Stolen Hearts Part Four

Liz Parker was standing in front of closet trying to find something to wear on her date with Josh. Over the past week, they'd gone out 4 times. She really liked Josh and he seemed to be really into her. He was funny, smart, cute, a good kisser. What else could a girl want?

Max Evans, Liz thought to herself.

She sighed and sat down on her bed. Things with Max were..... complicated. He'd been avoiding her for the past week, ever since they had that brief conversation in the classroom. At the beginning of the week, she would see him at lunch. He would always watch her and Josh interact. He thought she didn't notice him watching her, but she did. She noticed every look that Max Evans had given her. Towards the end of the week, he stopped coming to lunch. She didn't know why. Maybe he didn't like Josh or something. Or maybe it was because he didn't like her.

He never talked to her any more. Their friendship had been reduced to hello's and 'how are
you's'. She still loved him though, but she couldn't spend her teenage years pining for a guy who obviously didn't want to be with her.

She got up from the bed and tried again to pick out an outfit for her date with Josh. If Max Evans didn't want her, there were other guys who did. Like Josh. He obviously liked her. A lot. He spent all of his free time with. Coming to the Crashdown after school, staying there late. He was nice.

She decided on a red skirt and a new red low cut top and cardigan that she had bought at the mall with Maria. Maria said she looked sexy in it. She smiled and she thought about what Josh would say when he saw her in it. She got dressed quickly because Josh would be there any second.They
were gonna have fun, lots of fun. Josh was taking her to club that had just opened. He said that he could get them in. The doorbell rang and Liz went out to greet Josh. They were gonna have lots of fun.

Max Evans was getting ready for bed at 11:30. He'd spent the night in his room, supposedly doing homework on a Friday night. But he couldn't do homework. He couldn't concentrate. He kept thinking about Liz. She was dating that guy Josh now. Watching the two of them at school had been hell for Max. Watching her smile and flirt with him at lunch. Watching him touching her arm, putting his hand in the small of her back. It was torture for Max. He should be the one touching and laughing with Liz, not Josh.

But she didn't want anything to with him. She liked this new too much. This guy could offer Liz commitment. Something Max couldn't offer her, because he had no idea what would happen to him. She seemed happy with this guy, something she hadn't been in months. That's all Max wanted for her, to be happy.

But it still hurt to see her with another guy. The worst had been when he was walking past Liz's locker on Wednesday and he'd seen Josh kiss Liz. It tore his heart out to see her responding to the kiss. After that, he avoided Liz at all costs. Not going to lunch or to the Crashdown with Michael and his sister. It just hurt to much to look at her and Josh together.

He sighed as he shut off the light and climbed into bed. Hopefully tonight he would get some sleep. He had been restless at night, thinking of Josh and Liz together. He closed his eyes and fell to sleep.

Max awoke to a knocking at his window. He rolled over and looked at his alarm clock and saw that it was 1:13 AM. Someone knocked again. Max climbed out bed reluctantly and whispered "Michael" to himself.

Hank was probably drunk again and Michael wanted to spend the night in Max's room, like he always did. Max walked over to the window and pulled open the drape. "Michael, it's 1:00 in the morn..... Liz," said Max, surprised to see Liz standing outside his window. He opened the window.
"What's wrong?" asked Max.

"Can I come in? Please?" asked Liz.

She sounded frightened to Max. "Sure."

Max helped Liz inside. Only when she was inside his room did he notice the cut above her right eyebrow. She was bleeding. Also her right eye was puffy and starting to turn black and blue. Her lip was also split open. He looked down her clothes. She had her arms crossed over her chest, but he still saw that her top was ripped open. Her skirt was also torn,all the way up her thigh. He looked back up at her eyes, and saw fear in them.

"Liz?" he asked quietly, very concerned over her present condition.

"Oh Max....." she managed to get out before the tears started to run. She launched herself into his arms. He held her close as she cried on his chest. A tear slid down his cheek. He didn't know what happened to her.

She was trembling in his arms and his heart just broke at the sound of her weeping. What happened to her? Max wondered to himself as he held her.

Stolen Hearts Part Five

Max Evans held a scared Liz Parker in his arms as she sobbed. After a few minutes, Liz disengaged herself from Max's arms.

"Max, I'm so sorry. I just had nowhere else to go," said Liz, wiping the tears from her face.

"Liz what happened to you?" asked Max, very concerned over her present condition.

"I... I... I don't want to talk about it, Max. Please don't make me talk about it," said Liz, her eyes pleading with Max.

"Of course. At least let me help you." Max raises a hand to the cut above her eyebrow. "I can heal this."

Liz thinks for a moment before reluctantly saying yes. Max puts his hand over the cut and closes the wound. As he does, he has a flash. He sees Liz in a car, laying down on the seat. Josh is on top of her. Max can her fear. He sees Josh raise a hand and hit Liz across the face, his ring cutting her. He feels the pain that Liz felt and her fear of what Josh might do. The connection is broken and Max stumbles away from Liz, tears coming to his eyes. He looks at Liz.

"Max.... what did you see? What did you see Max?" asks Liz. She knows that he saw something.

Max is silent for a moment as he comes to terms with what he saw in that brief vision. He sits down on his bed to steady himself. "Liz.. did Josh do this to you?" asks Max, after a few moments of silence.

Liz comes and sits beside him. "Yes, Max. I'm sorry to drag you into this. I just had nowhere else to go." Her tears start falling again.

"Liz, I want to see what happened. Please. I need to know." asks Max after thinking for a minute.

Liz looks up at him, with tears in hereyes. "No Max. NO," she says.

"Liz... it's the only way I can help you. I need to see it."

"No Max," Liz says.

"Liz...." Max places his hand on hers and has another flash. He sees a rush of images: Josh picking Liz up; them entering the nightclub; Josh drinking several beers; Liz and Josh dancing together very closely; them going back to the car; Josh driving them to a secluded place; Josh and Liz kissing in the car; Josh getting intense, feeling Liz all over; Lizpushing Josh away; Josh hitting Liz across the face and pushing her down on the seat; Josh pushing himself on top of her ripping open her shirt; Liz struggling telling Josh no; Josh hitting her again, cutting her open; Josh ripping Liz's skirt as he tries to force himself on her; Liz kneeing Josh in the groin and hitting him; Liz struggling to get out the car and running away crying; Josh following her with his pants undone, yelling at her calling her obscenities; Liz hiding in a bush hoping Josh would go away; Liz walking back to town alone and scared.

Max falls off the bed, onto the floor. He is visibly shaken over what he has seen. Tears come to his eyes.

Liz looks down at him with concern. "Max... what's wrong?" She puts a hand on his shoulder.

He jumps at her touch and stands up. He still does not look at her.

"Max?" Liz asks, coming up behind him.

Max turns around and looks at Liz. Tears are running down his face.

Liz takes a step back. She sits down on the bed. "You saw, didn't you? You saw what happened to me?" says Liz quietly.

"Yes... Oh god, Liz, how could he do that to you? I'm so sorry, Liz, I'm so sorry," says Max, still crying.

Liz folds her arms over her chest. "It's fine Max. It's okay. I'm okay." Liz is closed off. She doesn't
want to talk about it.

"Liz, how can you be fine? I mean, after what he did to you?" Max tries to put his arm around Liz. She recoils at his touch. "Liz you have to let it out. You can't hold this inside." He tries again to hold her, this time putting his arms around her and holding her. She tries to resist at first, but then she starts to sob again. She cries and cries as Max holds her and reassures her.

Liz takes a step back to look at Max. She looks up at him. She sees the love and concern in his deep, soulful brown eyes. "Thank you Max." she says.

"Liz... I just want you to be safe and happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you," says Max, wiping the tears from Liz's face. He leans down and kisses her lightly and tenderly. He looks at her once more before Liz pulls his face to hers and kisses him deeply. After the kiss ends, they lay down on the bed as Max holds her and tells her to sleep. He kisses the top of her head and holds her until she calms down.

As she is drifting off to sleep, Liz whispers, "I love you."

Liz Parker opens her eyes. She sits up, forgetting where she is. She looks around, bewildered. Suddenly she remembers she is in Max Evans' room and she remembers why she is here. Tears come to her eyes as she remembers what happened to her the previous night. She looks around the room and doesn't see Max. She remembers how he held her and comforted her until she fell asleep, but where was he now? "Max?" she asks, getting up from the bed.

"Yea?" says Max as he walks in with an arm full of clothes.

"Oh, there you are. I thought you had disappeared or something,"said Liz.

"Nope," says Max. He holds out the clothes he is holding. "Umm...these are Isabelle's. I didn't know what size you were so I grabbed a bunch of different stuff. You know in case you wanted to change or something."

"Thanks, Max," Liz says. There is a moment of silence between them.

"Listen, Liz. About last night...." Max says, uncomfortably.

"Umm... yea... It was..." says Liz.

"A mistake..." says Max

"Great..." says Liz at the same moment. Liz looks up sharply at Max. "You think the kiss was a mistake?"

"Umm.. yea.. I mean.. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you and all.... Wait you're happy about what happened?" says Max, it finally dawning on him what she had said.

"Of course I am, Max.... I've waited a long time for this," says Liz.

"Really?" asks Max, hopeful. He stretches out a hand and carresses her cheek.

"Max.... All I've wanted for these past 3 months was for us to be together." She takes a step closer to him.

"Liz... you said something last night... as you were falling asleep. Did you mean it?" asks Max, not looking at her, but still caressing her cheek.

"What did I say, Max?" asks Liz, confused.

"I love you," says Max, so quietly that Liz can't hear him.

"What? I didn't hear you Max."

Max looks directly into her eyes. "You said 'I love you'."

"Oh," says Liz, stunned.

"Did you mean it?" asks Max.

"Ummm... yea I guess I did," she looks up at him. "Of course I did Max. I love you." Max breaths a sigh of relief. Liz looks up at him. "Do you...." she asks timidly.

Max takes her face in his hands and looks directly into those big brown eyes. "Liz, I've loved you since I first saw you in the third grade.You're the only one I've ever wanted to be with. These past few months, I've just fallen deeper and deeper in love with you. You're my soulmate, Liz." Max leans down and kisses her tenderly. The kiss grows more and more passionate.

They are interupted by a cough at the door. They break away from each other and see Isabelle at the door. "Sorry to interrupt.... Oh my god.. What happened to you Liz?"asks Isabelle in concern.. She sees Liz's black eye and torn clothing.

"Ummm.. Josh tried to rape me.... but I got away," Liz answers, avoiding Isabelle's stare.

"Are you okay?" She takes a step forward.

"Umm... yea. Just a little shook up, but Max calmed me down. I just wanna get cleaned up and changed. Can I use your shower?" she asks Max.

"Sure," says Max.

"Max, why don't you go make breakfast and I'll help Liz," says Isabelle.

Max looks at Liz and reluctanly says yes. He doesn't want to leave her.

"Liz, the bathroom is the third door on the right. I'll be there in a sec," says Isabelle.

Liz leaves and goes to the bathroom. Max is about to leave to go make breakfast when Isabelle stops him. "Max... is she okay?" she asks.

"She was upset last night, but she slept pretty well. She must be feeling better." says Max.

"Poor Liz.... she didn't deserve this." says Isabelle.

"Damn right she didn't. I'm gonna kill this Josh guy," says Max, angrily. All his anger over what had happened to Liz was now coming to the surface. He wanted to hurt Josh for hurting Liz.

"For God sakes, Max, calm down. Violence never solves anything.What Liz needs from you right now is for you to help her. We can deal with Josh later. I'm gonna go help her get cleaned up and you go downstairs and make her something to eat. Promise me, Max, that you won't do anything to Josh until we discuss things with Liz."

"Fine. I won't do anything. Go help Liz. I'll be downstairs."

Isabelle leaves and goes to help Liz. Max ponders his options. It hurt him that Josh had done a horrible thing to Liz, but Isabelle was right, violence wouldn't solve anything. He had to help Liz through this. That should be his main priority right now.

Making Josh pay for what he did would come later.

Stolen Hearts Part Six (Conclusion)

Liz Parker walked down the halls of West Roswell High. She scanned the hallway trying to find Max Evans. She had spent the weekend at his house. Her parents had been out in the desert again for a stargazing campout. She had a light smile on her face as she remembered how kind and loving Max had been to her all weekend. Never letting her out of his sight, getting things for her, cooking for her, helping her fall asleep. Liz would always start off the night in Isabelle's room, but she would always go to Max's room and climb into bed next to him. She couldn't sleep any other way. Besides, she enjoyed waking up in his arms and she knew he enjoyed having her next to him.

They had decided to take things slow. They didn't want to rush the relationship, especially after what had happened to Liz.

Liz anxiously looked around for Max. She couldn't find him anywhere. She had left him that morning to go get some clothes from her place. It was the most time she had been apart from him in three days and she desperately wanted to see him. The bell for homeroom rang and she sighed and walked into class. Oh well, she would see at lunch.

Liz took her seat next to Maria who was talking to a girl behind her. Maria turned to talk to Liz when she noticed her best friend take her seat.

"Hey, Liz," said Maria. "Where were you all weekend? I was really worried. I kept calling you and no one would answer and you missed your shift on Saturday..." asked Maria, concerned.

"Oh my god!! I'm so sorry. I totally forgot that I had to work," said Liz.

"Where were you Liz?"

"Umm... I was at Max's.." said Liz quietly.

"Wait... did I hear you right? You spent the ENTIRE weekend at Max Evans' house?" asked Maria, surprised.

"Ummm... yea."

"Why?"

"Well on Friday night, I went out with Josh," said Liz, quietly so no one else would hear her. "We went to a club and he had a little to much to drink. Anyway we took a drive and he tried to....."

"Oh my god Liz! Are you okay? I mean did he..." said Maria, really concerned.

"No. I managed to get away. But I was really scared, Maria... I mean, really scared. So I went to Max's. He calmed me down and helped me out. He healed my cuts and stuff. He was really sweet."

"Liz... you should go to the police or something." said Maria.

"NO. No police. It happened and no one got hurt. I just want to forget about it. It's over and I'm fine." said Liz, trying to convince herself more than Maria.

"Liz....." said Maria, concerned. "It's okay to be scared and upset over what happened. But if you do something about it, it might make you feel better."

"No police, Maria." said Liz, stubbornly. The teacher began teaching.

Liz walked out of homeroom with Maria. Maria was still trying to convince her to do something about the attempted rape. Liz saw Max standing across the hall. She smiled at him as he came up to her.

"Hi, Max..." said Liz.
"Hi, Liz... Hi, Maria." said Max, giving Liz a big smile.

"Max, thank God you're here. Maybe you could talk some sense into her. Tell her she should report what happened to the police." said Maria.

"Maria! I told you no police," said Liz.

"Fine. No police." said Maria. "But Liz you shouldn't let Josh get away with this."

"He won't," said Max, as he walked Liz and Maria to their next class.

Liz walked over to her usual lunch table. As always she was the first one to arrive. She had spent the entire English period convincing herself that she should just forget the entire thing with Josh had never happened. It would be best for everyone. All Liz wanted to do was move forward with her relationship with Max. That's all she wanted was to love him and be with him. Nothing else mattered.

A hand on her shoulder interrupted Liz's thoughts. She smiled and turned, thinking it was Max. Her smile faded though when she realized it was Josh.

She immediately pulled away from him. "Josh... What are you doing here?" said Liz, looking down at her lunch.

Josh took a seat next to her. She scooted over, so she wouldn't be so close to him. "Liz, I'm really sorry about what happened... I mean I was so drunk and .... well you know how it is," said Josh.

"Josh, just leave me alon.... wait. What do you mean how it is?" asked Liz.

"You know, Liz, we were dating for a week and that outfit you had on.... and the alcohol. I couldn't help myself."

"What the hell? You couldn't help yourself? What kind of reason is that? You really hurt me, Josh, and all you can say is that you couldn't help yourself...." Liz couldn't believe what she was hearing. All the anger, sadness, fear that she had felt this past weekend came to the surface. "You tried to violate me. You tried to take something from me that didn't belong to you. That I didn't want to give you." Liz's voice was getting increasing louder as she got angrier and angrier. She stood up
and faced Josh. "You tried to rape me, you piece of shit." Liz said that loud enough for the whole student body to hear.

Max had arrived to hear the entire exchange.

"You tried to rape me. You tried to force yourself on to me. You hit me, frightened me, ripped my clothes, and all you can say is that you couldn't help yourself." Liz was becoming very emotional.

Max walked up and put an arm around her. "Liz calm down." said Max, trying to restrain her.

"Whoa Liz... I never meant to hurt you and all but you were sending signals..." said Josh.

"What?" said Max. He stopped restraining Liz. "Signals?"

"Yea. Signals. Like she wanted to ..... you know." said Josh, standing up to face Max. That set Max off. He grabbed Josh by the collar and threw him up against a nearby wall. "You think you can try to hurt her, just because in your messed up little mind, you thought she was sending SIGNALS? I should kick your ass all the way back to New York for hurting her. She is the sweetest, nicest person in this world. She doesn't deserve scum like you trying to force yourself on to her." Max had pure rage in his eyes.

Liz put a hand on his arm, trying to pull him off of Josh. "Max...." she said.

He looked down into her eyes and saw no more fear in them. Max reluctanly let Josh go and he turned around and put his arm around Liz and started to walk away.

"You know what she's like, man. You've been out with her before. She's a little tease. She's all nice and warm and receptive but when you try to get with her, she says no," said Josh to Max.

Max stopped walking away and turned around and gave Josh a look of pure hate. He walked up to Josh and punched him right in the nose, sending blood everywhere. Josh collasped to the ground.

"Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww! You broke my nose," said Josh clutching his nose.

"You're gonna get much worse if you ever talk to or go near Liz. You understand? " said Max, threateningly.

"I could charge you with assault buddy, for what you did to my nose." said Josh, getting up from the ground.

Just then, Kyle Valenti stepped forward. He was one of the many students watching all the drama. "Well, you can go ahead and charge Max with assault, but I'm sure that my father will want to investigate an attempted sexual assault, which is much more serious than an assault. So take
your pick!" said Kyle.

Liz smiled a thank you at him.

"Go back to New York, Josh. You're not wanted here." Liz turned around and grabbed Max's hand and led him away.

Later that night, Max and Liz were sitting on her roof cuddled up in her lawn chair. "Max, thank you.... for everything." said Liz.

"Liz, you don't have to thank me. I only did what came naturally to me. Loving you, protecting you, helping you," said Max stroking Liz's soft hair.

"I know." She leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love you, you know."

"I know," said Max. Liz laid her head on his chest as both of them looked up to the clear sky filled with stars.

"Look, Max, a shooting star. Make a wish," said Liz, as she pointed up to the sky.

Max looked down at her in his arms. He kissed her softly. "I already got my wish."

The End *SIGH*