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Georgiana was already there, and told them Matt had just left. Her eyes went back and forth between Elizabeth and Will, clearly understanding that something was amiss. But instead of asking questions, she wished them both good night and went upstairs.
"Can we go up too?” Will asked Elizabeth. “We need to talk, and we’ll be more comfortable up there.”
She nodded, and he followed her upstairs.
She headed straight for his walk-in closet, and once inside, she lowered the side zipper of her dress, and pulled it over her head. The thong was next; she lowered and stepped out of it and then walked to her bag, pulling out a pair of panties. Hearing a noise at the doorway, she glanced up and saw Will leaning against the door frame, watching her.
“I was really looking forward to taking those off you tonight,” he said quietly.
She said nothing, just pulled on her underwear, then crossed her arms over her bare breasts. “Do you have something I could wear?”
He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a Boston Celtics T-shirt. “Will this do?”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
She pulled it over her head, and then released the clip that held up her hair, letting it fall down around her shoulders.
Will changed out of his tux and into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. His expression was somber, unyielding, but she wasn’t sure if he was feeling angry or contrite. As she moved to walk past him, he blocked her path and held her loosely by the shoulders.
“I refuse to go to bed with you angry at me, with all of this hanging over our heads. I want to get it straightened out tonight.”
She nodded. “Let's go sit.”
She sat in one of the chairs near the windows, but Will sat on the edge of the bed. She turned to look at him, and sadness welled up inside of her. His elbows rested on his knees, and his head was bent, as if he was studying something on the floor.
“I don't feel that way about you,” he said quietly. “I never–I never thought those things when you told me about Jason.”
“Then how could you say that to Richard?” Her anger and sadness quickly dissipated, leaving bewilderment in its wake. “The things you said to him—”
“I know. I know what I said.” He sighed before meeting her gaze. “I wasn't thinking. This whole thing with him and Lauren… It’s completely thrown me.” He paused. “I have this–this fear that she’s going to do something… Turn on him, attack him. Attack RJD. It may be an irrational fear, but it's there just the same.”
“So suggesting the baby isn’t his was the best way you could think of to deal with that fear? You were rotten to him.Rotten. No matter what you think about her and her motives, Richard is clearly in love with her. His feelings are real, they’re genuine, and you stepped all over them.”
“I didn't mean any of it. He was right, I crossed the line.” He stared at her imploringly. “You have to believe me. I wasn't thinking... You were standing right there, listening toallof it, and it didn't even dawn on me that you would think…”
“Do you know how it felt to hear you say those things knowing I’d been down that road myself? I know the situations aren't the same, but… Listening to you lecture Richard with that condescending tone of voice… I could only imagine what you must have thought of me.”
“No,” he said firmly, shaking his head. “No. I just told you, I never thought that. Those worries, the–the fears I have about Lauren, they all came to the surface, and I said anything that crossed my mind.”
They were quiet for a while. She stared out the windows but was oblivious to any of the scenery.
“You know, when I left the hotel to go for a walk,” she finally said, “I was trying to reconcile how the man I’d just witnessed saying those things to his cousin was the same man who’d given me that gorgeous jewelry earlier, the same man who sang to me while we danced and kissed me in front of everyone. How could they be one and the same?” She paused and turned to him. “Part of me knew it was fear making you say those things. But it’s not an excuse. You showed a blatant disregard for Richard's feelings and acted only to assuage your own. And I realized during the ride home that you did the same thing last night.”
In the silence of the cab, she’d thought a bit more about their discussion the night before, and she realized he’d never really acknowledged her feelings or apologized for not taking them into consideration. Instead, he’d reassured her abouthisfeelings, but that was never the issue; not once did the thought enter her mind that he might be drawn to someone else.
No, her anxiety stemmed from the feeling of not being able to measure up. She was stepping into a different arena with him, and initially, it had terrified her. The unfamiliar, the unknown, the unexpected… She considered herself to be a brave person, someone not easily intimidated; but she could admit that being drawn into this part of his life had unnerved her.
Will's head snapped up. “Last night? What are you talking about?”
“Did you understand what I was feeling when I told you I was nervous about going tonight?”
He shrugged. “I think I did. I told you, you had nothing to worry about. Youhavenothing to worry about.”
She sighed and spoke softly. “You think you understand, but you don't. I tried to tell you last night, it wasn’t about you. Walking into that ballroom on your arm…it was a bit surreal.”
“I tried to distract you when we were walking in. I thought it worked.”
“It did, and I appreciate that you did that for me. It made me forget where we were for just a few moments...” She smiled slightly at the memory of him flirting playfully as they walked across the lobby. “But I don’t think you took me seriously last night.”
