Staring at the cordless phone resting on her night table as if it were a foreign object, she had the sudden urge to call him. She just needed to hear his voice to make sure that he was all right.

“Don’t do this Liz. It’s a mistake,” she warned herself sternly. What would she do if AJ actually picked up the phone? What would she say? That she was sorry? Sorry for what? Breaking his heart, treating him badly? Maybe both.

She stared at the phone absentmindedly for a few minutes. I can’t do this. Why can’t I just leave him alone?

She couldn’t leave him alone because she cared about him. She cared so much about him. In the next second, she had seized up the phone and was unsteadily punching in the memorized digits of AJ’s number.

Her heart was pounding wildly as she pressed her ear against the receiver. She listened anxiously as the phone rang once, twice, three times without an answer. She nervously toyed with her hair as the phone rang and rang. With each ring, her heart began to beat faster and faster. Just as she was about to resign to the fact that AJ was not home, the line clicked and AJ finally picked up the phone.

“Hello?” His voice was different. It was icy and cold. It sounded nothing like the voice that she was so used to. It was not even remotely close to the voice that was usually so calm and soothing that it could make her forget about anything that was bothering her. Instead, this voice gave her goose bumps and made the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“Hello?” AJ repeated impatiently into the receiver.

Elizabeth struggled to say something, but she couldn’t make a sound. She could feel her throat constricting as she tried to formulate the words. Say something! her mind scolded.

She could hear AJ’s steady breathing on the other end of the line. She couldn’t do this. Not to herself and not to AJ. In a rush of emotions, she quickly hung up the phone as the tears began brimming at her eyes. What had she just done? What was she thinking?

Elizabeth sat staring at the phone. She would never realize it herself, but she was actually waiting for a sign. A sign from AJ that he still cared. A sign that she subconsciously knew she would never receive. He must have known that it was me, she reasoned.

She waited and waited for AJ to call her back. Each second that passed felt like an eternity as her heart sunk lower and lower. AJ was not going to call. She had hurt him too badly for him to care.

“I miss you AJ,” she said her voice barely audible as her eyes fell upon their picture resting on her night table. She picked it up and cradled it as the tears streamed down her face.

She did miss him. What could she do though? She had brought this on herself. She had followed her heart and she had broken his. She deserved all the feelings of loneliness and sadness that she experienced. But what about AJ? He didn’t deserve any of those feelings at all.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she traced AJ’s outline in the picture with her fingers.

“Elizabeth,” AJ murmured to himself as he replaced the phone in its cradle. He knew it had been her. I wonder why she called? For a long tome, AJ contemplated calling her back. What’s the point? he thought bitterly. She would just tell him more lies and make more empty promises. What could she possibly have to say that would be of any importance to him?

“Forget about her man. You don’t need her in your life,” AJ told himself aloud. Once the words escaped his lips, AJ regretted saying them. AJ wanted to be with her so badly and he did need her in his life. He missed her touch, her smile, her scent – everything.

He looked around his room distractedly. Everything his eyes fell upon reminded him of her. His closet, which was full of clothes that she had helped him pick out, his television set where they had viewed countless movies together and the bed where they had often lay whispering secrets into each others ears. AJ realized now that those had all been sweet nothings. She had never meant a single word that she had said. To her, AJ was just a toy. He was a toy she had played with and then quickly outgrown.

In frustration, AJ slammed his fist into the pillow upon his bed. What was it about her? Why wasn’t t clear to him? Elizabeth didn’t want AJ in her life. She didn’t want to share herself with him the way he wanted her to. She didn’t need him to be there for her anymore.

Angrily AJ picked himself off the bed. He had to get out of his room, which held him a prisoner. A prisoner to thoughts and images of her that ran through his mind. Getting out would surely allow him to forget. It had to.

AJ stalked down the stairs. He was faintly aware of Nick and Brian’s voices as he made his way down the stairs. Spying his keys in their usual spot on the table near the door he picked them up roughly. He didn’t bother to tell Nick or Brian where he was going. He didn’t care if they would be worried or what they would have to say. Nothing mattered to him without her. Nothing at all.

As AJ opened the front door, a gust of cool wind greeted him. Shivering slightly he glanced up at the sky over head before continuing down the beach. In a matter of minutes the radiant sun and usually crystal clear blue sky had been engulfed by a mass of grey clouds. Angry storm clouds loomed above him as he walked. AJ could feel the faint raindrops on his face as they fell. The weather matched his mood exactly. Angry, moody and liable to blow at any moment without forewarning.

AJ hesitated slightly before deciding to carry on down the beach. He glanced up again at the storm clouds brewing above him. As AJ returned his eyes to the view in front of him, they fell upon a lone figure standing near the shoreline of the water. To the best of his recollection it hadn’t been there a few seconds ago. Who would be crazy enough to go outside in weather like this? He smiled slightly at his own ironic question.

Suddenly, the mystery figure turned to face him. AJ sucked in his breath as he took in the sight. Her jet-black hair contrasted with her pale peaches and cream complexion. Her piercing clear blue eyes bore holes into his as he stared at her totally enraptured. Her eyes sparkled as she stared back at him. In her eyes though, AJ noticed urgency. They called out to him, willing him to ease her pain. He studied her face carefully. She looked so lost, so lonely. Her face lacked both vibrance and emotion.

AJ wanted so badly to go over and talk to her, but he couldn’t. His legs wouldn’t move. He wouldn’t allow himself to, because she would just end up hurting him the same way that Elizabeth had. She would use him as a shoulder to cry on until she found someone else. Besides, he didn’t even know her. He had never even met her and would never see her again.

Rain began to pelt down to the ground soaking him as he stood. Turning on his heel, AJ threw one last look at her. She stood unfazed by the weather off in a world of her own as she stared out at the churning waters ahead.

No sooner had AJ turned, did his thoughts return to Elizabeth. He missed her so much. As the raindrops fell harder AJ began walking faster. Climbing the patio steps to the beach house two at time, he fished around in his pocket for his keys. As he inserted the key into the door he turned slightly back towards the water. She was gone.

Lila punched in Brian’s number shakily, her palms damp with sweat as she clenched the phone. She absolutely hated storms. Anything unpredictable scared her to death. She hated surprises and always made sure that she planned and over analyzed everything that went on in her life.

“Hey baby,” Brian answered.

“How’d you know it was me?”

“ I know these things. Are you coming over?”

“ Yeah,” Lila replied secretly pleased. Brian knew about her phobia of the unpredictable. He was always so accommodating when she need his help. “I’m gonna tell Jess and Liz to come too. After our flooding incident last summer I’m not sure if it’s such a good idea to stay here.”

“Of course,” Brian replied. The girls had come home last summer to find their place flooded due to broken water main. The excess water from the storm had flooded the whole place. They had had the whole place renovated and revamped, but the girls, especially Lila, were still leery of storms.

“See you soon. I love you,” the pair said almost simultaneously.

Lila hung up the phone carefully, a pleased smile forming upon her lips. She was so glad that she was going to be with Brian soon. He would hold her in his arms and give her a sense of security no one else could. He’d make sure that she’d be all right.

Lila walked into the den in search of Elizabeth and Jessica. She found them both staring lifelessly at the TV each involved with their own thoughts.

Lila’s was certain that Jessica’s thoughts revolved around Nick and Elizabeth’s around AJ. Lila’s presence was finally noticed as she cleared her throat slightly. Wide-eyed Jessica and Elizabeth both turned their attention to her.

“We’re going over to the guys place for a while. We can’t stay here with a storm like this brewing,” Lila announced.

“You guys go ahead without me. I’ll be fine alone,” Elizabeth said her face ashen. There was no way she could face AJ much less be in such close quarters with him.

“C’mon Liz. We can’t leave you here alone,” Jessica reasoned. In spite of herself, she was excited to see Nick. She had been searching for a reason all-day long to see him and now she had one.

“I can’t,” came Elizabeth’s flat reply. What would she say to AJ? How would she be able to look at him?

“Liz. There is no way you are staying here alone. It’s not safe,” Lila said gesturing towards the window.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. You’ll have us to keep you company,” Jessica told her.

Elizabeth listened silently as she watched the raindrops forming on the windowpane. She watched in fascination as the raindrops trickled down the glass slowly. “You have us,” Jessica words echoed in Elizabeth’s mind. Her statement couldn’t be farther from the truth. Lila had Brian, Jessica now had Nick. Who did she have? No one. The saddest part of the whole situation was that she had brought it on herself. It could be different. It could be so different, she thought.

The rain had eased up slightly but road conditions were still quite treacherous as the girls slowly made their way to the guy’s place. The excess water from the rain had already formed large puddles on the road making driving a difficult task.

Jessica peered out the window of Lila’s red Mazda Miata as they inched their way down the road. She was excited and scared at the same time about seeing Nick again. As hard as she tried, she just couldn’t deny her feelings for him any longer. Nick was able to make her feel things in ways she’d never experienced before. Just talking with him gave her a sense of security and comfort, which she hadn’t felt since Justin left her.

Jessica shivered involuntarily as she remembered the feeling of Nick’s hand in hers as he had helped her up on the beach. His touch was so warm, so gentle, so much unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

The intensity of her feelings for Nick frightened her at times. She had never felt something so strong towards anyone. Even when she had started liking Justin, it was nothing like this. Jessica was beginning to get scared that her feelings for Nick meant that she was falling in love with him. She couldn’t let that happen to her again. She had fallen in love once and was still recovering from its consequences. She was still hurting because as much as she had loved him, he had never loved her back. If he had, he never would have hurt her the way that he did. It was because she had fallen in love that she was scared of her own shadow, scared of trusting others and most of all getting of close to anyone.

Jessica’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Lila’s Mazda Miata came to a halt in front of the guy’s house. Taking a deep breath, Jessica scrambled out of the car trailing close behind Lila and Elizabeth. The girls made it to the patio without getting too wet. A brisk wind sifted through the air as Jessica rang the doorbell impatiently tapping her foot.

They waited a few seconds before Brian opened the door for them and they entered quickly. Within seconds, Lila was already in Brian’s arms and the two were entangled in a serious kiss.

Not wanting to interrupt their sudden outburst of passion, Jessica and Elizabeth headed towards the den. As they passed the rooms on the way, Jessica discreetly kept her eyes peeled making sure Nick wasn’t in any of them. Elizabeth on the other hand kept her head bent down low hoping to avoid any chance encounters with AJ, which could occur along the way.

As the girls approached the den, they heard the blaring of the television set. As they entered to Elizabeth's surprise, they found AJ perched on the couch next to Nick. Elizabeth immediately noticed the dark circles under his eyes and his dishevelled hair. His eyes were on the TV set, but it was obvious that his mind was somewhere else. Elizabeth and Jessica stood awkwardly at the entrance not sure whether they should enter or not.

Nick turned to face them, his eyes locking with Jessica’s. It was a powerful but short-lived gaze. AJ noticed Nick’s stare and followed his eyes. His eyes fell upon Elizabeth who stood looking as beautiful and sad as ever. Suddenly he felt sick to his stomach. He couldn’t bear to be in the same room as her. It was too painful for him to be in such close proximity to her and not be able to touch her.

Abruptly AJ rose to his feet. “I’ll catch you guys later,” he mumbled as he brushed past Elizabeth and Jessica.

“Wait. Don’t go,” Elizabeth blurted suddenly placing her arm on AJ’s shoulder.

All AJ had to do was look into her eyes. They silently pleaded with him not to leave her – to stay and listen to what she had to say. Looking at her AJ knew that was exactly what he would do.

[Next Chapter].[Table of Contents].