Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 32.1: The Visit

"Where did you learn that?" Reine tilted her head backwards, looking at him as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Millie had this thing--" he began, but Reine pulled away from his touch.

Turning toward him, she furrowed her brows. "Millie? I . . . uhm . . . did you and Jameela . . . I mean, did you two . . .?"

Gabe quickly rounded the couch and knelt in front of her. "No. No! We've spent the last couple of months together, but nothing happened. Literally, nothing happened. We just hung out while moving from one place to another. I was never even attracted to her, and she made it clear she wasn't available." Unblinking, he looked into her eyes. After sweeping Reine's hair behind her ear, he rested his palm against her cheek and leaned in.

The kiss was more patient than before, and knowing he was fully back - not just physically, but also emotionally - Reine allowed herself to get lost in the moment. But something was still different, and she quickly realized it wasn't him, but rather her.

She'd changed. Sometime during the last few weeks, she'd gotten over the hurdle of his supposed death. She'd let go, and in spite of his reappearance, there was now an invisible obstacle between them.

Although her eyes were already shut, Reine squeezed them closed even harder. Willing herself to ignore the encroaching doubts, she tried returning Gabe's kisses with equal passion. Failing miserably, she ignored the implications when he drew away and reached for the fresh laundry in her lap.

"Why are you still holding--" He moved the towels to the couch before his eyes fell on her midsection. Momentarily leaning back on his heels, he took Reine's hands and pulled her up with him. "No. This is impossible."

Standing in front of him, she grimaced. "Yeah, that seems to be a common belief, but apparently not."

He continued to stare down at her in disbelief. "Wow." He swallowed hard before his eyes widened. "Is this . . .?" He motioned between the two of them. "Us?"

Reine nodded. "Are you okay with that?"

Before answering, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. "Are you kidding? I couldn't be happier!" He nuzzled her neck before setting her down again. "And now I know why you were so skittish around me last Sunday."

The harsh ring of the doorbell drew their attention to the hallway, where Noor bounded down the stairs again.

"Sorry! This has to be for me. Carry on." She waved before pulling the door open.

"Oh, hey . . . it's you. This, uhm, probably isn't a good time," she hesitantly greeted the person on the other side.

Although the door blocked the visitor from view, Reine had a distinct feeling about his identity. It quickly became apparent she wasn't the only one because Gabe was at Noor's side with just a few, long steps.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The anger in his voice was palpable.

"Ah, I see Wescott's started your indoctrination." Max must have smelled the gin on him even from the porch.

"You need to leave," Gabe countered, grabbing the door and swinging it closed.

Putting his foot in the way, Max prevented being shut out. "That's not your decision to make. I'm here to see if Reine, and I'll leave only if she wants me to."

"Not cool, dude," Noor intervened, shaking her head.

Max ignored the girl and addressed Reine who'd just joined them. "You need to know what you're jumping into before getting too deep," he said.

"Oh, that's it!" Gabe lunged toward him, but Reine held out her arms and stepped between the two men.

"What am I getting into, Max?" she asked, looking him in the eyes while placing a hand against Gabe's chest to hold him back.

Still standing just outside the door, Max looked over her head and sized up his rival. "I'd rather discuss that in private."

"I bet you would," Gabe rebuffed, but Reine glanced over her shoulder.

"You, shush. This is not going to turn into a pissing match between you two. The best thing for me to do would be to kick both of you out of my house right now." She raised her chin defiantly. "However, that would just delay the inevitable. I don't want to relive this conversation every time the three of us show up in the same place at the same time. So, go ahead. Have your say right now."

She stepped aside and motioned for Max to finally enter. Closing the door behind him, she could see both men struggling to agree. When they faced each other, their jaws were tight with anger, while their eyes were narrowed with suspicion.

Reine's heart pounded in her chest feverishly at the possibility of them eventually getting along. Being connected to both men through her children meant they all had to make peace sooner or later, but she couldn't use her pregnancy to force or - even worse - guilt them into a truce. They had to do it on their own free will.

"Can you do this for me, please?" She looked from one to the other.

"Fine, but I have nothing to say to him." Gabe sneered.

She raised her eyebrows at Max before he also reluctantly agreed. "I'm good, too."

Reine smiled. "It's not quite the reconciliation I had in mind, but I guess it's a start." She cleared her throat. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you to leave. Gabe and I have some things we need to discuss."

Max frowned, but slowly nodded. Heading past his former confidant, he unexpectedly mumbled over his shoulder, "You're lucky you got her pregnant, otherwise she'd be over you by now."

Gabe's fist flew through the air and connected with his cheek before Max could turn away.