NOTE: I have to have surgery this coming week, however, I'm going to *try* to get Chapter 7 posted. If I don't, I apologize in advance. Thank you for reading and for commenting! The feedback is (both positive and negative) is helpful and greatly appreciated! A HUGE thanks to Sydneyer and Royal_Cobalt for reading through this chapter! Can't thank you ladies enough :).

Chapter 6

I've made my mistakes

I've seen my heart cave in

I've got my scars

I've been to hell and back again

Born for the blue skies

We'll survive the rain

Born for the sunrise

We'll survive the pain

-Dark Horses, Switchfoot

I handed Charlotte a glass of iced tea before taking my own seat on the couch. She hadn't yet said anything about the vague reference I'd made to spending time with a man during our phone conversation earlier in the week, and I assumed she was simply biding her time. Or, maybe, by an insane stroke of luck, she'd forgotten all about it.

Charlotte took a sip of her drink. "So, who is Mr. Complicated, Lizzy?"

Rats. Foiled. I tightened my grip on my glass but didn't answer.

Charlotte stared at me expectantly. "Well?"

I sighed and pulled my phone from my jeans pocket. I opened the photo of Will and me at the zoo and held the screen in front of Charlotte's face, without any further explanation.

She briefly glanced at the phone screen and shook her head. "So, what's his name? Where's he from? And why is he complicated?"

I raised my eyebrows and wiggled the phone, drawing her attention back to the screen. "Take a closer look."

Charlotte grabbed the phone from my hand and squinted at the picture. "Holy cow! Is that-? You met Will Darcy? How? Where?"

"Yep. He kind of picked me up off the ground after I fell flat on my face in front of him."

"Oh, dear! At the zoo?" she asked, examining the photo again.

"Ah, no. At Lauritzen Gardens." I nodded toward my phone in Charlotte's hand. "That picture was taken a few days later at the zoo." I raised my glass to my lips and took a drink of iced tea to hide a nervous smile.

Comprehension dawned on her face. "You mean Mr. Complicated is Will Darcy?"

I set my drink on the coffee table and took a deep breath. "Yep."

Charlotte sat back in her chair, her expression solemn. "Wow. That is complicated."

"You're tellin' me," I replied.

My phone began to ring, and Charlotte glanced down at the screen. "It's him!" she exclaimed, tossing the phone to me.

I caught it and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hello, Elizabeth."

An involuntary smile touched my lips. "Hey. Happy Friday."

Will laughed softly. "Thanks. Do you mind if I stop by this evening? My last meeting of the day just wrapped up, so I'm finished with work for the weekend."

"Um…" I hesitated. "I'm hanging out with a friend tonight. I'm sorry." And I was. I was reluctant to admit it, but I missed him. I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced up to see Charlotte, fluttering her fingers in the air.

"Invite him over!" she whispered.

"You sure?" I mouthed back.

She grinned enthusiastically and nodded.

I rolled my eyes.

Will's voice pulled my attention back to the phone conversation. "I understand. Have fun tonight. I'll call you tomorrow if that's alright."

"Actually, do you want to come over and join us? You can meet my friend, Charlotte if you'd like. I understand if it doesn't work out for you, though," I added, giving him an out.

"Sure. Have you both eaten?" he asked.

"No, we haven't. We're going to order takeout later," I replied, absently twirling a strand of hair around my index finger.

"I'll pick something up for everyone on my way over, then."

"You sure?" I grimaced.

"Absolutely," Will replied.

"Thanks, Will. I'll pay you back, okay?"

"There's no need."

"Then I'll buy next time," I insisted.

"We'll see about that. I'll be there in an hour."

"Alright, see ya then." I ended the call and chanced a glance at Charlotte.

She sat back in her chair, twirling a pen that she had picked up off the coffee table between her long, slim fingers. She shook her head. "Wow, Lizzy. Will. Darcy."

I grimaced and shook my own head as I slumped back into the couch cushions. "I know," I mumbled.

"Lizzy," Charlotte began, "you know that I would never purposefully hurt you and that it's my job as your best friend to be brutally honest with you, right?"

I gave her a wink. "That's one of the many reasons why I love you."

She nodded once. "Alright then, I'm going to tell you exactly what I think about the whole situation."

"Shoot," I invited, although I doubted she could raise any misgivings that I hadn't already experienced myself.

Charlotte took a deep breath before she spoke. "You hate being at the center of attention, and you don't go for guys like him. From what I've heard and read about Will Darcy, he's a snooty, stuck-up aristocrat. I'm just concerned that you might be a little star-struck right now, and that you haven't thoroughly considered all of the possible ways this situation could go south. I mean, he's not going to be here forever and what's going to happen when he leaves? Is he just going to drop the relationship? You're not one for flings, and I'd hate to see you get hurt by this guy. It's just, well, I'm afraid he may be using you as a distraction while he's here."

I leaned forward to grab a throw pillow from the other end of the couch and settled back into the cushions again, hugging the pillow to my chest. "I'm not star-struck, Charlotte." I gave her a pointed look. "You know me better than to believe that. To be completely honest though, I've struggled with many of the same concerns. I don't know what will happen down the road. I will say this, however, Will isn't what I expected him to be. I had formed some pretty harsh judgments about him initially, and over the past week, he's proven me wrong. He's not stuck up, he's just uncomfortable around people. I've read the articles that you're referring to. I think he's simply shy," I shrugged.

"When we went out to dinner last weekend, he was so uncomfortable with the crowd at the restaurant and the waitress who was flirting with him that I wasn't sure if he was going to get through ordering off the menu. And then, at the zoo, he was on edge every time we found ourselves in a crowd."

I dropped my eyes to the pillow I held and absently rubbed the red fabric of the slipcover between my fingers. "The best way I can describe him to you is to say that he's a very intelligent, very handsome, somewhat socially awkward guy, who's a little bit of a geek at heart. From what I've gathered, I believe that he truly wants to build meaningful relationships, but often lacks the gregariousness to do so."

Charlotte pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "If he does, as you say, lack the gregariousness to form many meaningful relationships, then how is it that he seems to have forged one with you? I know you well enough to be absolutely certain that you didn't initiate a relationship with him."

"You're right, I didn't. In fact, I did nearly everything in my power to avoid him. But, Will is very persistent. I asked him why he seemed so eager to spend time with me. He told me that he immediately felt comfortable around me, and he doesn't normally feel that way with many people. We just, I don't know, hit it off, I guess. We have a similar sense of humor, too." I knew my explanation left much to be desired, but I found it difficult to put my feelings about Will into words.

"But you still don't entirely trust him" Charlotte astutely observed.

"Not entirely," I reluctantly admitted.

She shifted in her seat and draped both legs over the side of the armchair. "But you want to trust him?"

"Yes," I nodded, biting my lip.

Her face softened. "Please, be careful. He's an actor, Lizzy. You can't know if he's being honest with you. He could just be acting to get what he wants."

Charlotte's words settled uncomfortably in my chest. "Wow, you're quite the devil's advocate this evening, aren't you?" Her attitude toward my relationship with Will surprised me. She normally pushed me to date.

"I care about you, and I don't want to see you hurt," she replied quietly.

I sighed. "I appreciate your concern."

She smiled sympathetically in return.

"He's so much more than that, though." I twirled the end of my ponytail around my fingertips thoughtfully. "When I look at Will, I see a man trying to pursue his own career while upholding his family's legacy and being both father and brother to a younger sister. He's smart, funny, kind, strong, and unselfish…" my voice trailed off.

My mind wandered back to Wednesday when Will had stopped by to see me late that night after his work had wrapped up for the day. I could see that he was exhausted and stressed, so we'd settled in on the couch to relax and watch late-night television. He had been sound asleep within thirty minutes. I had let him sleep for about an hour but, knowing that he had an early morning the next day, I had woken him up at about one in the morning. He'd pulled me against his chest in a warm embrace at the door and held me close for several moments before he left.

"Earth to Lizzy." Charlotte's voice broke through the haze of my thoughts.

I jerked my head up to look at Charlotte, who was grinning widely. "Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?"

"I can see that," she replied with a raised eyebrow. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

I laughed to hide my discomfort. "What? No! That's insane! I've only known him for a week! Besides, why would I go and do something ridiculous like that? He'll probably forget all about me when he goes home." The thought stabbed through my heart like a knife, and I hugged my pillow a little tighter.

I quickly turned the topic of conversation to Charlotte's love life and her current on-again-off-again relationship. I was able to avoid the subject of Will for the next hour, but Charlotte's words churned uncomfortably in my mind.

In love with Will? Ha! That was ridiculous, wasn't it?

A knock interrupted our conversation. I jumped up from the couch a little too eagerly and quickly moved to answer it. I opened the door to see Will standing in the hallway with two bags of takeout. He looked much less tired this evening than he had Wednesday.

"Hey," I greeted. "Come on in."

Will followed me to the kitchen where he set the bags of food on the table.

"Thanks for the food. How was your day?" I asked, glancing at him over my shoulder while I pulled three plates from the cupboard. I returned my attention to the cabinet to remove a stack of cups from the top shelf. I was standing on my tiptoes, stretching to reach them, when I felt Will's hand on my shoulder. He extended his other arm around me, easily reaching the cups and setting them down on the countertop. Instead of stepping back again, he placed both hands on my waist.

I froze. His nearness and the warmth of him seemed to permeate every cell of my body, making each nerve ending come alive. "I'm just fine. How was yours?" he replied. I closed my eyes and gripped the edge of the countertop against the wonderful havoc his touch and proximity were creating throughout my body, resisting the urge to lean back into the comfort and warmth I knew I'd find in his arms.

"Turn around, Elizabeth," Will said, his voice low. His hands, still resting on my waist, grazed my abdomen, just below my navel, and the small of my back as I turned in his arms. He moved his thumbs back and forth, in an arch against my sides. "I missed you," he said quietly, his eyes intently searching mine. He lifted a hand from my waist to cup my face in his large, warm palm.

My heart seemed to skip a beat before it picked up again in a double-time cadence, causing my breath to catch in my throat. I couldn't reply; for a moment, I couldn't even breathe. His eyes held mine captive, making it impossible for me to look away. Will only broke eye contact when he glanced down at my lips for a fraction of a second, before meeting my eyes again.

He raised his other hand and carefully threaded his fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck as he touched the spot just below my ear with the pad of his thumb. Then, he lowered his head and drew me closer. What little space remained between us was charged with the same palpable energy I'd felt the other day at the zoo. I wondered if Will could feel it, too. He paused a moment, his mouth inches from mine. His eyes searched my own as if seeking any sign that I didn't want this...want him. I raised my hands to his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt with my fingers, and moved my head slightly in an almost imperceptible nod.

"Do you need a hand in there, Lizzy?" Charlotte called from the living room.

I exhaled sharply and quickly took a step back from Will before turning to gather up the plates, cups, and utensils. I glanced at him over my shoulder. He stood just behind me, with one hand in his jeans pocket, the other resting on the back of his neck, a rueful smile lightening his features.

I giggled nervously, my breath still a little ragged. "I missed you, too," I said belatedly, giving him a playful nudge in the arm with my elbow as I walked past him. "Do you want to come in and meet Charlotte?" I asked when he continued to stare at me.

"Sure," he replied. He grabbed the bags of food from the table and followed me into the living room.

Will set the food on the coffee table before extending a hand toward Charlotte, who was seated calmly on the edge of her chair. "You must be Charlotte," he greeted.

Charlotte returned Will's handshake. "And you're the Mr. Complicated I've heard so much about. I'm happy to meet you."

"And I, you," he replied, letting the comment roll off. He sat down beside me on the couch and we all helped ourselves to the food.

Conversation flowed easily between the three of us as we ate. Later, after we had finished our meal and the dishes had been cleared away, we settled in to watch a movie. Will grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the couch and motioned for me to move closer. I scooted over to his side of the couch and Will shifted to angle himself so that I was nestled securely next to him before he spread the blanket over both of us. He picked up my hand underneath the cover and laced his fingers with mine.

I found it difficult to concentrate on the movie. We were so close that my shoulder rested against the left side of his warm chest, and I could feel each beat of his heart and was acutely aware of his every breath. His left arm draped comfortably around my shoulders, sending tingles across the back of my neck and down my spine, where it came into contact with my body. His other hand played with the fingers of my right hand, which he still held securely in his own.

After the movie ended a few hours later, our conversation resumed.

"So," Charlotte addressed Will, "what are your intentions toward our Lizzy?"

Will shifted slightly in his seat.

"Charlotte!" I exclaimed. "Ignore her, Will, she's joking. I hope."

"I am joking," Charlotte replied, setting both Will and me at ease. "But that doesn't mean I'm not curious." She simply smiled mischievously and raised an eyebrow, waiting for his response.

I inwardly cringed.

Will laughed quietly. "You're lucky to have friends who care, you know," he said to me in a teasing tone. "Actually, Charlotte," he continued, directing his attention to my friend, "you remind me a little of my cousin, Richard. You and he share similar outgoing personalities as well as a rather cruel streak of humor. To answer your question, however, my intentions are strictly honorable. In fact, I give you carte blanche to exact any form of revenge you see fit if I act otherwise."

Charlotte laughed. "I'm going to hold you to that promise. And I'm assuming I can take your comparison of me to your cousin as a compliment."

"You certainly may. My cousin is a good man, and my best friend. It's easy to see why Elizabeth values your friendship." Will smiled.

A short time later, he rose from his seat. "Well, ladies, I hate to leave, but I have some paperwork to do back at the hotel." He gave me a pointed look and motioned toward the foyer with his eyes.

I stood and walked him to the door. "Thanks for coming over this evening," I said when we reached the foyer.

He gave me a half-smile. "Thank you for having me. I enjoyed meeting your friend." He brushed my cheek with his fingertips. "Do you have plans tomorrow?"

"No," I answered, unnerved by the havoc his touch was creating in my heart.

"Would you like to go out for breakfast and spend the rest of the day in, then?"

"Mhm," I murmured.

Will searched my eyes for a moment before he shook his head slightly and took a step back. "Goodnight, Elizabeth. I'll see you in the morning."

I opened the door for him. "Goodnight, Will."

He stepped into the hallway and I closed the door behind him.

I rested my forehead against the cool steel of the door for a moment before I returned to the living room and sank into the cushions of the overstuffed couch. I knew that Charlotte was probably bursting to voice her thoughts. "Okay, let's hear it."

Charlotte shrugged. "What can I say? I was wrong."

"Wow. That's a first," I teased.

She stared at me from her seat. "I am ninety-nine-point-nine percent certain that man is in love with you."

I shook my head. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Lizzy, he didn't take his eyes off you for most of the evening. Not even during the movie. And the way he looks at you. Oh. My." She flopped back dramatically in her chair, throwing an arm theatrically across her forehead. "I'd like to observe him with you in a crowd, but I'm pretty sure, from what I saw this evening, that he'd look at you the same way."

"What way?" I asked, scrunching my brow in confusion.

Charlotte propped herself up on her elbows and raised her head to look at me. "Like you're the only woman in the world."

I chucked a pillow at her, hitting her squarely in the face. "You have a very vivid imagination, my friend."

She laughed and threw the pillow back at me. "Think what you like, but I have eyes, and so do the rest of the world. People are going to notice."

I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Charlotte leaned forward in her seat. "Now, the question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," I admitted in a small voice.

"You need to decide. I'd better let you get some sleep," she smiled sympathetically. "Call me if you need to talk, alright?"

"Thanks, Charlotte. For everything." I rose from the couch and hugged her tightly before she left.