Chapter 5: Arrangements


    Liza entered her apartment, taking in the pictures adorning the wall, the ck rug that Carson had


    brought for her when he had gone to Russia, the warm beige couches and instantly felt rxed. She


    had moved out from Carson''s and Mnie''s apartment after a year of getting job. They had never


    made her feel unweed but she knew that like every other couple they needed their own privacy


    and their own space. So she had moved out and had bought this apartment. It seemed to be perfect for


    her. It was a cozy two bedroom apartment. Liza had spentst three years making the apartment. Her


    apartment was now a symbol that she was independent, that she didn''t need to depend on anyone.


    She was proud of all of her achievements and making a home for herself in California was one of them.


    She took in a deep breath and let her shoulders rx. Her mind unwinding from the events of the


    previous day. She had expected a chaotic wedding, it was Krista''s wedding after all but she hadn''t


    expected to meet Jonathan and neither had she expected to get drunk enough to pass out. She closed


    the door behind her and started removing her dress. After changing into a long T-Shirt probably


    belonging to Alex, she lied down on the bed her face hitting the pillow and her body sinking into the soft


    mattress.


    She turned over so that she was on her back now andid there staring at the stars that Carson and


    Alex had helped her to stick on the ceiling. The Glow in dark stars were childish and she knew that but


    she didn''t mind the little bit of childishness in her life. She had spent too much time acting like a grown


    up, being mature about things, keeping quite when she should have thrown a tantrum or should have


    raised hell. The glow in dark stars reminded her that sometimes you have to demand things, you have


    to be stubborn and you have to keep your life simple and not overthink things just like a kid does.


    Liza realized now that maybe somethings that had gone down between her and Jonathan had been her


    fault as well. Had she been more trusting towards him, more open about her past, they would have


    been in a different ce. Maybe he would havee to her to discuss his problems, maybe he would


    have told her about the kiss with Stacy. Had she been more independent then she would not have


    depended on Jonathan like he was her lifeline. She would have found a way to survive.


    It was funny in a way, the love she had craved for all her life, had been given to her and then had been


    snatched away just as quickly. She had spent more than a year to make herself trust Jonathan, to


    remove the suspicion that was always there in the back of her mind and when she had finally gotten rid


    of it and was convinced that what she and Jonathan had would stay the same forever she had found


    out that nothing stays frozen in time, people change and their feelings change too.


    Maybe Jonathan had loved her when he imed to do so, four years back but she had realized that


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    she could never look at him in the same way., that whenever he would go to some trip leaving her


    behind she would always worry if he was recing her with someone else that night and she could not


    live with that agony for the rest of her life. So she left him. After four years she thought that she was


    finally over him but now after seeing him again even if it was only for a few minutes, all the feelings that


    had been buried had risen again.


    All the feelings of anger, stinging betrayal, and her love that had kept her from leaving him for so long


    had made a reappearance and now her mind was in chaos. She wanted to treat the encounter with


    indifference, just like she wished to treat Jonathan, like a stranger but she couldn''t do it. She


    remembered how her heart beat had increased when she had seen him and how her skin had


    suddenly be hot when he had held her hand even if it was just for a second.


    Her mind reyed every single moment of their encounter and she continued to think about what if''s in


    her life that she would never find answers too. It had been hours and Liza was still in her bed , her eyes


    wide open as she picked apart ever single moment , thinking what she could have done differently,,


    how she could have reacted differently, more professionally, till she realized what she had been doing .


    She was freaking out over a chance meeting. She was freaking out, worrying over Jonathan, one thing


    she had promised never to do again. She wanted to stop it but she found herself to be unable to do so.


    So, she decided that she was allowed to freak out over her encounter for one day, just for today.


    Tomorrow she would go back to the calm and collected Liza that she pretended to be in front of


    everyone.


    Jonathan grinned as he fixed his tie. He was finally signing the deal. Initially he had nned on


    refusing Leslie''s proposal but after seeing Liza he decided that it didn''t matter if the deal was risky or


    could cost him millions if he got a chance to get Liza back. He looked in the mirror and was startled to


    see a little sparkle in his eyes. It had been four years since he had gotten ex cited over anything and it


    was startling to see that just seeing Liza again could bring such a change in him. He walked out of his


    condo and into the softly lit hallway. He saw Leslie''s car parked outside as he walked to the front door


    of the building.


    He dimmed his smile as he walked towards the car, making it barely noticeable and his eyes lost their


    warmth as he put on hi business man mask. He had learned through his experience that it is best not to


    show emotions while conducting business. He had learned to keep his face in an expressionless like it


    was made of stone. It had been difficult at first but after Liza had left it became easier. It became


    natural to him and his face grew more and more expressionless, his hear grew colder little by little. He


    did not lose who he was but he simply learned to control himself and put on fa?ade of a ruthless


    businessman.


    The chauffeur opened the gate and revealed a grinning Leslie. Jonathan could tell that her smile wasn''t


    real. "It''s a pleasure to see you Mr. West" she said her smile dripping with insincerity. "Same here Ms.


    Santiago" Jonathan replied giving her a sharine smile of his own. Both of them knew that neither of


    them would hesitate to cut down another if it came to their own survival and this was what made any


    deal between them work. The car stopped outside a beautiful restaurant. "Let''s seal our deal while


    having a wonderful dinner shall we" Leslie said. "Of course Ms. Santiago". Soon they were seated at


    their table and the first course of their dinner had been served. "I am curious Mr. West, Why did you put


    the condition that Ms. Nestor will have to assist you in heading this branch and why choose this


    branch?." Leslie asked. "Not that any it''s any of your business Ms. Santiago but I will still answer your


    question. I believe that Ms. Nestor is extremely good at what she does and since this is my first venture


    in field of publishing." Jonathan answered tersely.


    He did not want anyone to especially Leslie to know about the history he shared with Liza and so he


    decided to be as terse about it as possible. "Of course it is my business Mr. West. Liza is my best


    employee." Leslie said and Jonathan realized that however shrewd business woman Leslie seemed to


    be, she definitely cared for Liza. "Don''t worry Ms. Santiago Ms. Nestor would be working under a good


    boss? Surely, you don''t doubt my skills, do you?" he replied shing her a charming smile. "I don''t


    doubt you skill Mr. west, in fact I am very much confident about your skills and this is what worries me


    the most" Leslie muttered.


    Liza woke up around seven in the evening. The sky outside was a mix of orange and blue giving it a


    unique glow. She had slept through the whole day and now her whole body was aching from stiffness.


    Liza cracked her neck as she made her way out of the room and into the kitchen. She poured a ss


    of ice cold water for herself and started deciding upon what she would make for dinner. Her stomach


    was growling with hunger, so she decided to skip the tedious process of making a proper dinner and


    simply ordered a Pizza. As she put down the phone after ordering Pizza, she realized that tomorrow


    she would have to go office.


    Usually she loved going to office, even if it was hectic and sometimes Leslie could be a pain but still


    she loved her Job and enjoyed doing it but today she just wished that she had one more day to rx,


    to not deal with the drama of daily life. she never realized that when she was groaning at the thought of


    the office, on the other end of the city there was Jonathan who had finally signed the deal and was


    softly smiling to himself, half listening to Leslie talk about all the great things theirpany''s would do


    together while thinking about the seeing the woman he loved again.