Ricardo watched his brother and Gabi through the window. He had been coming home to have lunch with her, and he had been looking forward to it. He was sure that since he had made sure that Antonio and Gabi weren't having an affair, that he could make her fall back in love with him. He knew he could do it.
Then he saw them. At first, they were just talking. laughing. He started to go in, but then Antonio smiled in a...different way. And, to Ricardo's disgust, he reached over and took Gabi in his arms. He started to kiss her, but Gabi stopped him. For a second, Ricardo thought that maybe Gabi was turning him down, saying that she wasn't going to cheat on her husband something that would prove to Ricardo that she loved him. Of course, that wasn't the case, he soon found out. Although she pushed him back, it was obvious from her gestures that she definitely not turning him down. Her hands were all over Antonio. Antonio spoke again, words that Ricardo couldn't hear. After he was done, Gabi leaned over to hug him tightly, making Ricardo's heart harden in hate. Antonio seemed to be about to leave, so Ricardo quickly walked away, standing behind the steps where Antonio was leaving.
When Antonio was finally gone, Ricardo stepped out and went into the loft. He felt like he needed to punish Gabi. He wanted her to hurt just as much as he had. And was.
"Hey, babe." He walked in and pulled
a very surprised Gabi to him, forcing his mouth down on hers before she
had a chance to react. He enjoyed the kiss thoroughly, not because it itself
felt good, but knowing he was making Gabi do something she didn't want
to felt good. It gave him a sense of power. His tongue pushed its way into
her mouth as she struggled to get out of his suffocating embrace. He finally
broke off, pushing the breathless woman away.
"Ric-" She started to speak angrily,
then had a change of mind. "Ricardo, how was your day?"
She wanted to be as nice to him as possible,
since she was going to break his heart in a matter of hours.
"Okay. Better now that I see you. You want to go into the bedroom and see just how good it can get?" He grinned leerily at her. Gabi was shocked, but she realized that he was probably just stressing or something.
"Um...as much as you know I'd love to, I need to go. Meg and I have a brunch planned in about 20 minutes, so I need to go get ready." She didn't want to hurt him, but there was no way in hell she was going to sleep with him. Ever.
"Really?" He seriously doubted that she was going to meet Meg. She was probably going to meet Antonio, Ricardo thought vicously. Well, he wasn't going to let her. "Well, you'll have to cancel it, then."
"Why?" She demanded. She really was having brunch with Meg, but she was also planning on stopping by Antonio's office at the mission. He'd told her that he would be there for a while, packing up. Then he was going to look for an apartment and a job. An apartment big enough for two people. She remembered her joy when he had told her that on thier way back to the loft earlier.
"The chief invited us to lunch with him and his wife." It was a blatant lie, but he had to do something keep Gabi away from Antonio. "In Big Bear."
"What? But I can't cancel on Meg! She asked me to meet her because she needs a friend to talk to. I can't let her down like this, Ricardo!" It was the truth. Gabi had been too busy when Meg and Ben's relationship was on the rocks, and she wanted to be there for her now that something was wrong with her and Casey. And she wanted to see her lover. Antonio.
"Sorry, Gab. You have to. The chief's expecting us. Come on, we'd better leave soon. You go get ready, I'm going to take a shower." He left the room before she could argue.
He watched her from the bathroom doorway,
calling Meg. He struck by how vulnerable she seemed. She had always come
off as someone who needed protecting to him, but, of course, now he knew
that was far from the truth. Gabi could take care of herself, and even
if she couldn't, she had Antonio.
From the minute I turned and laid my eyes on
you
I had no eyes of my own
I was blind to the world - you were too good
to be true
But you were something to see - so very young
and alone
And I still don't believe the way you turned
on me
Now where's the girl that I knew
I gave you somewhere to live and then somebody
to love
You gave me nothing but trouble, man I've
been such a fool
"Ricardo, I'm ready." Gabi said crossly. She was still angry at him for forcing her to break off her plans.
"Good, babe, you look real good." And she did, Ricardo had to admit. She was wearing a baby blue T-shirt and a short black miniskirt that showed off her perfectly sculpted legs. He liked the look so much, he just had to walk over and popped her lightly on the ass with his hand.
"Ricardo!!" Gabi was a confused. And annoyed. Why was he acting like this to her? He was usually so kind and caring and sensative. Now he was just acting like....well....like a man!
"What?" He didn't want to hear her answer, so he quickly continued."Why don't you get in the car, I'll find the keys and be out in a second."
She looked at him strangely, wondering why he was being like this, then walked out to the car to wait for him. He saw her go and then let out a curse. He hadn't planned on reacting like this. He had held in his hatred, let it boil inside and grow until seeing her and Antonio together today had set him off. He couldn't stop himself from hating her, and his brother. And he wanted to tell her so much. Tell her what a slut she was, what a cheap whore, he wanted to make her cry for him to stop....but he wasn't going to. Not now. As much as he hated it, he loved her still. Not to mention, his brother. He was going to be damned if he let his little brother steal his girl away. That was just not going to happen.
He grabbed the car keys from the front table and walked out. To his disgust, he found Gabi talking to Antonio.
"Can't they stay apart for 5 fucking minutes?" He muttered to himself under his breath. It was nausiating how they had to be near each other. He wished he could hear what they were saying. He stepped a little closer, making as little noise as he could, until he could make out the words.
"I couldn't help it, Gabi. I wanted to see you." Antonio was saying.
"What, this morning on the beach didn't satisfy you?" Oh, God, Ricardo thought. They hadn't actually done it on the..... had they? He felt sick thinking about it.
"Not nearly. I can't get enough of you, Gabi. You know that...." There was a long silence, and Ricardo somehow knew that they were kissing. He felt like he had to do something, anything, to stop them. He stepped back tot he door, and then re-traced his steps, this time making the leaves crunch loudly under his feet. When Antonio and Gabi came into view, they were both red-faced and jumpy. He fetl an eerie satisfaction at having startled them.
"Hey T. Come on, Gab, we have to get going." Just to see what Antonio would do, he walked over and wrapped his arm around her, then looked at Antonio, daring him to say anything. When Antonio remained indifferent, he reached down and pressed his mouth against Gabi's in a very long and very forceful kiss. He was glad to see that Antonio looked like he was either about to kill someone, or get sick when Ricardo finally broke the kiss. Gabi looked shocked, and gave Antonio a helpless look."Bye, little bro."
He pulled Gabi into the car, and they took off, leaving Antonio behind in thier dust. Gabi looked back at him again, and Ricard to could see that she was struggling to keep from calling something back to him.
"Ricardo!! Why did you leave Antonio behind like that? I didn't even get to say good-bye! How could you do that?" Gabi was really pissed now.
"Hey, its okay. T understands. He's a big boy, he can live without you. Besides, he probably knows that I just wanted some private time with my girl." She grinned at her in that dirty way again.
"Yeah..." She decided not to push anything. Ricardo was acting wierd anyway. She didn't want to do anything to push him. They rode in silence for a while, unitl Ricardo pulled inot a little gas station halfway to Big Bear. He had just gotten a brilliant idea.
"Do pay." He handed her a few rumpled
bills and she walked in the store. When he was sure that she could no longer
see him, he popped the hood of the car and reached his hand inside the
tangle of mechanisms. A few wires touched his hand, and he yanked as hard
as he could, not bothering to see what he had torn. Stuffing the wires
into his pocket, he slammed the hood down, seeing Gabi walk out of the
convience store.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking under
the hood?" Damn, Ricardo thought. She did see me. He thought quickly.
"Uh...I can't get the car started." He lied briskly. Then he climbed back into the driver's seat, and started the car. It coughed and shuttered, then died. He tried it again, and the results were the same. It had worked.
"Ricardo!! You have to do something. I'm going to see if there's a mechanic nearby!" Gabi ran into the store. Ricardo seriously hoped that there wasn't a mechanic. He waited, then she came back out.
"So what'd they say?" He asked casually. He was calm, but Gabi was about to panic.
"There's not a mechanic for 35 miles, until Big Bear. They called, but no one can come out for at least 3 hours." The last thing Gabi wanted was to be stranded with Ricardo for 3 hours. She had no idea what to do now. But he did. Ricardo knew exactly what he wanted to do.
You gave me nothing at all, now let me give
it to you
You taught me how to be cruel, now let me
try it on you
How do you abuse me, let me count the ways
How many hours in how many days
How does it amuse you, let me count tha pain
How many rules breaking how many games
"Hey...Gab." Ricardo slid over on the seat."You know what we could do here?"
She moved over, pressing her side against the door in an attempt to avoid his close proximity. Suddenly, she had an amazing idea. She wondered why she hadn't come up with this imediately.
"Yes, I do know what we can do! We can call Antonio to come get us. " She hopped out of the car and ran to the payphone.
Ricardo watched her, feeling depressed that his idea hadn't worked out the way he had expected it to. Now all he was doing was giving Antonio reason to come to Gabi's rescue, once again. He wondered what she was saying to her lover....
Gabi dialed the nimbers she had long ago memorixed, the phone number to his office at the mission, where he had informed her that he would be packing up his stuff for the rest of the day. On the fourth ring, he answered.
"St. Joseph's mission. Antonio speaking." She realized with a start that he hadn't answered with 'Father Antonio' as he usually did. It brought a smile to her face. He really did belog to her now.
"Antonio...it's me." He recognized her voice immediately. '
"Gabi! Hi....where are you calling from? I thought you were out with...with my brother." He felt a stab of jealousy that Ricardo had Gabi with him instead of her being with Antonio.
"From a gas station somewhere between Big Bear and Sunset Beach. That's what I'm calling about. The car's broken down. You have to come pick us up!!" Gabi said, her voice raising slightly toward the end.
"Okay..I'll come as soon as I can. Don't
go anywhere before I get there!" He joked. She grinned, although he couldn't
see her.
"Don't worry...I don't think I'm going
anywhere." She loved hearing the sound of his voice. She wanted to keep
talking to him forever, but she knew the sooner they hung up, then the
sooner Antonio got to them and she actaully got to see him."Well, hurry!"
"Okay, okay! Bye....." Then he added in a soft voice," I love you."
"I love you, too." She replied shyly, then hung up, feeling giddy. It was amazing, the impact even the sound of his voice had on her. She reluctantly headed back over to the car, where Ricardo sat looking very angry.
"Good news! Antonio's on his way now. We should be out of here soon." For some reason, she got the feeling that he didn't think it was good news, but she didn't really care. Soon she would be able to see Antonio again, they would tell Ricardo about them, and then she could be in his arms again. She leaned back against the cushioned seat, imagining that Antonio was holding her. She slowly began to drift off, and Ricardo noticed. He moved over on the seat. To his satisfaction, she rested her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, he gently slipped his arm around her shoulders, cradling her in his embrace. She moved her head up a bit, then whispered something he couldn't quite make out.
"Antonio..." Ricardo heard her whisper softly, and he knew that that must have been what she had mumbled earlier. It only angered him more. Another idea was forming in his mind...if only the timing would be right...
He slowly lowered her mouth to his, and in her sleep, she responded fully. Ricardo heard a car pull up behind his, to his pleasure. He hoped it was Antonio.
"Hey, Ric-" Antonio stopped abruptly, seeing him and Gabi in a rather passionate looking lip-lock. "I...."
Gabi woke abruptly at the sound of his voice, and to her horror, realized that the man she had been kissing was not who she had thought it had been." Antonio! I..." She wanted to explain, but Ricardo would wonder if she said anything. Antonio simply gave her a hurt look and told them to get in his car. Ricardo took the seat next to Antonio, up front, leaving Gabi to take the backseat, where she had no chance of talking to Antonio. She couldn't even explain that she had been dreaming of his kisses....
Ricardo saw the pain on his brother's
face, and the regret on his wife's. He was glad that at least some good
had come out of this little trip, that had mostly been a failure. And this
was just a taste of what was to come for his unsuspecting victems. Let
them have thier love affair, he thought to himself smugly. I'll show them
who they can and can't mess with. And, in the end, Gabi would stay with
him.
You got your ass out of gear and your soul
out of whack
Go on and take all your stuff - don't even
bother to pack
In every way I want you out of my life
But I'll kill you if you don't come back
I'll kill you if you don't come back
Antonio glanced back at Gabi through
the rearview mirror. She looked upset....but he was still angry with her.
Why had she had to go adn kiss Ricardo? She had sounded so devoted to him
on the phone. What had made her want to kiss him? Maybe...he tried desperately
to come up with an excuse, any reason that would explain why she was kissing
another man when they had pledged thier love to each other only hours before.
Gabi looked up and met his eyes. She wanted him to understand, to magically
know that she regretted kissign Ricardo, and that she had truthfully been
confused about who was with her. She had been dreaming of Antonio holding
her, kissing her, and when she felt the arms around her she had assumed
that it was Antonio. And she had completely regretted it when she opened
her eyes and saw that it was not Antonio, that it was in fact Ricardo.
Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. Antonio simply looked away.
Ricardo noticed this whole transaction
going on between the soon to be quarreling, he was sure of that, lovers.
And it pleased him to no end. He hadn't realized just how easy it was to
ruin someone else's happiness. Ricardo wondered if Antonio had thought
the same thing when he had been stealing Gabi away from him.
Ricardo knew that it wouldn't take much
at all to destry thier already unstable union. How could it? Their had
been so much guilt for them, so many sacrifices. And Ricardo could add
more guilt easily. All he had to do was play the loving husband, caring
brother role for a few more weeks. They would fall under the pressure soon
enough. And Ricardo would be there gloating when it happened.
In the pit of the night you used to pull me
so close
And then you'd hold me so tight
And in the wink of an eye you used to give
me it all
And with a kiss in the darkness you'd deliver
the light
And in the pit of the night I hear you laughing
so loud
I know you're laughing at me
Oh ain't it funny and sad the way I fell for
your lies
The way I fell into love and then I begged
to be free