Familiar Strangers (A Twilight Fanfic)

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

“Gabriel, please don’t leave…Please…” Before I knew what I was doing; I felt my lips smash onto his with enough pressure that I was sure it would hurt him no matter what he was. I knew I was afraid he would break the kiss, so I held on tightly as I deepened the hungered desire, the desperation that I felt to have his full lips on mine. The crazy notion that I had of him breaking the kiss was quickly a thing of the past when he pulled my hips closer to him and my thin legs were wrapped around his waist. His hands relentlessly maneuvered in every direction, up my back, to the nape of my neck and into my hair over and over and then…

And then there was a knock on the door. You have got to be kidding me? I hoped he ignored it as I tried too. Gabriel’s smooth thumbs lightly pressed against my cheeks as his strong fingers lingered in my hair. The kiss of a lifetime had just been broken by the second knock at the door and our foreheads met. My breath caught and felt crippled when his lips parted from mine. I didn’t want to open my eyes knowing this might be the last time I might have him this close to me, but it was inevitable.

Gabriel leaned in towards my left cheek, his breath so close to my ear that it made me shiver with provocation while his right hand never left my hair and said, “This is going to be much harder than I imagined Bella. As long as you want me around, I will be here. I will never leave you, but…” He paused and I knew what was coming, “I believe it may be best for you to go back to your father’s until you have decided what you truly want. Your father will enjoy having you around the house. Bella…” again he paused as my eyes filled with tears, “Bella, what we’re doing right now isn’t helping you to resolve the situation properly. As much as I never want to let you leave my arms or my home, I think it is best…” I could taste the saltiness of my tears running down and into my mouth, I didn’t welcome the bitterness. Gabriel held my face up to look at him and his beautiful dark eyes said so much as my hands held onto his forearms for a lifeline when he said,

“I’m doing this for you. I want to know…I have to know that you are making the right decision that is best for you. You have given me the one gift that no one has ever been able to do in all my years on this earth; you’ve shown me love, I didn’t know what love was until you and I thank you for that. I will be here if and when you need me. I’m only a phone call away. Aniya and I will drive you to your father’s…” he stopped long enough to place one soft kiss on my trembling wet lips and said, “I love you Bella…” Gabriel moved from the bed slowly and I knew that he didn’t want too, but he was doing this for me and I tried to hone that in and be strong, but I knew it was a hopeless effort. He walked to the door and turned the knob and gave me one last look, a look that told me that I was breaking his heart, a look that I was sure he wasn’t aware that he had given and then…he walked out.

Why did all this feel so similar to what Edward did two years ago? Why did everything always have to be such a mess? The connection I had with Gabriel was so strong. No, it was more than just a connection and I knew that, I just couldn’t explain it into words. When he walked out the door, it felt like more than just my heart being torn in two.

****

I could hear my dad yelling inside of the house and I wondered if anyone that could be walking by would be able to hear him too so I asked Gabriel as we walked up to the steps Aniya trailing behind. Gabriel gave me that soft smile that made me feel complete and said,

“No Bella, I took care of that. No one will be able to hear or see him except you and I.”

I looked down at my feet and said, “Good…” We had stopped at the front door now and I was at a loss for words. It felt as if I would never see him again and my core wanted to scream out in protest, but I kept it bottled up inside, but now I just looked like a lost school girl and had nothing to say, well that wasn’t true, I had plenty I wanted to say, but couldn’t. Gabriel so quietly whispered my name and I looked up at him,