I'll Look After You (AU,M/L,ADULT) Ch. 20 1/15/20

Fics using the characters from Roswell, but where the plot does not have anything to do with aliens, nor are any of the characters "not of this Earth."

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Cocogurl
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I'll Look After You (AU,M/L,ADULT) Ch. 20 1/15/20

Post by Cocogurl »

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Title: I'll Look after you
Author: Cocogurl
Category: M/L with bits of M/M, A/I and T/K here and there
Rating: Mature/Adult
Disclaimer: Roswell's not mine and neither are the characters. Please don't sue.
Summary: Liz moves to Roswell with her father after her mother's death. When she meets Max Evans, she is instantly attracted to him, but can tell that Max is hiding something. Max tries to fight his attraction to Liz, believing he doesn't need her, but eventually his feelings become to strong to deny. As Max and Liz get closer, they will have to break down the walls that they've built in order to experience true love.
*********************************

Chapter One

Max Evans laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling while he listened to his parents arguing downstairs. Every night it was the same thing. His father would come home drunk and angry, mom would try to calm him down but it wouldn’t work. He would still yell and throw things, and blame her for getting pregnant and ruining his life. That’s all Max was to his father. A mistake. Max closed his eyes when he heard footsteps heading towards his bedroom. He knew what was coming.

His bedroom door slammed open, hitting the wall the behind it, and Max opened his eyes and looked over to see his father glaring down at him, fists clenched at his sides.

“Look at you, laying on your ass doing nothing as usual,” Phillip Evans snarled as he looked down at the waste of life he called his son. “Take out the garbage.”

“Do it yourself,” Max shot back as he went back to staring at the ceiling. He knew it didn’t matter if he did what his father said or not. He was going to get beat anyway. And just as he expected, Phillip yanked him off the bed by his collar and threw him down on the floor.

Max forced his mind to go somewhere else as his father started kicking him in the stomach. Eventually he went to place where he wasn’t in pain, where he was loved and safe, a place where someone could actually love him. Max closed his eyes and wished that that place really existed.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Knock, knock.”

Liz looked up from her suitcase and saw her dad, Jeff Parker, standing in the doorway, looking at her with an awkward smile.

“Hey, dad,” she greeted as she went back to unpacking her things. “What’s up?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if you needed any help.” He walked into her bedroom and sat down on the side of her bed. “You know, with unpacking.”

Liz shrugged. “No, I’m pretty much done.”

“Are you sure?”

Liz walked over to her closet and started hanging up some of her clothes, trying to avoid her fathers scrutinizing stare. “Yeah, I’m sure,” she said, hanging up the last of her clothes.

She finally turned around to face her dad and saw exactly what she knew she would see. Though he was smiling gently at her, she saw that it never reached his eyes. His eyes looked lost and empty, like he was trying to keep from falling apart. She could tell because she saw those same things in her eyes whenever she looked at herself in the mirror.
“Okay, then,” he said, standing up from his daughter’s bed and folding his arms over his chest uncomfortably. “Are you excited about school tomorrow?”

“Ecstatic,” she answered sarcastically, giving her father a fake smile.

Jeff sighed at his daughter. “Liz, I know that you don’t really want to be here, but it’s for the best..”

Liz was about to open her mouth to argue, but decided against it. She knew that he was having a hard time dealing with her mother’s death too. So instead, she nodded her head. “I know dad. I’m sorry.”

Jeff’s smile returned once again, accepting her apology, as he walked over to his daughter and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t hug him back though, she just stood there in silence, listening to her father talk. “I promise it’ll get better, sweetie,” he assured. “We just have to give it time.”

“I know,” she said, pulling away from her father’s embrace. “I think I’m gonna go to bed now.”

“Oh, right, of course.” He turned around and started to walk out of Liz’s room. Placing his hand on the doorknob, he looked over his shoulder at her. “Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Goodnight, dad,” she said back before watching him leave her room completely, shutting the door behind him. The minute she heard his retreating footsteps, she walked over and rummaged through one of the last remaining boxes in her room. Finding what she was looking for, she pulled out a little teal photo album and sat down on her bed so she can look through it. She continued to flip through her photo album, getting lost in all of the wonderful memories of her life, when she paused at a particular photo of her mother. It was one of the last photos she had taken of her mother before her death.

As she looked at it, she couldn’t get over just how beautiful her mother was. Long, flowing hair, beautiful brown eyes, and one of the brightest smiles that Liz had ever seen. If a stranger had looked at this photo, they would’ve believed that Nancy Parker was a wonderfully happy woman. But Liz knew just how wrong they would’ve been. Nancy had been far from happy.

Liz remembered all the times that her mother would lie in her bed crying or just watching tv, unable to even get out of bed to eat. She remembered all the times that her father would have to try to for Nancy to get dressed or even just eat. And she remembered the night that she had walked in the bathroom and found her mother dead in the bathtub with an empty bottle of sleeping pills lying on the floor beside the tub. Nancy had been a depressed woman and in the end, she couldn’t fight it anymore.

Sadness soon turned into anger as she looked at her mother’s photo. This was all load of bullcrap. It wasn’t that Nancy couldn’t fight this, she wouldn’t fight this. Her father and her weren’t enough for Nancy to even try and fight this depression. Well, I don’t care anymore, Liz thought as she shoved the photo album in her bottom drawer and wiped a tear from her eye. If Nancy was so eager to leave the people that loved her the most, then she wasn’t worth grieving over in Liz’s book. Tomorrow was her first day at West Roswell High, and she planned to make the most of this. It was her chance for a fresh start, and she wasn’t going to let anymore thoughts of her mother ruin it.

She’d wasted enough time on Nancy Parker.
Last edited by Cocogurl on Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:51 pm, edited 34 times in total.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT Ch. 1 10/4/08

Post by Cocogurl »

Hunter
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touched by an alien
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Thank you all so much for your wonderful feedback. I really hope you enjoy this next part as much. :D
********************

Chapter Two

Liz walked down the halls of West Roswell High, feeling more out of place than ever. She ignored the curious and even intimidated looks she got from everyone as she walked to her locker. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what everyone was thinking. The girls were thinking: Is she going to be after my boyfriend? And the guys were thinking: Can I get into her pants? Those looks actually comforted Liz in a way. It was proof that high school never changed, no matter where you were.

Liz opened her locker and put her books away, except her history book, just as the bell rung class. She quickly closed her locker and went in search for the bio lab. She had wandered around the school for about fifteen minutes before finally accepting that she was completely lost. Just perfect, she thought. I get to be late on my first day of school. Sighing in frustration, she went in search for someone that could help her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“You are so good at that, Max,” Pam Troy said as she reapplied her lip gloss while Max zipped up his jeans and straightened out his shirt.

Max and Pam weren’t together. Far from it, actually. They were what most people would call ‘fuck buddies.’ Anytime one of them had an itch that needed to be scratched, one of them would drag the other into the eraser room for a little fun. But Pam made it pretty clear that she was not exclusive to him and that was perfectly fine with Max. He wasn’t exclusive to Pam either, but he didn‘t go around looking for other bed buddies either. And the last thing he wanted was to waste his time with a girlfriend. Besides it’s not like he could ever find someone who could actually love him or want to marry him, or grow old with him. There was nothing even remotely lovable about him and he accepted that.

“Yeah, yeah, what ever,” he said as he straightened out his shirt and grabbed his back pack from off the floor, slinging it over his shoulder.

“Gee, don’t I get any credit?” Pam said in a flirty tone, putting her lipgloss away and fixing her messy clothes. “I was there too, you know.”

“That’s right, you were.” Max leaned against the eraser room door with his hand on the doorknob, and gave her a sexy smile. “It was the best I’ve ever had.”

“Damn straight,” she fired back, giving him a wink.

Max was the first one to step out into the hallway after checking to make sure no one was around. Pam came out a moment later and gave Max a little kiss on the cheek.

“See you, later,” she said in a sultry voice before turning around and heading to class. Max shook his head and turned in the opposite direction just in time to see a gorgeous brunette heading his way, looking incredibly lost. He could feel his heart beat faster in his chest as he watched her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life.

“Excuse me,” she said, relieve passing over her face as she spotted Max. “Um, do you know were history class is? I’ve been looking all over the place, but I can’t seem to find it.” This guy is gorgeous! Liz thought as she eyed Max up and down. He definitely looked like he could show her a good time. “Liz. Liz Parker. And you would be?”

“Every woman’s nightmare,” a female voice said.

Max and Liz looked away from each other and spotted a petite blonde leaning against one of the lockers with her arms folded across her chest. Liz could tell from the nasty look she was shooting in Max’s direction that this wasn’t a girl to be screwed with. That only intrigued Liz though.

The girl walked up to Liz and replaced her glower with a smile. “Hi, Liz. I’m Maria Deluca.”

Liz cocked her head to the side in confusion. “How did you--”

“Oh, Principle Forrester asked me to find you, show you around, basically be your guide to everything Roswell,” she said with a laugh before turning her attention back to Max and glaring. “You’re not gone yet?”

Max didn’t answer Maria. Instead he just smirked in amusement. He certainly did miss that spunk of hers. He then turned to Liz and gave her a smile. “Liz, it was very nice to meet you,” he said shaking her hand. “I hope to see you around.”

Liz’s eyes were glued to Max as he started to walk away. She certainly hoped to see him around again. Just as she was about to turn back to Maria, she saw Max stop and turn back around to face her.

“I’m Max, by the way,” he said. “Max Evans.”

Liz smiled as she watched Max turn and continue walking away, turning a corner at the end of the hallway. She definitely had to get to know this guy.

“Hey,” Maria said, getting Liz’s attention. “Why don’t I walk you to class? This school’s so damn big, it’s easy to get turned around.”

Liz looked back at Maria, suddenly remembering that she was late for class. “Oh, thank you.”

Maria shrugged with a smile. “Don’t mention it.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As Maria showed Liz to her class, the two girls talked and Liz found herself liking Maria more and more. She was so funny and smart, and incredibly honest. Maria was honest and said exactly what was on her mind and Liz envied her for that. Not a lot of people were like that. She could see herself becoming good friends with Maria. Liz wanted to ask Maria about Max, but decided against it.

“So here it is,” Maria said as she and Liz came to a stop at a classroom door. “Mr. Seligman’s class.”

“Seriously, thank you again,” Liz said sincerely. “I would’ve been lost forever without you.”

“Not a problem,” Maria said, smiling back at Liz. “Hey, why don’t you meet me at lunch? I can introduce you to the rest of my friends.”

“Yeah, that sounds fun,” Liz answered.

“Okay, then I’ll see you at lunch.” Maria started to back away as she waved goodbye to Liz. “Later, chica.”

Liz waved back as she watched Maria walk away before turning around and entering Mr. Seligman’s classroom. When walked inside, all eyes turned towards her, but she barely even noticed. Her eyes were completely focused on Max, who was sitting at a desk in the back, and was giving her the most intense stare.

“Aw, you must be Ms. Parker,” Mr. Seligman said. “You’re late.”

Liz took her eyes off of Max and looked over at Mr. Seligman, who was giving her a stern look. “Yeah, sorry,” she apologized. “I got lost.”

Mr. Seligman sighed in annoyance. “Well, since this is you’re first day, I’ll let slide. But don’t let it happen again.”

“It won’t,” she promised, nodding her head.

Turning back to the class, Mr. Seligman spoke, "Well, class, this is Liz Parker. A new student here. I’m sure you’ll all be clamoring around to make her feel welcome.”

Liz resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his sarcastic comment. This guy obviously didn’t like students very much. As she looked around for a seat, she smiled inwardly when she saw that the only seat available happened to be the one right beside Max. This is definitely going to my favorite class, she thought excitedly as she took a seat next to Max.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT Ch. 2 10/14/08

Post by Cocogurl »

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veronica

Chapter Three

“Hey, can I sit here?” A female voice asked.

Max looked up and saw Liz standing in front of him, holding a tray of food in her hands. “But aren’t you friends with Maria?” He asked casually, trying not to let her see how attracted he was to her. He was actually surprised that she had even decided to walk over to him. He had noticed the way she would sneek glances at him in history class earlier. He noticed it because he would do the same every time he thought no one was looking. What the hell is wrong with me? He thought in confusion. He didn’t know why she affected him so much, but she did and he was determined to fight it.

“It’s a free country,” Liz answered with a shrug as she sat down beside him at the table. “I can have more than one friend.”

“You can, but I can’t be one of them,” Max said before take a sip of his Mountain Dew.

“Why not?”

“Maria didn‘t tell you about me?” He asked, looking at Liz in confusion. He was surprised that Maria didn’t tell Liz anything about him.

Liz shook her head. “Maria didn’t tell me anything about you.”

Max looked at her for a moment before he resumed eating his lunch. He probably shouldn’t be as shocked as he was that Maria hadn’t told Liz anything about him. They weren’t exactly friends anymore. Hell, they weren’t even acquaintances anymore, not that it mattered to him. He had let go of all of that crap a long time ago, and he was better off that way.

“Well,” Liz said, urging him to say something else. “Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to beat it out of you?”

Max smirked as he pictured this tiny girl trying to beat information out of him. After taking another swig of his soda, he opened his mouth to say something when another voice intruded.

“Well, well, what do we have here.”

Both of them looked up and saw Sean Teague standing there, giving Liz a sexy smile before sitting down beside her. “You must be the new girl,” he continued. “I’m Sean.”

Liz noticed the seductive look in Sean’s eyes and wasn’t impressed. She could tell right off that he was a playboy, thinking he could get any girl he wanted with just a sexy smile. But he’s dead wrong, she thought herself. She’d been around plenty of guys like him back at her old school and she knew how to handle them because they were all the same.

“So?” She asked, eyeing him up and down. “Am I supposed to care?”

Sean could hear the boredom in her voice, but wasn’t going to back down. “Ooh, you’re feisty,” he said in a charming voice. “I like that.”

Liz shook her head. “Not feisty. Just not interested.”

“LIZ!” Maria shouted as she walked into the quad and saw Liz sitting with Max and Sean.

Liz looked over and saw Maria waving her over. Liz turned to Max and gave him a smile. “I should go,” she said. “I’ll see you later, I guess.” She didn’t even give Sean another glance as she got up from her seat, grabbed her tray, and walked over to Maria.

Max couldn’t resist the urge to stare at her cute little butt swaying sided to side as she walked over from his table and over to Maria, who was now giving Max an icy glare. Yep, no one knew how to hold a grudge the way that Maria could. Giving Maria a little wink, he went back to eating his lunch. Suddenly the idea of seeing Liz again wasn’t such a bad idea. He then looked over at Sean, who was still watching Liz with lustful eyes, and felt a little stab of jealousy rush through him. He did not like the way that Sean was looking at Liz and had to resist the urge to punch the guy.

“Damn, she is so fine,” Sean said with a wicked smile. “I certainly wouldn’t mind getting in between those legs.”

“In your dreams,” Max scoffed without thinking. He quickly regretted it when Sean looked over at him with an amused smile.

“Are you jealous?” He asked in amusement. “Because if you are, I can just--”

“I’m not jealous,” Max interrupted quickly. “I couldn’t care less about her, so go ahead. Do what you want.”

Sean looked at Max for a moment. He could tell that Max was lying his ass off. Max was really affected by this girl, but Sean didn’t care. He looked back over at Liz, who was talking to Maria, and was determined to have her. The two of them ate their lunch in silence, both of them preoccupied with thoughts of Liz Parker.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“What were you doing over there?” Maria asked as she and Liz walked together in the quad.

Liz shrugged. “Oh, nothing,” she said simply. “Just getting to know Max, that’s all.” She stopped walking for a moment and gave Maria a curious look. “Is there some reason I shouldn’t get to know Max?”

“No, it’s fine,” Maria said quickly, looking away from Liz uncomfortably. Maria spotted Michael, Isabel and Alex sitting at a table and waved at them. She looked back at Liz and smiled. “Come on,” she said. “There’s some people that I want you to meet.”

Liz followed Maria over to table where three people were happily chatting and eating their lunch together. The first person she noticed was the blonde. She absolutely gorgeous and looked like she should be a supermodel instead a regular high school girl from Roswell. Her eyes then landed on the boy beside her. He had dark brown hair and was a little scrawny. She guessed that the two must be couple considering how close they were sitting to each other and the way that the guy had his arm draped around the girl’s shoulder while he munched on his chips.

Then Liz looked at the second guy, who was a bit more rugged and unkempt than the other guy. She knew immediately that he was Maria’s boyfriend when she saw Maria set her tray down on the table and leaned in to give the guy a short but sweet kiss on the lips.

“Hey, guys, meet Liz Parker,” Maria said as sat down next Michael at the table while Liz sat on the other side of her. “She’s the new girl at school.”

“Hi,” the blonde girl said with a smile. “I’m Isabel Guerin and this is my boyfriend Alex.”

“Nice to meet you,” said the gangly guy next to Isabel, putting a potato chip in his mouth.

“Oh and Liz,” Maria started, scooting closer to the rugged guy beside her, “this is my boyfriend Michael.”

Liz resisted the urge to laugh as Michael tried to say hello while his mouth was full of food. They all seemed so fun and carefree. They were exactly the kind of people she wanted to know and be. Which was why she had decided not to tell them anything about her mother’s death. The last thing she wanted was to be pitied and talked about.

“So where’d you live before?” Isabel asked, breaking Liz out of her thoughts.

“Oh, um, California. L.A. specifically,” she answered.

“I would kill to live in L.A.,” Isabel said excitedly. “All those clothes and shoes.”

Liz laughed and noticed the way Alex smiled adoringly at his beautiful girlfriend before pulling her closer to him. Isabel smiled at Alex and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. It was obvious that the two were very much in love.

After a moment, both Alex and Isabel broke apart and Isabel turned her attention back to Liz. “Well, why would your parents choose to move to a dinky, little town like Roswell instead of staying in L.A.?” She asked.

Liz was silent for a moment, shifting awkwardly in her seat, unsure of what to say. She couldn’t tell them that the reason her family moved to Roswell was because they couldn’t take it in L.A. anymore after her mother’s death, and that they couldn’t take the way Liz was talked about in school after Nancy’s suicide. Liz remembered this one time she had accidentally cut herself and the way everyone in school had reacted when they saw the cut. They all said she was a suicidal headcase just like her mother. That had been the final straw for both Liz and Jeff and they had finally decided to pack up and move to Roswell, her father’s hometown. No, Liz certainly couldn’t tell them that.

“Um, no real reason,” she said with a shrug. “My dad just kinda got tired of the city, wanted to reconnect with his roots, or something like that. My dads a bit of a sentimental dork,” she chuckled.

Isabel smiled and nodded her head. “Yeah, he sounds like it.”

“Well, let me be the first to say that Roswell’s a pretty cool place,” Alex jumped in a moment later. “I mean, at first you’ll feel like you’re going insane because the boringness of this town and the way you end up knowing everyone here, but eventually you’ll be so numb from all of this and you’ll actually start to think you enjoy this place." Feigning sympathy, Alex leaned in and patted her hand. “I pray you experience that soon.”

Laughter erupted from Liz’s lips as she looked at Alex. “I certainly that hope that I do also,” she said with a smile.

Finally the three of them looked over at Michael and Maria, noticing how cozy they looked together. Michael was whispering something in Maria’s ear and from the look on her face, she was loving what he was saying. As Michael leaned away from her and got up from his seat, Maria looked over at the three of them and tried to act as casual as possible.

“Um, I just realized that Michael and I have some…studying to do,” she said as she calmly got up from her seat and took Michael’s hand. “So that’s what we’re going to go do…study.”

Maria barely had time to say goodbye to them before Michael dragged her out of the quad. Isabel cringed in disgust as she watched her brother and Maria rush out of the quad while Alex chuckled in amusement. Liz was the only one who wasn’t sure exactly what had just happened.

“Where are they going?” She asked, looking back at Alex and Isabel.

Alex smirked at her before reaching over and grabbing one of her chips off her tray. “Well, they’re not exactly going to study,” he said as he popped the chip in his mouth.

“Oh,” Liz said in confusion. And after a moment it dawned on her what “studying" really meant. “Oh, I see.”

“It’s just so gross,” Isabel said, looking completely nauseated.

Liz looked back over at Max and Sean, who were sitting a little further away. She had to roll her eyes when she saw Sean shooting little winks her way. She hated guys like him and couldn’t even fathom why Max would be friends with this asshole. They just seemed so different. While Sean was completely repulsive and stupid, Max wasn’t like that. At least he didn’t seem that way. He was charming and handsome. And there was something about him that she couldn’t quite place her finger on, but she wouldn’t rest until she figured it out.

“Hey, what do you guys know about Max Evans?” She asked as she looked back at Alex and Isabel. They looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Liz wearing frowns on their faces. Obviously they know something, she thought.

“Why do you want to know?” Isabel asked.

Liz just shrugged. “I don’t know, I met Max earlier today and he was…” Liz trailed off, blushing as she remembered the way she drooled over him. “He was pretty cute and charming, but when I asked Maria about him, she refused to tell me anything.”

“Well, what did she tell you?” Alex asked, wondering what she had to say.

“Like I said, nothing,” Liz said. “She just changed the subject when I asked.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Isabel said, looking at Liz with concern in her eyes.

“Why?”

Both Alex and Isabel were silent, not sure what to say her. After a moment, Isabel scooted closer to Liz. “Look, Liz, it would just be better if you stayed away from Max. He’s not the kind of guy you should be around.”

“She’s right,” Alex said, looking at Liz seriously.

Liz wanted to say something more, but decided it would be better if she stayed quiet. She didn’t know why they were being so secretive about Max, but she didn’t think it was worth arguing about at the moment. Instead she just nodded her head, like she agreed with them, and said, “Okay, I’ll just let it go.”

Isabel smiled in relief, glad that she had gotten through to her. “That’s probably a good idea,” she said as she scooted back over to Alex and resumed eating her lunch.

While Alex and Isabel continued eating and chatting happily with Liz, Liz continued to sneak looks at Max when no one was looking. Why would they want her to stay away from Max? She just didn’t understand, but she was determined to find out.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT Ch. 3 10/21/08

Post by Cocogurl »

destinyc
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Thank you all so much for your patience and wonderful feedback. I’m terrible at updating. I know. Lol. I’ve just been really busy trying to get stuff taken care of before I visit my boyfriend in Ohio for Christmas. But I’ll try to do better. And I hope you enjoy this next part. :D

I borrowed a a line or two from the episode ‘Leaving Normal.’

Chapter Four

I’m never going to get this! Liz thought in frustration as she sat alone in a booth at the Crashdown Café, trying unsuccessfully to write a song that she’d been thinking about for months. Finally she crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it down on the floor, sighing in defeat. Why was she even still trying? She was never as good as her mother was at song writing, and what ever talent she did have for it apparently died when her mother did. Liz could remember the nights when she and Nancy would stay up late listening and writing music. Nancy had such a talent for writing and singing music, and though Liz hated to admit it, her mother was the one who inspired her to be a musician and was driving force behind a lot of Liz’s songs. And without her, Liz wasn’t sure if she had what it took to be a great song writer.

Liz sighed in annoyance before she let her head collapse down on the table. She hated that she actually missed her mother’s presence in any way. Nancy Parker was a selfish woman who ended her life, not even thinking about the people she’d be hurting in the process, so why the hell should Liz miss her? And why was she persuing this whole music thing? It was her mother who got her into this whole thing and after Nancy’s death, she had decided cut anything that reminder her of her mother out of her life. But music was still the one thing that Liz just couldn’t let ago of. The answer was very simple. I love music, she thought. It didn’t matter who got her into it, music was her passion. And she couldn’t just let it go.

Ever since she was six, she had dreamed of one day being a famous singer, though her mother had introduced her to it, it was her that decided that this was what she wanted. Liz lived and breathed music, and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life.

Liz had been so caught up in her thoughs that she didn’t notice when a waitress walked over to her booth and pick up the crumpled piece of paper up off the floor.

“You know if you’re going to throw stuff in the diner, at least don’t throw something this good,” Tess Harding said, as she read the lyrics that Liz had written down. “This is beautiful, Liz.”

Liz chuckled and looked up at Tess. “You’re very sweet,” she said with a smile. It was true. Tess Harding truly was one of the kindest people that she had ever met. She was always so open and friendly with everyone, but not in a way that was annoying or fake. She was always honest and nice with everyone, but there was no doubt in Liz’s mind that Tess could hold her own if anyone disrespected her in any way.

Tess had been the first person that Liz had met when they moved to Roswell. Liz’s father was very good friends with Tess’ father, Ed Harding, and Ed had been nice enough to take over at the Crashdown when Jeff had decided to move to L.A. with Nancy. So naturally the Hardings were the first ones to come over the day we arrived in Roswell. They helped Jeff and Liz unpack their things and stayed for dinner afterwards.

Liz and Tess had connected instantly, talking to each other about everything. And both having lost their mothers, they found it really easy to relate to each other. And Liz felt comforted to know that there was someone around who knew how she felt.

“I’m serious, Liz,” Tess encouraged as she took a seat across from Liz in the booth. “You should really think about becoming a song writer.”

Liz shook her head and sighed. “Honey, you are just too sweet,” she said. “You are so sweet that you actually make my teeth hurt, which is why you are not qualified to give out this kind of advice.”

Tess shot a quick glare and Liz’s direction and Liz gave her an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry,” Liz said. “I guess I’m just a little grumpy today.”

Tess could see that Liz obviously had some stuff on her mind and was about to say something to her when Jeff Parker walked up to their booth, giving both of them a stern glare.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Jeff asked, eyeing Tess.

Tess had to hold in her laughter as she looked at Jeff Parker’s stern glare. It really wasn’t very convincing. She hadn’t known Jeff Parker for very long, but she knew what a big teddy bear he was. He treated all of the employees at the Crashdown like they were family. But still, she decided to humor him and make him think that he intimidated her.

“Oh, right,” she said quickly, standing up from her seat. “Sorry, Mr. P.”

Tess left and Liz was about go back to writing when she noticed the way her father was looking at her. “What?” She asked, frowning.

“Well, I was thinking that maybe you could help out a little around here too,” he said.

“But I don’t work here,” she stated firmly. She loved her dad, but the last thing she wanted was to work in a place where the waitress’ were forced to wear alien antennas.

“Come on, Lizzie. It would only be for today.”

Liz rolled her eyes at the puppy dog expression on her dad’s face. How could she say ‘no’ when he looked like that. “Fine,” she grumbled as she got up from her seat. “But just for today.”

He smiled and kissed his daughter on the forehead. “Thank you, baby girl.”

When Liz entered the backroom, she was amazed at all the pictures hung up on the wall. Pictures of her great-grandfather, her grandmother, and even her mother and father. There were only three or four pictures of herself, but Liz wasn’t surprised about that. Liz had only been two-years old, when her parents had decided to move to Los Angeles. It was a hard decision for them to make, especially after grandmother Claudia had died. Liz knew that her father had never wanted to run the family business, that’s why he left Ed Harding in charge of the resturaunt after he had left. Jeff was too loyal to actually sell his families resturaunt which is why he had decided to bring Ed on as a partner and Jeff decided to become a silent partner. Though Jeff wasn’t as silent as he used to be, he and Ed were both handling the changes well. I guess that’s what happens when you’re that close to your friends, she figured.

She quickly dressed into the uniform that Tess had laid out for her. When she stepped back out into the diner, she felt a sense of dread as she looked around at all the customers. This was possibly going to be one of the worst days of her life. Suddenly her eyes landed on the guy who’d taken her breath away days ago. Max Evans. A smile formed on her face and she eagerly walked over to him to take his order.

“Hey, Max,” she said cheerfully and watched the shocked expression on his face. Clearly, he wasn’t expecting her to be there.

“Hey, Liz,” he greeted back, suddenly looking confused. A moment later his confusion turned into a bright smile. He was happy to see her--happier than he should’ve been. “I didn’t know that you worked here.”

“I don’t,” she corrected. “Uh, this is my family’s resturaunt and I’m helping out. So, I do work here, I guess, but just for today.” Okay, stop rambling, Liz, she thought. Max made her really nervous, but in a good way. And she wanted to keep feeling like this.
“Well, then isn’t this my lucky day,” Max responded, leaning in and giving her a sexy smile.


Liz’s face immediately started to heat up and by the cocky look on Max’s face, she was certain that he could see her blushing right now. She pulled her ordering pad out of the pocket of her apron and immediately looked down at it, happy to be doing something other than gawking at this gorgeous man like a fool.

Max’s eyes stayed on her for moment while she continued to stare at her ordering pad. Liz was absolutely adorable. Finally Max took his eyes off of her and grabbed his menu. While he was looking at all the food selections, deciding what he wanted, Liz took that moment to look up from her ordering pad and admire the beauty that was Max Evans. He was probably the sexiest man on the planet--at least in her eyes anyway. She kept examining his face, looking for a flaw, something that would make him less attractive in her eyes, but she couldn’t see anything. He was simply gorgeous. And she wanted him.

“Um, I’ll have…an alien blast,” Max said, closing his menu and putting it down on the table.

“Yeah, me too,” Liz answered without thinking. Realizing what she had just said, heat started rushing back to her cheeks. Could she be a bigger moron? Her cheeks became even redder, if at all possible, when she the huge smirk on Max’s face. She probably looked like a big cherry right now.

“Excuse me.” It took all of Max’s strength not to burst out laughing, especially seeing how red she was. God, I want to kiss her. The thought was so sudden that it took him by surprise. The only woman he’d ever been with was Pam, and up until now she had been the only woman he wanted to be with in that way. But as he looked at Liz, all he wanted to do right now was grab her and kiss her sensless.

“Oh, nothing,” Liz said, quickly jotting down his order. She was eager to leave before she said another moronic thing. “One Alien Blast coming right up.” As she turned and walked away to place the order, she could feel Max’s eyes watching her the entire time--and she loved it.

Liz gave the order to Jose and and she walked over to sit next to Tess while she waited. She tried to ignore the piercing stare that Tess was giving her, but it was impossible. “What?” She asked, trying to sound annoyed.

Tess shrugged and smiled at Liz. “Nothing, you just have very good taste, that’s all,” she said.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Liz said simply, but she knew that Tess could see right through her.

“Bull,” Tess fired at her. They both laughed at that. Then Tess glanced back over at Max, who was still watching Liz with unabashed attraction in his eyes. “I think you should go for it with him,” she said, looking back at Liz.

“You think?”

“Oh, hell yeah.” Tess rolled her eyes as if Liz was crazy for even asking. “He’s a hottie.”

Liz didn’t respond to that. Instead she risked a glance back at Max. The minute her eyes caught his, he gave her a little wink. Her blush immediately returned as she looked away. Tess burst out laughing as she watched Liz. Liz pushed her lightly in retaliation.

“Yeah, you don’t know what I’m talking about,” Tess said, still chuckling.

Liz rolled her eyes. “Yes, he’s a major hottie. I’m very attracted to him, and I think that he’s attracted to me to, but--”

“You think?" Tess asked incredulously, cutting Liz off. “Liz, it’s pretty obvious that he wants you.” Tess glanced over at Max and then looked back at Liz. “Right now he looks like he would have his way with you right now if he could.”

Liz went silent again. She knew that Tess was right. Max wanted her too, she could see it in his eyes. But she still wasn’t sure why everyone wanted her stay away from Max. Even he agreed that it was probably better that way. What could he have done to make her friends hate him so much? Maria especially.

“So, are you going to go for it?” Tess asked, wanting to know what Liz’s answer would be.
“I don’t know,” was all Liz said before she heard Jose calling her name, telling her that her order was up. “Gotta get back to work.” She got up from the stool and walked away from Tess, effectively ending the conversation for now.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Later that night, Max came home feeling very…happy. He’d never felt like that before. But after spending the day at the crashdown, being near Liz, happiness was all he could feel at the moment. At first he had wanted to spend time with Liz just to piss Maria off, but now it was more than that. He had spent the day just watching her work, bringing food to customers and occasionally glancing his way and giving him a little smile, and it felt like coming up for air for the first time ever in his life. He felt this sense of hope that he’d never felt before in his life, especially noticing the way that she looked at him; like she felt the same way he did. Maybe he wasn’t so unlovable after all. He started to walk upstairs with a big smile on his face. He never wanted this feeling to go away.

“Where the hell have you been?” Phillip’s voice growled from out of nowhere, causing all of Max’s happiness to vanish at once. He was back in Phillip Evans world now. And there was no happiness in his world.

Max stopped on the stairs, but refused to look at his father. “Out,” he said simply, hoping but at the same time knowing that his father wasn’t going to settle for that.

“Out where?” Phillip asked, and Max could hear the irritation in his voice.

Max turned to look at his dad, who was standing--well, more like staggering--at the foot of the stairs, with a half empty bottle of vodka in his hand. This was no surprise to Max. He could hardly remember a time when his father didn’t have a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Instead of answering his father’s question, though, he looked around the house, noticing the silence in the house. “Where’s mom?”

“Out,” Phillip snapped. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Because it’s none of your business where I was.”

“None of my business?” Phillip slowly stalked up the stairs towards his son, glaring even harder. “None of my business? I’ll show you none of my business!”

Phillip grabbed Max by the arm and shoved him down the stairs. Max could feel every single step hit his body as he toppled down the stairs and landed in a crumpled ball on the floor. Every part of his body ached and he could taste blood in his mouth and realized that he had split his lip when he fell. Somehow Max found the strength took look up at his father and watched as Phillip threw the bottle of vodka against the wall, making the glass shatter into pieces. As his father stomped down the stairs towards him, he could no longer feel the peace and happiness he had felt earlier. And it was now replaced with a feeling of despair and hoplessness. A disgusting thing that was only good enough to be someone’s punching bag.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The next few weeks went by smoothly for Liz. She found herself falling into an easy routine. She had school, she had friends, and after her encounter with Max at the crashdown, she had quickly got a job there, eager to see him as much as possible. Things in her life were finally starting to fall into place, and she could just pretend that what happened in L.A. just wasn’t real, like it had never happened.

Liz stood by her open locker, talking with Isabel when she suddenly heard the bell ring. She said goodbye as Isabel walked away and quickly grabbed a book from her locker, and closing the locker door. As she turned around to head to class, she was stopped by a large male figure. Her eyes looked up to see Sean’s staring right back at her.

“Hey, Sean,” she forced herself to say politely while internally she resisted the urge to punch him in the face for the way that he was looking at her. Why wouldn’t he leave her alone? Over the past few weeks, Sean had tried several times to get her to go on a date with him, and she had nicely turned down his offers, but her patience was rapidly waning. She didn’t know how much longer she could take this guy’s pathetic advances before she snapped.

“Hey, Parker,” he greeted back, letting his eyes wander over her body for a moment.

“Liz,” she corrected through clenched teeth. She hated it when he called her Parker.

“Sorry, Liz. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me on Friday?”

“Haven’t we been through this, Sean?” The idea of kicking Sean in groin was suddenly very tempting to Liz, especially if it would help her get her point across to this idiot.

“Yeah, I know, but I was hoping that maybe you’d changed your mind.”

“I haven’t.” Liz started to walk away when Sean placed hand on the locker in front of her, stopping her from going any further. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with this guy?

“Come on, Liz,” he said, giving Liz a little smile. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

Just when Liz was about to give up and really kick him in the groin, she saw Max walk up and place his hand on Sean’s shoulder, getting his attention. Liz smiled, feeling both relieved and excited by Max’s presence.

“What’s going on?” Max asked Sean, but his eyes were focused on Liz.

“Oh, I was just trying to convince this fine lady,” Sean gestured to Liz, “to accompany me on a date this Friday, but she’s still being stubborn.”

“Is that so?” Max asked, his eyes still focused solely on Liz.

“Yeah,” Sean continued, completely oblivious to staring contest Max and Liz were having, “she doesn’t seem to realize how lucky she is to have a guy like me interested in her.”

Liz’s smile faded and she suddenly felt the urge to vomit. She couldn’t believe what a prick Sean was. Does he actually think I’m lucky that he noticed me? She wondered in disgust. She was about to say something, but Max spoke before her.

“Or,” Max started, putting his hand on Liz’s back, “maybe she just has standards.” Without another word, Max lead Liz away, leaving Sean standing by himself, in shock and embarrassment. The two of them were silent for a few moments as Max walked Liz to class. Max was the one to break the silence.

“Sorry about Sean,” he said. “He can be a real--”

“Asshole,” Liz finished for him and they both laughed at how right that name was for Sean.

“Yeah,” he agreed. Once again Max found himself in that peaceful place that Liz seemed to take him to. And the amazing thing was that she had no idea that she took him to such a blissful place, a place where he could actually hope and feel something other than pain. He never wanted to leave that place. But as they made it Liz’s class, Max knew he’d have to let that serenity go for now.

“Well, thanks for rescuing me,” Liz said, trying not to sigh in disappointment when they got to her classroom. She wanted to spend as much time with Max Evans as possible. She didn’t know what it was about him, but she felt that there was something special about him, something nobody but her could see. And she wondered if he felt something about her as well.

Max chuckled. “Anytime, Liz.” Before either of them realized what was happening, Max was leaning in closer to Liz. He slowly took her hand in his and gently brushed the skin of her hand with his thumb. Her hand felt so soft and smooth and it felt so good in his hand, better than he expected. They were both very hesitant to let go, but eventually, Max let go of her hand and gave her a little smile.

“See you around, Liz,” he said, winking at her before walking away.

Liz stood them for a moment, watching him leave, and missing the feel of his hand on hers. There was no longer any doubt in her mind about whether or not he wanted her too. She could see it in his eyes. He was just as attracted to her too, which only fueled her desire to know what he could’ve done that would make her friends want her to stay away from him. Sighing, Liz watched Max until he turned the corner and disappeared, then she turned around and headed into class.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT Ch. 4 A/N 12/28/08

Post by Cocogurl »

POM
Alien_Friend (2x)
Janetfl (2x)
Natalie36
Hunter (2x)
keepsmiling7
begonia9508
Jake17
pijeechinadoll
Lena7


I want to thank you all so much for all of your wonderful support and patience. I think my new years resolution this is year is to try and update more frequently. :lol: Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this next part.

Chapter Five

The rain poured lightly outside of Liz's bedroom as she lay in her bed while Tess sat at the very end, painting her toenails. After the two of them got off work, they were both too tired to do their homework, so instead, they decided to hang out in Liz's bedroom, which was fine with Liz. She'd already gotten most of her homework done anyway. While Maroon 5 played in the background, Liz and Tess chatted about everything that had happened to them during the week. Since they both went to different high schools, the two of them did their best to keep each other updated on things that where happening in their lives.

Naturally the subject of Max came up quite a bit between them, Tess eager to know if Liz had gotten anywhere with Max. Liz wasn't complaining though. She loved talking about Max. Every single thing about him was important enough to talk about in her mind. She still couldn't believe that she felt this strongly for a guy that she barely knew, but she felt no desire to ignore this feeling. As irrational and crazy as this was to be so wrapped up in him, Max made her feel alive for the first time in a year. She wanted this feeling to stay for as long as possible.

Maria's name eventually came to Liz's mind and she suddenly felt a twinge of guilt for wanting to persue something with Max. Liz's friends made their hatred for Max pretty clear, Maria's especially, and she knew that they would disapprove if they knew what was going through her head. She really didn't want to upset her newfound friends, but at the same time, what could she do? It's not like they were telling her why they disliked Max so much, and Max was just as tight-lipped about the past as they were. How could her friends expect her to stay away from Max when they haven't really given her any good reason to dislike him herself?

The sound of the phone ringing broke Liz out of her thoughts and she reached over to her nightstand, picking the phone of the hook. "Hello?"

"Hey, chica. What's up?" Maria's chipper voice rang through.

“Oh, hey, Maria,” Liz greeted. “Nothing much. Tess and I just got off work. What’s up?”

“Well, I was just wondering if you were doing anything tonight?” Maria asked.

Liz’s eyes narrowed in suspiscion at Maria’s tone. “Why?” Liz’s tone told Maria not to doddle around and just tell her.

Maria gave Liz an exasperated sigh. “Geez, Liz, don’t sound like that. It’s not like I’m asking you to help me murder someone. I just wanted you to come out to a club with me.”

“A club?” She said out loud and noticed the way Tess’ ears perked up in excitement. Liz was never really into the whole club scene, but if both Maria and Tess really wanted to go, there was no way she was getting out of going. They would make sure of that. “I don’t know, Maria. Clubs aren’t really my thing.”

“Oh, come on, Liz!” Maria said excitedly. “You’ll love this place. They let anybody in, but it’s still the hottest thing in town. It’s called The Quake.”

“The Quake?” Liz frowned. What the hell kind of name was that for a club? Tess obviously knew the club, though, because the next moment she was bouncing on the end of the bed, full of enthusiasm.

“The Quake! Oh, that place is awesome!”Tess said animatedly, moving closer to Liz at the head of the bed.

“Who was that?” Maria asked on the other end of the phone.

“That’s Tess,” Liz answered. “I told you about her.”

“Yeah, you did. Bring her along. The more the merrier.”

“But I don’t even know if I’m going,” Liz corrected firmly, though she knew it would do no good.

“You’re going,” Maria stated as if that ended it there. “I’ll see you and Tess tonight at seven.”

Before Liz could argue any further, Maria hung up the phone. Liz groaned in annoyance and put her phone back on the hook. She looked back at Tess, who was smiling happily and knew that this was going to be a long night. “We’re meeting her there at seven,” Liz said in a defeated tone.

“Great! Liz, I promise you’re going to love this place,” she said as she grabbed Liz’s arm and hopped off the bed, taking Liz along with her. “Come on. We have to get ready.”

“Yay,” Liz said glumly, letting Tess lead her to her closet.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“What the hell is your problem, dude?” Max asked in annoyance as he sat across from Sean. Sean had been in a pissy mood with him for days and Max was coming close to punching this asshole in the face.

“Nothing,” Sean muttered as he stared at the beer that he had gotten with his fake ID. “So, about Liz, you could’ve just let me know that you wanted her and I would’ve backed off.”

Max scoffed. “No, you wouldn’t have.”

“Okay, you’re right. I wouldn’t have,” Sean admitted shamlessly. There was nothing that could stop Sean when he wanted pussy. “But still, it would’ve been nice to know.”

Max felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and sighed, knowing exactly who it was. “Hey, baby,” Pam greeted seductively and gently started kissing his neck.

“Hey,” Max greeted back in a bored tone. Normally he would’ve been turned on by the way her lips were kissing his neck, but not anymore--not since Liz. As casually as possible, Max moved away from Pam, hoping that she wouldn’t notice. Luckily for him, Pam was too busy trying to get a waiter’s attention to notice.

“Well, well, well, look who’s here,” Sean suddenly said in an eager voice.

Max’s eyes went to where Sean was looking and that’s when he spotted Liz entering the club with Maria, Alex, Isabel, Michael and a blonde girl that he didn’t know. Max immediately rose from his seat and started walking towards her, not noticing the glares Sean was giving him and the confused frown that marred Pam’s expression.

“Baby?” She called to Max, but it was like he was in a trance and Liz was the object of that trance. All Max cared about at the moment was being in Liz’s presence.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“See, aren’t you glad I made you come?” Maria said happily as she leaned into Michael, who had his arms wrapped snuggly around her waist.

“I actually am,” Liz said as she followed Maria into the club. She listened to the music blaring in the speakers and the people dancing on the floor and was very glad that Tess and Maria had made her come. She had never been much of party girl, even before her mother died. She just never saw the appeal of going out to loud clubs filled with horny guys and slutty women--at least that’s what her mother always told her.

But as she listened to the music through the speakers and the people on the dance floor, Liz felt a sudden thrill run through her. This was something she’d never done before and it was great way to forget her mother. Her eagerness increased when her eyes landed on the Adonis that was Max Evans, who was heading straight towards her. This was going to be a very good night.

“Hey, Liz,” Max greeted and noticed the way Maria, Alex, Isabel and Michael all tensed up and glared at him. But he didn’t care. Liz looked happy to see him and that was all that mattered.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Maria snapped, stepping in front of Liz.

Max eyed Maria, giving her an amused smirk. “Aww, aren’t you happy to see me?” He asked. Maria continued to glare at Max as he continued. “I’m just hanging out with some friends. Is that all right with you?”

“As long as you stay away from us, we don’t care what you do,” Michael said next, wrapping his arm around Maria possessively. He was eager to get Maria away from Max. All of them immediately walked past Max, except for Liz, who stayed planted in her spot, still smiling at him like a lovestruck fool.

“You should probably go with them,” Max said. “Wouldn’t want Maria to know that you actually associate with me.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t control who my friends are, Max.”

“Yeah, but still…” Max trailed off and glanced behind him at Maria, who was still giving him an intense glare. “Maria can be a bit difficult when she really wants to be.”

“Speaking from personal experience.” It was a statement, not a question. A little smirk was Max’s answer before Liz brushed passed him and headed over to where her friends were sitting.

Max felt a tightening in his groin when he caught of wiff of Liz’s jasmine perfume. His desire for her was more intense than anything he’d ever felt before. It took all of Max’s strength to not grab her and kiss her right there in front of everyone. As Max walked back to his table he felt torn. He liked the way he felt when was around Liz, happy, at peace, but at the same time, he knew that he shouldn’t let himself get to close. He couldn’t let her see the real him. He just couldn’t.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was almost two in the morning when they had finally decided to call it a night. Isabel had given Alex and Tess a ride home in her jeep while Michael and Maria drove home in the Jetta. Maria had offered Liz a ride home, but Liz had insisted on walking home. Maria finally caved and drove Michael home, telling Liz to get home safely before leaving.

Liz enjoyed the quiet as she walked home. It gave her a chance to think. And of course the first thing that came to her mind was Max. She hadn’t gotten a chance to spend time with him with Maria by her side--she was really going to need to talk to Maria about Max soon. Even though Maria did everything in her power to keep Liz away from Max, it didn’t stop Liz from sneaking glances at him whenever she could. And she wasn’t the only one. She had caught Max giving her lustful glances all night long. Sean had been giving her the same looks, but she had barely noticed. All she had been focused on was Max and controlling her desire to pull him somewhere private and have her way with him.

“Hey, need a ride?”

The sound of a male’s voice made Liz jump in surprise. She turned around and saw Max sitting in his jeep, driving slowly beside her on the street. And Liz could see the amused smirk he had on his face, which only made her smile. Even when he was finding amusment at her expense, he was still so damn sexy.

“What are you doing? Following me?” She asked, not really caring what he was doing, just happy to be able to talk to him.

“Of course not,” Max said quickly, trying to sound offended by the accusation. “I was just on my way home when I saw you. I thought I’d be a gentleman and offer you a ride home.”

“You? A gentleman? I’m shocked,” Liz joked, giving him a sexy smile.

“Ouch! Remind me not to do a favor for you,” He said, laughing out loud while Liz laughed with him. Silence fell over them for a moment when Max spoke again. “So, do you want a ride?”

Liz didn’t waste a second before she was nodded her head and getting into the passenger side of Max’s jeep. Once she was all buckled in, Max put his foot on the accelerator and they were off. They were once again silent as they drove through the streets of Roswell, happily soaking up the excitement that they felt being near each other.

“So, how are you liking Roswell so far?” Max asked.

“I’m liking it more and more.” Liz gave Max a little wink and Max smiled as continued to stare at the road. “So, how long am I going to have to wait?”

Max frowned and took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at her. “Wait for what?”

“Answers,” she stated simply. “About you, about Maria, about why she hates you so much.”

Max groaned before saying, “Oh, that.”

“Yes, that. Maria won’t tell me anything and you have like, two different personalities. You flirt with me when we’re alone, but then avoid anytime Maria’s around.”

“I didn’t avoid you at the club earlier,” Max argued.

“No, you just basically told me that we couldn’t be friends when Maria was around,” Liz argued back.

Liz waited for Max to say something else, but he didn’t. He was silent for the rest of the ride to Liz’s house. Once they made it to her street, he pulled into the driveway in front of her house and turned the engine off.

“So, we’re friends, huh?” Max asked, giving Liz a hopeful look. He wanted more than friendship with her, but he was still a little hesitant about letting her get too close. He still didn’t want her to see the real him, the part that was damaged and ugly. And he didn’t even need to see why he had too. If he could stick to just being friends with her, than he could still get close to her without letting her get too close to him.

“Of course we are,” Liz said, then suddenly looked doubtful. “I mean, we are, aren’t we?”

Max’s smile widened and he nodded his head. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

“Good, then as a friend, I think you should tell me what happened between you and Maria,” Liz persisted. She had to know what was going on between them.

“Liz…” Max sighed.

“Come on,” Liz begged. “Friends tell each other things!”

Max rolled his eyes and looked out at Liz’s house in front of them. “You’re right, which is why Maria should be the one to tell you.” When Liz started to argue again, Max put his finger over her lips and continued. “Look, Maria and I used to be friends but it ended badly, and Maria never really got over it. And that’s all I can tell you. The rest you should find out about from her.”

“Fine,” Liz grumbled sinking back in the passenger seat. “But you know that we’re probably going to have to hide our friendship for awhile.”

Max gasped, feigning shock. “Why, Liz, I thought Maria couldn’t tell you who you’re friends are.”

Liz rolled her eyes and lightly punched Max on the arm. “She doesn’t. But after seeing the glares she was shooting your way tonight, I think I’d like to avoid the drama. I’ll tell here eventually…just not right now.”

Max snorted in amusement. “That’s probably a smart idea.”

“I should probably get inside now,” Liz said reluctantly and Max nodded his head in agreement. She climbed out of Max’s jeep and started walking towards her front porch when she heard Max call her name.

“Liz.”

Liz turned around and stared at him. “Yeah?”

“See you around?” He asked.

Liz smiled and gave him another wink. “You can count on it,” she said happily. She watched as he started the jeep up again and slowly pulled out of her driveway before disappeared in the distance. As Liz turned around and headed inside, she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. She and Max Evans were friends. This was a very good start.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT Ch. 5 1/8/09

Post by Cocogurl »

begonia9508 - Don’t worry. It’ll all come out soon

Hunter - Unfortunately, it’ll be awhile before Sean gets that well deserved ass kicking.

keepsmiling7 - It’ll still be awhile before Max fully lets Liz in.

Janetfl - I’m so glad that you’re enjoying this. I promise it won’t be long before we find out what Maria’s problem is.

AlysLuv - Thanks for the feedback and I hope you enjoy this just as much.

Lena7 - Thank you so much for your feedback. I’m glad that you’re enjoying this.

Alien_Friend - This is a resolution I’m going to try really hard to keep.

destinyc - Your wish is my command!

jake17 - Thanks so much, sweetie. It means so much to me to such wonderful feedback from a talented writer like you. Thanks so much for the support.

Chapter Six

“So, what’s going on with you?” Pam asked as she and Max put their clothes back on after having sex in the eraser room. Max purposely ignored her question as he continued to get dressed.

He knew that she felt the difference in their sex life lately. He felt it too and he knew why. He just wasn’t interested in sex with her anymore. But he didn’t want to tell her that. Though she wasn’t in love with him, telling her that she was boring in the sack would be a huge blow to her ego and he wasn’t in the mood for the tantrum he knew she would have if he told her.

“Max,” she said, wating for him to answer her.

Max sighed and looked at Pam. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said and slung his backpack over his shoulder, preparing to walk out of the eraser room. But Pam quickly stepped in fron of the door.

“That’s bull, Max, and you know,” she said firmly. “Something’s off about you, about us. What is it?”

“There’s nothing, Pam. And even if there was, why would you care? I thought we weren’t a couple.”

“I don’t care,” Pam stated firmly. “I just know that something’s different about you, and I was wondering if it had anything to do with that new girl.” Max didn’t say anything, so Pam continued. “I saw the way you looked at her at the club the other night.”

“I have to go,” was all Max said before gently moving her aside and walking out of the eraser room.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Liz knocked on Maria’s front door and waited anxiously for her to answer. Liz had never been one to pry into someone’s private life, she just figured if someone didn’t want to talk about something then the best thing to do was to keep her mouth shut and wait for that person to tell her when they were ready. But Liz just couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer, especially now that she and Max were becoming friends. She just had to know what had happened between them.

“Hi, Ms. Deluca,” Liz greeted when Maria’s mother, Amy Deluca, answered the door. But on the inside, Liz was worried that Maria wasn’t home. She didn’t want to wait any longer for answers. “Is Maria home?”

“Oh, call me Amy, please,” Ms. Deluca said. “And yes, Maria’s here. She’s out back in the shed.”

“Thanks, Ms--Amy.” Liz smiled at Amy and walked around the house to the backyard where the shed was. She saw Maria going through some dusty old boxes and walked over to her. “Want some help?”

“Oh, hey, Liz,” Maria greeted and picked up the box she was going through. “No, I’m fine. I’m pretty much done anyway.” Maria set the last box she’d been going through on a high shelve. Then she turned to Liz and saw the weird look on her face. “So, what’s up, Liz?”

“Nothing really,” Liz started, hopping up on a bench to sit down. She could feel herself starting to lose her nerve and had to avoid looking Maria straight in the eyes as she continued. “I just wanted to talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“You and Max.” Liz could see the way Maria’s entire demeanor changed when she said Max’s name. Suddenly her chipper mood was completely gone.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Maria said in short tone, picking up a dust rag and wiping down all of the shelves in the shed. Liz could tell that Maria really didn’t want to talk about Max, but she persisted anyway.

“Really? It doesn’t seem that way to me.”

“Liz, why do you want to know?” She asked. She stopped wiping and looked at Liz suspiciously. “Are you into Max?”

“No, I’m not interested in Max,” she lied. It took all of Liz’s strength to look Maria in the eye and say that. While her feelings for Max excited her more than anything else in the world, she also felt a sense of guilt for being so interested in Max when she knew how Maria felt about him. Obviously, Maria believed her lie, though. Because a moment later, Maria’s suspicious look was replaced with a smile.

“Good,” Maria said, sighing in relief. “Because Max is definitely not the type of you guy you want to get envolved with.”

“See, you keep saying that, Maria, but you won’t tell me what happened,” Liz said, getting tired of the ring-around that Max and Maria kept giving her. Why the hell couldn’t they just tell me? She wondered in frustration.

“Why does it matter?” Maria asked. “Liz, don’t you trust me?”

Liz could tell that this was Maria’s way to keeping her from asking anymore questions, but still, she answered anway. “Yes, I trust you.”

Maria smiled and hopped up on the counter next to Liz. “Then just trust me when I tell you that Max is bad news.”

With that, Maria hopped off the counter and went back to her dusting. But if she honestly thought Liz was going to let this go, she was sadly mistaken. Liz was about to ask again when she could hear footsteps approached. She looked over and saw Tess and Isabel heading their way, both of them chatted happily with each other.

“Hey, guys,” Maria greeted, feeling a little to eager to have some extra company. “What are you two up to?”

“Well,” Tess walked over to where Liz was sitting drapped her arm around her, “Isabel and I were thinking about doing a little window shopping and thought that you two might want to come along.”

“Absolutely!” Maria said quickly. “Let me just grab my purse.”

Liz watched Maria walk out of the shed towards her house, feeling a little defeated. She had come here to get some answers from Maria, but still got nothing. But Liz wasn’t about to give up. If Maria wasn’t going to tell her anything, then she was just going to have go to someone else for the answers.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Damn, Liz, you look hot!’ Maria exclaimed when Liz came out of the dressing room wearing a strapless red top and a little black skirt that stopped just below the thigh. “The boys are going to lining up around the block for you, chica.”

“You think?” Liz asked, feeling a little uncomfortable. She enjoyed looking beautiful, but she’d never worn anything quite this…sexy before. And she didn’t pull sexy off well, or at least, that’s what she believed.

“Maria’s right, Liz,” Tess said with a smile. “You look hot.”

“Then I guess I’ll take,” Liz said, wearing a smile. She certainly hoped that this would turn Max’s head.

“Maria, come over here,” Tess said, grabbing Maria’s hand. “There are these shoes that I’ve got show you.”

Liz smiled as she watched Tess drag Maria away towards the shoes section. It made her happy to see that two of her closest friends were getting along so well. Liz turned around and saw Isabel step out of one of the dressing room wearing a silk blue top with glitter along the straps and black leather pants.

“What do you think?” She asked, posing like she was a super model.

“Isabel, you’re gorgeous,” Liz said in awe. “You have no idea how much I wish I could look like you.”

Isabel scoffed. “Liz, are you kidding me? You’re beautiful. Don’t you see that?”

Yeah, I do,” Liz nodded, “but it’s not the same. I mean, you, you look like you could be a supermodel, and Tess has this exotic quality about her, and Maria, Maria’s a bombshell. I guess sometimes I just feel a little frumpy compared to you three.”

“Well, you shouldn’t,” Isabel assured, smiling kindly at Liz. “You’re incredibly beautiful. I think you’re just afraid to let your inner hotness out.”

Liz chuckled. “Maybe.” Liz looked over at where Tess and Maria were talking and laughing as the looked at all of the different shoes, she then looked back at Isabel, who was checking herself out in the mirror. “Did Max find Maria attractive?”

Isabel paused and looked at Liz through the mirror. “I don’t think Maria was Max’s type.”

“Is that what ended the friendship?”

“Liz, are you on this again?” Isabel sighed as she turned around and looked at Liz. “Can’t just leave this alone? It’s not a big deal.”

“Well, if it’s not a big deal then why won’t anyone tell me?” Liz asked in annoyance, feeling like she was going around in circles. “Max won’t even tell me what happened--”

“You were talking to Max?” Isabel interjected, looking concerned.

“Not really,” Liz said quickly. “The night you guys took me to the quake, he gave me a ride home. That’s all.”

“Liz, you really shouldn’t get to chummy with Max. It’s a really bad idea,” Isabel warned.

“Why? Why is it a bad idea?”

Isabel sighed and grabbed Liz’s hand, pulling her closer. “You can’t tell Maria that I told, okay?” Liz nodded her head and Isabel continued. “Okay, this all happened before Maria got with Michael like, two years ago. Max and Maria used to be pretty good friends, but Maria always wanted more than that. I think she loved him.”

Liz felt a pang in her heart when she heard that. The whole idea of Max and Maria together made her feel queasy inside, but she pushed those feelings to the back of her mind and continued to listen to Isabel.

“Anyway, she finally worked up the courage to ask him out on a date and he actually said yes. The date was perfect, according to Maria, and she actually thought that he felt the same way that she did, but…”

“But he didn’t,” Liz finished for Isabel. She hated herself, but she actually felt relieved that Max didn’t want Maria.

“A couple of days after their first date, Maria found Max in the eraser room with Pam Troy,” Isabel said. Liz could hear the disgust in Isabel’s voice. “The jerk didn’t even bother apologizing or explaining himself.”

Liz’s relief became pity as she thought about how Maria must have felt seeing Max with another girl. As much as she didn’t want to think about Max and Maria together, she also didn’t like the thought of Maria’s heart getting broken. Isabel took another step towards Liz and placed her hand gently on Liz’s arm.

“Liz, Max completely broke Maria’s heart,” she said. “Stay away from him. I don’t want to see him break your heart to.”

“The difference is I’m not in love with Max,” Liz stated firmly. She didn’t know what she felt towards Max, but it couldn’t possibly be love. Could it?

Isabel just smiled. “Maybe not. But I can see the way you look at Max.”

Liz watched Isabel walked back into the dressing room to change. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was suddenly having doubts about her friendship with Max. If he could really hurt Maria that way, did she really want to put herself in that same position? She wasn’t sure if she loved Max, but she knew that how badly it would hurt if Max betrayed her the way he did Maria. Liz had already been through enough heartache lately. Did she want to risk putting herself through more? She didn’t know.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT Ch. 6 2/12/09

Post by Cocogurl »

Alien_Friend - Hmm, did you mention something about Liz confronting Max?

Behr_able - Thanks so much for the feedback. I love attracting new people to my story.

begonia9508 - Thanks so much for your feedback. And I think that this next part might change your mind about things.

Janetfl - Well, I’m glad to put you out of your misery, hon. I hope you enjoy this next part.

Hunter - Thanks so much for your feedback, Hunter. I should be posting I Hate That I love you pretty soon. And as for what happened between Max and Maria, trust me, you haven’t heard the entire story yet.

keepsmiling7 - I think you’ll be surprised by this update as well.

AlysLuv - It won’t be long before things change though.

DaleStateShorty - Max is definitely a very troubled guy. But I promise that things aren’t as black and white as they seem.


Chapter Seven

“Wait! Wait, Driver!” Liz shouted as she chased after the bus, hoping the bus driver would get a clue and realize that he had left someone behind. But it was too late. Liz watched in disappointment as the bus turned the corner. “Dammit.” I guess I’m walking home, she thought in disappointment.

Liz picked up her pace as she walked down the sidewalk, futily attempting to get home in time to change for her shift at the crashdown.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” a very familiar voice chuckled.

Liz saw Max, once again driving beside her on the street, wearing a brilliant smile on his face. But unlike last time, she felt more angry than excited about seeing him. She still couldn’t believe that he had hurt Maria the way that he did. She thought he was better than that. But she was only kidding herself. She didn’t know Max at all.

“Want a ride?” He asked.

Liz shook her head. “No, thank you.” She started to walk away when Max’s voice stopped her.

“Are you sure? Because you looked pretty desperate to get home.”

“I’m sure, Max. I’m fine,” she said and started to walk away again when Max’s voice stopped her yet again.

“Don’t you have a shift at the Crashdown soon?”

Liz looked at him for a moment, surprised that he knew when she was working. “How did you know that?”

Max gave Liz a little smirk. “I notice things about you. Come on, let me give you a ride.”

Liz was about to tell him no once again, but then she thought about how much she hated being late for anything. Reluctantly she nodded her head and put her backpack in the backsteat before hopping into the passenger seat.

The drive to Liz’s house was unusually silent for Max. Liz usually talked his ear off whenever they were in class together or any moment that they had together, which Max had to admit, he liked. He loved hearing the sound of her voice. There was something peaceful about it. But today, Liz was very quiet for some reason. Looking at her through the corners of his eyes, he could see her trying her best not to look at him at all. For a moment, he worried that maybe she had changed her mind about being friends with him. They were about twenty minutes from Liz’s house when finally the silence became too much. “Liz, is something wrong?” He asked, and he hated how vulnerable he sounded.

“Nothing, I’m just not feeling very chatty right now,” she said, still forcing herself to focuse on the road ahead of her. She knew she couldn’t stay angry at Max if she looked into his beautiful eyes.

Max was silent for a moment before it finally dawned on him why Liz was acting this way. “Maria told you what happened.” It was a statement and not question. He was certain that Maria must have finally told Liz what happened.

Liz shook her head. “No, Isabel told me. But it really doesn’t matter. It’s none of my business.”

“None of your business?” Max repeated, resisting the urge to smile. “A few days ago, it seemed to be all you cared about, and now it’s none of your business.

“That’s right,” Liz answered, rolling her eyes. She could hear the mocking tone in his voice and she had very little patience for it at the moment.

“Whatever.” Max was silent after that. The two of them stared at the road ahead of them, both of them feeling the weight his past with Maria on their shoulders. Max was getting very frustrated with the silence though. He wished that she would just say something so he knew what was going through her mind. It wasn’t long before he got his wish.

“How could you do that to Maria?” She asked, not bothering to hide the anger in her tone. “I mean she really loved you and you just broke her heart.”

Max couldn’t help but laugh at how cute she was when she was angry. “Couldn’t hold it in anymore, could you?”

“Just answer the question,” Liz ordered, trying her hardest to ignore how beautiful he looked when he smiled.

Max’s smile slowly faded when he looked over and saw the look in her eyes. She was looking at him the way everyone looked at him--like was total garbage. Normally, he could take those looks, but not from her. He didn’t know why, but he cared about what she thought of him. “Look, I get that you probably don’t think much of me. Most people don’t when they hear her side of the story,” Max said without thinking.

“Are you telling me that actually have an excuse for what you did?” Liz asked, looking at him skeptically.

Max rolled his eyes and sighed. “Just forget it.” Max could feel the frustration building withing him and he unconsciously started to grip the steering wheel tighter. He wanted to tell her what really happened, but he wasn’t sure if she’d believe him.

Liz could see how tense he was, but she didn’t really care at the moment. “Seriously, Max, if you have something to say then say it.”

“I thought that this was none of your business?” Max snapped angrily, giving her a little glare and startling Liz. Seeing the look in Liz’s eyes, Max immediately looked back at the road, taking big and deep breaths in an effort to calm himself down.

“Max, please tell me,” Liz asked in a more gentle tone. Max had never snapped at her before. In fact, in all the time that she’d known Max, she had never even seen him get angry. But you don’t know him, she reminded herself. No matter how much she liked Max, she couldn’t forget that she didn’t know the real Max at all. That’s why she really wanted to hear his side of the story. She wanted to know him--a lot more than she would’ve liked.

Max sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. “The truth is, I did care about Maria a lot,” he said. “As a friend. Nothing more. I had tried to tell her that several times, but she never really listened.”

Once again, Liz felt disgusted by the fact that she was actually happy that Max didn’t have those feelings for Maria. She felt like a selfish bitch, but she just didn’t think she could handle it if they had gotten together. Shaking her head of those thoughts, Liz continued to listen to Max.

“The night that we went out, I was the one that asked her out, I admit that, but it was never supposed to be a date. I didn’t even know that it was a date until she kissed me.”

“Did you kiss her back?” Liz couldn’t help but ask. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know, but she felt like she needed to know.

Max took a deep breath before answering her. “Yes, and it was wrong. I know that. The minute I realized what I was doing, I stopped the kiss. I tried to let her down easy, but she still wouldn’t believe me. She said I was in denial about my feelings.”

Liz ignored the pain she felt about Max and Maria kissing, and asked the next question on her mind. “So, then what was that whole thing about her catching with what’s her name, um, Pam Troy?”

“That happened too,” Max said, nodding his head. “She did catch me with Pam in the eraser room, but that was after I had spent a week trying to explain to her that I only saw her as a friend. I didn’t mean to hurt her and I tried to apologize, but she wouldn’t talk to me after that.”

“What happened after that?”

Max looked at Liz, giving her a little smirk. “I think you know,” he said before looking back at the road. “Now I’m the devil incarnate.”

Liz suddenly felt bad for so easily believing what Isabel had said. But she didn’t blame Isabel for immediately taking Maria’s side. They were friends, so it was only natural that she would. Liz really wanted to do the same, but she couldn’t help feeling bad for Max’s predicement. Maria, so wrapped up in her own hurt, let everyone believe that Max was just a jerk like every other guy out there--and she had almost believed it too. But Max wasn’t a jerk, he was just misunderstood.

“Why do you let everyone believe that?” That was the one thing about this whole situation that she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand why Max wouldn’t try harder to explain his side in all of this.

“I really don’t see the point,” Max said with a shrug. “Nobody would believe me anyway. According to this entire town, I’m a loser who’s going nowhere in his life.”

“I don’t think that about you,” Liz said in a gentle voice, placing her hand on his arm.

Max didn’t say anything to that. His heart was too busy doing flip flops in his chest. He couldn’t believe that she could make him feel so much with just a simple touch. It suddenly made him wonder how much more amazing it would feel to kiss her. As he pulled up to her house, he felt a deep sense of disappointment, knowing that his time with her was almost over. He parked by the curb just as Liz removed her hand from his arm. For a moment, the two of them just there in silence. Neither of them really wanted to say goodbye.

“Max,” Liz started, looking at him nervously, “can I ask you a question?”

Max chuckled at her. “Hasn’t this entire drive just been a series of questions?”

Liz laughed too, feeling a little embarrassed about interrogating him the way that she did. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s all right,” he said. “What did you want to ask?”

Liz looked away from Max and started to fiddle with her fingers uncomfortably. She had never met Pam personally, but they did share P.E. together. She was incredibly beautiful with long, fiery red hair and a body to die for. And the thought of Max with her made Liz want to vomit inside. “Are you and Pam…” She couldn’t even finish the question.

“Together,” Max finished for her. She nodded her head, still not looking at him. Max wasn’t used to being so honest with someone, but he knew that if he wanted Liz in his life in any way, he had to tell the truth. “Not really. It’s more a…friends with benefits thing.”

“I see,” was all Liz said. That wasn’t exactly the answer she’d been hoping for. But she figured it was better than nothing. At least he wasn’t serious about her.

“Is that a problem?” Max asked, seeing the uncomfortable look on Liz’s face. “Because I won’t see her anymore if it bothers you.” And he truly meant it. Hell, he’d probably do anything if Liz asked him too. That’s how much power she had over him lately. Seeing her happy made him happy.

“Why would I want you to do that?” Liz replaced her frown with a smile as she looked back at Max. “We’re friends. And as a friend, I can’t tell you what to do with your personal life.”

Max nodded his head slowly, wishing he had the nerve to be more than just friends with her. But he just couldn’t let her see how damaged he was inside. He didn’t want her to see how unlovable he was. “Yeah. Friends.”

“I’ll see you later, Max,” she said, grabbing her backpack from the backseat.

“Bye.” Max watched as Liz hopped out of his jeep and headed inside before starting the car and driving away. Just friends wasn’t what he wanted with her, but it would have to do. He knew he’d probably make a crappy boyfriend, and she deserved so much better than that. So he would happily accept being friends with Liz. It was certainly better than not having her in his life at all.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Liz walked into her house and shut the door behind her. She dropped her backpack down on the floor before heading into the kitchen for a snack. As she walked into the kitchen, she spotted her dad sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a book. “Hey, dad,” she greeted as she walked to the fridge and opened it, looking for something to eat.

“Hey, pumkin,” he greeted back, not looking up from his book.

Liz grabbed an apple from the fridge and walked over to the table, taking a seat across from her dad. “What are you doing home?”

“I was lookin’ a little tired, so Agnes made me come home and rest,” he chuckled. “What is it about that woman that makes me so intimidated?”

“Cause you know that she could kick your ass,” Liz joked, making both herself and her father laugh. “But she’s right. You work really hard, dad. You deserve a break every now and then.”

“I’m perfectly fine. I don’t need a break,” he said stubbornly, making Liz roll her eyes in response. “Who’s that boy that dropped you off just now? I’ve seen him before.”

Liz sighed and looked up at her dad. She could see how casual he was trying to be about it. He didn’t even look up at her like she knew he wanted to, instead keeping his eyes focused on his book. “Are you spying on me?”

“No,“ he started, finally looking up from his book, “I know how important your privacy is to you. I was just curious, that’s all.”

Liz took a bite of her apple, enjoying the juicy taste of the fruit in her mouth. “Max. His name is Max. And he’s been by the Crashdown a couple of times.”

“Oh, that’s right…so are you two, like, dating or something?”

“Dad,” she groaned. He was the last person she wanted to discuss her personal life with.

Jeff put his book down on the table . “Doesn’t a father have the right to ask that question?” He asked, still staring at her.

Liz could see the curiosity and concern on her father’s face and knew he was going to continue ask questions about Max until she put him out of his misery. “No, dad. We’re not dating. We’re just friends.”

“I see,” he said casually, but Liz could see the relief on his face as he picked up his book again. That was one less boy he’d have to worry about. “Are there any boys in Roswell that you are interested?”

“No,” Liz said quickly, shaking her head. It would just be better if her father believed she had no interest at all in the opposite sex. It was easier for both of them. She knew how bad he was about her dating. He didn’t even like her first boyfriend, Kyle Valenti, until after they broke up. It was just better if her father didn’t know every single detail about her life. “I’m gonna get dressed for work.”

Getting from the table with her apple still in her hand, she gave he dad a little kiss on the cheek and left the kitchen. She walked upstairs to her bedroom and started changing into her uniform. As she did, she couldn’t help but think about Max. Lately, most of her thoughts centered around him--they also centered around Maria. Even though she felt a little better now that she knew the whole truth about what happened, she still felt like a bad friend for wanting to hang out with Max. Maria had been a good friend to her, and she didn’t want to lose that.

Sighing, she wished this whole thing between Max and Maria could just be settled so she could stop feeling so guilty. But she knew that Maria wasn’t over what happened and Liz wasn’t sure if Maria ever would be. Maria had loved Max a lot. Though Liz wasn’t sure what she felt for Max yet, she could imagine how it must have felt for Maria to see Pam kissing Max. Liz didn’t even want think about it. But she could also see Max’s point of view too. In a way, Maria sort of fabricated this whole mess by believing that Max wanted her too, even when he told her he didn’t.

This whole thing was just so complicated.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT Ch. 7 ~ A/N: 5/13/09

Post by Cocogurl »

destinyc - Thank you so much for the feedback. I hope you enjoy what have in store for Max and Liz next.

Janetfl - You’re so right, Jan.

begonia9508 - Right now Liz is very torn between her friendship with Maria and wanting to be there for Max. And as for Pam Troy…you’ll just have to wait and see. ;)

Lena7 - Thanks, Lena. I’m glad you liked it. :D

Hunter - Thanks so much for the feedback, hon. I’m really happy you enjoyed it.

Alien_Friend - Though Max doesn’t want Liz to get too close, he cares a lot about what Liz thinks. Because she’s the first person who’s ever made Max feel anything besides pain. That’s why he’s willing to do what she wants.

keepsmiling7 - Max is going through a lot. He just needs time.

DaleStateShorty - Great feedback. And you were right on the money. I really wanted to show that it wasn’t one sided, and that Max is really a complicated character.

Chapter Eight

Liz was silent as she, Maria and Isabel walked to the quad for lunch. Her mind was still focused on everything Max had told her, and she felt so torn between her heart and her guilty conscience. Liz’s stomach fluttered every time she was near Max or even thought about him. He made her feel alive for the first time in her life and she didn’t want those feelings to go away. But Maria was her friend. Were these feelings worth losing her in the process?

“Earth to Liz?” Maria said in Liz’s ear, finally grabbing her attention.

“What?” Liz looked over at Maria and Isabel and could see the amused smiles on their faces.

Maria chuckled. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Liz?”

Liz shrugged and looked away from her friends. “It’s nothing important.” As they walked out to the quad, Liz spotted Alex putting some flyers up on a wall. “Hey, what’s Alex doing?” She asked.

Isabel and Maria both looked over at where Liz was staring and spotted Alex. Isabel looked over at Liz and frowned. “I don’t know,” she said and the three of them walked over to him.

“Hey, Alex,” Liz greeted, making Alex turn around.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted back before pulling Isabel into his arms and kissing her.

Liz couldn’t help but notice how sweet they looked together. Alex wasn’t as attractive as Isabel was, so it could be hard for some people to see what those two see in each other, but it was as clear as day to Liz. She could see how in love the were. They showed it in every kiss, every look. It made Liz smile to see.

“What are you doing?” Maria asked, interrupting the moment between Alex and Isabel.

Alex handed them each a flyer. “Looking for a new lead singer for the band.”
“You’re in a band?” Liz asked in surprise and Alex nodded his head. He didn’t look like the type that would be in a band.

“Yes, he is,” Isabel said, beaming proudly at her boyfriend. “They’re called the Whits.”

Alex smiled and pulled Isabel in for a deep kiss. Liz and Maria looked away from the public display of affection. Just because they were cute together, didn’t mean Liz wanted to see the all of each other all the time.

“Michael’s in the band too,” Maria told Liz as Isabel and Alex broke apart again.

Isabel finally stopped looking at Alex long enough to look at one of Alex’s flyers. “So why are you looking for a new singer?” She asked. “What happened to Vicki Delaney?”

“Don’t even mention that little traitor’s name to me again,” Alex said in disgust. “The diva got a demo deal at some small record company and basically kicked us to the curb.”

“Ouch! Was she at least kind about it?” Isabel asked.

Alex scoffed. “Her exact words were, ‘I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me, but it’s time for me to move on to bigger and better things.’ We were just small potatoes.”

“I knew I never liked that bitch,” Maria said in annoyance. She wished she could Vicki little blonde ass so much right now.

“Yeah,” Alex shook his head, not wanting to think about Vicki any longer. “So we’re looking everywhere we can for a new singer.”

“Hey!” Maria’s excited squeal made Liz, Alex and Isabel all jump in surprise. “Liz can sing for your band Alex.”

Liz’s eyes widened in shock. “What? No, no, I-I can’t.”

“Do you sing, Liz?” Isabel asked.

“Well, I…” Liz truly wished that the earth would open up and swallow her whole as she stood there awkwardly in front of her friends. She loved her music with her heart and soul, but it was very personal to her. It wasn’t something she shared with the whole world. And she sure as hell had never sung in a band before. But before she could tell them all of this, Maria’s big mouth spoke once again.

“Of course she sings,” she said, unaware of Liz’s unease. “She also writes songs.”

Liz shot a look at Maria, feeling both surprised and annoyed at that moment. “Maria, how do you know that?”

“Tess told me,” Maria answered simply. “Also I can hear you singing when you think no one’s around. I know how good you are.” Maria then looked to Alex, who didn’t seem too sold on the idea just yet.

“I don’t know, Maria,” he said hesitantly. “I mean, The Whits are looking for a real singer with experience. No offense, Liz.”

Liz breathed a sigh of relief. “None taken. I completely understand, Alex.” Just when Liz thought she was out of the woods, Isabel smiled and gave Alex a little nudge.

“Come on, Alex,” she said sweetly, giving Liz a little wink. “Give her a shot. It’s not like you have another option.”

Alex looked at Liz for a moment before he spoke. “Would you mind, Liz? You’d really be helping the band out.”

Liz looked at the three hopeful faces around her and just didn’t have the heart to tell them no. “Sure,” she said, trying not to sound as bummed as she felt. “I’m happy to help.”

Alex smiled and put his hand on Liz’s shoulder. “Thanks, Liz.”

“No problem,” Liz said, putting on a fake smile. The four of them walked to a little table at the center of the quad and sat down. Soon Michael came to join them and took a seat beside Maria. While Maria told Michael the good news, Liz just sat there, quietly picking at her food. She wasn’t feeling so hungry anymore as she thought about standing up in front of actual people and singing for them. She felt downright nauseous thinking about it.

“Looks like you’ve saved the day, Liz,” Michael said as he took big bites of his burrito.

“It’s really no big deal,” Liz said shyly.

“No, he’s right, Liz,” Alex said with a smile. “You’re really helping us out.”

Liz nodded and gave him a little smile. Though she really wasn’t looking forward to singing in front of, well, anyone really, it still made her feel good to help out her friends. She finally gave up on trying to eat and put her little plastic fork down on the tray. “I’m going to get going, guys,” she said and got up from her seat, taking her tray with her.

Alex, Maria, Michael and Isabel all said goodbye to Liz as she walked away. Liz threw her food in the garbage can and started to leave the quad when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and saw Max sitting at table with his friends on the other side of the quad. His eyes are completely focused on her and the way he was smiling at Liz made her heart want to melt. He was too gorgeous for words. Without hesitating, she smiled back at him and gave him a little wave. Liz then felt someone else watching her and her eyes reluctantly left Max’s face and landed on Pam Troy, who was sitting right beside Max. And the look she was giving Liz wasn’t as friendly. This woman looked like she wanted to strangle Liz.

Liz looked away from both of them and quickly walked out of the quad.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After gym, Liz went with the rest of the girls in her class to the shower room to clean up. Fifteen minutes Later, Liz turns off the water and steps out of the shower area wrapped in a towel along with the rest of the girls. Liz finished getting dressed and was putting her shoes on when she looked up and saw Pam Troy standing in front of her, looking suspiciously friendly.

“You’re name’s Liz, right?” She asked.

Liz nodded her head, eyeing Pam warily. “Uh, yeah.”

“Hi,” she greeted cheerfully. “I’m Pam Troy.”

“Yeah, I know who you are. I’ve seen you around school.”

“Right.” Pam watched as Liz finished putting on her shoes and stood up from the bench. She eyed the brunette up and down, wondering why Max couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. Max didn’t think Pam noticed all the looks he’d been giving Liz, but she did. She just couldn’t figure out why Max seemed to want to gawk at Liz Parker like he wanted her. She was nothing special. And she certainly didn’t compete with Pam’s beauty. But it didn’t matter what Max saw in her, Pam figured. She just had to put a stop to it. “So, how are you liking it here?” Pam asked in a sugary sweet voice.

Liz shrugged, still wondering what Pam wanted from her. “It’s okay. It’s different from L.A.”

“Well, let me just say that Roswell can seem pretty boring at first, but this place really grows on you. And the people are really friendly here,” she said, going in for the kill. “Like, you should meet my boyfriend Max. He’s really great.”

“Your boyfriend?” Liz asked with a chuckle as she realized why Pam Troy suddenly felt the desire to be buddy-buddy with her.

“Yeah,” Pam said with a frown, not expecting Liz to laugh. But it didn’t sway her from her mission. “We’ve been together for awhile. Have you met him?”

“I’ve met him,” Liz said. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she walked over and opened her locker, grabbing her backpack from it. Obviously Max and Pam’s relationship wasn’t as casual as Max thought.

“Anyway, I just wanted to personally welcome you to Roswell. And if you ever want to hang out sometime, I’m available.”

Liz could see the fakeness oozing off of Pam as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and closed her locker. She’d met enough vapid, shallow California girls to know what it looked like. “Aww, thanks. That’s so sweet,” she said, in the same faux friendly tone that Pam was using.

“Don’t mention it,” Pam said as Liz pushed past her and walked out of the locker room. Pam hoped that Liz would take the message and get that Max Evans belonged to her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“The entire band is thrilled that you’re going to be their new singer, Liz,” Maria told Liz on the phone.

Though Maria couldn’t see her, Liz still faked a little smile anyway. “I’m glad,” she said as she sat at her desk and flipped through her science book. She could hear rustling noises and the sound of another voice on the other end of the phone, and knew that Maria wasn’t alone.

“Michael, stop it,” she could hear Maria mumble on the other end of the phone.

Liz smiled, realizing what was going on. “Hi, Michael,” she greeted loudly over the phone so Michael could hear her. She could hear some more rustling sounds before she could hear Michael’s voice clearly from the receiver.

“Hey, Liz,” he greeted back. “We really do appreciate what you’re doing for the band.

Liz nodded her head, still smirking. “And now you’re trying to show Maria how thankful you are that she came up with the idea?”

Michael let out an embarrassed chuckle. Liz didn’t even need to see Michael to know that he was blushing. “Well, what can I say? I have needs,” he said, and Liz could hear Maria in the background, gasping in shock and mortification.

“Ewww, I don’t want to know about those needs,” Liz said, laughing. “Well, let me talk to Maria a little bit longer and then you can commence with the dirtiness.”

“Sounds good to me. See ya, Liz.”

Liz could hear someone, she assumed Michael, moving around before Maria’s voice cam through on the other end. “Sorry about that chica,” she said. “The man just can’t keep his hands off me.”

“It’s sweet,” Liz said with a smile. “He’s obviously very in love with you.”

“Yeah.” The happiness in Maria’s tone did not go unnoticed by Liz. “What about you, Liz? Have you ever been in love?”

“No, not really,” she answered. She still didn’t know what she felt for Max yet, but she smiled as she thought of one person she wished she could’ve loved. “There was this one guy, Kyle Valenti. I wasn’t in love with him, but I really wanted to. He was such a great guy.”

“What happened between you two?”

“We both just realized that we were better off as friends,” she said simply. She then heard a strange tapping sound on her window. “Oh, geez!” Liz yelped when she looked up and saw someone sitting outside her window, staring at her. She jumped out of her seat and fell to the floor, dropping the phone in the process.

“Liz, is everything okay?” Maria asked in a concerned voice. “What’s going on?”

Liz sat up and grabbed the phone beside her, holding it to her ear. “I’m fine, Maria I just saw…” Liz didn’t finish that sentence when she looked at the window and realized that the strange man staring at her was Max. “Nothing. It was nothing, Maria. Uh, hold on a sec.”

Before Maria could protest, Liz placed the phone on her bed and walked over to her window. Max was smiling at her as she unlocked and opened the window. “Did I scare you?” He asked with a chuckle.

“No of course not. I always fall on the floor when I’m expecting creepy stalkers at my window,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Max’s smile then turned into a playful pout. “I’m not a stalker, I’m your friend. Aren’t friends allowed to visit?”

Liz felt that familiar excitement rush through her as she looked at Max. he was so adorable and she couldn’t help but smile at him “Normally yes. But friends also use the front door.”

“There’s no fun in that,” he said in a playful tone, giving her a little smile.

Max and Liz were silent for a few moments, just smiling at each other, enjoying the comfort and excitement they felt at being in each other’s presence.

“So, you want to come in?” Liz asked, stepping aside for him to come in.

“I’ve got a better idea. How about you come out here?” He asked.

Liz thought about that for a moment and then answered. “I’m not sure you’re girlfriend would be too happy about you sneaking out with me.”

Max suddenly looked at Liz like she was crazy. “My girlfriend? What are you talking about?”

“Pam. She introduced herself to me today. She was very…nice.”

“Nice?” Max chuckled in disbelief. “Where would you get that idea?” Pam Troy was known to be many things, but nice was never one of them.

“Well, it wasn’t genuine,” Liz said. “I could see right through her. Anyway, she told me that you were her boyfriend. I think she was trying to mark her territory.”

That was the Pam that Max knew. Keeping her friends close and her potential enemies closer. He knew that Pam didn’t give a damn about him, so he didn’t know why should feel the need to go so far as to “mark her territory” with Liz. And it pissed him off that she’d actually have to nerve to do what she did. But he wasn’t going to focus on it now, not when he was staring at the most beautiful creature on the planet. “Well, you know she’s lying right? We’ve never been a couple, and we never will be.”

Liz nodded her head. “I know that. But I also know that she must’ve had a reason for coming to me.”

“Pam’s a bitch,” Max said simply. “She probably just felt the need to screw with someone today and you happened to be in her vicinity at the time. Just don’t let her get to you.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”

“So, you want to come out with me?” He asked again.

Liz was about to say yes when she suddenly remembered that Maria was still on the phone, waiting for her. “Oh, crap! Wait there a second.” Liz walked back over to her bed and picked up her phone. “Hey, Maria…yes, I’m still here.”

Max slipped into Liz’s bedroom while she talked on the phone with Maria. He knew how Maria would react when she found out about Liz’s friendship with him and a part of him wondered again if he should just stay away from Liz. He no longer cared what Maria thought anymore. He’d already given up trying to earn her forgiveness, but he also didn’t want Liz to suffer because of his screw ups. It wasn’t her fault that he was a useless punk. He tainted everything around him, and it would break his heart if he tainted Liz. His worries grew as he listened to Liz on the phone with Maria.

“I’m not feeling that well, Maria,” Liz lied, trying to get Maria off the phone so she could go out with Max, “I think I should get some sleep.”

“Really?” Maria asked, her voice filled with concern. “Is everything all right?”

Liz officially hated herself for lying to Maria, but she didn’t have any other choice. She needed Max in her life right now, and Maria just wouldn’t understand. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little tired that’s all.”

“Okay, well, you get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Liz nodded. “All right. Good night, Maria.” After Maria said good night as well, Liz hung up the phone and tossed it down on her bed. She turned to Max and saw the strange look he was giving her. “What’s wrong, Max?”

“You’re lying,” he pointed out, his eyes looking to the phone behind Liz before turning them back to her. “You’re lying to your best friend just to hang out with me.”

Liz shrugged it off. “It’s not a big deal, Max. I mean, we’re friends too.”

“If it’s not a big deal, then you shouldn’t have to be lying.” Max shook his head and turned away from Liz. Max wouldn’t lie, he wasn’t the most selfless person in the world. And the idea of being selfish with her was so tempting. He wanted to keep her for as long as possible. But the idea of her risking her friendship with not only Maria, but the rest of the group as well, for him didn’t feel right. “Liz, I’m not sure this friendship thing is such a good idea anymore,” he said, turning back to her.

Liz looked at him as if he were insane. “What?”

“Maria is a great friend, but she’s also a hard one to keep. When she’s been hurt by someone, she doesn’t her trust or forgiveness back easily,” Max said, trying to make Liz understand. “And in my case, she never forgives.”

Liz ran her hand through her hair in frustration. “See, that’s the thing, Max. What happened between you and Maria was just as much her fault as it was yours. And if she could just completely end our friendship over this, then I don’t know if she was ever my friend.” Max didn’t say anything, so Liz continued. “I care about Maria. I don’t want to lose. But I can’t lose you. The way you make me feel…I just can’t lose you.”

This revelation shocked Max to his core. He didn’t think anyone could ever need him. But she did. She needed him as much as he needed her. “Why?” He felt himself asking.

“I have my reasons,” she stated simply. “Why can’t you stay away from me?”


Max didn’t answer. He wasn’t ready for her to know everything about him, and he could tell that she wasn’t ready to reveal too much about herself to him either. He sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to win this fight. And to be honest, he didn’t want to. She felt the same connection to him that he did to her. Just knowing that made him want to grab her and kiss her right there, but he kept himself under control. They were still friends and he wasn’t quite ready to be anything more than that, despite how much he wanted her.

But as a friend, he was going to help her make the right decisions. “Okay, but if we’re going to be friends than you have to tell Maria,” he said firmly. She started to argue, but he stopped her. “You said you cared about her. And if you care about her, than you should be honest with her about this. Friends deserve honesty.”

“And if she really does end our friendship?” She asked, knowing that was probably how it was going to go. She didn’t say it out loud, but she was scared that she was going to lose Maria.

“It might not be that bad,” Max said gently, trying to comfort her. “She might handle our friendship better than we think. I just know that it would be worse if she caught us hanging out or found out from someone else.”

Liz thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. “I’m not ready yet. I’ll tell her eventually. I’m just not ready yet.”

Max nodded, deciding to let it go for now. “So, are we going out or what?” He asked, that playful little smile returning on his lips.

Liz felt her knees go weak as she stared at Max’s sexy little smirk. She didn’t think he was aware of what he did to her. He was like a drug that she just couldn’t get enough of. She had to have him around her as much as possible. Giving a him a little smile of her own, Liz took Max’s hand and they both climbed out the window.
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Cocogurl
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT CH. 8 ~ A/N: 6/21/09

Post by Cocogurl »

keepsmiling7 (2x) - Liz should definitely be honest with Maria, but she doesn’t think so right now.

Alien_Friend (2x) - Thanks for the feedback! Liz and Max are definitely important to each other.

AlysLuv - Just wait. You’ll see how evil Pam can get.

begonia9508 - You’re not wrong about Pam. And as for Liz and Maria…well, I’ll wait and let you see how it all unfolds.

Natalie36 - Thank you so much for the feedback. Max is definitely a bad boy with a heart.

destinyc - Did you say something about Max cutting his ties to Pam?

Hunter (2x) - So naughty, Monica. Lol. We’ll definitely get some hot action between those too eventually.

Janetfl - I always love your feedback, Jan. Liz is in a place where she wants to keep both Max and Maria in her life. Is it the right way to handle it? No. Oh, and Max will definitely be straightening Pam out.

DaleStateShorty (2x) - Exactly. It’s like a kid not wanting to give up their favorite toy. And Max IS Pam’s favorite toy. Lol.

clueless - Thank you for the feedback. Enjoy this next part.

Ms_BuffyAnneSummers - Yep, Pam Troy = trouble all over the place.

kismet - I agree. I always reading stories where Max Evans is kind of like the bad boy in town. It’s fun to read.


Chapter Nine

Max felt a little skip in his step as he walked to class. For the first time in his life he felt, happier, lighter. Like he was just a normal teenage boy and not his father’s punching bag and he owed it all to Liz Parker. The feelings she brought out in him were still so new to him, but he loved it, and he loved it even more knowing that he gave her those same feelings.

So lost in his own world, Max was completely taken by surprise when the door to the eraser room quickly opened and a pair of hands yanked him in there before shutting the door. Realizing that it was Pam, Max felt his good mood dim slightly. He was still confused and pissed about that little stunt she pulled with Liz a few days ago. As she started trying to undo the buttons on his shirt, Max felt disgusted. For the first time just the idea of her hands on him made him want to jump into a shower.

“I’ve thinking about having you inside me all day, baby,” Pam said, quickly trying to remove his shirt. But Max quickly pulled away from her. Pam gave him a bewildered look. “What’s wrong?”

Max shrugged nonchalantly, but the anger in his eyes was evident. “I guess I’m just not in the mood.”

“How are you not in the mood?” Pam scoffed in disbelief. Not once in all the time that they’d been sleeping together had had he ever turned down sex with her. “Are you sick or something?” She asked with a laugh and began to put her hand on his forehead, but he immediately pushed her hand away.

“Pam, stop it,” he said and this time, the anger in his voice was just as clear as it was in his eyes.

Pam didn’t like it. “Seriously, baby, what’s wrong?”

“Liz told me about your little conversation the other day.”

Pam rolled her eyes. “Oh, is that what this was about? Max, it was no big deal. I was just screwing around with girl. Having a little fun. It’s not like I honestly care about your little infatuation with the girl.”

“Infatuation?” Max was surprised that she knew anything about him and Liz. He must not have hid his feelings as well as the thought he did.

“Yeah, I catch you staring at her all the time. Personally, I have to question your taste in women, but it doesn’t matter. I know you’ll always come back to me,” she said, not an ounce of doubt in her voice as she moved closer to Max once again.

But Max pushed her away again. “What makes you so sure of that? It’s not like you and I are anything serious,” he reminded her. “How do you know I’m not in love with Liz, that I don’t think about her all of the time? How do you know I don’t picture Liz’s face every single time I’m with you just so I can come?”

Pam couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are you…in love with her?” She asked, though she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Max thought about that for a moment. Was he in love with Liz? He hadn’t meant to say that, it had just slipped out. But now the question lingered in his head. She made him feel things inside of him that he’d never felt before in his life. When he was around her, he actually felt like a person, and not the disgusting thing his father loved to beat all the time. In fact, when they were together, he didn’t think about his horrible family life at all. He was able to just be. Was that what love was? The feeling of total happiness whenever she so much as looked at him? He didn’t know. He’d never felt anything like it before. Looking at Pam, he answered her the best way he knew how. “I don’t know.”

The idea that he might be in love with Liz scared him more than anything. Loving her meant that she was yet another person who had the power to hurt him--and he didn’t like that. He also didn’t like the look Pam had in her eyes after hearing his answer. It was the look of someone who’d been betrayed by a boyfriend or something, and it surprised the hell out of him.

Pam didn’t have any real feelings that he knew of, but she was looking at like he had cheated on her. Her face told him that this had to stop. “Pam, this thing between us is over,” he said firmly, leaving no room for doubt in her mind. He wasn’t her property and he wasn’t going to let believe otherwise.

Her face turned from hurt to shocked in a matter of seconds. “Are you serious? You’re breaking up with me because of her?!”

“Breaking up? Pam we aren’t even together,” Max corrected. He thought they had been on the same page about their relationship--or lack thereof--when they started it. But clearly he was wrong. “It’s not like we’re even in love.”

“Maybe not, but no one knows you like I do Max,” she said in a haughty tone. “You didn’t even tell that blonde ditz Maria the truth about your life. Liz will be no different. Once you see that, you’ll come running back. You always do.”

“Not this time, Pam,” Max said, shaking his head.

Pam looked at Max skeptically. “So you’re actually going to tell Liz about her dad? About what he does you? Are you honestly going to tell her about the yelling and the bruises?” A smirk appeared on Pam’s face when Max remained silent. “See, Max. You can’t get close to her. You wouldn’t want to risk her finding out just what kind of trash you are.”

Max had to resist the urge to strangle her in that moment. She was such a heartless bitch, but he knew she wasn’t wrong. He was trash. Nothing would ever change that. But still, he didn’t have the strength to stay away from Liz, not when she made him feel the way that she did. He needed her. But rather than continue this little game with Pam, Max figured it would be best for both of them if he just left.

“Goodbye, Pam,” he said and moved past her to walk out of the eraser room. He was almost out the door when Pam’s annoying voice stopped him.

“This isn’t over, Max,” she said in a determined voice.

Max turned to look at her once more. “Yes, Pam, it is.” And with that, Max was out the door as fast as he could. He didn’t like the new look on Pam’s face as he was leaving. It was different than usual. If anyone had seen fatal attraction, they’d know the look. Max hoped he was wrong, but he had a feeling that Pam wasn’t going to let this go without a fight.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Seems like just yesterday
You were a part of me
I used to stand so tall
I used to be so strong
Your arms around me tight
Everything, it felt so right
Unbreakable, like nothing could go wrong
Now I can’t breath
No, I can’t sleep
I’m barely hanging on

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces
Can’t deny it, can’t pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won’t get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

I told you everything
Opened up and let you in
You made me feel alright
For once in my life
Now all that’s left of me
Is what I pretend to be
So together, but so broken up inside
‘Cause I can’t breathe
No, I can’t sleep
I’m barely hanging on

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces
Can’t deny it, can’t pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won’t get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Swallow me than spit me out
For hating you, I blame myself
Seeing you it kills me now
No, I don’t cry on the outside anymore
Anymore

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces
Can’t deny it, can’t pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won’t get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces
Can’t deny it, can’t pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won’t get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes


The song ended and Liz finished singing. She stood there awkwardly as Tess, Maria and Isabel stood there in Alex’s garage staring at her. She could also feel the eyes of Alex, Michael and the other two band members--whose names she had yet to remember--on her. She felt naked as everyone continued to silently stare at her. She knew this whole thing was a bad idea, but somehow she had let Maria and her friends strong arm her into singing for the Whits. She made a mental note to kick her own ass when she got home. Suddenly she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind, and a shy smile formed on her lips when she realized it was Michael.

“Liz Parker, you are a godsend!” He exclaimed happily, lifting Liz up in the air and twirling her around. After few spins, Liz was sure that she going to throw up, but thankfully Maria made him stop.

“Michael, put that poor girl down,” she commanded, but the laughter in her voice was evident. Michael did as he was told and placed Liz back down on the ground. “Good boy. Now come over here and thank me for suggesting Liz in the first place.”

With a cheeky grin, Michael rushed over to Maria and pulled her into his arms. “You are so right, babe. And I think I know the perfect way to thank you,” he said before pulling her in for a deep kiss.

Everyone in the room knew that there was no getting through to Michael and Maria when they were like this, so they ignored the kissing couple and turned their attention back to Liz.

“Seriously, Liz, you are an amazing singer,” Isabel said. “You’re perfect for the band. Don’t you think, Alex?”

“Absolutely,” Alex agreed, nodding his. He then turned to his other two band mates. “Nicky, Marcos, what do you guys think?”

That’s their names! Liz realized as she watched both of the young men nod their heads in unison. Nicky, the tall blonde one, was so busy watching Tess, that Liz was certain he didn’t hear a single thing that Alex said. Putting his guitar down, Nicky walked over to sit next to Tess on the couch in the corner. And Liz could see that Tess was working extra hard to look interested in the magazine she was reading. Obviously Nicky wasn’t going to get anywhere with her.

“So,” Maria started, pulling away from Michael’s greedy mouth, “Now that we’ve found a new superstar for your band, we should go out and celebrate. Who’s up for going to the quake tonight?”

Everyone seemed to like that idea and agreed to meet later that night at Quake. Liz was about to say yes as well when she heard her cell phone beeping in her back pocket, telling her she had just received a text message. Reaching behind her, Liz pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. The smile that appeared on her face could not be contained as she read the message and thought about the person who sent it.

Want to hang out tonight? I miss you. Love, Max.

Liz felt butterflies in her stomach as she read the message over again. Sure, they were just friends, but there was something in his message that felt way more intimate than it probably was. She blamed it on the fact that lately all she’d done is imagine her in Max together in several different romantic scenarios. With nimble fingers, she typed her response and hit send.

You see me everyday at school. Lol.

Though it was only a second before Max sent her another message, to her it felt like an eternity.

So? Is there something wrong with wanting to spend time with my favorite person.

Liz suddenly had to fight the urge to do somersaults at that very moment. She was his favorite person. God, I love this man. The realization came on her so fast and so strong, that it took her a moment for it to really sink in. But she couldn’t deny it or take it back even if she wanted to. Liz Parker was in love with Max Evans.

“Who’s the message from?” Maria asked, suddenly standing in front of Liz.

Liz quickly closed her phone and placed it back in her back pocket. “Just my dad,” she answered, trying to appear nonchalant. “He likes to check up on me sometimes.”

Maria nodded. “So, the Quake? Want to join?”

“Um, actually I’m still not feeling too well, so I think I’m just going to stay home,” Liz said, lying yet again to her friend. Now not only was Liz Parker in love, but she was screwed. She hated lying to Maria with every fiber of her being. But what would she do if Maria stopped being her friend? Or worse, what if Maria made her choose? She hated feeling like a crappy friend, but she also hated the idea of not having Max in her life. Yep, she was totally screwed.

“Okay, I understand,” Maria said sympathetically, patting Liz gently on the shoulder. “Feel better okay.”

Liz nodded her head before Maria walked back over to Michael and the two started making out again. Liz then looked over at Tess, who was giving her a suspicious look. Crap! She was busted. She and Tess have only known each other for a few months, but that was long enough for her to tell when Liz wasn’t being honest.

“I didn’t know you were sick,” she said, giving Liz a pointed stare.

“It’s just a stomach thing,” Liz said. “I’m sure it’ll pass.” When she was sure no one else was looking, Liz mouthed the words, I’ll explain later, and hoped that Tess understood.

After a moment, it was clear that she was had when she mouthed back. You better, her lips said. Liz gave her a little smile and nodded her head once again. After saying goodbye to everyone, Liz grabbed her purse and coat and left Alex’s garage. Once she made it to the sidewalk, Liz pulled out her cell phone, flipped it open and typed a response to Max’s last message.

You can pick me up at my house. What are we doing?

Liz hit the send button then patiently waited for Max’s response. But at the same time, she wished that he was actually there talking to her, rather than having to send little text messages. After a moment, she heard the beep, and immediately hit the OK button and read Max’s message intently.

It’s a surprise. ;)

A huge grin formed on her face as she wondered what his surprise would be. She closed her cell phone and put back in her pocket before happily hurrying home. She needed to go home and find the perfect outfit for her night out with Max.
***************************************8

Song: Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson
Last edited by Cocogurl on Tue Jun 23, 2009 5:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I'll Look After You (M/L, CC) ADULT - A/N: 7/2/09 [WIP]

Post by Cocogurl »

Happy 2010, guys! I'M BACK! :D I just want to thank everyone for their patience. It means the world to mean. Here's the next chapter to I'll Look After You. I hope you enjoy. :D

Chapter Ten

As soon as Liz got home, she rushed upstairs to her bedroom and started rummaging through her closet for the perfect outfit to where for her outing with Max. It took her a little over an hour to finally decide on something to wear. Finally dressed in a red t-shirt and blue jeans, Liz smiles at herself in the mirror, feeling excited about going out with Max. Liz grabbed her leather jacket, slipping it on, when she heard the sound of her cell phone beeping and she turned around and grabbed it off her bed to look at the text message. She smiled when she realized it was Max and quickly opened up the text.

Change of plans. Can you meet me down by the lake in an hour?

Liz’s smiled widened and she typed back.

Of course. Is everything all right?

After waiting a few minutes, Liz finally got a response.

Yeah, everything’s fine. Just meet me, okay.

Liz closed her phone and stuffed it into her back pocket. After grabbing her jacket out of her closet, she rushed out of her bedroom and ran down the stairs to the front door. Leaving the house and shutting the front door behind her, Liz walked down the porch steps and down the little stone path to where her blue mustang was parked behind her dad’s truck. There weren’t a lot of material objects that Liz loved quite as much as her mustang. This car was her baby. As she slid into the driver’s seat, she smiled as the memory of the day when she got this came to life in her mind…

It was her sixteenth birthday. And while most young girls usually had a huge party to celebrate such an important occasion, Liz was all alone on her bed, reading Pride and Prejudice for the tenth time, and tried to block out the sounds of her mother crying in the next room. But since the only thing separating their bedrooms was a paper thin wall, she wasn’t having much luck. She never understood why her mother was so sad all of the time, but Liz never resented her for it. She loved her mother and practically worshipped her mother. And normally Nancy was usually pretty good at hiding all of her pain from Liz. And there were days--though they were very few--when her mother was actually happy, where she was just like every other mom. Well, not quite like every mom. Unless most mothers pulled their kids out of school and took them on week long road trips to wherever their minds would take them. But Liz always loved those crazy moments with her mom. They always had so much fun--until they got back home and Nancy’s depression would sink in again.

Unable to ignore her mother’s sobbing any longer, Liz set her book down on the bed and reached over to the side and pulled open her nightstand drawer. She pulled her ipod out and closed the drawer. Putting her headphones on, Liz laid back down on the bed and turned the music on full blast. Her eyes began to drift shut as she got lost in the music of Michelle Branch. She was completely in her own world right now. She didn’t even hear it when her dad opened the door and came in. However, when she felt his hand touch her shoulder, she jumped up in surprise.

“Dad,” she started, taking her headphones out, “you scared the crap out of me.”

“I’m sorry,” he said with a little smile. But Liz could see that his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

He looked pale and Liz could tell from the bags under his eyes, that he hadn’t been sleeping very well. She knew that what ever stress Nancy’s depression had caused her, it was nothing compared to what her dad was going through. When he wasn’t busy working, he was home trying to take care of Nancy. They’d tried everything they could to help her with her bipolar disorder. Doctors, therapy, medication. You name it and Jeff had done it. But they never really worked, and eventually Nancy refused any kind of medical treatment. Now all she did was lay in bed crying and Liz could practically feel the worry coming off of her father in waves. He tried not show it, but Liz knew it.

She shrugged. “It’s okay,” she said, placing her ipod down on her nightstand. “What’s up?”

“Well,” he sat down next to Liz on the bed, “I’ve been thinking and you shouldn’t be cooped up in your room on your birthday. You should go out and have fun.”

Liz shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. “Dad, I really don’t mind being here. Mom needs to be taken care of…so do you, you know.” Her dad was a proud man and she knew he wouldn’t like the idea of his own daughter trying to take care of him, but she no longer cared about his precious pride. He was tired and he needed someone to be there for him.

As if reading Liz’s mind, Jeff said, “I appreciate your concern, baby. But last time I checked I was the parent and you were the kid. It’s my job to take care of you.” He paused for a moment and a flicker of sadness appeared in his eyes. “It’s my job to take care of all of you.”

Liz was about to argue when Jeff spoke once again. “I’m serious, Liz. You’re sixteen years old today. You should be celebrating it. Now I called Kyle over and told him it was his mission to take you out tonight and show you a good time. He’s waiting downstairs.”

“Dad,” she said in a slightly whiny voice that only earned her an amused grin from her father. And this time the smile reached his eyes as well.

“Liz, what kind of girlfriend would you be if you denied Kyle the right to spoil his own girlfriend on her birthday.” And before Liz could even think of protesting or whining again, Jeff added, “You only turn sixteen once, baby girl. Appreciate it.”

Sighing, Liz knew that her dad wasn’t going to let this go, but it bugged her that she her dad was actually right. She felt guilty to admit this to herself, but a part of her really wanted to go out with her friends and celebrate her birthday like any teenage girl. Did that make her a bad person? Even daring to think about herself when her parents were going through so much? She could tell her dad certainly didn’t think so. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be encouraging her like this. She also knew that he wasn’t going to take no for answer. Still, she didn’t want him to know that she was happy about him letting her go out.

Feigning irritation, she sighed and got up from her bed, her dad getting up as well, and she stood in front of him. “Fine, but I’m not going to be happy about it. Now let me get dressed.”

Jeff chuckled at how stubborn his daughter was. “All right then.” With that he turned around and headed towards the door.

Unable to pretend any longer, Liz called out, “Dad,” before he left. Jeff stopped in front of the door and turned to look at her. As he looked at her, a big smile broke out on Liz’s face and she walked over and pulled her dad in a big hug and buried her face into his shoulder. “Thanks, dad,” she said, her voice slightly muffled by her father’s sweater covered shoulder.

But he could hear her and gently squeezed his arms around her. “It’s my job. No thanks required, sweetie.” He pulled away from the hug and cupped his daughter’s cheek with his left hand. “Thank you for being such a big help around here. You’re so grown up.”

Liz just smiled as her dad kissed her forehead and left the room. She rushed to her closet and quickly changed into something more suitable for her sixteenth birthday: A strapless velvet dress that stopped just above her knees and little black pumps. With a brush, Liz quickly tied her hair up into a tight bun with two thin curls resting on either side of her face. She didn’t put on a lot of makeup, but she didn’t need to. Looking in the mirror, she already thought she looked perfect the way she was.

Kyle thought so as well when she came downstairs. He was practically speechless as he took in her appearance, which made Liz smile. Kyle was always so good to her and always knew how to make her feel beautiful. They’d been dating for almost six months now and she didn’t know if she loved him or anything, but she cared about him a great deal. As she knew he did for her. After saying goodnight to her father and asking to him to say goodnight to her mother for her, she and Kyle were off in Kyle’s dark blue truck.

The entire evening was perfect. Kyle had taken her to fancy restaurant and Liz had the most amazing Lobster dinner. She knew it must have cost Kyle a fortune, but he simply insisted that it was her night and he was sparing no expense. After he dinner, he drove her back to his house, which made a little nervous as to what he was expecting tonight.

“Um, Kyle, what are we doing here?” She asked uncomfortably as they sat in his driveway. She liked Kyle a lot, but she was nowhere near ready for what he might be thinking of. Kyle just smiled at her, taking her hand in his and giving it a little kiss.

“Just wait in see.” Being the gentleman that he was, as soon as he stepped out of his truck, he walked over to the other side and opened the passenger door for Liz, holding her hand and helping her out.

As they got to his front door, Liz could feel her heart pounding in her chest as her mind rushed to find a way to let Kyle down easy. She was pleasantly surprised, though, when they stepped inside and all the lights came on, making everyone jump out of their hiding places shouting, “SURPRISE.”
There in front of her stood Jim Valenti, Kyle’s father, and all of her friends, smiling and clapping at her. Then she looked over and saw Kyle looking at her with a hopeful smile. “Surprised?”

Liz jumped into Kyle’s arms, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly. “I’m incredibly surprised!” She was the first to break the hug. “But, Kyle, you really didn’t have to do this. I mean, the dinner was more than enough.”

“Now, Liz,” Kyle started in a scolding tone, but his eyes danced with amusement, “Your father ordered me to take you out tonight and give you a good birthday. Who am I to disobey strict orders.” He placed his hand on his chest, gesturing to himself.

Liz smiled up at him adoringly. She didn’t know what she’d do without him. “Thank you so much, Kyle.”

“You’re welcome, Liz.” Kyle gently cupped her face in his hands and gave her a sweet kiss.

“All right, all right, break it up, love birds,” Jim intervened before they could get carried away. “There’s plenty of time for kissing later. Right now, it’s time to give this little girl the best party ever.”

And it really was. It was everything she could’ve asked for and more. She spent the entire night chatting and dancing the night away with her friends. She even managed to sneak Kyle away for a few blissful moments at a time. Liz also got some incredible gifts, including a gold necklace with a diamond heart at the center from Kyle. The entire evening was absolutely perfect and as the party died down, Kyle took her hand and told her that night wasn’t over yet.

Kyle made Liz close her eyes and took her hand in his, leading her out of the house and towards their new destination. The walk to wherever they were going was short, and Liz’s body tingled with anticipation. Her eyes were still closed, but Liz could hear the sound of a door being opened and Kyle gently pulled her inside. Once she was inside, she felt Kyle her hand and heard him close the door behind them.

“Okay, open your eyes.”

Liz did as she was told and was meet with complete darkness. “Okay, Kyle, what’s going on?”

A split second after she asked that, the lights came on and Liz realized she was in the garage. When she saw what was in front of her, she gasped in complete surprise. A gorgeous blue mustang was parked right in front of her.

Oh my, god! Kyle, it’s gorgeous!” She squealed in delight as she walked around to get a better look at the car. She peaked into the rolled down window and couldn’t believe it. It even had a beautiful, black leather interior. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh leather scent. After a moment, she came back up and looked at her boyfriend. “Kyle did you get this for me? Because if you did, it’s too much.”

Kyle laughed. “I wish. I spent all my money on that necklace you are now wearing.” Liz smiled and touched her necklace as Kyle continued. “You’re dad got this for you. He wanted me to let you know that he’s sorry he couldn’t be here to give it to you.”

Liz honestly didn’t know what to say. As much as she loved the gift, she couldn’t ignore the guilt that started welling up inside of her. Her poor father was at home taking care of her poor mother, and what was she doing? Out having a good time like nobody needed her at home. She felt even worse when she realized that she hadn’t even thought about her mom or dad all night. As if sensing where her thoughts were going, Kyle walked over to Liz and gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

“Don’t do that, Liz,” Kyle said firmly. “Don’t feel guilty for having a good time. You’re allowed to have a good time. To take your mind off things and not constantly worry about things. What’s happening with your mom is hard, and I understand that. But you’re life shouldn’t have to just stop. You’re dad knows that, I know that…and I’m sure Mrs. Parker knows that as well.”

Liz didn’t respond. She just let him pull her into a warm embrace. He was the only person she’d told about her mother’s depression, so these days he was more than just her boyfriend--he was the only person she could talk to. She knew that he was trying to make her feel better and that he was even right to a certain extent, but she was having a hard time convincing her head of that. Still, she tried ignore what she was feeling at the moment. Ignore the nagging worry in the pit of her stomach. Not for her, but for Kyle and for her dad. They worked really hard to give a nice birthday, and she couldn’t spoil it.

She pulled away and put on a smile for Kyle. “You’re right. No guilt tonight, no worries. Just fun.”

“Exactly.” He gave her a little kiss before looking at the car than back to her. “So, you want to take this thing for a spin.”

Liz nodded her head and she ran around to the driver’s side while Kyle got into the passenger side. She was determined to have a good time no matter what…


A tear slid down Liz’s cheek as she thought about that night. It had been the best and worst night of her life. The worries she had, she now realized she should’ve listened to. If she had, than maybe she would’ve gotten home in time to stop her mother. She wouldn’t have had to come home and see her mother dead on the bathroom floor.

She immediately shook her head of those thoughts. It wasn’t your fault, she reminded herself. It was no one’s fault but her mother’s. In frustration, she shoved her key into the ignition and started the car. She pulled out of the driveway, feeling renewed desire to have to fun, live life. To be stronger than her mother had been.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Liz parked the car a few feet away from the lake and could see that Max hadn’t arrived yet. She stepped out of the car and walked down to the docks, deciding to wait for him. The night air was a little chilly and Liz wrapped her leather jacket tight around her body. Liz stood there for about ten minutes just staring out at the pitch black lake when she heard a car pulling up. She turned around, feeling excited butterflies flutter around in her stomach, but was disappointed when she saw that it wasn’t Max’s jeep parking beside her mustang. Instead it was a black Impala that any guy would love to drive.

Her curiosity turned to uneasiness when three big burly guys, chuckling excitedly when they spotted her. Two of the guys, one of them wearing a black Metallica t-shirt, and the other wearing a pale blue t-shirt, were carrying cans of beer in their hands, so Liz knew that they were drunk. The third guy, who was wearing a white t-shirt underneath a black leather jacket, leaned against the right side of the car, giving a Liz a dangerous smirk. Her uneasiness grew when the driver’s side door opened and Sean stepped out, a cocky grin on his face as he shut the door. He was also carrying a can of beer and she watched him chug what ever was left before crushing the can and tossing it to the ground behind him

Sean and his friends walked towards Liz, and like sharks, started circling her. Not wanting to give in to her uneasiness, Liz folded her arms across her chest and glared at Sean as he stopped in front of her. “What the hell do you want?” She asked in an annoyed tone.

Sean smiled and shrugged. “Nothing much. I was just thinking that maybe we got off to a bad start. I can be a pretty nice guy once you get to know me.”

Liz scoffed in disbelief. “Yeah, I find that hard to believe.”

“Come on, Liz. Don’t be that way,” he said, sticking out his bottom lip in a pouting expression. “I’ll treat you real nice if you just give me a chance.” Sean started to reach out to touch Liz’s hair, but she quickly smacked his hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” she warned in a deadly serious voice, though she was fully aware of the fact that if Sean really wanted to touch her, she wouldn’t be able to stop him--not with three big guys helping him out. She was the mouse and they were the cats. Sure, they were all dumb and drunk, but even idiots could be dangerous. Even as she knew this, her mind was still racing, trying to find a way to get herself out of this. She wasn’t going down without a fight. That was for sure.

Behind her, Liz heard one of the guys let out a chuckle. “She’s got a lot of fight in her,” he said. Liz didn’t need to see the guy’s expression to know that he was very amused by the situation. But Sean, who she could see, didn’t look amused at all by her resistance. He looked pissed.

“Not for long.” his voice sounded every bit as angry as his face looked. He’d had enough of this bitch saying no to him. He was going to teach her a lesson she’d never forget.

Sean reached for Liz again, this time grabbing both of her arms roughly. That’s all it took for Liz to give him a swift kick in the knee, making him let go of her, shock and pain written all over his face. The guy next to Sean started for Liz after that, and she smacked him hard across the cheek. That was all she could do before the guy that had been chuckling behind her earlier, came up and yanked her by her hair, making her yelp in pain before throwing her down to the ground. Liz tasted a mixture of dirt and blood and her mouth and knew she had split her lip.

“Hold her down!” Sean yelled to his buddies, quickly shaking off the pain in his knee.

Two of the guys laughed wildly as they did what Sean said. They flipped Liz over onto her back and they both held on to one of Liz‘s arms, holding her down. And the third guy, who she’d smacked, was now kneeling beside her, looking like he wanted to bash her face in for smacking him. As Sean approached, Liz tried to use her legs to kick him away, but he quickly climbed on top of her and pinned her legs down to the ground.

Smiling wickedly, Sean gently brushed some hair and leaned in close to Liz so that their lips were only a breath apart. “Now lets have some fun,” he said in a sweet voice and Liz wanted to vomit from the smell of alcohol on his breath.

When Liz felt one of his hands slowly making a trail down her body, she felt a surge of panic run through her. This was not going to happen. She couldn’t let this happen to her. She continued to try and fight the three men off, but it was no use. They were too strong. Sean’s hand finally made to the top of her and jeans and slowly started to undo them.

“GET AWAY FROM HER!” A male voice shouted. Sean and the two other guys moved of Liz to see who it was. Liz quickly scrambled to her feet just in time to see Max running towards her. “Are you okay?” He asked when he made to her side, pulling her close to him. All Liz could do was nod as Max held her close to him.

“Chill, Max,” Sean said in a nonchalant tone. “We were just having a little fun.”

Max’s hands unconsciously clenched Liz tighter as his rage started to take control. He let go of Liz and pushed her behind his body as he faced Sean. His three drunken friends were standing beside him, chuckling like fools. “You call trying to rape a girl fun?” He said through clenched teeth. Never in his life had he wanted to kill someone so much--not even his own father. And that was saying something.

Sean rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. It’s not like she wasn’t asking for it. She acts all innocent, but deep down, she’s just another dirty little slu--” Sean didn’t have time to finish that sentence before Max’s fist connected Sean’s nose, knocking him down to the ground.

“What the fuck!” Sean shouted as he laid on the ground in pain.

The three guys started moving in on Max, but he was more difficult to take down than Liz was. And the fact that they were all drunk out of their minds didn’t help at all. The one in the Metallica t-shirt went to take the first swing at Max, but Max was quicker than him and dodged the guy’s punch before kneeing him in the stomach--hard. The guy was so drunk that that was all it took for him to fall down to the ground, puking his guts out. The two other guys hesitated when they saw the deadly look on Max’s face. He wasn’t playing. And Liz could tell that they’d sobered up enough to see sense because they slowly backed up, one of them raising their hands in the air in surrender, and they walked back to Sean’s car. The guy in the Metallica shirt slowly started to get as well--once he was done throwing up-- and headed back to the car.

Max then turned his attention to Sean, who was still lying down on the ground, holding his nose in his hand. Max stalked towards him and kneeled down in front of him, lifting him slightly up by the lapels of his ratty gray sweatshirt. “If you ever, ever come near Liz again, I will kill you, do you understand?”

For the first time in his life, Sean was actually frightened of Max and he nodded his head nervously.

“Good. Now get the hell out of here.” With that, Max threw Sean back down to the ground and stood back up. Sean quickly got back up and ran back to his car, getting inside with his friends and driving away. Once they were gone, Max turned his attention back to Liz and his face immediately softened. He walked back to her side and started checking her for wounds. “Are you okay?”

Liz nodded her head, but Max didn’t believe her. He instantly took off his brown leather jacket and wrapped it over her shoulders. She hadn’t noticed before, but her entire body was shaking, more from shock than the chilly air. She still couldn’t believe that she’d almost been raped. A mixture of emotions coursed through Liz’s body at the moment, but the one dominant emotion inside of her was embarrassment of what had almost taken place. And before she could stop herself, she was crying uncontrollably.

Max didn’t hesitate. He immediately pulled Liz into his arms and started rubbing her back gently. Before all he could think about was driving Liz home and then find those assholes and ripping them apart piece by piece, but now, seeing Liz all vulnerable like this, all he could think about was comforting her. All he wanted was to make everything okay for her. For a few minutes, Max just held her as she cried, gently rubbing circles in her back and telling her that it was okay. Soon her crying ceased and Max pulled away, gently wiping the tears from her eyes. “How about I take you home now?”

Liz slowly nodded her head and Max lead her back to her little mustang, helping her in before running around to other side and starting the car. Liz was silent for most of the drive, content to just stare down at her lap then speak. But as they got closer to her house, she finally spoke.

“What about your jeep?” She asked.

“I’ll go back after I drop you and pick it up,” he said. “It’s no big deal. How are you doing?”

“I’m mostly embarrassed,” she said honestly. She didn’t want to put up walls with him like she did with everybody else. And since he saved her from almost being violated, she didn’t feel like she had to

Max took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Liz seriously. “You shouldn’t feel embarrassed, Liz. They should. They’re scumbags. And Sean, I always knew he was a punk, but I never thought he’d stoop that low. God, I just want to…” Max stopped himself from finishing his sentence, feeling his anger rising again. He turned back to road and started taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

Truth was, it wasn’t just those jerks he was pissed of at. It was himself. If he hadn’t been late, Liz never would’ve been put in danger. Max’s right hand went to his stomach and he winced a little at how tender it was, and he looked over to see if Liz had been watching. Luckily, she was staring at the road ahead, lost in her own thoughts. If Max should be mad at anyone, it was his father. It was his father’s drunken rage that had stopped him from getting to Liz in time. The image of his father punching him in the stomach flashed into his mind, and he wished that he could make it all stop. If only he had the courage to do to his dad what he did to those thugs. His thoughts were so dark and filled with anger. He was thankful when Liz spoke. It gave him something else to focus on, like taking care of her. And taking care of her was the most important thing at the moment.

“I know. You‘re right.” Liz nodded her head in agreement. But that wasn’t the only thing that she was feeling mortified about. “But I can’t believe I broke down like that. I almost never cry.” And that was the truth. She really didn’t cry like that ever, not even when her mother died. But her reasons for not crying over that were a completely different issue. And as safe as Max made her feel, she wasn’t quiet ready to talk about that.

Instead, she went back to the subject at hand. “I don’t think I can thank you enough, Max. And I’m sorry that I ruined our night.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he said sincerely as he shook his head and placed his right hand back on his lap. “All that matters to me is that you’re safe.”

Max’s gentle words meant the world to Liz. They seemed so simple, yet the way he said them told Liz just how much he cared for her. Liz felt the urge to touch Max and this time she didn’t resist it. She kept her eyes on the road ahead as she reached her hand out to touch Max’s right one, which was resting on his leg. She was caught off guard, though, when Max accepted her hand and interlocked their fingers together. She looked away from the road and down at their intertwined fingers, savoring the warmth and comfort his touch brought her.

They pulled into the driveway of Liz’s home and Liz spotted her dad’s car, still parked in it’s place. But then she and Max noticed a red truck parked behind her dad’s car. The car looked very familiar to Liz. Just then Liz realized who that car belonged to.

“Oh my, god!” Liz squealed in excitement as she released Max’s hand and stepped out of the car.

Max did the same walked around the mustang to stand beside Liz. “Whose car is that?” He asked, wondering what had Liz so excited. He’d never seen her like that before. It was very cute. Liz turned to look at Max and opened her mouth to speak, but someone else spoke for her.

“Well, if it isn’t little Lizzie Parker,” a male voice said.

Max’s eyes went to the porch, where a guy was standing with his hands in his pocket, wearing a big grin on his face. He wasn’t a very tall guy, but he was pretty good looking--though Max wasn’t an expert on good looking men, he could imagine a few girls who’d go for a guy like him--and he had sandy brown hair and blue eyes. But what caught Max’s attention the most and infuriated him was the way his eyes sparkled with joy as he looked at Liz--and the way her eyes sparkled as she looked back. Who the hell was this guy?

“Kyle!” Liz gushed before running towards the house and jumping into Kyle’s arms. He hugged her back with just as much vigor. Liz smiled into his neck, taking comfort in the familiarity of his arms and his own Kyle scent. It felt so good to have a piece of her home here with her and she didn’t want to let him go.

Meanwhile, Max stood there by Liz’s car, feeling a pang of jealousy as he watched this guy hug Liz--Kyle, Liz had called him. He didn’t like the idea of any guy touching his girl. My girl? Max thought, shocked at himself. Liz wasn’t his girl, but as he watched her with Kyle, he knew that he wanted her to be.
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