Pacey rolled over sleepily and engulfed Joey’s sleepy form in his arms, a smile slowly forming on his face, as he was yet to open his eyes that would ultimately force him to get up. He moved his lips to her ear, sucking lightly as she shuddered slightly under his touch, “Morning!” He murmured, opening his eyes as he started to lay small kisses down her neck, she shuddered again, not fully awake her self.
“Hey!” she licked her lips unconsciously, pulling his arms tighter around herself. She opened her eyes looking at him over her shoulder, when he had stopped. He was smiling, that goofy smile of his, his eyes sparkling in excitement which could only mean one thing, he was up to something.
“I love you!” He whispered, as he looked over Joey’s sleepy morning form, her hair was swept across her back and his arms, as he continued to hold her still, her breath was warm as it tickled the hairs on his chin. Joey started to giggle as she turned to lay her head back on the pillows, Pacey resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Is that all?” She closed her eyes for a brief moment, picturing Pacey’s horrified face, before seeing it.
“I think the correct phrase is, ‘I love you too!’” Pacey said kissing her exposed shoulder.
“Sorry!” She turned her head, to look over her shoulder at him, waiting a moment knowing that he was waiting for her to say it, “Did you want me to say it now?”
“It would be nice!” Pacey’s mock sadness made her giggle again, before turning fully in his arms, so that she was lying on her back facing him.
Reaching her arms up and around Pacey’s neck, Joey pulled his lips towards him, kissing him fully, interweaving her legs around his, and bringing him flesh against her, before pulling away slowly and whispering softly against his lips, “I love you too!” she kissed him again before untangled herself from him and laying herself back in her original position, closing her eyes again, smiling to herself, when she heard Pacey groan loudly from behind her.
“Oh you’re evil Jo!” He kissed the back of her head, before getting of bed, grabbing a sweater off the bad of the chair before leaving the room. Pulling the over sized ‘Gap’ sweater over his head, he walked into the living room, approaching the couch where he knew he would find Riley, lying stomach down, watching Saturday morning cartoons, and sure enough there she was, “Morning Riley!” He tried to focus on the colourful cartoon characters jumping around the T.v screen, but it was nearly impossible.
“Dad!” She mumbled in true Witter fashion as he lifted her feet so he could sit down as well, and then rested them on his lap when he was comfortable enough. He signed to himself propping his arm on the armrest, feet on the coffee table, leaning his head into the comfort of the cushioned couch pillows he closed his eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A couple of hours later, when it was suitable to be awake on a Saturday morning, Joey got out of bed, realising it was too quiet to stay still any longer. Wrapping her bathrobe around her, she rubbed her eyes walking down the hallway, finding every room she passed empty, “Odd” she mumbled to herself, yawning, not full awake yet. Crossing her arms across her front she approached the coach, seeing Pacey’s ruffled hair peeking over the top. Stepping close enough to have a full view of him, she saw that he was indeed fast a sleep again; she smirked as she bypassed the dinner table, which was set up for breakfast, “Odd” mumbled again to herself again, she usually had to do breakfast, if they actually had breakfast together, she entered the kitchen heading straight for the coffee pot on the other side of the kitchen. She poured herself a cuppa and as she placed the pot back on the warm she noticed a small white envelope lying beside it, with her name neatly written beside Pacey’s. She placed her coffee down on the counter, before picking up the envelope, realising for the first time, neither Annabelle nor Riley were in the apartment. Sliding the card out of the envelope, that was clearly a homemade card by Riley, the glitter and pencil swirls were evidence enough. ‘One month and still counting’, was written in Riley’s neatest handwriting, on the front. A smile grow on her fast as she slowly opened the card up, inside on one side there was a picture glued in of the four of them, sitting in a park enjoying themselves and on the other Annabelle had neatly written,
It’s been a month since Joey moved in with us,
and surprisingly she’s not sick of us,
even though we are Witter’s,
and have tendencies to course trouble whenever Potter’s are around.
Anyway
We will be back later this afternoon,
and yes Riley has three layers on so don’t worry about us;
enjoy your breakfast, just the two of you.
Love Annabelle and Riley…
PS: We are glad you came to stay
Joey had to hold her free hand over her mouth to stop her self from crying for delight. She composed herself before taking her coffee and card into the living room, where Pacey still lay and sat down next to him. Placing her mug on the coffee table, she smiled at Pacey’s cute sleepily form. Leaning over she placed a feather light kiss on his temple, his cheek and finally his lips. Pacey stirred slowly, when Joey pulled away, blinking a couple of times as his eyes adjusted to the morning light. He scratched his neck turning his head slightly noticing Joey beside him, leaning over a giving a peck on the lips.
“Hey, you finally got up!” He smiled looking at Joey roll her eyes at him.
“Yeah and you had done such a good job yourself!” Joey smirked looking down at the card still in her hands, Pacey’s eyes followed her, noticing the card.
“What’s that?” Pacey asked, as she handed it to him for him to inspect.
“The girls made it for us, apparently I’m more welcome than I thought!” Joey shrugged looking away, Pacey’s headshot up from reading, frowning slightly.
“Jo, you were always welcome here!”
“Yeah but you know what I meant, Pace!” signing as she turned back to facing him.
“Yeah I know, but look at it from their perspectives, you are the first women since Andie that I’m really serious about, and that probably scared them a bit!” Pacey shrugged trying to be comforting as possible.
“It’s just hard sometimes!” Joey signed again, picking at a loose thread that was just above Pacey’s shoulder.
“They love you!”
“I love them!”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Andie!”
“Isn’t it always?” Pacey grinned thinking about the look on her face if she heard him say that.
“Pacey be serious!” Joey lightly shoved him in the shoulder.
“Ok,” He moved slightly, so that he was now fully facing her, one leg crossed in front of him, “You are my best friend, and we have been through a lot to get to this point in our lives where we are comfortable with the truth,” he reached for her hands, intertwining their fingers, “Joey, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you; I love you,” he whispered softly, as Joey started to pull him closer to her, wrapping his arms around herself, keeping them there with her own.
There lips mere inches from each other when Joey whispered softly back, “I love you too!” before crushing their lips together, slowly Joey continued to pull Pacey with her, into a lying position on the couch. Joey brought her hands up to snake around his neck, pulling him even closer she hooked her legs around his waist, not breaking the kiss. Just Pacey’s hands moved to the rope holding her bathrobe together, to pulling it apart, the phone started to ring. Pacey groaned as Joey moved to get a grab the phone, in the kitchen. He collapsed into the cushions of the couch in frustration, closing his eyes, waiting for Joey to get off the phone. Pacey heard Joey laugh at what the other person on the phone had said before her bare feet padded back into the living room, the cordless in hand.
“Hey Pace your sisters on the phone,” Joey held the phone out to him, as she hovered above him.
“Which one?” Pacey opened an eye looking up at her.
“The one in Capeside!” Joey smirked as he grabbed the phone, sitting up again, composing himself before lifting the phone to his ear.
“Morning Gretchen!” Pacey mumbled into the phone, as Joey moved to sit beside him, listening in.
“How did you know it was me?”
“Well you’re the only one that actually rings,” he paused pulling Joey against him.
“Oh, well I’ll get straight to the point-”
“Don’t you always!” Pacey chuckled to himself.
“Shut up loser and listen to me, you coming down for Christmas this year?”
“Well let’s see there’s Boston on one hand, which happens to be where I live, and on the other boring old Capeside, where I spent most of my adolescence wishing I was somewhere else, that’s really a no brainer!”
“So when should I be expecting you?”
“When schools out, the end of next week!”
“The kids coming down too?”
“I’ll have to get back to you on that one!” Pacey signed, Joey snuggling closer to him, rest her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
“The ex making trouble again?”
“You could say that, Andie just doesn’t accept change very well!” Pacey picked up a piece of Joeys hair and started twirling it in his fingertips.
“Pacey it’s been four years, you would think she would have got a clue by now!”
“I know I shouldn’t defend her but we had 15 years together, that has to count for something? That just doesn’t go away that easily!”
“Pacey she practically forced you into that marriage, with Annabelle. Don’t get me wrong I love both my nieces to death; I’m just surprised you stayed that long with her!”
“Can we not talk about my broken marriage and all the things bad about it, right now, it’s not one of my favourite subjects!”
“Sure Pace, anyway I should let you get back to Joey, and I’ll talk to you guys later in the week, bye!”
“Okay, bye!” Pacey hung up the phone and placed it on the armrest beside him, signing to himself, as he continued to play with her hair.
“Are you okay?” Joey asked, sensing his off mood.
“You know what my father said to me when I told him about the divorcé,” not waiting for Joey’s answer he continued in his best father impression, “Congratulations Son, took you long enough!” Pacey signed in frustration.
“I’m sorry about your father, if it makes you feel any better mines pretty crappy too!” Joey sat up and took one of his hands in her own, intertwining their fingers, Pacey smirked thinking about it looking over at Joey’s smiling face, “and there is definitely one father that tops them all!”
“Who?”
“I was thinking along the lines of you!” Joey said, she had been staring intently at their joined hands, to afraid to look him and when he didn’t reply she slowly raised her eyes to meant his.
“Me?”
“Well yeah, you raised two beautiful girls and you show them everyday that you love them and how special they are to you.” Joey said smiling brightly, trying to lift his mood, a small smile appeared slowly across his features and he leant over pressing a thankyou kiss on her lips, before letting himself grin at her compliment.
“So tell me about this winter formal thingy?”
“Oh Annabelle got asked to the winter formal,” Joey’s eyes instantly light up like a Christmas tree, at the thought of Annabelle’s date.
“I figured as much, by whom?”
“A guy,” Joey giggled, when Pacey frowned at her vague answers.
“Jo, a little more detail could help!”
“I thought you didn’t like me gossiping?”
“I never said that, it was more along the lines of you did it too often!”
“Pacey that’s the same thing!” Joey laughed
“Joey, just tell me!” Joey waited a moment before answering.
“Bradley O’Connor, the drop dead gorgeous guy in her English class. She has been obsessing over him since she met in July. He’s one of those that every girl wants but knows they can’t have, because they are so popular and so out of your league but you can’t help dreaming about marrying them.”
“mmm-”
“Is that all you can say,” Joey frowned; she had expected the 3rd degree on the guy.
“Pretty much!”
“Your daughter just got asked out by a jock, and you have nothing to say about it!”
“Joey I trust my daughter!”
“I didn’t say you didn’t, but aren’t you afraid he might take advantage of her?” He shook his head, “not the least bit for her concern?” He shrugged and shook his head again, “nothing?”
“Annabelle is nearly twenty, she is old enough to make her own decisions without her old dad butting in where he isn’t needed.” Pacey got up at that point, making Joey move forward on the couch.
“Pacey, wether you like it all not, your girls will always need you no matter how old you get and that’s the truth.”
“You forget sometimes, that I know you better than you know yourself. All you want me to do, is to make a big fuss over this, when I don’t need to!” Pacey moved into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, Joey sat still a few seconds before getting up and sitting down at the counter.
“You’re seriously telling me, you are ok with Bradley O’Connor taking out your daughter?” Joey scratched her head in confusion, trying to get her head around what Pacey was suggesting.
“And you’re seriously telling me, you’re surprised I am?” Pacey poured himself a coffee, quickly taking a sip before walking to the other side of the counter where Joey sat, and took a seat himself.
“In a word yes!”
“Why?”
“Because I dunno know, maybe the fact that he’s a jock and you hate jocks especially ones after Annabelle!”
“I don’t hate jocks, I just dislike them immensely. There is a difference!”
“Sure sweetheart, that makes total sense!”
“Look Joey just because Annabelle wants to take a sleazy ball to the winter formal and I don’t object doesn’t mean you have to go psycho at me. She’s old enough to make her own choices!”
“I knew you didn’t like the idea of them together!” Joey grinned, pointing a finger in his direction.
“Fine, so when do I get to meet the poor guy?” Pacey signed looking into his coffee cup.
“Well the formals’ on Friday, so I think she mentioned bring him over tomorrow night or something.” Pacey barely heard the rest of her sentence from all the mumbling she was doing.
“She must really like this guy!”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well for one she’s subjecting him to the Witter test!”
“The Witter test?”
“Oh you’ll see, if he can’t stand the Witter test, he’s a goner!”
“Annabelle has been on lots of dates before so why haven’t I heard about this before?”
“Sweetheart, there has only been very few that have passed the Witter test!”
“They would be?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Pacey chuckled looking over a Joey’s frustrated face.
