~A/N~ Although I am not getting reviews I am going to finish this story.
One more chapter and it is done. I would help me SO much if you would
please review this if you read it. Please? Thank you if you do- you help so
much. Enjoy people.
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*The Next Morning*
Liz bounded down the stairs and through the back doors of the restaurant and suddenly came to a dead stop. She laughed at the sight in front of her. Michael was sitting in one of the booths with Maria sprawled in his laps with her eyes closed and his head nestled in her neck whispering something to her.
Their eyes opened when they heard her come down. "I see you two are right back to where you were when Michael left." Liz said smiling as she grabbed a cloth and began wiping down the tables for opening.
Maria laughed as she slowly and somewhat reluctantly left Michael's lap, much to his protest, and walked over to Liz. Michael followed.
"Hey Liz, how you been lately?" He asked already knowing the answer- Maria had filled him in the night before.
Liz sighed glancing up at him. "Not the greatest." She said as the memories of the night before rushed to her mind.
Maria looked worriedly at her. "Max went to your room last night didn't he?" Liz nodded and Maria concluded, "and so did Sean."
Liz looked down at her hands and nodded. "It was terrible- I don't know what to feel anymore you know? I- I just don't know. They fought- Max and Sean. I mean actually fought. Fists and everything. Max started it when Sean said something about him loving me," She shook her head as she remembered. "I told them to go and said I would make my 'decision' when I was ready. My decision. How terrible is that? How am I supposed to choose Maria? How?"
Michael listened intently. "I can see where you're at Liz but, of course, I am going to say go with Max. What else do you expect me to say? I respect your decision though and I know that you will make the right choice- whether that is Max or Sean you can do it."
Liz nodded her head to show Michael she understood, "thanks Michael. I know you're going to be inclined to tell me to go with Max but you," she sighed pausing briefly before she went on. "You just haven't been here lately."
*That night*
Liz stared at the magazine, never tearing her eyes away and trying not to think about Max or Sean. That was all she had been thinking about all day and her mind was spinning with the decision- each possibility racing through her mind just followed by the next.
"Liz," the voice said and her head shot toward the patio. She felt her heart drop.
"Max, you shouldn't be here." She said quietly as she watched him come in from the patio and walk nearer to her.
He sighed nodding his head as he sat down on the bed across from her. "I know that. I had to see you Liz. I haven't seen you for six months- I just had to talk to you for awhile." He paused glancing at her, "we don't have to talk about Sean or any of that crap if you don't want. I just wanted to see you." He looked at her and knew she wanted to talk to him too. He knew she had missed him- even though Sean was in the picture.
She nodded slowly and smiled, "so what was Antar like anyway?"
He too smiled, "it was hot and baron. No trees or anything. It was just so- not home. You know what I mean? The whole time I was there I kept getting these memories of things I had done there- things Zan had done there. I kept saying 'Come on Max, this is your home.' It wasn't though- Antar will never be my home. My home is with you Liz- I know you don't want me to say that but it is."
Liz looked at him and a silence fell over the room. Slowly Max leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. She knew she should pull away but she didn't- longing to remember how it had been when life was simple. When Sean was just Maria's cousin and Max was the only one she could ever love.
Slowly Max pulled away and looked at her with a sad look in his eye and instantly Liz knew what had happened. She shook her head and whispered, "you saw it all didn't you? All that time with Sean. You saw it when you kissed me?"
He nodded and sighed. "I should go. I shouldn't even be here."
He began to get up off the bed but Liz caught his hand, "I want to know one thing Max. Did you see Tess?"
Max paused before nodding. "I saw Tess and I saw my son. I made him the heir to the throne. When he is old enough he will take over. Tess has been banished and put into a 'prison' up on Antar."
Liz looked at him. "And that's all Max? I see flashes when I kiss you too remember. I know what happened up on Antar," she said remembering the one flash she had gotten when she kissed him. A flash of the two kissing accompanied with a feeling of love from Max.
Max shook his head, "I have to go." He said before he slid off the bed and out the to the patio, descending down the ladder.
*30 Minutes Later*
"Alright, alright. I'm here. I don't see what was so important that I had to come over IMMEDIATELY. I mean, Michael was there- MICHAEL WAS THERE. You understand?" Maria stopped and looked over at Liz's face and her mouth clamped shut. She paused before going on, "are you alright? You look terrible- what happened?"
Liz shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry Maria. It was selfish of me to want you to come over right away but-"
"No way Liz. I am totally here for you- I told you that. Anytime you need me you call and I'll be over in a minute," she took a seat on the bed next to Liz, "so what happened?"
Liz took a shaky breath, "Max happened."
"He came here didn't he? After you specifically asked him! I know you love the boy Liz but he can piss me off more than you could imagine."
Liz smiled and shook her head. "He came in Maria and we were just talking- about Antar and what it had been like. All of a sudden he was kissing me. And, I saw a flash of him and Tess up on Antar and they were kissing-"
"KISSING!" Maria cut her off again and jumped off the bed and began to pace back and forth across he small area of carpet. "Kissing up on Antar? What happened to his whole 'I can't believe you weren't completely faithful to me?' speech? Huh?"
"Calm down Maria and let me finish. He was kissing Tess but that wasn't what upset me so much," she glanced at Maria's shocked expression before going on. "What upset me was the kiss. When I kissed Max I felt- I felt nothing."
"Nothing? As in- as in NOTHING? As in none of those sparks you used to talk about?"
Liz nodded her head vigorously. "He kissed me and it didn't feel at all like what it used to. When Max used to kiss me I got so lost in him it seemed like nothing was going on other than that kiss. When he kissed me today- I felt nothing."
Maria paused before answering. She took a breath and looked at Liz, "so then what's the problem? I mean, it obviously isn't Max. I hate to say this gross and disgusting comment but it looks like Sean is your answer."
Liz shook he head burying it in her hands and groaning. "You see, that's the thing! What if I am wrong? Max was my first love Maria. My destiny. How can you replace that? How can one guy come and ruin my whole existence, tear down the barrier I had built up, and show me that everything I once believed was a complete lie? How could Sean ever do that? He is just a guy- how can he have so much power?"
Maria shook her head and sighed. "I don't know Liz. You have to decide though, it isn't fair what you are doing to Sean or Max. I live with Sean you know- he has been so depressed. He doesn't leave his room except to get food. He has been terrible. You just can't do it to them anymore."
"I'll make my decision Maria. I'll make my decision very soon."
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*The Next Morning*
Liz bounded down the stairs and through the back doors of the restaurant and suddenly came to a dead stop. She laughed at the sight in front of her. Michael was sitting in one of the booths with Maria sprawled in his laps with her eyes closed and his head nestled in her neck whispering something to her.
Their eyes opened when they heard her come down. "I see you two are right back to where you were when Michael left." Liz said smiling as she grabbed a cloth and began wiping down the tables for opening.
Maria laughed as she slowly and somewhat reluctantly left Michael's lap, much to his protest, and walked over to Liz. Michael followed.
"Hey Liz, how you been lately?" He asked already knowing the answer- Maria had filled him in the night before.
Liz sighed glancing up at him. "Not the greatest." She said as the memories of the night before rushed to her mind.
Maria looked worriedly at her. "Max went to your room last night didn't he?" Liz nodded and Maria concluded, "and so did Sean."
Liz looked down at her hands and nodded. "It was terrible- I don't know what to feel anymore you know? I- I just don't know. They fought- Max and Sean. I mean actually fought. Fists and everything. Max started it when Sean said something about him loving me," She shook her head as she remembered. "I told them to go and said I would make my 'decision' when I was ready. My decision. How terrible is that? How am I supposed to choose Maria? How?"
Michael listened intently. "I can see where you're at Liz but, of course, I am going to say go with Max. What else do you expect me to say? I respect your decision though and I know that you will make the right choice- whether that is Max or Sean you can do it."
Liz nodded her head to show Michael she understood, "thanks Michael. I know you're going to be inclined to tell me to go with Max but you," she sighed pausing briefly before she went on. "You just haven't been here lately."
*That night*
Liz stared at the magazine, never tearing her eyes away and trying not to think about Max or Sean. That was all she had been thinking about all day and her mind was spinning with the decision- each possibility racing through her mind just followed by the next.
"Liz," the voice said and her head shot toward the patio. She felt her heart drop.
"Max, you shouldn't be here." She said quietly as she watched him come in from the patio and walk nearer to her.
He sighed nodding his head as he sat down on the bed across from her. "I know that. I had to see you Liz. I haven't seen you for six months- I just had to talk to you for awhile." He paused glancing at her, "we don't have to talk about Sean or any of that crap if you don't want. I just wanted to see you." He looked at her and knew she wanted to talk to him too. He knew she had missed him- even though Sean was in the picture.
She nodded slowly and smiled, "so what was Antar like anyway?"
He too smiled, "it was hot and baron. No trees or anything. It was just so- not home. You know what I mean? The whole time I was there I kept getting these memories of things I had done there- things Zan had done there. I kept saying 'Come on Max, this is your home.' It wasn't though- Antar will never be my home. My home is with you Liz- I know you don't want me to say that but it is."
Liz looked at him and a silence fell over the room. Slowly Max leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. She knew she should pull away but she didn't- longing to remember how it had been when life was simple. When Sean was just Maria's cousin and Max was the only one she could ever love.
Slowly Max pulled away and looked at her with a sad look in his eye and instantly Liz knew what had happened. She shook her head and whispered, "you saw it all didn't you? All that time with Sean. You saw it when you kissed me?"
He nodded and sighed. "I should go. I shouldn't even be here."
He began to get up off the bed but Liz caught his hand, "I want to know one thing Max. Did you see Tess?"
Max paused before nodding. "I saw Tess and I saw my son. I made him the heir to the throne. When he is old enough he will take over. Tess has been banished and put into a 'prison' up on Antar."
Liz looked at him. "And that's all Max? I see flashes when I kiss you too remember. I know what happened up on Antar," she said remembering the one flash she had gotten when she kissed him. A flash of the two kissing accompanied with a feeling of love from Max.
Max shook his head, "I have to go." He said before he slid off the bed and out the to the patio, descending down the ladder.
*30 Minutes Later*
"Alright, alright. I'm here. I don't see what was so important that I had to come over IMMEDIATELY. I mean, Michael was there- MICHAEL WAS THERE. You understand?" Maria stopped and looked over at Liz's face and her mouth clamped shut. She paused before going on, "are you alright? You look terrible- what happened?"
Liz shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry Maria. It was selfish of me to want you to come over right away but-"
"No way Liz. I am totally here for you- I told you that. Anytime you need me you call and I'll be over in a minute," she took a seat on the bed next to Liz, "so what happened?"
Liz took a shaky breath, "Max happened."
"He came here didn't he? After you specifically asked him! I know you love the boy Liz but he can piss me off more than you could imagine."
Liz smiled and shook her head. "He came in Maria and we were just talking- about Antar and what it had been like. All of a sudden he was kissing me. And, I saw a flash of him and Tess up on Antar and they were kissing-"
"KISSING!" Maria cut her off again and jumped off the bed and began to pace back and forth across he small area of carpet. "Kissing up on Antar? What happened to his whole 'I can't believe you weren't completely faithful to me?' speech? Huh?"
"Calm down Maria and let me finish. He was kissing Tess but that wasn't what upset me so much," she glanced at Maria's shocked expression before going on. "What upset me was the kiss. When I kissed Max I felt- I felt nothing."
"Nothing? As in- as in NOTHING? As in none of those sparks you used to talk about?"
Liz nodded her head vigorously. "He kissed me and it didn't feel at all like what it used to. When Max used to kiss me I got so lost in him it seemed like nothing was going on other than that kiss. When he kissed me today- I felt nothing."
Maria paused before answering. She took a breath and looked at Liz, "so then what's the problem? I mean, it obviously isn't Max. I hate to say this gross and disgusting comment but it looks like Sean is your answer."
Liz shook he head burying it in her hands and groaning. "You see, that's the thing! What if I am wrong? Max was my first love Maria. My destiny. How can you replace that? How can one guy come and ruin my whole existence, tear down the barrier I had built up, and show me that everything I once believed was a complete lie? How could Sean ever do that? He is just a guy- how can he have so much power?"
Maria shook her head and sighed. "I don't know Liz. You have to decide though, it isn't fair what you are doing to Sean or Max. I live with Sean you know- he has been so depressed. He doesn't leave his room except to get food. He has been terrible. You just can't do it to them anymore."
"I'll make my decision Maria. I'll make my decision very soon."