A/N: Sorry about the delay guys. But I kinda felt like I was wasting my time with this story. Anyway, I've decided to let the response to this newest chapter be the deciding factor in whether or not this story gets finished. So you be the judge.
Disclaimer: Same as always.
ACT: 7
Saturday: June 20, 1998
Two days before graduation and Liz Parker was freaking out. Her parents chalked her behavior up to "Valedictorian Jitters." Maria knew better. It was for this reason that worried green eyes stared expectantly into glazed brown as the air around them grew thick with tension. Liz: who stood frozen in the doorway of the tiny bathroom attached to her bedroom opened her mouth to speak before simply shaking her head. Her right arm twitched nervously at her side as she clutched the tiny object in her hand like a lifeline.
"Well?" Maria prompted, fearing she already knew the answer.
"It was positive," Liz rasped, her expression blank except for the disbelieving wideness of her eyes. "It was positive," she repeated, her hand giving an involuntary spasm of denial as the tiny test strip floated to the floor.
The angry gasp from the hallway was drowned out by the sound of Maria's shoe boots clicking across the hardwood floor as she rose from the bed to comfort her friend.
"What am I going to do Ria?" Liz practically sobbed, laying her head on her best friend's shoulder.
"Well…the first you need to do is tell Max Evans."
"EVANS!"
The unexpected addition to their conversation had both girls spinning around in terror. There, standing in the doorway of Liz's was Tyler: red-faced with anger and a look of murder gleaming in his cold blue eyes.
Staring at her brother with hugely frightened eyes, Liz could not help but contemplate how this very moment had come about.
Several Weeks Earlier: The night of Liz's birthday.
Even to Liz's untrained eye the décor of the guest house bordered on ostentatious. Decorated in shades of royal blue and gold, with flower printed chintz furniture and heavy brocade curtains, the place looked about as inviting as a den of lions.
"Whatta you think?" Max asked with a curious smirk.
"It's…very… colorful." Liz said neutrally.
Max laughed. "That's one way of putting it. My father thought my brother and I needed some independence when we graduated from high school. A bachelor's pad so to speak. So he gave us the guest house. Unfortunately, we fell prey to our sister Isabel's plea to decorate," Max smiled ruefully. "You can see how well it turned out."
"A bachelor's pad, huh?" Liz's mouth quirked inquiringly.
"And on that note," Max quickly changed the subject. "Let me show you the dinning room," he wrapped and arm around Liz's waist escorting her from the room and through a door.
"Max, this is beautiful," Liz gasped, when they entered the room. It was illuminated by the soft glow of several strategically placed candles, while the table covered in white linen offered a smorgasbord of delights covered on silver trays. In the center of the table sat a vase of long stemmed white roses.
"I can't believe you did all of this." Liz's voice was choked with emotions.
"What can I say? I'm a great boyfriend." Max said glibly, and then ruined it by grinning.
"I'm being serious here," Liz said, nudging his shoulder.
"So am I?" he smirked.
"Great boyfriend, huh?" Liz smiled coyly. "So how do you think I should thank you?"
"I'm sure you'll think of something," Max said provocatively.
"I'm sure I will." Liz leaned forward to catch Max in a surprisingly passionate lip lock.
"You're welcome," he rasped when she pulled away moments later. His amber eyes gleamed heatedly as his hands reluctantly loosed from around her tiny waist.
"Um, I guess we should eat before it gets cold." Liz murmured breathlessly.
"Yeah…I guess we should." Max agreed huskily. He seated Liz in one of the four dinning room chairs before taking a seat himself.
-&-
Little over an hour later found Max and Liz relaxing in the living room where they had moved to after dinner. Smooth jazz played on the radio as they reclined on an overstuffed sofa; the atmosphere was peaceful and serene.
"Did I tell you how great dinner was?" Liz sighed contentedly.
"You did."
"And that strawberry short cake is my absolute favorite?"
"I know."
"So how come I didn't know you liked smooth Jazz?" Liz asked softly as Max absently caressed the fingers of her right hand.
"Well there's a lot you don't know about me," Max said smoothly.
"Like what?" Liz asked skeptically, totally assured she knew almost everything about the love of her life.
"Like what I have in my pocket."
"Maaxx!" Liz exclaimed as her wide eyes were immediately drawn to the crotch of his pants.
Max laughed uproariously as he pulled a jewelry box from his pocket. "God, you should see the look on your face," he said to an open mouthed Liz.
"It's not funny!"
"Maybe from your perspective," Max snorted. "But it's very funny from where I'm sitting."
"If you say so," Liz pouted.
She looked adorable with her bottom lip poking out, Max thought humorously. With her arms crossed over her chest she was the classic picture of feminine pique.
"Happy birthday." Max smiled, handing her the black jewelry box.
Liz's eyes were huge as she lifted a platinum charm bracelet from the box. "Max, it's beautiful," she said in awe. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," he said softly, before reaching over to fasten the bracelet around her wrist. He then brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear as he gazed deeply into her eyes. God he loved this woman, this girl. So much so he wanted to shout it to the entire world.
But he couldn't.
Not yet.
But they had a plan.
When next September rolled around Liz would be out of the house and attending UCLA. Just like Max. At least for another year. Once Liz was there, no objections by either set of parent's would be able to sway them. Until then, Max had to content himself with stolen moments like these.
"What?" Liz tilted her head questioningly as Max continued to stare at her silently. She was beginning to feel slightly self-conscious, until she did some searching of her own. What she found, shinning in Max's deeply soulful eyes, was fierce unconditional, everlasting, love. And in that moment she, Elizabeth Parker, smallest of small town girls was humbled.
Reaching up, she gently cupped Max's face with both of her hands. When their lips were mere centimeters apart she said softly, "I keep trying to find the right words, but there are none. No words in the English dictionary or any other could ever put into words how much I love you. Simple put, you are…my soul-mate…the man of my dreams—"
Liz's words ended abruptly as Max caught her lips in a powerful kiss.
A kiss she felt all the way to her toes.
A kiss that made her heart race.
A kiss that made her soul quake.
It took every bit of will power Liz possessed to break the kiss. When their lips finally parted, Liz breathed raggedly while Max looked on with confused questioning eyes.
"Not that I have anything against English chintz," Liz said breathlessly as she gestured to the sofa they were sitting on, "but don't you think we should move this somewhere a little more comfortable?"
Max stared at her intently. "Are you sure Liz?" His tone was serious as he tried to erase any and all doubt. "Because we don't have to do this tonight, you know?"
And he meant it too.
His words were not just platitudes. He loved and respected her to much to that. If she wasn't ready, they weren't ready.
"I'm sure." Liz climbed to her feet and held out her hand. "So stop being such a wuss and show me your etchings."
"Since you put it so nicely, I will" Max smiled wolfishly as he took the hand Liz held out and led her towards the staircase. As the two climbed the stairs on a journey that would change the rest of their lives, the radio played No Ordinary Love by Sade. The old song was a personal favorite of Liz's.
-&-
"I'll fuckin kill him!"
Tyler's words had the same affect as a glass of cold water being dashed in Liz's face. She immediately snapped back to reality.
"Ty—"
"How dare that bastard think he can get away with putting his filthy hands on you?" Tyler's fist clinched angrily at his sides. "Fuckin Evans' family. Think they rule the whole goddamed world. But I'll show 'em differently."
"Tyler this is none of your business," Liz began shakily. "You don't understand the situation. Please stay out of it."
"Why cause you enjoyed being Evans whore?" he asked snidely, approaching his sister menacingly.
Maria who had kept silent up to this point finally cut in. "Look everybody needs to just calm down. This is getting completely out of hand." She'd known Tyler just as long as she'd known Liz. More importantly, she knew what he was capable of.
"Oh you shut up, DeLuca. No doubt my sister learned her sluttish way by hanging around you." Tyler bit out harshly.
"Tyler you had no call to say that. And like I said before, this is none of your business!" Liz shouted.
Stopping within an inch of his sister, Tyler gazed at her distastefully. "We'll just see about that." Turning on his heels, he exited the room quickly. Less than two minutes later Liz heard the engine of his battered truck come to life. Spinning around to face Maria, Liz voiced her greatest fear.
"He wouldn't…"
"…He would!" Maria barked.
"Oh my God, Maria, Tyler has a gun." Liz grew dizzy as she remembered this fact.
"Jesus!" Maria breathed, as she grabbed her car keys and they both went racing towards the stairs.
A/N: Hell has officially broken loose. If you guys want to know the outcome, you know what you have to do.
