Page 46 of Gabriel's Salvation

“So you'll help me?” he says, sounding unusually hopeful.

“No…” I see his face drop. “...but I will help her. She deserves some sort of apology for tonight. You, you need to decide what the fuck you want and how the fuck to earn back her trust.”

–Hey Riley, I'm beyond sorry for tonight. You don't deserve anything that happened. I know I hurt you and for that I'm beyond sorry. But I want you to know that what happened meant something to me. You mean something to me. I'm so sorry for what Kelly said to you. I'd like to say it's a lie, but unfortunately then I'd be lying too. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but I’m going to try and earn it anyway. -Gabe

“Here,” I snap as I thrust the phone back into his hand before heading into my room and closing the door.

Chapter Seventeen

Gabe

Ihead to bed, re-reading Nate's message again and again. He made me sound like a pathetic little bitch.

I drift off to sleep and wake up somewhere around 4 a.m. Reaching for my phone I unlock it and look straight at the messages. No reply.

I call her phone and she answers on the fourth ring “Riley, it’s Gabe…'' I manage to say before the line goes dead. Strange. I try again this time she answers on the second ring. “Riley, it’s Ga..” again the phone goes dead. Wait, is she hanging up on me? I try one last time and this time she answers straight away. “Gabe, I don't want to talk to you, goodbye.” And the phone goes dead again. I try again and it goes straight to voicemail, letting me know she's either blocked me or turned her phone off.

I roll back over and fall back to sleep. When I wake up later I try her again but it's clear she's blocked my number as it doesn’t even let me leave a message now; it just tells me the number hasn't been reached.

“Nate?” I call as I make it to the kitchen. “Nate you in here?” I ask as I bang on the bathroom door. But he's nowhere to be seen. Getting out my phone I pull up Facebook, hoping to message her on there. But no matter how many times I type in her name I can't find her. I check out Nate’s profile since I know she was tagged in a picture on his, but the tag appears to have left. Fuck, did she block me from there, as well? Can you even block someone you're not friends with? I scroll through Nate’s pictures. The ones of him and Princess Isabella, and find her page. There are videos taken today of her, Nate, Riley and a few others all at the beach. I look through the pictures and find one of Riley on her own, sitting and reading under an umbrella. She's wearing that same swimsuit she wore the first time we hung out. I take a screenshot of it, then crop out the background and assign the picture to her contact.

Next, I crack open a beer and put on the TV. I try to distract myself with my favorite show but keep feeling this irrational annoyance every time I see Jax mother-fucking Teller, and remember how much Riley liked him. How she turned away from me to him that first night we spent together.

I open my phone again and like some sort of stalker, begin scrolling through Isabella's photos. More pictures at the beach. Pictures of her and Nate building a sand castle, pictures of some guy and girl kissing. A picture of Riley…what that's not Riley, it looks like Riley, but it's not. Remembering the fact that the first time I had Riley’s phone someone called Twinnie kept calling, and that Riley mentioned she has a sister. I'm assuming this must be her sister… shit, what was her name? Harley? No. Harpy? Who even gives a fuck?

I continue scrolling, almost giving up till I see a group picture of people building sand castles. I can see Isabella and Nate beside some random guy. Who the fuck is he? Riley's new boyfriend? He looks kind of familiar, but I don't know from where. Then Riley and her sister. I zoom in and realize it's the sister facing the camera and Riley on her knees digging. I zoom in further and notice an unmistakable bruise poking out of the bottom of her swimsuit. Right on her ass. I feel a mixture of pride and guilt knowing she's walking around with a physical reminder of our night together.

I check the time stamp on the phone. The picture was posted less than twenty minutes ago. I grab my shoes and make my way to my bike. I drive, much faster than legal, to get to the beach. When I get there I make my way down to the beach. I check the phone again. There's a picture posted of them just a few minutes ago and behind them you can see rocks, letting me know they are on either edge. Shit, which way do I go? Looking left, I notice the end of the beach is far away, out of eyesight, but on the right, it's not that far, plus there seem to be shops and bars nearby. Taking my chances, I head that way. As I do, I eventually find Riley sitting alone on a rock. I peer around and see the rest of her friends all laughing and squealing in the water, but Riley's all alone.

“Riley,” I say softly as I reach her, but as soon as she looks up and sees me she tries to slide off the rock. “Fuck!” she gasps before rubbing her hand against her ass.

“Does it still hurt?” I ask as I carefully lift her off the rock and place her feet back on the sand.

“What my ass, my pussy, or my heart?” she snaps back coldly.

“Erm, all three I guess.”

“Yes, they all fucking hurt,” she snaps again, as she turns her back on me.

“Riley please, don't be like that,” I say, hating how pathetic and whiney my voice sounds.

“Like what? Hurt? Bruised? In pain?” she shouts. “No it’s good, now I have a physical reminder of how much you hurt me every time I sit down”

“Riley, it wasn't like that. It means you’re mine,” I try to explain but she cuts me off.

“Well, if being beaten and bruised, and being in pain is what it means to be yours, then I'm glad I never was,” she screams as she attempts to push me.

I reach out to grab her, to shake some sense into her, but instead, I see a fist coming towards my face. I move, but not quite quick enough as it just catches me on the tip of my chin.

“I don't know who the fuck you are, but keep your fucking hands off her!” the asshole from the pictures shouts, “and if I find out you’re the same dickhead that left those bruises on her, you'll have more than just me to deal with,” he screams in my face.

I swing my fist back ready to attack but Riley jumps in between us both. “Stop it!” she shouts. “You need to leave, now!” Wait, she wants me to leave?!

“Come on Rilez, he says, looping his arm around her shoulders.” I stand glued to the spot as she walks away, nestled up to him like he's some sort of hero. Is this her new boyfriend? Really? The blonde haired beach bum is who she traded me in for? Sure, he may have muscles but I’m guessing rather than spending the weekends being thrown around the bed, she’d be forced to watch him throw a football instead.

I keep staring at them, but she doesn't even look back at me once. Fuck her.

Riley

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