What Remains of Elizabeth Clove | COMPLETED & IN EDITING

Chapter 15

Upper state New York was beautiful in late October. It was peaceful and quiet, like nothing horrible could happen there. It would be the perfect place to spend forever in.

I felt guilty for still not letting Cam know. I had hidden a bag in the back seats of the car, ready at my disposal when I decided the right time to leave him. "Ok, we're almost there." Cam said, glancing at the GPS on his phone. "Are you ready?" I shrugged. "I don't really know, Cam.." I muttered, the fear of being disappointed rising back into my chest again. "We're actually doing this." He said, talking to himself. "Can you believe it?" He turned to face me for a quick second. "We're doing what Liz wanted us to eventually do." He squeezed my hand with his free one. Smiling at me, he noticed my face, which must have looked horrible, because his smile fell. "What's on your mind, Maximum?" I flinched at the mention of the nickname that Liz had given to me.

Oh Cam, I was just going to leave you forever once we found out whatever Liz wanted us to see at the mysterious address she had left behind.

NOTE: I'm sorry. I was so sorry.

"Max?" Cam called my name again, and I was snapped back into reality. "I'm just.." I paused. "Scared, about the next couple of hours." And that was the truth. I was scared for what we'd find, what Cam's reaction would be when I left him, and what my life would be like from here on out. "You can do this." He assured me. "You can be strong for Liz, remember? You have been for the past weeks." He slowed to a stop as we hit a red light. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not life changing."

SPOILER ALERT: Cam was wrong. Cam was very, very wrong.

"Its a...Park?" I questioned, puzzled as we pulled into the parking lot. "This is 754 SandSpot lane..." Cam said, pulling out the keys. I opened the car door, grabbing my bag on the way out. "What's with the bag?" Cam asked. "It's nothing." I lied, shouldering the backpack. "Just didn't want to leave something important in the car." That was the truth. Everything that was on my back were the only things I'd ever need from home, or the place I had once called home at least. "Let's just quit talking and find whatever it is Liz wanted us to find here in this park." I said softly.

We procrastinated our time, Cam and I. The playground was almost too inviting. I got some good photos of the two of us that day. Photos I still look back on, and smile at from time to time.

I never wanted that day to end. I wanted to stay 16 years old forever.

I wanted to stay with one of the best people in the world.

I wanted to stay young.

But I had already lost my youth over the past weeks.

The note that was in the locker had said to go to a bridge at the edge of the park.

Oh, Liz and her irony.

Cam grabbed my hand, looking straight forward, taking deep breaths. "Whatever we find, we'll find it together." He assured me. "We've done it for weeks already, haven't we?" Nodding, we walked toward the bridge, toward the final answer.

When we got to the bridge, my heart stopped. This was not what I was expecting.

"Well it only took you 42 days." Elizabeth Clove said to us, crossing her arms as she picked at her nails.

No.

No.

No.

No.

She couldn't be alive. I would've known. I would've felt that something was wrong, that something wasn't exactly right.

Cam spoke first. "This-This is a joke right?" He ran a hand through his hair. "You're actually real?! You're alive?!" He ran up and hugged her. Cam had missed Liz so, so much. His eyes said it all. Wordlessly shoving Cam aside, I threw myself at Liz. After being deprived from it for so long, I gave ever ounce of love I had for her in her direction, and consumed every morsel of affection she had for me, no matter how torn or broken it might've been. We both treated it like it was the last thing we'd ever feel. That kiss we shared was magical.

Pulling away from her, I did the one thing I had saved for this possible moment. I slapped her. Holding her hand to her cheek, she stepped back away from me. "I guess I deserved that.." She mumbled. "Do you feel guilty, like, at all?" I asked, angry and euphoric at the same time. "I didn't have time to feel guilty, Max." She said softly. "And neither do you.." "I missed you so much Elizabeth Clove." I said, shaking from my pain, and my anger and my relief. "I laid awake at night, wondering what I could've done differently, how I could've prevented your death, hell, how I could've explained to you how much you truly mean to me." I took a deep breath, and stopped Liz from interrupting me. "Did you know I made a memorial for you? I was saving my money for a bench for you Liz. A goddamn bench for you!" I screamed, hurt and confused at the same time. "And it turns out you're alive?!" I hissed. "And I'm sorry for that.." She whispered. "But I-" "Had to?" I scoffed. "Yeah, I read your stupid notebook Liz." I looked down. "Do you have it?" She asked me softly. I nodded, grabbing it out of my backpack. She took it from my hands. Carefully and slowly, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a lighter. She held it next to the pages and lit it on fire. I could see tears roll down her cheeks as she watched the journal burn. She tossed it into the river beneath us. "I'm so, so sorry for the pain I caused." She looked over her shoulder at Cam. "For the both of you." She sighed. "I'm sorry for the grief, the heartbreak.." She reached out for my hand, her blue eyes locking with mine. "It was all to protect you both.." Smiling lightly at her, I whispered, "I missed you too." She grinned back at me. "You too Maximum." She tossed the blue streak of my hair into the air. "By the way, love what you've done with the hair."

She looked at the sky. "Shit, It's getting dark." She muttered. "This is why I hate daylight savings.." Walking off the bridge, she turned to face us. "You coming?" Cam coughed. "Well I assumed we were going to a hotel room but-" I stopped Cam from continuing, "I'm not going with you Cam." I said, grave and calm at the same time. He nodded. "Assumed as much." He said, oblivious. "I'll just meet you here tomorrow then?" He asked. I sighed, feeling horrible. "No, Cam, I'm not going back." I grabbed his hand, facing him. "I-I don't understand.." His voice cracked.

NOTE: Cam was a very, very emotional person.

"Cam please don't make this harder for me.." Shit. He had made me cry now. "What am I supposed to tell everyone?" He asked, his hands shaking slightly. I took a deep breath. "There's a perfectly good bridge here Cam.." I muttered. "If someone else can fake their own death off of one, so can I." He shook his head. "I can't do this Max. I can't lose you too.."

I lifted his chin up as I stroked his tear stained cheek. His eyes met mine, and I tried my best to remember them, because I knew after today, I'd never see him again. "No one will remember me. I'm just the girl who's best friend died.. I'm just an unimportant girl from an unimportant town in Maine.." I smiled slightly at him. "You have to be strong Cam." I said, repeating the words Mrs. Clove had told me that day I had found the notebook. "Be strong for me, for Liz, for Fiona, Chase, and hell, even Victoria." Cam smothered me in a hug. "I love you Maxine Rudd.." He said softly. "And no matter what you say, I'll never forget you, and won't let anyone else forget my best friend." He released me from his embrace. "Rest in peace." He told me kindly, his hands tucked in his pockets. "Both of you."

Liz held out her hand, sending me a silent invite I couldn't refuse. "Where to now?" I asked her as I walked toward her.

Elizabeth Clove shrugged, a small smirk crawling across her face. "I think it's time to let you decide where we head." I nodded, and looking back at Cam's silhouette, the image of my old life fading in the distance with him, I smiled.

Everything was better now.

Everything was new.

For once, I had no doubt in my head.

I grabbed my best friend, and my lover's hand, and I knew after that, there was no going back.