AN: This chapter took longer to write than usual, but I'm working on another story besides this one so I'm trying my best to update quickly, but it's difficult when you don't have any inspiration.

Disclaimer: None of the characters except Michelle, Anna and Michelle's mom belong to me. Neither do the lyrics of the song. Across the Universe is property of Julie Taymor, Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures. All the lyrics to the songs belong to The Beatles, except Anna Go to Him which is a cover they did. The lyrics of Anna Go to Him belong to Arthur Alexander.

Chapter Four

Anna

The past few months had been like paradise for Max, everything was going well for him. He had a girlfriend who loved him, he had a steady job, a roof over his head and great friends. Life was perfect, and that was odd because nothing in Max's life had ever been perfect. Never, not even when he was a little kid, but now everything seemed to be looking up. For the first time in his life he was genuinely happy, and it was all because of Anna. Beautiful, smart, sweet Anna.

That's why he made up his mind. He had been saving money for months to buy an engagement his friends thought he was crazy, after all he had only been dating Anna for two months. Jude had been dating his sister for over a year in a half and he still wasn't ready to propose. But Max just knew Anna was the one. No other girl even came close. She was perfect.

"Why are you so happy?" The Englishman asked.

Max grinned sheepishly stuffing a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"I'm gonna propose to Anna today."

Jude froze. Not sure if what he just heard was true. Maybe Max was just pulling his leg. He laughed.

"Nice one."

"I'm serious." The blond responded with a sincere tone.

Jude shook his head in disbelief. Like Lucy and the others he thought Max had been joking when he had proclamed he was going to buy an engagement ring for Anna. But Max didn't look like he was joking this time. "Don't you think you're rushing this?"

"She's the one, Jude. I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

The lad from Liverpool could tell Max was being serious. He really loved Anna, but still Jude didn't exactly approve of him jumping into marriage.

"Are you sure?" He asked one last time hoping his friend would come to his senses.

Max nodded. He was sure.

Cafe Huh was pretty much empty during the day which was great for Max. He didn't feel like proposing in the middle of one of Sadie's raunchy performances. Anna was waiting, sitting next to the empty stage. She looked gorgeous as always, she was wearing a tight pink sweater with a knee length peach colored skirt. Her ashy blonde hair was down, falling like a cascade down her shoulders.

Max sighed, suddenly the engagement ring in his pocket felt heavy. He shrugged his shoulders and stretched his arms as he tried to shake off his nerves. He was doing the right thing, he kept telling himself.

"Hey." He said nervously as he sat down in front of her.

"Hi." She said smiling. Then her smile faded. "I have to tell you something Max."

"Me too." He reached into his coat pocket taking out a little black velvet box.

At first Anna looked confused, but then her eyes widened as she realized what it meant.

"Max, please I..."

He held his hand up. "I love you, Anna. And I know we haven't been dating for too long, but I know you're the one. The one for me."

He opened the box revealing a beautiful diamond engagement ring. It was very simple; white gold with a small oval cut diamond. Despite it's simplicity, it still had a lot of elegance.

Anna's eyes began to water.

"Will you marry me?" Max asked. The hand that held the ring began shaking as his nerves got the best of him.

Anna reached over taking the little velvet box into her hands as she looked fondly at the ring, a small smile setting on her face before she closed the box . The smile on her face disappearing as soon as it had appeared.

"No." She stated turning her attention back to Max.

The blond looked shocked at first, then confusion began setting in. "What?"

The tears she was holding back began to fall. "I can't marry you."

Max shook his head in disbelief. Didn't she love him? He couldn't understand why she would reject him. Was it because he lived in a shared flat with five roommates? Was it because he drove a cab? Because he was a college drop out?

"Why?"

"I've been seeing someone else."

He fell back against the chair. Like he had just been sucker punched. Of all the reasons he had definitely not been expecting that one. She hadn't been faithful, she had been seeing someone else. Someone else. Some other guy who had tasted those same lips he so loved. Some other guy had been touching her, kissing her...making love to her.

"For how long?" Max asked, his eyes dampening.

"About a week now." She looked down so ashamed with herself she could barely look into his eyes

He put his hand in front of his mouth as he tried to control himself. He wanted to yell at her, he wanted to scream and make a show. And humiliate her in front of everyone there. He wanted to drag into the street and into the gravel and make her feel as much pain as she was making him feel now.

"You couldn't tell me earlier." He said taking the hand out of his mouth.

She tried to speak, to defend herself, but he interrupted her.

"No. You made me waste my time. I bought this fucking ring for you because I love you. And you fucking tear my heart out of my chest and you stomp into the ground."

"Max..." Anna trailed off. She didn't know what to say; how to comfort him. After all he was right. She had wasted his time. Broken his heart. His trust. She knew there was no way to salvage their friendship. It was done.

"He's a great guy. He's an English major like me. You guys would get along so well."

He stood up abruptly. He wasn't going to sit there as she boasted about this guy she had been cheating on him with. He had too much dignity to do that.

"Max, please don't..."

Anna,
You come and ask me, girl,
To set you free, girl,
You say he loves you more than me,
So I will set you free,
Go with him.
Go with him.

"I still want to be your friend." She tried to plead, but he wasn't having any of it as he kept on singing.

Anna,
Girl, before you go now,
I want you to know, now,
That I still love you so,
But if he loves you mo',
Go with him.

All of my life,
I've been searchin' for a girl
To love me like I love you.
Oh, now.. But every girl I've ever had,
Breaks my heart and leave me sad.
What am I, what am I supposed to do.
Oh...

Anna,
Just one more thing, girl.
You give back your ring to me, and I will set you free,
Go with him.

She looked down at the little velvet box in her hand. Crying she gave it back to him.

"I...I'm sorry." She said sincerely, her hazel orbs staring into his own.

Max could tell she was being honest, but he didn't care. He stormed out of the cafe in anger clutching the box in hand as he tried to control himself. He wanted to yell, cry, shout to the heavens. But he didn't, he just kept walking.

Jude sat in the kitchen conflicted. Max had been locked in his room for two days now. He would only come out to the kitchen to get a snack whenever he was hungry and to go to the bathroom. Everyone was staring to worry, mostly Lucy. Jude could only assume that Max had proposed and Anna had rejected him. Lucy confirmed his suspicions when she asked Anna about it.

Jude kept trying to speak with his friend, but every time the other man shrugged him off, and went and locked himself in his room again.

"Hey."

Jude looked up to see his cousin smiling as she sat down next to him. He smiled back, it was impossible to be in a bad mood when Michelle was around. She just had that effect on everyone. Well...everyone except Max.

"Why the long face?"

"It's Max..."

"Your friend." She interrupted. She hadn't really been paying much attention to the rude blond, in fact she had been avoiding him as much as she could, but even she could tell he was upset. Michelle knew it had something to do with his girlfriend, but she was too afraid to ask Jude or Lucy about it. She didn't want to seem nosy or anything.

"Yeah, I've tried everything, but he just refuses to leave his room."

"And I can't keep driving his cab forever." Jude hated driving Max's cab. Most of time because he got lost. And the costumers were rude, too.

"Maybe he just needs time. You can't rush him. When Phil broke up with me, I wouldn't leave the house for a week, but then I got over it. I'm sure it will be the same for your friend, and before you know it he'll be himself again." She put a hand on Jude's shoulder as she tried to reassure him that his friend would get better eventually.

"Thanks, Michelle. You're the best."

"I know." She replied with a cheeky grin.

Jude laughed putting his arms around his cousin and hugging her tightly.

"I tried talking to him again." Lucy said entering into their room.

Jude winced as the door slammed as she slammed the door shut. He could tell she was angry.

"And?"

"What do you think! He won't even open the door." She crossed her arms as she leaned against the door. She shut her eyes as she tried to control her rage.

"He's acting like child."

Jude put his sketch book down as he focused on his girlfriend.

"Maybe you should try seeing it from his perspective. He proposed to the woman he loved and she rejected him."

But Lucy couldn't understand. "I'm his sister. He can tell me anything. Even after the war, he spoke to me. Why is this different?"

"Because he was in love with her."

Lucy shook her head. Max had never shut her out like this. After Vietnam he had been hurt, but he had never shut her out. He told her about his nightmare. About the sound of bombs, about the smell of the napalm, the smell of decaying burnt flesh, the sight of the bodies of the dead soldiers...

Why was this different?

Max refused to leave his room unless he had to. He just didn't feel like pretending and acting like he was happy when he wasn't. He kept replaying what Anna had told him; I've been seeing someone else, in his mind, over and over again. He was trying so hard to forget, but he couldn't. That day and those words were engraved in his mind forever.

Of all the women Max had ever been with, had ever dated; Anna had been special, she was the only he felt he had...he genuinely loved. But he guesses she had never felt that way about him.

Suddenly a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He hoped it wasn't Lucy, he didn't feel like talking to anyone least of all her.

"Who is it?"He asked, his voice low and emotionless.

"It's Lucy."

Max sighed, but instead of shutting her away like usually did he decided against it.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk, please."

There was something different about Lucy. A deep longing in her voice and he suddenly felt like a jerk. All Lucy wanted to do was be there for him, and he just kept shutting her out. He groaned as he stood up, walking to the door. He unlocked it before walking back to the bed.

"Come in."

Lucy exhaled in relief as she walked into the room.

"Close the door."

"Oh, sorry." She said apologetically as she shut the door.

Lucy took her time examining her brother. He looked awful to be honest. His hair was greasy and uncombed. He had dark circles around his eyes. He wore a white shirt with grease stains and faded boxer shorts.

"You look awful."

"Thanks." He responded sarcastically.

"I'm sorry."

An awkward silence followed her apology.

"Max, I spoke to Jude, and I think I understand now." She voiced breaking the unbearable silence.

Max chuckled dryly. "Really?" He asked bitingly.

Lucy had enough of Max's behavior.

"Yes, I do. Do you remember Daniel?"

Max winced. He had forgotten about Daniel. Lucy and Daniel had been together since they were in diapers. Then Daniel was killed in Vietnam. He remembered how heartbroken Lucy had been by his death, and suddenly he felt like a jerk. An idiot and a jerk.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't. Just stop. Stop withdrawing yourself. Stop with all this. There's other girls out there Max. You'll find someone else. After Daniel died, I felt the same way you do now, but then I fell in love with Jude. You're going to find someone else. Just like I did."

Lucy left after her small speech leaving Max to ponder her words.

Tell me what u guys think. Plz r&r.