Ricardo Torres gazed out the window of his apartment at the ocean. It was so calm; so peaceful. He felt that sometimes he could lose himself in that breath taking view…so many glorious colors, vibrant hues of blue and salty greens. Near the shore you could detect the slightest hint of the sandy bottom. He had always loved looking at the ocean; it was one of the perks to living in California. Ricardo couldn't imagine ever being happy living anywhere else. Then again…he couldn't really imagine being happy here in Sunset Beach right now either.
It had been six months since his attempt to put his brother and his wife behind bars. The knowledge that he had been so forgone…so full of hate and rage often felt like a weight on his chest, crushing him with the guilt and the remorse. He loved his brother, and though he didn't feel what he once had for Gabi, he knew that whatever mistakes she had made had not called for what he had put her through. Their entire marriage had been solely for the purpose of making her pay. He had shattered her self-esteem and made her feel like she was worth nothing…it was no wonder she ran to Antonio, he thought to himself bitterly. He knew how to treat her right when I was too angry too. Gabi was something special…Ricardo knew that now. He knew that if he had been able to find it in himself to really forgive her when he had first found about her and Antonio's affair, he would have been rewarded with a lifetime of love and devotion. Gabi would have lived up to the vows she had made when Antonio had married them…if he had only given her a chance to. But he had been too blinded by the raw fury that had enveloped all of his good sense.
As much as he had to admit that it had hurt to have lost Gabi, the pain of knowing he had ruined his brother was much worse. Because he had been so vengeful, so bent up on getting his revenge for one little mistake that the two he loved and trusted the most had made, Antonio had lost his position in the church, his reputation, and his brother. It didn't even really help that in the end Ricardo had confessed to setting them up. After many months of deep therapy and counseling Ricardo was now completely 'sane', but he still hadn't talked to Antonio or Gabi since that night they had found him in the cabin. He knew that they had both left town, as to if they were together or now he had no idea. Part of him hoped that they were together, and happy wherever they were. And of course, another part of him just wished they would come home and he could beg their forgiveness and make things right again.
He missed his little brother. The kid who had adored him when they were growing up…and the man who had become his best friend later in life. Ricardo would have given anything to go back and be more forgiving…to let go of the initial pain and betrayal and to realize that it had only been one time…one mistake, as Gabi had tried to hard to convince him.
His mother and Maria had forgiven him; he was glad for that at least. He had needed them a lot the past few months. He had only escaped a prison term by pleading temporary insanity, and luckily neither Antonio nor Gabi had fought that ruling. They had been just as eager to forget as he was. Now if only he could reach them and convince them to forgive…but Ricardo was afraid it was too late for that. Antonio was a very forgiving man, but was it possible for anyone to forgive another for framing them for murder? Ricardo knew that if anyone could, it would be Antonio.
Growing more and more distraught with this line of thinking Ricardo looked down at the slip of paper gripped tightly in his fist. He had to do this…he had to. Picking up the phone, he dialed the numbers scrawled onto the paper and punched them in. After a series of rings, he heard the click of the telephone on the other end being picked up. A soft feminine voice answered. Ricardo immediately froze. Gabi. Gabi answering the number that Maria had given him for Antonio. "Hello?" After a moment when Ricardo said nothing, Gabi spoke again. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Her voice sent him spiraling into the past. The laugh. That soft, sweet voice. Whispering his name. Whispering Antonio's name. Anger flared in his heart, but he pushed it away remembering where it had gotten him before. He had done this; not he had to live with his brother and the woman he loved being together. Bet this is what Antonio felt like, he thought wryly. "Gab…Gabi." Ricardo spoke into the phone with growing confidence. He could do this. He could make things right again. He had to…for the man that he used to be, and the man that he wanted to be again.