Chapter 39

GABRIELA

It was half past one in the morning and my grandparents had fallen asleep to the delight of Marcos and Carlota. We were sitting on the bed, they on one side and I on the other, leaning against the wall. Me looking at them, because I really didn't believe at some point, they were a couple, it was something I would never have believed if they told me at another time. 

"Well Gabriela, now that your grandparents are sleeping and the door is closed, tell us what you and Alex were doing so alone and together?" Carlota asked suggesting more had happened with the movement of her eyebrows "We were talking, I already told you." 

"So, are you a couple? I don't know if I believe what you told us, Gabriela." Carlota said denying and with a big smile on her face "It's true." I assured despite the fact I'm completely sure she wasn't going to believe me at all "So what were you talking about?" 

"Wait a minute Carlota, I think it's better to start from the beginning." Marcos said "And what's the beginning?" she asked confused "The party." he said, without taking his eyes off me "Right." 

"What about the party?" I asked trying to play dumb "Oh Gabriela, don't play it. Answer me a question. Alex was there, right?" Marcos asked and after a few seconds, I nodded because it wasn't worth lying to them "Well yes, he was there." 

"Did you tell him you were going to that party?" asked Carlota surprised "What? No, I didn't tell him. He went to the same school as Diego and they know each other. Diego was the one who invited him. I didn't tell him about a party or anything. How was I going to tell him if I hadn't seen him since morning?" 

"Well, it makes sense. When you went out into the garden, you were with him and that's why you didn't let me go where you were, right?" Carlota asked and I shrugged "He followed me, what do you want me to do then?" 

"That's not the question, Gabriela, the question is, what did you do so far apart?" she said again with a smile forming on her face "We talked." I answered simply, because it's what we had done despite what was going through Carlota's mind. 

"You talk too much. Are you sure it's just that?" Carlota asked "Well yes, at the party yes." I replied "So what did you do in the afternoon?" she inquired looking for a story to entertain herself "We walked along the shore; he told me how much he loved me." 

"And what exactly did he say to you to make you look like that?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow "You heard it yourself, Carlota, what he told you two about not trusting himself and everything. That is the proof he has changed, really." 

"I know, you don't have to repeat it to me a thousand times, I believed him. I'm not blind as far as I know." I replied to Marcos "Well, that's what I say." He answered "But there's something you aren't telling us, Gabriela. I can tell. Tell us, go ahead, we won't tell anyone." 

"You better, because if hears about it, I'll kill you two myself." I assured "We will, don't worry. Now tell us." asked Marcos "We kissed." I replied "WHAT!!!!" 

I quickly turned in Carlota's direction and put my hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream anymore and wake up the whole village, and I didn't want my grandparents to wake up, it was the last thing I wanted. 

"Marcos, control her for a moment, and don't uncover her mouth at any time until it's safe." I got out of bed and slowly opened the door. As soon as I got out, I pulled the door closer and approached first my grandfather's door and then my grandmother's, who ends up walking out the door. 

"Gabriela, what are you doing here? What was that squeak from earlier?" She asks "I'm sorry, Carlota couldn't seem to take it." I answered and she frowned "Are you still talking?" 

"Yes, you know how Carlota is, but I'm sorry for waking you up." I apologized, because the last thing I wanted was to wake her up "Don't worry, I wasn't asleep, go with them." 

"Okay, see you tomorrow grandma." I said goodbye "Actually it would be see you later, it's two in the morning." She responded with a small laugh, "Well, see you later, Grandma." I said "See you later." 

With that, she went into her room and I into mine, closing the door again without making too much noise so as not to wake my grandfather, I sat on the bed and covered myself because I was cold. "Is everything in order?" Marcos asked and I nodded "Yes, my grandmother was awake, but yes. Do me a favor, Carlota, not to yell again." 

"Okay, I will. But how do you expect me to react when you tell me you kissed?" she asked, as if the fact Alex and I kissed was a big deal. "You wanted to know everything; I'm telling you. Now if you're going to start telling me he's not good for me, leave it alone, I don't want to argue or get angry." 

"No, I'm not going to start with that, just it impressed me, nothing more. But tell me, how did you feel?" I started to remember that moment, why Alex had kissed me, the conversation afterwards. He didn't look angry, quite the contrary, he seemed happy and even though I told him I couldn't be his girlfriend at the moment, he took it well. 

"Hey! Are you still there or what?" Carlota asked and I nodded, but not knowing what she had said "I'm still here, what's wrong?" I inquired "You were stuck with a silly face, come on woman, tell us." 

"Well, it felt much better than last time, and different, but at the same time, it felt the same as when we were together. I can tell how much he loves me and I behaved like a deranged bitch." At that moment, Marcos appears to prevent Carlota from interrupting me, which I was grateful for in a way, but with Carlota, who was a restless ass and didn't keep quiet, it was understandable she interrupted me every half second. 

"You had your reasons for behaving like a bitch as you say yourself. He hurt you, in the depths of your heart Gabriela, that's not easily overcome. Marcos said once I finished telling them, "That doesn't mean the way I treated him wasn't wrong." I affirmed "It wasn't bad, it was what you felt, and for once in a long time, you showed how you felt about him. From not saying anything about Alex to showing what you felt was a big step for you." 

"Marcos is right, at least we know you're not one of those people who doesn't have feelings." Carlota stated "I don't think it's a big deal, Carlota, I do have them." I protested, "But you don't let us see what you feel so easily, not even to us who have known you for a long time." 

"Of course, I do, it's not that difficult I think." I huff "Before everything that happened with Alex it might not be so difficult, but since then, is very complicated." Carlota assured once more "Stop it now Carlota, don't blame Alex, please." 

"I'm sorry Gabriela, but it's the truth." She said, "And as much as I like Alex and all, she's right. Since he left you, you don't show anything or almost nothing what you feel." Marcos intervened. 

"It may be because in my house were angry enough with Alex for a reason of which they have no idea, I didn't want them to get angrier, and I didn't want you to get angrier with him either, I was partly to blame also." 

"No, don't blame yourself, because you didn't have it. Alex had it for believing everything they told him about you and Marcos." Carlota assured, "I know. I know Alex is to blame, but if I knew at the moment Marcos was with you, I wouldn't have believed it either." 

"What the hell did you sa…" Marcos began "The what? What Carlota was with you? I know Marcos, Carlota told me. I could get angry for not having known at the time, but what matters is we get along the same as always. 

He turned to Carlota and then looked at me again with a surprised face. I could see from the look on his face he thought I was going to react differently. "Is everything really okay with us not telling you?" he asked surprised "Yes, of course. Carlota explained it to me and I understand it, I really don't know what you expected. Do I look bad or something? That would help me understand the face you had." 

"No, you don't, it's just you blurt it out to me so suddenly it impressed me, nothing more." he assured "So everything okay?" I asked "All good." they both nodded "Then let's sleep because I'm sleepy I can sleep for days." 

"Marcos is right, let's go to sleep, it's going to be three in the morning." supported Carlota "Well, sleep and that's it, please, if you do something, don't make too much noise, please." I said with a big smile on my face "GABRIELA!!!!" 

I knew that would screw them up, at least a little, but I had to play the joke, I couldn't keep it. Marcos threw a pillow at me and Carlota slapped me on the arm, but I didn't regret telling them. I decided it was better to let them sleep. 

I still wasn't sleepy, so I took the headphones and the mobile. When I unlock it I see I have a message from Alex and at moment I remembered I had arranged to talk with him later, I just hoped it wasn't too late to talk.