Chapter 95

GABRIELA

"So, what's going on?" my best friend asked in a worried tone. "I didn't expect it. It's too soon to have children." I responded confused as hell. "Do you think Alex won't like the idea?" My cousin asked and I denied, "Don't be an idiot, Roberta, have you not seen yourself how Alex loves your cousin in all this time? He wants to be a father, especially considering it's theirs."

"Carlota is right, I'm sure he'll love it." I responded, getting an idea of how he would react. "Then why did you react like that?" Roberta asked, completely confused. "Well, I was convinced I wasn't pregnant and suddenly you start shouting you will be aunts… So suddenly… Right now, my world has changed completely, all because you wanted me to do the test."

"At least you realized you're pregnant, you should thank us." Carlota protested, "I'm not going to do it, you were too harsh, and you lied to me, Roberta, you told me you bought some pills." I replied, "Okay, maybe I was lying to you, but the thing is, you would have left, and in this house, you had no option to leave." She commented, "Maybe, but it also occurs to you to bother me when Marcos was going to tell me something."

"What was he going to tell you?" Carlota asked, turning in his direction. "What part don't you understand about why you interrupted me?" my best friend asked ironically. "Okay, okay, but now you have to go to tell Alex." said Carlota. "You better not say anything to anyone because I'll kill you both."

"We won't say anything, how little trust you have in us." She responded with a pout, "Obviously I don't trust you right now, taking into account you shouted throughout the house you were going to be aunts; I would be surprised if the whole neighborhood didn't hear it." I commented "It was the emotion of the moment; you must understand us."

"Yes, also considering that it seems we were more excited than you when it's you who is going to have a child. What will it be?" Roberta asked the last thing to herself. "I don't know, but you better than anyone should know it's too early to know." I pointed out "Yeah, yeah. Four weeks it's too early."

"Four weeks?" I asked surprised, "Yes, didn't you see it when you looked at the test?" She questioned this and I denied "I only saw it was positive, I didn't see anything else." I admitted, "Well girl, you're four weeks along. Congratulations!!!!" At that moment Marcos arrives with the glass of water, hands it to me and sits next to me, pushing Carlota away from me.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked in a worried tone and I nodded. "I should be offended that you push me away." Carlota commented, which makes me look at both of them "Why? Wait, are you guys back together?" I asked "What are you talking about Gabriela?" Marcos asked confused, "You are together and you didn't tell me anything? I should hate you. It's the second time you've done it." I protested, "First of all, this is what I was going to tell you if she didn't start screaming, we would be uncles." the man defended himself. "Hey, that's something that excites us all. Plus, it's great news." said Carlota "I know, but I was going to tell her at that moment." he commented "So that's what you wanted to talk to me about, huh?" I asked, moving my eyebrows up and down. "Exactly, but let's go to your house, everyone should know this news."

"We'll see about that, first of all I'll tell Alex." I responded, "I can't imagine how he'll react, honestly. Can we be there when you tell him?" my best friend asked and I quickly denied since I knew what she's like "No, obviously not. It's something I have to say and with you being there it's not sure I'm going to be the one to tell my fiancé."

"Okay, okay, but then you tell me everything." She said, "Hey, I want to know everything too." my cousin protested, "I expected it from Carlota, but not from you, Roberta." I commented since it wasn't Roberta who was known for being a gossip in the family. "Well, I'm a gossip by nature, although it may not seem like it, and I want to know because I can't imagine that man's face."

"Why are you all so happy?" At that moment Ana appears with a look of understanding nothing, but I tell her nothing is happening and surprisingly she believes it. We spend a couple more minutes at Marcos' house when we decide to go to my house, where Alex would be, or at least I hope so and be able to tell him the news.

As soon as we get home, I see a smiling Alex coming next to me and we kiss. "Do you want to go for a walk or are you too tired?" He asked and I denied "Let's go for a walk." I confirmed "Are you sure?" He asked and I nodded. "Sure, I'm not tired if that's what you're worried about."

"So, I supposed you liked the melody Ana composed." He commented and I turned to him to make sure I heard correctly. "You knew and you didn't tell me anything? I asked to make sure I heard correctly "Ana made me promise not to tell you. She called me one day to ask for help, so I went." he defended himself. "Were you in the middle of that too?"

"Well, yes, she was excited and it was a surprise, I wasn't going to be the one to ruin the surprise." He responded and I nodded because I could understand it. "Okay, I'll forgive you this time, because Ana was excited about it." I said "Well, it's something, I can't complain."

We started walking in the opposite direction to where the rest were, heading towards the forest near my house. We had been silent for a couple of minutes, but a comfortable silence and holding hands. "Hey beautiful, why are you so happy now?" my fiancé asked curiously. "You can say I was all day."

"No, because when I arrived you were angry." He commented and I denied, "That doesn't count, but I have to tell you something." I said with my smile starting to widen on my face "Well, well, look who I meet." And this couldn't be happening to me. What the hell is she doing here? The only thing I'm sure of is that Alex got in front of me.

"What are you doing here Paula?" Alex asked. "Nothing, my life, I'm coming for you." Paula commented as if it was no big deal, "Don't call me that, can't you see I don't love you? I only want her." Alex said pointing at me "Are you sure about the decision you're making?" She asked, "Of course I am, I was stupid for be your boyfriend when I didn't love you." He admitted "That will be solved soon."

At that moment Paula pulls out a gun from I don't know where, which makes me upset, I hope it didn't have bullets, because it would be a pretty big problem, I didn't want anything to happen to Alex. "It shows how much you love Alex. You don't come out from behind him, it seems like you don't care I kill him right now." She pointed out and I rolled my eyes. "Don't say stupid things and stop doing that because you're going to hurt someone and I doubt that's what you want to do."

"Of course I don't want to hurt him, only you because you're taking away the love of my life." She said and I noticed how Alex tensed in front of me. "It's not my fault Alex doesn't love you." I responded, "Of course, because ever since you ran into him, he started acting like an asshole." The woman commented "I don't act like an asshole, I love this woman, so much that I'm marrying her. Was it not clear to you the day I proposed to her?"

"That may be a strategy to have me at your feet, which you know you have me." She responded "You're sick. Why don't you leave us alone, Paula? I want to live my life in peace and you won't let me." Alex said, "And I won't leave, you know it, stupid." At that moment I get in front of Alex to go smash the face of that bitch who won't leave us alone when he grabs me and everything happens very quickly.

Alex grabbed me by the waist and ended up putting me behind him and while Alex is making that movement, Paula fires the gun and runs away. For a few seconds I hope she missed the shot, but when Alex falls to the ground and I see he has been shot in the chest, makes me go into hysterics. "No, no, my love. Don't die on me."

"I'll always be with you beautiful." He said with a smile on his face, "Don't even think about talking to me like that. Do you understand me? I'm not going to let you die here. You have to die of old age. You have to see our child grow up, love." I'm crying, but at this moment I didn't care, the only thing I want is for him to get well, so I called Roberta who, luckily for me at this moment, her medical studies would help, but instinctively I put my hands on the wound to stop bleeding.

"Roberta, thank goodness you answered soon. You have to help me." I begged, trying to make my words as clear as possible. "What's wrong, Gabriela? Why are you crying?" She asked in an alarmed tone "I need you to come to the forest below my house… I need… I need you to come now." I asked "Okay, but I don't know where you are exactly."

"FUCK, LET MARCOS COME WITH YOU, BUT COME NOW…" I screamed completely frustrated "I'm going right now, now talk to Carlota and explain what's happening." She said, "Gabriela, are you still there? Explain to me what's happening so we can understand. Where's Alex?" my best friend asked on the other end of the line. "He's with me, but… but I need Roberta to help me, he can't die."

"Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about? What happened Gabriela?" Carlota asked, trying to understand what I'm saying "Paula…" I started "What's wrong with her?" She asked "She shot… she shot Alex in the chest… and he's bleeding a lot… I can't lose him… Not now…"

"She did what? Listen, they're going there right now and it won't take long for me to show up there. First of all, relax Gabriela, he'll get out of all this, I promise you. Now do me the favor of not hanging up and follow my breathing, okay?" My best friend asked and that made me angry. "I'm not going to follow your bloody breathing, Carlota… ALEX COULD FUCKING DIE." I shouted angrily even though it wasn't with her. "That won't happen, you'll see. I'll be there in a couple of minutes, but you need to relax, for your own sake."

I hung up because I didn't want to continue listening to her telling me I should relax, because at this moment it's something I couldn't do, Alex could die and it would be my fault. "Gabriela… no… don't cry… beautiful." Alex asked in a whisper, "How do you not want me to cry? She… shot you." I said "I… will be… fine, but listen… if something… happens to me…" he began, but I denied, nothing could happen to him "Nothing is going to happen to you… Alex, no… you can't leave us alone… You have to see our child grow up."

"I'm sure… you will… do it great beautiful." He said with a small smile on his face, "No... Alex, I need you..." I could see his eyes closing, and that couldn't happen, so I sat down and put his head on my legs. "Come on, love... don't close your eyes."

"Shit... Wat is er gebeurd Gabriela? (Shit... What happened Gabriela?)" Roberta asked when she saw how we were doing "Roberta!!!! "Roberta, please save him… He can't die." I asked, "Shit, I need gauze to stop the bleeding." My cousin said, kneeling next to me, "Here you are, and explain to me what happened because I didn't understand anything on the phone."

"It was her, Carlota… It was Paula… He stood in front so I wouldn't get hit… this is my fault." I mumbled and watched as she denied, "It's not." she responded "Gabriela, Ik wil dat je het neerlegt, zodat ik de wond niet goed kan bedekken. Je kunt maar beter ook naar huis gaan. (I need you to leave him on the ground, so I can't pack his wound properly. You better go home too.)"

"Echt niet, ik ga geen afstand van hem doen. (No way, I'm not going to separate from him)" I said abruptly "Marcos, call the ambulance and the rest. Tell them to bring all the gauze they find around the house." Marcos moved away from us to talk on the phone while I left Alex's head on the floor so he could cover the wound well, but I still held his hand.

When the others arrived with what Roberta had asked for, they stood behind us, and I only had Carlota and Kevin nearby when she arrived. "Heb je de ambulance gebeld? (Have you called the ambulance?)" my cousin asked "Ja, het duurt niet lang om aan te komen. (Yes, it won't take long to arrive.)" I responded without looking away from my fiancé "Kev, breng Gabriela naar huis, ze mag dit niet zien. (Kev, take Gabriela home, she shouldn't see this.)"

"WAT!!!! NOCH KEV. (WHAT!!! DON'T YOU DON'T THINK OF IT KEV.)" I shouted "Neem aan, het is al erg genoeg voor mij om het zo te zien. (Take her, she's already bad enough without her seeing him like that.)" Roberta ordered and at that moment he took me in her arms and Carlota took charge of releasing my hand from Alex's, which made me very angry, so I started kicking for everyone and it was clear to me Kev is the one who was separating me from Alex.

When we got home, they took me to my room and I started throwing everything in my path and from one moment to the next everything turned black like my life is right now.