Your Hand in Mine

I screamed and clutched on to Gabe at every scary part in the movie we were currently watching. At first it was out of complete fear, but when he'd wrap his arms comfortingly around me, I couldn't help but want to fake it. Having his arms around me gave me goosebumps, a fast heartbeat, and comfort, thinking nothing could hurt me in that split second. The doorbell rang, and Gabe got up to answer it. I watched him stride across the room with such poist. I smiled at his radiance. It could lighten the whole room, and he was always so confident. He could make me choke on air. Gabe looked hesitant to open the door completely, but eventually brought himself to do it and let the person in.
I caught sight of Nick and unexpectantly sighed. He looked over at me and smiled. A smile was forced back. He walked over and sat down beside me and wrapped his arms around my small frame. I returned his hug and looked to Gabe. He wasn't looking at me but instead staring daggers at Nicks back. My stare was broken when Nick and I broke away, and he began to talk to me. I only smile and nodded, not paying attention to what he was saying.
"I'll go put on dinner." Gabe said before striding out of the room, quickly, leaving Nick and me alone.
"So how are you liking New Jersey?" I asked in hopes of starting conversation.

"I'm liking it much better now." He grinned.
I shuttered making him wrap an arm around me.

"Cold?"

I lightly grinned, "I guess a little." I lied.
Truth is, unlike before, I didn't want him to be here right now. I wanted to enjoy my time with Gabe. It's the first I've had in weeks.
"Well I can keep you warm." He said, pulling me closer in to him.

After a few minutes, I pulled away and this time he was the one that started conversation.
"Where'd you go when you left?"
"Here." Gabe answered for me, coming to sit down.

"Oh. So why exactly did you leave?" Nick asked, "I mean, I obviously found out what happened, but why did you just leave with some stranger? Why didn't you talk to me? I loved-"

"Okay. I think we need to end this conversation right now." Gabe interrupted, seeing that I was uncomfortable.

I silently thanked him, but it wasn't the end of it.

"It was just questions. I loved her, and she just..ran away. For five years I've wondered where she went. I've wanted to ask her so many questions, and now that I get the chance I don't get to?" Nick said, defensivly.
"Let me answer this for you. Your fucking brother RAPED her!" I flinched as Gabe screamed that, "You were his brother. She couldn't just go talk to you. She was raped. She needed an outlet. She wanted something new. I was the one who helped her out. I let her stay with me when things were going down hill for her. I cared about her. We became friends. Her father agreed to letting her move with me to here."

"But I don't understand why you would give up everything we had! We loved each other so much. We were going to be each others firsts."

"I- I don't know. After that happened, I was willing to give anything up. I wanted a fresh start away from everything. When I met Gabe, it was..a miracle. He was my savior...he still is. We just...clicked, and I'd give up everything for him."
"You- you fell in love with him, didn't you?" Nick said, his voice lowering in to a much sadder once.

I was shocked by his words. Me love Gabe? No. I didn't fall in love with him.
...Did I? Gabe just stared off in the distance. I did like him. I was willing to give up everything for him.

"...Maybe." I answered with butterflys in my stomach.
Gabe's head shot up, and he looked at me in shock. I could have threw up right then and there.
"Oh. Why didn't you atleast tell me goodbye?"

"It would have been too hard. I was confused. I thought you probably hated me..be-because of your brother." I answered him, confidently.
Gabe hadn't taken his eyes off of me, but his expression had changed. He was now just staring blankly at me. It made me even more nervous.

"Okay I understand. Maybe- maybe I shouldn't be here right now." He said looking between me and Gabe, somehow knowing something wasn't right.
"No you can stay."
"I think it'd be better if I came another time." He said, standing up from his seat on the couch.

"Okay. I'll see you soon then." I said, also standing up.
He reached out to give me a hug, one that I returned, and left. I couldn't even look in Gabe's direction, but eventually I couldn't help but to. He was smirking now.

"Wha-what?" I asked, timidly.

He stood up and casually walked over to me. My heart beat began to pick up and the butterflys in my stomach just got worse as he stared me directly in the eyes as he made his way over to me.

"You fell in love with me?" He asked more sincerely than his expression.

"I.." I began, unable to explain what I had said. Maybe I just said it in hopes the subject could have dropped or maybe I meant it, but as memories passed in my mind- all of Gabe, I knew otherwise. Back then, maybe I did love him. I was just too stupid to notice, but I don't now. I couldn't. He was my best friend, and you know what they say, you can't fall in love with your best friends. Atleast you shouldn't. It causes too many problems, and I'd never want to risk my friendship with Gabe. "...Maybe."
A smile grew on his face.

"Answer me with a real answer. Yes..or no." He said, stirnly.

I pondered on the thought more before answering.

"Yes."

Some sort of relief flooded over me with the accompany of a racing heart, goosebumps, and butterflys.

"Really?" He asked, his smile just growing wider.

I nodded, biting my lip. We stared at each other for a few moments as he smiled and bit his lip. I got lost in the depths of his eyes. He looks cute biting his lip. His smile is so beautiful. It makes me smile. He's so radiant. I 'gushed' in my mind before catching myself enough to stop the thoughts. It was just one after another and more I sinked in to oblivion, getting more lost in his eyes that told me the world. The comfort, the love, the happiness, joy. Everything was in his eyes. It's where I found love. His eyes is where I found my happiness, my joy. I found comfort in his eyes. It all started the first night I ever looked in his eyes as the hospital.

I sat in the cold, hospital bed- his warming brown eyes came as such a comfort, just like his music had made me so happy earlier.
I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt his breath on my lips sending shivers down my spine. I looked at his lips, yearning for them to touch mine. What am I thinking?! He is my best friend. He's Gabe. And just when we were about to actually kiss, the door flew open to reveal Ryland, Nate, and Alex.

Ten more minutes. I begged inside my mind, on cloud nine.