Chapter Twelve

Path

After Miranda got off the phone with Lizzie, she screamed for Matt, "Matt! Hurry up and get out of the shower!"

"Okay!" Matt said and a few minutes later he was out and a few seconds later, he came out of the bathroom, dripping with a towel on his waist, "What's the matter? He asked, concerned.

"I don't think this is an emergency, but Lizzie and Gordo just had a fight and now Lizzie can't find Gordo. She needs our help."

"Okay," Matt said, "Just let me get dressed."

"Yeah, me too."

They got dressed quickly and went to Lizzie's room to find her panicking, "Calm down!" Miranda said.

"Yeah," Matt agreed, "Just tell us what happened."

**

An hour earlier, in Lizzie and Gordo's room

Lizzie stirred awake to find a very awake Gordo lying next to her. "Hey," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Hi," he replied.

Lizzie placed her arms around Gordo's chest, "Mmm," she said, smiling, "I could stay like this all day, couldn't you?"

"Lizzie?" he said, "What happened last night?"

Gordo turned to his side to look at Lizzie.

Lizzie didn't know what he was talking about, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that guy, Vlad. He was all over you last night and you didn't even tell him that you had a boyfriend. How do you think that is supposed to make me feel?"

Lizzie was a little set back by this, but thought he was being ridiculous, "Gordo, I was just being nice. It's not like I gave him my phone number or made out with him or anything. You were the one I met in the bathroom, remember?" Lizzie said, caressing Gordo's cheek with her soft hand, "It's you I love."

Gordo didn't buy it, though. He sat up and Lizzie followed, "Lizzie, there may not have been any wild physical contact between the two of you, but from where I was, he seemed awfully interested in you."

Lizzie shook her head, "He was only trying to be nice."

"Lizzie, he was flirting with you."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, "So? I wasn't flirting back."

"Ha!" Gordo said, getting outraged, "You were too! Not only did you dance with him, but you also laughed at all of his jokes and treated him like he was the greatest thing on the planet."

"No I wasn't."

Gordo got out of the bed, frustrated, "You were, too, Lizzie! I'm sure you would have taken him to the bathroom had I not been sitting there."

Lizzie gasped, "Gordo! How could you?"

"How could I what?"

"You have no idea what you are talking about, Gordo!" Lizzie said, with tears streaming down her face at this point, "No idea whatsoever."

"Lizzie, I'm not making any accusations. All I am saying is that you two looked awfully comfortable last night, and that I think we should talk about it."

"If you think I am so cheap, then why have you been putting up with me this whole time?" Lizzie said, crying.

"Lizzie, I didn't call you cheap!" Gordo said, "all I said was that maybe you should have thought about my feelings when all you were doing was talking to him."

"Gordo! He was the one that chose to sit down to me. I didn't invite him."

"But you let him sit down. You completely ignored me."

"Gordo! I have no intention of ever seeing this guy again. I mean, I guess if I see him on the boat or on the island again, I'll be friendly, but that's as far as it will go. Last night, he invited himself to sit down and I'm sorry if you feel like I ignored you, but as I recall, not only did I kiss you, but I also remember asking if it was okay with you if I danced with him."

Gordo sighed. He still didn't feel right about this, "Yeah, but I hate feeling like you are ignoring me for another guy. He pretended like I wasn't even there."

Lizzie shrugged, "Well, that's his problem."

Gordo sat back down on the bed and Lizzie put her arm around his chest, "Gordo, it's you I love. It's you I am going to marry."

Lizzie leaned in and gave Gordo a small, yet convincing kiss on the mouth. Once that ended, Lizzie looked into Gordo's eyes and smiled, "So, what do you want to do today?"

Gordo couldn't take it anymore. He gave in and smiled as he leaned his forehead onto hers, "I'm sorry for acting like such a dick. I guess I was just a little jealous."

"Apology accepted," Lizzie got off from the bed and announced, "I think I am going to take a shower. After that, we can talk about what we can do."

Gordo nodded as she watched her disappear into the bathroom and close the door behind her. He leaned back against the headboard and felt much better about his relationship with Lizzie after she reassured him that nothing was going on.

Gordo was making up their bed when the phone rang, "Hello?" he said.

"Hi. It's Vlad. May I please speak to Lizzie?"

Whatever happiness Gordo had been feeling disappeared, "She's busy," he said.

"Oh, okay," he said, "Can you just give her a message to call Vlad. I wanted to see if she wanted to do something later today."

Gordo couldn't take it, "Listen, Vlad," he said, changing his tone a little, "What do you want with Lizzie?"

"Uhhh," Vlad said, "I don't know. I like her, why?"

Gordo rolled his eyes, "Didn't you notice she was already taken last night at the club."

"You mean you are with Lizzie?" he said.

"Yeah," Gordo said.

"Oh."

"You didn't notice?" Gordo said.

"No. I thought you were her brother or something."

Oh, boy, Gordo thought, not only was Vlad a character, but he was also not very smart, "Nope. Lizzie is my fiancée, actually."

"You mean, you are getting married to her?"

"Yep."

"She didn't say anything about it last night."

"That's because she didn't know you were interested," Gordo said.

"Sorry, dude. I guess I'll see you two around."

"Yeah," Gordo said, "I guess."

He hung up the phone and waited for Lizzie to get out of the shower. He finally heard the water turn off and Lizzie came out half dressed a minute later, drying her hair with a towel, "So," she said as she dried her hair, "what do you think we should do today?"

Gordo shrugged, "It's up to you."

Lizzie reached for a shirt in her suitcase, Gordo watched, crossing his arms as he got dressed, "Vlad called while you were in the shower."

Lizzie turned to Gordo, "He did?"

"Yep."

"That's funny," Lizzie said, "I didn't give him my number."

"You must have told him where you were staying."

Lizzie shrugged, "Oh well. What did he want, anyway?"

"Oh, he wanted to see if you wanted to do something with him today. I told him you couldn't, of course."

Lizzie disappeared into the bathroom, "I think he's just lonely," she called from the bathroom, "Maybe we should invite him to do something with us. You know, as a group or something."

"Lizzie, don't be ridiculous!" Gordo said, "He's interested in you and I am pretty sure he has his own friends here with him."

"It was just a suggestion!" Lizzie called, "He seems nice, anyway."

"Yeah," Gordo said, getting up and getting furious. He couldn't take this anymore as he headed for the door, "well, maybe you SHOULD do something with him today. I'm not going to stay here and find out. Have fun," he said, opening the door, leaving the room, and closing the door behind him.

**

"So," Lizzie said, sitting on her bed with Matt and Miranda on the floor, "I put my shoes on and grabbed my key and left to see if I could find him in the hotel lobby or something, but he wasn't there. I don't know what to do."

"Well, he couldn't have gone far," Miranda said, "He was only wearing pajamas, right?"

Lizzie shook her head, "Actually, he was wearing jeans. That's what he fell asleep in."

"Oh, Lizzie," Miranda said, "This will be alright!"

"I know it will be. I just wish I knew where he was."

"Well, we will do what we can to help find him."

"Thanks," Lizzie smiled weakly at her friend and brother.

A few minutes later, Miranda, Matt, and Lizzie agreed on a plan. Lizzie would stay in her room in case he came back and Matt and Miranda would go off and look for him. So, Matt and Miranda left the room and went for the elevator.

"Too bad about Lizzie and Gordo, eh?" Matt said, pushing the button for the elevator. They were the only ones on it.

"Yeah, I know," Miranda said, "It's like I don't know who I feel more sorry for, Lizzie or Gordo."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, "Gordo was the one who just left her there."

"I know, but Lizzie was with that guy Vlad and she probably did flirt with him without thinking about it."

Matt shrugged, "Who knows. They probably are both to blame somehow."

It was then that they got off the elevator and reached the lobby of the hotel, "Okay, where should we look first?" Matt asked.

"Let's check out the lobby one more time before we leave the hotel. You never know where Gordo could be hiding."

Matt nodded and they searched the lobby and couldn't find him,

"All right, I guess we should go out there and look for him," Miranda said.

And that is what they did. For the next two hours, they searched all over the island for Gordo but didn't find him. After looking in numerous restaurants, stores, and around the streets, they finally decided to go back to the hotel and see if Lizzie had any luck. As soon as they opened the entrance to the hotel, they spotted Gordo waiting at the elevator.

"Gordo!" both Miranda and Matt called. Gordo turned and waved to his friends as they walked over to him, "Where have you been? We have been looking all over for you!"

Gordo shrugged, "I went for a walk. Did Lizzie call you or something?"

They nodded, "She's been in the room waiting for you."

"Is she upset?"

"No, I think she is more worried than anything."

Gordo nodded, "Okay." He looked at the two people in front of him, "Listen, you two. I'm sorry for making you look all over for me. I guess I needed some time alone to figure things out."

"Have you figured everything out?" Matt asked.

Gordo nodded his head, "I think so."

"Good," Miranda said.

"Let's just hope Lizzie will listen to me."

"I think she will."

"Do you two mind if I speak to her alone?"

Miranda and Matt exchanged glanced and nodded their heads, "Yeah, definitely. We will be in our room if you need us," Matt said.

The elevator finally came and not many words were exchanged on the elevator and got off and as soon as Matt and Miranda were in their room, they closed the door and Matt said, "Another day gone by, another crisis averted."

"The day isn't over yet," Miranda smiled, leaning in to give Matt a small kiss, "Mmm," she moaned once their lips parted, "I have been wanting to kiss you ever since Lizzie was telling us that story."

"Yeah," Matt said, as they walked more into the room, "Maybe it's a good thing we didn't go to that club."

Miranda laughed, "I can't believe Gordo and Lizzie went into the bathroom."

"I was trying to block that out of my mind, actually," Matt said, making a face.

Miranda smiled and kissed Matt on the lips before letting go and saying, "Well, I'm going to take a shower. Once I get out, maybe we can go grab a bite to eat. I am starving!"

Meanwhile, Gordo knocked on the door to his room and Lizzie answered and her eyes widened when she saw that it was Gordo. "Gordo!" she cried! Pulling him into a hug, she dragged him into the room and closed the door behind her, "Where have you been?"