* * 2 * *



The next couple of weeks continued the same way. We made plans with each other almost everyday and at the end of the night the kisses got a little longer and a little more passionate. We didn’t talk about what was happening, we never talked about anything too serious. Movies, TV and music were our mainstays of conversation and telling each other stupid jokes, we just enjoyed each other. I had never realized that Max Evans could be so much fun.

“You suck at this game you know.” I told Max. We were at the Miniature Golf course and I was kicking Max’s butt.

“Hey. I told you I wasn’t any good at this game. You insisted that we had to play.” Max replied with a pout.

I just laughed in reply and Max smiled at me. That was when I realized that he had the kind of smile that could make your knees weaken. We continued on with the game, laughing all the time. I won by 10 strokes and couldn’t contain my excitement and started jumping up and down.

“OK, I’m never competing with you again, you are just the worst winner I have ever seen. Just rub my pain and embarrassment in a bit more, why don’t ya?” I just laughed more and bounded into his arms for a big hug.

He smelled so good. I don’t think that I can describe it, he smelled like the outdoors, but not woodsy, more like a fresh breeze, if that makes any sense. All I knew is that I could stand in his arms like this forever. The night ended with more kisses and was followed by a sleepless night, where I tried to figure out where this relationship was headed.

Then one day Isabelle came over to talk to me and I knew things would never be the same again.

“So….” She began, “ what’s going on with you and my brother?”

“Going on? Nothing. We’re just friends.”

“ Sure. That’s why you two spend every waking moment together. Are you two a couple or what?”

“Max and I are friends who enjoy spending a lot of time together. Is there something wrong with that?” I asked feeling a little touchy.

“No. I’m just a little worried about him. After the hell he went through with Liz, I don’t want to see him hurt again. I think that the two of you have been great together and if you were going to take your relationship to the next level I wouldn’t have a problem with that, I just want to make sure you’re both on the same page.” Isabelle paced back in forth in front on me for a minute before stopping to look at me.

“ I haven’t seen my brother this happy in a long time and I want to make sure that you’re not using him to get over Michael. I just have one question for you. If Michael came to you right now and said he wanted you back, would you drop Max and go back with him?” Isabelle asked with anxiety on her face.

Truthfully this isn’t something I had given a lot of thought to. I had just been going with the assumption that Max and I were friends and having a great time together. But was their something else to it? I stood there for a few moments with Isabelle staring at me and the answer came to me out of nowhere.

“No. If Michael wanted me back I wouldn’t take him back. I don’t love Michael anymore. He’ll always be special to me, but I think that I’m falling in love with Max.” I couldn’t believe that I said it and at the same time I couldn’t believe it took me so long to realize. All of the sudden I couldn’t wait for my date with Max that night. I was going to find out if Max felt the same way about me that I feel about him.

“Isabelle, I’m glad you came over here today. I’m going to talk to Max tonight. So the next time you see me either I’m going to be walking on cloud nine or I’m going to need a shoulder to cry on.” I said with a smile on my face.

“I don’t think you’re going to be crying” She replied with a laugh on her way out the door, leaving me with my thoughts.