Lifeless (Book II)

Confused

Chapter Fourteen

Max watched in amusement as Alex practically shoved his nose unto the sheet of paper in his hands. Alex reached for a fifth slice of pizza from the box and bit into it not breaking his gaze off the paper. Max let out a chuckle and saw just how determined his best friend was to solve all of this. In reality he hadn't expected for Alex to actually be right, but he could somehow understand him. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Vicky was still alive. She had changed of course but it still didn't change the fact that it was really her. She looked a lot healthier, the Vicky before was a lot thinner and pale. Now she was fuller, beautiful, with pink high cheekbones, fuller lips and those milk chocolate brown eyes.

Max shook his head and cleared his throat making Alex turn away from the page and look at him. Had he really just gone there? Fear creeped into Max as he tried to focus his attention on the pile of papers in front of him. His old days were over and he had to keep reminding himself that he was a new and improved Max Stevens.

"Something wrong?" Alex asked.

"Nope, just thinking." He replied. Max suddenly felt like he was betraying himself, Izzy and most of all Alex. How could he sit there and think just how lovely Vicky had turned out to be? He thought about Izzy instead, far away with her parents, he tried to think just how much he missed her. Izzy was a great girl, she didn't protest when he wanted to hang out with friends, nor complained when he needed to be alone. She was a great cook, and a hell of a girl in the bedroom. He smiled and picked up the paper in front of him, yep he had a great gal. One that he would be marrying soon.

"You want to slow down on that pizza?" Max said trying to steer his thought's elsewhere.

Alex looked at the seventh slice in his hand with wide eyes and tossed the piece into the box wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Sorry, It's been a while since I've had a cheat day." Alex replied a bit embarrassed.

"I've noticed how you've been starving yourself lately, not to mention the long hours at the gym." Max replied while wiping his hands on his couch.

"Come on Max, why do you have to be such a slob, use a napkin for Christ sake," Alex suddenly said tossing Max one.

"Sorry."

"I've been thinking about what you said, about investigating the Holiday family. The problem is where do we start?"

"I'll do some digging for you and let you know what I find out, meanwhile try to take Vicky on that date of yours and pull out some information on her family. Ask her random questions." Max said.

*****

Alex nodded and shuffled through a few more papers and then finally after a few hours gone by he gave up. By the time he rose off the couch and stretched Max was long knocked out on the couch. Alex chuckled and gently nudged him. Max simply snored, his mouth hanging open as a few papers laid on his chest.

He picked up all of the sheets and placed them inside his folder taking them back into his room and tugging them under his bed. Alex wasn't one to kneel down and pray, sure he believed in a higher power but he had never actually tried to reach out to it. For the first time in a while, maybe since he was five years old he sat on the corner of his bed and bowed his head.

"Please let me be right, please help me put the wrong things right," he whispered.

Alex sighed and kicked off his shoes tossing his shirt to a side and sliding unto the bed. He lay on his side starring at the alarm clock glow in the dark, the red color and buzzing coming from it suddenly made him doze off.