Slow Dancing in the Darkness

46: He’s Never Changed

“Noah’s down for the night” Lionel noted as he stepped into the kitchen, his dark eyes wandering over Gabriela’s frame approvingly. It had been a busy few weeks, after they’d found out that they were expecting a girl, they’d been preoccupied with moving home, but with things finally settled, Lionel felt a little relieved. Things were calm, even Elliot had been more pleasant than usual, and Lionel felt good about things, better than he had felt in a while.

“You were up there for almost half an hour” Gabriela mused, stirring the pot on the stove “What did he make you do?” she posed, turning to look at him.

“He wanted two stories instead of one so I read him two books” Lionel shrugged “How’s bump feeling?” he noted with a small fond look down towards her swollen stomach. They still had a little way to go, Gabriela had just past 25 weeks, but Lionel was already counting down the days until their little girl arrived. He couldn’t wait to see her for the first time.

“As good as it was feeling half an hour ago when you last asked” Gabriela teased gently.

Lionel shook his head. “You can’t blame me for asking” he noted as he reached out his hands, settling them on her bump “I’m very excited” he added.

“She’s not due for another 3 months” Gabriela reminded him “And if you’re going to ask every half an hour for the next 3 months, I am going to have to find somewhere else to stay” she teased.

Lionel offered her a playful glare before he ducked down, pressing a kiss to her bump before he murmured to it gently in Spanish, something which made Gabriela smile. She had to admit, the paternal side of him was adorable. “I need to get back to dinner” she noted after a couple of minutes.

Lionel nodded his head. “I’ll set the table” he noted, collecting two plates from the cupboard.

Gabriela smiled and turned back to the stove before the door rang, something which made her sigh. She had been hoping for a quiet night in with just Lionel for company. “I’ll get rid of them” Lionel noted as he stepped back towards her, pressing an affectionate kiss to her cheek. Gabriela smiled at him gently before he stepped out of the room, making his way towards the front door, pulling it open to Elena who stared up at him tearfully.

“Elena” he muttered “What are you doing here?” he posed.

“Elliot…another woman…” Elena sniffled.

Lionel rolled his eyes inwardly before he stepped aside, allowing her to move into his home. “I figure you want to speak with Gabby” he noted, eyeing the other woman warily.

Elena nodded.

“I’ll get her” Lionel quipped before he ducked back into the kitchen, returning moments later with Gabriela beside him.

“Elena” Gabriela murmured.

“I’ll keep an eye on dinner” Lionel noted before he stepped away, leaving the two women stood in the hall.

Gabriela watched her husband go before she turned to Elena, not missing her tearful eyes. “Let me guess” she murmured “You found your fiancé in bed with another woman” she added.

“His secretary” Elena sniffled “She was always hanging around him like a lost puppy. Now I know why” she spat.

Gabriela shook her head. “He’s never changed, Elena” she muttered “He’s always had a wandering eye and I couldn’t get it under control. I am hardly surprised that you couldn’t either” she noted. She didn’t want to be rude, Elena was clearly upset and didn’t need an ‘I told you so’, but Gabriela didn’t see why she was there. Elena had been the one who’d hurt her and Gabriela had little desire to comfort her now that Elliot had done the same thing to her.

Elena shook her head. “I thought I had” she murmured “I thought with the baby…”

“You’re talking to Elliot’s ex-wife, Elena” Gabriela murmured “The mother of his son and the woman he cheated on for 6 years, with you. I am not going to offer you a whole load of sympathy” she pointed out softly.

Elena sighed. “I know” she murmured “But I didn’t know where else to go. I can’t exactly get on a plane to go home with this” she noted, gesturing to her bump “And all of my friends are Elliot’s friends. I can’t face them” she added.

Gabriela shook her head. “You had the same advice I did when I got with him, Elena” she noted gently “He’s the type of guy who’ll never be happy with what he has and he has to have something more. I would have figured you’d have learnt from my mistakes” she noted, her arms folding across her chest.

Elena sighed. “I am sorry, Lala” she murmured “I…I never thought about you and Noah when we were…I should have done” she rambled.

Gabriela eyed the other woman before she sighed gently. “You can have the spare room for tonight” she murmured, knowing what Elena was after “But only for tonight. I am sorry that Elliot hurt you, Elena, I am, but I am not going to pick up the pieces for you, not after what you did to me. You can use tonight to find somewhere else” she noted.

“Gracias, Lala” Elena gushed.

Gabriela shook her head. “It’s the second door on the right when you reach the top of the stairs” she noted.

Elena nodded her head and skittered away, allowing Lionel to step out of his vantage point in the door way, wrapping his arm gently around Gabriela’s waist as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. “You didn’t have to do that” he murmured, dropping a kiss onto her shoulder as he swayed her gently.

“I know” Gabriela noted “But she’s pregnant and needs somewhere to get her head down. It’s one night” she noted.

“If I were in your place, I’d not have given her that” Lionel reasoned “That makes you even more amazing” he added.

Gabriela smiled. “You think I am amazing?” she posed, her eyes closing as she enjoyed their embrace.

“The most amazing” he insisted “It would have been very easy to not let her in, but you did, because you’re a great person” he enthused.

Gabriela smiled. “Thank you” she smiled.

Lionel kissed her temple gently. “Dinner’s ready” he mused, lacing their fingers together.

Gabriela nodded and followed him, smiling a little at him. As much as she disliked Elena, without her, she wouldn’t have met Lionel and that was something she hadn’t been able to think about since they’d met.
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Thanks to FootieJo and Jayme112234 for the comments :)