| The next morning: “Please, don’t touch me David.” Gabriella said as she briskly moved away from his outstretched hand. “Gab’s I’m sorry okay… I had a little too much to drink last night, that’s all.” Gabby shook her head as she put on her underwear. “Please just leave me alone.” She whispered looking at him in the eyes. Could he not see how upset she was? “To tell you the truth I don’t even remember hardly anything about last night.” Tears filled her eyes. “Well let me refresh your memory, David!” she screamed. She turned around and walked to the bathroom’s doorway. “You rammed me into the fucking door! You did this to my back!” She lifted her hair and showed him the abundance of bruises almost completely in line with her spine. She faced him and cried, “You practically split my head open! Do you see this David?!” She parted her hair down the middle of her head and showed him. He winced as he saw the red, purple bruise. She turned back to face, “Remember any of that David?” He nodded slowly, tears shining in his eyes. “Okay then, don’t touch me. I don’t want to see your face, or hear your voice.”He closed his eyes and leaned back on the bed crying into his pillow. Gabriella got dressed and got out of there. Mark had been watching her for ten minutes. Gabriella was sitting alone under a huge beach umbrella, she was smoking a cigarette and from here it looked like her hands were shaking. Large vintage type sunglasses covered her eyes as she put the cigarette between her tantalizing red lips again. Mark was approaching her, still wet from his swim in the ocean. “Mind if I join you?” he asked, watching her jump a little. He figured she’d had her eyes closed. “Mark, oh God I’m so glad to see you!” she exclaimed, tossing her cigarette in the sand and throwing her arms around his wet body. They hugged tightly, both of them smiling. “You’re going to be soaked,” he said as she hugged him tighter, he tightened his grip too. “Ouch,” she gasped pulling away from him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, still holding her arms. She shook off her pained expression. “Nothing, my back just been a little sore, that’s all.” He pulled off her sunglasses and looked into her eyes sincerely. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. 'I want to kiss you.' He thought gazing at her lovingly. 'Kiss me please, please Mark.' She thought desperately. She smiled at him as they both let go of each other. “So… Am I ever going to meet this guy?” Mark asked taking her hand, expecting her engagement ring. Gabriella’s eyes dropped from his. “Where’s your ring?” He asked. “We got in a fight, things were… said… I took it off this morning.” She said, only partially lying. “Oh, is it really serious?” he asked, trying not to be too nosey. She shrugged. “I don’t know yet…I mean, how far is too far? How do I know if I’m supposed to do this with him?” she asked looking fretful. Mark put his hand on hers and met her eyes. “You’ll know, your heart will tell you what you need to do.” She knew he was talking about them. 'But is there an “us”? What are we, more importantly, what could we be?' She asked herself her eyes bore into the sand, as if she was looking for the answer. “I have to be reasonable Mark, and so do you. I don’t know what we have-” “I know what I feel. And I feel like every second I’m away from you it’s too long, and every time I see you I can’t stand the thought of you going away again…Back to him.” “Mark-” She began. “And if I don’t kiss you soon I’m going to die.” His voice was full of many conflicting emotions. She looked up at him, into his devastatingly beautiful face and touched his cheek with the back of her hand. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you last night… I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She whispered feeling the tears. “Shhhh, Gabby. Nothings wrong with you. You’re so perfect…” He said leaning closer to her. “No I’m not.” She almost cried. His lips were on hers as she was enveloped into his strong arms. 'Finally.' They both thought at the same time. Surges of passion and desire rose up in both of them, as at last they were kissing. Mark kept his eyes closed savoring every moment with her as their mouths opened and they kissed deeper. Gabriella thought her hands were on fire as they clung to his arms and touched his chest. When it ended Gabby was on her back and Mark was leaning over her planting one final kiss on her slender neck. Both their lips burned for more, She opened her eyes and put her hands on his shoulders, pulling his down again suddenly, shocking him. They kissed again gently soothing their lips, which felt bruised and tender. “You’d better go,” she whispered trying desperately to catch her breath. Mark touched her face. “Tell me that didn’t feel right.” He said softly, his entire body was covered in chill bumps. Gabriella put her hand on his and guided it away from her face, holding his fingers with hers. “It felt right… It felt perfect.” He kissed her hand. “Then I guess you have some important decisions to make.” He said seriously, though passion still burned in his eyes. Gabby nodded but said nothing; he dropped her hand and stood. “Gabby, do you love him?” She closed her eyes and felt like she might die. “I don’t know how to answer that,” she whispered opening her eyes. Mark felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. “That’s what I was afraid of.” That night: “Man, I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Scott said into the receiver, he stroked Jagger’s back as he lay on Scott. “I know… I feel like a freaking home wrecker or something… But dude, she’s just…She’s amazing.” Scott opened his eyes hearing Hillaree clear her throat. She mouthed the word ‘dinner’. He nodded and held up his index finger signaling it wouldn’t be too much longer. She shook her head. “Let me talk to him.” She said, her sweet southern accent breaking Scott’s thoughts from Mark’s frantic jabbering. “I’m giving you to Hilly okay?” he asked. “Sure.” “Hey Mark, what’s up?” She listened to Mark, Scott listened to her. “Uh huh, right…Oh…Awwww…Really? Okay…Then what’d she say to that? hhhhhh…Hmmmm. Alright, well there’s only one thing you can do baby.” She paused dramatically, “Tell her how it is. She has to pick David or you… If she has half a brain she’ll go with you, you have to give her a reason to want to be with you though. Other than the fact that you’re rich and young and attractive and-” “You can stop now.” Scott said, he was getting tired about hearing how great his woman thought Mark was. Hillaree winked at him and then continued. “You get what I’m saying darlin’?” Scott assumed Mark had agreed Hillaree handed him the phone. He and Mark talked one a minute more, then he hung up. Hillaree walked to him picking Jagger up off of him. “Do you think she’s worth all this?” Hillaree asked. Scott put his hand on her lower back as they walked to the dinner table. Jagger woke up just as he said, “I hope so…” The next day Gabby spent with Mark, hiding behind bushes and making-out till they were both weak from exhaustion. They went to his condo he was renting to relax for a while. “Where does David think you are?” Mark asked as he sat down on the recliner and leaned back. “Shopping, but I don’t want to talk about him,” she said standing beside him. Mark tensed. “You’ve been saying that all day, you know.” “I’m sorry, I don’t want to think about him.” “Well don’t you think it’s time we faced reality.” Gabby rolled her eyes at him. “Why?” “Because I need to know.” He snapped just a little. “Know what?” She asked mostly just to see if she could get him mad. He looked down his voice was low and calm. “I need to know if this is just a waste of time, or if it means something.” She didn’t answer. Mark stood up towering over her even though she was relatively tall she felt small. They were so close she could barely breath. “Well?” He asked waiting for her to answer him. She looked up at him. “I can’t keep myself away from you…You’re in all my thoughts, I think that means something…And I think I’m in love with you.” She whispered. His eyes met hers and they kissed gently at first, but as their lips met again and again it got more and more intense. They went to his room, falling on his bed. He was on top of her just like she’d imagined fifty times over the past few days. “Mark do you think I’m a waste of time? Does this mean anything to you?” She asked searching his eyes for the truth. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you…I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than with you right now.” Gabby closed her eyes as they got tangled up in each other’s discarded clothes, passionate fire sizzled between them as e “I love you too.” Tears fell from her eyes as they made love until the shadows of evening painted the sky of Cancun. |