Darling | All16 | ✔

TWENTY-TWO

"Here ya go," Gabriel calls cheerfully.

A pile of clothes is thrust toward me and I take the bundle, nearly dropping one of the pieces of fabric. I shuffle into the attached bathroom and quickly shed my pajamas and pull on the clothes that Gabriel picked out. They are a shirt and skirt that we picked out together at the mall. The shirt is soft and buttery and the skirt is airy with frills that fall to my knees.

I press my hands around the skirt to make sure that it isn't bunched up anywhere and tug at the hem of the shirt to make sure that it isn't tucked into the skirt all funny. Nodding to myself, I open the door and head out to Gabriel who I can hear is grabbing a brush from the drawer in the corner. I sit on the edge of the bed and Gabriel sits behind me with a leg on either side of me as he runs the brush through the tangles, gently untangling my hair.

"What do the clothes look like?" I blurt, blushing as Gabriel finishes brushing my hair.

It pains me, sometimes to not know what things look like. However, I am so, so glad that I was born blind. I can't imagine being able to see and then losing my sight. It's better this way, I suppose, since I don't really know what I am missing out on.

Gabriel pauses and sets the brush down.

"Stand up," He orders with a seriousness that is out of character for him.

I listen, standing up and smoothing my skirt down.

He stands and walks around me so he is right in front of me.

Once again, I am worried that I did something wrong, but Gabriel begins to speak, whispering in my ear, "Your skirt is pink, the same reddish-pink as your cheeks and perfectly pink lips. Your shirt is a white shirt with the word "Trouble" written across it in black block letters. You pulled it down a bit too far and I can see the blush on your breasts and all I want to do right now is see how far down that blush goes."

My blush burns brighter and I am frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Weak-kneed, I stand there, jaw dropped slightly.

"Say something," Gabriel says desperately, his hot breath fanning over me.

Before I can, though, Luke shouts from downstairs that it is time for breakfast.

Gabriel swears, but I let it slide. This time. Before I can think twice, I lean forward quickly and press a small kiss on his cheek, near his mouth.

Hopefully, that will tell him what I don't know how to put into words.

I blush brighter and turn away from him to scurry down the stairs to the kitchen where Luke is.

"Just cereal for breakfast today!" Luke calls happily.

"Oh, good," I reply. "What kinds do you have?"

"What's your favorite kind?" Luke asks magnanimously.

"The kind with all the marshmallows and sugar!" I answer enthusiastically, hopeful that he has the kind I'm talking about.

Luke laughs, "That's my kinda girl! I'll get you some right away!"

"Oh, I can pour my own cereal," I tell Luke, waving him off. "Blind isn't the same thing as helpless, you know."

"Of course, we all know that," Laughs Marc as he enters the kitchen to put his bowl in the sink. "But that doesn't mean we don't want to help you out still. Just humor us."

"Fine," I sigh dramatically, drawing out the word.

Luke quickly gets me my cereal and slides the bowl over to me. I reach out to take it when one of the boys quickly snakes an arm out and takes it before I can.