ABSOLUTION

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

"What?" Gabriella was having heart failure. She was on the phone with her uncle. He just informed her that her father had passed. Her dad was dead, her hero was dead.

"He died last night. In his sleep."

"Why... Was he sick?"

"Yeah, he was sick. You should have come to visit him Gab..." Oh god. Her uncle was a son of a bitch. A cold and ruthless man. He was technically only her step uncle, so the asshole always had ideas that he could touch Gabriella inappropriately. She hated him so much. He was the reason that she took Richard up on his offer and accepted the money so she could leave her mother's house. Her uncle and her mother were always so cosy, made no secret of it after her parents divorced.

Gabriella had never in all her life felt more alone like she did this instant. She was sick with the knowledge that her father died alone. He was a humble fisherman... He never hurt anybody and Gabriella was his princess. She was devastated. She was downright distraught.

Not knowing where else to go, Gabriella headed over to Marc's house. She walked in like she always did, Marc was on the phone to somebody. Arianna wasn't around and it was just the two of them. She sat down quietly and waited for Marc to finish the phone call. Gabriella had not yet shed a tear. She didn't know why, but her tears seemed to have dried out.

"Hey." Marc looked at her with his intense blue eyes. He was having himself a smoke.

"Hey."

"What's wrong?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing."

"Okay... You sure?"

"Yeah... My dad passed away last night." She said nodding her head. Marc looked at her with confusion written all over his face.

"What?"

"My dad... Got a call from my uncle that he died... So yeah..."

"Gab..." Gabriella forced a smile on her face.

"It's okay Marc, I'm not going to cry... Have you eaten? I'm starving." She said getting up to the kitchen. She wasn't hungry, she was freaking out. Her body was in shock. She opened the pantry to pretend to be doing something. The minute she felt arms around her she tensed. Marc was holding her to him. He hated to be touched, Gabriella was well aware of this. But he held her to him.

Gabriella turned around and wrapped her arms around him needing to be held.

"Oh..." Gabriella moved away quickly from him when she heard Arianna's voice. "I..." Oh god... She didn't want Arianna to think anything of it. "Gab? Are you okay?" What? Gabriella nodded her head.

"Her dad passed away last night." Marc was the one to tell Arianna. And if Arianna didn't shock the hell out of her.

"Oh darling I am so sorry..." She walked right up to her and embraced her. No... No she did not deserve her comfort, not from Arianna anyway.

Gabriella had been nothing but a complete bitch to Arianna. She made her life hell. In return, Karma got Gabriella good and hard. She deserved everything that

came her way. She fucked Arianna's life up... Arianna's only crime was she was stunning. Like out of this world gorgeous. That was why Gabriella hated her... She was so breathtaking that it was hard not to be jealous.

Yet here she was, embracing Gabriella. After everything she was offering her support and comfort. They had formed a truce, the last few years Gabriella stopped being a bitch to Arianna, in return, Arianna went with it. It was funny, despite it all, Arianna never really treated Gabriella like Gabriella treated her. She was the better man...