Page 113 of Gabriel's Salvation

“Yeah, we arrived and he’d pre-ordered us the Flash Pass tickets so we didn't even have to wait in the lines. We rode the roller coasters and the pirate ship followed by…”

I go into detail about all the rides and about how excited we both were. I explained that it was Gabe's first time there and that he was clearly nervous, but once we went on the first ride he was like an excited kid wanting to try each and every ride.

“And then we walked around the park holding hands for a while.”

“Gabe held your hand? Really? ” Izzy asks, sounding just as surprised, but excited as I was.

“I know, so unlike him but it just felt right,” I reply with a huge grin.

“Really holding hands? What's so surprising about that?” Ava asks as she rolls her eyes. Seriously if she doesn't fix her attitude, me and her are gonna be throwing hands in a minute.

“If you don't wanna listen, then close your ears,” I snap back.

“Oh, I wasn't trying to be a bitch, I was just asking.” Ava replies looking a bit shocked.

“This is the man who won't even let his brother hug him, Ava. Gabe has hated physical touch for as long as I've known him. I tried to hug him once as a kid and he pushed me away so hard I ended up tearing my skirt as I fell. Another time my hand grazed his as we both reached for the ketchup and he reacted like my touch set his hand on fire, so believe me, this is huge.” Izzy explains. My heart breaks that she so clearly wants to be friends with him, but he’s too angry to let her in. Maybe, just maybe, he will try now that we were able to talk and I asked him to see things differently.

I feel a mixture of emotions as Izzy speaks. I feel grateful to Izzy for having my back, yet oddly sad that she clearly cares so much about Gabe, despite the fact Gabe acts like he hates her. I also feel pride that Gabe is letting me in and growing as a person, but at the same time, sadness that he finds something so simple, so difficult.

“Oh, yeah I guess,” Ava replies with a shrug.

“What else did you do? You’ve been gone the whole weekend,” Harper asks.

“We ended up staying at that hotel, you know the one Mom and Dad used to take us to,” I say, turning towards my sister. “And then today we went for coffee and ended up catching a baseball game. Neither of us really understood the game, not properly, but we had fun stuffing our faces with hot dogs, and making up random names for the players to cheer for,” I say with a giggle as I think back to it. “Oh and let me tell you something else that happened; it was so funny…”

I tell the group all about us going on the teacups; it gets a few confused faces from Ava and Izzy until I explain the significance of it being my and Harper's childhood tradition. I then tell them about the joke I played on Gabe and how he felt the need to prove he was a better kisser.

“Damn girl, that sounds kinda hot. Funny as fuck, but also hot as hell” Ava chimes in.

“You don't know the half of it,” I say as I bite my lip and fan my face dramatically.

“Fucking tell us then,” Ava wines as she playfully hits me with a cushion.

“Let’s just put it this way, that man is a beast in bed,”

“Eww, I don't wanna know,” Harper says as she covers her ears.

“Then go get me a drink, because I sure as shit do,” Ava replies as she reaches for her empty glass and thrusts it towards my sister.

Harper pokes out her tongue but grabs hold of Ava’s glass and makes her way out the door anyway.

“So tell us, is he big? Bad? Is he as much of a freak in the sheets as he seems?” Ava says, virtually bouncing in excitement.

“He’s fucking wild!” I reply. “Take today for example, that man grabbed me by my throat, thrust me up..”

“By your throat?” Izzy gasps. “Are you okay?”

“This ‘lil slut is more than okay, I'm guessing. That’s hot!” Ava smirks.

“Damn right I am, so he had me pinned up the wall and he got out his belt.”

“A belt?” Izzy gasps again.

“Maybe you should go help Harper,” Ava says softly as she smiles at Izzy. They've barely been best friends for a few months, but already Ava has taken it upon herself to be the protective big sister.

“Erm, okay,” Izzy replies before scurrying off with a shocked and confused face.

“Okay, so now her innocent little ears have left, tell me what the fuck happened next.” Ava says, practically drooling in anticipation.

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