~Eliza POV~

Angelica took them to the open baseball field a few minutes' walk away from their house. It had started to flurry, and Eliza shivered in her thick coat.

Eliza felt something cold on her face. She looked up to see Peggy, her hand dripping wet, standing over her.

"Come on, Pegs!" she complained. "It's way too cold to be flinging freezing cold water at me."

Her sister laughed. "No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"Well whatever. Also your face is red."

"I would expect that, first it's freezing and starting to snow, also you just flung water in my face!" Eliza retorted sarcastically.

"You want to come down to the creek?" Peggy asked.

"Nope" Eliza said. "I don't want more freezing water in my face."

"Come on, Liza, that was one time!"

"No thanks. I don't exactly trust you and Angie not to pull another joke on me." Eliza sat down on a bleacher and pulled her coat tighter.

"You always hold grudges for one little thing." Peggy complained.

"Maybe, but I have good reason to."

"Like what happened with Jefferson?"

"Um... sure."

"Ok," Peggy said breezily. "I'm going down to the creek with Angie."

"Fine, but don't fall in." Eliza called after her as she ran down the steep hill leading to the creek.

Eliza sat there and shivered. She blew on her bare hands and rubbed her face, but nothing would warm her up sufficiently. The falling snow intensified. She told herself that she would call up Angelica and Peggy in about ten minutes.

"Eliza?" a familiar voice said.

Eliza looked up to see Alex and John standing over her. She gave them a tiny smile.

"Hi," she said.

Alex sat to her right, and John sat to her left.

"What are you doing?" John asked.

Eliza shrugged "Waiting for Peggy and Angelica. They're down by the creek."

At Peggy's name John visibly stiffened. Eliza smirked.

"Interested in my baby sister?" she said teasingly.

"Um maybe?" John said nervously.

Eliza gave him a yeah, right look and he relented.

"Fine, yes."

Alex put his arm around Eliza's shoulders and pulled her closer. She shivered again, trying to warm up.

John smirked at her and Alex. "Who's interested in who, now?" he said.

Eliza was glad that her face was already red from the cold. She rolled her eyes.

"So, what's up?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, one thing," John started. "I got Angelica's permission to date Peggy, but she also told me that I needed yours. So..."

"I approve" Eliza said instantly.

John's face lit up. "Really?"

Eliza smiled. "Of course, John. She has liked you for so long that, really, it was a bomb waiting to go off. It's the reason that I didn't treat you like I did the others." Eliza stopped, aware that she might have said too much.

Alex let go abruptly. "What?" he said.

"You mean when you hated all the boys?" John asked.

"Sorry, I've said too much." Eliza said and stood up to leave.

Alex tried to pull her back down, but she shook free and ran into the woods surrounding the park.

Eliza had stinging tears on her cheeks. She knew that she'd ruined everything. Alex might think that she never liked him. Even worse, he might think that she liked John Laurens. That was not at all true. Sure, maybe he wasn't as annoying as some of the others were, but Eliza had never liked him in that way. She only felt like he was simply a friend. If she was being perfectly honest, she'd never truly hated anyone. Sure, sometimes they annoyed her and she had a long memory, but she had no real reason to hate any of them, even Hercules Mulligan when he cursed a bit too much, or even Jefferson when he'd flirted with her. But now she knew Alex would never trust her. Neither would John.

She leaned against a tall tree, its branches protecting her from the falling snow. Someone took her hand in theirs. Of course, it was Alex, but John wasn't in eyesight.

"What?" Eliza said harshly, trying to yank her hand from his.

"What's wrong?" he asked, holding firm his grip.

"You know what's wrong!" Eliza shouted, finally wrenching her hand away. "I've slipped up and ruined everything!" she started to run, not knowing nor caring where she went.

Soon she got winded and stopped behind another tree. Just her luck, Alex was right behind her. Eliza started to speed-walk away when Alex grabbed her arm. He pulled her in and hugged her. Eliza couldn't bring herself to leave.

He whispered in her ear "What are you thinking?"

Eliza swallowed. "To be honest? That you don't love me."

Alex hugged her tighter. "Eliza, I have always loved you. I love you now."

"Even with all I've said?"

"You didn't do anything."

"I love you too."

Alex let her go and immediately kissed her. Warmth flooded her, and she felt like she was in the middle of a heat wave. Alex pulled away. Eliza smiled uncontrollably. Her heart almost burst with love.

They heard a screech behind them. Eliza turned around to see both of her sisters staring at her and Alex.

"Shoot" Eliza muttered, then pushed herself away and ran to her sisters.

"What the heck Liza?" Peggy yelped.

"Sorry, sorry!" Eliza said.

She turned around to see Alex still there. Eliza frantically gestured towards the bleachers as her sisters hurried her along. He nodded.

Once the three sisters had reached the top of the hill, Eliza snuck away when Angelica and Peggy were getting their stuff they had left on a bench.

Eliza met Alex back by the bleachers.

"Oh, goodness, sorry for all that. I didn't mean to-" she was cut off by Alex.

"Don't be sorry for anything. I love you, Eliza." he pressed his lips to hers once again.

Eliza kissed him back until she had to stop to breathe. She saw her sisters starting to leave.

"I have to go." she said.

Alex nodded and she left to join Angelica and Peggy. Both of them smiled.

"What?" Eliza said.

"It's been a good day." Peggy said. "Between seeing you and Alex and also John-"

"Oh I forgot, what happened with John?" Eliza asked.

Angelica looked at her. "You gave him your blessing, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." Eliza said.

Peggy crushed her in a hug. "Thank you!"

Eliza laughed at her sister. "Of course, Pegleg."

"But you still have explaining to do." Angelica said sternly.

Eliza rolled her eyes. "Fine. When we get home."