| Bahamas Trip - Part Three ***Meanwhile*** Maria and Michael watched Max and Liz talk quietly and when she saw Alex put his hand over Liz�s Maria went over to her best friend�much to her boyfriend�s displeasure. �Liz are you okay?� Maria put her hand over Alex�s and she felt a shock run through her. She shuddered to cover it up. Alex placed another hand over Maria�s. �What do you think?� Liz sadly said, still looking at the table. But Isabel saw Maria shudder and Alex put a hand over hers and she became jealous. *What the hell?* she thought. She looked back at Liz and tried her best not to pull Alex�s hand off of Maria�s. She knew she would lose that battle so she went over to see Michael. �What do you think of all of this?� Isabel asked. She looked at Alex, Liz, and Maria and then to Max and Tess and back again. �I don�t know. I think Liz is hiding something and she�s afraid to tell us,� Michael said, looking at Maria. �You know Michael, if you keep talking like that, I�m going to start thinking you have some female intuition,� Isabel smiled. Michael just glared as Isabel began to laugh. ********** Maria saw Isabel laugh out of the corner of her eye and it took all her strength to take her hand away from Alex�s and go and punch that bitch. *You�ve been so paranoid ever since you heard about Michael�s destiny that you think that a laugh means that Isabel is coming on to him. And besides Alex�s hand feels so good*, she thought. *Wait a minute! Back up! Did I just think that Alex�s hand felt good! My hands are reserved for Michael!* But she would never admit to anyone that she thought Alex�s hand really did feel good over hers. ***** Alex couldn�t believe that Maria was letting him hold her hand. Well, they had held hands before, but something was different this time. And it wasn�t the current situation. All he wanted to do was pull his hands from theirs and kiss Maria. *Wait a minute!* a voice said in his head. *You can�t kiss Maria! She�s your friend! It would ruin the relationship you have with her now!* *But I can think about it all I want,* he retorted. ***** Michael saw Maria shudder and he when he saw Alex put his hand over Maria�s all he wanted to do was go punch the bastard. But he was strangely happy that Isabel was sitting beside him. Her long blonde hair, her 100-watt smile, her long legs, her. . .*okay! Stop!!!!* a voice told him. *You�re over here thinking. . .things about your �sister� and her BOYFRIEND is less than five feet away! And so is your GIRLFRIEND!* *But my thoughts are just that�THOUGHTS�and I can think all I want,* he retaliated. And then he tried his best not to think any more �thoughts�. ***** Isabel was trying the same thing�but she didn�t have as much control as Michael did. As she laughed and talked she had a hard time not looking at some of the physical things she loved about him. His deep, dark brown eyes, his long, slightly curly hair, his trademark half-smile and his artistic hands�which his silver rings accented nicely. *I wonder what it would be like to kiss him�outside my dreams?* Isabel thought. But then she saw her boyfriend�and the hand that was underneath his. And that�s when the jealousy kicked in. Alex had no right to be holding her hand! His hands were hers! But she seriously doubted that simply jealously could take her over. ***** Max saw all of his friends smiling, laughing, caring. But his true love was staring sadly down at the table where she was sitting and crying. And then he saw Alex�s hand covering hers. He began to get jealous but that�s when he felt the person next to him lovingly squeezing his hand. He squeezed back and gave her a small smile. He loved Tess, but not the same way that he loved Liz. He wanted Tess to be happy, but he also wanted Liz to be happy. He knew that being with Tess hurt Liz badly and being with Liz hurt Tess. Yet Liz had broken his heart (on more than one occasion) and betrayed him. He was with Tess now and Liz would have to accept that�and she did. Tess made him feel closer to his �real� home. But with every tear Liz cried, a part of humanity was wearing away. ***** Tess hated seeing the love of her life hurt like this. But it was his decision for him to be with her. She knew that it hurt like hell. She loved Kyle but she loved Max too. And now that Max was hers, she not about to give him up anytime soon. And he needs her. She squeezed his hand once more. Max was handsome but she knew that they were destined to be together�no matter how many times he denied it. Or any of them. Soon they would all be together. But she only wished that it didn�t have to happen like this. Liz had a made a huge sacrifice for her and Max. When she had come to her that night and told her about wanting Max to have her instead of Liz, Tess was deeply touched�not that she�d ever admit that to anyone though. As Max looked at her, she knew that through Liz�s one �act� that night, everyone�s life would forever be changed. TBC. . . |