#oceanfrontliz

so i feel stephen is another person that liz asks nick why he pays, ahahaha. stephen literally just hangs around nick’s house a lot (mostly during ~working hours) even though he doesn’t really do a lot of work? so he probably sees liz ALL THE TIME. and stephen might also cook there??? because he loves to cook and i think he likes to make himself useful. so if sally doesn’t mind, he probably does that too??

i am also so heart eyes over the fact that nick’s house went from being just him and sally every day to suddenly having all these people in it. liz and ren and stephen and sally and appearances by ward and probably colin. i just-- *proud mama tears because my sweet nick is growing up and making friends that he doesn’t have to pay to be at his house every day* (well some of them he does pay to be there BUT STILL.)

Liz had wondered, a year ago, if she’d ever get to feel like this again. In the darkness of the time PP—Post-Porter, as it were—Liz had convinced herself that it was impossible. That she’d never again feel like the sun was warmer and brighter than her memory could recall, that the breeze was sweeter, the bird song lighter; that the world itself was a place worth living in again.

And yet all that had changed literally overnight.

A soft smile crossed the young woman’s face as she brushed against the memory, wind playing through her blonde hair as she pulled into the road leading up to Nick’s mansion. The way his face had lit up the moment she had pressed her lips against his own, the music of his laughter joining with hers as they pulled each other back towards the house… The moment she’d known for certain that maybe this time—maybe this time she really had found something good.

It had been hard enough to pull herself away as it was. Even if it really only had been to go home and shower and grab some new clothes—not to mention assure Kristen and Elaine that Nick hadn’t locked her away in his ivory tower for the rest of her life. He’d looked so perfect lying there beside her, so peaceful and happy.

Liz found herself hoping to God that this time nothing and no-one would destroy that, especially her.

“Hey, it’s me!” She called out without really looking, hanging her purse on the back of her usual seat at the kitchen counter before stepping out the open sliding door towards the pool. It was odd to think that Nick was working outside but then again maybe he’d actually taken her advice and given himself another day of reprieve. She’d said she’d be back as soon as possible after all.

“Were you waiting out here for me this whole time, babe?” Liz laughed as she sidled up to the only occupied lounge chair, eyes already half-closed as she placed a hand on the back of the chair and leaned forward to press another kiss to Nick’s lips. “I feel like I should be immensely flattered—“

Yet suddenly, mere moments before their lips met, Liz pulled up short. Her eyes went wide as she stumbled backwards, holding up her hands in a shocked and defensive manner. “You... You are not who I expected, I swear to God.”

After all, Liz would have just broken about fifty levels of Girl Code—not to mention very possibly the heart of the man Liz was pretty positive she was going to marry someday—had she actually kissed Ward Eastwood.

okay, so ward is friends w/ nick and I think he used to constantly tease him that he was gonna end up an old bachelor, etc. etc. and then he gets a girl and not just any girl but LIZ KANE and ward is like: SHE’S TOO HOT (hot damn) and basically high fiving nick all the time like “way to go” and he def highkey ships them and he has zERO boundaries and probably just goes up to liz and is very frank w/ her like “so, you guys make out yet, or what” and smdh he’s a problem

Even a few days without her best friend always sucked for Liz. So the two weeks Elaine had been off doing god knows what had felt somewhat close to torture. Which, of course, meant the moment Elaine announced her triumphant return, Liz had swept right in and demanded an old-fashioned sleepover the likes of which they both hadn’t seen since prep school days. This, of course, explained how her bedroom had become strewn with the latest fashion and gossip magazines, computers open to Netflix queues and a rainbow’s worth of colored liquor bottles and cocktail glasses.

It also explained the blonde and the brunette curled up on either side of Liz’s massive bed and the tea-tray filled with food and pots of tea hovering at the foot of it.

“I’m telling you, Lainey… I don’t know what it is about this Nick McLaine guy, but I can’t get him out of my head. He’s just really great. Nice, funny, a little weird but—I kinda like his kind of weird? He’s not creepy, he’s just… eccentric, I guess. A lot more like a real-life Gatsby than I’d ever imagined when I gave him the nickname,” Liz murmured, half-smiling a little into her tea as she took a sip. “And no, I know that look, we’re not dating and no I haven’t slept with him… yet…” She laughed and wiggled her eyebrows at the other girl.

“But… I will say, I do have a pretty amazing first date planned, if I do say so myself, so… Cross your fingers, my darling. You might see a whole new Elizabeth Kane if you’re lucky.” Liz grinned widely once more before setting down her tea cup on the bedside table before reaching out to take Elaine’s hands in her own and squeeze them tight. 

SO EXCITED FOR THESE TWO. THEY ARE GOING TO BE SUCH CUTE FRIENDS. AHHHH. i’m thinking they’ve probably known each other for quite a while too??? maybe they were childhood friends or something? they’re the same age too so maybe they went to school together or something? did liz go to boarding school asp? because i think ashley might’ve? and maybe they were the queen bees of their school or something, ahaha.

i also think ashley might potentially pass off her coming to va beach as coming to see liz?? because she’s not going to tell people that she’s really here for harry. so maybe she’ll say that she’s in town to visit an old friend? which i think is also a big part of it, tbh. OH. MAYBE THEY’RE NEIGHBORS??? i could tooootally see ashley buying the house next door and thus seeing liz a lot??

this will end well :DD