* * 6 * *


Max didn't have a family dinner to go to, he went to confront Liz. He drove to the back of the Crashdown. He got out of his jeep, looking around before he climbed the fire escape to Liz's room. He looked through her window. She was sitting with her legs tucked under her, she was writing in her diary. He tapped on the window, she looked at him. She uncurled herself from the chair. She pushed up the window giving him access to come in. He stood next to the spot he had found Maria hurt. It had been cleaned of all the blood, probably Isabel's doing.

"How is Maria?"

He looked at Liz, he looked disappointed in her.

"How could you hurt her like that?"

"Max I didn't mean to, you have to believe me."

"I don't think I can. I shouldn't have come here."

Liz saw him start to leave, she rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Don't leave me please."

Max grabbed at her arms trying to push her away, she clung on tighter.

"Liz let go."

"No. Max, please we belong together. We both know that. Maria and you are on the rebound. That's all it is, just admit it and we can move on."

He struggled with her, he finally managed to dislodge her. She staggered back from him.

"What are you doing?"

Max looked at the girl standing before him, he didn't recognise her. He'd never seen this side of her before. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, but there was no sorrow in her eyes. It was all a show. He wondered how many times she'd done this just to force him to back down.

"The tears aren't working, you may as well stop."

Liz wiped her hand across her eyes leaving mascara smears across her face. Her eyes hardened.

"You and Maria will never work, you guys are a joke. We belong together, we always will."

"You're wrong, dead wrong."

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"You know something else, even if it doesn't work out, you and I, never going to happen again."

"I don't think that's true."

"Believe what you want Liz, I think it might be best if we avoided eachother for a while."

He left then, she watched him climb through the window and go to the fire escape. He had his foot on the rung.

"Max. Before you go. There's something you should know."

"What now."

"I think I might be pregnant....."