All's Fair in Love and Tennis (AU M/L MATURE) [COMPLETE] 7/6

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay with this part - unfortunately the site being down prevented me from posting yesterday and I've been too busy to do it earlier today.

I just want to let you know that this is the last part I currently have finished and due to some personal issues, I haven't been in any state of mind to concentrate on writing in the last week . I will try my best to get a new part ready for next Tuesday but I'm afraid I can't guarantee it as my mind seems to be stuck on other things at the moment .

Anyway, thank you all for your feedback :

Alien_Friend - Thanks .

begonia9508 - Thanks - yes, she felt she was doing what was best for everyone.

Queen Fee - Thanks - let's hope they can get back on track soon .

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

roswell3053 - Thank you .

behrluv32 - Yeah, they do need to talk.

Natz - Thank you .

Natalie36 - Thanks . Let's hope so.

Gaby7tvm - Thanks . Perhaps Liz was being selfish, but maybe that's what she needed to do in order to deal with her illness and her feelings.

ShatteredDreamer - Thanks . You make a good point. Liz was selfish and she should have told Max, but she panicked and made a choice. Now she has the chance to possibly fix things with Max.

clueless - Thanks .

carolina_moon - Thanks .

Tamashii - Thanks .

ultimatepickupline - See, pregnancy would have just been too predictable and unoriginal .

***

Part Twenty

Sunday 1st July 2007

“Are you sure you’re comfortable, honey? Do you need another pillow? I’ll get you another pillow. What about– ”

“Mum, stop it, okay!” Liz interrupted, with a roll of her eyes. “I’m fine. I don’t need anything else.”

“Are you positive, dear?” questioned Nancy once more. “I don’t want you to have to over-exert yourself while I’m out this afternoon.”

“Totally positive,” Liz insisted. “And besides, Dad is going to be here anyway.”

“I know that, dear, but as your mother, it is my duty to ensure that you are well cared for.”

“Okay, Mum,” Liz chose to humour her rather than point out that they were living in the 21st Century and she was a grown woman capable of looking after herself without her mummy holding her hand all the time.

Finally satisfied, Nancy ceased her hovering and instead began flitting around the house, getting ready for her weekly Sunday afternoon lunch with her rich friends. Liz sighed with relief as soon as she was left alone in the large family living room at the back of the house.

She had been released from the hospital last night and to be honest, apart from being tired and a little weak, she basically felt fine today. However, that little fact hadn’t stopped Nancy from fussing all over her ever since they’d arrived home last night. Normally Liz wouldn’t have minded the attention all that much, but with everything that had happened yesterday, her mind was on other things; like the fact that Max now knew her secret and the fact that her dad had suggested he might like to visit her at home today.

The thing was, Liz wasn’t sure if she really wanted Max to visit her parents’ home, despite the fact that when first David and then Martin had come to visit her in hospital after she’d woke up yesterday, they had both brought up the fact that she was still technically entered in the mixed doubles and was due to play with Max on Monday, so she knew that she ought to talk to him before tomorrow.

As Liz adjusted her position on the sofa, pulled the blanket on her lap tighter around her and used the remote to turn on the TV, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from returning to her conversation with Max at the hospital yesterday. On the one hand, she had been so scared about finally admitting what was wrong with her, for fear of his reaction, but on the other she actually felt relieved that it was out in the open and she could finally be honest with him.

She had been worried that he would be angry with her for what she’d done, but in fact, he’d been calm and sympathetic during her admission, although she couldn’t help but wonder if that would still be the case now that he’d had a few hours to process everything. Unfortunately she didn’t have time to dwell any further as the doorbell rang out through the large house and her father’s upbeat “I’ll get it,” echoed down the hallway. She only had to wait a few moments for the inevitable.

“Liz, honey,” began Jeff, as he entered the family living room, “Max is here to see you.”

“Okay,” Liz forced a smile onto her face and tried to sound more energetic than she was currently feeling.

“Go on in,” she heard her father say to Max, who had not yet come into the room.

“Thanks, Jeff,” she heard his warm-toned reply and she had to admit that the familiar voice caused her heart to speed up just slightly.

Liz watched as he stepped through the doorway into the lounge, a small, almost shy smile gracing his handsome features.

“Hey,” he murmured, moving further into the room almost hesitantly. “H-how are you?”

“I’m okay,” nodded Liz slightly. “Tired, but okay.”

“That’s good,” said Max in reply as he took a seat in the plush armchair just across from the sofa lying she was lying on. “So, it wasn’t serious, or anything?”

“No,” said Liz quickly. “Well, you know, it was serious because I collapsed, but it’s not like I pass out on a regular basis or anything. I just overworked myself, I guess. By playing, I was putting more pressure on my body than it could handle and I wasn’t being careful.”

“But you’re okay, now right?”

“Yeah, for now,” admitted Liz, lowering her head slightly at the fact that she knew that wouldn’t always be the case. “Well, I guess you’re probably wondering whether you still have a mixed doubles partner in this tournament, huh?”

“Well, I– ” Max shook his head quickly. “Look, if you’re not up to playing this week then we won’t play – that’s fine by me. But if you do want to try, I’m willing to give you any help you need.”

“Thank you,” smiled Liz gratefully. “Honestly, I just don’t know yet. I mean, I want to play, I really do, and I’m feeling much better than I was yesterday, but I also don’t think I should overdo things either.”

“That’s fair enough,” agreed Max. “Why don’t you see how you’re feeling tomorrow morning and we’ll go from there?”

“Okay,” she nodded and the two of them shared a tentative smile, before averting their eyes and slipping into a slightly awkward silence.

Liz shifted uncomfortably on the couch, pulling the fluffy blanket on her lap more tightly around her, whilst Max remained seated stiffly in the armchair, as he gazed down at his hands in his lap. In an attempt to break the silence, Liz opened her mouth to speak, but Max chose that moment to lift his head, his expression anguished.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” he murmured. “If you hadn’t come home and we hadn’t been pushed to play together three weeks ago, would you have ever told me the truth?”

Liz watched him silently for a moment as she considered his question. Would she have told him if they hadn’t been reunited three weeks ago? She wanted to say yes, she would have, but she honestly didn’t know if that was the truth. As far as she’d been concerned in the months after she’d fled, that part of her life was over and she hadn’t been planning on returning to the game or to Max. She’d known it was the wrong thing to do, but at the time she’d believed that the only way she could cope with everything was to be on her own.

“I don’t know, Max,” she said finally. “I’d like to be able to tell you that I would have, but the truth is that I really don’t know.”

Max nodded stiffly and Liz saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard, She closed her eyes in guilt as he murmured a dull, “I see.”

“Max, I’m sorry. You deserved to know what I was going through and I understand now how wrong it was for me to shut you out,” she told him sincerely. “I can’t change the past, but now you know what happened and surely that’s more important than what might or might not have been had I not come back.”

“I’m sorry… this is hard for me, Liz,” he replied softly. “The last two years have pretty much been the worst of my life and while a part of me is relieved to know the truth and is concerned about you, another part still feels hurt and betrayed by you.”

“Max–” Liz started to apologise once again, but he cut her off.

“I’ve missed you so much, Liz, and no matter how much I’ve tried to deny it, I do still love you.” Liz let out a small gasp of surprise at his confession. “But I’m gonna need some time to get my head around everything.”

“I still love you too, Max,” she told him softly. “I was an idiot for acting rashly and leaving instead of talking to you. I guess I wasn’t really thinking straight that day and made a stupid, wrong decision. Can you ever forgive me?”

Max sighed, “You know what? Even though I’m having trouble getting over what happened, I think I forgave you the moment you told me the truth.”

“Really?” whispered Liz, sudden tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Max shifted out of the armchair and slid onto the couch next to Liz.

“Really. What happened to you wasn’t your fault and it wasn’t mine. You did what you thought was best for you,” he murmured, as she moved to accommodate him and he slipped his arm around her. “It’s not going to be easy for me at first, but I want to be friends, okay?”

Liz smiled against the blue cotton T-shirt he was wearing, “Okay.”

***

Friday 15th July 2005

Liz could do nothing but watch numbly, tears flowing down her cheeks, as Max marched out of their flat and slammed the door behind him in anger. It was several moments before she could find the energy to move her limbs and sink down onto the sofa.

Her breathing became laboured as the implications of Max’s sudden departure began to sink in. She had finally plucked up the courage to voice what had been on her mind for the last few days and he had been so quick to dismiss her wishes to retire from tennis that she felt almost betrayed by his unwillingness to listen to her. Just a few minutes ago she’d been on the verge of telling him about her visit to the doctor and his diagnosis, but his reaction to the idea of starting a family in the near future had quickly quashed her desire to bare all to him, for fear that he wouldn’t be supportive of her condition.

Although some part of her knew that Max wasn’t the kind of person to be insensitive and uncaring towards someone with an illness like MS, right this moment she felt so scared and confused that all she could picture was his hurt and angry expression just before he turned and left the room. Along with the terrible exhaustion and shakiness she was feeling today, Liz was overwhelmed by it all. It was the worst thing in the world: to feel so ill and tired and vulnerable and not have someone who was willing to listen to and understand your fears.

With a great deal of effort and a shaking hand, Liz reached down to the floor, where her mobile phone lay on top of a pile of fashion magazines. Stifling her sobs with one hand, she used the other to dial her parents’ number.

“Hello?”

“Dad… it’s me,” managed Liz, her voice sounding strained even to her own ears.

“Lizzie? Honey, what’s wrong?”

“I… I need your help,” she confessed, her voice only just above a whisper. “I need to leave London.”

“What’s happened, Lizzie-bear?” questioned Jeff, his tone concerned. “What do you mean, you need to leave?”

“I… I tried to tell Max that I wanted to retire and start a family and he just went off on one,” she choked out.

There was a short pause on the other end. “That doesn’t sound like Max at all. Surely he understands at least some of what you’re going through right now?”

“Well, I-I didn’t actually get round to telling him about the diagnosis,” she admitted, as she wiped her eyes with the back of her free hand. “He got angry and stormed out before I could pluck up the nerve to say it.”

“And because he left, you suddenly want to leave London? Lizzie, I don’t think–”

“You didn’t see his face, Dad,” whispered Liz. “He thought I was crazy to even think of giving up the game. He told me that he wouldn’t stand by while I ruined my career and that maybe I should find someone else who would.”

“Darling, I’m not sure that he–”

“No, he meant it, Dad,” she interrupted.

“But–”

“I’m so scared, Daddy,” a fresh sob erupted from her throat. “This is just too much right now. I feel awful all the time. I can’t play tennis like this; I can’t even find the energy to make the bed half the time. I wanted to have a family now and enjoy what I have left of my life with Max before the relapses got worse, but if he’s not willing to cooperate, then I’d much rather do it on my own. Please, I need your help; I need to be somewhere far away from all the pressure and expectations in my life right now.”

“You’re my daughter, Lizzie – of course I’ll help you; but before I do, I have to tell you that running away is not the answer here… believe me, I know.”

“Dad, this isn’t quite the same as you disappearing on Mum for three days because you thought she was too upper-class and posh for you, okay?” Liz sniffed.

Jeff continued, not even acknowledging her sarcastic comment, “Look, I have a friend with contacts in one of the more remote beach resorts in Thailand. I’m sure he can find somewhere for you to get away for a while.”

“Thank you so much,” breathed Liz in relief. “I need it to be soon, though. I want to leave as soon as possible; I’m packing a bag and I’m gonna come home tonight. I can’t stay here any longer.”

Her father’s following protests that she shouldn’t be so rash, but instead wait until she’d calmed down and talked to Max, fell on deaf ears, as Liz thanked him once more and then hung up the phone. Fresh tears leaked from her eyes as she moved around the flat, gathering essential belonging and packing a large suitcase.

Just a few weeks ago, she’d been so happy and in love, but just one trip to the doctors had changed all that and now she was facing a life of pain and sickness… without a family and without Max. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the only thing she was strong enough to do right now.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone, I'm really sorry for the delay with updates - I've been going through a very stressful and somewhat difficult time in RL lately and I just haven't been in the frame of my to write - until the last few days, but when I finally was ready to start writing the new part, I found I had no time to do it!

I really want to get back to my scheduled Tuesday updates, so I'm splitting this part into two. Part (a) is posted below and Part (b) will be up as soon as I've managed to write it .

Thank you for your feedback and your patience :

Queen Fee - Thanks .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thanks - all Liz could think about was the there and now .

Natalie36 - Thanks .

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

clueless - Thank you .

Alien_Friend - Thank you - RL is getting better, but things are still busy and stressful atm . Are you watching the US Open? I've seen what I can of the matches, but due to the time difference, it's not easy. I had to miss Murray's match on Saturday because he was playing at around midnight-1am my time and the TV coverage finished at 11 (plus I needed my sleep)!

begonia9508 - Yeah, she hasn't had it easy either .

Nz_Roswell - Yeah, it's not just Max who's been suffering for the last 2 years .

mezz - Fair enough - you're entitled to rant . Perhaps what Liz did was not ideal and was selfish, but she had her reasons at the time. Her judgement was clouded when she made the decision to leave, but that was what she wanted and nothing was going to change her mind. No it wasn't right for her to just leave like that without a word to Max, but perhaps she felt it would be kinder on him to just leave and suffer in silence, rather than telling him and then him having to watch her suffer. When she left, she had no intention of returning to him, so it wasn't really a case of when to tell him - be it 2 weeks or 2 years - she was leaving so she could 'die alone' (or so she thought) and Max could move on with his life without worrying about her.

Natz - Thank you .

roswell3053 - Thanks .

behrluv32 - Thanks



***

Part Twenty-One (a)

Monday 2nd July 2007

With a quick glance at his watch, Max stepped out of the hotel lift and onto the floor that Liz was staying on for the duration of the tournament. Jeff had called him last night to inform him that Liz had decided to return to her hotel room for the night so that if she felt strong enough to play in their match today, she wouldn’t be too far away. Max had responded by suggesting that he could visit Liz at her hotel in the morning to discuss their plans for the day, in terms of whether they would continue playing, or pull out of the mixed doubles altogether.

So, here he was, standing outside Liz’s hotel room at nine am. He lifted a hand to knock on the door, before taking a small step back. He didn’t have to wait long for a reply, as the door swung open just seconds later to reveal a tennis outfit-clad, smiling and much fresher-looking Liz than he’d seen over the last few days.

“Hi, Max,” she greeted softly.

“Hey,” he replied in a similar tone. “How are feeling?”

“I’m okay,” she shrugged. “Still a bit tired, but okay.”

“You think you’re up to playing today?”

“I’d like to try,” she replied. “Both my doctor and David gave me the okay last night, so it’s really just up to me if I want to play today.”

“Okay,” agreed Max. “Well, how about we go down to the courts now for some practice and see how it goes?”

“Sure, okay.”

“Great,” smiled Max. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, just let me grab a couple of things and then we can go.”

Liz gestured for him to come inside and Max stepped through the doorway as Liz proceeded to gather up her tennis gear and grab a jacket, presumably because the weather wasn’t looking so great this morning – today was the only day so far that the temperature was forecast to be below 20 degrees celsius and the day had dawned overcast and slightly windy.

Max waited patiently for Liz to finish getting ready, his hands shoved in the pockets of his tennis shorts. As he watched her flit around the hotel room, he found his thoughts wandering between thinking that she looked rather attractive this morning dressed in her short, white tennis shirt and remembering how her actions two years ago had almost broken him. If he was honest, he wasn’t really sure what he thought of Liz at this particular point in time. Of course, he sympathised with her situation and couldn’t help feeling relieved that she seemed to have recovered from her collapse two days ago, but at the same time, he knew that he still wasn’t quite able to forgive her for leaving like she did back in 2005, at least not yet anyway.

Giving a small smile as Liz finally approached the door with her things, Max took her training bag from her hand and they headed out of the room and down towards the foyer. Neither of them spoke as they travelled down to the ground floor in fairly comfortable silence, then stepped out of the lift into the foyer and approached the main doors of the hotel. However, the calm atmosphere was shattered the second Max and Liz stepped out into the cool air.

Suddenly out of nowhere, came the glaring, obnoxious flashing of cameras and shouts of the paparazzi from all corners, practically stopping Max and Liz in their tracks. Max muttered a curse under his breath as he realised that he should have seen this coming after what had happened to Liz on Saturday and he silently berated himself for not considering what he would do when the media finally caught up with them.

Steeling himself, he shifted Liz’s racket bag more squarely onto his shoulder before taking her hand firmly in his.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he murmured as he attempted to lead them both through the noisy crowd, but that didn’t stop the reporters from shouting their probing questions at the couple.

“Liz, what’s wrong with you? Why did you collapse on court two days ago?” called out a rather snobby-looking young blonde reporter.

“Does it have anything to do with your lack of training over the last two years?” cut in a black-haired man in his early thirties, as he shoved a microphone in Liz’s face.

“Max, is this why you and Liz broke up?” questioned another woman rudely. “Was her collapse brought on because you two are playing together again?”

Max’s blood began to boil as the questions turned towards his and Liz’s previous relationship and he quickly bit out an angry, “No comment,” before sliding his hand out of Liz’s and wrapping his arm around her waist in a protective embrace. He manoeuvred her quickly through the crowd and towards his car, which was parked safely around the corner, out of view. At first, Max was sure that the press would try to follow them, but a sudden murmuring from outside the hotel confirmed that they had set their sights on some other defenceless player emerging from the lobby.

“Are you okay?” he asked in concern, when they reached his car and he turned to face Liz, his hand still resting on her waist. She looked a little frazzled and overwhelmed.

“I think so,” she replied almost breathlessly, before shaking her head. “How could I have forgotten this would happen?”

“Hey, you’ve had a lot to deal with in the last couple of days, it’s not surprising that the press invading your privacy wasn’t something you were thinking about,” reasoned Max gently, as he finally let go of her and opened the passenger door so she could get into his car.

“I guess,” murmured Liz as she got comfortable in her seat and Max placed her things in the boot, before climbing into the driver’s seat beside her. As he slid the key into the ignition, he noticed her now silent demeanour and blank expression.

“Hey,” he murmured softly, sliding his hand over hers. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Just concentrate on the tennis and you’ll be fine.”

“I’ll try.”

Liz smiled, but Max could tell that it was forced. He watched her for a moment more, her gaze firmly fixed straight ahead, before turning his attention to the road, starting the engine and manoeuvring the small car out of its parking space.

It didn’t take long to reach the Wimbledon grounds and as he parked in the players’ reserved car park, Max was relieved not to see any paparazzi photographers or journalists milling around waiting for them. He helped Liz out of the car, grabbed their training gear from the boot and they headed inside the club, towards the practice courts.

Surprisingly, Liz’s coach, David was already standing outside the courts, waiting for them. Max had to wonder how exactly he’d known when they’d be arriving, but from the lack of surprise on Liz’s face, he surmised that she’d called him earlier, before they’d left the hotel, to let him know they were on their way.

“Liz,” greeted David with a smile as they approached him, “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Much better, thanks,” she replied. “I’ve decided to play this afternoon.”

David frowned, “Are you sure? I know I gave you the okay last night, but don’t want you to overexert yourself again.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Liz assured him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she doesn’t work herself too hard,” added Max, as he greeted David with a handshake.

“Fair enough,” he shrugged, before turning serious. “Look, Liz, I know you don’t want to get into it, but everyone’s been requesting that you give a press conference regarding the match on Saturday. They want to do it this morning, to clear the air before you go out on court.”

Beside Max, Liz sighed, and he could tell that holding a press conference was the last thing she wanted to do right now. “I don’t know if I–” she started, but Max cut in.

“Look, how about we hold the press conference together? I’ll come with you and we can get through it together,” he suggested, knowing full well that if they didn’t talk to the press themselves, the tabloids would start printing crazy stories about what had happened.
“Okay,” agreed Liz eventually. “But we’re gonna have to think about what to say and what not to.”

“Of course,” nodded Max.

“Okay,” added David. “Why don’t you two get some court practice in and also think about what you’ll say and I’ll see what time I can arrange this conference for.”

“Okay,” nodded Liz, “thanks, David.”

As David left to make arrangements, Liz and Max headed out to the practice courts to warm up. Liz was a little shaky on her feet at first, but she soon got back into the swing of things and before long was playing well. The two of them went over their shots and match tactics for almost an hour, before David returned to let them know that the press conference was scheduled for 11:30am – just under an hour away. During the next few minutes, Max and Liz discussed what they were going to say to the press, went over their match play and then gathered up their things and headed inside to prepare for the conference.

As Max stood beside Liz outside the familiar conference room thirty minutes later, he couldn’t help remember another conference he had held alone at the US Open just under two years ago – it was his first after Liz had disappeared from his life and it was one of the hardest he’d ever had to endure…

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thanks for being so patient . I took a couple of days off from thesis writing over the weekend (due to exhaustion from a very busy week last week) and have now discovered that I only seem to be able to concentrate on writing one thing at a time - either the thesis or the story . Since I only have 12 days left of being an official student, my priority is the thesis (although it’s not going to be ready to defend for a few more weeks, so it’s a good thing I have a 2-year write-up period!). However, hopefully the pressure will be off somewhat from October 1st, when I will be working from home and not making the journey into university every day.

For the next couple of weeks, I’ll try to get at least some story writing done, but I can’t guarantee anything right now.

Anyway, here’s Part 21b for you . Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it :

Natz (x3) – Thanks .

behrluv32 – Thanks , you can read the ending of the part right now .

roswell3053 (x3) – Thank you J. Let’s hope things will get better for them soon .

Natalie36 (x2) – Thanks .

Lairabehr4 – Thank you

clueless – Thanks .

Alien_Friend (x3) – Thank you . Yeah, I think Max knows that Liz getting better is more important than his own issues right now.
I didn’t get to watch that much of the US Open, unfortunately. It was only shown on cable and due to the time difference, they didn’t even broadcast the men’s final!

begonia9508 – Thanks .

Nz_Roswell[b/] – Thank you .

FSU/MSW-94 – Thanks .

pookie76 – Thanks .


***

Part Twenty-One (b)

Saturday 27th August 2005 – US Open, New York

Max sucked in a shaky breath, as he prepared to enter the press conference room located on the first floor of his hotel. It was two days before the US Open tournament was due to begin and it was Max’s first major interview and press conference since that terrible day six weeks ago when his life had fallen apart. As much as he knew that facing the press and confirming the truth that Liz had left him was inevitable, he was really wishing he didn’t have to deal with it at all. It was one thing having to cope with the fact that she was gone all by himself, but once the truth was out to the world, he wouldn’t have any peace from them.

“You ready, mate?” asked his coach, Todd, slapping him on his shoulder.

“As I’ll ever be,” he shrugged.

“Okay, here goes,” smiled Todd, pulling open the door to the conference room and signalling for Max to enter. “Good luck.”

Max shot him a withering look as he turned to face the music. Murmurs rose up around the room as he strode into the room, Todd following closely behind, and made his way to the conference table.

“Good morning, everyone,” he acknowledged the reporters with a curt nod as he took his seat and waited for the questions to begin… sure enough, they did.

“Max, despite your Grand Slam success in the mixed doubles, you have yet to win a singles title. Do you think that this tournament could turn things around for you?”

“Well,” began Max, forcing a smile onto his face in an attempt to appear happy and upbeat, “I’ve been training hard this year and now all I can do is wait and see how things go in the next couple of weeks.”

The truth was that Max really wasn’t on top form right now. Despite trying to take his mind off his personal life by throwing himself into playing tennis, he just hadn’t been able to concentrate on his training since Liz’s disappearance. In fact, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on much at all lately.

“Max, speaking of the mixed doubles, you seem to be here alone. Can I ask why you’re competing in the US Open this year and Liz isn’t? What does this mean for the mixed doubles draw?”

“Well, I–” Max started, but was cut off by another reporter.

“Max, we’re all dying to know, what’s going on with you and Liz Parker? Why have we not seen her around since last month?”

“Mr Evans, It appears that Liz’s coach has withdrawn her name from all of the upcoming tournaments. Can you comment on this decision?”

“Okay,” breathed Max, as if to calm the atmosphere in the room. “Look. Liz is… Liz is taking some time away from tennis and the press for a while. I’d appreciate it if you would respect her privacy right now.”

“I don’t understand,” piped up a short man from the side of the room, “if she’s taking some time out, why aren’t you with her? The two of you haven’t been seen together since just after the announcement of your engagement and while you’ve been about and about, no one has even caught a glimpse of her in weeks. Do you even know where she is? Is this the end of your relationship?”

Max opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it again. He didn’t know how to answer the question. The truth was, he had no idea where Liz was, or even why she’d left. What was he supposed to say?

“Max?” pressed the short guy, who’d posed the question.

“I–” Max glanced towards Todd, who simply shrugged and gave him a maybe-you-should-come-clean look. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I don’t know what’s going on. I haven’t seen or heard from Liz since mid-July.” There was a collective gasp around the room. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you where she is.”

“So, does this now mean that your engagement is off?” asked a stern-looking blonde woman in the front row. “Are you and Ms. Parker no longer a couple?”

“Well, you’d have to ask her that,” muttered Max under his breath, before addressing the sea of people in front of him aloud, “Look, I appreciate that it is your job to ask these questions, but I’m asking that you please respect both her privacy and my own in this matter. I’m afraid I am not willing to answer your questions at this time.”

“What of Jeff Parker and his wife, then? They have not been seen lately either… is he with Liz right now? Is there some kind of family crisis occurring behind closed doors?”

Despite Max’s best intentions to remain calm and collected in front of both the press and the cameras, he found himself fuming at this journalist’s apparent lack of tact and respect towards his wishes. Before he could get himself in check, he was on his feet.

“Okay, that’s it!” he burst out, not caring about the fact that his actions were going to be broadcast on national and international television in a few short hours. “This interview is over. If you can’t respect my right to privacy and keep your prying, manipulative noses out of my private life, then I want nothing to do with any of you!” he fumed. “Good day!”

As he left the table and marched towards the exit, he could see Todd shaking his head in disappointment at his actions, but Max just couldn’t bring himself to care right now. He was so angry and upset with the reporters, with Liz and with himself that nothing else mattered, not his career, not his reputation and not his public image. It felt like his life was falling apart before his eyes and all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and forget about everything. Ignoring the calls of the conference organisers and the reporters he’d just walked out on, Max stormed out of the room, heading straight for the lift to take him up to his room.

Once inside the hotel room, Max shut and locked the door behind him, as he took deep, calming breaths in an attempt to diffuse his anger. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Todd came banging on the door, demanding to know what he was thinking downstairs, but he didn’t feel like dealing with his coach right now. Instead, he made his way over to the large double bed in the centre of the room and flopped down onto it, his hands coming up to cover his face as the familiar lump began to form in his throat.

He lay there, trying to keep his emotions in check until the inevitable knock sounded at the door. Although he tried to ignore it at first, Max knew his coach wouldn’t leave until he’d spoken to him, so eventually he managed to gather enough energy to get up and open the door.

“What the hell was that?” Todd burst out as soon as he entered the room. “Max, are you trying to ruin your career? You know as well as anyone that you can’t just lose your cool like that in front of the press!”

“I know,” sighed Max, tiredly. “I’m sorry.”

His coach’s expression softened slightly, “I know you’re hurting, Max; I know this is hard for you, but you need to learn how to control your emotions better in public.”

“I’m doing the best I can, okay?” he defended, as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I know you are, mate,” said Todd sympathetically. “Look, I know there’s not much we can do right now, but maybe once the US Open is over and we’re back on home soil, you should consider going to talk to someone about this?”

“You mean a professional?” questioned Max. “Like a therapist?”

“Something like that,” shrugged Todd. “I mean, I’m not saying you’re unstable or anything, but I just think you could benefit from an outside opinion and some advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about.”

Max nodded in understanding, “I’ll think about it.”

“Okay, good,” smiled Todd. “I think it could really help you. But for now, we need to get you in a state to play good tennis for the next two weeks, so I’m gonna give you the rest of today off. We can meet tomorrow morning for some last-minute training, okay?”

“Okay,” nodded Max. “Thanks.”

Todd just nodded in return, told Max to get some rest and then left him alone to collect his thoughts.

For a while, he simply remained sitting on the end of the bed, staring blankly into space as an all-too-familiar feeling of numbness passed through him. However, the numbness soon developed into sadness and within a few minutes, his heart was aching once more. Not for the first time in recent weeks, a wave of loneliness and misery washed over him only this time, it was amplified due to the fact that New York was so far away from home.

With barely a second thought, adjusted his position on the bed and reached for the phone on his nightstand, dialling a number he’d known for most of his life.

“Hi? Mum? It’s Max,” he murmured down the line. “I hope you don’t mind, but I really need someone to talk to…”

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys, thank you for your feedback :

sylvia37 - Since several people also agreed with your thoughts, I've written a 'group' response below...

begonia9508 - I guess I left the ending a bit ambiguous there, but don't get me wrong, Max will be going to talk to a professional about his situation. He was really just calling his mum for some TLC, although I was kinda thinking of Diane being like my own mum who is pretty good at giving straight advice (my brother always goes to our mum for general love-life advice) rather than having a biased view towards her kids.

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

Alien_Friend - Thanks . I'm glad to be finding some time to work on the story at last (although I still have a busy couple of months ahead of me).

mezz - Thanks .

roswell3053 - Thanks .

Tamashii - Thanks .

clueless - Thank you .

Dreamer 4 Ever - Thanks .

A/N:

You know, Max really has let Liz off the hook here. After reading this part, I remember a couple of parts ago where you were answering feedback and you said something to the effect that maybe Liz thought it would be easier on him to just leave rather than to let him watch her suffer.

How bloody selfish is that? Does she even have a clue as to what her leaving really did to him? Is she going to find out? Because I think she should know just how cruel and horrible her "decision" was. You said in your feedback, that originally, she wasn't ever going to come back. So basically, she left him high and dry, without an explanation, and was too caught up in her own situation to care how she might have ruined his life. Did she think he was lying when he said he loved her? Did she think that if he loved her, that he would just say, "oh well, she left. Whatever" and just go on with his life? I just don't get it. And I think that Max is being one hell of a saint to be as nice as he is, even knowing her situation. I understand feeling horrible about her being sick, and I understand that he still has feelings for her, but I would think he would be even more pissed off knowing her reasons now, not less.

Yes it was an awful thing for Liz to do, but at the time, I don't think she really considered what her leaving would do to Max. She was of the state of mind that her health was deteriorating, her career was over and things would only go downhill from there (obviously that wasn't quite the case, but it's what she thought at the time). Her view of leaving Max wasn't that she would cause him major heartbreak because she'd left, but that she was sparing him from the pain of seeing her suffer. She wasn't thinking clearly or rationally and yes that probably does make her selfish, but it wasn't necessarily intentional on her part.

Just a couple of points regarding the events in the story:

1) Due to the RL stuff going on, I haven't been able to devote as much time and thought to this story as I have to others and because it's taking longer to write the parts, unfortunately the story isn't flowing quite as well as I'd hoped (I've been so tired the last few days that I can barely even remember what I wrote in the last couple of parts ).

2) As I write the story, I'm actually finding myself wishing that Liz hadn't left either and that she and Max worked things out 2 years ago, but this is a challenge fic and one of the challenge requirements is that Liz leaves unexpectedly and no one sees her for 2 years, so there's not really much I can do about that.

3) The act of Liz leaving to spare her loved ones the pain of seeing her deteriorate was inspired by a character on British soap Eastenders (those who watch will probably know who I mean), who was diagnosed with HIV at a young age, but as his health deteriorated a few years later, he left without a word, so he could die on his own and his family wouldn't have to watch him become frail and die. It's not quite the same situation, since his friends and family knew about his illness already and Liz should have had faith in Max, but I didn't mean for Liz to come across as a bad person in this, just a confused, scared girl who made a wrong decision.


A/N #2: A big thank you goes to Lairabehr4 for all her help with this part - thanks, hun, I really appreciate it .

***


Part Twenty-Two

Monday 2nd July 2007

Liz sighed as she slid into her allotted seat in front of the microphones and took in the large crowd of hungry reporters waiting eagerly to start the press conference. Even with her coach on one side of her and Max on the other, she still felt nervous about really facing the world today for the first time in two years. Although they had discussed what they would say and how they would handle the inevitable questions, she still wasn’t sure that this conference was a good idea. However, as the questions began, Liz knew she couldn’t back out of it now.

“Liz,” started the first reporter, a tall dark-haired man standing near the back of the room, “can you tell us why you collapsed on Saturday? Is something wrong with you?”

Liz released a deep breath before replying, “I’m afraid I just ran out of energy. I had barely eaten that morning and I didn’t get much sleep the night before. I guess I should have been better prepared for the match, but I wasn’t and now I have to deal with that.”

It was almost the truth. She hadn’t been taking great care of herself towards the end of last week and so tiredness and lack of energy had been part of the reason for her collapse.

A middle-aged lady at the end of the front row was next. She stood, consulting her notebook briefly before addressing David, to Liz’s right.

“Mr. Johnson, Liz mentions that you have given her the go-ahead to continue competing in this tournament, do you feel you have made the right decision in allowing her to play so soon after her incident?”

David cleared his throat, “Yes, I do. What happened at the weekend was simply a one-off occurrence. Liz spent yesterday resting and regaining her strength and I do not see any reason why she should not play in the mixed today.”

“Liz, can you comment on reports that you've overworked yourself to qualify for Wimbledon, and that you've burned out, as evidenced by your collapse?” asked a fair-haired lady seated near the centre of the room.

Liz was tempted to look to David and Max for help, but knew that doing so would imply weakness or uncertainty on her part, so she kept her gaze on the reporter as she answered.

“No, that’s simply not true–”

“But what about the fact that you haven’t played professional tennis in two years?” a tall, red-haired, American woman interrupted her. “Surely, the lack of regular training and competition must have affected your stamina in the game?”

This time, Liz did glance towards David helplessly, but he simply nodded encouragingly, urging her to keep going.

“Yes, it’s true that I was not in training during my absence, but in no way did I overwork myself to qualify for this tournament, nor have I burned out. My body and training regime may be different than it was two years ago and I am not taking risks with my training.”

“So would you say that you’re not at the same standard of fitness as you were two years ago before your sabbatical?”

“I said different, not worse,” replied Liz shortly, as she tried hard to keep her cool.

“David, do you not blame yourself for Liz’s collapse? There have been suggestions that perhaps her training regime was pushing her too hard and caused her to burn out.”

David shook his head, “Liz knows exactly what she is capable of and is well aware of how much her body can take in training. I can assure you that she has not been pushed into overworking herself for this tournament.”

The woman red-haired American journalist now piped up with a question for the person on Liz’s left.

“Max, is Liz’s difference in fitness affecting your ability to play with her in any way?” she questioned, the sarcastic tone evident in her voice. “Especially since she has now suffered this recent setback. Are the two of you going to be up to standard for playing in the mixed doubles this afternoon or is there a chance that you will be withdrawing from the competition altogether?”

Max glanced at Liz quickly before replying, “No, not at all. I am fully confident that Liz is capable of playing with me the match this afternoon and that both of us will be playing to the best of our ability. At the moment, we have no plans to withdraw from the mixed doubles competition.”

“But are you confident that Liz can make it through the match today? And if she’s not on top form, are you expecting to have to pick up the slack to make up for her shortcomings?” the woman probed again.

At the continuing questioning, he let out an irritated sigh. “As I’ve just mentioned, I’m fully aware of Liz’s capabilities and I believe that she is up to playing,” replied Max, his tone slightly edgy.

“Max,” piped up a blonde lady in the front row, saving him from further questions from the American. “We all saw how worried you were for Liz when she collapsed. Is it true that you spent the night in hospital with her?”

Max sighed again, “Yes, I went to the hospital to see her, but I didn’t stay overnight. Liz needed her rest and to be honest, I had no real right to be there.”

“You had no right? We’ve all heard the rumours that you and Liz are an item again; are you telling me that this is not true?”

Beside Liz, Max shifted uncomfortably and she found herself unable to look at him, as she wondered what he would say.

“No, it’s not true,” he said eventually. “Yes, I was worried about Liz. She is my doubles partner, so I am entitled to worry if I think something’s wrong.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly as the press caught the warning tone in Max voice and at the table, Liz looked down, his words sinking in.

Luckily, the next question was directed at her, which took the pressure off a little.

“Liz, you’ll still be competing in the mixed doubles, but would you care to comment on your feelings on forfeiting your match and therefore the singles tournament?”

“Well, obviously I’m disappointed that I had to withdraw from the singles,” said Liz, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, but these things happen. I’m not going to dwell on it, but instead I’m going to do what I can to play my best in the mixed matches this week.”

“But, surely the question now is, can you really play your best after being released from hospital only 24 hours ago?” probed the short, chubby man who’d asked the previous question.

“Both my doctor and my coach have given me a clean bill of health and I believe that my fitness has not been affected, so this afternoon, I will be playing to the best of my ability.

“Speaking of being fit,” came another voice, this time from an Australian journalist on the other side of the room. “Liz, something isn’t sounding quite right here. I mean, very few athletes just collapse on court after a bad night’s sleep and no breakfast. What’s really going on? Is your collapse more serious than you’re letting on?”

Feeling a little like a deer caught in headlights, Liz’s heart sank as she first looked to Max, whose stance was now rigid, and then to David for some help. Was this it, the moment of truth?

Sucking in a deep breath, Liz turned back to face the press, “I – I understand that there have been some concerns in recent months, but it’s nothing serious. I just had a bad day, that’s all.”

“But could you not say that even one bad day might be cause for concern? Can you really be confident in your ability to compete in the mixed after you were obviously not able to do so in the singles tournament?” continued the man.

That was it, Liz had had enough of their probing, “I’m sorry, I’ve said all I have to say on this matter.”

Realising that Liz wasn’t going to add anything more, the Australian turned to Max, “Max, do you know what’s wrong with Liz?”

“I don’t seem to remember her saying anything was wrong,” he replied coldly, “so, I’m afraid I can’t answer that question.”

“Do Liz’s health problems have anything to do with your break up two years ago?” the man persisted.

“I don’t see what relevance that question has to this interview,” stated Max firmly. “We are not here to discuss either the past or our personal lives.”

Obviously understanding that his questions were going to be left unanswered, the Australian took a seat, as several other journalists indicated that they wished to say something.

“David, do you feel it was a wise idea allowing Max and Liz to play together again considering their history together and the fact that Liz left without a word two years ago?”

David bristled, while Liz inwardly cringed. This was not going well at all.

“I’m afraid that question is irrelevant and inappropriate in these circumstances,” David informed the reporter. “I’m afraid I cannot comment on my players’ personal lives.”

“Mr. Johnson–” began yet another member of the press, but it was obvious to Liz that David had had enough. He held up a hand.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I think that’s all the questions we have time for today. Max and Liz need to prepare for their match and I’m sure you have other players to interview, so I’d like to thank you all for coming and wish you all the best.”

With that, he indicated for Liz and Max to stand up and leave the room. Once outside, round the corner and away from the press, Liz closed her eyes and leaned back against a wall, while Max paced back and forth in front of her.

“You know, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea,” spoke up David, as he joined them in the corridor. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have put either of you in that position.”

Liz lifted her head in time to see Max shooting David a look.

“Yeah, well, it’s done now,” he shrugged. “I’m gonna go grab something to eat. I’ll see you before the match, okay, Liz?”

She nodded and then watched as Max made his way towards the clubhouse entrance, before turning to David.

“Well, he doesn’t seem too happy,” she muttered. Then with a sigh, added, “God, did I do the right thing, not telling them the whole truth?”

“I think it was the only thing you could do in there,” replied David. “I know you don’t like to lie, but telling the truth would have opened up a whole can of worms and honestly, I don’t think that would be good for you right now. If you can, I think you should try to get through the rest of the week and then maybe release an official statement after the tournament is over.”

“Yeah, that might work,” agreed Liz hesitantly, as she wondered how much longer she would be able to keep her illness a secret from the rest of the world.

TBC...

[Heavenli24]

Thank you for your feedback everyone :

Tamashii (x2) - Thanks . Yeah, it does seem that something is brewing with Max...

begonia9508 - Thanks . Yeah, it must be tough for them . While telling the truth is probably the best policy in general, David feels that revealing something like Liz's illness to the press right now will cause too much of a distraction and a fuss, so waiting until after the tournament shoud prevent it affecting Liz's concentration.

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

Alien_Friend (x2) - Thanks . Yeah, while leaving Max without an explanation was not the smart thing to do, she made the decision to do so and now has to live with that. She can't take it back, so now she's trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

Natalie36 - Thanks . Yeah, it is .

roswell3053 - Thanks . I understand you concern, but remember that so far we know very little about what Liz went through in those 2 years. She's always been concerned about the rest of the world finding out - that's part of the reason she fled so far away. She's been deliberately avoiding the press and the spotlight in order to prevent anyone from finding out.

Dreamer 4 Ever - Thanks .


***

Part Twenty-Three

Monday 2nd July 2007

Liz let out a groan of frustration as Max once again hit a powerful, almost aggressive serve into the net. It was the third time he’d done so in the last two games and she was beginning to get annoyed with his attitude towards the match. When he’d met up with her again after lunch, about thirty minutes before they were due to go out on court, he’d appeared a little more relaxed than he had been during and after the press conference and Liz had hoped that their doubles match would go smoothly. However, despite managing to win the first set 7-5 fairly easily even though Liz was not quite at her strongest, the second set seemed to be going down the drain rather rapidly. They were currently losing 3 games to 1 and judging by the way Max had just served, they were about to lose another.

Although he had been encouraging and supportive towards her earlier in the day for some reason, he now seemed distracted and impatient and his sudden change in demeanour was affecting their ability to work effectively as a team. At first, Liz had wondered if perhaps he was acting up a little in an attempt to take the press and fans’ attention away from her, but it soon became obvious that he was simply in a bad mood and was not trying to hide it.

As she heard Max bouncing the ball behind her, Liz shook her thoughts from her mind and got into position for his second serve. Her preparation was in vain however, when he once again served into the net, earning himself a double fault and allowing their opposition to win the game. Straightening up, Liz closed her eyes briefly in disappointment, before following Max off the court for their quick break between games. Once they reached their assigned chairs next to the umpire’s chair, she caught him by the arm, turning him to face her.

“What the hell is going on out there, Max?”

“What do you mean?” he shrugged, avoiding her gaze as he shook out of her grip, took a seat and reached for his water bottle.

“I mean, if anyone should be messing up on court today, it’s me. I thought we were in this together, you know, helping each other out today?” questioned Liz, as she sat down beside him.

“Look,” said Max, taking a swig of liquid before glancing at her, “I know you’re still recovering from the weekend, but you’re not the only one who can have a bad day. I can’t be perfect all the time. So, I double-faulted this game – big deal.”

“Okay, fine,” Liz turned her attention to adjusting her tennis outfit, very aware that the press was watching their every move. “Obviously, you’re in a bad mood this afternoon, but please can you not take your anger out on the court? We’re gonna lose match if you keep playing like this.”

To her right, Max was silent.

“Max?” she questioned, when she got no response.

“Okay,” he sighed. “I get it. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks,” smiled Liz, more for the benefit of the cameras she knew were trained on the two of them rather than because she was pleased he’d agreed to cooperate.

From that point onwards, things began to get better on court. Max was still playing aggressively, but he’d toned his attitude down a little and had reduced the number of unforced errors he was making. Liz wasn’t sure how exactly they managed it, but thirty minutes later they’d won four straight games and were leading 5 games to 4. Now if only they could break serve in this game, she and Max would be through to the third round.

The game got off to a good start for their opposition, as the female player served two aces, bringing the score to 30-0, but then she appeared to lose concentration, which allowed Max to win the next point. The next few minutes were tense, as Liz brought the score to 30-40, giving her and Max a match point, but then their opponents fought back to and won the point. Once at deuce, Max and Liz had difficulty overcoming the final hurdle of winning the match, as they reached Advantage twice, but lost both points and then the other players took advantage of their apparent weakness and managed to reach Advantage also. Luckily, Liz managed to win back the point and eventually, they found themselves with a match point once again. This time, it seemed that Max was in no mood to play games any longer and returned the opposition’s serve with great force. The ball sailed right down the centre line, travelling too fast to enable the other team to hit it, and landed just inside the back line.

Liz let out a sigh of relief as she punched the air with her fist; they’d actually won the match! With a grin, she turned to face Max, who also had a smile on his face, and high-fived him. He gave her a congratulatory pat on the back and a quick hug, before they headed off the court, grabbed their training bags and left the stadium.

After their press conference ordeal earlier in the day, the quick post-match interview conducted just outside the court was a breeze. Liz answered a couple of quick questions about her good performance considering that she had been in hospital over the weekend and Max was congratulated on his powerful serves during the match. They were both full of smiles for the press as they walked out of the court area and headed into the changing areas, but the moment they were away from the attention, Max’s smile vanished and the atmosphere between them seemed to shift.

“Okay, I’ve gotta go,” he announced suddenly, as they stopped in a secluded hallway. “See you later.”

Liz frowned; he was just gonna leave without getting changed or discussing the match with her first?

“You’re going? Now?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

“But… shouldn’t we be celebrating, or talking about our strategies for the next match… or something?” Liz was confused.

“Look I’m sorry, Liz but I’m just not in the mood right now,” he stated, as he tried to push past her.

“No,” she put her foot down; grabbing his elbow and spinning him back to face her. “I want to know what’s going on with you. Just this morning you were all about sticking together this week and now it feels like we’re back to square one again.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I’ve realised that actually I can’t just forgive and forget the last two years, like you seem to be trying to do, and act like nothing’s changed,” he spat out, shaking his arm from her grip for the second time that afternoon.

“What?” Liz sucked in a breath.

“You heard me, Liz,” he rolled his eyes. “Do you have any idea what I went through when you just up and left without a word?” He shook his head, his mouth twisted up in a sneer. “You destroyed my life, Liz. I was a wreck for months; I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and my career just about went down the drain. And for what? So you could live the high life on a desert island?”

“Max, I –” Liz started, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Max held up a hand, “Don’t, Liz, okay? You know, I thought I was okay with this. I thought I could handle working with you again, but you know what? This morning just brought it all back to me. Do you know how long it took me to get over you? A year and a half, that’s how long. And just when I’d finally got my life back, you show up again.”

“I’m sorry,” Liz spoke up, as soon as she could get a word in. “I’m so sorry, Max.” She brought her hand up to cover her mouth as an uncontrollable sob escaped from her mouth. “I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to protect you.”

Max just looked down at her, shaking his head in disbelief, “Protect me? How? By ripping out my heart and tearing it to shreds? I don’t think so. You were thinking only of yourself and your own pain.”

“No, that’s not it,” she protested, a couple of tears leaking out of her eyes and snaking down her cheeks. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was sparing you the pain of watching as I got worse and worse.”

Max looked away for a moment and Liz watched as he sucked in a breath and then exhaled loudly.

“Look, I don’t want to trivialise what was happening to you. I understand that you were scared and ill, but how could you think that not confiding me and instead just leaving the country was the best thing to do?”

Liz was silent for a moment, unable to find an answer. She looked down, “I don’t know.”

“I loved you so much, Liz; more than life itself,” Max confessed softly. “And I still do; which is why I’ve tried my best to be supportive over the last couple of days. But all those questions this morning just brought it all back to me. I can understand why you did what you did, but I don’t think I can forgive you right now. I just need some time.”

Liz nodded sadly. “Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll give you some time then. But I just want you know that the last two years have been just about as hard on me as they have on you. You weren’t the only one suffering…”

***

Monday 5th September 2005 - Thailand

Liz let out a small moan as she turned onto her side and pried her eyes open, fully expecting Max to be lying beside her in bed, his warmth surrounding her like a comforting blanket. However, the moment her gaze fell on the still unfamiliar wooden dressing table against the wall and the mahogany chair in the corner, everything came rushing back to her. She wasn’t in their cosy, homely flat in London and Max wasn’t there with her. No, she was in her own bare apartment in a small coastal town in Thailand.

Her chest began to ache with sadness and longing as she struggled to sit up in bed – something that seemed to take a lot of energy these days. She closed her eyes for a moment as she felt a lump form in her throat. No, she wouldn’t cry, she shook her head in an attempt to bring her emotions under control. God, she was a mess. She missed Max so much it hurt; she missed his warm embrace; she missed his eager, passionate kisses; she missed his laughter and his uncanny ability to always know how to cheer her up when she was down.

A sudden wave of homesickness flowed through her body. If only she could just go back to that day and do things differently. Not for the first time in the last few weeks, she wished that she’d never left London, but whenever she entertained the idea that perhaps she could go home, tell Max the truth and get her life back, her health would take a turn for the worse and she would remember exactly why she’d left in the first place. She couldn’t let Max see her like this and even more devastatingly, she couldn’t just sit there and watch from the sidelines as he got to live out his dream on court when she barely had the strength to hold a racket.

Today however, she was found herself missing Max more than ever, and as she dragged herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower, she began to think that maybe enough was enough. Her body was literally aching for his touch and all she wanted right now was to be with him, his warmth surrounding her as he told her that he loved her and assured her that everything would be okay. That was it, she decided as she stepped beneath the warm spray of the shower, she had to go back. She had to see him. She had to explain and apologise and tell him how much she loved him.

Her mind made up, she finished her shower, got dressed and then began packing her belongings. Once she was done, Liz then headed into the kitchen to fix herself some breakfast. As she turned on the TV and began to flick through the channels as she rummaged in the fridge, she couldn’t help the small smile from appearing on her face. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was going home… to Max.

Liz spent the next few minutes humming away while she made beans on toast and poured orange juice, but her relief and happiness was short-lived as anew broadcast on one of the trashy English-speaking channels caught her eye.

“And now, we have exclusive footage of tennis star Max Evans leaving posh London hotel, The Berkeley, in the early hours of this morning where it is believed that he may have spent the night with an unnamed up-and-coming female tennis player.”

Liz gasped in horror as video footage of Max leaving the hotel in Knightsbridge appeared on the screen.

The reporter continued with her story, “Inside sources are claiming that Max turned to this girl for comfort after spectacularly losing to 18-year-old wildcard Carlos Mendez in the second round of the US Open last week. His uncharacteristic behaviour has also been linked to the rumours that fiancée Liz Parker, who has not been seen for almost two months, has returned to her old wild ways. It is thought that she was cheating on him and has now run away with her secret lover.”

“What the fuck?” exclaimed Liz in anger, staring at the TV screen in disgust. “That’s not true!”

“A close friend of Mr. Evans has revealed that Max is trying to put Liz Parker behind him and move on with his life, after she almost destroyed him. His friend has been quoted as saying, ‘Max told me himself that Liz Parker was the most selfish, inconsiderate person he’d ever met and that he never wanted to set eyes on her again.’”

“Oh, God,” gasped Liz, moving to turn off the TV, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. “What did I do?”

Max hated her; he never wanted to see her again. God, just a few minutes ago, she’d been so sure if she went home and apologised that they could work things out, but it was obvious now: she couldn’t go back. Max hated her guts and he had moved on, as if she’d meant nothing to him. No, she couldn’t go back now; if Max didn’t want her, then she had no reason to return to England.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Thanks for your feedback :

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

pookie76 - Thanks .

begonia9508 - Thanks . Yeah, up until now Max has tried to support Liz with her illness and be civil with her for the sake of the tennis, but all those old feelings are bubbling to the surface once more now.

Alien_Friend - Thanks . I'm trying very hard to get back on track with writing this story. I'm still supposed to be writing my thesis, but because I'm now working from home, I get much more easily distracted, lol! Actually I have basically done nothing for the last week, but it was because I was sick in bed for 3 days, so I didn't have the energy to write anything .
Wow, it sounds like you've had some great tennis experiences, lol!! I've been to Wimbledon once, back in 1999, but none of the other tournaments. Chicago airport can be a pain though - I flew back to London from Albuquerque via Chicago once and got stuck on the runway for 3 hours before we took off - because we missed our initial slot!!

Natalie36 - Yeah...lol!

clueless - Thanks .


***

Part Twenty-Four

Monday 5th September 2005 - London

There was a violent knocking at the door. Max groaned, hoisting his upper body off the couch, one hand cradling his throbbing head, as he pulled himself up into a sitting position.

“Max!” the annoyed tone of his coach sounded from the other side of the front door. “Max, are you there?”

“It’s open,” he managed, wincing as renewed pain shot through his head.

Max exhaled loudly as he heard Todd step through the door and into the flat. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, trying to get accustomed to the light. He was suffering from a monster hangover today, having indulged in way too much alcohol last night. He hadn’t planned on drinking that much – it was only supposed to be a night out in the pub with his best friend Nathan, commiserating his losing so early on in the US Open last week – but instead, Nathan’s girlfriend, Sarah had turned up with one of her friends and the four of them ended up going for dinner in The Berkeley Hotel… and then drinking way too much champagne. Despite Nathan, Sarah and her friend leaving before midnight, Max had continued to drown his sorrows until the early hours of the morning and as a result, had not returned home until after dawn.

“Have you seen the news, Max?” wondered Todd, as he came to a stop beside the sofa and gazed down at Max disapprovingly.

“Not yet,” muttered Max, running a hand over his face wearily. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in the midst of a hangover.”

“Well, you’d better get over it quick,” Todd raised an eyebrow, “’cause you’ve got some damage control to get going with.”

“What are you talking about?” he groaned, swallowing harshly, his throat parched.

“This is what I’m talking about, Max,” said Todd, shoving a tabloid newspaper under his nose.

Tiredly, Max took it from him and scanned the page. There was a picture of himself, looking rather worse for wear as he stepped out of revolving door of The Berkeley hotel. Beneath the photo was the caption, ‘Max Evans leaves posh London hotel after a wild night with teenage tennis star.’

What the-?

The headline of the story below read ‘Evans: “I’m over selfish Parker”’. Max froze, his heart almost stopping, as he scanned the words on the page… ‘Max Evans appears to be getting over Liz Parker’… ‘spent the night with 18-year-old up-and-coming tennis star’… ‘sources claim Max is over Liz, believing her selfish and inconsiderate’… ‘never wants to see Liz Parker again’.

Max’s heart sank, as he raised his eyes to meet his coach’s, “What the fuck is this?”

Todd shrugged, “You tell me.”

“I have no idea!” exclaimed Max, his head hurting at the sound of his own raised voice. “Where the hell did these people get the idea I spent the night with some… teenager? I had way too much too drink and passed out in the hotel bar!”

“Look, Max, what you do…”

“No!” he cried. “You don’t understand; I have no idea what this is about. I haven’t slept with anyone since…” he trailed off, before taking a breath and continuing, “And when did I ever say that Liz was selfish and that I wanted nothing to do with her? Yeah, I’m angry and upset with her, but I’ve never said those things about her for anyone to quote.”

“Max–”

“And who the hell is this ‘close friend-slash-source’ they’re talking about? The only person I’ve talked to about any of this is Nathan, and he would never…” he stopped, a dreadful thought occurring to him. “Oh, God.”

“What?” asked Todd, apprehension in his tone.

The paper slipped from his fingers, as he buried his face in his hands, “Last night… I think I may have said some stupid things when I was drunk. We were in the hotel; there were loads of people around, anyone could have… God, this is all my fault, I’m such an idiot! If only I’d kept my stupid mouth shut…”

“Well, we could release a statement, but to be honest, I think the damage is done now. It’s already all over the tabloids and trashy magazines and I doubt that trying to set the record straight now is going to do much good,” admitted Todd. “You know what the tabloids are like.”

“Yeah, I guess,” shrugged Max, as he stood up from the sofa and made his way into the kitchen in search of some paracetamol for his head.

“Besides,” continued Todd, following him into the other room, “you have more important things to worry about at the moment. Like sorting your life out. Did you think about what I said, about talking to someone about what you’re going though?”

“Yeah, I did,” he mumbled, while rummaging around in the cupboard for the medicine box he knew Liz kept in there. “I have an appointment with a counsellor on Thursday morning.”

“That’s good to hear,” smiled Todd, crossing his arms as he leaned against the kitchen doorframe.

“I suppose,” muttered Max unenthusiastically, as he filled a glass with water from the tap, gulped down a couple of pills and then sank down into one of the kitchen chairs.

“Hey,” said his coach, moving from the doorway to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, “you’ll get through this, okay? I’m sure of it. It’s gonna be hard, but you’ll be back to your old self in no time…”

***

Monday 2nd July 2007

“You were gonna come back?” questioned Max, interrupting Liz from describing her feelings in Thailand. “And that stupid tabloid story was the reason you changed you changed your mind? God, Liz–” he sighed in both disappointment and disbelief, as he remembered his own reaction to the story.

“It wasn’t just that,” defended Liz, but Max continued on, ignoring her words.

“ –That story was complete crap. I was so drunk that I passed out in the hotel bar –alone – and didn’t wake up until morning. I was so hung up on you that I turned to drowning my sorrows,” he admitted, almost embarrassed to reveal his weakness.

“But you hated me, Max!” scoffed Liz. “You couldn’t even stand the sight of me.”

“That was a misunderstanding,” he told her, wondering why he was suddenly feeling the need to explain himself to her. After all, she was the one who should be giving the explanations here. “I said some stupid things when I was drunk and some random overheard me and blabbed to the press.”

“It wasn’t just that incident, Max,” she said then. “It took a lot of thinking on my part and a conversation with my dad to make me realise that I knew you better than that. I even considered coming back a couple of weeks later, but then I discovered that there must have been some truth to the story and I realised that coming home would have been a mistake.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, with a sigh.

“You remember the interview you did with Ace magazine, don’t you, Max?” muttered Liz sarcastically. “What was it you said? Oh yeah, that’s right: ‘My career can be very demanding and when there are certain people who mess with your feelings and screw you around, it only makes things that much harder. Now though, those people are out of my life for good and I’m moving on for the better, making a new life for myself without all that hassle.’ ” Liz paused for a moment to take a breath and Max felt his heart sink at her words. “God, Max, if that wasn’t clearly stating that you didn’t want me in your life, then I don’t know what was.”

He sighed, “I was angry then, Liz; angry at you, at myself, at the world. So yes, at that point I didn’t want to see you, but god, if you’d walked through the door at that moment with an apology and an explanation, I would have probably been over the moon.”

“Max,” Liz’s hand came up to cover her mouth. “I–”

“But, you didn’t come back, did you?” he cried, shaking his head, his chest tightening with emotion. “You didn’t even call. And that hurt me so much. I was angry and upset and on a downward spiral. It took months of therapy to get over you and stop being angry.”

“I’m sor–”

“Look,” he held up a hand to stop her, too riled up now to talk rationally, “I can’t do this right now, okay, Liz? I have a match to prepare for this evening and I can’t get into all of this again now.”

“But, I–” Liz started, but Max cut her off.

“I gotta go,” he said hastily, the thought of a heart-to-heart with her at this moment filling him with dread. “Sorry.”

Without another word, he brushed past her, unable to look into her eyes and see the emotion in them. As he made his way out of the building and towards the changing rooms, he couldn’t help but wonder how on earth they’d got to this point. More than anything, he just wanted to turn back time to that morning – the last morning he’d seen Liz before she’d disappeared – and prevent her from ever leaving.

***

It was almost eleven p.m. by the time Max returned to his flat that night. His fourth round singles match that evening had been long and tiring – lasting almost four hours and stretching to five sets – but he had fortunately managed to win 6-4 in the final set. Despite pouring all of his frustration and emotion into his game and playing well, his opponent was a very good player – one of the top seeds – and he had to fight almost tooth and nail to win the match.

With an exhausted sigh, he dropped his racket bag on the floor just inside his front door and made his way into the kitchen to grab a drink from the fridge. As he took a gulp of his orange juice and heading for his bedroom, he couldn’t help but gaze around the place he now called home.

Almost depressingly, it pretty much looked like a bachelor pad, with no female touches, apart from a few of Isabel’s magazines, but instead a lot of high-tech gadgets and stark furniture. He felt a pang of longing in his chest as he remembered the atmosphere and décor of the flat he and Liz had shared until a couple of years ago. He’d sold it a few months after she’d gone, unable to live with the memories the place held, but now, for some perverse reason, he almost wished he’d kept it.

He was so confused right now. On the one hand, he was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Liz was back and that he now knew the truth; he didn’t know how he was supposed to forget what she’d inadvertently done to him or how he was supposed to forgive her for not confiding in him, but on the other hand, all his heart wanted was to be with her again, to hold her in his arms, to make love to her, to be happy with her again.

Why did life have to be so confusing and difficult all the time? Why couldn’t things just be simple and easy for once? Why couldn’t he just be happy?

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Thank you for your feedback and patience - sorry for the long wait between parts:

Natalie36 - You're right, they didn't get a chance to really talk, but read on to see what happens next ...

begonia9508 - Thanks .

Lairabehr4 - Thank you .

clueless - Thanks .

mezz - Thanks . I think you could be right about that.

behrluv32 (x2) - Thanks . Yeah, they both need to get everything out in the open before they can begin to move on.

Alien_Friend (x2) - Thanks ... yeah life can get stressful - I'm not having much luck with finishing off my thesis right now and I'm also working overtime at work, as well as trying to sort out my US visa application for flying over in January, so there's not much time to sit back and think about my writing these days .

Wimbledon was pretty cool - I was 16 back then (such a long time ago)! My parents' tennis club does a ticket ballot every year and we've been lucky enough to get tickets a few times (my parents managed to get tickets for the Women's Singles Final back in 2001) .

Tamashii - Thanks .

roswell3053 (x2) - Thanks . Things are starting to come out in the open now - let's hope they can work through things soon .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thank you . Yes, they do need to talk - just keep on reading ...

mirae01 - Thank you .



***

Part Twenty-Five

Tuesday 3rd July 2007

The phone was ringing. Persistently.

Max rolled over in bed. His eyes still closed, he reached blindly for the phone, which currently rested on the bedside table. God, it was his day off, couldn’t people just leave him alone for once?

“’Lo?” he all but grunted, his mind still foggy with sleep.

“Hi, honey,” came a chirpy voice along the line. “Congratulations on your win last night.”

“Hey, Mum,” he greeted, forcing himself to not to roll his eyes at her timing as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “Thanks.”

“I saw the press conference yesterday; it must have been hard for you,” Diane continued.

“Yeah,” shrugged Max uncomfortably, standing up and heading into the kitchen to make some coffee.

“Your father and I were wondering what happened on Saturday; is Liz okay?” she questioned.

“Yeah, she’s fine now,” Max assured her, as he grabbed a mug from the cupboard, “it was just something that happened, you know?”

“Well, I’m glad she’s all right, but how are things with you and Liz?” she questioned. “Has she told you why she left yet?”

Max fiddled with the knobs on the coffee maker as he considered how to answer Diane’s question. He hadn’t told his parents about Liz’s illness and her reasons for leaving yet. Since it was obvious that only a handful of people knew the truth and Liz didn’t appear to be in any hurry to broadcast it to anyone else, he wasn’t sure if he should tell his family just yet.

“I – yeah, uh, we’ve talked,” he admitted. “But there’s a lot going on and things are kind of difficult, so I don’t really know where I stand right now.”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry you’re having to go through this again,” sympathised Diane, “I know how tough things were for you when she left.”

“Yeah,” murmured Max, cradling the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he fixed his coffee and took a sip.

“I mean, it took you a long time to come to terms with her leaving before and I’d hate to see you go downhill again,” she added.

Max rolled his eyes, albeit somewhat good-naturedly, at her worrying and took another sip of coffee, just as his doorbell rang.

“Don’t worry, Mum,” he assured her, leaving the coffee mug on the counter and making his way out of the kitchen to answer the door, “I can handle it.”

“Oh, I know, honey,” she sighed, “I just worry about you; I’m your mum, I can’t help it.”

“Yeah, I know you can’t,” he chuckled, as he opened the door. His smile faded into a look of surprise when he saw who was on the other side. “Actually, can I call you back later?” he added then, as he took in the person standing in his doorway, “There’s someone at the door.”

“Sure you can, hon,” agreed Diane warmly. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay, great; thanks.”

“I love you, darling.”

“Love you too,” he smiled, “bye.”

He hung up the phone and let it hang limply in his hand as he addressed the newcomer.

“Liz? What are you doing here?”

***

Liz swallowed harshly as the door swung open, revealing Max wearing nothing but boxers, his hair sticking out in all directions, obviously he’d only just got out of bed He was talking on the phone, but looked surprised when he saw her.

“Actually, can I call you back? There’s someone at the door,” he said to the caller, as he looked at her. “Okay, great; thanks.”

Liz shifted uncomfortably as he told the person on the other end that he loved them too and hung up and she couldn’t help but wonder who he’d been talking to. Was it a woman? Was he secretly involved with someone that he hadn’t told her or the press about? Her mind was reeling with thoughts.

“Liz? What are you doing here?” he asked, his expression confused.

“Hi, Max,” she murmured almost shyly. “Sorry to just drop in on you like this, but I was hoping we could talk?”

“Talk?” he questioned, a hard edge to his voice. Obviously he was still somewhat angry after their argument yesterday.

“Please, Max?” she begged softly. “I think there’s a lot we still need to say to each other.”

He watched her carefully for a moment, before letting out a sigh, “Fine.” He opened the door wider, “Come in.”

She nodded and stepped inside, her eyes sweeping over the sparse décor of his flat, before landing on him once more. God, she’d forgotten how good he looked topless; in fact, he must have been working out lately, because he looked even better than she remembered. His stomach muscles were even more defined, his arms were bigger and his boxers hugged his strong thighs. She gulped as her mind began to wander… until Max cleared his throat; her eyes snapped to his face and she could feel her cheeks heating up as she realised she’d been staring.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” he suggested, gesturing to the couch, “I’ll just go and get changed.”

Liz nodded mutely and moved round to the front of the couch as Max turned and headed towards another room, presumably his bedroom and she couldn’t help but stare at his backside as he left.

While she waited for him to return, Liz took the opportunity to study his living space. Looking round, she had to admit that the place had a completely different atmosphere than the flat they’d shared and it was even different from the apartment he’d lived in before they’d become a couple. This flat seemed… empty and almost devoid of feeling… and Liz found that kind of sad. Of course, there were small touches of personality scattered around the room, a couple of photos of Max and Isabel with their parents, a picture or two of Max in his tennis gear and with a cup in his hands and a trophy or two on the shelves, but not much else.

There was a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall and a stereo system in the corner of the room, with a pile of CDs and DVD’s beside it, but still, it didn’t show much personality. The thing that hit Liz hardest, although she knew it shouldn’t, was that there was not a single piece of evidence that she had once been a major part of his life, not even a photo of the two of them winning a tournament together. Obviously he tried his best to forget she’d even existed in his life and that hurt, even though she knew she deserved it.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Max’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, as he re-entered the living room. “Tea, coffee?”

“Coffee would be great, thanks,” she replied politely and he nodded, heading into the kitchen to fix the drinks.

“Here you go,” he returned a few moments later and handed her a mug,

“Thanks,” she replied with a small smile, looking down at the swirling liquid as he took a seat in the armchair next to the sofa.

They sat in silence for a few seconds, each taking a sip of coffee and getting comfortable, before Max spoke up,

“So, you wanted to talk?”

“Yeah,” nodded Liz, “I think we need to, don’t you? Really talk, I mean.”

“So, talk,” he told her, a slight edge to his voice, one that Liz wasn’t sure how to take.

“Okay,” she started, exhaling loudly, “Max…”

She trailed off as she looked at him, wondering how and why on earth she had hurt this man so badly. She felt a tightening in her chest and suddenly the emotion just came pouring out.

“I hate myself, Max,” she announced, her breath hitching in her throat. “I hate myself so much; for what I did to you when I left, for what that did to your life, for not being brave enough to talk to you about my fears, for coming back again and ruining everything for you,” she felt tears begin to pool in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Max. I look back at the last two years and I can’t even believe that I did it, you know? I can’t believe that was me; God, I ruined everything!”

“Liz,” murmured Max, shaking his head, his expression softening at her words. He leaned forward, “Yes, what you did was wrong and stupid, and I wish to God that you’d come to me first and told me the truth, but I do understand that you did what you thought was right at the time.”

“But yesterday you said–”

“I know what I said,” he glanced down at his coffee for a moment, “I was angry and upset at the whole situation and I spoke my mind.” He sighed, “I’m so confused at the moment, Liz. I look at you now, knowing that you’re sorry and that you’re dealing with this illness, and I just want to take you into my arms and never let you go; but then I remember how I felt when I found out you’d gone and what I went through because of that, and I feel hurt and angry all over again.”

“Oh, Max, I’m so sorry,” cried Liz, desperately trying to make him understand how much she meant it.

”I know you are, Liz,” he murmured, “and I really want to forgive you, but it’s so hard for me not to remember the past whenever I see you.”

“It’s hard for me too,” she said, “When I think back over what I’ve been through in the last two years, I hate what I did too.”

“Why, what happened?” asked Max, his tone surprisingly gentle.

She sucked in a breath, exhaling slowly before answering, “Despite what you probably think, I haven’t spent the last two years sunning myself on a tropical island while you were miserable and upset here. Yes, I was in Thailand, in a small private resort my dad found for me, but my life there was anything but fun.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was sick and miserable and scared,” she admitted. “My symptoms took a long time to get better and some days I barely had the strength to get out of bed. I couldn’t go home because I thought you didn’t want me and I had to make sure that no one from the press found out where I was, which meant that my parents couldn’t visit very often without raising suspicions.

“The only person I could talk to was Martin,” she added sadly, looking down into her coffee mug as she spoke. “He helped me through so much. I mean, there were times I felt I couldn’t go on and he saved me from doing something incredibly stupid on more than one occasion.”

“Oh, Liz…” muttered Max, his hand coming to rest on her knee, squeezing reassuringly.

“If it weren’t for him and his concern for me, I don’t think I’d be sitting here today,” admitted Liz softly, looking back up into Max’s eyes. “I’ve lost count of the number of times I wished I hadn’t left and that I had done things differently; but I can’t change the past, so all I can do now is look to the future.”

Max nodded in understanding, but didn’t say anything.

“At first, I thought it was a stupid idea when Martin suggested I consider going back to the game again. I’d programmed myself to believe I was sick and nothing else; I hadn’t experienced any further symptoms in months and I was beginning to lead a normal life again, but in my mind, I was still this fragile, sick person,” she told him. “But, he kept insisting and even went to David behind my back, and before I knew it, I was back in training again. When I found out I had qualified for Wimbledon this year, I decided that it was time I came home and got my life back.”

Max frowned, sitting up in his seat, his hand dropping from where it had been resting on her knee, “But the other day you said you never intended come back, or to tell me the truth.”

“I said I didn’t know if I would have,” she clarified, “and to be totally honest, I didn’t. When I first came back, I had no intention of talking to you at all, because I thought you wouldn’t want anything to do with me; but when you agreed to play mixed, I thought maybe there was a chance I could make things right. But it was obvious you still hated me, so I put on a brave face in an attempt to get through the tournament without you finding out.”

“But, why?” he burst out, his anguish clearly written on his face. “I was desperate to know why you’d broken my heart. Why didn’t you just talk to me?”

“I just couldn’t,” she admitted, an uncontrollable sob escaping her lips. “I didn’t know how. And the more I put it off, the harder it got.” She wiped the tears from her eyes, “But I’m glad you know now and I can’t apologise enough for keeping it from you for so long.”

Max sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Liz, I… I wish I could say that all is forgiven and that now I know the truth, we can put the last two years behind us and move on, but I’m afraid it’s not going to be as easy as that for me.”

Liz’s face crumpled once more, as she opened her mouth to protest, to try to persuade him to give her another chance, but before she could say a word, Max held up a hand to stop her.

“But,” he said, his expression softening slightly, “despite what happened, I do still love you–”

“Me too,” she interrupted quickly, “I never stopped.”

Max nodded in understanding, “I know you do, Liz. Look, what I’m trying to say is that I think I’m willing to take a chance and see if we can work through this.”

“Really?” wondered Liz in surprise.

“The last two years have been complete hell without you. I was angry and upset with you for a long time; I even hated you for a while. Eventually, with a lot of help from my therapist, I managed to come to terms with the fact that you left me and that I was alone. I thought I was moving on; I thought I was prepared to live my life without you by my side, but the moment I saw you again the other week, I knew that I would never be fully over you.”

Liz sucked in a hopeful breath.

He shrugged, “I think that’s why I’ve been acting so awful the last few weeks. I hated the fact that you could still get to me after all this time.”

“You still get to me too, Max,” she admitted. “I didn’t leave because I didn’t love you or want you anymore. I left because I loved you so much; I didn’t want you to see me suffering.”

Max looked confused, “But that day… you were telling me you wanted to retire, to start a family with me. So what I don’t get is… you say you didn’t want me to see you suffer, but what if I’d said yes that morning? What if I’d agreed with your decision to retire? What if I’d said yes to a baby? Surely, you would have stayed?” he snorted, shaking his head. “I just don’t understand, Liz, help me out here.”

Liz sighed, looking around the room as she tried to sort through the jumbled thoughts in her head, “God, I don’t even know what I was thinking; I guess I wasn’t thinking, really.” She shook her head, “ When I was diagnosed, the doctor told me the symptoms could get much worse before I went into remission, that was if I went into remission at all. He said that the longer I waited, the less chance there was that I could cope with having a child. He suggested that if I wanted to have children, I should do it as soon as possible, in case things went wrong in the future.”

She glanced at Max, who was watching her carefully, his expression giving away little of his emotions.

“Max,” her voice cracked, “I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you, have children with you; but at the same time, I couldn’t force you into something you weren’t ready for. And it was obvious you weren’t ready to start a family with me just then.”

“But, Liz,” he spoke up, his tone anguished. “If you’d just come to me and told me the truth, you know I would have supported your decision to retire. Maybe I would have preferred to wait a while, but if I’d known what you were going through, I would have agreed to it regardless.”

“Maybe, but it wouldn’t have been a mutual decision; I would have felt guilty for forcing you into it. For all I knew, it was my only chance to have children and if I couldn’t have them with you, then I couldn’t have them with anyone. I thought that leaving was the only way I could cope with what was happening to me. I couldn’t be around you, knowing that you wanted me to continue with my career and wanted to have children when we were both completely ready, when I just wasn’t in a position to give that to you,” she began to sob, fresh tears leaking from her eyes.

***

Max’s heart broke for Liz as she confessed her feelings about leaving and he could no longer just sit there and do nothing. He placed his coffee mug on the floor and moved to sit next to her on the sofa, his arms coming around her in comfort.

“I’m so sorry you felt that way,” he murmured, holding her to him, cradling her in his arms. “I just wish you’d been honest with me. I don’t understand why you felt you had to hide all this from me, or why you chose to run away and try to deal with it on your own instead of coming to me for help.”

He felt Liz shake her head against his chest and he heard her breath hitch.

“I don’t know,” she confessed, “I wasn’t thinking straight. I wish I could just turn back time and do things differently, but I can’t.”

“I know, me too,” he murmured softly. “Look I’m willing to try and put the past behind me and look towards the future, but I can’t guarantee anything else right now.”

“Really?” she sniffed, shifting to look up at him. “Thank you so much, Max. I’m going to do everything I can to make this right.”

Max nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat as he stared down into her vulnerable expression. Before he could stop himself, he’d lifted a hand to her face, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, before allowing his fingers to rest on her cheek.

It had been so long since he’d been his close to her, holding her in his arms, and he was suddenly assaulted by happier memories of the past. Despite his reservations, he found his gaze drawn to her perfect mouth, her full, pink lips beckoning to him. Under the circumstances he knew it was wrong to be feeling this way, but right now he just couldn’t help it.

As his head began lowering towards hers, he prayed to God that he wasn’t about to make a huge mistake.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone, sorry about the long wait between parts . The lack of update last week was due to the fact that I'd spent less than 40 hours at home in 6 days and when I was at home, I was eating, sleeping and spending time with my family... with no time left over to work on the new part!

I'm updating today, but the next update will have to be whenever I can squeeze it in, as I'll be in London on Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday next week and won't have internet access .

Thank you for your feedback and patience :

Alien_Friend (x2) - Thanks . Just when I think things are settling down, they get busy again, lol!
Yeah, I'm not sure either if the potential kiss is a good idea, but let's see how things play out...

roswell3053 (x2) - Thanks .

Lairabehr4 - Thanks, hon .

RiceKrispy - Thank you . You could be right about that - as much as it would be great for them to be happy again, I'm sure it won't be as easy as that.

clueless - Thanks .

Natalie36 - Thank you .

behrluv32 - They almost kiss, lol. Keep reading to find out if they actually do...

kay_b - Thank you . Yeah, I want to give the emotions from both points of view. I don't want to side with either Max or Liz in how much they've been hurt, but I'm trying to show that both Max and Liz have suffered badly over the last 2 years .

begonia9508 - Thanks . I agree, Liz should have given Max the choice, but she didn't and now they both have to try and come to terms with that.

mirae01 - Thank you .

confusedfool - Thanks .


***


Part Twenty-Six

Tuesday 3rd July 2007

He knew it was too soon and that he was possibly about to ruin everything he’d been working towards for the past two years, but he just couldn’t help it. His pulse was racing, his mouth mere millimetres from hers and in that moment, he realised that there was no way he could stop now. He felt a tingle shoot down his spine as his lips finally met hers for the first time in two years; one touch of her soft, warm lips and he was gone.

Max’s hand slid from Liz’s cheek and buried itself in her hair, as he deepened the kiss, his instincts taking over and pushing all thoughts of logic and reason to the back of his mind. This felt right; it felt like coming home. Right then, in that moment, the last two years and all of the crap that had happened just melted away. Here, in his flat, with Liz in his arms, he could just pretend that they were happy and engaged and on the brink of a perfect life together. And he didn’t ever want that feeling to stop.

He didn’t know when it happened, but somehow they were no longer sitting up on the couch and his hand was no longer just entwined in Liz’s hair. No, instead, it had wrapped round to cup the back of her neck, as his other hand was cradling her lower back. Now, he had her body trapped beneath him, as he poured all of his emotions into this one kiss.

“Max,” murmured Liz, her soft, sighing tone only urging him on, as her hands came up to cup his cheeks and he let out a small moan in return.

“Liz…” he muttered, lifting his lips from hers to gaze down at her now flushed face. “I’ve missed this… missed you, so much.”

“Me too,” she smiled, almost tentatively, her fingers stroking his skin lightly.

He smiled down at her gently, before lowering his lips once more, this time to suckle at her neck and causing Liz’s hands to slide into his hair as he relaxed into his caresses.

At the back of his mind, he knew that he was only rushing things by being this close to her so soon and that they still had a lot of work ahead of them before all their problems were resolved, which was why he was making the most of this moment, right now, holding her in his arms, without worry or hurt or confusion.

In fact, he was so caught up in making the most of the situation that he didn’t hear the loud knock on the door, nor did he notice that rather than leaving when he didn’t answer, the visitor instead chose to use their key and let themselves in.

“Ah-hem.”

The sound of a throat clearing vaguely registered in Max’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it in favour of continuing what he was doing.

“Um, am I interrupting something here?” spoke up an amused masculine tone a few seconds later.

Suddenly, Max’s head shot up over the back of the sofa to face the intruder, as Liz let out a gasp, “Max? What-?”

“Nathan!” he exclaimed, releasing Liz as he scrambled off the couch and tugged at his shirt, before facing his best friend. “What are you doing here?”

“Nathan?” questioned Liz, sitting up on the sofa, a surprised expression gracing her flushed features.

Max watched Nathan’s eyes widen as he took in the scene before him.

“Liz?” he wondered, choosing to ignore Max’s question. “Wow!”

Nathan shot Max a look, one that was easily interpreted as ‘what’s going on? I thought you two hated each other’. In all the drama, he hadn’t had a chance to tell Nathan that he finally knew the truth about Liz’s reasons for leaving.

“Um,” Max cleared his throat, glancing at Liz quickly, “Nathe…this really isn’t a great time.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” chuckled his friend, raising an eyebrow as he spoke. This time it was Max shooting Nathan the look. “Well, since I had the day off today, I just thought I’d come by and see if you wanted to get in a bit of practise for your quarter-final match tomorrow.”

“Practise?” spoke up Liz from the other side of the couch. “That sounds like a good idea. I think we could both use some practise, don’t you, Max?”

“Oh?” Nathan raised his eyebrow in surprise as his attention turned to Liz. “Well, I…uh, I was really just thinking of a singles game…” he trailed off uncomfortably, glancing at Max in confusion, “… but I guess I could ring Sarah and see if she’s free to join us in a mixed doubles game,” he covered quickly.

“Sure, sounds great,” cut in Max, as he realised that Nathan didn’t have a clue as to what was going on here. “Why don’t you call her in the kitchen?” he nodded towards the door meaningfully.

“No, um, sure,” replied Nathan, slightly bewildered. “I’ll just go, um…”

Max watched as Nathan headed into the kitchen, before turning back to Liz.

“Sorry, about that,” he apologised quickly, as he moved round the sofa to take a seat beside her. “I didn’t know he was going to come by like that.”

“It’s okay, Max,” Liz’s expression was soft. “It was probably a good thing he interrupted us.” She shrugged, “I mean, we might have got carried away… and I don’t think that would be a very good idea at the moment.”

Max sighed, running a hand through his hair, “No, you’re right. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that, I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t mind,” she smiled into his eyes for a moment, before realising what she was doing. “I mean,” she cleared her throat, tearing her gaze from his, “yeah, there’s still a lot we need to work out between us. It’s wouldn’t be right to just pretend everything was okay again, just like that.”

“I agree,” nodded Max, wondering why it was suddenly so hard for him to take his eyes off her after spending so long hating her guts. “Look, as you might have guessed from his reaction, Nathan doesn’t know what’s been happening the last few days, I haven’t had a chance to tell him that I know the truth now. I’d better go let him know before we leave for the courts,” he nodded towards the kitchen door.

Liz looked up at him, a slightly worried expression on her face, “Are you going to tell him about…?”

Max shook his head, already knowing what she’d been about to say, “Not if you don’t want me to. I wouldn’t betray your privacy like that.”

Liz looked thoughtful for a moment, before exhaling loudly, “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind if he knows the truth. It’s really just the press and tennis experts I’m trying to keep it from.”

“Okay,” nodded Max, unable to stop himself from smiling down at her. “If it comes up, I’ll tell him.”

***

Max entered the kitchen as he heard Nathan hanging up his phone call with his wife of just over a year. Nathan had proposed to Sarah a few months after Liz had disappeared and they’d got married last June. Despite his own relationship woes, Max couldn’t have been happier for them.

“Alright, mate?” he greeted, as he stepped into the kitchen and pushed the door shut behind him. “Is Sarah free?”

“Yeah, she is,” replied Nathan, as he slipped his mobile into his shorts pocket. “She’ll meet us at the courts in about an hour or so.”

“Great,” smiled Max, “it’ll be good to play a game of mixed against the two of you again.”

“Yeah, about that,” his friend began slowly. “What the bloody hell was going on out there? Last I heard you couldn’t stand the sight of Liz Parker.”

“Yeah, well,” began Max softly, his hands in his trouser pockets, “some things have changed recently.”

“Anything to do with Liz’s spectacular collapse on court the other day and you running in to save the day?” asked his friend knowingly.

“Yeah,” Max nodded in confirmation. “When she collapsed, I was so scared. I thought I might lose her,” he confessed. “I went to see her in the hospital and the next day and we talked.” He looked up at Nathan, “She finally told me the truth about why she left.”

“And?” questioned Nathan, his tone a little sceptical. “Why did she leave?”

Max inhaled deeply, as he prepared to tell Liz’s story, “A few weeks after we got engaged, Liz was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.” Nathan’s eyes widened, but he didn’t interrupt. “She was suffering from tiredness, blurred vision and coordination problems, to name a few, and she got scared. She thought her career… and her life… was over and she says she couldn’t stand for me to have to watch her suffer, so she left.”

“Without telling you?” Nathan shook his head. “Something about that doesn’t seem right. Why didn’t she confide in you? That doesn’t seem like the Liz I know.”

“Believe me, that was my first thought too,” admitted Max, pausing for a second before continuing, “you remember we had a fight that day?”

“Yeah,” Nathan nodded in agreement

“She told me she wanted to retire and have kids as soon as possible and I told her that we had our whole lives ahead of us. She was at the height of her career; I couldn’t let her just give that up.”

Nathan nodded, “I remember you telling me.”

“But I didn’t understand. She wouldn’t tell me the real reason for her decision,” he said.

“Because she was ill?”

“Not just that,” admitted Max, feeling a tightening in his chest as he remembered Liz’s emotional confession. “The doctor had told her that if she wanted kids, she should have them while she was young and relatively healthy, because the MS would only get worse over time and in a few years, she might not be capable of caring for children.”

“Oh, man,” exhaled Nathan.

“She was already feeling awful, but when I effectively said no, it was the last straw for her. She felt she had no option but to leave and suffer alone. She didn’t want to force me into a life I didn’t want.”

“But, I know you, Max, I know how much you loved her; you would have changed your mind if she’d told you the truth.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I would have.”

“So I take it everything’s out in the open now, then?” Nathan ventured an educated guess.

“Yeah, we’ve been talking things through.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow, “Looked like more than talking from where I was standing.”

Max shifted uncomfortably under his best friend’s gaze, “Yeah, well…”

“So, do I take it that all is forgiven too?”

“Yeah… no… not exactly,” he admitted. “I’m working on it.”

“Is that what you call it?”

Max shook his head and looked towards the ceiling.

“What you saw back there wasn’t… I mean… we were just talking things out and next thing I know I’m kissing her and it’s like we’ve never been apart, like the last two years didn’t happen,” he exhaled, looking Nathan in the eye. “I still love her and she still loves me and I’m trying my best to get through this with her because despite what she did, my life is not worth living without her in it.”

Nathan just watched him thoughtfully during his outburst, but when Max had finished, he simply nodded.

“Okay.”

“Okay? That’s it?” exclaimed Max in surprise. “You’re not going to tell me how I’d be stupid to take her back after she broke my heart and that I should have nothing to do with her ever again?”

“You and Liz… you’re made for each other, you’re soulmates,” admitted Nathan. “Yes, she did break your heart, but it sounds like she had her reasons. You’re my best friend, Max; I want you to be happy. You deserve it.”

“Thanks, mate,” nodded Max sincerely.

His friend just smiled and made his way towards the kitchen door, “So, how ‘bout that mixed doubles game?”

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone, sorry for the wait again . I'm afraid this part's a little shorter than normal, but hopefully the next one(s) will be a bit longer.

Thanks for your feedback :

Lairabehr4 - Thanks, hun .

Natalie36 - Thanks, .

Alien_Friend - Thanks . No, Max isn't that angry with Liz anymore. He's still hurt over her actions, but he's finding a way to deal with it and be nicer to her .
I've been hoping to get this story finished by Christmas, but I'm not sure at the moment if I'll get it done - finger's crossed . Time is quickly running out - I leave the country in 47 days and I still have to finish my master's degree and pack up my life to go, as well as getting through Christmas !!

RiceKrispy - Thanks - I'll keep that in mind . Yes, Liz is still sick and chances are that the disease will progress, but most MS sufferers have a similar life expectancy to everyone else these days.

kay_b - Thanks . No, Liz's MS is still there and it probably won't ever go away (however, in some cases, the symptoms do stop or don't get much worse). It usually progresses over the years, so more symptoms are likely to appear.

begonia9508 - Thanks . Yeah, I guess Liz was wrong... but she knows it and now all she can do is try to make up for the past.

roswell3053 - Thanks .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thank you .

clueless - Thanks .

behrluv32 - Thanks - glad you like him .


***


Part Twenty-Seven


Wednesday 4th July 2007


“Morning, David,” chirped Liz with a happy smile, as she entered the practice courts the next morning.

“Morning, Liz. You sound rather chipper today,” observed her coach from the side of the court, where he was organising paperwork, while simultaneously thumbing through his diary.

“Yeah,” she grinned at him, placing her racket bag down on one of the benches. “I think things are finally starting to look up.”

“You and Max?” he hazarded a guess.

She nodded, as she rifled through her things, “We talked yesterday and we’re working things out.”

“That’s good to hear,” agreed David. “Speaking of Max, you seen him yet this morning?”

“No, not yet,” she shook her head. “Maybe he got stuck in traffic or somethi–”

A sudden murmur of voices near the entrance to the practice courts caught her ear and she turned to see what was going on. There was a crowd of young, giggling girls, most of them clutching a pen and paper in their hands, as they struggled to catch a glimpse of whoever was trying to make their way into the practice court area. She didn’t have to guess who it was for long, though, as a familiar dark head became just visible in the throng of people.

Liz watched as Max tried his best to manoeuvre himself through the crowd, without seeming impatient or rude. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she rolled her eyes as she saw him put on his best grin for the young teenagers and flirted with them playfully. No matter how serious and uncomfortable with attention he was normally, he definitely knew how to turn it out for his fans.

At one time they would both have been stopped, Liz getting attention from her male fans, while Max fended off the female interest; but now things were different. Contrary to just a few years ago, Max was the bigger star now – the number one male player in the world – and he got a great deal of attention these days. Liz, on the other hand, had been able to enjoy a relatively peaceful few weeks here in London. Her absence from the tennis world had caused her previous fans to move on to other players and for once the focus was no longer all on her.

Her gaze followed Max as he finished signing autographs and then made his way onto the courts. He looked up and caught her eye, a small, even tentative, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether to remain stoic or just smile fully at her.

“Hi,” he greeted softly, once he’d reached her side and had placed his bag next to hers on the bench.

“Morning,” replied Liz, suddenly feeling a little uncertain around him, as he concentrated on pulling his racket and a tube of tennis balls out of his large training bag.

“Hey, David,” he acknowledged their doubles coach, who was flicking through a folder of paperwork.

“Morning, Max,” David nodded as he closed the folder and put it aside, before clapping his hands together abruptly. “Okay, right, we don’t have that much time for practice this morning, since Max is due on court at 12 for his quarter-final match, so let’s get started, shall we?”

The practice session got off to a good start, but it wasn’t long before Liz began to tire. Not wishing to worry either David or Max, she tried to ignore the fact that her head felt light and her hands had begun to shake slightly. She was determined, now more than ever, that this illness would not get the better of her, so she continued to play, even when she started missing the easy shots and her legs decided not to cooperate with her, causing the odd stumble. In fact, it was only when Max called for a break as he marched over to her, took her by the elbow and lead her to the bench.

“Hey!” she protested as he placed his hands on her shoulders and made her sit down, before kneeling in front of her and forcing her to look at him.

“Don’t ‘hey’ me,” he scolded firmly. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m practicing for our match this afternoon,” she replied shortly. “Why, what are you doing?”

He shook his head, “Liz, you’re overdoing it. I was watching you out there, you’re fumbling.” He sighed, “You need to stop pushing yourself so hard.”

Liz set her jaw as she raised her eyes upwards, shaking her head in denial, “I’m just fine, Max.”

He scoffed, “No, you’re not. Anyone can see that.”

Liz shot him a hurt look, as if to say, ‘what do you know?’

“Look, Liz,” said Max, more softly this time, as his hands came up to rest above her knees. “I know you want to show everyone that you can still do this, but if you’re not careful, you’re just gonna end up in hospital again. You’ve gotta take things slower.”

As he spoke, Liz found her eyes wandering down to her lap, as frustrated tears began to form in the corner of her eye. He was right, she knew that, but she couldn’t let the rest of the world discover that she wasn’t 100% healthy; she just couldn’t.

“Liz?” wondered Max, as he slid a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up to face him. “Hey, come on, don’t cry.”

“What was I thinking?” wondered Liz helplessly. “I should have known I’d never be able to play as well I used to.”

“Hey,” murmured Max softly, “It’s not like you can’t play tennis at all. You’re still pretty good, you know? But maybe you just rushed back into things too fast and your body’s not handling it that well.”

“Yeah, maybe….”

“Look, we’re gonna get back up and practice some more and then this afternoon you and I are gonna get out there on court and do the best we can. All you have to do is play within your ability, okay? That’s all you can do,” he told her reassuringly.

“Yeah…” nodded Liz, feeling a little more confident now. “Okay. Play my best… right.”

“There we go,” Max smiled, as he stood up and held a hand out to her. “Come on, you can do it.”

With a grateful smile, Liz slid her hand into his and allowed him to lead her back onto the court. They might have a long way to go in their relationship, but at least they could work together again now.

***

Liz watched from the VIP box as Max warmed up on Centre Court for his Quarterfinal match. She couldn’t help but admit that he looked great out there in his Nike-sponsored white tennis shirt and shorts combo. She was so proud of him, of the fact that he’d finally made it to the top… something he’d been dreaming about since he was five years old.

As the first set began and Max got off to a great start, Liz realised that despite everything that had happened over the last two years and even though her concerns and worries from that morning were still plaguing her, she was glad she’d come back home. Now that the truth was out and they were on good terms again, Liz found herself wondering why exactly she’d stayed away from him for so long. Why had she ever believed that she couldn’t confide in him, that he wouldn’t have understood her reasons for wanting children so early. Of course he would have supported her; that was just who he was, she always known that, but back then, she had been so blinded by her illness and fear of the future that she had forgotten that.

The match progressed and Liz lost herself in the game, the fluidity of Max’s strong forehand shots, and the gracefulness with which he covered the length and width of the court, causing a peaceful feeling to settle over her. It was a fairly effortless win for Max, as he beat the younger, less experienced player in three sets and the ease with which he hit the winning shots allowed Liz to relax and lessen her worry over their doubles match later in the day.

When Max came off court after signing a few autographs and chatting with the crowd, Liz made sure she was waiting inside the players’ section for him. She gave him a congratulatory hug and praised him for making it to the semi-final, commenting that it was a long time coming and that perhaps this would be the year he finally became Wimbledon Champion.

As they prepared to go on court for their mixed match two hours later, Liz vowed two things: one, that she would take Max’s advice and not over-exert herself, and two that over the next few days and weeks, she would do everything in her power to show Max how truly sorry she was and to make it up to him.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hi everyone, thank you all for your feedback and patience with this story. The last few weeks have been crazy for me, but I'm starting to get settled in the US now (although I've been getting the occasional wave of homesickness ) and I'm hoping I can get back into writing and updating a bit more frequently now (although my class and TA schedule is somewhat full, so we'll see how it goes).

begonia9508 - Thanks . No, Liz probably won't be able to play as well as she did before, which is harder for her to accept now that she's started playing again, but at least she can still play the game for now.

guelbebek - Thanks .

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

Alien_Friend (x3) - Thanks . Well, as you can see, I didn't get this story finished before I left for the US, but that does mean that it will be a round for a while longer .

behrluv32 - Thank you .

Natalie36 (x2) - Thanks .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thank you .

roswell3053 (x3) - Thanks . Yes, they really are beginning to work as a team now... which is kinda essential for success in doubles .

Tamashii - Thanks .

RiceKrispy - Thank you .

clueless (x2) - Thanks .

dreamsatnight (x2) - Yeah, silly you ! Actually, since I don't play tennis myself (although my parents play regularly), there was a fair amount I didn't know either before I started writing it .




Anyway, here we go, part 28....


***

Part Twenty-Eight

Wednesday 4th July 2007

As their doubles match began and Liz took the first serve, she found herself feeling more relaxed and at ease with the game than she had in a long time. She took every shot in her stride, trying desperately hard not to put so much effort into playing that she fumbled; and whenever her eyes met Max’s between points, a wonderful feeling of calm flowed through her entire body. She was finally coming to terms with her illness, instead of letting it rule her every move.

When Max took her hand and squeezed it encouragingly as they took their seats for the quick rest between games, she felt warm tingles spread all the way up her arm and her heart clenched. Max Evans really was made to be her other half; he balanced her energy and made her feel strong and whole and honestly, she had no clue anymore why she’d thought running away from her problems was a good idea. Right this moment, more than ever, she wished she had just been honest from the start. Perhaps then she could have spared both of them from a world of heartache and misery and anger.

“You okay?” asked Max gently, sliding his hand out of hers so he could pick up his drinks bottle and take a few gulps of water from it.

Liz nodded, her eyes roaming the crowded stadium.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not getting tired or feeling faint or anything?”

“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I’m fine.”

She could feel his gaze on her, his eyes boring a hole in the side of her head. She turned to look at him, noting the concern in his expression.

“You sure?” he asked seriously. “You look sorta… distracted.”

Liz smiled, shaking her head again, “No, I’m good, Max. Honestly.”

“Okay,” he murmured hesitantly, as if he wasn’t sure she was telling the truth, “but if you start feeling dizzy or weak, or anything at all, you tell me okay? I’m not having you risk your health for the sake of a match.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a nod this time, as her eyes met his fully. They shared a soft, almost tentative smile, as if it was strange that they were actually getting along and supporting each other again.

“Time,” called the umpire a moment later, snapping Liz out of their staring match.

Beside her, Max sighed softly, before reaching for his racket again and rising from his seat. Liz quickly followed and they headed back out onto court for the next game.

***

Despite his best efforts to concentrate on his own game, more than once during the opening set, Max’s attention drifted to Liz and how she was holding up. It was weird because he still felt a teensy bit betrayed by her actions back in 2005, yet he couldn’t stop himself from worrying about her and wanting to just take her into his arms and comfort her and shield her from pain. Right this moment, and also this morning when he’d seen her struggling to keep up in their practice session, he couldn’t prevent a rush of admiration for her strength and her determination from flooding through his being. And funnily enough, that rush of admiration was also accompanied by a wave of… love for her.

Yes, that’s right. Love. As much has he tried not to admit it over the last two years, he still loved her with all his heart and although most of his friends and family would call him crazy, he wanted to be with her. Of course, in reality he knew he shouldn’t give in that easily. As much as he wanted to, forgiving her just like that wouldn’t be right. It would give the impression that she could do anything and he would simply accept her apology and allow her to walk all over him. No, she had to earn his forgiveness. She had to prove to him that she wouldn’t just run off without an explanation the next time something bad happened. She had to learn and accept that no matter what happened, she needed talk to him about it, she needed to confide in him and be honest with him; otherwise their relationship would never survive.

The first set came to a close, with Max and Liz winning in a fairly easy and comfortable six games to three and the crowd erupted into wild cheers, the overwhelming support for England’s most popular tennis team evident around the stadium. Max couldn’t prevent a grin from appearing on his lips as the fans began to chant their support for them and he glanced at Liz, suddenly very proud of how well she was holding up out on court today. Obviously the audience hadn’t noticed anything significantly wrong with her performance over the last few days, which was exactly what she had been hoping for.

However, if he was honest, Max was a little concerned by the fact that she was so reluctant to admit the truth to the public. He knew she was worried that she would receive extra attention from both the press and the tennis associations and that they would question her ability to continue playing, but he wondered if perhaps she was doing more harm than good by not coming clean right away. Ultimately, though, it was her decision and all he could do right now was respect it.

The umpire called time again and the crowd cheered and clapped again as he and Liz made their way onto the court for the second set. Although they got off to a relatively good start and won the first two games, as the third game began Max noticed that
Liz was having trouble returning the ball. He frowned as he tried to figure out what was wrong. Liz didn’t seem shaky or unsteady on her feet, nor did she appear to be losing concentration, yet somehow their opponents were managing to get all their shots in, even the ones that he and Liz would normally return easily. A couple of minutes later though, he shook his head, dismissing his worries. He’d been so caught up in making sure Liz was all right that he hadn’t noticed that the opposition had upped their game, suddenly playing much better than they had in the last set and despite his and Liz’s best efforts, it appeared that their opponents could do no wrong and just twenty short minutes later, it was one set all.

“This is not going well,” muttered Liz as they took their seats beside the umpire’s seat once more. She nodded towards the other players, “They’re really good, Max.”

“They are, but we can beat them, I know it,” stated Max determinedly. “We just have to play the best we can and not fuck up out there.”

Liz turned to him, her expression a mixture of surprise and amusement, “Fuck up? That’s a bit strong, even for you, Max.”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged with a hint of a smile, “I figure we need a strong, determined outlook for this final set.”

“Okay,” Liz raised an eyebrow, nodding as she took a sip from her water bottle.

Max watched her for a moment, taking in the way she pushed the loose strands of hair that had escaped from her ponytail back from her forehead as she placed the bottle on the floor and reached for her racket, inspecting the strings carefully.

“You’re playing well this afternoon,” he observed.

“Yeah,” she nodded, her eyes still trained on the racket strings as she checked for signs of weakness in them. “I feel better now than I did this morning.”

Max opened his mouth to say something else, but just as he did, the umpire called ‘Time’. Instead, he picked up his racket again and he and Liz prepared to go back out on court.

***

The final set was tough with their opponents matching them game for game. By the time they reached four games all, Liz was feeling rather exhausted and was struggling to keep her energy up. She and Max had been playing their hearts out in this set for over an hour, yet it felt like they were getting nowhere. After more than two hours of play, they were still even at one set all, four games all.

The next game went much better as neither she nor Max missed a shot and they easily broke serve to win the next point and therefore the game after reaching 40-0. However, when Max served for the match in the next game, things got tricky. They struggled to keep ahead, yet each time they won a point and got the upper hand, the opposition would come right back and even the score. As what would hopefully be the final game of the match progressed, Liz found herself becoming more and more frustrated. Why couldn’t this last game be simple like the one before? Why did their opponents have to choose now to put up a fight again?

The score reached Deuce with neither side backing down and Liz fought the urge to close her eyes in defeat as Max served once more. However, instead of hitting a shot that was easy to return, he put a great deal of power into the serve and hit an Ace right down the centre line.

“Yes!” she exclaimed, making a fist and bringing it close into her side, before turning to Max and giving him a high-five.

“One more point and we’re in the quarter-final tomorrow,” he grinned, leaning in closer to her briefly as their hands met. “Let’s do this!”

Liz nodded her agreement and took her position at the front of the court. She sucked in a steadying breath, releasing it slowly as Max bounced the ball behind her, preparing for his serve. He hit another powerful shot, but this time their female opponent returned it easily, setting up a steady rally that continued for several strokes, until the ball just caught the edge of Max’s racket, ricocheting off the frame and landing outside the side line.

“Fuck it!” Liz heard Max hiss in annoyance as the umpire called ‘Deuce’ once more.

“Hey,” she murmured, placing her hand on his arm. “Calm down, okay? We can still win this thing.”

Max sighed in reluctant agreement, before returning to his position on court to serve the next shot. He tried for an ace again, but unfortunately it didn’t go wide enough and was returned. However, Liz was quick to volley the ball back, keeping it in play. Max moved forward as the ball was returned to his side of the court, bouncing just a couple of feet from the net. He practically dived for it, just lifting it enough to drop over the net and out of reach of their opponent. They were back to Advantage. They had a second match point.

This time, however, Max didn’t hold back and he hit a brilliant serve, sending the ball flying right past the female player as it landed in the back corner of the service box.

“Yes!” cried Liz, jumping into the air with joy. God bless Max and his ability to hit a perfect ace.

“Liz, we won!” exclaimed Max, as he enfolded her in his arms, lifting her in the air in victory. “We did it,” he grinned as he lowered her to the floor once more and looked down into her flushed face.

Liz was startled when he impulsively cupped his hand round the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his for a quick celebratory kiss. Even after he’d released her and headed for his chair, Liz remained where she was, a soft smile gracing her lips. Tonight, she decided, was going to be the night she started making things up to Max in a big way.

***

Thursday 5th July 2007 – The Next Morning

“Ugh,” groaned Max sleepily, as he rolled over… and promptly found himself face down on the carpeted floor.

“Morning,” came an amused voice from across the room. “Sleep well?”

Max lifted his head, supporting his weight on his hands as he first rose to his knees, and then to his feet, discarding the quilt she’d lent him onto the sofa.

“Not bad,” he shrugged, glancing at the couch he’d spent the night on, “you have a comfy sofa.”

“I know,” smiled Liz, her gaze sweeping over his body, “that’s why I chose it. Look, why don’t you get dressed and I’ll go and make some tea.”

Max nodded, glancing down at the simple cotton boxers and white socks he was currently wearing.

“Sure,” he nodded, as Liz headed into her kitchen, pulling the door partway shut behind her.

Max let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding and reached for his jeans. This was kind of weird… being in Liz’s new flat, spending the night here, sleeping on her couch. It was strange, to say the least. But at the same time, a small smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the events of the evening before.

After the match last night, the atmosphere between he and Liz had been pretty comfortable, although he had to admit that he was a little surprised when Liz had decided to forego her hotel room for the night and instead invited him to dinner at her flat. He’d been apprehensive at first and was unsure as to whether he ought to accept the offer, but her hopeful expression had swayed him and he’d agreed.

However, when they arrived at her flat, he quickly realised that Liz hadn’t meant dinner in the classical, ‘I’m going to cook for you’ sense. Of course, since she had been living in hotel accommodation for the past couple of weeks, there was no food in the kitchen. So in fact, what he had initially assumed would be a somewhat awkward affair, quickly became a relaxed evening as he and Liz talked over delivered pizza and glasses of Coke.

But that wasn’t what stood out most for him last night. No, the thing that had both amazed and touched him was the fact that partway through the evening, Liz had told him that she would do anything to stop his hurt and to make things up to him and then she’d handed him a shoebox containing the journal she’d kept over the last few years, detailing all of her thoughts and feelings, a pile of unsent letters she’d written to him but had never plucked up the courage to send and a collection of photographs and mementos of their time together as a couple.

They’d sat together in front of the sofa, surrounded by half-empty pizza boxes, as Liz had explained the origin of all the letters and had encouraged him to read her journal, and four hours later, Max realised that his negative feelings towards Liz were slowly dissipating, giving way almost completely to the renewed feelings of love and wonder that he’d been experiencing occasionally over the last few days He was finding it harder and harder to keep his distance from her and after reading one particular journal entry detailing one of Liz’s worst relapses, he couldn’t help but lift his hand to her face and trace her soft cheek with his fingers as he leaned in to press a tender, forgiving kiss to her lips.

When the moment had passed, he had wound his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to rest her head against his chest as he leaned back against the couch and lifted his gaze to the white ceiling. They sat together like that for several minutes until Liz began to yawn and Max realised the time: it was after midnight and they had to play their quarterfinal doubles match that afternoon. He gently eased her into an upright position and announced that he ought to get going and let her get some rest. However, she wouldn’t hear of him driving home in the early hours of the morning and instead insisted that he take the sofa. Which was how he’d ended up in Liz’s flat this morning in nothing but boxers and socks.

Max rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, as he reached for his T-shirt with the other. However, before he could pull it over his head, Liz appeared back in the room, a steaming mug of tea in each hand. She placed both mugs down on the small table next to the sofa, as her gaze took in his appearance. Her eyes roamed his bare chest, before rising to his face. Their eyes met and as if on cue, they drifted towards each other. When they were just a few inches apart, Max lowered his head at the same time that Liz lifted hers and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

TBC…