Madeline
Chapter Five - Even Though It Was Right
A/N-Thanks to the four who reviewed already. It's great to see some familiar names and new ones. I know this is not exactly the most original plot line ever, though just on a small side note, there were a lot less Lizzie with a kid Gordo doesn't know about stories when I originally posted this story. Still, over all, it is a well traveled plotline. I am basically simply reposting this story, profreading and fixing plot conflicts and grammar when it needs it. This is definitely one of my earlier stories, I can tell in my writing. It's pretty basic, yet a simple love story rarely needs to be complicated. That's what makes them hard to write, the reason I stopped writing my other stories. Hopefully my hiatus provided the break I needed to give them another try. Having them unfinished is really bugging me. Thanks again, and it is definitely good to be back and see my story listed again.
Matt
I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes before giving in to the excitement that was churning through my body and headed to the bathroom. It was Saturday morning, early morning, and Miranda was due home by noon today. Gordo hadn't told her who would be waiting for her when she got home, although I could tell he'd had a hard time keeping it to himself while they'd talked on the phone last night. Gordo had agreed to pick her up from the airport and had gladly offered me his car so I could surprise her. He seemed to think it would be a great idea, I however was starting to worry she'd be less than happy to see me with no warning, first thing after stepping off a plane.
I turned the shower on and waited for steam to begin rising from the floor of the tub before adding some cold water, but just enough that I wouldn't get scalded. I still liked to have steam rising off of me when I stepped out of the shower. It had been something from one of Miranda's favorite movies that had stuck in my head and it was yet another thing I used to keep a small part of her fresh in my mind everyday. As I let the near burning water rush over my body I let my mind drift and run through the events of the past week. It was almost like remembering a dream after waking up, but thankfully I knew it was all real. Gordo had pretty much taken up all of my time over the past week and I was grateful for the chance to actually talk to someone who was out of Kindergarten. I loved Madeline with all my heart, but still she was a little young for serious conversation or even just plain conversation. If I ever needed someone to help me work out the finer points of a Disney cartoon, she was my girl, but working out the finer points of my life I needed someone who had lived a little of a life themselves.
I smiled as memories flooded through my mind of all the times I had looked over and found Gordo just completely entranced with whatever my niece was doing and a small amount of jealousy sprang inside of me. I laughed it away but not before I knew full well what it was about. I wanted my own Madeline, sure I had been basically filling the role of her father for five years, but it wasn't the same, not anymore. Her father was in her life and he was making a big effort to make sure she became a huge part of his. I was the uncle, a very cool and close uncle, but uncle none the less. My heart began to ask just one question of me for the rest of my shower and the entire morning until I was driving around the airport trying to find a place to park, Do you think she's ready to start a life together?
It was stupid to actually be thinking of such a huge step so soon, I still wasn't sure if she really wanted me in her life again, let alone if she would want to start up our relationship again. I still had a semester of school left and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life, but I couldn't deny there were only two desires in my heart. Miranda and music. With a little regret I realized that both things I wanted to be in my future forever where the two things I kept running away from as soon as anything got difficult. I could have tried a lot more with Miranda when I moved and I could still be keeping contact with the other guys in my band. I had promised them both it would happen and I was repeating my sad performance with Miranda all over again.
I climbed out of Gordo's car and wondered briefly how in the world someone making millions could still drive such a small little beater around. It was time to face what I hoped would become my future, it was time to face Miranda. Suddenly six years seemed like a few life times as all my fears and doubts crashed in at once. This was such a bed idea. I swallowed hard as I looked over the arrivals and got her gate number. Her flight was on time, damn, I didn't even get the courteousy of more time to figure out what to say to her first. When I reached her gate, I sat down in a chair and began to try out a few opening lines, but hadn't found a single word good enough when the plane started unloading passengers. My heart began racing as I watched the crowd of people thin out as one by one, family and friends reunited and made their way to collect their baggage. I nearly dropped back into my seat after standing up and seeing her face searching the crowd and coming to rest on mine. For a minute she looked away again but quickly looked back in my direction, recognition flaring in her eyes. I wanted to wave, to smile, to run away quickly, but there was no chance my body was going to cooperate so I stood frozen while she slowly made her way over to me, confusion and excitement playing over her face.
"Matt! Are. . .are you waiting for someone?" I tried to nod but found I was still paralyzed so I tried out my vocal chords.
"I've been waiting for years." I wasn't sure if that made sense, but I was just happy to have responded with anything at that point. By the way her eyes teared up, I figured I got the basic message across.
"I knew Gordo was keeping something from me last night on the phone. He's never been good at hiding anything." I felt my lips respond with a smile and figured I would try moving again. This time my body seemed to have unthawed and I reached for her carry on bag.
"Allow me, did you have any other bags?" It wasn't the amazing romantic moment I had hoped on to sweep her off her feet, but it was a start. She nodded and I followed her as we made our way to collect the rest of her things. She kept looking at me and shaking her head in disbelief all the way out to the car, not saying another word until we were settled in and driving away from the airport.
"Well, I have to admit I was surprised to see you standing there when I got off the plane. I was starting to wonder if you'd ever drop by town again or if you'd moved on with your own life and left us all behind." I could hear the bitterness grow in her tone as she spoke. "Any reason you've dropped out of the sky again? Or are you finally getting around to responding to my last e mail and figured that after six years, face to face was the best policy?"
To pretend her anger surprised me would be wrong. I had expected much worse than this, but I still had hoped for the easiest scenario where everything would be perfect to begin with. "Miranda, I know you're pissed with me and you've got every right to be, but I am sorry for the way everything happened six years ago. I've spent every night dreaming about what our lives would be like now if my parents weren't complete assholes and pulled us away from those lives. I wonder every night I go to bed if we'll ever get to have that second try you talked about in your last letter and I pray that somehow we will. I wake up every morning and realize that the pain of you missing isn't going to go away, not until you aren't missing anymore." After I stopped talking, I realized all that I had just admitted to her. Well, at least now I didn't have to worry about how to say everything I wanted to. It all had been said.
Whatever reaction I had hoped for after my confessions, I wasn't ready to be slapped hard across the face. For a brief moment I tried to figure out the physics of how she'd managed to position her hand the way she had in such a small car, but that was soon pushed from my brain by the pain which was soon followed by the realization that she was now hugging into my side and crying.
"I'm. . .sorry, I shouldn't have done that, but. . .you. . .really have no idea how mad I've been at you for the last six years. I've tried to hate you, to move on, but I can't. I've never stopped checking my e mail everyday hoping you've responded. Do you know how many people laugh when I tell them my screenname?I never changed it so you would always know how to get a hold of me.As hard as I've tried to hate you and never think about you again, I've fallen more in love with you and can't get you off my mind." I pulled Gordo's car to the side of the highway and turned to look her in the eyes.
"Miranda, do you realize you just told me that you love me?" My heart was bursting with hope that she'd meant to say the words, hoping this could actually have a chance of happening.
"Yes, and I meant it. Pretty stupid, huh? I've spent all these years waiting for you to come back when you haven't even let me know you're still alive, let alone thinking of me."
"Not stupid at all. I. . .I've never stopped loving you either." She pulled away from me and sat up in the car seat before answering me.
"Matt, I can't do this though. I've dreamed of this moment for years, but now that it's happening I can't help but be afraid to trust you again." My heart stopped beating. "You really hurt me. You never tried to fight with me for breaking up, you never tried to make it seem like there was still hope. You just never did anything."
"I. . .I didn't know how to. There's so much that's happened in my life and so many things that were going on at the same time then. It's not any kind of reason for shutting you completely out of my life, but it's all I've got."
"It's not enough, Matt. At least not right now. I need to have you in my life for good for a while before Ican believe that you're not going to leave me again. I know it wasn't your fault, you had no choice but to move, but you didn't have to abandon me emotionally." I grasped onto the little hope that held for us, there was still a chance, it just had to be earned.
"Well, I can give you as much of my time as you want. I'm here for good Miranda and I want to be a part of your life, I can't live without at least that much."
"What do you mean? You've moved back to Hillridge?" I smiled at the excitement that had revealed itself in her words. "What about Lizzie, are you both back, did your parents move back into their house, did they fix everything between them?" She paused to take a breath and I stopped her before she could ask another question.
"Wait, slow down okay?" I waited until she nodded and took a deep breath before continuing.
"Me and Lizzie have moved back to Hillridge and are sharing a house. She's started a job and I'm finishing up school. As far as my parents go, they are divorced and I don't know anything beyond that and I don't care."
"Matt, I'm sorry." I sent a smile of thanks to her, knowing she really meant it. I pulled the car back onto the road and resumed the trip back to her apartment. "So, why did you move back to Hillridge of all places? Not that I'm complaining about getting my best friend and her little brother back, but still. . ."
I smirked at the joke she had managed to make at my expense. "When Lizzie got the job we looked it up on the map and saw it was only like forty miles or so and couldn't pass up the chance to come home, besides it's a great place to raise kids." I bit my lip at the slip, but relaxed when she laughed, thinking it a joke.
"Already planning out our future?" She laughed as my face grew red and my mouth opened and closed in an impressive imitation of a fish. "Relax McGuire, it was a joke."
I took the turn off for Hillridge from the highway and watched Miranda staring out the window as we drove through town, passing all the familiar stores and hangouts that hadn't changed much since I had left. I let the silence fill the car, enjoying the soft sound of her breathing and the soft hum of the tires on the road.
"Take the next left." She seemed as content as I was with the silence and only gave simple words of direction until we were sitting outside her apartment. "I'm looking forward to a nice long bath in my own bathroom, but what are you doing later this afternoon?"
"Nothing at all. You want to do something?" I could feel my hopes rising again and my heart returning to a quick pace as I waited for her to speak.
"That was the idea. Here's my number, give me a few hours then call me and we'll take it from there." She opened her door and got out, followed closely by me as I grabbed her bags and followed her to her door. "You don't have to get those you know, I am capable of carrying acouple ofbags up a few stairs."
"Yeah, but what kind of a gentlemen would I be if I let you? Mom may have destroyed my life, but she did ingrain those manners into me at a young age." I returned the warm smile that curved her lips. We walked up the stairs to her apartment where I waited for her to open the door and followed her in. "Where do you want these?"
"Just throw them back on the bed. I'll worry about unpacking later." I walked down the small hall that connected two bedrooms, a decent sized living room and kitchen while forming an entryway. It was obvious which room she used since the bed was unmade and clothes littered the floor. I tossed the bags on top of the pile of sheets on the bed then turned around to find her standing in the door way staring at me.
"Nice room, is this your attempt to rebel against your mom always getting onto you about cleaning your room?" She smiled and snorted, giving her shoulders a small shrug.
"You still remember that? Maybe she did have to tell me a hundred times a day, I just figured she was always exaggerating when she'd say that." She walked further into the room and closer to where I stood.
"Well, I guess I should let you get to that bath so I can call you and we can do something later." My stomach did a few flips when she placed her hand softly against my chest, stepping still closer to me.
"I guess you should." I leaned into a soft wonderful kiss that I hoped would never end. I deepened the kiss and ran my tongue along her lower lip, seeking entrance into her mouth and gaining it. We stood there for what seemed like hours but was no more than a few minutes, my tongue exploring her mouth and our arms wrapping around each other.
"Wow." I pulled away from her breathless and looked down into her eyes to find them filled with love and flaming desire. "I really should leave if we're going to take this slow." I whispered my warning to her as my hand gently stroked her cheek, hoping my words would be ignored. She turned into my hand and kissed my palm a few times before nodding and taking a few steps away from me.
"You're right, I'll walk you to the door." She turned around but didn't walk out of the room. "It would be best to take this slow, right? I mean we don't even know if we can still stand each other, people do change and stuff. . ." She trailed off, still looking at the wall and not at me.
"Miranda, it's up to you. . ." I didn't get any further before she'd swung back around and all but jumped into my arms, covering my mouth with her eager lips. I gave into the passions that surged through me and returned her kisses, forgetting about anything involving the word slow.
"Matt, promise me you won't hurt me again."
"I promise." There were few words after that shared between us, there was no time or need for them the rest of the afternoon as we revived the feelings we had been forced to ignore for years.
