Chapter Twenty-Eight

Liz laid on a blanket her eyes closed by the lake.  'This is heaven.'  She sighed as the sun caressed her body.   'God, can anything feel better then this.' She silently asked herself smiling.  As flashes of Max's hands stroking her body last night and the indescribable sensations he ignited in her entered her mind she shook her head her smile widening as she blushed when she remembered how those same sensations had striped her of all control. 'Oh…God.'  She moaned as a tingling warmth suddenly sprung inside her stomach. 'Oh yeah…there is differently something better.'  The words swirled in her head.

"No…no…no."  She whined as a shadow descended upon her blocking out the sun.  Opening her eyes a frown on her face she looked up from the blanket.  "Do you mine moving over a little to your left.  You're blocking the sun."  She raised her upper body off of the blanket.

Dropping to her knees Maria stared at her for a few seconds.  "We need to talk, Liz."  She said.  "Look I know you're a big girl and all, but…"

"Maria, what ever your trying to say just say it so I can go back to catching some rays."

"Okay…look…I know you like…love Max, but you two need to cool off before you do something you'll regret. If you haven't already."  She stared into Liz's face intently as if she could somehow see in her eyes the answer to the question she couldn't bring herself to ask. 

Flopping back down on the ground Liz closed her eyes.  "I don't know what your talking about, Maria."

"Awwww, Liz."  She yelled throwing her hands in the air in frustration.  'God…Max…'  She mimicked closing her eyes.  'Max…Max…oh…God.' She moaned.

Liz sat up immediately her eyes wide in shock.  "You heard us last night?"  She asked staring at Maria.  She could feel the temperature of her face accelerate as her shock was quickly replaced with embarrassment.

"Not us Liz…you.  Look, I thought we had an agreement?  Nothing but sleeping remember?"  She demanded.  She was so worried about Liz.  She couldn't help it.  She's lost count of how many times they laid awake during one of their girls night only talking about the sexual side of their relationships and Liz would always say the same thing. 'I'm not ready to take the next step.'  She just assumed that Liz was scared so her behavior was a complete shock to her.

"I don't remember agreeing to any thing."  She started to defend her self, but it suddenly dawn on her that this is her life.  She doesn't have to explain her actions to anyone.  "Leave it alone, Maria.  As you just said I'm a big girl."

"Okay what are we talking about?"  Isabel asked stopping beside them as she rotated her eyes from one to the other.

"Liz and your child molesting brother."  The words left her mouth so quickly that she hadn't realized that she'd spoken them out loud until she saw Liz's body shot up to a sitting position.

 Liz glared angrily at her.  "Don't you ever refer to Max in that way again."  Capturing her eyes with hers she demanded.  "How dare you say something so ugly about him?  What do you think gives you the right to insult us like that?  Because if you've forgotten Maria.  We're the same age so if he's molesting me then I'm sure as hell molesting him."

"Liz…"

"No!  What makes what Max and I do any different from what you and Michael do?"  She demanded as her anger raced through her. 'How dare she put Max down? How dare she?'  "Because Maria…I don't care what you think you heard last night.  Max and I still haven't reached the point that you and Michael have so if you want to start throwing out names why don't you start with Michael?"

Isabel took a deep breath shaking her head as she spread the red towel, which matched the red bikini she was wearing down next to Liz.  "Okay…so we're talking about the unexpected incident last night?"  She said staring at the two women beside her.

"Liz…I didn't mean…"

"I don't care what you meant, Maria.  Don't ever put him down in front of me again."  She said staring angrily at her.  "You insult him you insult me."

"Girls…girls…girls…come on.  We're at Bottomless Lake.  No adult figure to interfere in our fun.  Lets just enjoy it while we can?"

"Liz…I just meant…"

"Okay!"  Isabel yelled taking a deep breath as she stared at them her brews drawn into a frown.  "Liz, did my love sick brother do anything that you weren't completely comfortable with?"

"No!"  She answered as she continued to stare angrily at Maria her arms crossed over her chest.

"Did you guys go all the way as is assumed by the others in the cabin who was unfortunately forced to listen to a part of what was going on in that room?"

"No!"  Liz replied again.

"Okay…Maria.  Does that satisfy the mother hen raring it's ugly head, because I have no intentions of being mediator the whole weekend."  She took a deep breath and then said as if it was an after thought.  "Oh…yea.  Don't ever insult my brother in front of me again or I'll be forced to hurt you."  She smiled as she took another deep breath lowered her self down on the blanket and closed her eyes.  "I for one plan on enjoying our time away from reality so if your not please keep it as far away from me as possible."

Maria stared at Liz as she tried to damp down her concern for her.  "I'm sorry…Liz."  She shrugged her shoulders.  "I love you. If Alex's were here this wouldn't have happen.  You know I always rant to him and he always sensor the nonsense from reality.  I'm sorry."

At the mention of Alex's name Isabel sat up giving Maria her full attention as her heart started to race in her chest.  "When is he coming back?"  She asked.

"I don't know.  His dad is determined to beat the military life into him so it can be another month or so.  I guess it depends on which one of them wears the other out first.  Liz, am I forgiven?"  Maria asked turning back to her, her eyes pleading for her to understand.

Liz watched her for a few seconds her anger still simmering inside her.  But this is Maria.  Her best friend since forever, how can she tell her no?  "Yea…we're alright."  She said as she let her drew her into her arms for a hug. 

"Who the hell do you think is going to clean those innocent things you've just killed."  Maria demanded her brews drawn into a frown as she looked at Max, Michael and Kyle.  "You killed it you clean it."  She said turning and walking away from them.

They stared at her retreating back in surprise.  "We've spent almost the hold day catching these damn fish.  The least you guys can do is clean and cook it."  Michael demanded.

"Why the hell do you think we brought food, Michael?"  She questioned not turning to look at them.  "You killed you clean and cook."  She said.

Kyle and Max bust into laughter at Michael's confused look as he watched Maria's retreating back.

"I don't see what's so funny."  He said turning his attention to them a frown on his face.

Holding his hands in the air Max said trying to damp down the laughter fighting inside him for control.  "Hey…you kill you clean as the lady just said."

"Yeah…well this vacation isn't turning out the way I thought it would."  Michael murmured returning his eyes back to Maria as she made her way into another room.  'This is definitely going to change as soon as possible.'  He told himself.  

"That was absolutely amazing."  Liz said staring from Max to Kyle and then to Michael.  "You guys really out done yourselves." 

"Well we didn't think we had a choice."  Michael said staring across the table at Maria.  "Cook or stave.  Not a really hard choice when you think about it."

"Well I agree with Liz.  This is absolutely amazing."  Maria said as she brought her fork to her mouth sighing as the flavor of the fish touched her tongue.  "Amazing."

Michael stared at her trying to damp down the anger inside him.  "I'll take that as a compliment."  He murmured his brews drawn into a frown as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Take it anyway you want."  Maria said bringing another fork full to her mouth.

God…he wanted to reach out and strangle her, but there was to many witnesses around so he closed his eyes trying to control the anger inside him.  

"Okay."  Maria looked around her at the males at the table.  "We've decided that tonight will be an all girls night.  Which basically means that you men will be on your own and us girls will entertain ourselves else where."

Max's head shot in her direction giving her his full attention.  "What?"  He demanded as he forced himself not to look over at Liz.  If he had he would have seen the surprise on her own face at Maria's words.

"You've got to be kidding me?"  Michael demanded glaring at her.  "You guys can do that anytime you want.  Why this weekend?"  He questioned.  He'd be damned if he'd let things between him and Maria continue the way it was for another night.  "I have plans for you and me tonight so whatever you think you've got planned forget it."

Maria opened her mouth to answer him, but Max cut her off.  "Liz."

When she turned to face him her heart slammed hard against her chest at the pain in his eyes.  Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes for a moment then forced herself to look at him.  'Pain.'  That is exactly what she felt when she thought of not being able to be close to him.  She pasted a smile to her face as she got to her feet.  When he saw her rise Max automatically jumped to his feet.

"If you'll excuse Max and I for a moment."  She made herself say, but she was already heading out of the room Max closely behind her.

"There they go again."  Maria sighed shaking her head.

"Enough!"  Michael roared jumping to his feet and rushing over to stand behind her.  Grabbing her he hauled her from her seat and tossed her over his shoulder.  Maria was so surprised by his actions that she didn't fight him as he hastily made his way out of the room.

"God…how barbaric.  Has everyone in this place lost their minds."  Isabel yelled at Michael's retreating back.  Taking a deep breath she crossed her arms over her chest as she looked over at Kyle.  "Don't even think about it."  She warned drawing her brews in a frown.

"Hey…I didn't say a word."  He said holding his hands out in front of him.

Jumping to her feet she sighed as she let her eye wander around the room.  "I'm going to bed."  'I wonder if Alex's is a sleep?'  She silently asked herself as she enfolded her bottom lip between her teeth a smile on her face.

Shaking his head he watched her walk away.  "Your all crazy, you know."  When she stopped and glared angrily at him he made himself say.  "Except for you of course."  He watched her bobbled her head in agreement then turned and continued out of the room.  'Yea.'  He told himself. 'Right out of A Night Mare on Elm Street straight into the Twilights Zone.'

TBC