually managed to talk me into it. I very nearly refused point-blank to go through with it, arguing that Max would probably have a fit if he saw me like this, but she insisted that I had to make the most of the last ever Halloween I’ll be spending without Max and forced me to do it.

So here I am, nervous as hell about walking out in public in what can only be described as a thin layer of form-fitting material. I take a deep breath, run my fingers through my hair and reach for the doorknob.

“Wow!” is the first sound that greets me as I step out of my room. I look up self-consciously to find all three of my roommates, plus Becca and Jack, standing in a row in front of me.

“You look fantastic, Liz!” exclaims Becca excitedly.

“Really? You think so?” I ask unsurely, feeling rather exposed in my costume. Especially considering that Becca herself is looking completely gorgeous and curvy in her Marilyn Monroe outfit, which is only complemented by Jack’s all black, save for a silver tie, gangster costume and shades.

“Really,” she confirms. “You look totally hot! Doesn’t she, Jack?”

“Huh…what?” he straightens up, closes his mouth and averts his eyes from my costume when she jams her elbow into his ribs. “Oh, um, yeah, you look great, Liz.”

Becca and I shake our heads and roll our eyes at each other at the wonder of the male species. The second a girl in a skimpy outfit walks through the door, they’re gone, even if said girl is one of their best friends, and despite the fact that their girlfriend is standing right there!

“They’re right,” adds Emma eagerly, who is also coming with us to the party – she’s going as ‘an evil, yet still sexy, wicked witch’. “It’s a great outfit.”

I guess by now you’re probably wondering what exactly my costume is. Well, I’ll tell you. I am going to the party dressed as a 1940’s lounge singer. I’m wearing a satiny red dress, complete with a thigh-high slit on one side and a multitude of cleavage (well, as much as my newly purchased Wonderbra can give me anyway). And to top it all off, my hair is loose and arranged in big curls.

“Thanks, guys,” I mutter, shifting awkwardly under all the attention. “Um, shall we go, then?”

“Yeah,” grins Becca. “Let’s get ready to party!”

***

“Isn’t this cool?” exclaims Emma, as she grabs a bottle of beer from the fridge in Ben Jameson’s kitchen and then comes to stand next to me. Ben is the guy throwing the party; I don’t know him that well, but he’s a good friend of Becca’s, so I have met him briefly a couple of times.

“Yeah,” I reply, taking a sip from the glass of alcoholic punch in my hand. She’s right, it is a cool party, but from some reason I can’t seem to relax and enjoy myself, so I’ve been kind of hanging out in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room for the last hour.

“Hey, Liz, Emma, get your asses over here,” calls Becca from the middle of the makeshift dance floor.

Emma turns to me with a questioning look. I shake my head.

“You go dance; I’ll stay here with my drink,” I tell her.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, go on,” I smile. “Don’t worry about me.”

I watch as she joins Becca and Jack in the centre of the room. I really am content to just stand on the sidelines tonight. A smile plays on my lips as I watch them having fun and I realise then how relaxed and happy I feel, being back at Harvard again, especially after what happened last year.

“Hey, are you okay?” someone asks me a few moments later. I turn my head to find a tall, blond guy smiling down at me. It’s Ben Jameson.

I return his friendly smile, “Oh, I’m fine, thanks.”

“Really?” he sounds a little sceptical. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be dancing?”

I shake my head, “No, I’m okay right here. Don’t worry about me.”

“Okay, then, I won’t,” he grins, sticking his hand out to me. “I’m Ben, by the way, and this right here, is my humble abode.”

“Liz,” I reply, shaking his hand cordially. “And I already know who you are. Actually, I think we’ve met a couple of times,” I inform him. “I’m Becca’s old roommate.”

A look of realisation crossed his face and his dark eyes widen in recognition. “Yeah, I remember now; you’re the scientist, right?”

“Yeah,” I nod. “Biology major.”

He returns the nod.

“So, how’s senior year going for you? Hectic, right?”

“Yeah,” I agree, rolling my eyes. “You can say that again.”

“For me, too.”

“What’s your major?” I ask, genuinely curious. I’m sure Becca mentioned it once, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was.

“Business and accounting,” he replies, adding sarcastically, “It’s mind-blowing stuff, it really is.”

I grin, “Yeah, I know what you mean; there are some parts of Biology that just send me to sleep!”

He returns my grin and we settle into an amicable conversation about the struggles of being a senior. For the most part, I feel comfortable and at ease talking to the guy. The only unnerving thing is that his gaze keeps wandering down to my chest and I have to quell the urge to cover myself with my hands, all the while wondering why on earth I agreed to go out in public like this.

Luckily, I’m saved from further embarrassment when my purse starts vibrating. I make a quick excuse to Ben and pull out my cell phone, briefly checking the caller ID before I pick up. It’s Max.

“Hey, gorgeous,” his smooth timbre echoes down the line.

“Hey yourself, handsome,” I respond with a grin. Just hearing his voice makes me all warm and tingly inside.

“Whatcha doin’?” he asks in a singsong voice.

“Just hanging out at a party,” I reply, frowning quizzically at his strange tone.

“Ooh, cool; me, too!” he exclaims excitedly. “I didn’t wanna go, but Alex made me.”

“Alex?” I question, confused as to how our friend Alex could be at a party in Albuquerque when he goes to college in a different state (he ended up in San Francisco to be near Isabel).

“You know…my friend Alex!” he cries, as if it should be obvious. “She’s from California.”

Oh, yeah…I remember now. He told me all about the girl he met at the library and is now friends with, when we spoke on the phone a couple of weeks ago.

“I love parties, don’t you, Lizzie-Liz?” he exclaims suddenly.

I make a face down the phone as realisation crashes over me, “Max. Are you drunk?”

“No!” he gasps. “What do you think I am…oops…sorry, man.”

I bite back a giggle when I hear a thump and then a muffled curse on the other end. Yep, he’s drunk all right.

“Oh, okay, whatever you say, Max.”

“I mean it, Liz! I’m perf…perfickly…I’m not drunk, okay?!”

“Okay, you’re not drunk,” I humour him. “So, why are you calling?”

“Well,” he starts in the same singsong tone. “I was watching everyone playing twister in the living room and I thought of you.”

I smirk and roll my eyes. Okaayyy…if you say so, Max.

“So, I just had to call and tell you how much I love you.”

Aww…he’s so sweet.

“Well, thank you, Max. I love you, too,” I tell him tenderly.

“Ooh, I have to go now,” he cuts in abruptly. “They’re doing Jell-O shots!”

“Okay…”

“Bye, Lizzie,” he calls out and then hangs up.

“Bye…?” I shake my head at his crazy behaviour as I turn my phone off and slip it into my purse once more.

I turn to see Ben watching me in amusement.

“Boyfriend?” he asks.

“Fiancé,” I correct. His mouth forms an ‘oh’ of understanding. “He’s a little drunk tonight,” I explain with an embarrassed shrug.

“Oh, so I guess that means it’s not worth me trying to ask you out on a date Friday night, then?”

My eyes widen in surprise. He was going to ask me out?

“Um…as flattering as that would be, I’m very much attached,” I explain, holding my left hand up to show him the evidence. “Sorry.”

He shrugs, “Hey, it’s okay. No worries, I’ll just back off now.”

“Sorry,” I say again, feeling kinda bad for him.

We stand together awkwardly for a couple more minutes, until the tension seems to get too much for Ben and he quickly makes a beeline for the other side of the room.

I find myself eager to move also, and quickly made my way through the crowd, where I join my friends who are laughing and having fun in the middle of the dance floor.

If Max can have fun on Halloween, then I can too.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback :

LairaBehr4 - Too early? It was 9.45am here when I posted !

clueless - Thanks .

hazz - Thanks . I had a bad experience with jello shots my freshman year and I haven't done them since !

anonymousarfan - Thanks - and yes, a hangover is all Max got .

flyawayraven - Geez, does no one trust Max anymore? I can assure you that all he had was a hangover.

Behrystrwbry - Yep, her costume was kinda out there, but it's Halloween, so...

dreamsatnight - Yep, I'm with you on the drunkness...although thankfully it's been a while since I got drunk (I really hate hangovers).

jbangelo - Thanks . The Lion King is definitely great. I wanted to see something else on Broadway, but my friend persuaded me to go see it...and it was definitely worth it!


***

Part Six


Max

Tuesday November 15th 2005


“Hey, Max; sorry I’m late,” says Alex breathlessly, as she slides into the seat opposite me at the SUB coffee place. “Some guy tried to make me register to vote for…something or other…and I couldn’t get away from him!”

“No problem,” I smile as I wrap my fingers around the rapidly cooling coffee mug in front of me. It really is starting to get cold outside; winter is definitely on its way. “I got you a latte, but I think I might be cold by now,” I tell her, indicating the other mug across from mine.

“Thanks,” she says and reaches for the drink. She takes a sip and I watch her for a moment.

“So, you’re looking nice this afternoon,” I compliment. I mean it; she’s dressed in smart jeans, a nice top with flowers on it, and heels. Her usually wavy hair is straight and shiny. “What’s the occasion?”

“Oh, nothing much,” she shrugs. “I just got fed up of living in old jeans and plain tops all the time, you know? I felt like a change today.”

“Oh, okay,” I reply with a nod, although I’m a little confused. Why do all girls seem to think that being casual is boring? Even Liz does, to some extent, even though I tell her that it doesn’t matter what she’s wearing; she’ll always be beautiful to me. I personally think both she and Alex look great in casual attire – it gives the impression that they are low-maintenance and laid back, unlike a lot of girls these days, and it’s nice.

“So, what’s going on with you?” she asks, placing her coffee cup down on the table.

“Not much right now,” I reply. “You?”

“Same,” she shrugs again.

This has become a habit of ours of late – meeting up in the student union a couple of afternoons a week for a coffee and a chat. It’s nice to hang out with and talk to someone other than soccer players and professors for a change.

“So, it’s Thanksgiving next week,” says Alex next. “You doing anything special?”

“Not much,” I tell her, before adding with a smile, “I’m going home for the holiday, though.”

“Cool. Will Liz be coming back, too?”

I shake my head my smile dropping, “No, she won’t. We’re trying to save all the money we can this year and it costs so much to fly all the way across the country these days.”

“Sorry to hear that,” she smiles sympathetically, reaching over to squeeze my hand, which is still grasping my mug.

“How about you?” I ask to keep my mind off the fact that I won’t get to see Liz next week. “You going home?”

“Nah,” she dismisses with her hand. “My parents are going on a business-trip-slash-Thanksgiving-vacation to Chicago next week, so I’d be the only one there. I think I’ll just hang around here for the holiday.”

Alex’s parents own a small computer business, although she tells me they’re hoping to expand, hence the frequent business trips around the country.

“Hey, here’s an idea,” I say, after only a second’s thought. “Why don’t you come stay with me for the weekend? My sister and her boyfriend are flying home for the holiday, too. We’ll be having a nice big celebration with family and friends; I’m sure my parents would be happy to put you up for a couple of days as well.”

She makes a regretful face. “Max, I don’t know if –”

I hold my hand up to stop her and add determinedly, “Actually, I’m not taking no for an answer. You shouldn’t have to spend Thanksgiving all alone and miles from home. Come down to Roswell with me next Wednesday. I guarantee you’ll have fun.”

She looks doubtful for a minute, but I hold fast, my expression unwavering, and eventually she sighs and gives in.

“Okay, I’ll spend Thanksgiving in Roswell.”

“Great!” I grin.

“Thank you, Max,” she says sincerely. “I’ll admit that I wasn’t looking forward to staying here with no one around.”

“Aha, so the truth comes out!” I exclaim, triumphantly. I lean forward, “You’re not going to regret this.”

“I hope not,” she chuckles briefly, before changing the subject. “So, what’s on the agenda for this afternoon?”

“They’re showing a series of old British gangster movies at the theatre downstairs this week,” I inform her, knowing how much she likes crime films. “This afternoon, they’re playing Get Carter. You wanna go?”

Her eyes light up and she straightens in her seat, “Ooh, I’d love to! What time is it on?”

I glance at my watch, “It starts in twenty minutes.”

“Come on, then; let’s get going,” she says quickly and downs the rest of her latte, which I’m guessing, like mine, is now only lukewarm.

“Hang on a sec, let me finish my coffee,” I say with a roll of my eyes.

She huffs and mumbles something about men always being so slow, but she still waits patiently for me and fifteen minutes later, we’re sitting in the SUB movie theatre, waiting for the film to start.

***

After the movie, I say goodbye to Alex and head towards the Zimmerman library to get some research done for an English paper due next week. However, on my way across the courtyard area, I bump into John and Mark and I give the research a miss in favour of grabbing a green chilli double cheeseburger at Frontier restaurant on Central Avenue.

“So, what’s up?” asks Mark as we grab our trays of food and take a seat beneath a large picture of John Wayne.

“Not much,” I reply taking a large bite out of my burger. “Went to class, saw a movie with Alex in the SUB, and now I’m here. You?”

“Class, class and more class,” he says tiredly.

I nod sympathetically and we eat in silence for a few minutes until John speaks up.

“Hey, Max, what’s with this Alex chick?”

I frown, “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’ve been spending a lot of time with her lately…”

“And?” I question defensively, lowering the burger to my plate. “She’s my friend.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little unfair to Liz?”

I shake my head, “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I get what you’re saying.”

“Look, man…are you sure you guys are just friends? Because, you know, I like Liz, and when she calls the apartment in the future, I don’t want to have to start giving her excuses as to what you might be doing.”

“No, you look,” I start heatedly, insulted that he might think my friendship with Alex is anything but. “We’re friends, okay? That’s all; and I don’t have to give excuses for that. Besides, one of Liz’s best friends at Harvard is male and I don’t have a problem with that, so neither should she have a problem with Alex.”

He holds up his hands in surrender, “Okay, dude, if you’re sure. But don’t come crying to me when it all goes wrong.”

“Don’t worry, there’s no danger of that,” I retort, staring him down.

We remain like that, locked in a staring match for several seconds until Mark tries to break the tension.

“Hey, guys, come on. It’s not worth it.”

“Fine,” I mutter, finally breaking eye contact. I shove my plate aside and stand up. “I’m outta here.”

I send John an evil glare, before stalking out of the restaurant. I forgo the library idea completely and instead begin the fifteen-minute trek back to our apartment. I can’t believe that John would have the nerve to suggest that Alex and I might…God! I could never do that to Liz.

However, the walk home gives me some time to think and I eventually realise that John is just trying to look out for me, to make sure that I don’t do something stupid; but, as much as I appreciate his concern, I’m not a kid and I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself – well, as long as I’m not getting incredibly drunk at Halloween parties and making stupid drunken phone calls to Liz, that is. Which, by the way, is something that I’ll never live down. You know, I really need to stop making a fool of myself very soon, because I think Liz is starting to build up a very long list of embarrassing things that she can give to our friends for the wedding speeches.

When I reach the apartment, I head straight for my room. I dump my bag and jacket on the floor by the door and sink down onto the bed, resting one hand behind my head as the other reaches for the stereo remote. Thanking God that no one else is home, I turn it on and wait for a certain homemade compilation CD to begin. The strains of Sheryl Crow’s I Shall Believe filter through the speakers and I close my eyes as thoughts of Liz Parker invade my senses, temporarily erasing the events of the afternoon from my memory.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thank you for your feedback and comments - I really appreciate and enjoy hearing what you think :

LairaBehr4 - Thanks, .

clueless - Thank you .

anonymousarfan - Ooh, you're really not liking Alex are you? . You know, maybe she was just in the mood to wear something nice...and she was going to refuse Max's Thanksgiving offer at first.

Behrystrwbry - You know, Max didn't actually say 'you should come to Roswell because Liz can't be there' - I don't think he even connected the two in his mind . He's just being the nice guy he is and not letting his friend stay at UNM on her own over the holiday.

hazz -

dreamsatnight - You'll get Liz's POV after this Interlude, but I guess Max just hasn't considered what his friendship with Alex looks like to everyone else. But are they right to be concerned, or is it all completely innocent?

jbangelo - Maybe Max did overreact, but you know what men are like...they can overreact to just about anything (my dad is a great example - I've never seen anyone get so worked up about the silliest little things!).



A/N: It's been interesting reading your opinions regarding Max and Alex. I don't know if it's just a British thing, but platonic boy-girl friendships are not uncommon over here and I honestly didn't deliberately write it to hint at either of them wanting something more from the relationship .


***


Interlude Three

Max

Present Day – September 2006


I let out an exhausted sigh as I let myself into the apartment and place my briefcase on the floor. I shrug my jacket off my shoulders and drop it over the arm of the couch as I make my way across the living room. One glance at the clock on the mantelpiece tells me that I’m late again…very late. I loosen my tie and unhook the top button of my shirt as I ponder how I’m going to make this up to Liz. I hate the thought of her spending her evenings at home, while I’m stuck in some dive after work, trying to impress the boss. In fact, I’m down right tired of it.

The first time the boss invited me to join him and the rest of the team for a drink after work, I politely turned him down and told him that I needed to get home to my wife. It seems that was a big mistake. Apparently, the majority of the big decisions get made over drinks in the local bar and by not attending regularly, I was putting my credibility on the line. So, for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been forced to sit in the smoky bar and watch my married colleagues discuss the merits of the various female patrons over several rounds of beer instead of making company decisions.

I hate it. In fact, I’m on the verge of quitting; although I know I can’t. Liz isn’t currently earning; she’s having trouble finding work at the moment and although she’s seriously considering graduate school, she’ll have missed the fall semester deadlines by now; and if I quit, we won’t have anything to live on. I’m stuck and I have no idea what to do about the situation in currently in.

It is with a sigh of regret that I open our bedroom door to find Liz already curled up in bed, snoring lightly (although, if you asked her, she’d swear point blank that you were making it up and that she does not snore). My heart gives a tug as I realise that I haven’t even spoken to her today, save for the quick message I left on the answer machine earlier, which doesn’t really count. I had to leave for work early to check over some papers and she was still asleep when I left. As I pull the door closed again and head for the bathroom to wash and brush my teeth, I decide that I have to do something; I have to either find a way to spend more time with my wife, or do something about the job, because I can’t continue living like this for much longer. I just don’t know how to fix it.

I finish washing up and head back to the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me as I pull off my tie. I walk round to my side of the bed, before dropping my pants and stepping out of them. I leave them in a heap on the floor while I pull off my shirt. Now wearing only my boxers, I slide into bed and lie on my back, trying to get comfortable. It doesn’t work. Beside me, Liz shifts and turns over to face me.

“Hey, you’re home,” she murmurs softly, cuddling up to my side. “I’ve missed you today.”

She leans up for a kiss, but quickly pulls away before our lips touch, a disgusted look on her face.

“Ugh, you stink!”

“I do?” I ask worriedly. “What of?”

“Cigarette smoke…and alcohol,” she states. “It’s gross.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmur softly, running my hand up and down her back.

“Max, you have to do something about this,” she says despairingly, as she traces my bare chest with her fingers. “I don’t think I can handle it much longer.”

“I know, Lizzie,” I agree softly. “I don’t like it either.”

“So, do something about it,” she states matter-of-factly.

“What can I do? I can’t afford to jeopardise my career right now.”

“God, Max!” she exclaims, pulling away from me. “It’s not that hard. You just walk in there, tell your boss that you can’t go for drinks after work anymore and you’re sorted.”

“Liz, it’s not that simple –”

“Of course it is,” she cries in exasperation. “You’re just too much of a coward to speak up about it.”

“But, this is my job, my career!” I protest loudly, tiredness making me cranky

“And I’m your wife!” she hisses, sitting up and turning away from me to get out of the bed. “Is your career so important to you that you can ignore that little fact? God!”

“Liz –” I start pleadingly.

“Save it, Max,” she spits furiously as she grabs her robe and stalks out of the room, leaving me to stare at her retreating back.

“Shit!” I exclaim in frustration, as I fall back against the pillows, my hands cupping my forehead.

I remain in that position, angry with myself for putting Liz in this position, for not having the courage to put my foot down at work and for being a crappy husband lately, until the sound of Liz’s quiet sobs filter in from the living room. Immediately, I scramble to my feet and head towards the sound, intent on making up for my stupid behaviour.

I find her on the end of the couch, her head in her hands.

“Liz,” I say softly.

She doesn’t move.

“Lizzie, please.”

No response.

I kneel down in front of her and take her hands in mine, thereby forcing her to acknowledge me, although she keeps her eyes glued to her lap.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” I apologise gently. “I know this is hard for you; it’s tough on me, too.”

“Really?” she scoffs tearfully. “’Cause it doesn’t exactly seem like it.”

“What can I do to make this up to you?”

She raises her teary gaze to mine, her answer evident in her expression.

I nod. “Okay, okay, I’ll talk to my boss,” I give in, powerless to resist those gorgeous, pleading eyes of hers.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

“I’m sorry,” I repeat sincerely. “I never wanted to upset you. I’m sorry, okay?”

A ghost of a smile plays on her lips as she extracts one of her hands from mine and lifts it to cup my cheek. Our gazes lock and unconsciously, we move towards each other. The second our lips touch I’m lost. My tongue tangles with hers and I let go of her other hand so I can wind my fingers into her long, tousled hair.

Several moments later, Liz pulls away to look into my eyes again.

“You’re forgiven,” she murmurs. “This time. But you have to promise me that you’re going to do something soon, okay?”

“Okay,” I nod firmly. “I promise.”

“Thank you.”

I stand up and hold my hand out to her, “You coming to bed now?”

She smiles again and slips her hand in mine, “Sure.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

I pull her to her feet and together we move towards the bedroom.

As we settle into bed again, I hold out my arms to her.

“Come here?” I half-question, unsure of whether she’ll accept the invitation.

She nods her consent and moves over to my side of the bed. I enfold her in my arms and hug her to me tightly.

”I love you so much,” I whisper. “I hate when we fight.”

“Me too,” she murmurs, wrapping her arm around my waist and squeezing slightly. “I’m sorry I got mad at you. It’s just…I get lonely when you’re at work all day; I look forward to seeing you in the evenings, you know? And it’s frustrating when you don’t come home until late.”

“I know,” I tell her. “And it’s hard for me as well. I look forward to spending time with you, too. It sucks that I can’t be here with you for dinner every night. Look, I’ll do what I can to get out of the after-work stuff, I promise.”

Liz lifts her head and our eyes meet. She leans up and presses a soft kiss to my cheek, before covering my lips with hers. She shifts and I release my grip on her so she can move above me. She straddles my hips and places her hands on the pillow, one on either side of my head, to support herself as the kiss deepens. I slide my hands up over her hips and bring them to rest on her waist. We remain like that for a while, just kissing and caressing and generally making up. However, I can tell from her body language and responses to our embrace, that she’s feeling just as tired as I am tonight, so I gently roll her so we’re lying together side by side.

“Come on, let’s get some rest,” I whisper against her lips, before pulling away a little. “I think we’re both too exhausted for anything else tonight.”

“Okay,” she smiles softly. “Goodnight, then, Max.”

“Goodnight, Lizzie. See you in the morning.”

TBC…