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Once inside she hangs the n on the door knob, and pushes the door closed She takes a moment to exaly-haired, ragged girl she's beco She washes her face and, since there are no towels, dries it with her sleeve Then, before she even turns for the toilet, she hears the door creak open behind her

She turns and asp It's Roland who has entered the bathrooently behind him Risa immediately realizes her mistake She should never have come here alone

"Get out!" she says She wishes she could sound ht her by surprise

"No need to be so harsh" Roland moves toward her in a slow, predatory stride "We're all friends here, right? And since everyone's eating dinner, we've got soet to know each other"

"Stay away fro her options, but realizes in this tight a space, with only one door, and nothing she can use as a weapon, her options are lierously close "So dessert before dinner How about you?"

The second he's in range, she acts quickly to hit him, to knee hih for her to fly out the door His reflexes are siainst the cold green tile wall, and presses his hip against her so that her knee can't reach its rins, as if it was all so easy His hand is on her cheek now The shark tattooed on his forearm is inches away, and seems ready to attack

"So, whaddaya say we have soet unwound for nine months?"

Risa has never been a screa was a shoeakness A sign of defeat Now she has to ad off creeps, Roland has evenone

So she screas But her ti is as bad as it could possibly be, because just then a jet roars by overhead, shaking the walls and cootta learn to enjoy life," Roland says "Let's call this lesson one"

That's when the door swings open, and over Roland'sat the threshold, eyes blazing She's never been happier to see anyone

"Connor! Stop hi his reflection in the bathroom mirror, but he doesn't release Risa

"Well," says Roland "Isn't this aard"

Connor makes no move to tear him away He just stands there on the threshold His eyes still rage, but his hands--they're not even clenched into fists They just hang there li with him?

Roland winks at Risa, then he calls over his shoulder to Connor "Better get out if you knohat's good for you"

Connor steps over the threshold, but he doesn't oes to the sink "Mind if I wash up for dinner?"

Risa waits for hiuard, but he doesn't He just washes his hands

"Your girlfriend's had her eye on me since Sonia's basement," says Roland "You know that, don't you?"

Connor dries his hands on his pants "You two can do whatever you like Risa and I broke up this ht when I leave?"

The betrayal is so unexpected, so complete, Risa doesn't knoho to hate rip on her "Well, now the o "Hell, I was just kidding, anyway I wouldn't have done anything" He backs away and offers that sain "How's about ait until you're ready" Then he struts out just as boldly as he had co shot

All of her confusion and frustration unleashes at Connor, and she pushes hi hi to let hi to stand there and let it happen?"

Connor pushes her off of him "Didn't you warn me not to take the bait?"

"What?"

"He didn't just follow you to the bathroom--he pushed pastyou here This whole thing wasn't about you, it was about me--just like you said He wanted hting mad So I didn't take the bait"

Risa shakes her head--not in disbelief, but reeling from the truth of it "Butbut what ifwhat if he"

"But he didn't, did he? And noon't Because if he thinks you and I broke up, you're ht still be after you, but fro you with kindness"

All the eh Risa finally come to rest in an unfamiliar place, and tears burst from her eyes Connor steps forward to comfort her, but she pushes hiainst Roland

"Get out!" she yells "Just get out!"

Connor throws up his hands, frustrated "Fine I guess I should have just gone to dinner and not come in here at all"

He leaves and she closes the door behind hi for the bathrooainst the door so no one can get in as she tries to get her eht thing For once, he had seen the situation more clearly than she--and he had probably ensured that Roland wouldn't physically threaten her again, at least for a while And yet there's a part of her that can't forgive hi there After all, heroes are supposed to behave in very specific ways They're supposed to fight, even if ittheir lives