Chapter 9

At brunch the next day Charlotte was nursing a serious hangover and I was still in the process of nursing my wounded ego. It helped that nearly our entire friend group still opted to sit with me in the crowded dining hall. At least I wasn't a total social piraya.

I smiled, looking across the table at Carey and Jack. They had made up and we're as nauseatingly happy as they were pre-fight. Jack caught my stare.

"Hey, Lizzie," he called to me, "how are you liking the book so far?"

"It's amazing," I answered, in reference to this months book club assignment, Dune, "the whole religious power struggle, I can't wait to finish it."

"Yea, Herbert does a great job with the whole human control motif."

The entire table stopped. No one, especially me, could believe the sentence was just uttered by Will Darcy. I literally felt my mouth drop open.

"What?" he said, looking up from his bowl of granola and acting as if he normally commented on matters such as this one.

"You've read Dune?" Jack finally asked, sounding as shocked as I felt.

"Yea," Will answered with a shrug, "it's actually one of my favorites."

The rest of the table nodded, impressed but uninterested. I couldn't get over it that quickly, though.

"You never told me you..."

"Read?" he chuckled, shaking his head, "you never asked."

"I guess not," I assented, returning to my food. Will is full of surprises these days.

"Guess you don't know everything," Will had leaned in to tell me quietly, a grin on face because he knew that's exactly the type of comment that would get my blood boiling.

But I responded with a simple roll of my eyes rather than a stinging remark. For once, I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.

"Hey, Will," Charlotte piped up beside me, "is it true you and the guys are throwing a party at the house?" The twinkle in her could not be ignored. She had been talking about this party for days.

"Yes," he answered, similarly excited, "to celebrate our only bye week, Charles and I will be hosting the biggest keggar you will ever experience in your college years."

There was general excitement around the table. Charlotte even clapped.

"That's quite a promise," I said skeptically, taking a sip of water and looking over the glass at Will.

"You'll just have to come and judge it for yourself then," he countered, "you're so good at that anyway." He finished with a wink, always trying to get a rise out of me.

But even as I gave him a crude hand gesture, I smiled knowing full well I wouldn't miss this party for anything.

I sighed, evaluating myself in the full length mirror that hung from my closet. Anticipation for Will's party had been building all week and now that it was an hour away I truly hoped it lived up to all the hype. It was only because of those expectations that I convinced Wickham to come, who wasn't much for undergrad parties.

Which also explained my appearance. I wanted to look good. Really good. It would be one of the last times the weather permits me to wear a dress and I wanted to make the most of it. I wore my favorite little black dress, complete with strategically placed sheer cut outs that accentuated my curves. It was scandalous for me but tonight I wanted to feel sexy, not like the dumpy virgin Caroline tried so hard to make me out to be. The situation had improved though, it seemed that all the posters had disappeared over night, probably Char's doing. And people were soon beginning to stop their chatter about me.

I just wanted tonight to remind me that I'm a confident woman and looking at myself in the mirror, I felt it. And I just couldn't wait for Wickham to see me.

"Holy crap," Charlotte exclaimed when she entered our room dressed in her own LBD, "dressing for someone?" she wiggled her eyebrows as she sat down in the chair next to the mirror.

"Maybe," I smiled.

"Will's gonna flip," she winked, very pleased.

"Will?!" I said, giving her an incredulous look.

"What?" she asked, holding up her hands innocently, "don't act like you guys haven't been chummy all week. You've had maybe two arguments, it's a miracle. We were thinking maybe..." she trailed off.

"WE," I said, my eyes wide.

"Yes, all of us," she continued, "we figured you would finally -"

"Char, no," I cut her off, "maybe, I have realized that Will Darcy has some redeeming qualities -"

"But?" she questioned.

"But I dressed for someone else," I said, turning around to hide my blush.

"Lizzie who?!" she practically screamed, getting up and making me face her, "why don't I know about him?"

"His name is George Wickham," I smiled sheepishly, "he's my TA."

"LIZZIE!" more screaming, "how scandalous, I love it. Why on earth am I just now hearing about this hottie?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "I didn't want to jinx it, I wanted to make sure it was real, or something."

"Aww," Charlotte smiled, "you really like him, don't you?" I looked embarrassed, nodding my head in response.

"I can't wait for you to meet him."

"Well, let's not keep Mr. Wickham waiting!"

The party was every bit as good as Will said it would be. How the hell did he pull that off?

The liquor was bountiful, the girl to guy ratio was just right and, most importantly, the music was perfect.

Even more perfect, my friends' reaction to Wickham. I opted to take a few turns around the party and each time the scene hadn't changed. Judy, Carey and Charlotte sat staring up at George standing with a beer in one hand as he talked on and on about English Literature. A subject I have tried speaking on many times but gotten a response that much more uninterested. I chuckled to myself knowing it had a lot more to do with the speaker than the subject.

"Hey," Charles called from the makeshift bar in the corner of the large living room, "Lizzie." He stumbled over to me, visibly drunk.

"Hey, Charles," I laughed, helping to prop him up when he reached me, "how you feeling?"

"Amazing, amazing," he answered, taking another sip of whatever was in his red solo cup, "better than Darcy, anyway."

"Where is Will?" I inquired. Now that I thought about it I hadn't seen him all night.

"Outside on the patio, I think, hammered," Charles answered, throwing an arm around me and showing me in that direction.

"Doesn't surprise me," I shook my head.

"It's your fault, you know," Charles stated bluntly, thoroughly finishing whatever was left of his drink.

"Mine?" I looked at Charles. Is the guy that drunk?

"I mean," he answered, "all I know is you show up, he takes one look at you and Wickham and, well, he drinks. Hasn't stopped too."

What?

The look of confusion must have been very apparent on my face because even in his drunken state Charles could see how lost I was. He simply pointed through the glass french doors that led to the wrap around deck where Will was swinging on the porch swing. I took deliberate steps toward him.

"Will?" I announced myself timidly. When he didn't answer I took the seat next to him on swing, taking in the smell of alcohol and his disheveled appearance.

"Hey," I continued, "how you feeling? Looks like the greatest college keggar ever really took a toll on you." I chuckled at my own joke but he didn't even look at me.

"Don't go getting all emotional drunk on me," I said louder, using his own words against him. Still nothing, even after I elbowed him lightly.

"Will -" I began, turning to face him and putting a hand on his shoulder, genuinely concerned now. But Will violently got up from the swing and moved to stand at the edge of the porch.

"Just leave me alone, Lizzie," he said in a tone I had never heard before. It seemed almost cruel.

"Will, is everyth -"

"I see Wickham somehow got an invite," he spat at me, still refusing to make eye contact. I got up to move behind him.

"Yea," I answered slowly, "I thought that would be ok..."

"Well, it's not," he said coldly, "guys like him aren't allowed in my house."

"Guys like what, Will?" It was my turn to ask rudely, "everyone else finds him perfectly charm -"

"Oh, please," he finally looked at me then, "there's a reason you waited until tonight to tell them about him. You didn't want them pointing out the obvious, just like I did."

"What's 'the obvious'?" I questioned, louder now.

"You think he actually gives a damn about you?" he was shouting now, other partygoers were beginning to take notice of our little tryst, "he's gonna use you up and spit you out. And you're being dumb enough to let him. God, that's one word I never thought I'd use to describe Elizabeth Bennet."

I tried to stay calm, but his words cut deep.

"All of my other friends are happy for me," I said softly, "all of them except for you. And I thought we were friends Will, actually friends, after this week."

"Yea, well, you were wrong," he turned from me, "I never wanted to be your friend."

He spat the word at me like acid. I began to walk away, done with him, his drama.

"It can't be him, Lizzie," Will said it softly, I almost didn't catch it, but the words stopped me, "he can't be the one you've been waiting for, can he?"

I turned to look at him, hearing his words almost like a plea rather than a question.

"As opposed to who?" I asked simply, truthfully.

He looked at me then. Those wonderful pools of blue looked at me in a way that caught my breath in my throat. Without another word, he took two decided steps to where I was standing and, suddenly, Will Darcy's lips were on mine.

His perfectly supple lips molded wonderfully to mine as his large hands gripped both sides of my face. I felt the fervor, the passion with which he kissed me, something I had never experienced in any other kiss. My hands moved to his chest. They should have attempted to push him away but instead I found them gripping him closer and feeling the hard planes of his chest.

It felt like forever and, also, just a moment until he broke the kiss. He pulled back to look at me one more time before walking down the porch steps, out of sight of the party within seconds, leaving me breathless.

"Hey, there, I've been looking for you. Everything alright?" It was George's voice behind me but I didn't turn around to look at him. I just stared into the darkness where Will Darcy had just ran to. Still so much in shock.

"I don't know," I said quietly, bringing my fingers up to my lips, feeling the tingle that was still there, "I really don't know."

A/N: Well, there it is! The moment I think we've all been waiting for. I know I have. This has probably been my favorite chapter to write so far. Please let me know how you feel! As usual, thank you to everyone who reads/reviews/follows/favorites. You're literally the best.

eowyn278: I did! Hope you enjoy. Have to say so do I, so sexy. Thanks for the review.

: Here it is! Thank you :)

nesciamema: I think you have a point but to be honest I didn't mean for her to mean necessarily Darcy. Yes, we all know that's what she's hinting at but I honestly just thought Charlotte would be trying to comfort her by saying that, by letting her know that she's not going to be waiting forever.

Guest: Thank you!

Dizzy Lizzy.60: Thank you very much :)

Julianabr: Hopefully, I've given you a good mix of tension and romance! Thank you for the review.

iknowyou2: Thank you!

JJen.A: Thank you so much!

janefanatic: I love your review, I couldn't agree more and I will cherish it forever. And you'll exactly where I'm headed with Wickham in the next few chapters, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Also, thank you for your kind words.

UndergroundCitizen: Good advice! Thank you :)

Guest: Thank you!

Guest: Haha I literally love this! Thanks for the great review :)

missmagpie: I'm so so glad cause me too!

Guest: Thank you so much! I totally agree :)

iknowyou2: Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.

Dizzy Lizzy.60: SO DO I! More of Will and Lizzie that get along is to come :)