Just Acting??: Part VII
by Lissa Mahon
Disclaimer: I own all the characters in this part except Max Guevara and Logan Cale (Although I'd trade all the others in for them in an instant). All the rest of the characters in this chapter came from my very own messed up mind.
I put all thoughts in italics.
Author's Note:: Okay, I've given up on this *not* being a romance story. But if it starts to seem like there's no plot, somebody please let me know. I have also decided that I am going to write a "series" of stories. "Just Acting" is the second story in this series. Please read "Love Just Wasn't Part of the Game" also. It is the first story of my series and a prequel to this story and the ones that will follow it. Thanks! ~Lissa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And Now...The Story~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max woke up early the next morning, long before Logan, giving her some time to think about what had happened the night before.
"I can't remember the last time he looked at someone that way," Katie had said
"He must really like you."
Max turned her head and to look at Logan lying next to her. His usually spiky hair was a complete mess. There were even a few strands over his eye and Max found herself wondering what his hair would feel like if she brushed it back onto his forehead.
Max get a grip. It's *Logan*.
What is wrong with me? she wondered, about rush into the bathroom and take some of the Tryptophan she had brought, afraid a seizure was coming on.
She decided that she couldn't sit there any longer, so she got up, grabbed some clothes, and headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day. She emerged from the bathroom thirty minutes later to find that Logan was still sleeping.
Max walked around the room and began to unpack some of the things they had brought with them. When she had finished putting all of her clothes away she began emptying out Logan's suitcase. As soon as she opened his suitcase, she found his most prized possession.
He can't go anywhere without a computer can he, Max thought as she took the laptop out of the suitcase and placed it on the table near the couch. Then, one by one she lifted the clothes out of the piece of luggage, folded them, and placed them in a drawer.
If Lydecker could see me now, Max thought, he'd be laughing his ass off. You'd think I was Logan's wife or something.
Once she had unpacked everything, she stumbled over to a plush chair near the window and sat down. She pulled the curtain open and peered out the glass. Outside, the sun was just starting to come up over the horizon and the streets were bare. The first light had a blue-silver look to it that Max just couldn't explain. Everything out there seemed so different compared to the smoggy and crowded streets of downtown Seattle.
I guess this is what the U.S. was like, pre-pulse.
Max had been looking out the window for a long time and was absolutely captivated by the beauty of the world outside. She was *so* captivated, in fact, that at first she failed to notice that Logan had awoke and had been watching her.
Logan opened his eyes and squinted to see what was going on. The sunlight coming from the nearby window illuminated the entire room, revealing Max sitting on a chair near the window. She never ceased to amaze him. He had woken up to see her sitting on a chair near him with one leg tucked up near her chin, the other down near the leg of the chair reveling her bare feet. She was wearing blue jeans and a tee-shirt, an unusual outfit compared to her cat suit.
Suddenly, Max sensed that she wasn't the only one awake in the room and turned her head to meet Logan's gaze. Logan looked away almost immediately pretending he hadn't seen her and in that second, he looked almost boyish, embarrassed and shy, but his eyes remained a constant, startling sort of blue. He had the kind of piercing eyes that always took her breath away, that made her stop and look up in surprise. The kind of blue eyes that struck straight through to the heart.
Yeah, Max admitted to herself, he does have amazing eyes.
"Morning sleepyhead," Max teased him as she handed him his glasses and pushed his wheelchair near the bed.
"Morning," Logan murmured wearily, rubbing his eyes before putting the glasses on, as Max managed to help him into the chair. He headed off toward the bathroom, clothes in hand. Max laughed quietly to herself at Logan's half-asleep state.
"So....." he said when he was ready, "you wanna go see what the city looks like or something?"
Max looked up at him and smiled. His glasses had been replaced by contact lenses making his eyes more visible. And, despite the amount of time he spent in the bathroom, his face still looked like it hadn't been shaven in a few days. A millions thoughts flew through Max's head. But,
"Hey, I think you forgot to shave while you were in there," was all she could manage to say.
"Very funny," he said smirking at her.
I have to put up with *this* for another two weeks? he thought to himself.
Max got up from the chair and said, "Whatever you wanna do."
She walked into the bathroom to take some Tryptophan, just-in-case.
Logan was putting on his jacket when there was a knock at the door.
He opened it to find Katie. As similar as their personalities were, Katie didn't look much like Logan, she was a short girl of about twenty with striking blond hair and hazel eyes.
"Hey."
"Hey," she said leaning over to give her cousin a kiss on the cheek.
"I guess I'd better watch out," she said laughing, "Max might get jealous."
Logan chuckled to himself.
Yeah, she'll be jealous all right. Jealous that *she* wasn't in a different part of the house last night.
Katie's expression turned serious all of a sudden. "I was coming to talk to you last night, but I heard you and Max arguing."
Logan's face grew worried.
"You wanna tell me what's going on?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Logan said innocently.
Yeah right, Katie thought.
Katie raised an eyebrow at him.
Damn, and I thought we were doing pretty good with the whole relationship act.
"Okay...Well, you see, Max isn't exactly my girlfriend," he began.
Katie shook her head disapprovingly at him.
"Did anyone else hear us?" Logan asked wondering just how much trouble they were in.
"I doubt it. Mom had those big wooden doors leading to the Great Hall sound-proofed years ago."
Logan breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Katie,
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone and I don't think they'll find out. You guys are pretty convincing."
A flush of crimson passed across Logan's face.
"Anyway," Katie started, "That wasn't why I came to talk to you. Rachel called last night and said that one of her friends backed out of being in the wedding party at the last minute. Something about her mother-in-law be sick, so now she's short a couple for the wedding party."
Oh no, Logan thought, I do *not* like where this is going.
"And she wanted to know if I knew anyone who would be able to fill in. So," she said pausing long enough to take a breath, "I told her that you came in last night with your *girlfriend* and she wanted me to ask you two if you were interested."
"Let me ask Max first."
She'd probably kill me if I didn't. Not that she probably doesn't want to kill me already but...
"Did I hear my name?" Max asked sweetly as she came out of the bathroom and kissed Logan.
Afterward, Logan looked up at Katie and reluctantly told Max,
"It's okay Max. She knows."
"Oh. Well in that case.." she said wrinkling her nose up, "No offense," she said grinning at Logan.
"None taken," he replied, returning the smile.
Oh please, Katie thought, And they say there's nothing going on between them.
"Katie wants to know if we'll fill in for two of Rachel's friends in the wedding."
"You mean.."
"That is if you'll be part of the wedding party," Katie finished for her.
Me. In a long dress. Walking down the aisle of a church with a bunch of flowers in my hands, with Logan Cale. And I thought Lydecker would have gotten a kick out of the whole unpacking the suitcases thing. Well, it can't be that bad. Right?
"Yeah. Sure. Why not?"
"Great. Then that's settled," Katie said as she turned to leave the room. Instead, she stopped and looked back at the two.
"Hey Max."
Max turned to look at her.
"Yeah."
"I'm going into town today to go shopping. We're having a party after the rehearsal dinner in two weeks and I was going to try and find a dress. You wanna come?"
Max glanced at Logan.
"Why don't you go. Maybe you'll find something to wear too."
"Yeah sure. When are you leaving?"
"Meet you downstairs in about 20 minutes?"
"Yeah. See ya then," Max answered smiling as she closed the door.
She turned to Logan, "This is *so* not me."
"Oh come on. Please," he asked sighing, "Look all you have to do is go out and get a dress, go to the party, and then you and I get back on that little plane and fly back to our normal lives of fighting the big bad evil and escaping from some covert military group that's after you. Besides, I'm paying for it all," he said with a grin.
Max laughed a little, "Well. When you put it like that... Besides, I should be able to pick French up pretty quickly, so it can't be that bad. Right?"
I knew that all that Manticore training had to come in handy somewhere.
"Right," Logan said, gesturing to the door, "Let's go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Great Hall~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh Logan. Good Morning," his aunt called to him from across the room.
"It's nice to see you again, Max," she said coldly.
Ya know. I'm starting to get the idea that she doesn't like me.
"Well, you'll have to excuse my home's appearance. We've just begun decorating for Christmas. It's good to get things started early you know."
Max looked around and saw a gigantic spruce tree, fully decorated with ornaments, tinsel, and an angel at the top. It was one of the few Christmas trees that she'd ever seen.
"Oh. Logan," Meredith called again, "Your cousin Felicia is coming in tonight with the baby and Brian is coming tomorrow with the kids."
"God, I haven't seen them in awhile."
"Yes, well be sure to say hello to them," she said as she left the room.
"Who's Felicia?" Max asked.
"Aunt Meredith's daughter and Katie's sister. And Brian was married to my sister Gwen and he's coming with their two kids, Trevor and Tamera. The dreaded T 'n' T." he said chuckling.
Max thought she saw his eyes begin to tear when he mentioned his sister.
What happened to her? He gets really upset every time his family is mentioned.
Max's thoughts were interrupted when Katie walked into the room,
"Hey Max. Ready to go?"
Max nodded.
"Um.. Katie, before you two leave can I talk to you for a minute?" Logan asked.
"Sure," she said moving near him, "Excuse us Max."
He's probably still worried about her knowing our little *secret*, Max thought, continuing to look around the room.
"Yeah. Okay. No problem. I'll guess we'll see you later then," Katie said
"Bye," Max said to Logan quickly kissing him on the cheek, causing a slight shiver from him.
What was that for? he wondered.
"Just in case any of your aunt's servants are watching," she whispered to him.
"Of course. I'll see you later," he called wheeling out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sophie's Dress Shop~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thirty-five minutes later, Katie and Max arrived at the shop.
This is nothing like the 'little dress shop' Katie seemed to be explain not so long ago. Max thought.
The 'little shop' was actually a big store that had all sorts of formal wear in it. Everything from shoes, to dresses, to shawls, to gloves could be found on the shelves of the boutique.
"There are tons of dresses for you to choose from," Katie called leading Max into another part of the store.
Max tried on a few dresses and then decided that she didn't like anything she had seen yet.
This is gonna be harder than I thought.
"Hey Max," Katie called from behind yet another row of dresses, "Come here for a second."
Max meandered her way through millions of dresses before she could find her. Katie was holding in her hand a gold, long dress.
"You *have* to try this on."
So, Max took the dress and went inside one of the little dressing rooms.
This just keeps worse, doesn't it. Max thought as she pulled the fluffy pink curtain closed.
Five minutes later, Max exited the room. The dress fit her to near perfection accenting the *extremely* thin straps that left most of her back bare. But, the most striking aspect of it was the lower bodice, where the sides of the dress were laced up and pulled together by strappy pieces of fabric that tied in back.
"Omigod!" Katie exclaimed, "You look absolutely stunning! Logan is gonna die when he sees you in this," she squealed.
Just *wait* until he sees her in this. He'll forget about his whole 'we're just friends theory'.
"We told you. There's nothing going on between us," Max insisted.
"Oh don't be too sure of yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh come on. I see the way he looks at you, and it is **not** just acting," she told Max.
Ya know, this girl is really stubborn. How in the world can someone be *so* oblivious? Katie thought.
"Or the way he's always smiling when you're around. Not to mention, that no one's seen him this happy since before his parents and sister died."
This lured Max into the conversation. She had been trying to figure out what happened to them for the longest time.
"What happened to them?"
Katie looked up, surprised that Max didn't know, after all, it had been in every newspaper in Seattle.
"He never told you?"
"No. Every time I brought it up with Logan his eyes get this look in the, so I just dropped it," Max said with a heavy heart.
"I've seen it before, that look in his eyes, and you know what? You're the only person I know who can make it go away."
Max retreated to the dressing room.
"Max. Open your eyes. You are not just his friend," Katie yelled from the other side of the door, "If I didn't know better, I'd say that you liked him as well.
Inside the dressing room, Max was finding it difficult to untie the back of the dress.
What is wrong with this thing? Or is it my fingers? she wondered. For some reason she couldn't concentrate on anything. That last conversation was not helping to keep their relationship strictly platonic.
After a couple minutes of dueling with the stubborn straps, Max finally managed to untangle them.
Meanwhile, Katie had been talking on a cell phone, far from Max, in the back of the store in a hushed voice,
"Okay. Yeah. I think she's gonna buy one, yeah, it's gold. Okay. Yeah. We'll stop there next and pick it up. I'll give it to you first chance I have when we get back. Okay. Okay, I gotta go she's getting out of the dressing room. Okay. Bye. Good-bye." And she snapped her cell phone shut and threw it in her purse with just enough time left to run to the other side of the store and say,
"So, are you gonna buy it?"
Max contemplated over the idea as Katie stood there nodding her head and grinning like an idiot trying to persuade her.
"Fine," Max relented.
"Yes!" Katie shrieked as she ran off to show Max the pair of shoes that she thought were a perfect match, leaving Max thinking, Here we go again.
About 45 minutes and three shopping bags later, Max and Katie were outside and walking down the street. Katie had convinced Max to "accessorize" her outfit.
"Hey," Katie said nudging Max's arm, "I have to stop here and pick up a gift for a friend. You don't mind do you?" she said pointing to a jewelry shop on their left.
Max shook her head as she followed the girl into the shop.
"Why don't you look around for a few minutes."
"Okay," Max answered as she started walking around.
The store was filled with all sorts of little trinkets. There were earrings and necklaces with precious stones set in them. Rings and bracelets of gold and platinum. Things Max didn't usually see unless she was trying to sell them on the black market.
At the same time as Max was looking around the store, Katie was whispering to the clerk,
"I'm here to pick up a gift for...." she said in French.
A few minutes later, they were out on the street again. This time, Katie was holding a silver bag in her hand.
"Oh look!," she yelled pointing to a street corner.
"A street fair and look! There's a fortune teller. Let's go get our fortunes read," she snickered.
"I'm not really into that kind of stuff."
"Oh come on," Katie said dragging Max by the arm.
It wasn't long, before Max was underneath a small emerald tent across from an old lady.
Oh gross. She smells like cheap perfume.
Atop the woman's head was a purple turban on her head and in front of her sat a crystal ball on an old wooden table.
Oh brother.
The elderly woman leaned over the table and peered into the crystal ornament.
"You overestimate yourself, my dear," she croaked, "You think you're *so* smart and strong that nothing as trivial as feelings can ever hurt you."
Oh really, Max thought doubtfully.
"But you're wrong, my child. You're not strong or smart and they can and will hurt you. The truth is, you're cold and sick and silly," she said fiercely, "You are cold, because you are alone. There is no fire burning in *your* heart. You are sick, because the emotions that can warm your cold heart stay far away from you. And you are silly, because try as they might, you won't allow these feelings in. Stopping them at the front door and crushing them one by one," the old woman looked up at the girl, "Let yourself feel Max. Let yourself love."
The old woman bent over the crystal ball as her expression changed completely.
"Ah, but what is this I see?"
She seemed surprised and stared even closer into it,
"Hmmmm. This was not here before. No. This is new. This is new," she muttered over and over to herself.
"What is it," Max asked, playing along, but clearly not believing a word the woman was saying.
"Try as you might, those feelings seem to have snuck in. You are already in love, my dear. Although you may not know it, you are in love."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Max said fidgeting uncomfortably.
"Yes. You do. Why don't you admit it?" she asked, "Are you afraid?" she paused for a moment to study Max's face, "Yes. Fear. That's what it is."
"I'm not afraid of anything," Max insisted.
"Oh no, you may not be afraid of fighting or being robbed or that sort of thing, but you do fear love. You think it will make you weak, but in truth, my child it makes you much stronger."
Max sat there staring at the old woman. She couldn't help but feel that there was some truth in what she was saying and it was starting to bother her.
"You know what I'm talking about," the gypsy said beginning to raise her voice, "More importantly, you know who I'm talking about."
Logan. Max thought quickly, the name flickering through her mind. In and out, like a candle being blown out. In spite of that, her expression remained the same.
"Yes," the old lady said bringing Max back to reality, "Him. Reach out to him Max. Let him know you care. If you cannot, then you are destined to live a life of ice. Wishes and regrets will consume you. Begone now my dear and think about what I have said, but most importantly, think of what you can do."
Max shuddered at the woman's words.
"Okay. Well thank you," she said paying the woman and getting out of there as swiftly as possible.
People like that just creep me out. In love. Ha. Yeah right.
Soon, Katie emerged from the tent, leaving Max little time to that thought, and it was soon dismissed.
"So. What'd she try to tell you," Max asked skeptically.
"Oh some tall, blond stranger is gonna sweep me off my feet in the future," she said doubtfully, I didn't believe a word of it of course, but it's still funny to hear what those crazy old loons have to say."
Weird, Max thought, I never *told* her mine name and she still knew that it was....
Max just laughed softly to herself, shaking her head, at the weird friend she had just made as they headed up the hill toward the girl's house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~GREAT HALL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the two girls returned to the manor around 2:00 P.M.
"I'm just gonna go throw this in my room. I'll be right back," Katie said pointing to the bag from the jeweler's.
"Okay," Max said as she began to walk around the hall. She heard the sound of voices coming from behind one of the nearby doors. Max recognized the voice of Logan's aunt and another woman, nodoubtedly younger than the other lady, whom Max could only assume was Felicia.
"You said that Logan came in last night?" the latter inquired.
"Yes. He and his girlfriend Max," Meredith said disappointedly.
"I heard about the accident. How's he doing?"
Max shivered when she heard that. *The accident*
"As well as can be expected with all that's going on."
"And what about the girl. What was her name?"
"Max?"
"Yeah. Max. What's she like?"
Yeah. Come on Aunt Meredith. What do you think of sweet, little Max.
"Oh well...she's not like the rest of us."
Well at least you got that part right.
But, Max was completely taken aback by this comment:
"Well, if you ask me; she's nothing but a piece of trash. The only thing she's in love with is Logan's money."
"Nothing like Valerie. Now those two were perfect for each other. Such an adorable couple they made. But not Max. She's nothing but a little gold digger and Logan deserves better than her."
Max's temper flared at Mrs. Wrobelski's crude vulgarity of speech.
A little gold digger? Only in love with his money? Puh-lease. That self-centered, arrogant, stuck-up, little..
Fortunately, Max's ill-mannered opinions were interrupted by Katie's voice.
While Max was eavesdropping, Katie had walked down a nearby hallway to Logan, who was eagerly waiting for her.
"Here," she said giving him the silver jewelry bag.
"Thanks. I thought I'd get Max something for coming with me."
Katie rolled her eyes.
He's as bad as she is. Oblivious. Completely and totally unaware.
"Please. As if that's the only reason. You like her. Don't you?," she asked knowingly.
"Who? Max?" he asked in bewilderment.
"No. The Easter bunny," Katie replied sarcastically.
"We're are just friends," he assured her.
"Okay. Fine, if you say so.." Katie relented.
One of these days, she thought, I am going to fix them up.
The whole situation reminded her of that old song:
_______________________________
Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me up match,
Find me a find,
Catch me a catch.
_______________________________
Hehe. This is going to be interesting.
She walked back into the Great Hall to find Max leaning near a door.
"Okay," she said happily, "All set. Thanks for coming with me today."
"No problem," Max said heading toward the door that lead to her room.
"Max. Do me a favor and remind Logan that Felicia wants to see you two later."
I'll bet she does.
"Okay," Max said heading down the hallway to her room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Max and Logan's Room~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While Max was talking to his cousin, Logan had wheeled himself back to this room with the bag from Katie hidden in his jacket pocket. When he got back to his room, he removed a gold box from the bag which he carefully opened the closet door and hid the box inside one of his suitcases and quickly closed it as he heard footsteps.
Moments later, Max walked into the room, opened the closet and hung the new dress. Next, she proceeded to drop the rest of her bags on the floor and slumped into the mahogany chair near the window dishearteningly.
"Long day?" Logan asked.
"Something like that," Max said sullenly.
"You okay?" Logan asked, concern in his voice.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Max assured him, smiling, "Katie said that you're cousin Felicia wants to see you later today."
"Okay. So what do you think of her?"
"Who? Katie or Felicia?"
"Katie."
"She's different. But for some strange, little reason, I think I like her. Kinda reminds me of Original Cindy," she said recalling what she'd said before:
You are *not* just his friend.
"Yeah I see the parallel there," Logan answered, his blue beyond blue eyes twinkling as he remembered his last conversation with his cousin:
You like her. Don't you?
It didn't take Max and Logan long to forget about Katie's assumptions and they spent quite sometime, laughing and talking about what they did that day before going for dinner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~GREAT HALL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After dinner, Logan and Max were making their way back to their room when they were stopped by Logan's Aunt Meredith.
"Oh Logan. Come here for a moment will you," his aunt asked.
Logan wheeled his chair over to his aunt as Max followed behind.
Well if it isn't Ms. Talkin-Behind-Your-Back Wrobleski, Max thought.
"Felicia would like to see you I believe. She and Katie are in the parlor."
"Thanks," Logan said as he began to maneuver his wheelchair through the narrow hallway that led to the parlor.
"Hey!" Katie called, waving, as Max and Logan entered the room.
"Logan, I haven't seen you in ages!" a girl, who resembled Katie quite a bit, gushed.
"Hi," Logan said leaning forward to give his cousin a hug and a quick peck on the cheek, "And who's this?" he asked gesturing toward the baby in the girl's arms.
"This is my little Zoë."
"She's beautiful," Max said. The girl looked up at Max as though she had forgotten that she was even in the room with them.
"I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. Hi. I'm Felicia. You must be Max," she said shaking Max's hand.
"Yes."
"Well it's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."
I bet you did, Max thought feigning a pleasant smile.
Felicia looked down at the baby.
"She is cute isn't she," she said looking at Max. Suddenly, it seemed as though she got an idea, "Would you like to hold her?"
"Umm....Yeah. Sure. May I?"
"Sure," she said handing her the infant.
Logan had been sitting there the whole time watching the two women talk for the past ten minutes, but at that point, it was like he saw Max transform before his own eyes. He couldn't help but stare at her. She looked so innocent there holding the child, that even he had to stop and catch his breath.
This can't be the same girl that's my cold, impassive sidekick in Seattle. *This* Max is just so much older, so mature, so much more....maternal? I mean just look at her. The way she's smiling. The way she seems so comfortable with a kid in her arms. The girl will make a great mom someday.
Unfortunately for Logan, his thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of the old grandfather clock in the Great Hall. Eleven times it chimed, before Katie spoke up.
"Well, I think it's time for us to get some sleep. Besides, I don't think we want to risk waking someone up."
"What did Logan fall asleep again on us?" Max asked jokingly.
"Come on Logan wake up," she teased.
"Ha ha," he replied dryly,
"No, not me," he said pointing to the child in Max's arms. Little Zoë had fallen asleep.
"Well I guess your right," Felicia started as she took the baby from Max, "It was nice seeing you all. Goodnight."
"'Night," Max whispered as she and Logan left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MAX AND LOGAN'S ROOM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You know, you should get some rest. You have to be at that doctor's office by what time tomorrow?" Max asked Logan who was typing furiously on his laptop. He had spent the past hour trying to figure out what was going on in Seattle. He had discovered that Lydecker still had the entire Seattle PD looking for Max.
"Um..." he said not even looking up from the computer, "10:30 I think."
He closed his computer and put it on the dresser and looked up at Max who was moving her neck
back and forth.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. I think I just pulled something today trying on all those dresses," she said laughing a little.
"Come here for a second," Logan said pointing to her side of the bed.
Max walked over and cautiously sat down. Max's heart skipped a beat as Logan began massaging her
shoulders. And for just a second, she forgot about the world around her. When he stopped, Max
leaned back against his chest.
"Better?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said, looking over her shoulder at him.
"You're coming with me tomorrow right?"
All of a sudden, that feeling that Max had felt the night before returned.
What's wrong with me? I should say no. I'm beginning to think that I should've said no to this whole
trip. Who knows what might happen between us? Okay Max. Just tell him no. Make up some excuse
like you would if you were talking to Normal.
"Do you want me to?" she asked.
Shit. Max why did you say that?
She couldn't help feeling like a rubber band. And, every time she was near him, it was like she was
being stretched in two different directions. Sooner or later she was going to snap. And when that
happened, who knows what else could.
"Yeah," Logan answered, swallowing hard, "It would be nice to have someone there."
And then it happened. Their eyes met. And once again the rubber band was stretched.
Max smiled at him as she moved over to her half of the bed, "I'll be there."
"Great."
"'Night Max."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
As Logan closed his eyes and tried to sleep, something kept haunting him in the back of his mind and
it scared him. He feared that he was falling for the girl lying beside him.
And as for Max. The words of the fortune teller echoed in her head.
Think about what you can do.
And she did. She did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part VIII to come soon. What did you think????? Too romantic?? Please let me know. ~Lissa