CHAPTER THIRTY NINE #2
“I do, and you’re probably right, but...it seems better to live this way than not,” he admitted.
“Just...make sure you don’t get lost. Don’t be self-sacrificing. I mean, I get it: you want to make sacrifices for the ones you love because you love them. But don’t go too far, because that can cause resentment.”
“She’s right,” Sadie said.
“Mmm-hmm,” Krystal, Abby, Emily, and Ellen all agreed.
“Noted,” Gabe replied, and went back to his tacos.
…
Since Gabe didn’t want them just sort of orbiting around him while he wandered around and looked at whatever caught his attention because they clearly had things they also wanted to be doing, they worked out an agreement.
One or two of them at a time would hang out with him while the rest went off to check out other parts of the festival.
It was a wonderful place to be.
It wasn’t just a lo-fi music festival. While about half the tents were dedicated to playing music or selling merch, the rest had other things on offer.
Two of them held paintings that people had come from all around the state to sell.
Two were entirely for lounging. In one, someone had set up a projector, a gaming system, and a dozen chairs.
He spent almost an hour in there with Chloe and Krystal.
In another, someone had set up a few ping-pong tables. He’d played games with Liz and Kim, and had gotten soundly defeated both times. Which was fine with him. Seeing either of them in action and just a little cocky was well worth the price of defeat.
The whole time, that sense of dreamlike wonder remained.
Gabe felt kind of like he was floating, or at least a little high.
Everything felt amazing. The night sort of slipped by him without him realizing it.
He wandered to and fro. He listened to live lo-fi music.
He didn’t recognize any of the artists, but that didn’t really matter.
At some point he’d become aware of the fact that people kept looking at him, some watching him now instead of the others.
That was how he knew he was in the stratosphere.
It didn’t bother him. It didn’t spike his anxiety.
And it wasn’t simply because he always had attractive goth girls hanging around him, (though that was very nice).
It was that he felt bulletproof. His mood was too good to be bothered.
He knew he wasn’t bulletproof, he knew responsibilities and pain loomed in the future, but it was easy to turn away from that thought and stay turned away.
A few people came up to him and introduced themselves and asked questions.
It was kind of odd. Mostly because all the questions were about their relationship.
But that made sense, given...well, the rotating group of hot goth girls that were hanging around him, literally wearing his name, and turning down everyone who hit on them.
Before he knew it, Gabe found himself getting kind of tired, and about eight hours had passed. Taking a measure of crowd, he saw that at least half the people had left. They were breaking down some of the tents, too.
Probably a ‘time to go’ situation.
Certainly he was horny enough. Every last one of them had been teasing him.
“So, I think I’m ready to go,” he said, turning back to the group.
They had all gathered around him again by now.
“Thank God,” Krystal whispered harshly.
“Krystal,” Ellen murmured.
“Okay, look! I’m sorry! I’m having a great time, and this is awesome, but I’m fucking horny.”
“Now you know how I feel,” Gabe said.
She sighed. “Oh whatever, playboy.”
He laughed, then he realized Liz was looking at him in a particular way. A somewhat intense way. A serious way.
“Why don’t you all go on, we’ll catch up in a few minutes,” he suggested.
“We being…?” Krystal replied.
“Me,” Liz said.
“Oh. All right, come on, ladies.”
“Don’t be too long,” Kim murmured teasingly.
Gabe chuckled, then took Liz’s hand and led her over to the lake’s edge. They stood beside each other for a long moment, staring out at the water, silence settling over them. Clearly, she had something she wanted to say to him, or ask him, perhaps.
“Gabe,” she said finally, “I’m in love with you.” She turned to face him directly. “I love you. Like how I love Krystal.”
He faced her as well. “Wow, um...I love you too, Liz.”
She smiled a small smile. “Not what you were expecting?”
“Honestly, no. But this kind of thing rarely comes at expected times. I’m extremely happy.”
She giggled, then hugged him suddenly and gave him a long kiss.
“I am, too,” she said, pulling back a little but not releasing him.
“I realized it when we were eating. When we were talking about love. I had the thought I’ve had several times since meeting you when it comes up: well, I’m on my way to loving him and he’s on his way to loving me.
But then I thought, how will I know? When I’ve arrived.
And I began wondering about how I knew I loved Krystal.
And when I began thinking about that, about how I feel about her, it was like...
one of those old 3D things that you’re supposed to look cross-eyed at and you see an image hidden in the image.
I finally saw it. I realized that I do love you, that I already am in love with you.
“Because how could I not be? I’m attracted to you for sure.
I mean physically, yes, but also your personality.
Your kindness. Your patience. Your humor.
Your consideration. And clearly I enjoy having sex with you.
And when I thought about that, and realized it, I got hit with this amazing sensation.
And so that’s why I was extra-clingy tonight. ”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he asked, feeling a little bad.
Liz had apparently realized she was full-blown in love with him eight hours ago and here he’d been wandering around, hanging out with everyone else.
“Well, I didn’t want to take the spotlight, for one.
But also, I just...wanted to enjoy having it for a little while?
” She paused, twisted her lips. “That doesn’t sound right.
I’m not sure how to describe it. But for those eight hours, it was like...
a secret. My secret. And it was a secret I did share with you, but...
ugh, I’m not sure. All I know is that I wanted to just... be with it for a while.”
“Okay, that works for me. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t suffering.”
“No, not suffering. Just happy. Kind of deliriously happy.” She giggled and kissed him again. “We should get going. I need sex with you.”
He chuckled. “Um...you’re gonna have to wait, I think. Although I could start with you, I guess I’ll be the conductor of this particularly orchestra.”
She began to respond, then stopped and laughed, tried to speak again, but instead kept laughing. “Oh my God,” she said finally, “I’m fucking giddy. Come on.”
They began heading back to the parking lot.
This was about to get a lot more intense.