The City Calls to Her

Rachel stepped out of her car and put her sunglasses on the dashboard. She shut her car door, locked it and walked up to the Leone house. She quickly knocked four times and took a step back. Nathan answered the door.

"Rachel, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Can we talk for a minute?" she questioned back.

Nathan stepped outside and shut the door behind him. "Okay…" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry. I'm sorry about the way things ended between us and the way our relationship turned out. I just…I'm sorry about everything."

"I honestly don't know what to say." Nathan ran his fingers through his hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, if anything, I probably owe you answers."

"Did you ever love me and do you love him?"

Rachel thought for a moment before answering. "No and no." She told half a lie and shook her head. "I liked you a lot but I wouldn't call it love. As for Gabe, I have strong feelings for him but I kind of don't think we'd be together for a long time. After all he is going to college in the fall. Why would he want to get involved with someone like me when he's going to have all those girls around?”

"Anyone would be lucky to be involved with you. You have your flaws but you're great."

Rachel wasn't sure what to take that remark as. She knew he was talking about her infidelity.

"Uh…thanks…I guess." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Nathan, dad said you have to come back in and help finish," Matt said as he stuck his head outside the door.

"All right. I guess I'll see you later then," Nathan said and went back inside.

"I guess so," she mumbled to herself and walked back to her car.

* * * * *

Rachel parked her car in her driveway and got out. She waved to her mom who was watering the flowers and ran across the street to Gabe's house. He opened the door before she even knocked. He let her inside.

"So, how'd it go?" Gabe asked as he sat back on the couch.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Fine I guess."

"Did he ask you about anything?"

"He just asked if I ever loved him and if I love you."

"What'd you say?"

"I told him that I didn't love him."

"And me?"

"Does it matter?"

"I don't know, maybe. I thought it was a pretty legit question." Gabe shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I don't know," Rachel said as she sat next to Gabe. He put his arm around her and kissed her. It wasn't long before he was lying on top of her with his hands up her shirt.

"Come on you guys. Knock it off." They both quickly sat up and looked at his mom.

"Sorry," Rachel quietly apologized.

Gabe on the other hand made a joke out of it. "She's a real keeper mom!"

Mrs. Saporta hit him in the back of the head with one of the couch pillows she picked up off the floor. She set it on the couch next to her oldest son. "Did you send your applications in to the colleges?"

"Yeah, I sent them all out yesterday."

"Good," she said and walked away. As soon as she was out of the room, Gabe started kissing on her again.

“Your mom's in the other room," Rachel said and pushed him away.

Gabe sat back and thought about the question Nathan had asked Rachel. "Hey Rachel, can I ask you something?"

"What?" she asked as she sat back next to him and he put his arm back around her neck.

"Last week, when we were up in your room, did you mean it?"

"What are you talking about?"

Gabe sighed. "When I came over to check on you and just before we started to get busy, you told me you loved me. Did you mean it?"

"Did you mean it?"

"I asked you first."

"I don't know Gabe. I really don't know. You gotta remember though, Nathan had just broken up with me and I was hurting and vulnerable as hell."

"Oh."

"Now did you mean it?"

"I don't know either. I mean, I knew you were hurt and vulnerable and maybe I said it back because I wanted you to feel better. Maybe I really do love you. I don't know Rachel." Gabe shrugged his shoulders. Rachel turned her body towards him and reached over and put her hand on the side of his face.

"Maybe one day we'll figure it out," she whispered.

"Maybe hopefully one day soon," he whispered back as she climbed onto his lap. He pushed her hair off her shoulders.

After a few minutes, Mrs. Saporta walked back into the living room. "Oh come on! You guys are killing me!"

Gabe and Rachel pulled apart and Rachel sat on the couch.

"Rachel, are you staying for dinner?"

"Actually I was just about to leave. I have a ton of homework to do."

"All right. Well it was nice seeing you dear."

"You too, Mrs. Saporta." Rachel waited until she was out of the room before she leaned over and kissed
Gabe. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll call you before you go to sleep." She nodded her head and he kissed her. He watched her walk out the door.

"Gabe, do you love her?" his mom asked him. Gabe didn't know she had heard their entire conversation.

Gabe thought for a minute. "I think I do mom."

"So why didn't you tell her?"

"She obviously doesn't feel the same way so it wouldn't have mattered." He got up and went upstairs to his room.

* * * * *

"Where were you this morning?" Gabe asked as Rachel walked to their table in Music Theory. She set her stuff down and took a seat. She adjusted her hoody so she wasn't sitting on it.

"I had a doctor's appointment. My mom figured it out about us and she's making me take the pill now. I guess just to be on the safe side anyway." Rachel shrugged her shoulders and started tapping her pencil on the table.

"My mom knows about us too. She overheard our conversation the other day and she brought it up before I went to bed."

"My mom didn't even tell me how she figured it out. She was like, 'Rachel, I'm a mother, I just know. When you become one, then you'll know.'" She did her best imitation of her mom.

Gabe laughed. "Yeah, your mom kinda does sound like that."

"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here until Friday." They both stopped laughing when Gabe's hand touched hers. They both just looked at their hands and then at each other. Luckily Mrs. Belt and Mr. Hernandez decided to walk in at that moment.