Chapter Twenty:

Rose asked me to hang out a few weeks back and this Saturday morning, she texted me and asked me to come over. I was understandably shocked since I just assumed she was just saying that to make Gabriel happy but I guess I was wrong.

"So you guys had sex? Have you done it since then?" She asks and obviously I wasn't the one to tell her that since Gabriel and her are "best friends" he tells her absolutely everything.

"No. It's only been a couple of days. I haven't really seen him much out of school since then." That's what scares me. What if that was all he wanted to do? Sleep with me then drop me like a pair of shoes.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him much either outside of school. He has been super busy apparently."

"Anyways Halloween is soon... what are you going as?" She asks quickly changing the subject.

"I have no idea. I usually plan like a month ahead since in LA, Halloween is celebrated the whole week with parties and I usually have multiple costumes but this year, I haven't even picked out one." I explain.

"Well, here we're not weird and we only have one big party at Griffin's house and maybe you can dress up with Sirena and I." As I lay down on her bed, I start to laugh.

"Yeah, no." I say.

"She isn't as bad as she seems. She's just jealous because she knows she probably wont have a shot with Gabriel again. You don't even have to to talk to her, just dress up with her." 

"What are you guys even going as?"

Maybe this isn't such a bad idea. As long as I don't talk to her or even am near her, I will be fine. Angelica and her new boyfriend are going in matching costumes anyways so it's not like I can go with her and Gabriel... I have no idea what Gabriel is going as. Probably Oscar the grouch.

"Playboy bunnies!" She says in excitement and once again, I burst out in laughter.

"If I go as a playboy bunny Gabriel will cut my head off. He freaked out when I wore a short skirt and a tie shirt last time I went to one of Griffin's parties." He will completely lose his shit on me. Especially if my ass is hanging out like a stripper.

"Oh my God! Gabriel doesn't control you, sweetie. You can wear whatever the fuck you want, when you want. Your dressing up with us!" She insists.

"Fine, but how are you even going to find me a costume so last minute?"

"Don't worry about it, I got you as long as you promise to be at my house around seven." Still I have not told anyone but Leandro about my birthday that is less than a week away. I don't know why I'm hiding it from the people that love and care about me but I just feel like its not that big of a deal. Rose and I are getting fairly close and I would maybe tell her about my secret birthday but one thing I have grown to know about her is that Gabriel comes first. I believe if we ever broke up, Rose and I would still talk but if Gabriel told her not to or I hurt him in any way she would treat me like she did before; like I am the enemy. That's why I don't believe I can tell her much since it will most likely go back to him or if I ever did something to hurt him she would use the information I told her against me. I would say Rose is crazier than Liam and Sirena combined. She seems sweet and innocent and most definitely will make an amazing doctor one day, but I know that is all a front to her rude, possessive personality. Don't get me wrong, I can be really fucking rude, but possessive I am not. She seems very possessive and protective of Gabriel, like she is worried some girl will come and break his poor 'innocent' heart and I think that is what he likes about her actually; she will do absolutely anything for him, even if it means losing herself and her love ones and that is something not many people have. A loyal friend. 

I walk home that afternoon and the front door is wide open. I don't hesitate to walk in though, even if it means I may be in danger. I hear sniffling and crying coming from somewhere but I'm not sure where,

"Mom?" I call out but no reply. I follow the sound of what I am guessing is my Mother's sobs until I reach the pantry where she is sitting on the ground with cereal and broken bottles of liquid flooding around her.

"Maddie dear... you shouldn't see this." She hides her face from me but I can see the blood in her hands.

"Mom let me help you please."

After some convincing, she turns her head and lets me see the horrible thing my Father did to her. Her eye is bloodshot and gushing with blood and her cheek has a tiny cut.

"Mama-" I start but she interrupts me,

"Please don't start with me... I already know what your going to say." She says and I stay quiet. Grabbing her hand I help her up and she takes a seat on a bar stool around our kitchen island. I grab a cloth and start wiping her eye,

"He's not here. He must have ran out." I insure her and I know she feels relief.

"Why don't you leave? He will never hurt Ethan and I but he will continue to hurt you... why do you stay here and continue to suffer?" I ask her but she says nothing.

"Mommy please say something... he's... he's going to kill you eventually if you stay." I start choking on my tears as they flood down my face.

"If I leave Maddie, he's probably going to use you to replace me. I'm a punching bag to him Madeline and I couldn't live with myself if I left you and your brother." She says.

"Then lets all leave! Pack our bags and leave while he's gone!" I tell her.

"No. Life doesn't work like that. I don't have any money that isn't connected to him and I'm going to get you guys in trouble." She puts her hand on my face and smiles through the pain,

"This is what happens when you have kids, Mija. You got to make sacrifices for them and trust me when I say that boy you're running around with will treat you the same way. Your father was just like him before we got married, charming, handsome... a dream, but he did have a temper and eventually that took over and I know that's what is going to happen to that boy." I shake my head in disapproval of her words.

"You don't know him like I do, mama He would never lay a hand on me, I'm certain of that. He is so different around me... he's not how he seems and he's definitely not like Papa." I tell her.

"I wouldn't put so much trust in him... he's just going to end up breaking your heart."

"Let's stop talking about me and focus on you."  I don't believe anything she says about Gabriel because she doesn't know him and she isn't giving herself a chance to get to know him. She is just assuming because of the way he looks or acts but at the same time I know she is just worried about me. I've never fallen so hard for someone in my life and I know that scares her but  it shouldn't, I need to experience things like heartbreak and romance or I'll never get to live.