A/N: I've gotten a lot of hits on this story but only one review. This is the third chapter I've posted. Please, if you are taking the time to read this story, review. I like being able to know where you stand with the story so that I can know where to improve and what to embellish or what you like or don't like. I'd just really like to hear from the people who are reading this story, so please-REVIEW! It really isn't that hard, guys... ;) Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the story! :) Resurrecting Relationships
Chapter Three
"Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night. I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry. I know your favorite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams. Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me…"
"You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records) from Taylor Swift
"Hey, Joe, remember me?" thin, wiry Phil Cohen grinned as he gave Joe a big hug and thumped his old friend on the back.
Joe grinned. "Vaguely," he teased. "Weren't you that computer geek that always gave my brother a run for his money when it came to nerdiness?"
Pretending to be shocked, his old friend chuckled and said, "Well, that's a nice way to make a friend." Grinning, he slipped a lanky arm around the thin waist of the beautiful woman with him. "This is my lovely wife Stephanie." He nodded to a little girl, a miniature version of her mother from the ebony hair to the soft hazel eyes, who was sitting in the grass, chatting happily with Jessi Marie. "And that's our daughter, Libby."
"She's beautiful," Joe said truthfully, looking at the little girl. A sly smile on his face, he turned back to Phil and Stephanie. "You both are." He winked playfully at the couple and Phil feigned indignity. "I can't believe you, Hardy—you've been back from the dead for three months and you think you can steal my wife just by batting those baby blues? You sicken me!"
Joe laughed out loud and turned as someone else tried to catch his attention. Why had he been nervous about this at all? These were his people, this was where he belonged.
"I know you've seen a lot of me lately, but you haven't had the chance to meet my lovely fiancé," Chet Morton grinned as he proudly presented his betrothed to his approving best friend. "This is Elizabeth Webling."
"I know Liz," Joe chortled, but reached his hand out and shook hands with the smiling journalist nonetheless. "We've known each other since the second grade when I put pudding in her purse."
Liz's mouth fell open. "That was you? You told me it was Bobby Blankenship!"
Joe grinned devilishly. "I lied."
Just as Liz was preparing to smack Joe with her purse (this one pudding-free), Chet interceded and pouted, "Joe, you didn't let me finish my introduction. I knew you know each other, but I had something else I wanted to say…"
Joe shook his head in amusement. "Have at it buddy."
"Joe Hardy, meet my lovely fiancé, Elizabeth Webling, newly instated reporter and journalist for the illustrious New York Times."
Joe's eyes grew wide as he grinned at his old friend who was blushing from the attention. "Really? Congrats, Liz! That's great!"
Blushing even harder, Liz muttered, "Well, you came back from the dead. That isn't exactly a small feat either!"
A few minutes later, Joe was embracing his old best friend, Biff Hooper. "Biff, man, it's great to see you!"
"Joe…I never thought I'd hear your voice again," Biff grinned, scrubbing his eyes with the back of his left hand. "Bug in my eye," he said in explanation.
"Both of them?" Joe asked mischievously. Biff laughed.
"Same old Joe."
Joe shook his head. "No, not really. A lot has changed, buddy."
Slinging an arm around his friend's shoulder, Biff led Joe to the picnic table set up and asked, "So, wanna talk about it? Like, what all have you been up to in the past fifteen years, anyway?"
Surprised, Joe felt it was a relief to talk to someone else about his ordeal. Not that he didn't like talking to his brother, because he did, more than anything, but Frank needed a break and besides, Biff was a pretty good listener, too.
"Tony, my man!" Joe called out as the handsome Italian accompanied by a gorgeous woman and a girl that looked to be about Joey's age.
"Joe!" Tony grinned, hugging his friend and giving him a hearty slap on the back. "What's going on with you, buddy? You know, besides being not dead and all that?" he laughed, nodding toward the "Welcome Back From the Dead, Joe" poster hanging above the back door.
Joe grinned. "That was the kids' idea," he lied and quickly changed the subject. "So who is this lovely Singora accompanying you?"
Tony's eyebrows popped up. "Since when did you know any Italian?"
Joe grinned innocently. "Posso fare le cose ora che non credereste il mio amico." *
Tony gaped. "If it wasn't for your blonde hair and blue eyes, I'd swear you were a full-blooded Italian!"
Joe shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "Well…training to be an assassin for over ten years had its advantages. Not only did I get totally ripped," he flexed his muscles jokingly and then got serious again, "but I became fluent in German, French, Spanish, Italian, and even some Japanese. I guess a good assassin has to be able to communicate with a heck-load of people."
Tony grinned. "Wow, now I can't insult you in Italian and you not know it!"
"Hey!" Joe laughed and elbowed his friend. "Anyway, as I asked earlier, who is this lovely lady?"
"This is my wife, Rosa." He indicated the younger girl beside Rosa. "And this is Kara, my daughter. And this—" He glanced around for someone but sighed in defeat. "Well, I was going to introduce you to Jacob, but he's already disappeared." He looked around a bit more and his eyes lit up. "Ah-ha! There he is, talking to Joline." He grinned at Joe. "Just between you and me, I think my son has a thing for your daughter. He had a crush on her in second grade and I don't think he's ever really gotten over it."
Joe's eyes widened as he watched the two teenagers interact, Jacob grinning and talking about something animatedly, Joline giggling happily at whatever it was he was saying.
"Hum," was his reply. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that newsflash!
Someone else demanded his attention then and he turned to occupy them then, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in three months. He really felt like he was home again and nothing—nothing—was going to take that away from him!
Joline had just left Darren at the snack table when she felt a hand brush her elbow and withdraw just as quickly. She spun to see Jacob Prito smiling warmly at her and for some reason her heart seemed to skip a beat. His black hair was nearly to his shoulders, a bit shaggily cut but stylishly so. He wore dark blue skinny jeans with a black-and-white-checked belt just for decoration. His lean but muscular torso was covered in a snug, white t-shirt that complemented his tan skin perfectly. A short-sleeved black jacket and thin red tie completed the ensemble. Joline liked the way he dressed. Not a cardboard cut-out of the average "cool" kid but not creepy goth guy either. More like the mediocre emo kid without all the depression and weirdness. He was pretty cool.
"Hi, Jacob," she greeted him, a genuine smile lighting up her pretty face. Her blue eyes flashed with happiness. "Can you believe this? Just four months ago, everything was…normal…now it's…better! I've got a dad and everyone is reconnecting! It's just so cool!"
Jacob nodded, his dark eyes never leaving Joline's blue ones. "I really admire you, Joline," he said seriously. "You risked everything to find someone that everyone else thought was dead. You're a true hero…everybody at school thinks so. They talk about you a lot…I overhear them sometimes. All the girls are either jealous that you're so much braver than them or going all fan-girl because they want to be you." He chuckled. "And all the guys are trying to work up the nerve to ask Ms. Detective to the Winter Formal next month."
Joline gaped. "Guys are thinking about asking me out?"
"Thinking?" he scoffed. "They'll be lining up as soon as one of them gets the nerve!" Joline's eyes widened. "That's why…that's why I had to talk to you before one of those spineless jocks work up the guts…"
Joline looked at her friend oddly. "What are you talking about, Jacob?"
"If I don't act now, then I'll lose my chance," Jacob said. He locked eyes with Joline and said, "Joline Hardy, I've had a crush on you ever since I met you eight years ago and it's done nothing but crush me as I've sat back and not done anything about it…well, now I am. I really like you, Jo. A lot. I may even love you. I don't know how you feel but I had to get it out…you mean the world to me."
Joline stared at Jacob, dumbfounded. For a moment she didn't say anything and Jacob looked down at his feet, sure he made a mistake. When he looked up a spark had lit in her eyes and he knew he was wrong—he hadn't made a mistake. Without a word, unconscious of all the eyes of his friends and family on them, Jacob Prito cupped Joline's face in his slender hands and leaned down, pressing his lips gently against hers.
A jolt of electricity surged through him and he vaguely wondered if Joline felt it too. By the way her arms tightened ever so slightly around his waist and pressed her lips just a bit closer to his, he knew she had. His stomach lurched excitedly. They had chemistry! He finally understood the old phrase about "sparks flying". If sparks fly when two people click, then they must be setting off a firework show, he decided.
Suddenly aware that both his father and Joline's were out there, probably watching him kiss her, he felt his face flush slightly and he gently pulled away from Joline and held her gaze for several long seconds. Looking into her beautiful face, he wondered if he'd just discovered Heaven on Earth.
Tatiana really wanted to go to the party at the Hardy house. She had seen that absolutely amazing-looking blonde man several times since he had returned. She had to meet him—she had to! Something about him made her shiver…but not in a good way. She knew who he really was…knew he had done things that would make this happy little group of party-goers kick his sorry butt out onto the street. She hated him because of what he had done to her family…he had torn them apart, literally, at the seams…
He was going to pay, one way or another.
* "I can do things now that you would not believe my friend."
A/N: Yet again, I implore of you-please review! If you've taken the time to get to this little note at the end, surely you can spare thirty seconds so that I can know how the story is being accepted. Thanks!
~Emachinescat ^..^