Find me

Chapter 40

Gabriel POV

“Are you sure that this is a good idea?” I asked my dad as we entered his office.

Dad sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I can’t keep them away any longer, Gabe.” dad said. “I barely managed to keep Julian away when he drove me home from the station the other day. He wanted to come inside.”

I clenched my fists and narrowed my eyes. I loved my uncle, but I would go crazy if he did that to Aria. I would go crazy if he scared her like that.

“She is scared.” I mumbled. “I think that we should wait.”

Dad sat down and opened his laptop.

“I know that she is scared.” dad said, looking up at me. “She won’t stop being scared until she sees how much they care. She is scared that they will hurt her. She is scared that they won’t like her. It won’t just go away, Gabe. She needs to meet them and see that there is nothing to be scared of.”

I took a deep breath and looked behind me.

Aria went to the bathroom, but she still didn’t come out.

“I know that you are worried, Gabe, but you don’t have to be.” dad said softly, making me look back at him. “She will be okay. You know how much your uncle and your cousins love her. She will see that, and she will be okay.”

Jealousy stabbed me like a knife. What if she ended up loving them more than she loved me?

The door to the bathroom opened, and I turned around. My sister stepped out, keeping her eyes on the floor.

She still had trouble looking up. She still had trouble speaking without being spoken to. It hurt me so much to see her so scared, but I knew it would take time for her to change it. She grew up like this. She grew up abused and scared. That kind of trauma couldn’t just go away.

As soon as she was close enough, I reached out and pulled her to me.

“Are you ready?” I asked as I placed a kiss on the top of her head.

She nodded, but I could tell how tense she was.

She wasn’t ready.

My heart clenched painfully, and I wished that I could grab her and take her away. I wished that she wouldn’t have to meet anyone. I wished that I could just take her fear and her pain away.

“Come here, baby.” my dad said softly, giving her a small smile.

I reluctantly let her go, and she walked to dad.

He pulled her into a hug, kissing her temple and running his fingers through her hair.

“Everything will be okay, love.” dad said. “I am here. Gabriel is here. If you want to end the call, just tap my arm two times, okay? I will hang up immediately.”

Aria nodded, turning around and looking at me.

She didn’t need to say a word. I understood what she needed immediately.

I took one of the chairs in my dad’s office and placed it next to dad. I sat down and pulled Aria onto my lap.

“Thank you.” she mumbled quietly.

“No need to thank me.” I said as I kissed her cheek. “I would never let you do this alone.”

She smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder.

I saw dad typing something on the laptop. He turned to look at us and smiled.

“Okay, love.” he said softly. “I will call them now.”

Aria nodded and pressed herself closer to me.

I placed my hand on her head, covering her and wishing that I would never have to move my hand away. I wished that I could just keep her next to me like this.

The laptop was turned toward my dad so they wouldn’t see her right away.

My uncle answered the call immediately.

“Hi, guys.” my dad said, smiling.

“Hi, Henry.” I heard my uncle’s voice.

“Hello, uncle H, what’s up?” Luke said, and I could imagine him grinning.

“Hi, uncle Henry.” Andrew said softly.

Aria gripped my hand tighter. I could feel her shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay.” I whispered, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “They won’t hurt you. No one will hurt you.”

Dad glanced at her worriedly.

“Is everything okay, Henry?” my uncle asked.

Dad reached out and caressed Aria’s cheek. I moved my hand, and she lifted her head a little.

“You okay, baby?” dad asked her quietly.

She nodded, leaning even more into me.

“Henry?” my uncle said worriedly. “Is she okay?”

Dad turned back and nodded. “She is okay. Just a little nervous.”

“There is nothing to be nervous about, honey.” I heard my uncle say softly. “We love you so much, and we can’t wait to meet you.”

She took a deep breath, and I tightened my arms around her.

“I am here.” I told her softly. “I won’t leave you, okay?”

“Can I turn the laptop, baby?” dad asked her softly.

She nodded, grabbing a fistful of my hoodie in her hand. Her breaths were short and fast. I wanted to take her away. I would take her away if this got out of hand.

Dad turned the laptop toward us, and I heard gasps and sobs.

Luke and Andrew were staring at the screen with a small smile on their faces. Even through the screen, I could see that both of them had tears in their eyes.

My uncle buried his face in his hands, and I could see his shoulders shaking slightly.

I wasn’t sure if Aria was breathing. I lifted my hand and caressed her cheek.

“Breathe.” I told her quietly. “Everything is okay.”

When I looked back at the screen, I saw my uncle wiping his tears away and smiling.

“Hi, honey.” he said softly. “You look so much like your mom. I am so happy to have you back with us. We missed you so much, and we haven’t been a complete family until you came back to us.”

“Hi, shortie.” Luke said, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m Luke. The funniest member of our family and your favorite cousin.”

I looked at Aria and saw that she smiled a little.

Relief washed over me.

“She smiled at me!” Luke gasped. “I told you that I would be her favorite!”

He turned toward his dad and Andrew, who both rolled their eyes at him.

“Hi, Aria.” Andrew said softly, ignoring his brother. “I’m Andrew. I missed you so much, cutie. I got to hold you when you were born, and it was the best day of my life.”

“Hey, I held her too.” Luke complained, leaning into the camera. “I held you too, shortie.”

Aria chuckled, making my uncle and cousins smile brightly.

“I got her to smile again.” Luke exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

Aria’s grip on my hoodie loosened, and she took a deep breath.

“Hi.” she said quietly, giving them a small smile.

“Oh, sweetie.” my uncle said, leaning closer to the laptop. “I love you so much. I can’t wait to see you and hold you.”

Aria leaned closer to me, and I could feel how tense she got.

“No one will touch you until you are okay with it.” I told her quietly. “I won’t let them, okay?”

“Your uncle and your cousin Andrew are both doctors, baby.” my dad said, changing the subject.

He could sense the tension in the air after my uncle’s words. He took Aria’s hand in his, and I could see how tightly she gripped it.

“Well, I’m still a student.” Andrew said, smiling. “But I would like to be a surgeon one day.”

“Aria would like to become a doctor as well.” my dad said, lifting his other hand and caressing her cheek.

“Really?” Andrew asked excitedly.

Aria nodded, making Andrew smile from ear to ear.

“I can’t wait for you to start.” Andrew said. “I will help you with everything.”

Aria gave him a small smile.

I looked at Luke and my uncle. Luke had a smile on his face. My uncle kept wiping the tears away.

I turned my head and kissed Aria’s temple. I needed her to relax a little, or I was going to take her away from here. I didn’t give a shit about anyone else.

“Hi, Gabe.” my uncle said, his voice raspy. “Sorry, bud, we didn’t even say hello to you.”

“That’s okay.” I said, giving him a small smile. “I understand.”

“How are you?” my uncle asked me.

“I’ve never been happier.” I said as I kissed Aria’s temple again.

“Are you ready to be the second favorite soon?” Luke teased, making me clench my fists.

Jealousy exploded inside of me.

A part of me was so scared that she would like them better than me. A part of me was scared that I would lose her again.

“Stop teasing him.” Andrew sighed, rolling his eyes at his brother.

I took a deep breath and tightened my arms around her.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Aria tap dad’s arm.

He looked at her and nodded.

“Okay, guys.” my dad smiled. “I think that would be enough for today.”

I could see the disappointment in their eyes, but I agreed with my dad. It was enough.

“Okay, sweetie.” my uncle smiled. “I hope that we can talk again soon.”

Aria nodded, smiling back at him.

“Bye, Aria.” Luke and Andrew said at the same time.

“Goodbye.” Aria said quietly, smiling at them.

“I will talk to you soon, Julian.” dad said as he turned the laptop away.

“Sure.” I heard my uncle say. “Keep her safe, Henry.”

“Of course.” my dad smiled, looking up at us.

“Bye, Henry.” my uncle said.

“Bye.” dad looked back at the laptop and smiled.

As soon as the call ended, Aria turned around and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“You will always be my favorite.” she mumbled quietly, making my heart skip a beat.

She knew it angered me. She knew it hurt me.

I tightened my arms around her and buried my nose in her hair.

“I love you.” I told her quietly.

“I love you too.” she said softly.

I felt dad wrap his arms around both of us. He kissed the top of my head and rubbed Aria’s back softly.

“You did great, love.” dad said. “I am so proud of you.”

She lifted her head and smiled.

I was proud of her as well. She was scared, but she did it.

Most importantly, she wasn’t alone. I was with her, and I would never leave her alone again.