Chapter 15- Everything
Lizzie’s head hurt when she woke up the next morning. Then she remembered the events of the night before — the dance, the blackout, the blackout of her own judgment — and her pride hurt even worse.
She lay in the Pemberley guest room bed, replaying every second of the hallway scene in her head like a bad TikTok on loop.
“Chillaxing.” She’d actually said “chillaxing.” To the man who’d confessed his love two weeks earlier.
And then she’d stood there in his shirt, legs bare, wineglass in hand, babbling about “no unless” like a drunk freshman.
The shame burned hotter than any mojito hangover. She’d spent weeks telling herself he was arrogant, dismissive, unworthy. Now she’d humiliated herself in front of him while wearing his clothes. She wondered if he felt vindicated to be able to reject her.
She buried her face in the pillow and groaned. “You’re an idiot, Benítez.”
At least the weather outside looked clear, and she’d be able to make her escape, hopefully avoiding further embarrassing herself in front of Will Pemberley.
Lizzie got dressed and went down to the room where Abuela was staying.
Abuela was already up and dressed and wanted to tell Lizzie about all the things in the room that she found interesting, from the bidet in the bathroom to the picture of a woman on the desk that she was convinced was her cousin’s daughter, even though she lived in Sweden now.
Thankfully for Lizzie, Abuela didn’t question her motivations when Lizzie expressed wanting to go home right away. Downstairs, they found Isabela having coffee in the living room.
After thanking her for a lovely evening, Lizzie told Isabela that they were heading out. Isabela’s brow furrowed, and she said, “When it rains a lot here, sometimes things get very muddy, and cars can get stuck.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we should see if Will…”
“No!” Lizzie objected. “I mean, I don’t want to bother him. I think we’ll be ok.”
Isabela frowned but said, “Of course,” and watched them walk away.
Before they even got to the car, Lizzie could see what Isabela meant. Her car looked like it had sunk into 6 inches of mud, and without even trying, Lizzie knew she was going to have a hard time getting out of here.
Lizzie had Abuela wait further back, then went to circle the car, not sure what she was looking for (maybe there was a get-out-of-the-mud button she hadn’t seen before), but not ready to give up just yet.
As Lizzie circled the back end of the car, her foot caught a slippery patch of mud, and like a cartoon character who stepped on a banana peel, her legs flew up, and her ass came down hard in the mud.
Lizzie had mud everywhere. It splashed onto her face and arms, and Lizzie sat there, trying to wipe it away in vain, as Abuela called over with unhelpful questions. “?Estás bien?! Did you break something? Do you think the dress is stained?”
Lizzie tried to stand — slipped again — landed on her hip with a wet smack.
“I’m fine,” she lied through gritted teeth, wiping mud from her eyes. “Just… checking things out over here.”
And then she saw Will.
Walking toward her. Smiling.
The universe had a sick sense of humor.
“Are you done being stubborn? Can I help you now?”
She nodded, mortified, as he offered a hand up — his touch lingering after she was back on her feet.
Less than an hour later, Abuela and Lizzie were piled into one of the family’s trucks, and Will was driving them home. Lizzie had a towel wrapped around her as the mud was drying into hard, cracked patches on her skin.
“I’ll have someone bring you your car ok. You don’t have to worry about that.” Will said. “And I hear that mud is great for your skin, right? So think of it as if you get a free spa treatment with your visit!”
Lizzie chuckled. “Yeah, great. I’m sure my butt looks ten years younger.”
Will swallowed hard, trying not to think of Lizzie’s butt. “My parents really should get the whole front way paved. It’s always an issue when it rains. But they swear it’s not a big deal.”
“Oh, isn’t that where you live, too?”
“At the estate?! No! I have a room there, and I grew up there. But I have an apartment in Brickell. This is just like holidays and long weekends, you know?”
Lizzie nodded, but she didn’t know what living alone was like. She had always lived with family. “Brickell’s nice,” Lizzie added, and couldn’t help but add, “and you live alone?”
“Yeah, in my fortress of solitude. But I have thought about changing that.” Will shot Lizzie a look that made something turn in her stomach.
“Oh?”
“I was thinking maybe a fish?”
Lizzie’s stomach flipped. Was he flirting? Or just being funny? She couldn’t tell anymore.
“If you need someone to make you a cafe, I can make myself available.” Abuela joked from the back seat.
Lizzie grinned, thankful to her for cutting the tension.
They pulled into Lizzie’s house, and Abuela insisted that Will come inside for a colada before heading back.
They walked into the kitchen, Will taking a seat at the counter, and Lizzie about to excuse herself to shower and change when Lidia burst in, eyes red-rimmed and looking like she barely slept.
“Lizzieeeeee…” she wailed, throwing herself into her sister’s arms. “Where have you been?!”
Lizzie was caught off guard. “We got stuck at the Pemberleys’. What’s wrong?” She asked, trying to detach herself from the crying Lidia.
“It’s horrible… I don’t even know what… to do!!!” Lidia was sobbing so hard she could barely get the words out. She passed her phone to her sister. There was a text on the screen from George. There was a picture of a naked woman lying on her stomach, her face covered.
“Lidia, what is this?”
“He has pictures of me… bad pictures…”
“Nudes?” Lizzie felt the need to clarify.
Lidia nodded. Lizzie looked at the text.
Unless you want to get your fame the way Kim K did, I suggest you convince your sister to send that Pemberley money my way.
“He’s threatening to release these to the public?!” Lizzie said incredulously.
“Ay Dios mío,” Abuela said, clutching her imaginary pearls.
Lidia wailed again in response. “And he wants me to pay him to keep this from happening?!”
“I lose everything if not Lizzie. I’ll become internet smut. I’m so sorry, Liz. I thought he liked me…” Lidia went back to sobbing.
“La policía!” Abuela announced. “We have to report this to the police!”
Lidia looked at Abuela sadly, “I don’t think there’s anything we can do.” She said quietly.
“?Claro que podemos! Of course we can. He can’t take pictures of you without permission!”
Lidia burst into another series of sobs. “Abuela, she means that she let him take those pictures. There’s no law against taking sexy pics of your partner.”
“Ok pero showing them to other people?”
“I think grey area at best,” Lizzie said, pacing now, trying to figure this out. “I don’t think it’s as easy to prove.”
“Lizzie, what do I do?!” Lidia looked hysterical. Wild and panicked.
Lizzie sighed, realizing the only solution. “Text him back. Tell him I’ll pay him, but he has to wait until the commission check comes in, that’s right after Christmas.”
“But Lizzie, that’s everything! That’s the new AC, and the hours you put into this project, it’s… It’s everything!”
“I know!” Lizzie said, slamming her hands on the counter to keep from crying. “I know exactly what it means. I know it’s everything.”
Will stood up, “I’m really sorry, but I think I should go.” He said, his jaw flexing like crazy.
Lizzie had all but forgotten he was there. “He probably can’t wait to get away,” she thought. “I bet he thinks he dodged a major bullet now that he sees our drama.”
Lizzie winced at the idea that he knew now that she’d be forced to give her hard-earned money away to a swindler like George Wick.
She couldn’t even bear the thought of anyone else knowing.
“Can I ask a favor?” Lizzie reached out to Will.
“I know that this person is somewhat associated with you and that it may get out without us wanting it to, but if at all possible, could you maybe not tell anyone? I don’t think I could be effective at work if I thought everyone was laughing at me. ”
Will took her hand and said, “I won’t tell a soul.” And with that and a quick squeeze of her hand, Will made his exit.
The front door clicked shut behind him.
Never.
She would never see him again. The words rang in her head like a death knell.
She stared at the empty doorway until the sound of his truck faded.
Then she looked down at her muddy dress and laughed — one sharp, broken sound — because of course this was how William Pemberley would remember her: covered in mud, holding her sobbing sister, about to hand over her entire savings to a blackmailing creep.
Lidia looked at Lizzie, confused. “Why was he here?” she asked, venom in her voice, as if he were the reason for this whole ordeal.
“He drove us home,” Lizzie answered, now looking at the hand he’d just held.
I’ll probably never see him again, she thought to herself once more.
“Okay… and Lizzie,” Lidia was looking at her quizzically. “Why are you covered in mud?”