Payson was leaving the gym after a long day of training. Her muscles ached, and she felt like whining, but she told herself to stop being stupid. After she won gold in London, all the pain would be worth it. "Wait, Payson!" Max called, breathless, running to catch up with her. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure. Make it quick, though, Becca is waiting for me at home."

"I don't think this is a 'make it quick' type of conversation," he said. "Could I come by your house later?"

"If you want," she responded with a smile. "Phoebe will be excited."

"Yeah," he said, laughing. "See you later."

"Bye." She watched him go, and a sudden fear crept up her neck. Her gymnastics may have improved since she met him, but what if she let this relationship go too far? He could cross the line from a benefit into a distraction very easily, and was she really being fair to him if the only reason she wanted to be with him was so her sport could improve?

Payson shrugged the feeling off. It wasn't a good idea to be worried while driving. Lauren's accident was constantly on her mind. She had known Lauren for years, and no matter how difficult she could be, she was a friend. Another thing that bothered her was that Max was the one who had been injured, but Payson had been more worried about Lauren than she had been about the boy she had confessed her "love" to.

She did love Max. She did, really. Didn't she? A thought occurred to her. No matter how many times she told people her feelings were Sasha for gone, she knew in the back of her mind it was a lie. When he had pulled away from her kiss and she had realized what she'd done, she was mortified and incredibly hurt. She ran away to scold herself, but when she was alone all she could do was cry.

Then Max came along. And he liked her, maybe even loved her, and there was no question about it. She didn't have to constantly worry about it. She could just be with him, without any real complications.

With Sasha there would be complications. No matter if they stayed together for years, people would still say that no decent man would chase after a minor, and if they weren't careful enough he could end up in prison. Not to mention her gymnastics. If the NGO were to find out before the Olympics, both their careers would be over.

And he doesn't even love you, Payson thought.For a while she had been the center of his attention, until Lauren started struggling. Then suddenly he was with her all the time. She wasn't special to him anymore, it seemed, and that hurt even more. Max was a comfort, he bandaged her wounds until she went to the gym and saw him speak to Summer, and the injuries split open again. Summer was to him what Max could be to her, if she wasn't already swept away by Sasha's current. No complications, the ideal relationship. If only she could have that with Max.

She reached home. The instant she opened the door, Becca was there, hands on her hips. "What?" Payson asked.

"You know what."

"Oh. Phoebe?"

"YES! She chewed up my favorite shoes, AGAIN! I'm at the gym all the time, so when I actually have plans I want to wear the shoes that I like the best! It's your job to make sure Phoebe doesn't get in my room, and it's my job to make sure she doesn't go in your room. Has Phoebe ever gotten into your room and chewed your favorite shoes, Payson, has she?"

"No, Becca, but your door doesn't have a lock. She can just jump up against it and get in. I'm sorry! Why do you care about those shoes anyway?"

"They were a gift."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!"

"Fine, I forgive you. I can't be mad at Phoebe; she's so cute, so I guess I figure I have to be mad at you, so I'm sorry too."

Payson laughed and gave her sister a hug. "It's okay. How about…" Max rapped on the door. "Already?" she asked, confused and a little irritated. She had wanted to call Kaylie to talk about her situation with Austin, but she plastered a smile on her face and opened the door. Becca went to her room. "Hi," Payson greeted him.

"Hey, I just couldn't wait to see you." Payson felt badly for being annoyed. He was so sweet; she just wished she felt more for him. When she had told him she loved him she had been upset to see the look on Sasha's face when Summer announced her upcoming marriage. She hugged him, and knew she had to end things eventually; she just didn't want to lose his friendship. She valued it like she valued her relationship with Kaylie or Lauren or even Kelly Parker.

"Do you want to come in?" she offered, going to sit on the sofa. "I actually wanted to talk to you too." He brightened.

"Well, great, because I have a lot to tell you. Listen, Pay…"

"Payson," she corrected. "Only Kaylie and Lauren call me Pay." She winced at how harsh she sounded. "Never mind, I just like my real name better," she said in a softer tone. "And Max, I know what you're going to tell me." He looked completely taken aback.

"You do? Who told you?"

"Nobody had to tell me. We both know it isn't going to work this way." He jumped off of the couch, a hurt expression in his eyes. "Listen…" she started.

"No, you listen, Payson." She hated how angrily he said her name, but let him continue. "If you don't want to be with me just because I'm bi, then maybe I don't want to be with you either. I knew you'd be upset, but I thought it would be because I didn't tell you, not because…"

"Wait, Max, you're bi?"

"Yes. Isn't that what…?"

They both looked at each other for a moment. Max looked at her, and seemed to understand where this would head. His head hung, and he laughed a little, recalling Denver, when he showed her the video of her floor routine. Payson had said that a "good friend" had showed her how beautiful she was. "Lucky guy," he'd responded, but when he came to Boulder and Payson wasn't seeing anyone, he thought he might have had a chance.

Then he saw clearly. He wasn't superior to this guy; he was just a consolation because Payson couldn't have who she really wanted to be with. She was a good person. She wouldn't break up with him because of something like being bi. She would break up with him for a good reason. He only wished this good reason wouldn't hurt so much.

"I've been horrible to you," she said. "I really wanted to love you. I thought if I told you I did I could forget…"

"That you didn't," he finished her sentence. She nodded regretfully. "Well," Max sighed. "Being friends worked pretty well for a while, didn't it?" Payson smiled and nodded again. "I don't know about you, but I kind of liked it," he joked. She punched his shoulder playfully.

"Me too, Max, me too."

"So could we still…" Payson cut him off by hugging him. "Okay," he laughed. "I guess that's a yes." Inside he knew he would never be satisfied with friendship, but he didn't want to be anybody's second choice, even if that person was as wonderful as Payson.

Max stood to go, and Payson walked him out. "See you tomorrow," she said.

"You will," he countered.

Instead of replying with a witty comeback like she usually would, Payson only raised a hand and closed the door. She went to go call Kaylie, a little pain in her chest as she walked into her room. She just broke up with the best boyfriend ever for a man that would never love her. Even knowing this, she couldn't help but hold on to that little pinprick of hope she held in her mind. If Sasha wanted her, he could then have her and despite all the other barriers between them, there was then one less.

"Hey," Kaylie said, "I'm really glad you called."

"I'm really glad you answered," Payson quipped.

"Listen, Pay, you really need to break up with Max." Putting her hand on the receiver, she faced Austin, who was sitting next to her in the Cruz's living room. "What?" she asked.

"Kaylie, you have to listen to me…" he said.

"Hello?" Payson said into the phone.

"I'm here," Kaylie said, mouthing to Austin "One minute."

"Listen, Kaylie, I already broke up with Max five minutes ago."

"Oh no, are you okay?" Kaylie immediately asked. "I never should have said anything."

"Kaylie," Austin said, "Max isn't gay!"

"What?" Kaylie asked him.

"He's bi," Austin explained.

"Oh my gosh," she said, putting the phone against her ear again to listen to Payson.

"That's okay," Payson said to her, laughing a little. "Max and I are still going to be friends. But, just curious, why did you think I needed to break up with him?"

"Because he kissed Austin," she answered, "but Austin just told me he's not gay. I thought he was gay."

"He's bi," Payson said, "and that's not why I broke up with him," she quickly added.

"Well, of course not, you would never do that," Kaylie said, "but just curious, why did you?"

"PAYSON," Becca screamed, "HELP ME PICK OUT MY EARRINGS FOR RACHEL'S HOUSE!"

"Sorry, Kaylie, I have to go," Payson said quickly, "but I'll see you tomorrow."

"Well, okay, but…" The line went dead. Austin looked at Kaylie expectantly.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"She broke up with Max, but not because he's bi."

"She knows he's bi?"

"Yeah, but that's not why."

"Well, then why did she break up with him?"

"She didn't say."

"Poor Max," he said.

"Poor Payson," she answered, leaning in to kiss him lightly. A thought struck her. "Wait a minute," she said, "didn't you help Payson when she had to switch routines with Lauren?"

"Yeah," he said. "She said she didn't want to impress anybody, but…"

"We all assumed she wanted to impress Max anyway," Kaylie finished. "But Austin, think about it, who is the only other boy in the gym that would really be paying attention to her routine besides Max?"

"Me?" he inquired.

"No," she said, wondering how boys could be so clueless, "Sasha!"