Gerry, poor Max was too embarrassed to say anything.
: Thanks for reading!Lisa, you'll get a little more info on Max and Emma in this part. Thanks for the continued support! :D
Author’s Note: Since I never actually mentioned it in the story, I just want to clarify that Max is a lawyer, and works in his dad’s firm.
Part 9
Isabel and Kyle stepped out onto the front porch and saw Max sitting on the bench by the front window. Isabel gave Kyle’s hand a squeeze and said, “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“’Kay. Night,” he said, leaving a quick kiss on her cheek. “See ya, Max,” he called out. Max nodded and gave a little wave, though Isabel noticed that they both seemed to be avoiding eye contact with one another. She shook her head and tried to stifle her laughter.
After Kyle was gone, Isabel went and sat down next to Max on the bench, greeting him with an awkward, “Hey.”
“Welcome home,” he said, his lips curving upward into an embarrassed smile. “So, you and Kyle, huh?”
“Yeah,” Isabel responded bashfully, looking down at her shoes.
“How long have you two… been… together?” Max asked.
“Not long. A couple of weeks, I guess,” Isabel replied with a shrug.
“I’m sorry about before,” he said, looking at her. “I should have waited for you to answer before just barging in.”
Isabel gave a little laugh and said, “It’s okay. Though that’s not exactly how I wanted you to find out about us. I figured I’d sit you down and tell you. You know, kinda how you told me that you and Liz weren’t together anymore?” She gave him a self-satisfied smirk.
“Did I forget to mention that?” he asked sheepishly, giving her a pitiful look.
Isabel smiled and gave him a playful shove, but then turned serious. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? My jaw nearly hit the floor when I got an invite to Liz’s wedding to Sean.”
“I’m sorry,” Max apologized. “It’s just… when you left, you seemed pretty eager to put Roswell behind you. I didn’t really want to bother you with insignificant things.”
Isabel opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. For the second time that night, she was rendered speechless. First Emma, and now Max. Had she really been so determined to turn her back on her past, that even her best friend and her own brother walked on eggshells when it came to talking about it?
“Max, how can you say that?” she asked when she finally found her voice. “A break up between you and Liz is not insignificant!” He gave her an apologetic look, and she asked, “What happened? I only got the Cliffnotes version from Kyle.”
Max sighed and said, “We just drifted apart. Just… after… Alex died, we’d already hurt each other too much. Damaged the trust and faith that used to be between us. We tried to make it work, we really did.”
Isabel placed a comforting hand on his knee at the sad tone of his voice. “I still love her,” he continued on, “and I probably always will. But all I ever wanted was for her to be happy. Sean makes her happy. He gets her in a way that I don’t think I ever did. And he’s a really good guy, despite what a lot of people think.”
“But how can you watch them get married?”
“Well, it’s not going to be a walk in the park, that’s for sure,” he said, giving her a sad smile. “But, really, I’m happy for them. And at least I still have Liz’s friendship… and that’s better than nothing at all.”
Isabel turned to look at him. “Well, what about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
“There’s a new paralegal at mine and Dad’s office. Her name’s Kristin. She’s made it pretty clear that’s she’s interested. And she’s nice… and smart. I don’t know, maybe I’ll ask her out.”
“You should,” Isabel told him, as she tried to wrap her head around how much things had changed in her absence. “What about Maria and Michael? And Tess?” she asked.
Max gave a small chuckle as he replied, “Maria and Michael’s on-again off-again relationship is currently on. They actually just moved into an apartment together in Albuquerque. Tess is still here in Roswell, but I don’t know. She seems so lost lately. She’s not happy. I worry about her.” He looked at Isabel and said, “You should call her while you’re in town. I know she’d love to hear from you.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” Isabel said with a nod.
“Izzie,” Diane interrupted, stepping out onto the porch. “You have a phone call. It’s Liz.”
“Liz?” Isabel questioned, taking the cordless phone from her mother. She turned a questioning gaze to Max, but he just shrugged. She put the phone to her ear and greeted, “Hello?”
“Isabel, hi!” Liz answered in a voice that Isabel could only describe as much too cheerful. “I heard you got into town today. How was your trip?”
“Um, it was good,” Isabel answered, still confused as to why Liz would be calling her. “Thanks.”
“I’m glad,” Liz said. “Listen, I was just calling because I wanted to invite you to the bridesmaids’ luncheon tomorrow.”
Isabel was taken aback by Liz’s kind offer, and didn’t know what to say. “Oh, Liz, I couldn’t,” Isabel responded. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“Don’t be silly! I’d love to see you and catch up before everything gets crazy on Saturday. And you can bring your friend. What’s her name, Emily?”
“Emma,” Isabel corrected.
“Yes, Emma! Please, tell her she’s welcome to come too. We’re meeting at the Tea Room at one o’clock. Please say you’ll come.”
Isabel hesitated, and glanced at Max for reasons unknown. He was gazing out into the front yard, seemingly uninterested in her telephone conversation. “Um, okay, sure,” Isabel finally agreed. “I’ll meet you there at one.”
“Great! See you then,” Liz responded.
Isabel ended the phone call and told Max, “She invited me to the bridesmaids’ luncheon tomorrow.”
“That was nice of her,” Max commented.
“Max, are you sure you’re okay with this?” Isabel asked. “This all feels so weird to me. Like I’m betraying you.”
“Isabel, I told you, I’m fine. You should see the girls and catch up.” Then he glanced at his watch and said, “Look, I have to run. I have some files I need to work on tonight. But I’ll come over for breakfast in the morning.”
“Okay,” Isabel replied, and they exchanged a brief hug. “Good night, Max.”
***
The next morning and afternoon seemed to fly by in a blur. Isabel started the day by having breakfast with her parents, Max, and Emma. It felt like old times being with her family, and Emma fit in like she’d been there all along. She was as charming as always, and Mr. and Mrs. Evans had taken an instant liking to her.
Isabel extended Liz’s invitation for Emma to join them at the bridesmaids’ luncheon, but Emma declined, saying that she didn’t want to intrude. She insisted that Isabel go ahead without her, and Max offered to keep Emma entertained while Isabel was gone, maybe show her around town. Isabel thought it was a little odd for Max to offer, but she didn’t say anything. Her suspicion that something was up with those two kept nagging at the back of her mind.
Isabel joined Liz and her wedding party for lunch at the Tea Room, and ended up having a very nice time. Nancy Parker and Amy DeLuca were also in attendance, as was Maria, who would, of course, be serving as Liz’s maid of honor. Two of Liz’s friends from college, Jessica Ponton and Ashley Harke, were the bridesmaids.
Liz was working as a high school science teacher in Albuquerque, and she and Isabel found that they both had some amusing stories from the high school environment. Maria and Michael, who were also living in Albuquerque, owned and operated a small bar and nightclub, where Maria would sometimes perform. Despite their constant bickering as a couple, they made an excellent business team.
Isabel confessed to Liz her shock at the impending nuptials, but Liz didn’t seem surprised. Apparently, that had been most people’s reaction after Sean popped the question, saying “he wasn’t the marrying type.” But Isabel could tell that Max was right – Liz was happy. And if Max could be okay with that, Isabel decided that she could too.
After the luncheon, Isabel bid farewell to everyone, wishing Liz good luck for the big day, and promising to see her at the reception. She made a quick call to Kyle from her cell phone, made plans for dinner, and then headed back to her parents’ house.
***
Back at the Evans’ home, Emma was perusing a bookshelf in Max’s old bedroom, noting the many classic pieces of literature. “You were a geek in high school, weren’t you?” she teased Max, who was lounging in the desk chair with his feet propped on the bed.
“Funny,” Max responded with an affable scowl.
Emma giggled, and the room fell silent as she continued to look at Max’s things, getting an idea of what he might have been like as a teenager. But something had been weighing at the back of her mind all day, so she decided to broach the subject.
“Max, I’ve been thinking,” Emma said, breaking the silence. “I think maybe we should tell Isabel the truth about us. I’m tired of lying to her.”
Max looked caught off guard by Emma’s request and sudden change in demeanor, and she continued on. “I think she’s starting to suspect that something’s up anyway. She found your number stored in my cell phone, and started asking questions.”
“What did you tell her?” Max asked.
“I gave her some lame story about you helping me pick out a birthday present for her. I don’t really think she believed me though.”
“I don’t know,” Max said warily. “It’s just going to upset her.”
“Max, she’s my best friend! I can’t stand this secret between us anymore. I don’t like her looking at me like she can’t trust me.”
“I know, I know. Do you think I like lying to my own sister? But if we tell her, she’s going to be hurt, and she’s going to be pissed,” Max said. “It’s going to hurt her that we kept something this big from her for so long.”
“It’s going to hurt her even more if she finds out on her own,” Emma pointed out. “She knows that something is up. Max, we have to tell her.”
When Max didn’t respond right away, she continued, “I told Aidan everything before I left to come here.”
Max’s mouth opened in an inaudible gasp. “Everything?” he asked, and Emma nodded.
“And don’t even try to tell me that I shouldn’t have,” she said before Max could lecture her. “He’s my husband, and he deserves to know.”
Pushing his concerns aside for the moment, Max laid a concerned hand on Emma’s arm and asked, “How did he take it?”
“Could have been better, could have been worse, I guess,” Emma replied. “He was upset at first, and more than a little freaked. It’ll take some time, but I think he’s gonna be okay. We’re going to talk more about it when I get back home.”
“I’m sorry,” Max replied sympathetically.
“More than anything, it was such a weight off my shoulders, Max,” Emma said, searching his face for some understanding. “Don’t you see why I really need to tell Isabel? I need her to know the truth.”
***
Just outside of the door, Isabel’s heart beat madly inside her chest at the conversation she’d just overheard between her brother and her best friend. Her mind was swirling with all sorts of scenarios, but only one was standing out. It couldn’t be… could it?
“Hey.”
Isabel nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Kyle’s voice behind her. “God, you scared the crap out of me!” she scolded him in a whisper.
“What’s going on?” Kyle asked in a low voice. “Why are you whispering? And why are you lurking here in the hallway?”
Isabel grabbed Kyle by the arm and pulled him back toward the front of the house, and out the door to the porch. Looking perplexed, Kyle asked, “Iz, what is going on?”
Isabel took a deep breath of the fresh afternoon air and looked at Kyle with wide eyes. She spoke in a hushed voice, as if she was afraid someone might be listening.
“Kyle,” she said, “something’s going on with Max and Emma.”
“What do you mean?”
Isabel took another breath and said, “I think they might be having an affair.”
Well, it will be interesting to see what comes up. 
