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Darcy straightened his tie and froze when he heard the phone ring. Richard shot him a strange look when the phone rang again. "Aren't you going to answer that?"
Darcy could not move, which earned him an even stranger look from his cousin who grabbed it on its fourth ring. "Hey! I was just thinking about you ..." The lightness in his cousin's voice grated on his nerves. It was Elizabeth calling to break their date. The roses had been too much. "You don't say. You've been trying to reach him all day, huh?" Richard turned back to him wearing his trademark Fritz grin. "You know, I wouldn't take it personally if I were you. I think he's been avoiding the phone because of the many calls he receives from all of his admirers... I did tell you what a busy boy he has been lately. Yeah, he's right here." Richard winked at him. "She wants to talk to you, Darcy."
It was with a heavy heart that he took the phone. "Hello?"
"Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for days now."
Relief coursed through him. "I'm sorry, Jane. I've been sorta busy lately."
"I hear. So, you are turning into the campus stud, huh? Got a big date tonight?"
Deciding it was best to keep Jane in the dark as long as possible, he offered. "I have a date, but I have some time to talk if you want." After all, he reminded himself for the tenth time in the last hour, it was only going to be one date. By the time the night was over, Elizabeth would be firmly out of his system for good
"Well, I won't keep you long. I just wanted to check in and see how you've been doing. Richard said you've been staying pretty busy lately."
"Yeah, well, you know what they say about idle hands." He glanced in the mirror wondering if he should change his tie. "So, how is France treating you?"
"All right, I guess. I am just suffering from a bout of severe homesickness. I miss everyone at Xavier so badly."
"We miss you too." Darcy nodded to Richard who waved on his way out the door. His cousin had a date with a girl he had met at the gym a few days earlier. "So, have you given any more thought to when you are coming back to the states?"
"I think I'm going to stay until we close the exhibit, which Frankie said due to the response could be as long as another month."
"Mother said the critics loved your pieces." Darcy frowned at his reflection. Suddenly, he decided he didn't like the shirt he was wearing. He cupped the phone with his chin and began unhitching his tie and fumbling with his shirt buttons. "And, she was really impressed with your work."
"I know. She told me repeatedly." She laughed. "She really surprised me by bringing my family up with her to the opening. After the studio closed, we all decided to go back to Rosings for a little post-opening celebration. You should have been there. Your mother and mine were getting along for the first time in forever. And, they were a riot drinking each other under the table."
"My mother drank?"
"Oh, yes. Marcus and Moe were quite impressed with her abilities, Darcy!"
"Well, it sounds like everyone had a great time. I'm sorry I missed it."
"Who knows, maybe you will be able to get out here this month since cross-country is almost over. I've been trying to talk Lizzy into coming over, my treat, for an extended weekend but you know how she can be. I swear she is just as bad as you are. You both need to learn to live a little." She got quiet for a moment. "Speaking of Lizzy, how is she?"
The memory of the kisses they had shared filled his senses. "As fiery as ever."
"That's a huge relief. You know she has been dealing with a lot this semester and I wanted to make sure someone was keeping an eye on her. You know Richard just isn't very good in this type of situation. I know he'd willingly do anything for her, but he just doesn't have your experience dealing with this sort of thing."
A warning went off in his brain. "Sort of thing?"
"I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I love Mr. B so much it feels like I'm losing an uncle or something, but for Lizzy...well, you probably guessed at Morgan's wedding, they are super close. I imagine she feels like she is losing her entire world. When the doctor gave him the news this summer, she wanted to take a leave of absence from school and stay home with him but he wouldn't hear of it. He didn't want her fretting over him every waking minute and waiting for the inevitable..." She sobbed, "You and Lizzy are so strong, Darcy. I still don't know how you handled it when your mother was undergoing chemo all those months and she wouldn't let you come home from the Academy. I'm just so grateful you are able to be there for Lizzy, she shouldn't have to face all of this on her own."
Darcy felt himself reeling. "No, she shouldn't." Images of her since the semester began filtered through his brain. The soft gray under her eyes he had mistaken as late nights partying, the distraction in class a few times when Dr. Carter had called on her, the way she seemed to be a half step behind the others in practice on some days. Most poignant now was the way she kissed the charm her father had given her before every race. Her words from the day before echoed in his mind. " How about we talk about how you hurt my feelings by turning your back on me when I thought you were my friend?" He sat down on his bed, the weight of his insensitivity bowing him. What type of man am I not to see she was suffering? If I had known what she was going through, things would have been so different. I would have been different.
"Darcy? Are you still there?"
"Yea...yes, I'm still here."
"So, who is the lucky victim tonight? Anyone I know?"
Victim? He shut his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I'm going out with Elizabeth."
"Oh." Jane's voice peaked. "Well, that is quite a development. She never mentioned she was going out with you when I talked to her on Wednesday."
"It just sort of happened yesterday..."
"Just sort of happened, huh? So, where are you taking her?"
"I thought we would check out the Playhouse in the Park because she enjoys the theater so much. Though now I'm thinking it wasn't such a great idea. They are putting on Death of a Salesman." There was no way he could take her to see the play now.
"Death of a Salesman? Isn't that the play where the father commits suicide at the end? Jesus, Darcy, what were you thinking? "
"I guess I wasn't thinking about the play..." It was the truth. He had been thinking about how exquisite it would be sitting close to her for hours under a blanket of stars. "Jane, what am I going to do? I'm supposed to be picking her up in less than an hour!" Panic swarmed through him at the thought that he had not considered alternative plans.
"Let me think for a minute, Darcy." It had seemed so perfect. He had wanted to give them a chance to talk, to be alone. He normally would have just taken her to the Precinct or the Maisonette for dinner but it was highly doubtful he could get a table even with pulling strings. "I've got it! I know the perfect place to take her. She would absolutely love it."
"Are you sure, Jane?"
"I'm positive. Now go grab a pen and I'll give you directions."
"Lizzy, you cannot wear that out with him."
"I can and I will." Lizzy tugged on her half boots before standing up straight. She looked like she normally looked. No better, no worse. She was certainly not going to dress up for Darcy Williams. His ego was already the size of Texas. She certainly was not going to help inflate it by making him think she was taking pains to look nice for him.
"But, Lizzy, he is probably going to be taking you someplace nice in the city...you have to reconsider this. Quit being so stubborn."
"Look, I don't go in for fancy restaurants and if that is where he intends to take me he'll just have to have dinner by himself."
"Dinner by himself?"
"I'm going to go but I'm just not going to go someplace where I don't feel comfortable. I don't want him to have an unfair advantage."
"Unfair advantage? You make it sound like you are going to battle instead of a date with him. Maybe you should put on a little more lipstick?"
Ignoring Charlotte's suggestion, Lizzy applied a light brown color to her upper eyelid remembering Mrs. Darcy's impromptu makeup lessons. "Sometimes, less is more."
"Wear a skirt at least? That way you can show off your legs a bit. What if he decides he wants to take you parking?"
She laughed. "Believe me, the last place Darcy will be thinking about taking me tonight is someplace dark and private. If he is smart, he will want to keep plenty of people around us at all times."
The phone rang and Elizabeth eyed it as if it had just sprung alive.
Charlotte nearly tripped retrieving it. "Okay, I'll let her know you are here." She replaced the receiver. "He's downstairs waiting for you."
Elizabeth glanced in the mirror one final time and headed for the door. "Well, Darcy Williams, here I come!"
Darcy reread the directions Jane had given him and prayed he was making the right decision. He couldn't explain it to himself. No matter how many times he had reminded himself tonight's date was just a means to get her firmly out of his system his heart refused to buy into the plan. He folded his hands behind his neck and looked at the artwork hanging in the lobby. A second later, he dropped himself into one of the oversized couches and drummed his fingers on the coffee table. He stood up again and circled back to the lobby phone. What was keeping her?
He turned when he heard the lobby door shut and his breath released slowly. After Jane gave him her suggestion for his date, she had mentioned he might want to change into something more casual. He quickly discarded the suit he had intended to wear for a pair of jeans and his favorite Xavier sweatshirt. Now he was glad he had. Elizabeth was dressed warmly but decidedly low key in a brown sweater and soft brown jeans that hugged her legs. She had worn her hair loose around her shoulders and the sight of so many curls made his mouth go dry. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's just get this over with, shall we?" She sailed past him out the lobby and he was forced to follow after her.
He caught up with her at his car where she waited for him to unlock her door. "I hope you brought your appetite tonight. The food is going to be fabulous where we are going."
She hesitated a second before getting into his car. "And, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." She wrinkled her nose at his answer and he could not help but think how adorable she looked. She gave him a hard look and he realized he must look foolish holding the door after she had already secured her seatbelt. "I guess we'd better be on our way."
"That would be nice." So, this is how it is going to be between us. He slid behind the wheel hoping her hostility would be the necessary poison to kill the feelings churning around in him for her. Grinning, he could not help but think. This date was the best idea I've had in my life!
As he steered his car out onto the highway, he turned on the radio to hide the chilling silence in the car. He cut through the typical Friday night traffic on I-75 and he made his way toward 74. He took the designated exit and started down the small main street. He felt more confidence return as he saw a look of curiosity pass over her features as they passed row after row of small businesses and neat houses. At the only red light in the suburb, she broke her silence. "Where are we?"
"Harrison." He turned right and took his place behind a long row of slowly moving cars. "I'm taking you to their Pumpkin Festival. I heard it was this weekend and it sounded like it would be fun."
"Fun?"
"Aren't dates supposed to be fun?"
"And, exactly how many pumpkin festivals have you been to in your life?"
He was amazed at how quickly she recovered from her earlier surprise. "This is my first one. I guess I'll have to rely on you to show me the ropes." He barely could hold back his laughter when she turned away from him with a look of indignation.
Okay, what is going on with the universe? Elizabeth folded her arms over her chest and glared out the window. First, he shows up looking like he stepped straight out of the pages of the campus catalog and now he is taking me to a festival. A festival! He was supposed to be disappointed in her outfit. She was supposed to have ruined his plans for the evening but it seemed as if he was one step ahead of her. It was infuriating.
"Have you been to a lot of pumpkin festivals?"
She was so engrossed in her thoughts she answered him almost out of reflex. "My parents and I went every year to the one back home. My dad and I would ride the rides and my mom would hit the craft booths."
"We could do the rides tonight if you want."
"I'm not in the mood." She spied the tip of the Ferris wheel and momentarily felt excitement course through her. She banked it quickly enough with the thought that if she was going to ride it, she would no doubt be riding it with Darcy. She was not going to enjoy herself on this date. She was going to make darned sure he knew she was one woman he would never have at his beck and call.
After finally making it to a designated parking spot, he turned to her. "Where do you suggest we start? Grab a bit to eat? Ride the rides? Play some games?" He did not seem discouraged in the slightest by her silence. "Why don't we get something to eat and then we can discuss it from there?"
She nodded and before he could get her door, she exited the car by herself. She fished her money out of her pocket when they neared the gate but he stepped in front of her. "Two please." He handed over the money then lightly pressed her back with his hand as he steered her through the turnstile.
"I do have my own money."
He navigated the milling people as expertly as he had navigated the traffic on the highway. "I'm sure you do but this is a date and I insist on paying my date's way."
"You are a chauvinist."
"Why, because I insist on treating you like a lady?"
"A lady?" She huffed. "Is that what you call mauling me at the dorm yesterday?"
He took her arm and pulled her out of the stream of people. "For the last time, I did not maul you or attack you or force myself on you. I kissed you and you kissed me back. Face reality, Elizabeth, you wanted me as badly as I wanted you."
"What I want is to leave right now."
"Why? Because I'm making you admit the truth about what happened yesterday? I am sorry for a lot of things that have happened between us, but kissing you is not among them. Look, it was just a few harmless kisses, nothing more..." He released her arm. "I'm hungry and I'm going to grab something to eat before I take you home." Strangely, she did not feel victorious at getting him to agree to take her back to campus so quickly.
He wanted to scream in frustration. That crack about him mauling her made his blood burn. What is her problem anyway? Most women would have been flattered if I admitted being attracted to them! Yes, maybe he had initiated the kiss, but she had responded to him. What had passed between them wasn't his imagination. To make things even worse, while he was in the middle of explaining there was no harm in the kisses they had exchanged the day before, the desire to kiss her again ripped through him almost painfully. Maybe it would be for the best if they stopped right now before she really started to get to him. He had the sinking sensation he was playing with fire with her and he wasn't sure if he wanted to get burned.
"Do you want anything?" He asked when she joined him in line. "And, don't start about buying it yourself if you do."
"I'll take a cheeseburger and fries." Her tone was subdued. "Why don't I try to find us a place to sit while you order?"
Rejoining her at the small table she had cleaned off, he decided he was going to try to salvage something from the evening. "I've been meaning to congratulate you on qualifying for Nationals last weekend."
"Thanks." She looked up, "I just hope I do better than I did last year."
"It's not like you didn't do well last year, Elizabeth."
"Eleventh isn't doing well."
He shook his head. "You were the only one on the team to even qualify at all. You really shouldn't be so hard on yourself."
"Look who's talking." She smiled as she dipped a fry into his ketchup. "Since when have you ever settled for second best, Darcy?"
"I don't settle." His mind raced for a subject to keep the conversation going between them. "I talked to Jane today. She said she is going to be staying on in Paris for at least another month."
"Oh." Distress momentarily passed over her face. "I had hoped she would be coming back sooner."
"Me too. It seems odd being at Xavier without her."
"Yeah, but she couldn't have gotten the exposure she got in the last three months without going on that trip." She fed herself some of her soda from her straw then regarded him seriously. "Jane simply raves on about Francois, but Richard told me you don't like him much. Why is that?"
Her evident concern for Jane made any resistance he had to her crumble. "I just didn't like the way he treated her when I was around. It started out that he was just going to give her pointers in her art then all of a sudden he chose her as his protégé. Then, he wanted her to put pieces in his show. It was just too much too fast. He is a lot older than her and ..." He shrugged. "It felt to me as if he was exploiting her. I guess I just wanted to shelter her from possibly being hurt by him. Her happiness is important to me."
"She loves you too, Darcy." When their eyes locked over the small table, he was forced to admit that as much as his reason was telling him to get out of her presence and quickly, a stronger part of him wanted to see where this night was going to take them.
When they finished, he collected their trash before escorting her back toward the entrance. As they passed the small collection of rides, she stopped in front of the ticket booth. "How about one ride before we go?"
"All right." As he waited for her to indicate which one she wanted to try, he enjoyed the look of indecision as she tried to decide which ride it was going to be. He offered, "We could ride them all."
She nodded. "We might as well since we are here."
First was the Tilt-A-Whirl. As he settled beside her in the snug compartment, he tried to calm his racing pulse as he tried to figure out what he had done to change her mind. As the ride started and the crazy pull of gravity forced them back against of their cart, he heard her laughter take flight and then he heard his own join hers.
Next was the Dodge 'Em Cars where he had to admit to being equally impressed with her "dodging" abilities and her recruiting strategies. She somehow convinced most of the people riding that he was a very acceptable target of their aggressions and he took the multiple hits with what he hoped passed as good humor.
The final stop was the Ferris Wheel. He was pleased when they were stuck at the top and he got to enjoy the feeling of their bodies being close together. When she buried her face into his shoulder, he adjusted by putting his arm around her and whispered, "Elizabeth, why did you insist on riding this when you are scared of heights?"
"Miss the Ferris Wheel?" She glanced up at him, moonlight twinkling in her eyes. "But, it's my favorite ride." They were so close Darcy knew he could have easily laid claim to her lips, but he let the moment pass. She looked down between her dangling legs. "Look at all those people. They look like ants." She pointed a little past the rides. "And, look over there they have funnel cakes."
"Would you like one?"
"I don't know. They're awful fattening."
"Maybe we could just split one? That way you only get half the calories."
"That sounded like something Jane would have said." She gave him a smile that melted him. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Williams."
And with that the operator jerked them into motion again.
After washing down a funnel cake with apple cider, they strolled along the strip of game booths content to watch as others tried their luck at winning prizes. There was a dunking booth and game booths where you tried your luck with everything from water guns to darts. Darcy had never seen such a collection of games but one glimpse at the enjoyment on Elizabeth's face and his misgivings vanished.
"Let's play this one." She pulled him over to a game where you had to knock over milk bottles and he handed money over to the hawker to allow her to have a chance.
After her first throw went wide and missed completely, he tried to give her pointers. "Try to not think about hitting the target when you let fly." The second throw chipped the bottom bottle, but was not effective. He teased, "Amateur." When her third attempt failed to topple the bottles, she turned to him. "You think you could do better?"
"Maybe." With one well-aimed pitch, the bottles flew apart. Each of the successive two attempts brought the same results.
She claimed the small stuffed scarecrow from the operator. "I have to admit I am impressed. Where did you learn to pitch a ball like that?"
He shrugged. "I played a little baseball in high school."
"Is there anything you can't do, Darcy?" She took his arm in hers.
"Well, I can't square dance." He nodded in the direction of the roped off dance area in front of a small bandstand. The country music had been coming through the loudspeakers all night.
"Want to try and learn?"
Another challenge. He grimaced noticeably. "Why not?"
Even though he moved the wrong way more often than not, the occasional laugh or flash of her smile more than made up the price of his humiliation. When the fast tempo music changed to a melody, he slowly moved her into his arms. The piano solo was somehow the perfect answer to such a perfectly clear Autumn night.
When the rain is blowing in your face and the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love
When evening shadows and the stars appear and there is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years to make you feel my love
The memory of the day before when she had cried surfaced in his mind. He had been such a fool. He knew he didn't deserve this night - he didn't deserve even one stolen moment with her, but how he would cherish them. Every smile, every laugh was etched into his memory for later dissection.
I know you haven't made your mind up yet and I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment we met there's no doubt in my mind where you belong I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue I'd go crawling down the avenue
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do to make you feel my love
When she snuggled closer, he marveled at the way they fit together as if they had been molded since birth for that precise purpose.
The storms are raging on a rolling sea and on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free you ain't seen nothin' like me yet There ain't nothin' that I wouldn't do go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy make your dreams come true to make you feel my love**
When he moved his hands over her waist, concern overcame his desire. She had always been slight of build but he realized she had thinned even further in the last few months. God, he had been such a fool. He buried his face into her hair wishing he could magically fix everything in her life. He would gladly take on all her pain so she could live without all the things that haunted her beautiful eyes.
As the final note lifted up to the stars, Lizzy backed slowly from his embrace. She had expected to hate dancing with him as much as she had at Pemberley, but this time had been entirely different. She tried to comfort herself with the fact it was just a romantic song under an amazing blanket of stars. It had nothing to do with him. "You know we have to go to take the hay ride to the pumpkin patch before we leave." He blinked at her then she continued. "We have to select the perfect pumpkin and take it home. In fact, it is considered bad luck to leave without one. It's a tradition."
"And a Williams would never pass on a tradition." She tried to laugh at his answer but it was difficult when she felt as if the air had been knocked out of her. "Well, I'm ready when you are, Elizabeth."
"Pardon?"
"I'm ready for the pumpkin patch when you are."
When they located the hay ride, he helped her up into the back of the pickup that served as the transportation and to her dismay he selected a hay bale barely big enough for two of them. The pickup started moving and she felt her teeth rattle at the chill in the air and instantly regretted her decision to forgo a jacket.
"Cold?"
"A little."
"Is it all right if I hold you? Just to warm you up?" Just to warm me up. She considered for a moment before nodding and felt his strong arms fold around her. She shivered and was not entirely sure if it was the effect of the night air or the nearness of his body. She felt his breath on her neck, "Is that better?"
"Yes." She felt his hands rub her arms trying to generate heat for her through friction. He could be downright charming when he wanted. Charming and Sexy. The night is nearly over, Lizzy. You just have to hold out a little longer. He will be doing this exact same thing with someone new tomorrow night.
The thought made her recover her equilibrium enough to put on a convincing show during their search whey they each finally selected a small pumpkin to take back to campus. The hay ride back was a mirror of the one out. She cuddled close to him telling herself she did so only because she was freezing.
When he led her back to his car, he turned on the heat and reached into his back seat for his jacket. "Here. Put this on." The trip back to campus was in a complete silence that suited Lizzy perfectly fine. When they turned off of the main highway, he asked. "Are you hungry?"
She laughed at the absurdity of such a question. "Are you kidding? I think we ate enough to feed a small village."
"How about a cup of tea, then?" He nodded through the windshield at the Denny's sign. "We could talk. We really didn't do much talking tonight."
Fear swelled in her stomach at the thought of having her escape prolonged. "I'm really tired. Maybe some other time." She felt almost proud of her answer, knowing full well that there would never be a "some other time."
"Some other time then." He agreed turning into the driveway that led up to her hall. He did not stop at the turnabout but instead parked his car.
By the time she had freed herself from her harness, he was at her door. "You don't have to walk me to the door, Darcy."
"A gentleman always walks his date to the door."
"Since when have you been a gentleman?"
"Maybe the correct question would be what have I done that makes you think I'm not?"
She looked at him in disbelief. "You really are unbelievable."
He was alongside her in two easy strides where he stopped her with a gentle hand, forcing her to face him. "Elizabeth, I don't want this evening to end with us fighting."
She just wanted to get away from him. Get safely inside and away from him. "And exactly how would you have this evening end?"
She felt her stomach twist as he lowered his gaze to her lips. She shut her eyes and tried to prepare herself for the kiss she knew was coming. When it didn't come, she glanced at him.
His dimples were deep as his smile was engaging. "Ohhh, you are impossible!" She started for the lobby and again he walked along side of her. Annoyed, she spun on him. "Will you quit following me!"
"Admit it. You're mad because I didn't kiss you." His tone was playful which only served to aggravate her further.
"How do you manage to move in the world carrying around such a heavy ego?" She shuffled the scarecrow and pumpkin into the crook of her arm as she fished out her keys.
"Elizabeth..."
Her keys slipped from her hand landing with a clank at her feet. Since he was unimpeded with either a pumpkin or a stuffed scarecrow, he retrieved them before she could. His eyes danced as he held them out to her. She grabbed them. "Will you just go away?"
"I'm not going anywhere..." He stepped close to her causing her to step back into the door of the lobby. He put his hands on either side of her head and she felt trapped. She only has a second to prepare for the invasion of his mouth on hers. This kiss was different. She struggled against it, but it felt as if she was in quicksand. The more she battled him, the stronger the desire for him grew in her. The kiss grew heated throwing them both out of their equilibrium.
When he finally did pull back from her, his eyes were dark with passion. His breathing was coming in puffs and he dropped his arms from around her in effect freeing her. "I think you'd better go inside now, Beth."
She didn't need to be told twice. She opened the door and walked through the lobby with a look of calm firmly affixed to her features. Once she was behind her own bedroom door, however, she sagged against it for support. Dropping her booty directly on the floor, she ran her fingers over her lips. She slid to the floor trying to get a grip on the way her entire body was shaking. She took a few deep breaths and the heady scent of his cologne accosted her. She realized she was still wearing his jacket and was not in the slightest comfortable with the thought of returning it to him. If she had her way, she would never see him again. She found a hanger for the jacket in her closet, but before she closed the doors she pressed her face against the collar. She no longer doubted Darcy William's devastating attraction. She just doubted the wisdom of agreeing to such a date.
In the parking lot, he waited until he saw her light go out. He had hoped she would come back out - maybe under the guise to return his jacket, maybe to thank him for such a magical evening. He wondered if he would ever be the same after tonight...after the kiss they had shared. In those brief moments, he had come face to face with his destiny. All that was left for him to do was to decide what exactly he was going to do about it. One thing was definitely certain, memories from this night, from this one date , were not going to be enough to sustain him for long and he knew it.
**To Make You Feel My Love by Garth Brooks. It was featured in Hope Floats.
"He took you to a pumpkin festival? After six-dozen roses, you mean to tell me he took you to a lousy pumpkin festival!"
The disbelief in Charlotte's voice the next afternoon made Lizzy laugh. "What are six-dozen roses to someone like him? He could buy out a florist if he wanted."
"Exactly! The least he could have done was buy you a decent meal. You could have gotten cheeseburgers at McDonald's for gosh sakes."
Lizzy privately thought she enjoyed their smorgasbord more than she would have enjoyed dining in a fine restaurant. "I told you 'our date' was no big deal. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he has another date lined up for tonight with someone else."
"That is just it, he does!" Lizzy was glad she had her face buried in her anatomy book so she didn't have to explain why all the blood drained from it. "I overheard a girl in line at the cafeteria tell her friend that he is taking out Amy, you know the sophomore class secretary, tonight."
"See, told you. Our date was no big deal."
"I guess I have to admit you were right about him. I just can't believe I was so wrong about him being interested in you!"
"I told you." Lizzy turned another page in her text.
"So, what happened between the two of you last night anyway?"
"Not much." She became absorbed with a diagram of hand tendons. "We went to the pumpkin festival and he brought me home. End of story."
"You must be leaving something out...it couldn't have been that boring!"
Boring? No, Char, it wasn't boring. "There really isn't much to tell."
"Just skip to the good night kiss part." She glanced over at Charlotte, who was sitting Indian style on her bed hugging a pillow to her chest, eagerly waiting for some evidence of a good time. "Tell me you gave him a good night kiss, Lizzy!" I didn't kiss him. He kissed me. It isn't exactly the same thing now is it? "You didn't kiss him!" Disappointment etched itself on her friend's face. "No wonder he is taking Amy out..."
"Charlotte!"
"Well, maybe if you puckered up for him, he wouldn't be going out with her. I mean, she is not like his usual fare. I guess she is cute, but she walks to her own beat. All she cares about is campus politics..."
"So, they share similar interests. Maybe he is finally developing some taste."
"Well, you are certainly taking this better than I would. I think I would just want to scratch out her eyes. You sound like you could care less if they go out!"
"Why should I care who he goes out with?"
"Because, he is Darcy Williams!" Charlotte sighed releasing her pillow. "I'm sorry; I guess I just have a hard time accepting how wrong I was about him liking you."
Lizzy transferred her notes from lecture to her diagram. "You said that already."
"I know. It just made sense..."
"No offense, but I'd really rather not listen to your theories about Darcy right now."
"I was just so positive I was right about his feelings for you..."
"Char." It came out as an annoyed, elongated sigh. "Please."
Her friend changed tactics. "So, are you going to the party tonight with Caroline and Jack?"
"I haven't decided yet, why?"
"Why? Well, because Roan is going to be there, silly!" Charlotte's face was animated. "With all that James Dean karma swirling around him, he isn't a bad backup plan. After all, if you blew your chances with Darcy and he is never going to ask you out again, you might as well date Roan."
"You really are merciless, Char! I see Roan because I like him. He's been a good friend and we have a good time together. Darcy is an entirely different matter altogether. I only went out with that egomaniac to prove a point." She shut her book obviously not going to be able to concentrate. "And the point is he isn't as irresistible as he thinks he is. It takes much more than a dance or two under the stars to make a woman lose her mind over him."
Thinking her outburst had finally convinced Charlotte to drop the subject, Lizzy was completely taken aback when her roommate asked, "You two danced under the stars?"
"UGH!" Lizzy scooped up her books. "I'll be at the library if Caroline calls."
"I think you're right, Amy." Darcy offered as the waiter slid the bill on the table discretely. "I never thought about it that way before, but I guess Rob hasn't been doing all he could be doing in his capacity as sophomore class president."
"I can't believe you are agreeing with me! I thought I was going to have to wrestle you to get you to agree with me. After all, I thought you liked Rob."
"I do like Rob. But, I know the difference between liking someone and knowing who would be better for a job. Besides, I've learned the hard way you don't argue with a determined woman." Elizabeth's image sprang to mind. "You usually end up losing."
"Wise words, Mr. Williams."
"I do have my moments." He conceded. "And, I really like your ideas; they are quite imaginative and fresh. I think we'd be lucky having you represent our class."
"So, does this mean I can count on your support next spring?"
"You have my vote." He indicated to the waiter to take the bill away. "Beyond that, I'd be more than happy to help you anyway I can."
"Have you ever considered running for class office, Darcy?" She stirred her coffee then eyed him squarely. "I could use a good running mate. The class needs a good VP as badly as we need a good class president. I think we would make an unbeatable team."
"I'm flattered. Really, I am, but I just don't think I can guarantee that I would have the time necessary to do the job to my satisfaction. I already have a full plate with running and my academics. And, there is a certain personal project which I think is going to take most of my free time..." A ghost of a smile played at his lips thinking about Elizabeth, then he recovered himself. "I'll have to think it over, Amy. Maybe if I give up my responsibilities with the Young Republicans next year I could find the time. Can I get back to you with my decision?"
"Sure, take all the time you need. I really don't need an answer until mid-February. Who knows what will happen by then?" She pursed her lips. "So, what is this personal project you alluded to? It sounds terribly interesting."
"Believe me, interesting is an understatement." As Darcy replaced his wallet in his suit pocket, he realized he was the subject of her scrutiny.
"Does the lady in question know how lucky she is to be snagging you?"
Lucky? He wanted to laugh as he felt the blush creep up his cheeks. "I wouldn't say the lady considers herself lucky. In fact, I'm positive she thinks quite the opposite about the matter."
"Then she doesn't deserve you."
"You're right." He agreed, draining the last of his wine. "She deserves better than me."
"If I didn't know any better," Amy's astonishment was apparent as she replaced her mug on its saucer deliberately. "I would say you sounded like a man very much in love."
His emotions were a private matter and not open for discussion. Smiling, he glanced at his watch. "Where would you like to go next, Amy?"
"How about going to the party at the Farmhouse?" He tried not to cringe at the suggestion. He tended to avoid campus parties because he really didn't enjoy interacting with a bunch of inebriated people. Amy looped her arm through his. "Come on, it really sounds like it is going to be a good time. I never miss one of their parties."
"Shall we?"
To put a damper on underage drinking and campus violence, Xavier had a no fraternity or sorority policy. However, as with every campus, there was that one house... that one place where people tended to congregate and parties seemed to occur. The Farmhouse filled this requirement becoming a favorite haunt of students and an occasional alumni visitor. As its name implied, it was a huge barn shaped house which from time to time housed six to eight of the campus' most popular men from the junior and senior class. It was situated on a large plot of land miles outside of campus, but the monthly parties still managed to draw most of the students at Xavier.
Elizabeth was not surprised to find the party was in full swing when she arrived with Caroline and Jack. Outside, the lawn was already littered with plastic cups and empty beer kegs. In the center of the yard was a small bonfire where thirty or so bodies seemed to be recreating a scene from Lord of the Flies. Inside was not much better. Almost everywhere one looked, there were empty beer bottles and pizza boxes. Bodies were crammed close together as a mosh pit of sorts opened up on the living room floor. Music was blaring from the speakers along the walls causing the windows to rattle in their panes.
Lizzy felt as if her eardrums would burst if she were exposed to this for too long. She was not two feet inside the front door when she felt an arm circle her waist.
"Just the woman I've been waiting to see. What took you so long to get here?" She could smell the alcohol on his breath without turning around. "I guess it was worth the wait though." Roan twirled her in his arms so she faced him. "Whoo-wee if you don't look hot...I've never seen you in a skirt before...." When he ran his hand from her knee up her thigh, it took all her will power not to smack his hand away from her. "Can I get you a drink, Precious?"
Precious? She gritted her teeth as Caroline shot her a concerned look. "I just got here, Roan....maybe in a little while."
"In a little while? Sweetness, it's time to get this party started right now. Now quit playing around and tell me what you want to drink."
"Could I have a Sprite?"
"A Sprite? Now that is funny." He threw his arm around Jack's neck and in a bad Spanish accent said, "Tell her, Jack. Tell her we don't serve no stinking soda here."
Jack slid out from beneath his grasp. "They don't serve no stinking soda here."
"You need to loosen up a little..." When Roan advanced on Lizzy again gyrating his hips, she backed away from him. "Lizzy, you need to quit being a stick in the mud."
Caroline requested, "How about two bottles of Budweiser, if you have them?"
"Have them? We've got everything. Four kegs, an open bar, cases of beer and even some garbage can hooch." He eyed Lizzy again. "Damn, you look really good." Without warning, he kissed her hard, leaving a hint of whiskey on her lips. "I'll be right back in a flash, don't even think about going anywhere, Lizzy."
Caroline shot Jack a pleading glance. He sighed. "Why don't I go help him?"
As soon as both men were out of earshot, Lizzy averted her gaze. She did not have any attention of drinking tonight, especially when Roan was so far ahead of them.
"Lizzy, you don't have to drink the beer when he brings it to you. Just pour it out when Roan isn't looking. Then, if he gives you anything else you don't want to drink you can just spit it into the empty bottle. I know it sounds gross, but it will work like a charm without having to deal with him pestering you about drinking all night."
"Caroline, just where did you learn all of your tricks?"
"Well, it worked for the girls in Coyote Ugly." Lizzy could only smirk at Caroline. "It's one of Jack's favorite movies! How do you think I stay so sober at these things? Come on, let's mingle! We wouldn't want to be accused of being sticks in the mud, now would we? After all, we need to get this party started."
Entering the packed living room, Caroline was whisked away by a group of actors in her upcoming play while Lizzy found herself surrounded by male members of the cross-country team. As she stood listening to them debate about their chances to qualify for Nationals, she saw Charles making his way through the crowd. "Excuse me." She smiled apologetically before greeting her friend with a hug. "Bingley, it's been ages."
"It has been a while." He whistled. "And who did you get all dolled up for?"
"No one! I just felt like dressing up tonight."
"Well from the looks you are getting," he glanced back at the men she had just left, "I'd say you are making quite an impression."
She blushed at his compliment. "What about you? Julia better not let you out of her sight for too long or one of those basketball groupies might snatch you up."
"I don't think Julia would care if that happened. We broke up two weeks ago. She decided we needed to see other people." He shrugged. "I guess Karen informed her of how much I stand to make after graduation. Right now, she is out with some stockbroker friend of her father's..."
"Oh, Charles, I didn't know." She hated to see any of her friends in pain and especially a friend who was as kind and sweet as the man before her. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. I'm not. I'm actually sort of relieved. I guess I always knew deep down she wasn't the one. I think it is for the best." He sipped his beer. "So, how....how has everyone been?"
She knew instinctively who everyone meant. "Everyone is fine."
"That's good." He nodded. "I mean I would hate to have anyone not be fine. I think being fine is a very nice thing to be."
She decided to take pity on him. "Speaking of fine, did I tell you that Jane's show is doing fine in Paris?"
"Is it? And, how is she doing?"
"She's doing great from the little I hear from her. The gallery show is doing so well she has decided to extend her stay in Paris through next month."
"Are you sure it isn't because of Francois Churchill?" The tips of his ears turned a brilliant red. "I mean...I think Darcy told me she was dating him pretty seriously..."
"I don't know if she is or she isn't." She was being honest. Jane barely ever spoke about Francois during her short, sporadic phone calls. True or not, she wanted to kick Darcy in the shins for disappointing Charles. She chose her next words carefully. "Jane did say she is looking forward to returning to Xavier next semester and she tells me every time we talk how much misses the old gang."
"We miss her too. I mean, Michael mentioned just the other day how much he missed her. He said he missed her a lot."
Sparing him further embarrassment, she asked. "So, how is Michael?"
"I imagine he is doing better tonight than he will be doing tomorrow." Charles nodded across the room to his roommate, who acknowledged them by holding up a beer.
"Hammered?" She guessed.
"If he isn't, he is well on his way. Luckily, Richard agreed to be our designated driver tonight."
She glanced around the packed room for him. "Richard's here?"
"Yeah, somewhere. I think he is chasing the new frosh cheerleaders out back."
She shook her head. "He always had a thing for pom-poms."
"Who doesn't?" Charles winked. "Actually, I think Richard is just trying to keep in the running for the campus heartbreaker. You know how competitive he is with Darcy."
She stiffened involuntarily at the mention of his name. "So, did he come with you too?"
"Who, Darcy?" At her nod, he added, "I don't think so. I think he was only going out for dinner."
"I had heard he had a date with Amy. Good for him."
"It wasn't like a date or anything..." Charles looked uncomfortable. "I mean, it wasn't like a real date. I mean...I think he kind of felt like he owed it to her."
"He owed her? I swear you guys just kill me." She felt her early indignation over Darcy's treatment of women rise up in her. "Do you honestly think women just wait with bated breath for him to ask them out?"
"Don't they?" She glared at him causing his smile to evaporate. "Well, from my observation, most do." He shrugged again. "What I meant by saying 'he felt he owed it to her' was that he felt like a cad canceling with her last night. He would have canceled with her tonight but she seemed really anxious to see him."
"I'll bet." She could not believe how she sounded.
"For what it's worth, I don't think the feeling was mutual. He seemed rather distracted since he got back in last night..." The look on his face made it clear to Lizzy that he knew she had been with Darcy the previous night. She felt her cheeks heat up.
The blaring music exhausted itself and was replaced with a ballad. Charles offered, "Want to shake a leg?"
Shortly after they arrived, Darcy let Amy lead him to the dance floor. He enjoyed her company and friendship. She was intelligent, handsome and political woman. All of which were attractive qualities for him, but when it came down to it her one deficit was she was not Elizabeth. She grinned up at him. "See this isn't so bad, is it?"
"The jury is still out on that."
"I never knew you could dance, Darcy."
"I don't usually." He forgot the rest of what he was going to say when he spied Elizabeth. She was not three feet away facing the opposite direction. As he traced her outline, a healthy admiration of her outfit grew in his mind. She was not dressed for warmth like she had been on their date. In fact, the periwinkle material was thin, practically see through, and the way it clung to her body only emphasized the slightness of her curves.
When he heard her laugh, shards of jealousy ripped through him. He knew Charles posed no threat to him for Elizabeth's affection. Indeed, their relationship was as it always had been - purely platonic. Yet, he still could not help the envy that coursed through him. Does it make me a monster because I want to be the only man who makes her laugh, who makes her smile, or who touches her? He had been so engrossed in watching Elizabeth that he missed Amy's question. "Pardon?"
"I said I guess I have my answer on who the mystery lady is."
He felt acutely embarrassed. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. The way you were looking at her said it all. Why don't you go over there and talk to her. You don't have to worry about taking me back to campus..."
He was outraged at her suggestion. "I'm not going to leave you here. I brought you, I'll take you back to campus."
"Getting a ride back to campus isn't going to be a problem. And, I sure don't want to be riding back with you when you finally get the nerve up to talk to her." Amy fluffed her hair. "Besides, there are still plenty of hot men here that aren't taken ..."
"I'm sorry..."
"You don't have to be sorry. We had fun, didn't we? And, I am glad to say a date with you was everything they said it would be. You are a true gentleman, Darcy." She kissed his cheek before swatting him playfully on his rear. "Now get lost, before you totally ruin my action tonight."
A few minutes after he left her side, Darcy saw another man had happily taken his place as her partner. He busied himself by working the room nodding at familiar faces and stopping to exchange a word or two with his friends. As he wound his way over to where Michael was slouched, he kept Elizabeth in his peripheral vision the entire time. He leaned next to his buddy enjoying the vantage his spot afforded. "Great party."
"Seems that way." His friend said offering him a beer.
"No thanks, I'm driving tonight." When Elizabeth looked about the room, he faintly wondered if she might be looking for him. Deep down, he knew better. He was probably the last person she wanted to see tonight. He knew the biggest impediment was going to be changing her mind about him and his motives. He knew he needed to tell her everything about his past actions toward her. She had every right to be hesitant when it came to him, but he hoped to slowly change her mind about him. He intended to become the man she couldn't live without. Decided, he moved from his spot against the wall.
"Do you mind if I cut in?"
She didn't need to turn around to know who the owner of the voice was. Yes, I mind. I mind with every fiber of my being. She tried to relay these thoughts to Charles through telepathy, but her agreeable friend quickly abandoned her.
"What do you want, Darcy?" She did not conceal her annoyance.
"I wanted to tell you how nice you looked tonight." He took possession of her waist, adding. "You know, I had hoped you might call me today."
She put her hands on his shoulders to ensure she would have some distance. Her emotions were still too raw from the night before to be this close to him. "Why would I want to call you?"
"To make arrangements to return my jacket?" She immediately discovered the defect of dancing like this with him. She was forced to look him straight in the eyes. "To thank me for last night? Maybe, to say you missed me?"
"Missed you! Hah! I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, Darcy."
"Now, Elizabeth, you don't sound like you are glad to see me."
He is teasing me! "Let's just say I had no intentions of seeing you again so soon after last night..." She saw him frown. "I'm sure Amy doesn't share my point of view so why don't you go find her?"
"Amy, huh?" He grinned. "You aren't jealous of Amy, are you?"
"You really need to seek mental help for these delusions you've been having lately."
"You really don't have anything to be jealous of..."
"Gee, I can sleep at night now knowing I don't have to be jealous of other women." The sarcasm was thick.
"I'm glad knowing you think about me before you go to sleep..." His eyes glittered. "But, rest assured I'm perfectly content just chasing you for the time being."
"Chasing me?" She hated the way he was looking at her. It was as if he was trying to figure out how she tasted. "More like tormenting me."
He clucked his tongue. "There is no need to be hostile about it."
"Hostile?" She pressed herself against him, pouting. "Do I feel hostile to you now?" She felt his shoulders stiffen under her fingers. So, you are really attracted to me, Darcy! She smiled at him wickedly, enjoying the upper hand for once. "Problem?"
She was not ready for the growl that escaped him. "Do you really want a repeat of last night's kiss right here with all these people around?" She tried to back away from him, but he held her effortlessly by her waist. "I didn't think so, Beth."
"I hate when you call me that..." She felt like his body was branding hers. "Why don't you call me Lizzy like everyone else on campus does?"
"I called you by that name once." Unexpectedly, he relaxed his hold on her. "You do remember that day, don't you? I can hardly think back on that day without abhorrence." It came to her like a bolt of lightening. The first time they had ever met in front of the gymnasium. It had been Elizabeth ever since that day. She had no idea it had made such an impact on him. It was almost as if he read her thoughts. "I though by calling you Elizabeth I would constantly remind myself of my pompous pride that day."
She couldn't help herself. "So, what do you think about when you call me Beth?"
"Is this silk?" She felt his hand stroke her spine and was angered by the way her body seemed to rejoice at his touch.
"I would have thought you would be an expert in women's clothing by now."
He raised his eyebrows. "You aren't accusing me of being a cross-dresser are you?"
She didn't want to smile. She did not want to laugh, but laughter trickled out of her. She felt practically breathless from the release, but the tension returned the minute she met his eyes. They were the color of pitch. All traces of teasing were gone from his face.
"When I call you Beth, I ..."
"Well, well, well. Just look at this."
Looking back on the evening, Darcy would admit his one oversight was forgetting entirely about the existence of Roan Smouth.
"Mr. Moneypants himself has decided to grace us with his presence. And look, he came complete with a suit and tie. Aren't you overdressed for a little social mixer?"
Darcy instinctively put himself between Roan and Elizabeth. "Why don't you just help yourself to another beer and leave this for another time?"
"I'll tell you what. I'm such a good sport, you can have your first beer on me." Darcy felt Roan's icy beer trickle down his cheeks as the basketball player sneered at him. "Now why don't you get out of here, Richey Rich, before you force me to teach you a lesson you'll never forget?"
Darcy felt his pulse pound at the threat as he moped his face with the arm of his jacket. He knew there was no way to peacefully argue with an angry drunk. He felt behind him for Elizabeth's hand and was relieved when she took his. After seeing Roan's state, leaving without her was no longer an option. Without a word to antagonize Roan, Darcy began heading for the exit.
"And just where do you think you are going with Lizzy?" Roan's voice cut over the music and several people stopped confused over what was happening. He felt Lizzy's mounting anxiety through the link of their hands.
"We don't want any trouble..." He told several of Roan's teammates as he kept moving for the door. "We are leaving."
Roan continued to follow them. "You're wasting your time on her. She's frigid. I bet even with all of your money she won't put out for you either." It took all of Darcy's willpower not to turn on the drunk and knock his block off.
Darcy glared at anyone who dared step in his path. If he couldn't leave without a confrontation with Roan, he wanted to take it outside. There were too many people crammed into the rooms for an altercation to be safe.
"You aren't going to just walk out of here with her, Darcy! No way! Not after all the time and trouble I've put into her...I had plans for her."
Darcy ignored the screaming man as he closed on the exit. They were almost safe when he felt Elizabeth's arm being yanked out of his grasp. Darcy turned but it was too late. Roan's hand had already arched and it was followed a second later by a loud vicious slap. "You are nothing but a little tease!" The last thing Darcy remembered seeing for several minutes was Elizabeth crumpling to the floor.
The next thing he remembered was being hauled off of Roan by several pairs of hands. When he calmed down enough, he shrugged out of the hands still holding him and demanded to know where Elizabeth was. He found her on the front porch where Caroline had her cradled to her bosom. Darcy knelt in front of them. "Elizabeth..." She turned away from the sound of his voice, burying her face in his ex's shoulder. He could hear her soft sobs as he inched forward. "Elizabeth?" He reached out to take her in his arms, but Caroline shook her head stopping him.
"Is she all right?"
"Caroline and I are going to take her back to Mercer Hall." Jack's voice was soothing as he joined the threesome. "We'll make sure she is safe, Darcy, I promise you that."
As he watched Caroline help her into Jack's car, Darcy started for his own with every intention of following them. What if I scared her? What if she is afraid of me? He was half way to his car when Taggert caught up with him. For a brief moment, he wondered if he was going to have problems with the older Smouth, but those concerns were dispelled a tense second later.
"I would have done the same thing in your position. Roan had no right to hit her. I guess I just wanted you to know you are all right in my book."
Darcy finally reached his car and got his door open when he was interrupted by a voice that stopped him cold.
"Darcy, wait!" The command in Richard's voice left little room for debate. Turning to see the look on his cousin's face, he realized his immediate plans were going to have to be put on hold. The scene he dreaded from the moment he had decided to pursue Elizabeth was coming and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He had never planned on hurting anyone, but as Caroline had pointed out, love was messy. No matter how painful it would be for Richard to know, he owed him the truth.
"I'm afraid you're going to have a bruise."
"I feel like my whole body is a bruise." The puffiness around her right eye was making her squint. Lizzy glanced down at her legs and her ruined hose.
"Leave this on for thirty minutes." Caroline ordered, pressing the ice bag against her face. "Now, let me find something to put on your lip..."
"Is it bleeding still?"
"A little. It looks like you are going to have a nasty black eye too." Anger was in her friend's voice. "That b*****d! My only consolation is Roan is going to look like an elephant tap danced on his face tomorrow. That boy should thank his lucky stars his friends were there to pull Darcy off of him when they did or he could have very easily been spending the night in the emergency room."
Elizabeth shuddered. Before succumbing to the pure brutality of Darcy's attack, she was sure Roan had gotten in a few punches of his own. "Could you tell if Darcy was hurt?"
"I don't think he had a scratch on him. Besides, Darcy can take care of himself." Caroline dabbed at her lip with alcohol, causing her to wince. "Sorry, Lizzy."
"It's okay. It's not like this is my first split lip..." Lizzy cursed herself for the slip.
Caroline stopped nursing for a minute to regard her friend. "It isn't?"
"I was a clutz when I was a kid. You know, constantly running into things." It was a lie and she was pretty sure Caroline knew it. How many times had I lied about the cuts and bruises before the Bennets saved me? Tears welled up in her eyes but she managed to smile through them. "I'm sure Jack is probably sick of waiting for you."
"Jack can just wait. I told him I was going to take care of you..."
"I'm fine." Lizzy slid off the counter of the vanity. "I'll just ice my face, take a soak in the tub then go to bed."
"I don't think you should be alone. You might have a concussion..."
"I don't have a concussion. Now go to your man. I don't need you here hovering over me like a mother hen." Seeing the debate on her friend's face, she softened. "I really could use the privacy, Caroline."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." She was determined to be by herself. "If I need you I'll call you, I promise. Charlotte will be back early tomorrow. She always comes back from her parents early on Sunday to get a jump on her classes for the week."
"I don't like this." Caroline protested as Lizzy gathered her things. "You promise you'll call me if you need anything. I don't care how late it is. If you just want to talk about this...or anything else..."
"I'll be fine. Go find Jack, will you?" She rustled Caroline through the door. "I'm going straight to bed after a bath."
Three hours later after a hot bath and a pitiful attempt at sleep, Lizzy was curled up in bed reading from her government text sipping cautiously from a mug of tea. She knew there was going to be talk on campus. She could only imagine what state Charlotte was going to be in when she showed up in a few hours. Her mind focused unavoidably on Darcy. The memories of him were just as determined, as he seemed to be, of worming their way into her life. Why can't he just leave me alone? She stared at her ceiling. Why can't he just ignore me like he used to? Then another thought crossed her mind. What if he did starts ignoring me again? Her head ached painfully. She just wished she knew what he was up to. She just wished she knew what he wanted from her.
The soft knock at the door startled her. Curious, she padded to the door and slowly opened it. She barely had time to recover from her shock before her visitor barged past her into the room.
"I'm sorry for bothering you so late, I was going to call you but I saw your light was on. I just couldn't sleep without talking to you first..." Darcy turned and saw her face for the first time. He was not able to stop himself from touching her as he softly trailed his fingers over the bruises on her cheek before gently brushing over the small cut on her lip. An uncontrollable rage burned in him. "Jesus! I could kill Roan."
"He'll probably wish you had tomorrow." He saw the tight smile she gave him fade quickly. Because he knew the struggle of holding back her tears was proving too much for her, Darcy cradled her to him, feeling rather than hearing the first sobs that racked her body. Holding her so close, though, reminded him again of her recent weight loss, which turned his residual anger at Roan into concern for her.
"It's all right. I'm here. It's okay." For a long time, he was helpless to do anything more than repeat the mantra against her ear while he stroked her hair.
"I'm so embarrassed. It seems all I end up doing is crying all over you..." She laughed hollowly. "I guess tonight shook me more than I would like to admit...I'm sorry..."
"You don't have to be embarrassed or sorry..." He cupped the back of her head reveling in the fact she was allowing him to comfort her. "If anyone is sorry, I am. The whole thing with Roan was my fault. I should've known how he would react to seeing us together. If I would have just left you alone at the party, none of this would have happened to you."
"You don't know that. It could have been worse."
"Worse?" He tilted her face, mindful of her injures. "How could this have been worse?"
"You might not have been there to stop him. What if you hadn't come along and he attacked Charles for dancing with me? If anything, I am grateful to you."
Her nose was bright red and her cheeks had become splotchy but when Darcy saw the fierce determination burning in her green eyes his admiration for her grew and he knew he was unable to hide how he felt when their eyes met. "I don't want your gratitude, Beth."
The combination of the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice were evidently too much for her and Lizzy broke free from his touch. It was then she noticed he had not gotten through the fight with Roan completely unscathed. His right hand was a mess of torn skin and dried blood. "Darcy, you're hurt. You need to put something on those cuts before they become infected ..."
"Elizabeth, I can take care of them later...what I really want to do now is talk about..."
She ignored his protests pulling him by the arm to the bathroom. "Wash you hands with some warm water and soap." While he obeyed her, she retrieved her first aid kit from the vanity drawer and began setting out the supplies she needed. She took over for him, gently padding his knuckles dry with a towel and inspecting the wounds. "Thankfully, these aren't too deep."
"This really isn't necessary...we have to talk...."
"Shh..." She dabbed something directly onto his wounds. "This is going to sting a little."
"Ouch, sting a little!" He jerked his hand from hers and fanned it back and forth. "What did you just put on it? Acid?"
"I just used regular iodine. Boy, you are nothing but a big baby, Darcy Williams." Laughing at his reaction, she gently but firmly grabbed his hand. "Now hold still." She continued to paint the rest of his cuts as he squirmed in pain. Shaking her head, she took pity on his discomfort and blew across his cuts. Darcy wasn't sure if it was the sight of her puckered lips or the sensation of her breath on his skin that made his pain a distant memory and caused his pulse to race. God, she was breathtaking.
She caught him off guard when she glanced back up at him. "See? All better."
Without waiting for an answer, she gathered up the supplies and stowed them before heading back to her room. He followed her closely, halting when she stopped to open her closet door. "Let me get your jacket so you can get going..."
He took the garment from her, still reeling from the tenderness of her nursing abilities. "I didn't come here for my jacket, Elizabeth. I came here to see you...to make sure you were all right."
"Well, as you can see for yourself...I'm all right. Really, I'm fine."
She went to the door and looked back at him expectantly when he hadn't moved a muscle.
"I can't leave just yet. I've been trying to tell you since I got here..." He twisted the jacket in his hands. "Look, I've finally worked up the courage to tell you what I should have told you two days ago and if I don't tell you now, I may never find the courage again. I promise you, if you still want me to leave after what I have to say, I will."
She chewed the healthy side of her lip, leaning against her door looking decidedly not pleased with his request. "Okay, Darcy. Let's have it."
"I guess I should start at the beginning..." He couldn't afford for her to misunderstand anything. It was important to him they start off with a clean slate. "Last fall, when I met you, I was struggling with a lot of things I'd never had to face before. I had always been the best athlete and the brightest student. Accepting that I wasn't any longer was a difficult pill for me to swallow to say the least..."
"I wouldn't say being second in our class is a failure, Darcy."
"I don't think it is." He threw his jacket on her bed in frustration, not sure how he was going to handle the interruptions he knew she was going to continue to make. "I'm trying to explain why I treated you so abominably last Fall..."
"Last Fall?" Her brow furrowed. "I think we covered that ground already. Remember? It was a late winter night and you bought me dinner at Denny's."
"I remember." Darcy remembered that she had stopped him from spilling his soul to her on that night too. At the time, he had felt relieved that he would not have to tell her everything, but now he recognized her pattern of avoidance.
"I thought we had a lot of good times after that night; don't you, Darcy?"
He pinned her with his eyes. "Yes, I do." Maybe the direct way was the best way. "I had the best time with you last spring, but at the same time you will never know how much it hurt watching..."
"Caroline with Jack." It seemed to him almost as if Elizabeth knew what he was going to say and she was determined to deliberately sabotage him. "I know how you felt about Caroline. I know how devastated you were. It must still hurt to see them together even now..."
"No, it doesn't hurt me seeing Caroline happy." She seemed intent on staring at the ground instead of looking at him so he decided on another avenue of attack. "The other day you accused me of turning my back on you this semester. I did turn my back on you. I did so intentionally and deliberately."
He saw her body language change the instant the words were out of his mouth. Her eyes had gotten wide and she had risen to her full height. "I can't believe you just said that to me!"
"After the summer break, I knew you and I would have little reason to interact. You were no longer dating Richard and Jane was far away in Paris. I thought staying away from you would be best for everyone concerned."
"Best for who?" He heard the indignation in her voice.
"Richard. You. Me." He ran his tongue over his lips, hesitating to add. "Mostly me."
"Richard doesn't seem to hold a grudge against me, and he has every reason too. What did I do that was so terrible that you no longer wanted to be my friend?"
"You didn't do anything. It was all about me."
"Now there is a first." She moved away from the door. "You thinking of yourself..."
Her accusation was like a physical blow to him. "You are right. I was thinking only of myself. I couldn't stand being with you and knowing you looked at me and saw good ole' Darcy, your pal..." When she looked up at him questioningly, the last of his will power drained from him. He closed the distance between them, cupping her face in his hands. "Don't you understand? I made a terrible mistake. I realize I need you in my life, Beth."
"Need me?" She shook off his hands. "You just got done saying you didn't want to have anything to do with me this semester...and now you need me."
"It wasn't because I didn't want to have anything to do with you that I pulled back from you this semester...it was quite the opposite." He took a deep breath. "I knew that if we were together again, without Richard between us, I would not be able to keep how I felt about you a secret. The first time we were alone together...the first time we carelessly touched...you would know exactly how much you meant to me."
He let his words sink in and it pained him when she took a step away from him.
"When we met, I told myself my attraction to you was just a passing fancy, but months later the attraction had grown even stronger, I was hopelessly lost. But by then, it was too late. Even though I was disgusted with my own behavior, I couldn't stop it because it had become a self-defense mechanism. When you visited Pemberley, I was brought as close to hell as I ever wish to come. I practically rejoiced when you left New Year's Day! But I can assure you, my joy was short lived for even though you left my home, your memory did not."
"Why are you twisting everything around like this? You hated me...I know you hated me."
"No, I never hated you..." He tempered his longing to sweep her up in his arms and kiss away her doubt with the knowledge that he still had more to tell her. "I'm not twisting anything. I lashed out at you because watching you with Richard then Marcus made me so jealous I couldn't see straight. What made it worse was when we came back to campus and we became friends and I found out you were so much more than I ever imagined...my jealousy only grew. That night at Denny's when the waitress called us 'lovebirds,' I wanted it to be true. I would have given everything I possessed to make it true. And, after that first night, there were so many times I fantasized there was nothing between you and Richard...that you didn't want him...that you wanted me instead..."
"It was all a lie." He heard the pain in her voice. "Our friendship, that whole semester, was a complete lie. You were pretending the entire time."
"No! It wasn't a lie...it was the best thing in my life. I valued your friendship...I just wanted more. There were so many times that I was this close..." The space between his index finger and his thumb was barely an inch. "To telling you everything, but I held back knowing I couldn't risk losing the little part of you I had by telling you the truth about how I felt."
"And just why..." She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and weariness. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because until last night I still thought you were lost to me. Laughing with you, holding you, even arguing with you at the festival gave me hope...that maybe we could begin again." He took a step towards her. "That once you knew the entire truth about why I did what I did, and how I felt about you, I thought maybe that you would be able to forgive me and we could start over. Fresh."
"Darcy, it was only one night...one date..."
"It was enough for me. I know what I want, Beth. I know what I've always wanted...since the day I met you..." He pressed his forehead to hers as he ran his hand down the side of her face. "I want you. All I ask is that you just give me a chance..."
"A chance at what?" Her voice was little more than a whisper.
"A chance to make you as crazy about me as I am about you." He traced her nose with his. "To make you want me as much as I want you."
"I don't know ..."
"I know we could have the kind of relationship other people only dream of having...it could be very special, Beth." He rubbed his cheek against hers . "I know you feel what I feel...it's like magic..."
He felt her shiver in response to his touch and took encouragement from it. He fanned light kisses across her neck up to her ear, where he whispered. "Do you want me to stop?"
His touch was so different from any other man who had ever touched her. It was tender and slow, yet she could feel the building tension in him, mirroring the tension she felt in her own self. It was almost as if someone had removed her blindfold and she could see his animal magnetism bare for the first time. She felt positively weak at the revelation.
"Beth?"
"Don't stop." By this point, she wasn't sure if she had spoken or just thought it again.
She felt his hands trace the curve of her spine. "You asked me what I thought about when I called you Beth..." He nuzzled her neck and she unconsciously arched to allow him easier access to it. "I thought about how it would feel having you this close to me..." His mouth worked its way back to hers. "How your lips would feel under mine..." He hesitated briefly, commanding her eyes once more with his. "But most importantly, I thought about how much I love you."
She suddenly felt claustrophobic. She couldn't breathe and her lungs felt like they were collapsing. She had to get away. She had to get air. She pushed out of his arms, turning from him, physically and emotionally shaken from the brief contact of his touch. For a long moment, the pulse in her ear drowned out all other sounds in the room.
She heard the door open behind her. "I suppose I should have known I had messed things up beyond repair with you, but I had hoped after this weekend...after I told you how I had struggled...I should have known the forgiveness you gave me once so casually wouldn't be offered a second time." The sadness was evident in his voice. "You don't have to be worried about me repeating sentiments you obviously find disgusting. I perfectly understand how you feel and I won't bother you further. I'm sorry for taking up your time..."
"It's not fair!" She spun around. "It's not fair that you just come here and drop all this on me and expect... I don't know how to feel or what I want. I know we have chemistry between us, but Darcy, what good is chemistry if I can't trust you to be there for me? You left me. We were friends and you just turned your back on me."
He stood frozen, still clutching the door handle in his hand. "So, that's it then?"
Lizzy felt an inexpressible feeling of loss descend on her, for she was certain that even after everything he had said about how much she meant to him, he was just going to leave her again.
Her thoughts were interrupted as he slowly shut the door and faced her. "So, that's it then?" he repeated, closing the distance between them once more. "I have to prove myself to you. I just have to regain your trust...rebuild our friendship over..."
He made it sound as if they were the easiest things in the world to do. She shut her eyes tightly, overcome by his proximity. "Darcy, I need some time. Trust and friendship take time."
"Time." He brushed at an errant curl that had escaped her ponytail. "Time is something I can give you...we'll take as much time as you need. Just know that I want nothing more than to make you happy and I plan to do everything in my power to do just that. Sleep well, Beth."
He laid a soft kiss on her forehead and then he was gone.