Best Friends? Or More? [EDITING]

Chapter 25

•sometimes something good has to be subtracted from our lives before something better can take it's place•

I stared at the dark ceiling above me. I was drunk. My head was hurting and the dizziness was taking over me. But I was still stubborn.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? You can just take some rest for now." Gabriel tried to talk me out.

I glared at him in the dark. "Don't you dare try to change the subject Gabriel. Tell me now."

I heard him sigh and he sat down in the armchair next to my bed. This was it. He was going to tell me about his past. Zach's past. I wanted to know. I have wanted to know ever since Zach met Gabriel face to face for the first time. Then...why didn't I want to hear it now?

"It all started d-"

"Wait." I interrupted him. I was suddenly scared of the dark. A feeling of dread arose in my chest and not being able to see clearly in the dark, frightened me to an extent.

"What's wrong?"

"Can you...can you lay down next to me and hold my hand or something?" I mumbled, needing some support. Maybe it was because I was drunk and I was starting to see hallucinations.

"Are you scared of the dark? I can put on the lights f-"

"No. Just come here." I said, shifting a little.  He sighed again but I felt him lay down next to me. His body radiated warmth and I instantly relaxed.

I felt him move his hand, searching for my hand to which I gladly offered. His large hands engulfed in mine and I felt my stomach flutter. Even though we had held hands many times, it was like the first time all over again.

"Are you ready?" He whisper-asked me.

I nodded and gently rested my head on his shoulders.  He took a deep breath.

"Zach and I were friends since kindergarten." He started. Wow. Their friendship surely ran deep. "You could say we were best friends since we were always together, our families were close and we always seemed out each other out for advices and such."

"Zach had his eyes on Maddison since elementary. They never talked but it was obvious to everyone that he liked her. And maybe it was the rumors that made Maddison know about Zach's feelings. Zach always looked so happy when he talked about Maddison and I was happy for him."

He paused and took a deep breath. "My mom started showing symptoms of cancer during my third year of middle school. That was also when...Maddison got closer to me. They weren't going out yet and I needed someone that time so I poured out everything I had suppressed for the past few weeks to her. I was scared and lonely and Zach didn't know about my mother yet so I accepted Maddison's offer for a friend to lean on."

He paused again and I felt him tighten his hold on mine.

"I didn't think anything of her intentions then. She was sweet and willing to listen and I trusted her and.....that was what I did wrong in my part."

"Did she turn out to be a bitch? Because I know she is some kind of two-faced bitch." I interrupted, squinting my eyes a bit.

Gabriel chuckled and held me tighter. By now, his arms were around me. We were kind of cuddling.

Thump!

Holy shit! Did my heart just skip a beat?

"Are you alright?" He asked when I stiffened.

"Yeah. Continue." I managed to say. Am I starting to have feelings for Gabriel? What the hell? When I still have feelings for Zach?

"So yeah, like you said, Maddison did turn out to be two-faced. She was really sweet but that was just to make people believe she was goddamn Mother Teresa. She was manipulative and really sly. And the worst thing she did was having Zach wrapped around her fingers. He was only willing to listen to Maddison and no one else. It was during our football tournament in the last year of middle school when both of them made their relationship official. I was happy for Zach but I still had my doubts on Maddison.