| "Not unless you want to buy another ticket yourself." Lecey said. "Why are you making such a fuss about this? And where were you yesterday?" "Nowhere," he said, quickly. "I just wandered around town for a while, and then came back here to sleep. The flight really wore me out." She stared at him suspiciously. "That doesn't explain why you want to stay, though." "It's a beautiful city." He lied. "I just don't feel that I explored it enough in one night. Besides," he said, defensively. "I don't have to justify my reasons to you. I didn't ask where you were last night, did I?" "What is your problem??" She stamped her foot, angrily. "Just pack your stuff, and let's go." "No." She glared at him. "What?" "I said no. I'm not leaving, Lecey." "We can come back again when we have time, if that's what you want�" "No it isn't," he cut her off. "I want to be here now. And I'm not going home." "Then do you want me to go back without you? Is that what you want?" He nodded, watching her face turn a bright scarlet. "Because if I leave alone, Pacey, you can just forget about us." "What??" He cried. "Why are you being so difficult?" "Why are you being so difficult?" She challenged. "You either come with me, or you stay behind and you are on your own for good." "You're such a princess, you know? You always pout when you don't get your way. Well, I acted like that when I was 2 years old, Lecey, so grow up." "Ah!" She scoffed, too angered to speak. "I don't know what's wrong with you, Pacey, but something's been up in the last month, and I don't like your attitude one bit." "Well, I don't like yours either, so you can just leave." He shouted back at her. Lecey stormed off into the bathroom, where he could hear her frantically throwing things into her suitcase. She returned to throw her pajamas in the case, then snapped it shut. All the while, he calmly sat on the edge of the bed, watching her. She pulled on her jacket, and looked up at him. "Last chance. Are you coming with me, or not." He shook his head. "I'm not." "Fine," she spat at him. "Goodbye, Pacey, and have a nice life!" She stomped to the door and left, slamming it behind her. He sat on the bed for another good 1/2 hour, running through his head what had gone on. His girlfriend had just left him. He finally knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that bargain. But surprisingly he didn't feel too bad. A small part of him hurt, but he figured that was the part of him that was reliving the breakup with Andie - and that it had nothing to do with Lecey at all. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was already noon. He figured that whatever Ralston Mackey did for a job would keep him away from home for most of the day. It would be wise to make his way over now, when Andie was making lunch, or at least home alone with Mera. He needed to talk to her again, alone. To convince her to come back to Capeside with him, or at least to leave Ralston, and go somewhere safe. He hailed a taxi, and on the way over he tried again to convince himself that he was doing this only because Ralston's treatment of his wife was wrong, and that no woman deserved to live that way. But a small, nagging part of his brain kept saying that it was because he still felt things for her - because he still loved her, and wanted to take her away, to make her his wife, and show her how she should be treated. He was still trying to decide what to do in the event of Ralston coming home, when the taxi pulled into the Mackey's driveway. He told the driver not to wait, that he would walk into town and call a cab from there when he was ready. He noticed the same two cars in the driveway that he'd seen the day previous, and took this to mean that Andie was home again. Ringing the bell, he expected to be greeted by the maid, and was therefore surprised when Andie answered the door herself. She looked shocked to see him, her confusion at whether to let him in or slam the door in his face was prominent. "My, my," he quipped. "Mackey lets you answer the door? What a generous guy�" "No, he�" she began, then thought better of it. "What are you doing here?" "I came to see you, can I come in?" She shook her head. "You really shouldn't be here, Pacey. Ralston is going to be home very soon, and if he finds you here with me�" He pushed his way in, closing the door behind him. "What if he doesn't find you here at all?" He asked. She glared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about." She turned and began walking down the hallway towards the set of rooms they'd been in the day before. He raced after her, reaching out to grab her wrist and spin her around. |