I Hate That I Love You

Chapter 5

"There you guys are," Alaric said. He walked up to Lizzie and MG, after having spotted them resting near the place where Keelin's car was parked.

"Hey, dad," Lizzie gave him a sad little wave.

"MG," Alaric called. "Freya and I need to see you in her office. Wait for me, Lizzie, will you? This'll only take a minute."

"I'll be here," Lizzie mumbled.

Barely two seconds had passed by since Alaric and MG had faded from view, when Hope materialized before Lizzie.

"Oh my god!" Lizzie shrieked in alarm.

"Calm down," Hope said, grinning at the reaction she had gotten out of Lizzie. "Come with me. I want to show you something," she said in an eager voice.

"I'm not your friend, Hope," Lizzie scowled. "And after the whole speech you gave to MG in the arena, I seriously doubt I ever will be."

"You don't mean that," Hope said.

"Yes. I do," Lizzie said.

Instead of answering, Hope took Lizzie by her wrist, and dragged her into the main building of the Mikaelson Academy.

"Leave me alone," Lizzie muttered, making half-hearted attempts to free herself from Hope's grasp. "Where are we even going?"

"Right... Here," Hope said, throwing open a polished oak door to reveal...

"A broom closet," Lizzie said. "It's a freaking broom closet."

Before Lizzie could react in any way, Hope pushed herself and Lizzie inside. Hope closed the door shut behind her, and used her werewolf strength to break off the door handle so that they were locked in.

"What the hell?" Lizzie demanded. "Why are we- What are we doing in here?" she sputtered in disbelief.

"You remember, don't you?" Hope asked hopefully. "Exactly one year ago was the night we first kissed. It was in a broom closet, just like this one, only we were at the Salvatore School back then."

Lizzie blinked. Had it already been a year? And more importantly, why was Hope keeping track of the date and place of-

The questions in Lizzie's head all ceased to exist when Hope leaned upwards and kissed her.

To her extreme surprise, Lizzie found herself returning the kiss. It was warm and passionate, which were two qualities Lizzie could seldom find in Hope under any other circumstances.

Hope pressed forward, forcing Lizzie to stumble a few feet backwards. Lizzie's back hit the wall. Hope's hands snaked their way around Lizzie's hips, and in turn, Lizzie grasped at Hope's shirt-

"No!" Lizzie said, shocked at what she had let happen. "No- Get away from me!" she yelled at Hope.

Hope took a step backwards, looking slightly hurt.

"I broke it off last month for a reason, Hope! We can't be together! It's- It's wrong!" Lizzie said, unable to find the correct words to describe her emotions. "You need to stop acting like some kind of creepy clingy stalker ex, because there is no way in hell I'm going to let anything serious happen between me and a Mikaelson!"

For a moment, Lizzie thought she saw the glimpse of a tear in Hope's eyes. But then that moment passed, and all she could see in Hope's glare was her usual haughtiness.

"A creepy clingy stalker ex?" Hope laughed. "Don't flatter yourself, Lizzie. You were only ever just a fling, nothing more. And I got what I wanted from you today," she said in a harsh tone. "So I think I'll see myself out."