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 Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

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 find 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 for 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.