"I need to stop doing this" Gordo said lightly as my eyes fluttered open that Thursday morning,

"Doing what?" I groaned as I pulled the blankets over my head, to show I was still tired and didn't want any disturbances so I could easily fall back asleep.

"Falling asleep with you in my arms."

I tugged the blankets down so I could look at him, "why?" I asked very confused.

"'Cause it's to comfortable. I don't want to get used to something that's going to come to an end when my parents come home from their conference."

"Gordo, shh, live in the moment for once." I said cuddling closer to him, he pulled his arms tighter around me and kissed the top of my head.

"Normally I would go for that idea, but we have to get to school." I sighed deeply so he could feel my annoyance against his chest.

"Do we really have to? I want to stay here, like this, all day."

"I'm sorry darling but we do; but if it'll help at all you can stay over again tonight." He offered up.

"I'd love to." I wedged myself deeper into his arms and stroked his stomach; "can I expect a repeat performance of last night?" I giggled.

"I can guarantee it." He kissed the top of my head again nuzzling his face into my hair; we stayed like that for a few minutes until I had a panic attack causing me to bolt up into a sitting position.

"I can't stay here tonight"

"What? Why not?" he was worried; it shone through in his weary voice.

"Tomorrow's graduation. I have to look good." He stifled a laugh

"Lizzie, honey, we can go get your clothes and make-up and whatever else you need from your house after school today."

I breathed a sigh of relief, "I wouldn't have thought of that." He laughed as he playfully hit me with a pillow.

"You can be so blonde sometimes." I smirked at him and nailed him with an unsuspecting pillow."

After homeroom Gordo and I found ourselves sitting at a table located in the outdoor portion of the cafeteria neither of talking. He was reading a book about the history of the Jewish religion, while I filed and painted my nails.

"Gordo?" I asked softly

"Hmm?" was the only form of a response I got from him.

"What do you think?" I asked as I put my one completed hand in front of him, the nails painted a very soft blue. He glanced up from his book to take notice of what I was asking his opinion on,

"Is that for Graduation or Prom?"

"Both, I think"

"Oh, I would have thought a french manicure to have been better suited to the occasions." I mulled over the idea for a while agreeing with him right away, but not knowing how to accomplish that look.

"Would you mind if I got my nails done while we're at the mall tonight?" he shook his head to let me know he had no objections and went back to his book, I in turn started taking the fresh polish off my nails.

Just as I was finishing my last nail Kate was making her way over to me, "Hey Lizzie," she said as she took a seat beside me. Gordo looked up briefly to see who had joined us then went back to reading when he realized the person now sitting with us was of no interest to him.

"Hey Kate" while Kate and I never re-kindled the friendship we once had she did become more civil towards me after our trip to Rome but still I was weary that she was approaching me with her followers. " What can I do for you?"

"Not much actually. I just wanted to sign your yearbook."

"Sure, but if you write anything nasty in it you'll be buying me a new one." She sighed and accepted that still, after these past few years, she still couldn't be trusted by me and I slid my book over to her.

I didn't offer to sign hers, if she had wanted me to; she would have asked. Kate had never been one to shy away from getting what she wanted. After a few minutes of her scratching her pen against the paper of my book she closed it and slid it across the table so it landed in front of me. She then stood up said goodbye to Gordo and myself and was on her way.

"So what'd she write?" Gordo asked book marking his page as a sign he was giving me his undivided attention. I opened my book and found the page Kate had written on and read aloud to Gordo what it said,

'I don't know about you, but this whole process of graduation has sort of left me with a numb feeling, and I think it's the numbness that's causing me to look back on not only my high school experience but my time in junior high too. And I guess only recently I've had the courage to realize how much of a bitch I truly was or I suppose, still am.

I know there is nothing I can do now to make up our lost years and I wouldn't even imagine suggesting such a thing to you. I really just wanted to take what could be my last opportunity to apologize and let you know that you weren't the one who missed out; I was.

Honestly,

Kate

P.S. I'm glad you and Gordo finally found each other. Maybe you think you've been friends forever, but really, you guys have been soul mates forever.'

"Wow" I whispered under my breath. Gordo was silent, he leaned over to take the yearbook away from me, I guess so he could read it himself as proof that the notorious bitch Kate Saunders had actually written that instead of a nasty comment.

"What are we?" he asked when he closed the book. I scrunched my nose up. I really did not want to have this talk with him.

"We're Lizzie and Gordo."

He shook his head, obviously dissatisfied with my answer. "Ok, we'll let's go to the mall. I'm bored here."

I couldn't believe the air of dread that seeped in between us in the car, we had been so wonderful this morning. And suddenly, one little question changed everything. I could have sworn we had already established that we just were earlier this week, but now looking back it all seemed like a blur to me. I tried to remember everything we had done together this week but I could barely remember a thing.

It seemed like we had drifted back in the week, back to Monday morning when I appeared at his car, so distant. I never imagined there would come a time when I couldn't think of a thing to say to the man I loved, my best friend, my soul mate. But the time had come, and is our love strong enough to withhold throughout the silence?

We managed to keep it alive the last few years and we had no communication, so if we could keep the flame burning during the storm, a calm wouldn't be able to blow it out, right?

The very fact that I'm questioning the power of our love frightens me, why am I doubting something I've known my entire life? I looked over at Gordo, I wonder if he ever has doubts, if he ever worries that maybe we aren't going to be together forever. I wonder if he truly loves me, or maybe we've both deceived ourselves into believing that because we've known each other our entire lives that we are destined as soul mates.

"Lizzie, let's just enjoy these next few days." He said solemnly, I nodded. He parked his car in an empty stall and got out. I followed quickly, he had started walking to the entrance so I jogged to catch up to him, once arriving by his side, and he turned to me and smiled. Then took my hand as we made our way through the heavy doors of the mall.

It seemed like our journey throughout the mall took only moments, but if you looked at the hands on a clock, hours had passed since we first walked through the doors we were now walking out of; bags in hand.

We made the promised stop at my house where I collected all the things I would need for tomorrow before finally arriving at Gordo's house.

Together we decided on a movie night, we'd lye in each other's arms on his bed watching the same movies we watched many years ago. Silently we drifted into the fourth of our list of movies when he broke the silence.

"You know, I've loved you my entire life Lizzie." I sat there, still staring at the screen, not knowing what may be coming my way. "Holding you in my arms brings meaning to my day, and laying beside you right now is making me the happiest man alive. But strangely I feel like something's missing between us. I've waited years for you to come to me, and now finally you have and it doesn't feel right. It seems like you're holding back." He was quiet for a second, perhaps collecting his thoughts. "I don't know if it's because you're scared of getting hurt or ruining our friendship; but whatever it is, Lizzie you need to work through it, because it hurts me to know you're holding back on me."

I didn't know what to do, maybe I was holding back, part of me was still scared to ruin a friendship that was hardly there anymore and I guess there's always that fear of being hurt. I knew that I loved Gordo, that I was in love with the man holding me close.

With the thought of loving him in my mind, I did what I thought was right the only thing I could think of. I melted into a passionate kiss with him, my tongue exploring his mouth as if I had never kissed him before.

My hands roaming down into his jeans as if they had never been there before, I deepened the kiss and unbuttoned his fly climbing on top of him. He hands rushed up my stomach then around my back pulling me back into his kiss. He too reached into my jeans as though he hadn't been there before, then undid like I had done his. My hands moved to his head where I caressed his wild mess of hair as he pulled off my pants, and switching spots with me.

He pulled off my jeans while I pulled my shirt over my head, sitting up to undress him, we continued to kiss.

It all felt so new, like we hadn't done something so similar the night before. It was we we're about to make love, we we're about to have sex. No feelings behind it this time, I hungrily pushed his kissed down my body, his hands moving so skillfully against my body, I felt so new to this.

I felt him stop for a second, and heard the crinkling of a condom wrapper, then slowly I felt him enter inside of me, and slowly he rocked back and forth, then picking up his pace. I let out a soft moan and brought him in for another kiss, never losing his rhythm he continue to quicken then slow his pace.

I felt my legs numb and tingles shoot throughout my body. I felt his once steady arms began to shake my hips moving as if controlled by someone other then me.

He lowered himself so he was lying on top of me, both of us panting. I whispered "I love you" in his ear.

"Elizabeth McGuire, will you put your trust in my love?" he whispered into my neck. I moved my hand up and down his back and nodded.

It was that night, I truly became a woman, it was then that I put my faith in someone else's love, and it was then that I completely, mind, soul, and body gave myself to David Zephyr Gordon, without a trance of doubt in my mind I kissed the top of his head.

"You have all of me Gordo. I'm just sorry it took me this long to get here."

Authors Note; as some of you may have noticed, it takes me about a month to post each chapter and I do apologize for that, and honestly this chapter was written about two weeks I just hadn't posted it.

I will be gone on vacation for the next two weeks, (well deserved vacation if you ask me) and I do plan to try and finish this story while I'm there so I can move on to bigger and better things. So look for some updates two weeks from now, and please continue to review if you read the story. It motivates me to write, just because I know someone, somewhere is enjoying this work of mine.

Thank you all for being so patient with me and this story.