by Christa Lynn
“No Gabe, you loved me.”
He pulls back and looks at me with surprise, and I realize I’ve stepped over the line. I need to work on not getting overcome with emotion.
“You’re right Sydney, I do love you.” He whispers has his hand gently cups my cheek and he kisses me before I can respond.
“You love me?” I ask.
“More than you’ll ever know. I know it’s soon, I know it’s probably too much right now, but I wanted you to know.”
I smile against his mouth, “I already knew.”
“How?”
I chuckle as he sits up, his body separating from mine.
“You came for me, Gabe. I knew when you came barging into that grimy motel room, I knew then you love me.”
He smiles before he says, “I knew it long before that Sydney. Long before that.”
His eyes stay on mine as he waits. I know what he’s waiting for, and while saying those words scare the shit out of me, I know it needs to be said.
“I love you, Gabe. Thank you for saving me and for loving me.”
He smiles as his lips press against mine, harder and deeper than before. He rolls us over and cradles me in his arms, his fingers tangling in my hair. But we don’t speak, not for a while. We just lay there in each other’s arms.
Then a thickness invades the air, but neither of us speaks. Reality has come back and discussions need to be had, but right now it’s just us.
“We’ll take this slow, Sydney. You have a long road ahead of you. CPD still needs your statement, since you split before they could speak to you. And you need to go visit your family, to make peace with them.”
“And I have a tattoo to get removed.” I say brushing the ugly serpent behind my ear.
“What about the one on your hip?” Gabe asks me.
“I’ll keep that one, it symbolizes my survival. But this ugly snake has to go.” I chuckle.
“I can take you to Chicago, when you’re ready.” He whispers.
“I know. We’ll go soon, but not right now. Right now, I just want to lay here with you and not think about the past. Our future is ahead of us, and that’s all I want to focus on right now.
You and me. Not Franco, not Stephan and certainly not my father. Right now, in this room there’s you and me. No one will ever come between us, not again Gabe.”
He kisses me on the top of my head.
“No, never again.”
The End
Other works by Christa Lynn
Running from Destiny - Book 1 of the Destined Series
Accepting Destiny - Book 2 of the Destined Series
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Continue reading for a glance at Running from Destiny.
Running from Destiny
Chapter 1
“C’mon, you’re going with me.” Heather told me as she packed for her trip to Miami.
“No, Heather, I’m not. I have to work. I can’t just take time off on a whim like you can. I have bills to pay and a job I need to keep.” I replied with a bit of sarcasm in my voice.
I am Ally Sanders, and I have no life.
Well, not an interesting life anyway. I’m overweight, single and broke. I’ve got a decent job as an Administrative Assistant to the CFO of Robertson Industries, but it barely pays my bills.
And that’s just the way I like it.
“C’mon Al, live a little!” Her eyes bored into me.
“Heather, you are a model slash fashion guru heading into one of the most important times in your career. You’ll be there primping and scooting along that runway having the time of your life. What exactly am I supposed to do while you’re off being beautiful and living your dream?
I don’t belong in that world, and you know it.” I sighed.
“Stupid, that’s what you are, Ally. You’re a gorgeous woman, and I’m totally surprised that a plus sized modeling agency hasn’t gobbled you up.” She glared at me while she said that, I just chuckled under my breath.
“Yeah, okay. Whatever you say Miss Optimistic.” I said back to her. “I’m not exactly plus size, either H. At least I don’t think I am. Am I?”
“See, that’s your problem Missy Miss, no self-esteem what-so-ever. Your glass is always half empty instead of half full. You need to get off your ass, have some fun, forget that bastard Ryan, and move on. He was an idiot and wouldn’t know the first thing on how to treat a lady. You’re better off without that douche bag.”
Heather Langley is always so uppity. She’s also anxious, exciting and lives life without regrets. I envy her, because I’m the exact opposite. Maybe that’s why we’re such good friends.
She has no problems calling me to the carpet.
She’s tall and thin, probably five foot six and built like a brick shit house, whatever that means. Tan, sleek and a natural blonde. I know, because she could care less who sees her naked.
I, on the other hand, am five foot three and a size fourteen with big boobs and a matching big butt. No figure whatsoever. Heather is an hourglass. I’m just a glass, a plain ole water glass.
But I am happy with who I am. Most of the time anyway, or at least I thought I was. The only thing I’ve got going for me are my eyes, a light blue with golden flecks scattered about.
I’ve got shoulder length straight brown hair which is all one length and quite plain compared to her long blonde locks that settle at the small of her back. Damn, we really are the polar opposite of each other. But we have been friends since high school, when Michael Jameson purposely slammed into me in the math hall, just so I’d drop my books and look like an idiot.
She came to my rescue, cussing at the stupid jock that thought he owned the school. The whole football team thought they were God’s gift to women when, in fact, they were all assholes.
But, the majority of the cheerleading squad swooned and giggled whenever they were around.
Heather helped me pick up my books and papers that had spread over the entire hall way.
She then proceeded to ask me to join her and the other cheerleaders at their table at lunch. I was flattered, but in way over my head. I thanked her for her help and then politely declined lunch knowing how awkward that would have been. But she insisted and defended me to all the other giggly, whiny cheerleaders. It turned out to be the best day of my life, so far anyway.
We ended up at the University of Georgia together and our friendship continued to bloom through exams, bad boyfriends and crappy one night stands. We were both there for each other when we needed it the most, which was often.
“C’mon girl, you have never taken a vacation. Your boss is a gem, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you taking a long weekend to hit the baddest city in the world. Take a chance, Al. Live a little would ya?” Heather begged.
I glared at her with steely eyes. I’m good at that. She flinched, but smiled when I finally agreed. “Fine, what should I pack?” I responded on a huff.
“Well, for starters, you will pack nothing that is in your closet. You wear frumpy suits and long skirts that cover all of your assets.” She said while peering at my ass. “So, we’re going shopping.”
“No no, H, I can’t afford to go shopping. I am already struggling to pay my credit card bill off from that damn washing machine I had to buy last month when it flooded the laundry room.”
I was determined to win this argument, even though the look on Heather’s face said otherwise.
“Fuck that, come on.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door.
The next thing I know we’re at the Mall of Georgia. I called my boss and told him I was taking some much needed R&R and would see him on Monday. Surprisingly enough, he was all for it. “Enjoy, Ally. You deserve it. Have fun, be safe and I’ll see you on Monday.”
Being an administrative assistant, my boss was on speed dial so he could be reached at any given momen
t. Which was great, but I too was on his speed dial, meaning he could call me at any given time, at any given hour. I didn’t mind it usually. As I said before, I have no life. I had no idea how my life was about to change.
We shopped until we dropped. Dillards, Nordstrom and every little boutique store in between. I may be short and round, but Heather has this fashion sense about her that had me wrapped me in clothing I would have never bought for myself. I have to admit, I looked and felt good. I guess her Fashion Design degree is paying off for her.
Skinny jeans, cute ruffled tops, shorts and the most amazing cocktail dress. “What do I need this for, Heather? I’ll be in the hotel the whole time you are out strutting your stuff.”
“Oh hell no you won’t, you’re going to be sitting at the bar with me, in that HOT little number and those black strappy sandals that you have right there.” She pointed at the Nordstrom bag in my hand, “And you’re going to have a good time. Maybe even get laid.” She gleamed, so sure of herself.
“Ha!! Laid? Are you kidding me?” I exclaimed. “I am not getting laid, no way, no how.
End of story.” I glared back at her.
“Hmph, we’ll see about that.” She smiled coyly back at me.
After a quick bite to eat in the food court, we headed home. My apartment is across the street from the mall, but since traffic is so heavy in the evenings, we drove her little Prius and it still takes us 15 minutes. We could have walked in that time.
