Fair warning, this one's for more mature audiences so please read with caution.
Chapter 35
Gabriel blinked at me, not moving. “What?” he asked in a quiet voice.
I smiled at his expression. “Don’t stop, Gabriel.” I whispered as I leaned in and kissed him on his jaw. “I love you.”
He pulled back again, his gaze searching mine. “Evie, this is not how I imagined it happening,” he said quietly. “I wanted to make it special for you.” He cupped my cheek with his hand and I turned my head planting a soft kiss on his palm.
“Gabriel, it is special.” I cleared my throat, strong emotions threatening to halt my speech. “The only thing I need is you,” I whispered, blushing a little at the cheesy line but recognizing it as true. I wasn’t quite sure when he’d come to mean so much to me but I couldn’t deny that he did. I didn’t want to deny it.
His eyes softened and his hand moved back to tangle in my hair. “I love you,” he said before leaning forward and kissing me tenderly at first then hungrily.
I moaned in the back of my throat, pushing my hands underneath his shirt and this time, I lifted until he shifted back enough to remove it completely. My eyes crossed as I caught sight of his bare chest, searching over the hard planes of his muscles. “Wow,” I said quietly, unable to take my gaze off of him.
He chuckled, making his abdomen contract appealingly as he placed his finger under my chin, making me look him in the eye one more. “I always knew you wanted me for my body.”
Feeling a little dazed, I felt a goofy grin spread across my face. “Yup,” I said, making him laugh again and I tried to lower my head to watch the effect his laughter had on his abs but he wouldn’t let me. I frowned. “What?”
“If you keep looking at me like that, this isn’t going to last very long,” he said huskily.
I lowered my eyelids halfway and licked my lips, turning my goofy grin into a sensual smile. His breath caught and his gaze was drawn to my lips once more before he moved forward and began kissing me in earnest. His hands roved over me, enticing and arousing, sending tingles of desire through my entire body wherever he touched. He raised my shirt over my head and I lifted my arms eagerly to help, annoyed with any fabric that was keeping us apart.
Once my t-shirt was gone, I moved to kiss him again but he rolled until he was on top of me, straddling my hips. He looked down at me and his eyes took on a glazed look. “You’re so beautiful,” he said looking me in the eye as he spoke the words softly. My heart melted and I felt my cheeks turn red from pleasure and embarrassment.
Stifling the urge to argue with his assessment and list off all my faults, I stayed silent and when he bent down to capture my lips again, I rose off the bed a bit to meet him. His hand moved up my stomach slowly, making my muscles contract and my breathing pick up and when his palm finally settled over my breast, my back arched off the bed, pressing it more firmly against him. He groaned and trailed kisses down my neck and across my collarbone. His other hand wound around my back and unsnapped the fastening of my bra and I felt the material loosen. Suddenly his bare hand was on my breast and I’d never felt so much pleasure in my entire life.
“Evelyn,” he breathed just before his mouth moved further down and captured my nipple. I may let out a very loud moan at the contact but I couldn’t be sure. I was lost in a world with only feelings. There were no sounds as he continued to work my breasts with his mouth and his hands, making me shudder.
“Gabriel, more.” I barely recognized my own voice, it was so husky and filled with desire but he must have heard me because his hands moved to the snap on my jeans.
He paused for a moment, pulling back and looking down at me, his gaze half lust filled and half concerned. “Are you sure,” he said, his voice hoarse.
“God yes,” I said, reaching out for the snap on his pants. I fumbled with the button a bit before he pushed my hand away and did it himself, moving to take off his pants before going back to work on mine. Finally, we were naked against each other and my senses were going crazy. My skin was tingling everywhere, making his touch seem a hundred times more potent. My hands worked their way down his chest and his abdomen until they reached that part of him which I was suddenly feeling very eager to become acquainted with.
He hissed out a breath when I touched him and wrapped his fingers around my wrist, halting my movements. Our eyes connected and his were a luminous blue as he gazed at me. He shook his head giving me one of his half smiles that I found so charming. “This is going to be over before it even begins if you do that, Evie,” he whispered, bending to plant a soft kiss on my lips as he pulled my hand away.
I nodded, preparing myself for what I knew was coming. I’d never had sex before but I knew what to expect. He leaned away from me and grabbed a condom from the nightstand, putting it on quickly.
“Have you done this before?” I asked quietly, watching him as he moved closer to me once more.
My question made him pause and he looked me in the eye and nodded. He closed the distance between us, wrapping his arms around me and settling his weight on top of me. I would’ve expected to feel completely squashed by his weight but instead it was a comfortable and stimulating pressure, having him on top of me. I decided that I quite liked it.
“I had a couple girlfriends before, no one who went to our school. Trust me, Evie, the things I feel when I’m with you are beyond compare.” He reached out to brush the hair off my face as his other hand roamed over our bodies, skimming my skin and making my breath catch in my throat.
“You’re trying to distract me,” I croaked as his hand moved lower.
“Is it working,” he whispered in my ear before taking the lobe into his mouth.
I moaned as his mouth moved down my neck and his hand reached its destination. I was panting as if I’d run a race and I could feel something building inside of me. “Gabriel,” I said on another moan. I reached down to stop his actions and his eyes connected with mine. “Now.”
He nodded and moved his hand. Moments later, his arousal was at my entrance. I tensed up, nerves hitting me as I braced myself for the pain that came with losing your virginity.
“Evie,” he said quietly making me look up at him. His gaze was so filled with love and desire for me that I felt myself relax. “I love you,” he whispered as he began to push forward. My nerves disappeared and I revelled in the sense of fullness I got from joining with him. There was a twinge of pain but it receded quickly until all that was left was an exquisite pressure and a feeling of rightness that settled deep within my heart.
He was moving slowly and I started to rise to meet him, wanting more. “Faster,” I whispered and he complied, making me throw my head back against the pillow in ecstasy.
His movement became harder, more frantic as he came closer to completion and I was right there with him, accepting and giving and wanting more as a strange sensation built inside of me, almost like I was running towards something and I was just about to reach it.
Suddenly the world exploded as wave after wave of incredible sensations took over my body. My arms clung to Gabriel as his pace increased prolonging my pleasure and I cried out in joy. He jerked forward one last time and with a loud groan collapsed on top of me. I welcomed his weight as I came down from my high, my breath coming as fast as his as we lay there, spent.
“Wow,” I said after a while, staring at the ceiling behind Gabriel’s shoulder, unable to move just yet. He grunted in response and we lay there in silence.
After a while he lifted his head and looked down at me, his expression tender. “You’re amazing,” he whispered, bringing his head down to kiss me. The kiss was soft and sweet and filled with everything we were feeling. He pulled back and I was trying not to tell him every sappy thought that was coming to my mind as I looked up at him. “I’ll be right back,” he said planting a quick kiss on my lips before leaving the bed and disposing of the condom. He climbed back in beside me and pulled me tight against him, spoon fashion, breathing a contented sigh that moved lightly across my cheek. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too, Gabriel,” I murmured back, feeling exhaustion tug at me.
My eyelids drooped and as I drifted off to sleep, the only thought running through my mind was that this moment was perfect.
When I woke up, I was alone in the bed. I sat up, clutching the sheet to my still naked body and looked around the room. Gabriel wasn’t there. I stood and pulled on my clothes. I was just tugging my t-shirt over my head when he walked in the door.
I jumped a little at his unexpected appearance.
He grinned at me, looking me up and down and I realized that my t-shirt was bunched up around my neck and my torso was bare aside from my bra. “You could leave it off, you know,” he said as I pulled the shirt down, covering my skin.
I stuck my tongue out at him and eyed the tray that he had in his hands. “What’s that?”
He moved towards his desk, shoving a few books and CDs out of the way before setting it down. “Nourishment.” I moved closer and he suddenly gripped me around the waist, pulling me tight against him. I melted into him, feeling lethargic and happy.
“You know, when I woke up alone I was having some wild thoughts,” I said quietly, my voice sounding drugged, it was so filled with contentment.
“What kind of thoughts,” he asked.
“Oh you know, that all those rumours about you being a player were true and now that you’ve been in my pants, you were through with me.”
He pulled back a little so he could look me in the eye. “Evie, I’m getting the feeling that I’m never going to be through with you.”
My heart gave one hard thump at his words before melting into a puddle. “Oh,” I whispered as a goofy smile stretched across my face.
“Oh?” he said, raising one eyebrow as he narrowed his eyes at me. “That’s all you have to say?”
I just nodded and went up on my tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his pliant lips.
“You’re trying to distract me,” he rasped between kisses.
I kissed him more deeply, thrusting my tongue boldly into his mouth and running my hands up his chest, making his muscles contract wherever I touched. “Is it working?” I whispered after a while, pulling back to look at him. His eyes were unfocused and half closed and there was a crooked grin on his face as he looked down at me.
“What?” he asked, trying to pull me closer once more.
I laughed lightly and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. “I don’t think I’ll ever be through with you either, Gabriel,” I whispered against his lips, making his hands tighten their hold on me before he kissed me hungrily again.
I called the band telling them to take a day off from practice and for the rest of the day, we vegged out in Gabriel’s room, eating the fruit he’d cut up and listening to music. Gabriel’s taste tended to run towards metal bands like Judas Priest and Metallica but he definitely had an appreciation for lots of different styles and I was pleased to see that none of them included emo punk.
Eventually, his mother came home along with his brothers and we went downstairs to say hi. We all ate dinner together and it was loud and chaotic and I loved every minute of it. I’d never known what it was like to have a family and as the three brothers argued, I glanced over at Carrie, seeing the love in her eyes as she gazed at her boys. My heart clenched painfully as I remembered the scene with my mother earlier that day but I knew that it was for the best. I couldn’t stand her disdainful looks anymore and I was done hiding.
My eyes connected with Gabriel’s across the table and I felt my cheeks turn pink and a smile spread across my face. Almost immediately his lips quirked into a crooked grin and his eyes softened as we stared at each other.
Retching noises drew my gaze to my left and I saw Brett pretending to puke as he looked between me and Gabriel. “You guys are so sappy it makes me sick,” he said between retches.
“Shut up,” Gabriel said without heat as he reached over to lightly tap his brother on the head with a breadstick.
“Dude, you got crumbs in my hair!” Brett got up from the table and soon, him, James and Gabriel were rolling around on the floor while Matthew, who was clothed for once, calmly watched from his seat.
I turned away from the grunting ball of brothers and my eyes connected with Carrie’s. “How are things at home?” she asked me quietly, making me wonder how much of my situations she knew about.
I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “I’m staying at my grandfather’s apartment right now and I’ll be going to Clayton in the fall. My mother and I…” I cleared my throat, feeling unexpected tears prickle at my eyes as I looked into Carrie’s understanding gaze. “We’re not close,” I said simply, worried that if I said anything else I would start bawling.
She nodded, giving me a sympathetic look. “I just want you to know that you can stay here anytime you want.” Her eyes swept over to the fight that seemed to be winding down. Gabriel was sitting on top of Brett and he had James in a headlock. “And thank you, Evelyn. Gabriel hasn’t been this happy since his father passed away.” Her gaze swung back to mine and there was moisture in her eyes. “Don’t break his heart, okay?”
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
“Talking about me?” Gabriel whispered as he wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing me on the cheek.
“Yeah, your mom just promised to show me your baby pictures,” I teased, leaning my head back to rest on his shoulder.
He chuckled squeezing me tighter before letting go and grabbing my hand, pulling me from my chair. “Never,” he whispered, dragging me out of the dining room. “You’re a bad influence mom. I’m taking her away,” he called over his shoulder.
The next couple weeks passed quickly. Liam was gone and no longer worked for Henry after I’d told him about what he’d done. The rumours about me at school seemed to die down and Catherine hadn’t started any new ones for a while. The band was busy practicing a few new songs and Francine and Chrystal came to every one of our shows and one night, George came with them. At the end of the show, they met me back stage and after telling me how great the music was, Francine and Chrystal went to give their suggestions to the rest of the band. I was grinning when I heard them tell Freida about this “great song” called Jet Lag which they proceeded to sing in incredibly off key voices and with about half the lyrics missing.
“Evelyn,” George said as he strode up to me. I put my guitar on its stand and faced him, feeling nervous for some reason, unsure if he knew about my blow up in the principal’s office. “You were so amazing out there,” he said quietly before drawing me into a quick hug.
“Thank you,” I said a huge smile spreading across my face at his approval.
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he returned my smile and I couldn’t help but think that my mother and I had gotten lucky when George had walked into that diner the day he’d met Jasmine.
His smile faded and his eyes turned serious as he looked at me. “I want you to know that your mother is in therapy. We go together and I think with time she might get better. Right now though, she still holds a lot of hostility for her past and you seem to be the biggest reminder for her. I’m so sorry, honey.” His voice was filled with sadness and I could see regret and disappointment in his eyes as he looked at me.
I gave him a sad smile and shrugged. “It’s okay, George. Thank you for taking care of her and thank you for teaching me what it felt like to be someone’s daughter,” I said the last part quietly and George stretched his hand out to grip my shoulder tightly.
His eyes were a little red as he gave me a deep nod and a small smile that held a world of feelings, none of which needed to be spoken aloud to be understood.
“Dad!” Francine shouted as she lunged at her father, grasping his arm and opening her blue eyes as wide as they could go. “You think I have good taste in music, right?”
“Of course,” George said immediately though to my ears, his voice lacked a certain conviction.
“Freida says the music I listen to is terrible.”
“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion,” George said vaguely and Francine let out a huff before making her way back to Freida in order to force her opinion on the other girl. “Personally, I’ve always been an AC/DC fan.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised.
He nodded, smiling at me again and giving me a pat on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Evelyn. You have a future doing this sort of thing and I want you to let me know if there’s anything you ever need, even if it’s just someone to listen. You’ll always be my daughter.”
I nodded, feeling a little choked up. “Okay,” I managed to croak.
He nodded, satisfied that his message had been delivered and after spending a few more minutes chatting with the band, he left. Chrystal and Francine stayed a bit longer, Francine was content to argue with Freida and Chrystal was busy flirting outrageously with Frank who blushed at her attention.
I frowned as I surveyed my friends and thought about how things were going so well lately.
“What is it?” Gabriel asked, coming up to me and wrapped his arms around me loosely.
I shook my head, trying to get rid of the feeling that something bad was about to happen. “Nothing,” I said giving him a smile and brushing my thoughts aside. “Want to come over after?”
He nodded, grinning as he bent down and kissed me deeply, driving all thoughts of impending doom out of my mind.
It wasn’t until three days later that I realized my instincts were right.