Gabriel's POV
The buzzer sounds as the apartment complex door clicks open, creaking slightly as I enter. I wave briefly at the concierge, making my way to the front desk.
"I'm here to see Breo Williams in 55b." I say with a smile. If I had a key card I wouldn't have to do all this shit to get upstairs but J won't let me anywhere near her- not that I don't understand where he's coming from.
"One moment please." I watch as he adjusts his thin glasses before picking up the phone next to him, a bead of sweat dripping down his shaved head. Damn, he must be hot as hell in that three piece suit, and the heat seems to be on blast in here too, I almost forgot it's October.
"You can go up." He gestures to the door at the other end of the room, I waste no time in making my way up, surprised she'll even let me see her.
Honestly, I haven't seen Breo since I talked to her in J's house all that time ago. J didn't let me see her in hospital either, part of me knows I should've insisted, but I guess I wasn't man enough to face the consequences of my actions. Whether or not her ex could've got to her without me sending her away is out of the question. All I know that whatever the hell is going on, I started it.
In my guilt ridden attempts to make things right I tried to ask Pedro how she is a few times but that stubborn motherfucker doesn't want anything to do with me neither, even Carmen thinks I'm an asshole for telling her to leave.
I swear all this wasn't my intention, but it's not about intentions, it's about all the shit that happened because of it, even though I didn't plan for things to go this way. I'm not an asshole, I just made a dumb decision when I should've known better.
The elevator announces her floor and I look left and right for a moment, noticing the sign that points to doors 50 and up on my right, she must be that way.
Reading over the door number once more I hesitate before knocking, selfishly hoping that she doesn't look half as hurt as I know she is- I know I've done some shit in the past but this is not something I need right now. I hold my breath, pressing the doorbell quickly so I don't have any time to hesitate, waiting for her to answer the door.
I hear a lock turn and the door open slowly, seeing Breo sheepishly standing behind the door before she gestures for me to enter.
"Thank you." I tell her sincerely, hearing the door close behind me once I'm in entryway.
"Y-You can sit down." She tells me shakily, turning to the living area in front of us, her words slightly muffled by some sort of wire in her mouth- her jaw must still be healing. Something about how scared she looks brings a feeling of guilt I can't describe, but I ignore it, sitting at the end of the long couch nearest to the door. I hear her limping behind me slowly, the sound of her large cast knocking against the floor with every step she takes.
J really went all out on this apartment, I can tell he really cares for her. When we initially talked about where he'd take her after the hospital, I suggested one of the other properties he owns instead, but he was so worried about someone finding Breo that he found this apartment and rented it under a different name. I thought he was being a paranoid motherfucker at the time but with that weird shit Arturo pulled today, I'm glad he thought ahead.
I watch her sit at the edge of the couch to the right of me, standing up to open the blinds of one of the floor to ceiling windows behind her, letting some light in before sitting back down. I didn't realise how dark the room was until now.
We sit in silence as I watch her play with her hands nervously, and I end up doing the same thing too, not knowing how the fuck I'm going to start. This is the first time in a while I've been lost for words.
Her face seems somewhat fine on the outside, but she looks different than before, empty. I heard some of what that asshole did but I didn't think she'd change this much, was that dumb of me to assume?
Glancing down from her face I look at the cast tucked underneath the arm of her sweater, grateful that I can't see the rest of the damage done.
"Y-You want me to leave?" She asks gently, breaking the silence with sobs as she hiccups towards the end of her sentence- my heart drops immediately.
"No no." I respond instantly, gesturing towards her so she knows I don't mean any harm, but I don't think I'm helping.
"No I'm here to apologise." I watch her continue to cry before looking down at the coffee table in front of me, "I didn't mean for-" I pause again to calm my thoughts, "-For any of this to happen."
She wipes her tears with the back of her hand, cupping her face softly, I assume to ease her pain.
"I shouldn't go?" She asks again, looking up at me with tears in her eyes before wiping them away once more.
"No you shouldn't go." I explain, "It's none of my business whether you go or stay, that's between you an La-, I mean J."
"Oh." She responds calmly, placing her hands back in her lap as the hiccups from her crying cause shoulders to rise and and fall sporadically.
"I'm just here to say I'm sorry alright?" My frustration for myself seeps out through my words and I watch her flinch immediately, fuck.
"I didn't mean for you to get hurt, I wasn't thinking when I told you to leave I was drunk and-" I roll my eyes at myself, realising I'm still making excuses, the least I can do is be honest with the girl.
"I told you to leave at the time because I thought I knew what was best for J, even though I don't. How I feel about you or the both of you should've been something I kept quiet about."
"No, no." She responds once I finish speaking, and it surprises me a little, I almost forgot she could speak.
"Y-You didn't do anything." She continues timidly. "My fault."
My eyes widen in shock as I listen to her speak, she doesn't blame me? She thinks it's her fault?
The more I talk to her the more of an asshole I feel.
"No I did, and I need to apologise for that." I elaborate, trying to reason with her slightly.
"Distraction?" She questions quietly, I forgot she doesn't talk a lot. I sigh for a moment, trying to accept her for how she is, yeah I wouldn't pick her but J did, and I don't need to understand her to respect whatever they have.
"I- I said you were a distraction so you'd go. Truth is if J is with you then he's not busy, we all work together, you aren't distracting him at all."
"Promise?"
I almost laugh to myself before responding, any other bitch would've stabbed me in the huevos by now, but all she cares about is J- now I'm starting to see why he likes this girl so much.
"Yeah I promise." I respond with a slight smile.
She raises her free hand, sticking out her pinkie as she looks at me hesitantly. She wants to pinkie promise? Last time I did one of these, Luisa was still playing with dolls and watching My Little Pony, now she's off in college, too busy to call her big brother back.
I stand up and walk over to her, positioning my hand in the same motion as hers, wrapping my pinkie around hers slowly. "I pinkie promise."
"Thank you." Is all she says as I make my way back to the couch, trying to come up with some excuse to leave- wishing I planned what the fuck I was going to do after apologising.
"Look." I continue, waiting for her to look up at me before finishing my sentence. "J likes you, a lot, and he'd do anything to protect you."
I watch her eyes widen as she listens to me, shit, can she not tell? I remind myself again that she's a little different, while I try to explain myself to her in a way I hope she'll understand. "I know a lot of shit has happened over the past few weeks, and I don't know how you feel about him but please take care of him alright?"
She nods and I smile slightly in appreciation.
"I haven't seen him like this with a girl before, and I know you have your shit to get through as well but go easy on him, he's been different the past few weeks."
"Different?"
"Yeah, quiet, sad, different you know?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologises again and I almost stand up and leave, that'll probably be better than digging myself further into this hole I'm in, I'm trying to fix the shit between her and Javier, not fuck it up again.
"No you didn't do anything." I clarify again. "I just think that he needs you, you both need each other you know? To get through this."
She nods and my shoulders relax in relief, finally glad that we're on the same page.
"He isn't a bad guy, he's been through some shit but he cares about the people he's close to, there isn't a guy more loyal than him. He's lost people he cares about before, I'm sure he doesn't want to lose you either." I feel stupid saying all this nice shit about J, but it's true, even if I'd never tell him this to his face.
She nods once more before opening her mouth to speak. "His Mom?"
I pause for a moment, thinking about what to say next, she knows about what happened to his Mom? A cold feeling comes over me as I think back to her in that hospital bed. J's pendejo of a father deserves worse than death.
"You know about her?"
"Yes." She nods again, moving her hair away from her glasses.
"So now you understand why J wants to protect you so much, he knows what it's like to have someone close to him get hurt."
I pause for a moment, realising I've practically made my best friend relive the worst moment of his life again with Breo. I start to hate myself, finally understanding why he hates me too, what I did is past the point of forgiveness.
"Hurt?"
"Yeah hurt." I elaborate, "He told you his dad killed his mom right?"
Her eyes well up again as she shakes her head.
Fuck.
I allow her to cry for a moment, realising this is a lot to take in, while also hoping J doesn't come back home to see me telling his business to the girl he cares about, I should've just kept my mouth shut and let him do it in his own time.
"Please keep this between me and you alright?" I request almost desperately. "I'm sure he'll tell you in his own time, just please remember what I said about being there for him, and I- I really am sorry, about everything." I stand up from the couch as soon as I finish my sentence, it's getting late.
She stands up too and nods once more, smiling at me gently. "Thank you."
"Thank you, honestly, I didn't think you'd want to talk to me after the last time."
We make our way back to the front door and I watch her open it for me slowly.
"Oh take my number, I know you probably won't have a reason to talk to me but if you need anything and J or Pedro aren't around, I'll try my best to help." I explain kindly, handing her my phone so she can put her number in.
I wait patiently as she does so, calling her once I've saved her info so she has mine too.
She hands my phone back to me and I place it back in my pocket.
"Javi?" She questions faintly.
"Jav- oh you mean J?"
She nods immediately.
"He'll be back soon I think, don't worry. Thank you again." Now standing in the hallway I watch as she closes the door slowly, waving at me quickly before it enters the frame completely.
"I hope to god I haven't fucked things up even more." I say to myself as I make my way back downstairs, now I gotta keep an eye on that asshole Arturo.