Fan Fic and More

Chapter 38


The Spanish villa they were staying at was jaw dropping beautiful. The girls couldn’t believe it as they checked out their home for the next ten days.

It was only five minutes away from the main strip and you had a view of it from the Master bedroom balcony. It had a dining room with leather chairs overlooking the pool area, three bedrooms; a living room with an open fireplace overlooking the patio and yard, a sparkling pool, spa and waterfall, a barbeque outside, a good sized kitchen and was located inside a private community with a Park.

“Wow, this place is gorgeous!” squealed Maria.

“I can’t believe we’re going to be staying here!” said Isabel.

Liz took in a deep, relaxing breath and then slowly let it out. Already this place was having a calming effect on her.

“It’s amazing,” signed Liz.

“I’m glad you think so,” said Max, coming up to the girls after lugging in four suitcases from outside.

“What are we doing about the sleeping arrangements?” asked Michael.

“Trust you to be so direct Michael,” replied Isabel.

“I just want to know where to put these freaking heavy bags,” he grumbled.

“I think you and Liz should take the Master bedroom since I know you put up most of the money for this vacation,” Maria said to Max.

“Does anyone have any objections?” asked Max.

“Nope,” said everyone in unison.

Liz of course squirmed and blushed.

Noticing the awkward silence that had suddenly appeared Michael and Alex went out to get more bags while Isabel and Maria went off to choose their rooms.

“I don’t expect you to have sex with me,” blurted Max, and then noticed the look of amusement on Liz’s face.

Max could not believe he’d just blurted that out loud. It took all of his control not to smack his hand across his mouth so he didn’t say anything more monumentally stupid. Why the hell could Liz reduce him to a quivering mass? Max knew that Liz was squirming a little under the scrutiny of their friends when they were discussing the sleeping arrangements. The tension in the air was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife. The fact that their friends had left them to have a private conversation to ‘discuss it’ made it even worse, at least in Max’s mind.

Shaking his head at his blunder and feeling a little relaxed at Liz’s amusement, he attempted to explain.

“No, I mean, sorry that didn’t come out right. What I meant to say was that all I expect from you on this vacation is for you to have a good time, okay? You’ve been through so much lately. I just want you to relax and enjoy yourself. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with the sleeping arrangements so I ordered a fold down bed, just in case,” explained Max.

After that explanation he felt like groaning. What the hell was wrong with him? Yes he wanted to take his relationship with Liz to the next level but why was he acting like a bumbling thirteen year old instead of the confident man he was? Absolutely horrified, Max felt a full blown blush creep up his face and neck. Would the shame never end?

And then it hit him. He was nervous. He was so in love with Liz, more than he even realised. She had the power to crush him like no other and that absolutely terrified him.

Liz watched as an array of emotions flittered across Max’s face. The cute blush and the ‘deer caught in headlights’ look to his eyes Liz found simply adorable. She knew Max would never push her into something that she wasn’t ready for, that’s one of the many things she loved about him. She thought back to the night when they’d almost got carried away, only for Max to pull away because his mother was due home any minute.

If she remembered correctly, she was the one who attacked him. Surely that would have suggested to Max that she was definitely comfortable with taking their relationship to the next level. Obviously Max wasn’t on the same wavelength. Maybe a little push in the right direction might help.

A sudden look of fear entered those beautiful eyes of his and it pulled Liz out of her internal musings. Maybe she’d been too quiet for too long and now Max doubted her feelings for him. Liz had never been the aggressor in any of her relationships, so this was something new for her but there was no way she was going to allow Max to pull back after the other night.

She knew the arsenal she had purchased was for this very reason. Although she hotly denied it to Maria, she kept in mind that night when she had purchased those sexy little outfits. Oh yes, Liz Parker was definitely going after her man. She wanted him to lose that iron clad control and ravish her until she couldn’t even think straight any more.

With a predatory gleam in her eyes, she slowly circled Max running her finger across his chest, arm and back, removing it quickly to give him a sharp pinch on the butt. The small yelp and jump from Max made her smile. She then proceeded around the rest of his body, gliding her hand across the firm ridges of his muscles until she finally faced him.

“That was very considerate of you Max but by the end of this vacation I intend to make full use of that master bed, with you in it of course. Now which way is our room?” signed Liz.

Max was completely gobsmacked. How quickly had she turned the tables on him? How could she be so innocent one moment and then a little sex kitten the next? Max was definitely interested in peeling away all of the fascinating layers to her personality.


After all the bags had been brought in and placed in the relevant rooms, the group weren’t quite sure what to do next. It was Liz who eventually suggested that they check out the amenities in the complex first; pointing out that they needed supplies for breakfast and lunch.

As they walked through the complex they couldn’t help being impressed by the amount of thought that went into it. There were only six villas, each strategically placed so that one couldn’t overlook the other. In the centre there was a small but picturesque park, with a small play ground for children if needed.

As you ventured further away from the villas there were enough shops to sell all the essentials you would probably need, plus a bar, restaurant, beauty salon, pharmacy, pool hall and anything else you could possibly need if you didn’t want to venture away from the complex.

By the time they returned to the villa, after shopping for breakfast the following morning and lunch today, they were hungry. They had decided on a light lunch of fillet steak salad with Thousand Island dressing, simply because they planned to spend time in pool.

The men went straight to their rooms to get changed since they were going to BBQ the steaks and set the table outside by the pool, while the women chopped the vegetables and prepared the drinks in the kitchen.

Isabel, Maria and Liz brought out two large bowls of salad tossed in Thousand Island dressing, a pitcher of sweet, iced tea and any other condiments they might need. Once they were placed on the table they disappeared into the villa to get changed.

“So Max, are you going to tell us what happened?” asked Michael, as soon as the women disappeared.

Max groaned. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh man, that bad?” asked Alex.

“I can’t believe how I reacted around her!”

“What did you do?” asked Alex.

Max groaned again and shook his head.

“I blurted out that I didn’t expect to have sex with her,” said Max, mortified.

“You said that?” demanded Michael.

Max nodded. “I don’t know why Michael. I felt the tension in the room and when you all left us it got worse. I just wanted her to feel comfortable and understand that I wasn’t expecting anything.”

“So you panicked,” said Alex, understanding.

“Well yeah. After everything that’s happened between us I don’t want any misunderstandings.”

“And you blurted out that? Way to go Max. If I’d said that to Maria I would be hitting a dry spell for quite some time,” replied Michael.

“Yeah, I’m sure Isabel wouldn’t be pleased either,” said Alex.

Max scrunched up his nose in disgust.

“That’s my sister you’re talking about Alex. I don’t want to have that kind of picture in my brain.”

Alex held up his hands in a placating manner.

“I know. I’m just saying...”

“Well don’t,” gritted out Max.

“So, you’re definitely sleeping on the fold down bed from now on,” said Michael, quickly changing the subject.

“Actually, no.”

Both friends’ heads whipped around to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Liz turned the tables on me,” replied Max, enigmatically.

“What does that mean?” asked Michael.

“Nothing! It’s none of your business,” replied Max, focusing his attention back on the steaks.

Michael was about to question Max further but stopped as soon as he caught sight of Maria. She was currently setting up her IPod with speakers so they could have some music outside.

She was wearing a yellow bikini that made her already golden tan look deeper. The tiny triangles of fabric covering her breasts were held in place by what could only be described as a piece of string, left nothing to the imagination. Maria was never ashamed of her body and had been around Max and Alex enough to feel comfortable.

Michael couldn’t help himself. He stalked towards Maria, grabbed her around the waist, spun her around and placed a hard but passionate kiss on her surprised lips.

“You looking gorgeous,” whispered Michael.

Exactly the response she was looking for. She smiled at Michael, placing a cool hand against his sun hot chest.

“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself handsome.”

Another brief kiss and Michael decided it would be wise to put a little space between them otherwise he would go caveman on Maria, toss her over his shoulder and carry her to the bedroom.

“Keep that thought for later,” whispered Maria, as Michael pulled away from her.

Maria sorted through the list of albums on her IPod and chose one to play.

As Isabel stepped out onto the patio Alex nearly spat out his iced tea. The girls had definitely dressed to impress today. Isabel was wearing an emerald green, shiny bikini. The upper half supported her ample breasts but left enough exposed to get a decent tan, whereas the bottoms covered her essential bits with a fairly large triangle of fabric tied together with a bow on each side.

“Wow, you look stunning,” whispered Alex as he placed a brief but passionate kiss on her lips, being respectful that her brother was nearby.

As Liz stepped outside, feeling a little self conscious, both men’s jaws nearly hit the floor. Now normally this would have offended Maria and Isabel but they just couldn’t be angry. Liz looked absolutely stunning in her bikini which was almost identical to the one Ursula Andress wore in the James Bond movie Dr No. Besides they were interested in what Max’s reaction would be to their obvious ogling of his girlfriend.

“Oh this is going to be fun,” whispered Isabel. Maria nodded.

“I told Liz that bikini would make Max lose his control,” whispered Mara.

“Let’s just see how much,” grinned Isabel.

Liz was starting to feel a little uncomfortable when both Alex and Michael just stood there staring at her.

“Maria, Isabel,” signed Liz, frantically.

“Chill out honey, were having fun here. Let’s see what Max does,” signed Maria, translating for Isabel’s benefit.

Michael quickly nudged Max in the ribs.

“What the hell was that ...” the words died in his throat as he looked at his friends face. Turning to look what had caught his attention Max dropped the tongs he was using to turn the steaks.

“Holy fucking shit,” whispered Max.

A/N: The meals ordered in this chapter are from the Zizzi’s menu which can be found here http://www.zizzi.co.uk/our-food/our-menus/


Chapter 39


Max took in the sight of the angel of silence standing before him. God she looked so innocent and yet such a temptress at the same time. He could feel himself growing hard just looking at her.

Max growled as he slapped the back of Michael’s head, hard, for the way he was looking at Liz.

Maria giggled at the look of shock on Michael’s face. “Did Max just growl?” she asked Isabel.

“Uh huh, I believe he did. Watch this,” she said, as Max stalked towards Liz looking like she was his last meal.

“Close you damn mouth,” hissed Max, as he walked past Alex. He placed a finger under his chin unceremoniously snapping his gaping jaw shut.

Liz watched as Max stalked his way towards her, his graceful movements reminding her of a powerful black panther getting ready to strike at its prey. His intense gaze felt like it was burning her skin as he perused her body. Liz gulped.

“Do you think this was the little push Liz was talking about upstairs?” asked Maria, thinking back to their earlier conversation.

“Uh, I think she might have got more than she bargained for,” said Isabel, pointing to her brother who was now walking so close to Liz that she took a few involuntary steps back, her eyes wide.

“O-kayyyy,” said Maria, grabbing everyone towards the grill so they didn’t get an eyeful. “Let’s get these steaks off the grill before they burn.”

“Max?” signed Liz, as he towered above her small frame, the intensity in his dark eyes making her gasp, his breath coming out in short, sharp bursts.

“Mine,” was all he growled before his mouth came crashing down on hers, his tongue demanding entrance not asking it. As Liz returned his kiss ardently Max lost what little control he had left. He immediately lifted her off the floor so she had no other option than to wrap her creamy thighs around his waist and entered the villa so they would have some semblance of privacy.

Max gently pushed Liz up against the wall while he continued to plunder her mouth. His body was taut with the strain of trying to keep his desires in check. One touch of Liz’s skin was normally enough to send him in to orbit but now she was firmly wrapped around him and her small soft hands were roaming his naked muscular back and his body was consumed with intense waves of desire.

As the burning in his lungs increased he ripped his mouth from Liz’s and continued to feast on the sweet skin of her neck. God this woman could drive him insane with want and need. Just as he was about to dip his finger under the sensual bikini she was wearing he heard a noise just outside the double doors to the patio.

“LUNCH IS READY!” shouted Maria, in a sing song voice, breaking the sexual haze both Max and Liz had succumbed to.

With chests heaving, Max slowly lowered Liz to the floor and made her a promise.

“We will continue this,” his voice husky with need, as he turned to go outside.

The couples sitting around the table were amused when Max came out muttering to himself.

“Stupid freaking lunch ... rather stay ... that bikini ... be the death of me ... Victoria Secrets ... I warned them!” he muttered, before diving into the pool to cool off.

“It seems like Max is feeling the heat,” sniggered Michael, knowing exactly the reason why Max went for a swim.

“Oh, I don’t think Liz is fairing much better,” said Maria, taking in the ravaged look along with the slightly glazed eyes of her friend.

“TMI before I eat. Please remember this is my brother,” stated Isabel.

“You’re the one that picked out that bikini!” laughed Maria.

“A mistake I’m never going to make again. Or if I do, I’m staying away from them when she wears it!”

“He deserves to be happy,” said Alex, quietly.

The table suddenly went quiet.

“They both do,” whispered Maria, as Liz sat down.

Liz watched as Max’s muscles rippled through the water as he swam the length of the pool. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Once Max had finished ‘cooling down’ in the pool he joined them for an enjoyable lunch with lots of chatter. The girls cleared the table while the men stacked the dishwasher.

They spent the rest of the day just relaxing around the pool, playing shoulder wars which ended with Maria and Michael getting dunked when Isabel and Liz teamed up against them. After the fun filled day they were all pretty tired but decided to go out for dinner on the complex.

After viewing a few of the outside menus the group decided on a small, family run Italian restaurant. The furniture was made of some dark wood and was covered with a red and white chequered cloth. The centrepiece of the table was a bulbous empty wine bottle with a lit red candle sticking out of the neck of the bottle, giving the restaurant a homely feel. There were a few couples and families sitting in the restaurant but it wasn’t full.

A young bubbly red head came and introduced herself as Serena and then pulled two tables together in order to seat the six guests.

“Did you get a chance to look at the menu outside and decide or would you like a little more time?” asked Serena.

“Um, we did look but we need more time to decide. How about we put in our drinks order first and then we can decide what we want to eat?” suggested Isabel.

“Sounds like a plan,” replied Michael.

The group placed their drinks order with Max translating for Liz, and then perused the menu when Serena left.

They all decided on a starter and a main course leaving the decision for a dessert later. Once Serena had delivered their drinks the group ordered their meal.

Liz ordered the Calamari with a Lemon wedge and Basil and Garlic Mayonnaise dipping sauce as her starter, followed by Penne Vodka for her main.

Max ordered the same starter as Liz but went with the Linguine Gamberi for his main.

Alex and Isabel both ordered the Angelo’s Mussels and then the Rigatoni Con Pollo E Funghi.

Maria and Michael both ordered the Bruschetta Al Pomodoro for their starter with Spaghetti Alla Bolognese for Maria’s main and the Chitarra Alla Pescatora for Michael’s.

The group chatted all through the course of dinner, some telling funny tales from their childhood, which had most of the table howling in laughter.

“I swear, when Maria found that worm in her pocket she literally screamed the whole block down,” laughed Alex, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Oh my god, I remember that!” laughed Max.

Liz sat there with a smile on her face, watching and listening to the interaction between the group of friends.

“Yeah, that’s right, laugh it up at my expense but just remember I have incriminating evidence against most of you!” said Maria, pointing her fork around the table.

“Oh, she didn’t speak to Alex again until he started dating Isabel,” explained Max, to Liz.

“That’s not entirely true,” said Maria, a sudden laugh exploding from her lips.

Alex shrank in his chair and groaned.

“Don’t you dare Maria!” warned Alex.

“Oh, why the hell not? You decided to have fun at my expense Alexis.”

“Alexis?” asked Michael, looking a little confused.

“MARIA!” growled Alex.

“Do you remember when we used to play house Max?” asked Maria, with an innocent look on her face.

Alex buried his face in his hands, knowing what was to follow.

“Yep, I remember. You used to have this doll that was supposed to be our child. The fact that you kept dropping it on its head was mildly disturbing!”

Maria waved away his comment as if she hadn’t heard him.

“Well, you weren’t around to play house with me because you had ... other issues,” Maria said.

Max understood what she was hinting at. It was one of the many times he’d missed because of his father’s so called punishment.

“So, Alex was walking past the gate when I grabbed him and pulled him into the back garden. I was so fed up with being the Mom. As Max said, I kept on dropping the baby so I insisted Alex had to do it,” explained Maria.

Michael started to snicker.

“Please tell me you didn’t make him dress up?” asked Michael.

A smug smile appeared on Maria’s face.

“Oh yeah I did. I made him dress up and his new name was Alexis. I think I have a photo somewhere!” said Maria, trying to remember.

“Whitman? You dressed as a woman?” asked Max. “Maria was always trying to get me to do that but I refused!”

“HEY! In my defence I was only six!”

“So what did you make him wear Maria?” signed Liz, highly amused by the bright blush on Alex’s cheeks.

“Well, the only thing I had that would fit Alex at the time,” said Maria, smirking.

“Which was?” asked Isabel, interested.

“HEY! You’re supposed to be on my side!” said Alex, looking at his girlfriend through his fingers.

“A pink ballerina’s outfit with matching tights and tutu!” laughed Maria, practically falling off her chair.

“That’s one image I would rather not be imprinted on my brain,” said Michael in disgust.

Isabel was doubled over, her stomach aching with the force of her laugh.

“You just had to do it, didn’t you Maria?” said Alex, disgusted that his secret was finally out.

“Well what did you expect after that worm story!”

Serena had been watching the table of six, in her section, closely. They all seemed to have such a close relationship with one another. She had overheard the stories they were telling which caused her to snicker behind her hand.

She missed this kind of interaction. She had only moved here a few months back, since her cousin had become too ill to help out in the restaurant and she missed her friends. Once she realised that they had finished their food she carefully approached the table again.

“I hope everything was to your satisfaction?” asked Serena, as she cleared the plates away.

“It was delicious, thank you,” said Max.

“Would you like any dessert?”

The girls looked at one another and then shook their heads.

“We’re stuffed,” replied Maria. “I don’t think I could eat another thing.”

“I enjoyed the Calamari though. My compliments to the chef,” signed Liz, which Maria translated.

“Oh, my father will be so pleased!” said Serena, with a genuine smile on her face.

“Your father owns the restaurant?” asked Isabel.

“The family does, but dad does all the cooking,” explained Serena.

“So how often do you work here?” asked Maria.

“Um, well I’ve not long moved here. My cousin got sick so I stepped in to cover until she’s better.”

“That’s good of you,” said Alex.

“Maybe, but I miss my friends,” replied Serena.

Liz understood exactly where Serena was coming from. She had moved so many times during her life that she noticed a kindred spirit in Serena. She knew what it felt like to leave your friends behind and start a new life.

She looked at Max and he instantly understood what she was asking with her eyes. The slight nod of his head made Liz smile.

“We’re staying on the complex here. We are only here for ten days but why don’t you join us for a barbeque?” asked Max.

“Really? You guys wouldn’t mind?” asked Serena, getting excited.

“The more the merrier!” replied Maria. “I don’t mean to be rude but do you have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah, his name is Daniel. He moved here with me when he realised that it could be long term.”

“Then invite him too,” replied Maria. “We’re all kind of coupled off so I didn’t want you to feel left out.”

“Um, I’ve got a day off on Wednesday, would that be okay?” asked Serena.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” replied Isabel.

Liz quickly scribbled her mobile number down on the napkin and handed it to Serena.

“We’re staying at villa number six,” explained Max. “But call that number if you can’t make it for any reason.”

“I will. Thank you so much. I’ll just go and get your bill,” replied Serena, walking away with a smile on her face.

“She seemed really nice,” said Michael.

“Yeah, I know what it’s like to be in a town where you don’t have any friends,” signed Liz.

Serena finally came back with bill, after serving some other customers. Once the group had paid and left her a hefty tip she waved bye to the six people who had made such an immediate impression on her.

She stiffened when she felt the presence behind her.

“You did real good Serena. I want you to keep a close eye on all of them, especially the little brunette and Max.”

“I don’t like lying to them. They’re really nice people.”

“I’m afraid it’s the only way. Are you sure he didn’t recognise you?”

“I’m sure.”

“Good, keep me posted.”

Serena shivered as the man retreated. She hoped she was doing the right thing.
The group returned to the villa completely exhausted after the flight, fun at the pool and being completely full after the meal. They all headed to their rooms with mumbled good nights.

Max had decided to take a quick shower before joining Liz in bed. When he returned to the room he watched her small frame rise and fall with her breathing. She was fast asleep, looking beautiful with her hair spread across the pillow. He gently removed her shoes but decided not to remove her jeans or top in case he woke her up. She looked so peaceful.

He manoeuvred the sheets from underneath her and gently tucked her in before donning a pair of boxer shorts and joining her in the bed. She subconsciously moved closer to him in her sleep and he placed his arm around her waist pulling her plush against his body. It didn’t take him long to follow her into a deep slumber.

The descriptions in this chapter was gathered from numerous sites: http://www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm , http://www.houseboating.org/MEAD/overview.cfm , http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam , http://www.arizona-leisure.com/hoover-dam-building.html I thank those sites for providing the information needed for this chapter. "Direct quotes" are used from these sites, all credit goes to those sites and no infringement is intended. I’m using artistic licence for the tour since I’ve never been on it.



Chapter 40


As Liz sluiced her body under the warm spray of the shower she couldn’t help thinking back to the recent events. She had fallen asleep last night fully clothed while waiting for Max to come out of the shower. She was awoken gently this morning by Max peppering gentle kisses over her face. He was currently helping Michael make breakfast while she showered.

Last night was the first night that she’d not had a nightmare about her parents. Max thought it was because she was on holiday or that Dr Ray was finally making headway but Liz knew the reason, it was because of Max. She felt safe when she was with him. She was no fool though. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the bodies of her dead parents started showing up again. Liz wondered how Max would react if she had a similar experience like the one with Maria and Isabel. What would Max do? What could he do?

“Liz, breakfast is ready!” shouted Max, through the bathroom door.

Liz quickly rinsed the conditioner out of her hair, switched off the water, grabbed a big fluffy white towel and began to dry herself. She wrapped a fresh towel around her body, placed the other around her hair turban style and then exited the bathroom.

She saw movement, out of her peripheral vision, on the balcony. When she turned to look at Max her breath caught. The sight of Max’s bare back had her salivating. His skin was glistening with oil that he’d put on before going out in to the hot morning sun. Her eyes travelled the expanse of his broad shoulders, down to where his body narrowed around his waist and then to that little dip just before his ass cheeks which were covered by his low hung shorts. He was simply breathtakingly beautiful.

She quietly made her way over to Max who had yet to notice that she’d come out of the bathroom. She gently placed her hand at the top of his neck and slowly skimmed it across the expanse of his back. He shivered slightly and then turned to face her. His breath caught in his throat as he realised the only thing standing between him and a very naked Liz was a small white towel. Was she trying to drive him insane?

“Good morning,” his voice was deep and extremely husky.

Liz stood on tip toe so she could reach his soft masculine lips. She gently ran the tip of her tongue across his bottom lip; just a whisper of a touch but it was enough to ignite a fire of desire, so strong, through Max’s body that his lips parted as he inhaled deeply. Liz took this opportunity to kiss him fully, exploring the minty taste of his mouth, teasing his tongue with hers. His legs almost buckled under the sensation that was rampaging through his system. Would it always be this intense with Liz? He believed it would be. He wrapped his strong arms around her slim waist so she couldn’t escape him as he deepened the kiss further. The need for air was the only thing that drew them apart.

“Wow,” was the only word that slipped from his lips. No word could adequately describe how he felt right at this moment. His chest was heaving as he drew in much needed air to his starving lungs.

“Good morning Max,” signed Liz, before gently prying his arms from around her waist. “This looks delicious,” signed Liz, then waving her arm across the table.

“It certainly is delicious,” replied Max, not really talking about the food on the table as he looked into Liz’s eyes.

A huge grin came across her beautiful face. She knew it wouldn’t be long before she made Max lose control and quite frankly, she couldn't wait for that moment.

As Liz sat down in one of the wicker chairs, she grabbed another one to put her feet on. She raised one leg so Max could get a tantalising view of her skin, without showing anything more. She couldn’t help the smile on her face as she caught him staring at her exposed thigh.

Max shook his head to get rid of all the impure thoughts that were rampaging through his brain at that moment. He chose to talk about a safe topic.

“Maria and Isabel wanted something light for breakfast this morning, whereas Michael and Alex wanted a calorific feast so I grabbed a bit of everything,” explained Max.

On the table was a bowl of sliced fresh fruit, a pot of yoghurt, and a platter of all butter croissants, pancakes, bacon, hash browns and some sort of fried ham.

“I’m so famished,” signed Liz, as she grabbed a plate and bowl and helped herself to a little of everything on the table.

It was something that Max loved about Liz. She wasn’t afraid to stuff her face if she felt the need to. Most of the girls he knew had always picked at their food when they were in front of someone they wanted to attract. He never could understand why.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” signed Liz, before biting off a crunchy bit of bacon.

“Well, we could go and visit the Hoover Dam today and then go to the Lake Mead National Recreation area. We could go swimming, do some water sports or just hike. Apparently there’s some breathtaking scenery, not to mention the wildlife.”

“Max … that sounds perfect! I’m looking forward to the Hoover Dam. It’s a remarkable feat in engineering,” signed Liz.

“I thought you’d like that. We could take a picnic and then we could spend most of the day out there but of course it’s entirely up to you. I want you to enjoy this holiday Liz. Maybe it’s something we can look back on with fond memories when we’re older.”

Could this man be any more perfect? Liz couldn’t believe how lucky she’d been to meet him, let alone been on his thoughts all this time. This sort of thing never really happened to her but then she finally realised something, perhaps she had to go through all the bad stuff so she could appreciate someone like Max. She knew that she would never take him for granted, that was for sure.

“What?” asked Max, getting a little uncomfortable with the way Liz was looking at him; it was almost as if she was in awe.

“Nothing, I just can’t believe how lucky I am to have met you Max,” signed Liz. “You’re perfect.”

“No, don’t do that Liz. Don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m far from perfect. I have my own baggage that follows me and sometimes that’s difficult to deal with. I’m difficult to deal with. I don’t trust easily, I’m overprotective to the people who matter the most to me, almost to obsession.

I’m not beyond doing something that doesn’t agree with my morals if the situation requires it. I can be moody and sometimes a complete control freak and I rarely give second chances. I’m telling you all of this so that you can go into this relationship with your eyes opened.”

Liz smiled.

“I think you misunderstood me Max. I know that you’re not perfect. Neither am I. Since we are being frank with one another let me set you straight on a few points about me. I have walls that I’ve built over the years and they’re not easy to bring down. It’s going to take time and you’re going to have to be patient with me. I don’t trust easily either; I think we established that over the Tess situation, although I do trust you.

I’ve been bounced from one home to another and it’s hard for me to settle anywhere because at the back of my mind everything is temporary. I don’t make friends for that reason, although now that I’m with Mom and Dad I’m slowly trying to alter my mind set. I’ve never really had control over my own life since my birth parents died; everyone else has done it for me so I’m even more of a control freak than you are. I’m extremely stubborn when it’s something personal to me and we are probably going to butt heads on many issues but I promise you that I’ll try. I don’t think you’re perfect Max; you’re just perfect for me because I know you see where I’m coming from. Does that make sense?”

Max smiled.

“Yeah, it makes sense to me anyhow,” said Max.

“Well now that we’ve got that serious conversation over what is the rest of the group going to do today? Are they coming with us?”

“No. This is a couples day today since we are all going to be together tomorrow for the barbeque.”

“Great! Well, I’ll just go and get ready then,” signed Liz, with an exuberant look in her eyes, after she’d polished off the rest of the food on her plate.

While Liz was getting ready Max packed the car ready for their journey. He then returned to the room to grab a quick shower and get dressed.

It wasn’t long before they were on the US93 heading towards Boulder City and the Hoover Dam. As they got within a mile of the Dam they were stopped at the security checkpoint. The car was checked over thoroughly and the guard waved them on.

When they arrived at the Visitors Center they paid the $7 parking fee and parked the car. Across from the Visitors Center they took the escalator down below street level to the ticketing area. This is where they met more security measures. Max’s back pack and Liz’s purse were scanned as they walked through the metal detectors.

They paid $30 each for the one hour Hoover Dam tour and then continued on looking around the Theatre Level displays. There were all kinds of maps, photos and information regarding the Hoover Dam and how it was built.

The next part of the tour was a ten minute film describing the contributions the Hoover Dam made to the developing West, the engineering behind it and the construction effort it took to build which both Liz and Max found fascinating.

They found out that the Hoover Dam was originally named Boulder Dam because the initial planned site was at Boulder Canyon about 10 miles north upriver from where it is now located. An engineering reassessment moved it to its present location.

In 1930 the Herbert Hoover administration changed the name from Boulder Dam to Hoover Dam as a political move. In 1933 it was changed back to Boulder Dam under the Franklin Roosevelt administration only to be “officially” changed back to its permanent name “Hoover Dam” under Harry Truman.

After exiting the theatre they took the 70 – second elevator ride 530 feet down through the rock wall of the Black Canyon. They exited into a tunnel which was drilled in the 1930s for construction and took the short walk to the Penstock View Platform to begin the one hour guided tour.

The Penstock Viewing Platform is atop one, of four, of the huge 30ft diameter pipes that transport nearly 90,000 gallons of water each second from Lake Mead to the Dam’s hydroelectric generators. They could feel the vibration that the water created as it pumped through the pipes. There was also an animated display describing the complexities of the construction of the dam and how it now operates.

They also visited the Power-plant Generators on the Nevada side of the Power-plant which offered a panoramic view of the 650ft long Nevada wing and eight of the dam’s huge 17 generators. There was also an intricate terrazzo floor design which was great for photos.

Next on the tour was the Inspection Galleries which were tunnels that allowed you to explore rarely seen areas of the dam. The most fascinating details for Liz were the inspection markings written on the wall from the men that used to work on the dam.

During the tour the guide explained about the avalanche of unemployed people who poured in for a limited number of Hoover Dam construction jobs, many who came with families with little or no money after the Great Depression and 1929 stock market crash. The living conditions were hell and many men lost their lives during the construction.

The unharnessed power of the Colorado River became mastered and much needed water was funnelled to fertile but arid lands. Agricultural production suddenly blossomed and would continue to do so for future generations. Also the economical source of hydroelectric power will supply ample demands for future lifetimes. Plus the by product of such an engineering feat would be the scenic Lake Mead, a water lovers paradise that is enjoyed by millions of visitors each year.

After the tour ended Liz and Max made their way to the observation deck which offered panoramic views of Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Colorado River.

“Wow, that was amazing Max. Thanks so much for bringing me here,” signed Liz.

“So what was your favourite part?” asked Max.

“I loved everything about the place but mainly the story behind the families and men who lost their lives to build this. Imagine it Max. It must have been awful but those men gave their lives to create better ones for all of us. They just never got to live to see it. That I find kind of sad but at the same time their families must have been so proud of them,” signed Liz.

“Yeah, it brings a new meaning to ‘respect your elders’” declared Max.

“WOW! look at this view,” signed Liz frantically as she stepped out onto the observation deck.

It was simply breathtaking. Liz got out her camera and started snapping the most scenic areas.

“I thought we’d go to Grapevine Canyon next. There’s evidence of the Prehistoric Indians who lived in the area. It’s only about a quarter of a mile walk from the parking area. Petroglyphs are etched on some of the large boulders at the entrance to the canyon. I thought you might be interested in going to see those too,” suggested Max.

He was rewarded with a huge smile from Liz.

“That sounds fantastic Max,” signed Liz, excited. “My Grandma Claudia Parker used to be archaeologist specialising in Native American artefacts. She even wrote a book about it. It will be so exciting to see the petroglyphs of Prehistoric Indians!”

“It’s getting close to lunchtime. Are you hungry? Would you like to eat here first?” asked Max.

Liz shook her head.

“No. Let’s get to Grapevine Canyon and eat out there then we can go exploring!”

“Okay, let’s make our way back to the car.”

*The descriptions in this chapter are taken from http://www.johngregg.com/gra1.htm * which quotes ‘This page was taken from A Guide to Rock Art Sites of Southern California and Southern Nevada by David S. Whitley’

Other info: http://www.birdandhike.com/Glyphs/LAME/ ... pevine.htm (go here if you want to look at pictures of the petroglyphs).

Full credit goes to the people who provided the information and no infringement is intended.




Chapter 41


After their tour around the Dam and subsequent journey, Max and Liz were hungry by the time they pulled into the parking area near the entrance of Grapevine Canyon.

“We could either eat here or wait until we reach further up the Canyon,” offered Max.

“I think I would like to wait until we’re further up the Canyon,” signed Liz, even though at that moment her stomach decided to protest with a loud grumble.

Max chuckled.

“Are you sure? You’re stomach seems to have different plans.”

“I’m sure,” signed Liz, with a smile on her face.

Max gathered both back packs out of the boot of the car, attached one to Liz’s back and the other to his own. He held his hand out for Liz which she gladly accepted.

They followed the quarter of a mile trail from the parking area to the mouth of the canyon. Liz got extremely excited when she saw the evidence of the Prehistoric Indians who lived in the area many, many years ago. The petroglyphs were amazing and Liz wasted no time in pulling out her camera to take pictures of all the etchings.

“What do you think they mean Max?” signed Liz, reaching out her hand to touch one of the boulders.

Max gently grabbed her wrist before she could touch the stone.

“Don’t touch it Liz. Although I doubt you could do much damage just by touching the petroglyphs, the disturbance of these resources could destroy our heritage,” explained Max.

“You’re right,” signed Liz, as she pulled her hand back. “Don’t you find it fascinating though, that these petroglyphs have survived the erosion of Mother Nature to still be here to this day?” signed Liz. “I mean how could they have been deep enough to survive this long?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they are protected by some spiritual realm or something,” said Max, shrugging his shoulders feeling a little silly even suggesting it.

“You know that might not be too far from the truth Max. I know it sounds farfetched but my Grandma Claudia did a lot of research into this area. There’s a Mojave myth that the oldest spirit Matavilya was created from the mating of the Earth and Sky. He had two sons, Mastamho and Kaatar, and a daughter called Frog. Matavilya was killed by his daughter for committing an unwitting indecency against her. Mastamho took care of the cremation and mourning ceremony, when completed, it was said that he strode up the Colorado River Valley. When he got to the top he created the river by plunging a cane of breath and spittle into the earth, allowing the river to be created.

After returning with his people, the Mojave, he piled up earth, creating the mountain Avlkwa’ame the ‘spirit mountain’, and built himself a house on it. He defeated the Sky-Rattlesnake by cutting off his head. Mastamho then gave the land to the different tribes and taught them to farm. He turned himself into a fish-eagle and flew off into oblivion.

The myth of the rock art is known as the ‘Shaman’s Tale.” In Yuman fashion, the shaman was believed to have re-experienced the mythic events of creation and received his ordained powers from Mastamho. The importance of the rock art is that Grapevine Canyon is Atastamho’s House, where the Mojave shaman went to witness, in his dreams, the creation of the world. That’s one of the stories behind the petroglyphs but of course none of us can be sure why they were left there,” signed Liz.

“Wow, you really know a lot about this stuff, don’t you?” asked Max, fascinated.

Liz blushed in embarrassment.

“I’m not a geek I swear. It’s just; my Grandma was the first person who ever made me feel like I was truly home. She told me all these stories. That’s just one of the ones I remember, although I didn’t realise it had direct relation to Grapevine Canyon, until now.”

“You know most people don’t know the history behind the Mojave Desert. To think that they believe this part is simply barren and desolate. Even if they do get a hint from the petroglyphs, they don’t really understand the story behind them. I’m glad I came with you here Liz. It has thrown a whole new light on the subject.”

Liz’s stomach decided to make itself known for the second time that day. She blushed in acute embarrassment.

Max gently took her hand and entwined his fingers through hers.

“Come on; let’s find a good place to sit so we can take care of that stomach.”

The hike farther into the canyon had Liz and Max climbing over some large boulders. Max, always the perfect gentleman, helped Liz. At one point she slipped on one of the boulders and Max managed to correct her fall by grabbing her quickly around the waist.

“Thanks,” signed Liz.

“Just a few more minutes and we’ll be in the right place,” explained Max.

“Where are we going Max?”

“There’s this little place that I think you will like. It’s just a few more minutes and then you can rest.”

By now the temperature was well into the 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Max had made sure that they had plenty of water for their journey and stopped periodically to make Liz drink.

Once they had finally climbed over the last boulder and walked a little inland, Liz couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Wow, this is beautiful Max. Definitely worth the trip!” signed Liz, as she looked at the small stream running its way down the ravine.

“This small spring allows plants, cottonwood, canyon grape, cattails and rushes to grow in the canyon. These plants draw desert bighorn sheep and other animals into the canyon.”

“It looks like I’m not the only person who knows about this area,” signed Liz.

“I read the brochure before we came here,” Max said sheepishly as he wrapped his arms around Liz’s waist.

“It’s so peaceful here Max. Let’s settle down here for lunch,” signed Liz.

“Just one thing first,” said Max, capturing Liz’s lips in a passionate kiss.

Once finished both of them were breathing hard.

“I’ve wanted to do that since that kiss this morning,” admitted Max.

“Oh, well whenever you feel the need to do that Max you don’t have to wait for permission,” signed Liz, as she smiled.

“Noted!” said Max, getting the blanket he’d packed for the picnic out of his back pack.

By the time Max had finished unpacking everything from the back packs, Liz had made herself comfortable on the blanket and was taking a little from each container and putting it onto their paper plates.

“Wow, we’ve got enough to food here to feed a small army,” signed Liz.

“I only prepared the sandwiches, Isabel and Michael did the rest,” explained Max.

“Michael made some of this?” asked Liz.

“Yeah, he made all the cold pasta dishes and the fried chicken. Apparently the recipe has been in his family for years. He still won’t give up the secret ingredient.”

“It’s delicious,” signed Liz, after she’d taken a big bite out of her chicken. “I’ll have to thank Isabel and Michael when we return.”

After eating as much food as their stomach’s would allow, Liz lay her head down in Max’s lap, facing up so that she could see his face and asked a question that had been bothering her since she arrived on this holiday.

“I don’t mean to spoil the mood Max, but what are we going to do about Tess. I don’t think for one moment that this is all over, no matter what information you have on her.”

Max sighed.

“I agree. I don’t know what we are going to do about the situation at the moment Liz. All I know is that I don’t want her hurting you anymore than she already has.”

“I don’t think I ever thanked you Max, you know, for looking out for me,” signed Liz.

“I don’t think you realise how important you are to me Liz,” said Max.

“I think I’m beginning to realise Max and we have great friends who watch out for us,” signed Liz.

“Yeah, we do. I don’t think I would be the man I am today without them Liz. They stood by me through thick and thin.”

“I think that’s a two way street Max. Each and every one of you brings a different quality to the group and that’s why it works so well.”

“I guess so. I never really thought about it that way before.”

Liz and Max sat there listening to the calming sounds of the steam and taking in the scenery before heading off to search more of the area. They found a few rock shelters which indicated where the AhaMakav people (ancestors of the modern day Mohave peoples) and possibly the Southern Paiute people camped periodically. The shelters were used as early as 1100AD and continued to be used into historic times.

They finally decided to head back towards the car before the heat became too much for them, or they suffered from sunstroke.

During the much needed cool, air conditioned drive home Max was comfortable with the silence in the car. It gave him a chance to think about the wonderful day he’d spent with Liz, until he realised that the only reason they were sitting in comfortable silence was because of Liz’s condition.

He started to wonder what it would be like to hear her speak about something she felt passionate about or to hear her laugh. It made him sad that he might never experience that with Liz but then had a sudden burst of guilt go through him when he realised that those kind of thoughts where what Liz had been fighting against her whole life.

He turned his head slightly to glance at her and was shocked to find her staring at him.

“What?” signed Liz.

“Nothing, I was ... I was just thinking what a wonderful day we’ve had,” said Max, keeping an eye on the road.

“I really enjoyed spending the day together Max. I can’t wait for the barbeque tomorrow though.”

“Neither can I Liz.”

Chapter 42


When Max and Liz stepped through the villa door their noses were assaulted by the most delicious aroma of cooking food. They could hear the group chatting away in the kitchen and headed that way after dropping their backpacks near the front door.

“Hey, you’re back!” said Isabel, as she noticed the couple walk through the door.

“Oh did you have a good day?” asked Maria, once she’d finished stirring whatever was on the stove.

Liz looked up at Max adoringly.

“Yeah, it was great,” replied Max.

“We saw so many interesting sites. It was perfect. Thank you for making the food for us. It was delicious and I especially enjoyed that chicken Michael,” signed Liz, while Maria translated.

“You’re welcome,” said Michael.

“So what are you cooking because the aroma is making my stomach rumble?” asked Max.

“Oh, this is a Maria special,” said Isabel.

“It’s Moroccan Lamb with Shiraz Honey Sauce, rosemary mashed potatoes and honey glazed carrots. My mom travelled a lot when she was younger and obtained recipes from the places she visited. This is one of my favourites. There is a complex mixture of Moroccan spices called Ras el hanout which gives it a unique flavour,” explained Maria.

“I can’t wait to taste it,” signed Liz.

“We bought everything we need for the barbeque tomorrow and have the meats marinating as we speak,” said Michael.

“Okay, everything is ready. If you could give me a hand putting all this on the table we’ll be ready to eat,” said Maria

The group helped Maria put everything into serving dishes and then carried them over. Alex, Isabel, Max and Liz were surprised to find three bottles of opened Shiraz on the table.

“Yeah, we thought we’d surprise you guys,” said Michael.

“We managed to get hold of a few bottles from Serena. Apparently the wine has plenty of spice, rich damsons and lovely rich dark fruits, goes well with meat,” explained Maria.

The meal was a wonderful affair, after helping themselves to the food and wine the conversation flowed easily. The group all helped with the clearing up and the dishwasher was turned on before everyone decided it was time to retire for the evening.

“Since you guys have done so much today Liz and I will do all the cooking and prep tomorrow. That way you guys get a break from the cooking,” suggested Max.

“Oh yeah, I can make my homemade coleslaw and potato salad,” signed Liz.

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Alex.

“Well on that note, I’m going to bed. Liz and I will have to be up early in the morning if we are going to be ready on time,” said Max.

A chorus of good nights was heard before the couples separated to go into their rooms.


The following morning, Max and Liz were showered, dressed and out in the kitchen by 7.30 am, cooking breakfast for everyone. By 8.00am the couples were sat around the table eating breakfast and discussing what was going to happen that morning.

Isabel, Alex, Michael and Maria decided that they would spend the morning out at Lake Mead since it was only a fifteen minute walk from where they were staying. Alex and Michael could get in some windsurfing and jet skiing time while the girls could busy themselves with sunbathing and swimming.

After breakfast was finished, both Max and Liz ushered the couples out of the apartment so they could clear all of the breakfast dishes and then make a start on preparing all the food for the barbeque.

They worked together like a couple of pros in the kitchen, moving around each other as they carried out their tasks in comfortable silence, except for the radio playing in the background. That was until Liz bent down to stack the breakfast plates in the dishwasher.

Max stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Liz bend over at the waist. Was she trying to kill him? Max asked himself for the umpteenth time. She was wearing these little white shorts that when she bent over that way gave Max a tantalizing view of the little curve of her firm butt cheeks. He was fighting a losing battle and knew it. That’s why his control finally snapped. He couldn’t help himself as he bent down on one knee and started to trace his hands from Liz’s ankles right up to her thighs in a slow torturous movement.

Liz gasped as she felt Max’s warm hands wrap around her ankles and then slowly slide upwards. It took all her strength not to drop the plate she was currently holding. She quickly rammed it into the dishwasher so she could enjoy the sensations Max was creating within her body. By the time he had reached her thighs her whole body felt like it was coming alive. She’d never felt this way before, it was as if tiny little electric shocks were wracking her whole body.

‘At Last’ by Etta James came on the radio so Max stood behind Liz and loosely wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Dance with me,” whispered Max, close to Liz’s ear.

Liz couldn’t help the shiver that went through her body as Max’s warm breath teased her sensitive skin. She nodded and Max gently took one of her hands and twirled Liz around, pulled her back towards him and then wrapped one arm around her waist while the other held her arm out to the side. He placed his forehead against hers and looked into those beautiful chocolate coloured eyes.
They began to sway gently to the music and Liz was surprised at how well Max could dance. He had them moving effortlessly around the kitchen using all the space provided. He kept gently spinning her around under his arm only to catch her and resume their previous position.

Liz felt like she was floating on air and she wasn’t so sure that it was just the dancing that was making her feel that way. Max kept on surprising her and she knew that she was in love with this strong, gentle man standing before her. As the last strings of the song came Max gently dipped Liz, pulled her upright, spun her under his arm and then pulled her tight to his body.

“I love you Liz,” whispered Max, before slowly closing the distance and softly kissing her. One of his hands snaked upwards and entwined with the silky strands of her hair. He gently pulled her head back and deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding erotically into her mouth.

After practically devouring Liz, Max finally broke the kiss to bring in much needed air to his starving lungs. Right now all he wanted to do was pick her up, take her into their bedroom and make love to her for the rest of the day but alas that wasn’t going to happen.

“We are definitely continuing this tonight Max,” signed Liz, who was now extremely frustrated with the lack of progression between herself and Max.

“Liz, if we hadn’t agreed to do all of the preparations then I would be in there right now!” growled Max.

“Whose stupid idea was it to volunteer to do the prep again?” signed Liz, with the cutest pout on her lips.

“Yeah, that would be me,” said Max, with his hand raised.

“Come on, let’s get this done,” signed Liz, breaking away from Max and getting the knives out of the drawer she would need to prepare the Coleslaw and Potato Salad.

“At least we don’t have to prepare all the meat. Michael took care of that last night,” said Max, getting the stuff Liz would need out of the fridge.

“Are there any smoked ribs in there?” signed Liz.

“Nope, steaks, lamb chops, sausages, burgers, chicken and corn but no ribs,” replied Max.

“Would you mind taking a trip to the butchers to get some?”

“Liz, there’s enough meat here to feed a football team. I don’t think we need anymore,” stated Max.

“I just want to do something special for the guys, you know? Michael took care of our picnic; Maria cooked that awesome dinner last night. I just want to make the same kind of effort.”

“Okay, no problem. Just write down what you need and I’ll go and get them.”

“You’re the best, you know that Max?”

Max just smiled. He doubted there would be anything he wouldn’t do for her. He walked to the bedroom, grabbed his wallet and then placed a chaste kiss on Liz’s lips as he left with the shopping list in his hand.

Chapter 43.


Liz placed a teaspoon in her coleslaw and tasted it. Perfect. She got another clean spoon and did the same for the potato salad. She decided that it needed a little more chives mixed in. As she started to chop the batch that was on the board she noticed the time.

Max had been gone well over an hour now. Normally she wouldn’t worry because he was quite capable of handling himself but she knew, without doubt, that there was no way he would just leave her here to do the prep on her own. She couldn’t help the sense of dread that was unfurling in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn’t right. She just knew it. She decided to give him another half hour and then go looking for him. She was hoping that any minute he would walk through the door.

After finally getting all the prep finished she started getting out all the crockery they would need. Once that was done Max still hadn’t arrived. It was time to go out looking for him.

As she was making her way towards the Mini-Mart where she believed Max would be she noticed Isabel, Alex, Michael and Maria walking towards her. She raised her hand and gave them a small wave.

Max noticed the group walking towards him on the opposite side of the road, checked both ways, stepped out and made his way towards the group. He had not noticed Liz coming in the opposite direction.

Liz heard a screech of tires and looked away from Max then up. What she saw froze her heart.

“NO!” Liz screamed in her head as she watched the black SUV hurtling towards Max, noticing the blonde curly headed bitch through the windscreen.

There was no way this could happen. For a moment Liz was frozen with pure fear. She couldn’t lose him, not Max. She’d lost almost everyone she’d grown to love, except for her current parents and friends. She wouldn’t lose the one person who meant the world to her, even if she had to go in his place.

It was as if everything had suddenly moved into slow motion. Liz immediately sprang into action and started to run towards Max.

With the I-pod earphones in, he had no idea that his life was in danger.

The group had noticed the look of fear in Liz’s eyes and watched in confusion as she started to run.

“MAX NOOOO!”

Pandemonium suddenly erupted as the rest of the group realised what was happening. They all ran towards Max hoping that at least one of them would get to him in time.

Max heard someone scream at him and he tugged the earphones out. That’s when he heard the roar of the engine behind him. He turned and was frozen by the sight before him. He could clearly see her menacing blue eyes boring a hole in his head as a serene smile came across her face.

Although the men were faster, Liz had a head start. She could see the SUV nearly on top of Max. She jumped on the bonnet of one of the parked cars and launched herself in the air.

“OH MY GOD LOOK!” yelled Maria, pointing, as she watched Liz sailing through the air, arms outstretched as if she was diving into a pool.

The whole group came to a standstill while other onlookers started to shout a warning at Max. It was like watching a train wreck. It made you feel sick to your stomach but somehow you couldn’t pull your eyes away.

“MAXXXXX!” screamed Liz, trying to galvanise him into moving.

Max turned towards the scream and saw something flash before his eyes.

Liz realised that she would probably miss Max from the position she was currently in. She twisted her body so she flew at him horizontally, just before she slammed into his chest.

“Oof,” was the only sound that came out of Max, when he felt like a freight train had hit his body, knocking the wind out of him and spewing the contents of the grocery bags all over the road.

The SUV swerved and just missed his body as it was flung back by the velocity of Liz’s airborne body.

They both came crashing down hard against another parked vehicle on the opposite side of the road. A split second before Max connected with the car Liz realised her body would crush his so she bent her body slightly into the foetal position.

There was a sickening thud as the back of Max’s head connected with the car, a sharp pain shot through his body as he landed against the tarmac just before he lost consciousness. Liz’s knees and head slammed into the car but didn’t touch the slouched form of Max. The impact was so great her body flew back slightly before she too hit the tarmac.

It all happened in a matter of seconds but felt like an eternity.

Isabel let out a high pitched scream as she watched the body of her brother and best friend crumple on the road.

“CALL 911!” yelled Maria.

Alex and Michael had already crossed the road to check on their friends.

“OH MY GOD LOOK!” yelled Isabel, as the SUV started to reverse, at speed, towards the fallen couple.

“MICHAEL, ALEX, LOOK OUT!” yelled Maria.

Michael and Alex both looked up at the same time, as the SUV came towards them.

“Shit, we’ve gotta get them outta here!” yelled Michael, about to drag Max out of the way.

Suddenly another car came reversing out of one of the side roads and blocked the path to Max and Liz. There was a loud crashing sound as the SUV hit the back of the other car, just missing Alex as it spun around from the impact.

“Shit, that was fucking close!” yelled Alex, his heart in his mouth.

Maria could see the airbag explode as the SUV hit the car. She immediately ran to the door, yanked it open, pushed the release on the seatbelt, grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and pulled her down on the ground.

She grabbed Tess’s arms and pulled them back and up above her back so she couldn’t move while placing her foot hard in the center of her back.

“LET GO OF ME YOU FUCKING BITCH!” yelled Tess, struggling to get out of the position.

Maria pushed Tess’s arms further up but bent down at the waist so Tess could see her face.

“I really would like to open a can of whoop ass on you right now but I know that the judicial system is going to do a lot worse with you Tess. After this, and what you did to your sister, you’re going away for a very long time. If either one of my friends doesn’t make it then I warn you now, IF you ever get released never get complacent, never stop looking over your shoulder because I’m going to make it my life’s mission to hunt you down and see you meet the same fate as my friends. Do I make myself clear?” hissed Maria, yanking the bitch’s arms higher causing her to scream out in pain.

Isabel had gone to check on the driver of the car who saved their friends from another attack.

She opened the door and was met with a familiar face.

“God is everyone alright?” asked Serena, looking around at the carnage.

“I’m not sure. Are you okay?” asked Isabel concerned.

“Yeah, she didn’t have enough speed to do too much damage,” replied Serena, as she turned to check on her boyfriend.

“Are you okay? The impact was on your side,” said Serena.

“Yeah I’m fine, she hit the back mainly,” replied Daniel.

Isabel saw Serena’s eyes look at something over her shoulder and then noticed that her whole body had become stiff. Isabel turned to look.

“Are you alright Serena? I didn’t mean for you to get involved. You should have let me handle it.”

“You’re kidding right? She’s already destroyed Rebecca’s life. I wasn’t going to let her hurt another. She’d already tried to mow down Max, if it wasn’t for Liz he’d be dead right now, then she started to reverse to have another go while they were still laying on the road. I don’t know how you live with the decision you made back then. I don’t know why I LET you get away with it!” yelled Serena.

“There’s no need for that,” said the blue eyed man.

“Who the hell are you?” asked Isabel.

“I’m Tess’ father, Ed Harding. I’ve had Serena watching out for you for some time now, trying to make sure that you were safe. I honestly thought she’d let this go after you left for the airport but Serena informed me that Tess had followed you here. I’m so sorry. I’m going to explain everything to the police so you shouldn’t have to worry about her again.”

“I’m sure my friends will still press charges,” shouted Maria.

“Yes, and they must, but after I get a psychological assessment done she’ll be deemed unfit to stand trial. I’m going to have her committed to a high security mental hospital. I’m just sorry it took her doing this to make me realise just how sick she really is.”

“How could you not know after what she did to your other daughter?” asked Isabel.

“Honestly, the police had no proof of what happened and she was so good at convincing me that she wasn’t to blame.”

A snort came bubbling out of Serena’s mouth.

“You can’t seriously expect her to believe that? Tell her the truth Ed. You covered it up because you were afraid of admitting that we were right. That she was the one that caused her own mother’s death. I warned you back then that she wasn’t right in the head. I told you to get her help but you didn’t listen did you? Then you would have to admit that the mental issues had been past down the line and you couldn’t handle that. The thing is the one daughter who actually was sane, you left behind and haven’t seen since,” spat Serena.

“You must have known because you had her committed,” said Maria, still holding on to Tess’ arms.

“Daddy, get this bitch off me!” yelled Tess.

“Shut up Tess, you’ve done enough damage!” yelled Ed. “I had to be sure and when they released her with a clean bill of health I thought I’d got it wrong. It was only when I saw the crazed look in her eyes a few weeks back that I realised the hospital had made a huge mistake. I know somehow you got a hold of the sealed records but I’m not going to say anything. You did it to protect the people around you and I think it’s the least I can do under the circumstances.”

Isabel and Maria realised their mistake when Ed Harding said about the file. There was no way they could have known the information without reading it.

“Yeah well if you reveal that they’ve seen the records then you can kiss my ass goodbye,” said Serena.

“It was you?” asked Ed.

“I had to let them know what they were getting themselves into since you didn’t have the balls to!” yelled Serena.

“Why would you help Max?” asked Isabel confused.

“Because I was asked to,” said Serena, giving a pointed look to Isabel.

Isabel gasped realising what she’d meant. “I’m sure Max is going to want to talk to you if he ever comes around,” said Isabel.

“I’ve already got Liz’s cell phone number but here’s mine,” said Serena, as she scribbled it onto a piece of paper that she got out of the glove compartment. “Look, I really care about Max so would you mind keeping me posted on how he’s doing?”

“Of course,” replied Isabel. “I’m sorry today has been ruined. Perhaps if everything turns out okay we could get together before we go home.”

“I’d like that. I need a chance to thank...”

“I know, I’ll explain it to him,” said Isabel, cutting Serena off before she said something that would make Maria question Serena’s involvement in all of this.

“Come on Isabel, let’s go and check on Max and Liz. I guess you can take it from here,” said Maria, as she let go of Tess’s arms.

The area was lit by the flashes of the ambulances and police cars that pulled up on the complex.

As they finally reached their friends the police had cordoned off the area and where interviewing witnesses. A couple of cops approached the group as the EMT’s worked on their friends.

“We need to get a statement from all of you.”

“That’s fine. You can find us at the hospital with our friends,” replied Michael.

“We really should get a statement from you while the details are fresh in your minds,” replied the other cop.

Isabel looked like she was about to blow so Alex intercepted before she could scream at the policemen.

“I’m sorry officer, but I think we’re all suffering from shock. We’ve just witnessed our two friends almost being murdered. I understand that you need a statement, so how about I stay behind while the rest of the group go to the hospital with our friends. You could always get their statements, at the hospital, later. Would that be sufficient?”

“Yeah, I’ll stay behind too,” said Maria.

“I guess that would be okay. As long as we have someone that was directly involved in the incident giving us a statement then we can leave the others until later.”

“Thank you officer,” replied Alex.

“Go on, you follow Liz and Max to the hospital and we’ll catch up as soon as we are finished here,” said Maria, to Isabel and Michael.

“Are you sure?” asked Michael, torn between supporting his girlfriend and going with his friends.

“Yeah, they need you more than I do right now.”

“Okay, I’ll see you there,” said Michael, giving Maria a brief kiss on the lips before climbing into the back of the ambulance that held Liz, while Isabel joined her brother in the back of the other one.

Maria and Alex gave the police a statement which included everything that happened between Liz and Tess during college and also all the details to the current incident.

Tess was arrested on an attempted murder charge and taken away to be processed.

Ed Harding, although it saddened him, explained to the police about Tess’s past and also all the information he’d gathered about her stalking Max and Liz. After he finished giving his statement he immediately got on the phone to his lawyer and asked to meet him at the police station.

Once Alex and Maria had finished they headed towards the St. Rose Dominican Hospital.

Chapter 44


When Alex and Maria entered the hospital they were shocked to see Liz pacing around the waiting room. Although she had a few nasty looking scrapes and bruises up her arms she seemed to be doing well.

“Oh thank god you are here! Liz won’t get seen to until she knows more about Max. She actually slapped the doctor’s hand away from her head when he tried to assess her injuries,” whispered Isabel, as she engulfed both of them into a hug.

“Is she okay?” asked Maria.

“The doctor says she has concussion and should be lying down but she absolutely refuses until she’s seen Max. She’s already had a few dizzy spells. I’m really worried about her Maria.”

“Let me see what I can do,” said Maria, as she walked towards the still pacing Liz.

“Liz? Are you okay?”

“No, no I’m not okay Maria. That bitch tried to mow down Max and now nobody will tell us what is going on!”

Maria gently grabbed Liz’s shoulders to stop her from pacing the room like a caged animal.

“Okay, first of all you have to calm down. You’ve been through a lot over the last couple of weeks and getting yourself into a state isn’t going to help Max now. Second of all, you need to let someone assess your injuries Liz.”

Just as Liz was about to protest Maria gently placed a finger on Liz’s lips.

“Listen, Max would kill all of us if we let anything happen to you and if you slip into unconsciousness because you didn’t let a doctor take a look at you then you’re going to miss being by Max’s side when he comes around. Use that incredible brain of yours Liz. I promise that I’ll let you know if anything happens with Max while your being seen to, okay?”

Although Liz wanted to object she knew Maria was right and the thought of not being there when Max woke up was simply unbearable.

“Okay.”

“Good, thank you. Do you even realise that you’ve been talking all this time?” asked Maria.

“What? Oh yeah I don’t really understand why that is,” said Liz, looking perplexed.

Maria had a pretty good idea why Liz could talk but she kept it to herself for now. The most important thing was getting Liz to see a doctor, everything else could come later.

“I’ll just go and tell the doctor that you’re ready to be seen now, okay?”

“Yeah and thanks Maria. I’m sorry, I’m not thinking quite rationally at the moment.”

“I know sweetie, that’s why you have me!” said Maria, with a smile on her face.
The doctor smiled as he heard Liz huff after his final examination was complete. Although she’d been positively stubborn about being seen before, more concerned for her boyfriend than herself, he was relieved that her friend had managed to talk her into being seen. She was currently suffering with concussion and was experiencing dizzy spells sporadically.

“Okay Miss Parker, I’m afraid that you are suffering with concussion at the moment and we want to keep you overnight for observation.”

Liz huffed again. She absolutely hated hospitals.

“Fine, as long as Max can be in here with me when he comes back from the tests,” replied Liz.

Isabel had already arranged a private room which was big enough to fit the both of them in, agreeing to cover the cost herself. She had her own trust fund, courtesy of her father, and as of yet, had not spent one penny of it. For her brother’s and Liz’s comfort she was willing to dip into it.

The doctor smiled.

“I think that could be arranged as long as his condition is stable.”

“Thank you and I apologise for slapping your hand away earlier. Hospitals kinda make me nervous,” admitted Liz.

“It’s not a problem. I’m just glad your friend talked you into letting me examine you. Now I really don’t want you getting out of this bed unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll send your friends in now and I’ll be back to check on you later.”

Her group of friends came in a few minutes later looking relieved that she wasn’t seriously hurt.

“You gave us the fright of our lives, diving across the road like that,” said Isabel, still replaying the whole scene through her mind. “But I can’t thank you enough for saving my brother.”

Liz blushed slightly not used to being on the receiving end of thanks from anyone in quite a while.

“I love him Isabel,” said Liz, knowing that was enough of an explanation.

“Well while you were getting seen to by the doctor we found out that Max is now awake, a little sore and grumpy but nothing too serious. They will bring him in here once they finish with the x-rays,” explained Maria.

“Oh thank god. So there’s nothing seriously wrong with him?”

As Liz asked that question the doors to the room crashed open as Max’s bed was wheeled in. She noticed that he was on his side facing her.

“I wouldn’t say that,” said the doctor with an amused expression on his face.

Max just glared at the doctor.

“Why? What’s wrong?” asked Isabel.

“Well,” said the doctor, trying hard to hide the grin that threatened to appear on his face. “Max hit the road pretty hard and has bruised his coccyx making it rather painful to lie on his back.”

“Are you telling me he has a pain in his ass?” asked Liz, sniggering slightly. She couldn’t help herself really. She’d been through so much stress worrying about Max that it was a relief that he was okay and she felt a little giddy at the thought.

Max whipped his head around to Liz as he heard the amusement in her voice.

“Yeah, laugh it up Liz. I’m glad my pain is amusing to you. Do you realise that I’ve had to expose my naked ass to about four different people in the space of an hour!” said Max, still a little bit grumpy about having his ass exposed to a couple of nurses as they took his x-ray.

Everyone sniggered slightly and didn’t notice the doctor leaving the room before he really offended his charge by laughing with the rest of his friends. On rare occasions like this he really loved his job.

Max suddenly realised that his friends were looking at him expectantly and he wondered why, until it finally soaked through his embarrassment that Liz was actually talking. A huge smile then lit up his face and his friends started to laugh. It was now Liz’s turn to be confused.

“What are you all laughing at?” asked Liz.

“At me,” said Max softly, still smiling.

“Why? Because of his ass?” asked Liz, causing the whole room to erupt in laughter including Max.

“No,” said Max, when he finally got himself under control. “Because of the fact that I’ve just realised you’re talking!”

“Oh, OH!” said Liz, her eyes wide as it finally dawned on her. “I don’t really know why.”

Maria again thought about her theory on that point but again didn’t express it. She wanted Liz to either realise it on her own or she knew that the therapist would eventually get to the bottom of it once they returned home.

“So how long are they going to keep you here Max?” asked Alex.

“They want me here overnight because of the concussion but if I don’t have any weird episodes tonight then I think I’ll be able to leave tomorrow. They are going to give me some medication to control the pain in my ass,” said Max, looking at Liz daring her to laugh again.

She looked at him with those big brown eyes of hers and he was lost. Sensing the change of mood in the room their friends decided it was time to leave. They knew both Max and Liz were now safe and in relatively good health, plus they hadn’t eaten since breakfast this morning so they decided to go back to the villa and would return the following morning in the hopes of bringing them both back.

“I never got the chance to thank you, you know, for saving my life,” said Max, gently once the rest of the group had gone.

“You don’t have to thank me Max. I know for a fact that you would have done the same for me,” replied Liz.

“How are you feeling? Were you hurt badly?”

“No, I have a few scrapes and bruises across my legs and arms, plus I have the worst headache and sporadic dizzy spells but other than that I’m okay,” replied Liz.

“You know, I’ve heard stories about people who freeze when something like that is happening but I honestly didn’t think I would do that. I always thought that I would just dive out of the way.”

Liz not really wanting to think how close she came to losing Max changed the subject.

“How bad is the bruising, on your backside I mean?”

“Honestly, it freaking hurts like hell but I would rather that than being dead. Besides, you could always kiss it better for me once we’re out of here,” said Max, with a smile on his face.

“Yeah, dream on Max. There is no way I’m kissing anyone’s ass!”

Max gave a hardy laugh and then winced when pain shot up his back.

“Ow, I shouldn’t laugh for a little while.”

“I’m so sorry Max.”

“What? What are you sorry for?”

“All this happened because of me,” explained Liz.

“NO! Don’t you dare say that or feel guilty. Tess did this, not you. She was unstable Liz and no matter what happened she would have shown her true colors sooner or later. I really didn’t realise how unstable she was until I got my hands on those files.”

“Me either Max but I’m hoping we won’t have to deal with her again,” said Liz.

“I don’t think we’ll be seeing her for a long time Liz.”

“I hope so Max.”

The police arrived and took their statements after checking they were fit enough to do so. It was late by the time they had finished explaining everything so they had something to eat and then fell into a deep sleep.

A huge thanks goes out to Ellie (Earth2Mama) for being an awesome beta reader. Thanks so much Ellie all your suggestions and comments are welcome. You make the story better!



Chapter 45



“Wake up Liz.”

Liz was brought out of a deep exhausted sleep by someone shaking her shoulder gently and a voice that sounded angelic.

When Liz finally opened her eyes, she couldn’t help the tears that started to pool in her eyes.

“Momma? Papa?” whispered Liz.

“Oh sweetheart, we miss you so much,” said the apparition of her mother.

Liz couldn’t help the small sob that escaped her mouth as she gazed upon her full bodied parents for the first time in over fifteen years.

“I miss you too,” whispered Liz, tears pouring down her face.

“We don’t have much time baby,” said her father, looking back towards a small pinpoint of light that was starting to appear behind him.

“Please ... don’t go!”

“We don’t have a choice any more Liz. We’ve done what we needed to,” replied her father.

“Why? Why did you come back to haunt me? I know it was my fault ... I know it ... but I didn’t expect to be reminded about it!” whispered a broken Liz.

“Oh honey, we weren’t haunting you. We were trying to get you to forgive yourself. That’s why we haven’t been able to move on. ”

“I kept seeing your burnt bodies. It’s been terrifying. I felt like I was losing my mind.”

“I’m so sorry. We didn’t realise that was the way you were seeing us Liz. We’ve always been like this, it was your own guilt that made us manifest that way,” explained her father Jack.

“We’ve been trying to get you to understand that it wasn’t your fault. We were confused why you kept pulling away from us until we heard Maria explain what she and Isabel had seen that night,” said her mother as she traced a hand down Liz’s face.

“You know about that?” asked Liz.

“That’s why we haven’t appeared to you since,” explained her father. “We didn’t want to scare you anymore, plus we know that you’ve been seeing the therapist. We didn’t want to add more stress to you.”

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry ... so sorry,” sobbed Liz.

“No Liz, don’t do that. None of this was your fault. If there is any fault it lies with me. I wasn’t keeping an eye on the road,” explained her father. “I’m just glad you survived. We’re so proud of you Liz. You faced some hard challenges but you’ve got through them with your head held high. We love you and the parents you have now are good. They love you as we would.”

“Liz?”

Liz whipped around to look at a rather shocked Max. He was sitting up looking at the phenomenon that was happening before him. Although he was in a lot of pain none of it registered when he saw what or rather who Liz was speaking to.

“Is that...”

“Yeah, it’s my Mom and Dad,” whispered Liz, as more tears leaked from her eyes.

Max couldn’t help the sudden anger that raged around his body.

“Do you realise the kind of pain you’ve put her through for the last fifteen years? Do you realise that she thought she was losing her mind? WHY THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN HAUNTING HER!” yelled Max.

He couldn’t believe what had come out of his mouth. He started to think that he’d finally lost his grip on reality. He never believed in this sort of thing and to have to face it head on was scaring him shitless.

“Thank you,” said Jack, as he stared the young man in the hospital bed next to his daughter.

“HUH?”

Liz almost laughed at the comical look of confusion on Max’s face. He’d just finished ranting at these, whatever the hell they were, and he gets thanked for it?

“We know you’ve been looking out for Liz and we can’t thank you enough for that,” explained Liz’s mother. “We didn’t know how Liz was seeing us; we couldn’t understand why she kept pulling away from us. We thought it was because she felt guilty and we were trying to reassure her.”

“Oh! Sorry about...” said Max, uncomfortably.

“It’s okay Max. We understand that you’re only looking after Liz,” said her Mother.

“It’s time. We can’t wait any longer,” said Jack, as he turned to look at a bright light behind him, one that Max and Liz now couldn’t see.

“NO WAIT!” yelled Liz.

“We can’t honey, it’s time for us to go. Just know that we love you and that the accident was not your fault. It took Max nearly being killed for you to let the guilt go. Don’t let it rule your life anymore,” said Liz’s mother.

“Is, is that why I can talk now?” asked Liz.

“We can’t say anymore Liz. Just know that you are on the right path now,” said Jack, as he started to disappear.

Liz was overwrought; she didn’t want her parents to go away, not when they were now appearing normal. A sob tore from her throat as she started to beg.

“Please! Please ... don’t go ... I’ve only just got you back!” sobbed Liz. She felt strong arms wrap around her waist as Max whispered into her ear.

“They can’t stay Liz. You have to let them go. I’ve got you. I’ll look after you, I promise.”

It was killing Max to watch Liz crumble before his eyes. She was always so strong and now she looked vulnerable and so utterly devastated.

Liz sat still, not able to return Max’s affection, it felt as if her heart was tearing into a million pieces as she watched her parents slowly disappear.

“Momma ... Papa ... WAIT!” yelled Liz, finally coming out of her numbed state.

The apparitions faltered slightly before becoming a little more solid.

“What is it sweetheart,” asked Liz’s mother.

“I love you both so very much and I’m sorry that I pulled away from you. Thank you, for trying to help me and goodbye.” The last word was said in a broken whisper as she turned from her parents and sobbed hard into Max’s chest.

Max watched as Liz’s parents finally disappeared and then he turned his full attention on the distraught girl sobbing her heart out. He ran his hand through her hair as he used his other hand to gently rub soothing circles on her back.

“I’m ... I’m so ... so alone Max,” sobbed Liz.

“No Liz, you’re definitely not alone. I know that we can’t replace your real parents but you have Jeff and Nancy who love and adore you, you have me, Isabel, Maria, Alex and Michael. We are all here for you Liz and we always will be. Don’t ever think you have to go through anything alone again.”

After hearing his heartfelt words Liz started to sob even harder.

“It hurts ... so bad,” sobbed Liz.

“I know Liz, so does my ass but we’ll get through this together,” said Max, trying to make Liz smile.

It took a little while for Liz to register what Max had said but when it did a small giggle left her lips as she looked on Max lovingly.

“You’re such a jerk,” laughed Liz, lightly tapping Max on his arm.

“Sorry about that but I had to see you smile, just once,” said Max, in all seriousness. “Come on, lie down with me and we’ll get more sleep. We need to at least look good enough to go back to the villa or they might keep us here another night.”

“Does it really hurt that bad Max?”

“Like a thousand needles are constantly poking me in the ass but it’s bearable.”

Max let out a massive yawn before snuggling down underneath the hospital sheets, on his side. Liz gave Max a brief kiss on the lips before turning her back towards him and moulding her body to his.

“Goodnight Liz,” whispered Max, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her head.

“Night Max, love you,” whispered Liz, as she started to fall asleep. She didn’t see the massive smile that appeared on Max’s face.

“I love you Liz, always,” replied Max, to a now sleeping Liz.

Chapter 46


Max had been awake for a little while but was content to watch Liz sleep. She looked so peaceful, even with dried tear tracks crusted on her face. At some point during the night she had turned to face him and had one arm slung across his waist while her leg was thrown over his hip.

He hoped that now her parents had finally managed to convince Liz that the accident wasn’t her fault, she would be able to let go of the guilt.

When Liz had explained to Dr. Ray about the accident, Max knew then that she was holding on to a lot of guilt. He never suspected that’s why she wouldn’t talk; and then it hit him – it was that she wouldn’t talk, not that she couldn’t. All this time, Liz had felt she’d deserved everything. She’d been punishing herself and that made his heart ache.

He reverently traced his finger around her face starting with her forehead and ending with her nose, which twitched slightly at the feather light touch.

“You know, if you’re going to watch me sleep for long, perhaps you couldn’t stare so intensely. Maybe then I wouldn’t wake up,” said Liz, her eyes still closed but a smile on her lips.

“How long have you been awake?” asked Max, not even the slightest bit embarrassed about being caught staring at her.

“Long enough...what are you thinking about?” asked Liz, slowly opening her eyes to look at his handsome face.

“You,” said Max, leaning down to give her a good morning kiss.

Liz practically jumped from the bed, almost causing Max to fall off in the process.

“What...did I do something wrong?” asked Max, with confusion.

“No, but there is no way I’m kissing you without brushing my teeth first!” said Liz.

Max let out a hearty laugh.

“Jesus Liz, for a second there I thought the hounds of hell were on your heels. I’m only giving you a good morning kiss. Now come back to me so I can say good morning to you properly.”

“Nuh huh, nope. You are not getting around me with those cute puppy dog eyes either buster,” said Liz, waving her finger at him. “There are certain things a girl doesn’t want her man to witness. One of them is hearing or seeing them on the toilet the other is their morning breath!”

Max raised his hands in surrender, laughing. “Okay, okay go brush your teeth then.”

“Thank you. I won’t be long.”

Max had just settled back down into bed when he heard the door open. He was expecting one of the doctors, definitely not Isabel.

“Isabel? What are you doing here this early?” asked Max.

“I have to talk to you privately, before we return to the villa,” explained Isabel.

“Liz is in the bathroom. Can’t this wait?”

“No. It’s important.”

“Okay, give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you by the coffee vending machine.”

“Thanks Max.”

After Isabel left the room, Max slowly got out of bed, trying hard not to jerk his coccyx. He quickly pulled on some clothes and shouted through the door to Liz that he was just going to get them both a cup of coffee.

“Okay, I’ll take a shower while you’re gone,” replied Liz, through the closed door.

Max made his way towards the vending machine and found Isabel patiently waiting for him.

“So, you want to tell me what was so important that you risked being caught here before visiting hours?” asked Max.

“It’s about Serena,” said Isabel.

Max looked confused.

“Serena?”

“Yeah, after both you and Liz were unconscious Tess tried to reverse and get both of you. Serena reversed out of one of the side roads and took most of the impact to the rear of her car. Luckily she and her boyfriend weren’t badly hurt,” explained Isabel.

“What does that have to do with this impromptu visit?”

“Serena has been working closely with Mr Harding,” said Isabel.

Max looked like he was ready to explode before Isabel quickly went on to explain.

“It’s not what you think Max,” said Isabel, gently placing her hand on his arm to calm him down. “Serena was Rebecca’s friend and tried to tell Mr Harding how unstable his daughter was but Tess played the part of the perfect daughter too well. He didn’t really believe his daughter capable of the horrible things Serena was telling him.”

“So he let the crazy bitch be released, after everything she did to his other daughter?” asked Max.

“It seems so. He thought that Serena had in for Tess and when the hospital gave her a clean bill of health he believed that Serena was just trying to cause trouble because she was Rebecca’s friend. It’s even deeper than that though Max. Serena said something about Tess causing her own mother’s death.”

“So Rebecca wasn’t her first victim?” asked Max, incredulously.

“I don’t believe so, but I don’t know the facts. Serena wants to talk to you and explain everything but there’s something else.”

Max groaned.

“What?”

“Although Serena had been keeping a close eye on Tess she never really got involved until she realised who you were.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Max, confused. He was almost sure that he’d not known Serena.

“She was the one who provided copies of those sealed records Max.”

The look on Max’s face was one of pure shock.

“Are ... are you telling me she was somehow involved with Tommy?”

“Yes, I don’t know any more details Max but I know Serena wants to meet with you to explain everything. That’s why I came to talk to you before you returned to the villa. I wasn’t sure if you wanted anyone else to know. Here is her cell phone number,” said Isabel, passing over the piece of paper that Serena had given her.

“Okay, thanks. Not a word to anyone about this Isabel. There is only one other person besides you I trust with this.”

“Liz?”

“Yeah, I won’t lie to her but I don’t want everyone else to know. You know how dangerous that could be.”

“I understand.”

“Thanks,” said Max. “Now I have a beautiful woman waiting for me back in my room. Thanks by the way, for covering the expenses for that.”

“After everything you’ve done for me, it’s the least I could do,” said Isabel, giving her brother a brief kiss on the cheek.

As Max entered the hospital room he found Liz fully dressed, smiling but with an odd look on her face.

“What?” he asked.

“Forget something?” said Liz, still smiling.

“HUH?”

“Coffee? You left to get us some,” said Liz when she realised Max didn’t have a clue what she was talking about.

“Oh that! No I ran into Isabel. She had something to tell me and I forgot about the coffee.”

“What was Isabel doing here this early?” asked Liz.

“She came to explain that Serena was the one that managed to get that sealed record for us.”

“What? I thought she’d just moved here to help in her family’s restaurant.”

“That was just a cover story. Come and sit down with me for a second and I’ll explain everything.”

Max spent the next ten minutes explaining what happened after they were both knocked unconscious and the circumstances around Serena’s timely appearance.

“Wow, so we owe our lives to Serena right now,” said Liz, after Max had finished telling her everything.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So let me get this straight, Serena was one of the gang you saved that night with your timely phone call. Then she went on to eventually befriend Rebecca and witness what Tess did to her and to her own mother. She tried to tell Mr. Harding but he didn’t believe her. Tess was released and she’s been keeping an eye on her ever since?”

“That’s about right, although I’m still not sure what the story is about Tess’s mother yet. Serena wants to talk to me about the whole thing.”

“Wow, this is like some sort of frigging soap opera.”

“I know it does seem a little surreal.”

“Well, perhaps we should arrange to meet with Serena and find out the whole story. Then we can decide what we’re going to do about Tess.”

“I think that’s a good idea Liz.”

Chapter 47


After being discharged from the hospital with enough prescribed painkillers to knock out an elephant, Max and Liz decided that it would be best to meet up with Serena before they returned back to the villa.

“I believe we owe you thanks for getting in the way of a second attempt on my life,” said Max.

“And mine,” jumped in Liz.

“Neither of you owe me anything. If I’d warned you about this sooner, you wouldn’t have even been in that situation,” replied Serena.

“Look, this is all on Tess and no one else. You did your best Serena,” said Liz.

“So, what is the whole story? I now know that you were one of the people that got away that night that I phoned up Tommy to warn him.”

“I’ll start at the beginning. It’s going to take a while to get to the point where we are but it I’ll explain everything.”

“Okay, go ahead,” said Max.

“I was having serious problems at home and I hated my parents. There’s a whole other story there but I’d rather not go into it. Anyway, I met this guy. I was only fourteen and he was eighteen. We became friends because our home life was very similar. He looked after me from that point forward. I’d gotten into the wrong crowd, using drugs and stuff. Daniel found out and went ballistic. That night he came with me to the meeting because he was worried I was getting in over my head. It turned out he was right. After Tommy received that call we all left pretty quickly but not before he told us about who’d phoned him and what was going to happen.

“After that close call Daniel persuaded me to leave that kind of life behind. He told me that if he could do it then so could I. He helped me work really hard towards getting my grades, helped me get into a program for substance abuse and I got myself clean. Once I’d turned my life around, I met Rebecca who would become one of my best friends.

“We did everything together and even managed a few double dates but then she started to change and we couldn’t really understand why ... until I met her sister. Apparently Tracy, who you know as Tess, was jealous of Rebecca. Although Tracy had the full attention of her father it was her mother she was always trying to impress.

“Now you have to understand something here; Mrs. Harding had severe mental issues after being abused as a child. She thought all men were sinners and that her daughters should stay well away from them. She was a god fearing woman to the point that if the girls stepped out of line, in the way of acting improper, then there would be severe punishment. Lucky enough Rebecca wasn’t that interested in boys because she was smart and wanted to concentrate on school. Unfortunately, Tess was more interested in boys. That set them apart in their mother’s eyes. Rebecca was a saint and Tracy was a whore.”

“So that meant that Tess was constantly punished by her mother whereas Rebecca was getting praise for doing well at school?” asked Liz, starting to understand the dynamics of the family.

“Yes, that’s right. Now Mr. Harding tried his best to give extra attention to Tess because of her mother. There was no way that he would interfere with the punishment or ideals of his wife because he knew that would set her back. It took him a long time to get her to trust him in the first place and he didn’t want to jeopardise that,” explained Serena.

“Anyway, this went on a long time until one day Mrs. Harding walked in on Tracy screwing the stable boy. Tracy even turned around and offered her mother a go. That’s what sent her over the edge. A few hours later Tess found her mother, in the bath with her wrists slashed. The blood was everywhere. Tess never took responsibility for her actions. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t Tess’s fault that her mother had a mental condition and took her own life, but it was her fault that she didn’t own up to what she did to her father.

“Jump ahead a few months and that’s when Tracy started to bring home her a regular boyfriend, Robert. Now it started off really good, Robert was attentive and really liked Tracy but then she started her games. She was sleeping with other people behind his back, treating him like shit, leaving him in the middle of dates or leaving him alone at her house while she went off doing god knows what. That’s when he started to confide in Rebecca. They eventually fell in love and one night they slept together. Tracy found out and you know how that turned out.”

“What I can’t understand is if both you and Rebecca went to Mr. Harding about all of this, how the hell could he let Tracy get away with it? Why didn’t he let Rebecca press charges?” asked Max.

“Tracy is a very good actress and a vindictive bitch. She managed to fool the doctors at the hospital. I visited her a few times just to keep an eye on things and I could tell that she had absolutely no remorse for what she’d done. As soon as the therapist walked through the door, her whole demeanour changed. She was the perfect patient. She was crying about how sorry she was about her sister but insisted it was an accident. Then she would turn to me and smile, like she knew exactly what she was doing. The therapist believed her and she was released.

“She went back to school in the local area but the news had gotten out by then. Everyone treated her like a pariah. Someone even had the balls to post pictures of her sister, after the accident, all over the school with the caption - ‘Accident or attempted murder?’. I think Robert might have had something to do with that. She broke down and eventually she and Mr. Harding left. She changed her name to Tess and moved out here. That’s when I decided to follow. I didn’t want her wrecking anyone else’s life.”

“So now we get to the part where Max comes in?” asked Liz.

“Yes. I knew that she was at a new school and I had made a few friends there because I was working in the local cafe. They kept me informed about what was going on. She spread a few careful rumours and got herself into the popular crowd and then in comes Max. She set her sights on him straight away but knew about him never accepting dates. Oh she tried her best to get noticed but Max didn’t have a clue. Sorry Max,” said Serena, a little embarrassed.

“No problem. I didn’t pay much attention because I had a certain brunette on my mind,” smiled Max, looking directly at Liz.

“Yeah, I would really like to hear that story one day. Anyway, I didn’t know that you were the Max that made that call that night...I mean what are the chances, right? We only knew you by name because we were there when Tommy received the call. So I kept a careful eye on Tess. It wasn’t until ... until Tommy contacted me to say that Max had called in his favours and what he needed from me, that I realised that you were that Max. So I provided the information you needed. You have to understand that I owed the life I have now to you and Daniel. If I’d have been caught that night I wouldn’t have been able to finish school. You saved me from going down the wrong path. I wouldn’t have done what I did for anyone else.”

“So when did Mr Harding come into the scene then?” asked Liz.

“Ah, after I provided the file things settled down a little. I knew that Tess had taken time off of school and was staying at home. A week after that, I received a call from Mr Harding. He told me that he’d finally gone to see Rebecca and that he now believed that Tess was highly unstable. He told me that he’d been following her and watched as she overheard your conversation about going away. He didn’t think she would follow you until she didn’t return home one night. He phoned me in a panic and I explained that I already followed her here. That’s when he jumped on a plane and came here. The rest you know.”

“God Serena ... you didn’t need to get that involved just because of that phone call,” said Max.

“I was already involved because of Rebecca but I wouldn’t have let you down anyway. I know that I saved myself because of the support I had from Daniel but that wouldn’t have been possible if I’d gotten caught that night. It was enough of a wakeup call for me and it set me down the right path again. I can’t thank you enough for that Max.”

“Well then, I guess we’re even,” said Max, smiling.

“Listen, the gang is just going to spend the rest of the day relaxing but we’re going to have that barbeque tomorrow. Are you and Daniel still going to join us?”

“You ... you mean I’m still invited?” asked Serena.

“Of course you are! What on earth made you think that you wouldn’t be?” asked Liz.

“Well because I lied to you at the restaurant,” replied Serena.

“It was only a little white lie and you did it to try and protect us. So how could we possibly be mad about that?” asked Liz.

“Well that would be great then. I know Daniel was looking forward to it.”

“Okay, so we’ll see you tomorrow?” asked Liz.

“Yes ... around one o’clock?”

“Perfect.”

“Listen Serena, I’m looking forward to seeing you and Daniel at the barbeque tomorrow but I have to explain something to you first. Only Isabel and Liz are aware of what went on that night. I don’t want anyone else finding out because of my father,” explained Max.
“I understand; we won’t discuss anything about that night or who got you the file.”

“Thanks.”

Serena left the cafe feeling as though some of the weight she’d carried around for so long finally lifted off her shoulders. It was good to know that there were no lies between herself, Max and Liz. Plus, Tracy was now in a secure mental facility thanks to Mr Harding.

Isabel arrived ten minutes later to take Max and Liz back to the villa. On the journey home, Max explained the whole story to Isabel and informed her about Serena being invited back to the barbeque tomorrow.

A huge thanks goes out to everyone who nominated and voted for this story. I was up against stiff competition this year and was amazed at the response. Also thanks to the wonderful Ellie (Earth2Mama) my beta reader.


Chapter 48



Max couldn’t help the feeling of contentment as he placed his arms around Liz’s waist as she snuggled in between his legs and laid her back against his chest, her head fitting perfectly underneath his chin.

She sighed as they watched their friends enjoying a carefree day. They had worked hard keeping their promise to their friends, making sure they didn’t lift a finger all day. They watched as Isabel, Alex, Serena and Daniel danced around to the music from Liz’s iPod. Michael and Maria were having a battle in the water, seeing which one could dunk the other first.

A giggle erupted from Liz when Maria came up spluttering after Michael had managed to surprise her from behind and dunked her before she realized what was going on.

“It’s been a good day,” whispered Max.

Liz shuddered as his warm breath tickled her face. She closed her eyes, savoring the closeness and nodded her head.

“Uh huh.”

Max was about to say something else to Liz when he heard the phone ringing.

“I’ll get that!” shouted Max, as he manoeuvred his way from underneath Liz.

Liz watched as Max picked up the phone that was conveniently placed outside the doors next to the pool garden. As he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone, a huge smile lit up his face. Then Liz froze as she saw the smile slip from his face, his whole body appeared tense and then started to shake violently.

Liz immediately jumped up from the lounger and made her way towards Max.

“ISABEL!” she yelled, as Max dropped the phone, his legs about to buckle under his weight.

Isabel immediately stopped laughing and dancing when she heard Liz’s tone of voice. Turning to look at what had Liz in such a state, she was shocked to see Liz cradling Max’s body, slowly rocking him as heart wrenching sobs tore from his throat.

She immediately ran towards her brother, a thousand questions firing from her mouth towards Liz.

“What’s going on? Who was on the phone? Why is Max crying?”

Alex realized that Isabel was about to go postal so he gently grabbed hold of her face and spoke clearly to her.

“Isabel, Liz is trying to find out what is going on. If you want to know I can speak to the person on the end of the phone?”

Isabel simply nodded her head, unable to really register what was going on.

Alex quickly picked up the phone.

“H...hello?”

“Um ... who is this?”

“Diane? Is that you?” asked Alex.

“Yes, is that you Alex?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Is Max alright?”

“I’m sorry but no he’s not. Could you explain what’s going on?” asked Alex, gently.

“Where’s Isabel?” asked Diane, instead of answering Alex’s question.

“She’s here but she’s a little shell shocked at the moment over Max’s reaction.”

“Oh ... I’m so sorry Alex but I thought they should know. I really didn’t want to spoil your holiday but I thought they would be mad with me if I didn’t tell them right away,” rambled Diane.

“It’s alright Diane, please calm down and explain to me what’s going on,” asked Alex.

“Oh ... yes, I’m sorry, I’m just a little overwhelmed myself,” explained Diane. “You see I’ve only just finished with the cops.”

“The cops?”

“Yes, I’ve just received notice that Phillip has ... well he’s ... he’s passed away. The police found him last night after a neighbour complained that his dog was constantly barking. They broke into the house and found him dead … apparently of a heart attack,” explained Diane.

“I’m so sorry to hear that Diane. Are you okay?” asked Alex.

“Um ... I’m not sure to be honest. It was a shock but I can’t say that I’m that upset about it. Does that make me a bad person?” whispered Diane.

“No, it doesn’t. Not after everything he’s put you and your family through.”

“I’ve been feeling guilty because although he was my husband for all those years, I just couldn’t cry,” admitted Diane.

“I understand. I’m sure that we’ll be back on the next available flight.”

“Oh no, don’t do that. Max hasn’t had a vacation in so long and he sounded so happy the other day. I really didn’t want to tell him until he came home but I just didn’t know what to do.”

“You’ve done the right thing and I’m sure they won’t want you to be on your own at this difficult time. I have to go so I can explain what’s going on with Max but I’ll phone you when we’ve made the arrangements.”

“Thank you Alex, for being there for my daughter and my son.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. I’ll see you soon,” said Alex, as he hung up the phone.

As soon as Alex had replaced the receiver he turned his gaze towards Isabel.

“It’s my father ... he’s dead, isn’t he?”

Liz’s head shot up and looked at the couple, still rocking Max and tightening her grip on him.

“Yes, I’m so sorry Isabel. Phillip died of a heart attack last night but your Mom has only just been informed.”

Isabel went white.

“Erm ... we should ... we need to ... what do we need to do?” asked Isabel, feeling totally numb.

“Well, first Isabel … you need to sit down,” said Alex, gently leading her to one of the chairs.

“Okay.”

Alex gave a worried look towards Michael and Maria.

“Um ... I think we’d better leave and let you have your privacy,” said Serena, softly.

“Yeah, I think that would be best. I’m sorry about this,” replied Alex.

“Don’t apologise, we had a lovely day ... until ... just please let us know how Max and Isabel are?” asked Serena, genuinely concerned for her new friends.

Alex managed a brief smile.

“Of course we will … after everything you’ve done. I know Liz will phone you once everything is sorted out,” explained Alex.

“Yeah, our condolences,” said Daniel, as he led an upset Serena away from the scene.

“We’ll keep in touch,” promised Michael, as he watched the new members of their group leave.

Maria ran over to help Liz as she managed to wrap Max’s arm around her shoulder and her other arm around his waist. She was trying to keep him upright as Max’s legs wouldn’t co-operate.

“Come on, let’s get him inside,” said Maria, as she copied Liz’s stance, taking on some Max’s weight.

Liz looked at Maria gratefully as she managed to get Max moving in the direction of their bedroom.

Michael ran over to Alex as he watched Isabel’s face just crumble. He’d never seen her that desolate and it made his heart ache for his friend.

“Come on Isabel, let’s get you inside.”

“What about Max?” asked Isabel, in a lost voice.

“Liz and Maria are taking care of him. He’ll be okay.”

“NO!” yelled Isabel, frightening both Alex and Michael with the volume of her voice.

“We ... we have to get back home to Mom. We have to help her with the funeral arrangements, tell the rest of our family, be there to support her ... we have to ... what about his girlfriend?”

“Isabel, don’t worry about all of that right now. You’ve had a shock and we need to help you first,” said Alex, gently.

“I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!” yelled Isabel, fighting them both off. “DON’T YOU GET IT? I HATED THAT BASTARD! HE DESERVED EVERYTHING HE GOT! I’M FUCKING GLAD HE’S DEAD!”

“Isabel, you don’t mean that,” said Alex, gently.

“Don’t tell me how I feel Alex! You have no idea what Max has been through because of him ... and ... and me!”

“What are you talking about?” Michael couldn’t help asking.

“MAX!” yelled Isabel. “He ... all he ever wanted was his approval but because he was always protecting me he ... he ... never stood a chance,” whispered Isabel, tears streaming down her face. “And ... and ... now he won’t ... god ... he wanted to face him ... to find out why ... he’ll never ... even know why!”

Michael finally put the pieces together. Isabel had always been so protective over Max and now he understood why. Max had been protecting his sister from the beatings all of this time and he couldn’t help the choking feeling in his throat.

“Are ... are you saying that Max ...” he couldn’t finish.

Isabel just nodded her head.

“I’ve felt so guilty about it all of this time, but Max wouldn’t hear of it. He told me it wasn’t my fault,” whispered Isabel.

“Oh god, it wasn’t Isabel,” groaned Alex, tears streaming from his eyes. “Nothing about this situation was Max’s fault … or yours. He was a sick man, he needed help.”

“I know that. I really do but Max won’t see it that way. He blamed himself. If he’d been better at basketball or just been a better son then none of this would have ... happened. He ... can’t see ... what a gentle ... soul he ... has and this ... is going to ... destroy him. He ... God ... he needed to confront him ... but he wasn’t ready ... and now ... he won’t get that chance.”

Chapter 49


“Thanks Maria,” whispered Liz.

“I’ll come and check on you both later,” replied Maria, her voice equally as quiet, as she shut the bedroom door.

Liz was at a loss on what to do next. They had placed Max carefully on the bed where he then curled up into the fetal position and had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep.

She was so worried about him. NEVER had she seen a man cry like that, especially not one as strong as Max and it made her heart break for him. She carefully made her way towards the bed and placed the comforter over him.

“I’m so sorry Max, so very sorry,” whispered Liz, as she stroked his thick hair away from his forehead. “You’ve been through so much pain and heartache, yet held on to that gentle soul that I saw in that little boy all those years ago.”

Tears started to pool into her eyes. How could any man do something so horrible to someone so young? She felt a feeling rising in her that she’d never really felt before and it was pure unadulterated rage, for what Max had been through and for what Tess had put them all through.

“I almost lost you the other day, because my guilt over my parent’s death kept me from warning you about the danger sooner. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you.”

“Don’t do that Liz.”

Liz jumped as she was brought back from the rage she was feeling.

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t blame yourself for what Tess did. My god Liz, you risked your life to save mine. You don’t even realise what you have done for me, do you?”

“I haven’t done anything Max,” replied Liz, confused, still stroking his hair.

Max gently grabbed the hand that was running through his hair, placed a kiss on the inside of her palm and then held it to his chest.

“For years I’ve carried around this darkness, hatred I guess, deep inside, always wondering why I was never good enough to be loved by my father. Then you came back in to my life and I realised that sometimes you have to experience the dark in order to truly appreciate the dawn. You are the light Liz. I never thought I deserved that kind of love but you showed me different. If someone like you who is brave, selfless, strong but at the same time gentle, could see something in me worth loving then it must be there.”

“Oh Max, you have people that love you. Isabel, your Mom, all of your friends. And me... who loves you so very much! You didn’t deserve any of it Max. It was his fault, not yours. He ... he wasn’t right in the head. I’m sorry to say that about your father but no one should have to live through that. I feel such hatred towards a man I haven’t even met. I can’t imagine how you feel,” replied Liz.

“I’m beginning to believe that it wasn’t my fault but now I’ll never be able to confront him. I always thought I had time, you know?”

“What did you want to gain from that confrontation?” asked Liz, gently.

“I don’t know, a reason maybe?”

“There isn’t any reason that would be acceptable Max. He did it to your Mom, you and eventually would have done it to Isabel too, if it wasn’t for you protecting her. There’s no excuse that would have been acceptable.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“He had all that power at work and I think he expected it at home, but he never really achieved it because you’re all individuals with your own ideas. He couldn’t control you so he used his fists instead. He tried to break your spirit but he never managed it. That makes you the better man. You protect the ones you love not hurt them or try to control them. You are NOT your father. I love you; trust you and I know that you would never intentionally hurt me or anyone else you love.”

“How did you know that’s what I needed to hear?” whispered Max, stroking her cheek lovingly.

“Because your biggest fear is that you’re going to turn out like your Dad.”

“How did you get so intuitive?”

“I may not have experienced physical abuse but I had my fair share of psychological abuse. I used to feel the same as you do Max, that I wasn’t good enough or it was my fault and that was compounded by the guilt of my parent’s death but I realized that those people where the ones with the problem, not me.”

“You’re amazing, do you know that?”

“No, I’m not but I’m glad you think so,” Liz smiled.

“I guess I’d better go and check on Isabel, sort out the flights to go home so I can arrange the funeral,” said Max, starting to rise from the bed.

“Oh, no you don’t,” said Liz, placing a hand on his chest and gently pushing him back on the bed. “You’ve had a rough couple of days Max; you need to get some rest. I’ll sort out the flights and then phone your Mom to let her know what time we’ll be back.”

“Are you sure? Because I could ...”

“I’m sure Max. That sexy little butt of yours still needs to heal and you need to rest.”

Max smiled. “Sexy little butt?”

Liz blushed.

“Well, I ... I couldn’t help it ... it was there ... you know ... at the hospital,” stuttered Liz, blushing even more.

Max placed his hand on his chest and gasped.

“Are you saying that you checked out my naked butt while it was exposed at the hospital? I feel so violated!”

“Violated?” Liz whispered. “Max, I didn’t mean ... I wasn’t ... ah!”

Max quickly grabbed Liz’s arm and yanked her down on top of him before she could finish her stumbling sentence; their faces millimetres apart, staring into each other’s eyes.

“I was kidding Liz. Don’t you know that you already own me, heart, body and soul?”

“Really?”

“You know you do,” he whispered emphatically.

“I love you Max,” said Liz, before she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll go and get those flights arranged and I think your sister will want to see you.”

“That’s all I get? Just an, ‘I’ll get the flights arranged and my sister wanting to see me?’” asked Max, as Liz raised herself away from him.

“You know that your sister is going to want to make sure you’re okay Max, besides what I have planned for you, we don’t need your sister walking in on us,” replied Liz, with a devilish smile on her face.

“What ... you’ve got something planned?” replied Max, with a cheeky grin on his face, trying to grab Liz back to him.

“Nothing that won’t wait until you’ve fully recovered,” replied Liz, jumping out of the way of his grabby hands.

“Oh Liz, come on!” whined Max. “Those doctors told me it would take at least two weeks before I could move around without much pain.”

“Then you are just going to have to wait Max. I’m not doing ANYTHING to jeopardize your recovery,” insisted Liz.

“I’m sure it would help my recovery if you ...”

Max was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.

“Max, can I come in?” whispered Isabel.

Liz giggled at the look of total disappointment on Max’s face.

“I told you she would be worried about you,” whispered Liz.

“She has the worst possible timing!” groaned Max.

“Come on in Isabel!” yelled Liz.

“You know, I’m going to hold you to that promise Liz,” stated Max.

“I didn’t promise you any.... Isabel, how are you?” asked Liz, concern showing on her face, when Isabel popped her head around the door.

“I’m ... okay I guess. I’m more worried about Max,” replied Isabel, walking fully into the room.

“You know, I am here!” said Max, with slight annoyance to his voice.

“I’m just gonna ...” Liz pointed to the door and quietly shut it behind her, giving the siblings the privacy they needed in order to talk freely.

Max looked at his sister and realized that she’d been crying, quite heavily if her eyes were any indication.

“Hey, how are you holding up?” asked Max, gently.

“I’m fine Max; you just scared me when you had that reaction. I’ve never seen you break down like that.”

“It was just so unexpected. I mean we had no warning that he had any heart problems.”

“Well, I’m glad he can’t hurt us anymore Max but what about all those things you wanted to confront him with?”

“A very wise woman pointed out to me that whatever reason Dad came up with, wouldn’t be acceptable because he shouldn’t have done it in the first place. I know it wasn’t my fault Izzy. He was just a sick and twisted man who wanted to control everything and everyone.”

“I’m so glad this hasn’t affected you more Max. I was really worried that this would send you over the edge. I knew you’d been waiting for that confrontation for some time, but I agree, I don’t think there is any excuse. He probably would have just said the same old crap about making you man, whatever that means.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Are you going to the funeral?” asked Max.

“I don’t know Max. I don’t think I could pretend that I really care he’s dead. I know that sounds awful but it’s the truth.”

“I think you have to do what’s best for you,” replied Max, yawning.

“Well, I’ll let you get some sleep Max. You’ve had a rough couple of days,” said Isabel, as she closed the curtains to darken the room.

“I’ll see you later okay?”

“Yeah, rest well Max.”

Chapter 50


It was a somber group that stood around the grave site of Phillip Evans. Liz had managed to get flights back home the following morning, after receiving the news of his death. His funeral arrangements had been dealt with via Phillip’s lawyer, as per his wishes in his will.

Isabel took the responsibility of informing Phillip’s girlfriend, Melissa, of his death. She couldn’t help think about that meeting while they lowered Phillip’s casket into the ground.

Isabel wrung her hands as she waited for the door to open. It was the type of house people dreamed of when they wanted a family.

“Can I help you?” asked a blonde haired woman, who was hiding half her body behind the door.

“Um, yes, are you Melissa?”

“Yes.”

“My name is Isabel and I’m here...”

“I know who you are. What do you want?” asked Melissa, rather coldly.

“Um, would it be okay if I come in?”

Melissa sighed.

“Look, if you’ve come here to have a go at me, save your breath.”

“Um no, it’s nothing like that. I’ve actually got some news for you. Do you mind?” asked Isabel, pointing to inside the house.

Melissa sighed again but opened the door to allow Isabel access.

Isabel was shocked to see the bruising on the woman’s face and suddenly her stomach felt like it had a rock imbedded in it.

“Did he do that to you?” gasped Isabel.

“Yes, why don’t you sit in the lounge,” offered Melissa.

Isabel felt awkward being there after seeing her face.

“Um, I’m sorry to have to tell you this but Phillip died the other night of a heart attack,” said Isabel, as she sat down on the plush sofa. She knew it was a little straight forward but she wanted to get this visit over quickly.

“That was probably my fault. We had an argument about our relationship, he hit me, and I threw him out of the house. You see I have a son from a previous marriage and I wasn’t going to subject him to that kind of violence. Phillip begged me to reconsider but I told him it was over. That was the same night he died.”

“The coroner did an autopsy because he died at his house, alone. He was apparently suffering from heart failure for quite a while; he just never bothered telling anyone about it. I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault.”

“Well, thank you for saying that.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” said Isabel, pointing to Melissa’s face, “but at least you ended it before it affected anyone else.”

“I take it this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this?”

“No, he put my family through hell. The only reason I wasn’t at the receiving end was because my brother protected me. I’ve never forgiven Phillip and I know this might sound awful but I’m glad he’s out of our lives permanently,” stated Isabel, rising to leave.

“I can’t say I blame you for feeling that way. Thank you for coming here to let me know the news. I’m sure that wasn’t an easy decision to make but I appreciate it.”

“You are invited to the funeral if you want to attend,” offered Isabel.

“I don’t think so. I only knew Phillip for a short period of time and after the argument I realized what sort of man I was getting involved with.”

“It’s a shame you can’t hand pick your family isn’t it?” asked Isabel.

“One of your parents must have done something right. You’ve grown in to a beautiful, confident young woman and your brother sounds like an outstanding man, considering everything he’s been through.”

Isabel smiled.

“Yes, he is. Thank you for allowing me into your home. I’m sure that wasn’t pleasant considering the circumstances.”

“What makes the man doesn’t necessarily make the family. It was a pleasure meeting you Isabel. Pass on my condolences to your family.”

“I will. Thank you,” said Isabel, as she left the comfy home.

Liz nudged Max as she noticed the faraway look in Isabel’s eyes.

“Hey, are you okay?” whispered Max.

“Huh? Oh yeah. I was just thinking back to that meeting with Melissa.”

“I can’t believe he started his shit so early on in the relationship, but in a way, I’m glad he did. At least she had a chance to see the darker side before she got too involved.”

“I agree.”

“Well one good thing came out of that meeting,” whispered Max.

“What was that?”

“I know now that no matter what I did or tried it never would have been good enough. It’s not me with the problem but him.”

Isabel smiled.

“So basically, what we’ve been telling you for most of your life?”

“Yeah, that doubt has finally gone and I feel like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

“I understand Max. Although it was awkward, I’m glad I went if it means you’ve got some sort of closure on this.”

After the Priest finished his sermon, many political associates and former clients made their way over to Diane to offer their condolences. Once it was just the family left, Max asked for some time on his own. As he sprinkled soil onto his father’s casket he couldn’t help the snort of derision that came out.

“You always were a bastard but I didn’t think you would subject another family to what you did us. I’m sorry that in your eyes we were never good enough for you but I realized something, it wasn’t us that had the problem, it was you. I will be the better man because when my family needs me, I’ll be there; when my kids are driving me nuts, I’ll show them love and kindness not fists and anger. I’m just sorry you won’t be around to see what a wonderful woman I’ve met. I’m sure she would give you a run for your money. She may be small but she would put you in your place that’s for sure. I hope you’re burning in hell for everything you’ve put this family through.”

Max could finally put his demons to rest as he walked towards his beautiful girlfriend and away from his troubled past.


****
A week after the funeral the family found themselves sitting around a massive mahogany desk with Phillip’s lawyer, Richard Broadmore, sitting at the head.

“I’m sorry to have to meet you under these circumstances. I know these times are difficult so I’ll just get straight to the reading. I the undersigned, Phillip Evans, hereby leave the family home and my two other properties aboard to Diane Evans. Although we have been divorced for a while I still remember the happier times and this is my way of saying thank you for everything you did while we were married.”

“Oh, well I wasn’t expecting that,” replied Diane.

“To my son and daughter, Max and Isabel, I hereby leave my entire estate to be split equally between both of you. I’ve had a few years on my own to reflect on my life and I realize that I wasn’t a very good father. Max, I hope you can accept my apology for the way I’ve treated you over the years. Now Phillip has made some impressive investments over the years and on his death he gave instructions for those to be sold. His total estate, minus the fee of the broker and of course our fee, stands at around the 3.5 million dollar mark. I won’t have the exact figure until his assets are sold and the broker closes all of the accounts.”

Max and Isabel were speechless. They knew their father had some money but they never expected it to be that much.

“Diane, Phillip gave me instructions to help you sell the properties aboard if you so desire and you could either keep the family home or you can sell it. It’s entirely up to you.”

“Um, do you mind if my family and I have a private moment to discuss it?” asked Diane.

“You don’t have to decide now, just know that Phillip has put in a provision for us to deal with this if you want us to.”

“Just give me a minute with my family and we should have an answer for you.”

“As you wish,” said Richard, as he stood from his chair and made his way out of the conference room.

“Do you want to go home and discuss this or would you rather us clear this up here?” asked Diane.

“Mom, Dad left those properties to you. If you want to sell them all then that’s up to you,” replied Isabel.

“I think it would be best for us to get rid of them all and then I can purchase a new place and have enough money left over to live a comfortable retirement.”

“I would never want to go into those properties again Mom, so I think that’s the wisest decision,” said Max.

“Okay, so I’m going to sell all of the properties and then buy my own place. The money left over should be enough for me to retire on. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

“Mom, you’ll always be welcome to stay with us,” said Max

“I wouldn’t have survived these last two years if it wasn’t for the both of you. I can’t thank you enough.”

Richard Broadmore came in not long after they finished their discussion and the meeting was soon concluded. It would take at least a couple of months to sell the properties because besides the family home, one was in the Bahamas and the other in Tahiti.

Max and Isabel would get the cash from the bank accounts in a few days and the rest would follow once all of Phillip’s assets and investments were sold.

It was a shell shocked family that left the lawyers office that day.