That was an interesting question. What the hell was he doing at his sister’s house at nine o’clock at night when he could be home sleeping with a wife who he knew damned well wanted to sleep with him? It wasn’t that Max hadn’t already asked himself that question a hundred times. He cursed himself for a moron because he stayed. And still he stayed. Because every time he contemplated returning home to Liz, knowing that she was bent on seducing him, Max lost his nerve.

He was a coward. Max admitted this to himself now. His reasons for staying away from Liz had nothing to do with his being unwilling to forgive her, but everything to do with his own conscience. Under any other circumstances Max would have been all over Liz, not hesitating in the slightest to take her to bed. But he could barely look her in the eye these days. He felt so guilty over what had happened with Maria. Although it was technically true that he and Maria had done nothing beyond kissing, Max felt in his heart that he and Maria had been more to each other than just two friends who had shared a stolen kiss. She had all but replaced Liz in his life. Max knew that for himself and he sensed on some level that Liz new it as well.

Max couldn’t blame her for being suspicious. How could she not be?, he asked himself derisively. The entire apartment was completely changed and with every other sentence out of Claudia’s mouth beginning with “Aunt Maria,” Liz had to be suspicious about what was going on. Lately, she had been questioning Max, subtle, innocent questions about what he had done while she was in the hospital. At first Max had hedged, being as evasive as he could before quickly changing the subject, but that was no longer working. Liz had now progressed to asking him more detailed questions, the majority of them being about Maria.

Alex straightened and set his cue stick to the floor, propping himself against it. “You’re obviously not going to play, Max,” he said, meaning pool, “so why not tell me what you’re doing here?”

“Can’t a guy just want to spend time with his family!” Max exclaimed somewhat defensively.

“Not three days in a row, Max,” Alex pointed out dryly.

“Oh,” Max sighed, feeling the righteous indignation he’d been building up deflate abruptly.

“Max, I’m thinking something is bothering you,” Alex observed, laying his cue stick onto the pool table and motioning for Max to take a seat. Max pulled up a chair from the opposite end of the game room while Alex propped himself up onto the pool table. “So what is up with you?” he asked after Max had sat down.

“Liz,” Max replied simply.

Alex was instantly anxious. “Is she sick again?” he burst out quickly, already beginning to worry.

“No, she’s fine,” Max assured him quickly, “I’m the one with the problem?”

“I’m listening.”

Max cleared his throat before beginning in a low tone, “I’m sure Isabel has told you that Liz and I are working to get things between us back on track…”

“I may have heard something to that effect, yeah,” Alex confirmed.

“Well lately Liz has been wanting to take things to the next level, if you catch my meaning.”

“She wants to have sex,” Alex said simply, not bothering to bush beat.

“Yes,” Max admitted, looking absolutely miserable.

“And that’s a problem because…?”

“Because of Maria.”

Alex’s mouth fell open in shock. “Please God, tell me you did NOT sleep with Maria,” he exclaimed.

“I didn’t sleep with, Maria.”

Alex hung his head, barking a short, sighing laugh. “Yeah, okay, now for the truth.”

“I didn’t sleep with Maria,” Max repeated, stressing the “didn’t” The relieved look that feel over Alex’s face was short-lived, however, when Max added, “But we did kiss.”

Alex was nonplussed. He responded in the only way he could think of. “Alrighty then.”

Max threw Alex a supplicating glance before hanging his head in misery. “What am I going to do, Alex? The guilt is killing me…I think maybe I should tell Liz the truth.”

“Absolutely no way!” Alex vehemently advised, “That would only succeed in making an already bad situation worse.”

“I can’t go on lying to her,” Max groaned.

Alex sympathized with him, but he couldn’t believe telling Liz about what happened between him and Maria was the best move. “Max,” Alex began with deliberate calm, “Liz was just released from a mental institution…do you really want to load her down with this information?”

“What are you saying, Alex?”

“I’m saying what if she snaps again, Max, have you considered that? Maybe Liz isn’t emotionally ready to hear something like this. She would see it as a betrayal and I honestly don’t think it’s something she can handle right now, if ever.”

“So I’m just supposed to go on lying to her….indefinitely,” Max burst out incredulously.

“You’re not lying per se…”

“Lie of omission, Alex,” Max clarified dully.

“Some things are better left unsaid, Max,” Alex told him honestly, “You and Maria just kissed and it’s over, right?”

“Yeah,” Max said, “it’s over.”