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As Lizzie approached the stairs, she glanced over her shoulder at Tori. She hadn't moved, she still colored the page, the same somber expression on her face. Lizzie started up the stairs, her mind racing with things she should says, things she could say, and things she wanted to say. Nothing made sense in her jumble of a mind except the pounding echo of Tori's voice that something had changed.
She stood in front of the dark door that she hadn't stepped into without Tori since Gordo had begun to occupy the room. She held her breath almost listening for sounds that he was within. She heard the muffled thud as he moved about the room.
Unable to bring herself to knock, she rested her hand again the cool knob, her slender fingers gripped the brass handle and turned.
Gordo stood in the middle of the room, a puzzled expression written across his face. He wore a pair of jeans and a white tank top, the shirt tossed on the bed made it obvious she'd come in when he was changing.
Lizzie bit back the urge to apologize profusely and to run from the room. She gently shut the door behind her and pressed her hands behind her back as she leaned against the door. "We need to talk."
Gordo knitted his eyebrows as he turned to see her better. He slowly nodded as his eyes gazed the room. "Do you want to go downstairs?"
Lizzie shook her head, the straight corn-silk strands brushed against her cheek. "Here is fine."
Gordo drug his tongue across his lips and nodded.
Lizzie felt herself use the door for even more support as her eyes raked over his exposed, slightly tanned arms. The tank top was fitted in al the right areas and the sudden sensation of his skin beneath her fingertips was a vivid memory. She commanded herself to focus. The words she wanted to say fled from her mouth, she looked up from the gray speckled carpet and leaned more fully against the door.
"Tori's birthday is coming up," she blurted out. She was perfectly aware that her statement seemed incredibly out of place, and her secrecy seemed insanely out of place. "And I want her to have a small but fun birthday party. I want you to help me plan it," she stated.
Gordo looked up from the papers he'd been shifting through and smiled. "I think it sounds like a great thing. Tori needs a happy party."
Lizzie nodded. "But I think it will mean a lot to Tori if you help plan it."
"I'd be more than happy to," he agreed.
Lizzie nodded as her hand slid along the oak door until her fingers brushed the doorknob. "Okay. Well, I'll figure out a budget, and then we'll work from there."
She turned quickly and heard his voice, a chill rippled down her spine.
"Yes," she answered softly.
"Is that what you really came up here to talk to about?"
Lizzie closed her eyes, blocking out the rich texture of the wood in front of her. She pressed back a sigh from her lips. "Yeah," she lied. "I just didn't want Tori to follow me up."
Once again, she found herself fleeing from the room, fleeing form a situation that she needed to confront.
Tapping her fingers on the table, Lizzie gazed at the price list in front of her. For the past two weeks she and Gordo had made adjustments, trying to squeeze in as many surprises as they could and anything they could think of that would please Tori.
Though she didn't want to admit it, Lizzie had felt the gap between her and Gordo slowly being patched. The initial injury still hurt, but the gentle caress of his voice, the way her spine tingled as she anticipated the minutes after Tori was sleeping soundly and he would join her in the kitchen or the living room. She'd tried to fight it the first days, but there was no denying that she couldn't wait to see him each night.
His hand suddenly traced lightly across her shoulder. Lizzie smiled and looked up at him. His arm slid off as he slipped into the seat to her right.
"So, what are we looking at tonight?"
"Well, Miranda designed these invitations for some of the children that they usually see in a play date, and Matt told me what gifts he already bought," Lizzie stated. Her stomach suddenly twisted and Lizzie pushed herself up from the table. "Want anything to eat?"
Gordo shook his head as he reached for the paper.
Lizzie shrugged and opened the refrigerator, she stared inside for several minutes before she finally selected a small jar of chocolate frosting. She noticed Gordo's smirk as she popped off the red lid and pulled out a spoonful of chocolate. Unable to take the smirk anymore, she made a face at him.
Gordo chuckled softly and read from the paper, "So, you're planning on twenty kids and parents total?"
"It's actually a bit over, but I'd rather have more than less."
"How many more over?"
Lizzie sighed as she grabbed a banana and quickly removed the peel. "About six. If anyone brings a friend or something, there's food and prizes."
Gordo nodded and watched as Lizzie smeared her finger in the chocolate and wiped it onto the banana. Lizzie knew he was staring at her and jerked her head up. "What?" she exclaimed.
"A banana and chocolate, that's weird."
"Hey, I had a craving leave me alone." Lizzie protested but she knew he was right, this was only one of the many weird combinations she'd been eating. Maybe she needed a more regular diet...
As Lizzie approached the stairs, she glanced over her shoulder at Tori. She hadn't moved, she still colored the page, the same somber expression on her face. Lizzie started up the stairs, her mind racing with things she should says, things she could say, and things she wanted to say. Nothing made sense in her jumble of a mind except the pounding echo of Tori's voice that something had changed.
She stood in front of the dark door that she hadn't stepped into without Tori since Gordo had begun to occupy the room. She held her breath almost listening for sounds that he was within. She heard the muffled thud as he moved about the room.
Unable to bring herself to knock, she rested her hand again the cool knob, her slender fingers gripped the brass handle and turned.
Gordo stood in the middle of the room, a puzzled expression written across his face. He wore a pair of jeans and a white tank top, the shirt tossed on the bed made it obvious she'd come in when he was changing.
Lizzie bit back the urge to apologize profusely and to run from the room. She gently shut the door behind her and pressed her hands behind her back as she leaned against the door. "We need to talk."
Gordo knitted his eyebrows as he turned to see her better. He slowly nodded as his eyes gazed the room. "Do you want to go downstairs?"
Lizzie shook her head, the straight corn-silk strands brushed against her cheek. "Here is fine."
Gordo drug his tongue across his lips and nodded.
Lizzie felt herself use the door for even more support as her eyes raked over his exposed, slightly tanned arms. The tank top was fitted in al the right areas and the sudden sensation of his skin beneath her fingertips was a vivid memory. She commanded herself to focus. The words she wanted to say fled from her mouth, she looked up from the gray speckled carpet and leaned more fully against the door.
"Tori's birthday is coming up," she blurted out. She was perfectly aware that her statement seemed incredibly out of place, and her secrecy seemed insanely out of place. "And I want her to have a small but fun birthday party. I want you to help me plan it," she stated.
Gordo looked up from the papers he'd been shifting through and smiled. "I think it sounds like a great thing. Tori needs a happy party."
Lizzie nodded. "But I think it will mean a lot to Tori if you help plan it."
"I'd be more than happy to," he agreed.
Lizzie nodded as her hand slid along the oak door until her fingers brushed the doorknob. "Okay. Well, I'll figure out a budget, and then we'll work from there."
She turned quickly and heard his voice, a chill rippled down her spine.
"Yes," she answered softly.
"Is that what you really came up here to talk to about?"
Lizzie closed her eyes, blocking out the rich texture of the wood in front of her. She pressed back a sigh from her lips. "Yeah," she lied. "I just didn't want Tori to follow me up."
Once again, she found herself fleeing from the room, fleeing form a situation that she needed to confront.
Tapping her fingers on the table, Lizzie gazed at the price list in front of her. For the past two weeks she and Gordo had made adjustments, trying to squeeze in as many surprises as they could and anything they could think of that would please Tori.
Though she didn't want to admit it, Lizzie had felt the gap between her and Gordo slowly being patched. The initial injury still hurt, but the gentle caress of his voice, the way her spine tingled as she anticipated the minutes after Tori was sleeping soundly and he would join her in the kitchen or the living room. She'd tried to fight it the first days, but there was no denying that she couldn't wait to see him each night.
His hand suddenly traced lightly across her shoulder. Lizzie smiled and looked up at him. His arm slid off as he slipped into the seat to her right.
"So, what are we looking at tonight?"
"Well, Miranda designed these invitations for some of the children that they usually see in a play date, and Matt told me what gifts he already bought," Lizzie stated. Her stomach suddenly twisted and Lizzie pushed herself up from the table. "Want anything to eat?"
Gordo shook his head as he reached for the paper.
Lizzie shrugged and opened the refrigerator, she stared inside for several minutes before she finally selected a small jar of chocolate frosting. She noticed Gordo's smirk as she popped off the red lid and pulled out a spoonful of chocolate. Unable to take the smirk anymore, she made a face at him.
Gordo chuckled softly and read from the paper, "So, you're planning on twenty kids and parents total?"
"It's actually a bit over, but I'd rather have more than less."
"How many more over?"
Lizzie sighed as she grabbed a banana and quickly removed the peel. "About six. If anyone brings a friend or something, there's food and prizes."
Gordo nodded and watched as Lizzie smeared her finger in the chocolate and wiped it onto the banana. Lizzie knew he was staring at her and jerked her head up. "What?" she exclaimed.
"A banana and chocolate, that's weird."
"Hey, I had a craving leave me alone." Lizzie protested but she knew he was right, this was only one of the many weird combinations she'd been eating. Maybe she needed a more regular diet...