Gabriel's Salvation: small town, misunderstood MMC, overcoming trauma, first love romance

23. Chapter Twenty Three

“Well, you fucking shouldn’t. I’m not one of your dirty whores that you can fuck and then chuck, Gabe. I care about you. And I hope that you care about me, too,” I begin, feeling the anger and embarrassment coursing through my body, as I wiggle out of his grip. “You can”t say you claim me, then refuse to actually claim me and date me properly.”

“Wait, Riley…” Gabe begins, but I cut him off.

“No. You either want me or you don”t. You don”t get to just have me for sex and nothing else. I”m either your girlfriend or I”m not. And if I”m not then you”ve gotta let me talk to other guys; to find one who likes me back and isn”t afraid to be seen with me.”

“I”m not afraid of anyone…” Gabe huffs, voice full of pathetic, male bravado. If I didn’t know him as well as I do, I would almost believe him.

“You”re afraid of your own goddamn feelings!” I counter. “Do you like me?”

“Yeah, but...”

“There are no buts to it. You either like me or you don’t. You either want to be with me or you don”t. It”s that simple.” I feel my eyes begin to water. Fuck, I hate that I cry when I’m mad.

“Don”t get upset,” Gabe begins as he reaches out to cup my face, but I slap his hand away.

“No! I’m not upset, I”m fucking pissed off. You said you didn”t wanna date. Fine! But you can”t now scare every other guy away who I might like because you’re too fucking jealous to see me with another guy. You’re like a spoiled child - you don”t want me until someone else tries to play with me, then suddenly you decide I”m yours, again.” I notice that a small crowd is gathering and far too many eyes are on us. But I refuse to let myself care or back down.

“You”re always mine. You”ve always been mine and you’ll always be mine!” Gabe growls back as he attempts to kiss me, but again I pull away.

“No Gabe! You don”t get to do that. You don”t get to confuse me with sex and kisses and think that”s okay.” How do I get through to his thick skull??!!

“I was only gonna kiss you,” he replies softly, and I hear a hint of sadness and confusion in his voice.

“It”s never just a kiss with you though, is it? We’ll kiss, and then fuck. You”ll make me believe you care. And then you will reject me all over again. I”m not some doll you can play with when you”re bored. You either want me to be your girlfriend and have me all the time, or you have to back the fuck off and let me find someone else who will treat me like I deserve!” I scream before turning my back on him and storming off.

“Riley! Wait!” Gabe calls, but I don”t turn around.

I storm past the crowd and head out the gate towards the front of the house. I just need to get away.

“Riley, wait,” Gabe calls again from behind me.

I see Tucker”s brother having a cigarette with his friends and make my way over.

“Have you been drinking?” I ask, hoping he hasn’t. Theo is older than the rest of us and has often played taxi when he’s been back from college.

“Sober as a judge,” he replies, holding up a bottle of water.

“Take me home, then?” I beg.

Theo takes one look at me and thankfully takes pity. “Be back soon,” he lets his friends know. “Car’s around the corner,” he shares as I follow him.

“Riley!” Gabe bellows from behind me.

“Run!” I shout as I begin sprinting. Thankfully, Theo runs, too, and has the car unlocked and the engine running by the time I get in.

“Riley, get out of there, now!” Gabe orders as he bangs on the window.

“Go, please just go.” I plead just as Theo speeds off.

“Wanna talk about whatever the fuck that was back there?” Theo questions as we turn the corner.

“Not really. But thank you for rescuing me,” I tell him with an exasperated breath.

“Didn”t seem like I had much choice,” he laughs back. “Who the fuck was that anyway? Boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Goddamn psycho, maybe?”

“All of the above,” I laugh, shaking my head.

Imake my way back inside to grab my jacket and keys so that I can go after her. Fuck this shit, she needs to hear me out! On my way back out, I can”t resist grabbing a bottle of vodka that was sitting there ripe for the taking.

“Woah, what happened?” Nate asks when he sees the murderous look on my face.

“Who the fuck is the asshole with the red Audi?” I snap.

“What”s Theo done?” Tucker smirks. That’s right, fucking smirks like this is the funniest thing ever.

“Theo, is that the asshole”s name? Where does he live? Where can I find him?” I snap as I debate beating that asshole”s face in because I”m pretty sure it will make me feel better about the fact he just left with my girl.

“Well, here I guess?” Tucker laughs.

“Theo is Tucker’s brother. What the fuck happened?” Nate questions.

“Not here,” I grumble as I motion for Nate to follow me.

I take a few steps away from the group, enough that they can”t hear us talking, and then ask, “Are Riley and this Theo fucking?”

If I find out they are, I’ll fucking kill him.

“For fuck”s sake, Gabe, no they’re not even DATING as far as I”m aware. He’s more like a big brother. He”s known the whole group since they were kids. Plus, he”s like twenty-five, why?”

“Because he just stole Riley from me and drove her away in his fancy-ass car,” I huff.

“Pretty sure he didn”t steal her. What happened? What did you do?”

“Why do you assume it”s me, that I did something wrong?” I snort.

“Because I know you, Gabe. You act first, think never.”

“I did fuck all wrong, well, except maybe punch some kid who was checking her out, but that’s all. Then Riley got all pissed, stormed off, and demanded Captain fucking America take her home,” I explain.

“For god”s sake, Gabe, why can”t you just tell her you like her and wanna date her, like a normal fucking person, instead of going all alpha asshole on her ass?”

I round on him stating, “I don”t wanna date her!” How many times do I have to explain that not everyone needs some fairytale romance like he has?

“Whatever you say. You can lie to yourself, but you can”t lie to me. I”ve seen the way you look at her. You care, even if you refuse to admit it.”

“Fuck you!” I toss back as I skulk away. Why the fuck is everyone so adamant that I have to share my feelings like some pathetic, lovesick teenager. Just because I think she”s hot as fuck, feel all fuzzy whenever she texts, and the fact that I wanna murder every guy who even looks at her, it doesn”t mean I have feelings for her. Does it?

Throwing myself back down on the chairs, I reach for the bottle realizing I”m too drunk to ride my bike around town looking for Riley and her ‘knight in shining armor’, even if I wanted to.

I spot a guy clearly dealing drugs and decide fuck it, I could do with something to take the edge off. As I”m walking over I see him take something out of his jacket, drop it into a bunch of cups, and make his way over towards Izzy and the group of girls she”s dancing with. Oh Fuck no! I drop my drink and rush over,banging into him causing him to spill the drinks all over the floor and all down Izzy”s top. Nate appears from nowhere and grabs the punk by his collar. The girls all try to get in the middle and Izzy pulls Nate away.

“That”s right, run away like the little pussy you are,” the greasy haired punk calls after him.

“Oh, I”d watch your mouth if you wanna still be able to open it tomorrow,” I threaten while getting into his face.

“Screw you!” the guy glares, before turning and walking away. I turn around hoping to salvage the drink I just had, but of course in my haste, I dropped and spilled the whole thing. For fuck”s sake! Just thenI see that same guy throw his arm around Riley’s sister”s shoulders. I race over but not before she takes a huge gulp of her drink. I knock the cup out of her hands, but it”s empty. For fuck”s sake!

“What the fuck did you just put in her drink?” I demand and push the jackass backwards.

The asshole just smirks at me, an evil, sadistic little smirk. “You fucking heard me! What did you give her?” I repeat, as I grab him by his collar and shake him.

“Just a little something to loosen her up a bit,” he laughs. “It’s no big deal,” he manages to get out as my fist flies, connecting straight with his jaw, knocking him back into the crowd.

“Fucking asshole,” the guy mumbles loudly as he spits out a mouthful of blood. He tries to land a punch on me but only manages to miss me.

I’m about to lay into the guy when I hear a small voice, “I don”t feel so good.” I look over and see that Harpey looks spaced out and her eyes can”t seem to focus. Roofied!

I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder. “Where’s the fucking bathroom,” I shout at nobody in particular and someone points me in the direction of the stairs; I run up them.

I see a line forming outside one of the doors so head to the front and bang on it loudly.

“Open the fucking door! Open it now,” I bellow.

“There”s a line, you know,” someone says in a snarky tone, but they soon shut up when I fire them one of my ‘fuck with me and you’ll regret it’ looks. Banging on the door again, I shout. “You”ve got five seconds to get out!” The door flies open and a terrified girl scurries out.

I go in and kick the door closed behind us, dropping Harpey down in front of the toilet. “Make yourself sick,” I command.

“I don”t wanna,” Harpey mumbles.

“Do as you”re told. Make yourself sick,” I growl at her.

She puts her fingers into her mouth but barely gets them past her teeth before she”s gagging and removes them.

“I can”t,” she whispers as she begins to slump her head against the toilet seat.

For fuck”s sake, I don”t have time for this shit. Grabbing her by the hair, I pull her head up and off the toilet seat. Grabbing her hand, I force her fingers down to the very back of her throat until I hear her begin to wretch. I move my hands just in time for exorcist-level vomit to come spewing out of her mouth. Thank god, I”m still controlling her head with her hair or it would have gone all over her. Once she stops heaving, I let go of her hair, a little too quickly, as it causes her head to fall down and hit the seat.

“Here, drink this,” I offer, filling a cup I found on the floor full of water.

“I wanna go home,” Harper grumbles as she sips the water I gave her.

I fling open the bathroom door yelling, “Someone go get Izzy or the Pocket Rocket,” to the people still standing outside.

“Who?” a girl asks.

“Isabella or Pocket Rocket.” Fuck, what’s her actual name? “Firey red head, big tits, little ass,” I explain to the blank face staring up at me. “Tucker… Tucker”s girlfriend, the redhead,” I suddenly remember.

“You mean, Ava?” the girl clarifies.

“Yeah, that”s her. Tell her to get here now. Riley’s sister needs her.”

The girl rushes off as does another one standing beside her.

A few moments later the door is pushed open and there stand Firecracker and Tucker.

“What the fuck?” they both say at the same time as they take in a semi-conscious girl on my lap as I”m forcing a drink down her throat.

“She took something. Give her fluids and put her to bed,” I order them as I stand up and literally thrust her into Tucker”s arms and race out the door.

I head down the stairs and out the door, suddenly feeling more sober than ever. I jump on my bike and spend the next hour driving around hoping to see that wannabe rapist. God, or perhaps the devil himself, takes pity on me as just as I”m about to give up hope, I spot him. I stop my bike and jump off, not even caring as I hear my bike fall to the ground. I tackle the guy to the ground and begin pummeling him, punching him again and again. “You’re a fucking scumbag!” I bellow as another punch connects with his ribs. I feel him thrashing beneath me, desperately trying to get me off him, yet I don”t move an inch.

“Not so fast, you piece of shit,” I say as I press my knee into his chest and my fist connects with his jaw. Fuck me, it feels good to finally get this pent-up anger out.

I see a right hook fly towards me, but I block him with ease. See, growing up with an abusive asshole of a father comes in handy at times. I can sense an attack a mile off.

“Get off me, man!” I hear him plead but I can’t stop because the visions of what this piece of shit could have done to Izzy, Harpey, or even worse, Riley, play through my head like some sort of twisted horror film.

Visions of what could have happened if Riley was still there, play so vividly that I can almost hear her voice begging him to get off of her. All I see is red as I begin hitting him harder and harder.

Next thing I know, there are sirens, and I”m being ripped from my own nightmare by two police officers as they drag me off of him.

“I”ll get you for this,” the guy manages to whimper while drooling puddles of blood.

“If I ever see you near Izzy, Harpey, or any of their friends again, you”re dead!” I growl as I”m thrown in the back of the cop car. The only consolation is that he’s thrown into another shortly after.

After being fingerprinted and processed, I”m put in a cell and told to calm down. Not long afterward, the scumbag is thrown into the cell beside mine. His face and mouth are swollen, and his mouth is still bleeding.

“I”m gonna get you for this; just you wait till my cousin hears about this. You”re dead! Hope it was worth it to save some stupid slut who wouldn’t have looked at you twice if it wasn”t for me,” he says, words slurred and laced with venom.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I saw the way you looked at that girl. Think you”re clever knocking the drink all over her, do you? Jealous I”d get a taste of that sweet pussy before you?” He sneers at me.

“Isabella?” I ask, feeling a mixture of confusion and disgust. “She’s basically my sister you fucking sicko and if you had drugged her, not even the cops themselves could have saved you.” I feel the anger reaching a whole new level.

“Hope you had fun with the consolation prize; not as hot I know, but a hole is a hole. Heard you had your way with her in the bathroom,” he spits.

I lunge forward to try and grab him through the bars, just as someone calls out, “Scott, time for your call.”

I considered calling Riley, wanting to let her know about her sister and that she”s hopefully safe; but also knowing she probably won’t answer the phone. I call my brother, instead. Unfortunately, it”s not Nate who answers; but rather the last person I want to speak to right now. Princess fucking Isabella.