A Second Chance – Chapter Sixteen
Author's Note – Okay, it's been ages, but finally, here it is, the next chapter to A Second Chance. Thanks for your patience, truly. I've been suffering from writer's block for the past several months, and hopefully that block is now gone and I'll be able to finish my stories quickly. Please read and review! HM
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He paused to let himself absorb the amazing reality of the situation - he was finally telling her how he felt about her. He breathed deeply, then he leaned into her again. He ran his fingers down her face then he kissed her lips; and before she could respond, he embraced her tightly and whispered into her ear, "I'm so sorry, Lizzie, I said all those things to you because I was jealous of you and Jimmy, because . . . well, because, I - I love you, Lizzie McGuire, because I'm so in love with you . . . . "
After having finally said the words he had been waiting virtually his entire life to say, he hung to Lizzie as tightly as he could, afraid to let go of her, afraid to hear what she would say in response.
She didn't say a word, but just returned Gordo's embrace, and just held on to him with all of her heart. Right now, she just couldn't let go of him, she didn't want to let go him, she just didn't want this moment to end.
As she lightly stroked his back with her hands, he could feel a soothing, soft heat flow from her face to his, and his anxieties and fears began to quickly melt away.
Even though no words were being exchanged, he could feel her heart reaching out to his, he could feel the love that was flowing from her body to his.
Yes, he was absolutely sure, he knew it deep down in his heart . . . Lizzie, in her silent manner, in the passionate way she held onto his embrace , was telling Gordo just how she much she loved him.
As the two continued to hold onto each other as if their lives depended on it, the only sounds that could be heard was the rain continuing to pour its soul onto the earth and Lizzie's soft, muffled sobbing.
"Oh, Gordo . . . ." she finally said. She took a pregnant pause, then began to speak again, in the softest voice she could muster. "I – I . . . "
As she struggled to get the words out of her mouth, he gently and slowly shed his embrace, reluctantly pulled his face from hers, and smiled into her eyes. "Hi you."
He continued to smile as he waited for her to respond.
It was strange, he thought, at how calm and peaceful he felt as he patiently waited to hear her voice.
In the arms of the girl he loved, he knew that there was not a reason in the world to be fearful of anything.
And so, he wasn't afraid . . . he wasn't afraid in the least bit. All of his fears of rejection were gone, and all he could feel was a sense of enormous confidence bursting from within, seeking release, seeking rebirth.
Because he had finally kissed her! Because he had finally told her he loved her!
He felt . . . free, free at least . . . he felt as if a hundred thousand years of burden and fear and agony had finally lifted off of his weary, lonely shoulders. And he couldn't help but smile at the sheer beauty of this surreal, eerily amazing, utterly romantic and wonderful moment.
"Go-Gordo?"
"Hmm? Yes, Lizzie?" He asked, his eyes still firmly and intently gazing at her tired yet still glowing and beautiful face.
She put her hand on his face, then, slowly, tentatively, gingerly, she inched her body and face closer and reached out and gently, sweetly kissed him, and let herself melt into his heart.
She – she just kissed me! Thought Gordo, as he began to blush madly. Oh my god, is this a dream? I sure hope to God not, I want this to be real, I want to remember everything about this moment always.
Lizzie smiled as she watched Gordo's joyful reaction to her kiss. She quickly kissed him on his crimson cheeks, then whispered, "how . . . how long have you felt that way, you know, about me? How long have you . . . "
"For as long as I can remember," he replied softly. There was deep sadness in his voice when he said those words, and she was slowly beginning to understand the depths to which he had longed for her all these years.
She averted her eyes and started to gaze at the floor. "Why didn't you ever tell me, Gordo?"
"What, and risk being rejected by the only girl I've ever loved, and risk losing my best friend in the whole world? Uh –uh, no way, that would've been way too scary . . . . "
She blushed, still unsure of herself, still not quite used to having her best friend tell her just how deeply he was in love with her.
She paused, took a deep breath, then said, "I – I wish you would've told me this two weeks ago . . . you know, before I started dating Jimmy, you know, m-my boyfriend." She couldn't look into his eyes as she referred to Jimmy as her boyfriend.
He knew that answer was coming. And yet, he wasn't daunted. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he felt quite prepared for the challenge he was facing– the challenge to win Lizzie's heart, the challenge to save her soul.
"I know you like Jimmy, and he's a nice guy, despite all the things I've said. But, you've got to listen to me, you've got to believe me, you and Jimmy just aren't meant to be together." He gathered his breath, and then continued, "And I know this, because we – because we belong together, Lizzie McGuire, you, and me."
"Ohh!" She said, taken aback with the sheer confidence with which Gordo spoke. "I – I don't know, I mean, you're my best friend, I just don't know if I can see you as something more, you know? And with Jimmy, I really liked him, he's really sweet, and I don't have a clue how I feel anymore . . . ohmigosh, this is all happening soo fast . . . ."
She grabbed her head as if she were about to faint.
Deeply concerned, he held onto her even more tightly, making sure that she knew that she was completely safe in his arms.
"Gordo?"
"Yes?"
"How – how do you know?"
"Know what?"
"Know that, you know, know . . . about us. You know what I mean," she stammered.
He laughed. She's so cute when she's nervous, he thought to himself.
"Gordo! Are you laughing at me?" She said as she grabbed a throw pillow and playfully slammed it against his head.
"Owww! Watch it, McGuire, just because I'm in love with you doesn't mean I won't fight back! You know I'm a really proficient and deadly pillow fighter."
She giggled, then started coughing. She was still feeling extremely weak from the turbulent events of the night.
"Okay, truce on the pillow fight," she said. "But, you haven't answered my question. How do you know? How can you be so . . . sure?"
He took a deep breath, shook his head, and began thinking about the best to tell Lizzie what he was about to tell her.
He didn't want it to come down to this, but he felt he had no choice. Her life was at stake.
He closed his eyes, grabbed the glass of water from the coffee table, took a slow sip, then he began to mentally prepare to tell his best friend the truth – that tonight, he had saved her from dying, but that, in a few years, unless he could change history, she was going to die at the tender age of 24.
Author's Note – Okay, it's been ages, but finally, here it is, the next chapter to A Second Chance. Thanks for your patience, truly. I've been suffering from writer's block for the past several months, and hopefully that block is now gone and I'll be able to finish my stories quickly. Please read and review! HM
_________________________________________________________________
He paused to let himself absorb the amazing reality of the situation - he was finally telling her how he felt about her. He breathed deeply, then he leaned into her again. He ran his fingers down her face then he kissed her lips; and before she could respond, he embraced her tightly and whispered into her ear, "I'm so sorry, Lizzie, I said all those things to you because I was jealous of you and Jimmy, because . . . well, because, I - I love you, Lizzie McGuire, because I'm so in love with you . . . . "
After having finally said the words he had been waiting virtually his entire life to say, he hung to Lizzie as tightly as he could, afraid to let go of her, afraid to hear what she would say in response.
She didn't say a word, but just returned Gordo's embrace, and just held on to him with all of her heart. Right now, she just couldn't let go of him, she didn't want to let go him, she just didn't want this moment to end.
As she lightly stroked his back with her hands, he could feel a soothing, soft heat flow from her face to his, and his anxieties and fears began to quickly melt away.
Even though no words were being exchanged, he could feel her heart reaching out to his, he could feel the love that was flowing from her body to his.
Yes, he was absolutely sure, he knew it deep down in his heart . . . Lizzie, in her silent manner, in the passionate way she held onto his embrace , was telling Gordo just how she much she loved him.
As the two continued to hold onto each other as if their lives depended on it, the only sounds that could be heard was the rain continuing to pour its soul onto the earth and Lizzie's soft, muffled sobbing.
"Oh, Gordo . . . ." she finally said. She took a pregnant pause, then began to speak again, in the softest voice she could muster. "I – I . . . "
As she struggled to get the words out of her mouth, he gently and slowly shed his embrace, reluctantly pulled his face from hers, and smiled into her eyes. "Hi you."
He continued to smile as he waited for her to respond.
It was strange, he thought, at how calm and peaceful he felt as he patiently waited to hear her voice.
In the arms of the girl he loved, he knew that there was not a reason in the world to be fearful of anything.
And so, he wasn't afraid . . . he wasn't afraid in the least bit. All of his fears of rejection were gone, and all he could feel was a sense of enormous confidence bursting from within, seeking release, seeking rebirth.
Because he had finally kissed her! Because he had finally told her he loved her!
He felt . . . free, free at least . . . he felt as if a hundred thousand years of burden and fear and agony had finally lifted off of his weary, lonely shoulders. And he couldn't help but smile at the sheer beauty of this surreal, eerily amazing, utterly romantic and wonderful moment.
"Go-Gordo?"
"Hmm? Yes, Lizzie?" He asked, his eyes still firmly and intently gazing at her tired yet still glowing and beautiful face.
She put her hand on his face, then, slowly, tentatively, gingerly, she inched her body and face closer and reached out and gently, sweetly kissed him, and let herself melt into his heart.
She – she just kissed me! Thought Gordo, as he began to blush madly. Oh my god, is this a dream? I sure hope to God not, I want this to be real, I want to remember everything about this moment always.
Lizzie smiled as she watched Gordo's joyful reaction to her kiss. She quickly kissed him on his crimson cheeks, then whispered, "how . . . how long have you felt that way, you know, about me? How long have you . . . "
"For as long as I can remember," he replied softly. There was deep sadness in his voice when he said those words, and she was slowly beginning to understand the depths to which he had longed for her all these years.
She averted her eyes and started to gaze at the floor. "Why didn't you ever tell me, Gordo?"
"What, and risk being rejected by the only girl I've ever loved, and risk losing my best friend in the whole world? Uh –uh, no way, that would've been way too scary . . . . "
She blushed, still unsure of herself, still not quite used to having her best friend tell her just how deeply he was in love with her.
She paused, took a deep breath, then said, "I – I wish you would've told me this two weeks ago . . . you know, before I started dating Jimmy, you know, m-my boyfriend." She couldn't look into his eyes as she referred to Jimmy as her boyfriend.
He knew that answer was coming. And yet, he wasn't daunted. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he felt quite prepared for the challenge he was facing– the challenge to win Lizzie's heart, the challenge to save her soul.
"I know you like Jimmy, and he's a nice guy, despite all the things I've said. But, you've got to listen to me, you've got to believe me, you and Jimmy just aren't meant to be together." He gathered his breath, and then continued, "And I know this, because we – because we belong together, Lizzie McGuire, you, and me."
"Ohh!" She said, taken aback with the sheer confidence with which Gordo spoke. "I – I don't know, I mean, you're my best friend, I just don't know if I can see you as something more, you know? And with Jimmy, I really liked him, he's really sweet, and I don't have a clue how I feel anymore . . . ohmigosh, this is all happening soo fast . . . ."
She grabbed her head as if she were about to faint.
Deeply concerned, he held onto her even more tightly, making sure that she knew that she was completely safe in his arms.
"Gordo?"
"Yes?"
"How – how do you know?"
"Know what?"
"Know that, you know, know . . . about us. You know what I mean," she stammered.
He laughed. She's so cute when she's nervous, he thought to himself.
"Gordo! Are you laughing at me?" She said as she grabbed a throw pillow and playfully slammed it against his head.
"Owww! Watch it, McGuire, just because I'm in love with you doesn't mean I won't fight back! You know I'm a really proficient and deadly pillow fighter."
She giggled, then started coughing. She was still feeling extremely weak from the turbulent events of the night.
"Okay, truce on the pillow fight," she said. "But, you haven't answered my question. How do you know? How can you be so . . . sure?"
He took a deep breath, shook his head, and began thinking about the best to tell Lizzie what he was about to tell her.
He didn't want it to come down to this, but he felt he had no choice. Her life was at stake.
He closed his eyes, grabbed the glass of water from the coffee table, took a slow sip, then he began to mentally prepare to tell his best friend the truth – that tonight, he had saved her from dying, but that, in a few years, unless he could change history, she was going to die at the tender age of 24.