Sensibility (Teen, A/T, Mi/I, A/L) Ch. 4 up 7/13 Complete

[LysCat]

Title: Sensibility
Author: Alysia
Category: Alternate Universe without aliens
Couple(s): Alex/Tess, mentions of Alex/Liz, Isabel/Michael, some M/L moments, but no real romance.
Summery: After discovering her best friend and former lover is getting married, Liz realizes that she’s in love with him. What will she do?
Disclaimer: I don’t own any characters familiar to Roswell.
Author’s note: Anytime that you see writing in italics, that means that it is a flashback.



Prologue

“How was dinner?” Serena Goss asked, as her sister walked through the front door. She immediately grew worried when her sister leaned against the door, her shoulders shaking. “Liz?” She asked again. When there was no response, her concern grew as she approached the woman. “Lizzie, what happened?” She demanded, forcefully turning the crying woman around.

The last thing that she ever expected was for her sister to return from dinner with her best friend in tears.

“He’s getting married!” Liz said through her sobs and cries.

Serena’s eyes widened at the unexpected news. “What?” Sure, he and Liz hadn’t kept constant contact since he’d moved away, but judging by her sister’s reaction, he hadn’t even mentioned that he was dating someone.

“That’s exactly what I said,” Liz sniveled. “I...I can’t believe it. I mean...I know that things got weird between us, but I didn’t even know that he was in a serious relationship.”

Serena lead her sister to the couch and told her start from the beginning.

"Hey stranger,” Liz greeted as she approached his table. She’d taken extra care in getting ready for that night. She made sure that her hair was curled just the way he’d always liked it, she’d even worn a dress that she picked specifically for him, because she knew he loved her in red. She didn’t want to make it look like she had tried too hard, so she kept her make up natural, but she wanted to make him notice that she took an interest in looking good for him.

Hearing her voice, he turned around, his mouth falling open in surprise. He’d seen Liz dressed up before, but not like this...not for him. “Wow, you are so beautiful,” he complimented her.

Smiling shyly, Liz looked down to his dress shirt before meeting his gaze once again. He looked specially handsome in his blue dress shirt. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she replied, playing with the breast pocket.

“Come here.” He embraced her into his arms for a welcoming hug.

Breathing in his familiar scent, Liz’s eyes fluttered shut. This was it, it was their second chance. She knew that she made a mess of things before he left, but she hoped that like her, he was looking to maybe start things up again, maybe even go in it for the long haul. She didn’t appreciate him the last time around, but the past eight months without him, made her realize that it was torture without his everyday presence in her life. No, this time, she wouldn’t take advantage of him or what he brought to her life.

“I can’t believe that I’m finally seeing you again,” she confessed, lying her head on his collar bone. He was always so much taller then her.

“I know,” he agreed, once they finally pulled away. Ever the gentleman, he escorted Liz to her seat before claiming his own once again. “I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered you a drink. You still drink Rum and Coke, don’t you?”

Liz nodded. “Thank you. So, tell me...what’s been going on?”

“Oh...you know, the usual,” he brushed off as he took a sip of his own alcoholic drink. “You know, I had this whole evening planned. I was going to get through dinner before I really intended on saying what I wanted to, but...now that you’re here, I just can’t wait.”

Hope flared within Liz upon hearing his statement. “Oh?” She asked, trying to play it cool. “And what’s that?”

“You’re my dearest friend, and I...I’m sorry for the way I left town so abruptly. I hope you accept my apology, but under the circumstances, I thought it would be better.”

His words brought forth painful memories, but she pushed them all aside. That was the past, and now...they could concentrate on the future. “I do...and you’re right. We weren’t , it wasn’t the best situation for either of us.” She looked down to notice his hand resting on the table. She grabbed it within in her own. “And I hope you forgive me for the things that I did. I was so callous and...selfish. I’m so sorry for pushing you away the way that I did.”

He nodded, not pulling his hand away. “I know,” he admitted. “For a while after I left, I was angry with you, but...now I realize that, even though that was a painful time for me, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it hadn’t happened.” He looked down at their joined hands and smiled before pulling her hand up from the table and trapping it between both of his. “I meant to come down sooner, but between my job and everything else...”

Liz smiled and acknowledged his excuse. “It’s tough getting away.”

He nodded. “It is. The reason why I came out here is...I’m getting married.”

Liz was shocked into silence with his admission. He was getting married? No, that couldn’t be right. It had only been eight months since they were last together, and he was never one to jump into a relationship. No, she must have heard that wrong. “What?”

“Her name’s Tess Harding...she’s just graduated from college and...she’s absolutely perfect. I never thought that when I met her that anything would come from us, but...I guess life had other plans for us.”

“God, I’m so stupid!” Liz cried out. “Here I was, so excited to see him again, I dressed up for him, thinking that he had come here for a reconciliation, when all along, he just wanted to tell me his upcoming nuptials,” she whined.

Serena’s heart broke for her sister. “You’re not stupid, Liz,” she denied softly.

Her sister had the bad break of being unlucky in love. Her first serious boyfriend wound up being married. That was a difficult time in itself, first loves were hard to get over. Luckily, her sister bounced back easily enough...after a month of mourning. It was her next boyfriend that ruined things. Kyle fucking Valenti, just the thought of him, made Serena’s blood boil. He whisked Liz off her feet, whispering promises of love and forever. It was almost forever too, until Liz discovered that he was cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend...a week before their wedding. Now this...

“I am,” Liz argued. “I had this perfect guy. I mean we grew up together, we were always close...and I ruined it all, and now I’ve lost him.”

“Liz...” Serena trailed off, not exactly sure what to say to comfort her.

“God! Alex! I can’t believe he’s getting married!” It wasn’t fair! After all the bad hands that she’d been dealt...he should be her’s. She knew it wasn’t right, after all, she’d had her chance...and she’d blown it.

“I can’t stay here...I can’t live like this,” Alex exploded, jumping out of bed and gathering his clothes.

“Like what?” Liz asked as she stood up as well, holding the sheet around her small frame.

“Like...this!” He gestured to the room around them. “I...put in for a transfer at work...I leave at the end of next week.

Her heart dropped into her stomach. “And you were just...never going to tell me?” She demanded. A week and a half? That’s all they had left?

He angrily threw on his clothes before marching up to her. “I was waiting for...” he trailed off with a sigh.

Genuinely confused, she stared into his blue eyes. “For what?”

“For something more.”

What was he waiting for? What more could he want? They were together weren’t they? Sure it wasn’t conventional, but it worked for them...didn’t it? She hadn’t seen any problems for them. “Like what?”

“I can’t do this anymore Liz. I...we’ve connected on this other level now and...I want it to be real...I want it to be forever.”

“What?” Forever? Liz felt her heart thump in trepidation. No, she couldn’t go there again, didn’t he understand that? She couldn’t be in another relationship, that was why she thought what they had worked so well.

“I’m in love with you!” He cried out in a frustrated breath. “I...always have been. Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to get you into my arms? Or kiss you so passionately and make love to you? Years. I never thought that you’d look in my direction and then...these past few months have been incredible.”

Liz nodded. “They have been.” She’d never connected with anyone in such a way, then again, he was only her second lover, but still...the feelings were there.

“But your issues with intimacy are just...too much,” Alex explained. “It’s like in bed, you let yourself be free and things are just so...amazing between us, but out of bed, you become so cold and distant.”

“I do not,” Liz denied.

“Oh yeah? Why is it then, that whenever you talk about me, you still call me your ‘friend’ Alex?”

“Oh...I don’t know,” Liz replied sarcastically. “Maybe because we’re friends?”

Alex snorted in disbelief. “We’re a hell of a lot more then that, and you know it!” He reminded her. “Friends don’t know the things that we do about each other.”

Liz began shaking her head. “You can’t leave me Alex, I need you...I want you in my life.”

Pausing, Alex considered her words. He knew that she did care about him, that was never a question. “All right, I’ll stay...if you tell me you love me.”

At his words, Liz’s mouth opened, ready to respond.

For half a minute, Alex waited for her to respond, but when she didn’t, he shook his head. “I can’t stay here and be around you, feeling the way I do, when you can’t feel the same.”

[LysCat]

Chapter 1

“Liz?” Isabel Evans asked through her friend’s front door. They’d made plans to meet up for lunch that afternoon, but Liz had blown her off. She didn’t feel so much anger, as she did concern. In all the time that she’d known Liz, and grown closer to her, Liz had never blown anyone off. “Liz? Are you there?” Her knocks turned into pounding against the wood of the door.

“What?” Liz asked darkly as she threw open the door. “Oh...Isabel, I thought you were Serena.”

At the excuse, the blonde arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow in question. Serena and Liz never argued. “Where were you this afternoon? I waited for you at the restaurant...”

Bringing a hand up to her head, Liz smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot about lunch.”

Isabel frowned. Since when did her friend go around forgetting anything? “Bad morning?”

“You could say that,” Liz allowed, walking into her living room.

Closing the door behind her, Isabel followed her friend into the house. “But, I thought Alex was coming into town?” She asked, thinking back to the man that Liz had talked about constantly the previous week. She’d even gone on a date with him three years prior, before they figured that it was best that they don’t pursue anything further.

“He’s getting married,” Liz shared as she plopped down on her couch.

Moving next to her friend, Isabel offered an apology. Liz had never said anything to her outright, but she knew that Liz had feelings for the tall, friendly man. She knew that they were together there for a while, but then Liz just stopped mentioning him. Isabel was shocked when she learned that he’d left town for another job opportunity. He’d seemed so happy with Liz. She’d seen first hand, how Liz reacted to not having him in her life for those first few months.

“I...had planned on talking to him yesterday...telling him I was sorry.” Liz focused on her hands. “And then I was going to beg him for another chance.” Since she learned that he’d book a flight back to Roswell, she had been walking on air. It wasn’t until she left that she really realized how badly she had messed things up with Alex. For the first few months, there was limited contact between them. It was such a trying time for her, but she’d grown from her experience. As their phone conversations grew, a candle that she had thought went out was relight. She grew encouraged by their growing closeness once again. It was why she decided to throw caution to the wind and tell him everything.

“I’m so sorry Liz,” Isabel apologized once again.

Tears pricked her eyes once again and a sob was torn out of her throat. “It hurts,” Liz admitted as she broke down once again. After leaving her sister’s the night before, she returned home and wallowed in self pity and her tears. She slept little and when she was asleep, she slept badly.

Moving to hug her friend, Isabel tried to offer as much silent strength as she could. “I know...”

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Liz cleared her throat. That was over three months ago. Since then, she’d said nothing to Alex about her feelings, but every time they spoke over the phone and he mentioned the wedding, her heart broke just a little bit more.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to say anything to Alex, it was just that there was never the right opportunity. Alex had only been in town for that weekend to share the news with his family and then he was going back to Chicago. Many tears were shed on that Sunday, but she made sure to keep a brave face in front of him.

“We decided to have the wedding here.”

At the news, Liz frowned. In Roswell? Why would anyone want to get married in Roswell, when they had the option of a better place? Surely Chicago had more to offer then Roswell did.

Seeing the look on Liz’s face, Alex nodded. “Tess doesn’t have any family, other then her distant uncle. She knows how much I love Roswell, so she told me that we should have it down here...where my family is.”

“Oh...” Liz trailed off after a pause.

“We do have many friends in Chicago that would love for us to have it there...and I know that my parents would be willing to fly up there, but then I thought of you...”

“Alex, please don’t tell me that you’re planning your wedding around me.”

“I want you there Liz, I need you there. Please, say you’ll be there in the front row...”

That was it, her one chance to get things out in the open. She opened her mouth, ready to let her feelings known, but then she looked to his eyes...and she lost all her nerve. “Okay...I’ll be there.”

Since then, Alex and Tess had been back in forth during the weekends to make preparations. Liz could still remember the first time that Alex introduced her to Tess. She stood stock still, taking in the sight of the other woman. Alex had often mentioned how beautiful Tess was, but Liz didn’t see anything to her. So what if her blonde hair only grew more beautiful when she was in the sun, or that her eyes were unlike anything else Liz had ever seen? She was a blonde and Alex had never been one to for blondes. And her breasts...those had to be implants. No, she was all wrong for Alex.

“How are you doing?” Isabel asked Liz as the two sat at the kitchen table together.

Liz shrugged. Alex and Tess were due to arrive that night. The wedding was only three days away. “Okay...I guess.”

“Did you ever...say anything to Alex? About what we spoke about?”

“Maybe you could talk to him? You know, tell him how you feel?” Isabel offered. It had been two weeks since Liz had cried in her arms, two weeks in which Liz had settled into a funk.

At the idea, Liz straightened. “You don’t think it’s too late?” She wanted to be the best friend and not state her objections to Alex, but she didn’t know how she could get through the following months. Alex had already called her since her return. He and Tess had looked for available places online to hold the wedding and reception, but were unable to decide without actually seeing the places. They’d asked Liz to check out their top three places.

Isabel shrugged. “He’s not married yet, is he?” She asked after a pause.

“Well, no.” Liz didn’t understand, Isabel was actually telling her to say something and possibly come between the couple? That, she didn’t expect.

“Then you aren’t too late.”

“But...he’s already planned the rest of his life around her,” she defended weakly. What if she stuck her neck on the line and actually told Alex how she felt? What if he rejected her? She’d already had enough of that to last a life time, and she certainly didn’t need to lose her friend over it.

“Liz, if you don’t say something, you’re always going to wonder...” Isabel pointed out softly. Not that she agreed with anyone breaking up a marriage, but she knew that her friend was honestly in love with Alex.

“No,” she answered softly. Every time there looked to be an opportunity, she lost her nerve. She remembered her upcoming wedding to her ex-fiancé. So many times, she would see an expression on Alex’ face, like he wanted to tell her something, but he sat by quietly and supported her instead. She didn’t know how he coped with it, standing by, not saying anything when he loved her. She wondered if he would appreciate being told of her feelings.

“Well, maybe it’s...for the best...” Isabel offered in a small voice. The time had come and gone, the wedding was only three days away.

Liz chose to ignore the comment, instead she noticed the quiet in the house. “Where’s Michael?” Usually when he was home, the tv was set to one sport or the other.

“Oh, my brother called...they’re gonna go play some basketball.”

“Your brother, Max?” Liz asked quietly, wanting to groan at the thought of being in the same place as him. She had nothing against him personally, she’d met him once or twice over the years, he seemed like a nice guy. No, it was just Isabel that made things difficult. After Alex had left, Isabel had begun trying to set Liz up with her brother, she would constantly try to get the two to agree to a date.

“The one and only.” Smiling over at Liz, she quirked her eyebrows. “You know, he’s single again.”

Liz smiled uneasily. “Oh...you don’t say?”

“Yeah, he was seeing some bleach blonde hussy...Pam...something or other, anyway, he ended things with her. If you want, maybe I could arrange a dinner date for the two of you?”

At the offer, Liz threw her head down on the table. Why didn’t Isabel understand that she wasn’t interested in anyone other then Alex? She hated when her friend extended this offer, because she always felt like shit whenever she turned her down. She didn’t want Isabel to think that she was doing it to be rude, but she couldn’t help the way she felt.

“Isabel...listen, your brother sounds like a great guy, but I’m just not interested,” Liz excused as politely as possible, the same time that the phone rang.

“Fine, I know...can’t blame a girl for trying...” Isabel replied before she answered the call. Only thirty seconds later, the doorbell sounded. “Do you think you could get that for me?” She asked, interrupting the caller.

“Sure.” Liz made her way to the front door.

“Hey sis...” Max greeted through the security gate.

Liz moved to unlock it and let him in.

“Oh...you aren’t Isabel...” he trailed off, feeling somewhat sheepish.

Smiling politely, “no, I don’t think so.”

“You’re...” Max trailed off once again as he searched for her name that was hidden somewhere in his brain. “Liz, right?”

“It’s nice to see you again, Max,” Liz replied softly.

“You too.”

At the intensity of his gaze, Liz felt her cheeks heat before she immediately averted her eyes. “Uh, Isabel’s on the phone and Michael’s just changing...they should be-”

“So, what are we discussing over here?”

At the suggestive tone of Isabel’s voice, Liz grew rigid. Her friend certainly was persistent when she wanted something bad enough...

“Oh, Liz and I were just discussing running away and eloping,” Max excused, rolling his eyes at his sister for her comment. There was nothing worse than having a nosy sibling. He loved his sister dearly, but he didn’t understand why she always felt the need to intrude in his love life...or at the moment, lack there of.

“Uh...you know,” Liz began quietly and softly. “I don’t know you well enough to joke like that,” she excused, hoping that she didn’t offend him with her comment.

Max nodded at her words, seeing that he’d made her uncomfortable. He offered her a dazzling smile. “We should correct that,” he replied. Over the years, the small brunette before him had captivated his interest, but he knew through Isabel, that she was dealing with her own romance troubles. He noticed that she pulled her gaze away from him, an action that caused a whiff of her perfume to hit his senses. Was that strawberries? He’d never been one for that scent, but it was fast becoming his favorite scent.

Liz blushed once again, but before she could say anything, Michael came rushing out of the bedroom. “You ready man?”

“I’m always ready to kick your ass,” Max replied with a smirk, dragging his eyes away from Liz.

“Not this time,” Michael argued before leaning over and kissing Isabel.

Max shook his head at his friend’s insistence. He and Michael played often enough, and while Michael’s game had improved, Max still won all the time. “We’ll see...Mickey G.”

Michael rolled his eyes at his friend before offering the women a smile. “I’ll be back later, babe.”

“Have a good afternoon ladies,” Max wished as he lead Michael out of the house.

Closing the door behind them, Isabel turned to her friend, one eye brow raised. “I think my brother likes you.”

Liz shook her head at Isabel’s words. “You are incorrigible!” She cried out. “Besides, I’ve seen the kind of girls your brother dates...and I’m the complete antithesis of them,” she denied. Silently, she couldn’t help but think of his piercing amber eyes. Whenever he looked at her, she felt as though she was a teenager all over again, and he was the big shot on campus that she fell all over.

“So what? He should try something new...” Isabel muttered, positive that her brother and Liz would be perfect for each other.

“You know how I feel about Alex,” Liz reminded her friend, feeling somewhat downhearted.

Offering Liz as sad smile, Isabel nodded. Yes, she knew how Liz felt about her best friend, and as much as she wanted to see Liz get what she wanted, something told her that wasn’t going to happen. She’d met Alex and Tess a few times since they’d been preparing for the wedding, she saw the way that they looked at one another. They were besotted.

“Alex promised that tomorrow, it will just be the two of us,” Liz shared, brightening at the thought. Though she didn’t say anything to Isabel, she was going to try and say something to Alex about his feelings. Isabel thought it was too late now, after all the preparations for the wedding and everything, but Liz refused to believe that.

She and Alex had a past. They were friends before they ever became lovers. Not only did they share the experience of being lovers and everything that came with that, their closeness was only further solidified. Sure there was the bad part of their history together, but that only helped to make Liz realize what she really had in him. Sometimes, bad things happened, but Liz was a firm believer that it had happened so she learned what a good thing she’d had. So what if they had broken up and he met someone else? The years that they spent together outweighed anything that he had going on with Tess, Liz was sure of it. Alex had such a tight hold on her past, he consumed her present, and she only hoped that they had the future to make up for all the time lost. He was imprinted into her soul. She couldn’t imagine her life without him.

Sure, the down side to her thoughts was the flare of guilt that rose up. As much as she wanted to hate Tess, she couldn’t. While she didn’t agree with her former lover’s thoughts on the blonde, Liz could understand how they worked out so well. She really felt bad that she waited so long to say something, Tess didn’t deserve to be hurt, but Liz wanted her Alex back. Maybe she was being selfish by not taking other people into consideration, but if she felt so strongly about Alex, then surely he had to return those feelings?

Liz spent so much time trying to rationalize her feelings, her actions...or lack there of, she didn’t want to believe that she was a horrible person. She chose not to think about Tess and how heartbroken she’d be, or that Alex would possibly mourn for a wedding to a woman that wasn’t her. She just didn’t want to think about it. She wasn’t in denial, she was just...very selective about which reality she accepted.

“So...” Liz began, pulling her thoughts from her own love life, “how are you and Michael doing?”

Isabel shrugged. “We’re good...I mean things are pretty good between us,” Isabel allowed, a small frown tugging at her lips.

“But...?” Liz asked, reading into the action.

“There’s been no talk of marriage,” the blonde supplied. “When we met, things just...you know, fell into place.” Things had always come easy to them, or so she felt. “Then we bought this place together, but he hasn’t made it official yet.” That’s what irked Isabel. She and Michael had been living together for close to a year. They shared bills, came home to one another after work, laughed together...shared all the little things with one another.

Liz nodded. “You guys already lead lives like you’re married...”

“I just don’t understand why he won’t marry me. Things have been so wonderful between us. I know that he’s the one for me, there could never be anyone else,” Isabel added.

“Well, have you talked to him?”

“I’ve tried to broach the subject once or twice, but we’ve been interrupted.” She let out a small giggle. “I think that even my brother’s said something to him.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I don’t know for sure,” neither Max, nor Michael would come out and say it, so for the time being, it was just her speculation. “After they hang out, sometimes Michael will come home...preoccupied. Then again, it could just be my hopes...”

Liz smiled gently at her friend. “Michael loves you. I’ve never seen him so happy before.”

Isabel laughed at Liz’s choice of words. “You never knew him before he was with me,” she reminded the brunette.

Liz grinned and nodded her head in acceptance. “Granted, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you. You’re his happiness, I just...don’t think he could feel that way about someone else.” Inwardly, she mused. If there was no hope for Isabel, than she was certainly doomed.

[LysCat]

Chapter 2

“Thanks for the ride, Sis...” Liz humbly told her sister as they approached the front of the hotel.

Serena shrugged. “It was no trouble.” Since Liz was stealing off with Alex for the day, Tess asked her to help with some of the final preparations.

As the two sisters came to a stop, Liz looked down at her outfit once more. She’d been up since the crack of dawn trying on several outfits. She finally settled on something that was relatively comfortable, rather then going for show. Though since the morning she’d left her place, she was regretting the decision.

Seeing her sister’s dilemma, Serena rolled her eyes. “Would you stop fidgeting? You look fine.”

Liz opened her mouth to reply when Alex and Tess walked out of the doors, stopping a few feet away. Painfully, Liz watched as they huddled close together, touching one another, nuzzling noses and trading soft kisses. Bringing a hand to her chest, Liz grimaced. “God, do they just, like...wait for me to be around before they do this?” She asked, not understanding why they couldn’t have said their goodbyes before meeting them.

Placing a sympathetic hand on her sister’s shoulder, Serena tried to comfort her. “I know it hurts right now Liz, but it won’t always.”

Rolling her eyes, Liz looked away. Her sister had said that once or twice before, but the pain never lessened, in fact, it only seemed to grow. Besides, what would Serena understand? She was married and deliriously happy with her husband, so happy that she was expecting his child. Love had always come easy to Serena, she was always rather lucky with that part of life, while Liz struggled to find romance.

“You keep saying that, but nothing helps,” the younger sister admitted. “I just, I can’t handle this anymore.” Every time she was around the couple, her heart hurt and her stomach twisted. That saying, about not knowing what one has until it’s gone, Liz knew that it was crap. She’d known the minute she’d made the mistake, it wasn’t too late, and she knew what she was missing with him.

“Then, why did you agree to do this?” Serena demanded. “To help him and be involved with all this?”

“I thought I could do it,” Liz confessed. “I knew it would hurt, but not like this. Besides, I couldn’t very well put Alex off. We’ve been friends for just about ever, and we were friends before anything else happened. I didn’t want to let him down.”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Serena replied. She’d known the closeness that Alex and Liz shared growing up. Truthfully, she’d always hoped that they found their way to each other, but after meeting Tess, she knew that she was the one for Alex. Though it was a fact that she would hide from her sister’s delicate state of mind. “Why don’t you just relax,” Serena soothed. “Enjoy your day with Alex...because it’ll probably be the last time that you have him to yourself.”

Getting out of her seat, Liz slammed the door shut harder than she needed to. “Not if I have anything to say about it,” she muttered to herself, faking a smile for the couple as they looked at her.

“Hey, Liz. It’s a good morning, isn’t it?” Tess asked cheerily.

“Morning, and...I suppose it is,” Liz offered, awkwardly.

Taking notice of her tight features, Alex noticed the way that Serena lagged some steps behind Liz. “You and Serena at it again?”

“What else would you expect?” Liz smarted back. Growing up, the two sisters argued constantly. It wasn’t until they matured that they finally began growing closer, but even then, the two had an occasional argument.

“Yeah, my morning’s not going so well either,” Alex offered. “The two of us were up pretty late last night...if you know what I mean,” he finished playfully.

Blushing, Tess covered her face. “Alex!”

“What? We’re getting married in a few days, it’s safe to say that Liz knows that we’ve been intimate. Besides, she already knows that I’m crazy about you and how much I love you. Intimacy is the next obvious step.” He pulled his fiancé closer to his side. “And what a step it is. Who knew how well we’d mesh together when we first met?”

Cuddling up to him, Tess kissed his cheek before turning to look at Liz. “Do you see why I’m marrying this man?”

Liz realized that she was having a difficult time keeping her smile afloat. She briefly pondered jabbing her keys into Tess’ eye sockets. “Yeah...you’re really...lucky,” she admitted in a soft tone, staring at Alex with a love lorn expression, something he completely missed as he whispered into Tess ear. She wanted nothing more than to physically separate the couple? Didn’t Tess understand that she and Alex had plans? No, probably not. All she wanted to do was hog Alex all to herself, as though no one else wanted to spend any time with him. Without even noticing, a scowl made it’s way on her face as Liz’s unpleasant thoughts continued on.

Pulling away from his fiancé, Alex looked to Liz to find out if she was ready. “Uh, Liz? What’s wrong?” He asked, seeing the expression on her face.

Realizing her mistake, Liz played it off. She grabbed her stomach, “My stomach hurts. Ever since I had breakfast...really bad heart burn and stuff,” she replied with a wave of her hands. “Anyway, are you ready to go?”

“Sure.” Once more Alex turned back to Tess. “You gonna be okay by yourself?” He doubled checked, once again. Ever since he told her about his plans with Liz, he’d constantly checked with her to make sure that she didn’t have a problem with it.

“I’ll be fine,” Tess replied softly, fighting off her urge to just drag him back upstairs and have her way with him.

“Okay, call me if you need anything.” Without warning, he leaned over and pulled her roughly to his body as he kissed her hard.

Across from them, Liz shook her head and looked away. She ignored the kiss and focused on the annoyance of how long it was taking the couple to part.

“Mmm, what was that for?” Tess asked breathlessly, as they parted.

Alex shrugged. “Just...incase you meet any hot, single aliens. I want you to remember me. Alien sex, accept no imitation, or so I’ve heard once or twice. Just, think of me before you...”

“Get probed?” Tess asked teasingly.

Liz made a face. “Uh, how do you know anything about alien sex? Just because Tracy told everyone about that weirdness with Pauly...you do realize that he was just dressed up like an alien...don’t you?”

“Hence the, ‘Or so I’ve heard,’ part. I’m just going by her words,” he replied. “Anyway, I’ll see you later Tess.”

“You can bet on it. Have fun you two!”

Liz turned around first and made her way to Alex’s rental. “About damn time,” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Alex asked, walked a few steps behind her.

“Oh, I was talking about my heartburn, how I felt it another damn time,” Liz excused. “I’ll be driving,”she announced as she held her hands out for the keys.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“...And that was it,” Alex finished off dreamily. “I was gone.”

Rolling her eyes at the lovy-dovy expression on Alex’s face, Liz took a sip of her smoothie. “Yeah, so you told me the first night we reunited...”

The tone of her voice, pulled him from his thoughts. “I’m boring you, aren’t I?”

Liz opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn’t get the words to come out. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she didn’t want to hold back from him. “Well, yes, if you must know. It’s great, you and Tess...really,” she dead panned. “But, it’s just...Tess this...and Tess that...and I don’t want to talk about her. I want to have our old conversations.”

With a bit of guilt, Alex smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I guess I have been acting kind of stupid, I just can’t help it. Tess makes me feel so...” he trailed off, not able to think of a word.

“Stupid?” Liz asked, snarkily. Didn’t Alex realize how painful his words were to hear? Honestly, they were more than just friends at one time, surely he wouldn’t like it if she was all ga-ga over someone else in front of him...right?

Alex shook his head. “You just don’t understand, maybe one day when you meet someone, you’ll know what I’m talking about...”

Liz looked down at her plate to keep from saying anything back. She did know someone, someone that made her feel the same way. She just couldn’t figure out a way to say things to him. Alex was acting ridiculous. What a...dope...she had never acted like that with one of her boyfriends, and she vowed she never would. The thought left a bad taste in her mouth, she slammed her drink down on the table.

“Look, you’re obviously missing Tess, so why don’t we just pay and then head back to the hotel?” Liz offered quietly. She wanted to hang out with Alex, but not if he was going to talk about Tess all day long. Without waiting for his response, Liz placed her napkin over her plate and left the booth.

Stepping out in the fresh air, she took a deep breath. She hadn’t meant to leave Alex the way she had, but she needed to get away from him. Liz knew that she would have likely said something to him, that could have very well lead to an argument.

“Liz?”

Looking up, Liz spotted Max sitting an eyesore of a jeep, parked at the curb. “Max...is this your...car?”

“Yup,” he nodded. “This is Bob.”

A smile pulled at her lips. He named his car? That was probably some male thing...right? “Bob? You named your car, Bob?”

“Of course,” he replied as though it was the most normal thing. “It was my first car...ever, I take it out every so often.”

“Oh, how...nice,” she offered. “Uh, not to be rude, but is that thing even safe to drive around in?”

Max smirked at her question. “Would you like a ride, and then you could judge for yourself?”

Liz opened her mouth to turn him down, but she was interrupted. Alex stepped out of the restaurant. “Liz? What was that?” It was then that he noticed the guy standing with her, looking at her with a keen interest.

Smiling tightly, she began speaking. “Alex, this is Max Evans. Max, this is Alex Whitman, a close friend of mine,” Liz exchanged.

Max moved further from the jeep and shook hands with Alex. Was this the guy that Liz was so gone for? He could have sworn that Isabel had mentioned his name once or twice. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too, man,” Alex offered, quickly. His eyes narrowed when Max’s gaze once again returned to Liz. “So, how do you two know each other?”

“We go way back,” Max shared lightly, not going further into it. Liz snorted at his choice of words.

“Yeah, right...” she agreed. “We’ve met a few time through Isabel. Max is her brother,” she divulged to Alex.

“I’ve been trying to entice her to run away and marry me,” Max added, “but so far she’s resisted.”

Alex looked between Liz and this guy. What was going on? Liz seemed so unaffected, but this guy seemed to be into her. Momentarily, he felt a stab of something in his heart. Did he have heartburn now, too?

“That’s a shame,” Alex acknowledged.

Nodding, Max moved his intense gaze to Liz. “That, it is.” He looked down at his watch. “I’ve got a meeting to get to. It was nice to meet you Alex.”

“Uh-huh,” Alex nodded. “You too.”

Looking back to Liz, Max’s gaze softened. “I suppose I’ll see you around...”

Liz shrugged. “I guess so. Bye,” she bid, grabbing Alex’s hand and pulling him in the opposite direction, not even noticing the way that Max’s gaze was trained on her.

“So...he seemed nice,” Alex observed as they walked down the sidewalk, arm in arm.

Liz shrugged. “I guess. I don’t really know him.”

“He seemed to like you.”

“Yeah, I know. I blame Isabel for that, though. She wants to hook the two of us up,” Liz explained. She was sure that if Isabel hadn’t decided that they were made for each other, then Max wouldn’t concentrate so hard on her.

“Really?” Alex asked, feeling as though his throat was closing up. “Why not go for it?”

“I don’t know, because I was never interested,” she replied. “There never seemed to be the right time,” she excused. She knew that he dated around a bit, so the rare occasions when she was willing to put her pride on the line, he was unavailable. “So...what would you like to do now?”

“Let’s just walk a little longer, until I can come up with something.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The following night Serena walked into her sister’s room, only to find clothes flying out of the closet and landing haphazardly on the bed and floor. “Liz?”

“Hold on!”

“How’d your day go?” Serena asked, talking to the small cubicle. It’d been a day since Liz and Alex had gone out. She knew that Alex had been busy with Tess that day, when Liz called earlier, her younger sister sounded bummed at the news.

“It was...quiet,” Liz shared. “I had a lot of time to think.” That was putting it lightly. Since she returned home the night before, she’d thought of nothing but Alex. Minutes later, Liz emerged from her closet in a form fitting dress. Her hair was pinned up and her make up, perfection.

“Going to London to visit the Queen?” Serena teased, taking in Liz’s appearance.

Pulling a pair of shoes on, Liz shook her head. “You really need to lose that one.”

“You going on a date? Because you look lovely?” Serena asked, ignoring Liz’s previous reply. Had she met someone and decided to give up on this ridiculous Alex situation?

“No date.”

“Then, where are you going?”

“To tell him how I feel,” Liz shared in a quiet voice. As much as she hated what she was about to do, she couldn’t just let Alex walk out of her life, and not even fight for him. She had to say something, just to know that she did all she could. She’d rather have that, than always wonder ‘what if’.

“What?” No, she had to have heard that wrong. “Liz, you can’t do that!” She cried. Didn’t Liz understand that?

Pretending not to know what her sister was saying, Liz shrugged her shoulders. “What? Why not?” She’d heard the argument plenty of times, but this time she was over the guilt. Something needed to be said to Alex.

“Because he’s getting married!”

Shaking her head, Liz grabbed her purse. “No, I’m not letting him go.”

Quietly, Serena eyed her sister’s jerky movements. “Liz, he’s been gone for months,” she tried to remind her younger sister.

“Doesn’t matter, he’s here now...and he needs to know how I feel.”

“No, he doesn’t. Do you love him, Liz?” Serena inquired softly.

Liz sputtered at the question. “Of course I do, you know that.”

“Then how do you justify ruining what’s supposed to be the happiest day of his life?” Love was an unselfish thing, but Liz just didn’t seem to understand the small little fact. She didn’t see the bigger picture here.

“He should have all the available information before making his decision,” Liz argued once again.

“He already made a decision. He’s marrying Tess,” Serena reminded her, following Liz around the small house. “He’s in love with her.”

“...But maybe if he knew...” she grasped lightly. She had to hope, there was nothing wrong with that.

“Liz, there’s a reason why you and Alex didn’t work out,” Serena cautiously voiced.

“Don’t! Don’t go there!” Liz ordered as her pace quickened.

Pulling her sister’s arm, she spun Liz around to face her. “Maybe it’s because he’s meant to marry Tess?” Serena continued on, not caring if she hurt Liz’s feelings. This needed to be said before her sister made a mistake. “Maybe it’s because there’s someone else out there for you...”

Tears bit at her eyes, but Liz tried to push it away. “But I love him,” her voice wavered. The two women stood at a standoff for what felt like ages before Liz turned and left the house.

Deciding not to follow, Serena only shook her head. “Liz...” she sighed. Liz was in for a rude awakening, if she thought that Alex was just going to toss Tess aside to be with her. Liz’s heart was going to break once again that night.

[LysCat]

Chapter 3

“You ready for me?” Alex asked, opening his door. The teasing smile on his face fell upon seeing Liz. “Liz? What a surprise...” Suddenly, he wished that he was wearing more than a shirt and underwear.

“Is this how you greet everyone who knocks on your door?” She asked, pointing at his white dress shirt, briefs and sunglasses. Letting a small giggle go, she shook her head. “What’s with the Risky Business get up?”

Alex grabbed the shades from his head and closed them. He pulled her into the hotel room before shutting the door behind her. “Tess has a thing for Tom Cruise...” Alex answered as he put on a pair of shorts.

Liz made her way to the bed and sat down. “Speaking of her, is she here?” She asked, looking around. She didn’t see any sign of female clothing.

“We got two rooms.”

“Two rooms...why?” She knew that they were intimate with each other, as much as she hated the thought.

“You know the whole tradition...where the bride and groom can’t see each other until the ceremony...”

“Whatever,” Liz muttered. She didn’t believe that saying. Luck was what someone made of it. It wasn’t like when a couple gets divorced down the road, they look back at their wedding day and blame the divorce on seeing the other person before the ceremony. “Do you have some time to talk?”

Alex took in her anxious demeanor. “Sure, just let me ring Tess and tell her that you’re here so she doesn’t embarrass me any further.”

As Alex made the call, Liz looked down at her hand. She began twisting her ring. Alex gave it to her years ago, before everything changed, back when they were nothing more than friends, and she was oblivious about his feelings for her. Up until he left Roswell, she never took it off. When she began getting ready tonight, she spotted it in her jewelry box and decided it would be the perfect touch to her outfit.

“I remember the day I gave you that...” Alex observed, sitting next to her on the bed after he finished his phone call.

“Me too.” It was one of the best days of her life. “Every time I wear this, I think of that day, and you.”

“Well, I should hope so,” Alex replied dryly. “Seeing as I’m the one that gave it to you.”

Liz smiled. “No, I mean...that moment. You have no idea how much those words mean to me. You vowed that you would always be there when I needed you.” It was the first time she ever suspected that Alex’s feelings for her were more than just friendly. “Did you mean it?”

Alex blinked. “What? That I would always be here for you? Of course.” He began to worry at the way that Liz refused to meet his gaze. Between that, and the questioning, his mind was going a mile a minute. “You okay, Liz? Are you in some kind of trouble? Because I know that I may seem oblivious, but I know you better than you think I do. I know that you’ve been in this sort of...funk, if you will.”

“I...I suppose I am in trouble,” Liz allowed as she tried to calm her beating heart.

Alex grabbed her hand. “You can tell me anything,” he coaxed in a gentle voice.

Liz nodded, but didn’t say anything for a few moments. “I’ve been lying to you...about my feelings. I tried to fight it, or at least I wanted to, but you know how I am...once something is in my head, there’s no getting rid-”

Alex tried to follow along with her words, but once her rambling settled in, he stopped. Instead, he squeezed her hand. “What is it, Liz?”

“I’m in love with you.”

A deafening silence engulfed the room. Liz stared at Alex, waiting for him to say something...anything really. She took a big step in that moment, and Alex was just leaving her hanging. As for Alex, he didn’t know what to say. While a part of him was both glad and awed to hear that, confusion settled over him.

Seeing that her friend looked no closer to words then he had upon her admission, seconds ago, Liz trudged forth. “I love you, and...I’m so sorry for the things that happened between us. It was all my fault. I loved you then, I just...couldn’t face the fact. Kyle really burned me, and I was scared to let anyone get that close to me again...even you. It was the most stupid decision I ever made. I know that now. I know that I hurt you with the way I treated you, but I’m here now...and nothing else matters now.”

As much as he loved Tess, Alex couldn’t help the temptation of thinking about Liz’s words, and the possibilities that she was offering him. He’d wanted Liz for so long, and while he had moved on, there was still a small portion of his heart that would forever belong to Liz. He couldn’t deny that, but to actually be with her? He hadn’t entertained that thought in quite a while. Liz had made him miserable, whether she meant to or not. It was only when he met Tess that his heart began to heal. When he met the blonde bombshell, he never expected to fall for her, but he had...and hard. “That’s not true. Tess matters, my promise to her matters.” Tess had been very good to him, he didn’t want to do that to her, nor did she deserve it. She was his present, and his future.

“You can’t honestly tell me that what I’ve said, hasn’t affected you. I know that you loved me once, I can make you love me again. We can make it work.” She could see the emotions play out over his face, she knew exactly what he was thinking, and she hadn’t lost the battle yet.

Alex shook his head. “I don’t want to. You’re right, for one moment, I let myself go to that place, but you know what? Something tells me that it wouldn’t be as good as it is in my imagination. Maybe if we had this conversation six months ago...but now? I love Tess. She’s come to mean so much more than anything or anyone else to me. I won’t do this to her.”

“Alex...” Liz cried out. She was losing him! “If you just think about it. We were happy together once, we can have it again, only this time, it will be much better.”

“We were never happy with each other. You settled for me, and I tried to pretend that that was enough for me. But you know what? That was never good enough for me, I deserved better than that...and I found it in Tess.”

Not wanting Alex to see how hurt she was, she went for the next logical emotion, anger. “You’re going to regret this decision. When you guys are married, and you think you are going to be blissfully happy, she’s going to drop a bomb on you.” Hitting below the belt, she went for his insecurities. “Do you really think that you’re good enough for Tess? Ha! Tess isn’t like us, she’s this beautiful woman who will always be surrounded by gorgeous men. If you want to spend the rest of your life feeling insecure, then be my guest.”

“Get the hell out of my room!” Alex threatened with an angry calm voice.

Liz stood up and made her way to the door. “I’m only trying to be truthful with you...you know, try and save you all the pain and heartache.”

“Gotta say Liz, not loving the new you. Who would have thought that you would be so bitter and cold hearted?”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like there’s anyone to keep it warm with...seeing as you’re so much better than me, now.”

“Yes, well, apparently it doesn’t take much to accomplish that,” Alex argued back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty minutes later, Liz walked into a bar, a few miles from the hotel. She was a woman on a mission, to get drunk. It was the only thing that sounded appealing. She knew that she couldn’t go home, Serena was probably there, waiting with a nice, fat, ‘I told you so,’ smugness. She didn’t feel like gorging out on sweets, she’d already done that. No, now was the time for the hard stuff.

“Can I get a...shot?”

Without turning around the bartender nodded. “What kind of shot?”

“I don’t know, just get me your most potent stuff.”

“That kinda day huh?” He asked. Turning around, and placing the shot glass on the counter. It wasn’t even there for three seconds before Liz snatched it up and gulped it down.

Making a face as the burning liquid slid down, Liz nodded. It was only when she finally looked at him, did she shake her head. “Are you following me?” She demanded, shocked to see Max standing before her.

Max snorted. “In your dreams,” he replied. “And, actually, I was here first...so it must be you that’s following me.”

“Right, you would be so lucky...” Liz trailed off. “Can I get another shot?” After shooting her second one, Liz turned her attention back to the man standing across the counter. “So, you’re a bartender...huh?”

Max shrugged, not really wanting to divulge too much information to Liz in her current state. “Something like that.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey, you never came to see me after Liz left,” Tess pointed out as she entered Alex’s hotel room. When Alex didn’t answer right away, she walked towards his lounging form. “Alex?”

“Hmmm? Oh, Tess, I didn’t hear you. What’d you say?” Alex inquired, turning his head in her direction.

“You didn’t come to see me.”

“Oh...” Alex replied nonchalantly.

Tess smiled. “What’s up with you?” She asked, ruffling his hair.

“What do you mean?” He asked, trying to pretend that nothing was bothering him. Since Liz’s disappearance an hour and a half earlier, his mind was everywhere. He knew that he made the right decision, but he hated hurting Liz. More than that, he hated the way that they left things. He knew how Liz was, he should have expected her outburst. He should have known that she was only trying to him, and that he shouldn’t have argued back. He couldn’t help it though. As soon as she mentioned Tess, he’d become unhinged.

“Alex...”

He smiled sheepishly. Tess knew him so well, it was just one of the many reasons why he loved her.

“I take it that your meeting with Liz wasn’t exactly good...” Tess surmised. She’d never known anyone in Alex’s life that could affect him the way that Liz could.

“You could say that,” he allowed. When Tess’ pointed look was her only response, he sighed. “Liz told me that she was in love with me.”

Hearing that, Tess winced. “Oh, Alex...” She thought it was something like that. Liz may have thought she was a good actress, but Tess had seen right through the facade, the small scowls. Tess had thought to keep it to herself though. First of all, she hoped that she was wrong about Alex’s best friend, but mostly, it was for selfish reasons. Tess was afraid to tell Alex about her thoughts, only to have him realize that he loved Liz, and not her.

“When I told her that I didn’t feel the same, she...well, it didn’t go so well,” he hedged, not wanting to tell Tess what Liz had said.

Tess laid down next to him. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, honestly meaning it. While she’d always felt uncomfortable whenever she was around Alex and Liz, she knew that more than anything, Alex just wanted to rekindle his friendship with Liz. She smiled softly. “Though, I have to admit, that I’m very happy with you decision.”

“Me too,” he promised, looking at his fiance. “I just feel like an ass. This whole time I’ve been so...oblivious to her feelings. With all the things I’ve said and done, I know she’s hurting.” He knew that, because he was hurt when Liz was engaged to Kyle Valenti. Liz was completely unaware of his feelings for her, so she would constantly praise Kyle and their relationship. He just hated the thought that she was feeling what he’d felt at that time.

“We can’t help who we love,” Tess tried to help.

“You’re right, but we should be able to at least make things easier for the other people in our lives. You didn’t see her Tess. She was desperate.”

“Did she try anything?”Tess asked after a moment of silence.

Alex frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Did she try anything...like try to kiss you?” Tess asked with a pause, as though she was just thinking it up then, when it was on her mind for a few minutes.

“No. Liz wouldn’t do that,” Alex denied. At least, he liked to think that she wouldn’t. He was dedicated to Tess, Liz knew that. If she had tried something, that would have meant that she changed...and Alex didn’t think that she had. Aside from that, Liz was never one to make the first move, whether she wanted to or not.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I’m gonna say that she’s lit,” Brad, another bartender, noted as he looked at Liz. She had three more shots, before turning to beer. “Should I call a cab for her?”

Max removed his tie and stepped out from behind the bar. “No. I know her, I’ll make sure that she gets home okay.” Max approached Liz, and claimed the open seat next to her. “Are you finished drowning your sorrows?”

Liz shook her head. “Nope.”

“So, can I at least ask what’s making you do this?” He watched Liz for a moment as she considered her words. He wanted to smile at the way that she pursed her lips in concentration, but something told him that she wouldn’t appreciate it.

“You ever been in love?” Liz asked, a moment later.

Love? That’s what this binge was about? “Uh, once or twice,” he answered evasively. Truthfully, there’d been a good amount of sex and some romance in his life, but love? That’d only come once.

“Anything ever work out for you?” Liz asked in response.

Max shook his head. Amanda, that one had, though it ended under tragic circumstances. He chose to keep that information to himself though. “Seeing as I have no wedding ring on, and I’m sitting next to you at a bar, I would have to say...no.”

“You know what I think? I think that love is a crock. It’s just this...thing invented by people to sell things,” Liz argued. “I mean even if it were to actually exist, it would be nothing more than a tease. I mean, you put yourself out there, and other people don’t care because it’s not the right time...or because your not blonde and your tits aren’t big.”

Max made a face at the selection of words that Liz chose.

“You a blonde guy? Do you like big boobs?” She asked, turning in his direction. When Liz saw him open and close his mouth, obviously looking for an answer that wouldn’t offend her, she rolled her eyes. “Figures. You’re just like the rest of them. See, this is why we’d never work out.”

Sensing that she was about ready to tackle another situation, Max decided that he needed to get her out of there. “Okay...I think it’s time to get you home...” Max muttered as he grabbed her purse.

Liz jerked away from him. “What if I don’t want to go home?”

“You don’t really have a choice. It’s late and you’re drunk,” Max told her as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You need to sleep it off.”

“I can’t drive home. I’m too drunk.”

Max smiled at her weak defense. “That’s okay. I can take you home. You can just come and get your car tomorrow.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Liz argued once again.

Max sighed at her stubborn denial. “Are you really going to make me carry you out those doors, with you on my shoulders?”

Liz’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t dare,” she defied, crossing her arms over her chest.

In the next moment, Liz was snatched off her feet. She squealed in protest, but her protestations died off when she realized that she was only inches away from Max’s butt. “Not bad...” she muttered to herself, mesmerized for a brief moment. When Max headed for what she assumed was the front door, her protestations picked back up. “Max! You put me down right now! I mean it! You can’t tell me what to do. You don’t own me, and you don’t own this place.” When he continued walking, Liz screeched. “Damn it! I’m not a child! Put me down.”

“Of course. When we get to the car, I have every intention of putting you down.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What are you going to do about Liz?” Tess asked Alex as they laid in bed cuddling.

Alex shrugged. “I don’t know.” As much as he want to just forget about her and concentrate the upcoming nuptials the following day, something about Liz nagged at him. Despite their argument, she was still his best friend, and he wanted her to be at his wedding. “I want her there, I don’t want Liz to miss this.”

“Well, maybe she’ll...come to her senses,” Tess tried to cheer him up. Silently, she wasn’t so sure about that, or insisting on having the brunette at her wedding. She was not about to let anything ruin her wedding day, even Alex’s best friend. Tess groaned as she looked at the clock. “It’s almost midnight, I better go...”

“Yeah...” Alex trailed off. He was kind of relieved to have some time to himself, work out his thoughts.

Jumping onto him, Tess kissed Alex hard. “Can you believe we’re getting married tomorrow?!”

Alex smiled at her eagerness. “I know.”

“Baby, I’m going to make you so happy.”

Bringing his arms to her waist, Alex held her in that position. “I’m holding you to that.”

Leaning down, Tess kissed him one more time. “Night, baby. Dream of me?”

“You know I will.”

When Tess finally left the room, Alex let his smile drop. He didn’t want to hurt Tess by letting her know how much his argument with Liz, bothered him. He knew his fiancé was a little sensitive about Liz and their past history. Deciding that enough time had passed by since Liz’s departure, Alex grabbed the phone off the night stand and dialed her number.

He rolled his eyes when the machine picked up. “Liz, it’s Alex. Are you there and just screening me? Listen...”

[LysCat]

Chapter 4

Jumping up with a start at the sound of a slamming of something, Liz shook her head at the immediate pain that set in. She wasn’t used to being woken up by such noises, it was one of the reasons why she liked living alone...alone...wait. If the door was slamming shut, she wasn’t alone. What did she do last night?

Between the head splitting ache and her inability to remember anything, she was drawing a complete blank. Resting her head on her open hand, she recounted the night before. She’d gone to see Alex, Liz marked with a wince, and then she’d gone into a bar, where she met...Max.

Max! Where was he? And why was he wandering around in her place? Looking down at her comforter, she frowned at the yucky tan color. Wait, that wasn’t the color of her bed spread. Oh God! What had she done?!

“Morning fancy face,” Max greeted a moment later, as he stepped into his room with a glass of...something that Liz couldn’t quite figure out and some pain reliever.

Liz began moving her body back and forth. Oh, she’d done a bad, bad thing. “Please don’t tell me we had sex with each other...” She trailed off, looking at Max for confirmation or denial.

“Well, that’s not something I’m used to hearing,” Max laughed off.

Liz shook her head. “Great, I’m ready to puke over here and you’re making jokes...”

Rolling his eyes, Max decided to answer. “No, we did not have sex last night. You got wasted at the bar, so I offered to take you home, but we must have forgot your keys at the bar. When I couldn’t get in your house, I brought you back here and put you to bed.”

Nodding, Liz let out a deep breath. It was then that she noticed something else, something made her stop in mid nod. “Uh, and you had to...undress me to do that?” She asked, referring to the fact that she down to her undergarments.

“That was all you. You finally decided last night that you couldn’t get enough of me.”

Liz scoffed at his words. She knew she wouldn’t say that, drunk or not.

“Excuse me, Liz. How much of last night do you remember?” Max asked after hearing her sound of protest. When she looked down at his words, he smirked triumphantly.

So...this is my place.”

Liz nodded, stumbling around the living room. “Where’s your room?”

Max smiled. “Right this way...” he said, leading her in the right direction.

When he walked in the bedroom, he decided that he didn’t need the light on, knowing it would probably hurt Liz’s eyes. Instead he walked her to bed. “What are you doing?” Liz asked in a haze.

“Putting you to bed.”

“Putting me...? Why not just join me?” Liz offered, her tone changing quite a bit.

Max smiled at her. “I usually like my dates a little more sober,” he excused. He may be a jerk when it came to women and sex, but he was not about to take advantage of Liz in her drunken state. Pulling away, he stood up.

Liz grabbed his hand to keep him from leaving. When she found his eyes on her in silent question, she tugged her top off. “Come on. Stay.”

Moving down, Max pulled the covers down, before gently pushing her down in his bed and covering her up. When he was satisfied that she would be all right, he turned around and walked towards the door. He didn’t even pay attention with the shuffling he heard under the sheets. It wasn’t until Liz called for him again that he turned around. He saw her twirling a pretty small piece of cloth around her fingers, something he could only assume was her skirt.

“What about now, Max? Will you stay now?”

Max simply shook his head. “Goodnight Liz.”

Seeing the shame written across her face, Max decided to go for a different route. “I’m only kidding Liz. You didn’t come on to me. Though, you did undress yourself...something about not being able to sleep with your clothes on...” he trailed off, for extra measurement.

Liz made a face at the fact. “Wow, I wish I hadn’t told you that little habit of mine...” Max sure as hell didn’t need to know how she slept.

Max smirked. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” Remembering the things he had in his hand, he held them out to her. “Here, take these and drink this.”

“What is it? Poison?”

Max smiled in response. “It will help you with your hangover.”

Hesitantly, Liz reached for the items. She sniffed the concoction in the glass, making a face at a whiff of the disgusting odor. “Are you sure you aren’t trying to kill me?”

Easily, Max shook his head, his grin still in place. “The thought never crossed my mind. Honestly, Liz. What kind of man do you take me for?”

Liz made a face after swallowing the disgusting concoction. “Maybe it’d be better to ask me that at a time that wasn’t...now,” she suggested. “Ugh, I really made a mess of things last night with Alex.”

Max nodded, having assumed such. While Liz hadn’t come right out and told him what she’d said, he could read between the lines. “What are you gonna do?”

“Fix it,” she answered, with a shrug.

Max nodded. “Yeah, well...good luck with that.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rushing into the house, Liz threw her pursed onto the pile of items rumpled on her couch.

“Umph...”

Ignoring the sound, the brunette hurried to her room. Throwing off her clothes, she jumped in the shower.

“Liz!”

Jumping with fright, upon hearing her name, Liz shrieked. “What are you doing here, Serena? Don’t you have a home? Doesn’t your husband miss you?”

Waving away the question, Serena rolled her eyes. “Doug’s fine. I was worried about you/ After you left last night, I thought you’d need someone to talk to, so I stayed the night. Where were you?” She quizzed her sister, curious about the conversation with Alex.

Pausing her movements, Liz winced. “I went to a friend’s,” she tried to play off, but she knew that it wouldn’t fly with her sister.

“A friend’s?”

Hearing the both the mocking and curiosity in her sister’s voice, Liz stuck her head out of the shower curtain. “Don’t start,” she warned. She was completely embarrassed with her actions, both with Alex and Max.

“What happened?”

“Last night didn’t go as planned,” Liz shared pulling her head back in the shower. “We...argued, I have to fix things.”

“How?”

Turning off the water, the brunette grabbed for a towel. “I don’t know. Me and Alex...we...I can’t just leave it like this.”

“Liz...” Serena trailed off. Liz must have gotten enough the night before. How could she go back for more?

“Not for that reason,” Liz denied, sensing Serena’s thoughts. “It’s Alex. As much as I’ll miss him, he’s my best friend first and foremost. I don’t want to leave things like this.”

“So...you’re okay?” Serena asked, stumbling over her words. Liz was reacting rather well, there were no tears, no tantrums, just a heavy defeat.

“Not really,” Liz answered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pacing the small room, Alex grabbed his collar once again and pulled at it. He didn’t know why he was pacing, hell, he didn’t know why he felt nervous. It was Tess. He loved her! He wanted to marry her! He knew that when he proposed to her, so he didn’t understand where his anxiety was coming from.

When he heard a knock on the door, he straightened up, his eyes widened. It couldn’t be time! “Yes?”

“Alex?”

Jumping forward, he moved to the door, throwing it open. “Liz? What are you doing here?”

“Well...” Liz began nervously. “I thought that you were getting married today,” she answered, hoping to keep a light banter going for a little longer.

Apparently, Alex wasn’t in the same mood. “Liz...”

“And to talk about last night...” the brunette cut him off before he could say more. “Look, I really was serious, I do love you...”

“Really not the right way to start a conversation, Liz...”

Pushing forward, Liz ignored his pleading voice. “I love you, Alex. If you love Tess, I want that for you,” she finished, giving him a tearful smile, all the while, she ignored her breaking heart.

“About last night...”

Shaking her head, Liz tried to hold her smile. “Last night was...a mistake. We...we had our chance, and it just...” struggling with the words, she expelled a deep breath. “You look nervous,” she voiced, hoping to change the subject. She couldn’t continue to downplay her feelings for him, it wasn’t right, or fair to her.

“That’s because I feel nervous.”

“Why?” Alex seemed so sure about this, she thought it would just be a walk in the park for him.

“I don’t know!” He exclaimed. When Liz jumped back in surprise, he held his hands up with a gesture of peace. “I don’t know why,” Alex shared, in a much calmer voice, though she knew his nerves were shot.

“Do you love Tess?”

“Of course.”

Liz tried not to wince with Alex’s non-hesitant reply. “Then why...?”

“I don’t know.” He wanted to roll his eyes at her. He’d already gathered that much information by himself, no need to repeat it all.

“It’s just nerves,” Liz excused. “It happens to everyone.”

Nodding, Alex took a deep breath. “You’re right.”

Before another word was spoken between the two, a knock interrupted them. “Alex, it’s time...” opening the door, Mrs. Whitman stopped short. “Liz, honey. How are you?”

“Good,” she fibbed, stepping over to the older woman and offering a hug.

After returning the favor, Mrs. Whitman turned to her son. “Let’s get you married.”

Looking to Liz, he nodded. “I’ll be right out.”

When the former lovers were left along, they settled into a brief, albeit awkward, silence. “I guess that’s my cue to leave.”

“Leave?” Alex repeated. “You mean, you aren’t gonna stay?” Surely Liz had planned on it. After all, she should have known how important it was for her to be there.

“I...didn’t think I would be welcome. I only came to apologize for the things that I said.”

Opening his mouth, the words that he was about to speak, died. He’d wanted to tell her that he wanted her there, just as much as he needed her, but he couldn’t. As soon as Alex thought to say it, her confession the night before hit him. He couldn’t do that to her, and he wouldn’t. He had no doubt that Liz honestly believed she was in love with him, and as such, he knew this would be a tough thing to overcome.

“You look really handsome today, Alex...just like I had imagined you’d be,” Liz shared, feeling that it was a safe compliment.

“You know, you could stay...” Alex trailed off, offering a smile of peace.

Hesitantly, Liz returned the gesture. “I really don’t think I should,” she excused.

With a serious face, Alex nodded. “Yeah....” he wouldn’t force her to stay if she didn’t want to. Smiling as he thought about ceremony, Alex motioned to the door. “So, that’s my cue.”

“Knock ‘em dead.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be Tess’ job?” He asked, knowing she was the one with the wedding dress.

Liz waved away the question. “Her too,” she excused. She watched him exit the room before making a decision. She couldn’t leave him, despite everything, they were friends first. If the situation was reversed, she’d want him to be there. With that line of reasoning, she snuck out of the room and made her way to the back of the church.

“Liz...”

She looked up to find Serena sitting a few seats over.

“What are you doing here?”

Good question, what was she doing there? “Uh, punishing myself?” She asked as the wedding march played out. Together, the guests rose as Tess ventured down the isle.

“You may be seated.”

With the pardon, everyone reclaimed their seats, their eyes on the bride and groom. “You sure you want to be here?” Serena whispered, concerned for Liz’s well being. She could only imagine what her sister was going through at that moment.

Shaking her head from side to side, Liz bit her bottom lip. Nope, she wasn’t, but that didn’t mean that she was going to leave.

“Is there anyone here who can show just cause why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony? Speak now, or forever hold your peace.”

Grabbing Liz’s hand in her own, Serena squeezed it in silent support. When the ceremony ended, Liz and Serena stood in congratulations as Alex and Tess made their way back down the isle. The already beaming Alex smiled wider when he spotted Liz. As he passed, Liz offered him a small, watery eyed grin.

“You did a good thing today...” Serena trailed off, she’d half expected Liz to say something to interrupt the ceremony.

“I really wanted to say something.” She’d just about fallen to pieces as Alex and Tess exchanged their vows. There was nothing worse then letting one’s dream pass by.

Serena nodded, yup, she’d sensed that. It was part of the reason why she’d Liz’s hand. Looking in the direction where the bride and groom went, she offered up an idea. “You want to head over to the reception?”

Waiting until the rest of the guests filed out, Liz just shook her head. “I don’t think I’m quite that ready,” Liz admitted.

Serena paused. She supposed so, but she had to ask. “Do you want me to go home with you?” Since Doug wasn’t able to make it to the wedding, he was going to meet her at the reception. She could always call him and cancel...

“Don’t you dare!” She threatened playfully. “I love you Serena, you’ve done so much for me, but maybe it’s time that I take care of myself for a change.”

Once the area was cleared out, the siblings followed the others, arm in arm, down the isle. “We’re sisters, Liz. It’s what we do.”

Liz nodded. “I know, but lately it seems like I’m the one that needs all the help.”

“That’s why I’m the big sister,” Serena offered kindly. “I’m here to help guide you.”

“Oh, is that what it’s called?” Liz teased back. “I just thought it was called bossy.”

Serena shook her head. “Oh no, you are mistaken, see there’s a fine line between guide and bossy, you just have to look really close.”

“Uh huh, because it’s almost invisible to the naked eye,” Liz finished, sensing that was where Serena was headed.

“How’d you guess?” Serena looked to Liz. “Seriously though, your help card’s almost expired, so enjoy it while you can.”

Liz smirked. “I didn’t realize there was an expiration date...”

“Oh yeah, you just have to take a closer look,” the red head replied with mock seriousness.




The End