Antonio sat in shock, staring at the phone that sat beside him, hanging off the hook. It's angry buzz finally startled him into breaking out of the reverie that he had sank into. It still hadn't registered, hadn't sunk in what the voice, his sisters voice, on the phone had just said. He sat there for about half an hour before something in him snapped. He stood, grabbing the nearest object to him, a lamp that had been a gift from Carmen. He snatched it off if the table and flung it across the room, then did the same to every other breakable thing in his room. His anger was overwhelming. After totaling his small room, he finally sank down on the bed, exhausted.
"No no no no no no." It was as if he thought that by denying it he could make it disappear, and bring her back. "Oh, God, no! She can't be gone." Sliding off of the bed, he sank to his knees. "God, please, don't let this be happening. Don't let her be gone. Please, God. Bring her back. Let me take her place. Please..."His voice trailed off as his thought lost track. He couldn't go on. He wouldn't go on. He was nothing without her. Even though she had a life without him, his heart still belonged to her. He had thought this love had been something they shared. He had been going to see her in a few weeks, they were going to get together soon. Talk about the future. Decide if they had a future. Now that would never happen. Because Gabi was dead. She had left him to face this miserable world alone. He had to go to Sunset Beach, to prove to himself that this was really real. Maybe it had been a mistake. Maybe she wasn't really gone. But he knew the chances of that were slim. Gabi had left him.
Dazed, he walked around the room, methodically fixing the parts of the damage he had caused that he could. His anger had completely destroyed a lot of things. As he was picking up shards of glass, he gently picked up the picture that had been on the frame he had thrown. It was a picture taken at some beach party in Sunset Beach. The woman in it was so beautiful, her chocolate eyes glowing from happiness, head thrown back in laughter. A stray lock of hair had fallen onto her forehead. He could remember having to resist the urge to tuck it back into place. He had had to resist a lot of urges when she was around. Those memories brought forth the tears he had been holding back. Memories that he treasured. How her hands felt on him in the cave in, the times he had been there for her, held her when she cried, how she had convinced him to come back to Sunset Beach. She had pleaded with him over the phone, begging him to come see her. She had said that she couldn't live without him. And, of course, he relented, as he always did with her. That had only been a few days ago that they had agreed he would come. Now he would be going to Sunset Beach, but for a different reason.
His tears were hot, and salty as they spilled
onto the picture he was still holding. "Oh, Gabi." He whispered into the
sparkling eyes of the woman that had stolen his heart. He reached over
to pick up the phone, still gripping the photo tightly. He had to get back
home.
TWO DAYS LATER
"I'm so sorry, Gabi. I'm so sorry." He put his hand on the headstone. The cold marble seemed to burn his palm. He had gotten here too late. They had had the funeral the day before, he hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye to her. "I should have come sooner. I should have been here, Gabi. If I had come when you wanted me too, this would never have happened. You would still be alive, and we would have been together. Just like you wanted, Gabi. We would have married, and had a wonderful life together. Oh, Gabi, I miss you so much. I love you, Gabi. Just like I told you in the cave in. One thing that will never die is my love for you. I love you, Gabi, and I always will."
He turned and walked away then, unable to stand looking at the harsh gravestone with her name on it anymore. Not just her name. It read GABRIELLA MARTINEZ-TORRES. LOVING WIFE.
She was a wife. But not his. If only he had
gotten to Sunset Beach sooner, everything would have been different. She
would have been alive, and his. But she wasn't, and now she never would
be. Antonio looked back at the place Gabi had been laid to rest one more
time. "I'm sorry, Gabi."
Ricardo watched his brother walk away, and when he was gone, he stepped out from behind the tree that had been keeping him hidden. "You should be sorry, T. You're the reason she's dead, little bro. If you had kept your hands off her like you were supposed to, then I wouldn't have had to do this to her. It's all you fault. But I guess I can't blame you. I loved her, too. If only she had returned that love." He turned his face away from the spot Antonio had just vacated to Gabi's grave.
"Well, Gab, I hope you have a nice rest in
hell, bitch. This is what you get for screwing my little brother. This
is what you both get."
SIX DAYS EARLIER
Antonio walked outside and collected his mail as he did ever day, mail being one of the higher points in his drab days here. He flipped through the envelopes, looking for anything of interest. Bills…letters from family…a letter from…her! Immediately, a smile lit up his face as he saw a letter from Gabi.
He practically ran back to his room at the mission. Throwing the rest of the mail down, he ripped open the letter eagerly.
Dear Antonio,
Hey! Why haven’t you written me in so long? I miss hearing from you…it’s beginning to feel like we’re losing touch or something. Please tell me that’s not happening, I never want to lost your friendship and your…love. They mean the world to me. I hope you know how important you are to me, Antonio. It’s easier to say it when I don’t have to look you in the face…you can imagine me blushing madly though if you want to! Seriously, though, I miss you a lot, more than I thought I would. Every day I run out to check the mail hoping that you’ve written me…it’s so disappointing when you haven’t. I understand that you have duties that take a lot of your time, but it would really mean a lot to me if you’d drop me a couple of lines now and then. It feels strange to keep writing and get no response…the last letter I got from your was over a month ago.
Well, I’ll stop whining now! Carmen is going on and on with her prediction again…she says something ‘tragic’ and ‘awful’ is going to happen to me unless the ‘lost soul returns to claim what is his’. Any idea what that mean? I don’t have any either, probably just more of her psychic mumbo-jumbo. Though I don’t think I’ll be walking in any dark allies late at night…(I can just see you grinning that sly little grin at me…have I mentioned how much I miss you? I think I have…oh well!)
Ricardo is doing fine…so
are Maria and Benji. Ben and Meg are planning their wedding, but Maria
seems to be taking it all right. But…I guess you know all that don’t you?
Maria says you write her all the time.
Antonio stopped reading for a moment. As he re-read that last line, he could almost see the hurt in her onyx eyes. He felt awful for not writing Gabi lately, he just didn’t trust himself…and everything he tried to write sounded stiff and formal. But…but he didn’t ever want her to doubt what he felt for her. Even if she was the recently named Mrs. Ricardo Torres, she was still the woman he loved. The only woman he would ever love, whether he was in Sunset Beach with her, or in a dead-end mission in the middle of New Mexico. Turning his attention back to the letter, he read on.
Well…there’s not much else to say. Michael and Vanessa’s wedding went off
perfectly, they’re
honeymooning in the Cayman’s
right now. Sara and Casey are planning their wedding, but from
what Meg has told me, I get the feeling that they’re a little shaky now.
Rae, his old girlfriend (I’m not sure if you knew her or not) just got
back into town and started some trouble.
I guess that’s all that’s going on in Sunset Beach right now…riveting news, isn’t it? I’m doing okay…besides missing my best friend a whole lot. Please write me back; tell me how you are. I want to know every detail, right down to what kind of toothpaste is preferred at the mission you’re at!
Love always,
Gabi Torres
He set the letter down and thought for a moment, trying to think of what he would say when he wrote her back. He could think of nothing…but…he did know what would be even better than writing Gabi back. Calling her. He grabbed the phone by his bed and dialed the number to the loft. Gabi answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Gabi? It’s me. Antonio.” He said, a warm feeling washing over her body at the sound of her voice.
“Antonio!” She sounded so excited; it made him feel warm inside. “I’m so glad you called! Oh, you must have gotten my letter!”
“Yeah, I did.” He said, then paused a moment. “I miss you too, Gabi…a lot more than I ever thought I would.”
“I know Antonio…I miss you too.” She said, her voice dropping to a low whisper. “I can’t…Antonio…I need you.”
“What…?” Did she say what he thought she said? He couldn’t believe it. A slow smile crept across his face. “What is it, Gabi? Why do you need me?”
“I…I just need you. Antonio, I can’t take this…being without you.” She was crying now…Antonio couldn’t stand it. “I’m so sorry I didn’t realize this before you left, but I…I…I love you…so much, Antonio, I can’t take being without you. It was a mistake to marry Ricardo, I shouldn’t have done it when I knew that I was in love with you…”
“Gabi…I don’t…I don’t know what to say…” He was truly at a loss for words. Gabi loved him. She wanted to be with him…it was all too much to take in.
“Please say you want it too Antonio, please say you haven’t gotten over me already…I love you…” She sobbed, her tears breaking his heart even over the phone. “I need you with me…”
“Sweetie, don’t cry, I love you too Gabi, you know that. I…I need you, too…Gabi…are you going to…are you telling me you want to divorce…”
“Yes. I have to divorce Ricardo, even if you don’t want me. It’s torture being around your family, constantly reminded of you and the fact that you can’t be mine.”
“Gabi,” He spoke softly, and from his heart. “I am yours. I have been since the moment you appeared in my dreams. And if you want to divorce Ricardo, then...Gabi, I don’t know…I love you, but…but I’m a priest, Gabi.”
“Oh…oh Antonio! Please say you think we can do this…we love each other, I love you. I’ll make that enough, if you leave the priesthood for me, then I’ll make you not regret it. I love you, Antonio; I’ll do anything to be with you. Anything.”
“Gabi...” Antonio said in a wondrous voice. He could hardly believe it himself.
“Don’t give me an answer now; think about it a while. I know if you think about it, if you let yourself imagine what we could have together, then you’ll want to be with me. I know it.” Gabi pleaded and Antonio sighed softly. “Please, Antonio. For me.”
“Oh God…Look, Gabi, I can’t discuss this over the phone. Why don’t…why don’t I ask for some time away and come out to Sunset Beach. ”
“You can do that? Come home? Oh, please…I would give anything to see you again.” She said eagerly, her heart ablaze at the prospect of a future with Antonio.
“Yeah…but…I can’t come home right away. It’ll take a few weeks, they’re in the middle of renovating the mission and I have to be her to oversee it.” He said, knowing that this was a decision he would be deliberating over for quite a while…though somehow, he knew he would make the right decision
“Friday?” It seemed an eternity to Gabi…it was only Monday. “I guess…I wish we didn’t have to wait at all though…”
“Hey, it’s only a few days…we can wait that long, can’t we? I have to go…I need to go say mass.” He said, hearing a few nuns pass by his open door. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I love you, Gabi. Don’t ever doubt that…goodbye.”
“I love you too, Antonio.” She whispered back. “Goodbye…”
He hung up the phone and with a worried look
on his face…something…something wasn’t right….
Ricardo Torres hung up the phone after he
was sure both his brother and wife had already hung up. His face was twisted
into a hateful grimace, his blood rushing through his veins; his head and
heart both pounding furiously. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard…Gabi
was going to divorce him. Antonio was considering leaving the church. They
were going to do this, they would really betray him like this. And it had
happened before, obviously. Blind rage was ruling everything as he slammed
the door open. No one did this to Ricardo Torres and got away with it.
Four days later, Gabriella Torres was tragically
killed in a car crash, after her brakes were mysteriously cut. Maria Torres
was the unlucky soul who had to make the call to Antonio…the man who had
just decided to give up his world for her.