Slow Dancing in the Darkness

47: I Should Have Guessed

Resting against the counter, Lionel sipped on his tea, his brown eyes staring blankly across the room. It was early, too early for Gabriela who had been kept up by a small bout of cramps, and Lionel had woken up with the aim of preparing breakfast in bed for his wife. He knew it was strange for her, being in the same place as Elena had always been difficult for Gabriela, and he wanted to ease the tension slightly. Even if it was only for one night, Gabriela wasn’t going to warm up to Elena and he didn’t want Gabriela getting stressed out. It wasn’t going to do any good for their daughter.

Finishing up his drink, he set the empty cup on the counter and moved towards the fridge, pulling out all he would need to craft Gabriela’s favourite breakfast, as well as something for Noah who would be due up in a little while.

“You cook too”

Lionel stood up at the sound of Elena’s voice, his dark eyes peeking over at the brunette who stood in the door way wearing what appeared to be one of his old shirts. “Pardon?” he posed.

“You’re a fantastic papa, a fantastic husband, a fantastic footballer and you cook too. Lala certainly lucked in when she found you” Elena smiled.

Lionel offered her an awkward smile.

“You two can’t have been together for long” Elena continued talking as she padded into the kitchen, settling herself down beside the dining room table.

“It’ll be a year in July since we starting dating” Lionel responded politely “And a year in September since we got married” he added.

“A year” Elena whistled “That’s not long at all” she added.

“We’re happy” Lionel commented, shrugging a little.

Elena nodded her head gently. “I can imagine that you are. The pair of you seem to balance nicely” she commented.

Lionel nodded his head and moved to get a start on breakfast. He didn’t like Elena being there, he had never got the best vibes from her, but he knew that he had to be polite. She was only there for a short while and he didn’t want to cause a problem.

“You know that Elliot’s still crazy about her, don’t you?” Elena noted after a few moments of silence.

“If I am honest, I have little interest in that idiot and his feelings. How he got two women to love him and fall pregnant by him, I will never know” he muttered.

“He’s a charmer” Elena noted, twirling a strand of her dark hair around her finger “He’s got a way with words and handsome face, and that’s all without mentioning how fantastic he is…”

“I get the idea” Lionel interrupted, his nose wrinkled.

Elena shook her head. “He’s all charm” she insisted gently “Enough sweet nothings and he could get into most girls’ pants if he wanted it enough and that’s what did for me. I never meant to hurt Gabriela” she noted.

“I somehow doubt that” Lionel replied “Once, that could be a mistake, but 6 years’ worth? I think you knew what you were doing, Elena and I have little sympathy for you now that it’s come back and bitten you” he admitted honestly.

Elena shook her head. “You don’t know me” she muttered, her sweet act melting away in an instant.

“I know enough to know that you’re as bad as Elliot is in all of this. What terrible thing did Gabriela do to you that meant you just had to have Elliot?” he countered.

Elena shook her head. “He never wanted her” she muttered.

“He married her” Lionel reasoned “Got her pregnant. Are you telling me that he did that for no reason whatsoever?” he posed.

Elena rolled her eyes. “She’s just so perfect, isn’t she?” she muttered sarcastically.

“I’d like you to leave” Lionel noted calmly, not rising to the bait that she was trying her hardest to put down ahead of him.

Elena rolled her eyes. “I don’t exactly want to stay around, Messi” she muttered.

“Then go” Lionel mused “I am sorry that this happened to you, Elena, I am, but you bought it on yourself. Once a cheat, always a cheat” he added.

Elena rolled her eyes, but didn’t leave the room, instead opting to take a step forwards towards him.

“Come on, Elena” he muttered “I just want…”

Lionel’s words dropped off as Elena ducked into him, pressing her lips firmly against his. Lionel startled, momentarily blindsided by the kiss, before Elena gripped onto his hands, slipping them beneath the shirt of his that she had worn to sleep in the night before.

“Leo, why didn’t you wake me? Noah has to be…” Gabriela’s sleepy voice dropped away as her footsteps stopped in the doorway, her eyes glued to the scene ahead of her.

Lionel’s dark eyes widened as he finally gathered his wits, jerking away from Elena. “Gabby…”

“I am sorry” Gabriela murmured “I should have guessed that my husband would be making out in the kitchen with the puta who wrecked my first marriage” she spat sarcastically.

“Gabriela” Lionel protested. He could see the tears in her eyes, her cheeks were growing red too, and he just wanted to stop it. He hadn’t seen the look on her face before but he knew in an instant that he hated it.

“I am going to get Noah out of bed” she murmured “I expect her to be gone when I come back” she added, her blue eyes glancing bitterly at Elena who batted her eyelids, trying to appear sweet and innocent.

Lionel scoffed. “Get out of here” he spat as Gabriela made her way up the stairs to collect her son.

“With pleasure” Elena smirked “By the way, Leo, once a cheat, always a cheat” she boasted before she stepped out of the room, leaving Lionel alone for a moment. Shaking his head, he pushed a hand back through his hair and spared a nervy sigh, knowing that Gabriela was going to need to speak to him and that when she did, it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
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