'Got Your Back' A Gabentine Story?

Chapter Twelve The Right Choice?

1426 Words

Well...at least we know what happened now." Clementine said trying to sound light. "Now we don't have to worry about you getting sick." She said with a weak smile. She honestly couldn't believe she had almost died from such a simple mistake. She hoped Gabe wasn't taking it too hard.

"No Clem, you don't understand, I almost killed you." Gabe said shaking his head.

"Gabe, it's okay. It was a mistake but you learned from it and you won't do it again, right?" Clem trying to comfort him.

"But I probably will Clem! I make mistakes all the time, how long before a 'simple mistake' kills you?" Gabe said looking down.

"Gabe look at me." Clem said. He didn't move his head.

"Gabe." She said,gently steering his chin with her hand, moving his head towards her.

His eyes looked up. "I'm fine Gabe. I'm going to be fine,nobody has killed me yet and I know you won't. I trust you with my life." She said looking into his eyes.

"That's the problem Clem." He said pain in his voice, "You can't trust me... I-I'm a mess up Clem. I don't want to hurt you again. I have to leave." Gabe said, getting to his feet at the last words.

"Gabe!" Clem said shocked as she jumped to her feet, "Where are you going?" She asked as he began walking away.

"Richmond."

"Richmond?!" She cried, "That place is about to become a war zone!" She sprinted next to him and trying to look into his eyes, which were looking at the ground.

"I know Clem, but I don't know where else to." Gabe said trying to block his feelings.

"Stay Gabe! We still need to find AJ and what about Richmond's help?",She said pain in her voice as well.

"You'll do it quicker and better without me. I need to go." Gabe said sadness threating to engulf him.

Clem grabbed his arm and he stopped turning to face her. "What if I don't want you to?" She said tears threatening to appear.

"Clem-" Gabe tried to say before she interrupted him.

"No Gabe! I don't want you to leave. I'm still willing to trust you, to take the chance .This," She said holding up the canteen, "Changes nothing. 'I'm not mad at you so you shouldn't be either' remember?Gabe,can't you trust me? Even if you don't trust yourself?" She said tears slowly falling.

Gabe had completely frozen and he looked in her hazel eyes before answering, "I can't lose you Clem." He said his voice breaking with emotion, "I'm doing this to protect you. Please. Let me go." He said his eyes starting to tear up.

They held eye contact for a minute before Clem slowly loosened her grip on his arm. She turned her back to him and looked into the distance. Gabe noticed her shoulders were shaking slightly, he wanted so badly to hug her, to tell her he was sorry, that he wouldn't leave her....but he didn't. He swallowed his feelings and managed to turn his back on her, although he felt like he had been stabbed, Finally he took a last look back at Clementine, she still had her back to him, and started walking.

Clem looked back after she no longer heard his footsteps and saw him trudging away.

Gabe's mind was back to its messy state as he stumbled through the woods. "I should go back!" He thought looking back again although Clem had been long out of sight.

"No. You made a choice, you have to get to Richmond now." His brain said.

"I broke her heart." Gabe thought, his own heart feeling broken.