Something to Believe in

PART 11

“I think ………. I think that maybe you could get the job.”  Liz started, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all the emotions.  “But, I think I need to take things slowly.”  She admitted.

“That’s no problem, we can take it at whatever pace you like.”  He replied, smiling as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

Inside Max felt like he was going to burst though.  She’d said yes!  He’d finally managed to penetrate the stonewall surrounding her body and storm her heart.  Kissing her was like nothing he’d ever experienced before, and inside his heart he was sure what they had would only keep growing bigger and bigger.  Love can conquer all after all.

Stepping out onto the busy LA sidewalk after their meal, Max and Liz started the short walk back to his car.  Grasping hands softly, it was a strange walk, almost as if neither wanted to say a word in case it would break the spell that had descended upon them.

Turning the corner, they headed along a quieter sidewalk, where there were no others around. 

The footsteps echoing around the quiet street suddenly became louder, and Max was aware of another person very close to them. 

“Oi you!”  A voice yelled gruffly behind them.

Instinctively, as he spun round, Max stepped in so Liz was safely behind him.  He wasn’t sure what he was going to be faced with, but something told Max it wasn’t going to be good.  He needed to know Liz was safely out of harms way before doing anything else.

“You!  Give me your money!”  The baseball capped youth snarled, yielding a large double-edged knife in Max’s direction.

“Why?”  Max questioned, trying to talk his way out of the situation.  He knew the streets of LA very well, and although he’d never been attacked before, he still felt it was his territory.  He was a strong guy; just handing over his money because someone was threatening him wasn’t Max’s style.

“Max!”  Liz screamed from just over his shoulder.  “J .. Just ….. give it to ….. him.”  She stammered, her body shaking with fear.

“Do as the lady says and no one will get hurt!”  The youth reiterated, waving the knife so it caught and glistened silver in the moonlight.

Assessing the situation, Max weighed up his odds.  He only had a little over fifty dollars in his wallet, and that certainly wasn’t enough to get hurt over.  But then again giving in to a thug wasn’t his style either.  Although he was aggrieved to give in to such bulling, Max knew he had little choice. 

Delving into his pockets, Max pulled out his wallet.  Grabbing the small wad of notes, he thrusted it in the direction of the youth.  Snatching the money, the youth glared at them once more with piercing eyes before disappearing rapidly into the darkened night.

“Great, well that was a wonderful end to this evening!”  Max said sarcastically, turning to face Liz.  Things had been going well, almost perfect, and then such a violent act had turned the evening sour in one foul move.

What greeted him though, as he faced Liz, genuinely shook Max to his very core.  Never before had he felt so genuinely scared for someone.

Liz was slumped on the ground, her back leaning up against the side of a nearby building.  Her knees scooped up to her chest and she was hugging them tightly to her body.  Rocking backwards and forwards in an attempt to comfort herself, Liz was shaking uncontrollably as tears spilled down her cheeks.  Her face was extremely pale, that was plainly obvious even in the dark night sky.  Her breathing very shallow, sharp intakes, but very little getting through to fill her aching lungs. 

“Liz?”  Max questioned, crouching down to her level and looking at the normally self-assured woman. 

Continuing her rocking, she tried to comfort herself still.  Beads of perspiration slipped down her face, and mixed with the tears falling rapidly on to her damp cheeks.  Her mind was a whirl; she couldn’t think rationally, all she could muster clearly were the terrible images of the attack.

Fear ……. screaming …… blood, all of it spun around in her head.  Images of holding his lifeless body slammed through her mind like a never-ending black and white movie.

The food she’d only just consumed a little while earlier stirred forcefully around in her stomach, making her feel even worse.  Her throat felt dry, a burning acidy taste coated her tongue as she tried to swallow the churning of her stomach away. 

Inside a few seconds that feeling of sickness grew increasingly worse, and she tried to fight the loosing battle.  Relinquishing her tight grip on her knees, Liz turned her head and allowed wave after wave of sickness to hit her before she threw up on the sidewalk.

“Liz, it’s ok, it’s over.”  Max said, pulling her into his arms once she had finished retching.  Smoothing her hair away from her face, Max held her close to him.  It was obvious the attack had affected her badly.  Resting her head gently on his shoulder, Max rubbed his hand between her shoulder blades in an attempt to soothe the fears raging her delicate body. 

An involuntary shiver from Liz, reminded Max it was time to get them into a warmer and somewhat safer environment.  Although it was LA, the weather wasn’t particularly warm that night and a dampness in the air signalled imminent rain.

“Can you walk?”  He asked softly, realising Liz hadn’t said anything since the attack.  His words still brought forward no response from the young lady though, Liz still hugging her knees tightly to her body.

So Max gently stood up, bringing Liz slowly to her feet with him.  Slipping his arm around her waist, he slowly walked the two of them the few remaining feet to his car.

Helping Liz into the passenger seat and putting her belt on, Max headed round to the other side and got in.  Starting the car up, Max switched on the headlights and pushed the gear lever into drive.

The short drive was very quiet; neither said a word, only the quiet drumming of the radio rang out.  Max glanced at Liz often, but there was no change in her facial features. 

It was almost as if she was no longer even on the planet with him.  Fear seemed to be consuming every centimetre of her body, and nothing Max did seemed to change that.

Although he hadn’t said anything, Max knew where he was driving to; he was taking Liz back to his apartment.  It was clear to him that she was in no state to be left alone that night.  The attack had shaken her up no end, and he got the feeling there was some other underlying reason for her reaction too.

Pulling into the driveway, Max placed the car into park, before turning to face Liz again.

“Liz, I’ve brought you back to my house, is that ok?”  He asked softly.

This time, his words did get a reaction, albeit a small one.  Turning her face, Liz looked at Max and gently nodded her head once. 

The look in her eyes haunted Max, shaking him to his very core.  There was so much sadness, so much terror and genuine anxiety.  He’d never seen such a look before, and certainly never in such a young woman.  Her body was still shaking uncontrollably, and tears were still streaming down her face at an alarming rate, he was genuinely scared for her. 

Climbing out of the car, Max scooted round to help Liz out also.  Her body was heavy as he helped her to the front door; it was as if she had lost the will to keep her body vertical.  After opening the door, he slipped one hand on her lower back and the other scooped up her legs.  She barely looked like she could stand, let a lone walk, carrying her was the least he could do.

Carrying Liz’s limp body over to the sofa and gently placing her down, Max disappeared for a few moments, returning with the burgundy throw blanket that normally decorated his king sized bed.

Gently prising her fingers away from the straps of her rucksack, Max quickly wrapped the warm blanket around her ice cold shaking body.  She looked completely numb as he stared at Liz, her eyes unfocussed and blurred, as if she wasn’t really with him in the room at that moment.

“Liz, it’s ok now.  Nobody’s going to hurt you I promise.”  He said softly, pulling her into his arms and resting her heavy head against his chest.  Her sobs continued to pour out and fill his ears, cutting right through his heart. 

He didn’t know what the problem was, or why the attack had shaken her up so badly.  He understood it hadn’t been a pleasant experience to go through, but no one had got hurt, and the youth had only escaped with a few dollars, surely it shouldn’t have scared her as much as it obviously had.  All Max knew was it hurt him terribly to see her in so much pain.

“He’s dead.”  Liz suddenly blurted out, choking on tears as they poured out quicker.

“Huh?”  Max queried.  “No one’s dead Liz.”  He added, completely unsure what she was talking about.

“Yes he is!”  She cried, lifting her head and wrenching her body away from his comforting grasp with much strength.  “I saw it!  I saw his blood, I felt his pain, I experienced his last breath …….. his cold, lifeless body ……. dying in my arms …….. helpless ……… scared ………..”  She wailed, panic flashing through her bright amber eyes once more and scaring Max again in the process.

“Liz?  Who’s dead?”  He pleaded, looking into her eyes at the fear and despair routed deeply inside her soul.

He was totally confused.  The mugging had affected Liz much more than was normal.  Coupled with that was the strange things Liz kept blurting out to him.  Her words seemed so real, so honest and full of truthful emotion, it almost scared him.  It was as if she had seen it before, experienced the dreadful feeling of holding someone dying in her arms.

“Liz?”  He added again, needing to know, wanting to share her pain and start the healing process that she so desperately needed.

“K……….. Kyle.”  She tumbled out, before the strength she had found suddenly drained away, allowing her body to fall back into Max’s awaiting arms.

Her pain wracked sobs filled the quiet air, making Max feel helpless once more.  He could do nothing except comfort her.  He had no idea who Kyle was, how he was related to Liz, how important he was, or how he had died, but he knew Liz was in no fit state to talk at that moment.

It took a long time, perhaps over an hour, before Liz was able to compose herself and speak once again.  Max was patient, waiting till time was right.  Instead he held her tightly in his arms, keeping her head close to his chest.  His fingers rhythmically slipped through her hair, his other hand rubbing her back gently.  His actions were all to help soothe her, chase away some of the demons rushing through her body, and replace them with strength.

Finally, feeding off the power radiating from him, Liz regained semi control of her raging emotions.  Slowly, she lifted her head and pulled away from him slightly.

“Are you ok?”  He asked, keeping a firm hold of her hands that still trembled slightly.

“Yeah.”  She replied softly, her voice still full of choked emotion.

“Are you ready to talk about it?”  He queried tentatively, not wanting to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for.  He desperately wanted to know what had got Liz into such a state, but didn’t want to descend her back into self-destruct mode again.

“I think so.”  She replied, hesitating slightly.

“Let me get us some coffee first, you look like you could use some.”  He smiled warmly, before heading into the kitchen.

Pulling the blanket further up over her arms, Liz tried to control of her involuntary shaking.  Her heart was still racing, and her stomach was only just beginning to settle once more.  The end of the evening had been beyond her wildest nightmares, and the thought of reliving it when telling Max filled her with dread.  Yet in her heart she knew he needed an explanation for her meltdown.

“Here we go.”  He said, returning to the living room a few minutes later with two tall steaming mugs of coffee.”

“Thanks.”  She replied, her voice sounding stronger as she took a sip of the hot liquid.”  Mmm …… that tastes funny.”  She added, licking the bitter but warm taste from her lips.

“Oh, there’s just a splash of brandy in there too …… I though it might help you to relax a bit more.”  He said, seeing a little colour starting to return to her gauntly pale face.

“I’m sorry ……. about ………”  She started, before his finger jumped to rest on her lips and halt her words.

“No sorry Liz ….. just let me help you.”  He said softly, hoping she would trust him enough to share her secret.

“Ok ……… my first boyfriend …… well my only real boyfriend …… was killed in ……. an attack a few years ago.”  She told him, biting her bottom lip to contain the tears that threatened to fall as she thought about Kyle.

“Oh Liz I’m so sorry.”  He said completely sincerely.  “You don’t have to say anything more.”  He added, feeling her pain and certainly not wanting her to relive it.

“He was only 20 years old, he was such a wonderful person who had so much to live for.  He didn’t deserve to have his life cut so short, he never hurt anyone.”  She said, starting to get angry at Kyle’s lost.

“Liz ….. you don’t have to ………”  Max started, not wanting to upset her once more now that she was something resembling calm.

“We’d gone out for a beautiful dinner, it was our third year of dating anniversary.  The restaurant was so expensive, I remember complaining at Kyle that I wasn’t worthy of such an extravagance, but he just brushed it aside.”  She said, a faraway look descending across her face as if she’d been catapulted back to that night a few years previously.

Sitting quietly, he stared at the quiet tears that gently rolled down her face, sensing her pain as she recounted the terrible events.  Although he was afraid she might break down once more, Max could tell she needed to tell her story.  Something told him it was a terrible event she’d carried around alone for way too long.

“I remember wondering what was wrong with Kyle, he seemed to jumpy and agitated throughout the meal, and drunk way more than normal, it was like he was gearing himself up for something big.  He was, I found out just before desert.  When he sunk to his knees I remember my heart jumping, and when he asked me to marry him, I could scarcely breath.  I was so happy, my life was so perfect.  Kyle was everything I wanted in a husband and more; I didn’t hesitate in saying yes.”  She said, pausing to take a large sip of the hot mixture, as if to gain more strength for the tale ahead.

“It was all so perfect, I didn’t want the night to end.”  She said, tears forming heavily in her eyes as she thought back.  On instinct, Max put down his coffee cup and took her hands in his.  Stroking the top of one of them, he tried to remind her that she was with him, nothing was going to happen.

“I …….. I didn’t want to go home, back to studying, I didn’t want to break the magic spell surrounding us at that moment.  So …….. I persuaded Kyle to go for a walk along the beach.  It was beautiful, the moon shone so brightly, the crashing sea so black with emotion, the sand and salt smell filled the air.”  She recounted, pausing as if she could imagine being there so easily.

“We stopped, pausing for a lover’s embrace.  I can’t remember how long we stopped for; I can only remember his snarling voice shouting out to us.  His knife …….. his knife flickered in the moonlight, he yelled for us to hand over our money.  I wanted to ….. I really did …… but Kyle said no.  He said he wasn’t intimidated by the man, he said he wouldn’t give him anything, he wasn’t afraid.”  She said, taking a deep breath and trying to force the tears back down to the pit of her stomach.

“It’s ok.”  Max whispered, reaching up a hand and wiping away a few tears from her damp cheeks.

“Everything happened so quickly, he lunged towards us …… Kyle pushed me away, I stumbled and then he ran away into the night.  For a moment I thought everything was ok again, that we were safe, but …… but then Kyle turned to face me.”  She cried softly, squeezing her eyes shut to rid her mind of the powerful images in her memory.

“His hands were clutching his chest …….. as he pulled them away I could see they were stained …… with his blood.”  She choked.  “He started to fall, and I grabbed him before he hit the ground.  He was too heavy though, I slid to the floor, and pulled him into my arms ………… his breathing was so shallow, his eyes looking up at me were filled with so much pain.  The blood wouldn’t stop ….. I put my hands over it, they got covered, but it wouldn’t stop.”  She recounted, her breathing visibly quickening.

“I cried to him to stay with me, not to leave me, but it was so painful.  He whispered he loved me before taking in another small breath.  I could hear the wheezing from his lungs, it sounded so awful.  Then ………. then his body went limp and heavy.  He was too heavy for me, and the blood … it still gushed out.  I cried out for someone to help …….. but no one came.  He …. He died right there with me.”  She gasped, tears coursing down her face once more.

Wrapping his strong arms around her shoulders, Max pulled the distraught Liz into his body and held her tight once more.  He now knew the route of her distress and despair, and the reason for her overreaction to the attack.  He now understood why she’d been adamant for him to hand over the money, and why she’d crumbled so easily afterwards. 

Her recount of the tragic events cut right to the very centre of the normally steal fast Max Evans.  He felt so desperate for her, the pain she’d experience so visible in her young life.  He suddenly realised how she’d lost her faith in love, and why she kept her distance from anyone who threatened her heart.  She was afraid to love, he could see it so plainly now, and in some respects he could understand her actions.  Her first love had been ripped to ruthless and coldly from her, who could blame Liz from closing up like she had.

“I’m so sorry Liz.  You didn’t deserve to experience so much heartache like that.”  Max said sincerely.

“But that’s just it, I did deserve it.”  She shot back, wrenching from his grasp once more and startling Max in the process.

“I don’t understand.”  He admitted.

“It was my idea to go for the walk.”  She said simply.

“So?”  He countered, not following her logic.

“Kyle wanted to go home, but didn’t because I asked him not to.  I wanted to go to the beach, I didn’t want the night to end …… I was selfish ………I killed him.”  She replied.

“Because you wanted to go for a walk you killed him?”  He clarified stunned, knocked by the conviction in her words.  She couldn’t really believe she’d killed her boyfriend could she?

“Yes, if we hadn’t he’d still be here with me now.”  She replied.

“Liz …… how on earth can you think that?  Your attacker killed Kyle, not you.  He jumped you, he pushed the knife in, you didn’t do anything wrong.”  Max countered.

“But if we hadn’t gone for the walk ………”

“No!  No but ifs.”  Max said firmly.  “You can’t live like that Liz.  You can’t build your life upon what ifs.  What happened was a cruel twist of fate.  You couldn’t have known what was going to happen, any more than Kyle did.  If we all thought like that, none of us would ever leave our homes in the mornings.  It wasn’t your fault, plain and simple.”  He insisted.

“But …..”  She started, but Max was in no mood to support the demons growing bigger each day inside her body.

“No!  Time to let Kyle rest in peace.  I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I am certain he wouldn’t want to see you still grieving for him.  Time to move on Liz, don’t throw your life away on a moment in time you had no control over.”  He said firmly.

He felt so sad for Liz, but he couldn’t let her return to the pit of despair she carried around.  He cared too much for her to watch Liz self-destruct once more.  He had to be firm, but kind, in order to snap her out of the torture she was putting her mind through.

His words almost scared her.  To Liz, she could scarcely remember a time before she carried around the weight of Kyle’s death on her shoulder.  It had been her strength, guiding her through her degree and then through work, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to discard it.  The pain was easy to hide behind, it masked her dwindling private life, her inability to commit or get close to anyone again. 

Moving on meant finally trusting someone once more, and she was still too scared for that.  She was too afraid of being left like she had been with Kyle, afraid of being hurt once more.

“You’re staying here tonight.”  Max informed her.

“I’m ok now Max, I promise not to freak again.”  She reassured him.

“I know, but you’re in no fit state to spend the night on your own.  Besides, it’s nearly 3.00 am, and I think you need to get some sleep now.”  He replied.

“………. Ok.”  She finally replied, unable to fight, and suddenly feeling the wash of tiredness hit her hard.  She truly felt emotionally and physically wiped out.

“You can take my room, I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

“Oh no Max, I couldn’t take your room, this is your house.”  She started to protest.

“Nonsense.  You’re sleeping in there and that’s final.”  He insisted, and Liz knew it was a loosing battle.

A little while later, Liz was lying in the large bed, the silky covers pulled up to her chin.  She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.  She’d practically gatecrashed Max’s house and more importantly his bedroom, while he was relegated to the sofa.  Secretly though, she was glad she wasn’t alone that night, something told her she would find it even harder to find a comforting sleep after the events of that evening.

Lying only a few feet away was Max, curled up on the sofa with the burgundy throw draped over his lower body.  Hands resting comfortably behind his head, he tried to recount the events of that evening.  Everything had started to perfectly.  Dinner had been an excellent success, building upon the grounds of the kiss they’d shared, and taking them up the next rung on the ladder towards so much more.

But, the end of the evening had been so much of a nightmare, not lease for Liz.  Just thinking of her having to recount her prior experience tugged at his heart and made him feel so sad for her.

She been through so much pain and heartache, none of which she deserved.  Max was sure, as he tried to drift into a deep sleep, that he was going to stay right there for her, leading her towards safe ground.  Waiting, gently pushing Liz towards the goal of rebuilding her faith in the world, human race, and men in particular.

His heart made up his mind that night so easily; he would risk whatever it took to make Liz Parker his woman.

PART 2

The bright sunshine of another welcoming day brought Liz out of her slumbers.  Blinking her eyes, for a few moments she tried to remember where she was.  Staring around the room, she noted nothing that could jog her memory, and for a moment she panicked.  She was used to waking up in her own comforting room and bed, being in this strange environment was somewhat scary.

It was then that she started to recall the events of the night before, and where she was came flooding back.

In the cold light of day too, she put into perspective everything that had happened.  The mugging had been awful, a monumental disaster.  Not only had it shook her to her very core, but also she had fallen apart.

Thinking back to how she had cried so openly in Max’s arms, she couldn’t help but cringe.  Not in a very long time had she shown herself as weak or necessitating male support.  However nice and comforting it had felt in her hour of need, now she cursed herself for allowing her hard fought strength to desert her just when she needed it most.

Max was, after all, little more than a business associate hired to help with the takeover.  She’d agreed to dinner partly to stop Maria’s hassling and partly to say thank you for the flowers.  They had definitely overstepped the boundaries of work colleagues, and that was something she felt guilty about.  Never before had she dropped her priorities before, and let her heart rule her business mind, and it scared her how quickly he’d got under her skin.

Throwing back the soft covers, Liz scouted out of the large, inviting, bed and scrambled for her trousers.  Looking down she saw the crisp white t-shirt Max had leant her draped over her upper body, the top swamping her tiny frame. 

Quickly changing, she felt much better once in her own clothes.  By the time she put her hand on the door handle, Liz was feeling much more in control.  She knew what she had to do, and nothing was going to stand in her way.

Stepping into the living room, she saw Max sleeping peacefully on the sofa.  His arm was draped over his eyes, his hair tousled through sleep.  His lower body was covered by the throw, but his upper body was exposed in all its glory.  He had shorts on, she assumed, but nothing covered his bare chest.

Her breath caught in her throat for a brief moment as she was unable to avert her eyes from the glorious sight in front of her.  He did look simply breathtaking as he slept so soundly, she couldn’t help but think. 

His exposed body almost deterred Liz from her path of where she was going.  Almost, but not quite.

Grabbing a piece of paper and pen from the coffee table, Liz scribbled Max a quick note, placing it where she thought he’d see it.

Taking one last look at Max in all his glory, she took a deep breath before quietly exiting his apartment and stepping out into the hot morning sun.

Rolling over, Maria gently opened her eyes, and came face to face with the body occupying her bed.  It was a little after 10.30am on Saturday morning, and she couldn’t help but feel so relaxed. 

The night before had been wonderful, a movie and then dinner at a posh restaurant, then as normal they ended up back at her apartment for desert.  They’d made love in her living room, neither wanting to make the short journey up to her bedroom.  It had been frantic and frenzied, but also everything they both desired at that moment.

And now, as she thought back to the previous evening, she subconsciously snuggled closer to Michael, wanting and needing to feel his naked body close to her exposed skin. 

Gently she ran her fingers along his arm and up to his shoulder blade before dancing them across his muscular chest.  Not for the first time that week, Maria wondered what she’d done to deserve such a wonderful man. 

It was true, she didn’t know him that well on some counts, but on others, perhaps the more important ones, she knew him inside and out.  Although they’d only been seeing each other for a matter of days, it felt like they’d always been together to Maria.  In her heart she knew she was falling for her rough gem, and prayed and hoped Michael felt the same about her.

Stirring, he gently opened his eyes and caught Maria looking at him.

“Morning.”  She smiled at him.

“Morning.”  He replied gruffly, looking at her face for a few moments before linking a hand around the back of Maria’s neck and bringing her lips crashing down on his.

It started as a simple wake up kiss, but quickly spiralled out of control.  Scooting across, Maria stretched her leg over Michael’s body, and pulled her body over so that she straddled his stomach and loomed over him.

Teasingly, she knelt on the bed, so that her body was kept away from Michael’s.  Leaning down, she ran a trail of kisses along his upper body, and then downwards, stopping as she got just below his belly button.  Lifting her head again, she leaned down to kiss Michael passionately once again, keeping her lower body away from his all the while.

The lack of contact with her body was starting to drive Michael wild.  Pushing his lower body upwards, he tried to make contact with her silky skin.  Instinctively Maria pulled away, teasing and taunting him in the process.

Growling part in frustration and part in anticipation, Michael used his considerable weight advantage, swiftly flipping them so he exchanged places with Maria and loomed over her petite frame.  Forcing her legs apart, his body rested between them for a few moments.

Looking up into his rich brown eyes, Maria saw the flames of passion burning brightly, his eyes flickering in the morning sun.  His action had been a dominant one, perhaps a little predatory also, and it made the hairs on her body stand up in response.  Blood thundered through her ears, her pulse was racing and her skin heating up in anticipation of his next move.  Her breathing was coming in short gasps, her need heightened even further.

Staring at her for a small second, he quickly captured her lips in a steamy lock, before roughly taking her body and joining them as one.  A small cry was emitted from Maria, part shock, and a little in pain.  His action had been reckless and forceful, but once recovering from the initial shock it excited her further.

The urgency fuelling his body pushed Michael further onwards.  All thoughts of being gentle flew out the window as his resolve and control deserted him.  Over and over he slammed into her body, conscious only of his one goal and aim.

Her teeth bit at his lip, drawing blood from them, as she got closer and closer with each thrust towards her end.  Her head was spinning, her body swimming in passion as he seized her soul.

His control rapidly deserted him, sending Michael spiralling out of control.  With another grunt he allowed the wonderful feelings to engulf him as he empted his seed with veritable force. 

Inside a few seconds, Maria joined him in the mass of oblivion.  Wave after wave of amazing joy rushed over her, leaving her breathless as she started to come back down to earth.

Reality hit him like a bucket of ice-cold water as he started to return back to earth.  Peeling his body away from hers, Michael flumped down beside Maria. 

For a moment the room was silent apart from the heavy breathing they were both sharing.

“I’m sorry.”  He finally said sincerely, breaking the silence.

“What for?”  She queried, rolling on to her side and resting her head on her palm so she could look at him.

“For loosing control, for being too rough ……… for hurting you.”  He replied.

“You didn’t hurt me Michael, well not much.  It’s cool to loose control once in a while!”  She replied, snuggling up to his body as his arm looped round to hug her tight.

Closing their eyes, the young lovers quick descended into the realm of sleepy dreams, content with everything they had just shared.

Slowing waking up, Max gradually lifted his heavy arm off from across his eyes.  It hadn’t been the best night’s sleep, he was the first to admit it, but needs must.  Liz had been his guest, there was no way he would have allowed her to spend the night on the sofa.  And something told Max there was no way Liz would have allowed him to share the one bed in the house with her.

On thinking about why he’d spent the night on the sofa, his thoughts quickly jumped to Liz.  Although she’d been relatively calm by the time they went to bed, he was still concerned about her.

Throwing back the blanket, Max grabbed the white T-shirt laying on the floor by the coffee table.  Pulling it over his head, he headed to the kitchen to switch on the kettle before turning in the direction of his bedroom. 

For some reason, the potential thought of seeing a sleeping Liz sprawled out on his bed make his heart jump.  Although he’d tried for so long to ignore the feelings he had for Liz, now he’d finally admitted them, it was impossible to look at her as just a business associate.

She was so much more to him, a colleague, an excellent business associate, a friend ……… and maybe one day a lover? 

Pushing the last thought to the deepest crevice of his mind, Max slowly turned the large brass handle to his bedroom.  Quietly pushing open the door, he allowed it to swing open before he stepped across the threshold into the room occupied by the dark haired beauty. 

Or at least he had expected the room to be occupied by that dark haired beauty.  Yet, as his eyes scanned the room, he noted no sign at all of Liz’s whereabouts.  At first he thought perhaps she was in the bathroom, but the door was wide open and there was no sign of her. 

The only evidence that she had once occupied his room was the ruffled covers on his bed that had obviously been hastily pulled over.  Sinking down on the soft silk linen, Max paused to think where Liz might have got to.  It was only as he turned round that he noticed the note strategically placed on the silky cream pillowcase.

Stretching his hand out, he collected the paper and brought it close so he could read it.  Without even looking at her name, he knew instinctively it was from Liz.

Max, sorry for last night, thanks for being understanding.  I’ve imposed myself on you far too long, work colleagues don’t normally spend the evening together.  And that’s all you are Max, just a business associate.  I’m sorry if I’ve led you on.  Take care Liz

Staring down at the paper in amazement, Max tried to get his brain to compute the words he was reading.  She’d left, ran, disappeared without even saying goodbye.

Standing up, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d been kicked hard in the gut.  All the air in his lungs quickly disappeared, making Max feel like he was winded.  Gasping in a breath, he tried to regain his composure, despite the obvious lack of people in his apartment. 

He’d done everything right; at least that’s what he’d thought.  He’d been slow, not rushing her, and at the end of the meal she seemed ready to take things a little further than business associates.  The attack hadn’t been pretty, and had clearly hit her hard, but he’d helped her there too.  He’d comforted her, consoled her and listened when she needed to recount her story. 

Hell he’d even given up his bed for her to sleep in, since he hadn’t wanted her to be alone in such a fragile state.

Yet after everything, after all his good deeds, she’d just vanished without a trace.  Despite everything though, what hurt most was the last sentence in her note, ‘I’m sorry if I’ve lead you on’.

He knew he’d read the signs right, Max was certain she’d wanted more the previous evening, but now nothing more than business colleagues? 

His head was still in a spin as he headed out to the kitchen.  Putting two large spoonfuls of coffee into a mug, he poured in the hot water, before taking a large gulp of the strong black liquid. 

Expectedly, it scolded his throat as he swallowed, but Max didn’t care, he didn’t even really feel the pain.  She’d inflicted much more than any hot liquid ever could. 

For the very first time, a woman had crashed into his life and made Max Evans sit up and take notice.  She was so different from the others, so much more special.  But she had run away from him, and it hurt like hell. 

For the first time in his life, Max finally knew what a broken heart felt like, and he didn’t like the feeling one little bit.

As she laid in the bath that night, Liz was certain of one thing, she had to dig herself out of the terrible mess she was now in.  Facing Max after her meltdown and then run would be too tough.  She didn’t normally dart from confrontation, but this time she was prepared to concede. 

Max Evans had gotten under her skin, and been the closest guy since Kyle to succeed in his quest towards her heart.  But that had to stop, and now, before things got even more complicated.  She was a loner in life, plain and simple, love and relationships just didn’t go with that.

The answer was clear to her, as the hazy mist from the scorching bath circled around the bathroom.  She had to go and see James Valenti tomorrow and sort it out once and for all.  She had to regain control of a situation that had threatened to spiral rapidly out of control.

TBC .......................?

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