Undercover

Chapter 21

Gabriel

"Where did you disappear to yesterday?" Rafael asked when I decided to finally go to the warehouse. I had to drag myself out of the house after Laura left this morning.

I felt like shit.

She left in her dress in the cold weather. I should never have gone over to her at the club. But I just couldn't help it. And then on top of all that I got too romantic and honest with her. And then she had made breakfast which just made everything worse.

I was so mad at myself for allowing it to get so out of hand. But I had missed her so much.

When cleaning the broken plates I got even madder and ended up breaking the cups and the other plates on the table.

I started to question everything. Why couldn't I actually just be with her? Why did I let my job and family decide everything? I was working and working but I was not happy at all. Laura made me happy. At least for now, she did.

I hated to feel limited and the fact that I couldn't decide whom I wanted to be with started to piss me off. I was okay with it before because I would only date girls that would be suitable for my family but never really for me, something was always lacking.

I stopped abruptly in front of the desk in his 'office' and stood with straight back while my hands were intertwined.

"I met someone." I said with a confident tone.

"Nice." He said not really paying attention to what I actually meant.

"I said I met someone." I repeated and he looked up confused.

"Okay... I hope you had fun with her. A bit douchey to walk out on us like that without saying anything, but hey if you had to do you, it's all good." He said and still didn't understand where I was going with this.

"I like her. I want to be with her." I said and that made him stop whatever he was doing and really look at me. He rolled back in the chair and placed a hand on the edge of the table.

"Who is she?" He asked in a serious tone.

"The girl I went out with when I forgot the shipment. I have been seeing her for some time but stopped a couple of weeks ago and I saw her yesterday at the club." I said and Rafael put his hand on his chin to think.

"American?" He said.

"Yes."

Then he was quiet for a while.

"And you plan on continuing whatever you have with her? You know it will never work." He sighed and got up from his chair.

"Why? Because dad said so?" I said mockingly.

"Gabriel. Whatever you feel, get it out of your system. It will not work. It's not just dad. No one in the family will like it." He said and I started to get mad. This family was starting to feel like a burden.

I knew they were a bit conservative when it came to dating as they preferred Italian- Americans with a certain title and I didn't have a problem with it before meeting Laura. But it was wrong. It was my life.

"As far as I know, I am going to be with her. Not the family." I said and he let out air from his nostrils and smiled in a mocking way.

"You know what they say. You marry the whole family."

"I am not planning on marrying her, so shouldn't be a problem." I said and he chuckled again.

"Then why do you want to be with her? You just turned 29, Gabriel. Now is not the time to fool around with random girls. We need to be a little serious. I heard Nelly is back in town." He said and sat on the edge of the table looking at me with crossed arms. If someone could really trigger me, it was Rafael. And my dad.