Ever so slowly, she gazed down at herself. Swaths of her bare golden brown skin could be seen through the sheets. A sick feeling suddenly washed over her. Scanning the room, reality dawned on her. As she looked around she observed that in their eagerness last night, the floor had been carelessly littered with their clothes.

With a sigh, Elizabeth tried to supress the sobs rising inside her. Tears stung relentlessly at the corners of her eyes as feelings of regret took over her body. Why did he do this? Something must have happened for AJ to change his attitude towards me. What could it be? Every instinct in her body told her that it had something to do with Mya.

As much as Elizabeth wanted to believe that AJ’s actions last night were a result of his affection towards her, she couldn’t. She had looked into his eyes last night. His eyes reflected pain and hurt instead of love or affection. Just knowing that she should have stopped things last night but didn’t made her stomach churn.

She’d allowed her feelings for AJ in the past to overpower her. Last night with AJ, she had somehow managed to convince herself that what they were doing was right. As right as it had felt, Elizabeth now realized that they had slept with each other for all the wrong reasons. Elizabeth had done it out of loneliness, in a desperate attempt to cling onto to anything at all that was left of their relationship.

Staring at AJ’s sleeping figure, her urge to find out his motives for last night became stronger. She had to know if her suspicions were wrong. Had he done all of this out of love or something else? She knew she still cared about him a lot. The question now was did he?

It could be love, she reasoned with herself. As the thoughts formulated in her mind, the realization dawned on her. It’s love for someone else, she thought bitterly.

The sound of glass tinkling as it hit the floor hard shook Lila from her daydream about Brian. Wiping her tears quickly, she jumped up from her bed and ran to the kitchen.

She reached the kitchen, unprepared for what she saw. Jessica stood next to the table shards of glass and a puddle of water at her feet. Her face was ashen and her hands shaking uncontrollably, she looked as though she had seen a ghost.

“Jess? What happened?” Lila asked with concern. “Honey? Are you okay?”

Finally noticing Lila, Jessica snapped out of her trance-like state. “I’m fine,” she finally managed her voice coming out small and scared.

“No you aren’t. What happened here?” Lila asked gesturing at the floor.

“I had a little accident,” Jessica mumbled almost incoherently. “I’ll clean it up,” she muttered avoiding Lila’s eyes. Jessica quickly stooped low and began picking up the shards of fallen glass. Her tears streamed freely down her face mingling with the spilt water on the floor.

Lila cautiously bent down next to Jessica, placing a reassuring arm on her shoulder. “Look at me,” she instructed firmly.

Jessica lifted her face slowly, her eyes meeting Lila's inquisitive stare. The pieces of glass slowly fell from her hands back to the ground as she sat back on her heels. She suddenly didn’t care about being strong anymore. She just wanted all the pain to go away. “When will it stop hurting Lila?” she asked timidly. She wanted to tell Lila more, but at the moment she couldn’t.

Lila pulled her into a warm hug. No words were exchanged. Lila offered no sympathetic response or comforting words. Jessica’s question remained unanswered for the pair already knew the answer in their hearts. Especially Jessica. It would never fully stop hurting. The pain would forever live on in her memories.

AJ stirred slightly under her gaze. He stretched lazily before opening his eyes. The face he saw before him when he did however was not the one was hoping to see. As Elizabeth’s face focussed into view, AJ could feel crimson blush creep into face his ashamedly. The memories of last night came flooding back to him in a rush and suddenly AJ prayed that he was dreaming.

The pair gazed at each other momentarily similar thoughts running through their minds as they both contemplated their next moves. Elizabeth sat before AJ, her bed sheet strategically covering certain areas yet revealing enough to confirm the sinking feeling in AJ’s stomach. He knew that he wasn’t dreaming. Last night hadn’t been some sort of fantasy. It was real.

As the couple stared uncertainly at each other, it was all too clear to AJ. As right as last night may have felt at the time, AJ knew he had made a big mistake. Whatever feelings he’d possessed for Elizabeth in the past were just that. A thing of the past. His heart had since moved on.

“AJ,” Elizabeth said reproachfully. Up until then, the silence in the room had almost been palpable. She had to know. As incredible as last had been for her, she wasn’t sure if AJ felt the same way.

In her heart there was a sinking suspicion that AJ’s sudden outburst of passion for her wasn’t heartfelt. His eyes last night as she kissed him had given it all away. In them Elizabeth saw hurt, embarrassment and pain. They were the eyes of someone who was nursing a broken heart; desperately seeking someone – anyone, to love. It was something Elizabeth herself was all too familiar with.

“Do you care about her?” she suddenly blurted in a rush. AJ stared back at her dumbfounded for a few seconds. “I’ve seen you with her before,” she added softly.

AJ immediately averted his eyes to the ground. He wanted so badly to tell her that Mya meant nothing to him. That he didn’t need or want her in his life. In some sort of twisted way, he wanted to prove to himself that last night while he was with Elizabeth he wasn’t thinking about Mya. He couldn’t tell Elizabeth about any of this though because she knew him too well. He couldn’t lie to her.

Elizabeth waited impatiently for AJ’s answer. Her heart sank lower and lower with each silent second that passed. Each second AJ didn’t answer her confirmed what Elizabeth already knew but didn’t want to admit. He was in love with someone else. She had given him up for someone else to take and someone had done just that.

She swallowed hard, somehow managing to hold her tears back. Soon though, she found herself struggling to keep from breaking down in front of AJ. Trying to suppress a sob, she placed her hand over her mouth. Her body shook vehemently and her face contorted with hurt as she fought back her tears.

AJ reached towards her hoping to comfort her. “Don’t touch me,” she whispered angrily pulling away from him. “Don’t ever touch me again,” she said coldly.

AJ drew back from her quickly as if he had been struck. “Liz. Let me explain.”

“Just get out please,” she whimpered.

Helplessly AJ clambered out of the bed. Picking up his clothes which were strewn about the floor, he turned back to her. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. He truly was.

“Just go,” came her muffled reply.

He turned back to her his mouth opening and closing several times. With a parting glance, and a heavy heart he finally left the room quietly. This time he knew that it was the final goodbye.

As the door closed for what Elizabeth was now certain was the last time, she hurled her pillow at it. A loud cry emitted from her as she broke down into a bout of seemingly endless sobs.

Jessica lay alone on top of her bed, the house silent. She had managed to convince Lila and Elizabeth that she was fine and just needed some time alone to reflect. After much cajoling and convincing the girls had finally relented and agreed to give Jessica some piece of mind.

Lila had gone over to Brian’s and Elizabeth had decided to go upstate to visit a friend for the day. She’d given them some pre-thought up excuse that she just needed a breather. Jessica was well aware that Elizabeth’s “breather” was just another way to get away from her problems – namely AJ. Jessica had seen a subdued AJ leave the house alone this morning.

As Jessica lay on her bed, she began to feel very alone. She started to wish that she hadn’t asked the girls to leave. She began wishing that someone was by her side so she wouldn’t have to live through the memories all by herself.

Images of Nick raced through her mind. She contemplated calling him and telling him that she needed him. The way she felt when Nick held her, when he pulled her close was indescribable. It was a seemingly innocent gesture; holding her in his arms, but for Jessica it was so much more. His arms were her sanity. They were her sanction from the miserable world of pain and fear that she was forced to live in constantly. As much as she wanted to call him, to feel him next to her, she decided against it. Nick couldn’t be there all the time. She had to learn to cope with her problems by herself.

With a sigh, Jessica closed her eyes attempting to get some rest. The moment she forgot about the world around her though, he was ready and waiting for her. She saw his outline first, then his face and then his eyes. They flashed at her indignantly. “If you tell anyone about this, I’ll do it again,” he promised his face close to hers. His breathing was ragged and shallow as his eyes bore into hers.

“No!” Jessica screamed, her eyes snapping open quickly. As her vision cleared the room began to spin around her. She suddenly began to feel stifled by the walls, which were closing in on her by the second. His voice echoed from every inch of the room it seemed. His throaty growl resounding in her ears. She had to get out. She couldn’t take it anymore.

Dizzily, she flew out of her room and down the stairs. Spying her keys on the table by the entrance she grabbed them. Even in her frame of mind, the paranoia that Justin was lurking about was still present.

At this moment though she was too pre-occupied with her thoughts to be scared. Stepping outside, she locked the door quickly and stuck the key absentmindedly in her pocket. Ready to head down the stairs, she suddenly stopped as something caught her attention.

Peeking out of the mailbox was a bouquet of freshly cut white roses – her favorite. Intrigued, she gingerly removed the roses from the mailbox delicately breathing in their scent as her eyes wandered the ground in front of her. The person who had cleverly deposited them there was no where to be seen.

Returning her attention promptly to the flowers, she realized there was a note attached to them. ‘Jessica’ it stated simply in an elegant flowing handwriting. As she fingered the envelope, a tingle of excitement raced through her body. They must be from Nick. Giddy with excitement, she balanced the roses in one hand while carefully opening the card with the other. All thoughts of Justin had long since disappeared.

The card was written in the same fancy scrawl; hardly something she would expect from Nick. Her eyes scanning the card quickly and she noticed that elusively it was not signed. She began reading slowly absorbing every line intently.

Nights are cold and days are long without you by my side. Time slows to a standstill as I wait for you and I to be together as one. Life’s trials and tribulations seem almost meaningless and non-existent if I can’t share them with you. Every step I take and every move I make is one closer to you.

As Jessica read and re-read the last line an unwarranted chill ran up her spine. What did Nick mean by that? She stared at the paper, her face scrunched in confusion totally unaware of the eerie silence around her and his watchful eyes. [Next Chapter].[Table of Contents].