Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I do own Arianna and Gabriel, though. Thanks to my beta, CrystalRaindrop!
Never Too Late — Chapter Six
Previously ...
"What happened?" I breathed, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. "Nothing," he said softly, but he still wouldn't look at me. "See you later," he whispered, and I couldn't understand the look that flashed in his eyes then. He looked anguished, yet angry at the same time. I stood there, rooted to my spot, in shock. I couldn't understand his sudden change in mood. He had been so happy ... and now, as he glanced back at me once more before walking inside, he looked pained. Not physical pain, though ... emotional pain. I wondered briefly if I had caused his pain. But more than that, I felt broken. He was lying to me about what had happened. And I only wanted to know why.
September 8th, 2038 - Wednesday — 12:00 PM ( Arianna POV )
I moved through my first four classes in a daze, and I wasn't fully aware of my surroundings until the bell rang, signaling that it was time for lunch. My heart was beating erratically as I made my way through the lunch line to buy a sandwich and a coke.
By the time I reached the river, I was just about to turn back. I was sure, after all, that he wouldn't want to see me again after this morning.
I sighed. What had I done wrong? He'd torn his hand from mine so quickly ... it was like I was burning him or something. I felt my heart clench painfully.
Had I hurt him?
"Arianna."
But then his voice, soft, quiet as ever, washed over me, and all of my worries melted away. I felt myself soaring as I stepped out onto the bank of our river. He was sitting there, smiling softly, his blue eyes on me. I smiled hesitantly back.
"Hello," I whispered, and I moved to sit beside him. I didn't meet his gaze again, though, and instead concentrated on opening my sandwich. Really, how much plastic did you need to wrap one sandwich, anyway? I bit my lip as my fingers, trembling now, tried to push the wrapping aside.
And then a soft, warm hand was laid on mine, and I looked up in surprise only to stop breathing when his gloriously intense eyes met mine.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, and his voice burned with regret. "About this morning."
"You're forgiven," I breathed, and I laid my head on his shoulder once more, welcoming the warmth he so freely offered. But ... "Why did you lie to me?"
He stiffened, and I pulled away from him. He refused to look at me as he spoke.
"I didn't lie. It's nothing, really. I ... had an accident."
Oh. Well, I'd once again managed to take something tiny and blow it way out of proportion. But ... the hesitation, the uncertainty in his eyes made me bite my lip. I knew — but I didn't want to believe — that he was lying again.
"Please, tell me the truth," I whispered, and I was begging now. He sighed deeply. I reached out to take his hand into mine; I squeezed gently, and he turned back to me. "Please," I murmured, and I could see the battle raging in his eyes.
He sighed and dropped his head into his hands.
"Trust me, Arianna, please. I can't ... tell you."
"Is someone hurting you?" I asked, and he stiffened again.
"No."
His answer was simple, plain, but I could hear the pain behind his words. I didn't want to even have to think about he possibilities. Was he being hurt? Abused? I bit my lip.
"Can I look at your cut? It looked infected. Carlisle and Da ... Edward are doctors. I think you need to go the hospital."
I didn't even wait for his answer.
Instead, I reached forward and began to push his shirt up. His eyes flew open wide, and he screamed, "No!", but it was too late.
The skin on his arm was flawless, smooth, as if there had never been a gash in the first place.
I gasped, my eyes wide as I moved my trembling hand away. Had it been on his other arm? Had I been seeing things? There was nothing now. Not even a scratch. I turned to Gabriel, and my confused expression was met with panic.
"Gabriel ... " I breathed, and his intense blue eyes were raging in battle again. Oh, God ... had I healed him? Had brushing my fingers against his skin so softly this morning have healed his wound?
But ... no. I couldn't have. I had never healed anyone without knowing it. I had never healed anyone on accident. I always knew when I had used my power, because I could feel it. But if I hadn't ...
"I have to go now," Gabriel finally mumbled, and before I could protest, he ran off, pulling his sleeve down as he went. He stumbled as he ran, but he didn't look back. Not even once.
I sat in silence, too shocked to let the tears fall.
I felt betrayed. Why couldn't he tell me? Did he not trust me?
Would my best friend, the one person I knew I wanted to have in my life forever, leave me?
I couldn't bear the thought, so instead of thinking, I wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my head in my hands.
What was happening?
September 9th, 2038 - Thursday— 5:11 PM ( Gabe POV )
Anger.
I wiped the blood from my mouth, sparing a single second to survey my surroundings before darting behind a tree. I gasped deeply, trying to take in as much air as possible. Then I heard his voice — the voice of my master, the one who had taken me in and taught me everything he knew.
"You cannot tell her."
Frustration.
"I know!" I screamed, and I did. I knew I couldn't tell her why I was avoiding her, or where I had been these past few days. But I wanted to. I wanted to tell her everything. But I knew I couldn't ... and I knew she probably hated me for it. "I know," I said again, and this time my voice was low, soft.
Desperation.
I heard his footsteps only a second before I saw him, but a single second was all I needed. I darted to the side, watching with wide eyes as the spot I had just been standing in was engulfed in flames.
"Fight back!" he commanded, and I jumped out of the way just in time to escape yet another explosion.
"I am fighting back!"
"Then attack me!"
I lunged forward, a feral growl ripping from my throat. He tried to run, as I had, but I had not given him enough warning. His lips were turned up into a satisfied smile as I slammed my body into his, and even as the dagger I held plunged into his skin, he laughed darkly.
"You are doing well, Gabriel," he said, and he placed a hand on my head. I reached up and wiped the blood from my cheek, gasping for air as my ice blue eyes met those of my master.
"It's not good enough," I snarled, and I pulled away from his grasp. "Again!"
"No. Not now. You are weak; you need to rest. Your body is rejecting the injections."
"I need to become stronger," I yelled, and I collapsed to the ground as my knees gave out from under me. "I need ... to be ready. Because when I find them, they will die." My eyes flashed dangerously as I looked into the eyes of the man I had considered a father for so long. "I will kill them. Every single one of them."
He smiled.
"Yes, Gabriel, you will. But not today. Not now. Our time is up; I have a meeting with the council, and after that I must meet with the others. They, too, require training if they are to be prepared. Rest now."
I just slumped against the wall, my eyes closing as my breathing finally slowed.
"Can I go to school tomorrow?" I asked, and he nodded, wincing almost unnoticeably as the large gash, the wound I had created on his skin, began to close. I watched in wonder as it scabbed over, and then slowly healed into a bright pink scar, marveling at how fast he healed ... and wishing, once more, that I, too, could be as strong as he was.
"Yes," he finally answered, and he paused to place his sword and dagger back where they belonged. "You may. Try your best to avoid contact with that girl, however. You should have never have gotten as close to her as you did. Let her see nothing more to fuel her suspicion."
I nodded.
"Fine."
He walked from the room then, and I staggered to my feet before following him out of the door. The lights, bright — almost blindingly so — flickered off behind me as I closed the door.
I walked to my room and laid down on the bed, wincing as the gash above my eye throbbed. The wounds on my stomach were only now beginning to heal, even though it had been hours since I'd received them, and the pain flared like fire as I reached out to take paper and pencil — the ones that had been beside my desk for two days, begging me to apologize the only way I knew how — into my hand.
I began writing.
September 10th, 2038 - Friday — 8:00 AM ( Arianna POV )
The days passed slowly ... and I hadn't spoken to Gabriel even once. I hadn't even seen him. As he was a year older than me, we rarely even passed each other in the halls in the first place, and now it seemed as though he was purposely avoiding me.
And it hurt.
So when I saw the note on my locker, scribbled in a haste, my heart thumped nervously. I reached out with shaking hands and closed my fingers over it slowly. Opening the poorly closed envelope took longer than it should have. My nervous eyes landed on the messy words.
Arianna, it read ...
I realize you probably hate me right now. All I can say is that I am sorry. I'm sorry I upset you. I'm sorry I cannot tell you what's going on. I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry that I've probably ruined what little trust you put in me.
I didn't mean for things to turn out this way. I would still like to be your friend, however. If I still mean something to you, if you're still willing to even look at me after these past few day, meet me by our river.
I'll be waiting for you.
– Gabriel
I read and re-read the note, and eventually my heart stopped pounding and my hands stopped shaking. My breathing calmed, but my emotions ran wild.
He thought I hated him? I knew that I needed to talk to him, to assure him that I could never hate him, that I would always be there for him if he needed me. I needed to see him, to hold his hand again, to make sure he was real.
I'll be waiting for you.
The simple promise made my heart flutter, and I couldn't help but smile as I walked into my first class.
I barely paid attention, though, and embarrassed myself by answering "Gabriel!" when the teacher called on me for an answer. My face was stained about forty shades of red for the whole hour, and as soon as the bell rang, I jumped up and bolted for the door only to trip over my desk and send my books flying.
By the time lunch came around, I was sure I was permanently red. I didn't even stop by the cafeteria, or by my locker on my way outside; I was far too eager to see Gabriel to bother.
I stumbled and tripped several times in my haste to get to our river.
And then I saw him.
He was standing by the water, and the sun was reflecting off of the gently rolling waves. His hair was blowing in the wind, and there was a small, sad smile playing on his lips. I stopped breathing for several seconds as I watched him. And then I softly breathed his name.
"Gabriel."
He turned around, surprise dancing in his eyes. And then he smiled.
"Hello," he whispered, and I didn't care what he was hiding, or what he was keeping from me. All I cared about was that he was here, and I was here, and we could be together.
I stumbled forward and wrapped my arms around him. He held me close, and I sobbed quietly into his chest.
"I d-don't hate you, Gabriel. I could n-never hate you! Ever."
He smiled very softly then.
"Does that mean you'll still go out with me tomorrow?"
I nodded, wiping tears from my eyes. But his hands caught mine, and I trembled as his lips, warm, soft, brushed acorss my cheek, catching the last tear as it fell.
"Can I ask you one thing, though?" he asked, and I nodded, unable to speak. My skin was tingling pleasently where his lips had brushed, and my heart was pounding in my chest.
"Can we not go as friends?"
I felt my heart breaking, and the tears beginning to pool in my eyes. He didn't want to be my friend? But he'd said ...
But he saw the pain flash in my eyes, and his hands caught mine again. His voice was soft, sure. But at the same time, hesitant and nervous.
"I didn't mean it like that, Arianna! I'll always want to be your friend, no matter what. But I ... " he broke off then, and he dropped his eyes until he was staring at the ground. He bit his lip, and when he continued, he spoke quietly, softly. "But I ... I want to be something more, too."
His eyes, gloriously intense, flickered to meet mine. In the few brief seconds that our gazes met, he seemed to find what he was looking for.
And then he pressed his lips gently to mine.
I'm evil. I know. But hey! I wasn't actually planning for their first kiss to be like this; it just kind of happened. Oh, well. I like this better than the scene I originally planned.
NOTE: Just so you know ... GABRIEL IS NOT A WEREWOLF! ... sorry, I felt the need to say that. Everyone, it seems, thinks he is. But he's not. So there. I know you're confused, and probably ready to kill me right now. But I will explain soon!
Please Review! ( Total writing time (Including editing): 6 hours. Spare a few seconds to review? )
NEXT CHAPTER:
I felt like I was floating as Gabriel gently kissed me goodbye after school.
And if I was floating then, I was dropping like a million pound weight when I realized that my father was sitting in his car, waiting for me, only twenty feet away.
Oops.