THIRTY FOUR

"What are you doing here?" Liza walks towards her bed after opening the door for Mark to come in.

"I saw the pictures of you in the hospital this morning. What's going on?" Mark walks in and shuts the door behind him. "Are you hurt?"

Liza smiles at him, "I am fine. I am more than fine."

She has been all smiles this morning. The press is doing her work for her. There are various speculations that she and Alex are back together. She is not doing anything to refute the speculations.

She intends on stepping out looking hot as ever, and telling the paparazzi outside her house these following words she has prepped herself to say, which is "No comment."

It will drive them crazy.

Mark's expression changes from worry to annoyance. He should have known this one of her ploys. "What did you do?" Mark says with a frown.

Liza rolls her eyes as she falls on her bed. "Oh Mark, you need to learn to chill."

"You need to stop."

"As my manager, you should harness this publicity and promote my clothing brand. Do I need to teach you your job?" Liza says looking at the ceiling.

"I quit." Those words are bitter in Mark's mouth. He never thought of a day he would say that.

Liza laughs as she sits up, "Stop playing around."

"I mean it," Mark says standing his ground.

"Okay then," Liza frowns, he just ruined her mood. "Leave," She points at the door.

Mark wants to take those words back but he can't keep doing this. He is hurting himself watching her do these crazy things to get Alex back.

To Liza's surprise, Mark starts walking away. Her heart beats fast waiting for him to stop and come back as he always does but he opens the door and walks out.

"What an ungrateful asshole!" She yells, throwing pillows at the door.

~~|~~

"These people are insane," Xavier comments with a mouth full of pancakes. His head as been on his phone all morning.

Cara looks at him then back at her breakfast. She had turned off her phone yesterday night before she went to bed. She doesn't have the strength of the internet today.

Xavier glances at Cara who doesn't respond to his statement. "Hey, I might look like him but I not the one you are mad at."

Cara puts her hand on her chest feigning an apologetic look, "Oh, I almost forgot."

"Just talk to him," Xavier starts, "He says that..."

"Honestly, I don't want to hear it," Cara says playing with her food.

Xander walks into the dining room. He stands at the edge of the table with the hope that this morning she will talk to him.

Catching the tension in the air, Xavier attempts to stand up and leave so the pair can talk things out but Cara puts her hand on his, "No, I will be the one to leave."

Cara stands up and walks past Xavier.

"Come on, Cara," Xander says as she approaches his direction. She doesn't look at him as she walks past him. "Her dad was sick, she had no one else to call!" Xander yells.

"She doesn't want to talk to you bro," Xavier says.

Xander places his briefcase on the table, "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing, I tried but nothing."

"I am not used to this, it's weird. We fight and say our minds to each other but we never go silent."

"Why the hell are you still in contact with your ex, dude." Xavier shakes his head. He doesn't even have his ex's numbers not to talk of having them call him. But then again, his relationships don't last a month. "They are called ex for a reason."

"Didn't you hear me? Her dad was confined in the hospital." Xander snaps in annoyance.

"Whoa there, I am not the one that put you in this situation." Xavier throws his hands up. "Your soft spot for Liza that did."

"I don't have any soft spot for Liza."

"Whatever you say." Xavier shrugs staring down at his phone. "By the way, you need to contain the rumors that you guys are back together."

"I hate people," Xander mutters.

~~~~~

"They followed us," Cassie looks over at the revealing glass wall of the kid's store they are currently at.

The paparazzi at the house must have followed them to this place.

"Ughh, they are pests." Cara doesn't even bother to look instead her eyes are scanning the racks of baby clothes trying to find the one she likes. "They keep asking me questions I have no answers to, like why they together last night? I don't fucking know."

"You would if you talked to Alex."

Cara looks over her shoulders, "Whose side are you on?"

"Yours, always yours but you can't ignore him forever."

"He lied to me," Cara takes out a cute little onesie from the rack. " And he went to her."

She is hurt. She cried herself to sleep yesterday night. While crying, she felt stupid for crying and she got angry then cried some more.

"Maybe because he thought you are going to get mad..."

"Well, I am mad. You don't see me rushing to my exes when their family gets hospitalized, do you?" Cara hangs the cloth back. "She has this power over him still and I can't pretend to see it."

"I think you are being dramatic."

"Am I?" Cara scoffs.

Changing the subject, "What are we even doing here?" Cassie asks.

"Spending his money." Cara smiles dropping clothes into the cart without even looking at it.

"You are crazy."

~~~

"This bitch," Cassie comments as she watches the video of Liza saying "no comment" to the press. "Like there's something to comment about."

Cassie looks over at Cara who's sipping her milkshake loudly in anger. "I hope she chokes on all the attention."

"So you are not going to do anything?" Cassie says in surprise.

Cara shrugs, "What can I do? I can't go over to her place and fight a bitch like I normally do, I am pregnant. And I am going to continue avoiding a conversation with Xander because I know I will throw whatever is nearest to me at him when he starts explaining. I am avoiding stressful situations, doctor's orders."

Cassie nods and smiles knowing that Cara will crack at some point. "Okay then."

Cara looks over Cassie's shoulders to the booth next to theirs where someone familiar has been looking at them. Seeing that Cara has caught sight of him, Mark walks over to their table.

"Hey," He stands in front of their table.

Cara looks up at Mark, "Are you stalking us?" She frowns.

"No," He shakes his head, "Well, yes," he nods.

Cara raises her eyebrows in evident annoyance, she has never been good in hiding her facial expressions. "What does Liza want?"

"I am not here for Liza. I don't work with her anymore."

"Good for you." Cara gives a fake smile as she looks away and resumes with her fries.

"I just wanted to tell you that she is a liar." Mark's words become of serious interest to Cara as she pops a fry in her mouth and looks up at him. "Her dad wasn't hospitalized, she just wanted the attention from Alex, the press..."

Cassie interrupts, "I knew it, that attention-seeking bitch."

Cara looks at Mark suspiciously, "Why are you telling me this?"

Mark wanted to tell Xander instead but they are still not on good terms, they will just end up punching each other.

"If all her plans aren't working, maybe she will stop and..."

"Come back to you?" Cara finishes for him. Mark doesn't say anything. "Anyways thanks." She adds.

Mark attempts to say something but instead, he nods and walks away.

"Is she that desperate? Like what the fuck?"

"It doesn't change the fact that he lied and now, I am angrier because he fell for her trap."

~~~~

Cara walks into the sitting room to a cheerful Xander who stands up and ushers her to the dinning the minute he notices her presence.

Cara raises her eyebrows as they walk into the dining. She sets her eyes on the table where dishes are set and spread across the large table. The room is dimly lit and candles are in the middle which gives light to the room.

"For the dinner, we missed," Xander says with a smile. He drags the chair out for her.

That perfect smile, the dinner, everything thing is just perfect. Cara wants to take a sit and talk things out with him, but then he is never going to get how insecure she is of Liza.

She hates feeling this way. Cara has always been a confident person but when it comes to Xander and their relationship, she finds herself questioning things. He is not making it better with is constant contact with Liza.

"Cassie is waiting for me in the car, I am staying at our place for the weekend," Cara says looking away from the table.

Xander smiles turn to a frown, "It's that how it's going to be?" He scoffs.

"Excuse me?"

"We have a fight and you pack up to leave? How immature." He spits.

She feels like he is taunting her, trying to make her talk but she isn't going to.

"Her dad was hospitalized, she called, what was I supposed to do?"

"Anything but lie to me. And besides, she had it all planned, she's a sneaky bitch." So much for not wanting to say anything. Since she has already started talking, she continues. "Mark says that she did all that to get your attent...."

Xander interrupts immediately, "Mark? Since when do you guys start talking?"

Knowing where he's going, Cara shakes her hard, "Don't you dare try to put this me."

"What you guys are friends now?"

"You are ridiculous." Cara rolls her eyes.

"No, tell me,"

"I am leaving." Cara attempts to walk away.

"No, I'll leave," Xander says walking ahead of her and leaving the room.

Cara gives a silent scream. He always has a way of making her angrier than she ever thought she can be. How can you love someone so much and also want to break a glass on their head?

~~~