AN: Enjoy! I'm loving all of the reviews. Please keep them coming.
Chapter 7
"Beth, baby, you have to stop crying," Elizabeth whispered into her ear.
"B-b-but I-I-I can't," Beth's voice shuddered. "I'll m-m-miss you so m-m-much."
"We've talked about this. It's only for the summer. I've already talked to Henry about coming up to visit next month, but we've both got to work. Henry's job is in Pittsburgh and mine is here. It's important you go. I know you're missing your Grandma Ann, so now you get to spend some special time with her and show her how you've grown up this year. You can read her stories and can cook dinner for her and Grandpa Pat. I promise, it will go by quickly, and I'll call on Sunday and Wednesday nights, no matter what." Elizabeth pushed the stray hairs from Beth's tear soaked face. "It's time to go. Henry's waiting." She kissed the top of Beth's head and gave her a quick hug before herding her into the car and closing the door behind her.
Elizabeth leaned into the car willing herself to hold back her tears for Beth's sake. She thought she would be fine, but when Beth started crying, Elizabeth found it extremely difficult not to join her. She felt Henry's presence behind her, and she turned into him as he enveloped her.
He held her tight and she grew hazy as his scent overwhelmed her. He kissed her forehead. "I'll miss you too. Call me later," he whispered, his hot breath fanning down her face. Then he was gone, getting into the car and pulling away. Beth waved out the window and Elizabeth waved back, already counting the days until she could go to Pittsburgh.
Just like clockwork, Elizabeth was stationed by the phone at 8 pm almost every night. Most nights she talked with Beth, but sometimes Henry waited until Beth was asleep and the two of them talked, just like at school. It was the best part of both of their days and they looked forward to it.
Henry didn't have much of a social life other than the group of ROTC guys that he hung around with. He'd been on a few dates, but they hadn't amounted to much. Mostly when he went out, he went to a party or a bar with a group of guys, and he was fine with that.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, had a pretty steady stream of boyfriends. Most she only dated a few weeks or maybe a month. Either she tired of them, or they tired of her rather unusual set of priorities. Her latest love interest had hung around longer than any other. Elizabeth and Scott had dated for just over four months. He really liked her, so he tolerated her last minute schedule changes to pick up Beth from school, or arranging a date on Saturday morning so she could stay with Beth on Saturday evening, allowing Henry to go out. Scott was really waiting for summer, when the real objects of Elizabeth's affection were gone and he could actually spend some time with her and woo her away from Beth-and Henry.
About three weeks into summer, Scott thought he was making real progress. Elizabeth hadn't canceled a date. She actually had things to talk about besides Beth, and of course, Henry. Things were progressing physically. Elizabeth had been pretty hesitant to do much, but since they had been spending more time together, she was opening up. Scott thought he was in.
Scott was ecstatic when she invited him to come back to the farm house after their dinner together. It was the first Monday in June and it was Beth's first day at day camp, so even though Monday wasn't usually a day she talked to Beth, she wanted to see how camp went. Elizabeth fully explained all of this, but Scott heard none of it. He had stopped listening at come home with me.
The next hour saw Elizabeth and Scott on the couch in the farm house in a heavy make out session. Elizabeth's sundress straps hung at her elbows and Scott's hands were up her dress, gripping her ass. Scott was kissing his way down her neck, when a repetitive beep permeated the room. He tried to ignore it, but Elizabeth crawled off of his lap and pulled her straps back up on her shoulders. She walked across the room and shut off the alarm clock that set on the half wall near the kitchen.
"What is that for?" he asked.
"I told you that Beth is calling at 8 to tell me about day camp, and it's ten minutes to 8. I can't be answering the phone sounding like we were just doing," she gestured wildly with her hand at him, "what we were just doing. Do you want a glass of water?"
"What the hell Lizzie? You can't just be in the middle of this" he made his own hand gesture, "and then up and leave."
"I'm not leaving. I'm pausing. It'll only take 10 or 15 minutes and then we can get back to it. I promise." She kissed him hard, leaving him dizzy. Scott dropped his head back on the couch. "This shit is so irritating," he muttered.
When the phone rang, she snatched it out of the cradle before the full ring ended, "Hello… Henry… Oh she did… how fun…"
Scott rounded the corner and stood in the doorway watching Elizabeth as she talked on the phone. She sat on a kitchen barstool that she'd pulled close to the phone on the wall. One leg dangled down, the other pulled close to her chest, her heel on the edge of the seat and her chin on her knee. She threw her head back and laughed letting her leg fall. Her smile lit up her entire face and it literally took his breath away, her laugh contagious. Scott smiled in spite of himself. "She did not say that." Elizabeth said and then laughed again. "And then she was asleep? Oh my gosh, that is funny."
Scott could tell the direction of the conversation changed. She pulled her leg back up and wrapped an arm around it holding it in place. Elizabeth rested her cheek on her knee and bit her lower lip while she listened. She was invested. Her whole body listened to him and Scott was jealous. "And your mom is alright with that... How is everyone taking it… Does Beth understand… I can come up this weekend if it would help… I'll call tomorrow night and check in…
Elizabeth looked up and saw Scott standing in the door, and she smiled at him like she just remembered he was there. She smiled, but it wasn't the same smile and he knew in that moment that it would never be the same smile. Scott stepped back into the living room. "Okay Henry. We can talk about it more tomorrow night and make a plan. Um hmm, yeah. Tell her I love her and if she's ready early in the morning, she can call me before she leaves. I don't have to be at work until 9 tomorrow. Alright. Bye."
Scott heard the phone click in the cradle and she quickly appeared in front of him, where he sat on the couch She pushed his knees apart and knelt in front of him, laying her head on his chest. "I'm sorry. Henry's mom has refused to do more cancer treatments. They're all upset. It took a little longer than I thought. Thank you for being patient." She ran her hand up his chest and to the nape of his neck pulling him to her. "Now, where were we?"
She was going to kiss him, but he gently pushed her back. "I think I'll be leaving now."
Elizabeth was confused and let her body fall back to sit on the floor. "Where are you going Scott?"
He scooted to the edge of the couch. "Lizzie. I've tried, but I'm not cut out to be your seconds. Your heart isn't with me and it never will be. I foolishly thought that if I could have you to myself this summer, that you'd come around, but I was naive. You're in love with Henry and there's no room for anyone else." Scott stood and held out his hand and she took it. He pulled her to her feet. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I wish you well Lizzie." Then he let her go and walked through the living room and out the front door.
Elizabeth spent the rest of the week going through the motions, her mind separate from her body. She wasn't all that upset at Scott breaking up with her. She liked him alright, but she knew she wasn't invested in the relationship and she was actually glad that he'd ended it before they had gone much farther physically.
While Scott breaking up with her didn't bother her, what he said shook her to the core. He said she was in love with Henry. She spent a lot of time thinking about that. She quickly recognized that when she thought of Henry, she felt differently. She felt at peace. She didn't think that necessarily meant she was in love with him, but maybe that was what Scott saw and interpreted as such.
She needed to hash this out, but there wouldn't be a good time this weekend. This weekend was about Henry's family. His mom wasn't doing well and he and Beth needed her. Her own issues would need to be put on the back burner for a while.
She pulled up in front of the McCord home in Pittsburgh late Friday night. Henry came bounding down the steps to meet her. Elizabeth was leaning in the back seat reaching for her suitcase. When she stood, she saw him and her heart felt complete, and the feelings of peace, warmth and complete contentment washed over her. She didn't know how or when it happened, but now seeing Henry, she felt what Scott knew. He had been right and that knowledge was overwhelming. She rounded the end of the car and tried to keep herself in check. Henry met her on the sidewalk, tears in his eyes. "I'm so glad you're finally here," he said, pulling her into an embrace.
For the next couple hours they sat together on the porch swing and Elizabeth held Henry as he told her the prognosis given to his mother and how she'd made the decision to stop treatments and how angry and heartbroken he was. Then there was Beth. "I don't know how I'm going to get through it and I have to somehow help her too."
"We'll do it together. You won't be ever alone. I promise." She laid her cheek on the top of his head. After a few seconds, Henry pulled back to look at her.
A mischievous grin crossed his face. "Scott's going to appreciate that." She shot him a look and rolled her eyes. "Sorry," he quickly added. "It just popped into my head. I shouldn't have said it."
"I'm pretty sure Scott won't care. He broke up with me earlier in the week."
Henry sat up fully. "Oh my gosh. Elizabeth, why didn't you say something? Here I am blubbering about myself and-"
"It's really okay." she interrupted. "I'm fine." She paused, ready to stop and change the subject, but Henry was looking at her. He was waiting for more. He knew there was more because he knew her better than she knew herself. She sighed. "He said there wasn't room in my heart for him."
"Of course you love Beth, but not like that," Henry scoffed.
"It wasn't Beth he was referring to," Elizabeth said slowly, meeting his eyes.
"Oh?" he said, and then caught on. "Oh." There was a pause. "Did you tell him that we aren't like that?"
"He left and I didn't really care that much to be honest. Although I would have told him that before tonight." Elizabeth laced her fingers together in her lap, gearing up for what she was about to say.
Henry furrowed his brow. "What about tonight?"
Elizabeth shifted so she sat close facing him. "I denied it all week and gave myself reason after reason that it wasn't true, but when I saw you tonight come walking down the sidewalk toward me, I felt like I'd been walking around as just half a person and being with you made me whole. When I'm with you I feel your warmth. You fill me up beyond what I thought was possible and you leave me with a sense of peace that at one point in my life, I never thought I'd have again."
There was more and she was trying to figure out if she could say it when his hand cupped her cheek, his fingers woven through her hair. Her breathing got shallower in anticipation of what was going to happen next. Henry pulled her so that their foreheads rested together and tip of their noses brushed against each other. "I can't tell you the moment I knew I loved you, but I know that I will love you for the rest of my life." He tipped his head down and their lips barely touched. Yearning for knowledge of him, she leaned in, letting him know she was willing. He held her head firmly as his lips wrapped around hers and he sucked her top lip gently before running his tongue along the bottom edge. Her arm was still wrapped around his back, the free hand slid up his chest and neck where it stopped to play with his earlobe. Parting her lips, she tilted her head and invited him in, stoking a fire that had been ready to burn since they met. As their tongues touched for the first time, she felt his pulse quicken beneath the palm of her hand, and she melted into him.
Henry had been devastated by the news that his mother had opted to forego any future rounds of chemotherapy or radiation. She had laid out her reasoning and while he could understand her reasons, he couldn't wrap his head around her giving up. Ann McCord had a lot to live for and it seemed to him like she just wanted to die. He'd struggled all week and wanted badly to talk to Elizabeth, but he knew that she would drop everything and come if he told her. She was coming over the weekend anyway, so he willed himself to wait until Friday.
From the moment Beth went to bed, Henry paced in front of the living room window watching for Elizabeth. It was late and everyone else had long since gone to bed when she pulled up in front of the house. He was out the door before she could even get out of the car. It had been more than a month since he'd seen her and when she looked at him, he couldn't hold it together any longer. He pulled her into his arms feeling grounded for the first time in a month.
They made it up the walk and into the porch swing. He told her everything and she didn't say much, but she held him close and cried with him. When he talked about Bethie and how hard it would be to help her navigate this, Elizabeth said that she would always be there. Henry wasn't sure why, but the image of Scott always tagging along after her and Bethie popped into his mind and it struck him as funny. "Scott's going to appreciate that."
There was banter and a profession of his love and now his tongue was in her mouth and while he'd dreamed it often, Henry didn't think it would actually ever happen. Truthfully, he never allowed himself to believe that it might happen. Now, he broke apart from her and studied her. "Where does this leave us?" he asked.
"If I was going to leave, I would've already left," Elizabeth stated. "You're stuck with me McCord." Henry chuckled and kissed her again.
"There is no one I'd rather be stuck with." He kissed her once more. "I hope this is okay, because I've spent quite a bit of time pondering all of the ways and places I can kiss you. Touch you. Hold you. Make you scream."
"Henry!" she giggled, poking him "Stop that. Don't even tease. We're at your parents."
"It's almost 2 am, we need to go to bed. You'll be lucky if Bethie isn't dragging you out at 6." Henry picked up Elizabeth's suitcase and pushed the door open for her. Once inside, they snuck quietly upstairs.
"Where am I sleeping?" she whispered.
Henry looked a little guilty. "I forgot to plan that part." A grin spread across his face. "Come on." He led her to the end of the hall. There was a double bed in the middle of what was obviously his room.
"I can't sleep with you," she whispered. "What about Beth?"
"We'll tell her the truth. You got here late and I forgot to make you a bed, so I shared mine." Elizabeth shrugged and moved her suitcase to a chair in the corner and pulled out an old pair of shorts and a tee shirt to change into. "What are you doing?" Henry asked, panicked.
Elizabeth gave him a confused look. 'I'm putting on my pajamas so I can go to sleep, per your instructions."
"Don't be a smart aleck. I meant why are you changing right here in the middle of the room in front of me?"
"I didn't know we were being super careful around each other. A few minutes ago, you were making me scream, remember?" She shot him a wide grin. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you can turn around."
"I talk a big game," he said turning around. Elizabeth laughed and then covered her mouth worried about how loud she was being. She quickly changed.
"Alright, you can turn around now." She was wearing short, shorts with a matching top pink top that skimmed the waistband of the shorts. When she moved, slivers of her belly peeked out.
"So what happened to the baggy long sleeved shirts and flannel pants you wore at my place?"
She looked down and smiled. "Your place was cold and I wasn't expecting to be seeing you wearing this. I thought I'd be sleeping in your sister's room. I'm going to the bathroom to brush my teeth. You can change in private." She winked and left the room, toothbrush in hand.
Henry shook his head, but quickly changed so he was ready to go when she returned. They traded places and when Henry returned. Elizabeth was under the covers "Do you have a side? I don't mind either way." He flipped off the light and climbed it to the opposite side of the bed.
"This is fine," he said. Elizabeth lay on her back staring at the ceiling. Henry rolled to face her. "Do you think it would be appropriate to kiss you goodnight?" The moonlight shone through the window casting soft light across their pillows, illuminating Elizabeth's face.
"I think it would be appropriate, but only one," she said, smiling.
"I guess I should make it count then," Henry said. Elizabeth started to giggle, but gasped when Henry rolled on top of her, pinning her to the bed. He grinned at her and her piercing look did all sorts of things to his insides. "I love you," he murmured before lowering his lips to hers. His tongue ran along her teeth and she smiled against him.
"I need my arms," she said as he pulled away from her. He shifted his weight so she could get her arms out from under the covers.
"That's much better." She smiled at him. "I think we were right about here." She pulled his head down to her lips and kissed him again.
"I thought you said only one kiss."
"It was a continuation. It was still just one," Elizabeth stated matter of factly. She bit her bottom lip and grinned slyly. "There's something I've been curious about for quite a while. Would you do me a favor?"
Henry smiled slightly, but looked unsure, "I guess so."
She pushed at Henry. "Sit up." He scooted over and sat back on his feet next to her side. She sat up and leaned in close to him, whispering, "Okay, so this might sound a little weird, but every time you stand close behind me or hug me, your chest feels rock hard. I just want to see if it's close to what I imagined."
"So you want me to-"
"Take off your shirt." Elizabeth finished.
Henry grinned at her. "Do I get to ask you to take an item of clothing off in return?"
"Is that a good idea?" she raised her eyebrows at him. She kind of liked this new flirty thing they had going on. It reminded her of the first few times they had been around each other. Henry grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head revealing his defined pecs and chiseled abs. Elizabeth swallowed thickly. "Yeah, mmm hmm." She breathed out. "That's pretty much like I imagined. Okay, I'm good." She sounded a little breathy and it was hard to tell in the pale light, but Henry would've bet she was beet red. "Good night Henry," she said and rolled over toward the edge of the bed.
Henry grinned and pulled his shirt back on in case Bethie ended up in his room at some point during the night. He lay down and was almost asleep when he heard Elizabeth's soft voice. "Is it okay if I'm not quite ready to say it yet?"
Henry rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow. "Say what?" he asked.
She looked over her shoulder. "That I love you."
"You just said it," he grinned.
"It's not the same and you know it. I just don't know that I'm ready, and when I say it, I want to be sure, not just as a response to what you say. Does that make sense?"
Henry nodded, "I'm good with that." Elizabeth reached behind her and caught his hand and awkwardly brought it up to her lips and kissed it.
"Thank you," she said and then turned back over fully and Henry did the same.
