Chapter Seven
Lizzie stumbled down the hallway, not knowing where she was going, or what to do. She felt completely and totally humiliated. God, what the hell had she been thinking, throwing herself at Ethan? She didn't really know which was worse, the fact that she'd made that much of a fool out of herself, or the blow to her ego by fact that he'd turned her down.
Her tears blurred her vision as she walked, bumping into the walls as she swayed back and forth. He'd lied!! Everything he'd ever said to her he'd just said to make her feel better. "Sure he wanted me, sure he did," she muttered, tripping over the carpeted floor and falling down in a heap. "Shit," she began to sob, and curled up on the floor, not caring who walked by. It didn't matter anymore. Her boyfriend didn't want her, Ethan was probably horrified by what she'd done…none of it mattered.
"Lizzie?"
Lizzie groaned at the soft voice, and waved her hand in the air, hoping whoever it was would just go away. "No."
"Very funny," Danny knelt down and looked her in the eye, his expression growing sympathetic. "What's wrong? You and Ethan left so suddenly…"
"I'm drunk," Lizzie replied, turning her head away from Danny's gaze. "That's all."
"You're crying," Danny's eyes trailed over her, taking note of her bare legs and her shoes in her hand. "What did Ethan do to you?"
Lizzie snorted, and shook her head. "Nothing." What did she do to Ethan, wasn't that the question to ask? He offered up his friendship, and look what she did. Acting like a fucking tramp, throwing herself at him…
"Come on, let's get you to your room," Danny grabbed her arm and hauled her onto her feet, ignoring her cry in protest. "I'm sure your boyfriend's wondering where you are."
"I'm sure my boyfriend doesn't care," Lizzie slurred, nearly falling onto Danny when she tried to get her to walk. "Danny, stop it," she said weakly, batting at him with her heels.
"Watch it, those things are lethal weapons," Danny ducked out of the way, wrapping his arms around her and sighing. "Shit. As much as I like to think I'm strong, I don't think I can carry you to your room."
"I'll just stay here then," Lizzie pushed Danny away and slid back to the floor, covering her head with her hands.
Danny looked at Lizzie through narrowed eyes, wondering what to do. "You sure Ethan didn't do anything?"
"Positive."
"Then you won't mind if I go get him…" Danny took off down the hall before she could react, ignoring her shout for her to stop. The way he saw it, it was either Ethan or Gordo, and given Lizzie's state, getting Gordo would probably be the wrong choice, as then he would have to explain to HIM where her stockings disappeared to. Not to mention, at least Ethan's room was right here, while Gordo and Lizzie's was all the way down the hallway, clear on the other side of the hotel.
Ethan was still sitting on the floor of his room when he heard the knock at his door, and he jumped up, hoping against hope that it was Lizzie. "Oh, hi," he frowned when he recognized Danny on the other side, leaning against the doorframe.
"Look, I don't know what happened, and I don't want to know," Danny said, his voice conveying no emotion as he took in Ethan's disheveled state. "But Lizzie's gotta get to her room somehow, she can't walk, and I can't carry her. Will you?"
Ethan's eyes widened, and he followed Danny into the hallway, gasping when he saw Lizzie in a heap on the floor. "Of course…" He knelt down next to her, murmuring to her to relax as he scooped her up and stood.
"Leave me alone," Lizzie cried in response, her hands striking Ethan's chest weakly. "Ethan, let me go."
"I can't do that, Lizzie," he said softly, as he walked to her room. "You don't want Gordo to see you like this, do you?"
"Gordo's an asshole," she sniffled, and smacked Ethan again. "So are you."
"Yeah, I know," Ethan agreed sadly. They walked in silence until they reached her room, when he stopped. "Got your key?"
"In my purse…" she stared at him blankly, before groaning. "In your room."
Ethan looked at Danny, his expression apologetic. "Can you…"
Danny held up a hand, his eyes shooting daggers at Ethan. "Of course it's in your room," he said sarcastically, before turning around and running back along the hallway to Ethan's room.
"Lizzie, why'd you go running out like that," Ethan whispered to her, biting his lip when she just let out a sad sob. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"Why'd you say no, then?" Lizzie asked him sadly, looking up into his eyes. "I needed you so bad…"
"Because I had to, I couldn't…"
"Why not?" Lizzie cried, her lower lip trembling. "Why the hell not?"
"Because I love you," Ethan said softly, groaning when he realized what he'd said. Oh god, he hadn't meant to tell her…
Lizzie gasped and stared back at him, her mouth dropping open in surprise. "Wha…"
"Ok, here," Danny returned at that exact moment, Lizzie's purse and key in his hands. He shot a worried look at the two of them before opening the door, trying not to think too much about what he was seeing in either Ethan or Lizzie's expression. He held a finger to his lips and waved them into the darkened room, watching as Ethan carefully laid Lizzie down on the bed next to Gordo. "I'm putting your purse on the table," he whispered, frowning when he saw Lizzie's eyes locked on Ethan.
"Go to sleep, Lizzie," Ethan whispered, running a hand through her hair and kissing her forehead. His eyes glanced over to Gordo sleeping on the other side of the bed, and he sighed as he stood up. "Ok?"
Lizzie just nodded, watching as Ethan and Danny left the room, the door closing quietly behind them. She curled up in the bed, a thousand thoughts spinning through her head.
Ethan loved her.
Ethan loved Lizzie.
She yawned, and tried to think about what that meant, but her inebriated mind was not going to let her, the darkness of the room just too tempting. One more yawn, one more grin as 'Ethan loves Lizzie' went though her mind, and she was asleep.
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"Hold it RIGHT there, Craft," Danny chased Ethan back down the hall, grabbing the blonde's arm when he didn't stop. "Ethan, we're talking, now."
"There's nothing to talk about," Ethan said pitifully, yanking his arm out of Danny's grasp. "Just let me go to sleep."
"Bullshit," Danny hissed. He watched Ethan open the door to his room, and stepped inside before the door could be closed in his face. "What's that, then?" he pointed to the garter belt lying on the floor near the couch.
Ethan looked at the garter belt, his blue eyes bright. He sighed, and shook his head, "if you don't know what that is, Danny…"
"WHO's is it?" Danny asked, picking it up and throwing it at Ethan. "Don't you think I didn't notice Lizzie wasn't wearing any stockings. Those in here too?"
Ethan caught the garter, sitting down in a chair as he held the lacy fabric in his hands. "It doesn't matter," he said sadly, twisting the garter around his fingers.
"She's Gordo's girlfriend, Ethan," Danny said angrily, pacing around the room with his eyes down on the ground.
"You don't think I know that?"
"Ah-ha!" Danny grabbed a stocking off the floor and winged it at Ethan. "What's that?"
"Stop it, Danny!" Ethan snatched the stocking out of the air, sighing heavily. "Nothing happened, you don't have to worry."
"What were you doing with her, then? And why do I keep finding," he bent down and picked up another stocking, holding it up triumphantly. "These."
"She's only got two," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.
"They should be on her legs."
"She took them off," Ethan said softly.
"Why?"
Ethan sighed, and sat back in the chair. "Doesn't matter."
"Ethany," Danny sat down across from Ethan, throwing the last stocking at him. He snickered when the blonde jumped, "what's going on?"
"Remember the Game, Danny?" Ethan asked quietly, his eyes fixed on the stockings in his lap.
Danny's eyes widened, and he shook his head, "oh no, don't you tell me that you were going after Lizzie for that."
"I made a mistake," Ethan interrupted Danny, his voice sad and solemn. "I was sick of winning the Game all the time, it was too easy, you know? So I went after someone that was gonna be hard to get, someone really special."
"Lizzie," Danny said dryly.
"Yeah," Ethan nodded slowly. "But it got all screwed up, it wasn't supposed to work like this," he bit his lip hard as tears filled his eyes, and knotted the stockings around his hand. "I couldn't do it."
"What happened, Ethan?" Danny asked, compassion filling his voice when he realized how upset Ethan was. This wasn't just arrogant Ethan trying to get laid anymore, something was really going on…
"She was throwing herself at me. I'd done it, you know? She wanted me so bad, that's why she took these off," Ethan clenched the stockings tight in one fist. "But then she looked at me, and, god, it was like someone had just punched me in the chest."
"Why?"
Ethan sniffled sadly, raising his eyes to look at Danny. "Nobody had ever looked at me like that before."
"Like what?"
"I'd been pretending to be this really cool guy to get her, you know how we played the Game, we always would be what the woman really wanted. But Lizzie, god, she believed it," Ethan wiped a tear from his cheek, and ran a hand through his hair, his lower lip trembling. "She really thought I was this incredible person, and she trusted that person. THAT was the person she wanted, not me."
Danny sighed, "what did you expect, Ethan?"
"I couldn't do it!" Ethan cried, throwing the stockings at Danny in his frustration. "That wasn't supposed to happen! I was supposed to just fuck her and be done with it. But I couldn't…she meant too much to me."
"What do you mean?" Danny's eyes widened, and he looked at Ethan, dread filling his voice. "She's Gordo's girlfriend…"
"I love her, Danny," Ethan confessed solemnly. "I want her to love ME, not the person I was pretending to be. And the last thing in the world I ever want to do to her is just fuck her and leave her."
"But that's the Game," Danny reminded him.
"Then I lost," he replied sadly. "I couldn't do it. I lost."
"So the player got played by his own game, huh?" Danny remarked wryly.
"Played but good," Ethan agreed sadly. "I thought I could go through with it, I really could. God, when she kissed me, it was amazing," he shuddered at the memory. "I've never been kissed like that before, and I'm sure I've never kissed anyone like that before either. But then I looked in her eyes. And that was when I stopped. The way she looked at me…"
"I saw the way she looked at you."
Ethan looked at Danny, his eyes wide, "so you saw?"
"I don't want to think about what I saw, Ethan," Danny said, shaking his head. "She's Gordo's girlfriend."
"But Gordo treats her like shit!" Ethan said angrily. "It's all fucking Gordo's fault, anyway, that I even had a chance to do this. She would be so upset about Gordo, all she needed was a shoulder to cry on. I was just there."
"You didn't have to be so willing to step in."
"It was a GAME!" Ethan shouted.
"Not anymore!" Danny shouted back. "Not the way she's looking at you, not the way you were looking at her. Christ, Ethan, what the fuck have you gone and done?"
"Fallen in love with Gordo's girlfriend," Ethan replied softly.
"And she's in love with you," Danny added.
Ethan gasped, and stared at Danny, "no."
"I saw her face, Ethan," Danny said solemnly. "That's a girl in love."
"I mean, no," Ethan sniffled, and wiped another tear from his eye. "She's not in love with me."
"Then…"
"She's in love with the guy I pretended to be for the Game. Lizzie would probably hate me."
"Well, maybe that's a good thing, then," Danny sighed, and rolled his eyes. "God, Ethan, I can't believe you. You gone and got her falling for a guy who doesn't even exist?"
Ethan couldn't resist a small smirk, "I'm good, ain't I?"
"Oh yeah, you good," Danny said sarcastically, his eyes narrowing. "So what the fuck you gonna do now, genius?"
Ethan sighed, "be myself?"
"Break her heart?"
"I think I already did that," Ethan said sadly. "Tonight, when I said no….she was so upset…"
"I bet, Ethan, you throw yourself at her, and then turn around and say no? Fuck, what a head trip."
"I just couldn't do it."
"Good," Danny said firmly. "Just remember that. Don't do it, no matter what happens. She's someone else's girlfriend."
"Remind Gordo of that, would you?" Ethan said, looking at Danny. "He has a wonderful girl, and he's just throwing it all away."
"Stay out of it, Ethan," Danny warned. "Just keep your pants up, and stay out of it."
"I love her," Ethan moaned, slumping down in the chair. "Danny, I've never been in love before! And I love her."
"Great, Ethan," Danny said dryly. "You couldn't have met a girl under normal circumstances to love, could you. You had to go and play her like this…"
"I didn't mean to."
"Stupid fucking Game, why do you think I stopped playing it ages ago?"
"It was fun!"
"Is this fun?" Danny challenged, staring at Ethan until the blonde shook his head sadly. "The player got played," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "Serves you right, Ethan."
Ethan's eyes narrowed, and he glared at Danny, "oh, fuck you."
"Irony's fun, isn't it?"
"Go to hell."
"Here," Danny threw the stockings back at Ethan as he stood up. "I'm going to bed. You…stay away from Lizzie. This Game is over."
"Yeah, I know," Ethan said, nodding slowly. "Game over. I lost."
"Everyone's gotta lose sometime."
"Not me, Danny," Ethan whispered, frowning from ear to ear. Never, ever, did he expect to lose a Game. Ethan Craft did not lose anything. But now…he'd been good and beaten, by a girl who didn't even know the Game. "Not me."
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Lizzie woke up to the worst headache she thought she'd ever had in her life. "Oh god," she groaned," rolling over in bed and burying her head in the pillows.
"You awake, baby?"
"I'm dying," she moaned, scowling when she heard Gordo laugh. "Fuck you."
"You're hungover, Lizzie," Gordo sat down next to her on the bed, and forced her to roll over. "Here," he handed her two aspirin and a bottle of water. "This'll make you feel better."
"Kill me," Lizzie whined, taking the aspirin just the same. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, and looked at Gordo through narrowed eyes, "don't you look wide awake this morning."
"I slept well," he replied, missing the sarcasm in her remark. "Unlike you, who apparently had a bit too much fun at the party after I left."
"Apparently," she sighed, and pushed herself off of the bed, grabbing the nightstand when she nearly fell over. "Fuck. Dizzy spell."
"How'd you even get back here last night? You obviously weren't in any state to get undressed," Gordo noted, looking over her disheveled dress.
"I, uh," Lizzie looked herself up and down, gasping when she remembered Ethan carrying her into the room. He'd said…oh god. "Ethan and Danny," she whispered. "They carried me in here."
"That was nice of them," Gordo said blankly, watching as she shuffled across the room to the bathroom. "You gonna be ok in there?"
"Yeah," she walked into the bathroom, before turning around, hanging off of the doorframe to look at him. "Gordo, later tonight, tomorrow, whenever my head's on straight…can we talk?"
"Sure," he shrugged, returning his attention to the television in front of him. "Whatever."
"I mean really talk."
Gordo turned to look at her, his green eyes wide with curiosity. "Something wrong?"
Lizzie sighed. God, if he had to ask… "No, Gordo, I just think we should talk."
"Sure, whenever."
She groaned, and closed the bathroom door, wincing from the pain in her head from the loud bang. Sure. Whatever.
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Two days later, Lizzie was physically much better, but emotionally felt worse than ever. Gordo was being his usual "exhausted" self, and Ethan was flat out ignoring her, something she just didn't understand. He'd told her he loved her, and then started acting like this? Her already fragile ego had gotten beaten in yet another time, and she could only wonder how much more of it she could take.
Gordo was lying in bed, once again, tired, and looking forward to a long night's sleep. "You coming, baby?"
"I'm not that tired, Gordo," Lizzie said softly, emerging from the bathroom in a soft off-white satin nightgown. Why she even bothered wearing such things was beyond her, it wasn't like he was going to notice.
"Come here, baby," Gordo reached out for her, smiling when she slid into his arms. "I love you so much," he said earnestly, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her close. He captured her lips in an intense kiss, before pulling away, smiling. "You know that, right?"
"Show me," Lizzie whispered, running her hands over his chest. "Please, baby, show me."
"Lizzie," Gordo groaned, looking up at her with a pained expression. "I told you I'm tired…"
"Gordo, please," Lizzie grabbed his hand and pressed it to her breast, gasping with pleasure when his fingers instinctively tightened around the soft mound. "Make love to me, it's been so long."
"I'm sorry it's been so long, but I just haven't felt up to it," Gordo wrenched his hand out of her grasp, shaking his head. "Another night."
"Am I that unattractive?" Lizzie asked softly, tears filling her eyes. "Is it really that horrible to imagine making love to me?"
"No, baby, I swear it's not that," Gordo said, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I love you, and you will always be the most beautiful girl I know."
"Then why can't you stand to touch me?" Lizzie climbed on top of him, leaning down over him to look him in the eye. "Why, Gordo?"
"Lizzie, don't," Gordo's face contorted, and he groaned as he picked her off of him, setting her back down on the bed. "Shit, that hurt," he said softly, shaking his head.
"That HURT?" Lizzie asked in amazement, a tear trickling down her face. "What, am I fat now too?" She gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand, "is that it?"
"No, Lizzie…"
"I hurt you?" She whispered in horror, scrambling out of the bed. "Jesus, Gordo…"
"Baby, come back to bed, let's get some sleep."
"You get some sleep, Gordo," Lizzie grabbed a sweatshirt, throwing it on in a huff. "I'm getting out of here."
Gordo sighed, rolling his eyes. "Sneaking out in the middle of the night again? You seem to be doing that a lot lately." He smiled wryly, "if I didn't know you so well, I'd be worrying about you having an affair."
Lizzie glared at Gordo, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"You wouldn't, I mean, baby..you don't do that."
Lizzie snorted, and sighed. "Yeah, right, Gordo. I wouldn't." She waved at him and left the room, slamming the door behind her angrily. "I wouldn't, would I?" She asked herself, stomping down the hallway. "Maybe I would, Gordo, maybe I would…" She stopped and leaned against the wall as she began to cry, biting her lip hard.
"Shit!" Lizzie said to herself, frowning deeply. She wasn't going to sit crying in the hallway, she wasn't going to feel sorry for herself, she was going to do…something. Anything. She wanted… she whirled around when she heard a sound from the room behind her, her eyes widening.
That was a video game she heard.
That was Ethan's room.
A split second and her mind was made up, her hand knocking on the door. She was breathing heavily as she waited for him to answer, unsure exactly of what she was doing. She knew what she wanted…needed…from him.
Ethan opened the door, gasping when he saw Lizzie standing in his doorway. She looked…well…beautiful, but…awful…tears in her eyes, her hair a tousled mess, and she was barely dressed, he looked down and noted her lack of pants. "Lizzie?"
"Say it, Ethan," Lizzie pushed him back into the room, her hands going to his face. "Please? I need to hear it."
"Hear what?" Ethan gasped, his heart pounding at the touch of her hands. "What are you doing, Lizzie?"
"Please, Ethan, just tell me what you told me," she begged, her thumb sliding over his cheek. "Please," she pressed herself against his body, smiling when a soft moan left his throat. "Ethan?"
"Lizzie, you're crying," Ethan choked out, staring down at her in awe. What the hell had gotten into her??
"Ethan, PLEASE," Lizzie asked again, her hands tangling through his hair to pull his face down to hers. "Say it. Let me hear you say it."
Ethan bit his lip hard, positive there was no way in the world he could say no to this. He knew what she wanted to hear, he knew her well enough by now to know that. And he also knew it had taken every ounce of his willpower to push her away the first time, there wasn't a chance in hell he was going to be able to do it now.
"Say it," Lizzie whispered.
Ethan closed his eyes, and resigned himself to his fate. "Lizzie," he said softly. "I love you…"
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Lizzie stumbled down the hallway, not knowing where she was going, or what to do. She felt completely and totally humiliated. God, what the hell had she been thinking, throwing herself at Ethan? She didn't really know which was worse, the fact that she'd made that much of a fool out of herself, or the blow to her ego by fact that he'd turned her down.
Her tears blurred her vision as she walked, bumping into the walls as she swayed back and forth. He'd lied!! Everything he'd ever said to her he'd just said to make her feel better. "Sure he wanted me, sure he did," she muttered, tripping over the carpeted floor and falling down in a heap. "Shit," she began to sob, and curled up on the floor, not caring who walked by. It didn't matter anymore. Her boyfriend didn't want her, Ethan was probably horrified by what she'd done…none of it mattered.
"Lizzie?"
Lizzie groaned at the soft voice, and waved her hand in the air, hoping whoever it was would just go away. "No."
"Very funny," Danny knelt down and looked her in the eye, his expression growing sympathetic. "What's wrong? You and Ethan left so suddenly…"
"I'm drunk," Lizzie replied, turning her head away from Danny's gaze. "That's all."
"You're crying," Danny's eyes trailed over her, taking note of her bare legs and her shoes in her hand. "What did Ethan do to you?"
Lizzie snorted, and shook her head. "Nothing." What did she do to Ethan, wasn't that the question to ask? He offered up his friendship, and look what she did. Acting like a fucking tramp, throwing herself at him…
"Come on, let's get you to your room," Danny grabbed her arm and hauled her onto her feet, ignoring her cry in protest. "I'm sure your boyfriend's wondering where you are."
"I'm sure my boyfriend doesn't care," Lizzie slurred, nearly falling onto Danny when she tried to get her to walk. "Danny, stop it," she said weakly, batting at him with her heels.
"Watch it, those things are lethal weapons," Danny ducked out of the way, wrapping his arms around her and sighing. "Shit. As much as I like to think I'm strong, I don't think I can carry you to your room."
"I'll just stay here then," Lizzie pushed Danny away and slid back to the floor, covering her head with her hands.
Danny looked at Lizzie through narrowed eyes, wondering what to do. "You sure Ethan didn't do anything?"
"Positive."
"Then you won't mind if I go get him…" Danny took off down the hall before she could react, ignoring her shout for her to stop. The way he saw it, it was either Ethan or Gordo, and given Lizzie's state, getting Gordo would probably be the wrong choice, as then he would have to explain to HIM where her stockings disappeared to. Not to mention, at least Ethan's room was right here, while Gordo and Lizzie's was all the way down the hallway, clear on the other side of the hotel.
Ethan was still sitting on the floor of his room when he heard the knock at his door, and he jumped up, hoping against hope that it was Lizzie. "Oh, hi," he frowned when he recognized Danny on the other side, leaning against the doorframe.
"Look, I don't know what happened, and I don't want to know," Danny said, his voice conveying no emotion as he took in Ethan's disheveled state. "But Lizzie's gotta get to her room somehow, she can't walk, and I can't carry her. Will you?"
Ethan's eyes widened, and he followed Danny into the hallway, gasping when he saw Lizzie in a heap on the floor. "Of course…" He knelt down next to her, murmuring to her to relax as he scooped her up and stood.
"Leave me alone," Lizzie cried in response, her hands striking Ethan's chest weakly. "Ethan, let me go."
"I can't do that, Lizzie," he said softly, as he walked to her room. "You don't want Gordo to see you like this, do you?"
"Gordo's an asshole," she sniffled, and smacked Ethan again. "So are you."
"Yeah, I know," Ethan agreed sadly. They walked in silence until they reached her room, when he stopped. "Got your key?"
"In my purse…" she stared at him blankly, before groaning. "In your room."
Ethan looked at Danny, his expression apologetic. "Can you…"
Danny held up a hand, his eyes shooting daggers at Ethan. "Of course it's in your room," he said sarcastically, before turning around and running back along the hallway to Ethan's room.
"Lizzie, why'd you go running out like that," Ethan whispered to her, biting his lip when she just let out a sad sob. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"Why'd you say no, then?" Lizzie asked him sadly, looking up into his eyes. "I needed you so bad…"
"Because I had to, I couldn't…"
"Why not?" Lizzie cried, her lower lip trembling. "Why the hell not?"
"Because I love you," Ethan said softly, groaning when he realized what he'd said. Oh god, he hadn't meant to tell her…
Lizzie gasped and stared back at him, her mouth dropping open in surprise. "Wha…"
"Ok, here," Danny returned at that exact moment, Lizzie's purse and key in his hands. He shot a worried look at the two of them before opening the door, trying not to think too much about what he was seeing in either Ethan or Lizzie's expression. He held a finger to his lips and waved them into the darkened room, watching as Ethan carefully laid Lizzie down on the bed next to Gordo. "I'm putting your purse on the table," he whispered, frowning when he saw Lizzie's eyes locked on Ethan.
"Go to sleep, Lizzie," Ethan whispered, running a hand through her hair and kissing her forehead. His eyes glanced over to Gordo sleeping on the other side of the bed, and he sighed as he stood up. "Ok?"
Lizzie just nodded, watching as Ethan and Danny left the room, the door closing quietly behind them. She curled up in the bed, a thousand thoughts spinning through her head.
Ethan loved her.
Ethan loved Lizzie.
She yawned, and tried to think about what that meant, but her inebriated mind was not going to let her, the darkness of the room just too tempting. One more yawn, one more grin as 'Ethan loves Lizzie' went though her mind, and she was asleep.
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"Hold it RIGHT there, Craft," Danny chased Ethan back down the hall, grabbing the blonde's arm when he didn't stop. "Ethan, we're talking, now."
"There's nothing to talk about," Ethan said pitifully, yanking his arm out of Danny's grasp. "Just let me go to sleep."
"Bullshit," Danny hissed. He watched Ethan open the door to his room, and stepped inside before the door could be closed in his face. "What's that, then?" he pointed to the garter belt lying on the floor near the couch.
Ethan looked at the garter belt, his blue eyes bright. He sighed, and shook his head, "if you don't know what that is, Danny…"
"WHO's is it?" Danny asked, picking it up and throwing it at Ethan. "Don't you think I didn't notice Lizzie wasn't wearing any stockings. Those in here too?"
Ethan caught the garter, sitting down in a chair as he held the lacy fabric in his hands. "It doesn't matter," he said sadly, twisting the garter around his fingers.
"She's Gordo's girlfriend, Ethan," Danny said angrily, pacing around the room with his eyes down on the ground.
"You don't think I know that?"
"Ah-ha!" Danny grabbed a stocking off the floor and winged it at Ethan. "What's that?"
"Stop it, Danny!" Ethan snatched the stocking out of the air, sighing heavily. "Nothing happened, you don't have to worry."
"What were you doing with her, then? And why do I keep finding," he bent down and picked up another stocking, holding it up triumphantly. "These."
"She's only got two," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.
"They should be on her legs."
"She took them off," Ethan said softly.
"Why?"
Ethan sighed, and sat back in the chair. "Doesn't matter."
"Ethany," Danny sat down across from Ethan, throwing the last stocking at him. He snickered when the blonde jumped, "what's going on?"
"Remember the Game, Danny?" Ethan asked quietly, his eyes fixed on the stockings in his lap.
Danny's eyes widened, and he shook his head, "oh no, don't you tell me that you were going after Lizzie for that."
"I made a mistake," Ethan interrupted Danny, his voice sad and solemn. "I was sick of winning the Game all the time, it was too easy, you know? So I went after someone that was gonna be hard to get, someone really special."
"Lizzie," Danny said dryly.
"Yeah," Ethan nodded slowly. "But it got all screwed up, it wasn't supposed to work like this," he bit his lip hard as tears filled his eyes, and knotted the stockings around his hand. "I couldn't do it."
"What happened, Ethan?" Danny asked, compassion filling his voice when he realized how upset Ethan was. This wasn't just arrogant Ethan trying to get laid anymore, something was really going on…
"She was throwing herself at me. I'd done it, you know? She wanted me so bad, that's why she took these off," Ethan clenched the stockings tight in one fist. "But then she looked at me, and, god, it was like someone had just punched me in the chest."
"Why?"
Ethan sniffled sadly, raising his eyes to look at Danny. "Nobody had ever looked at me like that before."
"Like what?"
"I'd been pretending to be this really cool guy to get her, you know how we played the Game, we always would be what the woman really wanted. But Lizzie, god, she believed it," Ethan wiped a tear from his cheek, and ran a hand through his hair, his lower lip trembling. "She really thought I was this incredible person, and she trusted that person. THAT was the person she wanted, not me."
Danny sighed, "what did you expect, Ethan?"
"I couldn't do it!" Ethan cried, throwing the stockings at Danny in his frustration. "That wasn't supposed to happen! I was supposed to just fuck her and be done with it. But I couldn't…she meant too much to me."
"What do you mean?" Danny's eyes widened, and he looked at Ethan, dread filling his voice. "She's Gordo's girlfriend…"
"I love her, Danny," Ethan confessed solemnly. "I want her to love ME, not the person I was pretending to be. And the last thing in the world I ever want to do to her is just fuck her and leave her."
"But that's the Game," Danny reminded him.
"Then I lost," he replied sadly. "I couldn't do it. I lost."
"So the player got played by his own game, huh?" Danny remarked wryly.
"Played but good," Ethan agreed sadly. "I thought I could go through with it, I really could. God, when she kissed me, it was amazing," he shuddered at the memory. "I've never been kissed like that before, and I'm sure I've never kissed anyone like that before either. But then I looked in her eyes. And that was when I stopped. The way she looked at me…"
"I saw the way she looked at you."
Ethan looked at Danny, his eyes wide, "so you saw?"
"I don't want to think about what I saw, Ethan," Danny said, shaking his head. "She's Gordo's girlfriend."
"But Gordo treats her like shit!" Ethan said angrily. "It's all fucking Gordo's fault, anyway, that I even had a chance to do this. She would be so upset about Gordo, all she needed was a shoulder to cry on. I was just there."
"You didn't have to be so willing to step in."
"It was a GAME!" Ethan shouted.
"Not anymore!" Danny shouted back. "Not the way she's looking at you, not the way you were looking at her. Christ, Ethan, what the fuck have you gone and done?"
"Fallen in love with Gordo's girlfriend," Ethan replied softly.
"And she's in love with you," Danny added.
Ethan gasped, and stared at Danny, "no."
"I saw her face, Ethan," Danny said solemnly. "That's a girl in love."
"I mean, no," Ethan sniffled, and wiped another tear from his eye. "She's not in love with me."
"Then…"
"She's in love with the guy I pretended to be for the Game. Lizzie would probably hate me."
"Well, maybe that's a good thing, then," Danny sighed, and rolled his eyes. "God, Ethan, I can't believe you. You gone and got her falling for a guy who doesn't even exist?"
Ethan couldn't resist a small smirk, "I'm good, ain't I?"
"Oh yeah, you good," Danny said sarcastically, his eyes narrowing. "So what the fuck you gonna do now, genius?"
Ethan sighed, "be myself?"
"Break her heart?"
"I think I already did that," Ethan said sadly. "Tonight, when I said no….she was so upset…"
"I bet, Ethan, you throw yourself at her, and then turn around and say no? Fuck, what a head trip."
"I just couldn't do it."
"Good," Danny said firmly. "Just remember that. Don't do it, no matter what happens. She's someone else's girlfriend."
"Remind Gordo of that, would you?" Ethan said, looking at Danny. "He has a wonderful girl, and he's just throwing it all away."
"Stay out of it, Ethan," Danny warned. "Just keep your pants up, and stay out of it."
"I love her," Ethan moaned, slumping down in the chair. "Danny, I've never been in love before! And I love her."
"Great, Ethan," Danny said dryly. "You couldn't have met a girl under normal circumstances to love, could you. You had to go and play her like this…"
"I didn't mean to."
"Stupid fucking Game, why do you think I stopped playing it ages ago?"
"It was fun!"
"Is this fun?" Danny challenged, staring at Ethan until the blonde shook his head sadly. "The player got played," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "Serves you right, Ethan."
Ethan's eyes narrowed, and he glared at Danny, "oh, fuck you."
"Irony's fun, isn't it?"
"Go to hell."
"Here," Danny threw the stockings back at Ethan as he stood up. "I'm going to bed. You…stay away from Lizzie. This Game is over."
"Yeah, I know," Ethan said, nodding slowly. "Game over. I lost."
"Everyone's gotta lose sometime."
"Not me, Danny," Ethan whispered, frowning from ear to ear. Never, ever, did he expect to lose a Game. Ethan Craft did not lose anything. But now…he'd been good and beaten, by a girl who didn't even know the Game. "Not me."
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Lizzie woke up to the worst headache she thought she'd ever had in her life. "Oh god," she groaned," rolling over in bed and burying her head in the pillows.
"You awake, baby?"
"I'm dying," she moaned, scowling when she heard Gordo laugh. "Fuck you."
"You're hungover, Lizzie," Gordo sat down next to her on the bed, and forced her to roll over. "Here," he handed her two aspirin and a bottle of water. "This'll make you feel better."
"Kill me," Lizzie whined, taking the aspirin just the same. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, and looked at Gordo through narrowed eyes, "don't you look wide awake this morning."
"I slept well," he replied, missing the sarcasm in her remark. "Unlike you, who apparently had a bit too much fun at the party after I left."
"Apparently," she sighed, and pushed herself off of the bed, grabbing the nightstand when she nearly fell over. "Fuck. Dizzy spell."
"How'd you even get back here last night? You obviously weren't in any state to get undressed," Gordo noted, looking over her disheveled dress.
"I, uh," Lizzie looked herself up and down, gasping when she remembered Ethan carrying her into the room. He'd said…oh god. "Ethan and Danny," she whispered. "They carried me in here."
"That was nice of them," Gordo said blankly, watching as she shuffled across the room to the bathroom. "You gonna be ok in there?"
"Yeah," she walked into the bathroom, before turning around, hanging off of the doorframe to look at him. "Gordo, later tonight, tomorrow, whenever my head's on straight…can we talk?"
"Sure," he shrugged, returning his attention to the television in front of him. "Whatever."
"I mean really talk."
Gordo turned to look at her, his green eyes wide with curiosity. "Something wrong?"
Lizzie sighed. God, if he had to ask… "No, Gordo, I just think we should talk."
"Sure, whenever."
She groaned, and closed the bathroom door, wincing from the pain in her head from the loud bang. Sure. Whatever.
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Two days later, Lizzie was physically much better, but emotionally felt worse than ever. Gordo was being his usual "exhausted" self, and Ethan was flat out ignoring her, something she just didn't understand. He'd told her he loved her, and then started acting like this? Her already fragile ego had gotten beaten in yet another time, and she could only wonder how much more of it she could take.
Gordo was lying in bed, once again, tired, and looking forward to a long night's sleep. "You coming, baby?"
"I'm not that tired, Gordo," Lizzie said softly, emerging from the bathroom in a soft off-white satin nightgown. Why she even bothered wearing such things was beyond her, it wasn't like he was going to notice.
"Come here, baby," Gordo reached out for her, smiling when she slid into his arms. "I love you so much," he said earnestly, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her close. He captured her lips in an intense kiss, before pulling away, smiling. "You know that, right?"
"Show me," Lizzie whispered, running her hands over his chest. "Please, baby, show me."
"Lizzie," Gordo groaned, looking up at her with a pained expression. "I told you I'm tired…"
"Gordo, please," Lizzie grabbed his hand and pressed it to her breast, gasping with pleasure when his fingers instinctively tightened around the soft mound. "Make love to me, it's been so long."
"I'm sorry it's been so long, but I just haven't felt up to it," Gordo wrenched his hand out of her grasp, shaking his head. "Another night."
"Am I that unattractive?" Lizzie asked softly, tears filling her eyes. "Is it really that horrible to imagine making love to me?"
"No, baby, I swear it's not that," Gordo said, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I love you, and you will always be the most beautiful girl I know."
"Then why can't you stand to touch me?" Lizzie climbed on top of him, leaning down over him to look him in the eye. "Why, Gordo?"
"Lizzie, don't," Gordo's face contorted, and he groaned as he picked her off of him, setting her back down on the bed. "Shit, that hurt," he said softly, shaking his head.
"That HURT?" Lizzie asked in amazement, a tear trickling down her face. "What, am I fat now too?" She gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand, "is that it?"
"No, Lizzie…"
"I hurt you?" She whispered in horror, scrambling out of the bed. "Jesus, Gordo…"
"Baby, come back to bed, let's get some sleep."
"You get some sleep, Gordo," Lizzie grabbed a sweatshirt, throwing it on in a huff. "I'm getting out of here."
Gordo sighed, rolling his eyes. "Sneaking out in the middle of the night again? You seem to be doing that a lot lately." He smiled wryly, "if I didn't know you so well, I'd be worrying about you having an affair."
Lizzie glared at Gordo, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"You wouldn't, I mean, baby..you don't do that."
Lizzie snorted, and sighed. "Yeah, right, Gordo. I wouldn't." She waved at him and left the room, slamming the door behind her angrily. "I wouldn't, would I?" She asked herself, stomping down the hallway. "Maybe I would, Gordo, maybe I would…" She stopped and leaned against the wall as she began to cry, biting her lip hard.
"Shit!" Lizzie said to herself, frowning deeply. She wasn't going to sit crying in the hallway, she wasn't going to feel sorry for herself, she was going to do…something. Anything. She wanted… she whirled around when she heard a sound from the room behind her, her eyes widening.
That was a video game she heard.
That was Ethan's room.
A split second and her mind was made up, her hand knocking on the door. She was breathing heavily as she waited for him to answer, unsure exactly of what she was doing. She knew what she wanted…needed…from him.
Ethan opened the door, gasping when he saw Lizzie standing in his doorway. She looked…well…beautiful, but…awful…tears in her eyes, her hair a tousled mess, and she was barely dressed, he looked down and noted her lack of pants. "Lizzie?"
"Say it, Ethan," Lizzie pushed him back into the room, her hands going to his face. "Please? I need to hear it."
"Hear what?" Ethan gasped, his heart pounding at the touch of her hands. "What are you doing, Lizzie?"
"Please, Ethan, just tell me what you told me," she begged, her thumb sliding over his cheek. "Please," she pressed herself against his body, smiling when a soft moan left his throat. "Ethan?"
"Lizzie, you're crying," Ethan choked out, staring down at her in awe. What the hell had gotten into her??
"Ethan, PLEASE," Lizzie asked again, her hands tangling through his hair to pull his face down to hers. "Say it. Let me hear you say it."
Ethan bit his lip hard, positive there was no way in the world he could say no to this. He knew what she wanted to hear, he knew her well enough by now to know that. And he also knew it had taken every ounce of his willpower to push her away the first time, there wasn't a chance in hell he was going to be able to do it now.
"Say it," Lizzie whispered.
Ethan closed his eyes, and resigned himself to his fate. "Lizzie," he said softly. "I love you…"
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