The L.A. Showdown

                                    

                                          
A few weeks later, Clare found herself on a plane to Los Angeles. Eli had managed to clear a few days from his schedule, and Clare had decided to surprise him with a visit. She was excited, nervous, and more than a little anxious about what awaited her on the West Coast—especially when it came to Liza.
Clare knew from social media that Liza hadn't taken the breakup well. The actress had been posting cryptic, passive-aggressive messages that were aimed at Eli, and some even seemed directed at Clare herself. While Eli had tried to downplay the drama, Clare couldn't help but feel uneasy about the potential confrontation.
When Clare arrived at Eli's apartment, she was greeted with a warm hug and a lingering kiss that chased away most of her worries. They spent the first day exploring the city, catching up on everything they'd missed, and just enjoying each other's company without the looming stress of their respective careers.
But the next day, while they were out grabbing coffee, the inevitable happened. Clare and Eli were seated at a cozy café when Liza walked in, her eyes zeroing in on them immediately. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees as Liza made a beeline for their table, her expression a mixture of anger and hurt.
"Well, isn't this cozy," Liza said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Eli's jaw tightened, and he instinctively placed a protective hand on Clare's back. "Liza, this isn't the time or place for this."
"Oh?" Liza snapped, her gaze flickering to Clare with disdain. "Because it looks like the perfect place to me. Here I was, wondering why you'd been so distant lately, and now I see why. You've replaced me with your high school sweetheart."
Clare felt her cheeks flush with a mix of anger and embarrassment, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Liza, I'm sorry things ended the way they did, but this isn't about replacing anyone. Eli and I... we have a history, and we're trying to figure out our future. I hope you can understand that."
"Understand?" Liza scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "What I understand is that I was good enough for him until you showed up. Now, suddenly, I'm yesterday's news. I hope you're proud of yourself, Clare."
Eli stood up, his voice firm but calm. "Liza, that's enough. You and I both know that things weren't working between us, long before Clare came back into my life. I didn't want to hurt you, but it's not fair to blame Clare for this."
Liza's eyes flashed with hurt, and for a moment, Clare almost felt sorry for her. But the actress quickly masked her emotions with a cold, haughty expression. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when she gets tired of you, Eli. You'll realize soon enough that you made a mistake."
With that, Liza turned on her heel and stormed out of the café, leaving Clare and Eli standing there in stunned silence. The other patrons had been watching the exchange with unabashed curiosity, and Clare suddenly felt exposed, like they were on display for the entire world to see.
Eli let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair as he sat back down. "Well, that went about as well as I expected."
Clare bit her lip, her heart still pounding in her chest. "Are you okay?"
Eli looked at her, his eyes softening as he reached across the table to take her hand. "I am now. I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Clare."
Clare squeezed his hand, offering him a small smile. "It's not your fault, Eli. I knew this wouldn't be easy, but we'll get through it."
Eli nodded, his grip on her hand tightening. "Yeah, we will. Together."
But as much as Clare wanted to believe that Liza was out of the picture for good, she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last they'd see of her.