Chapter 14 - Gabe

With a heavy sigh, I stared out the window in my old room. Ever since I'd sent Nate that text I'd been holding up here. Mum had tried to get me to come out, even invited women over like she said but I refused to move. 

I can't eat, I can't sleep. It feels like my heart has been ripped out of my chest by the hands of my parents. It was unbearable to even breathe. Every time I closed my eyes I would see his face fast asleep lying next to me. When I go to open my eyes, it would crush me when I didn't see him. I had listened to his last voicemail message over and over again, his voice cracking broke me.

Even with the sun shining brightly the sky looked dull. There was no happiness without Nate. Food was tasteless and life was worthless. Everything meant nothing without him.

"Gabe?" 

I jumped at the sound of my mother's voice. She looked nervous as she fumbled with the door, it looked like she was unsure if she wanted to come in or go back out. 

"What is it?" I asked, turning my head back to look outside the window.

She finally decided to come inside, shutting the door behind her. I watched as she tentatively took a seat on my bed. She crossed and uncrossed her legs as if she had no idea what to do with herself. 

"What is it, Mother?" I asked impatiently. 

"Yesterday, …" she started but paused. 

I waited for her to continue but after another five minutes, she was still staring at her fingers. 

"Mother!" I called out. "Just say whatever it is you came here to say, I'm tired. If you've invited a woman over again then tell her to leave. I'm not ready yet."

"No, no one's here. I just …" she bit her lip. "We met Nate last night."

Instantly, I sat up straight. My heart hammered as panic filled my chest. 

"What! Where? What did you say to him?" I demanded. 

"He came up to us as we were coming out of the restaurant. He'd figured out we had broken you two up. He just asked that we tell you that he loves and misses you," she gave me a small smile. 

"He said he loves me?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes, but before I tell you more he said something that he told me to ask you about. He said he permits you to tell me."

"What is it?" I asked curiously. 

With a deep sigh, she turned fully to me. 

"He said that he needed saving when he was younger. What did he mean by that?" she asked. 

I turned back to the window and sighed. This wasn't my story to tell and I didn't know if I should believe her when she said he gave her permission. With my own deep sigh, I turned back to her. 

"What he meant was that his father was abusive. After his mother passed away his father started drinking and became violent and cruel. Nate has lots of scars from all the beatings and believes so little in himself because of what that man told him."

Her shocked face said it all. 

"His father …"

I nodded and sighed. 

"Yes, he was beaten regularly and told he was worthless and pathetic. He believed it so much that he closed himself off from everyone, including me. Granted, I didn't give him the best first impression."

A smile ghosted over her face as her eyes warmed. 

"He mentioned something about that. What exactly did you do?"

A small laugh escaped my mouth as the memory resurfaced. 

"Well, a girl I'd dated wouldn't leave me alone. Mattie and I were meeting Nate for the first time, since he was and still is Mia's best friend. I'd wanted to approach him for so long so I figured that night was my chance."

"So, that night I was going to make a great first impression on him. Then that girl called me when we pulled up, so whilst Mattie went inside I took the call to tell her to get lost. Nate overheard my conversation with her and I was way cruder than I needed to be. That was a big no-no for him, he hates players and that's what I came across as."

Mum shook her head as she chuckled. In her head, she was probably telling me 'I told you so'. She often complained about my choice of women. 

"I tried to make it right, but he wouldn't give me the time of day. So, I decided if he was only going to see that in me, like everyone else, I might as well live up to what he thinks. Plus, when he scowled or glared at me it made my heart race."

"Oh Gabriel!" my mother said with a soft smile.

"Yeah I know, but it was the only way I could get his attention. He really wasn't like anyone else. He didn't care about my money or social status. Those were turn-offs for him."

Her smile faded and she took my hands in hers. 

"You really love him don't you?"

I nodded as my smile faded too. 

"Yeah, I do. It was because of him that I turned my life around. After graduation, when we went to the beach, he let me see a more vulnerable side to him. I realised there was true pain and horror in his past. So, I stopped dating people that only wanted to use me and I focused on being the guy that could possibly deserve him."

"So that's why you suddenly buckled down and became serious?" she asked. 

I nodded and stood up as I heard a knock on the door. 

"Excuse me, Mrs Lopez, you have a phone call," Sammy the maid said as she poked her head through the door. 

Mother nodded and left. Leaving me confused as to why she came to talk to me in the first place. I collapsed onto the bed with a deep sigh. 

"I love and miss you too Nate!"

----

"Gabriel?" 

Sammy's timid voice called out as she opened the door to my bedroom. I looked at the clock and realised I'd fallen asleep for a few hours and it was now near dinner time.

"I want my dinner in my room again. Please Sammy," I told her automatically as I got up.

"No it's not that, your Mother and Father would like to see you in the study," she told me before bowing slightly and leaving. 

With a sigh, I changed my shirt and made my way downstairs. I wondered what they could want now. What would they ask me to give up for the sake of the family now?

I knocked on the door to Father's study before opening and walking through when I heard his gruff voice say enter. He stood looking out the window with a sour look on his face, the same one he'd given me when he came into my office and told me to give up Nate.

'This can't be good.'

Mother was sitting on one of the small sofas next to the large fireplace. She smiled softly at me as she patted the space next to her.

"What's going on?" I asked as I took my seat. 

"Your Father and I have been talking," she started and he grunted. 

She sent him a scowl before smiling back at me. 

"Ok," I said as she didn't continue. 

"It's about you and Nate."

I sat up straighter now, wondering where she was going with this. 

"I can't say that I can understand you, or fully accept Nate. I'm still not sure if you could have any type of future or family together, but I'm willing to let you prove me wrong."

My mouth hung open as my eyes flew wide. I couldn't tell if she was serious. Father grunted and it pulled my attention. 

"What! What … Father said …" I stuttered.

"Forget what your father said, he won't pull the money he invested into the club."

When Father grunted again, she sent him an evil look as if to say 'Don't speak.' 

"It wasn't fair of us to threaten your employees' welfare just to get you to stop seeing Nate. Now, I can't promise we will fully be able to accept your relationship but we …" Father grunted again. "We!" she spoke firmly. "We will try."

"Are you serious?" I asked, too frightened to hope. 

She smiled and nodded, "Yes Gabriel, I'm serious. When he came to us, I was impressed. He spoke so highly of you, not of what you gave him but of you specifically. It was obvious he saw the real you, the you that I know. So, go and tell Nate that I'm sorry and I hope you both, one day, can forgive us."

I hugged and kissed her before racing off. First, I headed up to my room to grab my phone and keys before racing over to Nate's. 

Now, I just hoped he could forgive me.