Chapter 10
Gabby
Gabby kissed Logan goodbye and held onto him tightly for a moment, not wanting to let him go. It was getting harder and harder to say goodnight at the end of their evenings which had become an everyday thing over the past several days. It was really starting to feel right and she felt closer to him than she had ever anticipated she would feel based on her first impressions of him. But little by little she continued to pull back the layers revealing the warm heart that he seemed so desperate to hide. She wondered what pain he’d been through, what had kept his warmth so tucked away and hidden from the outside world. He would tell her eventually she knew. She would just have to wait and see.
He walked back around his car, got in, and gave her his customary smile and wave before pulling away without even waiting for her response. She wasn’t sure if that was just a genuine gesture of contentment on his part and confidence in what they had or if he was afraid to show any vulnerability and had to stop himself before it happened.
Gabby tried not to overanalyze this thing that they had too intensely because she knew it would just send her on an even bigger emotional rollercoaster than she was already on. And that would lead to disastrous consequences. Everything would come in time.
Gabby watched the taillights of his car fade away as he rounded the corner onto the main drive and then she slowly walked up the walkway to the front door of her father’s ranch style home. It was getting late and she knew he would probably be in bed now. His night nurse would be reading a Stephen King novel as she had been every single night this week and would be glad to finally be relieved of her duties. It was a blessing that she and Gabby’s father got along so well, which took a huge burden off Gabby’s shoulders.
Gabby stretched slightly as she reached the small porch and yawned. She was tired. These long days at work (even though she loved the new position she was in and thought she was doing pretty well at it) combined with the beautiful nights spent with Logan were starting to take their toll. She wouldn’t have changed any of it for the world but she was really feeling a bit run down. It was time for a rest, but she did not want to rock the boat or slow the momentum down a bit, not when everything was going so well.
She supposed for now she would suck it up and be grateful.
“Wow, long day?”
The voice came out of the shadows. Her father had forgotten the porch light again and she started to stumble down the two steps that led down to the sidewalk but luckily was able to throw her arm out and grab one of the beams supporting the porch roof and brace herself.
Just then a figure stepped out of the shadows of the porch into the beam of light that was being cast by the streetlamp right across the street.
It was Adam.
“Jesus! You scared me to death. I almost broke my ankle,” Gabby shouted.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to intrude on you and your… um… date. I thought you could see me when you got close enough.”
Gabby stood on the steps for a moment to regain her composure and fight the urge to slap the head off Adam’s shoulders.
“What the hell are you doing here? It’s almost midnight.”
“I was waiting for you,” Adam said.
His voice sounded a bit shaky and as she looked more closely at him his eyes seemed to be having a hard time really focusing on any one thing. They kept darting around to her and then the surroundings on a nonstop loop. It was odd.
“Are you drunk?” Gabby asked.
She took a deep breath and smelled the whiskey answering her own question.
“No, I just wanted to see you. I mean, what am I supposed to do? You won’t return any of my calls. This is the only way I could get you to talk to me.”
“You are drunk. I told you it was over. Adam, why can’t you just let it go? We were high school sweethearts. Our life paths are going in completely opposite directions. We just aren’t compatible anymore. I tried to let you down easy, but you wouldn’t listen to me. It is over. There is nothing else to be said about it.”
“You are wrong,” Adam said. “We can work this out. I believe the love we have is stronger than this. I know we can make this work. You have to just trust me.”
“Trust you? Adam, I don’t even know who you are anymore. Every time I have talked to you it’s obvious you are inebriated and just acting really out of character. I am so sorry that this is so hard for you. I never wanted to hurt you. That’s the last thing in the world I would ever want to do, but there is only so much I can hold myself responsible for. You need to talk to someone.”
“I’m talking to you,” Adam said. “You’re the only one who can help me.”
“Adam, you need professional help. Talk to a counselor or someone. Please, you need it.”
Adam was tearing up a bit and he wiped at his eyes angrily causing Gabby to wince. He didn’t seem to notice that he had basically punched himself in the eyes.
“You just don’t get it,” Adam said. “You just don’t understand!”
He was getting loud.
“Adam, what am I not getting? What are you talking about?”
“You are mine; I am yours. That is all there is. And nothing you say or do will ever change that. You can’t change something that is meant to be just because of how you happen to feel today. No! You will be with me.”
Gabby took a step to the side past him getting closer to the porch, but she did not go to unlock the door just yet. She was afraid he might freak out and attack her. It was unreal; she was actually afraid of Adam, the sweet boy next door she’d grown up with and shared so many pivotal firsts of her life with. He was scaring her to death. What in the world had happened to him? She couldn’t be totally to blame for this. Could she?
Just then the porch light turned on and the door opened up. Her father’s nurse, Joanne was standing there looking very concerned. Adam quickly retreated down the steps to widen the distance between himself and Gabby. He put a smile on his face and tried to act like they were just having a friendly conversation.
“Is everything ok?” Joanne asked.
“Everything is cool,” Adam slurred. “How are you ma’am?”
“Gabby?” Joanne asked again.
“Yeah. Adam was just leaving,” Gabby said.
Gabby opened the screen door and stepped inside locking it.
“Adam, it is over between us. Do not contact me again. If I have to I’ll get a restraining order. Do you understand?” Gabby said.
She didn’t even wait for him to respond before closing the door in his face.
Gabby took a deep breath and leaned against the door.
“That boy sounds like he needs some help,” Joanne said.
“Yeah,” Gabby agreed. “He sure does.”