Liz was frozen in place, still staring at Max.

"Um...." Liz attempted to speak.

"Liz?" Max now had a concerned look on his face.

"Max, I.....I can't talk about this....." Liz looked away and began to stand up. Max stood up with her and pulled Liz's arm so she couldn't walk away.

"Liz, please, don't do this now," Max looked into Liz's fidgeting eyes.

"Please, I need answers, Liz!" the desperation in his voice was heartbreaking.

Liz took a deep breath as she felt tears begin to gather in her eyes. "Max, please. Please don't make me....could we just not talk about this, please??" Liz pleaded with him.

"Liz," Max loosened his hold on her arm, "please. I need to know. It's not fair for you to do this to me...the least you can do is tell me the truth..." Max completely released her arm in exaspertation.

Liz turned to run away, but somehting in her stopped her. Turning around again to face Max, Liz forced herself to look at him.

Liz searched her brain for what to say. At this point, the truth seemed to be the only option; even if it would almost defeat the purpose of all of her actions. She couldn't stand the sight of Max, with tears in his eyes, and the sound of pleading in his voice. Her lying was killing him.

Breathing in deeply, Liz began slowly, "Okay, Max, I'll tell you the truth." Max looked at her expectantly and waited for her to speak again.

She breathed in deeply again, and continued, "Nothing happened between me and Kyle...we didn't sleep together." Liz hoped that would be enough to satisfy the questions Max had, but something told her it wouldn't be.

"Then why, Liz? Why were you in bed with him? Why did you make me think that you betrayed me?" Max's voice cracked in mid-sentence.

Liz couldn't stop the tears now. "Max, please..." Liz begged him one last time.

"Liz, tell me why?" Max's voice was pure desperation. She swallowed and closed her eyes. If she was going to tell Max the truth, she couldn't stand to look at his face.

"You, from fourteen years into the future, came to me one night. You told me that I had to make you fall out of love with me, because our love, in the future, had become so strong that it had driven Tess away from Roswell. And because she was gone, your powers were weakened. Isabel's and Michael's too. And they died. So, in order to save Michael, Isabel, Tess, and the rest of your planet, I had no choice but to make you fall out of love with me," Liz felt her voice crack at the last word she said.

Liz couldn't believe what she had just done. The secret was out. It felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off of her body. But then a thought came to Liz. A thought that made her body feel twice as heavy as before. Was she going to have to do this again now that Max knew the truth? Oh God no...

Liz opened her eyes slowly and looked at him.

Max's face was expressionless. His eyebrows were furroughed in confusion, and his mouth was now open, as if he was trying to speak but couldn't find the words. He stood, hearing Liz's words in his ears over and over again.

"Liz..." Max took a cautious step towards her.

"Max...." Liz took a step back.

"This changes everything!" there was so much hope in his voice.

"No it doesn't, Max!" Liz backed away again, as Max took another step towards her. She knew that if he even touched her, it would all be over. She would give in to him, and then she would have to go through the hell of lying to him again.

"Don't you see, Liz? It was the ultimate test!" Max's eyes were wide with excitment.

"Max, did you hear what I said at all??" Liz tried to make him understand. "We can't be together!" Liz was now crying as she spoke to Max frantically.

"But Liz, it didn't work!"

"What didn't work?" Liz was quiet for a moment.

"I never fell out of love with you, Liz," Max spoke softly into the air.

Liz didn't move for a moment. Was that true? Of course it was. Max woudn't have just said that. Then why had she been forced to lie to him?

"You didn't?" Liz whispered, new tears gathering in her eyes.

"No," Max stepped again towards Liz, and this time she didn't step back. "Liz, all I've thought about for two and a half months is you! All I see anymore when I close my eyes is you," Max touched Liz's hair softly as he spoke. "And I tried to be angry with you, for what I thought you did. But I just couldn't. I could never be angry with you..." he trailed off.

Liz swallowed and tried to stop the tears that were on every inch of her face now. "Max, I love you. And you're the only thing that matters to me, 6 months ago, now, 15 years from now. It doesn't matter. And you don't know how much I want to just pretend that we can live happily ever after now..." a sob escaped her throat and she attempted to go on, "but Max," Liz forced her eyes to look into his, "Nothing's changed..."

Max slowly dropped his hand and looked at her.

"We still can't be together....and I don't want to have to go through this all over again when you come back from however many years into the future and tell me that...it's just too hard, Max....I can't do it again....I just....can't...." Liz backed away from him and looked at the ground.

It was several minutes before either one of them said a word. Liz looked up at Max for a brief moment and caught sight of the look in his eyes. It was the same look as when he had saw her and Kyle lying in bed together.

'Oh God...' Liz felt herself start to lose it. 'I did it again...oh dear God....wasn't the truth supposed to make things better???'