Part 50:
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Nick ran out the doors and stopped seeing Lis getting into a cab.
"Damnit!!" he yelled, ignoring the looks he got from a few people walking
by him. Where would she go, he asked himself as he took off towards the
parking lot.


Lis paid the cab driver and slowly walked to the front door of the
beachhouse, all she knew was she needed to get far away from anything
backstreet. Letting herself in she ignored Alec's greeting and headed
straight upstairs, determined to get out of there before Nick could find
her.


Five minutes later, Nick ran inside looking like a man possessed. "Is she
here??" he asked breathlessly. He'd searched their house, the boat, and
the beach before heading there.

Alec nodded, "Upstairs what the hell is going on?"

He shook his head and ran upstairs, two at a time.


Lis froze as she walked towards the door and saw Nick standing
there. "What are you doing?" he asked, seeing the suitcase in her hand.

"I'm leaving..." she said simply. There was no explanation needed, she'd
heard all she needed to hear before, no wonder he called her his assistant
to Alannah. Probably all he ever thought of her as anyway.

"No your not. Your aren't going anywhere until we settle this." he said
determinedly.

She laughed, "Nothing to settle Carter, this marriage or sham as I call it
is over. Been over since you slept with that twit...probably long before
that if I really knew the truth..."

"Damnit Lisa listen to me, I don't remember her...you know we went through
this all before...I told you I never cheated on you..."

"And stupidly I believed you. You know what maybe that's why you've been
taking all these meetings with E lately...your sleeping with her too!!!
That's it!!! And you knew Alannah would tell the truth so you took me
over...how nice everything's falling into place for you!! Well guess what
Nick your a free man now, so go screw whoever the hell you want...no need
to worry about the little wife at home, course I sincerely doubt I ever
crossed your mind."

Nick pulled the suitcase out of her hand and shook her, "Lis!!! Look at
me, I NEVER CHEATED ON YOU!!!!! How can you even think that??"

"Let go of me!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!!" she yelled, "I hate you more then
anything...how could I have been so stupid??" she stared at him. "HOW
COULD YOU???" she pounded her fists into his chest. "HOW COULD YOU!!!!!"

"I didn't!!" he let go of her as his shoulders started to shake. "All I
ever wanted was you Lis, only you...and one day our kids..."

"You liar!!" Lis started to shake as she pulled her wedding ring off.
"Don't make this about what you wanted for us Nick...all this was about 
was you getting whatever it is you wanted...and apparently it was any
female who showed you the slightest bit of interest."

Tears filled his eyes as he realized she honestly believed what she was
saying. "What are you doing?" he asked, seeing her ring in her hand.

"Giving this back since apparently it only ever meant something to me."
she choked back a sob as she threw it at his chest. "I never want to see
you again...or any of your friends or anything remotely connected to
you!!"

He stood there rooted to the spot as she ran past him with her suitcase,
everything she said sinking in. 


Lis ran down the stairs, not noticing the group of people who stood around
the bottom of the stairs and had heard the entire exchange. She'd made it
almost to her car when Alec caught up to her. "Lis...Lis...come on..."

She fumbled with her car keys, "Alec don't!! I want nothing to do with any
of them right now...that includes their spouses."

Alec put her arms around her friend's shoulders. "Then right now I'm not
Kevin's wife I'm one of your friends okay??" she pulled the keys out of
Lis' hands. "And right now your not in any condition to drive yourself
anywhere. I'll drive you wherever you want and I promise I won't say a
word to him."

She looked at Alec reluctantly, "Okay..." she said finally.. The look on
Alec's face said she wouldn't let her leave without her.


Brian saw Nick stumble down the stairs and went over to him, blocking his
path. "Get out of my way Rok...I gotta go after her..." he said, trying to
breathe.

Brian shook his head, "Nick I think she needs time alone right now..." he
put his hands up and Nick swatted them away.

"Time alone will only make her think she's right...that she doesn't love
me, that I don't love her...I'm gonna lose her Frick!!"

"What happened Nick?" Brian asked, helping Nick sit down on the steps.
Everyone else had discreetly disappeared after Lis came running
downstairs.

"She...we..." he stopped for a minute, staring at the ring in his hand.
"We went and saw Alannah the girl in the pictures and..."

"Take your time Nick."

"She said we did sleep together and Lis ran out...she thinks she knows
everything..."