Wow, thanks to everyone for the incredible reviews! There's so much wonderful encouragement from all different angles. With such great reviews I worry about the chapters living up to expectations, so please read and review and tell me if you like! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lizzie moaned softly as her head lulled to the side. She struggled to open her eyes and felt pain shoot through her arms. Her wrists were tightly bound as well as her ankles. She was surprised to realize her feet were bare. Her mouth was taped tightly shut.
Lizzie's hazel eyes danced around the room. She was inside a hotel room. The floral print on the wall matched the bed she was laying on. She tired to pull herself into a sitting position. Maybe Miranda and Gordo were in here. Maybe they could make a plan to escape. Another, slower look around the room squashed her hopes as she realized they weren't in there. She was alone.
Quickly, she realized she wasn't going to be able to propel herself upright, and decided on a strategy. Though she was in the middle of the bed, she could swing her legs. If she got them off the bed, then maybe...well, she wasn't very sure after that. But it would be a start.
A door she hadn't noticed before suddenly opened and Larry walked in wiping his hands on a hand towel. "You wouldn't be trying to escape would you?" he taunted, a deep laugh rippled from his throat. "You know, everything would have been so much simpler if you would have just gone out with me."
Lizzie glared at him, muttering angrily, the words restrained by the tape.
Larry raised an eyebrow and smirked, stepping forward. His fingers tightly grasped a corner and ripped it off.
The skin around her lips, where the tape had been, stung and tingled sharply. Lizzie wanted to clap her hand over her mouth. "Have you lost your damn mind?" she demanded, trying to twist her hands free.
Larry stared at her and shook his head innocently. "No."
"Everyone gets turned down Larry, it's no reason to go psycho. Hell, it wasn't even anything against you. I was pissed and having a pretty shitty day."
"Not bad enough that you didn't go running straight to Gordo!" he declared.
Lizzie clenched her fist behind her, wanting nothing more than to get up and hit him. "Gordo had nothing to do with anything. Apparently, you watched one too many movies and you've finally snapped!"
"Snapped is what I did when I slashed your tires," he mused. "And the frog. Other than those, I've been thinking quite clearly."
Lizzie resisted the urge to scream. Larry was smart, he wouldn't have picked this room if it was close enough for someone to hear them. With her feet and ankles bound, she was in no position to physically fight him. As she watched him, she realized that he had once liked her, and still must be harboring some kind of feelings if he was going to go through this much trouble. "Larry, please. Just let me go, before something happens. They're going to announce the court soon. And they'll become suspicious when I don't show up."
"Hasn't Andie been telling you all week, you don't have a chance against Kate?"
Lizzie focused her attention on freeing her hands. "But they announce the whole court. I'm on the court."
"Oh, believe me. Andie assured me that if you failed to show up, she would let the proper people know."
"So, that bitch is in on it too?" Lizzie snapped.
"Not as much as she would like to be. She only knew that you were thinking about not staying for the dance," he nodded.
"Larry," she pleaded. "I can't feel my hands, because I'm laying on them. Will you please untie my wrist so I can move?"
He let out a horrible sounding scoff. "Don't even try it Lizzie. You know there was a time when I could have done anything for you. Funny how things change when someone new gets the upper hand."
"What are you going to do?" she demanded, hoping that if she could keep a steady stream of conversation going then she could distract him long enough to loosen the ropes and slide her hands free. "What do you want from me? Am I just a prize now, something for you to look at and say you've won?"
Larry walked over to the bed, he swung her legs over the side and sat her up. Lizzie felt her body lock up. If he decided to hit now, she wouldn't stand a chance. "I've won, but have I really won?"
She felt the rope grate against her wrists as her fingers strained to reach the knot. Her finger prickled as the circulation slowly returned. "What?"
He leaned closer, towards her ear. Lizzie closed her eyes and ordered her body not to flinch, not to make any sudden movement. He laid his lips lightly upon her collar bone. She squeezed her eyes shut. This was not happening, he wasn't doing his. His lips trailed up her neck, her cheek, her jaw bone.
"Larry, please, you don't want to do this. I-I'm not worth all this trouble."
He laughed again, that same rippling laughter from the recesses of his throat. His hand cupped the side of her face. "Trouble? McGuire, you're more trouble than any man should ever have to go through in his life. Gordo should thank me for taking you off his hands."
A sudden amount of hatred swelled through her. How dare he haunt, how dare he hurt her friends. How dare he even take this tone with her now. She pulled fiercely at the ropes on her wrist. She would get out of this, somehow.
His hand tightened around her cheek, he leaned closer towards her.
Suddenly, something pounded against the door.
Larry looked up at the door then smiled. "Finally," he muttered. Shoving her backwards onto the bed, he walked around to answer the door.
Lizzie's heart pounded at the though of who could be on the other side.