Accident Prone

Max got into Elizabeth's apartment and found Mia and Hunter on the sofa in the living room.

"Hi.", he greeted them.

"We need to talk." Hunter gestured to Max to come and join them.

Max walked toward them and placed the bag with the hangover medicine on the table. Hunter texted him to get the medicine, but he didn't say for whom. Max observed that both Hunter and Mia look fine, so that means that the medicine is for…"Where is Liz?"

"In the bedroom, sleeping.", Mia responded.

Max double-checked the time on his wristwatch and frowned. Why is she sleeping now? And needs hangover medicine? "What is going on?"

"Sit… things happened…", Hunter started telling Max what Liz told them.

Max's face was getting darker as the story progressed: Dr. Snow sending flowers to Elizabeth, everyone thinking that Liz and Dr. Snow are in a relationship and had a quarrel and Liz is playing hard to get, and it escalated into Liz being sent home early because it disrupted the flow in the hospital.

"That guy needs another beating.", Max squeezed through his teeth while his hands were so tightly balled into fists that his knuckles turned white.

"No!", Mia exclaimed. "This is why Liz didn't tell you. She does not need another scene. And we told you because if you don't find a way to solve this without using violence and disrupting her work… you will lose Elizabeth."

Max frowned, how is any of that related to him? "What do you mean?"

"Are you aware that Liz is ashamed to tell people that she is dating you?", Hunter asked without mincing words.

Max lowered his head. It is disgraceful, but it's the fact that Liz avoided going out with him, and he noticed.

Hunter saw Max nod and provided additional information: "Nurses confronted Liz about dating that doctor, and Liz had a chance to defuse the situation partially. But she didn't because she is afraid of the consequences if people realize that she is connected to you. That website incident still burns inside her."

Mia saw that Max's mood dropped but they are not done talking. This is the right time to say everything openly because tomorrow it might be too late.

Mia sighed. "Max, I think that Liz loves you, but she does not know how to fight for this. You should know that she has no experience in relationships, and even if everything is perfect she would be cautious. Your past is just… too much."

Max looked at Mia helplessly. "Are you saying that I should give up?"

Hunter shook his head. "No. We are saying that you should clean up your mess. Are you expecting Elizabeth to fight battles for the both of you? You are back to work, proving yourself professionally and that is great. But, do you think that everything being fine when it's just the two of you in your two-person bubble is enough?"

Mia continued: "We know that your intentions toward Liz are good. And even though it is not possible to erase your inglorious years, there are things you can take care of, right? As for whatever is left, Elizabeth needs to have confidence that she is not going to face the storm alone, but that you will be by her side…"

Max listened to Hunter and Mia talk in turns and he continued sitting in the living room for a long time after they left.

For more than five years, Max never cared for a woman, or what she thinks of him, or what anyone else thinks of him. Everything was about Max having a good time and who liked it could join, and everyone else didn't matter.

All this is tormenting.

The last time he cared for a woman, his reputation was stellar, and his future was bright, yet that woman still left him.

Liz knew about his reputation and that his current lifestyle can't lead anywhere good, but she decided to give him a chance and that should tell him that she has feelings for him, but… for how long and to what extent?

He felt an unbearable ache in his chest. The thought of Elizabeth pulling out of the relationship which barely started for a reason he can't fix was making him feel like his soul is being torn into pieces.

The worst feeling is watching your world collapse and being helpless to do anything about it.

When Irene left him, his world collapsed, and he didn't care about it. But now… he cares because Elizabeth does.

Max changed into sleepwear and went under the cover, next to Elizabeth, hoping that her proximity will alleviate some discomfort he is experiencing. She has that effect on him.

As soon as he got closer, Elizabeth turned in her sleep and hugged him and the ache in his chest increased.

Max found it agonizing to think how she loves him, and her instinct is to hold onto him, but she will go against that because she does not know how to fight for them. And his despicable reputation is making fighting for them many folds more difficult.

Max told himself to calm down. He needs to calm down and think of a solution.

He was unable to think of his next steps, so he decided to remember how he reached to this point.

With Irene, everything was on autopilot. Sure, he was a doting boyfriend, but did he really feel it, or did he just do things because that is how a proper boyfriend should behave? At that time, everything he did was because that is how things should be done. He is not sure any more about the extent of feelings he had for Irene, it was a long time ago, but he knows that this intensity which Elizabeth invokes in him, Irene was never close to it. With one smile, one touch, Elizabeth makes him feel like he is floating, and she has the power to burst that bubble and slam him down into the depths of hell at the mere thought that she wants to break up with him.

When Irene left, he was angry, disappointed... but mostly his pride was hurt, and he acted like a child throwing a tantrum. He had no consistent drive, no desire to accomplish anything in his life. Since Liz approached him that rainy morning to ask how he is doing, Max is looking at everything from a different perspective. Her presence made him think of more than just quick pleasures of flesh. She makes him want to fight for something… it's almost as a new life force was injected into him.

He will not give up. He can't. Because if he gives up, he will lose Liz and everything good she brought into his life. He will be selfish and cling onto her because next to her, he feels alive.

Liz is right next to him, and she is not pushing him away, actually it's the opposite: she is holding onto him and that should tell him that it's not over.

Max is confident that Liz has feelings for him, and he is not sure if she is aware of that. What he knows about Liz is that she is a woman driven by logic who prioritizes her career and Max respects that. After all, she spent many years studying and gaining skills to reach this point of being a neurosurgeon and it would be unreasonable to expect her to put that aside for feelings which started sprouting no more than few weeks ago.

His goal is to get Liz to accept these feelings alongside her career; to make her realize that one does not jeopardize the other, they can coexist, and if he is a good partner and gets his act straight, his presence can enhance her career further. He can be her pillar of support, a person she comes to when she needs help, or maybe a breather, a safe harbor. And if she does not need his assistance, he will cheer her to continue shining and he will bathe in her light.

Liz told him more than once that he makes her feel safe, so he knows that he is making a great progress toward being a person she relies on.

This is not about Dr. Snow and this is not about Franciscan Medical Center… this is about Elizabeth and Maximilian and how the two of them should walk through life together with their heads held high.

She will be a world famous neurosurgeon, and he will be the best CEO Alpha group ever had and the two of them will stand side-by-side, both proud of other's accomplishments and of having each other. Yes, that is the future he sees for the two of them and it's… wonderful.

Max pulled Liz closer to him and pressed his lips on her forehead.

"Liz, I am not ready to give up on us.", he whispered. "I will think of something to fix this mess."

"Mmm… OK…", she mumbled.

Max is not sure if she heard him or not. But maybe it does not matter.

In his mind, Max started listing all the things that might bother Elizabeth and possible ways to deal with them. He will find solutions and clean up the mess he made and support Elizabeth with her goals. Many people called him a genius, and this time, he will put his mental (and other) skills to good use. For the sake of the woman in his arms. The woman he loves.

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