Thanks for all the great reviews! Well, I'm just going to let this chapter
speak for itself!
Please read and review! Tell me if you like it!
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Ronnie stepped forward from the shadows. His jeans were torn at the knee, his hair tousled.
Lizzie took a step backwards, staring intently at him. "Ronnie, what are you doing here?" she asked slowly, her fingers tightly winding into a fist, balling around the edge of the crumpled frame.
"I need to talk to you," he replied, glancing towards the hotel door.
Lizzie could hear the music and the loud buzzing of voices. Help was close, all she had to do was scream and people would come running.
Ronnie held his hands up. "I know what you're thinking, but don't do it. It's not going to help anyone. Just come with me, and everything will be over soon."
The black folder crumpled beneath Lizzie's ever tightening grip. Her foot took a step backwards, her heart pounded. She could feel the scream rising in her throat. "Ronnie, what have you done?"
Suddenly the doors opened, a couple who were staying at the hotel hurried past them.
Ronnie watched them out of the corner of his eyes, his head down. "Lizzie, quick asking questions," he ordered, reaching out for her arms. "If you want Miranda and Gordo to be safe, get the hell over here."
Panic locked around her throat, she turned blindly and ran towards the door. Her body slammed against it. Ronnie's footsteps pounded the pavement behind her. Her hands scraped against the metal of the door. She finally jerked it open and flung herself inside. She ran towards the desk, her better judgment was lost as she glanced over her shoulder. She didn't see Ronnie pressed up against the door, or her worst fear, him behind her.
Suddenly, Lizzie collided with something else. She stumbled back almost falling, but Larry reached out and grabbed her before she fell. "Woah, Lizzie, what's the hurry?"
"Ronnie, he's outside! He was saying something about Gordo and Miranda, and I can't find them! And he left this stupid pictures! And now he's gone again!"
"Lizzie, wait, wait," Larry exclaimed suddenly. "Shh, it's okay. I saw Miranda and Gordo."
"You did?! Where are they! Are they okay?"
He suddenly glanced around the room, then gently pulled her over to the side of the room. His face turned grave, as he leaned closer to her. "I saw leave together, just about five minutes before you walked out there."
"They're out there? With Ronnie!?" She turned suddenly and started for the parking lot.
Larry reached out and grabbed her arm. "Lizzie, wait. What if he's still out there?"
She wrenched free and stared at him. "I have to help them!"
"Ronnie may still be out there!" he hissed. He looked around, then stepped closer. "Look, there is door to get to the parking lot in the stairwell across from us. I found it when looking for the bathroom."
Lizzie took a deep breath and tried to think. If they just rushed out there and Ronnie was still there, he could easily get her or even hurt Larry. She looked up at him and slowly nodded. "Let's go."
Larry led the way across the lobby, Lizzie resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. What if Ronnie knew about this exit too? What if he was waiting out here? She longed to be inside with everyone else, dancing and enjoying the night with her best friends beside her. But because of her psycho ex, she couldn't. She was sneaking around as if she'd done something wrong.
Larry pushed against the door leading to the stair well, Lizzie suddenly grabbed his arm. "Larry, thank you. But I want you to go back inside. You've already almost gotten hurt because of him, I can't let it happen again. If he's got Miranda and Gordo...I don't know what he wants—"
"Lizzie," Larry stated, gently, yet firmly. "I'm going with you."
She smiled gratefully at him, and stepped forward, pressing against the door. The parking lot ahead of them was empty except a car back in the shadows. A solitary lamp post bathed the parking lot in a hazy yellowish light.
Lizzie glanced down both ends of the parking lot, looking for Ronnie. She saw no one. "He's not out here," she stated softly.
Behind her, she heard the softly tinkling of glass breaking. An arm clamped across her shoulders and his hand covered her mouth. Something cold and wet was over her mouth, Lizzie breathed in a sickly sweet smell. She tried desperately to dig her fingers into the arm, but the satin in her gloves gave her no grip. She screamed against the fabric. Her foot swung backwards for his legs.
Larry jerked her towards the side. She lost her footing and felt herself slipping. His arm was clamped tightly, not letting her fall.
Her movements were becoming harder to attempt, her limbs felt as if they weighed thousands of pounds apiece. Her lungs burned for fresh air. Everything became unfocused, then black.
Ronnie stepped forward from the shadows. His jeans were torn at the knee, his hair tousled.
Lizzie took a step backwards, staring intently at him. "Ronnie, what are you doing here?" she asked slowly, her fingers tightly winding into a fist, balling around the edge of the crumpled frame.
"I need to talk to you," he replied, glancing towards the hotel door.
Lizzie could hear the music and the loud buzzing of voices. Help was close, all she had to do was scream and people would come running.
Ronnie held his hands up. "I know what you're thinking, but don't do it. It's not going to help anyone. Just come with me, and everything will be over soon."
The black folder crumpled beneath Lizzie's ever tightening grip. Her foot took a step backwards, her heart pounded. She could feel the scream rising in her throat. "Ronnie, what have you done?"
Suddenly the doors opened, a couple who were staying at the hotel hurried past them.
Ronnie watched them out of the corner of his eyes, his head down. "Lizzie, quick asking questions," he ordered, reaching out for her arms. "If you want Miranda and Gordo to be safe, get the hell over here."
Panic locked around her throat, she turned blindly and ran towards the door. Her body slammed against it. Ronnie's footsteps pounded the pavement behind her. Her hands scraped against the metal of the door. She finally jerked it open and flung herself inside. She ran towards the desk, her better judgment was lost as she glanced over her shoulder. She didn't see Ronnie pressed up against the door, or her worst fear, him behind her.
Suddenly, Lizzie collided with something else. She stumbled back almost falling, but Larry reached out and grabbed her before she fell. "Woah, Lizzie, what's the hurry?"
"Ronnie, he's outside! He was saying something about Gordo and Miranda, and I can't find them! And he left this stupid pictures! And now he's gone again!"
"Lizzie, wait, wait," Larry exclaimed suddenly. "Shh, it's okay. I saw Miranda and Gordo."
"You did?! Where are they! Are they okay?"
He suddenly glanced around the room, then gently pulled her over to the side of the room. His face turned grave, as he leaned closer to her. "I saw leave together, just about five minutes before you walked out there."
"They're out there? With Ronnie!?" She turned suddenly and started for the parking lot.
Larry reached out and grabbed her arm. "Lizzie, wait. What if he's still out there?"
She wrenched free and stared at him. "I have to help them!"
"Ronnie may still be out there!" he hissed. He looked around, then stepped closer. "Look, there is door to get to the parking lot in the stairwell across from us. I found it when looking for the bathroom."
Lizzie took a deep breath and tried to think. If they just rushed out there and Ronnie was still there, he could easily get her or even hurt Larry. She looked up at him and slowly nodded. "Let's go."
Larry led the way across the lobby, Lizzie resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. What if Ronnie knew about this exit too? What if he was waiting out here? She longed to be inside with everyone else, dancing and enjoying the night with her best friends beside her. But because of her psycho ex, she couldn't. She was sneaking around as if she'd done something wrong.
Larry pushed against the door leading to the stair well, Lizzie suddenly grabbed his arm. "Larry, thank you. But I want you to go back inside. You've already almost gotten hurt because of him, I can't let it happen again. If he's got Miranda and Gordo...I don't know what he wants—"
"Lizzie," Larry stated, gently, yet firmly. "I'm going with you."
She smiled gratefully at him, and stepped forward, pressing against the door. The parking lot ahead of them was empty except a car back in the shadows. A solitary lamp post bathed the parking lot in a hazy yellowish light.
Lizzie glanced down both ends of the parking lot, looking for Ronnie. She saw no one. "He's not out here," she stated softly.
Behind her, she heard the softly tinkling of glass breaking. An arm clamped across her shoulders and his hand covered her mouth. Something cold and wet was over her mouth, Lizzie breathed in a sickly sweet smell. She tried desperately to dig her fingers into the arm, but the satin in her gloves gave her no grip. She screamed against the fabric. Her foot swung backwards for his legs.
Larry jerked her towards the side. She lost her footing and felt herself slipping. His arm was clamped tightly, not letting her fall.
Her movements were becoming harder to attempt, her limbs felt as if they weighed thousands of pounds apiece. Her lungs burned for fresh air. Everything became unfocused, then black.
