Ethan looked into Liz’s eyes. They were such a deep blue in color and her lashes were long and dark. It would be easy to get lost in them. Her feelings always showed in her eyes. Liz was making excuses to not talk to him and he couldn’t blame her. He had been a judgmental ass and he felt bad about it. He wanted her physically but he still wasn’t sure if they would have anything else in common. He was past the age where sex w
as enough to start a relationship, but he had to try or he’d always wonder.
Liz smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. She threw her empty water bottle away and stood up, packing her gym bag and putting her jacket on. “You’ve already made up your mind about me, Ethan. I am not your type, remember? I’m snobby and too fragile for you. If you want a one-night stand go find Melissa. I think she’s very interested and the exact opposite of me.”
“I’m trying to apologize here, and you are not making it easy,” he replied angrily and started to say more but was interrupted by a student asking questions about a certain move. Liz took the opportunity to leave without waiting to hear anymore. She just wanted to go home and shower and go to bed. Being around Ethan was hard on her libido. Her body wanted him still. She didn’t think she could handle being just friends with Ethan. It would drive her crazy trying to keep her hands off of him. She’d be acting like Melissa and that would be tacky. It would be easier if she just stayed away from Ethan completely. Maybe someday she would meet the right man for her. She had to have hope.
Liz said her good-byes to Lacy and Ryan. It was cold and dark, and Liz was glad she parked close to the building. It would snow soon and she couldn’t wait. She loved Christmas. Not just the lights and decorations but people were nicer at this time of year, too. She turned her radio station to one that was playing Christmas music, enjoying singing along to it.
The streets were dark and quiet even though it wasn’t late. In Chicago there was always traffic and lights from the many businesses. When she first moved here she found the dark, empty streets eerie, but now it didn’t bother her. She looked behind her and saw a car driving behind her, blinding her vision with bright lights.
“Turn it down, jerk,” Liz muttered as the car got real close to her rear bumper. Suddenly, Liz felt a bump and her car swerved. She tightened her hands on the steering wheel so she could control her car better, when she felt another bump and she swerved toward a tree and hit it before she could stop. Her head jerked forward and she hit it on the steering wheel and blacked out.
* * * *
Liz snapped out of her daze with a wince. Her forehead hurt and when she put her hand up to it she knew she wasn’t bleeding. Then she remembered what happened and she looked around, scared. She could see nothing but darkness. Whoever it was didn’t stick around to check on her. With shaky hands she reached in her purse for her cell phone. Who should she call? She couldn’t bring Stella out in the cold and dark. Would Ryan and Lacy be home or at the community hall still?
She moved her legs. They were achy but she didn’t feel any pain, so she knew she wasn’t seriously hurt. She was too scared and cold to get out of the car.
She called the station and gave a sign of relief when Gabe Wilson answered the phone. She told him she had a minor accident but wasn’t hurt and gave him the location.
“Don’t bother Lacy either, Gabe. She’ll spend all night worrying. I’ll tell her tomorrow.” She made him promise.
“Or Ethan?” he asked drolly.
Liz snorted. “Ethan wouldn’t care but he’d probably lecture me, so just get here without bringing the whole gang, okay?”
Gabe chuckled at her grouchy attitude. “Yes, ma’am.”
He arrived a few minutes later and looked at her car and scowled. “This looks like more than a fender bender, Liz. And you have a big bump on your head.”
Liz touched her forehead. “It’s nothing, Gabe, a little bump.” She explained what had happened and how she couldn’t see anything because the headlights had been so bright.
“This is getting serious, Liz. If it was a simple accident they would have stayed to help,” Gabe observed, still frowning at her. “This is more serious now than a few broken windows at your store. This is a personal vendetta. I don’t like the feel of this.”
Liz’s shoulders slumped. It was cold and late and she was exhausted. The way her life had been going lately, she didn’t think she would ever complain about life being too boring. “I know, Gabe, and I am so confused. I don’t have enemies. I’ve had words with Ethan and Gary lately and that’s it. Ethan wouldn’t do this. He is too noble and straightforward. As for Gary, I barely know him but he is so vain that it doesn’t seem possible he would do anything that would dirty his suit.”
Gabe chuckled at that comment and thought about Gary Peters. What if he hired someone? He would start looking into it before the situation worsened. “Listen, let me take you home and I’ll call a tow truck. Your front end is pretty smashed from hitting the tree. In the morning I will have to tell Ryan, okay?”
Liz nodded and got in Gabe’s jeep with a tired sigh and leaned her head back. Gabe had left the heat on, so it was very warm inside the vehicle. She just wanted to shower and go to bed. Tomorrow was another day where she could worry about somebody hating her and wanting to hurt her.
Gabe gave her a worried look as he drove. “What if you have a concussion? You’re not supposed to sleep. I should call Doc,” he said as he pulled in front of her building. Gabe picked up his cell phone and Liz put her hand on his wrist to stop him when suddenly someone knocked on the car window. She jumped and screeched in fright and looked up to see a very angry-looking Ethan at Gabe’s driver window.
Gabe rolled his window down and smiled. “Ethan, I’m so glad to see you.”
Ethan looked angrily at both of them. He had been waiting to talk to Liz for thirty minutes and was getting worried about her. When they pulled up he had anxiously walked over to the jeep and saw Liz holding Gabe’s hand, and then all he saw was red as his temper went into overdrive.
“Now I see why you didn’t want to talk to me at the hall. You had better things to do, huh?” he sneered at her. “What is your game, Liz?”
“Ethan, it’s not what you think.” Gabe tried to interrupt him but Ethan was too angry to listen.
“No? After you tried to get me to see that Liz was different than other women and I almost fell for it, you go for her? But she is no different than Diana or any of the loose women around here, is she?” he yelled at Gabe with scorn.
Liz gasped in shock and felt tears come to her eyes. It felt like he had just slapped her across the face. Liz was so shocked at his verbal attack that although she opened her mouth to protest nothing came out.
Ethan kept his eyes on her pale face, dismissing her tears as anger that her true colors had been found out just before she sank her claws into him. “Nothing to say, Liz? Sad that I discovered your lies so quickly?”
Gabe cut into Ethan’s tirade, his voice so cold and hard that it sent shivers up Liz’s spine. “You’d better stop before you embarrass yourself more than you already are.”