A/N : Hey guys ! Thank you for your feedback on the second chapter of this story, I'm glad you love it and that you're waiting for more, even after all these years ! I hope you will like this new chapter. So have a good read!
G.
After this surprise and unexpected meeting, Gabby fled from the bar where they had come to spend the end of the day with her friends, and in a hurry she reached her apartment located not too far from there. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her breath was short, she felt overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. The surprise when she heard his voice pronounce her name, a voice she would recognize even at the other end of the world. The love and the heart pounding when his eyes met hers. And then, resentment, sadness. She would have liked to welcome him with open arms, hug him with all her might, kiss him. She missed him. She missed him terribly, but how could she ignore the words he had said to her, and which even though she had smiled, had broken her inside. A bit like that time, a year ago, when he had said goodbye to her. Her strength and her mind had been affected, she had taken a long time to get her back on track, but she had done it, as always. But there were still some buried cracks, and the day Matt had chosen Chicago over her, Chicago over his wife, she had swallowed back her pride and her tears, but the cracks and crevices deep within her had reopened and broken her again. She loved him, more than anything, from the depths of her being, and he had chosen a city over her. All of her thoughts that she had made a point of fighting in the past few weeks bubbled to the surface as she walked briskly barefoot down the boardwalk, her eyes red and tear-filled, her mouth open in an attempt to resume her breath, under certain astonished looks of passers-by. She finally arrived at her apartment, opened the bay windows wide, she was suffocating, she was shaking. She poured herself a drink as she tended to do a little too much lately when she wasn't feeling well, she took off her white kimono, then she crossed her silhouette in the large mirror installed in the entrance. Her body was leaner and toned since she arrived on the island, her skin was darker from all that time in the sun, her braid was mussed from the wind and salt water, her face was puffy and wet. She put her drink on the dresser and began to untie the ties of her bikini, her mind wandering and she imagined Matt's hands instead of hers. She shook her head to collect herself and headed to the bathroom, which overlooked a breathtaking view of the ocean, and took a warm and comforting shower. Her muscles relaxed, the salty taste of her tears gave way to the coolness of the jet of water. She wrapped a towel around her chest and her hair, picked up her glass of wine on the way and went to throw herself on her sofa. She then felt overwhelmed again by her emotions. She wanted to scream, to scream everything she had in her heart, to express her anger and her feelings, but psychologically she didn't have the strength. She buried her head in the couch cushions and sleep overcame her.
The next morning, Matt woke up more determined than ever. Seeing her again, in the flesh, after these few weeks of separation and without speaking to each other, had reminded him how much she was the love of his life, the woman with whom he wanted to live, share everything. The woman he had always loved, the woman he loves and would always love no matter what the future held for them. He was going to fight to prove it to her, no matter what.
« Kelly? » he asked through the connecting door which separated their two bedrooms.
« Yeah? » he replied, opening it, a towel tied around his waist, the toothbrush in his mouth.
« Do you know where she lives? »
« Matt, I'm not sure this is a good idea… » Kelly couldn't finish before being interrupted.
« I'm not going to sit here twiddling my thumbs! »
Kelly quickly went to his bathroom to rinse his mouth before returning to his best friend. « That's not what I'm saying, on the contrary, we came here for this, and I'm glad to see that you're determined to make things right, but don't go in headlong, don't go hunt her down at her house, at her work… You saw what state of mind she was in last night, I think you need to give her some time to digest things, to understand them and she will come to you when she is ready… »
« What if she never is? » Matt questioned him with wide eyes.
« Matt, this woman loves you more than anything, it's eye-popping! Everyone last night could see it. There is no doubt about it, and you know it better than anyone! » Kelly tried to talk some sens into him. « I know again that I'm not the best person to give dating advice or speak on her behalf, but I think her reaction last night just showed how much your words may have hurt her, and we're talking about Gabby… She let her temper take over, but deep down, and her look at the very beginning when she saw you were there in front of her, proved it, she just wanted to throw herself in your arms! »
« So why was she so cold? So distant? »
« Matt, come on! You said harsh words to her, you let her go thousands of miles away without fighting for her or at least trying to make her stay with you… What did you expect? For me, you love each other so much, you try so hard not to hurt each other that you end up hurting each other… She is hurt, it was her resentment that spoke last night. Give her time, she'll come to you, I promise, okay? » Kelly put his hands on Matt's shoulders to reassure him and also try to convince him, even if deep down, he couldn't be one hundred percent sure what was going to happen between his two best friends. The only thing he knew was that they were made for each other and that they loved each other. « Do you remember what Hermann said to you the night we celebrated your wedding? » Matt nodded. « Love really can conquer all... So get that back in your mind, don't forget she's still your wife at this very moment, believe in yourself, everything's going to be alright. I'm not telling you that everything will be easy, there will most definitely be bumps in the road, but it's you, it's who you are, you always go the hard way, you want to protect her, she wants to protect you… Her temper is certainly very annoying, but that's what you like about her, you have to accept it, it's even what made you fall in love with her in the first place… »
« That's right, » Matt smiled. « But my god, how can it be infuriating at times! » he laughed.
« I'm no one to judge her, I think we're pretty similar! »
« Dude, look who you're talking to! You are both real pain in the ass, but I love you! » Matt smiled at him, and they started laughing. « Okay, now what, then? » Matt asked. « It's killing me to sit here doing nothing, waiting and pacing! I'm so dying to see her… »
« Patience, Matt, patience! » he winked at him before putting his clothes on. « How about going for a walk? But on one condition, I can't hear you complaining about the sun and the heat one more time! »
« Promise! I'm going to put on my sunscreen so I don't look like a lobster at the end of the day! »
Gabby got up with difficulty when her alarm clock rang. She felt disoriented even though she hadn't had that much drinks. She decided to go take a breath of fresh air on her balcony with a hot coffee to wake up. Her phone then rang, « Allo? ».
« Hey, Gabs! » it was Adam. Just a little concerned, sweetie. I just wanted to know how are you? » he asked sincerely from the other side of the wire.
« Everything is fine! » she lied.
« Gabby, come on, it's me, you can tell me anything, you know that!»
« Uh, okay, okay… I feel like I've been partying all night, I'm so hungover. My mind wanders all over the place. I'm lost… » she confessed. « And this alarm clock just finished finishing me off! I must have slept for two hours, and today is shift day at the hospital… For the moment, I just want to forget everything… »
« Do you want to go for a run? The weather is great and beautiful this morning! »
« Good idea! Shall we meet downstairs in fifteen minutes? »
« I am already there! I am waiting for you! Go put on your best outfit! » he laughed.
« What a confident man you are! » she smiled back.
« I know you! Nothing better than a short run by the sea to start the day! And I invite you for breakfast afterwards, sweetie! » he finished before hanging up.
Gabby got ready in ten minutes. She put on a pale coral sports bra that matched her Nike sneakers and light gray running leggings. She tied her hair in a messy bun, took her armband to put her phone and AirPods in so she could listen to music while she ran off steam. She left her building and found Adam warming up on the bench in front of the front door. « Don't overdo it though! » she teased him, before Adam hugged her affectionately. « Ready to get run over by a girl? » she smiled at him before slipping on her AirPods and kicking off the beat. She drove off quickly, and it took Adam a while to realize she was already gone. He joined her with long strides and on the seafront, he accompanied her to clear her head. Gabby had always enjoyed running, and since the Puerto-Rican climate was more conducive to it than Chicago's, she tried to run regularly, either alone or with a companion.
« What do you thing about having breakfast on the beach? » Kelly offered to Matt coming out of their rooms.
« Good idea! » Matt answered, and they both headed straight for Condado Beach. They took the long promenade that ran along the beach, the morning atmosphere was rather pleasant. It was both calm and full of good energy. People were taking advantage of the reasonable heat at the start of the day. Others strolled on the beach. A group was doing a yoga session. And, there were a lot of morning sportsmen. At the same time, who wouldn't love to take advantage of this setting. « It would almost make you want to get back into the sport! » Matt laughed as Kelly took some pictures, the light was beautiful. They continued to walk while discussing the simplest of the world. They stopped at a small stand, ordered two coffees and pastries, and sat down on a bench to eat. In front of them, the passers-by, the immense beach illuminated by a blazing sun and the ocean. They watched the scene in front of them, in silence. It was at this precise moment that Matt saw a runner stop in front of them, visibly out of breath. She stopped her race in front of them, she was back, but he could recognize the silhouette of the woman in front of his eyes. He tapped Kelly on the arm, and Kelly instantly followed his gaze.
« It's almost too good to be true! » Kelly smiled. The little brunette had her hands on her knees, she was trying to catch her breath, visibly exhausted from the race she had just done. But that's when a tall blond man came up next to her, also in gym clothes, sweating, and he put his hand in the small of her back.
« What the hell is he doing here, again! » Matt was immediately annoyed, his eyes immediately darkening as the blond man threw his arms around Gabby's shoulders as she sat up. She did the same by putting her arm around his waist, and Matt saw red instantly. He jumped up and walked towards them. Kelly tried to hold him back, in vain. « Let go of me! » Matt huffed. Kelly rolled his eyes, he knew what Matt had in mind and that wasn't going to help him in winning back the woman he loved. « So that's why you don't want to talk to me? » Matt positioned himself behind Gabby and Adam, who were taking deep breaths after their running session looking at the landscape in front of them. They instantly turned away from each other, not sure if the person who just said those words was actually addressing them. Gabby's eyes widened in shock. As for Adam, he is eyes were glued to the man in front of him with a bewildered look. « So that's it! Still married, and you've already found yourself someone! You wasted no time! » Matt lost his temper as Gabby, Adam and Kelly looked on in bewilderment. Gabby was speechless. « I can't believe it! I can't believe it! You really didn't waste any time! It's hardly believable! » Matt continued.
« Matt! Man, stop it! » Kelly tried to pull him back, but he was in a trance.
« That was actually your plan! Get rid of me! »
« Matt, stop! » Kelly insisted. « What are you doing? » he shook his head, distraught at his friend's behavior. He looked at Gabby with sad eyes that mirrored her own. No, worse, those of Gabby were bruised by the behavior and the words of the one who was still her husband. Kelly managed to push Matt back a few steps.
« And you, yes you! » Matt pointed at Adam. « Don't you mind banging someone who's still married? You have no shame? » he glared at him.
« I won't allow you to talk to me like that! I don't know you, you don't know me! » Adam didn't let it go. « And if I were you, I'd be the one who would be ashamed to say such things about a woman, and even more so about the woman I'm married to, » he lectured Matt. « Gabs, sorry, but I can't stand this one more minute! » he raised his hands in defense.
« Yeah, good riddance! » Matt shouted even louder, enraged.
« I'll call you later! Good luck with your shift! » Adam placed a quick peck on Gabby's cheek before heading back.
« And besides, he has the nerve to kiss her in front of me! But what a jerk! »
« Matt! That's enough now! » Kelly shouted louder than him.
« What? I have to let him take my wife without saying a word, just like that! You're the one who told me to fight for her, to get her back! » Matt retorted.
« Stop talking about me like I'm an object of yours that you want back, especially when I'm standing right in front of you! » Gabby interrupted them. Her eyes were black with rage, her brow furrowed. Her hands were resting on her hips. Her chest was heaving rapidly. Kelly quickly realized she was ready to explode. Which didn't fail to happen. « Who do you think you are? Who are you to talk to people you just meet and don't know like this? Who are you to talk to me like that? To treat me like you just did? » she raised her voice. Matt tried to answer. « Don't you even dare open your mouth! Enough said and done enough for today! »
« Gabby… »
« No, don't Gabby me! » she interrupted him before he could even formulate a full sentence. « Nothing, listen to me, nothing gives you the right to treat me like that, like an object, like a thing. First of all, I don't belong to you, Matt. Or at least I haven't belonged to you since the day you chose a city instead of your wife… » Gabby's voice cracked. She looked him straight in the eye, tears clouding her vision, but she didn't flinch. Matt couldn't stand it, he looked down and stared at the floor. Kelly assisted at this desperate scene, helpless. « Secondly, calling me a whore is not going to make me want to talk to you, believe me, there are much better solutions! » she continued, not taking her eyes off him. « I don't have time to fight with you now, I have to go to work, but know that you are way over the line, Matt. If that's what you came to do in Puerto Rico, congratulations, you succeeded in one day, you can leave on the first flight to the city that is so dear to your heart! » she finished firmly before stepping closer to him. « Anyway, dearer to your heart than me! » she whispered, finishing off Matt if he hadn't already. She retraced her steps, probably to go home.
« Gabby! Hold on! » Kelly shouted. When she stopped and turned around, he knew she was going to listen. He then motioned for Matt to stay where he was and took a few short strides to join Gabby. « Gabby, he didn't mean it… You know, he didn't mean it, he didn't mean it… »
« It was very clear though! »
« He's just hurt… »
« Ah, because I'm not hurt maybe? Has anyone ever fucking wonder how I was doing? How did I experience the separation? How was my life here, far from everything I loved? » Gabby questioned him, and Kelly looked down. « Yeah, that's what I thought! No, it was only for poor little Matt abandoned by his wife who chose her career instead of him, right? » her nerves took over. « You know what he said to me when I asked him to come with me and continue our life here? That he was a Chicago Guy! Damn, the guy I love told me he'd rather stay in his town than follow his wife, and you think I'm okay? What do you think? That I enjoy Puerto Rican life at all costs? That I fuck all the guys who cross my path? That's it? » she continued, her voice breaking as she vented. « You have no idea what I've been through for the past few weeks, how badly I was when I arrived here, alone and lost… I felt abandoned by the man I love, we don't rebuild ourselves in such a short time! ». Kelly noted that she always used the present tense to talk about her love for Matt, and it left him a little hope. Meanwhile, Matt hearing the loud voices had moved closer, although Kelly asked him not to. « Do you think you can just pop in here anytime you want and it's all going to be magically erased or forgotten? »
« He's just having a hard time seeing you with someone else… » Kelly tried to justify Matt's behavior as he was now next to him.
« To see me with someone else? Seriously? On the one hand, you are no one to judge, really no one. And on the other hand, did you at least care who Adam was before jumping to conclusions? » she looked at them alternately.
« Eh, eh, » he raised his hands in defense. « I didn't say I agreed with him. I tried to reason with him… » Kelly replied.
« You are always with him and in his arms! No more needed! » Matt finally intervened curtly. Gabby couldn't believe her ears.
« Man, shut up! » Kelly was frustrated with his best friend.
« So you've been here for what, 24 hours, and you already know everything… Really impressive! » she retorted, he tried to speak again, but she raised her finger to stop him. « I'd be you, Matt, I won't say another word! » She warned him, staring him straight in the eye. She turned and left, not wanting to be late at the hospital.
« What is wrong with you! » Kelly exploded. « What the fuck is your plan? Is that how you're going to get her back, really? Damn, Matt, you're messing up! » he let him stand in the middle of the walk, returning to the bench to get his coffee. « Honestly, I don't know what possessed me to organize all this and accompany you… Pull yourself together! It's time to step it up a bit! ». He didn't even bother to wait for him, and headed for the hotel. Matt watched him walk away, vulnerable.
Back at the hotel, Kelly flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It couldn't go on like this. It had barely been 24 hours since they were there, and Matt had made unacceptable comments on several occasions, especially when he was speaking to the woman who made his heart beat. Kelly had to know if he was right to make up his mind or if it was all pure imagination. He then took his phone, and wrote a text to Chout to find out if he was available to chat. Shout replied that he was working, but that the same evening they had planned to meet near the dispensary to take stock of its upcoming opening. He gave the address to Severide and invited him to join them.
They haven't seen each other all day with Matt. Kelly had gone for a walk in town, while Matt had emptied his head on the beach. They met at the hotel bar at the end of the day for a beer. « Have you cleared your head? » Kelly asked him.
« It was stronger than me, I freaked out... Seeing her in his arms, seeing them so close, it drives me crazy! » Matt took a sip of his beer.
« What if they were just friends, Matt? »
« Kelly… »
« Matt, come on, be honest! How many times have I hugged Gabby? Held her hand? Gave her a kiss on the cheek? And you never doubted… »
« But, it's you, Severide! »
« So, this guy, this Adam, you don't know him, you don't know who he is... He may not have any bad intentions. Maybe they're just co-workers..."
« Kelly, you saw them like me! »
« Yes, but I have a different interpretation! They look close, sure, so what? »
« I don't know… I don't feel it, I have a bad feeling! »
« Well, you better put it aside, because tonight we're going back to see all these people, and you better behave yourself, or tomorrow, it's a one-way flight ticket back to Chicago and without your wife! » Kelly warned him, very serious.
Thirty minutes of taxi later, they arrived in front of the dispensary. They had renovated an old building located in the sand and surrounded by palm trees. They had repaired the wood and painted it white. The windows and the door were still damaged, but with their respective jobs and missions, it was sometimes difficult to free up time to move forward on the project, even if the biggest part had been done. Rhythmic music came from within. Bursts of laughter were heard between the palm trees. Kelly moved forward discreetly following the voices, and he discovered a pretty scene of life. They were all together, Chout, the girls and other people he had never seen before. They clinked glasses, danced in a good mood. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two men sitting in a hammock between two palm trees, a tall blond and a dark-haired. They were really close to each other. He recognized them as Adam and Juan. Kelly smiled, and went to find Matt. « Follow me! » he told him, looking mischievous. They walked around the building again, and Kelly leaned against the wall, Matt by his side. « Look! » he told him, pointing to the scene in front of their eyes. Adam and Juan were entwined in the hammock, the head of the first one resting on that of the second. Juan sat up, clinked glasses with Adam before placing a kiss on his lips. Kelly watched Matt carefully, he made his eyes widen and his mouth open. Kelly couldn't help but laugh and add « I told you there was nothing to worry about! »
« So, satisfied? » a small voice behind them startled them. They turned around and discovered Gabby, visibly tired and stirred by the emotions of the last hours, and no doubt her day's work. She wore a floral-patterned midi dress in pale yellow, pale pink and coral, with ruffle detailing at the shoulders and cutouts at the waist that showed off her muscular skin which has been darkened by the sun. Her hair was loose and wavy to the side. She wore hoop earrings and golden sandals. Matt couldn't help but stare at her. He was racked with guilt over what had happened that morning, the day before, or even a few weeks ago in Chicago, but knowing that apparently nothing had happened between Adam and Gabby gave him renewed hope.
« Ah Gabby, there you are! » Chout shouted from where he was dancing with Holly and Daniela.
« Excuse me, I'm expected! » Gabby passed between Matt and Kelly to join her team, not without crossing the look full of love and desire that Matt had on her.
A/N : And that's it for this third chapter! I hope I'm not going around too much. Please let me know what you think. Love, G.