Chapter 12

We rode in silence for the first half hour of the drive. Will's truck was ancient and it's radio only got a few stations. After some fiddling with the dial, Will managed to find a station that played oldies music like Sinatra and Billie Holiday. The cab of the pick-up was the kind that had a large bench cushion rather than separate seats for the driver and passenger. And it smelled...well, like Will. Despite everything, I was loving the drive in the blue lemon.

That was until Will decided it would be a good idea to speak.

"Your sister seems nice." Ok, I guess that's safe territory.

"Yea, she's the best," I said simply, smiling at the mention of Jane.

"You seem...different around her." So, he had noticed.

"She's just familiar," I answered, looking out the window, feeling uncomfortable.

He just hmm-ed in response, commenting no further.

"Charles seems.." I saw Will smile as he trailed off.

"Totally smitten?" I grinned, "yea, if I'm being honest I always kind of wondered if the two would - you know - I had that feeling."

I was surprised how easy the conversation was going. We were getting along despite the awkwardness of our scene in the rain.

"Yea, like the one you have with Wickham." Nevermind.

"Will -" I began, feeling frustrated at both Will and Wickham at the sound of his name.

"I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm just curious," his eyes never left the road but I saw the muscles in his arms tense.

"Yes, you are," I counter, "why else would you even mention him?"

"Lizzie, not everything I say is a personal attack against you," he still didn't stop looking ahead and the calmness in his voice somehow made me angrier.

"It is when it comes to him," my voice was suddenly louder and a bubble was rising in my throat.

"Ok, forget it." He showed no signs of frustration at my current outbreak.

"Oh, go to hell, Will," I folded my arms and turned my body completely away from him. A few moments passed until he spoke again.

"What happened?" He said it softly.

"What?" I didn't say it softly.

"Between you and George," it was the first time he ever used Wickham's first name.

I should tell him to fuck off or mind his own God damn business. But I found a tear rolling down the side of my face.

"He told me we weren't exclusive when I thought we were." I felt him look at me for the first time since entering the truck and I quickly wiped the tear from my cheek, "it's stupid I know, silly freshman mistake."

"No," he said so quietly I almost didn't hear it, "no, it's not stupid."

I looked at him trying to read his expression. His eyebrows were pulled in and he was gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white. I had made him angry talking about Wickham. I was being insensitive.

"I'm sorry, forget it," I looked out the window again, attempting to forget myself.

Suddenly, I literally heard the truck just...die. The engine faltered as Will quickly pressed the breaks and we rolled to a slow stop on the side of a small, one-way road. The sun was already almost out of sight and we were surrounded on both sides by trees. This can not be good.

"Stay here," Will said sharply, getting out and slamming the door behind him. I pulled out my phone to text Charlotte: Will and I just broke down. How far behind are you?

When he entered the car again, he let out a heavy sigh and his eyebrows still hadn't relaxed.

"Looks like a discharged battery, we need a jump," he mumbled.

"I texted Charlotte. She said that Rosa took forever and that they're a whole thirty minutes behind us. We're gonna have to wait."

"Fantastic," Will answered, resting his elbow on the driver side window and putting his hand on his head in frustration.

"Problem with having an old car, I guess." I hadn't even meant it as rude, I thought the problem was worth it with all the charm the blue pick-up had. But Will's head snapped up to glare at me.

"Lizzie, for once, can you not judge every single thing about me," he spat the words at me and I recoiled.

"I'm not," I wanted to tell him I liked his car but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction, "don't take this out on me. I didn't make the truck break down and I wasn't the one who brought up Wickham."

"That has nothing to do with -"

"I know I shouldn't talk about my problems with him to you, though, I know that, ok? So, I'm sorry about that but, again, -"

"You think I'm mad because of that?" his voice was less harsh and more confused. I nodded slowly.

"Lizzie, I'm mad because I want to rip the guys fucking head off."

His words shocked me. And confused me. It showed on my face because he continued.

"He hurt you," he turned away from and tapped the steering wheel, "he had no right."

A sudden warmth filled my chest.

"Will -" I didn't know what I intended to say but I felt my arm reach out toward him. Before it touched him though, he began again, this time with a different tone.

"But I'm also mad at you," he looked up, staring into the depths of me, "I'm mad that you can't see that he is the last person on Earth who deserves you. And I'm mad that you can't see that you deserve so much better than George Wickham."

Part of me wanted to yell again, but I didn't. Because this time Will wasn't just simply jealous or argumentative in regards to Wickham. For the first time, I realized the true reason Will hated him was because he cared about me and thought I was good enough to be treated better.

"Who do I deserve, Will?" I asked him quietly, looking out of wind shield into the, now, dark night, "a guy who I argue with constantly? Who can't stand me most of the time?" I sniffled a laugh. Did Will deserve that?

"Lizzie," his voice was closer and I looked to see that he had leaned forward, his blue eyes examining every millimeter of my brown ones, "you deserve someone who would do anything for you."

As I stared into his irises, multiple scenes seemed to flash in them: the posters being taken down, the way he comforted me about them, his warnings about Wickham. I recalled his bookshelf and how I wanted to discuss every last classic with him. I thought of his loyalty to Charles, to Charlotte and to me. And I even admitted that arguing with him is the most fun I've had all year.

Oh, Will Darcy. Why has it taken me this long?

I tentatively moved my to push the hair that had moved into his face aside. I looked into those blue eyes, my favorite eyes, then to those soft lips, my favorite lips, both of us moving closer until we were kissing for the third time.

Except this time we were uninhibited. No alcohol, no audience. Just us. Our mouths slowly moving and enjoying the feel of the others. I ran my hands through his hair, feeling the softness of his locks and bring his face closer to mine.

Then I couldn't breath. His tongue had lightly brushed against my full lips, asking for entrance. I opened my mouth and invited him with vigor, moving closer to him on the truck bench and now slightly tugging at his hair.

He reacted similarly, placing one hand on my hip and wrapping the other around so that it was resting on the small of my back. His tongue expertly massaged my own and I felt like I could never get enough of his taste. I lightly bit down on his bottom lip and I swear I heard Will groan.

His response gave me confidence. I moved my hands to his chest and pushed him slightly so he was leaning back against the seat. I swung my leg over him so that I was straddling his lap.

I saw his eyes darken at my sexuality and I expected him to respond similarly, expressing his own need. But instead he placed his large hands on my hips again and kissed me softly. He's being a gentleman.

The thought made me smile against his lips and somehow increased my want for him even more. Without even realizing, I slowly moved my hips over his causing me to gasp at the delicious friction created there.

"Lizzie," he breathed, squeezing my hips and placing hot, wet kisses down my neck.

I encouraged him by running my hands up and down his arms, feeling the flexing muscles there, and then moving to his chest and his stomach, finally slipping a hand under his shirt to feel the sculpted muscles that resided there.

He took my mouth with his again, kissing me passionately. I moaned when he moved his hand to my ass, gently guiding it as I moved above him.

The heat between my thighs was becoming unbearable and it occurred to me that we should slow down. I didn't want to. But I knew it was better to take this thing with Will, whatever it was, on the slow side. Oh, but his mouth, though.

My decision was made for me, however, when bright headlights shone in through the back of the cab. I quickly climbed off Will as he just as quickly exited the cab. With one look at him I communicated what we were both thinking: they don't need to know yet.

"Typical," I heard Charles call once the car had parked behind us, "you are in desperate need of a new car my friend."

"She goes, I go," he laughed. I swear I heard something brighter about his tone of voice. It made me smile to myself.

"What the hell are you smiling at," Charlotte startled me, opening the door on Will's side and climbing into the cab, "have you officially gone batshit?"

"Have you?" I still felt hot from what Will and I had just been doing and didn't really want her or anyone seeing me, "what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm riding with y'all," she shrugged closing the door and scooting into the middle of the bench, "it was really cramped in Charles's Jeep with I-could-Caro-less and I was about to barf at the love fest going on in there between Jane and Charles -"

She stopped then to survey me. Her eyes suddenly suspicious.

"Wait a minute," she looked from me to Will who was now assisting Charles with the cables, "am I gonna barf in here too?"

"What?" I felt more heat in my cheeks.

"Your hair is a mess, your face is flushed and your eyes are huge," her eyes got wide, "oh my God did we just interrupt -"

I shh-ed her, looking out the back window to make sure no one heard her with how loud her voice was.

"You're delusional," I answered, smoothing out my hair.

"Fine, if nothing happened then you won't mind me riding with you and Will," she said, defiantly crossing her arms.

"Fine with me," I shrugged. It really wasn't.

"Can you try it, Lizzie?" Will called from the front of the car. I reached across Charlotte to turn the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life.

"Man, must suck me being in the way like that," she mocked me, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yea, but I got used to it after like the first week," I teased back at her.

"You think you're cute but you're not," her eyes narrowed playfully, "I know you too well, Lizzie. Tell me to leave and I'll leave."

"I don't want you to leave." I really wanted her to leave but I couldn't explain it to her right now. Not when I didn't even know what had just happened myself and not when Will Darcy was coming around the side of the car to get back in.

"Fine, then I'm staying," she said defiantly.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"What's fine," Will had finally opened the door and hopped into the cab, looking between me and Charlotte.

"I'm going to be riding with you guys," Charlotte said, smiling at him, "I'm going to be right here, in the middle, between the two of you, for the next hour..."

My stomach fluttered when I saw a look of disappointment come across Will's face. But he recovered quickly and grinned back at her.

"Fine." He put the truck in drive and pulled back onto the dark road.

Charlotte began babbling on about something, so, she didn't notice when Will stole a quick glance at me. I smiled apologetically. He winked and gave me a knowing grin.

Will Will Darcy ever stop making me blush?

A/N: I couldn't help but posting this today for y'all. It was too fun to write. FINALLY, LIZZIE, FINALLY. Please, let me know what you think. There's still plenty in store for our favorite couple so keep reading! Love to everyone that read and beyond, you rock!

BooRadley: I did! Thanks so much :)

missmagpie: muwahaha is right I sometimes can't but throw our favorite mean girl in there to mix things up!

Guest: I guess we'll have to see *wink* Thanks for the review!

cmc557: Glad you're enjoying it I definitely will!

Saralee: My thoughts exactly! Thanks for a fun review!

: I love you so much!

Dizzy Lizzy.60: It isn't as promised! Thanks for your wonderful reviews, you make this fic worth writing!

kmart92: You're literally the best, my fave. Your reviews are what I live for, thank you.