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CHAPTER NINE

The night was long; the early morning hours seemed to drag on and on. Liz paced and sat and then paced some more. Michael had called a little while ago asking to pick up clean clothes for Max. She had set out a pair of black pants, white shirt and tie. She was waiting for him onw. Only two more hours until the arraignment. She assumed his lawyer, Jared something, would be there by now. The knock at the door summoned her back into reality; she didn't like it there too much. She opened the door and let Michael in. Without saying anything she pointed to Max's clothes on the back of the couch.

He stood in front of her. "Liz, how are you holding up?"

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll be there this morning. Will the girl?"

"No," he shook his head. "Where's Sloane?"

"Kyle and Morgan are watching her. You'll be there won't you?" she asked. He nodded. "Can I sit with you, I don't want to sit alone."

"Sure, Liz." He reached to her and hugged her. "It's going to be..." He paused. He couldn't tell her that everything was going to be okay - it might not be. "I'll be here for you, okay? I can promise you that."

"Thank you." She needed someone to trust and it was Michael. Her thoughts lingered on Maria, as they always did, but decided against asking about her. She broke away from him and looked at him. "I need to know, do you think he actually did it?"

He let out a deep breath. "Everything I've ever known about Max Evans tells me no. Although, the details this girl gave made my head ache. She's been in the jeep; I know that for a fact. I don't know anything Liz, if I did, I'd tell you."

She nodded and turned away. "I should get ready to go, I think his dad's going to be there too. I don't know. Will you wait for me outside the courtroom?"

Michael promised and brushed her forehead with his lips before he left. Liz smiled after him. She took a shower, got dressed and waited on the couch until it was time to go. She drove with the radio off and parked outside the courthouse. She walked in and looked around desperately for Michael. He saw her first and waved. She sighed and walked to him, her head held high.

"You going to be okay?" Michael asked as he escorted her into the courtroom.

"I think so." Liz smiled for the first time. "I think I believe him. I don't think Max has that in him."

He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. They walked to the front of the courtroom and sat in the first row behind Max and his lawyer. They were in deep conference with heads bowed together. When Liz sat down, she noticed Max lift his head; he turned and faced her. She leaned back when she saw him, shocked. The dark circles around his eyes were black; his skin was wan and her heart broke. He was still her husband.

"Liz," he mouthed the name but didn't say it out loud. Desperation and despair leapt from him into her chest.

She fought back tears as Michael took her hand and squeezed. She looked to him then back at her husband. Did he? No, she decided, he didn't. She leaned forward and reached to him.

He held his hand out and she clasped it, light coming back into his eyes. The knowledge that he wasn't alone. He smiled and turned back to his lawyer as the judge entered the courtroom. The arraignment was short. Max was being held over for trial on the charge of rape of a minor. The trial was set for the beginning of March. As expected, bail was granted. After it was over, Max was led back to the holding cell in the adjacent Sheriff's department.

"Can you come up with the money?" Michael asked, walking Liz outside.

"Yeah, it's covered," she nodded. "I have to call Isabel and have her wire the money to me. Then I don't really know what to do."

Michael explained the basics of bail bonding and directed her to the nearest bail bondsman that he trusted. He asked if she was going to come back herself or send someone else. She promised she'd be back as soon as she could.

After receiving the wire transfer and setting the agreement with the bail bondsman, whose name she was pretty sure was Santos; she was back at the jail to retrieve her husband. Michael was waiting for her again and she rushed to him with open arms.

"Can I take him home now?"

Michael walked her through the paperwork then down to the holding cells. Max jumped up when he saw them coming. Michael unlocked the cell and pulled the door open. Max descended upon Liz and hugged her. she didn't return the hug, standing with her arms flat against her sides.

"Liz?" He looked in her eyes before she had a chance to turn away and he saw something he didn't expect. Doubt.

"Go home Maxell," Michael said from behind the barred door. "I'll talk to you later."

Liz led the way after thanking Michael, with a silent Max following her to her car. She didn't speak to or look at him on the ride home. Max stareddown at his hands in his lap. When they pulled up in front of the complex she turned the engine off and waited a beat before looking at him. He turned to her and Liz saw so much in his eyes. Hurt, innocence and something else: guilt. She shook her head and got out of the car, he followed her again, always the obedient puppy. Once inside the condo she was at a loss for words. Max went directly to the bathroom and she heard the shower running within minutes.

She waited. Knowing she had to talk to him at some point today and not sure if she was going to like what was said. Distracted by the blinking light on the answering machine she finally played it. Three messages: one from Morgan, one from her mom and one from Isabel, saying she'd got an earlier flight and would call from the airport for a ride.

Great, Liz shook her head. Her mom, how could her mom have found out so soon? Someone in the courthouse no doubt, damn it! She didn't want to deal with her parents, not yet. Max came back into the living room in cut-off sweatpants and a T-shirt; his wet hair slicked back. He sat on the couch leaving several feet between him and Liz. He looked down then finally at his wife.

"I'm sorry you're going through this," he spoke so softly is was almost a whisper. "I know it's embarrassing and I'm sorry."

"Did you rape her?" Liz had practiced asking that question over and over in so many different ways. She thought of Isabel and how she would ask and went with that: straight to the point.

"No," he shook his head. "I didn't, I swear I didn't."

"Did you sleep with her?" She hadn't practiced asking that one.

"No." Max looked like he was going to say more but then changed his mind. "I never slept with her."

"Why is she saying this about you?" The assurance Michael had of the girl being inside the jeep was resounding in her head.

"I don't know, a schoolgirl crush, maybe?" Max nodded as the mantra picked up in his mind, 'strong words in the staff room, the accusations fly.' He closed his eyes. 'He sees her, he starts to shake, he starts to cough.'

"Do you think?" Her stomach churned as Mr. Transparency couldn't look her in the eye again. "Or is is something else, Max?" Silence. "Tell me."

"I umm..."

"You what?" She wanted to scream at him.

"I kissed her." He rested his head on his hands.

"That it?" Liz was grateful they wer in the living room and nothing deadly was in reach because she felt like killing him.

"Umm...Well?"

"Spit it out," she said from behind clenched teeth. "Just fucking say it."

"I never had sex with her. She came on to me." Max wiped at wet eyes, as his future seemed to disappear in front of him. "I didn't mean for anything to happen."

"Tell me what the fuck happened, Max!"

"We were slightly intimate." He raised his head but didn't face her. "It didn't go far. I promise."

"How far?"

"Liz." He waited and got a cold stare in response. "Not far. Kissing and touching."

"In our car?" she asked. He nodded.

Liz stood and whipped around to face him. "Leave."

"What?"

"Get out Max, I don't want to see you right now."

"Liz, please..."

"Get out. Go to your parents and stay there."

"Where's Sloane?"

"At Kyle's."

"Can I stop by and see her?"

"No. I don't want you anywhere around Sloane or Kyle. He doesn't need to lose his job because he's seen with you."

"Can I come back?" He stood. "Ever?"

"I don't know, just go." She walked into the kitchen, pulled the swinging door closed behind her and cried. She heard Max leave a few minutes later. She didn't know how he was going to get anywhere because as far as she knew the jeep was either still at the school or impounded by now.

Without realising it she did it, she called Michael at the station. She asked from him and waited, listening to an instrumental to an instrumental of a Rod Stewart classic.

"Sheriff Guerin."

"He was intimate with her," Liz cried. "I knew there was something and he finally admitted it to me. I don't think he slept with her, but they were intimate!"

"Whoa, Liz! Are you sure?"

"He told me Michael." She wiped at the salty tears rolling down her cheeks. "He told me he was intimate with her in our car. Oh God, what am I supposed to do?"

"Is he there now?"

"No, I sent him to his parents. I couldn't even bear to look at him. It makes me sick."

"Do you want me to come over tonight? You know, I can hang out and we can talk."

"Yeah, that would be great. I have to pick Isabel up at the airport later. I'll page you when I get back, is that okay?"

Michael agreed and hung up. Liz cradled the phone against her cheek. Max, her sweet husband, the fucking idiot. As she hung up the phone it was ringing. She answered thinking it was probably Michael calling back. She was wrong.

"Mrs. Evans, my name is Dr. Antloft, superintendent of the Roswell School District. Is your husband home by chance?" The voice was old, well mannered and unobtrusive.

"No."

"Could you get a message to him? I'm sorry to bother you with more unpleasantness, but until your husband's situation has been resolved we are suspending him without pay. If the conclusion is favourable to him, he may inquire about another teaching position within our district. I'm sorry, Mrs. Evans."

"Yeah, me too." She hung up. She could now add unemployed to her sweet fucking idiot husband. "Damn it!" she yelled and threw the phone to the counter, shattering the back of it.

* * *

Max walked into his parents' house and was met by them. They hugged him and told him they believed in his innocence. "I have to stay here for a while, okay?" He didn't face either of them.

"Why?" Phillip asked.

"Liz asked me to leave." Saying the words out loud hurt as much as Liz telling him to leave. He walked to his old bedroom, surprised to find it almost empty.

"Max," Diane Evans put her hand on his shoulder. "All your old things are in storage, but the bed's still here."

"That's all I need, thanks." He set his small overnight bag down on the floor and headed to the bed. He lay down and buried his face in the pillow until he heard his parents leave and close the door behind them. He rolled on his back, staring at the ceiling, and thought about his wife. The only person he'd ever loved and he'd broken her heart, again. He wasn't sure if he could make it up to her this time. This time was bad, real bad.

He knew it was all wrong, everything that had happened with Lindy Franks was wrong. Maybe if he tried to talk to her she'd drop it. Or maybe she'd have him arrested for harassing her. He slammed his fist down on the bare mattress and wanted to scream. To scream for everything he had ever done to hurt Liz. Stupid, he thought, I'm so stupid. I knew it was stupid when it happened. I'm a fucking idiot!

* * *

Liz forced a smile when she saw Isabel come off the walkway of the plane. Isabel walked to her, dropped her bag on the ground and hugged her sister-in-law.

"It's bad, isn't it?"

Liz nodded and broke the embrace. "Real bad. I kicked him out."

"I figured you would, I know I would have." Isabel picked her bag up and looped her arm through Liz's. "Let's roll. He at the parents'?" Liz nodded. "Great. Do you mind taking me to Kyle's then?"

"No," Liz smiled. "That's perfect. They're watching Sloane and I really want to see her."

The two Evans women walked to the car and got in before anything else was said. Isabel was the first to speak. "So, there's going to be a trial?"

"Yeah, amazing, isn't it?" Liz pulled out of the parking lot and on to the highway. "Half the time I think I'm dreaming."

"I bet," Isabel snorted. "I don't think he raped her. My brother is capable of many stupid things; we all know that, but rape? I don't think so."

"I know," Liz said and believed what she was saying.

"I mean he was stupid messing around with her in -"

"You knew?" Liz fought the urge to slam on the brakes.

"Oh shit." Isabel sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know everything Liz, just that Max managed to fuck up somehow and she was a student. That's it."

Liz nodded. "That's great."

"I'm sorry, Liz, I should have said something to you but I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm hurt Iz, bad."

She nodded. "I know." They drove the rest of the way to the Valentis' apartment in silence and went in. Liz played with Sloane for a little while and left without a word to anyone.

By the time she arrived home she was crying and shaking. She fumbled with the broken phone and paged Michael. She paced while she waited and it seemed like hours. When the knock at the door finally came, she nearly tripped trying to get to it. She flung the door open and looked in the face of Maria.

"Hi," Maria said softly, taking a tentative step inside.

Liz regarded her friend while tears flowed down her cheeks. "So, you still want my life?"

"No, sweetie." Maria stepped all the way in and hugged her friend. Her best friend. "No I don't."

They walked together to the couch and sat down. Maria held her friend as she cried.

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STORY OF LINES:
6 - THE BEAT GOES ON

CHAPTER NINE

WRITTEN BY BECKY W


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