Chapter I: When Things Take A Turn To The Worst
The rain was pouring heavily and the rumbling of thunder was so loud that it could turn a person deaf.
Liz was on her bed writing in her journal to the sounds of "I Shall Believe" by Sheryl Crow. The song was on repeat. "Why did it have hurt so much?" Liz thought to herself. "Why did it have to be me? Why did he have to come to me? Why did he make me do it?" Liz looked up from her journal and at the picture of Max and herself on the bedside table. She slammed it face down before the tears fell from her eyes. "I had to do it. It was for the good of the world." Liz reminded herself.
Lightning struck outside her window, sending a flash of bright light into the room and casting a shadow on the floor near the window. Seeing the shadow, Liz looked up towards the window remembering the time Future Max had come and quickly putting her journal away.
Max was outside kneeling, looking at her. A mix of emotions was written on his face, anger, hurt, hate, confusion. He didn't wait for Liz to come and unlock the window; he did it himself. He climbed in just as Liz started to stand up.
"Max, you shouldn't be here."
He ignored her and took off his wet jacket and tossed it to the side. He looked up at her and studied her, walking towards her slowly.
"Max, you're scaring me."
Max swallowed slowly in preparation to what he was going to say in reply. He licked his lower lip and finally spoke.
"How could you? How could you sleep with him? I keep telling myself that there was a reason you did it because Liz Parker was never a harlot. Or maybe I was wrong."
"Max, I. That's not what happened."
The harshness of his words caught her and left her hanging.
"I thought I knew you. Did our love mean anything to you? No. That's not the question I should be asking. Did you ever even love me?"
He advanced a couple of steps more. He was so close Liz could feel the heat of his breath.
"Max, of course I did. I still do love you. You just don't understand."
"I understand perfectly. This was just all about sex."
He turned around and ran his fingers through his hair. Liz inched towards the door, but to no avail. Max turned around again and pressed her against the wall.
"Now you're going to regret you ever invited him in."
Liz flinched. Max reached over and locked the door.
"Max, no. What are you doing? This isn't you."
"The Max you knew died when you slept with Kyle."
He leaned in and kissed her, but she attempted to pull away without success.
"I'm sorry it had to turn out this way, but you left me no choice."
He threw her to the bed and took off his shirt.
"Max, why are you doing this?"
He didn't answer.
"Max, please."
He ignored her pleas, her cries, her whimpers of pain, but as soon as the dirty deed was complete, reality struck him sharply as quickly as glass shatters upon impact.
"Oh my god. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Liz didn't say anything in response. She just sobbed and turned over as Max quickly got off the bed.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
He picked up his things and quickly dressed himself. As soon as he finished he left through the window, mumbling his apologies over and over.
The rain was pouring heavily and the rumbling of thunder was so loud that it could turn a person deaf.
Liz was on her bed writing in her journal to the sounds of "I Shall Believe" by Sheryl Crow. The song was on repeat. "Why did it have hurt so much?" Liz thought to herself. "Why did it have to be me? Why did he have to come to me? Why did he make me do it?" Liz looked up from her journal and at the picture of Max and herself on the bedside table. She slammed it face down before the tears fell from her eyes. "I had to do it. It was for the good of the world." Liz reminded herself.
Lightning struck outside her window, sending a flash of bright light into the room and casting a shadow on the floor near the window. Seeing the shadow, Liz looked up towards the window remembering the time Future Max had come and quickly putting her journal away.
Max was outside kneeling, looking at her. A mix of emotions was written on his face, anger, hurt, hate, confusion. He didn't wait for Liz to come and unlock the window; he did it himself. He climbed in just as Liz started to stand up.
"Max, you shouldn't be here."
He ignored her and took off his wet jacket and tossed it to the side. He looked up at her and studied her, walking towards her slowly.
"Max, you're scaring me."
Max swallowed slowly in preparation to what he was going to say in reply. He licked his lower lip and finally spoke.
"How could you? How could you sleep with him? I keep telling myself that there was a reason you did it because Liz Parker was never a harlot. Or maybe I was wrong."
"Max, I. That's not what happened."
The harshness of his words caught her and left her hanging.
"I thought I knew you. Did our love mean anything to you? No. That's not the question I should be asking. Did you ever even love me?"
He advanced a couple of steps more. He was so close Liz could feel the heat of his breath.
"Max, of course I did. I still do love you. You just don't understand."
"I understand perfectly. This was just all about sex."
He turned around and ran his fingers through his hair. Liz inched towards the door, but to no avail. Max turned around again and pressed her against the wall.
"Now you're going to regret you ever invited him in."
Liz flinched. Max reached over and locked the door.
"Max, no. What are you doing? This isn't you."
"The Max you knew died when you slept with Kyle."
He leaned in and kissed her, but she attempted to pull away without success.
"I'm sorry it had to turn out this way, but you left me no choice."
He threw her to the bed and took off his shirt.
"Max, why are you doing this?"
He didn't answer.
"Max, please."
He ignored her pleas, her cries, her whimpers of pain, but as soon as the dirty deed was complete, reality struck him sharply as quickly as glass shatters upon impact.
"Oh my god. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Liz didn't say anything in response. She just sobbed and turned over as Max quickly got off the bed.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
He picked up his things and quickly dressed himself. As soon as he finished he left through the window, mumbling his apologies over and over.