Chapter 38
GAbrIEL
Spotting Adriana in the halls as she exits her class Monday morning, I make a beeline straight for her. “What game are you playing at?” I call out as soon as I’m within hearing distance.
Dark brown eyes lift to meet mine. I’d almost forgotten how dark her gaze was. A shade of brown that’s damn near black. “Hello, Adriana,” she retorts. “How are you, Adriana? Long time no see, Adriana.” There’s a bite of annoyance in her words, but I’m not in the fucking mood.
“I’m serious, A.” I snap, reverting to the nickname I used for her back when we were in high school.
Pressing my arm against the wall, I block her exit when she moves to brush past me.
“What’s your angle with Cecilia? Why are you all of a sudden hanging out and being nice to her?
” She fucked Allie over back when we were friends.
I’m not going to stand by and watch her burn Cecilia, too.
“I am nice,” she bites out, nostrils flaring.
Interesting. If I was less pissed, I’d take the time to analyze her reaction. Instead, I fold my arms over my chest and raise a brow. I don’t have time to beat around the bush.
“Really? We must have different definitions of the word because fucking your best friend’s boyfriend isn’t something I’d consider nice.”
Her jaw tightens, but beyond that small display, she’s keeping her emotions locked tight.
Typical Adriana. I swear, sometimes I wonder if the girl even has any.
She’s always been cold. Borderline frigid.
Nothing ever seems to ruffle her feathers.
Not unless Julio is involved, at least. Bro dodged a fucking bullet though, if you ask me.
“I fucked up. It was three years ago. You don’t need to keep throwing it in my face. Move on.”
Hold on. Is the ice queen taking responsibility for once?
This is new. Back in high school, she was so fucking flippant about it.
It’s why everyone in our friend group took Allie’s side and dropped her.
There was no remorse. Not really. She didn’t like that she’d been caught.
But she wasn’t sorry for hurting Alejandra.
For being Ryker’s side chick for who the hell knows how long.
Adriana pretended like she didn’t understand why the rest of us were pissed on Allie’s behalf. It was fucking infuriating for all of us. Julio most of all. He was the closest to her in our group. He’s always been sorta like the girl's big brother. And Adriana’s betrayal, it came out of left field.
We were ride or die. Familia to the bitter end. We would have forgiven her mistakes back then if she’d shown even an ounce of remorse. That’s how important she was to our group. Our family.
But she made her choice. Too late to go back now.
“I’m not throwing anything in your face. I’m just reminding you of your proven track record and how un-nice you really are. Cecilia’s been through a lot. She doesn’t deserve whatever—”
She holds her hand up. “Enough. It’s been years, Gabriel. Three long years. Get over it. Everyone else has.”
Bullshit.
She shoulder-checks me and storms past, but I follow, my longer stride easily keeping pace with her. “I’m serious, A. You don’t know the kind of shit Cecilia’s been through. If you hurt her, Adriana, so help me—”
She stops abruptly and spins to face me. “You’ll what?”
My jaw tightens, and I glare down at her pint-sized frame. “She’s important to me,” I admit. “I don’t want to see her get hurt. So if you’re using her to get back at me or—”
“And your feelings should matter to me, why?”
“Because we were like family before,” I bite out.
Adriana throws her head back and laughs.
But the sound is empty and unnatural. “Family? We were never family.” She stabs her finger into my chest. “Families don't turn their backs on one another. That’s what you always told me.” She digs her finger deeper into me.
“Family forgives. They have your back.” She shakes her head.
“So no, Gabe. I don’t think so. You and I, we were never family. ”
I blink at the bite in her tone. For a second there, it almost sounds like she’s …
hurt. But Adriana doesn’t do hurt. Shit always just slides right off her back.
“You and everyone else threw me away. I don’t care if Cecilia is important to you.
That’s not why I’m being nice to her. You aren’t even part of the equation. ”
“Then why—”
“Because I like her,” she snaps. “It has nothing to do with you. I like her. I was a shitty friend to Allie. I admit that. But I’m being a better one to Cecilia.
Or at least, I’m trying to. So back the fuck off.
I’m not doing this to get back at you or hurt you or whatever bullshit reason you’ve dreamed up in your head.
I’m doing this for me.” She sucks on her teeth and stares over my shoulder, refusing to meet my gaze when she mutters, “When I saw her, she looked like someone who could use a friend. And if I’m being honest with myself, so can I.
There isn’t anything more to it. So, you can go away now, safe with the knowledge that I’m not going to fuck this up. ”
I search her expression, allowing her words to sink in. She’s not wrong. Cecilia can use a friend, it’s just … I don’t trust her.
What’s to keep Adriana from turning her back on Cecilia if it suits her?
“You have her back?” I don’t know how much her words are worth these days but I need to hear her say it out loud.
She nods. “I already shoved some asshole in the pool who was harassing her.” She crosses her arms over her chest and flicks her narrow eyes back toward mine. “So yes. I have her back. You don’t need to question that.”
“What? Who the fuck was harassing her?”
She shakes her head. “It’s handled. Leave it alone. I get the feeling Cecilia doesn’t like you fighting her battles for her.”
The corners of my mouth twitch. “She told you about that, huh?”
“We’re friends,” she reminds me.
“Alright, I’ll back off,” I tell her, taking a physical step back. “You can be her friend.” For now. But if Adriana fucks up, we’re going to have words again. I’m not going to stand by and let anyone hurt my girl. Not again, and not on my watch.
“I’m so glad to hear I have your approval,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“I’m trying here, A. You and I have a lot of history, and it’s not all good.”
She huffs out a breath. “I’m not that person anymore, Gabe. Let it go already. We’ve both grown up. I’m not the same girl who screwed her friend’s boyfriend. And you’re not the same boy who was always stuck in his twin’s shadow.”
Her bringing Carlos up cuts fast and deep, and I wince. It’d hurt less if she punched me in the gut.
“Don’t bring up my brother.” My voice is a growl. Carlos has been gone for years now, but hearing people talk about him, having him brought up in casual conversation, it hurts the same every time. It never fucking lessens.
“Fine. But don’t you think it’s time for all of us to move on?”
I let the comment about my brother go. She didn’t say it to get a rise out of me. She’s just being matter-of-fact. But I’m not the one who gets to make that call. Who gets to decide when it’s time to let this shit go.
“Have you talked to Allie?” I ask her. “Since everything that’s happened?”
She snorts. “Are you kidding? Alejandra doesn’t want to hear from me. She’s happy. Has a steady guy, right? They’re engaged, or getting engaged, last I heard.” She shakes her head. “The best thing I can do for Allie is leave her alone to live her life. In no universe does she want to hear from me.”
She’s wrong. When Adriana went behind Allie’s back and fucked Ryker, it destroyed her. She was already dealing with the loss of her mom and having to go to a new school. Being forced to move to a new town. Having to live with a bio-dad she’d never even met.
She was losing so much. Being forced to accept so many changes all at once.
And what Adriana did was the straw that broke the camel's back. Allie needed her best friend more than ever before with everything she was going through. And Adriana’s betrayal was like a double-edged sword taking the boy Allie thought she loved out of her life, right along with her best friend.
“I disagree,” I tell her. I could be wrong about this.
But I don’t think I am. Allie would welcome her back if she believed Adriana wanted a relationship with her again.
If she was genuine about repairing their friendship.
Allie’s big on second chances, and while she isn’t quick to forgive, she almost always comes around.
“But I’ll make you deal.” An idea forms quickly in my mind.
Her eyes narrow. “I’m listening.”
“You patch shit up with Allie, and all is forgiven. I won’t bring up our past and I won’t hold it against you. Clean slate.” As far as I’m concerned, this is a win win.
She considers me for a moment. I can see the gears whirling in her head as she weighs the pros and cons of my offer. Despite how frigid she can be, I think there’s a part of Adriana that misses being a part of our group. It might be a teeny tiny one. But it’s there.
Her lips purse as I wait, making sure to keep my expression schooled so she can’t see how badly I want this.
If Adriana fixes shit with Allie, she’ll have more of an incentive to be a real friend to Cecilia and it’ll make it easier to keep an eye on her, especially if the rest of the guys are on board.
Adriana might also decide to come kick it, maybe bring Cecilia with her.
My lips twitch as I fight back my smile. Yeah, I can work with this. It’s no real hardship to be around Adriana if Cecilia comes as a part of that package. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea.
Scrutinizing her features—the minute changes to her facial expression as she considers my offer—I’m able to see the moment she decides to reject my offer.
A flicker of regret flashes across her gaze and disappointment washes over me.
I really thought she’d go for it.
Maybe she really didn’t give a shit about us after all.
“Pass. I don’t need your forgiveness. I'm getting along just fine. And if Cecilia and I remain friends for the long haul, it’s you who will have to accept me. Not the other way around.” She shrugs. “Either way, I’ll be fine.”
I grit my teeth. Fine. She’ll be fine? I’m giving her a chance here. Why does she have to be so difficult?
I need to sweeten the deal. Adriana might not care if she has my forgiveness, but there is someone else’s she’s wanted for years now and she’s never hidden that.
“What if I talked to Julio?” I ask. “I can smooth shit out between the two of you. Let him know you’re turning over a new leaf. You know if the rest of us are on board with welcoming you back into the fold, he’ll be good with it, too.”
Her gaze snaps to mine. It’s barely perceptible, but the change in her dark brown eyes is there. Hope. “Even if you and I were cool, it wouldn’t matter. He’d never believe you.”
“He would if you fixed shit with Allie. Actions speak louder than words, A. And you know how he feels about her. She’s like a sister to him.”
“I’m aware.” She bites her lip, brows drawn together. “Allie is everyone’s little sister. You all defend and protect her.”
I chuckle, hearing the note of jealousy in her words. It’s a new look for her. “Don’t act like you’ve ever wanted Julio to look at you the way he does Allie. Sister isn’t the position you’ve ever been after when it comes to him.”
Her eyes darken, and her lips press into a thin line before she mutters a single word.
“Fine.”
“Fine, what?”
“I’ll reach out to Allie.” She steps closer and juts her chin up in the air toward me. “But if she doesn’t want anything to do with me, you still have to let shit go. And you have to tell him that I tried to make it right.”
“Fair enough.”
“Alright, then.”
I expect Adriana to walk away after that but she doesn’t. Instead, she lingers, pursing her lips like she has more to say.
When she opens her mouth, what she says is the last thing I expect her to say.
“Cecilia was raped,” she says, her words pitched low so as not to carry. “Do you know who did it?”
“She told you?” That’s … unexpected. Friend or not, that isn’t something Cecilia shares with people. Hell, her own parents don’t even know.
Adriana shakes her head. “No. I already knew. But she knows that I know.” I wonder how Cecilia feels about that.
“Her secrets aren’t mine to share.”
“But you know who it is?”
I nod. Adriana doesn’t look pleased.
“I thought so.” She seems to consider this.
“Are you going to do something about it?” It’s one thing to bring Julio and Felix in on my plans.
Two people I trust implicitly. But it’s another to tell Adriana, someone I most certainly do not trust. I don’t need her telling Cecilia about what we’re up to or worse, trying to interfere. She’s not exactly predictable.
“Cecilia doesn’t want me fighting her battles for her.”
She scoffs, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “That’s cute.”
“I’m not trying to be cute.”
Adriana gives me a patronizing look and starts walking backwards, her eyes still on mine.
“You’ve always been true to your namesake, Gabriel,” she says.
“You’re protective of the people you love and you love Cecilia.
You may as well proclaim yourself her guardian angel.
So, it’s fine. Don’t tell me. But whatever you have planned, make it hurt. ”
She flashes me a dark smile before she turns around, and then she’s gone.
Some of the uneasiness in my stomach dissipates. I still don’t trust her, but what she just said, it shows that at least some part of her cares. For now, it’ll have to do.