AN: Well I had a chapter finished, but my laptop did. So I wrote this from my phone. I know it's unbated,so I hope you enjoy. /p
Chapter twenty one
Bar
Getting out the car Elizabeth turned around to look at Lloyd, she smiled pulling her hair down. "I wanna get my pull on!" She laughed while heading towards the bar.
"Pool on," Lloyd slid out of the car, he pushed his hands into his pockets following behind Elizabeth. He knew tonight was going to go too fast, Lloyd felt himself turning to look at Julianne getting out the car. She gave him a small smile. "You up for a little two on two?"
"I can't believe you!" Ray's eyes focused on Elizabeth, "A night at a karaoke bar." He inhaled watching Julianne nervously. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He wanted Julianne to back him up, even if he didn't want to be a pain.
Julianne inhaled, "I am fine." Her eyes looking over to Lloyd heading into the bar, she felt if she didn't she would be failing herself. "I'll get the first round." Her shy smile on Lloyd.
Elizabeth caught up with Lloyd linking her arm with his, watching Julianne and Ray slowly getting to the entrance. "I think tonight should just be fun." She pointed to Julianne, "You still owe me a song." Elizabeth broke into a giant smile.
"As long as I am not roped into singing two princes." Lloyd opened the door seeing the crowded bar. He liked the feeling of normality, even under the circumstances.
Ray rolled his eyes, "I second the no singing." Ray pushed his way into the bar. He just needed to get through the night. Just one night, plus the funeral the next day.
Elizabeth turned to face Lloyd, "Guess it's just me singing on my own." Her eyes looked dead into his, her bottom lip pouting out lightly.
"That is not fair," Lloyd pointed to her face with his free hand. "I will need to have the feeling. And that feeling doesn't come easy." He waved his finger listening to someone kill a good Elvis song.
"So who wants what to drink?" Julianne asked standing in front of Elizabeth and Lloyd, she felt nervous knowing she couldn't let herself get drunk, most of all she didn't want Elizabeth drunk either.
"Give me a Jack and coke!" Elizabeth looked around for a free pool table, "Oh and a tequilla shot."
Lloyd felt nervous, a second looking over to Ray waiting for him to say something, he couldn't stop shifting nervously. "I'll have a beer." He watched Ray.
"I'll have a beer too Jules." Ray took in a deep breathe, he knew he had to make the most of this. "So who's setting up?" He pointed out a free table, his attention of Julianne at the bar now.
"Why don't you set up," Elizabeth smiled. "I will help Jules with the drinks." She walked over to the bar leaving Ray and Lloyd alone.
Lloyd kept still as Ray set up the table, his attention from one sister to the other. He knew he felt a lot for Julianne, but the more he thought about it. The worst he felt about what kind of life they could have together. "Ray, what made you agree to doing this for me?" He picked up a pool cue talking it slowly. His attention on Ray, he wanted to know a lot of things.
"I guess it's better than a van, cuffs and having no dignity." Ray rubbed his hand under his nose, he used the second to study the girls at the bar. "If Jules wasn't here, well I would have killed you by now."
"I am assuming you didn't like my road trip games..." Lloyd placed the white ball on the table. He wasn't going to say anything to really piss Ray off. "I guess I'm grateful Liz is here too."
Ray who was more focused on the table, now snapped his attention to Lloyd's face. "Lowery, I am hoping from all hope you are not planning something stupid." Ray wasn't liking the looking in Lloyd's eyes, he followed them to Elizabeth and Julianne talking.
"I am not planning anything." Lloyd turned back to face Ray, he was far from a player. It would be funny if he was ever that lucky. "So me you velse Liz and Julianne?"
"How about me and Ray verse you and Jules?" Elizabeth gave Lloyd his beer, she looked calm sipping her drink.
"Sounds cool, and then we can switch." Lloyd felt a lot better as he watched Julianne and Elizabeth getting pool cues ready.
Elizabeth raised her glass as a group of girls sung girls just want to have fun, on her forth drink feeling good. Her eyes going over Lloyd drinking his beer, he sat another side of the same table. "You know, I think that Ray is taking forever." Her hand tapped on the table placing her empty glass down.
"He's been gone for a minute." Lloyd laughed, "You know I think you might be a little drunk." Lloyd who hadn't really drunk much since being in prison knew he was a light weight. "But I won't tell..." he lifted a hand up brushing her shoulder. "You okay?"
"I'm good, good." Elizabeth wanted to see Julianne, but as more people moved around the bar, she knew Julianne was going to be a while. Elizabeth smiled to Lloyd, moving from her side of the table to Lloyd's. "So you gonna make the move on Jules or not?" Her question so blunt it caught Lloyd off guard. He inhaled feeling awkward, "Well no, I." Lloyd brushed his hand into his hair. "I don't think it's a good idea." Lloyd felt Elizabeth's eyes glare, it wasn't scaring him. "I am doing serious time Liz, and she needs more than I can offer her."
"That is lame!" Elizabeth poked Lloyd's nose, her finger pushing it playfully. "You and her are just annoying." Her hand moving from his face slapping his thigh, it was enough to make Lloyd gasp.
"What was that for?" Lloyd stared at Elizabeth, "I am trying to be selfless for once." He knew it was hard to not give into his want.
Elizabeth got to her feet, "Well nice for you to have a moral high ground..." Spinning and heading to where people were dancing.
Lloyd brushing his hands into his temples, he could see Elizabeth dancing on her own, Lloyd watched. He knew he was doing the right thing, but Elizabeth had too much to drink and wasn't thinking straight.
"Hey!" Ray snapped at Lloyd, he watch the other man's eyes move from Elizabeth dancing to his face. "Jules said she wasn't feeling well so she's gone back to the room." He placed the beer down in front of Lloyd. " Last one before we leave."
Lloyd didn't know how to feel, he could see that Elizabeth had noticed Ray. She walked over picking up her drink, Lloyd not liking how quick she knocked it back. "Last beer of the night." Lloyd looked at the glass before taking a sip.
Ray nodded, "Yes, and Lizzie, you going to be only?" He only asked this because he worried about her. Ray didn't want to leave her on her own, even if she didn't like being treated like the victim, he couldn't help it.
"I am cool." She placed her empty glass down, her eyes looking around. "Where is my sister?"
"She Wasn't feeling good, she headed to the room to sleep." Ray could tell Elizabeth wasn't happy about this. "She's said she had a little headache a few hours ago."
Elizabeth bit her lip, "Well I'll just have one more dance." Her eyes going back to the dance floor. She didn't like how she had hope for her sister, but it was all going pear shape.
Lloyd looked to Ray, "I guess that she was planning something." He knew Ray wasn't going to care, as Ray shrugged his shoulders Lloyd got to his feet. "I am just going to see Liz." He pointed out heading to the dance floor.
Elizabeth kept dancing, but her eyes felt drawn to a guy on the dance floor. "Liz!" The guy's voice made Elizabeth feel frozen.
It was the worst moment for Elizabeth, for That second her throat tightened. "Tom," She felt weird seeing him. "What are you doing here?" She asked taking a step back. She hadn't seen him since High school, and worst she didn't know what to say to him.
"Road trip." He looked over his ex girlfriend, he felt bad about breaking up with her, but it was high school and he was a stupid jock. "What you doing here?" He asked with a charming smile.
"I am..." Elizabeth kept looking around the bar, she saw Lloyd heading her way. So now she found herself saying the stupidest thing ever. "I am here with my fiancee."
Tom felt shocked, he started to search the bar. "Where?"
Elizabeth inhaled taking Lloyd's arm. "Tom, this is Lloyd." He eyes quick to Lloyd's, they pleaded for him to play along. "Lloyd this is Tom Harrison from my old high school."
"So Lloyd, what do you do for a living?" He asked. Tom kept feeling his eyes move from Elizabeth to Lloyd's. Something didn't trust this.
Lloyd cleared his throat, going to open his mouth before Elizabeth spoke first. "He is a psychology professor at Yale university..." Her eyes up to Lloyd, "But he is changing to Harvard so..." She gave Lloyd a nervous giggle.
"Guess you're lucky to still have Job dating a student." Tom spoke quickly. "But if you know Lizzie like I do, I guess nothing wrong happens." He smirked.
Elizabeth felt her cheeks turning pink, it was like the pain in her chest that died years ago returned too quickly. "I..." Her bottom lip between her teeth, her stomach twisting.
"Hey Liz." Lloyd place an arm around Elizabeth waist, he avoided Tom's face. "We've got a lot tomorrow, want to call it a night?" He felt he knew the look breaking over elizabeth's face.
"Yeah..." Her Hand taking his, she didn't speak as they meet Ray outside the bar.
Lloyd kept a few feet behind Ray, he walked with Elizabeth close beside him. He knew what he wanted to asked, but for now kept it to himself. The whole walk back in silence.
As he opened his eyes Lloyd could hear snoring, he turned to see on one bed Julianne fast a sleep, but the snoring was coming from Ray.
Seeing one bed unslept in, he moved off his bed. Picking up his jeans and t-shirt pulling them on, he walked to the window seeing the darkness of the night. Only the moonlight showed Elizabeth dancing to a song on her ipod, he opened the door slowly to walk out and watch.
Elizabeth didn't notice Lloyd watching, but when she did she stopped pulling her earbuds out. "I couldn't sleep..." Her voice was a soft whisper, but also proof of her sobering up.
"That guy in the bar." Lloyd started, he stepped closer to her, "I am assuming ex."
Elizabeth bit her lip, her hand reached into her pocket. Turning off the ipod her eyes focused on Lloyd, "My only boyfriend."
Lloyd brushed a hand against her arm, "You don't need to go into details." He spoke carefully, he didn't want to upset her.
"No it's okay." Elizabeth sat on a bench outside their room. Lloyd sitting with her, she felt safer. "We dated from Junior year till senior prom." Her eyes rolled thinking about. "He broke up with me because I should put out for him."
"What a jerk!" Lloyd chimed in, but he brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear.
Elizabeth felt like laughing, it was always going to haunt her for as long as she lived. "I find it funny how I wish I let him." Her hand running over her own face, "It wouldn't of been perfect and I know I would of regretted every minute, but it would have been better than how it was robed from me." Elizabeth licked her bottom lip feeling her Hands rubbing her eyes.
Lloyd rubbed her back, he felt her turning to face him. He wrapped his arms around her a hug. "I wish I could tell you that you'll forget, but this kind of trauma will stay with you." He inhaled feeling her head against his chest. A hand moving into her hair soothing her.
"Lloyd..." Elizabeth looked up into his eyes, "You really are a great guy..." Her voice dropped, Elizabeth inhaled carefully. "You've been a really good friend." Her head resting against his chest, her legs up on the bench tucked underneath her.
With his arm around Elizabeth, Lloyd kept brushing her hair flat. It was quiet listening to the sounds of the night, "You know I like that we're friends. I don't think I've ever had a friend before." He looked down seeing her eyes closed. He lent down brushing his lips against her forehead. "You really are an amazing girl." He whispered to her.
Carefully moving, Lloyd got to his feet, not moving too fast he lifted Elizabeth up walking her into the motel room placing her on her bed. He kissed her forehead again brushing her hair down. "It will get better." He brushed some hair from her face as she slept quietly. He headed back to his bed closing his eyes going back to sleep.