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albionscastle · 5 years

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First Impressions 10 - Saturday Night Fever

I was so glad to actually write this chapter it’s not even funny. I started five times and trashed each one but FINALLY! This is the Netherfield Ball chapter and second only to the Pemberley scenes as my favorite in Pride and Prejudice.

There are mentions of anxiety in this chapter.

Also obvs you can picture whatever song you want for the dance, I just had the Bee Gees - More Than A Woman running through my head at the time lol.

FIC MASTERLIST

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 10 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

LIZZIE

If she was perfectly honest with herself, Lizzie was kind of looking forward to the wrap party. It was probably the chance of a lifetime - there weren’t likely to be any glam Hollywood parties in her future so she figured that she may as well enjoy this one. Charlie was, naturally, embracing the event wholeheartedly and had even managed to rope her into a trip to the city for new threads. According to him absolutely everything in her closet was too awful to be worn in public.

As usual he was right, Lizzie thought as she looked in the mirror. In a million years she never would have picked out this dress for herself, but she had to admit, it looked fantastic. Charlie had worked his magic with her hair and face and she almost didn’t recognize the smoky eyed woman staring back at her. It was the first time in years that she actually liked what she saw.

“Come on Bennett, time to go show those asholes whats, what!”

Charlie was waiting by her front door, over the top as usual in a silver top hat and makeup that would put Ziggy Stardust to shame. Not for the first time she felt the little tug in her heart, he really was gorgeous. It didn’t happen often, the moment of wishing he wasn’t gay, and she’d even told him about it. Charlie had never laughed at her, or brushed it off. He simply agreed that had life been different they probably would have been meant for one another. She wasn’t in love with him, not in this life, but it have happened very easily and every now and then, it made her a bit sad.

“Get that look off your face woman, I know I look good enough to eat.” Charlie sighed dramatically. “I’m on the prowl tonight and I need my wing woman.”

Lizzie laughed. “Are you sure? I’m likely to frighten all your prospects away with my bitch face.”

“Looking like that darling, they’ll be flocking to you and I’ll be there to ease their broken hearts when you turn them down.”

“Well you certainly have it all figured out don’t you.”

“When don’t I babe?” he winked. “Now get your coat and let’s go before I miss anything.”

The ballroom at the hotel had been completely transformed and Lizzie was almost speechless when they stepped into the lobby. She supposed it wasn’t all that big a deal to the rich and famous but her small town heart was a flutter with excitement at the sight. Gauzy fabric covered the bland beige walls and tables were set with linens and centerpieces fit for royalty. Everywhere she looked there was something gorgeous that she wouldn’t have expected to see, right down to the soft candlelight that was the room’s only illumination.

There was no sign of Brad though and a check of her cell showed no missed messages. Despite her misgivings, she’d still been excited to see him here and he had promised that Jack’s presence wasn’t going to stop him from attending. He was probably just late, she tried to tell herself, knowing it was a lie.

“There you are Lizzie!” she cringed at her mother’s loud voice as her family moved toward her.

“That’s my queue sweets.” Charlie kissed her cheek. “Come find me later.”

“Fucking traitor.” she muttered as he dashed away into the throng of people.

Turning around with a sigh, Lizzie plastered a smile on her face, barely keeping it in place when she saw what Lydia was, or rather wasn’t, wearing. She glanced at Maya who simply shrugged in defeat.

“Hey pumpkin.” her father reached her before the others and his weary look of resignation told him everything she needed to know about the situation. “You look lovely.”

“Thanks Dad, but I can’t believe you let her out of the house dressed like that.” she whispered as he pulled away from the hug.

Ben simply sighed, shunted to the side as Chloe approached, eying Lizzie up and down.

“Do I meet your approval mom?” she snarked.

“You look very nice. Her mother admitted. “You’ll never have Maya’s charm and sweetness but you do look very nice.”

“Gee thanks mom, at least I’m actually wearing clothing.” Lizzie looked pointedly at Lydia who was tapping her foot and looking bored.

“Shut up Liz” she snapped, cracking a piece of gum.

“Stop it both of you! Lizzie leave your sister alone!”

Lizzie bit her tongue, feeling her cheeks go red while Lydia stuck out her tongue behind her mother’s back.

“Lizzie, I was meaning to ask you something.” Maya piped up, quickly gauging the situation.

She took her sister’s arm and let her lead them to where Tom was standing with Jack and Caro. Honestly she would have rather stayed and fought with Lydia.

“Eliza!” Caro practically sneered, looking stunning in a barely there pink dress. “Oh, your whole family is here, how nice.” Her tone implied the exact opposite of her words.

“Actually Mary and Kate aren’t here.” Lizzie murmured, craning her head to look for Brad.

Jack, being his usual pleasant self merely inclined his head in greeting before looking away, dismissing her completely.

Prick, she thought to herself as she tried to seperate from the group, without any luck.

“Lizzie dear,” her mother had her arm, “I promised poor Colin that you would at least dance with him tonight. He’s been quite desolate since he came back you know. I think he hopes you’ll take him back.”

The excitement in Chloe’s eyes at that thought made Lizzie feel ill. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Well ok, her mother arranging things, that she could believe but not the bullshit that Colin had obviously been spewing. How dare he?

“I need a drink.” she snapped, stalking away into the crowd before anyone could stop her.

Fuming all the way to the bar, she ordered a Scotch ready to down the whole thing in one gulp.

“I’ll be taking that Red.” Charlie was there, sliding up next to her and stealing her drink, downing it smoothly before she even had a chance to protest. “You know you can’t drink.” he whispered, smiling at anyone who appeared curious enough to try and listen to what was going on.

“I don’t care.” she huffed, feeling like a scolded child.

“Listen dollface, I know how your mom gets and I guess she got to you. However drinking with your medication will just create a spectacle of you being carried out of here too far out of it to know your own name. And everyone in town will talk about it for years.”

“You don’t know what happened.” But she was conceding that he had a point.

“I’m going to guess she told you to play nice with poor, heartbroken Colin. He’s plying that shit all over town.”

He was right, as fucking usual.

“Listen, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be upset. Just don’t give anyone the satisfaction of seeing you upset. The best way to stick it to that piece of shit is to pretend that you just aren’t affected at all.”

“I bloody hate you sometimes.”

“You love me and you know it.” Charlie placed a glass of cola in front of her, his arm slung over her shoulder as they perused the room.

Maya was dancing with Tom and Lizzie couldn’t help but smile at the serene look on her sister’s face as she looked up at him. She was clearly in love with him and Lizzie couldn’t have been happier for them. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought.

“What’s the deal with those two anyway?”

“Maya and Tom? What do you mean?”

“Well have they ‘sealed the deal’ so to speak. Seriously she needs to get him in the sack.”

“You know Maya isn’t like that.” Though she was fairly sure they already had, not that Maya had said anything.

“She needs to get like that, when that boy leaves Maya needs to be the only thing on his mind.”

“They are crazy about each other Charlie.”

“Well they hide it well, seriously though, Maya needs to up her game, you’ve seen the women here tonight.”

Lizzie’s brow furrowed as she thought about what Charlie was saying. Maya was admittedly very reserved and even though she knew her sister, Charlie’s observations had her worrying. She had said nothing about Tom beyond this week. He was spending Thanksgiving with them though, surely that counted for something. Charlie was just being a pain in the ass.

She watched him moving through the crowd now, a hit with everyone he came in contact with, male or female. More than once she had wished she could be more like him, so easy with everyone he met. She knew of no-one who disliked him while most people usually thought she was either stuck-up or awkward and boring.

Her eyes danced across the ballroom, Colin was so far nowhere in sight, but there was still no sign of Brad. She should have known better, it wasn’t the first time she’d been stood up. Spotting Jack standing with a group of men she narrowed her eyes. If looks could kill, she laughed bitterly to herself, liking the vision of him laid out on the floor. Yes, shed was irrationally angry and him and no she didn’t care. It didn’t matter what her thoughts were about Brad, it was Jack’s fault that she was standing alone at the bar instead of dancing in a killer dress. It was ALL Jack’s fault.

He chose that moment to look her way, his drink to his lips, long fingers wrapped around his glass, his clothes….well they were perfect for fuck’s sake. She actually had to bite the inside of her cheek to avoid making an embarrassing noise. The bastard had no business looking as good as he did, just as her body had no business betraying her the way it was. She would be damned if she gave him anything, despite her trembling knees. She refused to look away as she threw back her now flat soda, enjoying the surprise in his eyes. Enjoying it so much that she didn’t notice Colin coming up beside her. Too late she realized he was there, only when she smelled his cologne and almost dropped her glass. Remembering Charlie’s advice and her own determination, she forced herself into turning, her best ‘bitch face’ firmly in place.

“What do you want Colin?”

“I was promised a dance.” his eyes slide over her from head to toe and she barely repressed a shudder.

“Then why come to me? My mother promised you a dance, so go ask her.”

There was anger sparking in his eyes and she fought back the familiar fear. She knew what he was capable of when he was angered, but she still wasn’t going to give in.

“I was promised a dance with you.” he smiled, his eyes cold like a snake’s.

“This isn’t the middle ages, my mother doesn’t decide who I dance with.”

“Everyone is watching, you don’t want to make a scene do you?”

Lizzie shrugged.

“I’m not causing a scene and I don’t care who’s watching.”

His smile never faltered as his fingers wrapped around her wrist, tightly. Lizzie resisted the urge to yank herself out of his grasp. The point was to not give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead, fighting the bile rising in her throat she looked pointedly down at his had and then up at his face, staring him down she put her hand over his, pulling it off her arm and taking a step back.

“Good night Colin.” she said firmly, turning on her heel and walking away.

She managed to hold her breath until she was out of sight of the ballroom, making her way quickly to the ladies room. Locking herself in a stall she collapsed against the cool metal door, breath coming in ragged gasps, legs feeling like jelly. She couldn’t believe what she had just done. Before if she had even looked at him in a way he didn’t like he would have made her pay, but now….. She laughed, feeling lightheaded. There was nothing he could do to her, he was completely powerless. Colin Ryan couldn’t hurt, control or scare her anymore except in her own mind, and only if she allowed.

Taking a few minutes to compose herself, Lizzie still felt giddy. The power was all hers and she was determined to go and have a good time, everyone else could be damned. She was still shaking and though she wanted to her body wouldn’t move out of the bathroom. A million thoughts ran through her head and right in the middle was a vision of all those people, crowding around her, closing in, blocking any chance for escape. It only took an instant to realize what was happening and what she needed to do before she had a full-blown panic attack in a hotel toilet.

Closing her eyes she pulled in a deep breath, holding it for the count of three before slowly letting out again. A few repetitions later and the dizziness subsided, along with the trembling, enough for her to be able to swallow a pill. Looking at herself in the mirror she saw wide, frightened eyes and knew that Colin had still managed to get to her.

“Pull yourself together.” she muttered to her reflection. “You are better than this, you are stronger. Don’t let the bastards drag you down.”

She repeated the mantra sternly, over and over until her heartbeat slowed and her legs felt strong beneath her again.

“Right, that’s the end of that. We go out there, we dance, we have fun and we go home. Nothing more to it.”

A much more poised Lizzie emerged from the bathroom and headed back to the ballroom. One more deep breath and she stepped into the throng searching for Charlie, or Maya, neither of them in sight. Turning to go in the opposite direction, she almost collided with Jack.

“Ammm Elizabeth, I was wonderin, would ye care tae dance? Wi me, I mean.”

JACK

The surprise that Jack felt matched the surprise on Elizabeth’s face when they both realised she had said yes. To dancing. With him. A little flustered he was able to at least offer his arm to lead his startled partner out onto the dancefloor. All he could do was gulp, avoiding her eyes as he stiffly slid his hand to the small of her back, taking her other hand and hoping that she didn’t notice his trembling fingers.

As they rocked like two gawky teens with a balloon stuck between them jack couldn’t stop his thoughts from running wild. He’d been in a state from the moment Elizabeth had walked in and slipped off her coat. In his wildest dreams he’d never imagined her in that dress. The gold sequined number had been designed to turn her into a goddess, complete with plunging neckline and a hemline that made his mouth run dry. He’d fought his attraction to the woman from day one but the surge of lust that ran through his body at the sight of her nearly did him in. As it was he was barely able to manage a nod, afraid that the croak in his voice would give away what was happening in his trousers.

In another life maybe.

Distracted and barely paying attention to the conversation around him his eyes had followed her, seeing her obvious embarrassment with her family. When he’d seen her at the bar with a drink he’d almost gone over but Charlie had beaten him to it. A few Google searches had informed him that Elizabeth’s medication and alcohol did not mix and he was glad she hadn’t drunk it.

His mind had wandered at that point as he imagined himself walking over there, welcomed by a cheeky, secret glint in her eyes. Running with it he pictured them laughing as he led her through the lobby and into a dark, quiet corner. In his fantasy she moaned when he kissed her, pulling him against her as she leaned back against the wall. She chuckled low in her throat when his hand slid up her thigh, hitching her leg over his hip as he ground against her. He could hear her voice in his ear, a breathless sigh of want and promise as he in turned whispered all the things he wanted to do to her when they were alone.

Jerked out of his dream world by a question he hadn’t even noticed he saw Elizabeth watching him from across the room and his cheeks reddened. If she’d had any idea what he’d been thinking she would have no doubt slapped him so hard his head would spin.

He didn’t see Colin approach until it was too late to do anything that wouldn’t cause a scene. Despite himself, jack felt a surge of pride as he watched her stand her ground, the look on Colin’s face priceless as she left him with her head held high. He shouldn’t have cared, shouldn’t have wanted. But he did and his feet seemed to move of their own accord to the entrance of the ballroom in time to see Elizabeth disappear into the loo. Colin was nowhere to be seen, but Jack wouldn’t have put it past him to follower in there so he placed himself within view of the door, just in case.

It was the deer in headlights look when she came out that prompted to move towards her, no plan at all in his mind. Now here they were. All silence and bungling, each of them looking anywhere but at the other. Jack didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t embarrass her and he was far too well aware of his previous inappropriate thoughts. What could he say?

“Awkward silence much?” he heard her remark quietly.

“Do ye prefer tae talk while dancin then?”

A chuckle.

“Generally, yes. Even if its just to comment on the sucky song. It’s only polite.”

“I confess I never really thought about it tae be honest.”

“Perhaps it’s time you did.” Elizabeth said archly as the song ended.

Taking the chance, Jack grinned, the next song starting before she could make an escape.

“Then I’ll say I quite like this one.”

“Bee Gees? Well at least you have some taste.”

“Saturday Night Fever was a cinematic masterpiece.”

“Never saw it.”

There was a hint of steel in her voice, a challenge and he vaguely remembered the party in the summer, the inference that Elizabeth had at least once loved to dance. Without a second thought he moved, spinning her out to the end of his arm before tugging her back, a moment spent flush against each other before he dipped her down almost to the floor.

She was looking at him now, her eyes wide with surprise as she followed his lead perfectly.

“Channeling your inner Tony Manero?” she questioned as they came together.

“Everything but the strut lass, and I thought ye said ye’d never seen it.” he laughed as he spun her again.

They were silent for a moment, their steps in perfect sync. The woman could dance, that was for sure. He got the feeling that it wasn’t something she did often and he felt a momentary spike of malicious satisfaction that Wick probably hadn’t had this opportunity.

“I understand ye all haf been seein a lot of Bradley Wick.” he knew he’d put his foot in it the moment the words left his mouth. The flash in her eyes confirmed what he had feared.

“He’s been helping my parents with the house, he needed the extra money. They are quite fond of him.”

“Aye, Wick has a talent of makin himself useful when it suits him, it doesna stay that way though.”

Spin out, tug in, her body against his, an angry spark in her eye. He was up for the challenge.

“I’m sure that the loss of your friendship has shaped your opinion of that. Do you think that just because you couldn’t be friendly that he can’t make friends at all?”

“He’s always been able tae make friends luv, he’s jus no good at keepin em.”

“Hmmm.” she appeared to be thinking as they moved. “I’m assuming something serious happened between you?”

“Ye assume correctly.” but he would be damned if he told her what.

“And it had nothing to with, oh say, jealousy or pride?”

He felt his eyes narrow, not at all comfortable with the direction this was taking.

“Why are ye askin?”

Elizabeth shrugged, spinning under his arm and around his back. He felt her hand across his waist like fire, her cold challenge sparking something in him.

“I’m just trying to understand you, I hear so many different things about you, almost like you’re two people.”

“Maybe ye should jus come straight tae the source.”

“Where’s the fun in that? You would only show me what you wanted me to see and I far prefer the truth.”

The truth? Did she really want to know the real man? The one who drank too much and had at one point gone through women like socks, the one who still thought she was no good for him despite how much he wanted her.?

“Now is probably no the best time tae be attemptin tae sketch my character.”

The song was ending, his hopes that the dance would turn into more fading by the note. She was baiting him and he couldn’t help but respond. He couldn’t help himself around her, she met him challenge for challenge and he wasn’t sure he would be the one to come out on top. He wasn’t sure who was the conqueror anymore.

“If I don’t do it now I’ll never get another chance.”

Her words hit him hard hard. After tonight there was no reason for him to stay in town so she was right. He was going home, never to return. Why was it bothering him so much?

The final notes of the song, Jack dipped Elizabeth down, never taking his eyes from hers, noticing the way her pupils dilated and her breath hitched. He allowed a smile to spread across his face. They stayed that way as the music changed, Jack slowly easing back until she was pressed against him again, so close he could feel her ragged breath on his neck while his heart hammered in his chest. Apparently neither of them wanted to be the first to break eye contact, to admit weakness of any kind to the other.

I certainly wouldn’t wan tae leave ye wantin Elizabeth, but in this regard I’m afraid ye’ll jus be disappointed.” Her eyes flared, lips parted to respond. ‘Unless….” he murmured as he started to move his hand on her back, pulling her closer.

“Lizzie! My dear look at you, I haven’t seen you dance for an age.” Mr Lucas had pushed through the crowd, breaking the spell with his booming voice.

Elizabeth took a step back, the familiar mask of indifference settling over her features.

He already missed her. Damn it!

Lucas clapped him on the shoulder, oblivious to the tension he’d inadvertently dissipated.

“Should have known such a handsome young man could bring our Lizzie out of her shell again. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of it when a certain wedding takes place.”

The appalled look on Elizabeth’s face and the direction of Lucas’ gaze was enough for Jack to figure out what was being inferred. Maya sat, looking down demurely as Tom leaning in, speaking into her ear.

Was that what everyone was thinking and expecting? He turned back to Elizabeth, only to see the back of her head as she walked away. Jack wracked his brain, trying to figure out how there was a wedding expected. Tom was obviously enamored with Maya but he did have a habit falling in and out of ‘love’ with remarkable swiftness. Grudgingly he admitted that Tom seemed somewhat different this time, but surely things hadn’t gone that far.

He was angry suddenly, or perhaps not so suddenly. The conversation with Elizabeth had stirred his unrest, knowing that she was friendly with Wick just rubbed him the wrong way. Knowing that there was gossip, that he was being judged based on whatever the bastard had decided to say about him. He was pissed that she had essentially confirmed that Wick was yet again running his mouth. It wasn’t her fault, many a woman had fallen for his lies, he just didn’t want it to be her, surely her attempt to talk to him had been her not accepting Wick at face value.

With a sigh he downed another glass of whiskey. Everything was completely fucked up and tonight was just it.

He was done.

LIZZIE

The frigid outside air was a blessing against her burning cheeks. She gulped in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her hammering heart. That, that had been unexpected. Anger mingled with desire and her brain, as well as her body was on fire.

From a dance.

A dance that included an argument. Lizzie had no idea what the hell was going on with her. She couldn’t stand the man, hadn’t wanted to dance with him. The only reason that she’d even agreed was because Colin had her so befuddled. Her hackles had been up and she was furious at the way her body had betrayed her the moment Jack’s hand settled on her back.

That was why she tried to bait him, started a fight to distract herself from everything she was feeling. Especially when that song came on, one of her favorites and Jack had pulled out the moves. Excluding everything else the man was good and a long forgotten excitement had begun to swell. Once, before Colin, she had loved to dance. Charlie had convinced her to take lessons with him when they were in high school and it had been love. All through college they had taken every chance they could to seek out Chicago’s speakeasies and dance the night away. Colin’s jealousy had ended that.

Tonight, with Jack, the excitement had come flooding back and she hated that it was with him. As much as she was pissed at the direction her thoughts had taken when he’d dipped her down with such smooth skill. The clean smell of him, his warmth through the crisp cotton of his shirt, the strength in the way he’d held her, they had all combined in her head. In that moment her imagination had run wild and all she could see was him, shirt and hair all rumpled as he pressed her against a wall, hands and lips roaming.

The realization had shocked her to the core, not so much the attraction - she’d already admitted to that. It was the knowledge that in that moment she wanted to lift her head those few inches closer, press her mouth against his and see what happened. Her body was completely betraying her, ignoring everything that she knew about the kind of man he was.

The argument had served its purpose, reminded her why she hated him. His casual dismissal of Brad infuriated her, the fact that despite that she was still attracted to him made her even angrier with herself.

Mr Lucas’ interruption couldn’t have come at a worse moment. The look on Jack’s face had effectively cleared her head, telling her everything she needed to know about his thoughts. She’d had to walk away before she called him out in public for being such an ass.

“Nice job out there twinkle toes.”

Lizzie managed a smile as Charlie wrapped his arms around her.

“Pity about the partner though.”

“I don’t know, he looked like he knew what he was doing.”

“Yeah he always knows exactly what he’s doing.” she said bitterly.

“What is it with him anyway? I mean I know he’s been around a lot, I thought there was….you know.”

Ew, god no Charlie! Trust me he hates me as much as I loathe him.”

“Coulda fooled me.” he muttered, side eyeing her.

“I told you what he did to Brad and you’ve seen the way he acts around here.”

“Ok I agree that the whole Brad thing was a bit low, but also normal for a cutthroat world like that. But come on Liz, let’s face it, he’s cute and all but only a fool would turn down all that Jack has to offer.”

“Consider me a fool then, besides you know I don’t care about all that crap. I don’t give a shit what he does for a living or how much he makes doing it - a jerk is a jerk.”

“Real shame the jerk is so hot though.”

“Yup, that’s a hard truth.”

“Come on, let’s go back in there and have some fun, fuck the rest of them.”

Charlie had a way of making her feel better and of putting things in perspective. He was blunt and pragmatic, funny and comforting, everything she needed to see things more clearly. She would have been lost without him.

Halfway through their dinner, after a few hours of dancing, someone grabbed Charlie’s attention and he was off again leaving her alone at the table. She could see Maya sitting with Tom a few tables over, a smile on her face as they talked some of his friends. Her mother and father sat with the Lucas’ and some other people they knew from town, Chloe’s voice carrying as she talked of her various maladies.

“Enjoying the party Eliza?”

Lizzie almost cringed as Caro sat down beside her, her perfume wafting, boobs spilling out of her dress.

“It’s been okay so far.” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Listen, I hear that you’ve been getting quite friendly with Brad Wick.”

“And?”

“Well I should warn you that he’s not exactly a great guy.”

“Really?” Lizzie tried her best to sound bored. “How so?”

“I don’t know the particulars, but I do know something nasty went down between him and Jack and Jack was in no way to blame. But honestly, considering he grew up in a home, what else can you expect?”

“I assume you got your information from Jack?”

“Not entirely, there are some rumors swirling, but Eliza I wouldn’t trust him.”

Anger flared again, what the fuck was it with these people? Why did they find it so easy to try and ruin the lives of others? What made them think they were supposedly so much better than everyone else?

“Well Caro, it really isn’t any of your business. Besides it sounds like the only thing he’s done wrong in your eyes is grow up rough, and he already told me all about that.”

Lizzie saw the woman stiffen, obviously surprised at her audacity.

“I’m sorry, I was just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your kind of help, I’m a big girl and I make my own decisions about people.”

Caro didn’t say another word, just stood up and left. Lizzie let go an exasperated breath, suddenly tired and wanting to go home.

“Are you ok?” Maya was beside her looking concerned.

“I’m fine, I’ve just had enough of these people.”

“I saw Caro over here, what was that about?”

“She wanted to ‘warn’ me about Brad, I told her to fuck off.”

“Lizzie…” Maya started cautiously, “ I asked Tom about him and he said that Brad wasn’t a good guy.”

“Oh Maya, not you too. Besides has Tom even really met him, outside being on set?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Then he’s getting all his information from Jack, who has a very personal problem with him!”

“I didn’t even think that you liked him like that.”

“I don't. I just….I just hate the way that they all act like he’s done something wrong without having any proof. It’s not fair Maya.”

Maya sighed, obviously torn between her support of her sister and her affection for Tom. Lizzie hated that she had put her sister in the middle of it.

“It’s ok, I’ll be fine. I think Colin just got me all worked up.”

“Speaking of which….”

Lizzie followed Maya’s gaze to where Colin stood behind Jack’s seat, tapping him on the shoulder.

“That’s not going to end well.” From the stony look on Jack’s face as he turned, it hadn’t even begun well. Despite everything, she was sort of rooting for Jack to put Colin firmly in his place. The man was a born sycophant and Jack was the biggest fish in the room, it would give her a perverse satisfaction to see him firmly put in his place by the younger man.

“Colin has forgiven Lizzie for everything, she just had cold feet. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if the wedding is back on in a few months.”

Lizzie’s head turned in horror at the sound of her mother’s voice as it carried across the tables.

“Between that and Maya, both the girls will be very well off indeed and set up to help Lydia too. Everything is working out exactly as I had hoped.”

Both girls had burning cheeks, Lizzie could see both Jack and Tom staring, Colin looking smug. She felt sick, she had to leave. Out of her chair, she managed two steps before her father came into her line of sight making a beeline for the dancefloor. Lydia was there with some kid from school, grinding against him while his hands roamed all over her. Ben walked straight over, grabbing her sister’s arm and leading her away while she cussed up a storm.

The humiliation was complete. She was done.

“I’m going home.” she hugged Maya. “Go back to Tom and act like nothing happened ok.”

Maya nodded, walking away.

Lizzie kept her head held high as she stalked out, grabbing her coat. She walked home despite the cold, refusing the offer of an Uber. Once locked inside she quickly stripped off her dress and jewelry, leaving everything in a pile on the floor. Her makeup was washed off as she stared blankly into the mirror, trying to hold it together. It wasn’t until after she climbed into bed, pulling the covers up around her head that she finally broke down and cried herself to sleep.

JACK

Jack honestly couldn’t believe what had just happened. Seriously couldn’t even begin to fathom how the night had taken such a turn. What an absolute clusterfuck. After the dance with Elizabeth everything had gone downhill so quickly, he’d been so distracted by what Lucas had said that he hadn’t seen the impending disaster unfolding.If he hadn’t so busy watching Tom and Maya, he would have seen Caro pounce on Elizabeth before she came stomping back to the table calling her a stuck up bitch. Then he’d been listening to her go on and on that he hadn’t even realized that Colin Ryan was right behind him until the creepy cunt was tapping him on the shoulder and going on about how he worked for Ann De Bourgh's L.A office and was hoping Jack would consider him for his U.S publicity.

The sheer nerve of the man had Jack in shock and he’d barely managed to shoot the man down with any politeness at all. That he would even consider asking him, given his history with Elizabeth and the current situation spoke to the audacity of the man. Then he heard the mother’s voice and saw the smug look on Colin’s face. It was then that he looked over at Elizabeth where she sat with Maya, hating the look of humiliation he saw on both their faces. He knew every word was bullshit, but he couldn’t believe how tone deaf Chloe Bennett was to her daughter’s feelings. Or how determined she apparently was to get her daughters ahead in the world.

He saw Elizabeth get up to leave and he took a step toward her, watching her falter as her father practically dragged Lydia off the dance floor. While he couldn’t blame the man for trying to protect his underage daughter, his method caused a scene that could have been avoided. The whole thing could have been avoided if the girl had any discipline at all, she wasn’t an idiot but she was very much out of control. He could almost feel the embarrassment that Elizabeth was experiencing, it was radiating from her and he was more than a little chuffed with the way she kept her head held up as she left.

He wanted to follow her, but he knew he couldn’t, not after everything that had happened. He was probably the last person she would accept comfort from right now. Still he struggled, hating himself as he watched her go, the haunted look on her face something he wasn’t soon going to forget.

“I suppose things didn’t get too out of hand tonight.” Caro sneered sarcastically. “I mean most of the natives have behaved themselves, except for the Bennets. God what a nightmare those people are.”

Jack merely grunted, unwilling to give her satisfaction of agreeing. Apart from the behavior of those three the night had been a surprising success, not that he really gave a shit.

He was expected to remain, so he did, keeping a close eye on things. Lydia spent the rest of the night sulking in a chair beside her father. Chloe Bennet quieted down, thankfully, but her earlier words still rang in his ears. Tom and Maya were inseparable as always and he took special notice of them. They looked happy enough, but she had withdrawn, he smile not quite reaching her eyes. He wondered if Maya was being pushed toward Tom by her mother. Sure she liked him but to his eyes not nearly as much as Chloe seemed to be implying. The question was, how far would she allow herself to be pushed and how much would that damage Tom?

Biding his time he waited until the party wound down before returning to the suite to wait for his friend. Tom walked in, on a cloud, Caro following behind him looking disapproving. That was fine, he thought, he could use her help for this.

“After Thanksgiving Maya and are going to take off for a few days, maybe up to Michigan.” Tom was prattling on and Jack knew he had to step in now.

“Don’t ye have those auditions next week?”

“I’m sure I can reschedule.” “And if ye canna? What will ye do then? That's no a professional way tae act.”

“There’ll be other roles, Jack.” Tom looked crestfallen that his mate wasn’t as happy for him as he would have liked.

“Ye know as well as I do that's no true.”

“Well I don’t care, Jack. I’m happy.”

“And ye were happy wi Sandra, and then mel, until ye weren’t.”

“It’s different with Maya.”

Caro snorted, rolling her eyes and Jack leveled her with a glare.

“Ye always say tha, mate. Ye fall in an out o love all the time. It’s no worth risking yer career fer.”

Jack saw the first flicker of doubt on Tom’s face and he knew he was getting through to him. Swallowing his conscience he kept at it. He didn’t want his friend to get hurt.

“Look Tom, I donna doubt that ye care abou the girl, an she’s lovely, but ye barely know her.”

“It’s been three months!”

“And after four months with Mel it was over remember?”

“Because Mel only wanted one thing, Caro. You know she was only using me to get an inside track on roles.”

“And Maya’s mum is pushin her at ye fer fame and money too. Ye heard her tonight.”

The trap was sprung and Tom had walked right into it. His face told the whole story, anger, doubt and hurt.

“Maya’s not like that.”

“I’m no sayin she is.” Jack admitted truthfully. “Maya’s a nice, sweet girl but how vested is she in this and how much of it is her mum’s manipulation?”

“It’s….I’m….she’s….” Tom was yammering and though Jack was feeling guilty he squashed it quickly. He was doing the right thing and Tom would see that in the long run.

“God, what am I going to do?” Tom sighed, sinking into a chair.

“I can get us all on a flight to London by 7am.” Caro piped up.

“That would mean leaving now.” Tom looked shocked. “That’s a low route to take.”

“Do ye wan tae drag it out? Sit at a dinner table with the whole family knowing ye’re goin tae break it off?”

“No, I suppose not, but Maya deserves better than a disappearing act.”

“Then text her, send an email, but draggin it out is only goin tae complicate things. A clean break is best, no harm no foul.”

Silence. With a nod Jack indicated to Caro that she should book the flight and then he went to pack.

There was a feeling relief knowing he was leaving this place behind him and returning to the familiar. He had a break until January before he was expected at a job in Italy and then in L.A for February and March. Spending most of that time at home in Scotland seemed like the best idea to get his head straight. A picture of Elizabeth presented itself in his thoughts and he tried to shake it away. He would soon forget that she had ever existed, or at the very least she would just be the memory of a pretty girl he’d failed to shag.

Tom didn’t say a word to anyone, not as they packed or as the car drove them to O’Hare. He looked miserable but resigned and Jack was sure that he would be back to his old self in no time. The boy always bounced back quickly and this time would be no different. Maya would be fine too, he was sure of that. She would be hurt at the way they had left yes, but with them gone her mum would stop pushing her and she could just get on with her life. Every time his thoughts turned to Elizabeth he pushed them away, what she did now was none of his concern, whether it be with Wick, or Colin, or no-one.

The bile rose in his throat and he swallowed against it, turning to look out the window. As the plane sped down the runway and began to ascend he thought about London and all the reasons he had to never come back here. And as the plane rose higher, the Chicago skyline receding from view, he pulled down the shade and closed his eyes, willing himself not to dream of a woman that he would never see again.

#jack x reader #jack lowden #jack lowden blurb #jack lowden fanfiction #jack lowden fic #pride and prejudice au

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thatbluegibson · 6 years

Text

CH 95

Liz, Allison, and Josie stood shoulder to shoulder, holding coffee cups while staring disdainfully down at the bright pink golf cart in front of them. Their names were written in Dave's handwriting on official CalJam stationary and taped to the glittery pink vinyl seats with Liz assigned behind the steering wheel and Ally beside her.

"Do they think we're the fucking Spice Girls?" Ally finally asked, making Liz and Josie laugh.

"I wouldn't be caught dead in this pink monstrosity," Josie chuckled and finished her coffee, then reached into the cooler behind them and fished out a beer even though it wasn't quite noon yet.

The three had met early that morning and after a quick stop at a decent coffee shop, they headed east to San Bernadino in Liz's truck armed with only Ally's vague memory of where to go and a text from Dave telling Liz to find someone named River. It had taken the better part of an hour, but they had found him and not five minutes later Liz was already eager to be rid of him.

"I'm so sorry," River said nervously as he flipped through the clipboard in his sweaty hands. "It's definitely the cart they assigned you ladies and-"

"No, it's okay," Liz said gently. "Thanks, River, we'll take it from here."

"Okay well, here's your keys, your walkie-talkie and your agenda, if you need me just call and I'll come find you," he stammered and handed over their things, clearly terrified to fuck up his boss's strict instructions to make sure the women in front of him were well cared for.

Liz just nodded gratefully and watched him scurry away then spun back to Josie and Ally once he was out of sight. "Sit in the pink cart until I wave you over," she whispered conspiratorily and handed everything over to Ally before ducking beside a black golf cart emblazoned with Dave and Taylor's names.

Ten minutes later, she punched the gas on the black hotwired cart and they headed off down the line of tents being set up in preparation for the backstage parties in a flurry of giggles and dust.

They spent most of the afternoon just driving around, getting their bearings on the layout of the festival and being generally ignored by the crews at work when they happened to cruise by the catering tent.

"I'm starving, let's go," Josie yelled from her seat on the back and practically dove off the cart before Liz could hit the brakes.

"We're gonna need seatbelts by the end of the day," Ally slurred a little and tossed her empty beer can into the trash just before they ducked into the tent.

Liz stood off to the side, blinking to help her eyes adjust to the dark and crowded tent when she felt arms around her waist.

"Did you boost my golf cart?" Dave purred against her neck.

She smiled and leaned back, soaking up the feeling of him against her since she hadn't seen him in almost three days. "You didn't really think I'd drive that pink nightmare around, did you?"

He chuckled against her ear and held her a little tighter, slipping his hand under her shirt just enough to drag his thumb against the skin at the top of her jean shorts. "I fucking missed you."

Liz felt her skin burn at his touch and was about to turn and kiss him when Taylor breezed past them with a plate piled high with food.

"Not now, Disco," he shouted through a bite. "The Kiszka brothers just rolled up. You can bang her later once the buses get here." He took another bite of his sandwich and grinned at them. "Hey, Liz."

"Hi, Taylor," she tried not to laugh, but she could feel Dave's glare radiating at Taylor from over her shoulder and she covered her mouth to suppress a giggle before turning in his arms to face him. "Go," she smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "You're too busy for me today."

"Fuck that," he grumbled. "Don't go too far, okay?" he squeezed her against his chest before finally moving to follow Taylor. "I'll come find you in a bit!"

She watched him go and tried to shake off the disappointment she felt once he was gone. She knew he was going to be busy all weekend running an entire music festival, but she selfishly still wanted to just be with to him. She was still staring at the tent wall when Josie appeared in front of her with two large bottles of champagne.

"Look what Rami found!" she sang and held them above her head, making Liz laugh.

"Oh lord," she groaned and took the bottles before they were dropped into the dirt. "Tell me you've at least eaten something besides that bagel from this morning."

"Yes, mother," Josie huffed and walked with her to a tall table next to the open wall of the tent. "I had some of that pork Dave made. He's a great cook, Liz. You should really wife that one up."

"Yeah," Liz said sarcastically and began to peel off the foil around the cork, "He'd look great in white."

"I'm just saying," Josie leaned across the table thinking she was speaking quietly, but the large group of crew guys next to them were clearly listening in. "He loves you, you love... oh shit... Liz, ten o' clock!"

Liz looked at her in confusion, trying to figure out what had changed her demeanor and why she was hissing the incorrect time at her when she heard Jordyn's voice.

"Elizabeth?"

She whipped around to greet her and felt a pang of regret at how uncomfortable she looked. They both knew they had so much to talk about, to get out in the open and work through, but they also knew that a crowded catering tent was the absolute wrong place to do so. There was a distinct drop in volume around them as the crowd watched their interaction with great interest.

"Hi!" Liz said excitedly, setting down the bottle to greet her with a quick hug and classic LA air kiss. There was no way in hell she would give these onlookers the satisfaction of an awkward moment for them to sell off to a celebrity news site and she didn't trust anyone regardless of how deep in the 'Foo Fam' they were. "Need a drink?" she offered, holding up the bottle of champagne.

"God, yes," Jordyn laughed and nodded a greeting to Josie, who tried to politely smile back. "Dave said you're quite the shot with a cork."

Liz laughed and unscrewed the cork cap, "Yeah. It's a party trick that comes in handy sometimes."

"Do you think you could teach me?"

A slow smile spread across Liz's face, realizing Jordyn was on the exact same page she was. "Absolutely."

Dave poured five shots of Jaeger into tiny red cups atop an amp in the practice tent. The band members surrounding him were barely 21, maybe not quite, and just starting out on the wild ride of the rock star life that Dave been living for thirty years. They hung on his every word, laughing loudly at his bad jokes and stories, eager to learn anything they could from the icon in front of them.

"Okay on three!" one of them yelled and held up his shot.

The five counted down and threw back the liquor just as Dave's sunglasses flew off the top of his head, propelled by a champagne cork.

"What the fuck?"

The kids laughed as Dave whipped around to find Jordyn pouring champagne into Liz's cup next to a hysterically laughing Josie. He met eyes with Liz and she shot him a grin telling him everything he needed to know.

Once the champagne was poured into the red cups and the women were once again in the safety of the catering tent, Josie sloppily announced that she had left her sunglasses in the golf cart and took off in search of them.

"She's good," Jordyn laughed as they watched her walk in the opposite direction of the parked carts.

"She'd be even better if she had remembered her sunglasses were on her face," Liz giggled.

They both laughed for a moment while Jordyn finished her champagne and began to pour another round. "Would you walk with me for a bit? Take a turn about the room, if you will?"

Liz stared at her in surprise, absorbing her Pride and Prejudice quote while desperately trying to interpret it. Caroline Bingley had said it in an attempt to use Elizabeth Bennett get Mr. Darcy's attention, so was Jordyn supposed to be Caroline and... she stopped herself before she could overthink it and stepped around the tall table to her side. Jordyn linked her arm in Liz's and they walked, red cups in hand, out into the harsh sun.

"I want to apologize for Paris," Jordyn said bluntly once they were far enough away from eavesdroppers.

"Oh," Liz tried to laugh it off, feeling incredibly uncomfortable all of a sudden. "It was-"

"Awful, I know," she interrupted. "Dave was a wreck after you left."

Liz stopped short and turned to face her, frantically gathering the courage to speak. "I just... I wanted to give you two some time to figure things out without me there. If there was anything worth saving, it would be worth it to find for your girls."

"He told me you'd say that," she admitted and pushed her sunglasses up into her hair. She smiled kindly at Liz, but there was an obvious sadness behind her eyes. "And we tried, but there's nothing there anymore. I just wanted you to know that I appreciated the sentiment. You put my girls and their feelings above all else and that's all I'll ever ask of you." She paused as Dave's lyrics hung over them and then quickly pulled Liz into a hug. "And thank you for giving me the closure I needed from him. That was... unexpected."

Liz, at a complete loss for words, just squeezed her shoulders before pulling back.

"And really, Elizabeth... you were unexpected. Out of all the...," she laughed a little and rolled her eyes before continuing. "Let's just say I wasn't expecting Dave to fall for someone like you. I was fully prepared for some twenty year old in a mini skirt to show up and try to parent my girls and my claws were ready."

They both laughed at that, each of them knowing what it was to be overly protective of their babies.

"But then he sat me down and confessed that he loved you and I swear, he should have been a fucking lawyer because he pretty much sold me then and there."

Liz slowly nodded, still unable to form words with how much was swirling through her brain and with how profoundly grateful she was that this woman was so understanding.

"So are you okay?" Liz asked before Jordyn let her go and she lost the nerve.

Jordyn tilted her head from one side to the other as if she were tasting her words before spitting them out. "Yes," she finally decided. "Jonathan apparently realized his mistake halfway through my stay in Greece and crawled, literally, to my hotel room in tears."

"Yikes," Liz offered, not wanting to take sides when she didn't know the outcome.

"So I locked him out of his hotel room because karma's a bitch and so am I," she smiled brightly as Liz laughed and once again linked their arms, walking her towards the tent just across from them and pulled back the white wall.

It took a moment for Liz's eyes to adjust to the shade, but when they did her heart lodged itself firmly in her throat.

"Hey, Mom."

Harper was curled up in a camping chair with headphones on and a tablet in her lap, casually smiling at her mother while Ophelia sat at her feet in the grass with a bright green ukelele on her knees.

"Can you pause that a moment, honey? I want you to meet my friend," Jordyn looked around while Liz remained frozen in place, desperately wishing Dave were with her. "Where's your sister?"

"I'm right here, Mama!" Ophelia said sweetly, making her mother laugh.

"No, honey. Where's Violet?"

"Oh, I dunno," Harper shrugged and hopped out of her chair. "She took off with Shane awhile ago."

"I swear to god these kids," Jordyn whispered under her breath in frustration but pulled Liz forward. "Harper, Phee, this is Elizabeth."

Liz tried to swallow the organs that were threatening to choke her and crouched to the girl's eye level. She attempted a smile but was sure she looked as if she were baring her teeth at the poor things when Harper and Phee shared a worried glance.

"Hi," Liz managed, surprised that her voice was even and calm. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

Harper stepped forward first and politely offered her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Elizabeth."

Liz shook her hand, feeling her heart break a little when Phee hid behind her sister and peeked out with wide, scared eyes. "You can call me Liz if you'd like."

Harper smiled brightly and nodded. "That's what Daddy calls you."

"Phee?" Jordyn asked softly, joining Liz on the grass and holding her arms out when Phee ran to her.

"Mama, that's Annie," she whispered into her mother's ear.

"She's too little to understand," Harper explained in her big sisterly way while Jordyn quietly reassured Phee. "Daddy told me you play the drums."

"I do," Liz nodded, marveling at how much Harper looked like a little blonde Dave. "He told me the same about you."

Harper blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear the exact same way her father did. "He's teaching me."

"You're so lucky to have him as a teacher!"

"Yeah, people say he's the best drummer in the world, but he's just my dad," she said casually and Liz couldn't help but laugh.

Harper's eyes went wide and she kneeled on the grass in front of Liz. "Daddy said you have a really pretty laugh," she whispered.

"Well, that was very nice of him to say," Liz started, but was surprised when Phee suddenly crawled into her lap with a shy giggle.

"I know you're not really the pirate Annie," she said and put her hands on Liz's cheeks to stare into her eyes, "but can we play pretend some time?"

"Oh, I would love that," Liz smiled, "Every pirate needs a good crew."

"Daddy said you have boys," Phee crinkled her little nose in disgust, making both Liz and Jordyn laugh.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but they're pretty fun anyways."

Harper craned her neck a bit to see Liz's face around Phee's mass of blonde curls. "Do they play the drums, too?"

"No, the music bug hasn't hit them quite yet, unfortunately. Maybe you could teach them!"

Harper audibly gasped in excitement and her eyes lit up like Christmas. "When can we meet them?"

"Won't they be here tomorrow?" Jordyn asked. "I bet you all could play then."

Liz just nodded, worried she might start to cry at any moment. These people, who she barely knew, had thrown open their arms and welcomed her and her boys as if it were the easiest thing in the world to do. The four of them sat together for an hour with Phee performing her own renditions of Disney songs on her ukelele and Harper showing Liz drumming videos on her tablet until both girls were yawning.

"Okay, that's it," Jordyn announced and pulled herself up off the grass. "Naptime!"

"Mom," Harper whined with embarrassment. "I'm too old for naps!"

"Don't care," her mother said matter of factly. "I'm not dealing with two cranky girls tonight when this place starts getting fun. Just give me an hour."

"Fine," she grumbled, then gave Liz a tight hug. "See you later, Liz!"

Liz said her goodbyes and watched them go, sitting stunned in the grass for a moment before slipping out the back. She wandered through the maze of white tents, listening to the voices drifting out from the thin walls and trying to wrap her brain around what had just happened. She had met two of his three daughters and already adored them, but she was most surprised by how much more connected she felt with Dave. Maybe that was how he felt about her when he met her boys, which would explain his almost stifling clinginess in London. Things were beginning to make a little more sense, like the last few pieces of a long and intense jigsaw puzzle were falling into place and the big picture was becoming more clear. When she was satisfied that everything was worked out in her head, she finally looked around and noticed she had strayed a bit further from the backstage area than she had intended. Worried that maybe Dave was looking for her, she was about to head back when she heard a band begin their sound check on stage and felt her heart flutter at the distinct sound of Dave's drumming.

Making her way along the crowd control fences that were still being set up, she tried to stay out of everyone's way while being as invisible as possible, but she was still stopped a few times by people asking for a photo or an autograph. It felt strange to be noticed again, news of her next movie was gaining traction in the press and she knew the madness was about to crash around her once again. Not to mention the fact that she was Dave's girlfriend and he was running the entire festival she was currently traipsing through. That was probably the more likely scenario.

She found a spot on the lawn, just next to the soundboard placed far back from the stage and directly in the middle of where thousands of people would be standing in just 24 hours and settled in. The sky was turning a gorgeous pink color, framing the stage with the sunset when the sound tech smiled and nodded at her then pointed at a cooler beside his chair.

"Hey, there's water and beer in here if you want anything," he yelled over the music and Liz nodded a thank you. She wondered if Dave had instructed everyone to treat her like fucking royalty or if they had all taken it upon themselves to do so. As she mulled it over, a blur of yellow caught her attention when Violet sat next to her in the grass and silently began watching the sound check. After a few moments, Liz dug through the previously ignored cooler and offered her a bottle of water which Violet examined before taking. "Thanks," she muttered. "Nice tattoo."

"Thank you. I like your shirt," Liz nodded to the yellow Scream shirt she had on and wondered if it was the yellow Scream shirt of Nirvana video infamy.

"It was my dad's."

Liz just smiled and turned back to the band when they started another song, hoping they could just sit together and listen to the music, but Violet apparently had a different idea in mind.

"So you're the princess?"

"Only at work," Liz replied, still watching Dave thrash the drum kit. "Off duty, I'm really rather boring."

"Your face was everywhere last time my dad took us to Disneyland," Violet said flatly, still not looking at Liz. "It made him sad."

Fuck. Probably all those Pirate promo posters with Johnny. "I missed him a lot when I was in London," she sighed, not sure how else to respond.

Violet pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "He thinks I can't tell when he's sad. I can, though."

Liz considered this a moment, trying to approach her on a mutual level. "Sometimes dads think they're good at hiding what they're feeling, but us daughters always know."

Violet finally looked over and began to study Liz. "What's your dad like?"

Liz felt herself smile at the thought of her dad and knew she would get to see him in less than 24 hours. "He's pretty great. He's funny and smart, he loves music and books... He's one of my best friends."

"Really?" she dropped her knees and turned a little to face Liz, just slightly thawing her demeanor towards her.

"Absolutely," Liz nodded and glanced over at her. "We text or talk at least once a day, even if it's just to say I love you or send a funny picture. My parents are actually coming out tomorrow and I'm so excited to see them."

"Are your parents still married?"

Shit, there goes the mutual ground. "Yes," she admitted.

Violet blinked and turned back to the stage, effectively closing herself off again. They watched the rest of the set in silence, occasionally nodding their heads to the music, but the wall Violet had thrown up between them was thick and Liz was beginning to worry she might not break through. Once the band left the stage, Violet moved to stand and Liz looked up at her expectantly, hoping she would just say something.

"Will you tell my mom that I talked to you?"

"Sure," she replied and before she could get herself up and off the grass, Violet was gone.

Liz slipped past the giant men guarding the VIP gates and waved to the occasional person that she knew before ducking into the catering tent, relieved and a little surprised to find it empty. She dug a beer out of a cooler and sat in a camping chair to begin overthinking her life.

She was halfway through her beer and lost in her own mind when Dave threw back the tent wall just next to her. "Hey, baby!" he called and reached for her hand, bending down so he could kiss her before moving to the tables of food. "Having fun?"

"Of course!" she smiled and took a long drink while watching him peruse the tables full of food.

He decided on a handful of chips and shoved them in his mouth, then apparently thought better of it and grabbed then entire bowl, chewing loudly as he marched over and sat directly on her knees, almost sending them both to the dirt.

"David!" she cried, trying to keep her drink and herself upright as he adjusted himself on her lap.

"Shit, sorry," he laughed and steadied their chair before leaning back in, fully aware that he was squishing her. "So what have you been up to?"

Liz wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his back, not quite ready to talk about the girls. "Just wandering around. How about you? ... god, Dave. You're all sweaty."

"Yeah, I was kicking my own ass up there," he groaned and rubbed at his biceps.

"I saw that," she giggled and held him tighter, not really caring how damp his shirt was.

"Was that you out by the soundboard?" he asked, swiveling just enough to see her face. "I told Taylor to find my glasses but he just laughed at me."

"Yeah, that was me."

"And Violet, right? I'd know that godawful yellow shirt even if I went completely blind."

Shit. Here we go. "Yep."

"So..."

"I got to meet your girls!" she said it as cheerfully as she could, but she couldn't kick the tinge of worry in her voice.

He was silent long enough that Liz felt her throat tighten with anxiety, then he suddenly stood and discarded the chip bowl on a table before rushing back to her. She watched in confusion when he grabbed another chair and positioned it close enough that their knees were touching.

"How'd it go?" he asked, matching her worry with the look in his eyes.

"Harper is your clone," she said simply, smiling at the memory of her tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah," Dave relaxed a little and smiled proudly. "What about Phee?"

"Darling," she breathed. "That one might give me diabetes with how sweet she is."

Dave chuckled and reached for her hand, "And Violet?"

"Work in progress," Liz confessed, bracing herself for his reaction. The very last thing she wanted to do was to drive a wedge between the two.

Dave knit his eyebrows together in concern. "What's that mean?"

"We talked a little and I think she's trying to figure me out."

"Was she rude?"

"No," Liz shook her head. "God, no. It's just gonna take some time to get used to each other, that's all."

"Should I talk to her?"

Liz considered this a moment, wondering what Violet would want her to say. "No... I mean, you obviously know her best, but I don't want her to feel like she's being forced into liking me."

"But she kinda is, babe," he pointed out. "I love you whether she likes it or not."

"Don't-," Liz sharply shook her head and set her beer down. "Fuck, don't say that!"

Dave chuckled, apparently amused by her panic. "What? Am I supposed to leave you just because she's annoyed?"

"We've broken up over less, dude," she reminded him and matched his smile. "And I think I've made it pretty clear that those girls come before me."

"She'll come around, babe," he assured her and reached back for more chips. "So you talked to Jordyn?"

"Yeah, we caught up," she said, grabbing a chip when he offered her the bowl. "She's got great aim!"

Dave rolled his eyes but laughed all the same. "Yeah, thanks for teaching her that. Now she's going to launch fucking corks at me every chance she gets."

"Yeah, but from what I hear, you deserve it," she teasingly raised an eyebrow at him, remembering what Allison had told her about Dave straying from his marriage and watched as he cautiously studied her.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, making Liz regret joking about such a thing.

"Just fine, why?"

"Well, I thought maybe you'd be hostile because I kissed her back in Paris."

He said it as casually as if he were stating the weather, but Liz felt as if someone had thrown her through thin ice on a frozen lake. "She actually didn't even mention that little piece of information," she said coolly, locking her eyes on his.

It took him a moment, but Dave's chip halted midway to his mouth and he slowly leaned back in his chair. "Oh, shit."

Liz snatched her beer to avoid saying something she might regret and quickly stood up. "I'm gonna go find Ally. Where are you going to be in fifteen minutes?"

"Where do you need me to be?" he sat forward in his chair as if she would go off the rails and explode at any moment.

"I need you in front of me, please." She congratulated herself on sounding calm, though her insides were roiling.

"I can do that."

"Cool. See you in fifteen."

And with that, she steadily walked out of the tent in search of Allison.

Ten minutes later, she was sitting on a couch in the incredibly luxurious tour bus assigned to her and Dave, while trying to work through her thoughts with Ally and Josie.

"Okay so it's just me, right? Like, I can't even be mad that they kissed. I can't shove them together and then be pissed off when they do exactly what I wanted them to."

"Nope," Ally smiled kindly and went to sit beside her on the plush tan leather. "And because they did exactly what you wanted them to, now there's no 'what if' hovering over them. It's a completely clean slate for everyone!"

"But," Josie added, holding her finger up from the kitchen area, "You're totally allowed to not like it."

"Oh, absolutely," Ally added, then put her arms around Liz's shoulders and held her tightly. "Honey, you know he loves you. No more huge blow-ups, okay? Taylor can't take much more of Dave's sobbing."

Liz laughed and leaned her head into Ally's shoulder, thankful for the friends she had made in the last several months.

"He's here," Josie said, peering out the window.

"Was that fifteen minutes?" Liz asked, looking around for a clock.

"Fifteen minutes, exactly." Ally grinned and went to open the door, then gasped when a soaking wet Dave hurried past her. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Someone gave your goddamn husband a squirt gun," he grumbled and moved towards the bedroom at the back of the bus, hesitating a little when he saw Liz. "Am I early? ... Or late?"

"You're right on time," Ally said quickly and grabbed Josie's arm to drag her outside. "You're good!"

"So good," Josie muttered, watching him as he peeled off his wet shirt and tossed it into the sink.

"Get... oh my god, Josie! Get out!" Liz laughed and pushed her towards the door. "You have your own rock star to maul."

"Yeah but yours has tattoos!" she whined and leaned back from her spot on the steps to get one last look at Dave.

"So does yours!" Dave yelled back but started on his belt anyways making Josie plant her feet on the top step.

"Fine," Liz threw up her hands and moved back to Dave. "You can watch, I don't care."

"Whoa, really?" he flashed a grin at Josie while grabbing Liz around the waist as she passed him.

"Sure, whatever," she laughed and leaned into him, once again not caring that he was soaking her shirt with his wet skin. "You put on a good show. Seems a shame to keep it all to myself."

She held his gaze long enough to know that he was wondering if she were serious or not when Josie finally spoke.

"Ugh. You guys made it weird. I'm out," she laughed and bounded down the stairs out of view.

The moment she was gone, Dave pulled Liz in front of him and threw his arms around her. "Are we okay?"

"We're fine," she tried to nod, but he was holding her too tightly. "Ally got me through it."

"You're sure?" He seemed uneasy about how relaxed she was, making her stretch up to kiss him.

She had meant it to be quick, thinking he had somewhere else to be, but when she tried to pull away he held her to his lips and backed her against the counter, pawing at her clothes and slipping his hand underneath her loose tank top just to feel more of her skin. She melted into his touch and wove her fingers into his hair, trying to get him as close to her as possible.

"Fuck," he grunted, pulling back just enough that he could yank the zipper down on her shorts, but not enough that their lips parted.

Her gasp mixed with his groan when he slipped his hands into the front of her shorts and her hips bucked against him as he curled his fingers into her. He whispered her name against her throat and she felt her insides pool into hot liquid, but a small sound just outside the bus made her head snap up at attention.

"Dad?"

He didn't even have time to register what was happening before Liz shoved him away and bolted into the back bedroom just as Harper came up the steps holding her favorite stuffed dragon and a backpack.

"Hey, Doodle!" he yelled and leaned against the counter to catch his breath while forcing a smile at her.

Harper, blissfully unaware, grinned brightly at him. "Can I sleep here with you and Liz tonight? I don't want to share with Violet."

"Of course you can," Liz announced, breezing out of the back room now in sweats and a hoodie. "We can pull out the couch for you."

Harper squeezed her dragon in excitement and tossed her things on the couch while Liz shot Dave a sympathetic look.

Tomorrow, she mouthed and squeezed his shoulder before going to find extra blankets.

#ThatBlueGibson

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