Ch 13 - 16

OKDeanna's Passions Fan Fiction Forum > Antonio & Gwen Stories > Ch 13 - 16
	<< Prev Topic \|

Subject: Ch 13 - 16
Posted By: OKDeanna - ezOP
Posts: 292
Posted At: (8/18/03 8:04 pm)
Reply

Chapter Thirteen

Gwen looked at Tony over the rim of her wineglass and wondered what was going through his mind. She had never seen him so quiet before. He'd hardly said two words to her the whole way through dinner. In truth, he'd barely even looked at her. She knew her father's comment about them being in love had upset him, but he had been upset before that too. He'd told her as much while they were dancing. She didn't know what he was upset about, but she had this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that said it had something to do with her. He'd had such a serious look on his face earlier like he was about to tell her something, but he wasn't sure quite how to do it. Actually, the look had reminded her of Ethan when he had...

Gwen lowered her glass to the table and accidentally knocked her silverware off her plate into the floor, startling both her father and Tony. She quickly apologized then leaned down to pick the silverware up. As she raised back up her eyes connected with Tony's and her heart suddenly stopped beating. He was smiling at her, but she could tell it was a forced smile. She could tell he did not want to be there any longer and she had the strangest feeling that she already knew the reason why.

She didn't know why it surprised her really. She had known the type of man Tony was the moment she met him in New York City. Just because she had felt things she had never felt before didn't automatically mean he had. God, she thought closing her eyes and trying to hold off the tears that were suddenly threatening to fall, she should have known better. Falling in love with him was the worst thing she could have done. He wasn't the type of guy to want a serious relationship. He wasn't the type of guy that believed in happily ever after. Thank god, she had never told him she loved him. Thank god, she had at least had a chance to salvage her pride.

She took a deep breath and when she was sure no trace of the pain she was feeling in her heart was showing her face, she opened her eyes. She could feel Tony's eyes on her, but her father's voice suddenly filled the air and saved her from having to meet them.

"Gwen, are you ready to go? I have to catch an early morning flight back to Chicago. I have an important meeting to attend tomorrow afternoon."

"Of course, father." She said pushing back her chair and allowing her father to help her to her feet. She was more than ready to get this evening over with. She needed to go home and get a good night's sleep and think about what she was going to say to Tony the next time she saw him. She knew she couldn't tell him she was in love with him, not when he didn't feel the same way. The only thing she could do was say goodbye and let him go. She knew she could do that tonight, but she knew if she did she would be unable to stop the tears from falling and she refused to let him see her cry.

"Tony," her father said interrupting her thoughts. "It was nice to meet you and I'm sure we will see each other again."

Tony nodded then stood and held out a hand. "It was nice to meet you too, Mr. Hotchkiss."

Gwen felt him turn toward her, but she didn't know what to say. So instead she walked toward him and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for dinner Tony."

He nodded and gave her the signature Lopez-Fitzgerald grin. "Anytime, sweetheart, anytime."

She forced herself to return his smile then turned and followed her father out of the restaurant. She felt Tony's eyes on her the whole time she was leaving and it took all of her willpower not to turn around and look at him. She knew the pain she was feeling would be written all over her face and she didn't want him to see that. When she saw him again, she would be in total control of her emotions and that would be when she told him goodbye.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Gwen and her father had walked out of his view, Antonio sat back down in his chair and motioned for the waiter to bring him the check. He fought the urge to ask for another drink, because he knew if he did, he wouldn't stop until he was good and drunk. Something about the look in Gwen's eyes a few moments ago was bothering him. In fact, it was all he could think about ever since she got up to leave. The light that had been in her eyes earlier in the evening had been replaced by a dull sadness that left him feeling... empty.

He was trying to determine when the change occurred, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She had been fine through dinner, but then she had dropped her silverware and... and that's when it happened, he thought running a hand through his black hair. When she straightened back up from retrieving her silverware, the look in her eyes had changed. The only question was why? What had happened to make the light in her eyes suddenly go out? Had he done something to upset her? He couldn't remember doing anything, but smiling at her. What could have upset her about that?

Sighing in frustration, he stood up and pulled out his wallet. Then he pulled some bills out and placed the money inside the pay book the waiter had just laid on his table. He didn't bother waiting around for his change. It wasn't that important. What was important was finding out what was wrong with Gwen and he planned to do it right now. He knew he should probably wait until morning, but for some reason, he felt he had to go now. Something in his gut was telling him that tomorrow would be too late.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gwen shut the door to her hotel room then grabbed the suitcases at her feet and made her way down the stairs toward her car. She knew leaving was the best thing she could do. The whole way home in the limo she had thought of nothing, but Tony and how she had fallen head over heels in love with him. It didn't matter that she didn't really know him that well. She knew him well enough to know that she loved him and that was why she had to go. She had thought she could stay long enough to tell him goodbye. But that was before she had stepped inside her hotel room and the memories of last night had filled her mind. After that, she knew facing him again was totally out of the question. It would be too hard knowing that she was in love with him, but that he didn't feel the same way about her. She just wasn't strong enough to deal with that.

Gwen sat her bags down by her car then pulled the keys out of her purse and unlocked the trunk of her car. She had just hoisted the bags into the trunk and reached up to shut it when a strong masculine hand clamped onto her wrist. She would have been frightened had she not recognized the furious voice that spoke in her ear. "Running away again, sweetheart?"

She sucked in a deep breath as his angry breath hit her ear then gasped as he swiftly swung her around to face him. Their faces were just an inch apart, but the anger in his quickly filled the gap. The look in his eyes was as cold as steel and his jaw as hard as a rock. He was furious and he wasn't bothering to hide it. His breath was coming out in angry huffs and his body was stiff and rigid. She could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

"Tony I -" Gwen broke off when she realized she had no idea what to say. In truth, there wasn't anything she could say, because he was right, she had been running away.

"Damn," he said releasing her and jamming a hand through his hair. "You were going to do it again! You were going to disappear on me again!"

He shook his head. "Why? Why Gwen? Why were you going to leave without at least telling me goodbye first? Didn't I deserve that much?"

Gwen closed her eyes and lowered her head to look at the ground. He was right. He did deserve a goodbye. It wasn't his fault that he didn't love her. Love just wasn't something you could force on someone. It was either there or it wasn't and in this case it wasn't. And no amount of talking, wishing, or praying would change it. Tears started to well in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was not going to let herself get emotional. It wouldn't help anything. In fact, it would make matters worse.

"You're right. " She said raising her head to look into his eyes. The anger was still there, but now there was also hurt. The hurt is what struck her heart the most. "You did... do... deserve a goodbye."

He nodded. "Well, at least you admit it. Now how about you tell me why you're leaving?"

She knew he had a right to know that too, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She didn't want him to know what a fool she was. She didn't want him to know that she had fallen in love with him. It wouldn't change anything. The only thing it would do was make her look even more pathetic than she already did.

The knots in her stomach grew tighter and the pain in her heart grew sharper. She turned then and rested her palms on the back of her car. She wasn't at all sure how much longer her legs would hold her up. In fact, any moment now she was sure she was going to fall to the ground in a puddle of tears. She wanted so much for Tony to take her in his arms and beg her not to leave, but she knew he wouldn't. He didn't care enough to do that. That was the whole reason she had decided to leave.

She knew her father wouldn't be happy that she left, but she figured he could get another associate to come and handle the business. It wasn't fair of him to ask her to come back here in the first place. Yes, she had made amends with Ethan and Theresa, but she was once again about to leave Harmony with a broken heart. Only this time, she had no one to blame but herself. She had known Tony was not the type of guy that gave a woman his heart. His body was one thing, but his heart... his heart wasn't even on the market. He hadn't told her that, but she knew it was true just the same. Her leaving was just going to save him the trouble of having to tell her.

"It's just time for me to go." She said reaching up and shutting the trunk with a loud bang. The sound pierced through the night air and she was sure she would remember the empty feeling it caused inside her for the rest of her life. She heard Tony walk up behind her, but didn't bother turning around. She wasn't sure she would be able to say goodbye if she had to look at him.

When he laid a hand on the small of her back, she had to steel herself from screaming out in torturous pain then again when he brought his other hand to her side and slowly turned her to face him. Their eyes locked instantly and then they both seemed to lean into each other at the same time, needing one last kiss. The moment his lips touched hers, the tears she had been fighting slowly slipped down her cheeks. Her arms stole their way around his back as he raised one hand to cup the back of her head and used the other to pull her body closer to his. Her lips parted on a moan and his tongue darted inside. She knew without a doubt she would remember this kiss for the rest of her life.

They finally broke apart a few seconds later and rested their foreheads against each other letting their breathing slowly return to normal. Once she finally had herself under control, she stepped back from his embrace and gave him a small smile. "Goodbye Tony."

He nodded once then gave her the infamous Lopez-Fitzgerald grin. "Goodbye, sweetheart. Take care of yourself."

"You too." She whispered closing her eyes and turning to walk toward her car. Her hands shook as she unlocked the door and climbed inside. Once she was settled she looked up into the rearview mirror and saw him walking away toward his car. He didn't turn around and she was grateful for that. If he had, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from jumping out and running toward him, begging him to love her.

Gwen shook her head as the tears continued to fall then started her car and slowly made her way out of the hotel parking lot and out onto the highway. She knew that once she had put a safe distance between her and Tony she would be able to see that leaving Harmony and him really was the only choice she had. It would take awhile, but she knew one day she would wake up and the pain she was feeling inside would no longer be there. She just hoped she had enough strength to last until then, because something told her the pain in her heart right now wouldn't go away for a very, very long time.

Chapter Fourteen: Six Weeks Later

Antonio took a swig of his beer then looked glanced over the crowd at the pool hall. He couldn't believe he let Luis and Sheridan drag him out here tonight. He wasn't in the mood to socialize tonight. Granted, the beer was good, but the company? The company was a totally different story. Not that he didn't love his brother and sister-in-law, because he did, they just tended to get on his nerves lately. Actually, everything and everyone tended to get on his nerves lately. It didn't matter what he did, he just couldn't seem to get her out of his mind.

Some days he would be fine not having a care in the world, and then other days... Other days someone could say something to him and bam, an image of her face would pop into his mind and he would lose all focus and concentration. He had practically memorized every facial expression she had and they all seemed to play in his head like a never-ending movie. The worst part was... there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. He'd already tried everything and nothing had worked.

He'd tried drowning himself in booze, but all that did was make him melancholy and miss her even more. He'd tried burying himself in his work, but he couldn't seem to make himself concentrate long enough to design anything. But the worst thing... the worst thing had been last night when he'd tried taking a woman out to dinner. The woman was absolutely one of the most beautiful he had ever seen and yet the whole entire night he had found himself comparing her to Gwen. He had compared everything from the clothes she wore to the way she ate her dinner and in his eyes she hadn't come close to the woman that Gwen was.

Gwen. The woman had definitely done something to him, he thought tightening his grip on his bottle of beer. She had to have cast some sort of spell over him. What he was feeling now was ten times worse than it had been when she had left him sleeping in that New York Hotel room all those months ago. At least then, he had been able to work and get her off his mind, but now... now she seemed to follow him everywhere. She had gotten under his skin in the worst way and he had no clue how to get her back out again.

He had wanted to end things between them, but he hadn't been prepared for her to do it or for how it would make him feel. He hadn't known she had such a heavy hold on him. Hell, how could he have? He had merely thought himself on the verge of falling for her and that was the reason he had wanted to end things, but what he didn't know... what he didn't realize was that he had already taken the tumble over the edge of the cliff. He hadn't realized it was too late, that he was already in love with her, until he saw her drive off into the distance that night six weeks ago. He'd actually gotten in his car and started to go after her, but then he'd realized what he was doing and stopped. He wasn't about to chase some woman that didn't want him.

"Antonio," his brother said interrupting his thoughts. "Why don't you just go after her?"

"The hell I will!" Antonio yelled slamming his beer down against the table, causing Sheridan to jump in surprise. He sent her an apologetic smile then turned back to glare at Luis. "I will not chase after a woman that doesn't want me. And she already proved she doesn't. Hell, she's left me twice now!"

"Okay I'll give you that." Luis said nodding. "But did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, she left because she didn't think you wanted her? Hell, for all you know she could have been hoping you would stop her."

Antonio stared at his brother sitting across the table, but it wasn't him that he was seeing. He was seeing Gwen and the look in her eyes as she told him goodbye. Could she have really wanted him to stop her from leaving? He had never understood why she had left in the first place. She hadn't given him a reason either. All she had said was that it was time for her to go. He had taken it to mean her business was finished, but what if there had been more to it than that? What if Luis was right and she had thought he didn't want her?

That night he had planned to tell her he couldn't see her anymore, but then her father had showed up and he hadn't had the chance. Could she have somehow caught on to his feelings anyway? Then took them to mean he didn't care about her? He remembered how happy she had been when they were dancing together and then he remembered how the light had gone out of her eyes after dinner. That was when everything had changed, he thought. Something, between the time they were dancing and the time they finished dinner, had happened to upset her. He had known it at the time and had meant to ask her about it. But then he had showed up at her hotel and seen her placing her suitcases in her car. He had been so angry that she was going to leave without telling him goodbye that he had forgotten the reason he had wanted to see her in the first place.

Damn, he thought as an image of Gwen's tear stained face flashed in his mind, how could he have been so stupid? The tears that had filled her golden brown eyes hadn't been because she was leaving. They had been because she hadn't wanted to leave. The only question was, now that he knew, what he was going to do about it?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gwen raised her right hand to her head and rubbed her temples hoping to rid herself of the headache that had been plaguing her all day. She had already taken some aspirin, but they hadn't helped any. She supposed she should have eaten something this morning, but her stomach had been acting up and she wasn't at all sure she could have held anything down.

Thank goodness it was Saturday and she didn't have to worry about having to work today. She could just stay home and rest. She supposed she needed that more than anything. She had been so tired lately. She couldn't remember the last time she had a decent nights sleep. She supposed working all those extra hours hadn't exactly helped her any. But working was the only thing that seemed to help keep her from missing Tony so much. She still didn't know how he had managed to get such a strong hold on her heart. One minute her heart was her own and the next minute... the next minute, Tony was holding it in his hands.

Gwen dropped her hand from her head then leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. She had been doing so good the last two weeks, she hadn't thought about him nearly as much as she had when she first came back to Chicago six weeks ago. At least, she hadn't until Tuesday, she thought opening her eyes again. Ever since then, he had been on her mind constantly. She figured it normal considering all that happened. Still today... today the memories of him seemed to be invading her mind more than usual. In fact, they had been coming to her all morning long. Maybe that was why she had such a headache. The ache that had been in her chest for weeks now, ever since she had told Tony goodbye must have somehow managed spread to her head as well.

She groaned as another image of him flashed in her mind and knew that she had to do something to get her mind off him and fast, before she did something totally insane - like call him. Gwen gripped the arm of the couch then stood and walked over to her stereo hoping some music would help clear her head. She started flipping through the different radio stations and stopped when she heard the music to one of her favorite songs.

They read you Cinderella
You hoped it would come true
That one day your prince charming
Would come rescue you

Gwen sighed then turned and walked into the kitchen to get something to drink. This song was exactly what she was looking for. She wanted someone to rescue her... to rescue her from being alone. She wanted someone to love her like with the same kind of passion the artist was singing about. If only Tony had felt that way about her... if only he had loved her like she loved him. If he had, she never would have left him.

You like romantic movies
You never will forget
The way you felt when Romeo kissed Juliet

All this time that you've been waiting
You don't have to wait no more

I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl
I will give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
If you give me a chance
I can love you like that

A knock on the door dragged her attention out of the past and away from Tony and she was glad of that. If she listened to the song much longer, she would start to cry again and she didn't want to do that. She had cried enough tears over the past six weeks that she didn't think she had any more left to cry. She shook her head, sat her glass of water on the kitchen counter then walked to the door, and opened it. She gasped in surprise when she saw the last person she ever expected to see again, leaning against the door jam. "Tony."

"Hey, sweetheart." He said giving her his signature grin, the one that had haunted her dreams every night for the past six weeks. "Mind if I come in?"

I never make a promise I don't intend to keep
So when I say forever, forever's what I mean
I'm no Casanova, but I swear this much is true
I'll be holding nothing back when it comes to you
You dream of love that's everlasting
Well baby open up your eyes

Gwen blinked in surprise then shook her head and stepped away from the door. The minute Tony walked past her and his arm brushed hers she shivered. When she finally shut the door and turned to him, she found him staring at her intently. "You've lost weight."

"A little." She said walking over and shutting off the stereo, unable to deal with the music and Tony too. "I haven't had much of an appetite lately and plus I've been working a lot."

"What does working a lot have to do with your losing weight?" He asked furrowing his brow.

"Nothing, except a lot of times I -" She broke off when she realized she didn't owe him any explanations. She decided to change the subject instead. "What are you doing here, Tony?"

"I wanted to see you."

She sucked in a breath then searched his eyes. "Why?"

"Because I -" He stopped then lowered his eyes. She watched him furrow his brow in confusion then went wide-eyed when he leaned down and picked something up off the couch. She didn't have to look to see what it was because she already knew. She had been reading it earlier, but had laid it down when her headache had gotten worse. She should have had more sense than to leave it lying out, but how was she to know Tony was going to show up?

"Gwen?" He asked raising his eyes to hers in question.

She swallowed hard knowing she had to tell him, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't seem to get the words past the sudden knot in her throat. Ever since she had found out four days ago, she had wondered about what she was going to do, whether or not she should tell him. She knew he had a right to know, but she didn't want him to feel obligated to her. She shook her head, realizing that she didn't have a choice now, he already held the book in his hands.

Damn, she thought putting a shaky hand to her forehead, this was not a conversation she was prepared to have. Over the last few days, she had imagined a thousand different ways to tell him, but none of them seemed to fit the moment she was facing right now. Then again, she didn't have to say anything - he already knew. So instead of trying to come up with the right words, she met his eyes and nodded then watched as his eyes widened and he fell back against the couch in complete and total shock.

She knew exactly how he felt. When she had gone to the doctor on Tuesday and gotten the test, she had been so sure her missed period was just a fluke. But then he had come back and she knew without him having to say the words. She knew that for the second time in her life, her world had just tilted right off its axis.

Chapter Fifteen

A baby, Antonio thought as he stared down at the infant on the cover of the book in his hands, he and Gwen were going to have a baby. His heart constricted with some unknown emotion and it was so strong that it literally stole his breath. He knew from the crease in the spine of the book that she was about halfway through reading it and it made him wonder how long she had known about the baby. He took a deep calming breath then finally found the strength to tear his eyes away from the book and look at her. He wasn't at all surprised to see tears pooling in her golden brown eyes.

"Were you..." His voice cracked and he stopped to clear his throat. "Were you going to tell me?"

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second then she shook her head causing her blond hair to slice through the air. "I... I only found out a few days ago."

"So you weren't going to tell me?" He asked searching her eyes.

"I... I don't know what I was going to do. I wasn't exactly expecting..." She broke off and shaking her head again. "I'm still getting used to the idea, you know?"

"I know what you mean." He said closing his eyes and raising a hand to his hair. "I feel like I was just blinded by the lights of an oncoming semi."

"Tony, I... I don't expect anything from you."

His eyes flew open at that and he leveled her with a look. "Why the hell not? Don't you think you have a right too?"

She flinched at the anger in his voice and then went pale. Really pale.

"Gwen?" He asked standing up and walking toward her in concern. "Are you -"

That was as far as he got because she suddenly lost her balance and felt into his arms. Looking into her eyes and seeing they were slightly dilated, he realized that she must have gotten dizzy. Probably from not eating, he thought shaking his head and leaning down to place an arm underneath her knees. He used the other to brace her back then he quickly picked her up and carried her to the couch. He laid her down gently, trying not to jar her anymore than necessary, then rocked back on his heels and knelt beside her. "Sweetheart? Have you eaten anything today?"

She shook her head no then mumbled something that sounded like ' too queasy.'

He nodded then raised a hand to the back of her head and raised her up slightly so he could move the pillow lying behind her underneath her head instead. "You just wait here and I'll fix you something, okay?"

"You don't -"

"Yes, I do." He said cutting her off and placing a light kiss on her forehead. "You need to eat something and from the way my stomach is growling, I'd say I do too."

She gave him a small smile then closed her eyes and whispered, "Okay."

Antonio stared down at her for a second longer then shook his head and walked toward the kitchen. He hoped he could find something to fix that wouldn't upset her stomach. He knew from Luis that ginger tea seemed to help alleviate Sheridan's morning sickness, but looking in Gwen's cabinets, he found none. In fact, he didn't find much of anything. He opened the refrigerator hoping to find something in there, but it was pretty much empty too. Damn, he thought running a hand through his hair, what the hell had she been eating? He would have to run to the store or something. He didn't want to leave her, but he had to get something for her to eat.

"Gwen, sweetheart, I think I'm going to have to run to the store. You don't seem to have much in here." When he didn't get a response, he turned and saw that her eyes were still closed. He shut the refrigerator door then made his way back into the living room to check on her. He saw the rise and fall of her chest so he knew she was breathing, which made him relax slightly. He kneeled down next to her and checked her pulse. When he found it strong, he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was even holding and then forced himself to relax. She had just fallen asleep, he thought shaking his head. He had noticed the circled under her eyes when she opened the door so he figured she hadn't been sleeping well. Too much stress probably.

Damn, he thought standing and running a hand over his face, he should have been here. If he hadn't let his pride get in the way, he would have come after her weeks ago and he would have been there when she found out she was pregnant. But he was here now, he thought and the least he could do is take care of her. He bent down and placed an arm underneath her knees and another at under her back then he lifted her and started to make his way toward one of the rooms down the hall. She stirred slightly, but she soon relaxed against his chest. He found her bedroom on the first try and gently laid her down to settle against the mattress. He couldn't contain his smile as she rolled over to rest her cheek on her hands.

He reached out, unable to stop himself and tucked her blond hair behind her ear. Then he shook his head and stepped back away from her. He didn't want to wake her, he thought giving her one last look then turning and walking out of the room. The moment he entered the living room again, he scanned it for her keys. He found them lying on the table next to the couch and grabbed them then walked toward the front door to make sure one of them would unlock it. He'd hate to leave without a way to let himself back in. Gwen needed her rest and he didn't want to have to wake her until he at least had something for her to put in her stomach.

Once he found the right key, he locked the door and made his way toward his rental car. Since he once lived in Chicago, he knew there was a grocery store not far from here. If he hurried maybe, he would get back before Gwen woke and found him gone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gwen woke to the smell of freshly baked bread and what smelled like pasta. She remembered getting dizzy from not eating and Tony carrying her to the couch, saying he would fix her something. She must have fallen asleep. She'd tossed and turned all night last night so she figured the sleep had done her good. Now that they'd gotten caught up on their sleep, she and the baby needed to be fed. She smiled and placed a hand on her growling stomach. "I hope what your daddy is fixing tastes as good as it smells."

She heard a sound at the door and looked up to see Tony standing there with a tray full of food in his hands. Had he heard what she said? He broke out into a huge grin and she figured he did.

"Hey there, sweetheart." He said walking into the room and placing the tray on the table beside her. "I was just about to wake you. Did you have a good sleep?"

She nodded and rose up into a sitting position then leaned back against the headboard. "Yes, I did. I didn't realize how tired I was until you laid me on the couch. Thank you by the way."

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just glad I was here." He handed her a cup and she raised her brows at him in question. "It's ginger tea. Luis told me it helped alleviate Sheridan's morning sickness. I thought it might help you too."

"I'll try anything." She said taking a small sip. It tasted better than she thought it would. In fact, she rather liked it. "This is really good. What else did you bring me?"

He laughed then sat down beside her. "Some pasta and some freshly baked bread I bought at the store. It's not much, but it's something. I know you don't want to eat anything too greasy."

That was true enough. She'd tried to eat some eggs yesterday morning, but that was a big mistake. She hadn't lasted five minutes before running to the bathroom to rid herself of them. She shook her head then laughed when her stomach growled. "I guess I better eat before Junior gets upset."

Antonio laughed then leaned over and grabbed the tray. "No, we wouldn't."

He placed the tray over her legs and she saw that there was only enough for one. She looked at him in surprise. "Have you already eaten?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago. I wanted to give you a little longer to sleep."

She nodded then grabbed her fork and dug into her pasta. The pasta was either really good or she was either really hungry. She figured it was a combination of both. It didn't take her long to clear her plate of it's contents. She would have been embarrassed had it been anyone, but Tony sitting beside her watching her eat. She was just too glad he was there to be embarrassed about anything. She had missed him too much of that. "That was really good."

"Thanks. I'm pretty good at ready directions from a box."

She laughed again and for the first time in weeks felt genuine happiness bubble inside her. "Well, my stomach thanks you."

She reached for her napkin to wipe her mouth and that was when she saw it, sparkling underneath the lights. It was old, probably antique, but it had to be one of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen. It had one solitary diamond in the center and on both sides of that were two small emerald stones. Tears sprang to her eyes as she saw Tony pick it up. When he reached for her hand, her heart practically leapt into her throat. She raised her eyes to his and sucked in a breath at the emotion in them.

"This ring has been in my family for generations. Each father has passed it down to his eldest son at birth. It's been a tradition in my family that each son propose with this ring. I thought I would be the one to break the tradition, but I guess I was wrong." He reached up and wiped a tear off her cheek. Then continued. "The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I had found someone special. I knew deep in my heart that you were someone, I would never be able to forget. I want us to be a family, Gwen. I want to us to raise this baby together. Marry me, Gwen. Build a life with me."

Gwen looked down at the ring in his hands then back up at him unable to believe he was actually proposing to her. It was all because of the baby, she thought shaking her head. He wasn't proposing because he loved her... he was proposing because of the baby. And that was why she couldn't say yes. She couldn't... wouldn't marry a man that didn't love her. That's not what she wanted for her or for her baby. "I'm sorry Tony. But I can't marry you."

Chapter Sixteen

Antonio sucked in a breath as her words unexpectedly cut through his heart. He had known he would be taking a chance on proposing to her so soon, but the whole time he was on the plane all he could think about was how he much he wanted to be with Gwen. He had been miserable without her these last few weeks. He knew they didn't know each other well, but he knew what he needed to. He loved her. She was a part of him and for the first time in his life he wanted more than just a few nights of physical satisfaction - he wanted it all. He wanted the house with a two-car garage and a white picket fence. He wanted a wife and kids. Hell, he even wanted a dog. But none of it mattered if Gwen didn't want to share it with him and apparently, he thought with a rueful smile, she didn't.

Antonio shook his head then stood and walked to the window on the other side of the room. He saw the cars speeding down the street and commiserated with the pavement beneath them. He now knew what it felt like to have someone drive through and leave nothing but tire tracks in their wake. His heart had the marks to prove it. How could he have been so stupid? He had taken Luis' advice and put his heart on the line, for what? So it could be handed back to him battered and broken?

"Tony?" Gwen called from behind him. Her voice was soft, low, and filled with sadness. Or was that pity? "Tony, please turn around and look at me."

He closed his eyes and tried to gather the strength to do as she asked. Then once he had hidden all traces of the pain she caused, he turned around. Tears ran silently down her cheeks and his heart broke all over again. "Don't cry for me, sweetheart. I can take it. I mean you can't help the fact that you don't love me."

"Don't lo -" She broke off and shook her head. "You think I don't love you?"

"Isn't that why you said no?" Tony asked trying to keep the hope out of his heart. It didn't work.

"I said no because you don't love me."

"What!" He roared causing Gwen to jump in surprise. "I just proposed for crying out loud! Why would I do that if I didn't love you?"

"Because of the baby." She whispered sadly. "You proposed because of the baby."

He laughed and Gwen's eyes widened. He supposed he couldn't blame her for thinking he didn't love her. After all, he had left that important part out of his proposal. He just assumed she knew he loved her. Didn't she know that was why he was here? "Sweetheart, I didn't propose because of the baby."

"You didn't?" She asked with a hint of uncertainty.

"No, I didn't." He said walking toward her and sitting on the bed. He removed the tray from her lap and set it back on the table beside them, then he took her hands in his and looked into her golden brown eyes. "I proposed because I love you, Gwen. I flew on a plane with this ring in my pocket. I didn't know about the baby until I got here. So how could I have proposed because of the baby?"

"B... but we barely know each other. How can we get married?"

"Do you love me?" He asked searching her eyes.

She smiled and his heart lurched in his chest. "Of course, I love you. I think I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you."

"Then what more do we need to know about each other?" He asked framing her face with his hands. "Do you need to know that you're a part of me? That you're a part of my heart, a part of my soul. Do you need to know that these last few weeks without you have been some of the worst days of my life? Do you need to know that every time I close my eyes to sleep, I dream of you? Or do you need to know that every morning when I wake up, I wish I was waking up, holding you in my arms? What more do you need to know, sweetheart? Because I swear I'll tell you anything and everything."

More tears rolled down her cheeks and he used his lips to kiss them away. "Say you'll marry me, Gwen. We can spend the next fifty years getting to know each other. Just say you want to marry me."

"I do." She whispered against his cheek. "I do want to marry you."

He pulled back and grinned at her. "Is that a yes, Ms. Hotchkiss?"

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes, Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald, that is a definite yes."

"Thank god." Antonio whispered just before his lips descended upon hers for a kiss that spoke of love, passion, and promises for the future, a future they would share together. He had definitely learned his lesson about playing with fire, he thought his heart burning with love and happiness. But he knew without a doubt that he would do it all over again, because playing with fire was what led him to Gwen and there was no place on earth he would rather be.

THE END

<< Prev Topic |

Replies

Playing With Fire Prologue - Ch 7	OKDeanna	8/18/03 7:59 pm
Ch 8 - 12	OKDeanna	8/18/03 8:03 pm
Ch 13 - 16	OKDeanna	8/18/03 8:04 pm

Email This To a Friend
Topic Control Image

Topic Commands

Click to receive email notification of replies

Click to stop receiving email notification of replies