"What?" Lizzie asked, her voice barely audible. "What do you mean-"
"I want you to be my girlfriend,"he answered her question, "Because I am in love with you, Lizzie."
Lizzie stared at the necklace in her hand for a moment, and Paolo leaned in to her, kissing her cheek softly.
"Lizzie, please tell me that you will be my girlfriend. I would like nothing better."
Lizzie stared at him, unable to comprehend what she was feeling. She had never expected anything like this to happen to her while in Rome. Paolo was the fantasy of millions of girls worldwide, and rightfully so, she supposed. He was handsome, charismatic, and he had everything that dreams were made of. Lizzie knew that there were probably thousands of people who would kill to be in her situation, but, as she sat on the couch speechless, she couldn't figure out what she was doing there. She had started all of this just to help out Isabella, and now it seemed as if Paolo had forgotten all about her. Yes, she had started to fall for him along the way, but then he had taken her trust and shattered it. Could she really forgive him for that? She had tried to forget about it, but each time it would start to fade from memory, the crippling pain would return. Could she forgive him for hurting her as much as he did?
And what would Gordo think? He would find out. Lizzie would have to tell him sooner or later. And then her parents....
"Paolo," she said softly, "I'm going home in a few weeks..."
"Si," he whispered softly, "But we can make a long-distance relationship work. Isabella and I made it work." His eyes connected with hers. "I am willing to do whatever it takes to make you mine, Lizzie McGuire. I love you, and that is not going to change, even if we are ten thousand miles apart, carina."
"You don't mean that," Lizzie managed to speak, "I mean, Paolo, when I go home, you'll be lonely. You'll want someone here with you, not halfway across the world......and, I mean, wouldn't you like someone your own age? I mean, I'm three years younger than you....in one year I'll be jailbait for you!"
He smiled at her, chuckling softly.
"Lizzie, you are acting like these things matter to me. I do not care. I love you, and I want to be with you, no matter what I have to go through in order to do that." He brushed her cheek with his hand, laying a soft kiss on her lips. He reached into her hand, taking the locket, and clasped it around her neck, sitting back to admire the view.
"It fits you beautifully," he observed, "Do you like?"
She nodded slowly, looking at him.
"I love it," she replied, "But I...I can't....."
"Lizzie, you must," he instructed her softly, "I mean.....you are all I've ever wanted. You must at least think about it."
Lizzie stared into his face, his brown eyes looking into hers.
She finally nodded, looking down.
"I'll think about it," she finally gave in, reaching up to unclasp the necklace in the back. His hands stopped her.
"Carina," he whispered softly, "I want you to keep it, even if you decide not to become my girlfriend."
"But, Paolo..."
"I had it made for you," he informed her, "I fully intend you to keep it."
She finally nodded, lowering her hands. He took them into his.
"When you feel you are ready to answer my question, call my cell phone," he whispered, "And until then, we will act as if this has never happened. Si?"
He smiled the smile that had melted her from the day of their first meeting, and she nodded, unable to suppress a smile.
"Si," she replied. He leaned in, kissing her cheek softly before standing up.
"Grazi," he thanked her, taking her hand. "Now, come, Lizzie. I have another surprise for you."
"Another one?" She asked softly, "Paolo, I don't think I can handle anymore."
He smiled, pulling her to her feet.
"You will be able to handle this one," he promised her, leading her out of a set of glass doors and onto a balcony. He sighed, inhaling as they stepped outside.
"I have been wanting to show you this," he admitted, "It is one of the best views of Rome that I know. It overlooks everything."
She gasped, glancing around at the horizon. The sun had set by now, and the twinkling lights of downtown stared up at her.
"Wow," she smiled, "It's amazing, Paolo." She looked around the large balcony, smiling politely at a few maids that stood in the corners. He took her hand, causing her to turn and look at him.
"And I had this," he said softly, moving aside, in order for her to see the small table behind him. A candle flickered in the middle of it, and two plates were set upon each side, a beautiful red rose lying upon Lizzie's. "I had hoped that we could dine here," he admitted, "Overlooking Rome, but I did not know that you had eaten."
Lizzie's stomach growled unconsciously. Suddenly, eating with him didn't seem so unappetizing. He really was trying to make up for his mistake. He really did like her.
She shook her head.
"You know what, Paolo? I think I could manage to eat something." His eyes grew wide, a large smile spreading across his face.
"Si?" He asked hopefully, "Grazi, Lizzie!" He rushed across the balcony, pulling a chair out for her. She sat down, smiling up at him.
"I will be right back," he promised, disappearing from sight for a moment. She sighed, looking around. This was like paradise. Every star in the sky smiled down upon her, each one seeming to showcase the full moon in its own special way.
She turned back as she heard the door open, and Paolo made his way through the doors, followed by another maid. He made his way over to the table and sat down across from her, smiling happily.
"The first course is salad," he explained, "I hope you like it. I spent all of the day making this meal. When you saw me, I was on my way to the market to buy everything." She tilted her head, smiling.
"Paolo........you made this all for me?" She asked, nearly speechless, "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me!"
He shrugged, smiling.
"You are important to me, carina. I wanted to show you that."
She smiled, and he kissed her hand softly.
"Now," he cleared his throat, as the woman began to place the salad upon two small plates, "Isabella was a vegetarian, and so I did not know whether or not you are. You are, after all, like two pods in a pea." He smiled. "Are you, dear carina?"
She shook her head.
"No, I'm not a vegetarian. I used to be, for like a week, but then I decided that I like burgers too much," she laughed softly. "I remember, me and Miranda got into this huge fight about it, and Gordo had to-" She paused, her eyes drifting to the table, "He had to work everything out between us."
Paolo stared at her, a smile on his face.
"You are good friends, si?" He asked softly. She nodded slowly, smiling.
"Si....how can you tell?" She wondered.
He chuckled before looking down at his hands. His eyes moved back up to her.
"When you talk about him, you get this cute little smile on your face," he admitted, "And it is very easy to see your dimples. I can only hope that you look the same way when you talk to him about me."
She blushed, looking down at the table.
"Paolo, I...." She began. He reached across the table for her hand.
"Shh, Carina," he whispered, "If you listen, you can hear the sea."
She closed her mouth, and he sighed softly, seemingly savoring the moment.
"It is lovely, no?" He wondered softly. She nodded.
"Yeah, it is. Gordo took me there-" she stopped herself, smiling, "I saw it earlier today."
He nodded.
"Did you like?"
She nodded, her eyes not meeting his.
"Yeah...I did like it, actually." He continued to smile at her, and she couldn't help but wonder what exactly had made their moments overlooking the sea seem so magical. Oddly enough, she had a crazy idea that she already knew.
"I want you to be my girlfriend,"he answered her question, "Because I am in love with you, Lizzie."
Lizzie stared at the necklace in her hand for a moment, and Paolo leaned in to her, kissing her cheek softly.
"Lizzie, please tell me that you will be my girlfriend. I would like nothing better."
Lizzie stared at him, unable to comprehend what she was feeling. She had never expected anything like this to happen to her while in Rome. Paolo was the fantasy of millions of girls worldwide, and rightfully so, she supposed. He was handsome, charismatic, and he had everything that dreams were made of. Lizzie knew that there were probably thousands of people who would kill to be in her situation, but, as she sat on the couch speechless, she couldn't figure out what she was doing there. She had started all of this just to help out Isabella, and now it seemed as if Paolo had forgotten all about her. Yes, she had started to fall for him along the way, but then he had taken her trust and shattered it. Could she really forgive him for that? She had tried to forget about it, but each time it would start to fade from memory, the crippling pain would return. Could she forgive him for hurting her as much as he did?
And what would Gordo think? He would find out. Lizzie would have to tell him sooner or later. And then her parents....
"Paolo," she said softly, "I'm going home in a few weeks..."
"Si," he whispered softly, "But we can make a long-distance relationship work. Isabella and I made it work." His eyes connected with hers. "I am willing to do whatever it takes to make you mine, Lizzie McGuire. I love you, and that is not going to change, even if we are ten thousand miles apart, carina."
"You don't mean that," Lizzie managed to speak, "I mean, Paolo, when I go home, you'll be lonely. You'll want someone here with you, not halfway across the world......and, I mean, wouldn't you like someone your own age? I mean, I'm three years younger than you....in one year I'll be jailbait for you!"
He smiled at her, chuckling softly.
"Lizzie, you are acting like these things matter to me. I do not care. I love you, and I want to be with you, no matter what I have to go through in order to do that." He brushed her cheek with his hand, laying a soft kiss on her lips. He reached into her hand, taking the locket, and clasped it around her neck, sitting back to admire the view.
"It fits you beautifully," he observed, "Do you like?"
She nodded slowly, looking at him.
"I love it," she replied, "But I...I can't....."
"Lizzie, you must," he instructed her softly, "I mean.....you are all I've ever wanted. You must at least think about it."
Lizzie stared into his face, his brown eyes looking into hers.
She finally nodded, looking down.
"I'll think about it," she finally gave in, reaching up to unclasp the necklace in the back. His hands stopped her.
"Carina," he whispered softly, "I want you to keep it, even if you decide not to become my girlfriend."
"But, Paolo..."
"I had it made for you," he informed her, "I fully intend you to keep it."
She finally nodded, lowering her hands. He took them into his.
"When you feel you are ready to answer my question, call my cell phone," he whispered, "And until then, we will act as if this has never happened. Si?"
He smiled the smile that had melted her from the day of their first meeting, and she nodded, unable to suppress a smile.
"Si," she replied. He leaned in, kissing her cheek softly before standing up.
"Grazi," he thanked her, taking her hand. "Now, come, Lizzie. I have another surprise for you."
"Another one?" She asked softly, "Paolo, I don't think I can handle anymore."
He smiled, pulling her to her feet.
"You will be able to handle this one," he promised her, leading her out of a set of glass doors and onto a balcony. He sighed, inhaling as they stepped outside.
"I have been wanting to show you this," he admitted, "It is one of the best views of Rome that I know. It overlooks everything."
She gasped, glancing around at the horizon. The sun had set by now, and the twinkling lights of downtown stared up at her.
"Wow," she smiled, "It's amazing, Paolo." She looked around the large balcony, smiling politely at a few maids that stood in the corners. He took her hand, causing her to turn and look at him.
"And I had this," he said softly, moving aside, in order for her to see the small table behind him. A candle flickered in the middle of it, and two plates were set upon each side, a beautiful red rose lying upon Lizzie's. "I had hoped that we could dine here," he admitted, "Overlooking Rome, but I did not know that you had eaten."
Lizzie's stomach growled unconsciously. Suddenly, eating with him didn't seem so unappetizing. He really was trying to make up for his mistake. He really did like her.
She shook her head.
"You know what, Paolo? I think I could manage to eat something." His eyes grew wide, a large smile spreading across his face.
"Si?" He asked hopefully, "Grazi, Lizzie!" He rushed across the balcony, pulling a chair out for her. She sat down, smiling up at him.
"I will be right back," he promised, disappearing from sight for a moment. She sighed, looking around. This was like paradise. Every star in the sky smiled down upon her, each one seeming to showcase the full moon in its own special way.
She turned back as she heard the door open, and Paolo made his way through the doors, followed by another maid. He made his way over to the table and sat down across from her, smiling happily.
"The first course is salad," he explained, "I hope you like it. I spent all of the day making this meal. When you saw me, I was on my way to the market to buy everything." She tilted her head, smiling.
"Paolo........you made this all for me?" She asked, nearly speechless, "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me!"
He shrugged, smiling.
"You are important to me, carina. I wanted to show you that."
She smiled, and he kissed her hand softly.
"Now," he cleared his throat, as the woman began to place the salad upon two small plates, "Isabella was a vegetarian, and so I did not know whether or not you are. You are, after all, like two pods in a pea." He smiled. "Are you, dear carina?"
She shook her head.
"No, I'm not a vegetarian. I used to be, for like a week, but then I decided that I like burgers too much," she laughed softly. "I remember, me and Miranda got into this huge fight about it, and Gordo had to-" She paused, her eyes drifting to the table, "He had to work everything out between us."
Paolo stared at her, a smile on his face.
"You are good friends, si?" He asked softly. She nodded slowly, smiling.
"Si....how can you tell?" She wondered.
He chuckled before looking down at his hands. His eyes moved back up to her.
"When you talk about him, you get this cute little smile on your face," he admitted, "And it is very easy to see your dimples. I can only hope that you look the same way when you talk to him about me."
She blushed, looking down at the table.
"Paolo, I...." She began. He reached across the table for her hand.
"Shh, Carina," he whispered, "If you listen, you can hear the sea."
She closed her mouth, and he sighed softly, seemingly savoring the moment.
"It is lovely, no?" He wondered softly. She nodded.
"Yeah, it is. Gordo took me there-" she stopped herself, smiling, "I saw it earlier today."
He nodded.
"Did you like?"
She nodded, her eyes not meeting his.
"Yeah...I did like it, actually." He continued to smile at her, and she couldn't help but wonder what exactly had made their moments overlooking the sea seem so magical. Oddly enough, she had a crazy idea that she already knew.
