All I Need

Chapter 37 - Gabriella

Kaia

I hated weddings.

And even though this was the only one I had ever been to, it truly ruined them completely.

It only occurred to me two hours ago when Elias asked for the second time if I was pregnant.

...I might be pregnant.

But I had hope because I took birth control every day except for that week. I could get lucky, and not have to carry a child around for nine months and then birth it... or have another abortion.

Whatever the outcome of the situation may be, I could think about it later. First, I had to sneak out of this wedding, and hopefully not get stabbed to death by Bianca and her family.

Part of me wished nothing bad ever happened between us. If we were still friends, I could have properly attended. I could have been one of her bridesmaids, and stood up there with her while she married the love of her life. I wanted that for her. I wanted that for us.

The past could never be changed, and Bianca's anger wouldn't allow forgiveness. Unless she had magically become a new person over the last two years and let go of her rage, there would never be a future relationship for me and her.

She probably dreamed of catching me. Dreamed of tying me up, making me bleed, and then telling me to fuck off one last time before severing my head from my body. Not the ideal way to die, but when it came to her I knew it would be as brutal as possible.

If I had to wish for one thing tonight, it would be to not run into her. I didn't want to see her face, hear her voice, or even feel that she was too close to me. Bianca and i... we had too much history. Just the thought of seeing the look of betrayal in her eyes again made it hard to leave the restroom.

Eventually, though, I got up and left. Too many women were coming in and out, making me nervous. Keeping my head down, I rounded the corner, heading for the stairs-

"Kaia King."

A hand clasped my wrist and pulled me onto one of the balconies. I raised my head to see the last person I expected. She closed the terrace doors and held my gaze. Why was she here? The floor felt like it was moving under my feet as I stared back into her grey eyes.

"Gabriella." I returned her greeting, pulling my arm from her grasp. "What are you doing here?"

"I wouldn't miss my son's wedding for anything." she plopped down into one of the chairs facing away from the door so people couldn't see us. "That would make me a terrible mother."

"You are a terrible mother."

Gabriella Smith. Or formally known as Gabriella Toscani, before she married Raphael's father and took his last name.

When Elias entered the washroom earlier, I thought I heard her voice. Yet I didn't think twice about it because, why the hell would she show up? After all this time?

After faking her death.

"You know I had my reasons, Kaia." She motioned for me to join, so I sat in the chair next to her, watching the crowd of guests below us. "It had to be done."

The story of Gabriella was long and confusing.

She paid my father to help fake her death. Apparently, she was running from her family back in Italy. If they found her and knew she got married and had a child, they would have brought her back and she would have been punished.

So when she was successful and everyone thought she was dead, Gabriella moved in with us. My mother had died and so my father was single. One thing led to another, and they dated for several years. She was almost like a parent to me for a while.