Chapter 18 Desire

Diane's eyes flew open. She tried to sit up and felt his hands tighten around her. "Shhh it's okay baby, I'm right here. Let me guess, nightmare?" He asks softly. "Yes." "About Alex?" "Yes." "Me too, I'm so sorry he hurt you, baby. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you." "It's not your fault you didn't know he would do something like that." She whispered looking down at her hand. "I can't believe you propose to me last night and in my driveway of all places." "Why can't you believe it?" He asks holding her closer to him. "Come on Gabriel, guys like you don't marry girls like me." She snorts. "What do you mean guys like me?"

"You know rich, gorgeous hot body guys like you." She bit her lips as she ran her hand over his chest. "Oh, so you think I'm hot huh?" "You know you're. You can have any woman you want. Why would you want a single woman and her child?"

"Okay number one, you're a single mother who is doing an honest job to support herself and her child. Your work is something you do, it's not who you are." He said massaging her shoulder. "People are going to think that I'm only with you for your money." She mumbles. "Seriously? do me a favor, stop worrying so much about what people think, this is your life. What's your passion? What would you love to do if you weren't working?" "Well I am and I have to continue working so I can provide for my child, so what's the point in discussing it?" She said and tried to move away from him but he held her even tighter. "

"Humor me." He said squeezing her gently. "Okay, my passion is Accounts, I've always love Accounts and Computing and baking, driving, and a whole lot of other stuff." She giggled as he kissed her neck. "Okay, so if you were to go back to school right now which would you start with?"

"I would start with getting at least two C.X.C. subjects and accounts, but to go back to school I would have to quit my job and I can't do that right now." She said softly as he showered her shoulders with gentle kisses.

"Would you allow me to help you?" He asks kissing her throat. "I am not interested in your money Gabriel." She said firmly. "You have made that painfully clear Diane but what if I could send you back to school and support you and Jasmine. Would you please allow me to do that?"

"Um…I don't know." Rising up on his elbow he looks down at her. "Diane, this is not about money. It's about you going back to school and getting a skill and being able to give your daughter a better life. You're not doing this for me, you're doing this for yourself and your child, okay babe." "Quit my job and go back to school. You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that." She sighs heavily.

"And now it's yours, all you have to do is reach out and take it." He said kissing her passionately. "You would really do all that for me?" She asks against his lips. "Still hasn't sunk in yet, has it?" He sat up straight and took her hands in his." "Look at me, in a couple of months you will be my wife, and trust me, babe, I'm only getting started." He said arching both his brows at the same time which made him look like a mischievous child.

"Quit my job? When? Now?" She asks unsure of whether or not she should agree to all this. "Sure, why wait." "But baby there's so many things I need before I can start school." "So go shopping, get whatever you need." "Babe I …." "Wait a second, let me give you something."

He got off the bed took up his pants and hand her one of his master cards. "This will take care of some of your needs." "Some?" She asks still puzzled. Considering how much money you have, this piece of plastic could probably take care of all my financial problems and then some. "Yeah for example you need to always put God first. You need to start thinking about yourself more and you need to trust me when I tell you that I love you and that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I need a shower and….." He pulls her close to him and tilts her face upwards so he was looking into her eyes.

"I really need to kiss you right now." Leaning down he kissed her long and hard. "That card can't help you with any of those." "I understand and I thank you but babe... I can't accept all this, it's all too much."

"Damn you can be difficult sometimes but this is for you and your child, so there's no way in hell am I going to let you back out of this. I need to get a drink." He said as he walks into the kitchen. Diane walks behind him admiring the way his beautiful blond hair flow over his shoulders.

He got a tin of Supligen from the fridge, pours it in a glass; broke two eggs into it; mix it around, and drink it. She had seen him done it many times before. "Babe that's disgusting." She said holding her throat.

"I know, but it helps, there are so many emotions running through me right now, I need something to calm my nerves; plus give me a boost of energy." "What emotions?" She asks admiring his well build physic. "Well there's is anger, pain, hatred, disappointment; he paused, his eyes roaming over her body "Desire, passion, love, not to mention sexual frustration. You name it I am feeling it right now. I think it's time I take that shower." He said and went to the bathroom.

Five minutes after Gabriel enter the bathroom there was a knock at the door. Diane opens it to see Dana, Jasmine, and Desreen outside. "Hi, ladies come on in," Diane said with a broad smile on her face. Desreen saw Gabriel's shirt on the chair and raised her brow in curiosity. . "He's still here? You guys did not, you know?" "No Dana, we did not."

"Good because that would be a sin." "Not for long," Diane adds holding out her hand to show her sister the ring. "Wow! Holy mother of diamonds." Desreen said in amazement "That's beautiful." "Told you" Dana laughs. "I'm still in shock. I mean he said that I belonged to him so I know he would've proposed eventually but I didn't know that he was going to do it so soon."

"And certainly not in your driveway and to think, you were really going to let him walk away from you? I mean I heard what happened and I'm glad you got away from that bastard before he could hurt you but come on Diane. How could you think that he would do something like that to you? The man is crazy about you." Desreen said putting Jasmine down on the bed. 'I made a mistake and I apologized a thousand times for it." Diane said biting her lips.

"Can you imagine having a guy like that? Tall muscular and sexy as a Greek God." Desreen said biting her lips. "Well, he's an Italian God to be exact. But that's not all, he's sending me back to school." "That's great; I'm so happy for you," Dana said hugging Diane. "Are we still on for today?" Desreen ask. "Yes, we're. I just need to talk to Jasmine about this new development, take a shower, and get dressed."

Gabriel step from the bathroom at that moment wearing only his pants and Dana place her hand at her throat. "O my dear, dear Lord." She gasps as she admires Gabriel's body. Water glistened on his skin and his wet hair lay on his shoulders. "Boy, you're ….." "Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's hot we know." Diane said cutting off her sister's sentence. "Touchy, touchy," Desreen said teasing her sister.

"Well as his wife-to-be I'm allowed to be touchy." Diane pouts. Morning ladies." "Morning gorgeous," Dana replied. "Morning Gabriel," Desreen adds sweetly. "And let me be the second to welcome you to our family," Desreen said.

"Thank you," Gabriel said smiling as he reaches for the shirt he took off the night before. "Babe waits, don't put that on." Diane went to her closet and took out a light blue shirt with a white T-shirt under it. "Try this. I bought it for you." "You bought me a shirt?" He asks in surprise as he put it on and looks at himself in the mirror. "Hmm I love it, babe, thank you." He said hugging her. "It matches your eyes but then again you would look good in anything," Dana said smiling.

"Would both of you please put your tongues back in your heads? You're drooling on my carpet." Diane said as she folds her hands across her chest. Gabriel smiled at them. "As amusing as you ladies are I need to go, but I would like to pray before I do if that's okay with you ladies?" "That's a great idea," Diane answered. Taking her sister's hands and Jasmine's they all form a circle and Gabriel began to pray. He then kisses Jasmine and Diane and after saying goodbye to her sisters he left the house.

Gabriel walks into the room that Alex was in and anger surge through him as he looked at Alex lying in the bed. "Well, Alex you have certainly outdone yourself this time my friend. You made a fatal mistake when you put your hands on a woman of God. What made you think you would get away with something like that. Are you really that dumb? You came into my house and tried to rape my girl and have the nerve to tell her that I send you to do it. Never Alex, never in my life would I ever thought that you would do something like that. But you know the hardest thing about all this, is the fact that I'm going to have to forgive you. I don't want to, but I have to.'"

"We don't mean to disturb your one-sided conversation with the unconscious man on the bed, but did we hear you right. What did you just say he did?"

Gabriel turns to see his friends standing behind him staring at him in shock "Please tell me I didn't just hear what I thought I heard?" Mike said stepping into the room. "Yeah, you all heard me correctly. Alex tried to rape my girl yesterday and don't ask me how I'm going to handle it because I don't know." The doctor came in at that moment with two police officers behind him.

"Good morning gentlemen." "Morning." They replied in unison. "Well, your friend had a close call last night. He went into cardiac arrest but we manage to stabilize him, however, he will have to remain on life support. Now, either your friend was trying to kill himself or he got a little carried away with the drugs" The doctor explained.

"Drugs, what kind of drugs?" Gabriel asks. "Cocaine." The doctor replied. "Cocaine!" Gabriel said in shock. "Yes, there was enough in his system to kill him." "When since does he take cocaine?" Mike asks. The doctor addresses them again. "These officers are going to need a blood sample from the both of you." He said pointing to Justin and Marlon. "The two of you already gave blood last night which was tested for drugs. And you're clean." He said to Mike. "But you on the other hand weren't. So we were not able to use your blood." He said to Gabriel. "So if the two of you will just come with me we can get this done in a matter of minutes."

"Okay lead the way," Justin said following the doctor out the door. "You're just full of surprises aren't you Alex?" Gabriel said angrily as he left the room. Justin and Marlon had their blood tested and was told to wait in the waiting room for the results. One of the officers went with them to make sure none of them leave.

Gabriel calls Diane while he waited with his friends. "Hi Gabriel, how's it going over there?" "Well, it turns out Alex had cocaine in his system. Enough to kill him as the doctor said, so we all had our blood tested to ensure that we are not all drug addicts. The guys are clean but as you know and I totally forgot I am not and now the police want to talk to me alone, don't need to asks about what." Gabriel sighs.

"So how are you feeling? Are you okay?" "I'm fine. My sisters and I are on the road." "How about taking four passport pictures while you're out there; we're going to need them." "Okay baby I'll. So what are you going to do about Alex?" "I don't know yet. Take care of yourself okay; I'll call you later, I love you, babe." "I love you too babe boy bye." Justin and Marlon got their results back; they were all drugs-free and were allowed to leave. Except for him, he had to spend half an hour explaining to the cops why he had drugs in his system. For a few minutes after he was allowed to leave they all just stand in the parking lot trying to take in everything that had just happened.

"Let's get out of here. We have some things to talk bout." Marlon suggested. "Yeah let's go to the food court in Pavilion, I'm starving," Mike said. "Fine let's do that," Gabriel said as he walks towards his vehicle. "I'll ride with Prince," Justin said as he walks towards the passenger side of Gabriel's vehicle. Mike went with Marlon. Gabriel grips the door of the car but didn't get in. "I'm so sorry prince. I know you're hurting." Justin said in concern for his friend. Gabriel stepped away from the car door and walks towards him.

"Would you mind driving, I'm so angry I can't even breathe properly much less drive." "Yeah, sure no problem." Gabriel got in beside Justin; fasten his seat belt then leaning his head back took deep breaths trying to calm the rage that was boiling inside him. Justin then pulls out of the parking lot.

"How in the world could he do something like this? I have been on drugs for most of my life and I have never seen Alex as much as take a pill. And even though I use to take any kind of pain killer I could get my hands on and then mix them with alcohol I have never attack any women the way he attacks Diane. I don't even know who he is anymore." Gabriel said with his eyes closed. "No offense Prince but I don't think you really knew Alex." "What do you mean by that?" Gabriel asks opening his eyes and sitting up.

"Well, it's just that I think you were so grateful to him for being there for you throughout your grief that you never really saw him for what he is."

"Which is what?" "A very selfish person. I mean he let you believe he was your best friend but the truth is he was the one benefiting from all this. I think he realized that there was nothing you wouldn't do for him and he exploited that." Justin said choosing his words carefully. "He was your best friend as long as he had something to gain. He wanted to run your life and in a way he did, for a while. But when he realized that he wasn't number one in your life anymore, he walked away."

"So what you're trying to say is that all this time I thought I was the ultimate player and I was the one being played?" Gabriel asks angrily. "Well, yeah something like that. But don't get me wrong. I know he was there for you through everything and you had someone to lean on but he was the one who was benefiting all this time; he keeps you happy and he gets what he wants. Just like the devil." Justin snorts.

"What do you mean by he kept me happy?" "You know; giving you what makes you happy. Keeping you in the clubs, giving you the opportunity to meet lots of girls. Making sure you had lots of alcohol. Encouraging you to keep taking drugs even though he knew it could harm you. But hey, it keeps you happy, and because you were so grateful for his friendship you just keep giving him things."

"So how is he like the devil?" Gabriel asks. "Well because the devil encourages us to do things which we think is making us happy; but if we die while doing those things he benefits by getting our souls. So Alex encourages you to go to clubs and take drugs because the happier you think you are the more you will give away but because he's so clever, you didn't see it. Justin said taking a sip of his water as he stopped at a red light.

"But the night you got baptized, was the night Alex lost all control over you and he hated it, he did everything to get you to come back over to his side but you wouldn't, so he walks away from you. The holy spirit is the one who opens your eyes to the kind of person that Alex really is." Justin said firmly. "I would never have taken Alex for the devil. But I have to agree that what you're saying does make sense."

They pull into the parking lot of the restaurant; entered it and sat down and ordered their lunch. Gabriel listens as his friends update him on events in their lives as they waited for their lunch. Marlon got laid off from his work. Mike girl was two months pregnant and Justin was planning to get baptized.

Their lunch arrived and they all dig in except Gabriel who felt sick to his stomach. "So Prince, have you thought about it yet?" Mike asks with his mouth full. "Thought about what?" "Alex; we know that he attacks Diane because he was high or maybe he was just trying to get back at you. But now that he's in the hospital in a coma, what do you do now?"

"I thought I told you not to ask me that?" Gabriel asks angrily. "I know, but someone has to do something. Someone has to run his business while he's out. Who will that be?" Mike asks. "You know may God forgive my thoughts but all I want to do right now is to erase Alex from my life. I feel so much hatred towards him it scares me. I know what I need to do but God knows it's hard." He said taking a deep breath. "I just want to go in that hospital room put a pillow over his face and end him. I'm so angry I could rip him apart with my bare hands right now." Gabriel said coldly.

"Easy prince don't sin your soul because of Alex. God has already taken that decision out of your hands; he didn't kill him, so our guess is that he doesn't want him dead. All you can do is provided for his basic needs, like someone to look after him. And well, you will have to pay his hospital fees." "I know what needs to be done, damn it! I know what I have to do but for God's sake could you just shut up about it for a second." Gabriel shouts. "Okay, okay I'm sorry." Mike apologized.

"Now on to other things," Marlon said breaking the silence. "Since you neva have to kill Alex your self and I don't want you to kill anybody else, I tink you should change the security code on your gate and your house because we don't know how much information Alex pass on while he was high," Marlon said as he cleans the last of his lunch from his plate. "You're right, I will get on that right away," Gabriel said with a heavy sigh.