Elizabeth's torture. "He said he was going out to get something from his car.
I just thought you might have run into him on your way in."
Elizabeth couldn't believe it. How could anyone be so insensitive? Tears stung her eyes. It had been a mistake to come here after all. Right now, all she wanted to do w a s escape.
"Excuse me." She pushed past Patsy, heading back toward the front door.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Jessica, sitting next to Bill on the couch, working her spell on him. Elizabeth knew she should tell her sister she was leaving, but she didn't think that in her present state she could handle another argument. Besides, knowing her sister, Jessica would have at least a dozen ride offers by the end of the evening.
Outside, Elizabeth stood on the porch and closed her eyes, letting the cool night air wash over her flushed face. Tears spilled out from under her lids. She would never be able to get used to it. She would never be able to look at Todd and Patsy without feeling as if she'd been stabbed in the heart.
Suddenly she jumped as a pair of strong arms closed around her from behind, trapping her arms against her sides.
"It's no use trying to escape." Todd's voice was husky against her ear. "I'm not letting you loose until you tell me what's going on. Liz, are you trying to break up with me or what?"
Elizabeth wrenched about to face him. " Me --
trying to break up with you?" she choked. "Is that supposed to be some kind of sick joke?"
Todd wasn't smiling. "All I know is that you've been running away from me every time I try to get near you. You didn't return any of my calls this week. I don't understand it, Liz. I feel I've suddenly developed a contagious disease or something."
"You're wasting your time," Elizabeth said coldly. "I know all about you and Patsy."
"Patsy?" Todd looked confused. "What about Patsy and me?"
Elizabeth tried to yank away, but Todd had her firmly in his grasp. In frustration she blurted, "I was looking for you after school one day, and I saw you at your locker with--with your arms around her! And don't you dare deny it!"
"I'm not going to," said Todd quietly. "It's true."
Elizabeth was sobbing openly now. Todd's face had dissolved into a wavery blur. "I h-have to go now, Todd. P-please let me g-go."
"Nothing doing. Not until you've heard the rest of it."
"Please, Todd ..." Elizabeth struggled weakly against him. "I don't want to hear any more."
"Will you just listen? Patsy was really upset that day. She'd just gotten a letter from her boyfriend in France telling her he'd met
someone else. She was really broken up about it, so I put my arms around her to comfort her."
"That's it?" Elizabeth wanted to believe him, she really did.
"That's it. I told you once before, Liz, but I guess you weren't listening. Patsy and I are just friends. You're the one I love." His arms dropped from her waist. "Now, if you still want to run away, I'm not going to try to stop you."
Elizabeth looked hard into his face, at the sincerity shining from his brown eyes. And she knew he was telling the truth. She'd been wrong to doubt him, terribly wrong.
"I don't know what to say," she whispered. "I feel like such a dope."
He smiled crookedly. "Lucky for you I happen to have a soft spot for dopes."
"Oh, Todd ..."
She snuggled against his chest, breathing in the clean, starchy scent of his freshly ironed shirt. It felt so good to be in his arms. The tears continued to spill down her cheeks, but now they were tears of happiness.
"Hey." Todd tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. His eyes were dark and liquid with emotion. "Don't cry. There's a penalty for crying, you know."
"Oh, yeah? What is it?"
"This." He leaned down and kissed her, setting loose a flurry of warm sensations in
her. "And there's more where that came from if you don't watch it."
Elizabeth's laugh ended up a hiccup. "What's the punishment for saying I love you'?"
"Oh, that's really heavy-duty. Possible
I just thought you might have run into him on your way in."
Elizabeth couldn't believe it. How could anyone be so insensitive? Tears stung her eyes. It had been a mistake to come here after all. Right now, all she wanted to do w a s escape.
"Excuse me." She pushed past Patsy, heading back toward the front door.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Jessica, sitting next to Bill on the couch, working her spell on him. Elizabeth knew she should tell her sister she was leaving, but she didn't think that in her present state she could handle another argument. Besides, knowing her sister, Jessica would have at least a dozen ride offers by the end of the evening.
Outside, Elizabeth stood on the porch and closed her eyes, letting the cool night air wash over her flushed face. Tears spilled out from under her lids. She would never be able to get used to it. She would never be able to look at Todd and Patsy without feeling as if she'd been stabbed in the heart.
Suddenly she jumped as a pair of strong arms closed around her from behind, trapping her arms against her sides.
"It's no use trying to escape." Todd's voice was husky against her ear. "I'm not letting you loose until you tell me what's going on. Liz, are you trying to break up with me or what?"
Elizabeth wrenched about to face him. " Me --
trying to break up with you?" she choked. "Is that supposed to be some kind of sick joke?"
Todd wasn't smiling. "All I know is that you've been running away from me every time I try to get near you. You didn't return any of my calls this week. I don't understand it, Liz. I feel I've suddenly developed a contagious disease or something."
"You're wasting your time," Elizabeth said coldly. "I know all about you and Patsy."
"Patsy?" Todd looked confused. "What about Patsy and me?"
Elizabeth tried to yank away, but Todd had her firmly in his grasp. In frustration she blurted, "I was looking for you after school one day, and I saw you at your locker with--with your arms around her! And don't you dare deny it!"
"I'm not going to," said Todd quietly. "It's true."
Elizabeth was sobbing openly now. Todd's face had dissolved into a wavery blur. "I h-have to go now, Todd. P-please let me g-go."
"Nothing doing. Not until you've heard the rest of it."
"Please, Todd ..." Elizabeth struggled weakly against him. "I don't want to hear any more."
"Will you just listen? Patsy was really upset that day. She'd just gotten a letter from her boyfriend in France telling her he'd met
someone else. She was really broken up about it, so I put my arms around her to comfort her."
"That's it?" Elizabeth wanted to believe him, she really did.
"That's it. I told you once before, Liz, but I guess you weren't listening. Patsy and I are just friends. You're the one I love." His arms dropped from her waist. "Now, if you still want to run away, I'm not going to try to stop you."
Elizabeth looked hard into his face, at the sincerity shining from his brown eyes. And she knew he was telling the truth. She'd been wrong to doubt him, terribly wrong.
"I don't know what to say," she whispered. "I feel like such a dope."
He smiled crookedly. "Lucky for you I happen to have a soft spot for dopes."
"Oh, Todd ..."
She snuggled against his chest, breathing in the clean, starchy scent of his freshly ironed shirt. It felt so good to be in his arms. The tears continued to spill down her cheeks, but now they were tears of happiness.
"Hey." Todd tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. His eyes were dark and liquid with emotion. "Don't cry. There's a penalty for crying, you know."
"Oh, yeah? What is it?"
"This." He leaned down and kissed her, setting loose a flurry of warm sensations in
her. "And there's more where that came from if you don't watch it."
Elizabeth's laugh ended up a hiccup. "What's the punishment for saying I love you'?"
"Oh, that's really heavy-duty. Possible
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