"How did you get in here?" Maxie asked
She hadn't thought she would ever see Max again. Why would he still give a damn about me? She silently questioned herself
A guard handcuffed her to the table in the interrogation room and then he left.
Max said, "How are you doing, M.J.?"
"My dad let you see me?"
Max said, "Don't worry about it."
"Tell me."
"Lets just say Ric and I came to an understanding."
"You threatened the District attorney! Oh, Max, don't do stuff like that for me. Don't ruin your life over some girl you barely know."
He reached out and put his hand on top of hers. "I know you, M.J."
"You should forget me. Go date someone nice. Someone like my sister." She quickly added, " But not my sister because I would hate that!"
Max chuckled, "I like dating you."
"I messed up everything." Her eyes fell. She added,"That was my baby in the park."
"I read your note."
Her face crumpled. "You did?"
"And I want you to know..."
Her hand popped up, her eyes warning him to not go there. "No! Don't say anything sweet. I can't be with you, now or ever. Please don't make me think I can. I need to deal with reality now. I'm on my own."
Max took his hand off of hers and sat back.
M..J. swallowed and said, "Good bye, it was wonderful knowing you."
He watched her straighten her shoulders, close off her face, push him away.
GEORGIE knocked on the door of the apartment. Greg opened it, his face registering shock, "Hey... I can't believe you are here."
He moved aside and let her walk in.
"Should I have stayed away?" Georgie asked
"No. Not if you don't want to. I thought... we weren't an option. What about the guy back home?"
"Dillon and I... grew apart... we both..."
Greg reached out and took her hand.
Georgie said, "I can't be with him when I love you. Even if it would make everything easier if I didn't. If I could be who my parents want me to be."
Greg hugged her, "Just be yourself."
"I'm afraid to. What if she isn't as good as Perfect Georgie?"
Greg looked in her eyes, "You're my perfect Georgie, even when you piss me off or let me down. I love you, however you are. Just don't push me away again, okay?"
Georgie kissed him, letting her body say what she still found it hard for her lips to.
MAX asked M.J., "So we are ...what? No big deal? Easy to get over?"
"A nice memory," Maxie said
Max stood up.
He said, "I'll ask Alexis to represent you. She hates the mob but she is still the best lawyer in town so somehow I will convince her to take my so called blood money."
"My parents will get me someone. You don't have to save me anymore, Max. You kept me sane when no one else could and that is more than I deserved."
He put his hands on the table and leaned forward. "So you have it all figured out?"
"No. But I do know I don't want you worrying about me anymore. I'm not an unselfish person, Max, so let me do this one thing right. Let you go onto a better life not tied to a wreck like me."
"And just how do I do that? How do I stop loving you?"
She sucked in a breath and thought of when he kissed her.
M.J. said, "You don't love me. You can't."
His voice was low when he said, "I do."
She begged, "Please, stop saying all this. I can't resist over and over. Just accept what I said and leave."
Max walked around the table and crouched next to her chair. He stroked her hair, and then her cheek, a tear slid from her eyes.
"Or you could just accept what I said, and love me back." Max told her softly "How does that sound, M. J ? Because ever since the box car, I've been thinking, that's what we were probably meant to do. Love each other,"he kissed her gently "and save each other."
Maxie smiled. And for the first time in days, she had hope.