Page 40 of Saving Her

The sad part is, I don’t know how I became this person. All I ever wanted was to be loved by Dom. In the beginning, I think he did. Then slowly, I could tell his eyes were traveling. I was desperate to keep his attention. I began encouraging T’s attention. At first, it was to make Dom jealous. Then he started noticing Thea. That nearly killed me. T’s attention was like a balm over my broken heart … and I was broken.

I had given Dom my virginity and had planned this whole life with him. I didn’t worry about college and all those things that other girls my age were going on about. My life was to be Dom’s old lady. That’s it. Then it all blew up around me, and the happiness that was supposed to be mine—the only happiness I ever wanted—was gone. I was desperate to keep it.

I was stupid.

I did so much. Now, it’s hard for me to fathom what I was thinking. I have no idea how I lost sight of reality, and just kept piling up the mistakes. I was sure I could convince Dom that we were meant to be together. He just had to see me as his woman again.

I push those thoughts away. I can’t think of them today. They haunt me enough at night. Right now, I have to concentrate on my papi. When I make it to the conference room where Ayita said they were, I meet Dom, BB, Thomas, Torch, and King. I tremble being surrounded by them, and before I can stop myself, I back up two steps.

“Are you okay, Gabby?” Dom asks, and I try not to flinch, but I’m pretty sure I don’t succeed.

Uncle Torch immediately comes over and puts his hand on my shoulder. I jump underneath his touch. I look up at him in apology. Tears are stinging my eyes. I cried a lot when Ayita told me about my brother. With all the times I’ve cried, you’d think there would be none left.

“I’m okay. I wanted to see my father,” I mumble, looking down at my feet rather than Dom.

“He’s in the conference room with Dragon. It might be better if you wait before you go in. They’re having … words,” Torch explains.

“Oh … I wanted to talk to him about going back home. Mom may need me,” I explain.

“I can take you back home tonight, Gabby,” BB responds. “Dad wants me to go home to watch over Mom. It will be late, though. Probably not ’til after midnight.”

“Thanks, BB,” I whisper, getting up enough courage to give him a watery smile.

“D-Do you n-need anything, Gabby?” Thomas asks. Shame fills me. They’re being so nice to me after everything I’ve done.

“N-no. Thank you, Thomas. I better go find my papi.”

They all move to walk away from me, but I’m startled when King lays his hand on my shoulder. “Keep your head up, Wildcat,” he says gently. I swallow, feeling too full of emotion to speak at first. My need to cry is so mammoth that it almost overwhelms me.

As he walks away, I find myself looking back. “King?”

“Yeah?” he says, stopping to look at me.

“If I don’t see you again. I just want to thank you for everything you did.”

“I didn’t do a lot. You took the fucker down all on your own, Gabby. Remember that. You didn’t let him beat you.”

With his words, one lone tear leaks from the corner of my eye. I wipe it from existence immediately and nod my head quickly before turning around and nearly sprinting the ten feet between me and the door. I stand there, letting my heartbeat calm down. King and I both know he’s lying. He saved me. I may have stabbed Lucky, but I wouldn’t have had that chance if it wasn’t for him being there with the knife. I would have never gotten away if it wasn’t for him. I owe him everything. Still, what he said means something. At least someone doesn’t see me as weak and pathetic. He doesn’t know me, but it still means something.

Drawing a deep breath, I carefully open the conference door, making sure Dragon and Papi aren’t still going at it. Their friendship has always been a mystery. They fight often, but there’s a mutual respect there that has always remained. Mom says it’s because they’re too much alike and maybe she’s right. Papi isn’t as scary, though. Dragon has always intimidated me. He’s never liked me. I used to want to prove to him I could be good for his son. Instead, I proved to him he was right all along.

“Skull, she’s your daughter. She just lost her brother. You need to?—”

There’s a darkness that seems to unfurl inside of me with Dragon’s words. I don’t understand it, but it’s like my body is telling me to run. I can’t, however. It feels like my legs are frozen where I stand.

“I can’t deal with her right now. Beth was right. I spoiled her. I’m the reason that she has turned out the way she has.”

Pain once again pours into me. I don’t know how my body continues to stand. Every word from my papi’s mouth is like a death blow.

“Skull, She’s young?—”

“She was older than Diego. My son will never get to see her age and yet, he was more adult than her. The things she did to try to trap your son … It blows my fucking mind. That is not the daughter I raised, Dragon. That is not the Gabriella that I carry in my heart.”

“Kids make mistakes, Skull.”

“This mistake cost my son his life. If Gabby had left Dom alone, she wouldn’t have been here. My son wouldn’t have been here, helping me seek revenge in her name. She caused all of this.”

There it is. That’s the death knell—the blow that I can’t recover from. I’m done. I can’t take any more.