Chapter 37

GABRIELA

The day had passed and right now we're in the car heading to my house. My siblings were talking about what apparently was going to be a topic for a long time, Alex, but I wasn't paying attention to them at all, being half deaf helped, I must admit.

It didn't take us too long to get home, I said goodbye to Marcos and went inside. I didn't want to eat, I wasn't hungry, so I went directly to the studio to draw, that would help me clear my mind. I started drawing until my mother came into the studio, sitting in the chair and looking at me.

"Are you ok?" She asked "Yes, why?" I questioned, frowning. "Since you didn't stay to eat…" my mum began "I'm not hungry, that's just it, so don't worry." I assured "It is impossible not to worry about you, you're my daughter." She responded "I am, I'm not going to deny it to you, but right now you're denying my happiness."

"Gabriela... You must understand us." She said and I denied, because I don't understand it "I can't do it, I may understand partly why you react like that, but I say again, Alex wouldn't do anything to me that would make me suffer again." I insisted "And you want us to forgive him for that. It's not easy Gabriela."

"I know, I'm not going to deny it's difficult, but it's my life and I can decide what to do with it. No one will be able to stop me from being with him." I assured him, "You never stopped loving him, didn't you?" She asked, after a few seconds of silence. "No, I never stopped loving him, and I realize that now."

"Look, I understand why you're a little angry about how we reacted yesterday, especially your father, but you have to understand, he more than any of us, not including you, is too stubborn and he hated seeing you the way you were. He hurt her little girl and it's a big deal he didn't do anything against him as soon as he found out what happened" My mother said, "But I'm not that little girl anymore."

"We know you're not, but I must admit everything that happened to you with your classmates and especially with Alex, makes us fear they will hurt you again." She informed me and I denied, because I know no one would do anything to me, much less now with Alex by my side. "No one will do anything to me, mom, apparently I'm too scary to someone would dare to hurt me, plus I know how to defend myself, I don't need to have the twins attached to me all the time."

"They love you and just taking care of you." She assured, "But they're unbearable sometimes, especially now it seems they have joined forces to make my life at college impossible." I informed her "What are they doing?" Mom asked curiously "They're watching me, according to them to control Alex and prevent him from doing something to me. I don't know since when they joined forces for that."

"They would do anything for you." She confessed and I denied, because I didn't need my siblings guarding me from Alex. "Well, it's not necessary for them to do it, I'm serious. I'm fine, happy like I haven't been for years."

"You always missed him." my mother whispered and I nodded, because in the end, it was true, "Yeah, with that I'm not saying I haven't been happy, but something was missing in my life, and whether you like it or not, that's Alex." I confirmed, "Look, I'm going to give you the vote of confidence, you'll know what you're doing. I'll try to get your father to see it this way, but I can't guarantee anything."

"You don't need to do anything, I'm sure he'll realize that. Let him assimilate it in his own way." I said, because I knew at some point, it would sink in. "If that's what you want, I'll do it. But now answer me a question."

"What?" I asked, "Did your grandmother know anything?" She questioned and I kept my face the same "Why do you say that?" I asked, pretending I don't know. "She wasn't as surprised as we were." Mom responded and I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, I didn't tell her, so I highly doubt she knows."

"Well, are you sure you're not hungry?" Mom asked once more. "Not really, and I'm fine" I said before she asked "But you have to take the pills." she insisted "Well, I'll eat now in a while, don't worry." I confirmed, "I will always do it, but I will serve you food." she responded, before getting up, "Not too much, Mom, I'm serious, I'm not hungry." I repeated so she had it in mind "Ok, I won't put too much"

I spent about an hour more drawing and I went down to eat more than anything because my mother insisted, but I didn't stay down for too long and I returned to the studio where I focused completely on drawing. When I'm drawing, I felt calm and I had no idea how much time was passing.

"I don't know what's going through that crazy little head right now, should I be scared by that?" As soon as I heard that, I jumped, because I'm scared to death, honestly. I turn towards the door and see Carlos leaning on the door frame. "You scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to, but it seems like you didn't realize I was here." He said, entering and sitting in the chair my mother had occupied "Honestly, no, I was focused. Why did you come?" I asked curiously. "I came to talk to you."

"About what?" I questioned, "Marcos told me what Paula said today about your family." He informed me and I rolled my eyes. "Always telling the wrong thing." I protested, "Yes, he should, mostly because you're not like that when it comes to your family. I know better than anyone what you are like in that sense, Gabriela, and what you did today isn't your way of being at all."

"People change Carlos." I put down the brush and went to sit in the chair, staying in front of him. In this aspect, Carlos is the one who knew me best, more than anything, because it wasn't the first time we went after people who messed with our families. I was there to prevent him from going too far and he was there for me, that's how our relationship works. We're older siblings and sometimes it's necessary to have someone similar to you and have similar things happen to you to know how to improve.

"I don't deny it, but you've never changed that way. What are you thinking of doing?" He asked, "No, what are you thinking?" I returned the question "The normal reaction. Come on Gabriela, you can tell me, I won't do anything to stop you, in fact, I can help you with that."

"I know you can do it and you won't tell anything, but I'm telling you seriously what I'm thinking of doing is nothing out of this world, it's just using her tricks to get me mad." I said honestly, because that's the most likely thing she's doing, and I wasn't going to fall into her traps. "And what is that, can you tell?"

"Let's see, it's clear she's trying to get on my nerves, well I'll do the same. If she can go around saying anything stupid about me, but especially about my family, I will play with what hurts her the most." I responded, even though I don't know if I would do it. "And what is that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Alex. Honestly, it's not something I'm going to like to do much, but I have to do it, I'll have to defend myself in some way."

"That's clear, but remember she's dangerous." He reminded me and I nodded, because that's something I had in mind. "I remember, and if it worries you, you can be clear nothing is going to happen to me." I assured him, the last thing I needed is for Carlos to worry about something he had no reason to worry about. "You better. But I tell you again, if you need anything, help you, anything, let me know and I will go help you."

"Kind of like old times, right?" I asked with a smile on my face "Exactly, but this time you're the worse one than myself." He assured, "You also have your mood, you know it." I laughed. "I know, but now I think you're worse angry than any of us." he reported "Maybe, but I had to change, you know that."

"I know, and I'm happy about the change, it's for the better. You don't need anyone to defend you." He nodded "Well, that was the intention. I wasn't going to keep you all worried about what was happening to me." I admitted, because that had been a part I changed. "That's not what bothered me, it bothered me they messed with you."

"I know, but I won't allow that in life, really. And as much as I don't like it, I know Alex will break everyone's teeth like the last time he tried" I said with a shrug, even though it wasn't my favorite thing, I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid it. "So that's why he got into that fight. The last fight he had gotten into came out better than that."

"Wait, you knew he got into fights and you didn't tell me anything?" I said with a frown. "I did know and I didn't tell you anything because you hated hearing his name, that's why." He responded "So everyone knew except me. I feel stupid."

"No, you're not, Gabriela. At that time, you couldn't talk or hear about him." he said, leaning forward on the couch "But if I had known, I wouldn't have let him get into the fights he got into. "That was my fault."

"It wasn't, I'm telling you seriously. It was because of his stupidity of breaking up with you without asking you first, that was the only reason he got into fights, he was resentful." reported "But no matter how resentful I was, I could have avoided it. It's the least I could do, Carlos."

"Gabriela, don't worry anymore about what you could have done. That's in the past and should continue that way. Now you are happy with him, you make a great couple and you love each other madly. You must apply the story you tell him about forgetting the past." He said with a smile "I don't exactly tell him that. I just want him to forget everything that happened to us in a bad way, I don't know if I explain myself."

"You don't want him to remember everything bad he did to you or anything." I nodded. "That's right. I can't forget my entire past with him because if so, I wouldn't remember the moment I saw him for the first time and all those times when I was happy with him, that's something I shouldn't forget, I can't"

"Sometimes I can't see how far your love can go." my best friend said, denying, "I just know I love him too much, like I never did." I admitted, "And I love seeing that sparkle in your eyes whenever you talk about him." Carlos responded with a smile on his face "When you say that, I swear I don't know what you're talking about, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone."

"I hope so, but it will be a while until I forget about you in that regard." He reported "You will, although you will always have me, as you say, I'm your little sister, no one can destroy that relationship, I assure you."

"I will take care of that myself; no one can separate me from my little sister for anything in the world. I'll be like the big brother you never had." He stated "You already are." I laughed and we spent hours talking until it was late for him to go home. I went down when he did to say goodbye and spend some time with my family, even though at this moment it's not that they wanted to, but I didn't give a damn about that at this moment, if they wanted to understand it good, and if not, good too.