Wooing The Ex-Wife
Chapter 27: Aftermath

Liza knocked on the cherry wood door, as she waited outside. Her face was now clean and bare, free from the disguise and the tears which had stampeded down her cheeks as soon as she had reached the safety of her car. Her dress was a little dusty from sitting down on the floor but she was sure that Melanie wouldn't mind. The door opened to a grinning Melanie with deep blue dyed hair and a two year old Max attached to her hip. Liza smiled at the sight before her as Max fussed to go to Liza. Taking Max from Melanie, she entered the house. "Whats up Liz?" Melanie asked as she sat down on a chair in front of the kitchen aisle. "I was missing you guys, and especially Max." Liza replied, tickling Max lightly as he let out a delighted giggle. Melanie looked over at Liza worriedly. She knew something was up. Liza never came by unannounced, she preferred to spend as much time as she could working and therefore always confirmed her visits. If there was one word to define Liza, it would be meticulous. "Whats really wrong Liz?" Melanie asked as Liza continued to play with Max. Liza let out a sigh and placed Max in his chair beside her. She should have known that Melanie would figure it out within minutes. "I had a talk with Jonathan" Liza said, on seeing a confused expression on Melanie's face she continued "about our past". Melanie let out a gasp. She knew that even though Liza claimed to be over it, her past was a sore subject for her. "He apologized Mel. He told me that he loves me. I felt the pull again, in the pit of my stomach, pulling me towards him but I couldn't do it. After everything we have been through. I know that he is hurt and he is in pain as well but I can't do it again." Liza said, tears starting to make a reappearance. Melanie stood up from her seat and went over to hug Liza. "I made the right choice Mel, didn't I. Even if it hurts both of us for now, it will save us from the pain later. I can't go back into the relationship with Jonathan anymore, it will suffocate me." Melanie rubbed Liza's back as she cried, assuring Liza that she made the right choice, that hurting Jonathan didn't make her a bad person, that she will replace someone else.

Liza groaned as she opened her eyes, only to be blinded by the onslaught of golden light streaming in through the window. She rubbed them in the hopes of getting rid of the temporary blindness and sighed in relief as the view of the room became clearer. She stretched like a feline to loosen her cramped muscles. Liza had been feeling miserable since last two days. Talking to Jonathan had taken a toll on her. Thankfully, Melanie and Carson had welcomed her with open arms when she had showed up at their, unable to go to her home alone. She smiled as she saw Carson sleeping in the chair beside her. He had stayed up with her last night, talking to her about their childhood, about how he had met Melanie. Carson had talked about his mistakes, his fears and how Liza, Melanie and Max were his strength. Listening to him, Liza had realized that even if not identical to hers everybody had gone through some kind of pain, had experienced hurt, had their own scars and had yet overcomed them and moved on. Carson had found love of his life in Melanie, once they had overcome their differences, but Liza knew that this wasn't an option for her because unlike Jonathan, Melanie hadn't betrayed Carson.

Liza looked at the Cell Phone lying beside her, it was still blinking, signaling that message was waiting. She wondered whether she should open it or not. She knew contents of that matter or at least she presumed that she knew it. The message was what had tipped her off last night, sending her scurrying into the warm embrace of Carson, who had soothed her with his wise words. Liza realized that even though she had gone out with few men in past years, she hadn't really let them in or had even made an effort to get to know them. The text message in her cell phone was offering her a way out of the castle she had built around herself. She was aware that it would be dangerous, that there will be a risk of getting her heart broken again, but she was tired of living alpne, so with a burst of courage, she opened the message and two ticks appeared making it known to the sender that she had finally read the message.

Liza paced around the room, as Carson and Melanie tried to placate. After the sudden burst of courage had worn off, Liza had remained behind as a blubbering mess, wondering what to and how to reply. The message had been from Steve asking her if it would be alright to take her out the next day. On one hand Liza wanted to say yes, she had been saying the truth when she had said that she didn't want to live in a castle anymore while on the other hand she wondered if it was alright to go on a date just after having her talk with Jonathan. Frustrated by Liza's pacing and indecision Melanie took the Cell phone from Liza and sent the reply to Steve. Liza shrieked as Melanie clicked the send button and snatched the phone back to read the reply she had sent.

'It's great. I will be eagerly waiting ;)'

"A wink, seriously Mel, a freaking Wink? It's just a casual date. I don't want to give him any wrong idea. And what's with the 'I will be eagerly' part?" Liza said exasperated. She had wanted to send him a simple reply confirming the date. But then Melanie had to go ahead and add the wink and suggestive text. Liza groaned as she read the text again. Seconds later, her Cell phone dinged and displayed "I am excited fo this date too :)" from Steve. Melanie leaned over Liza's shoulder and began cooing about Steve being the sweetest guy ever, to which Carson responded with a pout, grumbling about how he will have to meet Steve before he takes Liza out. Liza rolled her eyes at their childishness. Even though Liza was still hesitant, she had no other choice than to go on the date with Steve, unaware of what the future was going to hold for her, she let out a resigned sigh knowing that she couldn't get out of this date even if she wanted to.

Jonathan had spent the last two days locked up in his room. He knew that Liza would never come back to him and the weight of that little bit of knowledge had knocked him down rendering him unable to function. As Liza had told him the reasons why they could never be together again, he had found himself understanding them and even though some part of him wanted to deny them, scream that they were all wrong, that they could overcome anything, a larger part of him seemed to accept them and that's what made giving up on Liza even more painful. Jonathan knew that he could love Liza more than anyone else in the world ever could and yet he was unable to love her because if he loved her anymore, he would only be hurting her. He had hurt her enough for a lifetime and he wasn't going to do that again. So he quietly, while sitting inside his empty, slightly chilly room gave up Liza, resigning himself to cherish the memory of Loving her and somewhere hoping to feel that love again.