"Midnight at the Lake"
Lone Chapter:
He placed his head in his hands, sighing profusely at his bad luck with women. His first love was now his best friend; he could never relive again what he once had with her. His wife, on the other hand, was playing him for a fool. She was sleeping with his brother, and was now pregnant by him, even though she was passing it off as his own.
Sighing deeply to himself, and wondering how he could clear up the mess that his life had become, he heard a noise. It seemed like the rustling of leaves, but he could hear footsteps. A lone figure could be seen walking through the foggy area by the lake at midnight.
"Who's there?" he asked, loud enough for the aimless passer by to hear.
He didn't receive an answer, so he opted to just let it go. Whoever it was probably had his or her own share of problems to deal with - just like he did.
The passerby stopped in front of the dock, watching the cool water, and seeing her reflection. The image before her was so sad; she almost wanted to splash the water just to erase that face from her visions.
Looking up, she noticed the man who had called out earlier. She wouldn't dare reply. Who knows whom that voice could belong to? This town was pretty crimeless, but she had learned long ago not to be too trusting of others. And besides, what was a stranger doing out here this late at night?
Probably the same thing I'm doing, she thought bitterly to herself. Thinking, trying to find a solution to the problem my life has become.
Squinting in the darkness, she tried to make out who the person was that was sitting alone on the bench.
That looked a lot like the man she used to love. The man she still loved, deep down. She thought about going to him, but thought the better of it. What did it matter? He didn't want her anymore – hell, he had even married another. She was just a cast aside memory for him now. Or so she thought.
But what was he doing here? His body language spoke that of sadness and forlornness. How she wanted to just go up to him, kiss away his tears and pain. Make everything better. The way she used to do once. But that role of hers had been replaced by another now, and there was nothing she could do, rather than accept her fate. That she was unlucky in love.
Sitting down in front of the water, she took off her sandals, placing her feet in the gentle water.
She stayed in that position for a good ten minutes, her eyes glistening with crystal tears as the moon watched down on her with empathy.
"I've lost everything!" she lamented to herself. "The love of my life. My family. My friends. Even my business." The last thing she had lost was one that bared the least importance, but it had been the final straw. It had sent her over the edge.
Doing her best to stop crying, she didn't succeed. The tears that were soaking around her eyes threatened to fall, but she didn't care anymore.
The tears fell in droplets, and her body heaved down to her left side, as her sobs took control over her body. She was crying for everything she had lost. The love of her life mostly. If she didn't have anything else, she wouldn't mind, as long as she had him. But now without him, she saw no reason for anything. For living. Even for crying these damn tears of regret.
She looked up to see the shiny water. It seemed so welcoming. She was breathing heavily, and trying her best to suppress her sobs.
A thought entered her mind. One that she had always promised herself she would never seriously think about.
Why not end all of the pain, right here, right now? What did she have to lose besides the one thing she couldn't stand anymore?! Her life. No one would miss her, or care. Maybe she owed it to herself to stop the pain.
Eyeing the water again, she gave a small smile. This would be her ticket to freedom. Closing her eyes, she tried to build up the courage she knew she needed to take this plunge.
She stood up and opened her eyes. Her gaze landed on the man sitting not to far away.
Blowing him a kiss, she shouted "I love you, Antonio!" loud enough for him to hear before her body hit the icy water, and she let it slowly but surely swallow her in whole. Even if she died tonight, she wanted him to know that her heart still belonged to him.
He looked up in alarm once he heard his name. He couldn't see a person in sight, but he heard the splashing of water coming from the dock. And that voice he had heard sure did sound like Liz.
Running to where he saw the water form a circle of a ripple effect, he quickly jumped in.
He could barely feel the cold water as it drenched his body. His mind was too focused on finding Liz to feel anything else.
"Liz!" he shouted, swimming around, trying to find her.
Taking a deep breath, he went under the water. The only form of light that was assisting him in finding Liz was the moon. But he would make do with it.
His arms roamed about, trying to locate Liz's flesh. Thrashing about, he finally managed to find and pull out Liz from the lake, and bring her back to safety by the bench where he had been sitting just a few minutes ago.
"Oh my God, Liz," he cried. He held her body in his arms. Her lips had turn a shade of blue, and she wasn't responding to his calls.
Having learned CPR back when he worked at one of the beaches on St. Lisa's, he began to administer the process, hoping it would work on her.
Come on, Liz, his mind was reeling. You can't do this. You can't die. I won't let you!
A mere few minutes later, even though it felt like hours for Antonio, Liz seemed to come through.
Her head shook from the cold she was feeling, just at the same moment Antonio tried another round of CPR.
"Antonio?" Liz asked, puzzled.
"Oh you're all right!" he breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought I lost you." He brushed the tear forming in his eyes.
"Why'd you save me?" Liz asked angrily. She could see that he cared, but she assumed it to be that of friendship. And that was not what she wanted.
"You were attempting suicide?" Antonio asked her, flabbergasted. He thought that she had fallen into the water by accident.
Liz looked away, ashamed. How could she answer his question? She knew how he would react to that. Angry. Upset. But he surprised her.
"Why, Liz?" he asked gently, placing his hand on her shoulder.
She shivered from the cold. Placing his jacket around her shoulders, he waited patiently for a response.
"There's nothing left for me, Antonio." She exclaimed. "Nothing. No one."
"That's not true. You have me."
She smiled in a bittersweet way. "No I don't. At least not the way I want to have you." She stood up wobbling, and turned her back to him, staring once again at the water.
He stared at her backside, both eyebrows raised in shock. Liz still loved him? After all this time, she still wanted him?
"Oh what does it matter?" Liz continued, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "You're married to Sheridan."
"But she doesn't love me," Antonio protested lightly.
She turned around, a look of question on her face.
"Love has to go both ways, Liz. And it doesn't with me and Sheridan."
"So what are you saying?" she asked, shrugging.
"I'm saying why settle down with someone who doesn't love you, when there is someone who you love who loves you back."
Liz's eyes gleamed in amusement and interest. She stared into his eyes, hoping that he was talking about her.
To make his point, he placed his arm around her shoulder, and slowly drew her into a kiss. A kiss like the many they had shared on St. Lisa's. A kiss that brought back so many wonderful memories for the both of them. Back when they had no problems. Back when they had each other.
The smooch was tantalizingly sexy. The mood and their environment brought an added air of romance to their shared liplock. The moon smiled, the stars shined, and the water glistened, as Liz and Antonio kissed each other passionately.
They broke away from their kiss, their eyes set on each other. Liz pushed a stray wet lock of hair away from Antonio's eyes.
"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked her.
She nodded slowly.
"Wait," he said, just as they were turning around to head back. Taking his wedding ring off of his finger, he stared at it for a second in wonder and pain, before flinging it into the water.
"Dwollop," came the sound of the ring slowly sinking into the lake.
He turned to her and smiled. "Let's go." He put his arm around her and they walked away from the dock.
Liz smiled up at Antonio, realizing that maybe there was good to come for her. After all, it was the ring that had gone into the water that night, and had not come back. It very well could have been her, but it wasn't. And she had Antonio to thank for that.
* The End *
{a/n: I hoped u liked this fic. I sure did. I love Liztonio. I hope you enjoyed it even if you're not a fan of this couple.}