Chapter 11

Maria turned around at the sound of Max's voice. Oh God! What was he doing here? "What...what are you doing here?"

Max looked at her surprised face and down at the fully packed bag. "Going somewhere?"

Maria had to get rid of him. Now was not a good time. Oh God! What was she going to do?? Ok, calm down Deluca, it's no biggie, just pretend he's...Micheal. "Yes I am, what are you doing here?"

Max glanced at the bag again and then moved to sit on the bed. "I...I needed to talk to you, we haven't really talked in awhile and..."

Maria began to feel faint. She was so nervous she was sure he would find out. "Well, maybe that's because we have nothing to talk about!" She turned around to face him.

"What are you really doing here Max, is Liz not giving it up, did you wanna come back and have another try at me, screw up my life again?"

The words were out before she knew it. She couldn't believe she had just said that! She had said too much, she had just wanted him to leave. Her stomach had butterflies in it, and she was getting more and more dizzy. Oh God! She had to throw up. She ran to the bathroom and barely had time to lift up the toilet seat before it all came rushing out.

Max stared at Maria in disbelief. What the hell had gotten into her?? Why would she say something like that? He watched as she ran out of the room. Seconds later he heard her retching. What the hell was going on?? He ran into the bathroom to see if she was ok.

Maria felt Max lift her hair away from her face. God! This was going to give it away! She sunk back against the wall when she finished. Max flushed the toilet. She knew he wanted to ask questions, but she was exhausted. She went to the sink and rinsed her mouth and face, pulling her hair away from her face in a ponytail. She walked back to the room with him on her heels.

"Are you okay? What just happened?" Max tried to look at her, but she was purposely facing the opposite direction.

Maria reached for her bag on the bed, not turning to face him. "Nothing, ok! Why don't you just leave!"

Max began to get frustrated. "I'm not leaving until I get some answers Maria, What's wrong with you, you look sick all the time, you're acting out of character and you're throwing up, and you never throw up!"

Maria wipped around to face him, getting a little dizzy and throwing herself off balance at the same time. She felt Max beside her as he stopped her from falling. She shook him off and stepped back. Tears gathering in her eyes. "I don't owe you any damn explanations Max!"

Max grabbed her shoulders. "What the hell is going on? I want answers, I know you Maria, something's wrong!"

She tried to twist out of his grip but he was too strong. "You don't know me Max, you don't know crap about me! You used me and I won't let you do it again. Just stay the fuck away from me!" The tears were falling fast from her eyes, she couldn't hold them back.

Max stared straight into her eyes and before he knew it they were kissing wildly.Her legs wrapped around his waist and he moved with her against the wall. The buttons on her shirt popped open and her bra unclasped. His hands lay on her butt trying to get closer to her. Suddenly she pulled away, and he released her to the ground. Damn! What the hell was he doing?

Maria raked her shaky hands through her hair and covered herself up. She didn't know what had gotten into her. All she could think about was Liz, and what would happen if she found out about them. Liz would hurt even worse if she knew about the baby. Oh God, the baby! She sat down shakily on the bed. She felt Max move to sit beside her.

"Don't...don't come near me."

Max stopped in the process of sitting next to her and sat in the chair opposite her. "I'm...I'm sorry, that shouldn't have happened..."

Maria shook her head. "No, no it shouldn't have and it won't happen again Max. I can't do this to Liz and I can't do it to myself anymore. Just stay away from me, I don't want to have anything to do with you."

"Maria..." Max pleaded.

She stood up and opened her door. "NO, no Max, this is it. I'm going away for a couple of weeks and when I get back I don't want...this happening all over again. I love Liz too much. So let's just forget we know each other."

Max opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.

"And now I think you should leave." She turned her head away from him and felt him brush past her and out of the door. Out of her life, forever. She sank to the floor and cried her heart out, for her baby and for a man she loved and one she knew would never love her back.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tess paced the living room. She had been waiting for Maria and Max for an hour. But all she could hear was an enormous amount of yelling and screaming. She guessed Maria had told him, and they were arguing about what she was going to do about it. She looked up as she saw Max enter the room. He looked upset for some reason.

"Um...what happened?"

Max wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, he just wanted to go home, but he remembered he had to go to Micheal's. "Nothing." He glanced upstairs in Maria's direction and back down at Tess.

"Take care of her...she's really sick...she just threw up and...well you know." Max mumbled.

Tess frowned. Why was he talking like he wasn't going to see Maria anymore? "Max, she's only going for a week, and with her condition she'll probably be back sooner!"

He nodded. "I know, but just make sure she's alright, she was throwing up real bad...."

Tess smiled at him. She was glad Maria had told him, he really was sweet the way he cared about her. "Max, she'll be throwing up a lot more, it comes with being pregnant!"

Max stared at Tess blankly. What had she just said?? He knew he hadn't heard right.

"What?"

Uh Oh! Tess looked at Max and realized she had just made an error. Shoot! Maria was going to kill her! Well at least it wasn't Michael, then she'd really be screwed!