Truly In Love: A Gabentine Story

Chapter 34 "Other Side of the Story":

(Time Skip: Two Weeks Later)
Clem's POV:
Two weeks have flown by as nothing too bad has happened between Gabe and Ray. Outside of the two always arguing whenever they run into each other, I'm just glad that it hasn't gone down the violent road. As promised, I've made sure that AJ and I stay far away from Ray, but a part of me wants to hear his side of the story. Because as much as I love my husband, I wanted to make sure his story one hundred percent checked out. I mean I trust Gabe with my life, but I couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story that he either forgot to tell me or chose not to tell me. For as long as he's been here, Ray doesn't seem like the person that Gabe told me he was. It's more sarcastic and quick witted like Louis with Violet's attitude. So more like Gabe but then I think either of them will realize or even egg knowledge. I could totally see why they were best friends at one point.
It was no nighttime is everybody had gone off to sleep including Gabe and AJ. Me on the other hand was still awake as for some reason I couldn't fall asleep. I then began to feel sick again as I snuck out of the bed without waking Gabe up and went to the downstairs bathroom to throw up. As I had finished, I looked out the window to see you Ray just sitting outside on the steps to the apartment complex as I got curious of why he wasn't asleep yet either. I was only in my bra and panties as I put on my old tannish T-shirt and a pair of pink sweatpants and walked outside. I walked up to him as it appeared he didn't even notice me. "Uh, Ray?" I asked him as he then looked up to see me and replied, "Oh shit. I didn't see you there. I just have a bit of insomnia is all." "Yeah, I'm kind of the same right now. Mind if I said?" I asked him as he then asked back, "I thought Gabe told you to stay away for me?" "He did. But he's asleep and I just want to talk." I said is he then scooted over and replied, "Then by all means, go ahead." I said down right next to him as we just looked up at the stars for a minute. The stars were aligned exactly the same way they were when Gabe and I first fell in love.
"There beautiful, aren't they?" Ray asked while admiring the stars. "Yeah, it kind of reminds me of Gabe and I's first date." I told him as he looked back at me and smiled. "Oh really? How so?" He asked me as I happily sighed at the memory of my first date with Gabe. "He took me out to a lake near our old community. We went swimming as the sun went down with no walkers in sight. We then just slide in the grass and stared up at the stars. That's where we had our first kiss." I explained as array looked back at the stars and said, "Yeah, he was clever like that." There was a bit of silence before he asked, "So you two are married?" "Yes. We've been married for three months now." I answered him as he replied, "Oh cool. You know he always used to talk about you all the time." "Really? What did he say?" I asked. "He would always talk about how beautiful and bad ass you were and how much she really missed you. I could tell that boy was in deep for you. And it turns out he still is." He responded as I smiled to myself at the thought of Gabe always loving me like that. But that smile quickly disappeared as I remembered why I wanted to talk to him.
"Ray?" I asked as he asked back, "Yes, Clementine?" "I want to talk about you and Gabe." I said is he just rolled his eyes and said back, "Yeah, I figured as much." "Is it true? Did you get your group killed?" I asked Tim as he was hesitant to answer me. "My life wasn't the greatest before the apocalypse. And after my mother died I have no one left. But then I was brought into New Richmond where I met Gabe for the first time. We got along right away as I knew I had someone I could always count on. But after New Richmond fell and we escaped New Prescott with the rest of our group, our friendship began to change. When I approached Gabe about reading Alexandria, he of course refused. I didn't get it then as much as I do now. And like an idiot, I decided to go ahead and do it anyway. When Gabe found out, we thought until he kicked me out of the group and I was on my own again. I felt so betrayed. Like I had just lost a brother who left me in the dust. And my anger led me to do stupid things like tell Negan where he was and have everyone but him and Charlie killed. After that, Gabe tracked me down and we brought that resulted in Charlie being killed as well. He eventually beat me if he wants to kill me, but didn't. He instead just walked away and I never saw him sense." He explained to me.
"Jesus Christ." I said sort of quietly as he said back, "Jesus Christ is right. It was a real fucking mess." "Do you... Do you regret it? Everything you did?" I asked him. "I regret it every goddamn day. Because despite being angry and just fueled by hate, they were my friends too. And now they're dead... Because of me." Ray said sounding legitimately remorseful. I stayed silent taking everything in as raise and continued, "Gabe and I were close friends. Hell, we would even call each other brothers. If I hadn't fucked up so bad, maybe we could have remained friends." "Is that what you want?" I asked him as he sighed before responding, "Yes." "Then you should tell Gabe that." I told him as he then looked at me and responded, "I don't think he's willing to listen to me. Not after what I've put him through at least." "Well, I am his wife. I kind of have the power to make him listen. I can help you to be friends again." I offered him. "That's mighty nice of you, Clem. But this is something I should do myself. It's up to me to regain his trust. And when the time is right, then I'll tell him." He said as I understood.
"Well, I should probably get back home in case Gabe wakes up." I said standing up as he stayed sitting. "Yeah, I'll be out here for a little longer and then I'll head in." He said as I then began to walk back before he quietly shouted, "And hey." I turned around as he told me, "I like you, Clem." "Ray, I am... I am married and already in love with Gabe and I...." I tried to say nervously before Ray cut me off by saying, "That's not what I meant." I sighed in relief and said, "Oh, OK good." as Ray then stood up. "So does this mean we're friends?" He then asked me holding out his hand for me to shake as I thought for a second before shaking his hand and replying, "Yeah, we're friends." "Awesome." He replied as I then began to walk away while saying, "Good night, Ray." "Good night, Clementine." Ray responded as I quietly got back into the house, got undressed until I was in my bra and panties again, and snack my way back into bed as I was finally able to get some sleep with the help of Gabe and Ray possibly working things out between each other and becoming friends again.