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Alex kissed Elizabeth's neck once more before he sat upon the bed. He glanced around for his clothing, before feeling her fingers delicately tracing his spine. He leaned into her touch, feeling one of her arms wrap around his torso as she sat up, kissing below his ear.
"You could stay, Alex, no one knows you're here, do they?" He hummed. "So, you could stay. My roommate left for the countryside yesterday."
"I can't, you know that I can't. And as far as your roommate leaving, you should as well, Betty. It's not safe here." Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but let Alex leave the warmth of her arms. "They bloody Germans are coming closer each day, I don't want you hurt."
"Is she staying?"
"Who?" Alex played dumb. He always did this with Elizabeth. It was almost as if he pretended that he wasn't with two women, one would eventually just go away. He looked at Elizabeth, who had one eyebrow raised. "No, she's not, but she's with her family. They'll probably stay together. You're all alone here." He took Elizabeth's face in his hands, gently kissing her forehead. "Please, Betty, I just need you safe. My family has a cottage in the north. I can write to them and ask if you can stay there until this war is over."
"I can't just pick up my life and leave it, Alex. I have a job, one that I happen to like very much. Besides, how would your family react to you asking for a woman who isn't your fiance to stay with them?"
"Fuck 'em. I just need you to be safe. I need you, Betty." Elizabeth smiled, but said nothing. She knew that she was dangerously falling in love with Alex, but she also knew that in a few months he would be unattainable. She would have to watch him marry one of her friends marry the man that she was sleeping with. "Are you okay?"
"Hm?" She looked up from the linen she was fiddling with to see Alex completely dressed, his jacket on.
"I lost you for a moment. Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine. I'm just thinking of what Grace would say if she ever found out." Alex sighed, walking over to the bed, sitting down. "You're going to be late."
"I can afford to be a few minutes late." Alex took Elizabeth's hand, making sure that he had her attention. "Betty, we'll figure it out, okay? Grace won't ever know either. We're careful.
You don't wear your perfume, I don't wear my aftershave. We make sure our clothes are never left behind. I'm sure to never be seen leaving your house unless it's with Grace and my neighbors don't even know about your existence. We'll be okay. Besides, half the men in this town are gone off to war. It's the women we have to be careful of now."
"It's the women I'm worried about." Alex laughed, kissing Elizabeth quickly before standing up. "Make sure nobody sees you leave."
"I've done this once or twice before. I'll be fine." Alex put on his cap, making sure his face was almost covered before going towards the door, looking out at the street. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, I'll be at the dance. I'm going with a soldier that Grace found for me."
"What's his name? I'll ask around for him."
"Tommy, I believe. I can't remember his last name." Alex nodded, but Elizabeth knew that Tommy was a common name. It wasn't going to be possible to figure out which Tommy she was going with.
"Save me a dance."
"Always will."
"I'll see you later." Elizabeth nodded and watched as Alex left her small apartment, leaving her alone to think over what she had done and how much she had ruined her friendship all because she was in love.
She rose from the bed, grabbing her slip and throwing it on before putting her robe on and looking at herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair was a mess, the waves at the bottom of her hair, knotted together, and her eyes were bright, just like they always were when she got time with Alex. She was combing her hair when there was a knock on her door and a shout of her name that startled her out of her thoughts about Alex.
"C'mon Lizzie! I know you're in there!" Elizabeth cursed under her breath, tying up her hair and closing her robe, before going to the door and opening it to her friend, Grace. She prayed that Grace didn't notice her disheveled appearance, Elizabeth didn't think she'd have it in her to lie about who was in here. "Good evening, Lizzie, I've brought us wine and beer!" She held up a wine bottle and two beer bottles as she walked by. "My god, you're a wreck, what's happened?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing, I've just got a letter from home and I cried a bit. Nothing major, just missing my family." Elizabeth led the way to the bed, both women sitting down on either side, facing each other.
"Maybe you could go home during the war. Alex says it's much safer in Ireland since there's so much land and not much else. Besides, I may be sent off." This was the first time Elizabeth heard of this.
"Where?" Grace shrugged.
"My father said he may send me to the countryside; to where I have no idea. Probably somewhere with land and not much else."
"I have no family to go to in England. I was planning on just staying here. We're far enough away from London as is. If it gets worse, I'll think about going home." Elizabeth knew she wouldn't. "Besides, Damien said he would come to visit me before he left for France." Elizabeth smiled.
"It must be hard to have him so far away. You have a lot of trust he won't do something stupid. Alex is in the same town and I'm still worried he's sleeping with other women, even with this ring on my finger." Elizabeth felt sick. Alex was sleeping with another woman and it was her, one of Grace's friends. "He swears he isn't and I trust him. Besides, with the two of us watching his every move, every woman in Dover knows not to try with him." Grace smiled at Elizabeth, laying her head on the pillow that her fiance's head had just laid his head-on. "I can't wait to be married, Lizzie, it'll be a dream."
"Yes, I suppose it will be. I don't know much about marriage, though."
"I feel like once you love someone like I love Alex, you'll understand, there's nowhere else you want to be, but in his arms." Elizabeth sighed, leaning back. She knew what that felt like. She knew exactly how Grace was feeling because she too was feeling that was with Alex, however she knew that she couldn't have him.
