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


    Mnie wouldn''t mind. The door opened to a grinning Mnie 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 Mnie, she entered the house. "Whats up Liz?" Mnie 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


    as he let out a delighted giggle. Mnie 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?" Mnie asked as Liza continued to y with Max. Liza let out a sigh and


    ced Max in his chair beside her.She should have known that Mnie would figure it out within


    minutes. "I had a talk with Jonathan" Liza said, on seeing a confused expression on Mnie''s face she


    continued "about our past". Mnie let out a gasp. She knew that even though Liza imed 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. Mnie 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 painter. I can''t


    go back into the rtionship with Jonathan anymore, it will suffocate me." Mnie 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 onught of golden light streaming in


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    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 sincest two days. Talking to Jonathan had taken a toll on


    her. Thankfully, Mnie and Carson had weed 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 herst night, talking to her about their childhood, about how he had met


    Mnie. Carson had talked about his mistakes, his fears and how Liza, Mnie 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 oveed them


    and moved on. Carson had found love of his life in Mnie, once they had ovee their differences,


    but Liza knew that this wasn''t an option for her because unlike Jonathan, Mnie 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 offst 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 Mnie tried to cate. 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 Mnie took the Cell phone


    from Liza and sent the reply to Steve. Liza shrieked as Mnie 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 Mnie had to go ahead and add the wink and suggestive


    text. Liza groaned as she read the text again. Secondster, her Cell phone dinged and disyed "I


    am excited for this date too :)" from Steve. Mnie 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 thest two days locked up in his room. He knew that Liza would nevere 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 ovee anything, arger part of him seemed to ept 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.