Frontwards (Sequel to Backwards Lovers)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Gabe's POV

Zac and I was walking around K-Mart looking for anything that has anything to do with Beyoncé but all we found was a shirt that he already had, so basically all we are doing now is walking around waiting for Ethan and Jacob to finish up in the bathroom. My phone rang and it was my mom, I sighed and answered, "hello?"

"Gabe... Get to the hospital right now," she said.

I sighed again, "mom, we aren't even in town."

"Where are you?!" She yelled. I know what she's trying to do, she's trying to ruin my day.

"We are on our way to an amusement park," I said, looking over at Zac who was looking through the posters.

"Well you need to get the hospital as soon as possible, it's your father," she said.

"What happen this time?" I asked, sighing.

"He had a heart attack..." She said, she sounded like she was crying, actually crying, I never heard my mom cry. And she actually sounded sober.

"We'll be right there..." I said, hanging up and that's when Zac looked at me, "we have to go..."

"Why? What's wrong?" He asked.

"My dad had a heart attack and is in the hospital," I said, "come on, let's get the boys." 

We ran to the bathroom and knocked on the door until they opened it, "yes?" Ethan asked, doing up his pants.

"We have to go, Gabe's dad is in the hospital," Zac said, looking behind him at Jacob who was pulling his shirt on. 

"What? Oh my god I'm sorry... Let's go..." Jacob said. I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes and I don't really know why... My dad and I aren't that close... He's always too drunk to become close enough to him. He would only just annoy me or try to put me down. 

We quickly made our way out to the car and got in, I think that James and Jason was just making out because their face was like someone opened the door on both of them jerking or something. "Gabe... Do you need me to drive?" Ethan asked, looking at me, worry in his eyes. That's when I heard the sobs that were coming out of my own mouth... I nodded and got out, switching with Ethan who took the drivers seat and started to drive back into town. Zac reached up and massaged my shoulder, I couldn't bring myself to look at anyone. 

As we got closer and closer to the hospital, more tears fell down my face. Heart attacks ran in my family, my grandpa died from one in June of last year. Zac and I were actually there when it happened... It was terrible. My grandmother wanted to spend the day with her grandsons, she calls Zac her grandson, and we went to the mall and went shopping and stuff, and when we got home he wasn't the same, he would have his hand on his chest and he sounded like he had a hard time breathing... We took him to the hospital and that's when we found out that he was having a heart attack, and it was one of the worse ones that they have ever seen and we slowly saw him die... 

Ethan parked in the parking lot and looked at me, "we will stay here, you and Zac go in." I nodded and opened the door, walking to the front of the car and waiting as Zac walked up, then we walked in hand in hand. 

When we got in, I couldn't get my dad's first name out before I heard my name being called, "Gabriel..." I looked over to where it came from and saw my mom. I walked up to her slowly and hugged her, she didn't smell like alcohol. She smelled like my mom.

"Is everything ok?" I asked. She looked at me for a second and then shook her head.

"The doctors... Don't think he'll make it. It's the same thing that happened the your grandfather..." She said, sighing.

"Can we see him?" I asked, looking at Zac. She nodded and started walking. Zac and I followed her to a door at the end of a hallway, she stopped outside of it.

"He wants to speak with you two alone... He told me to go out and wait for you and when you got here he said to send you in." I nodded and opened the door, walking in, Zac following behind me.

My dad looked at me, I could see tears in his eyes. "Hi Dad..."

"Hey kiddo," he said. I flinched when he said that. He hasn't called me that since he started drinking... Which was when I was around ten years old. He nodded at Zac, "Zachary."

"Hi Sir," Zac said, standing there awkwardly.

My dad shook his, "Don't call me that. I'm not a sergeant. Call me Dad. Come here, Gabriel on this side, Zachary on this side." We both nodded and went on the sides that he wanted us on. He grabbed both of our hands and I looked up at Zac, who was looking at me. "Now... Listen. I'm sorry for all the shit I put you two though... Truthfully, I was jealous..."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I was jealous because I sensed that what you two have is true love... I was jealous because I had a hard time with love when I was your age. I can already tell that you two will be together for a very long time... Get married, have kids, and grow old together. But I want you two to promise me something..." He said, his hands starting to shake.

"Yes?" I asked, my voice cracking from the sob that I was trying to keep in.

"I want you two to promise me... That you will take care of my grand babies.. Always be there for them no matter what... Like I should have been for you," he said, squeezing my hand as tears fell down his cheeks.