A/N: Sorry about the last chapter. I know it was boring and kinda sucked, but I needed to jump start my interest in this story again. See what happened was: I started doing revisions on my first story Not Just Another Girl, and I fell in love with it all over again. It was a pretty cool story if I do say so myself. Anyway, the revisions left me too exhausted to really work on this one. Won't happen again I promise. Btw, thanks for the reviews.

Disclaimer: Same.

ACT: 11

"You've reached the fabulous Maria DeLuca. Please leave a message after the beep."

"Maria pick up!" Liz shouted into her cell phone as she paced back and forth in the luxurious hotel suite. The carpet was a plush golden brown and the furniture a beautiful polished mahogany. It could have been Formica and a cheap throw rug for all the notice Liz paid it.

"I know you're there Maria. It's only…a little after six," she said glancing down at her watch. "You're probably sleeping but you need to wake up right now!"

Liz and Maria remained closer than ever despite going their separate ways after high school. Maria had moved to New York to pursue a singing career while Liz had attended Berkley. Over the years, the two had celebrated each others triumphs and mourned each others failures, long distantly of course. Now, with both of them living in Los Angeles, they'd been practically joined at the hip again.

Liz had found it ironic when three years ago Maria landed a role on one of the top rated Soap Opera's. Her irony had nothing to do with Maria's acting ability. The girl had enough charisma for ten people. Liz's irony stemmed from the fact that Maria's character was in essence…Maria. She played a spunky, resourceful, sometimes manipulative, lounge singer trying to make it big. Yup, that was Hollywood for you.

"I really need to talk to you Ria. I ran into Max today," Liz sighed, about to hang up.

"What?" Maria shouted into the phone nearly rupturing Liz eardrum.

"I thought that would get your attention," she laughed laconically.

"So you were just pulling my leg?" Maria's tone was a mixture of outrage and sleepy confusion.

"Unfortunately not," Liz stopped pacing to plop down onto the queen sized bed.

"God Liz," Maria said into the phone, "This is huge."

"No." Liz shook her head as if Maria were in the room to see it. "This is bad. Very bad!"

"Hmm. So what's he like? Is he still hot?"

"Mariaaa!" Liz shouted in exasperation.

"Alright, alright, chill already. So what happened?"

"We exchanged polite pleasantries before jumping each other in the elevator where we proceeded to screw like dogs in heat."

"For real?" Maria exclaimed excitedly.

"Of course not!" Liz shouted before taking a deep calming breath. Los Angeles was turning her best friend into a real flake, Liz thought unkindly.

"Sorry," Maria said, sounding slightly subdued.

"No I'm sorry," Liz flopped back onto the bed and stared at the taupe colored ceiling. She could be a real bitch sometimes. A bad habit she'd developed over the years.

"So what really happened?"

"Ok, so we really did exchange pleasantries. It sorta went something like this: Long time no see, and yeah same to you. And you look different, and yeah you too. And then he asked me out to dinner."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," Liz snapped her fingers in emphasis. "As if no tragic history existed between us. As if we were just "good friends" who hadn't seen each other in years and needed to catch up."

"Wow." Maria breathed into the phone. "You turned him down of course." She knew Liz like the palm of her hand.

"Yeah,"Liz said tiredly, listlessly.

Maria sighed inwardly. It saddened her how much Liz had changed over the years. Never much of an extrovert, she had withdrawn even more into herself after the accident. Oh she put on a great appearance of living a fulfilled life, but Maria knew differently. Liz was just going through the motions. And whether she believed it or not, this unexpected meeting with Max might just be what the doctor ordered.

"Think you'll see him again?" Maria asked, trying her best not to sound optimistic.

"Probably. From what I gather he's here for the convention too. And he seemed sort of determined that we talk. Should make for an interesting weekend." Liz's tone implied the exact opposite.

You go Max, Maria silently cheered. Liz needed to be shaken out of her complacent existence.

"Enough about you." Maria said, changing the subject. "Guess who I ran into today? In North Hollywood no less. You'll never believe it."

-&-

Max didn't believe in coincidence. Nor did he believe the hokey concept that things happened for a reason. But he did believe in fate. He knew this was a contradiction in itself, but when it came to Liz Parker it seemed one and the same.

He'd never forgotten her in all these years. How could he? She was forever linked to a time he considered both the best and worst part of his life entire life. And the way it all ended...well, he had more than a few unresolved issues.

He could recall writing the letter like it was yesterday. His brother had been lying cold and stiff in some god forsaken morgue and Liz, the love of his life, had been in the hospital due to his actions. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Max had been hiding out grief stricken in the guest house when his father entered.

-Flashback-

"Well this is a fine mess isn't it," Phillip stated without preamble, his voice cold though emotionless. "I've hired Don Shuler to handle your case. They say he's one of the best defense lawyers in the state."

Max stared blankly at his father from his huddled position on the couch. Had he a mirror before him, he would have been shocked by his own appearance. His face was pallid and covered with two day old beard and his hair stood up on end like he'd been electrocuted. But it was his eyes that were the most telling, deeply sunken into his head and rimmed with dark circles. Any and all vitality that had previously resided there had been ruthlessly striped away. What lingered was enough to haunt the average person. Not so Phillip Evans as he continued to spew.

"Now you have nothing to say. Too bad you were so forthcoming with the police. How could you be so stupid Max? To tell the investigators that you deliberately ran the Parker boy's truck off the road? What were you thinking?"

What was he thinking? Max took a few seconds to ponder this question. And his answer was immediate. "I wasn't thinking. Steven had just been murdered right before my very eyes and all I wanted to do was stop his killer," Max's voice broke on the last word and he sniffed wiping furiously at his eyes with the back of his hand.

Phillip's eyes shone momentarily with understanding and maybe even empathy, but his expression hardened at Max's next whispered words.

"I didn't know Liz was in the car. I would have never hurt her for anything in the world. I was just so angry," Max made a fist. "But when I opened the car door and saw her lying in the wreckage…" he shook his head in denial, "with blood on her face and pieces of glass in her hair." Max closed his eyes pained at the imagery.

"That's just beautiful," Phillip clapped mockingly. "My son is dead and here you sit, lamenting over some girl. And not just any girl either. The one who caused this whole mess!"

"Dad don't," Max pleaded with pained eyes. "None of this was her fault."

"Oh really? Then who should I blame, you?"

"Maybe you should," Max spoke quietly, remorsefully.

For about a second it looked to Max like his father wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him, but instead he said: "We don't have time for this melodrama. Your mother is a basket case and Isabel will be arriving home this afternoon. I think it would be best if you continued to keep a low profile, and for gods sake cut the Parker girl loose. Of all the girls to mess around with, why her Max, why her?" Phillip asked rhetorically before exiting the front door.

Later that night, Max made the only sacrifice he could think of that would bring his family any comfort. And maybe it was unmanly of him, but he cried through the entire process. After completing the letter, he paused to re-read his own words.

Dear Liz,

As I sit here writing this letter with you in the hospital and Steven in the morgue, there are no words to express how sorry I am. I take full responsibility for everything that happened. You tried to make me understand how much your family hated mine, but I wouldn't listen. God! If only I could turn back the clock I would. Not that I regret ever meeting you, but maybe it would have been best if I hadn't. I just don't know anymore. Everything is so messed up right now. I feel like one of those giant jigsaw puzzles, and none of the pieces fit. How did this happen? Where did it all go wrong? Or maybe it was just wrong from the start. Who knows? What I do know is: Too much has happened for any of us to go back. All we can do from here is go forward as best we can. And not together either, but separately. Alone. Just promise me you won't let this stop you from being the woman I know you were meant to be. Because despite everything I did love you. I do love you.

Forever and always,

Max

-End of Flashback-

Max was jolted back to reality by the insistent ringing of his cell phone. Flicking open his black Motorola Razor, he smiled as he recognized the number.

"Hi baby," he said after pushing talk. "I miss you more. I should be home by Sunday night. Maybe you could stay up for me. Love you too. Bye Jessie."

A/N: This chapter is not what I intended it to be at all. But believe me when I say I know exactly where this story is going. It is only the route that keeps changing. As I began typing this chapter it occurred to me that you guys never got a chance to see how the events of the accident/murder affected Max. Thus entered the flashback of the events from his POV. Like it, love it, lump it, let me know by reviewing.

Tbc…