Chapter 22

GABRIELA

Since Marcos and his family left with Carlos, I spent the afternoon playing with Ana to distract her. I was watching my phone to see if I received a message from Marcos or a call, but nothing. That made me nervous because I didn't know anything about what's happening with Carlos.

When I got home after going to look for Carlos, grandma told me Alex had called, that I should call him, but at this moment it isn't the most important thing so to speak, plus I don't want his mother to get angry.

The night took too long to come, but when we finished Ana told me she's sleepy, so I accompanied her to my room. She asked me to sleep with her, which I did and within a few minutes she fell asleep on my lap. I covered her well so she wouldn't get cold and a few minutes later my grandmother appeared with a worried face.

"Grandma, what are you doing here?" I asked, confused to see her here right now. "I was mainly to ask you something, but I see you're too worried, is something wrong with you know who?" She asked and I denied, because there's nothing wrong with Alex. "No, nothing is wrong with him." I assured, trying to understand why she's really here. "Then why don't you call him?"

"I expect another call grandma." I replied, "Well, you should call him because he's worried about everything that happened." She responded and I'm more confused than before. "Why do you say that?" I questioned, "Carolina called me and told me what happened to you with her daughter, that's why Alex wants to talk to you."

"I'll call him, I promise, but really, I'm waiting for another important call." I insisted, because even though I want to talk to my boyfriend, I want to know what they said to Carlos, "Marcos, I must assume." I nodded and just at that moment my cell phone started ringing, which I answered quickly and getting out of bed so as not to wake Ana.

"Do you know anything?" I asked, "They're doing tests, but from what his doctor said, the tumor grew and that may be why he was acting differently. How about my sister?" He asked, "Your sister is asleep, don't worry. Fuck, he should have gone to the doctor when he had to go and not now that everything is more complicated."

"I know, but you know what Carlos is like." He responded as if it were something normal, and although it's normal for him to do it, what isn't normal is that he had not controlled it before everything became more complicated. "I know. Listen, I'm going to go there right now."

"Gabriela, you don't need to come. You must be tired." He protested, but I denied, because at this moment I didn't care. "I don't care Marcos; I plan to go and you're not going to convince me otherwise."

"Ok, we're at the Reyes Brothers hospital." He said, and I don't know if it's a coincidence or not it's the same hospital Alex is in, "Ok, see you in a bit." I confirmed, "I'll wait for you." He sighed, "I'll be there in a few, don't worry and be calm."

"I'll try." He assured, "You do it, Carlos can't see you like that." I said and I swear he's nodding at this point, "You're right." He responded "Bye." I said goodbye and hung up. I put on my jacket to go out and go to the hospital. My grandmother was still sitting in bed and as soon as I'm going out the door, Ana woke up.

"Where are you going Gabriela?" Ana asked half asleep. "You should be sleeping, princess." I said, covering her well. "I know, but where are you going?" I wasn't going to tell her I'm going to see her brother in the hospital because she didn't know anything about what's happening, so I'm going to have to make up a good excuse so she wouldn't suspect anything of what's happening.

"They invited me to a party." I invented and she ended up nodding "Will you be there for breakfast?" She asked. "I'll be home before you wake up." I assured, or at least I would try to be "Do you promise?" Ana inquired and I nodded, "I promise."

"Then have a good time, Gabriela." She said, lying down again, "And you go to sleep, princess." I gave her a kiss on the forehead. My grandmother and I left the room, went down the stairs and I grabbed the house and car keys to leave. "Where exactly are you going?" grandma asked even though she heard the conversation. "I have to go to the hospital to see Marcos."

"Is something wrong with his brother?" She questioned and I denied, in the end everything is fine with him, at least medically. "He's fine, grandma, it's Carlos who isn't, but don't worry, I'll tell you as soon as I get home."

"Ok, be careful Gabriela." She asked and I nodded. I left the house and quickly went to the car. It took me a little less than an hour and I went directly to the floor Marcos told me and it didn't take me long to find my best friend. I go up to him and hug him, because the poor guy looked bad and I hated seeing him like that.

"Listen to me carefully, Marcos, Carlos is going to get out of this and he will be the same as always." I said, focusing my gaze on his, "I don't know Gabriela, the doctor says it's a complicated operation." I nodded, because I already had that idea in mind. "I know, but everything is going to be ok, trust me."

"Thank you for being here, I needed you." He thanked me and a small smile appeared on my face. "I know, that's why I came." I assured "Do you know anything about Alex?" He asked, and I denied, because I didn't know anything about him, and at this moment it's not like I needed to get him into any more trouble with his mother. "No, I haven't spoken to him since this morning."

"You're not mad at him, are you?" He asked and I denied "I'm not, it's just we were on the subject of Carlos I didn't have time to talk to him." I assured, even though it wasn't the whole truth, "You're avoiding him and you know it." He said, rolling his eyes. "No, I'm not."

"Of course, we both know it, Gabriela." He stated and I sighed, "I just don't want him to argue with his mother because of me." I answered sincerely, "I know you don't want it, but Alex will have to make it clear to her what you are to him and your place, if his mother doesn't want to understand, that's up to her."

"But I don't need anything, just being with him makes me happy." I assured my best friend and he nodded. "And I know, but you will spend the rest of your lives together and his mother at some point have to understand, it's Alex's life and yours, not hers." He insisted, "You may be right, but that doesn't mean I want him to be angry with his mother."

"You're too good Gabriela." He answered, "Not so much." I countered, "By the way, what hospital is Alex in?" He asked "In this one, why?" I asked, confused for a moment. "I would like to talk to him, could you take me to him?" He asked, "I could, but what do you want to talk to him about?"

"Carlos asked me to go apologize for him." He admitted, "I can tell him if you want." I offered, but he denied, "I know you can do it, but I would like to see it anyway." He replied "Ok, if you want, we can go now." We left the waiting room; he told his parents to tell him anything and we started walking towards Alex's room. I'm nervous about going to see him because I didn't want to run into his mother again, I'm not sure I could keep quiet about what she tells me this time.

As soon as we got to her room, the door is closed, so I answered and a few seconds later, Carolina opened it for us. "It's Gabriela." I can hear how Alex moved on the stretcher, I entered and approached him on the other side of it. Marcos stood at the foot of the stretcher while Carolina closed the door.

"I thought you were angry about what happened with my mother." He said and I denied, because I never would get angry with him, for something that has nothing to do with him, "I'm not angry." I assured, "You're kind of, you didn't answer my calls."

"Because I was busy looking for Carlos and taking care of Ana." This time he turned to Marcos, who's obviously nervous, which is normal because his brother was undergoing surgery at the moment. "Did you find him?" He asked Marcos and my best friend nodded, "Yes, and he told me to apologize to you for everything that happened."

"You don't have to, it's nothing serious, but how is he?" He asked "He's having a surgery." Marcos responded, "What?" He questioned, "Apparently a couple of years ago they discovered a tumor and he didn't take enough care of himself, that's why he was behaving as strangely as he was and that's why he hit you."

"Is he here?" He asked and we both nodded. "Yes, and I have to go to see if they know anything." He said "I'm going with you Marcos." I quickly responded, "You're going to stay here, I'll let you know anything." He assured, "But…" I started to protest, but both he and Carolina began to deny, "Marcos is right, you can stay with my grandson here, I will go with him and I will tell you about anything."

"Ok." At that moment the two came out and I could see how Marcos looked strangely at Carolina and I had no idea why. They closed the door and we were alone.