Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and yada yada yada, I promise that I WILL give them back when I'm finished.
Authors Note: Set after "Max In The City, I hope you like it. Please review!
"It was a Monday when my lover told me,
Never pay the reaper with love only,
What could I say to you except I love you?
And I'd give my life for yours,
I know, we are
We are the lucky ones
I know, we are
We are the lucky ones
I know, we are
We are the lucky ones
Dear"
Bif Naked rang out over Liz's stereo as she lay on her bed, hugging her teddy bear. She was staring at the strip of pictures of her and Max, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She had been doing this a lot more lately, ever since he went to the city with Tess, and she saw the hatred in his eyes when he gave her back the pocket knife.
When he came back two days ago, and they agreed to be friends, she knew it would never be the same. She longed for his touch, for him to look into her eyes, for her to feel the love he had for her, for one last kiss.
Tess had been all over him lately, following him around like a lost dog. The thing was he didn't seem to notice her. He was caught in his own world, hardly noticing anything that was going on around him.
She wiped her eyes and started for the stairs, intent on getting some food then coming back for some more deep wallowing. She stared out through the door that led to the employee lounge, scanning the crowd. Her eyes stopped as they came across him, sitting in his usual booth with Isabel, Tess and Michael. She decided that she would quickly duck out, grab a piece of pie and a cherry soda and go back to her room, before anyone could notice her.
He felt her briefly before she opened the door. She wasn't running, but wasn't walking. It was like she didn't want to be here. His eyes followed her as she ducked behind the counter to avoid contact with Alex and Kyle who had just walked in. He could tell she had been crying, her eyes were swollen and red. All he wanted to do was to take her in his arms and never let go, but it wasn't that simple. She had hurt him so much that day, and with Kyle? Anyone but Kyle.
As she turned to walk back upstairs, their eyes connected. He felt all the pain she was going through, but didn't understand why. She had made her choice; she was the one who broke it off with him, she was the one who had already moved on, she had no right to feel pain!
"Max? MAX? Are you listening to me?" Isabel was staring at her brother with concern. Ever since he had come back from the city he had been not quite there. He was staring off into space, only he wasn't, as she soon realised. He was staring at the employee's door, the one that Liz just ran through. Isabel had always tried to understand her brother. She knew that he loved Liz, and would do anything for her. But she also knew that he didn't know how to say "NO" when it came to her. Isabel respected Liz for what she did that day in the desert, and she knew that it was one of the hardest things she had ever done, and she knew that they would never stop loving each other, but she was also grateful that Liz would give up everything for the four of them. When she walked away that day, she was letting Max live his destiny, and giving up the only thing real to her.
Isabel hated seeing them both like this, but she knew they were both too stubborn to admit they were wrong. Max couldn't seem to realise it was over. Liz had made her feelings perfectly clear when she slept with Kyle, but in the process she also hurt Max even more.
It was closing time at the Crashdown, and Liz was cleaning up the counter when she noticed someone's eyes were on her. She walked over to the booth where the last customer remained and sat down across from him.
"It's closing time!" she stated with a questioning tone in her voice. "Have you been here all day?"
"I don't really feel like going home."
"Max…..?"
"Don't worry, I'm leaving!" He said in a depressed tone as he packed up his school books and stood up.
"Max……what's wrong?"
"Nothing." He started for the door, but Liz stood in front of him so he couldn't escape her questioning.
"Max?"
"Liz, I'm fine, I just have to get home okay?"
"I thought you didn't feel like going home?"
He took a step to the side, attempting to pass her but she grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Max, you want us to be friends, well friends tell each other their problems. What wrong?"
"I only tell my problems to people I trust!" His voice was cold, and his comment left Liz standing all alone with a shocked expression on her face as he walked out the door.