Wow, I have never anticipated a break as much as I am spring break.
Thanks so much to those who have stayed with me, you're so incredible!
Thanks for the wonderful reviews, you're the inspiration I need to keep
writing.
So please! Read and review!
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Lizzie gracefully swept into the dark house. It was weird knowing Tori wasn't there. This was the first time she'd stay the night some where else alone. They'd stayed at Miranda's before, but that was always together. She was half tempted to run to the phone and call, but she glanced at her watch and realized it was late and Tori could possibly be asleep.
She knew what she was doing; she was attempting desperately not to think about the date. Not to think about how Danny had taken her to the fanciest restaurant in town, not to think how he'd pulled out chairs, not to think about how he'd commented on her outfit. To any other woman, this would be the stuff to dream about, the night she just had. But to her, it seemed too prefect. Danny was overly wealthy, completely chivalrous, but she repeatedly compared him to Gordo. She couldn't help it. He had been the first love of her life, and she'd thought that last.
She sighed and smiled as she saw him curled up on the couch, a blanket tossed over him.
She walked into the kitchen and glanced around. On the counter in a cup stood a single red rose. Curiosity filled her as she stepped forward. On the stove were two aluminum covered objects. A closer inspection revealed that they were potatoes. She continued around the kitchen, noting everything that was out of place, the grill, the vase, a pan with a lid. When she turned and saw the trash can, everything suddenly made sense. Lying on top of a store plastic bag laid yellow roses. Lizzie's hand flew to cover her mouth as she leaned back and stared at the sleeping figure in the living room. Suddenly, she couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. He'd been trying to make her dinner, he'd been going through all this trouble to surprise her, and she'd went out with Danny.
Reaching up, she pulled her hair free from the clip and shook it loose. She ran her hands through her hair as she looked at the remains of dinner. She hadn't been out long and everything was still covered. She nodded slowly as she twisted her hair carelessly back and pinned it away from her face.
She worked steadily reheating the dinner she knew he hadn't wanted her to see. After the food was warming, she slowly pulled the flower out. Her heart pounded in her chest as she placed each delicate stem inside the vase. She smiled as she carried it to the table, still set from earlier. She relit the candles, removed her apron, added food to each plate and glanced in the living room.
Suddenly, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her make up. She added more lipstick, patted her cheeks with powder and adjusted stray stands of her. Lizzie firmly tried to convince herself that she was being ridiculous, but there was an overpowering part of her that wanted to look beautiful when he woke up.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, then walked quickly into the living room.
His head was lulled to the side, his dark eyelashes resting on his pale cheek, curls askew on his head. A smile tugged at Lizzie's lips as she reached out gently and brushed a curl form his forehead.
She sat down on the arm of the chair as his eyes fluttered open.
"You're home," he murmured softly.
Lizzie said nothing, her mouth refused to form words, but she reached out gently and picked up his hand. He raised his eyebrows questioningly but followed her into the kitchen.
She walked backwards, watching his expression. His confused look quickly turned into a smile when he realized what she had done. Then, the smile faded away as he pulled away gently.
"Why'd you do this?" he asked.
Lizzie glanced around the kitchen just as much confusion crossing her own face. "You don't like it."
Gordo sighed and turned away from her. "Don't you have a date to be on?"
His tone, that harsh tone when he tried to pretend he didn't care. Lizzie tried not to show her hurt as she gently grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "I'm right where I want to be."
Gordo finally looked up from the floor and smiled at her. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," she answered, sitting down across from him.
Gordo nodded and started to sit down, then suddenly remember something. He crossed the kitchen and pulled out a bottle. Lizzie watched him as he pulled out wine glasses. She started to protest but he place the glasses down in front of her and held his finger up. "It's grape juice," he grinned.
Lizzie smiled and took her glass then held it up. "A toast."
Raising his glass, Gordo returned the smile. "To what?"
Lizzie tried to think quickly, biting back her first comment. "To friendships."
Gordo nodded. "To friendship." He sat down and they began to eat.
Lizzie chewed on a piece of steak then sat her fork down and looked at him. "Why didn't you tell me? About this? About the dinner?"
Gordo glanced up at her and shrugged. "It wouldn't have been a surprise."
Lizzie sat down her glass and stared at him. "I wouldn't have gone."
"You made plans."
"I wouldn't just walk out on you like that."
His last comment caught his attention. Gordo tilted his head as he placed his fork back down on the table.
"I-I didn't mean that," Lizzie stammered. "I just meant, I wouldn't have left with—"
Gordo sighed loudly ad he leaned towards her. "You're right, you deserve a reason."
Lizzie looked up, shocked. After so many years he was finally going to tell her. All of her doubts, questions, they would all finally be put to rest.
Gordo cleared his throat and leaned forward then began.
Lizzie gracefully swept into the dark house. It was weird knowing Tori wasn't there. This was the first time she'd stay the night some where else alone. They'd stayed at Miranda's before, but that was always together. She was half tempted to run to the phone and call, but she glanced at her watch and realized it was late and Tori could possibly be asleep.
She knew what she was doing; she was attempting desperately not to think about the date. Not to think about how Danny had taken her to the fanciest restaurant in town, not to think how he'd pulled out chairs, not to think about how he'd commented on her outfit. To any other woman, this would be the stuff to dream about, the night she just had. But to her, it seemed too prefect. Danny was overly wealthy, completely chivalrous, but she repeatedly compared him to Gordo. She couldn't help it. He had been the first love of her life, and she'd thought that last.
She sighed and smiled as she saw him curled up on the couch, a blanket tossed over him.
She walked into the kitchen and glanced around. On the counter in a cup stood a single red rose. Curiosity filled her as she stepped forward. On the stove were two aluminum covered objects. A closer inspection revealed that they were potatoes. She continued around the kitchen, noting everything that was out of place, the grill, the vase, a pan with a lid. When she turned and saw the trash can, everything suddenly made sense. Lying on top of a store plastic bag laid yellow roses. Lizzie's hand flew to cover her mouth as she leaned back and stared at the sleeping figure in the living room. Suddenly, she couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. He'd been trying to make her dinner, he'd been going through all this trouble to surprise her, and she'd went out with Danny.
Reaching up, she pulled her hair free from the clip and shook it loose. She ran her hands through her hair as she looked at the remains of dinner. She hadn't been out long and everything was still covered. She nodded slowly as she twisted her hair carelessly back and pinned it away from her face.
She worked steadily reheating the dinner she knew he hadn't wanted her to see. After the food was warming, she slowly pulled the flower out. Her heart pounded in her chest as she placed each delicate stem inside the vase. She smiled as she carried it to the table, still set from earlier. She relit the candles, removed her apron, added food to each plate and glanced in the living room.
Suddenly, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her make up. She added more lipstick, patted her cheeks with powder and adjusted stray stands of her. Lizzie firmly tried to convince herself that she was being ridiculous, but there was an overpowering part of her that wanted to look beautiful when he woke up.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, then walked quickly into the living room.
His head was lulled to the side, his dark eyelashes resting on his pale cheek, curls askew on his head. A smile tugged at Lizzie's lips as she reached out gently and brushed a curl form his forehead.
She sat down on the arm of the chair as his eyes fluttered open.
"You're home," he murmured softly.
Lizzie said nothing, her mouth refused to form words, but she reached out gently and picked up his hand. He raised his eyebrows questioningly but followed her into the kitchen.
She walked backwards, watching his expression. His confused look quickly turned into a smile when he realized what she had done. Then, the smile faded away as he pulled away gently.
"Why'd you do this?" he asked.
Lizzie glanced around the kitchen just as much confusion crossing her own face. "You don't like it."
Gordo sighed and turned away from her. "Don't you have a date to be on?"
His tone, that harsh tone when he tried to pretend he didn't care. Lizzie tried not to show her hurt as she gently grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "I'm right where I want to be."
Gordo finally looked up from the floor and smiled at her. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," she answered, sitting down across from him.
Gordo nodded and started to sit down, then suddenly remember something. He crossed the kitchen and pulled out a bottle. Lizzie watched him as he pulled out wine glasses. She started to protest but he place the glasses down in front of her and held his finger up. "It's grape juice," he grinned.
Lizzie smiled and took her glass then held it up. "A toast."
Raising his glass, Gordo returned the smile. "To what?"
Lizzie tried to think quickly, biting back her first comment. "To friendships."
Gordo nodded. "To friendship." He sat down and they began to eat.
Lizzie chewed on a piece of steak then sat her fork down and looked at him. "Why didn't you tell me? About this? About the dinner?"
Gordo glanced up at her and shrugged. "It wouldn't have been a surprise."
Lizzie sat down her glass and stared at him. "I wouldn't have gone."
"You made plans."
"I wouldn't just walk out on you like that."
His last comment caught his attention. Gordo tilted his head as he placed his fork back down on the table.
"I-I didn't mean that," Lizzie stammered. "I just meant, I wouldn't have left with—"
Gordo sighed loudly ad he leaned towards her. "You're right, you deserve a reason."
Lizzie looked up, shocked. After so many years he was finally going to tell her. All of her doubts, questions, they would all finally be put to rest.
Gordo cleared his throat and leaned forward then began.