Part Seven

Roswell, New Mexico: 10 Year's Prior

"You should fuck him."

Liz was almost as thrown off by Maria's use of the curse word as she was by the abrupt change in conversation.

"…Kyle?"

"No," she replied offhandedly, looking past Liz and nodding her head toward someone, "turn slow."

Liz rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder before turning back toward her friend with a shrug, "I don't know anyone back there."

"Really," she asked.

"No," she said popping a slightly burnt fry into her mouth, "just Max."

Maria widened her eyes and reached across the table to pinch her nose. "Bingo."

The brunette slapped her friends hand away in irritation and shock. "What are you talking about?"

"You love him," when Liz moved to speak, she put up a hand to quite her and went on. "More than friendly love and I don't really understand why you're running from him so hard."

"I don't…"

"Yes you do."

"He doesn't…"

The blond snorted at what her friend was about to say and cut in. "Now we both know that's not true."

Liz threw her hands into the air and shook her head in confusion. "I don't even know how we got on this subject and how would you know anything about how he feels?"

"I know he told you he loved you."

"How…"

"I also know that you didn't say anything back."

"Will you please let me finish a thought 'Ria!"

Maria shrugged and rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her coke. "Go on."

Liz leaned forward after glancing around the cafeteria to make sure she hadn't attracted any unwanted attention. "How do you know all that stuff? I never told you that he said…that."

Maria scrunched her face in disgust. "Why can't you say that he said I love you? Or, more importantly, why don't you believe it?"

The brunette rubbed her temple trying to beat the headache she felt coming on. "Because he doesn't. He's confused, we're just friends."

She opened her eyes to see Maria's soft features and her hand on hers. "I love you chica. You know that right?"

Liz nodded slowly.

"You gotta stop being so condescending toward Max."

"Condescending?"

She nodded, "It's condescending when someone tells you how they feel and you ignore it because they're 'confused.' "

She worked her mouth for a moment, searching her brain for a comeback before just shutting it all together.

"It does sound like I'm talking down to him but I'm not," she sighed, "It's complicated."

"Because of what's going on with his daddy."

She pulled her hand and crossed them over her chest, "Nothing's going on with his dad, that's a rumor."

"Well," she replied, mimicking Liz's position. "I know that's a lie too."

Liz watched her for a moment, trying to see whether she was bluffing or not and couldn't detect a hint of treachery. "How do you know these things?"

"I slept with Michael for the first time a month ago and we've been sleeping together ever since."

If this were a movie, Liz would've just done a spit take.

"I knew you two were messing around but…"

"I love him and he told me all that stuff. Now you know you're not the only one who can keep a secret"

Liz ignored that last part for the moment, "So Max told him?"

The blond swallowed and for the first time during this conversation looked unsure of herself, "No…"

"Well how do you know then?"

"You remember when Max was having that major freak out and disappeared for a week?"

"Yeah."

"He was worried and Michael knows he keeps a pretty regular journal so he went over there when Hank was working and read it."

"Maria…," Liz said quietly.

"I know," she shot back, "but he was worried. He just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to hurt himself or anything stupid like that. That's when he read about the 'I love you' thing and whatever else."

"Like what else," she asked tightly.

"Nothing else, he didn't read it all, just the later entries and he wouldn't tell me everything that he did read anyway. He just said how much Max loved you because I think he wanted us to have this conversation."

Liz scoffed, "Michael hates me. Why would he want you to talk to me about Max?"

"Maybe he loves Max more than he dislikes you," Maria replied sagely and Liz watched her for a second before she smiled and sat back.

Maria smiled back and relaxed. "Seriously though, why are you against being with him so bad?"

She sighed, "All the stuff with his dad. I feel like he just said that because I'm his friend and he wants to make sure I don't leave him."

"That's shit Liz. You're scared of taking on someone with so many issues and you're worried about what dear old mommy and daddy would think."

"Don't talk about them," she responded angrily.

"I'm not going to, I'm just going to ask you to think of yourself first once. You love him, you've loved since you two were little and you know you want to be with him so stop making a big horrible production of it and be with him!"

She shook her head gently and looked away, "I can't. What about Kyle?"

"Dump him. I know he's a nice boy and you like him so that's why you should break it off before it gets any deeper and leaving would hurt him more. You don't love him, you love Max."

She considered denying it before just letting it go and sharing her fears and insecurities with her friend, "I wouldn't even know how to approach him. After he told me he loved me, we never really spoke of it again."

Maria leaned forward, "I know there hasn't been anyone since Sean…"

At Liz's look, she quickly continued, "Even though he doesn't count because he's an evil jerk," she smirked and leaned closer. "Here's what you do about Max: Take a shower, put on some make-up, some perfume, go to him or have him come to you or whatever and just say," she lowered her voice to a sexy drawl, "I want you to come over here and take this dress off of me."

There was dead silence for a moment before Liz's high pitch squeal broke it. "I'm not saying that!"

"It was just a suggestion," the blond replied with a giggle of her own.

When the five minute bell rang they got up and started to walk toward their next two classes, "About those secrets I was keeping…"

Maria waved it off, "Everyone keeps some things to themselves and it doesn't mean we love each other any less right?"

"Right."

"So anyways" she said with a smile, "you know what you have to do right? Dump the boy, get a pretty dress and go to work!"

"I am not sleeping with him Maria. We've never even been on a date."

"You've known him since you were little and you go places together all the time. Whether you called them dates or not, they were dates."

She breathed out and shook her head, afraid of what Maria was telling her and how fast everything was moving, "I don't know."

"Look," she turned her friend toward her, "Do you at least agree that you're going to let Kyle go, that you believe Max loves you and that you love him too?"

"…I guess."

"You guess or you know?"

She looked at her friend when someone caught her eye from over her shoulder. Max nodded at her and waved before disappearing into the sea of students.

In that moment, she decided to own it, "I know."

"Well that's the first step," Maria said with a smile while slinging her arm around Liz's shoulder and starting to walk forward again.

Present Day

She quickly looked away from the side of his face when he turned toward her.

"…I'm in school too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The landscaping thing is just so I'll have something to live on," a mischievous smile grew on his face.

"What's that look for," she asked, feeling a similar grin split her own features.

"Um, I'm actually getting ready to go to the Police Academy. I'm studying so I can be a cop."

Liz started to laugh and when he looked at her with a confused smile that only spurred her to laugh harder.

"What?"

She stopped and took a few breaths, "I was just laughing because I don't remember you having the best relationship with the authority figures in our town."

"Yeah I remember," he said softly, looking more relaxed than he had when she'd first walked up, "I was different back then."

"You're not too different now I hope."

His smile slipped, "I do."

"No," she said waving him off, "I was just thinking about you and how you really did have all the qualities of a cop."

He scoffed and she went on, "Seriously, you were always protective, "she watched him smile at that.

"I also remember what a control freak you were," the smile slipped and she went on.

"A savior complex bigger than Superman's."

He caught on to her teasing and punched shoulder gently, "Simmer down."

She smiled, "Seriously though, you're going to be a great cop."

He looked back at her and didn't say anything for a moment. "Thank you."

They sat quietly as Liz debated with herself on whether or not to ask her next question when Max started to get up and gather his things with a sad look, "I have to be to class soon so I'm going to have to go now."

She nodded and stood quickly, "My birthdays coming up and I would really like it if you were there."

He seemed taken aback by her invitation but happy. "If you want me to be there. I will be."

"Well I saw you at Maria's gig the other night and you were with a girl so I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes."

"No," he replied quickly, "It's not like that with her, with Eliza that is."

She felt stupid for even bringing it up but the girl, Eliza, had been on her mind since that night and she was just too curious not to ask, especially since things were going well, "It's none of my business anyway."

He moved his mouth to say something before shutting it and Liz spoke to break the sudden tension. With a smile, she stuck her hand out, "gimme your phone."

He did without hesitation and she punched a number into it. When her phone rang, she hung it up and handed his back over.

"I've got your number and you've got mine."

"Alright, call when the party happens."

"I'd actually like to meet before then, like maybe for lunch or something. There are some things I want to tell you."

He looked less than enthused about the prospect but nodded anyways, "Just call me and we'll set something up."

He started to walk away when she ran up and pulled him into a hug, at his stiff response, she pulled back and covered her mouth with her hand, embarrassed.

"How awkward, I'm sorry."

"No no, you just caught me off guard is all." He looked down at her for a moment before opening his arms in invitation. "Can I have another go?"

She must not have answered fast enough for him because he was right in front of her and she was enveloped in his embrace before she could think of a good reason to tell him no.

"Relax Liz, it's alright," he said against her ear and she felt herself shiver.

As soon as she heard his voice, felt his breath, she loosened up and allowed herself to enjoy his touch. Turned her face into his neck, breathed in his cologne and how it mixed with his sweat and the heat from the day and when he pulled back with a smile she had to shove down her disappointment.

"I'll see you."

"Yeah, I'll see you."