Woot! I'm getting so good at this long chappie thing! 1320 words! Yeah! And without the Author Note...

Dedicated to Meg, and early Xmas pressie.

NB: Some implication of an adult issue.

Chapter 7

She pulled me inside and stuck her head out of the door to check that nobody saw us.

"If its not acceptable for me to be here, then why am I?" I asked, as she shut the door.

"Marco's away on business," she said, rubbing her damp hair. She was dressed in an off-white bathrobe. I gazed up at the ceiling politely, only to be blinded by the spotlights. "But, the important thing is that you are here," she continued. "Vodka?"

"In the morning?" I asked, squinting to get the blue circles from my vision. "I guess margheritas lost their glamour then?"

"Margheritas?" echoed Susannah, with a smirk in my direction. "Puh-lease. I'm not Chardonnay Hess." She saw my look. "Yeah. I saw your little flirty rendevous in the bar yesterday. Its quite sweet, actually, that you were trying to make me jealous. I thought I'd call you and put you out of your misery."

"Misery?" I repeated cooly. "Is that what you call it? I've been fine, with - all by myself." I had to stop myself from mentioning Lily.

"You mean with your little friend?" Susannah said, smiling. "Yeah, I've seen her too. Drowning your sorrows in your mediator duties. Cute."

"So has running away to Cairns with Mr Perfect turned you into a bitch, then?" I asked.

"Where did you hear a word like that, Jesse?" said Susannah, only amusedly. "Honestly, the things they teach you in the playground."

I clenched my fist behind my back. Now I was just getting mad. This wasn't the Susannah I fell in love with. This wasn't the Susannah I travelled to Austrailia for, - flew on a plane and threw up four times - for, only to find she really, truly, honestly was love with this Marco guy. I felt sick to my stomach, and turned to go.

I heard Susannah sigh, and felt her soft hand on my shoulder. "Jesse," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I'm... I'm just a little freaked, y'know? I had no idea that you loved me enough to come chasing me to Austrailia."

"I've always loved you that much, Susannah," I said. "I always will."

A big, slow tear sloped gently down her bronzed cheek. "I guess I really... broke your heart."

"I guess you did," I replied, awkwardly standing and watching her cry. I wasn't sure if I should put my arm around her or not. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "Oh... my... God..."

"Hey," I said, feeling sorry for her, even though it was my heart that had been shattered. I pulled her close into a -friendly- hug. "Its in the past, now, OK?"

Susannah raised her big green eyes to stare at me. "The past?" she said, sounding slightly annoyed. "You come to Austrailia, just to tell me its - all - in - the past?!"

"Isn't it?" I replied calmly, while she gripped my hand, shrieking. "Isn't that why you ran away with Marco? You don't love me anymore?"

"Of course I love you!" Susannah replied, just a semi-tone lower than before. "I told you that, on the note!"

"That doesn't mean anything!" I found myself yelling to compete with her. "Its just a supposed comment to make me feel better. But it doesn't. At all. Nothing you do or say will ever make me feel OK."

"Maybe this will!" she cried, and she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, pushing her lips against mine.

Instantly all the feelings of desire I'd been experiencing for her came rushing back to me, only making it more hard to refrain from wrapping both arms around her and investigating the kiss further. But I could hold back. I could push her away from me, because this was wrong. It was all wrong. She was with Marco now...

But then she pushed me against the wall, and her hands were slowly moving upw my shirt and massaging muscles in my abdomen, and it was getting harder and harder to say no. I hadn't felt her skin against mine in weeks, and her warm breath against my neck wasn't helping the situation at all...

"Feeling better now?" she whispered in my ear, and all my breath caught in my throat. And then, I guess I just lost control of my body completely.

I found my hands creeping up to undo her bathrobe, and she simulataeneously was hastily undoing my shirt buttons. Our breath was becoming more and more ragged as we were impatient to undress one each other. The clothes came off in the end, and we were soon exchanging kisses under the duvet.

"I've wanted this so long," Susannah whispered, while her fingers tickled my naked back. "I love you Jesse."

"Happy to oblige," I muttered, and I rolled over and pulled the duvet closer. My blood was quickly running cold. I didn't enjoy the twisted feeling in my gut.

"Hey," she said, closing warm fingers on my shoulder. "Are you ok?"

I rolled over to face her. "Sure," I lied.

"Miss Simon?" A voice came from outside the door. "Mr Montez is in the lobby. He's arrived from business early, and wishes to see you. In ten minutes, if possible."

"Oh my God!" hissed Susannah. "Marco's back! You have to go!"

I sat up hurriedly and quickly found my jeans. Susannah hopped into the bathroom and started fluffing her hair.

I felt a pang of annoyance. "So that's how its going to be?" I said, buttoning my shirt. "I come second, now?"

"No!" she cried. She stood in front of me now, in all her naked glory. It was very distracting. "Its just... Marco wouldn't understand, you know?"

"I don't understand you, Suze," I said. Susannah stood stiff. "What?" I asked.

"You called me Suze," she said. "You've... you've never called me Suze."

"I guess I'm changing," I spat, pulling on my sneakers. "Good-bye, Su-uze"- I stretched out. "Go to hell, Su-uze..."

She reached fowards and slapped my cheek hard. I shrugged her off, my raw face turning red. "I mean it," I added, and I slammed the door shut behind me.

Lacing up a sneaker, I hopped down the hallway, finding my room. I slid the key into the lock, and opened the door, There was Lily sitting at the glass-topped dressing table, as if she could she her reflection, or the light shining on her golden hair.

"Hey Lil," I said, throwing myself onto the nearest bed.

"Jesse," she replied stiffly. "You know its Lily, and not the abbreviation you insist upon."

"Sorry," I said, sitting up. "Lily. Just gussying up?"

She was silent. "Lil?" I whispered. "Lily? You OK?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed, spinning around. "Are you blind?"

My mouth dropped in confusion. What was she on about?

"I guess I must be blind. I guess I'm the one who was mistaken," she contined fiercely. "That we obviously weren't getting to know each other better. I guess I was off in my own dreamworld the past few days. Of course I was, for you to have done that."

"Lil, I-"

"Stop that!" she screamed. "Stop this casual friendly manner! We are not friends, as you have kindly shown to me. I will not have you call me anything! I never want to speak to you again. Ever!"

She waved her hand casually at her side, and shirts and pants from my half un-packed suitcase came flying at me, forcing me backwards a few steps.

"Lily!" I yelled, fighting the clothes off. "Lily!"

I threw the last T-shirt onto the bed and looked around. "Lil? What have I done?"

But she was gone. She had dematerialised. But why? What had I possibly done?

She couldn't have found out about me and Suze?

And why would she care anyway?