Chapter 13

GABRIELA

To my bad luck, they were close to my hideout and I didn't want them to know I was there so I was going to have to take a detour. It didn't take me long to get to my hiding place and from there I could hear what they were talking about. I heard someone hit another person and then I realized it was Sara to Alex. 

I don't deny I would have liked to have given it to him, but I didn't like someone other than me hit him, and I didn't understand why I felt. I noticed how something inside me was changing, changing in favor of him. I don't know what was happening to me or anything. I only know I hated him less and less and despite the fact that I would like to achieve that, another part of me, less and less strong. As soon as Marcos left where our friends and I was sure neither of them would see me, I went to the edge of the wall to look in the direction Alex was in and I could see in his face that he was sad. 

It was at that exact moment I realized what he was saying about being sorry was true, and possibly it was also true he loved me, but I wasn't completely sure about that yet. I saw how he leaned on something to keep from falling and raised his hand to his eyes so the light wouldn't hit him. It was when I knew he was dizzy and without hesitation, I went to him. 

"You should sit down; I don't want you to fall." I said and Alex doesn't take long to look up at me. I could see in those eyes had always been singing to me he was impressed I was there and his eyes were glassy. "Gabriela.... What... what are you doing here?" he asked surprised. 

"I saw you get dizzy and as I told you before, I don't want you to fall." I replied "Hey, I'm sorry…" he started and I held up my hand for him to stop "Don't say sorry. It's not your fault I reacted badly." And it was true, because it was something I already knew at the time, it only bothers me to have heard it, and, above all, coming from him. 

"But you left." he stated and I nodded "I know, and I'm sorry for being a complete bitch, really. It's just I have a bad temper and it just comes out when I talk about topics I prefer not to talk about." I answered sincerely "Like what we did to you..." 

"Fair enough, and I would like to never bring it up again. Now do me a favor and sit down." It seems he listened to me and went to sit down. I was behind him just in case and as soon as he sat down, I crossed my arms in front of me, at a prudent distance for me. We didn't speak to each other for a while and even when it was time to go to class we didn't go, we stayed looking at each other without moving a bit, until I noticed his eyebrow was still bleeding, I went over and took the towel Marcos had luckily left in a clean place. 

"What are you going to do?" he asked how he was afraid he was going to do something to him and to which I couldn't help but laugh "Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you. I'm just going to put the towel on you to see if it stops you from bleeding." I assured him "It's not I'm worried about you hitting me, it's just rare you get too close to me, that's all." 

I smiled, because that was the truth, I didn't get close to him at all and now I was going to do it just to put a towel on his eyebrow, I was impressed myself. "You know? You're still beautiful, even more so than a long time ago." he affirmed, without taking his eyes off me for a single moment, "Don't go there." I said fighting the smile forming on my face "But it's true Gabriela. When will you believe me when I tell you I love you?" 

"I don't know, honestly." I commented, because even though a part of me wanted to believe it, I wasn't sure it was true. "Do you think you'll ever forgive me?" he questioned and I shrugged. "Can we talk about something other than this please?" 

"As you wish, and what do you want to talk about?" he asked without taking his eyes off mine "You know, you have the mark from the blow Sara gave you." I exposed and I could see how his brow furrowed "How do you know that...?" He started, but I denied it, because it wasn't exactly something I should have known. "That's the least of it, what matters is she shouldn't have done it." 

"I deserved it." he assured and I denied with a small smile "Here the only one who should hit you, is me, no one else." I confirmed even though it wasn't something I would really do "Now should you be the one to hit me?" he asked, and I could almost tell he was flirting with me. 

"Of course. You know why." I said as serious as I could "I know, I know. But forgive me for everything I've done to you." He declared "We'll see. Now don't move, I don't want Marcos to blame me for something I don't have." 

"Does Marcos know where you are?" he asked "No, not as far as I know, why?" I questioned "He must be worried about you because of that, and he's a great guy who cares about you." he replied and I nodded, because I knew it was so "I know. But I want to ask you a question." 

"Whatever you want." He said quickly, "Why did you tell Sara what had happened between us?" I inquired, because I didn't understand why she had done it. "What I don't understand is how you haven't told her." 

"Because it wasn't necessary for her to know, you already saw how she reacted and you didn't tell her even half of the story. I don't want to imagine when she knows it all." I commented, even though I hadn't the slightest intention of telling her everything had happened between us, "It's normal, it's your friend Gabriela and she cares about you." 

"So does Carlota, so you know she's not happy you're at college." I assured her, and she still didn't know I was in college, when she found out, it was very likely she would get angry "I imagine so." 

"Now don't dodge my question and answer." I argued, because I wanted to know why he told her "I think I should know, at least so she understands the way you react to me." 

"Well, you shouldn't have, she was fine with that." At no time had we separated our eyes. I felt like a tickle in my stomach when I saw his eyes. There was something in them that reminded me of those times when we had been together, in those moments when I had been happy with him. 

Looking into his eyes, I once again believed this was going to happen, and in part I was angry with myself for having hopes of fixing everything with him, it was impossible. "Truly Gabriela, I love you with all my soul, even more than I loved you at the time. I'm an asshole for believing what they said about you and Marcos was true, when I realized it, but you know I love you more than anything in this world and I will for the rest of my life." 

I don't quite know when our faces got closer, but they were already too close. A part of me knew well what was going to happen and I wanted it to happen, but another part, a small part of me didn't want it and I got the strength from I don't know where to avoid it and get away from him a few steps. 

"I have to go to class." I said, picking up my things "I'm sorry Gabriela." He apologized "It's okay, I'll see you later." I said quickly, right now all I wanted to do was get out of here and away from him before I did something I'd regret in the future. 

I was confused with everything had just happened, but my mind was beginning to understand something that seemed to have been stored in my heart for a long time and I don't really know how to react to it. I only hoped with time, I would be able to understand what's wrong with me and the boy I had been in love with for a long time, and if that could ever happen again, at least the friendship we had.