P L A Y L I S T
The Only Hope For Me Is You - My Chemical Romance
Each time Gabriel visited the house he grew up in, it smelled of strange but interesting aromas. It had not always been that way. Only since Silbie's dad died and their mother had gone full force into baking. He figured it was her way of grieving. Everybody handled loss differently.
He chose not to talk about it. Silbie was just the opposite. She wanted to keep her dad's memory alive and thought the way to do it was to constantly sing his praises, which he deserved. He'd only been around for a few, short years after Sil was born before he passed, but that didn't stop Silbie. He'd been a good father and faithful to Dawn – unlike Gabriel's father - and in Gabriel's eyes, there was no greater accomplishment or legacy.
Today, a mixture of banana, lemon and something he couldn't identify hung heavy in the air. No need to guess, he'd know soon enough. Not only what the ingredients were, but he'd be forced to taste them. During the last two years of his mother's quest for baking stardom, he'd learned not to mince words. Lying about something that tasted awful didn't help her improve, and she'd learned to take the constructive criticism.
The island was a mess of pots and pans, all covered in different colored bits of goo. Red, brown, yellow, even green. Between Dawn and Silbie's disastrous ability in the kitchen, he'd come to expect the place looking like a hurricane had swept through. It would be more surprising to see it clean. It seemed he was the only Luna capable of splicing ingredients for something edible.
He leaned over to kiss his mom on the cheek. "Hey good lookin', whatcha got cooking?"
She turned to face him and snorted. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, he knew she got lonely, and he hated that, but thinking about her with possibly another asshole made Gabriel uneasy.
He leaned low over the counter and inhaled one of the pies cooling there.
"Let me guess. Bananas and beer?"
"That's right!" She pushed a bowl toward him. "Rake some of this out and give it a taste."
He ran his finger around the rim, licked it clean, then took a few seconds to let his taste buds adjust. "Not bad."
Reaching for another bowl, she tilted it in his direction. "Now this one."
Once again, he ringed the edge, but instead of putting it in his mouth, brought it to his nose. "Okay, this has lemon in it, right?"
"Correct."
He studied the texture and color. Her reputation for weird concoctions gave him pause. It looked innocent enough, but with her, he couldn't always tell. "What else?"
"Oh, don't be a baby. Just taste it and tell me what you think."
With a deep breath, he slid his finger into his mouth. "Hmm. Honestly, I don't detect anything but lemon."
"Well, that will never do. Anybody can make a lemon pie. You sure you can't taste the squash?"
He shook his head. "Have you ever thought about using ingredients that might actually go together? Like, say—berries or pears, or what about oranges? Lemon and oranges are from the same family."
She rested her hands on her hips and sighed. "You're missing the whole point. The recipe needs to be unusual. And delicious. I'll never win with common combinations. You want some lunch? I have leftover roast. I could heat some up in the microwave or make you a sandwich."
Gabriel glanced around the room. "No, I'm good. Silbie here?"
"No. The minute we got home from early service, she changed clothes and headed out. Said she was going to the library, which I think is code for she's got a boyfriend."
"Really? Who do you think he is?"
"Don't know. You know how your sister is. She'll tell us when she's ready."
"She been going to the library a lot?"
Mom cocked her head and twisted her mouth into the smirk he recognized as her mind your business expression.
"I see those wheels turning, Gabe. You need to leave your sister alone. In six months she'll be in college, and you won't know who she's seeing or what she's doing. Might as well start conditioning yourself now."
"I wish she'd reconsider and go to the junior college for a couple of years. I'd feel a lot better about it."
"Oh, honey." Mom slipped her arm around him. "You're such a good brother, but you have to let go and trust that you and I raised her right."
"Yeah, well, good upbringing doesn't guarantee bad things won't happen."
Rubbing her hand back and forth across his shoulders, she changed her tone. "Silbie is nothing like Rosie."
"I didn't say she was," he gruffly remarked.
"Sweetie, I know you think if you'd stayed in college you could have kept her on the straight and narrow, but you know in your heart that isn't true."
Maybe she was right, and he was projecting Rosie's trouble onto Silbie, but at one time there had been no one nicer or more innocent than his former girlfriend. The party scene had sucked her in, and who was to say the same thing wouldn't happen to his sister? He needed her close so he could look out for her. "I just worry about her. One wrong decision can change her whole life."
One more pat and Mom released him. "I know. This is your sister, though. Silbie's her own person. She's stubborn, like you, in that aspect. No one has ever been able to talk either of you into anything you didn't want to do. Trust that she's level headed and has a strong desire not to disappoint you, so that will probably be enough. Besides, if she makes the roller derby team, with practice, classes, and events on weekends, she'll be too busy handing out concussions in the rink to get into trouble elsewhere." She wiped her hands on her apron. "Now, what about the Davis girl? I understand you've agreed to regular visits."
"Yeah, that's where I'm headed next. Most of her family is going home today. I just hope she wakes up soon. I'm not really comfortable talking to her." He'd visited the girl several times, and their one way conversations were always inherently awkward.
"Look on the bright side. It's probably the only time in your life you won't have to worry about a woman talking back. You just might discover one-sided conversations aren't that bad."
All the way to the hospital Gabriel thought about his sister and the possibility of a boyfriend. So far, he'd not been impressed with her choices, or maybe Mom was right, and he just butted in too much. Then again, who else did Silbie have? Mom? Not a chance. She never got into Silbie's business. Must be a girl thing, but Gabriel knew how guys thought, and what they wanted. Especially, horny teenage boys. Besides, this day and time, it only took one tweet to ruin a girl's reputation. And he'd be damned before he let that happen to her.
He pushed the thought away and focused on the problem at hand. He should have given Kline a time limit. Only agreed to a couple of weeks visits and then let them handle the situation. Watching Zari sleep, so pale and fragile, affected him in ways he didn't want to deal with right now. Soon, parts of the country would be buried in snow and ice, and he'd be working out of state. Better the family didn't depend on him for long.
He slid into a parking spot near the door, put his cell in his pocket, got out, and strolled into the building. The lobby waiting area was vacant except for Carl Marshall, the town drunk. He'd claimed a spot at the end of the sofa and had his head thrown back, mouth open, snoring to high heaven. The guy spent his days going from one business to the other soaking up either the heat or air conditioning, depending on the season. But on Sundays, with most shops closed until afternoon, this must be his regular hangout.
Gabriel took the elevator to the top floor, then headed to Zari's room. When he entered, Alisha looked up and smiled.
"Good morning, Gabriel."
"Morning. How's she doing?"
The woman nodded toward the monitor, the beat getting faster. "Better now that you're here."
The increase in tempo confused Gabriel. He'd barely spoken two words to the girl, but yet she seemed to recognize his voice over her mom's. Maybe it was all part of her brain healing. Whatever it was, he wouldn't question it.
"The doctor see any improvement?" Maybe if he had, then Gabriel would be off the hook. He could always hope.
"Just the fact she opens her eyes and makes facial expression is a good indication she may be coming out of it." Alisha walked to the bed and took Zari's hand. "Again, you have no idea what your visits mean to us. I have a good feeling it won't be long until she comes out of it." She brought Zari's hand to her lips and kissed it, then turned to Gabriel again.
"I've been here all night, so if you don't mind, I'll leave you with her. Another family member should be here soon."
Once alone, Gabriel retrieved another book from the bag Lily had brought. This time, it appeared to be a journal of poetry. Zari's sister-in-law had mentioned Zari played guitar and wrote songs, so he figured these were some of her creations.
He scooted a chair closer to her bed. "I understand you write music. I envy your ability. I don't have a musical bone in my body. If you wake up, maybe you could give me some guitar lessons. I've always fantasized about being a rock star."
That got a smile from her and Gabriel laughed. She didn't even know him but knew that was a ridiculous notion. "Hey, there's only one thing holding me back. Lack of talent."
Another smile.
He fanned the pages, stopping at random. "This looks interesting. You Give me Asthma."
My love for you will always prevail
Even if I struggle to inhale
You give me asthma
Gabriel stopped and leaned forward, laughing. "That's funny."
Zari made a little sound. Something between a grunt and moan.
"Oh, sorry. For all I know you mean it to be humorous. I'll go with that." He straightened in his chair and continued, trying his best not to smile – even if she couldn't see it.
Once he finished, Gabriel shot up from the chair and rushed into the hallway, doing his best to stifle his laughter until out of her earshot. If this wasn't meant to be a joke, she was an awful writer. Evidently, it was written in jest. Had to be. He leaned against the wall, trying to pull himself back together. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. Especially if this was a serious attempt.
Once he'd regained control, he went back inside and sat again. "Let's try another one." He turned a few pages and read.
Bad luck follows me like a shadow
Even with my best effort
Nothing seems to matter
My heart, once again broken
Reasons and excuses left unspoken
When I gave my heart freely
I wish I had known
You'd take and use it
Then leave me alone
Something twisted in Gabriel's chest. Even if the poem wasn't that good, he felt her pain. He knew all too well the emotions brought on by betrayal. He wondered how many times she'd been hurt. The prose said once again. By the same guy? A different one? The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to know. And that bothered him more than he liked.
*
Zari struggled to open her eyes. Why was he reading crappy poetry to her? That's the last thing she wanted to hear. Instead, she wanted to hear more about Robbie and Elyza, and their lust and longing. The type of story that made Zari's skin feel warm and fuzzy. Robbie's declarations of love and Elyza's expressions of devotion.
More description of Elyza's hair trailing down Robbie's body and his lips moving over her with precision. Their hearts racing and heads spinning until they lost all sense of reason, tangling together with abandon. Trapped in each other's arms. Yeah, that's what Zari needed to hear. A story of desire and passion. A thirst only love could quench.
The four-letter word caused goosebumps. She'd fantasized about being adored the same way Robbie cherished Elyza. Someone who'd put her first. A guy she could depend on no matter what.
Why couldn't she open her eyes? Even when she did, spots danced before her. Bright flashes of primary colors filling her vision like fireworks. In her current state, she didn't know for sure when she was dreaming or if things were really happening. Like now, she wasn't sure if he was really here or just her imagination. It's something her mind would definitely conjure, a beautiful freckled man with too-long curly black hair and kissable lips. If he'd only touch her, she'd know. Because every time he did, an electrical current zapped through her body.
She'd really like to stare into his dark eyes one more time. Feel his strong arms around her. Press into his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. Run her fingers through those dark locks. Oh God, she'd love to do that. And she wouldn't mind a few stubble burns on her skin, here and there. Mostly there. She didn't think it was possible to be so attracted to someone's voice, either, but his was a deep sexual masterpiece. She could probably get off on that alone.
She'd picked up some information from the women who came into her room each day. Zari knew she was in the hospital. Why she wasn't sure. Head trauma. That's what they'd said, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember it happening. Must not have been too bad, or she would recall the ordeal. So, if it wasn't serious, it was just a matter of time until she woke.
*
It wasn't until an hour later that he realized that something was happening with Zari, and he needed to stop it. He was beginning to care too much. As soon as she woke and her life got back to normal, she'd go home to Dallas. Back to the boyfriend her sister-in-law had mentioned. So, Zari and her guy may have had an argument, but all couples did. Probably just a lovers' spat, and as soon as the guy found out his girl was in trouble, he'd show up here. Even if they were fighting, you didn't just abandon the person you claimed to love. Surely her family had called him and told him what was going on? Her guy would come, and Gabriel really wanted to be out of the picture before that happened.
Maybe the connection was because of the poem. It hit a nerve with him for sure. Rosie had used every form of betrayal a person could, and time after time, he'd believed her lies. Wanted to trust her even when everyone around him told him it was a mistake. He should have listened, but he'd loved her. So much. Too much. Should have hated her. But even after all she did to him, he couldn't. It would have been easier if he had.
The elevator dinged and broke his concentration. Good. The way he'd been dwelling on the past for the last two days didn't solve anything. He had enough to deal with babysitting a comatose stranger. A week. He'd give it a week. After that, he was done.
Hell, he had a fence to build. Rugs to buy. Boxes to unpack. Ridiculous foo-foo to distribute. The thought caused him to laugh out loud. Already feeling better, he made his way across the parking lot and got inside his truck. Maybe he'd stop by Grillenium Falcon for a beer. Call Cole to meet him there. Gabriel needed to get a report about his friend's date anyway.
He drove past the baseball field, glancing at the scoreboard emblazoned with the three-headed Cereberus, the mascot of PPHS – something he'd never understood. They had used to be Savages, with depictions of painted Native Americans, but after a student protest that made HuffPost, the school was forced to change it.
Lately, he'd had fleeting moments of nostalgia, wishing he could return to those carefree days. Afternoon games. Cheering fans. Before everything went to hell with Rosie.
Further down, he turned onto Main Street, scrounged around in the seat for the bottle of antacids he kept in the truck, flipped the plastic lid open, titled it up and shook two tablets into his mouth. The container was almost empty, so he wheeled into the Quick Mart. The way his stomach had been acting up, he couldn't afford to be without the pills. Probably not a good idea to chase them with beer, but what the hell? Maybe one wouldn't hurt.
When he pushed open the door, the attendant glanced up and smiled. She'd been one year behind him in school, he'd remembered, but her name was lost on him. "Hey. How's it going?"
"Pretty slow for a Sunday. What are you up to?"
He strolled to the drug section, grabbed the brand he needed, then met her at the counter. "Meeting Cole for a beer."
"You seeing anybody?"
The question and the quiver in her voice caught him off guard. Wasn't sure if she was coming on to him or thinking about fixing him up. Damn. He hated blind dates. The memory of the last one he'd had caused his stomach to burn even more. Yessica. He'd never forget her name. In town visiting relatives, he'd let Mom talk him into taking the girl to dinner. Ten minutes into the date, Yessica launched into a detailed description of her diet and exercise routine. Honest to God, Gabriel thought she might demonstrate yoga positions right there in the restaurant.
He took a deep breath and decided to use his goodwill to its full extent. "I just started seeing someone." Not a total lie. "How about you?"
She dangled her left hand in the air and wiggled her fingers, light catching the engagement ring. Which was surprising given the meager size of the stone. "I'm engaged. You remember Myles?"
"Sure."
She rang the sale, took Gabriel's money, then handed him his change. "Yeah, well he's out now. We're getting married in June. Anyway, his second cousin will be here next week and I promised I'd get her a date."
What Gabriel was about to do was wrong, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity. "You know who you should ask? Riley."
Her eyes bugged. "Oh my Lord! I hadn't thought of him. He'd be perfect." She swatted the air and shook her head. "Not that you're not perfect. Because you are. You always have been."
"It's okay. I'm not offended. Glad to help."
On the way to his truck, Gabriel chuckled. As much as Gabriel liked his friend, he enjoyed busting his balls even more.
The first thing Gabriel noticed when he stepped inside Grillenium Falcon was Cole leaned back in a wooden chair with his feet propped in another. Sprawled in front of the big screen only regarding the Alabama/Auburn game impassively as if he was already nursing a hangover.
Gabriel got a beer at the bar and strolled to where Cole sat. "Rough night?"
"No, just a late one. How'd it go at the hospital?"
Gabriel pulled out a chair and slumped into it, then took a long pull from his bottle. Dealing with Zari's family was starting to eat up entire afternoons. He couldn't keep it up much longer. Eventually, she was going to wake up, or not, and he didn't want to deal with that. He sighed. "Went okay. I read, and she slept. The usual weirdness."
"According to what you said, she must be able to hear what's going on around her even if she is unconscious. That's good, right?"
Gabriel paused to watch Auburn run a play, then went back to the conversation. "Yeah. She usually opens her eyes once or twice, but it's like she's just staring into space. Not really seeing anything. Dr. Lewis says that's an indication she may be coming out of it."
"Damn! He should have caught that pass. Auburn can't do shit lately." Cole swigged his beer. "You going to keep seeing her until she wakes up?" He grabbed some peanuts from the metal bucket in the center of the table, broke one open and dropped the hulls on the floor.
That's one thing Gabriel liked about the place: by the end of each evening, the whole area was covered in discarded shells adding to the rustic décor. He wondered if the owner considered them foo-foo?
"What are you smiling about?" Cole asked.
"Something Mom said. She's after me to get my house decorated. But back to your question. Maybe a week. Two at the most. Hell, this could go on for months. I can't commit to that much time."
"Yeah, I already heard there's a big storm brewing up east. If they have a major power outage, we may get some travel time."
Gabriel chuckled. "Oh, I threw Riley's name into a hat for a blind date."
"No, Shit."
When Gabriel finished with the story, Cole leaned his head back, and belly laughed. "Oh man, I hope he accepts, and she turns out to be a nightmare. Riley thinks he's so smooth and such a lady's man, I'd love to see him handle a bad situation."
Gabriel snorted, glad to talk about someone else for a change. "Could backfire on me. She might turn out to be perfect and then I'll be sorry I didn't get her." He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
Cole set his bottle on the table and reached for more nuts. "Speaking of dating. Who is the guy Silbie is seeing?"
Gabriel cocked his head. "What are you talking about?"
"On my way to church, I saw her in the park with some dude I didn't recognize." Cole shrugged and took a swig of his drink.
"Probably just someone she was talking to," he paused, considering. "Since when did you start going to church?"
"Hey, I'm dating Ellie. Church is apparently part of the deal." He shook his head. "You may be right about Silbie, but it sure looked like they were together."
He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, together?" He didn't know about Silbie having a new boyfriend. Of course, after last time, she wouldn't tell him.
Cole took another lengthy sip, undoubtedly knowing where this conversation was headed. Anyone who knew the Luna siblings knew how protective Gabriel was of his sister. "They were sitting next to one another. On a bench. Talking. Looked like a serious conversation."
"How'd he look?" he quizzed.
"I don't know. Tall. Hot. Tatted."
"Older?" he pressed.
Cole shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"Son of a bitch." He slid back with enough force to scrape the chair against the concrete loudly.
Cole patted down his beanie, as if he was afraid Gabriel's anger would dislodge the cap right off his head. "I take it you know him and don't approve."
Gabriel jumped to his feet, rooting around in his wallet for a bill. "If it's who I think it is, damn right I don't."
________________________
Haha. Gabe def aint pleased by these new revelations. Poor dude.