Page 2 of 2

Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:27 pm
by Walking Contradiction
Oooh. Thanks for all the feedback Luzser1800, LairaBehr4, Shattered Dreamer, anonymousarfan, Legal Alien, Jason's Lover, begonia9508, Poison Ivy (Yes, she is :wink: ), vampyrax (Yay! New reader! Welcome.), Maya, Emz80m, candycane14, clueless, Behr Obsession, Erina (What went wrong? dun dun dun dun... is the suspense killing ya yet?)

And LairaBehr4, this part is for you, since you're having withdrawals and all.

11

Their lips fused together once more as Liz took a few steps back and fell onto the couch, pulling Max along with her. His body pressed firmly against hers and he groaned when he felt her thrust up against him. Even though clothes were separating their skin from any contact, he found himself incredibly turned on by her ravenous moves.

Liz expertly flicked her tongue against his as Max ran a hand through her long hair before cascading his fingers down her bare neck, along her side, and down to her waist to make contact with the small expanse of skin protruding from her black top that had now risen up.

His touch on her skin caused her to gasp audibly and thrust up again. With a growl, Max kissed her deeper and met her thrust with one of his own.

Pleasure coursed through their veins, their heartbeats quickening with each trembling touch, heated kiss, and primal thrust.

Max leaned back to sit up, panting out harsh breaths as Liz rose up to look him in the eyes. In the darkness of the apartment, her brown eyes seemed lighter, almost homographic.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Liz asked as she leaned forward and brought her hands down to curl around the bottom of his t-shirt. With a sexy smirk, she took hold of the fabric and swiftly brought it up around his neck and onto the floor before he even knew what was happening. Liz raised a brow and licked her lips as his naked chest came into view before leaning forward to lick around his nipple. Max swallowed harshly and threw his hand around Liz’s back, tightening his grip on her shirt. He slowly peeled off her top and as soon as he threw the fabric onto the floor, he felt Liz fuse their lips together once more.

His tongue met hers in compliance, and he pressed his body against hers to lower her against the couch again, groaning as he felt Liz’s legs curl around his waist. Max pulled back slightly and immediately felt her lips on his neck, licking, nibbling and sucking all the right places. His heart beat completely erratic and he had to pull back to try and ease the ache in his groin.

“Jesus Liz. Slow down a little.” He murmured in the darkness.

“What Max?” Liz responded huskily, “Can’t handle me?”

Max fixed her with an intense look that made her shiver involuntarily before he stood up with her legs still around his waist, bracing a hand on her smooth back, while the other took firm hold of her ass. He leaned forward and kissed her fiercely. Just as she responded to his kiss, he tore his lips away, “Where’s your bedroom?” He asked thickly, before bringing his lips to her neck and peppering it with slow, languid kisses. He knew that what she was after was some quick fuck. But if he had any say in this, it wasn’t going to be like that. He would make her remember him. He would make her want to be with him again. He would show her what he had to offer her that no other man could.

“Mmm, that way,” Liz said, pointing a shaky finger to the right.

Max pried his lips away from her neck and smirked as he saw her eyes close in pleasure.

Keeping a firm hold on her, he walked in swift strides to her bedroom and flipped on the light switch as he made his way inside. Liz kicked the door shut with her leg and the movement caused her to thrust harder against Max, making him hiss in response.

Liz’s breathy laugh was music to his ears as he ran a hand along her leg and walked over to the bed to lay her down with gentle ease. Now that there was light in the room, he took a moment to study her beautiful body. A black bra contrasted wonderfully against her soft pale skin, and further south he took notice of the low rise hip huggers he was just itching to peel off.

“Stop gawking and start stripping,” Liz demanded.

Max chuckled in response before lowering himself on the bed and wiggling his eyebrows, “I’d much rather have you take off my clothes.”

“Well in that case,” Liz said, attempting to sit up until Max took firm hold of her naked arms and held her back.

“Nuh uh, not so fast,” Max said, easing her back down as he lay on top of her, teasing her by grinding his pelvis against her jean-covered core. He watched in wonder as her eyelids fluttered closed and a thin crease formed in her forehead. He lowered his mouth over to her ear and whispered “We’re going to take this slow tonight,” before lightly nipping at her lobe and trailing his tongue down her neck to lick at her pulse.

He ran his fingers slowly down her shoulders and brushed lightly across her sides before moving his knuckles antagonizingly slow across the creamy expanse of her stomach. Every brush of his fingers on her skin made her feel tiny ringlets of pleasure pulse through her body.

She closed her eyes as she felt him kiss her, his tongue moving languidly across hers, while his hands moved behind her, traveling down her back to unclasp her bra. In one fluid movement, her bra was off and she made the mistake of opening her eyes to see Max looking at her in awe. A light pink spread across her cheeks quickly until she willed herself to stop it. Closing her eyes once again, she told herself to get in control here. But before she knew it, Max’s firm hands were clasped around her breasts, kneading them with surprising care.

The lightness of his touch, the slowness of his caress made her wiggle underneath him and Max moaned from her responsiveness. Liz kept her eyes closed as she felt his warm mouth clamp down on her left nipple and his tongue flick out to lightly lick around the areole. She gulped and arched up against him, feeling him thrust down as she’d done so. She purred in delight, and Max growled as he broke his mouth away from one breast and lavished the other in the same manner.

It wasn’t until he removed his lips from her breasts and inched back up to kiss her mouth that she was able to tear herself away. In one swift movement, the tables were turned as Max found himself beneath her, with her legs straddling his waist.

He looked up to find her shaking her head, “It’s my way or the highway, buddy.” Liz spoke as she wiggled her bottom against his lower anatomy, causing him to groan for the hundredth time that night.

She quickly undid his belt buckle and moved to the side to remove his jeans before he could even blink. She licked her lips as she saw his cock protruding from his boxers.

“Hmmm,” she said as she looked at his tortured face. She bit her lip and dipped a hand down his boxers to lightly take hold of his dick. The moment her fingers circled around his head, he hissed, lightly thrusting up into her touch. “And you say I’m the one who’s in a hurry.” She slowly eased his boxers down his legs and threw them to the side. Looking down at him, she lightly ran a finger over his mushroom-tip, causing pre-cum to leak out. She glided her hand down his giant shaft before curling her fingers around him and pumping ever so slowly.

“Please… more,” he found himself begging.

Liz smirked and moved her hand a tad bit faster, “Like this?”

Max shook his head.

“Mmm, like this?” Liz asked as she quickened her tempo.

“Gah, more,” he panted.

Liz picked up the pace and watched as his forehead creased in tormented pleasure and his jaw tensed up. She guessed she could get him off in 5 minutes, max. That was, until he found the strength to pry her hand away from his aching cock and pin her down against the bed.

“My turn,” he smiled down at her. He slowly unzipped her jeans and pulled them down her legs, touching the creamy exposed skin as he’d done so. He took in a sharp breath at the sight of her black lacy panties while he ran his fingertips along her thighs, causing her to part her legs for him. Max leaned down and caught a whiff of her scent. At least she seemed to be as turned on as he was. He licked at her thigh as his fingers peeled off her panties, exposing her to him inch by beautiful inch. He tossed the lacy fabric to the side before slowly gliding his fingers over her folds with the lightest of touches. When she moaned he thrust two fingers inside her welcoming center. Caught by surprise, she hissed, thrusting up into his hand. Smiling, Max brought his tongue to her clit and licked so lightly that she thought she was going to die from sheer torture. Her mind screamed for more, but her pride rendered her speechless.

Luckily, he quickened his pace, thrusting his fingers inside her while his tongue flicked rhythmically against her clit. As he worked faster, she felt the slow build-up as heat spread from her toes to her head until each muscle in her body tingled with an intense pleasure that sent her over the edge. Her head fell back and she released a feral scream. Max lapped at her juices and eased his fingers out of her dripping core. Looking up at her face, he saw complete satisfaction on her sweat-slicked skin.

Liz bit her lip as she stretched to the side and opened her top dresser drawer to retrieve a condom. “Here,” she said, throwing it at him.

Max caught it, and smiled as he tore open the package. “What a way to ruin the romance.”

“Hey, no glove, no love, buddy.”

Max chuckled, “No, I’m all for condoms. You didn’t have to throw it at me, though.”

“Just fuck me already,” she demanded.

“Yes, ma’m,” Max said as he rolled on the condom and positioned himself on top of her. Call him silly, call him stupid, call him love-struck, but he wanted to savor this moment. His nerves started to work against him, and he caught her looking at him in anticipation. He brought his hand down to flick against her clit a few times, and when her eyes fluttered closed he thrust deep inside her, causing her to gasp when she felt his cock hit her in all the right places. Her vaginal walls clamped down around his thick shaft, and Max hissed. He pulled out slowly, and quickly entered her again before moving in and out in a steady rhythm.

Liz curled her legs around his waist, meeting each of his thrusts with her own, causing him to move deeper each time. Max’s face contorted in pleasure as waves started to wrack through his body, but he didn’t want to let go. Not yet. Not without Liz.

As he continued thrusting, he leaned down and brought his lips to hers, swooping his tongue in her mouth the way his cock was thrusting in and out of her liquid heat.

Every area of her body was on fire. Her nipples poked hard and proud into his chest, and each time their thrusts met, she could feel his sweat-slicked skin meshing wickedly against hers, heating every area of her body with an array of sensations. The friction magnified each time he thrust into her, their sweat mingling as their bodies collided sweetly against one another.

In one final deep thrust Liz ripped her lips away from Max’s, immediately tossing her head back to release an earth-shattering scream, her body arching almost completely off the bed. Her release triggered his as he growled deep and came heavily with her name on his lips.

Sated and relieved of all her tension, Liz lay underneath Max biting her lip. She could have sworn she’d heard him say her name as she came down from the sexual high. She ignored it, though. His breathing was heavy, and so was his body.

“Umm, Max?”

“Mmm,” was his reply. She certainly tired him out.

Liz smirked, “Mind moving a little? You’re kind of heavy.”

“Oh, sorry,” Max blushed as he rolled over onto the other side of the bed. After a few minutes to calm his over-heated body, he stood up.

“Oh good, you’re leaving,’” Liz said.

Max turned around, a confused look on his face. “Actually, I was just going to dispose of this condom in the wastebasket.”

“Oh,” Liz replied.

“Why, do you want me to leave?”

Liz shrugged, “If you want to.”

“And what if I don’t?”

“Then don’t. I don’t care.”

Max turned around and walked to the restroom to throw away the condom. On the way, he stopped in the living room to retrieve their clothes. Once he made his way back, he spotted Liz sitting up against the headboard of her bed, still completely naked.

“You know,” Max said, easing onto the bed beside her. “I’ve never done it with the lights on before. None of the other women I’ve slept with allowed it.”

Liz turned to look at him, “Lucky you, then.”

Max shrugged, “Just making light conversation.”

“You want to know how many ways I’ve done it?” Liz asked. “It would really make your head spin.”

Growing bold, Max eyed her intensely, “Only if you promise to show me each and every one of them.”

Liz shook her head. “I thought I told you, one night only.”

“Oh come on, that was ages ago.”

Liz laughed, “That was no more than a week ago.”

“So,” Max gave her a boyish look. Which she had to admit looked cute with his hair all ruffled and mussed. “Things could have changed.”

“Well, they didn’t.”

“I think they did.”

“Oh do you now?” Liz asked, raising a devious brow.

“I think you like me, Liz Parker. And I think that if you let me, I could be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

Liz turned her back on him and sat on the edge of the bed. “Maybe you don’t deserve it.”

Max was right behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. The move was natural and comfortable, even though Liz didn’t want it to be. “You know,” she started, “I don’t know why I’m telling you this because it’ll just egg you on, but I’ve never brought a guy here before.”

“Oh really?” Max said into her hear, before curling a hand over to her breast and playing languidly with the nipple.

“Really,” Liz leaned back, her long hair cascading down past his arms.

“That means I’m special, huh?” Max said, abruptly stopping his movement on her breast to look in her face.

Liz rolled her eyes and sat back up again, turning to face him. “See, I shouldn’t have told you.”

“I don’t really think you know how much I’m starting to care for you, Liz. I’ve never wanted to be with someone so much before. I want to bring out the girl you were before, the girl that I know is just aching to be free.”

As Liz remained quiet, her gaze fixed on the rumpled sheets, Max studied her face. He realized, for the first time, that she had a scar above her eyebrow. Without pretense, he ran a finger gently across the scar, taking note as Liz involuntarily shivered from his touch. Not out of pleasure, but something else.
Max swallowed, “Any other scars I haven’t noticed?”

Liz stood up, her back facing him, and he saw an array of faded scars on her lower back, near her butt. One long scar stretched out and over to her waist.

Max shook his head, “Please say it wasn’t Kyle.”

Liz immediately shook her head, “No. It wasn’t Kyle.”

“Will you ever tell me, Liz?”

“Stop it.”

“What?” Max asked, looking up to meet her eyes.

“I said stop it.”

Confused, Max reached out to take hold of her hand, but she pulled it away. “Jesus Christ, Liz. What is your problem?” He said in frustration.

“You’re my problem.”

“Oh don’t feed me that bullshit Liz, I’m getting tired of it. You’re totally fine one minute, and then you put up all these defenses. Why Liz? Please, I just want to try and understand.”

“You won’t.”

“I won’t understand?” Max asked.

Liz shook her head, “Can we please just drop the subject,” she asked quietly. The look on her face was enough to make Max do anything she asked of him.

“Sure,” he said, watching her quietly.

Liz pulled on Max’s t-shirt, “I’m keeping this.”

“What?” Max asked.

“It smells nice. I like it. So, I’m keeping it.”

“So,” Max smirked, “Does this mean we’re officially together?”

“It means I like your shirt.”

“And what about us?”

“What about us?”

“Are we together, or what?”

“We’re friends, Max.” Liz said. “And friends give presents. So this shirt of yours is a present to me.”

Max shook his head. At least she was calling him a friend now. Liz Parker was changing. He smiled, “So where’s my present then?”

“Maybe next time,” Liz said.

Max frowned, giving her the puppy-dog eyes.

“I already told you, Max. That trick doesn’t work on me.”

“Well then, what if I pounce on you, like a cat?” Max wiggled his eyebrows.

“Oh you silly, silly boy, I’m the one who pounces,” Liz said seductively as she slowly crawled on all fours across the bed in front of him. She stopped merely an inch away from him before running a hand down his naked chest to make contact with his erect dick. As soon as her fingers curled around him, he moaned audibly. “Up for round two?” Liz asked as she slowly brought her other hand against Max’s chest to ease him down onto the bed. “This time, I’m on top.”

Max groaned again just thinking of all the possibilities.
~*~

The sunlight leaked in through the blinds and forced Max to open his eyes. Stifling a yawn, he turned over to realize the other side of the bed was empty. Had Liz run away from him in her own apartment? Shaking his head, he found his underwear and jeans strewn across the floor. Liz must have tucked his t-shirt somewhere in one of her drawers.

As he pulled on his jeans, his cell phone jabbed him in the side and he pulled it out. Oh shit. His display screen said he missed 5 calls. Quickly flipping open his cell, he checked his voicemail, cringing the whole time. Just as he thought, Isabel’s voice filtered through, “Hey Max, Michael and I just arrived here at 10 a.m. We rented a really nice Jeep, I think it goes very well with this desert terrain, and we’re on our way over to your apartment now. Hopefully, we won’t get lost. See ya in a few.”

Max smiled. Trust Isabel to rent a car just because it ‘went well with the environment’. Just like her fashion sense. At least she wasn’t pissed. Max checked his watch, it was nearly 1 p.m. His second voicemail filtered through, “Maxwell, it’s Is. Where are you? Michael and I are standing out here in front of your apartment and you are no where to be found. You better have a good explanation for this.”

Max didn’t bother listening to any more of his messages as he nearly ran out of Liz’s room and paused in the living room only when Maria shouted, “Where’s the fire?”

“Oh,” Max said, feeling like an idiot. “My sister and my friend from New York got here at 10 a.m. and they’re pissed that I’m not at my apartment to let them in right now.”

Maria laughed, flipping through a page of her magazine. “That sucks, I was going to have a nice heart-to-heart with you about Liz too. She ran off to work without saying a single thing to me.”
“Did she seem happy?” Max asked.

“She had a permanent smile on her face,” Maria smirked. “Now run along, lover-boy!”

“Thanks, ‘Ria.” Max said as he opened the door.

“Wait!” Maria shouted just as he exited, “Are you going to see me sing again tonight?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. See ya later, Max.”

By the time Max got to his apartment it was a quarter after one. As he started walking towards Isabel and Michael, he noticed their stances immediately. Michael didn’t seem to be bothered. He could care less about most things in life. To him, Max being three hours late was trivial. To Isabel, however, it was a big deal. She was fuming. Her arms were crossed and she stomped a foot on the ground.

“Well well well Maxwell. Not only are you three hours late, but you’re also shirtless and… are those... are those,” Isabel marched forward, “Lee Jeans!” She gasped, covering a hand over her mouth.

“Is, I can’t wear your designer silk shirts and pants 24/7.”

“Of course you can’t, but you can wear my jeans!”

“Since when did you make jeans?”

“Since a week ago!”

“How was I supposed to know?”

“Oh drop it, you two,” Michael said, breaking their little dispute. “You’re arguing over jeans,” Michael said to Max before fixing his gaze on Isabel and repeating, “Jeans.”

Isabel opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“I’m sorry, Is.” Max said before hugging his sister. “I’ve missed you.”

“It certainly doesn’t look like it. Where were you?” She eyed him speculatively.

“Can you stop with the big sister treatment, and can’t we just talk about something else?”

Isabel narrowed her eyes, “You were with a girl, weren’t you?”

“Was it that Liz chick?” Michael asked.

Max shot Michael a glare before turning back to Isabel.

“You never told me you had a girlfriend!” Isabel smiled, “What’s she like?”

“Well, I don’t.” Max scratched his head.

Isabel blinked, “But it’s not like you to stay the night at random women’s houses.”

“She’s not a ‘random woman’, Is. She’s just different.”

“Hey, come on guys,” Michael butted in. When Max and Isabel argued, they could go on for hours. “Let’s unpack and get settled in.”

“Sounds good,” Max said, already feeling exasperated from his sister’s constant nagging.

“Oh, one second,” Isabel said. She smiled at Michael before whistling.

Max turned a confused head on Isabel as a small lab made his way over to her and started licking at her two-hundred dollar sandal-covered feet.

Max immediately bent down to pet the puppy. “For me?” He asked.

Isabel nodded, “Yep. I didn’t want you to be lonely over here all by yourself.”

“Is it a boy or a girl?”

“Boy.”

“Did you name him yet?” Max asked.

“No, not yet. That’s for you to do.”

“Call him Brody.” Michael suggested.

“Brody sounds cute,” Is said. “Let’s see if he likes it. Brody!”

The puppy looked up at Isabel and tilted his head to the side. As she repeated the name ‘Brody’, he started to wag his tail.

“I think he likes it,” Max smiled.

“Now that that’s settled, grab my bags boys and take ‘em inside,” Isabel said as she leaned down to pick up Brody.

Michael and Max stared at each other and shrugged as they headed over to the rental car and started grabbing luggage.
~*~

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:53 pm
by Walking Contradiction
Oh geez, it's been a long time, hasn't it? I apologize profusely, but as you know RL kicked me in the ass. I am starting to get the hang this semester though, so hopefully that means I'll be able to update more frequently.

Thanks for all the generous feedback... begonia9508, Emz80m, BehrObsession, clueless (and for the bumps too), anonymousarfan, candycane14, Shadowlynxbehr, Luzser1800, Shattered Dreamer, hazz (and the bumps too), Vicki LVCM, tazno...

Jason's Lover- Max may be tolerant and patient, but a man can only take so much...
LairaBehr4- I apologize for making you wait so long, and thanks for the bumps!
Allie Xie- You may be on to something there... or some things.
crazybeautiful- I'm glad you enjoy this fic. You definitely bring up some good points, and I'll try not to confuse you more as the plot thickens...

Thanks for all the feedback. And here is the next part, and it's a long one too. :?

Part 12

A very tired Max, Michael and Isabel were sprawled all over Max’s living-room. Isabel lounged across the couch like an Arabian princess, while Max took a reclining sofa, and Michael flopped down on the floor. Brody quickly made his way over to the three of them, sniffing each one and wagging his tail the whole time.

“I don’t know why it was necessary to do all the unpacking now, Is,” Max said.

Isabel sat up, “I like getting things done so I won’t have to worry about it the rest of the time I’m here.”

“You know,” Michael said, “We could have just as easily lived out of our suitcases for a week. It wouldn’t hurt.”

Isabel scrunched up her nose, “I wouldn’t dream of doing something like that, Michael. All my clothes would get wrinkly.”

“Ever hear of an ironing board?” Michael responded.

Isabel rolled her eyes, “How do you like those jeans, Michael? I think they suit your personality very well. The whole ripped thing gives it a nice grunge-look.”

“They’re great, Is. I could have just as easily bought regular jeans and ripped holes in them myself, though.”

Isabel shrugged, “They wouldn’t have looked as good as mine do and you know it.”

“True,” Michael said, petting Brody. “I must admit, it’s nice having a friend in the fashion business. All these clothes you so generously donate to the Michael Guerin starving-artist fund are great.”

Isabel laughed, “At least you have creative talent and you’re doing something with your life,” Isabel said, looking at Max.

Max knew it was coming. Sooner or later, she would bring up the fact that he didn’t have a job. “Isabel, please, don’t start with me now.”

Isabel got up from the couch and kneeled over by Max, “I know that sometimes I seem like a mother-hen, but I’m just worried about you. You’re my brother, and I want you to be happy and successful.”

“Maybe being successful doesn’t bring happiness, Is.”

“And lounging around all day bringing nothing to society does?”

Max shot her a glare, “That’s not what I do.”

“Then what do you do while you’re here, Max?”

Max got up from his recliner chair and sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll get a job, Is. Just give me time. I’m going to take a shower now, help yourselves to the fridge and anything here.” Max said before heading to the bathroom.

Isabel bit her lip and Michael shook his head. “You know he hates it when you do that, Is.”

“I can’t help it, Michael. I care, that’s all. Why should I apologize for caring so much?”

“Just tone it down. He seems happy to me.”

The two were silent as Michael got up and went to the fridge. “Want some water?”

“Sure,” Isabel said as she followed him into the kitchen. “Michael?”

“Yes,” he answered, tossing her a bottled water and popping open a Snapple for himself.

“Who is Liz?”

“A woman that Max likes,” Michael responded, shrugging. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. Isabel was very protective of her brother, and from what Max had told him about Liz, he knew that Isabel wouldn’t be fond of her.

“How do you know about her?” Isabel prodded, taking a polished sip of her water.

“He mentioned her to me a few days ago, and before you go on asking anymore questions, I don’t know anything else about her.”

“Fair enough,” Isabel said, just as Max made his way out of his room. Isabel was happy to see that he’d worn a white cashmere shirt and black pants. “Good, you still know how to dress yourself,” she smiled.

“So was there anything you guys wanted to check out in Roswell?” Max asked.

Isabel shrugged, “I didn’t have much time to research anything. I would like to see some of those alien-themed places. Like that museum they have.”

Max looked at his watch, “Well, its 5 o’clock right now and they close at 6, so we wouldn’t have much time today. How about we go have dinner, and then head over to this nice little coffee shop. I have a couple friends who are performing tonight.”

“Is Liz one of them?” Isabel couldn’t help asking.

Max shook his head, “No, but they’re friends’ of Liz’s. Maria’s singing and Alex will be playing guitar. They’re pretty good.”

“Sounds like something to do,” Michael said.

Isabel nodded, “Okay.”

~*~
Liz was busy doing nothing at the Crashdown. For dinnertime, it was unusually slow. She glanced at her watch. It was already 5:20, and there were a total of five families scattered amongst the tables. In a way, she welcomed the slowness of the day. It allowed her to relax and take a step back to gather her thoughts. In another way, she hated that it allowed her so much time to think. If it were busy, she would be able to focus all her attention on serving tables and picking up tips.

But since it was slow, she kept finding Max Evans creeping into her thoughts. And she didn’t like it one bit. She wasn’t supposed to be thinking about him, she was supposed to be forgetting about him.

Not only was he a hell of a lot better in bed than she thought he’d be, but there was something plaguing her about him. The fact that he actually cared for her made it harder for her to keep on resisting him. When he’d asked her about the scars, she remembered the look of concern on his face. The last time she’d seen someone so concerned about her was… Kyle.

“Liz, I think table number 5 is ready for their check,” Tess said, her gentle voice breaking Liz out of her reverie.

Liz spun around and nodded before heading over to table 5. This was the first time Tess had uttered a word to her today, which was very unusual since she was normally so friendly and polite.

“Can I get you any boxes?” Liz asked with a smile on her face.

“No, we’re all set, thanks. Can we get the check?” The man said.

“Sure thing,” Liz handed him the bill.

She glanced around the diner to find Tess at the cash register. Something definitely wasn’t right. She would smile for the customers, but it wasn’t her regular genuine smile. There was a soft sadness lingering behind it. Liz wondered what was wrong, but knew it wasn’t her place to ask. Tess was just a co-worker, and one she hadn’t been too thrilled of in the first place.

Liz shook her head. A month ago she wouldn’t have even noticed. A month ago she wouldn’t have even cared. What changed?

She turned around and stumbled into a large, strong body.

“Sorry,” she muttered, hardly looking at the man she’d run into.

“Liz?” he asked, looking at her curiously.

“That’s what the nametag says,” Liz responded as she finally brought her eyes up to meet his. He looked vaguely familiar.

“Remember me?” He asked, “I’m Sean.”

“Where would I remember you from?”

“Club Obsidian!” he nearly shouted, prompting Liz to look around the diner quickly to make sure he hadn’t caught anyone’s attention.

“Excuse me?” She asked. He must have been one of her late-night conquests.

“That’s where we met, and you showed me one of the best nights of my-“

“Oh yeah- I remember now,” Liz nodded to stop him from going on.

“I haven’t seen you there in a while. Have you found a new club to go to?”

“Nope,” Liz said. She certainly wasn’t in the mood to talk. She suddenly felt nauseous.

“Oh,” he said. “You should come again. I have some friends who would love to meet you,” he smirked.

Liz caught his meaning, and couldn’t help but throw him an ice-cold glare.

“Tell me, are you into girls too?”

“Tell me, are you always such an asshole?”

“Hey, I’ll give you some credit, you were fantastic in bed.”

“So I’ve been told,” Liz started. “Too bad I couldn’t say the same for you.”

He scoffed, “You’re lying.”

“You think so? Then why hadn’t I recognized you if you were such a great fuck?” Liz spoke calmly. She ended her question with a lean raise of an eyebrow.

Sean stood there taken aback. He looked around, then moved closer to Liz, lowering his voice. “Do you mean that?” He asked, looking like a frightened child.

Liz nodded apologetically.

Her response infuriated him even more and he stormed off, embarrassed.

She turned around and smiled triumphantly. Her day was turning out better than she’d anticipated.

As soon as the evening waitress came in for her shift, Liz nearly ran to the back to punch-out. She couldn’t wait to get home and relax before heading over to Buddha’s Blend. But as she headed over to her locker the faint crying of a familiar voice stole her attention.

Peering around the corner of the lockers, the noise intensified as blonde tendrils came into view. Liz walked a few steps until she was just behind Tess. She didn’t know what compelled her to ask, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Are you okay?”

Tess swallowed and nodded.

Liz didn’t know exactly what to do in this situation. Did that mean she should just leave and let Tess be? Or was that some secret code for ‘No, everything is not okay’?

“Are you sure?” Liz asked in concern.

Tess turned around and fixed her puffy eyes on Liz before breaking into sobs. Instinctively, Liz reached out and hugged Tess with awkward arms.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Liz asked as gently as she could manage.

Tess pulled back and wiped at the tears running down her cheeks. “Kyle’s hiding something from me.”

Liz immediately felt a rush of blood shoot through her head. She hoped it was something minor, something that didn’t involve her. “What makes you think that?” She asked, swallowing against the lump in her throat.

“Well, I was talking to Max and- I mean, it’s not a big deal, it’s just that when I try and ask Kyle he seems to avoid it… and if he’s avoiding this, how can we go on with a stable relationship if we’re not honest with one another,” Tess rambled.

Liz nodded, not knowing what to say. What the hell had Max said to her? “Maybe Kyle’s just looking for the right time to tell you.”

Tess eyed Liz speculatively. “You guys went to high school together, right?”

“Yeah,” Liz nodded as her heart sped up its pace.

“Did you know each other well?”

Liz put a hand to her temple to start massaging it. “What?” Tess was getting blurry, and Liz was feeling sick. She didn’t want to think about her past. The past she had with Kyle.

“Did you and Kyle know each other well in high school?” Tess repeated.

Liz nodded, “Yeah, I mean. Roswell was a small school anyway. We all knew each other pretty well.”

“Why do I feel like everyone is leaving me out in the dark?” Tess asked softly, defeatedly.

Liz sighed, running a hand through her hair. Fuck. “We dated for a while.”

Tess’s jaw tightened. “How long is a while?”

“About a year or something,” Liz said, shrugging. She only hoped Tess wouldn’t ask her why she and Kyle broke up.

Tess let out a breath, laughing lightly. “Is that all it was? He didn’t want to tell me you two had dated?” Tess asked, doubling over and laughing like a maniac.

“Tess?” Liz asked, reaching down to touch her arm, but Tess quickly pulled it away, fixing Liz with large questioning eyes.

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

Liz scratched a brow, “I can’t answer that.”

Tess’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why not?”

“I can’t read his mind, you know. Maybe since we were working together, he didn’t want things to be awkward between us.” Liz suggested even though she knew the real reason.

Tess looked sad. “Then he must not know me very well.”

“Kyle loves you Tess,” Liz said. The words sounded foreign coming out of her mouth. Kyle had loved her at one point. Now it was another woman he loved, a woman who deserved his love, a woman whose chaotic life wouldn’t interfere with his good nature. In high school, Liz thought that Kyle was the love of her life. He may well have been, but the circumstances surrounding their relationship caused it to end as abruptly as one of her all too familiar one-night stands.

“Really?” Tess asked, unaware that it was killing Liz to admit it to herself, but Tess and Kyle were perfect for each other.

Liz nodded, “Really.” She didn’t want to go into detail about how when Tess was near, she was all Kyle would notice. She was the one Kyle made laugh. She was the one Kyle would hold at night. She was the one Kyle had asked to live with him. “So,” Liz started, wanting nothing more than to change the subject. “Will you be at Buddha’s Blend tonight?”

Tess nodded, “Yeah, definitely.”

“I’ll see you there, then,” Liz said before heading out the back.

“Liz!” Tess called out. When Liz turned, Tess smiled. “Thank you.”

Liz returned Tess’s smile half-heartedly before leaving.
~*~

“Um, Max. Expecting someone?” Isabel asked, after Max had not-so-discretely glanced in the direction of the entrance for the fifteenth time.

Max’s eyes snapped back at Isabel. “Maybe.”

“Should I be worried about this girl?” Is asked.

“You should take a vacation,” Michael said as he drew on his napkin.

“I am on vacation,” Isabel replied.

“Not from New York, from life,” Michael said as he furrowed his brow and studied his work on the napkin.

“I think what Michael is trying to say is that you worry too much.”

Isabel scoffed.

Max glanced at the door again and saw Kyle coming around the corner. “Hey Kyle,” he greeted.

“Hi Max,” Kyle extended his hand.

“This is my sister Isabel,” Max said, gesturing toward her. “And this is my friend Michael.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kyle greeted Michael and Isabel with a smile. “Is this your first time in Roswell?”

“Yes. It’s quite… nice.” Isabel said as Max shot her a glare. Isabel smiled sheepishly, “You’ve got a great coffee shop. I like the design.”

Kyle nodded, “My girlfriend has a knack for interior design.”

“Oh yeah,” Max said, “Isabel, Kyle is dating Tess.”

Isabel nearly jumped out of her seat squealing with delight to hug Kyle. “Where’s Tess? Is she coming in tonight?”

“I hope so,” Kyle smiled sheepishly. “She said you were a fashion designer.”

Isabel nodded, “You may not have heard of me yet, but I have three celebrities who will be wearing my dresses on the red carpet this year. And I’m fighting off other celebrities from wearing my clothes.”

“Like who?” Max asked.

“Like Paris Hilton. I do not want her walking down the red carpet wearing my beautiful creations.”

“Why not?”

“She’s trashy,” Isabel scrunched up her nose. “I want classy women wearing my clothes, not trashy women.”

Kyle laughed. “I’ve got to get back to business. I’ll see you guys later,” Kyle nodded to the three of them before heading towards the back.

“You’ve been quiet,” Isabel said to Michael.

Michael finished scribbling on his napkin before holding it up. “Fitting for Roswell, huh?” Isabel leaned in to see Michael had drawn an army of aliens walking around the desert terrain holding giant ray-guns bigger than their heads.

“You’re silly,” Isabel said.

“Not as silly as Max is being right now.” Michael nudged him in the arm.

“Sorry,” Max said, breaking his gaze away from the entrance once again only to see Isabel jump out of her seat and run that way to greet Tess.

Max turned again, and smiled as he saw his sister embrace her childhood best friend.

“Girls are crazy,” Michael said.

“Don’t I know it,” Max replied.

The guys shook their heads as they simultaneously drank their coffees. Max gulped down the hot liquid before Isabel and Tess came over to their table, chit-chatting the whole time.

“Michael, this is Tess, my best friend.” Isabel flashed a dazzling smile.

“Hey Tess, I’ve heard so much about you,” Michael greeted.

Tess smiled at him, “It’s nice to meet you, Michael.” Tess looked to Max, “I see Liz hasn’t come yet.”

“She’s coming?” Max asked, his heart immediately doubling in beat. He definitely wanted to see Liz, but the only problem was that he wouldn’t be able to talk with her about the previous night since Michael and Isabel were also present. The timing couldn’t have been worse.

His thoughts broke as he heard Maria’s voice filter through the coffee shop. “Hello all you lovely people,” Maria said to get everyone’s attention. When their gazes flew to her, she continued, “I see some familiar faces… and some not so familiar faces. I can only hope that those not-so familiar faces are here because some of those familiar faces mentioned how great we are.”

Max laughed. Maria had excellent stage-presence. Her personality really shone through as she spoke to the audience. He was so caught up with listening to Maria that he hadn’t noticed when Liz slipped inside the doors. Her eyes had immediately settled on Max, but seeing that he was with a large group of people, and thankful for that, Liz had eased into a seat in the corner where she wouldn’t be seen.

She noticed that Tess was with him, and she knew that Kyle was here. She wondered if they’d had a chance to talk yet. She wondered if she would be able to catch Kyle before Tess could, so she could warn him.

“This is Alex Whitman on guitar, and I’m Maria DeLuca. For those folks out there with an appreciation for soul, here’s a little something of Bill Withers for ya.”

Maria fixed the audience with a charming smile as Alex started strumming the chords. She winked at the crowd when a few of the patrons whistled in recognition of the song. Soon her velvety voice filtered through the amplified speakers.

My friends
Feel it's their appointed duty
They keep trying to tell me
That you just want to use me
But my answer
To all that use me stuff

I wanna spread the news
That if it feels this good gettin' used
Well you just keep on using me
Until you use me up

My brother
Sit me right down and he talk to me
Yeah he told me
That I ought not to let you just fuck on me
And I know, I know that my brother he meant well
But also know what’s really true

And I said brother
If you only knew
You’d be wishing that you were in my shoes
You keep on using me
You keep on using me

Until you use me up
Until you use me up

It's true you really do abuse me
You get me in a crowd of high class people
And then you act all rude to me

But I wanna spread the news
That if it feels this good gettin' used
Oh you just keep on usin' me
Until you use me up
Ah...
Until you use me up


Maria ended her song with a grin as the audience exploded into whistles and applause.

Michael looked over to Max, “She’s cute.”

Max nodded, “Yeah, for a blonde.”

“Just my type,” Michael smirked.

“Good luck.”

Isabel rolled her eyes. “She does have a beautiful voice, although I’m not too thrilled about the song choice.”

“No surprise there,” Michael said.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying, that’s not surprising at all.”

“Why not? Are you saying I’m a prude?” Isabel asked.

“You said it, not me,” Michael returned.

Isabel shook her head and looked to Tess, “I am not a prude. I just think that people should have enough respect for one another to treat love-making as it is, something special and sacred. I’m not saying to stay a virgin until marriage, but to wait for love.”

“Oh please, Is. That’s bullshit,” Michael started.

“No, I agree with Isabel,” Tess spoke up. “If you had it just to have it, then it lessens the meaning.”

“Women,” Michael muttered, looking to Max. “Tell them, it’s okay to have sex and not be in love. Or even in a meaningful relationship.”

“Uh,” Max said, scratching his eyebrow and glancing elsewhere in an attempt to avoid Isabel’s glare. “I really don’t feel comfortable discussing this right now.”

“Just agree with me, and we’ll end it there,” Michael said.

Max rolled his eyes and turned away from the crowd, immediately spotting Liz in a secluded corner. Isabel, Tess, and Michael continued to debate sex without love, but their words were a blur in his mind. All of his attention was now focused on Liz. She was wearing a black tube top and her hair was long, shiny and vibrant, wildly falling down past her shoulders. Her eyes were locked on the stage as she’d smile and shake her head at her best friend’s antics. Max wanted nothing more than to go to her, sit with her, and wrap his arms around her.

“Earth to Max,” Tess nudged him.

“Huh?” Max tore his gaze away from Liz to look at Tess.

“Go over there,” Tess urged.

Max glanced at Isabel, “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. You know how nosey Isabel is.”

“You’re a big boy, and Is has me and Michael to keep her company. Now go on. Have fun.”

Max glanced at Liz again, breathing in her beauty. “Thanks Tess,” He uttered as he got up and stealthily made his way over to Liz’s table. “Is this seat taken?” He asked, his voice husky.

Liz didn’t look up, “That depends.”

“On what?”

“On whether or not you tell me exactly what you said to Tess.”

“Meaning?”

“Something’s up, Max.” Liz finally fixed him with a cold gaze. “And I want to know what you said to cause it.”

“That doesn’t sound fair to me.” Max said.

“What are you talking about?”

“You expect me to tell you about a conversation I’d had with Tess when you won’t tell me anything about you and Kyle.”

“Kyle and I are in the past.”

“Oh really?” Max started. “Then why are you so focused on this right now?”

Liz shook her head. “I just need to know.”

“Because it involves Kyle,” Max finished.

“No, because people could get hurt.”

“What about me, Liz?”

Liz looked at him as he finally sat down next to her and took one of her hands in his. “What about last night?”

Liz immediately pulled her hand back, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Max sighed, “I shouldn’t be surprised. You are hung up on him, huh?”

Liz shook her head. “No, but Tess may be finding out something soon, and when she does find out, I don’t know if she’ll be as generous as Kyle’s been about it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I told you to stay away from me, Max. I told you I was trouble.”

“Liz?” Max asked, as she started looking away. “Liz,” He said again, grabbing her hand again. “You’ve shown me your vulnerability last night. You can show me it again.”

“You don’t know,” Liz shook her head.

“So tell me,” Max gently prodded.

“I can’t,” Liz said.

“I didn’t say anything specific to Tess. I stupidly alluded to you and Kyle having dated before. I didn’t do it to cause any pain, I didn’t do it deliberately, I simply forgot your relationship was a big secret, such a big secret that Kyle wouldn’t even tell his live-in girlfriend.”

Liz swallowed, and put her hand to her temple to massage it.

“Come on,” Max said, standing up and pulling Liz with him, “Let’s get some air.”

Liz allowed Max to lead her outside and the two were silent as they began walking. Every so often Max threw glances her way, but couldn’t find the courage to start a conversation. It wasn’t until the tenth time he’d glanced that she spoke up. “I can see you.”

“Sorry,” Max muttered. “It’s just… you’re so complicated.”

Liz laughed. “Complicated, that’s the story of my life.”

“But it doesn’t have to be,” Max said.

Liz stopped mid-step to look at him. “I admire your optimism.”

Max smiled, “What’s this, a compliment?”

Liz shrugged, “Not really. It just makes me think you’re more ignorant.”

“Liz, honey, the only thing I’m ignorant of is your past, and that’s because you refuse to tell me about it. When it comes to the world, I know a lot more than you may think.”

“Traveling to Europe may make you worldly, but living in the lap of luxury…” Liz trailed off, shaking her head. “We’re completely different.”

“Is this your way of trying to tell me it’s not going to work?” Liz was silent. “Because, I think we’re very much alike.” Liz laughed. “Really, I do. I was a pretty lonely kid.”

“Poor lonely little rich boy.”

“Will you stop already?” Max snapped. “You think I’m ignorant because I’ve been more fortunate with money. You think that because I have all this money I’ve lived a problem-free life, but I haven’t.”

“So what was your big problem, huh? Watching your sick father die? I’m sorry to hear about it, but I can top that.”

“So because you’ve had more problems means you’ve had it worse? So it makes my father’s death less meaningful, huh? We hurt the same when we lose somebody, Liz.”

“Not when we lose somebody we hate.”

“Hank?” Max questioned. Liz grew quiet again. “He’s the reason you have those scars, isn’t he?” Liz’s jaw tightened, but she remained stoic.

Max nodded, “Fair enough. My mother had been abused as a kid, and it wasn’t from a foster father, it was from her own very rich, powerful father. How do you think that feels?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me, Max?” Liz shot back. How would he know what it felt like? She could give credit to his mother, but not to him. He wasn’t the one who’d been beaten. He had no idea what it was like.

“Listen, Liz.”

“No, you listen to me, Max. When I say I don’t want to talk about my past, I mean it. Your tricks to make me talk about it won’t work. You can go ahead and make me look heartless, or inconsiderate, or mean. I don’t care about your past, so don’t worry about mine.”

Max looked at her long and hard, a jolt of pain sprang through his body when she said she didn’t care. What was even worse was that it was hard for him to tell if she meant it or not. He looked away and nodded as his jaw tightened of its own accord. Men weren’t supposed to cry, but goddamn did he feel the urge coming. “Let’s head back, you can sit alone like you wanted to,” Max turned and started walking, not bothering to wait for a response.

Liz stood back a minute watching him move. There was quickness in his step, although his walk was languid. She couldn’t see his face, so she couldn’t read him. And for some reason, she felt really horrible. She didn’t want to spill her life story, but if she were to, she wouldn’t mind spilling it to him. Liz shook her head free from the thoughts. Once Max stopped and turned around, she saw the underlying fragility in his hardened eyes and released a sharp breath. If he only knew how much she did care. But he couldn’t.

She walked up to him quietly and they walked side by side back to the café. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and Liz and Max both felt more isolated than ever before.

Max opened the door, and Liz entered, mechanically walking to her table as Max walked back to rejoin his group. When he sat down Michael was about to say something, but caught Isabel’s stern shake of the head. She could see it written all over his face. He was crushed, heart-broken, destroyed. Isabel threw a glance in the direction of the mysterious dark-haired woman in the corner and narrowed her eyes. She hated her already.