The phone in the kitchen jangled loudly. Quickly, Elizabeth turned off the sink and wiped her hands on a towel nearby. She picked up the portable phone, sitting down upon the wooden stool, which Lila had just vacated.

�Hello?� she inquired.

�Hey Liz!� It was Brian. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. She was secretly relieved that it wasn�t AJ. Every time she talked with AJ, it became more obvious to her. Their relationship wasn�t working out. It never would.

�What�s up? Where�s Nick?� she asked.

�He�s unpacking. He�s excited to see you guys again. We�ll be there in about half an hour.� Brian said.

�That�s great. I can�t wait to see Nick again,� Elizabeth said with enthusiasm.

�See you soon. AJ said he loves you,� Brian added.

Elizabeth felt a tug at her heart. �Yeah me too,� Elizabeth said with false sincerity. She hung up the phone in a daze as she thought about AJ. When the two had started going out, Elizabeth had been head over heels in love with him. As the newness of their relationship wore off, the feeling disappeared. Now, she felt that she was just going through the motions. AJ�s callous attitude towards their relationship bothered her. She knew he cared about her, but it wasn�t enough. She wanted more and AJ just couldn�t give it to her.

�Who was that on the phone?� Lila asked eagerly. �Was it Brian?�

Elizabeth nodded � The guys will be over in about half an hour. Nick�s unpacking a little before they come.�

�So, have we decided what we�re gonna do today?� Jessica asked. She wasn�t really feeling up to a daylong excursion somewhere. I just want to be alone today.

�I think we�re just going to hang around here for a while. I don�t think the guys have anything in mind,� Lila replied glancing over at Elizabeth for confirmation.

Elizabeth's attention was focused on the floor. Her finger was toying with a strand of her short brown hair. She had a distant far away look in her muddy brown eyes. The sort of look that she usually got whenever she was preoccupied with something.

Jessica immediately noticed something was wrong. She eyed her friend with concern. � Liz. What�s wrong? What are you thinking about?�

Elizabeth looked up her eyes bright. �I was just thinking about AJ,� she replied exhaling loudly.

�Are you guys having problems?� Jessica asked gently. She was silently glad for the diversion. Maybe this would take her mind off of her own problems for a while.

�I remember you saying a few days ago that you weren�t sure where your relationship was headed. Are you still feeling insecure?� Lila asked with concern. She placed her perfectly manicured hand on her friend�s knee. �Let it out,� she coaxed gently.

�I know I care about AJ a lot. I�m beginning to think that I�m attracted to him solely on a physical level though. Emotionally, the bond is broken. There�s no passion or fire in our relationship like there used to be when we first started out. I want that. I need that. I think I�m beginning to realize that AJ and I will never have that in our relationship,� Elizabeth sighed.

�All relationships are like that at first. When you start going out, you feel like you�re the only two people in the world. After you adjust to each other, your relationship changes. Your relationship has probably grown in so many other ways since you two started dating,� Jessica said quietly.

�I used to feel like that. AJ was the only one for me. I mean, he really understood me and he still does,� Elizabeth said. Elizabeth had so much creative energy that some people had a hard time accepting it. AJ understood her because he possessed the same energy as she did. That was one of the things that had brought the two closer in the first place.

�Maybe you should talk to AJ about it. Let him know how you feel," Lila suggested.

�The problem is I don�t know how I feel. There are so many things about AJ that attract him to me. On the other hand, there are so many things that make me certain we shouldn�t be together.�

Lila enveloped her friend in a warm hug. �I think you should give it some time before you make a decision. We�re here if you need us,� Lila said squeezing Elizabeth�s arm.

�I�m just so scared and confused. I don�t want to loose AJ�s friendship. I�m not sure if I can go through the pain of losing him,� Elizabeth said as tears welled up in her eyes.

Jessica reached for her friend�s hand. �I know exactly what you mean. It�s hard to let go of someone that you once thought you loved. Someone that you trusted with all your heart only to end up being hurt and alone in the end,� Jessica said bitterly as hot tears stung at her eyes. Lila and Elizabeth exchanged knowing looks. They both knew that Jessica was speaking about her own experience with Justin. She had been hurt badly. She was having a hard time getting over him despite all that he had done to her.

Elizabeth squeezed Jessica�s hand tightly. She opened her mouth to console her friend just as the doorbell rang. The guys had arrived. �We�ll continue this later Jess. He�s out of your life. He can�t hurt you anymore,� Elizabeth said softly.

�I know it must be hard for you Jess. You have to try to put it behind you. Let�s go open the door,� Lila said in an attempt to brighten Jessica�s mood.

�You guys go ahead. I�ll be there in a second,� Jessica said quickly. The girls left her alone to go answer the door. Why can�t I put it behind me? He hurt me so badly. Jessica reached for a tissue. She dabbed at her eyes. She didn�t want the guys to see her like this. She repeated Elizabeth�s words silently to herself. He�s out of your life. He can�t hurt you anymore. He�s out of your life�