Chapter 93

KEVIN

The moment I saw Gabriela, I knew she's happy as she hasn't been in a long time, but I must admit I don't trust that guy yet. I remember the moment he broke up with her, she was devastated, and even though she never told me it was because of him, I knew it. I tried to talk to her every day, or at least get her to smile, but it was impossible. I know she suffered and I won't forgive that man so easily.

Gabriela may be happy with that man now, but first I have to make sure of a few things, more than anything because I don't want my cousin to suffer again like she did that time, I'm not going to allow it.

It had been a while since everyone more or less dispersed to start making dinner, it's late enough and Grandma convinced Alex's grandmother to stay. Gabriela didn't need to be convinced of the truth. I know she adores our grandparents, especially Grandma, and we all know she'll do whatever it takes to make Grandma happy, well, she does it with everyone, but especially Grandma. They were always very close and I don't know if that's because they realize what happens to people without us telling them.

At that moment Gabriela gets up to go take a shower and Alex leaves the garden to answer a call. I don't hesitate for a second to go out after him, because I would take advantage of that moment to talk to him. I had to take advantage of the fact Gabriela isn't there, because I'm more than sure she would avoid what I'm going to say to him and it's something that I must do, for the good of my family, but above all for hers.

I waited for him to finish talking on the phone and as soon as he did, I approached him. "Hello." I simply said, "Hi Kevin, what are you doing here?" The man asked confused. "I came to talk to you." I admitted "About what?" He questioned, reaching into his pocket. "My cousin."

"Well, say it, although I can imagine what you're coming to." He commented, sure of what he's saying, "Oh yeah? What do you think I'm here for?" I asked curiously, "To warn me not to hurt her and I suppose to threaten me in case something happens to her."

Well, yes, I must admit he knew what I'm coming for, what I can't understand is how he knew, it left me a little confused. "You must be wondering how I know, but apart from Carlota warning me this could happen, I imagined it, everyone warned me, Marcos, Carlos, Carlota, … That's why I expected it."

"Well, now that you save me the trouble of having to explain the situation to you, let me warn you if my cousin suffers again because of you, I'll go look for you anywhere, and beat you to death. I'm not going to allow you to make her suffer like she did again, she doesn't deserve it." I said in a threatening tone "Are you done?" The guy asked calmly, as if he didn't care at all what I just told him. "Yes, of course, why?" I asked curiously "Because now you'll be the one who's going to hear me out."

"Well go ahead, say what you want." I said "I know you should do it because Gabriela is your favorite cousin…" he began "I never said she is my favorite cousin." I interrupted him "It may be, but what Carlota told me and what I was able to see, that's true." He assured "Okay, that's true, continue."

"Well, I know you have a duty to warn me and all that, but I love your cousin like I never did with anyone, really. My only goal is to make her happy and if she wants, start a family with her, with no one else. I loved her from the first moment I met her and I loved her more the moment I saw her so close after eight years. She's the love of my life, and I know I was stupid for believing everything Paula told me, but at that time I was a stupid little boy who felt broken by what they said, it hurt me to leave her, but I had to do it, I felt like she was playing with me and I didn't want her to think I was stupid." He said, "Well, she must think so anyway." I commented "I don't doubt it, and she made it clear to me from the beginning when I arrived at our college. Luckily for me Gabriela forgave me. I am the luckiest man on this planet, I'm aware, but I truly tell you I love her more than anything in the world and I won't let anything happen to her, I would die myself if something happened to her."

"Nu je niet langer de overbezorgde neef bent die je bent, besef je dan dat hij echt veranderd is, of moet hij je meer laten zien? (Now that you've stopped being the overprotective cousin you are, do you realize he really changed, or does he have to show you more?)" As soon as I heard that, I turned to look at my cousin and hope that she wasn't angry, but as soon as I see her, she's not looking at me. She stared at her now fiancé with that glow she hadn't had in a long time, and as soon as I look at him, he's looking at her the same way she does, which half convinces me everything he says is true.

"What do I have to do to convince you I love your cousin more than anything in the world?" asked Gabriela's fiancé. "You don't have to show anything, love, I'm know you love me, and that's enough for me." Gabriela had approached him and had her hand on his chest. It didn't take long for Alex to put his hand on my cousin's and his hand around her waist. I must admit they made a good couple.

"But what he says makes sense, beautiful." the man commented. "It doesn't, and Kev will stop saying stupid things, right?" my cousin asked, focusing her attention on me. "You know I can't help but say stupid things, you know me, Gabriela." I pointed out "I know, I know you and that's what worries me. Ik wist dat je dit zou doen. Ik hoop dat je tenminste niet hard tegen hem was. (I knew you would do this. I hope you at least weren't harsh on him.)"

"I haven't been, don't worry about that. Now Alex, could you leave me with my cousin? We have a lot of things to talk about." I responded "Sure, I'll go with my grandmother." Alex said with a big smile on his face, "See you later, love." They kissed and as soon as they finished the kiss, which I don't know if it was because it seemed long to me or because it really was, he headed towards the house where his grandmother is, and Gabriela crossed her arms looking at me.

"Did you really have to do it?" Gabriela asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know I couldn't help it. I don't want that Gabriela to come back." I admitted "And she won't. I just can't believe you still don't believe him. Alex truly loves me and won't let anything happen to me." Gabriela said with a big smile on her face. "I may have noticed it while I was talking to him, but I have to say Grandma seems to adore him."

"I don't know, I just know she understood from the beginning that I would be happy with Alex, even before I did, and she accepted without further ado." My cousin commented "Because the only thing that matters to her is our happiness, but especially yours after everything that happened with him." I responded since it's something we all knew "Do you think I don't know? But at least she put away all those resentments and accepted it from the beginning, not like the rest."

"Come on, don't be angry. I made a mistake." I tried to defend myself, "I'm not angry, but it bothers me you don't want to believe him." She admitted and I nodded, because I understood her "He convinced me, calm down, and I think the others too, after he asked you to marry him, you shouldn't worry about that issue anymore Gabriela."

"I'll always worry. Alex is one of the people I love the most and I don't want him to feel bad about everything we went through. That should be forgotten, I'm happy with him and I think it shows." She pointed to herself and I nodded, because it's evident she's happy with him. "I can tell, I can tell. I still can't believe you're getting married." I said honestly, "Neither do I, it's hard to believe coming from me."

"Of course it is, the cousin who would never get married, the first of all of us is getting married. If someone placed a bet on whether this would happen, we would all have lost." I responded and she nodded "Surely." He answered, "Let's go for a walk and tell me everything you have to tell me?"

"And what is all I have to tell you? If it can be known." Gabriela asked "The reason why Ana calls you mom, the reason why you are her legal guardian, the thing about Paula, but above all why you were in the cell." I asked since it was difficult to imagine Gabriela in a place like that. "All that is complicated, but how do you know about Paula?"

"Because one day my grandmother called me saying they couldn't find you anywhere and everyone was worried, so she called me to call you, to see if I had better luck than them. I must admit I was worried when you didn't answer me until the next day." I admitted, remembering Grandma's worried tone. "Yes, I'm sorry about that, but I couldn't talk that day. I didn't want to talk to anyone."

"I realized, you have to explain to me what happened that day, because they know what happened to you." I commented, "I'll summarize that for you in one word. Paula." She simply said, "What does she have to do with all this?" I asked a little confused "Everything. You'll understand as soon as I tell you everything."

"So, shall we go for a walk on the beach?" I asked "You know I can't say no to that." And with that we started walking towards the beach, and along the way it was all laughter, more than anything, because I wanted to make sure I got to the beach to talk about the topics that make her uncomfortable and stressed. The beach is something that calmed her and after I found out about the anxiety attack she had. On the beach I could make sure she would be calmer, it's where she always came to stay that way when she was too stressed and what mattered to me was that my cousin is well, and that would be possible by going to the beach.