The Outsider

I hope he's not too freaked to go along with my story, she thought. Then she felt Max's arm loop around her shoulders. Good. "I talked Max into cutting class. We wanted to have some time alone," Liz added.

Kyle wasn't nearly as icy and controlled as his father. If she pushed him just a little harder, she could probably make him forget all about his suspicions. She'd just give him something more interesting to think about.

"Sometimes you just can't wait for school to end, you know? And both my parents were out all afternoon, so…"

"You and Evans-right. I believe that," Kyle said sarcastically.

Liz raised her eyebrows. "Well, I guess guys don't really notice other guys' bodies."

She let Kyle figure that one out for himself. She knew he got it when an angry flush colored his face. He pushed his way past Max and Liz without another word.

"I hope I didn't damage your little male ego," she called after him. She wanted Kyle to stay mad. It would keep him from thinking too much.

Max started to move away, but Liz wrapped her other arm around his waist and pulled him closer. "I have a feeling Kyle will be watching us. He's not as dumb as he looks," she told him quietly. "We should kiss or something."

"Um, if you really think we should," Max answered. His voice sounded lower than usual, huskier.

Liz understood why actors always said doing love scenes wasn't sexy. It was like she'd forgotten how to kiss. She couldn't decide what to do with her hands. All she could think about was Kyle watching them. If this didn't work…

Max tilted her chin back with his thumb, and she found herself staring up into his eyes. Suddenly it was a lot harder to think about Kyle. Max lowered his head, and she closed her eyes, expecting to feel his lips brush against hers. Instead he kissed the side of her neck. The unexpected sensation sent a shock through her.

His hands moved to her waist, pulling her tighter against him. Liz felt a low tremor coursing through him. Or maybe it's me, she thought. Maybe I'm the one trembling.

Max kissed his way up to her earlobe. "Do you think he's gone?" he whispered.

Who? she thought. Then she remembered. Kyle. This was all a show for Kyle. Her heart was thudding crazily. And Max's was, too. She could feel it through his shirt. His warmth, his strength.

Liz reached up and wove her fingers through Max's hair, holding him close. "Maybe we should wait another minute," she whispered. "Just to be sure."

"This is your fault, Max." Isabel's voice shook with anger.

Max knew it would be tense with Isabel, Michael, Liz, and Maria in one room to talk about the Valenti situation. But he hadn't expected it to be this bad. He felt as if he were sitting in a minefield instead of his living room. The wrong word from any of them could cause an explosion that would destroy them all.

"If you hadn't healed her, this wouldn't have happened," Isabel cried.

Max knew she was terrified. He wanted to tell her that he would protect her from Valenti no matter what it took. But that would only make things worse. Isabel hated to admit that she was scared-it made her feel even more vulnerable or something. If he tried to reassure her, he knew she'd totally go off on him.

"You think he should have let her die?" Maria demanded. "Do you think that, too, Michael? Do you think Max should have let Liz bleed to death?"

Maria's aura usually reminded Max of a lake on a summer day-sparkling blue. Now it was more like an ocean before a storm-murky green and churning, potentially lethal.

"Do you think Liz's life is more important than the three of ours? Because it could come down to that," Michael answered calmly. Way too calmly. Michael wasn't a calm guy. He had himself under control-barely-and if he lost it, Max didn't know what he'd do.

"Look, even before Max healed me, Valenti knew aliens existed. He doesn't know anything more now," Liz said. She glanced from Maria to Michael to Isabel, making eye contact with each of them.

Max could tell she was trying to do some damage control, but he thought it might be too late. He should have told Isabel and Michael about Valenti alone. Being around humans who knew their secret was too much for them.

"Valenti does know something more now," Isabel insisted. "He knows that you know who the alien is. He's just going to keep hammering at you until you tell him."

"Liz would never do that!" Maria exclaimed.

"Liz would never do that," Michael repeated in a shrill voice, mocking her. "You only say that because you're too i

"It's not Liz I'm worried about," Isabel told Maria. "It's you. You want to tell Valenti the truth, don't you?"

"We both promised we wouldn't-" Liz began.

But Maria interrupted her. "Yes! I want to tell him. I won't-not unless we all agree. But think about it-it would solve everything. He told Liz he just wants to track aliens to make sure they aren't a danger to humans. Once he finds out you're not going to hurt anyone, he'll leave you alone. He'll leave all of us alone."

"I have three words for you-Project Clean Slate. Does that sound like some Welcome Wagon to you?" Michael demanded. "It's more like the politically correct way to say death squad."

"Michael's right," Liz said. "We can't-"

"I don't care what you have to say about it. You're not one of us." Isabel pushed herself out of her chair and strode over to Maria. She leaned down until they were eye to eye. "If you take one step toward Valenti, I'll know about it, and I'll kill you. I can do it, and you won't even see me coming. You'll go to sleep one night and never wake up."

"Shut up and sit back down!" Max exploded. "No one is killing anyone. You're acting as cold and vicious as Valenti."

Isabel straightened up and stared at Max. He could see tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Izzy," he said immediately. "I didn't mean it to come out like that."

"Don't even bother," she answered. "I knew you would side with them." She ran out of the room. A few seconds later Max heard his Jeep squealing out of the driveway.

"Nice going, man," Michael muttered as he went after her.

Max was glad Isabel wouldn't be alone. There was no way she would let him explain or apologize or anything for a while. But she would talk to Michael, and he'd stop her from doing anything stupid. Unless she convinced him to do something stupid.

"I have to go, too. I can't-" Maria's voice broke. She grabbed her purse and her jacket and bolted. Max moved over to the couch and sat down next to Liz. "I think that went well," he said sarcastically.

"I'll talk to Maria," Liz said. "I know I can convince her not to go to Valenti. She's just so scared that she wanted to believe we could tell him and he would fix everything."

"Isabel's scared, too-more than scared. She's been terrified of Valenti since we were little kids. He was like the bogeyman to her back then. She used to have nightmares about him and wake up screaming," Max answered. "But she won't hurt Maria. Isabel isn't that crazy."

Liz didn't answer. She just studied his face, her dark brown eyes intense. "What?" he asked.

"You risked everything when you healed me, didn't you?" Liz said. "Putting Michael and Isabel in danger must have really torn you up."

"I knew I could trust you," he murmured, staring at her. He could almost taste her skin under his lips. He could almost feel her body pressed against his. Without even thinking about it, he leaned toward her.

What are you doing? he thought. She let you kiss her today to get rid of Kyle. Period.

Then why did her eyes keep drifting down to his lips? Did she want him to kiss her again? It sure seemed that way. But if Max were misreading her signals, if she only let him touch her to throw Kyle off track, Max would look like a jerk. Worse than a jerk.