Page 25 of Marry Your Best Friend

She yells the last part, and the people all around us stop talking and look at us. Chrissy’s face is bright red, and I should feel like an ass because I’m glad she just announced I slept in her bed. It will be all through town before the end of the day tomorrow.

She leans closer and starts to whisper. “Gabe, we can’t keep going on like this. It’s like you’ve put your life on hold for me, and that’s not right.”

I reach for her, and she pulls her hand back. “No, listen to me. Do you remember the first time I was supposed to be adopted and I ran away because I didn’t want to go?”

With my stomach in knots, I nod. I hate thinking about our past. Growing up for us was hard, but the fact I had Chrissy and my brother andfoster brothers made it easier. Still, none of us want to think about our lives in the foster home.

“You promised me then that you wouldn’t let them take me. You promised me that you would always take care of me. You were twelve years old at the time, and thinking about it now, that was a huge promise to make as a twelve-year-old boy.”

I squeeze my fists. “What are you saying, Chrissy?”

She lifts her head, and I can see the quiver of her chin. “It means that it’s time I release you from your promise.”

I shake my head. “Fuck that.”

She holds a hand up. “Gabe, listen to me.”

I reach for her this time, grab her hand, and hold it between both of mine. “No, you listen to me. You can ask me to do a lot of things, but stopping me from protecting you is not one of them.”

She looks so sad. “Gabriel, I’m not asking you to stop protecting me. I’m asking you to move on with your life. I don’t want to hold you back, and you deserve to be happy.”

“You’re not holding me back… I am happy.”

She shakes her head. “You know what I mean.”

She pulls her hands back from mine and crossesher arms over her chest again. “We need a break, Gabriel.”

Panic starts to set in, and I grip the edge of the table. Everything inside of me is telling me to pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and carry her out of here. Should I tell her that I love her? And not just how a foster brother loves a foster sister. This is different, and just the thought of losing her is making me crazy. “No.”

She blinks at me, confused. “No? What do you mean, no?”

I point between the two of us. “It means that a break is not an option for us.”

Right at that moment, my phone starts to ring, and I hit the decline button without even looking at it. Not a second later, my phone rings again. “What?”

“Hey boss! Two crews are out, and we have another call. There’s a wreck out near the highway. Want me to have Jasper’s Fire Department take it?”

“Where at on the highway?”

“At the edge of Whiskey Run.”

Fuck! “We’ll take it. I’ll be there in five.” I hang up the phone. “I have to go.”

Chrissy has already stood up, and she walks with me through the bar and outside. She doesn’targue with me when I walk her to her car. She opens the door, and before she gets in, she tells me, “Be careful, Gabe.”

I nod. “This isn’t over. We’re not on a break. I’ll talk to you soon.”

I wait until she’s in her seat, and I shut the door. I want to kiss her. I want to tell her I love her and that’s why a break is not going to work for me, but I can’t do that right now. No, I have to go to work. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be talking to her later because it’s time to come clean. There’s no way I can stand by and watch her with another man. Never again.

11

CHRISSY

I check my phone again, and when I don’t see a missed call or text from Gabe, I huff and stuff it back in my pocket. I had figured he would come by the house last night after he went on his call, but he never showed up. I was able to get it through the grapevine that the wreck shut down the highway for almost ten hours and we have six new patients at the hospital from it.

I hated the way last night ended. I should have told him to forget what I said, but I didn’t, and so I regretted it last night. Of course, I want Gabe to be happy and I don’t want to interfere with his relationships, but I don’t want us to be on a break. I honestly don’t know what I’d do with myself if I didn’t have Gabe in my life.

I take a drink from my water bottle as Bethany comes in. “There you are.”

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