| Part 6 ******************* The week before school started passed by quickly. Isabel started working at the Crashdown and Max at the UFO Center. Before anyone realized it, the first day of school was upon them. Max was running around his room trying to get ready. On her way down the stairs, Isabel stopped by Max�s room and took a peek. It was a total mess. Max was running around like a chicken with it�s head cut off and Noah was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room chewing one of his toy blocks. Isabel stepped into the room and picked up Noah. He smiled and offered her his toy block covered in his saliva. Isabel scrunched up her nose and shook her head causing Noah to giggle. She hiked him higher up on her hip before addressing her brother. �You almost ready Max?� Max looked up from his search of his other sneaker. �Just about. If only I could find my other shoe........� Isabel picked it up by the laces from it�s place on the side of his bed. She held it out to him. �This it?� Max took it from her and placed it on his foot. He took Noah from Isabel as he attempted to slip his other arm into the strap of his back pack. �Thanks Iz. You�re a life saver.� Max jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen. He took a sip of orange juice, then placed Noah in his booster seat. Diane handed him a plate of eggs and bacon, but Max declined. �No thanks mom. I don�t have time.� Diane pushed the plate into her son�s hands. �You have to eat something Max.� Max grabbed the bacon pieces and started eating. She wiped the side of his mouth and smiled. �That�s better.� Isabel flew past her brother and grabbed a piece of fruit. �Come on Max, we�re going to be late. I promised Maria and Liz that I would meet them before classes started.� Max�s ears perked up at the sound of Liz�s name. He chugged the rest of his juice then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He gave Noah a chaste kiss on his head before giving him some instructions. �I�m heading of to school now. You be good for gramma while I�m gone.� He kneeled down so that he and Noah were eye to eye. �Remember what I said, you�re the man of the house today.� Noah gave him a grin that was reminiscent of his own. Max smiled back before ruffling his son�s hair. He turned to his mom and gave her a kiss. �I won�t be home till after six. Brody wants me to work a couple of hours after school.� �That�s fine Max.� He pulled his back pack over his shoulder more securely. �And if Noah gives you any trouble, or anything happens, just- �Page you. Max, just take a deep breath and relax. I remember the routine. Noah can keep me company while I work on some of my new client�s files.� Max was reluctant to leave, but Isabel had started dragging him out the front door. �Bye Noah! I love you.� Diane smiled, hearing her son�s voice call out to her grandson. �Have a good first day of school kids!� ******************* Liz shifted from foot to foot while hooking her thumbs through the straps of her back pack. �Looks like someone�s got ants in their pants.� Liz turned to the sound of Kyle�s voice. She had turned just in time to see Maria punch him in the shoulder. �Oww! What�d you do that for?� Maria placed her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. �Why do you have to be such an ass all the time?� Kyle turned to Liz and urged her to see the sincerity in his eyes. �I�m sorry Liz. I was only kidding.� Liz waved her hand to dismiss his apology. �Don�t worry about it Kyle. No harm, no foul.� Kyle gave her a hug before turning angry eyes on Maria. �See Maria, Liz gets that it was a joke. You gotta loosen up sis. It�s only the first day of school and it�s only gonna get worse from here.� Maria was fuming. Kyle straightened his shoulders and puffed out his chest. �I better go. Promised Guerin and Whitman I�d meet them outside the gym.� He gave Maria a mock salute on his way to the gym. Maria yelled at his retreating form. �Tell Michael to comb his hair!� Kyle waved to signal his understanding. Maria turned to Liz to begin a tirade on how unreliable guys were when she noticed how anxious Liz looked. �Liz, you ok?� Liz looked up from staring at her toes. �Fine, never better. You know how much I love the first day of school. Homework, new teachers, old friends, lunch in the quad- Maria grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her a little. �Liz, you�re babbling right now. You like never babble.� Liz just stared at Maria. �What�s going on Liz?� Maria tried to make eye contact with Liz, but her gaze was fixated on a particular car in the parking lot. Maria followed suit to see what had captured her friend�s attention. A black jeep cherokee pulled up into a parking space. A jeep that looked a lot like the one Max and Isabel Evans owned. The doors opened and out came the Evans twins. Maria turned to see Liz frantically combing her fingers through her hair and straightening out her clothes. Yeah right Lizzie wasn�t interested! Isabel immediately spotted Liz and Maria. She gave them a smile and a big wave. Max followed his sister�s gaze and his heart just about stopped. Liz Parker was wearing low rider jeans and a v-neck top that hugged her curves in all the right places. Max felt himself being dragged forward. He glanced at Isabel who was leading them straight towards Liz. �Come on Max. Hurry up!� Max felt a protest form in his mind, but he couldn�t bring himself to say it. Once they reached them, Isabel greeted her new friends with hellos. She turned to Max and gave him a pointed look. �You guys remember my brother Max, right?� Maria gave him a smile. �Hey Max.� Max wanted to say hi back, but his voice wasn�t cooperating. �It�s nice to see you again.� Max watched as the words formed on Liz�s ruby red lips. He wondered if they felt as soft as they looked. He suddenly jerked his head up when he felt Isabel elbow him in the ribs. �Huh?� Max cringed when he heard the way his voice cracked. He cleared his throat a few times before attempting to speak again. �Wh-what did you say?� �They said hello. Are you just gonna stand there all day and stare?� Max felt himself blush at Isabel�s words. Had he really been staring? He caught Maria�s eye and saw the knowing look in them. He had been caught. Completely flustered, Max stood there awkwardly. �Uh, hi.� Liz smiled at him and he was lost. It felt like they were the only two people on earth. �Max!� He smiled in return. He felt warm and fuzzy inside. Something he had never felt before. �Max!� Isabel yelled in her brother�s ear to get his attention. Slightly annoyed, Max turned to his sister. �What?� Isabel flipped her hair over her shoulder. �The bell just rang. It�s time to get to class.� He simply nodded and followed as they made their way inside. Part 7 *************** Classes went ok for the most part. Isabel had been lucky enough to have at least someone from the group in each of her classes. The bell signaled lunch and the students of West Roswell were only happy to get outside. Isabel walked beside Maria as they made their way through the quad. They had all agreed to meet up for lunch. �So Isabel, I�ve been meaning to ask you about your brother.� �My brother? What about him?� Isabel silently prayed this had nothing to do with Noah. It wasn�t that she was ashamed to talk about him, quite the contrary actually. On any other occasion, Isabel loved to gush about her nephew. She just didn�t feel right talking about him without Max bringing it up first. Maria tried to act nonchalant. �Oh nothing, I was just wondering if he was involved, you know, if he has a girlfriend.� Isabel�s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. �But I thought you and Michael......... Maria put her hand against her chest and started laughing. �Not for me silly. I was asking for Liz.� They found a table and sat down. �Did Liz get you to ask?� �Not exactly. I can see your brother is just perfect for Liz, even though she�s too shy to admit it.� Isabel didn�t really know what to say. She had thought about it herself. She had seen the way the two of them were looking at each other, but she couldn�t see them together without it getting messy. Max definitely seemed drawn to Liz and Liz to Max. But how would she react once she found out about Noah? Another thing that stopped her from saying anything to Max was......Tess. She couldn�t see Max making an effort to move on. He hadn�t before. What could possibly change that now? And besides, Noah was a full time job. Was Liz willing to accept that? Isabel�s thoughts were interrupted by Liz�s arrival. Pretty soon everyone had made their way over. They had all waited for Max, but he was a no show. Isabel was getting worried. When the bell rang, everyone got their things and went their separate ways. Walking down the halls, Isabel caught sight of her brother. She walked beside him and began her interrogation. �Max! Where have you been? We were waiting for you.� He pulled her to the row of lockers on their left so that they weren�t in the way of traffic. �I called home and talked to Noah.� Isabel gave him a look. �So you�re telling me that you spent all of lunch on the phone. With Noah?� �Yeah.� �What could you possibly have talked about for 35 minutes? Noah can�t even talk yet.� Max stood up a little straighter. �Yes he can.� Isabel sighed. �Max, gibberish doesn�t count.� Max knew he was being ridiculous, but he didn�t want to admit the real reason why he didn�t show up at lunch. He didn�t show up because he knew that Liz would be there. He wasn�t purposely trying to avoid her. Ok, scratch that. He was. He had a sinking feeling that he was avoiding her because seeing her made him feel things. Things he had never felt before. Things he had never felt when he was with Tess. He didn�t want to admit that he was drawn to Liz. He somehow felt that he was being unfaithful to Tess� memory by doing so. Wasn�t what he and Tess shared true love? They had believed it for so long. If that was true, then why was he feeling these things for Liz? The late bell had rung and only a handful of students were left wandering the halls. �We better get to class. It wouldn�t do to be tardy on your first day.� Max was glad that Isabel didn�t push the issue. Frankly, he had no idea if he could tell her about Liz. He couldn�t even talk to her about Tess, and she had been her best friend. At end of the hall they both went in opposite directions. He wandered down the long corridor and found his AP Chem class. He chose the most inconspicious seat in the room. He placed his book bag on the other side of the lab table, hoping to ward off any unwanted people. He felt a presence beside him, causing him to look up. �Is that seat taken?� Max swallowed convulsively, hoping to lubricate his parched throat. He opted to shake his head instead, knowing full well that his voice would betray him as it did this morning. He pulled his book bag to the floor and motioned to the seat beside him. Liz sat down and smiled. �Thanks Max. I thought for sure I was going to get stuck sitting by myself.� Max took a deep breath, thinking it would calm his frazzled nerves, but instead, he was met by her sweet scent. She smelled like strawberries with a hint of vanilla. Max felt like he was in heaven. He was so engrossed in being in her presence, that he completely missed what she said. Liz sat beside Max and waited for him to respond. He just sat there looking at her, not saying anything. Had she made a mistake by coming over here? Was she being too forward? Liz suddenly became uncomfortable. It seemed pretty obvious that he preferred to be alone, otherwise why would he have put his book bag in the other seat and pretend it was occupied? And he hadn�t shown up for lunch either. Maybe he didn�t want be around her. Of course he didn�t want to be around her. Why would somebody as amazing as Max Evans want to be around her, mousy Liz Parker? Liz couldn�t believe how she terribly she had misread the situation. She suddenly felt sick. Gathering her things quickly, she stood up. Alarmed at her sudden movement, Max grabbed her elbow, halting her attempt of leaving. �Where are you going?� Liz shifted her bag on her shoulder, refusing to meet his eyes. �I�m just gonna sit somewhere else.� Max felt his heart sinking. She was going to sit somewhere else? His mind couldn�t fathom her being away from him. Max began to panic, trying desperately to find a reason to make her stay. �Don�t go.� Liz finally looked into his eyes to see if he had meant it. She was blown away by what she saw. His amber eyes were sparkling in the dim light of the classroom. There was a hidden sadness there, but she also saw his sincerity. She was about to protest when her thoughts returned to what she had been thinking about earlier, but her movements were stopped by the teacher walking in. �Take a seat everyone.� She turned to Liz expectantly and waited until she sat down. Liz lowered her head in embarrassment. She could feel the blush tinting her cheeks. She raised her arm to help cover her face but she realized that Max was still holding her elbow. Their eyes met in an electric stare. This was definitely gonna get her into trouble. If he could make her feel all of these wonderful things with just a look. Max could hear the blood pounding in his ears. His pulse was racing and he could feel his palms sweating. She was definitely going to get him in trouble. The spell between the was broken when the teacher began speaking. Max gently grazed her arm before letting go. He had no idea what possessed him to do it, but he was glad he did. Her skin was even softer than he thought it would be. Liz gasped when his hand had gently grazed her arm before letting go. Where his fingers had touched, it caused electric currents to pulse through her body. She held herself still, afraid that he would see the effect he had on her. �Ok, if you people still don�t know, my name is Ms. Hardy. I will be your teacher for the rest of the school year.� She walked around behind her desk again began getting papers together. �I won�t lie to you people, this is a hard course, AP Chemistry isn�t something to be taken lightly.� Papers in hand, she walked to stand in front of the room. �I have made a seating chart that I expect you all to follow. I don�t want to hear any complaints. If you have any problems see me after class. Otherwise, it would do you good to get to know your lab partner well because for the next two semesters, you will be working with them very closely.� She began naming of the names of the people to sit at the different lab stations. Max felt his heart beating wildly. They had a seating chart? After he had just convinced Liz to stay she was gonna leave? �Parker,- Max sank lower in his seat, afraid to watch her leave and sit next to someone else. �Evans, the two of you, up here.� Max�s head flew up. Had she really called out his name? His heart was beating double time. Liz gathered her things and moved toward the middle of the class. Max picked up his stuff and followed. Once they were seated, Max leaned in a little closer to Liz so that he could whisper in her ear. �I guess it really was meant to be.� Liz tried not to shiver when she felt his breath on her ear. �What is?� �You and me.� She turned to look into his eyes and fought not to have a heart attack. He had no idea what saying that did to her. Or how she wished it to mean something else. Max froze a little. Had he really said that out loud? He hoped she didn�t take it the wrong way. He didn�t want her to think he was hitting on her. Even though a little part of him wished she would see past it and find the hidden meaning, he knew it could never happen. Why would she be attracted to him? He was a teenaged father that had nothing to offer her. �Ok class, get out your books and turn to page 34 in your text books.� Max and Liz went about getting their books, hoping that it would help them get their minds off of what they were just thinking about. Part 8 ********************** AP Chemistry had been uneventful. Ms. Hardy had lectured all hour leaving Max and Liz no chance to even speak. Although they did sneak a few glances here and there. When either one was caught looking, they would look away embarrassed. The class ended and everyone rushed to get out. Max was done putting his stuff away, but he stood to the side waiting for Liz. He bent down pretending to tie his shoe laces, wasting time so he could walk out with Liz. He hadn�t realized that she moved to stand in front of him. He stood and was surprised to be standing face to face with her. She gave him a smile. �I�m glad that we�re lab partners.� He returned her smile. �Me too.� Students for the next class had begun filing in. Max turned to look towards the door. �Uh, maybe we should get out of here?� Liz looked around and realized for the first time that other people had come in. �Yeah, sure.� Max waited and let her walk in front of him. Going through the door, he gently placed his hand on the small of her back. He didn�t even think about it. It was instinctual, natural. It felt like something he should be doing. Liz bit back the small smile that played on her lips. Being near Max Evans made her feel giddy. It felt so right. They came to the end of the hall, standing there, unsure of what to do next. Max looked down and saw the top of her dark head. �Uh, I have Econ, so maybe I�ll see you later?� Liz looked up. �Yeah, that would be nice.� Liz tried not to gag at what she had said. Yeah, that would be nice. When had she become such a sap? Max graced her with a beautiful smile, revealing his pearly whites. �I�ll see you around.� Liz bobbed her head and watched as Max walked in the opposite direction. When he disappeared around the corner, she fell back against the lockers. Oh, yeah. She was definitely a goner. ************* Liz walked into her creative writing class. She did a quick scan of the room to see if she knew anyone. Her eyes landed on Isabel Evans who was sitting in the back looking lost. She quickly made her way over. Max had had that same look in chemistry. She shook her head figuring it was a twin thing. �Hey Isabel.� Isabel looked up to see Liz situating herself beside her. Relief flooded through her. �Liz, I�m so glad you have this class with me. I almost put my bag there so no one would sit next to me.� Liz fought to keep from laughing. Definitely a twin thing. Isabel noticed the smile that Liz was trying to hide. �What�s wrong?� Liz turned to Isabel and burst out laughing. �I�m sorry, it�s just Max did the exact same thing in chemistry.� Isabel raised her eyebrow. �You and Max have AP Chem together?� �Yeah, we ended up being lab partners.� Isabel just nodded, but turned to the front when the teacher began speaking. ***************** The class had been given a writing assignment for the first part of class. During the second part, the teacher got up in front of the class. �Ok class. I�d like you to put your pens down. For the next part of class, I�d like each of you to chose a partner.� Liz and Isabel just smiled at each other, having an agreement without words that they would be partners. �Once you�ve done that, I�m going to be passing around a work sheet with some questions on it. Read them carefully with your partner. After you�re done doing that, I�d like you to work on the assignment. I�ll give you the next two class periods to work on it with your partner, but after that you�ll have to do the rest in your own time.� Liz and Isabel looked at the questions on the sheet that had been handed to them. It wasn�t too bad, but it was going to require some time outside of class to get it done. �Maybe we should get together after school to get this done?� Isabel nodded as her eyes read through the questions again. �That would be a good idea.� �How about tonight? Would that be ok for you?� �That�s fine. Oh, but wait, I told my mom I would baby sit for her.� Liz gave her a smile. �That�s ok, do you think your mom would mind if we did this at your house?� Isabel just shook her head. �Great. How about I stop by after my shift? A little after six?� Isabel didn�t know what to say. She couldn�t say no, now that Liz assumed everything was ok. What was she supposed to say? Sorry Liz, but you can�t come over tonight. I�m babysitting for my brother�s baby while he�s at work. Somehow, she didn�t see that going over well. And add to that how much Liz really knew. Had Max already told her about Noah? The way she was talking about him earlier made it seem like they had become chummy. The bell rang and the noise of students leaving worked it�s way through Isabel�s mind. �So I�ll just see you later.� Isabel just watched as Liz left. What was she going to do now? Part 9 ********************** Isabel arrived home, throwing her book bag on the couch. �Mom?� Diane walked into the room with her finger to her lips. �Not so loud Isabel. I just got Noah to fall asleep. I tell you, he�s just like Max when he was younger. Always looking for his daddy.� Isabel�s lips quirked up at the corners. �Ok, I�ve got a casserole on the stove. The number is on the fridge if you need to get a hold of me.� �Sure mom.� �Your father and I will try to get home early, but don�t wait up. I don�t know how long it�s going to take to finish up the paper work at your dad�s office.� Diane gave her a daughter a kiss before going through the front door. Isabel walked into the kitchen and stuck her head in the fridge looking for something to snack on. She grabbed a tub of yogurt and shut the door with a swing of her hips. Getting a spoon, she headed upstairs to Max�s room. Noah lay peacefully asleep, oblivious to everything around him. Isabel gently stroked his cheek before marveling at how handsome he was. He was going to be a heart breaker some day. She took a seat in Max�s desk chair to finish her yogurt. She heard some shuffling coming from Noah�s crib. She placed her yogurt on the table and walked to the crib. �Hey Noah. Awake already?� Isabel gently lifted him up and held him against her chest. Noah looked around the room with heavy eyes before turning his attention to Isabel. He cocked his to the side while tugging on her long blonde hair. Isabel gently bounced him up and down. �So what are we gonna do now?� She glanced at the clock on Max�s bedside table. 4:00. �Well, we�ve got two hours before trouble starts brewing. What do you have in mind?� ****************** An hour had passed. Isabel and Noah were sprawled on the carpet in the living room. Covering her eyes, Isabel suddenly opened them again before yelling, �Peekaboo!� Noah�s little body shook from the laughs that escaped him. He was having the time of his life. Their game was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Isabel reached for it from it�s place on the couch. �Hello?� �Hey Iz. How�s it going?� �Ok.� �What has the little man been up to?� Isabel watched her nephew as he occupied himself with the plush toys scattered across the floor. �He�s been pretty busy. He took a nap, had a snack, and we�ve been playing peekaboo for the last half hour.� Max just laughed on the other end of the phone. �Put him on the phone.� Isabel scooted over and sat Noah on her lap. She looked down into his face trying to tear his attention away from the plush pooh bear in his hands. �Noah, daddy�s on the phone. You wanna talk to daddy?� Noah continued to shake the bear in his hands not paying attention to Isabel. Isabel brought the phone back to her ear. �He�s a little busy right now. Would you like to leave a message?� �Why? What�s he doing?� Isabel pulled Noah in her lap more securely. �Well apparently, he�d much rather play with pooh bear than talk to his dear old dad.� Max chuckled at the image of his son playing with the stuffed toy. �Just hold the phone next to his ear. I wanna say some thing to him.� �Ok, just a sec.� She held the phone against Noah�s ear and tried to keep him still. The sound of his soft gurgling alerted Max that he was on the other end. �Hey buddy. How are ya? You being good to your aunt Isabel? Well, I�ll be home soon. Then we�ll spend some time together ok? I love you.� Isabel placed the phone back against her ear and began talking. �Max, we have to talk. I have to- �Isabel, could we do it later? My break is just about up. If I get my work done early, I�ll get home earlier. We�ll talk then.� Isabel was set to protest, but was met with a click on the other end. What was she supposed to do now? **************** Isabel paced the length of the living room floor, watching as the clock ticked by. She bit her lip in anticipation. Max and Liz were set to show up any minute now. She just prayed that it would be Max that arrived first. The chimes of the door bell averted Isabel�s attention to the door. Her heart was thumping wildly against her chest. This was it. Liz was going to find out about Noah. She hurried to the door and opened it. �Hey Isabel.� �Liz.� They stood there staring at each other. Liz cleared her throat and shuffled her feet. �Oh, how rude of me, please, come in.� Isabel moved to the side to allow Liz through the door. �Thanks.� �Sure. Do you want to work in the living room?� �That�s fine.� They walked in to find Noah playing with the phone. He was attempting to suck on the plastic antenna. Isabel ran forward and pulled it from his grasp. �No! Don�t put that into your mouth sweetie.� She picked him up. Liz walked closer and smiled at Noah. �Aren�t you precious? What�s your name sweetie?� Isabel tried to speak to Liz while holding a squirming bundle in her arms. �He�s name is Noah.� Liz stood closer and ran her fingers through his soft curls. �You�re a handsome little fella.� Noah turned to look at Liz before reaching out his arms to her indicating that he wanted her to carry him. �Can I hold him?� Isabel was a little reluctant knowing that Noah wasn�t very good with strangers. In fact, he always cried around them which is why she was surprised that he wanted to be held by Liz. Isabel handed him to Liz and waited for the water works to start. Liz pulled him up higher against her chest. He was a lot heavier than she anticipated. She watched as he looked at her curiously before reaching out to touch her face. Noah gave her a toothless grin as he gently tugged on her hair. �So who in the family has blue eyes?� Isabel�s head jerked up. �What?� �Is it your mom or your dad?� �Neither? Why are you asking?� �Oh, I was just wondering who Noah got his blue eyes from. They�re absolutely breath taking.� Isabel shook her head, trying to find a way to explain to Liz that Noah was not her baby brother. �Liz, Noah, he�s not........he�s not my brother.� �But I can totally see a resemblance.� Liz watched as Isabel paled. Why was she so nervous about saying Noah wasn�t her brother? She knew they were related. That part was obvious. Unless, unless Noah was hers. Liz tried to find her voice to ask the question, but didn�t know how to go about asking. She just decided to take the plunge, hoping to reassure Isabel that it wouldn�t make a difference if he was hers. �Is he, is he.........yours?� Just then a male voice came from the front of the house. �He�s my son.� All eyes turned to see Max standing by the door, keys in hand. He walked into the living room past an upset Isabel. She gave him an apologetic look. He gently touched her hand and gave her a small smile. He walked towards Liz and took Noah from her arms. A huge smile plastered itself on his face. �Hey little man.� Noah enthusiastically clapped his hands together before laying his head against Max�s shoulder. Max held him a little tighter to reassure himself that everything was going to be ok. He summoned up enough courage to look into Liz�s eyes. He suddenly wished he hadn�t. She looked absolutely torn. The light that had been dancing in her eyes earlier had all but died. He knew now that what he had been thinking about earlier was right. There could be no him and Liz. He shifted Noah into his other arm before leaving the room. Isabel watched her brother leave. It broke her heart to see the look on his face. Her suspicions were right. He was attracted to Liz, but any hope he had just died. It wasn�t Liz�s fault, she had no idea that Noah was Max�s. Liz wiped the tears from her eyes. �Isabel, I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to assume, anything or....... I�m just sorry.� Isabel�s heart broke once again, hearing Liz�s dejected tone. �It�s ok Liz. Don�t worry about it.� Liz nodded her head. �Um, maybe we could just work on this thing another day. I just remembered that I promised Maria that I would help her close tonight.� Isabel knew she was lying. Liz Parker was definitely not a good liar. �Sure, that�s fine.� Liz grabbed her bag and bolted out of there. Inside her car she let her tears flow freely. Max had a son. He had a son. Those words flew around in her head until she thought it would consume her. She had her answer now. There would be no Max and her. He had a son. Having a father and a son usually meant there was a mother in the wings. Liz put the car in gear and drove away. She had to find someone to talk to. Part 10 ********************** Isabel ran up the stairs to her brother�s room. She sometimes wished her brother wasn�t so stubborn. If she knew her brother at all, he would be sitting in his room pretending everything was alright when it wasn�t. After Tess� death, he was so quick to give up on everything. He barely spoke to anyone then. If it hadn�t been for Noah, they might have lost him completely. He blamed himself for circumstances he couldn�t control. She just wished there was a way to get through to him. ********** Inside his room, Max was sitting in his desk chair looking out the window. He had put Noah in his play pen hoping to keep him occupied while he figured out what was going on with him. Why was he feeling this way? His heart felt like somebody had pulled it from his chest and stomped all over it. He didn�t remember ever feeling this bad. The pain inside his heart seemed worse than it had when he had lost Tess. Why? The question ran through his mind in many forms. Why was he feeling like this? Why did he care so much about Liz�s feelings? Why did it seem like his life was spinning out of control? Why did it feel like he had forgotten about Tess? When he had been with Tess, it had been simple. He knew he cared for her, and eventually he had come to love her. Or that�s what he thought. If he had felt love for Tess, then what was he feeling towards Liz? It certainly couldn�t be love right? They had just met. It wasn�t possible to be this drawn to someone. Right? Being around Liz made him feel things he never dreamed were possible. He thought that being with Tess was the best thing in the world. But in the short span of time he had spent with Liz proved otherwise. A smile from Liz made him feel like he was on top of the world. Was it wrong for him to feel this way? Was he was being unfaithful? He had seen the look of utter confusion and hurt in her eyes. He hated knowing that he was the cause of that. He wished he could find a way to make things right, if he could go back and change the past- He immediately changed his train of thought. No matter how torn and hurt he was feeling right now, there was no way he would go back to the past and change things. Doing that would mean that Noah wouldn�t be a part of his life, and that was just unacceptable. It didn�t matter that he and Tess had made the wrong choices, but having Noah was the best thing in his life. He wouldn�t trade that for anything. *************** Isabel halted at her brother�s door. The door was wide open. To any other eye, the room would have looked like any average teenage boy�s room, minus all of the baby furniture and toys. Just as she had predicted, Max was sitting in his desk chair looking out the window. Noah was in his play pen quietly playing with the toys around him. She admired Noah. If only life could be as simple as his was. His biggest problem was not having Max around all of the time. While she wished that life was that simple, she also realized how much he was missing. He had missed out on having a mother. At this point in his life, he didn�t seem to mind. Max had tried to overcompensate by being Noah�s mother and father. But would that be enough when he grew older? She had seen the look of anguish on her brother�s face. She prayed that he wouldn�t go back into the protective cocoon he had put himself in last year. He had built a wall around himself and refused to let anyone in. That had hurt. Max and her shared almost everything with each other. She used to think how great it was that they were close, but he had just thrown that all away. He acted like he was the only one who got cheated. He had completely forgotten that she had lost her best friend, and in the process lost her brother too. But Noah had changed all of that. By being brought into the world, Noah had made the Evans family closer than they had ever been. He had made them realize how important family was. She only hoped Max would open up to her now. She gently knocked on the wooden frame that encased the door. Max slowly turned around from his seat. It took a while for his eyes to focus. He blinked back the tears that had formed in his eyes. He hadn�t even realized that he was on the verge of tears. �Can I come in?� Max just shrugged his shoulders. Isabel walked in and sat on the bed so that she and Max were sitting face to face. �Max, I just wanted to apologize. I didn�t expect that to happen. I�m sorry- Max gave her a stiff smile. �Thanks Iz, but I don�t need your apology. You didn�t do anything wrong.� Isabel shook her head, trying to make Max see that she had her share of faults in this mess. �No Max, I should have, I don�t know........I should have warned you sooner or something. I should have done something to prevent that.� �Isabel, there was nothing you could do. And besides, I kinda got the feeling you were trying to warn me earlier when I called, right?� The bobbing of Isabel�s head indicated that his suspicions were true. �It�s not your fault Iz. I know you think you played a big part in that.......... in that thing out there, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. Everyone was going to find out about Noah anyway. I�m just surprised it took this long for someone to find out.� �But it should have never happened that way. You shouldn�t have to feel like, like- �Like an outcast? I�ve sort of come to expect it, you know?� He rested his elbows against his knees. �I really don�t think why mom and dad thought that it would be any different out here. I can feel it Iz. Everything in California is just going to happen all over again.� �No Max. Liz isn�t like that. And neither is Maria, Alex, Kyle, or even Michael. Once they get to know you and Noah, they�re, you�ll see what it�s like to really have friends.� A sad laugh escaped his lips. �I wish I could believe that. I saw the way she looked at me Iz. She, she�s going to look at me different now. Everyone is. There�s no way around it. I just have to suck it up and deal. Just like I did in California.� �Are you saying you�re shutting yourself off from us again?� Max gave her a curious look before asking his question. �What are you talking about?� Isabel stood up and began to pace. She couldn�t do that again. It was too painful the first time, she couldn�t lose her brother a second time. Not again. �You can�t do that again Max. It almost killed mom and dad, and me, Max. It almost killed me. I can�t go through that again. Do you know what that�s like? It�s like losing a part of yourself. And no matter what you do, or what you try, there isn�t a damn thing you can do.� She looked into her twin�s eyes to plead with him to understand. �Please Max, don�t turn us away. We�re hurting too. We�re stronger together than we are apart. Don�t shut us out!� Max took the few steps forward and brought his sister in his embrace. �I�m sorry Iz. I had no idea. I was selfish and just, I was just....... You don�t have to worry. I won�t turn you guys away. Not this time.� Back Next |
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