Chapter Twenty Nine
Note: omg, I totally forgot to tell you guys something.
Natalie is sixteen years old, but in this it's May, then when july hits she's seventeen. Got it? Okay.
Most of this chapter is conversation. Not much detail. Yeah, I suck, we all know it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine"What the hell are you doing here?" Gordo asked, still staring at Lizzie.
"I...uh..was going for a road trip...and uh..my car broke down," Lizzie stammered. Okay, so the last part was true. She just didn't want Gordo to know she had hunted him down.
"Oh," Gordo said shortly. He blinked. "Want to sit down?"
"Sure," Lizzie accepted. She walked over to his table and sat down across from him. They sat there, silent for a moment, staring at each other.
"You look great," Lizzie finally told him.
"You look..." Gordo began as he stared her down, "...wet."
Lizzie laughed.
"Joking. Well, not really, you really are wet. You look great, too," Gordo said as he laughed with her.
"Thanks," Lizzie said, "So, uh, do, uh, people still call you Gordo?"
"Most of the time," Gordo answered, "Except in magazines and movies and stuff."
"Yeah, I've read some articles," Lizzie told him, "Girls think you're pretty hot stuff."
Gordo laughed and said, "I know. Natalie's friends are obsessed with me."
At the mention of Natalie, Lizzie shot her head up at Gordo and asked, "How is Natalie?"
Gordo kind of sighed, then took a sip of his coffee.
Lizzie tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear, then played with her earring. She straightened out her jacket, then licked her chapped lips. She was too embarrassed to admit that she was wearing a stretchy cotton t-shirt underneath, one of those maternity things that she had when she was fifteen. It didn't look like a maternity shirt; it looked just like a normal t-shirt. She had tried it on the other day and it still fit her. She glanced back at Gordo.
"Well, she's pretty good, I guess. She's turning seventeen soon. She's pretty popular in her school, too. Lots of friends and stuff..." Gordo stated.
"Oh," Lizzie squeaked, trying not to seem as interested as she really was.
"So, how are you? Are you...married or anything?" Gordo asked.
"No," Lizzie answered, "I've been single since freshman year."
Gordo was silent for a moment.
"What about you? Are you married?"
"Uh...yeah," Gordo sighed.
"You're saying that as if it's a bad thing," Lizzie pointed out.
"No, I'm not," Gordo snapped.
"Whoah, calm down," Lizzie said, "So, is that it? Any kids? Besides Natalie, of course."
"Uh...no, not really."
"'Not really'? What do you mean by that?" Lizzie asked.
"My wife's had like, three miscarriages," Gordo said quietly.
"Oh...I-I'm really sorry about that," Lizzie said sympathetically.
"You're saying that as if it's your fault, Liz," Gordo replied.
Lizzie laughed.
"So, do you have a place to stay?" he asked.
"No. The only reason I'm here is because my car's shot," Lizzie told him.
"You could always stay with us," Gordo offered.
Lizzie didn't want to make herself act as happy as she was, so instead she paused for a moment, as if she was deciding whether to accept or not, then she smiled sweetly and gratefully said, "Really? I guess so, as long as it doesn't bother your family."
Wow, I should really become an actress! Lizzie thought, I am so good at this!
"My family? Lizzie, 25% of it is half yours," Gordo laughed.
Lizzie laughed in return, but her mind was racing. She was going to go live with Gordo. Which meant she was going to live with Natalie.
She was finally going to see her daughter after ten long years.