Page 126 of Mr. Swoony

“You stole him from me. He’s mine!” She steps toward me.

“I haven’t. You slept with him, but that’s all.”

“Is that what he told you?” She takes another step forward, and I step back. “He’s a liar.”

“Was there more between you two than he told me?”

She doesn’t answer, and I wonder if she does know the truth but doesn’t want to admit it.

“I’m sorry you got hurt, Lila. I’ve been hurt before too, and I know it’s not easy, but I love him too.” I try the sympathetic route. “We have something really special, and he’s helped me through a really hard time.”

“I love him too,” she says. “And I loved him first, so you need to step aside.”

I hold up my hands as she gets closer to me. “Okay, I will. Is that what you want? Me to just stop seeing him? But Lila, even if I walk away from him, I don’t think he’s going to come to you.”

“Of course you would say that.”

Someone tries to open the door, then they pound on it with their fists.

“Stop having sex in this bathroom!” Ruby shouts from the hallway. “God damn it, I hate Halloween. I should’ve closed the bar.” She pounds on the door again. “This isn’t a sex club. Get out now.”

It’s a split-second decision I don’t have time to really consider. “Ruby, it’s Eloise. Help!”

“You bitch, shut up!”

“Lila, someone is going to break down this door soon. Save yourself and put that hat back on, tip your head down, and leave. I’ll tell everyone it was an accident. That you didn’t mean to lock it. Or… I’ll say I did it.”

She stops moving toward me, and I feel as if I might be getting through to her.

“Eloise!” Conor shouts, pounding on the door. “Eloise!”

Ruby must have gone and gotten Conor. The relief I feel is short-lived.

Lila winces but looks at me, and I see it too late. Gold knuckles wrapped around her fingers are hidden by the long sleeves of her costume.

“Once he’s done being sad about you, he’ll want me back.” She punches me across the face, and everything goes black.

Fifty-Four

Conor

I pound my shoulder into the door.

“Ruby, don’t you have an axe here to scare away the people you don’t like?” Tweetie shouts, taking turns to hit the door with his shoulder as I search the area for anything to break down the door.

“Here.” Kyleigh weaves through the crowd and hands me a fire extinguisher.

I hit the door with it. “Sorry, Rubes, I’ll buy you a new door.”

“How cold of a person do you think I am? Get the girl out!” she yells.

I continue to use all my force, hitting right where the lock is. After too many hits and my shoulders and arms killing me, the lock finally splinters, and the door flies open.

Lila is standing over a passed-out Eloise sprawled out on the floor. Fear like I’ve never known grips me. Lila glances over her shoulder, and I grab her free arm, spinning her around into the wall. I crouch beside Eloise and move my hands all over her head, searching for any sign of blood.

“Someone call an ambulance,” I shout, running my hand over her freshly bruised cheekbone. “God, baby, wake up. Be okay. Please be okay.”

I have no idea what happens behind me, and I don’t care. I just need a paramedic to get here.

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