Ch 9
Maxie stood in front of the refrigerator, hoping that by staring hard
enough, she could make a strawberry cheesecake magically appear. The
doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," she called, shutting the door. Walking into the foyer, she
opened the door. "Dillon, hey," she said, barely able to mask her surprise.
"Ummm, how are you?"
Dillon shifted his feet. "Um, I'm all right," he said hesitantly. "How- how
are you?" He scratched the back of his neck, having no idea how to behave.
"Um, is Georgie home?"
"Uh, yeah," Maxie stepped aside. "Come on in. Georgie," she called as
Dillon stepped into the front hallway. "Dillon's here to see you!" She
turned back to Dillon. "What do you want?" she asked bluntly.
Dillon swallowed. Two months ago he would have taken offense to Maxie's
question, but now...did he have the right to feel put out? After
everything? He sighed.
"I want to see if Georgie will go out with me tonight," he said, feeling
almost as though he was asking Maxie's permission.
She raised an eyebrow, almost imperceptibly. "You want to go on a date with
her?" Maxie asked, in a tone that Dillon couldn't quite read.
"Maxie," Georgie admonished quietly from the stairs, "don't interrogate
him." She offered Dillon a small smile. "Hey," she said softly.
"Hey," he replied. He looked between the two sisters, then at his feet,
then at Georgie again. "So um, do you think I could take you out tonight?
Maybe we could just spend some time together, talk?" He shrugged. "It
doesn't have to be a date."
Georgie nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll get my coat." She walked toward the
front closet.
"Dillon." Maxie uttered only his name, but her tone spoke volumes. He
looked up, meeting her gaze. They stared at each other for a moment, him
accepting her warning, she trusting his sincerity. Maxie nodded.
"Okay," Dillon whispered.
Georgie came back in. "I'll see you later," she told her sister.
Maxie nodded. "Bye," she said. "Bye Dillon."
He held the door open for Georgie. "Bye Maxie."
"So," Dillon asked, "was it as good the second time?"
Georgie smiled. "I still love the kiss," she whispered.
Dillon smiled back, almost sadly. "And what about me," he thought. "Do you
still love me? Or did I screw things up too much?" He pushed his hand
through his hair. "I need you, Georgie," his mind screamed.
"I still can't believe what you did to get me out of that test," she said
quietly, interrupting his thoughts. "It's the only time I've ever cut
school."
Dillon looked at her, at the golden color of her eyes and the way that the
corners of her lips turned up just slightly, remembering. It had been
easier then; why had it seemed so hard? Her cheeks were flushed from the
cold, but Dillon could only remember the warmth of her skin beneath his
palm. He could almost feel it. Then he did. Somehow his hand had crept up
and was cupping her cheek. Slowly, he bent his head, leaning closer and
closer. Dillon brushed his lips over Georgie's, his mouth opening slightly
to draw her bottom lip in between his as he started kissing her.
The kiss lasted merely seconds before Georgie pulled back with a soft sob.
"I'm sorry," Dillon said quickly, stepping away. "I was out of line. I
shouldn't have-"
"It's just too soon," Georgie told him softly, wrapping her arms around her
body. "I can't get the image of you with...her...out of my mind."
Dillon hung his head. "I know," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"And...and I know that it isn't your fault," she said, "but-"
"No," Dillon cut her off. "Don't do that, Georgie."
She looked at him, confused. "Do what?"
He looked at her. "Don't give me the party line 'it's not your fault'
response that you're supposed to give to people who get raped."
"But," she gaped at him, "you didn't ask to be drugged."
"No," he agreed, "I didn't. And I wouldn't have slept with her if I hadn't
been-" he sighed, "at least I really hope I wouldn't have been that stupid,
but if we both didn't know this was somewhat my fault, you wouldn't have
started crying when I kissed you." He touched her chin, barely, with the
tip of his finger, making her look up at him. "Would you?"
Georgie's lip trembled. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't want to be mad
at you when I know you're the victim, but..."
"But you are," Dillon said gently. "It's okay."
Georgie gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "I...I..."
"-begged me to stop working for Alcazar," Dillon finished. "I should have
listened to you." He looked at the ground. As his gaze moved back up, he
looked at her hands, trembling rapidly. He looked back at her eyes. "You're
shaking," he whispered.
Georgie shrugged. "I'm cold."
Dillon nodded, pulling his gloves off his hands and reaching for hers,
slipping them into the warm cloth. "You need to remember gloves," he told
her softly. "Come on."
He reached out his arm and Georgie let him protect her against the cold as
they hurried to the car.
"Thank you," they said to the waitress as she placed a tray of two fortune
cookies on their table.
"You first," Dillon told Georgie as they both picked up a cookie.
She cracked hers, pulling out the fortune. A strange expression came over
her face as she read it.
"What?" Dillon asked. "What's it say?"
Georgie gulped. "Time heals all wounds."
Dillon's heart pounded. "Do you believe that?" he asked, hopefully.
Georgie shook her head. "I don't know," she confessed. "I want to."
"Georgie?" he asked. "Do you think...well, what I mean is...can we ever get
back to...to how we were?"
"I want us to," she told him honestly. "But it can't be like before. You
can't just say you're sorry and I say okay. This is different. It's going
to-"
"Take time," he finished. "I'll give you as much as you need. It's just,"
he shook his head. "Nevermind."
"What?"
"No," Dillon replied. "It's not something I have the right to say."
Georgie pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "You know, a lot of this
happened because we weren't completely honest, so tell me."
Dillon nodded. "Okay," he agreed. He looked at the table. "It's just...I
hate the idea of you with another guy."
"I don't want another guy," Georgie told him softly. She stared at her
hands. "I don't want anybody but you."
Dillon's heart leaped for a moment. "But you don't want me." He wasn't sure
if it was a statement or a question.
"I'm not ready to want you again," she replied. "It still hurts too much."
She shrugged. "So what do we do?"
"Maybe," Dillon said, "maybe we just take it slow."
"Like friends first?" Georgie asked.
"Well, yeah," Dillon said, scratching his head. "And maybe, I could ask you
out on a date every now and then?"
Georgie gave him a half smile. "Maybe." She narrowed her eyes. "Wait, are
we going to date?"
"Each other?" Dillon asked.
Georgie shook her head. "No. Other people."
Dillon swallowed. "I don't want to," he admitted. "And I don't want-" he
stopped, knowing it wasn't his place at the moment.
"I don't want you to either," Georgie rescued him. "And I don't want to see
anyone else." She looked into his eyes. "Can you wait?"
He nodded. "Yes," he swore. "I promise."
Georgie looked down at the table for a moment before looking back up at
him. "I believe you," she whispered.
Dillon allowed himself to smile. He knew it would take time before she
could say those words without hesitating.
"So...thank you," Georgie said as they walked up to the front steps of her
house. "For the movie and dinner." She shrugged. "And for..."
"Thank you, for...that, too," Dillon said. Georgie gave him a slight smile.
They hovered in front of the door, looking hesitantly at each other.
Dillon shifted his weight, looking down. "I really want to kiss you," he
confessed quietly.
Georgie scratched her nose, looking at the ground. "I really want you to,"
she admitted. She peeked up at him. "But..."
He nodded. "I know," he said sadly. They looked awkwardly at one another.
Slowly, Dillon reached out his hand. "Come here?" he asked. Georgie took a
step toward him and Dillon gathered her into his arms. He held her head
against his chest as she listened to his heart pound.
"I'd do anything to make you stop hurting," he choked.
Georgie leaned into his body. "I know," she whispered.
Dillon gulped. "Georgie, do you," he whispered, "do you still-" He knew
what he wanted to say - 'do you still love me?' but somehow the words
wouldn't come out.
But Georgie knew. "Yes," she whispered. "I still-"
"Me too," Dillon said.
Then too soon, Georgie was pulling back. "I better go inside," she said.
"Goodnight."
Dillon smiled. "Goodnight."
He waited until she was safely inside before walking down the driveway
toward his car. As he reached into his pocket for his keys, he felt
something oddly shaped. Pulling it out, he found the fortune cookie he'd
forgotten to open at the Chinese restaurant. Leaning against the car,
Dillon cracked the cookie open, pulling out the strip of pink paper.
Squinting in the darkness of the winter night, he read the fortune out
loud.
"Suppose you can get what you want..."
Maxie stood in front of the refrigerator, hoping that by staring hard
enough, she could make a strawberry cheesecake magically appear. The
doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," she called, shutting the door. Walking into the foyer, she
opened the door. "Dillon, hey," she said, barely able to mask her surprise.
"Ummm, how are you?"
Dillon shifted his feet. "Um, I'm all right," he said hesitantly. "How- how
are you?" He scratched the back of his neck, having no idea how to behave.
"Um, is Georgie home?"
"Uh, yeah," Maxie stepped aside. "Come on in. Georgie," she called as
Dillon stepped into the front hallway. "Dillon's here to see you!" She
turned back to Dillon. "What do you want?" she asked bluntly.
Dillon swallowed. Two months ago he would have taken offense to Maxie's
question, but now...did he have the right to feel put out? After
everything? He sighed.
"I want to see if Georgie will go out with me tonight," he said, feeling
almost as though he was asking Maxie's permission.
She raised an eyebrow, almost imperceptibly. "You want to go on a date with
her?" Maxie asked, in a tone that Dillon couldn't quite read.
"Maxie," Georgie admonished quietly from the stairs, "don't interrogate
him." She offered Dillon a small smile. "Hey," she said softly.
"Hey," he replied. He looked between the two sisters, then at his feet,
then at Georgie again. "So um, do you think I could take you out tonight?
Maybe we could just spend some time together, talk?" He shrugged. "It
doesn't have to be a date."
Georgie nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll get my coat." She walked toward the
front closet.
"Dillon." Maxie uttered only his name, but her tone spoke volumes. He
looked up, meeting her gaze. They stared at each other for a moment, him
accepting her warning, she trusting his sincerity. Maxie nodded.
"Okay," Dillon whispered.
Georgie came back in. "I'll see you later," she told her sister.
Maxie nodded. "Bye," she said. "Bye Dillon."
He held the door open for Georgie. "Bye Maxie."
"So," Dillon asked, "was it as good the second time?"
Georgie smiled. "I still love the kiss," she whispered.
Dillon smiled back, almost sadly. "And what about me," he thought. "Do you
still love me? Or did I screw things up too much?" He pushed his hand
through his hair. "I need you, Georgie," his mind screamed.
"I still can't believe what you did to get me out of that test," she said
quietly, interrupting his thoughts. "It's the only time I've ever cut
school."
Dillon looked at her, at the golden color of her eyes and the way that the
corners of her lips turned up just slightly, remembering. It had been
easier then; why had it seemed so hard? Her cheeks were flushed from the
cold, but Dillon could only remember the warmth of her skin beneath his
palm. He could almost feel it. Then he did. Somehow his hand had crept up
and was cupping her cheek. Slowly, he bent his head, leaning closer and
closer. Dillon brushed his lips over Georgie's, his mouth opening slightly
to draw her bottom lip in between his as he started kissing her.
The kiss lasted merely seconds before Georgie pulled back with a soft sob.
"I'm sorry," Dillon said quickly, stepping away. "I was out of line. I
shouldn't have-"
"It's just too soon," Georgie told him softly, wrapping her arms around her
body. "I can't get the image of you with...her...out of my mind."
Dillon hung his head. "I know," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"And...and I know that it isn't your fault," she said, "but-"
"No," Dillon cut her off. "Don't do that, Georgie."
She looked at him, confused. "Do what?"
He looked at her. "Don't give me the party line 'it's not your fault'
response that you're supposed to give to people who get raped."
"But," she gaped at him, "you didn't ask to be drugged."
"No," he agreed, "I didn't. And I wouldn't have slept with her if I hadn't
been-" he sighed, "at least I really hope I wouldn't have been that stupid,
but if we both didn't know this was somewhat my fault, you wouldn't have
started crying when I kissed you." He touched her chin, barely, with the
tip of his finger, making her look up at him. "Would you?"
Georgie's lip trembled. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't want to be mad
at you when I know you're the victim, but..."
"But you are," Dillon said gently. "It's okay."
Georgie gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "I...I..."
"-begged me to stop working for Alcazar," Dillon finished. "I should have
listened to you." He looked at the ground. As his gaze moved back up, he
looked at her hands, trembling rapidly. He looked back at her eyes. "You're
shaking," he whispered.
Georgie shrugged. "I'm cold."
Dillon nodded, pulling his gloves off his hands and reaching for hers,
slipping them into the warm cloth. "You need to remember gloves," he told
her softly. "Come on."
He reached out his arm and Georgie let him protect her against the cold as
they hurried to the car.
"Thank you," they said to the waitress as she placed a tray of two fortune
cookies on their table.
"You first," Dillon told Georgie as they both picked up a cookie.
She cracked hers, pulling out the fortune. A strange expression came over
her face as she read it.
"What?" Dillon asked. "What's it say?"
Georgie gulped. "Time heals all wounds."
Dillon's heart pounded. "Do you believe that?" he asked, hopefully.
Georgie shook her head. "I don't know," she confessed. "I want to."
"Georgie?" he asked. "Do you think...well, what I mean is...can we ever get
back to...to how we were?"
"I want us to," she told him honestly. "But it can't be like before. You
can't just say you're sorry and I say okay. This is different. It's going
to-"
"Take time," he finished. "I'll give you as much as you need. It's just,"
he shook his head. "Nevermind."
"What?"
"No," Dillon replied. "It's not something I have the right to say."
Georgie pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "You know, a lot of this
happened because we weren't completely honest, so tell me."
Dillon nodded. "Okay," he agreed. He looked at the table. "It's just...I
hate the idea of you with another guy."
"I don't want another guy," Georgie told him softly. She stared at her
hands. "I don't want anybody but you."
Dillon's heart leaped for a moment. "But you don't want me." He wasn't sure
if it was a statement or a question.
"I'm not ready to want you again," she replied. "It still hurts too much."
She shrugged. "So what do we do?"
"Maybe," Dillon said, "maybe we just take it slow."
"Like friends first?" Georgie asked.
"Well, yeah," Dillon said, scratching his head. "And maybe, I could ask you
out on a date every now and then?"
Georgie gave him a half smile. "Maybe." She narrowed her eyes. "Wait, are
we going to date?"
"Each other?" Dillon asked.
Georgie shook her head. "No. Other people."
Dillon swallowed. "I don't want to," he admitted. "And I don't want-" he
stopped, knowing it wasn't his place at the moment.
"I don't want you to either," Georgie rescued him. "And I don't want to see
anyone else." She looked into his eyes. "Can you wait?"
He nodded. "Yes," he swore. "I promise."
Georgie looked down at the table for a moment before looking back up at
him. "I believe you," she whispered.
Dillon allowed himself to smile. He knew it would take time before she
could say those words without hesitating.
"So...thank you," Georgie said as they walked up to the front steps of her
house. "For the movie and dinner." She shrugged. "And for..."
"Thank you, for...that, too," Dillon said. Georgie gave him a slight smile.
They hovered in front of the door, looking hesitantly at each other.
Dillon shifted his weight, looking down. "I really want to kiss you," he
confessed quietly.
Georgie scratched her nose, looking at the ground. "I really want you to,"
she admitted. She peeked up at him. "But..."
He nodded. "I know," he said sadly. They looked awkwardly at one another.
Slowly, Dillon reached out his hand. "Come here?" he asked. Georgie took a
step toward him and Dillon gathered her into his arms. He held her head
against his chest as she listened to his heart pound.
"I'd do anything to make you stop hurting," he choked.
Georgie leaned into his body. "I know," she whispered.
Dillon gulped. "Georgie, do you," he whispered, "do you still-" He knew
what he wanted to say - 'do you still love me?' but somehow the words
wouldn't come out.
But Georgie knew. "Yes," she whispered. "I still-"
"Me too," Dillon said.
Then too soon, Georgie was pulling back. "I better go inside," she said.
"Goodnight."
Dillon smiled. "Goodnight."
He waited until she was safely inside before walking down the driveway
toward his car. As he reached into his pocket for his keys, he felt
something oddly shaped. Pulling it out, he found the fortune cookie he'd
forgotten to open at the Chinese restaurant. Leaning against the car,
Dillon cracked the cookie open, pulling out the strip of pink paper.
Squinting in the darkness of the winter night, he read the fortune out
loud.
"Suppose you can get what you want..."