INNOCENT (Gabe's Trials)

Epilogue

The way dad was looking at me made me want to disappear. I knew he was probably waiting for me to apologize or start laughing and say it was all just a joke, but he knew better than that. I had nothing to apologize for and this was certainly not a joke. Slowly shaking his head and briefly closing his eyes, he looked more tired than I'd ever seen him and the knowledge that I had done that to him was killing me.

"So you're choosing him..." His words drifted to me, my heart clenching in my chest. In spite of the fact that he hadn't literally asked me to choose between him and Gabriel, I'd known from the start that that was the main purpose of his visit. Nodding my head, I realised that, indeed, I'd made my choice. "And you're choosing him... over me." I wished he hadn't said that. I wished I didn't have to choose from the two loves of my life. But he had said that and I did have to make a choice. Praying for my voice not to brake under the burden of my broken heart, I gathered my courage.

"I'm choosing him..." The fact that he was going to leave anyway was totally irrelevant at the moment.

"I see." Dad said and started for the door, but I couldn't let him leave like that. I needed to know that I still had him. That I could still count on him. That I could call him dad. I needed to know that this thing between us could be fixed in time and that he'd try to fix it-just like I would. I needed him to promise me that he would still love me -at least half of what I would always love him. My throat closed in on me before I got the chance to call for him and I collapsed onto my chair, sobs and tears simply choking me.

"If you really loved me, you wouldn't have asked me to make this kind of choice." I whispered to the empty room, attempting to stand up and wipe my cheeks dry. I now only had 80 minutes left to get to the airport.

$$$

The car reached 80 miles per hour, the speed still rising, but that didn't stop me from stepping on it. I had to get to the airport, say my good byes and then hurry back if I wanted to get to the clinic in time to help my friend through everything. She'd said it was in her best interest and that she was looking forward to being thin and nausea-free again when she'd called me earlier to announce me that she'd moved up her appointment. I could only be there for her, considering I had no intention to interfere with her decision. It was her body and she had all the right to do what she considered best for herself -even though I didn't agree with her decision.

The traffic had been light and thanks to that I could already see the airport up ahead, the huge building making my stomach churn. I hated being caught up between the man I thought I loved and my best friend who needed me. Even more so, I hated the fact that the time was still quickly passing by, not giving me a second to put some order into my scattered thoughts.

Checking my phone again to make sure that I had enough time, I gripped the steering wheel tighter. Deep down, I knew that I would never have enough time to say good bye to Gabriel. Deep down, I also knew, that if I had a choice, I would've never said good bye to him.

Pulling into the first parking space I could find, I jumped out of the car, running towards the glass building in front of me and getting ready to have my heart broken. I knew better than to expect a happy ending this time. Happy endings only happen in books and movies. This was real life and it sucked.

Checking Mathew's text again, I headed for the information office, the blonde woman there frowning at me, instead of smiling -the way airport workers always do in movies.

"May I help you, madame?" Her bored tone echoed through the room, her eyes running up and down my body. I nodded my head, trying to catch my breath.

"The flight for Italy... What gate?" Was all I could utter, but the woman seemed to understand. Taking her time, she typed something into her computer and then looked back at me.