"i'm sorry, i'm so sorry," eliza wailed from where she sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and slightly squished between james and thomas.

"no, no, elizabeth, don't-"

"don't call me that." eliza interrupted james. "that's alex's punishment. i'm still lizzy to you guys."

thomas breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped one arm around eliza's shoulders. "lizzy."

she looked up at him and immediately started apologizing again. "i don't mean to be a burden. i'm so sorry. i don't- i don't know what happened and-"

"lizzy."

eliza bit her lip. "yeah, thomas?"

"don't worry about it. it's okay. none of us was expecting him to be there."

"and it's understandable for you to have a big reaction," james added softly. "if it makes you feel any better, he looked pretty scared when he ran away."

thomas let out a low laugh, and eliza joined in. "i barely remember it," she giggled. "what did i say?"

thomas took a deep breath. "well," he began, and james laughed.

"basically, you told him to fuck off, and not to bother you while you were here," james finished.

"he looked like he'd seen a ghost," thomas snorted.

eliza let out a soft chuckle. "unfortunately, though," she muttered, "all of my things are still at his apartment."

"we could go get it!" james volunteered immediately, already standing.

"james-" eliza cut in. "maybe i should let alexander know first?"

"fuck him," thomas muttered darkly, then shook his head. "sorry. it's just- he shouldn't have so much control over you still."

"thomas, it's his apartment..." eliza replied, but her lips were curled into a small smile. "how's this? i let him know, and you two can go get my things while i go to the café down the road and pick up a job application? and do not tell me that i don't need a job," she added, pointing at james, who had been about to protest. "if i'm living here, i should be helping out."

"liz-"

"i will help, thomas!" despite the sharp words, she had a grin on her face, and thomas couldn't help grinning back. "and after that, i'll meet you guys back at alex's to help."

james bit his lip. "are you sure you want to?" he asked. "you don't have to if you don't want to."

"with you two there, i can do anything," eliza replied honestly. she pulled out her phone to text alex and missed the blushes that covered both boys' faces.

· · ·

application in hand, eliza stood outside the door of her old apartment, staring at the key in her hand. she never thought she would be this scared to enter her own apartment. never thought she would be this betrayed by alex. she slowly ran over thumb over the jagged side of the key before placing it in the lock and slowly turning it.

she closed the door behind her as quietly as she could, although it probably wouldn't have made any difference. even from the doorway, she could hear shouting from within the apartment.

"-what the fuck you're doing in my apartment!"

"james already told you! we're here to to get lizzy's things!"

"her name is elizabeth! and why are you here? where the fuck is she?"

"i'm right here."

eliza stood in the doorway, surveying the room. alex stood in the corner, hands clenched into fists. his face had been red, but it was now drained of color. james had his arm on thomas's, attempting to calm him, while thomas had his arms crossed and his forehead furrowed in a glare.

eliza's gaze lingered on alex for a moment, then she turned to thomas and james with a smile. "did you get my things?"

thomas opened his mouth, still glaring at alex, but james cut him off. "almost, but we couldn't get the things out of your dresser."

without thinking, eliza walked over and kissed james and thomas on the cheek. "i can get that," she smiled.

she turned to start boxing her clothes up, not noticing the surprised blushes on james and thomas's faces, nor the shocked glare that alexander shot at them. it wasn't until she reached her last drawer and pulled out two sheets of paper that she seemed to notice any of the boys at all.

when she grabbed hold of the two papers, her cheerful façade seemed to crack for a moment, and she let out a choked sob, poorly excused as a cough. alexander looked over at her, at first looking worried, but then his expression morphed into something like surprise.

"hey," he piped up, his voice almost cheerful, "i can take those!"

he reached out, but his fingers had barely brushed the corner of the paper when eliza yanked them away.

"if i recall," she said, not looking away from the papers, "my father paid for this."

alexander looked as though he were about to protest, but shrunk back at the cold glare that james shot his way.

swallowing hard, eliza shoved the papers into a box, then picked it up. "let's go, boys," she said, forcing a semi-smile at james and thomas. they both wore expressions of worry, but eliza marched past them and out of the apartment.

the boys followed closely behind, carrying two boxes each. none of them spoke a word to alexander.

[i was re-reading this chapter and i high-key forgot what had happened in the story so far i think i probably need more sleep lmao. anyway, what do you think the papers were, eh?]