Betrayed

Season three

It was mid May when Gabriel and I made out for the work camp. I was to share accommodations with him in his makeshift bedroom/office of a cabin. It was small but I had very little personal belongings and neither did Gabriel. I got a tour of the camp and of the dining hall, then Gabriel went over all of the details and things the previous cook had done that had worked well, but encouraged me to do whatever I thought would be best. I met with the new crew of three women slightly older than me and I did not fail to notice the flirtatious look they all gave Gabriel. I had never been a jealous type of girl, but it made me wonder what their history with him was. He knew all three of them by name: Jenna, Leanne and Ria and spent some time chit chatting with them, clearly enjoying being flirted with.

Though Matteo was not working at this campsite, I saw him frequently enough as he and Gabriel went over details of their new build at a different location Matteo was in charge of. The first week was challenging, trying to figure out how much food to make, what everyone seemed to agree on for food and getting to know my kitchen crew. I rotated their tasks every other day in order to find the perfect fit for each girl, they rarely complained and everything seemed to be going well, though the three of them were cold towards me. Jenna was the only one to ask me personal questions and show slight interest in getting to know me.

Sleeping in Gabriel's cabin proved to be interesting as crew members were constantly knocking at the door for various reasons. There were no dividers between the office or the bedroom which made for some awkward situation. There was very little time for intimacy unless it was during our evening showers before bed.

On our days off we'd stop by Gabriel's place where he would bring formula, diapers and a few groceries to Chrissy and Hendrix. I typically bought baby Hendrix a new outfit each visit which was always met with great enthusiasm by Chrissy, and an eye roll from Gabriel. Though he doted on his grandson, Gabriel despised the fact that he was old enough to be a grandfather. I refused to be called anything other than Harper although Chrissy insisted I should be called aunty Harper. It was too weird considering Gabriel and I's already strange relationship. Hendrix's father, Adam, had finally flown in from Alberta to meet him and swiftly proposed to Chrissy, promising her a house and a life together as a family. Gabriel wasn't a huge fan of his future son in law, but he still offered him a job at one of his worksites and treated him with respect.

We stayed at the cottage enjoying the lake and plenty of sexy time to make up for the weekly drought, even after Chrissy and Hendrix had moved in with Adam. The weekends in late June had been particularly warm and I enjoyed watching Gabriel's long lean body as he dove into the lake from the dock while I sunbathed. We went on random canoeing trips across the lake, camping out under the stars on a few occasions and typically enjoying each other's company. I was head over heels for him and couldn't remember what my life had been like before he became a part of it. Furthermore, Gabriel treated me like a goddess. He was affectionate, devoted, and attentive to all my needs.

"What are you doing?" he asked one morning in early July, "It looks like you're trying to swim in the bed," he laughed.

"These sheets feel amazing!!" I groaned as the fabric caressed my skin.

"Should I get some for home?" he asked, amused.

"Oh, god yes!"

"Baby, I'll get you ten sets of them if you move in with me."

"Urgh, that's not fair" I whined.

"Come on Harper, you've been living with me since March, you might as well move in and save your money"

"I know, but it's your house"

"You want a different house?" he asked frowning, "I will build you another house if that's what you want"

"No, Gabriel, I don't need you to buy me sheets and build me houses, I'm just weary of moving in with you so soon"

"I know, but I don't plan on taking no for an answer, I want you to move in with me."

"You sure you're ready for a dull life of monogamy?"

"Trust me, I have my hands full with you, I don't need anyone else" he said with a broad smile. I shoved him playfully as he lowered himself over me to kiss me. "Say yes, Harp" he mewled, rubbing his stubble along my collarbone making me squirm.

"It's too soon!"

"We were talking about having kids just last month and you think it's too soon to move in together?" he asked playfully. "God, I love you, Harper"

"You do?" I asked dumbly.

"More than anything" he said resting his head on my shoulder.

"Gabe?"

"Hmmm?" he hummed lazily.

"I love you" I replied.

He looked up at me with a smile.

"So you'll move in?" he asked, hopeful.

"Yeah, let's do it," I said.

I gave my landlady notice, three month's rent and moved all of my stuff out. It took less than a truckload to get all my things to Gabriel's. If he was surprised by how little I owned he made no show of it. Sure enough, he had bought new sheets for his bed at home identical to the ones he had at the cottage.

"I didn't know if you would want to change the colors in here so I just got grey ones, they should go with everything" he said.

"I don't plan on changing anything" I admitted, "and honestly, I wouldn't even know what to change, this place is so perfectly you"

"Well if you want to, you're more than welcome. This is your home now too."