Author's Note: The lack of reviews in the last chapter have me wondering if I shouldn't find a way to wrap this story up sooner rather than later. If you are still interested please let me know.

Chapter Ten

Love and friendship: Two of the most misused words in the human vocabulary. True friendship is about acceptance and growing together, not just the passing of time. And mature love is an action word, not just an emotion.

Leaning the small of her back against the kitchen counter, Izzie raised a steaming mug of coffee to her lips. She had less than an hour to fully wake up, make herself presentable, and come up with a valid reason for why the town should approve her request to open an office in one of their coveted historical downtown spaces. The blame for her exhaustion could be placed solely on Alex's shoulders. Like an idiot, she had thought their impromptu meshing of bodies two days ago had meant something. Something other than pent up sexual frustration; which is what Alex had called it. Pent up, sexual frustration. Slamming her mug down, she let out an angry snort and pushed herself away from the counter. She should have seen it coming. She should have been smart enough to realize that Alex was doing what Alex does best: using sex as a distraction. Her eyes burned as she walked into the living room, where she had laid out the light gray slacks and the pale pink, sleeveless cowl necked top she planned on wearing to her meeting with the town council. Izzie felt like stomping back up the stairs and telling Alex that she wasn't an idiot. He hadn't been releasing sexual frustration, he had been trying to distract himself from the fact that Jo seemed okay with him moving on.

"Just let it go," Izzie muttered, pulling off the t shirt she had slept in. "You only have yourself to blame...thinking he'd changed." She dropped the Iowa State Wrestling t-shirt to the ground and went through the motions of getting dressed. She'd just zipped her slacks when she heard the stairs creak and then thundering footsteps.

"Did you sleep down here again?" Avery asked as she padded into the living room. Most of her long, pale blonde hair was gathered into a knot on the back of her head, but a few strands had escaped and stuck out around her sleep flushed face.

"Hm," Izzie murmured, not wanting to give a direct answer. She knew that Avery would be upset if she knew her brother and Izzie were fighting. Not fighting, Izzie silently corrected, just not talking. Which sucked almost as much as Alex using her. She'd really thought they were, at the very least, friends.

"That's not a real answer," her young sister in law observed, flopping down on the navy blue upholstered club chair Izzie had found at a cute little boutique one town over.

"It's the only answer I've got at the moment," Izzie conceded. She ran a brush through her hair and then quickly tamed it into a side French braid that hung over one shoulder. It probably wasn't the most professional hairstyle in the world but it would have to do.

"Gotcha." Covering her mouth with one hand, Avery yawned. She squinted at Izzie and offered her a small, half smile. "How long do you think you're thing is going to last this morning."

Shoving her feet into a pair of flats, Izzie shrugged. "Not sure. Why?"

"No reason. Just thought, you know, maybe it if didn't last too long when you got back we could all, I dunno, go do something...as a family."

Izzie felt her stomach tighten. She had known almost from the start that Avery seen the three of them as a family, and while part of her wanted to cultivate those thoughts she knew it was only temporary. Alex had been very clear about that, and even if he hadn't been the way he had written off their love making certainly made it clear. "I'm not sure what your brother has going today," she said carefully.

"Already asked him," Avery smirked. "He's got zero plans."

"Oh," she squeaked, the tip of her tongue darting out to lick her lips. "Well, in that case, I'm sure we can find something to do..." she gulped, "as a family."

Clapping her hands together, Avery jumped to her feet. "Awesome!" She wrapped her arms around Izzie and squeezed before darting back up the stairs.

Biting back a sigh, Izzie bent to pick up the leather portfolio that was lying on the coffee table. She clutched it against her chest and took a deep breath. This was it. She had one shot at impressing the town council and obtaining the perfect spot for a doctor's office. "You've got this Stevens," she whispered under her breath as she walked out the front door. She shook off the heavy feeling in her chest and told herself it didn't matter that Alex hadn't really spoken to her in two days or that he hadn't come downstairs to wish her luck. She reminded herself that she had lived years without him, had succeeded at plenty of things without his support, and would continue to do so.

Three hours later, Izzie found herself staring at the little cottage that was starting to feel like home, tears burning in her eyes. The council had approved her request for the space; most had seemed ecstatic to have a younger doctor setting up office. She should have been excited. The dream of owning her own practice was about to come true. Being excited about a dream on her own just wasn't, well, all that exciting. She'd sent Jane a text and her friend had responded instantly with all the right words, but Jane wasn't her family. Like Avery, Izzie had allowed herself to come to think of Alex, Avery, and herself as a family. She'd tried to focus on the temporary aspect of it all but couldn't. She loved Avery as though the girl were her own daughter and, God help her, she had never stopped loving Alex.

Super short chapter. Let me know if you guys want me to continue...