Chapter 102

I'd never flown before, never in my twenty three years of life had I been in a plane. Where would I have been going to? And where would I have gotten the cash to go there? And now, as I looked at the jet in the slight distance, my heart suddenly just started pounding. He ought to have at least told me where we were going. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and started leading me towards it. A part of me wanted to resist, but I didn't because the last thing I knew he needed was an argument. 

He looked so... happy! 

Since we woke up that morning he had been smiling non-stop, I thought he was just excited since we'd get to spend another day together but it must have been because of this. Whatever the surprise was I really didn't care, this might be the craziest thing I've ever said but I trusted him. I let him lead me towards the large jet, wondering whether it also belonged to him because I knew Arden had gone with the other one, and if so then how many did he own. 

The closer we got to the parked jet the more I realized that I was shaking. I didn't necessarily have a fear of heights, I rather had a fear of new things. New experiences especially. I had never liked to get out of my little bubble because it was safe in there. But each day with Gabriel ended with me doing just that. I held onto him as much as I could, I desperately wanted to be somewhere where I'd be able to sit. And just looking up at the jet made my heartbeats pound faster. I didn't want to be that person, the one that was scared of almost everything, and I also didn't want to start imagining all the ways that that flight could go wrong. We could crash into the sea, the jet could explode, the pilot could decide to jump off in the middle of the flight...there were so many ways it could go wrong. 

" Relax, " Gabriel told me as we went up the steps. He was behind me, and I felt as his hand soothingly rubbed up and down my back. Once we got in I stood, not knowing where to go, being too enthralled to want to go anywhere at all. A person could live in there! It was definitely bigger than my previous apartment. I knew I was staring too much but I was genuinely shocked. I had only seen such things on the TV and had literally never expected to experience them first hand. 

" Come on, " 

He casually led me to one of the seats before he sat facing me. Then he leaned back against his seat, that charming smile still in place. I took my time looking around, only stopping when he instructed me to fasten my seatbelt. He was about to stand and do it for me but I assured him I had it. 

And then afterwards I risked asking him where we were going and instead of answering me he raised a hand and snapped his fingers. This young guy showed up, dressed officially. Gabriel asked him to bring us something to drink and he scurried off. The whole snapping to get the guy's attention felt like too much to me but once again, the simple fact that it was Gabriel explained everything. 

" Can you at least give me a hint about where we're going? " I asked him just as the guy came back with two glasses of what I guessed was champagne and set them on the surface of the table that sat between us. Then he asked whether there was anything else we needed and Gabriel told him we were okay, but he shouldn't stay too far Incase something came to mind, the gentleman nodded and politely excused himself. The pilot's voice on the intercom announced our take off and I held onto the table, I close d my eyes, intending to open them once we were safely in the air, but then Gabriel asked me to open them immediately after. 

" Close them and you'll miss the best part of the flight, "

" The flight to where exactly?"

" Somewhere with sunsets and all those things your gender appreciates. "

He reached for my head and literally made me turn towards the window. And I watched as the ground moved farther and farther away from us until all the things in it seemed like little grains of sand....minute, irrelevant. And a while later the fear started to get replaced by wonder and astonishment. I was flying, well, not literally but the point was that I was in the actual air. 

My lips parted and even though I tried not to let it show, my excitement took over. I couldn't believe that Gabriel was taking it so lightly, and I realized how privileged people like him were since they could experience that feeling whenever they felt like it. 

I turned to find him staring at me, a penetrating glance that made me aware of all that I felt for that man, and of the fact that I was willing to accept any position that would guarantee I had a place in his life. Just as he had told me yesterday, I also wasn't willing to ever let him go. Never before had I been so certain about something, so willing to face whatever it was that would threaten to ruin the imperfect intimacy we had formed. 

I turned to him when I realized something very important.

" I didn't bring any luggage with me, "

His response was a nonchalant, " Stop worrying about such silly things, "

I smiled and turned to the window again.

" It's so pretty!" 

I wanted to stare out of that window for as long as I could, but then after a while I turned to Gabriel. I'd pick him over spectacular views any time, to me he was the most spectacular of them all. He picked up his glass and gestured for me to do the same. 

" Shall we make a toast?" 

I held the champagne flute in my hand and shrugged. 

" To what?" 

" You tell me, "

I racked my brain for a couple of seconds, but then I went with the simple honesty that was in my heart. 

" To trust. "

He nodded his approval before clinking his glass with mine, " To trust, I rather like the sound of that. "

He took a sip and placed the glass back down. I didn't care that our relationship was going to stagnate in that stage for forever, I was okay with that. As long as I had him, and he looked at me and talked to me the way he currently did then I was okay with everything. I wouldn't even wish for more, I'd be content. So long as we trusted each other, and he considered me as someone he could rely on the same way I could rely on him. 

" I have an idea, " I cheerfully suggested and he arched a brow, silently asking me to share. 

" I'm going to try and guess where were going. "

He scoffed, then he wished me luck. Reaching for his glass he gulped down the entire drink.

" I'll ask you things and you have no choice hut to answer, maybe I can find out. "

" Sure, try your luck sweetheart, " It sounded as if he was mocking my idea, like he was certain I wouldn't find out. 

" What's the first letter of the name of the place?"

" I'm not telling you that, " 

" Come on, just one letter!" 

It took a lot of convincing but he eventually decided to tell me. 

" It's 'G', "

I grew suspicious. 

" G as in Gabriel?" 

" Precisely. Gabriel, Good, Grill, Gun...that 'G'. "

" And the last letter is?"

" A part of the alphabets as well. But I won't be telling you that. "

For ten minutes I thought of all the places that started with the letter G but came out short, I asked him other questions hoping they'd help but they didn't. He seemed to be having fun though, listening to my guesses and turning them all down. I finally gave up trying and decided to just let it be. 

" Tired already? Come on, where's that fighting spirit?"

" You crushed it with your unwillingness to help me. "

Laughing, he undid his seatbelt and shifted to sit next to me. Then he snapped his fingers again and the guy showed up. 

" Can't you just call his name?"

" I don't know his name. "

" Then ask!"

Gabriel looked up the the guy, he was holding a trey in his hand, ready to take the glasses, he asked what he could help us with and instead of answering Gabriel asked him what his name was. I felt proud of him. And throughout out the flight I was either smiling, laughing or trying not to do both.

🌼💮🌼💮🌼

Several hours later the jet landed and we got off. It had taken much longer than I had expected. And as I took in my new surrounding I immediately understood what was going on,the first obvious thing was that were were on an island. One devoid of any sign of life apart from us. I looked around, noting the beach in the distant and the trees, then I turned to Gabriel and waited for him to explain because I couldn't come up with words. But even my state of shock and confusing couldn't deter from the plain fact that it was probably the loveliest place I had ever been to. And I wasn't just saying that because I had never been anywhere apart from Seattle. 

It must have been around noon, I had the strangest urge to take out my phone and record the place. Something that was so unlike me, I was never interested in doing such things but this time round a part of my brain demanded that I record something for the sake of future memories. Gabriel asked me to stay put while he went to have a word with the pilot, Apart from Eliot, the guy that had served us, there had only been three other people on the jet. The co-pilot and two females who I think we're in charge of ensuring all of Gabriel's needs were met. I looked I to my bag, intending to take out my phone, then I gasped on realizing it wasn't in there, I checked two more times, not choosing to accept that I had somehow either lost or left it behind. But it had been in my purse, and I hadn't taken it out even once during the flight, I was hardly ever on my phone. Maybe I had left it in Gabriel's car? I shook the thought away,that phone was supposed to be in my purse and there was only one possible reason why it was no longer there.

" Where is it?" I demanded the second Gabriel walked over to me. He stared at me like I had lost my mind. 

" I beg your pardon?"

" My phone,where is it? I know you're behind this Gabriel!"

For once he didn't try to deny it. He simply told me that it was safe and he'd give it back after eventually. And when I asked him when eventually was he said that I'd get it once our trip was over. Then he asked me what I thought about that place, his way of letting me know that we would no longer be talking about my phone. That it was now in the past. I still didn't know where we were. And on asking him he said it was a ' Piece of property he had purchased a couple of years back but had never had a chance to use'

A piece of property? It was a freaking island for crying out loud. Who bought an Island and then failed to use it. Most of the times I believed Gabriel did things out of boredom than anything else. 

" So, what you're trying to tell me is that you own this place?"

We were walking,I was following his lead since I didn't know where we were heading. And each time I looked around I was convinced that there were a lot of places on that island to explore, and that each one of them would be amazing because how could they be anything else. 

I once again glanced at the beach and my feet were begging me to run to it and just step into the water. I had never done something of the sort, I had always fantasized about it but never gotten the chance. And after a while I had come to accept that to me those would forever be fantasies that I would never get to experience. But now I could! 

" I do. Apart from a small section towards the east over there, but whoever owns it seems to have forgotten about its existence. "

 I watched as some birds flew above us in a cute v-shaped group, they we're chirping endlessly as they flew on. I stopped to stare, it was a fairly normal sight but suddenly I felt like everything there was enchanted. Like I had to admire everything because I didn't know the next chance I'd get to do so.

" Bloody birds! Do they have to be so fucking loud?" Gabriel asked, squinting his eyes to glare at them. Then he mentioned something about wishing he had a gun to shoot them all down and I laughed, holding his upper arm and leading him away. The fact that he seemed genuinely irritated was even more amusing. Him and I couldn't be more different. It was a wonder we even managed to coexist in the same space, but as I had mentioned before,there was nothing about him I wanted to change. 

My mind let go of all other thoughts when we got close enough to see the house I assumed we'd be staying in. I stopped and he tried to pull me along, then he realized I was taking in the sight and he let me do so. 

" Everything intrigues you, doesn't it?" He asked, but it felt like the question was directed more to himself. I didn't respond and he chuckled.

" How I wish it was the same for me, " he added in a low tone and when I turned to him he turned around and stared at the house as well. It was perfectly constructed. Not necessarily a mansion but it was literally the most beautiful house I had ever seen. I thought the penthouse was but this overtook it, The outside was made of these rustic brown rocks that camouflaged with the surrounding area, the glass double doors which I concluded were the entrance were locked, there was a curtain on the inside so I couldn't see much, but all the wide windows had been opened up, to let in the fresh air I assumed. 

I felt Gabriel's hand in mine. Then when I turned to him he brought them to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

" Please tell me you didn't name this place after yourself, " I playfully pleaded, his laugh confirmed my suspicions. Then he shifted to stand Infront of me and he placed his finger under my chin to angle me to look up at him. 

" I'm gonna need you to forget everything else that's on your mind, whatever it is, from now on you ought to only think about me, "

" That's very selfish. "

" I know, but I'll also be doing the same. I'm not going to think about anything that doesn't involve you. "

That was actually kinda sweet. He asked me whether I understood and I told him that I did, and when I asked him how long we'd be there for he told me he didn't know either, that we'd go back when I wanted us to. It felt overwhelming, but I couldn't wait to have him entirely to myself...on a private island where we could forget about the entire world we had left behind.