Thanks so much for all the great reviews! Wow, I'm just so grateful for
them and don't know what to say. You'll all made me speechless.
Fortunately, not wordless, and here's the next chapter!
Please, Read and Review!
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Gordo licked his lips as he stared at the back of the door Miranda had just rushed out of. He knew they're been arguing, he'd heard snatches of the conversation. He also knew it centered around him, having heard his own name. He gently ruffled Tori's hair as he stood up. She made a face at him then scooted across the floor in search of another puzzle piece.
He started towards the kitchen and paused as he leaned against the doorway. Lizzie was sitting at the table, her hands tangled in her hair as she stared blankly at the grains of wood. He knew then that he would have to tell her. It wasn't right to keep thins from her.
He bit down on his lip and stepped forward, clearing his throat.
Lizzie's head shot up and she forced a smile to her face when she saw him. "Hey."
He returned the smile, hoping that his was more convincing than hers. "Let's take Tori and get some ice cream."
Lizzie glanced into the living room, considering the idea.
Gordo stepped closer and picked up her hand. "Please."
Lizzie nodded, giving in. "I'll get her coat."
Gordo worded and reworded the many different ways he could tell her this. Every version sounded more horrid than the last. He felt at a loss to prove how much he really cared about her, despite his idiotic actions.
"Walk!" Tori's voice broke into his thoughts as her arms suddenly clamped around his legs.
Gordo chuckled as he bent down and lifted her above his head, his fingers tickling her sides as she let out shrieks of joy. "A walk! You want to go for a walk?"
"Yeah!" she laughed as he set her back down on the floor. He looked up and smiled at Lizzie who'd been watching them. Then he felt the small fingers wrap around his and felt his heart melt as Tori began to drag him towards the door.
The walk to the small ice cream place was pleasant, they chatted about Tori, and safe topic but nonetheless entertaining.
After he'd paid for Lizzie's chocolate chip in a waffle cone, Tori's vanilla sugar cone, and his own strawberry in a waffle cone, he led Lizzie and Tori to the small ornate tables and sat down.
He took a deep breath and noticed Lizzie was looking at him strangely. He glanced at Tori and in spite of himself laughed. She'd only had the cone a few minutes but had already managed to get ice cream across her rosy cheeks. Lizzie laughed also as she wiped her face.
"Is something wrong, Gordo?" she asked.
He tired to ignore the fact that she was calling him Gordo again. He tired to ignore the face that his heart was pounding inside his chest at the caress of her voice. Pushing his fears aside, her looked up and caught her brown eyes. "I have to tell you something."
The story poured forth, it was like a dam, something he'd held back for so long and now that he was finally able to tell, he couldn't stop himself. He tried to be as objective as he could, but when he tired to explain what had happened, he found himself stumbling over the words. "I loved you so much, I don't know why I did it Lizzie. I don't want to blame it on being drunk. So many people refuse to take responsibility for what they'd done. I know that it was something I shouldn't have done, and I've regretted it for four years."
The warm gentle gaze she'd had when they'd first sat down was now ice cold, her ice cream melting in her hand. She'd leaned back, away from him. "You got bored one night, and you cheated on me."
"Lizzie, please, it wasn't like that."
"Really?" she challenged, straining to control her voice. "Because it really sounds like that Gordo. If it wasn't like that, how was it? Did she force you? Did she plead with you? Because to me, it really sounds like you went willingly."
He looked at her face, a palette of emotions, anger the most prevalent. He licked his lips. "You know I loved you. I couldn't stand that I did something like that to you. That's why I left."
"Is that why? Or was it because you felt guilty? How could you come back, and not bother to tell me until after last night?"
"Lizzie, I wanted you to know that I cared about you."
"It amazes me to think that I was stupid enough to believe that. That I fell for almost every word you said. It amazes me that you manage to come back and I actually thought things would be different." Lizzie shook her head in disgust as she stood up. "Come on, Tori." Her face palled as she looked at the empty chair where her daughter had been sitting only moments ago.
Gordo felt his heart drop into his stomach. "Tori?" he called, glancing under the table.
"Tori," Lizzie called, jerking her head to the sides as she looked. "Tori!" her voice was becoming shriller.
Gordo jumped up from the chair and ran into the shop, then small bell clanking from the force of the door. "Tori!" It was obvious she wasn't in there. "Has anyone seen a small girl? She has light brown hair, about this tall?" Blank stares and shaking heads met his questions. He turned back around and almost ran into Lizzie.
"Where is she?" she cried.
A soft sound caught Gordo's attention, so soft he thought his imagination had made it up. He jerked his head towards the direction, and saw her. Tori stood at the corner, ice cream in hand, something round and colorful at her feet. A ball.
"Tori! No!" he yelled as he watched in slow motion as the ball started to roll towards the busy street.
He broke into ran, pushing past the people that had blocked their view moment earlier. "Tori!" his voice carried above the roar of the many conversations.
Lizzie tried to follow in horror, her own cries for her daughter mingled among the other voices. "Tori, stop!" she yelled, feeling pushing back against her. Her line of view was blocked again. She heard the screech of brakes and a sickening thud.
"No!" She screamed.
Gordo licked his lips as he stared at the back of the door Miranda had just rushed out of. He knew they're been arguing, he'd heard snatches of the conversation. He also knew it centered around him, having heard his own name. He gently ruffled Tori's hair as he stood up. She made a face at him then scooted across the floor in search of another puzzle piece.
He started towards the kitchen and paused as he leaned against the doorway. Lizzie was sitting at the table, her hands tangled in her hair as she stared blankly at the grains of wood. He knew then that he would have to tell her. It wasn't right to keep thins from her.
He bit down on his lip and stepped forward, clearing his throat.
Lizzie's head shot up and she forced a smile to her face when she saw him. "Hey."
He returned the smile, hoping that his was more convincing than hers. "Let's take Tori and get some ice cream."
Lizzie glanced into the living room, considering the idea.
Gordo stepped closer and picked up her hand. "Please."
Lizzie nodded, giving in. "I'll get her coat."
Gordo worded and reworded the many different ways he could tell her this. Every version sounded more horrid than the last. He felt at a loss to prove how much he really cared about her, despite his idiotic actions.
"Walk!" Tori's voice broke into his thoughts as her arms suddenly clamped around his legs.
Gordo chuckled as he bent down and lifted her above his head, his fingers tickling her sides as she let out shrieks of joy. "A walk! You want to go for a walk?"
"Yeah!" she laughed as he set her back down on the floor. He looked up and smiled at Lizzie who'd been watching them. Then he felt the small fingers wrap around his and felt his heart melt as Tori began to drag him towards the door.
The walk to the small ice cream place was pleasant, they chatted about Tori, and safe topic but nonetheless entertaining.
After he'd paid for Lizzie's chocolate chip in a waffle cone, Tori's vanilla sugar cone, and his own strawberry in a waffle cone, he led Lizzie and Tori to the small ornate tables and sat down.
He took a deep breath and noticed Lizzie was looking at him strangely. He glanced at Tori and in spite of himself laughed. She'd only had the cone a few minutes but had already managed to get ice cream across her rosy cheeks. Lizzie laughed also as she wiped her face.
"Is something wrong, Gordo?" she asked.
He tired to ignore the fact that she was calling him Gordo again. He tired to ignore the face that his heart was pounding inside his chest at the caress of her voice. Pushing his fears aside, her looked up and caught her brown eyes. "I have to tell you something."
The story poured forth, it was like a dam, something he'd held back for so long and now that he was finally able to tell, he couldn't stop himself. He tried to be as objective as he could, but when he tired to explain what had happened, he found himself stumbling over the words. "I loved you so much, I don't know why I did it Lizzie. I don't want to blame it on being drunk. So many people refuse to take responsibility for what they'd done. I know that it was something I shouldn't have done, and I've regretted it for four years."
The warm gentle gaze she'd had when they'd first sat down was now ice cold, her ice cream melting in her hand. She'd leaned back, away from him. "You got bored one night, and you cheated on me."
"Lizzie, please, it wasn't like that."
"Really?" she challenged, straining to control her voice. "Because it really sounds like that Gordo. If it wasn't like that, how was it? Did she force you? Did she plead with you? Because to me, it really sounds like you went willingly."
He looked at her face, a palette of emotions, anger the most prevalent. He licked his lips. "You know I loved you. I couldn't stand that I did something like that to you. That's why I left."
"Is that why? Or was it because you felt guilty? How could you come back, and not bother to tell me until after last night?"
"Lizzie, I wanted you to know that I cared about you."
"It amazes me to think that I was stupid enough to believe that. That I fell for almost every word you said. It amazes me that you manage to come back and I actually thought things would be different." Lizzie shook her head in disgust as she stood up. "Come on, Tori." Her face palled as she looked at the empty chair where her daughter had been sitting only moments ago.
Gordo felt his heart drop into his stomach. "Tori?" he called, glancing under the table.
"Tori," Lizzie called, jerking her head to the sides as she looked. "Tori!" her voice was becoming shriller.
Gordo jumped up from the chair and ran into the shop, then small bell clanking from the force of the door. "Tori!" It was obvious she wasn't in there. "Has anyone seen a small girl? She has light brown hair, about this tall?" Blank stares and shaking heads met his questions. He turned back around and almost ran into Lizzie.
"Where is she?" she cried.
A soft sound caught Gordo's attention, so soft he thought his imagination had made it up. He jerked his head towards the direction, and saw her. Tori stood at the corner, ice cream in hand, something round and colorful at her feet. A ball.
"Tori! No!" he yelled as he watched in slow motion as the ball started to roll towards the busy street.
He broke into ran, pushing past the people that had blocked their view moment earlier. "Tori!" his voice carried above the roar of the many conversations.
Lizzie tried to follow in horror, her own cries for her daughter mingled among the other voices. "Tori, stop!" she yelled, feeling pushing back against her. Her line of view was blocked again. She heard the screech of brakes and a sickening thud.
"No!" She screamed.