Page 70 of Gabriel's Album

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine. How was Cooper?” she replies in a croaky voice.

“Ugh, I don’t even want to talk about it.”

I stride over to her and wrap my arms around her, crushing her to me, and I feel her body relax into my embrace as she sighs deeply.

Everything around us is messed up, but it’s as though those problems don’t exist when it's just her and me. I revel in the feeling of holding her in my arms while I push away any of the concerns that I have about us. Right now, she’s with me in this moment, and that’s all that matters.

11

The Eleventh Song

Ariana isquiet as we eat our room-service breakfast, and I look at her with a frown on my face. “Are you okay?”

She looks up at me like a deer caught in headlights before smiling at me.

“Kind of. I’ve got a pretty bad headache.”

I’m scared that she’s going to bail on our excursion today, but I don’t say anything. I lean over and kiss her temple instead.

“That sucks. Hopefully it goes away quickly. Maybe take some painkillers or something before we go?” I suggest.

“Yeah, probably a good idea,” she says and shrugs noncommittally.

Ariana is still eating when I finish my breakfast, so I say, “I’ll take the first shower, I guess?”

“Yeah, do that. I’ll take some painkillers and see if it fixes my headache.”

I nod, kiss her again, and head to the shower. The whole time I’m showering, I can’t get the idea out of my head that Ariana is going to ditch us today. She’s been skipping a lot of events lately, and I don’t know why.

She spends a lot of time in her room writing, but it feels like an excuse a lot of the time. That wall is back up between us. Occasionally, when it’s just us, I can get through to her, and it soothes me. It’s those times that keep me going; they remind me of why I love her and want to be with her.

But it scares me because whenever the wall is up, I’m worried she’ll run away from the other side of it, and I won’t be able to even chase her.

I try not to think about it as I pull on my jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. A smile comes over my face, and excitement hits me. We’re going to the zoo today. Sierra has literally rented out the entire thing, so it’ll just be us there. No paparazzi, no fans, we’ve got free run of the place, and I feel like a kid.

“Ariana?” I call as I make my way into the sitting area of the suite to see her lying on the sofa. “The shower’s free. You’d better hurry; we have to leave soon.”

“I’m sorry, Gabriel…” she trails off, and I feel ice flood through my veins.

“Sorry forwhat, Ariana?” I ask in a cold tone.

“My head is pounding; I really can’t come today.” She glances away from me with a guilty look on her face.

“Please don’t do this, Ari,” I say quietly.

“I’ll just be a downer if I come. It’s better for you to go and have fun without me. Then, hopefully, my headache will be gone by the time you get back.”

Immediately, my excitement for the day dissipates. I’m faced with a day without her doing this amazing thing that I’ve never gotten to do before. Sure, I’ve been to the zoo, but never as the only guests of the place. I’ve been excited for today all week.

“Please reconsider. I know that having a headache sucks, but it’ll probably get better, and I really want you to come.”

“I’m sorry, Gabriel. I’m just not feeling well enough to go.” She stands up and walks over to me before wrapping her arms around me and kissing me. “I do love you, and I wish I could spend the day with you, but my head is absolutely killing me.”

As usual, having her in my arms soothes something deep inside of me. I sigh and pull her closer to me. I kiss her, and she parts her lips, allowing my tongue into her mouth. I place one hand on her ass as we kiss, and I tangle my other hand in her hair.

When we pull apart, I place my forehead against hers. I’m breathing heavily as I say, “Okay, Ari. I love you too. I’ll see you later.”

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