Lazy Lizzie

Twelve

That was not how Lizzie remembered it.

"And then you told me where the money was so that I'd leave," Leo continued. "And then I came back, in the middle of the night. With a deal that you took, no argument. And then I..."

Finally free, the giant poppy linen got dragged over her, so she felt more comfortable to participate in the conversation. She hid her legs, ashamed of her chipped nail polish. She used to do her nails when the boredom became too heavy, but lately, that was rarer and rarer.

"It felt like you were... willing," he said.

She had to look up, at that. It didn't make sense to her. Of course, she was willing. He was not looking at her, but staring somewhere over her shoulder.

"I'm just saying," he tried to explain, "I'm not sure you say no easily."

He moved his eyes on her and she had to force herself to not look down. At that, he was visibly relieved, his voice became more relaxed. 

"And I get it," he said. "There's this man who threatens you, you know?"

Time to look down again. There was only one flower on the entire sheet -- it looked completely red, from where she was standing.

"I just wanna make sure that you know that our deal doesn't include..." he waved his hand around them. "And that you can end our arrangement at any time, no explanation needed if you don't want to go to Canada with me. For any reason."

Contrary to Sudden Gentleman's opinion of her, Lizzie knew full well how to say 'no'. She'd been telling it to Dale for seven years, now. It didn't matter.  Somewhere inside her was a law that taught her everything she needed to know about the world: when someone really wants something they will not stop because of you. It was only a matter of wanting it less than to harm you. Because eventually Dale did stop, but it had nothing to do with her.

"I just don't want you to feel... forced," he brought her back.

"Don't worry," she had a harsh reality check joke ready, "I don't. Because it's not gonna happen. You kinda killed the mood?"

Visibly more comfortable at the promise she won't make him look at her scars anymore, he smiled, "See, that's what I want," his hands went for her again, "You telling me when you don't want something. Fine, it's not gonna happen," his hand cut the air in a horizontal line as if that was settled.

He put his hand on a red petal, "Now, come here."

Her smile hid her suspicions. He made it even more so, "I think it's time we got to know each other better."

His hands moved, he was going to take his shirt off. She stopped him, "Don't take off your clothes!"

"Fine," he showed his palms in surrender. "Are you coming or not?"

He pulled the sheet, and she came with it on her own, until she was in his arms, busy not facing him. He shuffled the cover around them.

"See? Nothing has to happen," he embraced her, his thick arms immediately making her feel like a prisoner.

Because he didn't move, she began fearing he'd fall asleep, leaving her to stare at the greasy walls for hours, she turned to face him, and her leg just decided to go over him, in a move she did so often in her career as a dancer that she reflexively went for it. Welcoming Arms was happy to kiss her. The covers gathered between their bodies, hindering them, but not having him directly on her skin made her focus on her quest to make him regret his promises.

Just as she was holding his head so that she could better taste him, the familiar sound of Dale's gun cocking was heard, paralyzing her in her stead, eyes shut. Leo darted over her.

It was not so that he could protect her from an eventual gunshot wound, she soon saw, but to climb over her, racing for Dale, who was pointing his trusted twenty-two point-blank at Leo's chest.

Lizzie's ex was a coward, even when superiorly armed, so soon she was alone in the trailer, the yard too small for Leo's swearing and Dale's angry "Don't make me shoot you!" over and over again. Clearly not working, as it never did on her, either.

"Get back here Dale! I got some new questions for you," she heard Vengeful Boyfriend somewhere outside, getting lost in the distance, after wasting time putting his shoes on. 

"Leo, you're not gonna catch him!" she uselessly yelled after them.

No one could catch Dale.