Hey, sorry that this one is short! I'll try and make it up to you in future chapters!

He saw her sitting under a tree, knees curled up around her chest, hair blowing in the eyes from the wind. She pulled her jacket closer, trying to keep warm in the cool air. She was staring into the distance, like she wasn't in this reality. He didn't want to break her train of thought, so he stuck to the shadows, watching her closely.

He saw a boy walk up to her, having the courage that Max didn't. He sat down next to her, staring into the same distant space. Liz looked tired, like she hadn't slept at all last night, and Kyle noticed this aswell. He looked at her, wondering whether it was safe to speak. They sat like this for a few minutes before she spoke softly to him.

"Hi Kyle."

"Hey!"

"What's up?"

"Nothing, I was just walking around…Maria told me what happened last night! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! What about you? I know you and Tess were…getting close."

"Oh, no! We weren't…"

"Kyle!"

"Alright, fine, you caught me! I was actually going to ask her to the prom, but I guess now I'll just have to go dateless!"

"You could always ask me?"

"Not if Max has anything to do with it!"

"Yeah…"

Somehow he didn't believe her when she said she was fine. When he brought up Max, she looked down at her fingers, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Liz, are you…?"

"What did your dad say when you told him?"

"About what?"

"Tess, that she was gone!"

"He wasn't as surprised as I expected, that's for sure! He also said that I could have my room back..." Kyle paused, trying to find the right words, before continuing, "It was strange, finding out that we had someone living with us who could kill us at any moment because she was drunk on revenge! Oh…sorry, I didn't…"

"It's fine…"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay!"

"Thank you."

"Maybe later we could go get a movie or something?"

"Sure, I'd like that!"

"Okay, well, I'll see you at the Crashdown later?"

"Yeah!"

He stood up and walked into the distance, Liz watching him as he walked. She let out a tiresome sigh and looked into the distance. She felt his presence around her, the feeling of being watched becoming apparent as Kyle was no longer there to distract her. She looked around, waiting for him to walk out from behind a tree and start towards her, but all she saw was shadows. Her eyes wondered to a tall tree with low hanging branches. Fallen leaves were scattered all over the ground as a result of the wind. That's when she saw him, hiding behind a large branch, watching her. Before their eyes had a chance to connect, he turned away from her.

The hope fell out of her entire body as she saw him walking away. Liz stood up and followed him, her walking pace quickened to running.

"Max! Max!"

Her yelling echoed through out the park, heads turning to see whom she was calling. He kept walking, wishing she would stop chasing after him. He felt her hand grab his wrist, and then she was standing in front of him.

"Max…?"

She looked up at his eyes and saw the guilt and pain he was carrying. Max felt an arm go around his chest, and another on the back of his head, pulling it down to rest on her shoulder. A tear trickled down his face as he whispered the two words in her ear.

"I'm sorry!"

Liz pulled away, trying to look into his teary eyes. She brushed the water away from his cheek gently with her thumb.

"For what?"

"For everything! I'm so sorry Liz! I wish I had never saved you that day…"

"Max no! Please don't say that!" She turned his head so he was facing her looking into her eyes. "Please don't say that!"

"I've ruined your life Liz! If I didn't save you, you would have a normal life, you would be happy!"

"I am happy Max! And if you didn't save me I would be dead! You didn't ruin my life Max, you gave me a life!"

"I'm sorry!"

She gently kissed his lips, letting him know that she needed him to be strong.