Sweet Little Pains

9

"I think you've just signed my death warrant."

Elizabeth made a light airy sound, completely unconcerned. "Have I?"

"Did I do something awful to you recently, Lizzie?" Simon asked, battling a mix of annoyance, anger, wry amusement and guilt. Lots of guilt.

"Not particularly, no. Although, I will think back on it, just to be sure." She answered, sipping lightly from the slim flute in her feather-like grasp.

"If I haven't offend you, then why did you do that?" He asked, his anger increasing slightly as he recalled the earlier look in Clare's eyes. Rage, and something very akin to pain. He flinched slightly at the recent memory. "For sport?" He added when he didn't get an immediate reply from his friend.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Yes, I was so bored I decided to entertain myself by almost starting World War III." She let out a short snort, a sound that was a far cry from what was conventionally considered ladylike. "If I was bored, I'd go outside to the balcony and have phone-sex with my fiancé. I wouldn't basically be inviting death to my doorstep. That's just plain crazy."

Simon stared at the words. "Then why the hell did you do that?"

"Because it had to be done." She said simply. "And you certainly weren't going to do it. It's best to start a relationship without any deception, no matter how much good intention went into it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Simon said, his tone dangerously dark.

Elizabeth just rolled her eyes again. "Look, it's obvious to anyone with a set of well-functioning eyes that you two still have that God-awful, all-potent chemistry. You still worship the ground she treads, and you still would fall over your feet for the chance to breathe the very air she exhales. And I believe she still feels something for you-"

"You couldn't be more wrong." Simon rejected instantly with a final conviction.

"I'm never wrong, sweetheart. I thought you understood that by now." Elizabeth said dryly.

"She hates me." Simon stated bluntly.

"I never said she doesn't, did I?" She asked, casually perusing the activities taking place in the room. Hailey had come out in a new dress - a pale peach armless mermaid dress that hugged the curves of her slender body and flaunted them exquisitely. A series of ahhs and oohs greeted her appearance, the small group thoroughly charmed by the elegant picture his daughter made.

"Besides," Elizabeth continued, a warm smile on her lips as she watched Hailey twirl around her ensnared fiancé, "a little bit of animosity adds spice to a relationship. Helps to keep each other on your toes, since you never know what to expect. Plus, there's the benefit of the explosive hate sex. What's not to like?"

Simon wondered if the woman reclining languidly beside him had somehow grown insane over the past twenty-five hours since he'd last seen her. Her logic was completely mad, yet she spoke like as if it made the most sense in the world and looked at him like he was crazy not to recognize it.

"What?" She asked innocently at his prolonged stare.

Simon was silent, regarding her for a moment. Then he said, quietly, only for their ears, "You're mad."

"And you're just realizing this?" She grinned widely at him, flashing white, straight teeth. "Have you not been paying attention these past thirty-eight years?"

Besides himself, Simon laughed, shaking his head. "Obviously not."

"Well begin to, because you're going to be seeing just how mad I can be very soon."