Gabriel Brown: Collection of Short Alaskan Bush People Fan Fics

Talk to the Wind. Part 4 (Final)

You sat frozen to your seat in the skiff like an ice sculpture. Your heart was pounding in your chest and your throat was closing up. It was getting hard to breathe. When Gabe had thrown your words back at you and told you to 'talk to the wind', you wanted to roll over and die. How could your heart have turned so quickly back to Curtis? You dropped your head and your face burned with shame. You were aware of Curtis staring at the both of you and your mind blurred with confusion. Why did those feelings for Curtis linger?

Gabe stood up and shrugged into his black leather jacket. You watched silently as the tight muscles of his arms and shoulders disappeared into the coat. He spread his feet slightly to steady himself and faced you.

"Come On." He held his hand out to you. "I'll help you out of the skiff."

When you didn't reach for his hand or even lift your head, Gabe leaned over, tucked his fingers under your chin and lifted your face to his.
"You need to go now." His voice was soft but there was a slight edge to it.

You had been friends with Gabe long enough to know that this was his angry side. But even his angry side was gentle and he never yelled or spoke harshly. His words were short and clipped and that was how you knew he was mad. Mad or not, you refused to leave things like that between you. He was your friend, but he was also the man you knew you were in love with. Confused or not, that much was clear to you. So you looked him in the eye and shook your head back and forth.

"I'm not going anywhere." Your voice was barely audible.

"Curtis is waiting for you." He whispered. There was a twinge of bitterness to his voice and you shut your eyes tight. His fingers were warm and tender on your chin and you could feel his breath on your skin. His face was only inches from yours. 

You remembered the first time he had put his face that close to yours. Gabe was a large man and at first it had been somewhat intimidating having him right in your face like that. But his size was tempered by his kindness. And as you opened your eyes, they darted left and right, searching his face. You weren't afraid of him at all. You loved him and you knew he loved you. You had messed up and now you were going to have to prove yourself to him all over again. But you would do it and you would do it immediately.

"Hey! What's going on down there?" Curtis suddenly yelled from the dock.

You swung your head around to him, angry. "None of your business! What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was waiting for you! Someone said they saw you sail off with this guy this morning and I was worried!"

You blinked in surprise and looked back at Gabe who was still standing in the skiff with his head down, watching you. He dropped his hand from your chin and stuffed his fists in his pockets.

"Oh, please! You can't be serious!" You finally yelled back up at Curtis.

It was his turn to blink in surprise. "Of course I was worried about you. I care about you." And then he laid a hand over his chest in a gesture that was so fake that you heard Gabe snort out a laugh. Looking directly into Curtis' gray eyes, it took only a minute for you to figure out what had happened.

"She dumped you, didn't she?" The words came out with more hostility than you had intended.

Since your conversation was basically yelling back and forth the few feet that separated the skiff from the dock, Curtis grew uncomfortable when you yelled that last bit of information. His eyes shifted back and forth, canvassing the crowd to see if anyone he knew might be within hearing range.

"She wasn't who I wanted, baby." He spoke in a lower tone. "She wasn't you." His pasted-on smile made your stomach turn.

Glancing up at Gabe, you felt the last of your feelings for Curtis slip away as your heart overflowed with love for Gabe. He had always been there for you and had never done anything but love you. What more were you looking for in a man or in a relationship? Your heart felt freer than it had in a long time. Was that what real happiness felt like? Even your smile felt free as you turned to finish things with the man who was no longer worth your time or energy.

"You're right!" You shouted over to Curtis. "She wasn't me. Because if she was me you'd be a dead man right now!" Flipping your hand at him dismissively, you yelled one last thing.
"Talk to the wind, Curtis. I'm done with you."

The smile that took over Gabe's face was so beautiful, you wanted to cry.
"Now it's over, Gabey."

You stood up shakily in the small boat and threw your arms around Gabe's neck and kissed him hard on the lips. Curtis' retreating footsteps were loud, but not as loud as the pounding of your heart as Gabe's strong arms wrapped around you. The kiss was deep and long and this time he didn't pull away. It started out strong and only built in intensity from there. By the time you pulled away, it was only because you could no longer catch your breath.

"Wow." You let yourself be lifted up and your feet connected firmly on the wooden boards of the dock.

Gabe hadn't said a word but his smile spoke a thousand words. He tied the skiff to the dock and leapt up beside you. He may have had something else in mind, but kissing him again was the only thing you could think of. 

"Again, Gabey." You pulled on the lapels of his jacket and tugged his face toward you.

His cheeks turned pink and he held you slightly away from him. He glanced around at the small crowd of people who had stopped to witness your shouting match with Curtis.

"Let's go back to your place first." He grabbed your hand and started walking the few blocks to your little house. After a few steps, you stared to pick up speed. With Gabe right beside you, you both started to jog, eager to get to your destination. Then with a glance at each other, you both began to laugh and then you both began to run.