Chapter 86

GABRIELA

I'm sitting on the bench inside the cell when Santi appears and leans against the wall. "You look calm." Santi said with a small smile on his face. "I am." I admitted "This didn't have to have ended like this Gabriela, otherwise…." He started, but I denied because the truth is, I didn't care to be here. "You were doing your job, and I was defending my daughter. We were both doing what we should."

"You shouldn't be in here for punching that girl, really." He answered and I denied, because even though he may think that, I also know he was doing his job. "It's okay, really, Santi, I understand you had to do it. I'm not angry about that." I assured, "You're going to do me a favor, Gabriela, and I ask you, please."

"That depends, but say it." I said, "If something happens to you again with that girl, let me know, it doesn't matter if it's something small, but let me know and I'll be there to help you or whatever you need." he informed and I nodded "Thank you Santi, I just hope it's not necessary to resort to that." I mumbled the last part, hoping it's true I won't have to resort to him. "Well, from what she said, I think you're going to have to."

"We'll see how things turn out, for now let's leave them as they are and tell me if Carlos has called to tell me how Ana is." I asked, wanting to know something about Ana. "Not exactly, but you have visitors." He informed and I frowned. "What?" At that moment Marcos appears with a worried face and stands next to the cell door next to Santi, who soon leaves the way he had come a couple of minutes ago.

"May I know what you're doing here Marcos?" I asked, annoyed knowing how he had discovered where I'm. "That's what I should ask you, how did you end up locked up here and how did you think of leaving the hospital without being checked." He said annoyed and I rolled my eyes. "I had to solve something important." I reported, "And was it worth doing that to end up locked up here?" He asked and I nodded, because it had been worth it. "Yeah, it was worth it."

"I can't believe you ended up stuck here." Marcos said, denying, "Well, I am, but now tell me neither Alex nor anyone else has found out." I asked, the last thing I wanted was for my boyfriend to find out, "No, but we have done it." Carlota said, appearing next to my best friend. "You're here too?" I asked even though I had her in front of me. "Of course I was going to be here, but tell me the message isn't true."

"I don't understand what you're talking about, Carlota." I said, still a little confused at seeing her here. "Gabriela, please answer." She asked and I let out a small laugh. "Why do you think I'm stuck here?" I asked ironically "I just knew it. That's why you and Carlos left, right?" asked my best friend "Exactly, that's why we left." I stated, "Girls, can you explain to me what's happening?"

"Basically, that means Paula poisoned your sister and that's why she's in the hospital." Carlota informed "What? Why didn't you tell me before?" Marcos asked, turning in my direction. "Because I didn't see it as necessary for you to know." I said sincerely, at least in part, "How the hell does she know your phone number?" He asked, "I don't have the slightest idea. But tell me how Ana is."

"She's great. I was asking about you before we came here. You should have thought about her before doing what you did." He replied "And that's what I was thinking. That bitch dared to lay a finger on my little girl Marcos, your sister, I wasn't going to let it go just like that." I assured, "Girl, you're taking your role as a mother seriously." Carlota said, laughing, "Why do you think my father decided to make her legal guardian? He knows Ana would be well taken care of by Gabriela."

"Leaving that aside, are you sure Alex didn't find out about this?" I asked, "Not for us at least, as soon as Santi told us we left here, but I assure you friend he'll find out and will end up showing up here." He assured, "He shouldn't find out about this, I don't want him to be embarrassed."

"Do you really think he's going to be embarrassed? You are wrong if you think he's going to do that." countered my best friend. "What if he does?" I asked "Don't talk nonsense Gabriela. I swear sometimes I can't handle your insecurities, especially when it comes to Alex. But to be clear, that man loves you more than anything in the world, and no matter how many stupid things you do as you say, he will be there for you, to be honest, I look for my Alex in life, but I can't find one."

"Have you fallen in love with your best friend boyfriend, Carlota?" Marcos asked, laughing, "No, no, no. Don't misunderstand it. I like the man, but not to the point of being in love with him. What I mean by that is he's detail-oriented, always with you when you need him, he loves you and is everything I look for in a person. You're lucky to have found one of the few men like that in the world, not to mention the only one left like that. Well, there is Marcos too, but they must be the only ones left and you have them both drooling over you."

"Hey, I don't drool over Gabriela, she's my sister. If you said it to Carlos, it would make perfect sense, but not to me." Marcos protested, "I don't know what your brother is like in that sense. I can only speak from experience." My best friend informed with a big smile on her face "Well guys, if you let me pass, I will let Gabriela go." Santi said, appearing next to the guys. "It's time Santi, I thought you weren't going to let her go. I don't know why you put her here."

"Because it's his job, Carlota. He warned me before I did it." I reported, "That's true, and I must admit I was impressed when she told me I could put her in the cell after she had done it." He commented "Because that's what you should have done, I wasn't going to let you lose your job because of me."

"I wouldn't lose it, but I have good news if you can say that." reported "What good news?" I asked curiously. "I've gotten Paula investigated." he revealed and I got up from the ground quickly "Really? How?" I asked excitedly, "I just had to give them the report I had to do when I was taking care of you and everything I had seen based on that girl, everything I heard about you and my interrogations of your teachers and those of her, especially in the other college."

"Thank you, Santi, I have no way of thanking you for the favor you have done me." I thanked "It's nothing, but now you're going to go straight to the hospital to be with Ana. I'm sure she'll miss you, and not just her." With that he steps away and Alex appears with a small smile on his face, but I could tell he's upset, rightfully so. Both guys and Santi left there, leaving us alone.

"Shall we go beautiful?" He asked "I can explain everything to you Alex, really." I said and he denied, "You don't need to explain anything to me, Carlos already told me." I don't know why, I could more or less believe it. When we left there, my best friends had already gone to the hospital and on the way there everything was quiet. Neither of us spoke, and the truth is that it was weird Alex didn't speak at all the entire way. Approximately an hour and a half later, we arrived at the hospital and Alex was going to head towards the entrance until I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"I know you must be angry about what I have done, and I understand that, but you must understand I had to do it. I couldn't let Paula get away with it." I said sincerely, "I'm not angry, I can understand that." He assured and I frowned because then I didn't understand why he's angry. "Then why are you angry?" I asked. "Angry is not the right word."

"And which one is correct then?" I asked again "Annoyed. Annoyed because if I had been there, I could have prevented you from being in the cell. Annoyed because a couple of hours ago you had a pretty big anxiety attack that you had to be sedated and then you left without telling me anything. I was worried about what might have happened to you. I convinced myself you would be fine and then Carlos arrives telling me you were in a cell for hitting Paula. I had to be with you to have prevented that, but you decided not to tell me and tell Carlos."

"Because it was clear to me you wouldn't let me do what was going through my head, and Carlos would give me some leeway." I said "OF COURSE I WOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED IT. THAT GIRL CAN HURT YOU IN ANY WAY AND I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO YOU." He shouted frustrated "My love, listen to me. I'm sorry for worrying you, really. That wasn't my intention at all, but I'm fine, calmer now that I could at least hit that bitch." I assured, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, but that girl promised she would hurt you and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to me, I won't allow it, neither will you, besides, it seems both Sara and Clara told her all my weak points, I'm sure that's how she's going to attack me now, so you can stop worrying about her making me something physically, because it's something she won't do." I informed him, knowing it's too likely she wouldn't come for me. "But you'll get sick anyway."

"It may make me feel bad, but with your presence everything improves. You're the one who keeps me going through these situations basically, and I love you Alex, I love you more than anything in this world, so please stop being upset. I'm sorry for what I did, but I want you to smile, the one I like so much." And apparently, I managed to get a smile on that face I loved to see and we ended up hugging. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes until we started walking into the hospital.