Brake My Bones ✓

23 | Holding Onto You

"Just like how Mr Kane is looking at you?" I murmured, pretending to write something down on the paper in front of me.

From my peripheral vision, Nico faced the teacher. It lasted a moment before he was turning to me again.

"Yes, exactly like how he's glaring at me right now. It's like he's about to roundhouse punch me-"

"Mr Adriano!" The Ancient History teacher shouted his name loud enough to make Nico jolt in his seat.

He cursed under his breath and got back to writing. His words stuck with me for the entire lesson until we got out of class, and Nico was rushing to find Edvany to tell his theory to.

I was surprised when I spotted Gabriel in the crowd of teenagers making their way to the next class. He was making his way toward me, his eyes seeking me out thoroughly among the group of people between us. My heart tugged, and I suddenly felt some kind of guilt claw its way into my gut. He was clinging to me when he needed this time to heal.

Was I stopping him from doing that? It had been a week since his shocked state settled in. Had he gone out of it? Was I in the way of his healing time? I didn't know how it worked - no one did. But I knew what could help him heal. Space from me. He needed some time for himself. It wasn't like I was going to leave him forever. There was no reason for me to break up with him, but some distance would be good.

When he was right in front of me, I gave Gabe a small smile. His dull eyes latched onto it. He drew his eyebrows together and tilted his head slightly. I sighed when I realised he was trying to see past it.

"Hey," I greeted him.

He reached an arm over my shoulders and brought me to his chest. A quick kiss on my head, and he was leading us away from where I stood.

"Gabe," I nervously began. "You have a study period next, right?"

My head lifted to look at him as he nodded once, keeping his eyes ahead.

"Could we talk somewhere? Maybe the bleachers if they're empty," I suggested, watching as his eyebrows pulled together again.

He nodded nevertheless, and within the next few minutes, we were outside again. Deja vu hit me in powerful waves when we got to the spot where he first kissed me. Not a lot of people were there, but it didn't ease the turmoil harbouring in my chest.

I moved from him, feeling his arm detach from around my shoulder. He sighed at the movement, and when I turned to look at him, he was frowning at me. I knew it because he couldn't stand not being able to touch me.

"Gabriel," I started, and he parted his lips in confusion at the use of his full name. "I want to have this talk, and I hope you understand where I'm coming from when I say this."

For the first time since he came back to us, Gabe looked scared. His eyes widened slightly, and I picked up on the way his chest heaved a pace faster.

"I'm not breaking up with you," I attempted to reassure him, but he didn't look convinced. "I don't want to stop this between us. I told you how much I love you, and a love like this can't just stop. I'm not saying I don't love you, or that I want to break up, because I don't want to do that. I want to be here for you, especially in your head, I promise."

Gabe shook his head to stop me, but I continued.

"Please hear me out," I spoke up again, my voice trembling. "I just think- I'm not sure how to put it into words exactly, so I'm going to start rambling, okay? You're very- well, you're not clingy, but it feels like it, and I don't mind it. At all. I love that you find comfort in me and that you feel safe with me-"