Unexpected

Chapter 34

It feels like an eternity until I hear the keys fumbling around on the other side of the door.

Swinging it open, she tilts her head to look at me. Her eyes are glassy and swollen, a clear sign she has been crying. It crushes me to watch her go through this agony.

"Gabe," she whispers.

My throat tightens with emotion. I stop fucking breathing. How have I managed to let her go?

I need to swallow past the lump in my throat before I can speak. "Can we talk?"

Nodding, she opens the door wider so I can come in.

As soon as I enter her house, a warm, comforting feeling envelops me. The pale blue hue of the walls stands out beautifully against the bright white color of the large arched windows and the plush wool rug that is laid over the wooden floor. Her couch is comfortable and inviting, with huge cushions and a few decorative pillows. There's a tall and large bookshelf consuming most of her living room, and it reflects her bookworm personality.

It feels like home here; something I haven't had in a long time.

The thought that I've never been here before dawns on me, making me realize how much we have to explore about ourselves. We grew up together. I've known her my whole life. I've had her in my arms as we've explored each other's bodies with so much passion it consumed me. But I'm greedy. I want all these other things too; these little everyday details of her life.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asks, making me turn to her.

"Uh..." I look at her, hating this awkwardness between us.

"I think we could use some wine?" She raises her eyebrows, motioning for me to follow her.

In the kitchen, she busies herself opening a bottle of wine, and my eyes dart to the fridge. There are a couple of photos stuck there. One of a younger version of her catches my attention. She's taking a shot with Maria and wearing a t-shirt that says I'm 21, bitches on it.

"Maria was in charge of my outfit for my twenty-first birthday." She stops by my side, her eyes on the photo as she hands me a glass.

"Why doesn't it surprise me?" I ask, accepting the wine.

"Thank you so much for today." She takes a sip of her wine as she leans against the counter. "I'm afraid to check my social media. I had to silence my phone because of the incessant buzzing from all the notifications."

"God, I missed you so much..." I whisper, taking a tentative step toward her.

"Gabe." she shakes her head, her eyes watering.

Reaching for her wine, I put both of our glasses aside before I held out the envelope for her. Her face falls as she takes it from me.

"What is it?" she whispers, her fingers trembling as she pulls the single sheet of paper from it.

She hastily reads the document, and her eyes bulge when she grasps it is the DNA result.

"You're not the father." A sob leaves her lips as she clutches the paper to her chest.

"I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through, Jo." I run my fingers up and down her arms, surprised when she clutches my T-shirt and pulls me to her.

"Damn it!" She cries out. "Fuck!"

Pulling her close, I inhale the sweet scent of her hair as my arms wrapped around her. I can feel the wetness of my tears on my face as her angry words echo in my ears and her punches, weak as they are, land on my chest.

"I'm so sorry," I keep whispering until the sound of her crying begins to fade away.

"What does that all mean?" She sniffs, trying to detangle herself from my hold.

I gently cup her face, looking into her eyes and preventing her from moving away. "It means... Fuck, it means that these past months have been torture. It means that I thought about you every single day you were not with me. It means that I'm here begging you to take me back."

She closes her eyes tightly for a second. "Gabe..."

"Seeing you leave and having to wait to take the paternity test was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life," I say. "But I knew I couldn't force Nora to take the DNA test and endure the anxiety that would come with it. I knew she was afraid the baby was not mine, but she was seriously having a lot of health complications during her pregnancy. So, I just couldn't risk something happening to an innocent baby. Mine or not, his life should've been preserved."

"I felt like you chose her over me," she says, the hurt in her eyes so strong I have trouble breathing.

"No!" I nuzzle her cheek. "God, no! I swear to God, I just wanted to protect that innocent life."

"I saw a video of you and Nora leaving a restaurant a couple of weeks after I came home," she murmurs.

"I was having a meeting with a couple of doctors, trying to figure out how to make her take the DNA test, and she fucking showed up there." I swallow. "She had been stalking me and threatened to make a scene if I didn't leave with her."

"Dear God, Gabe!" She looks away, her heading shaking.

"There wasn't a single scenario where we were romantically together, Jo." My hands slide to her waist. "I have no reason to lie to you."

"I'm so scared to trust you with my heart again," she whispers, her lips trembling as she gazes at me.

My gut knots. "Jo..."

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A/N: AHHHH! I'M SCREAMING!!!!

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XOXO

Celeste