Chapter 71

GABRIELA

Right now, I'm beyond angry. I just couldn't believe that bitch was kissing my boyfriend. This couldn't be happening again. It didn't take long for me to go in the direction they were in, and by Alex's face, I could see he's scared, which I don't understand, because it had nothing to do with it, did it? Would Alex really hurt me after all these months?

I soon pushed those ideas out of my head because that's impossible, he had shown me thousands of times he loves me and I felt stupid for believing it, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt me to see it. It really bothered me that that bitch got her way, that shouldn't even bother me, but it did.

Before I got to where they were, some arms grabbed me from behind and didn't let me walk forward to give that girl what she deserved. "Let me go," I said, containing my anger as best I could. "I'm not going to let you go because I don't want to arrest you, Gabriela." Santi said in my ear "I don't care what you do Santi, just do your job."

"And that's what I do, but I'm not going to let you do something stupid because of what you saw." He insisted "I'M NOT PLANNING TO DO ANYTHING STUPID." I shouted frustrated, "Of course, do you forget I'm watching you and I know you want to beat that girl's in the face?" he asked ironically. "She deserves it." I muttered under my breath, "I don't deny it, but I don't want to arrest you, so I'm not going to let you do it."

"Let go of me Santi." I said again. I had stopped looking where they were, I didn't want to see them right now, it made me sick basically, I just wanted to hit her and leave, I didn't want to see her.

I end up closing my eyes out of pure frustration and soon I notice how arms I know perfectly grab me and pull me closer to him. "Beautiful, that's not what it seemed like." My boyfriend said in a worried tone, "Let me go after her Alex, she deserves to get hit." I told him "I'm not going to let you do it, I'm sorry, but I can't allow it." He responded as calmly as he could, "Are you going to defend her?" I asked, even more upset than I was. "I'm not going to defend her, I don't want you to get in trouble, that's all."

"Well, that's my thing, now let me go, I want to be alone." I said through clenched teeth, "I'm not going to leave you, Gabriela." Alex responded with panic invading his gaze, but at this moment I'm too angry to talk to anyone. "You're going to leave me, because right now I don't want to have anyone around, not even you, so let go of me and leave me alone."

I know I shouldn't say anything like that to him, but I didn't want to give that bitch the pleasure of seeing me cry, she must have already been having a great time seeing me out of my mind.

I noticed how Alex let go of me and before I left, I could see a look of pain on his face. I hated myself for making him feel that, I didn't want him to feel it, but seriously, at this moment I needed to be alone, I don't want to hurt anyone. Plus, I didn't want to start crying in front of that girl.

It didn't take me long to get to the bathroom and lock myself there. The first thing I do is punch the first thing I see, which turns out to be a mirror, but at this moment I don't care at all, the only thing I want is to sink into the deepest hole on the fucking planet and never get out of there. I know I have reacted badly, that Alex isn't to blame for what that girl is trying to do, but seeing how she kisses him makes me remember the times when I saw them kiss after he left me.

When I arrived to the first bathroom I saw, I hit the wall with my fist. I was starting to get short of breath and I noticed how my hand was bleeding, I ended up sitting on the floor crying until I heard the bathroom door open and Carlota appeared with an angry face.

"Can we know what's wrong with you, Gabriela? How do you tell Alex that? He's broken in case you don't know, although I can imagine you do." She says, crossing her arms, "OF COURSE I KNOW, I'M NOT STUPID." I screamed in frustration, but before continuing, I sighed to calm myself down a little at least, "I want to be alone, Carlota." I murmured after a few seconds in silence, "I'm not going to leave you here alone, I don't want you to do something stupid."

"And what stupid thing am I going to do according to you? Kill myself?" I asked ironically. "I didn't say that." She protested, and even though it's true, she said it at some point, years ago, "But that's what you're thinking. Sometimes I wish I were able to. Stop thinking about others and end everything."

"Don't say stupid things Gabriela." Carlota asked "It's not stupid, I just want to be at peace, to have a quiet life. Is that too much to ask for?" I asked, raising my gaze to hers. After a few seconds I noticed how her face relaxed a little and she started to look at me with a sad face. I don't know what's worse, that she looked at me with pity or angry.

"Gabriela, I know you've had a lot of problems, but it's not something you can't overcome. You gotta show that bitch what you're capable of. You don't believe he kissed her, do you?" My best friend asked, sitting next to me, "Of course I don't think so, but it hurts me to see that, you know? It makes me remember at some point he was with her. The pain returns, Carlota." I replied.

At that moment she hugs me, bringing me closer to her and begins to put her hand on my arm to calm me down, but with her I wouldn't be able to calm down, the only person who would be able to is the one I hurt a couple of minutes ago, and it's at that moment I start crying profusely. Carlota had remained silent and continued running her hand on my arm until I managed to relax a little.

"What are you planning to do with Alex?" She asked after a while in silence. "Nothing, I hope he forgives me for being a bitch to him." I answered sincerely, "I'm more than sure he will, he loves you, but you've hurt him Gabriela, I still can't understand how you told him that."

"There are many things in my head Carlota, many things I have to keep to myself and no one knows, everything ends up coming together." I said, shrugging my shoulders, "You shouldn't keep that to yourself, it's not good for you, especially considering the anxiety Gabriela." Carlota said calmly, "You know I don't care about that." I answered, "I know, but I care, Marcos and your family too. Don't you think about how Ana might react if something happens to you?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me." I assured, because that's more than clear to me. "And you want me to stay calm after what you just told me?" she asked, a bit of frustration present in her voice. "Well, yes, because I'm not going to do it, sometimes I wish I had the guts to be able to be calm, but I don't want anyone to suffer so I can't do it."

"Gabriela, you're not fine. You should talk to someone." My best friend pointed out "I don't have to talk to anyone, I'll be fine." I assured once again, "That's what you've been saying since Jack happened and I don't see any improvement." She protested, "Carlota, I don't want to…"

"I know, I know, you don't want to talk about it, but that has to come from you. You can't keep it to yourself Gabriela, it's harming you." She assured and I denied, "Carlota, please drop the subject." I asked "I won't leave it and you know it. I can't see you feeling bad, Marcos can't do it, neither can your family and let's not talk about Alex who gets bad if you are."

"You think I don't know? That's what I hate Carlota, I'm a shitty person, especially after how I treated him." I said, trying to hold back tears, "If you explain it to him, I'm sure he'll understand." Carlota said "And how do I tell him? Look Alex, I've forgiven you for everything that's happened between us, but seeing you kissing that bitch makes me remember everything we went through and I don't like feeling that way. I want you to forget it, but I can't forget it. How do you think he will take it? Because let me tell you, he won't take it well at all."

"But you forgave him for that." She said a little confused, "Sure, but do you really think he'll believe it? Telling him will only make us both feel bad. I don't want him to feel bad about something I'm telling him all the time that he needs to forget."

"I understand, but you'll have to tell him something." She said kindly, "I don't know what." I responded, shrugging my shoulders and leaving my face on my knees. "Well, leave that to me, I'll think of something."

"Which I'm more than sure will end up worrying him more." I said "I don't think so, I'll find something, really. I won't worry him, I promise." She said, "Just like the time I told you not to tell my family about the anxiety attack and you told them?" I asked, looking at her for a couple of seconds. "I didn't say anything."

"Don't lie to me, because I know, you told them and no one told me if that's what worries you, I know because everyone looks at me like when I started with the anxiety thing, Marcos wouldn't tell them, so you're the only one I have left." I pointed out "Marcos could have told them calmly." She tried to defend herself "Yes, he could have told my family, but when he saw things would get out of hand not before, you're the one who exaggerates things too much."

"Maybe, but I worry about what might happen to you." My best friend finally admitted, "I know, but as I always tell you, nothing will happen to me. "Sometimes I swear you make me desperate, both you and Alex, you're both the same in that sense."

That is the moment I separate myself from her and she stares at me with a frightened face. "Can I know what happened to your hand?" She asked, carefully taking my hand and it was at that moment I noticed the hand is still bleeding and had a couple of cuts on it. At the moment it didn't hurt too much, but I'm sure it will later.

"It's no big deal." I said calmly, "It wouldn't be anything if it wasn't bleeding, but it is, so let's go to the infirmary and get you treated." She said, getting up from the ground and beginning to pull my arm so I could do the same. "I'm not going to move from here."

"Oh of course you are going to do it, and right now." She protested, "No, call Santi if you want, he will know what to do." I said, "You'll see he'll end up saying we have to go to the infirmary. Wait for me here, don't move a single centimeter because if I don't see you here when I return, I will look for you throughout the college and get rid of that stubbornness you have."

I nodded and she left the bathroom. It doesn't take her long to come back with Santi from behind and I could hear Alex, but they didn't let him in, and right now I don't want him to come in, I didn't want him to see my hand and get more upset than he already is after what I told him

"Santi, tell her this is about going to the infirmary." Carlota said, ready to get up. "It is." He stated "What I told you, we're leaving right now." My best friend responded, pulling my arm, "Santi, come on, you can cure me. It's nothing you haven't seen in the military. Also, I remind you that you did health work there."

"Ok, I'll cure you, but you'll have to take pain pills, because with naked eye I can see one of the cuts them is deep, and there are crystals at the bottom." He said, taking my hand, "What kind of crystals? Were you the one in the mirror?" Carlota asked, looking in the direction it was. "That doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters, and now I have to go because I'll end up getting dizzy and I don't want to end up passing out." My best friend said, looking in a direction other than my hand. "Well, you better get out of here." I responded, "I'll tell Alex what's happening so he can calm down."

"No, don't tell him, about the hand, and please put him away, I don't want him to accidentally overhear about my hand." I asked, "Ok, I won't tell him, but I have to tell him something about the way you act." She said "Don't say anything that will make him worry, I don't want him to worry anymore."

"That will be impossible, but I will try not to make you worry any more than you already have to." With that she left the bathroom and left me alone with Santi. He squatted in front of me and continued inspecting my hand, luckily for me he was silent, without asking me questions, but I'm more than sure it won't take him long to ask one, he always did, I guess that's why he investigates.

"I think the mirror was not to blame for anything." Santi said once Calota came out of the bathroom, "I know, but I had to hit something." I said sincerely, "I see, at least I didn't have to arrest you for hitting that girl."

"I wish you'd let me hit her; she deserved it." I responded, "I know, and here between us, that girl seems like she wants to separate you from Alex, and I get the impression she'll do whatever it takes to achieve it." He answered, shrugging his shoulders, "That's what she wants to achieve. Haven't you heard anything about that in college? That we were both expelled, she for provoking me and I for hitting her?"

"I heard something, but I don't know the story. There are many rumors out there. Some say that you hit her because you were jealous, others because apparently since she arrived at college, you have gotten along badly with her even though you don't know her, in short, I could tell you everything I heard and probably it wouldn't be true." He said calmly, "Well, all of that is wrong, people don't know what they're talking about." I murmured, "Then you can explain it to me so I can understand you."

"That's a bit of a long story." I said sincerely, "We have a while, I have to remove the crystals from your hand and then bandage it. You may need stitches, but right now I don't have anything with me to close the wound." He replied, "That doesn't matter."

"Well, come on, what's going on between you and that girl?" We spent about half an hour talking about it, mostly because he kept asking me questions, especially why Paula disgusted me, the reason why she wanted to separate me from Alex, everything he could think of, he asked.

"Well, that's it, you have to prevent it from getting infected and everything will be fine, but I'll look at your hand every day to see how it's going." He reported "Thank you Santi, really. You know very well at first, I didn't want to have a police officer next to me all the time, but after meeting you I changed my mind, you're a great person. I don't understand how you don't work as a bodyguard or something instead of being a police officer."

"Because not everyone is nice, but that would really help me financially." He answered, "Well, if one day Ana becomes famous, I promise I'll call you to be her private bodyguard." I assured, "I'm sure that girl will reach heights if she dedicates herself to music, but you will also reach heights, you're a great artist, maybe you will be the one who needs a bodyguard."

"I don't think so, but if I need it, I won't hesitate to call you." I admitted, "Well, leaving this aside, when are you planning to talk to your boyfriend?" He asked and I shut up and looked away. I know I should talk to Alex, but I felt bad after how I treated him, I didn't deserve it at all. He's putting up with too much because of me, and even though I tried to keep him from feeling bad, I seemed to do the opposite.

"Hey, I'm sure he'll understand. I don't think I've ever seen anyone love another person like that guy loves you." He said and knew he's serious, "But I spoke badly to him, Santi, I feel terrible about that." I admitted "You have to face it. Gabriela, you're a brave girl who's not afraid of anything, you should not be afraid of a conversation with your boyfriend."

"I'm afraid of many things, and I know I shouldn't be afraid of a conversation with Alex, but now that it seems he has more or less forgotten about everything that happened years ago between us…" I responded, "You don't want him to feel bad about that again." He said nodding "Exactly."

"He will feel bad about that, I assure you, but you will be with him to tell him everything is fine, it doesn't matter to you as he must be thinking right now. You'll make him forget again about what happened between you two." He assured, "You may be right." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I know I am, now get out of here and go talk to your boyfriend."

"I don't want to leave here, I'm tired." I responded, leaving my head on the wall. "Then I'll go out and tell him to come, you have to talk." He responded "I know, thanks again Santi, for the hand thing and the advice." I thanked "It's nothing, I've grown fond of you, it's the least I can do as you tell me."

"I see you in a while." I said goodbye "See you in a while. If you need anything I'll be a few steps from this door, kk?" He asked "Ok." With that he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone there. I put my head close to the wall because things were a little confusing and I closed my eyes focusing on what I would say to Alex.

A couple of minutes later, I heard the door open and then close, causing the current generated to bring me the aroma of his cologne. I open my eyes and look at my boyfriend. He looked worried and sad, I guess from what I told him. He sat next to me and looked at me for a couple of seconds.

"Beautiful, what happened to…" he started, but I just denied "I know. I know it wasn't your fault, just hold me." With those words he hugs me and I get as close to him as I can. Alex kisses me on the head and I relax until there comes a point where I fall asleep.