Roswell Series: Before I Knew You: Fic 7: Possession (1/1)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not mine. And I'm fairly certain I can't be sued for merely wishing they were. :) The song "Posession" is by Sarah McLachlan and it is not mine either. It appears on her albums, "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy," and "Mirrorball."
Rating: PG-13 for some minor sexual content, possibly some language.
Category: M/L. Is there any other? :)
Author's Note: This is the second story of the Before I Knew You series. The first one is called Building a Mystery. This story contains spoilers for that one, and if you haven't read it, you might want to before you read this one. Otherwise, things might be confusing.
Summary: What was going on with Max and Liz the weeks directly before the shooting?
Listen as the wind blows
From across the great divide
Voices trapped in yearning
Memories trapped in time
The night is my companion
And solitude my guide
Would I spend forever here
And not be satisfied?
--Sarah McLachlan, "Posession"
Possession
"I can't believe you did that, Max!" Isabel Evans fumed, pacing Max's bedroom floor and glaring at him.
His best friend Michael glared at him, as well. "Ironic that you're the one always telling us not to be reckless with our powers."
"Look, it's not a big deal. I told her I work on cars with Dad sometimes."
"Did she believe you?" Isabel asked nervously.
"Yes."
She sighed and ran one hand through her long blond hair. "You're sure?"
"Yeah," Max answered quietly. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
"You know," Michael began. "You've had a thing for Liz Parker for as long as I can remember."
"And your point is?" Max demanded, raising his eyes to meet Michael's.
"Just to be careful, Maximillion. Because one of these days this obsession you have with her is going to get you into trouble," Michael warned. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."
Max sighed as Michael and Isabel left the room. Then he stared out the window, up at the beautiful night sky, wishing for the obviously impossible.
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"Parker!" a voice called from down the hallway at school the next morning.
Liz's face lit up as she turned to see Alex Whitman coming towards her. "Alex!" she cried excitedly. She ran and threw her arms around him. He hugged her tightly. "Oh, Alex, I missed you so much! How was Memphis?"
"Well, it wasn't Roswell," he replied, grinning down at her. She laughed. "And you get more beautiful every time I see you."
She smiled. "Thank you, you look pretty great yourself."
"Where's DeLuca?" he asked.
Just then, there was a shriek from behind them. "Alex!" Maria cried, running to him.
He grinned and hugged her as well. "Wow, if I get greetings like this when I come back, I should definitely leave town more often!" he said with a laugh.
"Don't even think about it," Maria warned.
"So, what happened in Roswell this summer? Besides the fact that you two were bored out of your minds without me around?"
Maria grinned. "Well, nothing, really. Oh, until two days ago when Liz got into a car accident," she informed him.
Alex turned to look at Liz, concern clouding his eyes. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm totally fine. It wasn't that bad. My car's even fine."
"Because Max Evans fixed it," Maria cut in.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Max Evans?" he repeated.
Liz nodded.
"The same Max Evans who sits in the back of every class and never says a word voluntarily? The same guy who's never attended any kind of social event in his life?"
She nodded again. "Yeah. I fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a telephone pole. I kinda--hit my head and, well, let's just say I would've been stranded in the desert for awhile if Max hadn't found me."
"Don't forget to tell him how you blacked out," Maria interupted.
"Oh, right," Liz said.
"Twice."
She winced at Alex's concerned stare. "God, Liz, are you sure you're all right?"
"Yeah, Max drove me home. It was fine, Alex. Really. I'm okay."
She was touched by his concern. Alex was a really good friend. She was lucky to have two people that she trusted so much. She didn't know what she'd do without the two of them.
"What class do you have first?" Alex asked.
"Geometry," Liz answered.
Alex made a face and looked at Maria. "English comp," she said.
"Miss Whitmore?"
"You too?" she asked, grinning.
"Yep." He looked at Liz. "Catch you soon?"
Liz nodded. Then they split off and went in separate directions.
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Liz was pulling out a notebook and pen to take notes. Her hair was pulled into a French braid and she was wearing a blue flowered tank top and a long black skirt with black, dressy sandals.
God, she looks beautiful, Max thought as he stared at her from across the room, in the back of the class. Not that she didn't always look beautiful. Maybe it was because it was the first time he'd seen her since the accident. She hadn't looked too great then. In fact, she was so pale, so still, it scared him. A lot.
But now he could see her and he felt better. She was back to her normal, beautiful self, and she looked more alive and vibrant that he could ever remember her being.
And he would know. He had spent his whole life watching her. Michael was right when he said Max had an obsession with Liz Parker. No, not an obsession, Max thought. She posesses me. I'm posessed by Liz.
Max drew in a deep breath and forced himself to take his eyes off Liz. But his gaze kept trailing back to her.
It's a good thing Michael and Isabel aren't here, he thought.
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"Okay, let's take attendance," Mr. Singer said. "Kenny Brachman."
"Here."
"Mark Cousler."
"Not here," Mark answered, and his response recieved a few snickers around the room.
"Very funny, Mr. Cousler," Mr. Singer commented, looking up. He rolled his eyes and went back to what he was doing.
"Max Evans."
"Here."
The name and the quiet sound of his voice pulled Liz back to awareness. She turned to see where he was sitting. In the back, on the other side of the room. Their eyes met and she smiled at him. He half-smiled back and then quickly looked away.
Liz was surprised by the twinge of disappointment she felt. She forced herself to pay attention.
She was the second one out the door when the bell rang. Liz had a sudden urge to run after Max as he hurried down the hallway. She wondered if he was trying to get away from her. Stop it. You're being paranoid, she thought.
"Hey, Liz," a voice said from behind her.
She turned around. "Kyle, hi," she said with a quick smile.
Kyle pressed her up against the wall and kissed her hard on the lips, forcing his tongue past her lips and teeth. He thrust himself up against her.
What's he doing? she wondered in confusion. Kyle wasn't usually this rough or this aggressive with her. The tiniest bit of fear crept into her stomach.
"Go, Valenti!" Tommy shouted, laughing. Paulie slapped Tommy on the shoulder and joined in the laughter.
Liz pushed Kyle away, her eyes flashing. "I have class," she said shortly, and slipped away from him.
"Liz!" he called after her.
She didn't turn around. Liz turned the corner in a hurry, staring at the floor the whole time, and she ran into someone. Her books went flying and so did the other person's. She immediatly dropped to the ground and began gathering her things in one pile and the other person's in another. "I am so sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"It's okay."
Liz looked up and found herself looking into the eyes of Max Evans. Her heart rate increased slightly. "Hi," she said, giving him a shy smile.
"Hi," he answered, unable to stop himself from smiling back at her. Their hands brushed as they gathered their books and folders.
Liz felt a jolt of electricity race through her and she shivered. Liz, calm down, you barely touched him, she thought.
But that one small, brief contact with him was enough to make her remember two days ago, when Max had touched her forehead after her wreck. It was such a soft, gentle touch, almost as if were touching someone he truly cared for...
Max stood up and offered her his hand. She stared at it for a moment and then slid her hand into his. He helped her to her feet.
"Thanks, Max," she said.
"You're welcome," he said shyly. He looked down at their hands.
Liz flushed when she realized she was still holding his hand. She let go. "I, uh, I have to get to class."
"Yeah, yeah. Me, too," he agreed. They looked at each other for a moment.
"So, I'll see you," she said.
"Yeah."
Liz swallowed hard and turned to go. "Liz!" Kyle called from behind her.
"Go away, Kyle!" she said, not even looking at him.
He grabbed her arm. "Would you just wait a minute? Why'd you take off like that?"
Liz turned and glared at him. "Maybe because I don't appreciate you doing that in front of all your friends!"
He stared at her. "Doing what?"
She yanked her arm away from him. "I have class."
"No, Liz, we need to talk about this."
"Kyle!" she snapped. "I am going to class!"
His eyes widened. "What the hell is your problem?"
"Excuse me. Is something wrong here?"
Liz turned to see Alex standing behind her. He touched her arm. "You okay, Liz?" he asked, looking into her eyes.
She nodded. "I just want to get to class."
"Then let's go," Alex said. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and shot Kyle a look that clearly said, "Back off." Kyle glared at him.
Alex and Liz started down the hallway. "So what was that all about?" he asked gently.
"Just my life going down the drain," she answered, leaning her head against his shoulder.
He squeezed her arm gently. "Why don't you come over after school and tell me what's going on?" he suggested as they reached her classroom.
Liz turned to face him. "Yeah, I'd like that, Alex. Thanks." She hugged him before turning and going into class.
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Liz felt a little better by the time she got to her fourth hour class, her favorite class. Biology. She stepped inside the room.
"Well, look who it is, girls," Pam Troy said to two of her friends, giggling as Liz walked in. "Elizabeth Parker, waitress extrodinaire."
Liz ignored the comment and glanced around the room, looking for a friendly face, but she didn't see anyone that she considered herself friends with. She sat down at the only empty lab station, which, thankfully, was all the way across the room from Pam and her friends.
Even biology is going to suck this year, she thought glumly. She wished Maria or Alex liked biology. Maybe I can just drop it.
"Oh, look! It's Max!" Pam squealed to her friends.
Liz looked up in time to see Max's face redden as he looked around for a place to sit. Their eyes met.
Max knew he shouldn't do it, but there weren't any other empty lab stations. He swallowed hard and then walked slowly across the room and sat down next to Liz.
"Hey," she said, smiling shyly.
"Hey," he said back, doing everything he could to just avoid staring at her.
Just then, Ms. Hardy came in. "Good morning. I will, of course, be changing your seating arrangements. Since I had you all as students last year, I have paired you up according to your strengths and weaknesses so that you can help each other most effectively."
Ms. Hardy looked around the room. "Liz Parker," she said, smiling. "This is your seat," she said, pointing.
Liz gave a nearly inaudible sigh, but Max noticed it and looked at her sympathetically. She gave him a half-smile and gathered her books and went across the room, sitting down in her assigned seat.
Liz listened as Ms. Hardy assigned their seats. There were only five other people without partners. Don't put me with Pam Troy, she thought.
"Pam Troy," Ms. Hardy said, pointing to Liz's table.
She groaned inwardly as Pam sat down next to her, making a face at her. Liz looked away and did all she could not to run up to Ms. Hardy and beg her to reconsider.
"Max Evans," Ms. Hardy said. He pointed to the table directly behind Liz and Pam's. Pam smiled brightly at him and Liz rolled her eyes.
I'm in hell, she thought. She glanced up at Max, who met her eyes. She gave him an apologetic look for her lab partner drooling over him and he seemed to understand. He grinned briefly before walking around their table and sitting directly behind Pam.
God, he's adorable, she thought. Make that gorgeous, Liz. Max is gorgeous.
Max wished he'd been assigned as Liz's lab partner. No, that could have turned out disastorus. Well, at least he still had a good view of her. That would have to do.
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"It's just, sometimes when I'm with him, it's like I'm not his girlfriend. I'm just this--I don't know," Liz sighed. She leaned back against Alex's desk. "It's like he's putting me on display for his friends, like I'm one of his football trophies."
Alex listened carefully but didn't say anything.
Liz ran a hand through her hair. "It almost seems like I don't even have my own identity anymore. I've just turned into Kyle Valenti's girfriend, his posession. And somewhere along the way, Liz Parker has disappeared. I've disappeared," she added, staring at the ground.
Alex sat down next to her so they were shoulder-to-shoulder. "You know, when I met you in fifth grade, I thought you were the sweetest, smartest girl I'd ever met." He nudged her with his elbow. "That's what I still think, you know. You're still Liz Parker, future microbiologist at Harvard, soon-to-be-valedictorian of our high school class, and the only person I know who's nice to everyone."
Liz looked over at him. "Thanks, Alex. I really needed to hear that."
"But you know what I think of you above all?"
She shook her head. "What?"
"The best friend I've ever had," he said honestly.
Liz hugged him. She felt a lot better knowing that, at least in the eyes of one person important to her, she wasn't someone else's possession.
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not mine. And I'm fairly certain I can't be sued for merely wishing they were. :) The song "Posession" is by Sarah McLachlan and it is not mine either. It appears on her albums, "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy," and "Mirrorball."
Rating: PG-13 for some minor sexual content, possibly some language.
Category: M/L. Is there any other? :)
Author's Note: This is the second story of the Before I Knew You series. The first one is called Building a Mystery. This story contains spoilers for that one, and if you haven't read it, you might want to before you read this one. Otherwise, things might be confusing.
Summary: What was going on with Max and Liz the weeks directly before the shooting?
Listen as the wind blows
From across the great divide
Voices trapped in yearning
Memories trapped in time
The night is my companion
And solitude my guide
Would I spend forever here
And not be satisfied?
--Sarah McLachlan, "Posession"
Possession
"I can't believe you did that, Max!" Isabel Evans fumed, pacing Max's bedroom floor and glaring at him.
His best friend Michael glared at him, as well. "Ironic that you're the one always telling us not to be reckless with our powers."
"Look, it's not a big deal. I told her I work on cars with Dad sometimes."
"Did she believe you?" Isabel asked nervously.
"Yes."
She sighed and ran one hand through her long blond hair. "You're sure?"
"Yeah," Max answered quietly. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
"You know," Michael began. "You've had a thing for Liz Parker for as long as I can remember."
"And your point is?" Max demanded, raising his eyes to meet Michael's.
"Just to be careful, Maximillion. Because one of these days this obsession you have with her is going to get you into trouble," Michael warned. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."
Max sighed as Michael and Isabel left the room. Then he stared out the window, up at the beautiful night sky, wishing for the obviously impossible.
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"Parker!" a voice called from down the hallway at school the next morning.
Liz's face lit up as she turned to see Alex Whitman coming towards her. "Alex!" she cried excitedly. She ran and threw her arms around him. He hugged her tightly. "Oh, Alex, I missed you so much! How was Memphis?"
"Well, it wasn't Roswell," he replied, grinning down at her. She laughed. "And you get more beautiful every time I see you."
She smiled. "Thank you, you look pretty great yourself."
"Where's DeLuca?" he asked.
Just then, there was a shriek from behind them. "Alex!" Maria cried, running to him.
He grinned and hugged her as well. "Wow, if I get greetings like this when I come back, I should definitely leave town more often!" he said with a laugh.
"Don't even think about it," Maria warned.
"So, what happened in Roswell this summer? Besides the fact that you two were bored out of your minds without me around?"
Maria grinned. "Well, nothing, really. Oh, until two days ago when Liz got into a car accident," she informed him.
Alex turned to look at Liz, concern clouding his eyes. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm totally fine. It wasn't that bad. My car's even fine."
"Because Max Evans fixed it," Maria cut in.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Max Evans?" he repeated.
Liz nodded.
"The same Max Evans who sits in the back of every class and never says a word voluntarily? The same guy who's never attended any kind of social event in his life?"
She nodded again. "Yeah. I fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a telephone pole. I kinda--hit my head and, well, let's just say I would've been stranded in the desert for awhile if Max hadn't found me."
"Don't forget to tell him how you blacked out," Maria interupted.
"Oh, right," Liz said.
"Twice."
She winced at Alex's concerned stare. "God, Liz, are you sure you're all right?"
"Yeah, Max drove me home. It was fine, Alex. Really. I'm okay."
She was touched by his concern. Alex was a really good friend. She was lucky to have two people that she trusted so much. She didn't know what she'd do without the two of them.
"What class do you have first?" Alex asked.
"Geometry," Liz answered.
Alex made a face and looked at Maria. "English comp," she said.
"Miss Whitmore?"
"You too?" she asked, grinning.
"Yep." He looked at Liz. "Catch you soon?"
Liz nodded. Then they split off and went in separate directions.
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Liz was pulling out a notebook and pen to take notes. Her hair was pulled into a French braid and she was wearing a blue flowered tank top and a long black skirt with black, dressy sandals.
God, she looks beautiful, Max thought as he stared at her from across the room, in the back of the class. Not that she didn't always look beautiful. Maybe it was because it was the first time he'd seen her since the accident. She hadn't looked too great then. In fact, she was so pale, so still, it scared him. A lot.
But now he could see her and he felt better. She was back to her normal, beautiful self, and she looked more alive and vibrant that he could ever remember her being.
And he would know. He had spent his whole life watching her. Michael was right when he said Max had an obsession with Liz Parker. No, not an obsession, Max thought. She posesses me. I'm posessed by Liz.
Max drew in a deep breath and forced himself to take his eyes off Liz. But his gaze kept trailing back to her.
It's a good thing Michael and Isabel aren't here, he thought.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Okay, let's take attendance," Mr. Singer said. "Kenny Brachman."
"Here."
"Mark Cousler."
"Not here," Mark answered, and his response recieved a few snickers around the room.
"Very funny, Mr. Cousler," Mr. Singer commented, looking up. He rolled his eyes and went back to what he was doing.
"Max Evans."
"Here."
The name and the quiet sound of his voice pulled Liz back to awareness. She turned to see where he was sitting. In the back, on the other side of the room. Their eyes met and she smiled at him. He half-smiled back and then quickly looked away.
Liz was surprised by the twinge of disappointment she felt. She forced herself to pay attention.
She was the second one out the door when the bell rang. Liz had a sudden urge to run after Max as he hurried down the hallway. She wondered if he was trying to get away from her. Stop it. You're being paranoid, she thought.
"Hey, Liz," a voice said from behind her.
She turned around. "Kyle, hi," she said with a quick smile.
Kyle pressed her up against the wall and kissed her hard on the lips, forcing his tongue past her lips and teeth. He thrust himself up against her.
What's he doing? she wondered in confusion. Kyle wasn't usually this rough or this aggressive with her. The tiniest bit of fear crept into her stomach.
"Go, Valenti!" Tommy shouted, laughing. Paulie slapped Tommy on the shoulder and joined in the laughter.
Liz pushed Kyle away, her eyes flashing. "I have class," she said shortly, and slipped away from him.
"Liz!" he called after her.
She didn't turn around. Liz turned the corner in a hurry, staring at the floor the whole time, and she ran into someone. Her books went flying and so did the other person's. She immediatly dropped to the ground and began gathering her things in one pile and the other person's in another. "I am so sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"It's okay."
Liz looked up and found herself looking into the eyes of Max Evans. Her heart rate increased slightly. "Hi," she said, giving him a shy smile.
"Hi," he answered, unable to stop himself from smiling back at her. Their hands brushed as they gathered their books and folders.
Liz felt a jolt of electricity race through her and she shivered. Liz, calm down, you barely touched him, she thought.
But that one small, brief contact with him was enough to make her remember two days ago, when Max had touched her forehead after her wreck. It was such a soft, gentle touch, almost as if were touching someone he truly cared for...
Max stood up and offered her his hand. She stared at it for a moment and then slid her hand into his. He helped her to her feet.
"Thanks, Max," she said.
"You're welcome," he said shyly. He looked down at their hands.
Liz flushed when she realized she was still holding his hand. She let go. "I, uh, I have to get to class."
"Yeah, yeah. Me, too," he agreed. They looked at each other for a moment.
"So, I'll see you," she said.
"Yeah."
Liz swallowed hard and turned to go. "Liz!" Kyle called from behind her.
"Go away, Kyle!" she said, not even looking at him.
He grabbed her arm. "Would you just wait a minute? Why'd you take off like that?"
Liz turned and glared at him. "Maybe because I don't appreciate you doing that in front of all your friends!"
He stared at her. "Doing what?"
She yanked her arm away from him. "I have class."
"No, Liz, we need to talk about this."
"Kyle!" she snapped. "I am going to class!"
His eyes widened. "What the hell is your problem?"
"Excuse me. Is something wrong here?"
Liz turned to see Alex standing behind her. He touched her arm. "You okay, Liz?" he asked, looking into her eyes.
She nodded. "I just want to get to class."
"Then let's go," Alex said. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and shot Kyle a look that clearly said, "Back off." Kyle glared at him.
Alex and Liz started down the hallway. "So what was that all about?" he asked gently.
"Just my life going down the drain," she answered, leaning her head against his shoulder.
He squeezed her arm gently. "Why don't you come over after school and tell me what's going on?" he suggested as they reached her classroom.
Liz turned to face him. "Yeah, I'd like that, Alex. Thanks." She hugged him before turning and going into class.
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Liz felt a little better by the time she got to her fourth hour class, her favorite class. Biology. She stepped inside the room.
"Well, look who it is, girls," Pam Troy said to two of her friends, giggling as Liz walked in. "Elizabeth Parker, waitress extrodinaire."
Liz ignored the comment and glanced around the room, looking for a friendly face, but she didn't see anyone that she considered herself friends with. She sat down at the only empty lab station, which, thankfully, was all the way across the room from Pam and her friends.
Even biology is going to suck this year, she thought glumly. She wished Maria or Alex liked biology. Maybe I can just drop it.
"Oh, look! It's Max!" Pam squealed to her friends.
Liz looked up in time to see Max's face redden as he looked around for a place to sit. Their eyes met.
Max knew he shouldn't do it, but there weren't any other empty lab stations. He swallowed hard and then walked slowly across the room and sat down next to Liz.
"Hey," she said, smiling shyly.
"Hey," he said back, doing everything he could to just avoid staring at her.
Just then, Ms. Hardy came in. "Good morning. I will, of course, be changing your seating arrangements. Since I had you all as students last year, I have paired you up according to your strengths and weaknesses so that you can help each other most effectively."
Ms. Hardy looked around the room. "Liz Parker," she said, smiling. "This is your seat," she said, pointing.
Liz gave a nearly inaudible sigh, but Max noticed it and looked at her sympathetically. She gave him a half-smile and gathered her books and went across the room, sitting down in her assigned seat.
Liz listened as Ms. Hardy assigned their seats. There were only five other people without partners. Don't put me with Pam Troy, she thought.
"Pam Troy," Ms. Hardy said, pointing to Liz's table.
She groaned inwardly as Pam sat down next to her, making a face at her. Liz looked away and did all she could not to run up to Ms. Hardy and beg her to reconsider.
"Max Evans," Ms. Hardy said. He pointed to the table directly behind Liz and Pam's. Pam smiled brightly at him and Liz rolled her eyes.
I'm in hell, she thought. She glanced up at Max, who met her eyes. She gave him an apologetic look for her lab partner drooling over him and he seemed to understand. He grinned briefly before walking around their table and sitting directly behind Pam.
God, he's adorable, she thought. Make that gorgeous, Liz. Max is gorgeous.
Max wished he'd been assigned as Liz's lab partner. No, that could have turned out disastorus. Well, at least he still had a good view of her. That would have to do.
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"It's just, sometimes when I'm with him, it's like I'm not his girlfriend. I'm just this--I don't know," Liz sighed. She leaned back against Alex's desk. "It's like he's putting me on display for his friends, like I'm one of his football trophies."
Alex listened carefully but didn't say anything.
Liz ran a hand through her hair. "It almost seems like I don't even have my own identity anymore. I've just turned into Kyle Valenti's girfriend, his posession. And somewhere along the way, Liz Parker has disappeared. I've disappeared," she added, staring at the ground.
Alex sat down next to her so they were shoulder-to-shoulder. "You know, when I met you in fifth grade, I thought you were the sweetest, smartest girl I'd ever met." He nudged her with his elbow. "That's what I still think, you know. You're still Liz Parker, future microbiologist at Harvard, soon-to-be-valedictorian of our high school class, and the only person I know who's nice to everyone."
Liz looked over at him. "Thanks, Alex. I really needed to hear that."
"But you know what I think of you above all?"
She shook her head. "What?"
"The best friend I've ever had," he said honestly.
Liz hugged him. She felt a lot better knowing that, at least in the eyes of one person important to her, she wasn't someone else's possession.