Enya
Since I had fully given into Eziō I hadn't had dreams or memories about Gabriel. At all. I didn't even think about him much, only sometimes when I thought about the possibility of Eziō getting hurt, then I would have a damn panic attack about the thought of losing my husband.
"-Spirit's direct existential presence—consciousness—has two moments: knowing and the objectivity negative of knowing. Since consciousness is the element within which spirit develops and unfolds its moments, the latter all have within them the tension integral to consciousness and indeed emerge as permutations of consciousness. The science pursued along this path is the science of what consciousness experiences, with substance entering into consideration in whatever way it and it's dynamic are consciousness's object."
I stretched out and wrapped my arms around him "I like that, what book is that?"
"The Phenomenology of Spirit," Eziō said sounding upset.
I looked up at him confused "What's wrong?"
"What are you thinking about?"
"About why my husband is sounding upset"
He rubbed his eyes "Of course. It's a natural trauma response"
I sat up looking at him "Eziō what are you talking about" I chuckled "Did I have another panic attack? I don't remember you leaving"
He shook his head "Gabriel-" he sighed "Gabriel is in your fucking living room alive"
I chuckled looking at him "What" I shook my head and thought about the dream I had then shook my head again "No"
"He's still explaining everything to your family if you want to go out there"
I shook my head and laid on Eziō "No-I don't know. I just want to stay here."
He started rubbing my back "Do you want to go home?"
I nodded my head "Yes, can you get my mom for me? Or my dad?"
"Of course" he kissed me, it was gentle not like our other kisses where we felt hungry for each other.
I grabbed his hand "It's only you Eziō. I don't want him" I said
"I know" he walked to the door then stopped to turn around and look at me "I love you, Enya," he said and walked out closing the door.
I laid back against the bed looking at the ceiling when I heard the door open "Mom?" I sat up only to see Gabriel standing at the door. I looked him up and down and he came in shutting the door "Leave it open"
He nodded his head and cracked the door open "How are you?"
I scoffed "Don't make small talk with me" I stood up and walked over to him "You're supposed to be dead!" I yelled at him and pushed him.
He grabbed my hands and I pulled away from him "Can I explain?"
"You shouldn't have came here, alive or not"
"Because of Eziō?" He chuckled "Fucker got what he wanted"
"It has nothing to do with Ezio, I was moving on with my life! Finally after years and then you showed back up" I started crying "That's not fair Gabriel, you should've just stayed away."
He reached out for me again and I pulled away from him again "I know it isn't fair, and I know you just started to move on-"
"What?" I looked at him "W-Where you watching me?"
"I was"
I walked over sitting on my bed "Was it fun watching me go crazy over the last few years? You got a real laugh out of that huh?" I wiped my tears and glared at him.
"You know me, I wouldn't do that"
"Then why the hell are you even here?"
"I'm trying to help you. That's all I've been doing for the past 5 years"
I shook my head "Alright explain then"
"I wasn't sure at first how I was still alive after the shooting, I remember pushing Alonzo out of the way and him trying to help me" he rubbed his face "Then him and Lail shooting it was pretty much blank after that. I woke up in the hospital a few months later chained to the bed. I didn't know where I was but I knew I wasn't with you or your family so I pretended to lose my memory until I knew who I was with. The last thing I wanted was someone trying to get any information out of me" he looked at me and I nodded my head. I looked down at my hands which were shaking "Are you okay?"
"No Im not fucking okay. My dead ex-boyfriend is in front of my face"
"Do you want your husband instead?" He said sounding indifferent.
"No, you can't do that. You don't get to leave for 5 years and get mad that I'm married"
"I didn't come back to protect you!" He yelled "And you married fucking Eziō? Out of all people!"
"Fuck you! I was a fucking mess, Gabriel!" I stood up yelling at him.
"And you think I wasn't? Do you know how badly I wanted to come home to you? My family?" He yelled
I turned around walking to the window "What else happened"
He came over to me and I moved away from him making him sigh "Thomas eventually came to me after a few days of just seeing his guards, he knew I didn't have my memory and told me I was his son." I looked at him and he shrugged "So I just played along. It wasn't like he was going to let me go, so then after a while, he introduced me to a girl. Told me she was my girlfriend."
"The girl we've been tracking," I said and he nodded his head. "So who is she really?"
"His daughter, you know Thomas believes in the old ways so-"
"He's got everyone thinking you're his son so he can still control the mafia"
"Yeah"
"So what then you get his mafia? You're fucking Italian Gabriel. It's not exactly a pure bloodline"
"In his eyes, it's better than having a woman run his mafia"
"Well, what exactly does she think about that?"
"Olivia is pretty soft-spoken, she's not interested in this type of life. She's too kind"
"Sounds like the perfect kind of girl for you, and you get your own mafia"
"You know I didn't want this Enya" I looked over at him "Or her"
"What else is going on? Why the attacks"
He shook his head "Are we just going to ignore the fact that you married Eziō?" He came closer to me staring down at me and I backed up "Carlos and Mark" he shrugged "But Eziō?"
I almost flinched from how different he was. Long gone was the sweet-seeming college boy, the boy who cared for his mother, the boy who had a sweet selfish soul. This was a different Gabriel and it made me think maybe Gabriel really did die that day.
"What was it?" He asked, "Were Brandon and Babu covering for you?" He looked up in thought then shook his head "No, you're too possessive and I think I would know you better, know your family better to let you be in an arranged marriage"
I pushed him away "Finish telling me about Thomas"
He grabbed my hand looking at it "Your mother's ring, that must mean she approved of it, so that means your dad did too" he dropped my hand looking at me "You love him?"
"Gabriel-"
"Don't lie to me, Enya. I know you"
"You knew me. I'm not 19 anymore"
"You're not too different" he reached up to touch me and I stopped him.
"Stop trying to touch me, I'm married" I took a deep breath "I'll just get an update from my dad. You should go"
He looked at me and then sat down on the bed "About a year passed and I knew I had to start giving something up or he would be suspicious. My memory wasn't permanently gone" I looked at Gabriel in disbelief as he just sat there and continued to talk after I told him to leave. "I went to him one day saying that I was having some memories come back but they were vague, I asked him if I had been in Canada my whole life."
"And? What did he say?" I said sitting in the corner to get away from the different Gabriel.
"He told me a version of the truth. That I wasn't his son and that I used to work for the Italian Mafia until they tried to have me killed but he saved me"
"What a saint" I rolled my eyes "So what you're going to help take him down?"
"I don't like that he's trying to hurt the woman that I love"
"Get in line"
"I was here first"
"Yeah until you fucking died"
"You seem upset," he said calmly which pissed me the fuck off.
I just laughed and put my head on my knees "I don't want to talk anymore. You can just talk to Alonzo"
"Enya-"
I screamed then stood up "Just give me a fucking second! I am so fucking overwhelmed right now!"
The door opened and I was relieved to see Eziō. He looked at Gabriel briefly before coming over to me and hugging me. I started crying and hugging him back "Look at me" he pulled away and I looked at him "That's it,"
I grabbed my throat and started panicking "I can't breathe! Eziō I can't breathe!"
"Take a deep breath with me" he inhaled and I tried to do the same thing but shook my head "Yes you can. Come on" he took another deep breath and I felt like I was choking on air when I finally took a deep breath "There you go" he smiled at me then hugged me again "You're doing so good" I hugged him tighter "Come on. Let's take a bath, you want to do that?"
I nodded my head "Yes, please"
"She's still sleeping" I heard Eziō say
"It's been well over 12 hours, I know she's probably exhausted," my mom said
"Let me know when she wakes up" I heard my dad and he stood up from the bed making it lift up.
"You don't want to stay Matteo-"
"I'm up" I grumbled "I'm up"
My mom put her hand on my cheek "How are you feeling?"
"I want my grandpa"
"Which one," my dad asked
"Babu or Saif. Both of them, I don't know. I'm tired" I mumbled
"I'll go get you some food" I heard Eziō say and I nodded my head. He came over kissing my head and I grabbed his hand holding it for a second before letting it go and watching him leave out "How long has he been here?"
"Hasn't left your side" my dad said
"Should you go out there?" My mom asked looking at my dad.
"For what?" He looked at her confused
"Because Enya's husband and dead ex-boyfriend are going to be in the same room"
"Lail's out there" he shook his head and leaned against the wall crossing his arms.
I chuckled "Ezio doesn't care about Gabriel. I doubt he'll say anything to him"
"He probably didn't when he was dead," my mom said "If Bariona walked through the door I would kick her in her fucking chest and call my dad to come kill her again"
I looked at my dad who was just smiling at my mom and shook my head "You're crazy"
"Eziō probably needs some reassurance right now," My dad said looking at my mom and then me.
"But he knows I want to be with him"
My dad shrugged "Doesn't matter. You spent 3 years with Gabriel and you're only with Eziō because of an arranged marriage. You can never go wrong with reassurance"
"That doesn't matter" I shook my head
"You wouldn't be with Eziō if it wasn't for that," My mom said
I sat up looking at the both of them "I-I-" my dad looked at me raising his eyebrow and my mom was hiding her smile "I l-" I blew out a breath "Look he's my husband and that's that"
"We never said he wasn't" my mom chuckled
A knock at the door broke our conversation "I was requested?" My Grandpa Babu came into the room and I held my arms out for him like a baby. He chuckled coming over to me and giving me a hug, he sat on the bed and looked at my parents "Get out"
My mom started laughing and my dad helped her up "I want some food"
"I know you do" he chuckled and they walked out together.
"I think I want to go to Egypt," I said still hugging him. I pulled away from him and laid on his shoulder. "I don't know what I want. I'm confused about everything. Everything feels like too much right now"
"How would you like to go to Vietnam? Get some pho with your Aljuda? Make it a day trip and come right back"
I nodded my head "That sounds perfect" I smiled at him and he smiled.
"Come on, let's go tell your parents"
"You know I'm an adult right?" I said to him while getting out of the bed.
He turned and looked at me "Barely"
"Aljuda!" I said laughing "I am"
"Come on" he shook his head ignoring me then opened the door.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" I heard my auntie yelling and scuffling from the living room.
I looked at my grandpa and we both rushed to the living room seeing Eziō being held back by my brother and uncle. Gabriel was being held back by my dad.
"I'm fine" Eziō snatched away from them. "I'm fine"
"The only reason Enya is even with you is because of me!" Gabriel yelled pissed.
"Well, fucking thank you for dying. Go do it again" Eziō said "And permanently this time will you? Or do I have to fucking do it"
"I'd like to see you try" Gabriel tried pushing my dad away but was just pushed back against the wall.
"Oh yeah?" Eziō said chuckling reaching into his pocket.
"Eziō" I called out his name and he looked over at me breaking out of that angry spell he was in.
I walked over to him and my uncle and brother moved out of the way but stood close. Eziō put his arm around me then looked at Gabriel and just started laughing at him. "It was a good run schoolboy"
Gabriel's nostrils flared and he looked over at me and I quickly looked away "The only reason she's even still with you is because of that fake ass marriage you needed to save your mafia" he said and leaned his head back against the wall laughing.
My auntie Asia's eyes went wide and my uncle Saif moved my mom out of the room.
"I'm with him because I want to be Gabriel. I wouldn't have signed that marriage certificate if I didn't want him" I said and Gabriel stopped laughing "Stop disrespecting my husband"
"You're husband?" His face scrunched up in disgust.
"Her husband" Eziō repeated and lit a cigarette I didn't know he had. Hell I didn't even know he smoked "Listen," he said calmly and I started to get worried because when he got calm that meant he was pissed "I get it. I do, she's your first love blah blah blah whatever" he moved away from my brother and uncle then grabbed my hand "But she's married now, I love her and everyone in this room knows she loves me" he walked closer to Gabriel and took a puff of his cigarette "I got her, her daddy's ring, and parts of Enya that you will never see or touch. Her mind, her body that's mine" He took another puff of his cigarette "Enya wanted to go to war but she got a taste of my dick, that's why she stayed. The feeling, the emotions, and the bond we share, that's extra" he flicked the cigarette at Gabriel then pulled out his gun pointing at him.
"Woah woah woah!" My brother went over and grabbed the gun before it went off which was by a split second.
My eyes were wide as fuck and my aunties looked like they had got wider and she was just watching the scene unfold in front of her. Eziō pulled away and punched Gabriel in his face and my dad pulled him off of him and grabbed him by his collar.
"You kill him and we'll lose the little help we have. We need someone close to Thomas" my dad said, I could tell he was angry but when it came to business my dad always put his emotions on the back burner.
"Well," My grandpa said "Now that that's over. Me and Enya are going to Vietnam," he said smiling but his smile stopped when he looked at Gabriel and Eziō "My grandchild isn't a toy that's owned by either one of you" he looked at me "Despite what she might tell you" and I wanted a blackhole to drag me into an abyss. "One would think you two knew how to behave considering you both run mafias. Would you act like it?" Eziō nodded and Gabriel rolled his eyes "Is there a problem Gabriel?"
"No Babu, my apologies"
"Good. Hafida say your goodbyes to your husband"
"How long are you going to be gone?" Eziō asked me
"12 hours there, 12 hours back, and a day there so about 3 days"
"I want to come with you," Eziō said almost sounding like a child
"I want to spend some time with my Aljuda."
"You need space?" He said sounding upset
"I didn't say that, I just want to spend some time with my grandpa"
"Be honest with me Enya. Lying won't help either one of us"
I nodded my head "Yes, I need some space Eziō but it's not because I want to be away from you. It's because-"
"I know" he sighed "I know, I just-" he ran a hand over his face "Tell me you don't want him again" he held my face looking at me.
"I don't want him, only you" I kissed him "And Eun," I said playfully and he smiled shaking his head "And Isuel, and Min and-"
I yelped and started laughing feeling Eziō tickling me, he pushed me onto the bed "I'm telling him you said that"
"Snitch"
"You love him more than you love me?"
"I don't love Eun"
"Really?" He asked fake shocked "Who do you love then?"
I looked up in thought "A man"
"A man? Tell me more about this man"
"Hm? Well he's Chinese" I said and he looked at me and I started laughing "Or is he Korean? I don't know he's funny looking though, wears a lot of black and wears this hideous ring chain thing"
"You're such a bitch" he said laughing and I laughed.
"You love it"
"I do"
I held his hand "Are you going to be here when I come back?"
"Of course, I'll be in a hotel though-"
"Don't tell my mom, she'll force you to stay here"
"I'm not staying here after what I said in front of your dad, brother, and uncle. Oh and Babu"
I shrugged "The females in this family are a bunch of whores. They can't be too shocked"
We both started laughing then he kissed me "Make sure you call me whenever you want to"
"First time we've been apart since we got married," I said "Don't go off trying to cheat on me"
"Genius my ass. You're fucking stupid"
I rolled my eyes smiling "I think another reason I'm so fond of you-"
"Love me but continue"
I glared at him and he kissed my nose "You just got to know me"
He looked a little confused "What do you mean?"
"You didn't look at me as Matteo's daughter, or Babu's granddaughter, or want me because of my last name, or because of how smart everyone says I am. You just liked me for me, even when I was annoying" I said the last part playfully.
"So annoying" he shook his head "You keep saying like"
"I just confessed my feelings for you and that's all you caught onto" I laughed "You fucking asshole"
"Was that what that was? I don't know I think you having a panic attack whenever I leave your sight is pretty-"
"Get off of me" I tried pushing him off of me but he didn't budge.
"I love you too" he chuckled and I pulled him down to hug me.
"Good." I sighed
God I love this idiot, I just needed to tell him. Especially now.