Let the Floods Cross

Liezel knocked on the front door of her shared loft with Alex, bouncing on her toes nervously. It had been three days since she had left this place and she is unsure at this point what to expect regarding Alex. She is not sure about where this next conversation will go. Alex did not call her at all, not even once, which is a clear indication that she is clear to fly off to Chicago with Tomas.

She waited for a few more moments before Alex answered the door. When he opened the door, he looked a bit shocked to see her at the other end. He eyed her carefully before stepping aside to let her inside the house.

“You look surprised to see me.” Liezel noticed.

Alex smiled at her and gestured for her to enter. When she did, he followed right behind her.

“I am, you would’ve used the keys.”

“I did not want to intrude on your privacy.”

Alex did not like the way she is talking to him. She worried about intruding on his privacy, and that is something a stranger would say. She is treating him like they are no longer together, which is true. But she would never say that to him because they were close. Now, she is treating him like a distant friend.

“You know this is our place.” Alex said.

“Yeah, look, I just came here to pack all of my things. I might need your help on it, though, I mean if you want to.” Liezel replied.

She smiled at him halfheartedly when their eyes made contact. He returned it sheepishly. The interaction between them is so awkward at this point, and it is very upsetting for the two.

“I don’t want to help you move out because you paid the down payment for this place. This loft is yours, Liezel. I should be the one moving my things out of here.”

Liezel nodded slowly.

“It’s fine, Alex. I do not want to kick you out of here just because it…” She trailed off before she went any further.

Alex placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Do not worry about it, I can stay at Jack’s before I find a permanent arrangement.”

He tried to push back the fact that this break up is permanent. Usually, they would recover from their argument before either thought about moving out. This time, Liezel seemed serious, hence his lack of effort of trying to win her back. She is stubborn and will most certainly keep to her decision.

“Alright, I just need to get some of my things then.” Liezel said awkwardly.

“Are you off to the Asian tournaments already?” Alex asked casually.

Liezel walked over to their shared bedroom and opened the closet once again.

“Actually… I’m going to Chicago with Berdych. He bought a place there and we are going to do some training.”

Alex paused, a million different things running through his mind. He knew Berdych had always wanted his girl no matter how many different model girlfriends he dated. Every time he met this Czech man, he always had his sights on Liezel, but he was respectful enough to not make a move on her. Besides, Liezel had always been loyal to him.

This time, he might just finally win her. During Alex’s separations with her, she never went for Berdych because he knew that she didn’t want him to be concerned. She is aware of the fact that he would assume that their past breakups would be long term if she ever dated Berdych. Alex knows that if Liezel even thought about dating him, she would be determined to see it through, she would be very serious about it.

He is going to lose Liezel to that blue-eyed tennis player.

But there is nothing he can say to prevent that—he had no right.

“That’s nice.” Alex said instead.

“And I can finally visit Devyn again. It has been a while.”

Alex nodded.

Liezel continued to pack, two large luggages out and ready to be fitted into. She tried her best to avert her gaze from her ex-boyfriend because she would not be able to handle it. Her goal here is to get everything she needed in order to go to Chicago. Originally, she thought about moving all of her things into her car and temporarily place it in a storage room in the Lockheart headquarters.

She had a meeting with Loki yesterday and he was more than willing to offer the storage space to her.

When she got everything that she needed for her trip to Chicago, she walked to the living room.

“Would you like a cup of tea or something?” Alex asked awkwardly from the kitchen.

“No that’s fine, thanks Alex!”

Liezel made sure she had everything that she needed before making her way to the door. Glancing at the loft one last time, she smiled. The place will be here when she returns. It is still her property; but when she comes back, Alex and any trace of him would be gone.

Alex appeared in front of her and gave her a small, sad smile. She tried to ignore the pain in her heart because she had to move on. If she did not allow herself to, she will oblige and come running back to Alex. She cannot do that because by getting back together with him would mean her forgiveness. Infidelity is where she draws the line, even if it is Alex, the man she swore she would spend the rest of her life with—her high school sweetheart.

“At least I have to help you load your things into the car.” He said.

“Thanks.”

“And Liezel?”

“Yeah?”

“I promise everything will be gone before you get back from the Australian Open. My keys and the guys’ spare keys will all be here. Oh, and I will leave that crewneck sweater in the closet. I know how much you love it.”

Liezel smiled and spread her arms out for a hug. He nodded at her, pulling her into a quick hug.

“Good luck with everything, Liezel. I wish you the best!”

“Thanks!”

“And tell Tomas that I send him my regards.”

Tomas doesn’t give a shit about your regards, Liezel thought quietly to herself.

“Yeah, I’ll tell him that.”

The pair started loading her things into the trunk of Liezel’s car, neither of them saying anything more than they had said. It is hard for them to say anything because at this point, there is nothing left. Both are upset over the fact that it has to happen, but it had to be done. Alex understands why and Liezel knows the reason she is doing this.

When all is done, Liezel is standing in front of the car door to the driver’s seat with Alex directly in front of her. They both gave each other awkward glances, both unsure of what else to say.

“Good luck on the rest of the album.” Liezel said.

“Thanks, and I want to congratulate you for winning the U.S. Open. I knew you had it in you.”

“Thanks, Alex.”

“So… I guess this means goodbye for the two of us.”

Liezel opened her car door and then looked at him.

“Yeah… this is it.”

“We’ve had a good run.” Alex said.

And I didn’t want it to end, he thought.

“Yeah, we did. Thank you for everything you have ever done for me.”

Alex gave her a curt nod and watched as she entered her car. He didn’t cry as he expected he would when Liezel stuck her keys into the ignitions and drove off from the loft. No tears were shed as he watched her drive her way out of his life. He might not even see her again.

Keeping that in mind, he returned to the loft. It was when he closed the door behind him that he allowed himself to cry.



“You are just going to let her leave with that Czech bastard?” Jack asked, throwing his hands up exasperatedly.

Alex sighed in defeat, nodding along to his friend’s assumption. There is nothing more to it; he gave her up the moment he betrayed her. Alex made a decision, and even though it was the worse decision he had ever made, it is already too late. He made it happen, and that ruined everything.

“I don’t know if you are suffering from brain damage or something, but I recall suggesting you to fight for her. You said you would right?”

The singer shook his head.

“I can’t.”

“Okay, maybe you deserve to watch her walk away from you. Like stop being a pussy!” Jack exclaimed.

Alex glared at him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”

“Yeah, how can I be on your side when you are not even on your side?”

Jack has a point.

“Alex, please just answer my question. What stopped you from winning Beckett back?”

Alex pursed his lips, trying to verbalize his reasoning. He knew why he didn’t beg her to stay with him but he just needs to find the right way to express his feelings.

After a few moments of contemplation, he finally decided to speak up.

“I thought about all the pain I’ve caused her. We argue so much, and it is not healthy. She has done so much for me, put up with my shit every other day, and she has a demanding career on top of all that. I don’t deserve her. She is better off without me.”

Jack rolled his eyes. He never thought that Beckett was too good for Alex. Sometimes, he even thought the opposite. Alex can be with so many other people, because many people see him and want to fall in love with him, but he loves Liezel so much that other women wouldn’t even be an option. Sometimes it is apparent that he loves her more than she to him.

“Bullshit, Alex. I think she will be missing out on you when she leaves.”

“Jack, she will never forgive me. I am not going to try and fail, that will hurt even more than it already does.”

Jack cannot believe that the two are done for good. If there were a couple he thought would live on forever, it would be Alex and Liezel. They’ve gone through so much together and still return to each other after countless arguments. Most couples would have been done long before. But now, the two immortal couple is finally done. It is so hard to believe that.

“You know, someone pushed me to not make the mistake you are making now just last month.” Jack started.

He had a new tactic up his sleeve.

“What?” Alex sat down on the sofa, placing his head on the cushion.

Jack ruffled his sofa cushion and tossed them to the other side of the room. He watched the pillow fall onto the floor, cursing himself. Originally, he aimed for the sofa seat.

“When I decided against fighting for Dale, you brought fucking Loki Lockheart in here to knock some sense into me. Now, unless you want me to bring Tomas Berdych in for a convention, I suggest you do as I tell you.”

Alex scoffed at the mention of that man’s name.

“The difference is, Loki wants Dale to be with you because she wants to be with you. In my case, Tomas wants to be with her and she does not want to be with me.”

“Anyways, you shouldn’t give up. If I had reason to fight for Dale after a mere three months, then you sure as hell better find Liezel and restore your decade-long relationship.”

Alex contemplated on that for a few moments. He already believed that winning Liezel back is a lost cause, and now he is thinking about all the things he would have to put her through if for some reason the two are back together again. They will have to face the aftermath of his infidelity and he didn’t want her to have to go through that.

“I don’t want to hurt her more than she already is.”

“Alex, I love Liezel like a sister, and maybe I’m a bit selfish myself, but I don’t want her out of my life. I need her more than I should. She looks out for me and is always willing to help me through my troubles, even if she is a bitch to my girlfriend for it. If you don’t fight for her, you are not the only one losing her—we are losing her.”

The brunette stared at his friend in shock. He always knew that Jack would’ve gone for Liezel if Alex hadn’t. Jack didn’t have intimate feelings for Liezel like he has, but she meant a lot to him—and she still does. He knew that Jack wanted some sort of a one-time arrangement with her if it weren’t for Alex’s interest in her during the beginning stages. But he never realized how desperate Jack is to get her back.

Jack isn’t vying for him to do this just for Alex. He is doing this for himself and maybe even Zack. If Liezel leaves Baltimore for good, Alex isn’t the only one losing Liezel, they all are.

“When is she leaving?” Alex finally asked.

He did not want to let Jack down; he already let Liezel down.

“You should call Rian to find out. I’ll bet on my favorite Fender Bender guitar that Ace told him all the details.”

Notes

This is the second to last chapter... so is Alex going to win Liezel back or not???

And here's the link to the next/last story: Top of Your Ambitions.