OwnMe-15

Part 15

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As the last of the customers dwindled out, the staff at the Crashdown worked at a furious rate to get things cleaned up.

�Come on everyone, the faster we get cleaned up, the faster the fun begins!� Maria came down from the chair she had been standing on.

Max grabbed Liz�s arm as she came by.

�What can I do?�

�It�s ok Max. We�ve got everything under control.�

She turned to leave but Max held firm.

�You have to let me do something. I can�t just sit here, while all of you work.�

Liz turned to Noah who was pounding his plastic spoon against the table.

�Looks like you already have your hands full.�

She gestured to Noah and Max followed her gaze.

�He�ll be fine. He�s going to be at it for a while so you might as well give me something to do, or I�ll have to go ask Maria, or Izzy and they don�t seem like they would turn down the help.�

Liz gave him a little giggle. �Izzy?�

Returning her infectious laugh, Max let go of her arm. �Childhood nickname.�

�Right. Well, since you insist on helping, how about grabbing the mop in the kitchen?�

Max smiled before heading towards the swinging doors.

Liz turned around only to bump into Maria.

�So, you already have him whipped?�

�Maria! That�s not nice.�

With a wicked smile, Maria looked over her shoulder to see Max with a mop and bucket, working the linoleum floors of the dining are.

�Ok, then what�s the deal with that?�

Maria pointed to Max as he continued to swipe the floor with long strokes of the mop.

Liz turned to follow her gaze and couldn�t keep the small smile from playing against her lips at watching Max�s shoulder and arm muscles move with his each swipe of the mop.

�He just wanted to help, that�s all.�

Maria slowly nodded her head.

�Uh huh. I bet the only reason you have him working, is to see him working those jeans and t-shirt.�

Liz pulled Maria to the other side of the room and turned wide eyes on her.

�Maria!�

Maria tried to contain her laughter just long enough to speak.

�Hun, relax. I don�t think Max heard me. I was only kidding ok. I�m sorry.�

Maria followed Liz�s gaze and laughed harder when she saw the way she was looking at Max.

�Maybe I should retract my comments.�

Liz looked up from her exploration of Max�s upper body working hard.

�What?�

Maria just playfully slapped her shoulder.

�Never mind chica. Just get back to work.�

************

45 minutes later, the Crashdown was clean and the staff was exhausted.

Making her way through the kitchen into the dining area, Maria came out with a tray of food. She set it down on a table where they had placed seven seats surrounding it.

Michael went to grab a french fry, only to have Maria slap his hand away.

�Ow!�

�Don�t be so rude Michael.�

She turned to face everyone and gave them a sugary sweet smile.

�First of, I want to thank Max for helping out when he didn�t have to.�

Max looked down shyly.

�It�s no problem, really.�

�And secondly, I think that some introductions are in order.�

She turned to each person she was introducing.

�Max, this is Michael, my boyfriend. Alex over there, and that is my step brother Kyle.�

A chorus of hi�s were said.

�It�s nice to meet you guys.�

He looked around nervously and took a deep breath. This was it. The moment of truth.

�Since we�re all making some introductions, uh, I�d like to introduce you guys to my son. Everyone, this is Noah.�

He lifted Noah into his arms and waited with baited breath to see everyone�s reactions.

The silence that he was met with was overwhelming. He didn�t dare look up to see the expressions on their faces. Suddenly, he felt a warm hand touch his arm and another at his shoulder. He turned to his right and saw Isabel giving her silent support. He turned to his left where he saw Liz standing by him giving him a smile of encouragement.

It was Maria that had ventured into the silence first.

�He�s your son?�

�Yeah.�

�So that would have made you what? About 15, 16 when you had him?�

Maria elbowed Michael in the gut.

�Geez, Michael, ever heard of the word tact?�

Rubbing his stomach Michael gave Maria a frown.

�As a matter of a fact, I have. I was just curious.�

Seeing the tension around him, Max spoke up.

�It�s ok. Uhm, I was 16 when I had him.�

With his arms crossed, Alex came to stand beside Michael.

�So you have him for the weekend?�

�Not, exactly. I have him forever. He lives with me and my family.�

Joining the round of questions being asked, Kyle asked one of his own.

�What about his mom? Where does she come in all of this?�

Having had enough of the interrogations, Liz started speaking.

�Ok, I think that�s enough you guys. Stop giving Max the third degree.�

As much as Liz loved her friends, the guys were a little tactless at times. She didn�t want Max to feel like he was being ganged up on, and she certainly didn�t want him to feel pressured to tell them anything he didn�t feel comfortable saying.

�It�s ok. She, uh, she�s not around anymore.�

The three guys seemed unhappy with the answer and wanted to continue to ask questions, but Maria stepped in.

�Well, I don�t know about you guys, but I am absolutely famished. Let�s dig in!�

Liz moved towards the counter.

�I�ll get the sodas.�

Handing Noah to Isabel, Max followed Liz.

�Let me help you with that.�

Behind the counter, Liz began filling up the tall glasses.

�You don�t have to help Max.�

Seeming somewhat detached, Max helped her.

�I know. I actually just wanted to say something to you.�

�Oh? What is it Max?�

Looking back at Noah and Isabel, Max shoved his hands in his pockets.

�I think I�m just going to head home. Noah�s had a long day, and, I should just get going.�

Afraid that he would leave, Liz stood in his way.

�Don�t leave!�

Max looked into her pleading eyes and was tempted to give in.

�I wish I could, but I really have to go. I still have to read over my Chem notes-

�Then we can study together.�

Liz blushed at her boldness. She wasn�t usually so pushy, but she didn�t want Max to leave.

�That is, if you want to.�

Smiling at her, he reached for her hand.

�I�d like that. But wouldn�t your friends mind if you just bailed?�

Liz looked towards her friends who were engrossed in eating and chatting up a storm.

�Nah, I think they�ll be fine without us.�

Walking back to the group, Liz and Max grabbed their things.

�Uh, guys, Max and I are going over to his house to study, so we�ll see you guys later.�

Max took Noah from Isabel�s arms and gently shifted him so that his head was resting against his shoulder.

Isabel got up and started getting her stuff together.

�I guess that means me too.�

Max noticed her reluctance to leave. He stopped her.

�You can stay Iz. I�ll just come back and pick you up when you�re ready.�

Shaking her head, Isabel began spouting out protests.

�Max, it�s ok. I�ll just go home now. It�s no big deal.�

Alex stood up from his seat and spoke up.

�I�ll give you a ride, that is, if it�s ok with you.�

Turning to give him a smile, Isabel put her stuff down again.

�I�d like that. Thank you.�

Isabel sat down and returned Alex�s shy smile.

�Well, we�re gonna get going.�

Liz brushed the hair out of her eyes.

�Liiiizzzzz!�

Noah caught a glimpse of Liz and gave her a little wave.

Smiling back, Liz gave his cheek a soft squeeze before they headed out the door.

The others just watched as the three of them left. The exchange between the three of them had not gone unoticed. They had certainly become chummy in the past week and Liz seemed unsurprised that Max had a son. They were going to need to have a talk with Liz to make sure she didn�t get in too deep and get hurt.

Part 16

***********************

Liz watched with great interest as Max drove. He wasn�t doing anything special, but there was just something about they way he moved. Slow and graceful. She wouldn�t have caught on to the tension in his body, but she observed how quiet he had been since they had left.

�Is everything ok, Max? You�ve been really quiet since we left the Crashdown.�

Max turned his head slightly so that he could see Liz�s face. He saw the concern in her eyes, and it melted his heart.

�Uh, everything�s fine. Just a little overwhelming. You know, school, work, being in a new town. It�s just taking a while to adjust, I guess.�

Liz looked to the back seat and watched as Noah sat back with sleepy eyes. He was fighting the sleep that was threatening to claim him, but like every other child, he refused to give in so easily. Liz reached back and gently rubbed his leg.

�He�s so sweet. It must be amazing to have him around, day in and day out.�

Giving a slight chuckle, Max turned to Liz.

�I don�t think you�d be saying that if you had him 24/7. He isn�t always so, so, he isn�t always so...... sweet. Although he�s good most of the time, there�s always times when, well, when he�s just being a kid.�

They pulled into the Evans� driveway and got out. Max gently held Noah in his arms while attempting to unlock the front door.

He carried him into his room and placed him inside his crib. He brushed the soft curls from his face and gave him a soft kiss.

�Sleep tight little man. I�ll see you tomorrow.�

Max turned on the baby monitor and shut off the light, leaving the door slightly ajar.

He came down the stairs with the hand held monitor in one hand and his book bag in the other. He walked in the living room and came upon Liz sitting silently on the couch, her hands clasped neatly in her lap. She was beautiful and he had a feeling she was unaware of just how beautiful she was.

Clearing his throat, he stepped into the room.

She looked up and smiled.

�Is he asleep?�

�Yeah. He was worn out.�

He placed his things on the coffee table and took a seat beside Liz. He made sure he was close enough that he could he smell her, but far enough away so that she didn�t feel like he was smothering her.

�So, uh, do you want something to drink?�

Liz shook her head, causing her hair to fly around.

�No thanks. I�m fine.�

�Ok, so, about chemistry.....�

�Right, um, how about we go through your notes. I sort of forgot to bring mine.�

Smiling, he dug his stuff out. Liz looked over his shoulder causing her long hair to cascade over his arm. Her hair felt like the softest silk against his skin. It kept him momentarily immobile.

�Well, we�ve already covered chapter one and two. Did you have any trouble with that?�

�No. It was ok.�

Liz tried to think of something to say. In all honesty, she had gone through the text book and her notes already. She had so much as already read up to chapter four, but she wasn�t going to tell him that. Her excuse for coming over was to study, so that�s what she was going to do, even if she already was familiar with the material.

Max stared dumbly at his book. He had already read ahead and studied in the library during lunch, but he had given Liz the excuse that he had to study so that he could leave the Crashdown. He couldn�t tell her that he was lying.

�Um, well it seems like you�ve got everything under control. Maybe I should just go. You must be wanting to go to bed.�

Liz gathered her things. She had decided to leave since Max seemed to be making no effort to study with her.

Max grabbed her purse from her and put it back down.

�Why don�t you stay? I mean, it looks like we�ve got everything under control with chemistry. Why don�t you just stay and hang out with me. Noah�s already asleep, and well, I have nothing to do.�

Max realized that he was sounding a little desperate, and he also didn�t want Liz to think that he was insinuating anything.

�But I could take you back home, if you want.�

Liz sat back down on the couch.

�I�d love to hang out.�

Max sat back down beside her and waited for her to start the conversation.

�So how are you finding everything here in Roswell?�

�Not too bad. Everyone seems nice enough.�

Liz remembered how her friends had acted towards him earlier, and she wanted to reassure him that they were good people. They were just curious. Much like herself, but unlike her, she didn�t want to ask questions. If and when he was ready, he was going to tell her.

�Max, about earlier, with everyone. I�m sorry about how they acted. They were just curious. Sometimes they forget-

�It�s ok Liz. No apologies necessary. I totally understand them wanting to know. I mean if the situations had been reversed, I would want to know too.�

Max watched as Liz nodded with understanding. He saw the questions in her eyes, but he also noted how she kept herself from asking. She was staying to true to her word about giving him his privacy. The funny thing was, he was finding himself wanting to tell her everything. He felt partly guilty for wanting to tell her when he couldn�t even tell his own twin. But there was just something about Liz. Somehow he knew that if he told her, she wouldn�t pass any judgments. She would be his friend and give him the support that he needed.

�But still, I don�t want you to feel like they�re pressuring you. Don�t tell them anything you aren�t comfortable telling them.�

�Thank you Liz. I don�t think I�ve ever met someone quite as wonderful and amazing as you are.�

Max didn�t try to hide the admiration from his voice. That was exactly how he felt and he wanted her to know that.

Blushing, Liz tried to fend of his comments. It was certainly nice to hear them coming from his lips, but she was never really good with compliments.

�Please, I�m just being a friend. I know we haven�t known each other that long, but I want you to be able to come to me if you ever need anything.�

He gave her a smile that expressed everything he was feeling at that moment.

�You have no idea what that means to me. I don�t think I�ve really known what it was like to have a real friend, other than Izzy.�

�How is that possible? You�re such a great guy.�

�Yeah, well once Noah was born, I realized fairly quickly who my real friends were, and it turns out that I had none.�

She placed her hand against his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

�That must have been awful. I can�t even begin to imagine what that must feel like.�

�Well, you learn to deal pretty quick. I mean you realize that there is this little person who depends on you for everything. You end up having to grow up faster than you�d like, but when you hold your baby in your arms and you grasp what it�s like to be them, you finally get it that the whole universe doesn�t revolve around you. That you have responsibilities that you can�t turn your back on. But then you also figure out that you helped create something amazing, and no matter how hard you think everything is, everything is worth it in the end.�

Liz tried to hide the tears in her eyes. She hadn�t fully grasped how hard it was to be a teenage parent, but hearing Max�s words helped her understand. Sure, she wouldn�t ever really understand the magnitude of being a teenage parent, but now she had a clear idea of how hard it really was. It wasn�t just some statistic anymore. It finally hit home for her.

�Noah is lucky to have you for his father.�

Max hadn�t meant to say all of that, but it just came out.

�Thank you. I hope that I make a good father for him. He�s the most important thing in my life and I would do anything to take care of him.�

Hearing his words ignited Liz�s desire to find out about Noah�s mother. If Noah lived with him, did that mean that she was back in California? And why was that the case? Didn�t the babies usually live with the mother? Max had also mentioned that she wasn�t around anymore. What did that mean?

As much as she wanted to give him his privacy and not barge into his personal life, Liz found herself asking him the question that had been plaguing her the moment she had found out that he had a son.

�Can I ask you a question? I mean if you totally think it�s out of line, just say so, and I won�t ask it again.�

Max was interested in what she wanted to ask.

�Sure, ask away. I�ll try and answer you as best as I can.�

Taking a deep breath Liz turned to look into his eyes.

�Where is Noah�s mom?�

There, she had said it. Max could chose to answer her or not.

Max sat back a little stunned. He knew that the question was eventually going to be asked, but he didn�t think that was the question she was going to ask.

Seeing Max�s expression made Liz want to retract her question. It was totally inappropriate of her to ask.

�I�m sorry. You don�t have to answer that. It�s none of my business.�

Max grabbed onto her hand and held it a little tighter.

�No Liz, it�s ok. I mean you were going to find out sooner or later.�

Liz waited for him to speak, but saw him struggling to say whatever it was he was going to say.

�Look, Max, you don�t have to tell me. I understand-

Max cut her off.

�No, I want to tell you. It�s just I haven�t really talked about this, since it happened, and well, I guess I�m just trying to find the right words to say.�

Liz shook her head in understanding.

�Sure, go ahead. Take your time. There�s no rush.�

Max looked towards the hall, and started talking. It was as if he was reliving the moment, like it was happening all over again.

�Noah�s mom, her name, her name was Tess. We knew each other since grade school. Her and Isabel were best friends. We�d hung out as kids, but when we got to junior high, I guess you could say that our feelings for each other developed. She became my girlfriend, but it wasn�t anything serious. We were your run of the mill junior high couple. But when we got to high school, well, things changed. We started getting serious. More serious than I think we were really ready for.�

Liz listened as he remembered what was happened. She grasped his hand tighter and let him continue.

�We, uh, we started having sex when we were 16. I know we weren�t ready, but we did it anyway. We had only done it a few times, then we realized that she was pregnant. We were so scared to tell our parents. I mean, we didn�t know what were going to do. We were sixteen. We could barely take care of ourselves. How were we supposed to take care of a baby? We both decided to tell Isabel first. I mean, I guess she took it pretty well, I mean as well as anyone could.�

Max took a deep breath before continuing.

�I remember when we told our parents. They were absolutely furious. They forbid us to see each other. Each parent blaming the other. My parents were saying that Tess tried to trap me and her parents were saying that I pressured her. It was awful.�

�Her parents took her out of school and refused to let me see her. I snuck out to see her every opportunity that I could. But it was never really enough. Her parents finally let me see her when she was having the baby. She was calling for me. She was so scared. She kept saying something didn�t feel right, like she knew something bad was going to happen. I kept trying to reassure her that everything was going to be ok. But deep in my heart, I felt her fear, because I felt it too.�

�They delivered Noah and they let me hold him. I turned to show him to Tess, but the doctor and nurses had already surrounded her. They were yelling all of this medical jargon that I didn�t understand and before I knew it, they had thrown me out of the room.�

�Later, the doctor came out and talked to her parents. Tess� mom was hysterical, her dad burst into tears. I had no idea what was going on. Eventually, the doctor came to me, speaking in that sympathetic tone that all doctors use, saying that she didn�t make it. He tried to explain the cause, but my mind couldn�t get past the words that she didn�t make it. At that point, the only thing I could think about was she didn�t even get to see our son. She would never get to hold him, or, or........�

Max broke down into tears. It was the first time that he had told anyone what had really happened and it hit him like a ton of bricks.

Liz pulled Max into a fierce hug. She could feel her own tears slide down her cheeks. She had no idea that Max had gone through all of that. She felt him bury his face in her neck and pull her closer. She had a hard time breathing, but she didn�t care. She was going to hold Max for however long he needed her. She only hoped that her arms could bring him some sort of peace.

Part 17

******************

Isabel sat and watched as the four friends exchanged jokes and stories. As much as she had wanted to stay, right now, she was feeling alone. It wasn�t anyone�s fault really. She just somehow felt out of place with all of the inside jokes and talk of things she knew nothing about. And on top of everything else, she felt a little uneasy about what had happened a little while ago.

Max�s revalation of being a teenage father surprised everyone. She was glad that he had been honest, but at the same time she knew how hard it was for him to put himself out there like that. She had felt the uncomfortable tension in the room and she knew that�s why he had decided to leave. It was better that way, she guessed. One step at a time. At least Liz had gone with him. She hoped that he would eventually open up to Liz, if he couldn�t do so with her.

Isabel was slowly broken from her thoughts with a soft tapping on her shoulder.

�Everything ok? We aren�t boring you to death are we?�

Isabel turned to the four sets of eyes that were watching her with concern.

�Yeah. I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to space out on you guys.�

Giving her a warm smile, Maria reached over and gave her hand a soft pat.

�It�s ok. I know how overwhelming things must seem for you. A new school, new friends, it�s a hard adjustment for anybody.�

Isabel faked a yawn and stretched her arms.

�I�m sorry you guys, but I think I�m going to just gonna go home. I�m beat.�

She stood up and gathered her things. Alex tried not to trip over himself in his haste to get to Isabel.

�Ready when you are.�

Isabel smiled as she took in Alex�s appearance. He was tall, and certainly handsome. And he seemed like a great guy. She linked her arm with his and waved to everyone.

�I�ll see you guys tomorrow.�

A chorus of goodbyes were said as Alex and Isabel made their way outside.

Once inside the car, Isabel turned so that she could look at Alex.

�You know, you don�t have to do this.�

He stopped tugging at his seatbelt long enough so that he could speak to her.

�Do what?�

Isabel began softly brushing away the invisible wrinkles on her shirt.

�You know, take me home. I could just call Max and have him pick me up. It�s no big deal.�

Alex leaned forward and lifted her chin.

�Look, it�s no problem. In fact, it�s my pleasure. Besides, I think your brother has enough on his plate right now.�

She gave him a smile and they were on their way.

******************

�Does it bother you?�

Alex stopped at a light and watched Isabel carefully.

�Does what bother me?�

�My brother.�

�What about your brother?�

Isabel finally looked up into his eyes.

�Does, it bother you that he�s a father?�

The light turned green and Alex turned. He stopped the car by the local park. He turned so he could talk to Isabel properly.

�To be honest with you, I don�t really know. I don�t really know your brother.�

�Are you sure?�

Alex tried to find the words to express what he was thinking. It wasn�t so much that Max was a teenaged father that bothered him too much. What bothered him was that he and Liz seemed to be attracted to one another and he was worried about Liz�s welfare. How was all of this going to play out? Where was the baby�s mother? All he knew was he didn�t want Liz to experience any unnecessary heartache. Regardless of who Max was, that was his main concern.

�I don�t really know.�

Isabel sat up and watched the various emotions pass through Alex�s face.

�What do you mean?�

�I mean I saw the way your brother and Liz acted around each other. And honestly, I don�t know how to react to that.�

�Why?�

Alex reached forward and held Isabel�s hand in his own. He wanted her to feel reassured that he wasn�t out to pick a fight with Max, but he just wanted to get a few things straight.

�Liz has been my best friend since I can remember. And I know for a fact that she is falling for your brother. I just don�t want her to get hurt when Noah�s mom comes back into the picture.�

Isabel felt the warm tears slowly fall down her cheeks.

�Well, you don�t have to worry about that happening.�

Alex watched Isabel cry. He ached to hold her in his arms and take away all of her pain.

�Why?�

Isabel practically choked on the words. She never realized how much it still hurt to just say it.

�Because, because Noah�s mom, she uh, she�s........... she passed away a little over a year ago.�

Alex felt like kicking himself in the gut. Here he was worried about Liz being caught in a stupid love triangle when it turns out, things were a lot more serious than he could have ever imagined.

He leaned over in his seat and pulled Isabel in a hug. He felt the tremors wrack her body. He held her a little tighter and softy combed his fingers through her hair.

�I�m sorry, I had no idea.�

He continued to hold her and waited till she was ok. For once in his life, he was in no rush.

Part 18

************************

After everyone had left the Crashdown, Michael, Maria and Kyle went about closing the place down.

�So, what do you guys think about the whole Max situation?�

Maria studied Kyle carefully before answering.

�Frankly, I don�t care one way or another. I mean just as long as he�s not leading Liz on, them I�m fine with it.�

Michael stopped stacking the chairs up on the tables.

�Me too. I mean I think it was pretty cool of him to tell us straight out, you know? At least he didn�t pull that he�s my baby brother crap on us.�

Kyle leaned his head against the wall and took a deep breath.

�Good. I thought I was the only one. You know, come to think of it, I feel kinda of bad with the way we reacted. I mean he probably thought we were ganging up on him.�

Michael caught Kyle�s eye.

�You too?�

Maria looked at them and wiped her palms against the front of her jeans.

�Look, we all reacted a little immature. We just have to find a way to make him realize that we want to be his friend regardless. I mean I have no idea how he must feel right now after the way we acted, asking all of those questions........�

Michael walked up to Maria and wrapped his arms around her. He placed a soft kiss on her head.

�Yeah, we�ll have to work on that.�

*****************

It had been a while before Max finally realized where he was. His head was buried in Liz�s neck. His tears had soaked through her shirt, and it appeared as if he was holding on to her for dear life. He took a few more moments before gently disentangling himself from her warm embrace.

Without her warm arms holding him, he suddenly felt cold. He would have felt alone had he not looked into her eyes. Her eyes held so much compassion for him that it blew him away. There was no pity there, just pure unadultared love. He wasn�t up to denying what he saw right now. All he wanted to do was find a way to thank her for being there for him. For not casting any judgments, for just being there to listen.

He brushed away the tears that still continued to fall.

�Thank you Liz.�

Liz gave him a warm smile before running her fingers along the contours of his face. She helped wipe away the tears that adorned his handsome face.

�You don�t have to thank me Max. I meant what I said before. I want you to be able to come to me for anything. I mean anything.�

He looked at her face and noticed the tear tracks on her face. Had she been crying too?

With his thumb, he delicately traced her cheekbone, lingering a little longer than necessary beside her lips.

�I still want to thank you. For being here for me, for listening. You know, you�re the first person I�ve ever really told the whole story to. Until now, I can�t say I�ve ever felt comfortable telling anyone.�

Liz felt her heart beating faster against her chest. She was the first one he talked to about this? She didn�t really know how to react. A part of her felt special that he had opened up to her, but the other part felt terrible that he even had to deal with any of this at all.

She opened her mouth to speak when Noah�s crying came through the baby monitor.

They both turned to look at it.

�You should go get him.�

Max reluctantly stood up from his spot on the coach and headed up the stairs. He stopped by the foot of the stairs to take another long look at Liz.

How was he going to thank her, he had no idea. He just hoped that he could repay her being a wonderful friend.

**************

After Isabel had quieted down, she pulled away from Alex�s embrace.

Embarrassed, she tried unsuccessfully to wipe away the wetness from his shirt.

�I�m so sorry. I don�t, I don�t know what�s wrong with me.�

Alex took a hold of her hands and realized that they were trembling.

�Isabel, it�s ok.�

She shook her head and fought to free her hands from his grasp.

�No, no it isn�t.�

He gently tugged on her hands to get her to look up at him.

�Isabel, it�s ok. Really. Look, I want you to know, that you can come to me, you know, if you ever need anyone to talk to, about anything. I know we�ve only known each other for a week, but I really want us to be friends. Really good friends.�

Isabel smiled at his genuine attempt of becoming friends with her. Alex Whitman was one hell of a guy. He hardly knew her and he was there for her. He had already proved that he was a really loyal friend. She didn�t know what she did to have him in her life, but she was glad to have him.

�Thank you.�

He gave her a smile that made her toes tingle.

�Not another word miss Evans. I refuse to hear anything of the sort.�

He grinned when Isabel gave a soft laugh.

�Now that�s what I like to hear. Where to now miss Evans?�

She gave his hand a squeeze and returned his grin.

�I don�t know Mr. Whitman. Suddenly, I�m not really in the mood to go home just yet.�

Giving her another dashing smile, Alex put the car in gear and set of down the street.