My heart struck a double beat and I suddenly felt really warm. I wanted to curl my clammy hands into my thighs nervously, but I couldn't move. I had a fleeting thought of something being terribly wrong, but it was gone from my mind before I could catch it.
I watched Sean's lips turn into a smirk and was slightly confounded by the fact that I found that very attractive, very sexy. A tremble went through my body.
"Do you mind, Evans?" Sean snarled. "We would like to be alone."
My back was starting to hurt from the straight positioning of my spine and I wanted to react when Max's warm and solid body sat down next to me. I wanted to scoot over to give him room, or just turn my head to glare at him for invading this personal date, but I was glued to the seat. Instead, the side of Max's body molded against mine in the crammed booth and my breathing escalated with awareness.
"Liz," Max addressed me and I craved to look at him.
Was he okay? Was he healing alright?
But the thoughts were forcibly pushed out of my head until I could only register Sean's beautiful eyes, his soft lips, the attractive lines of his jaw-
"Liz," Max said again and cradled my chin in his hand, intending to turn my head away from Sean.
It was like swinging a door in the wrong direction, against the hinges.
"Carter," Max hissed and I shivered at his tone as I tried to relax my neck. Why couldn't I turn my head?
Maybe he was afraid of hurting me or maybe the resistance in my neck stopped him, but Max's warm fingers left my chin and I finally got a view of Max - of the back of his head - as he lunged across the table and grabbed Sean by the collar.
"Let. Her. Go."
As I lost sight of Sean's eyes with Max blocking my view, my strained body fell limply back against the cushion of the seat and I blinked my dry eyes.
"Chill, Evans," I heard Sean say as I flexed and straightened my fingers, before I looked at Max's profile, of his body reaching over the table, of the redness of the skin at the back of his neck and the way his thin T-shirt was outlining his prominent back muscles.
I took a deep shuddering breath, before putting my hands on his back, fisting a part of the T-shirt in my hand for leverage, and pulled. "Max..." I licked my lips. Why was my voice shaking? Why was I so tired? Why was my head pounding? "Max. Calm down."
Max tensed at my voice, shook Sean once more by the collar and then followed the pull of my hand on his shirt, leaning back in the seat. My reaction was too slow, my hand still against his back as he leaned back. The pressure of his back against my hand as it was pressed between the cushion and his body exhilarated my breathing.
I felt dizzy.
He reached between us and grabbed me gently by the wrist, rescuing my hand from the position, even though I wasn't convinced I wanted it to be rescued.
I finally got to look at him. I swallowed as his dark eyes came into view. There was so many emotions on display in his eyes that I felt like I was falling. He didn't say anything, just silently letting his eyes search my face. I tore my eyes from his and took in the rest of his appearance. The almost healed cut on his lip, the normal healthy appearance of his nose, the light bruising around his right eye, the taped wound at the top of his forehead.
"You look..." I croaked and had to clear my throat.
The emotional whirl disappeared from his eyes and he smirked, oddly enough making me feel at ease. I was familiar with this version of Max Evans.
"...devastatingly handsome?" he filled in and I couldn't stop the smile from touching my lips.
"Your wounds...?" I whispered, letting all the questions linger, knowing that Sean was watching us.
Max shrugged and answered lightly, dismissing my concern, "Dad does good work."
A chill rushed down my spine at the mention of Mr. Evans. But I didn't feel like asking Max anything further about it; not with an audience.
"Who did you piss off, Evans?" Sean asked. "Did you crash someone else's date?"
Max looked away from me, but my eyes kept categorizing his wounds, questioning their healing speed.
"So," Max drawled and relaxed his body, ignoring Sean's taunt, and my heart clenched as he put his left arm around my shoulders possessively as he stared at Sean. "You're on a date, huh?"
"And you're fucking intruding," Sean bit off, his voice darkening, making me look at him. His face was not as beautiful as it normally was; the anger made it almost ugly.
"A date," Max mocked, fingering the seam of my shirt where it crossed my left shoulder. "At Joe's Diner?" He laughed harshly. "Classy."
"It was just a spur of the moment thing," I said, feeling the need to defend Sean.
"I'm sure it was," Max mused, not looking at me.
It was like watching a battle of something dangerous and forceful, making me feel like the odd man out - like the third wheel. An unspoken challenge was silently simmering between the men and I was at a loss about my role in the situation.
"Just move along, Evans," Sean said darkly. "I'm sure there some gullible girl you could charm the pants off around here somewhere."
His comment smarted. It didn't seem to faze Max, but I was deeply disturbed by the thought of Max searching out some other girl.
But why would I be? Max and I were not a thing. We barely knew each other.
"I'm quite comfortable here, thank you," Max replied, picking up the menu from the table surface.
Sean exhaled loudly, "You must be kidding me!"
"Max," I pleaded, hoping that he somewhere deep inside knew that it was not civil to intrude on someone else's date.
"I'm hungry," Max announced and looked directly at me. His eyes were serious, in sharp contrast to his amused statement, and I got the feeling that he was trying to communicate something to me.
"Then go and sit somewhere else," Sean sighed, sounding both tired and resigned as he made a sweeping gesture with his hand towards the interior of the, mostly empty, diner.
Max's hand locked around my shoulder and squeezed gently. The narrowing of Sean's eyes told me that he had noticed.
"I'm quite comfortable here actually," Max said simply.
Sean threw his hands in the air, angry red spots forming on his cheeks, and I watched his mouth open in an imminent explosion and decided to attempt to avert that said disaster.
With one sweeping motion I brushed Max's arm off my shoulders and turned in my seat to face him. With all the irritation I could muster at the moment, I told him to, "Leave. You're being rude."
Max's eyes narrowed as he appraised me silently for about three seconds before, "I'm hungry. I don't see anyone else here that I know." He gave me a charming half-crooked smile and turned on the puppy eyes to add, "You won't make me eat all alone, will you?"
"Dude - it's a date," Sean cried out. "As in two people getting to know each other. Two."
I pointed towards a collection of empty booths. "Go away, Evans."
He seemed to consider this seriously for a moment before he rose from the seat, and I was surprised to be disappointed that he had obeyed my order.
He bent slightly at the waist and did a flourish gesture with his arm in the imitation of a knightly bow. "Your wish is my command, Ms. Parker."
"For fuck's sake..." Sean grumbled under his breath.
"I won't go far," Max added, looking straight at Sean and it was impossible to miss the underlying warning.
"No, that would be too normal for you," Sean said acidly, lifting his milkshake in a salute towards Max. "Bye bye, Maxie."
Max raised an amused eyebrow, before sauntering over to a nearby table and raising his hand to attract the service of a waitress.
I looked over at Sean. The anger and frustration were still very evident in his body language as he folded his arms across his chest and tightened his mouth.
"What was that about?" I asked, having the strangest feeling that the whole incident hadn't been about me. Well, not only about me.
Sean shrugged, released his arms and reached for the remainder of his hamburger. Before shoving the last two bites into his mouth he said, "We used to be best friends."
Really? As far back as I could remember, Michael Guerin had been Max's friend. I didn't remember seeing Sean as part of the constellation.
"What happened?" I asked, steadily swirling my soda with the straw.
Sean chewed his large bite of hamburger, avoiding my eyes, and took a sip from the milkshake before looking up at me. "We had a...disagreement."
I wanted to ask about what. I wanted to know every single detail. I couldn't understand this curiosity of mine. That was usually Maria's forte, not mine. But incidentally, everything that seemed to concern Max Evans and my suspected vampires, gravely piqued my interest.
Unfortunately, I could tell that Sean wasn't up to being very forthcoming about the details. So I just said, "Uh-huh," and hoped that he would willingly supply me with the details.
Sean shrugged the whole thing off, clarifying, "It was a long time ago. I've put it behind me; apparently Evans hasn't."
"I'm sorry," I said.
"About what?"
"I have a feeling I'm somewhat to blame for this whole thing."
He shook his head, crystal blue eyes tracing my face. "You have nothing to apologize for. He's pissed with me, not you."
He dropped his eyes to the table surface, his shoulders slumping forward slightly, making him look vulnerable as he mumbled, "He's got a thing for you, you know."
I felt myself blush with embarrassment and mimicked his stance. I gave an insecure laugh. "No, he doesn't."
Sean raised his eyes and I felt prompted to do the same. "A lot of people have got a thing for you."
I honestly laughed at this, picked up a french fry and threw it at him. "Stop that. That's mean."
He retrieved my thrown weapon and put it in his mouth. "What is?"
"Lying. No one's interested in me. If they were, how come you're the first person that's ever taken me on a date?"
My heart dropped to my stomach at my own statement. Had I just said that? Admitted to being practically un-dateable? What had made me say that? Oh God. Earth, swallow me up right now.
"Because they're all idiots?" Sean suggested.
"Maybe," I agreed, wanting to leave this topic, and leaned across the table. I lowered my voice conspiratorially and subtly hitched my thumb in Max's direction, "But I can promise you this; that guy does not have a thing for me."
His eyes burned into mine wordlessly and just as I was about to pull back, he closed the distance, fusing our lips together.
His lips were soft and wet. I could feel his one-day stubble against my chin as he pressed harder, his tongue demanding entrance to my mouth.
This was my first kiss. Well, if you discounted the experimental one with Alex when we were younger.
Was it supposed to feel like this? Wet and uncomfortable? With the threat of teeth bumping, noses being in the way, not knowing what to do?
I wanted to pull back, being uncomfortably shocked by his forwardness, but I couldn't. As my lips started to open to let his exploring tongue in, something bumped my shoulder and I startled backwards, breaking the contact with Sean's lips.
"Sorry," Max's voice declared with exaggerated cheerfulness, and with a racing heart and panting lungs I watched Max's body lean between me and Sean, reaching for the salt and pepper shakers on our table.
I couldn't look at Sean as Max continued, "I just need to borrow these."
I felt humiliated. Max had seen that. Max had definitely seen us kissing. And it had dropped my heart to my feet in embarrassment.
"You've got a message," Max said next and I experimentally licked my lips, my eyes to the table. In my attempt to get over the fact that I had just been kissed, which had given me very mixed feelings, I wasn't really registering Max's words.
Then his hand was on my shoulder, scorching through the material of my shirt. "Hey. Liz."
I raised my eyes to him, feeling like I was about to cry, and blinked dozily, "What?"
"Your phone," Max replied, giving me that look again. That intense, 1000 volts look that seared through my body, dimming out everything around us until it was just the two of us. "It was vibrating."
"Oh," I whispered and snapped to life. "Oh!"
I reached for the phone next to me on the table and noticed one missed call from my dad (damn!) and a text message from Maria.
I guess I didn't get the memo,
but your old man just called me to speak to you.
I said you were in the bathroom.
You're welcome.
No emojis had been used. Not a single smiley. Maria was pissed.
"Crap," I mumbled and looked up to see that Max had moved away from the table and instead found Sean staring at me. Blush rose on my cheeks, recollecting what had just transpired between us.
I held my phone up and explained, "I have to go."
"Liz, if-" Sean started insecurely.
"My dad's looking for me," I interrupted, and repeated, "I have to go."
Sean jumped up from his seat and grabbed his jacket. "I'll drive you."
"No," Max said, suddenly appearing at my side. "That's way out of your way, Carter. I can take her."
I looked between Sean and Max, feeling the tension escalate again until Sean was basically shooting daggers out of his eyes.
"It's no trouble, Evans," Sean said calmly, through clenched teeth.
In a way I didn't want Sean to take me. I felt embarrassed about what had happened. But at the same time; Max driving me was not necessarily a better alternative.
"Her house is on my way," Max replied.
"She's my date," Sean said possessively. "I'll be taking her home."
"No," Max said simply and I shivered. The authority in that one syllable scared me.
Looking at Sean, I could tell that he had picked up on the finality of that word as well. His face was reddening with anger, but still he ground out an agreement, "Fine."
"Excellent," Max said with a smile, his mood changes giving me whiplash. He turned to me, took my jacket out of my hands and held it up for me to put my arms through it.
"Eh, okay," I mumbled.
This was officially the weirdest night of my life.
I let Max help me on with the jacket before I turned to him and said, "I'd like a minute alone with Sean."
Max didn't seem too pleased with this, but nodded and shot Sean a look that spoke volumes before he walked out of the diner.
"Sorry about that," I said to Sean when we were left alone.
Sean's face softened and he stepped up to me, taking a hold of the collar of my jacket and gently pulling me closer. His face was barely an inch from mine as he mumbled, "Stop apologizing. It's not your fault that he's a jackass."
My jackass, I thought. The thought surprised me, making my heart squeeze in longing to join Max outside of the diner.
"I guess," I shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with Sean being within my personal space.
"Hey," he urged, placing two fingers below my chin to direct my look upwards. "Look at me."
So I did. And I fell. The discomfort at his proximity melted away, the blue of his eyes brightened and his face became angelic. I sighed in comfortable bliss. It was so good to be close to him.
He brought his lips to mine again in a gentle caress and heat blazed through me. He pulled back and caught my eyes again, "I'll see you tomorrow? At school?"
I timidly licked my lips and nodded. "Yeah."
"Okay," he smiled, took a step back and let go of my jacket.
*****
"Are you okay?"
I was startled by his question as I hopped into the passenger seat of his car.
"Yeah," I answered breathlessly, pushing some errant hair out of my face. "Why wouldn't I be?"
I felt his eyes on the side of my face, but I kept my eyes looking forward, through the windshield.
"Good," he said and I chilled as his eyes left mine and the car hummed to life.
We sat in silence for a minute or two, my eyes unseeingly tracing the dark surroundings swishing by the outside of the car.
"You didn't have to drive me, you know," I said then. "I think Sean had it covered."
Max basically snorted. But there wasn't anything humorous about the sound. "He had it covered all right."
I frowned, immediately getting defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Max grumbled, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. His mouth was set in a tight thin line and I came to think of the 'disagreement' that Sean had mentioned.
"You used to be friends," I stated.
The knuckles of his hands were turning white from his grip on the steering wheel. "So?"
"Sean told me that you had a falling out."
"You can say that," Max said tightly.
It was not that difficult to discern that I wouldn't be getting any answers from Max either. So I let the topic drop.
"What were you doing there? At the diner?"
His eyes were fixed on the road as he shrugged, "I was hungry."
I shook my head in disbelief.
"Who walks up and interrupts an obvious date anyway?" I asked rhetorically, the suppressed anger from before coming to life.
He turned his head to wink at me. I sighed internally.
"Me, apparently."
"Why?" I demanded, crossing my arms tightly across my chest.
"I told you to stay away from him." The playfulness was gone from his voice, his eyes back on the road.
"No," I objected. "You told me he was dangerous."
"Same shit."
"Maybe if you would tell me why he was dangerous, I would actually trust your judgment."
"He's manipulative," Max answered shortly.
I couldn't stop myself. I laughed.
He looked at me, annoyed. "What's so funny?"
"'He's manipulative'? I guess it takes one to know one."
"I'm not manipulative," Max objected, looking away from me again.
"In a way, you really are," I said, thinking about how he commonly used his charms to get his way. "And secretive. Very secretive."
"Everyone has secrets."
"But yours are...out of this world," I mumbled and was surprised when his head whipped in my direction at my sentence before a small secret smile grazed his lips.
"I guess you could say that."
"What are you hiding, Evans?" I asked, biting my lower lip.
"I could tell you," he said slowly, a faint smile brushing his lips, "But of course; then I would have to kill you."
I smiled. "Of course."
I could only stay quiet for approximately four seconds.
"So," I said, afraid to ask but unable to stop myself, "what's up with your dad?"
"Is there no end to all of your questions?" Max asked, a tightness to his voice.
But I wouldn't let his change of mood stop me. After what I went through when dropping him off, I thought I deserved some answers.
"No," I answered simply and thought I caught him roll his eyes. I straightened in my seat, tucking the hair behind my ears. "Why was he upset with you when you were clearly injured?"
"He naturally thought I had gotten into a fight," Max said evenly. Too evenly. I frowned.
Max glanced at me before returning his attention to the road. "Dad hates fights. He sees enough victims of stupid violence as it is working at a hospital."
"So did you?" I asked, my eyes tracing the faint signs of his ordeal.
"Did I what?" he asked.
"Get into a fight?"
I could see his jaw muscles clench beneath his skin. "You should see the other guy." He was attempting a smile, but I wasn't really buying into it.
"I don't have to," I said quietly. "Seeing you was bad enough."
"It was not that bad," he dismissed lightly.
"Yes, Max," I said seriously. "It was."
I would probably never get his swollen and bloody face out of my mind.
"Whatever," he mumbled and I inhaled deeply.
Not much of a chatterbox, was he? At least not when it concerned topics he wasn't that comfortable with.
"Still, your father shouldn't have reacted like that. You needed someone to look after you, to be nice to you. You were..." I swallowed.
He tensed next to me and breathed quietly, "What?", wanting me to finish the sentence.
"You were completely broken. It was horrible to see you like that. The last thing you needed was to be yelled at."
There was a moment of silence, before Max said, "You don't know him. He's not a bad person."
I huffed. "Could have fooled me."
I expected him to get annoyed with my refusal of his attempt at excusing his father's behavior, but instead he surprised me by saying, "Thank you for sticking up for me."
I remembered stepping in front of him, shielding him from his own father, and I flushed. What had possessed me to do that? As if I had been willing to sacrifice my own safety to keep Max safe.
Preposterous.
"Sure," I mumbled, uncomfortable.
Max cleared his throat and I stole a glance at him, pretty sure that he was also uncomfortable. The thought of suave and confident Max Evans being uncomfortable made my heart skip a beat. It was like I could glimpse behind the facade he put up.
"We're here," he announced, startling me out of my reverie.
I looked out the window and could see "The CrashDown" flash in neon lettering. Max rolled the car to a stop and I bit my lip as I reached to open the door.
"Uhm, thanks for the lift, I guess," I said.
"Yeah," he said lightly.
I looked at him briefly (he was looking straight ahead at the restaurant), before stepping out of the car.