"You might as well tell me, Gabi, because if I have to I'll go to Ricardo myself." Antonio threatened tired of Gabi evading his questions and avoiding telling him what was really going on between her and his brother. He had suspected – no, known – that Gabi was hiding something from him, but now he knew for sure.
"No, don't do that!" She said quickly, amazed at what horrible luck she had. Just when she had decided to break down and tell Carmen that Ricardo knew, Antonio walked in on them. She was just glad that he had made his presence known before she had really said something she would have regretted.
"Now what were you about to tell my mother about Ricardo before I came in?" He asked this time set on getting a straight answer from Gabi.
Her mind involuntarily flashed back to the moment in time etched onto her mind. The videotape as it slowly came into focus on Ricardo's television. ”You can't tell Antonio I know the truth" His voice seeped into her thoughts as she for the millionth time considered telling Antonio the truth. The memory of her husband's words quickly vetoed the idea.
"You're making way too much out of this, Antonio. I already told you Ricardo has been pushing himself way to hard." Oh God, why was lying to him so damn hard? She couldn't even look him in the face and do it anymore, which made it all that less believable. Antonio didn't buy it for a second, and Gabi knew he wouldn't. He could see right through her; she knew it would only be a matter of time before he saw the real reason she was lying in her eyes.
" Gabi why are you hiding things from me? After everything we've been through…" She turned on her heels when he said this and quickly replied.
"That is not fair!" Why was he bringing up that now? It was the last thing she needed. All those forbidden memories…
"I mean, we are friends right? We're at least friends?" He continued and she had to fight the urge to shout out to him that of course they were friends, they were so much more than friends! But she fought and won, this time at least.
"Well, don't you trust me?" She asked, knowing the answer. He trusted her, yes, but he didn't believe her.
"Gabi can't you just tell me? For me." He said and she felt like breaking down in tears. She would do anything for him…except this. She couldn't do this. Telling him was simply not an option. She had promised to Ricardo that she wouldn't and to make her marriage work, she had to keep that promise. No matter how much it was killing her to do so.
" For you? I am doing this for you, Antonio." She spat out at him before she could stop herself. She wished that he knew how much she was trying to protect him. If he knew about this…about what Ricardo was putting her through and how much pain she was in, she knew he would never forgive himself. Antonio would put all the blame for Ricardo and Gabi's pain on him and him alone, and there would b no convincing him otherwise. That was the kind of man Antonio Torres was.
"You're hiding something about Ricardo for my sake?" He said disbelievingly, and she felt like shouting out to him that yes, she was doing this for him. If Antonio wanted her marriage to his brother to work, which he claimed to, then he would have to stop worrying so much about her!
" I didn't say that." She denied valiantly, and he shook his head.
" That's exactly what you said, Gabi." He had a point and she knew it but there was no way she was going to give in like this. He wouldn't accept any lies and she wouldn't accept that the only way to get rid of him would be to tell him the truth. She wouldn't; she couldn't.
" I didn't want to hurt you, Antonio." She claimed and knew exactly which card she would play then. It might hurt him but the pain would be far less than what it would be if he were to find out the real truth.
"Look, I know that you're doing this because you promised Ricardo I mean that's the only explanation, but I'm telling you that keep secrets from me it hurts Gabi. I mean we're family." Family. The word echoed in her mind. They were family…brother and sister in-law. Family.
" That's why I didn't want to say anything, okay? Ricardo is my husband and we have a life together and you have a life with the church. Look, when these kind of problems come up, and I'm not saying that this is a major problem, but when these problems come up between a husband and a wife that's where they need to stay!" She said and she could see that with this argument she would win. She felt no triumph though…only bitter pain at yet again getting away with a lie.
" Gabi you were just about to tell my mother!" He said with a smile that wasn't really humorous.
"I needed advice! Okay and sometimes mother know things about their sons that can make a difference in a new marriage." Things that brothers…or ex lovers…just can't help with.
"And that's the truth?" Gabi knew that when he said this he had excepted her story. She felt horrible for deceiving him, but she had to finish her lie off so he would not ask any more questions. Steeling her traitorous heart, she prepared herself for the hurt in his warm dark eyes.
"I…I wouldn't feel comfortable talking to you about this, Antonio. It wouldn't be the right thing for us to do and it wouldn't be safe for us to go there." Yes…there it was. The stinging pain that he was so desperately trying not to let her see, but that was clearly visible to her.
"Because of the feelings we've had for each other?" He said, looking more hurt and irresistible than ever.
"Putting those feelings aside was the right thing to do." She said, more to try and convince her than him. She could see now that maybe that hadn't been the right thing to do, but there was nothing she could do to help that now…was there?
"For both of us." He sounded just as unconvinced as she did. And now it was time for her to drive the last stake in his already bleeding heart.
"Antonio, we can be friends, even close, but I can't always confide in you. You see that right?" There it was. That final blow to him that tore her apart as well as him. Trying to keep his wounded emotions under control, Antonio replied softly. "Yeah."
There was a short pause, neither of them trusting themselves to talk, then Antonio said. "I saw Ricardo earlier, he wasn't feeling very well."
"What? But he was fine when I saw him earlier…. Why didn't you tell me this? I have to go to him." She said, more eager to get away from the awkwardness here than to actually check on Ricardo.
He offered to drive her, but she said no adding something off the top of her head about space and quickly bolted out the door.
But once she was outside Carmen's house, something stopped her. Maybe it was her own guilty heart, or the stress of the past few months finally exploding, or the look in Antonio's eyes when she had left…but she knew that things couldn't stay like this any longer. Her hand still on the doorknob, Gabi walked back inside only to run straight into Antonio, as he was about to leave.
"Gabi! Did you forget something?" He asked, avoiding looking straight into her eyes for fear he would do something he would regret at such a close proximity with his feelings so raw and close to the surface.
"Yes, I did. I forgot that you are my best friend, and that I should never lie to you. I forgot that you are the only person who completely believes in me, and that you always have believed in me when no one else did and that I want to be the person you see me as. I forgot how much I want you to be there for me, and I forgot that I swore to myself that I would never hurt you. I'm sorry, Antonio. I'm so sorry…" She said in one breath then slowed her raging heart as she waited for his response.
Antonio was shocked. And glad. "I…I don't…" He began, but that was all the encouragement that Gabi needed.
"Antonio, I want to tell you the truth about what’s bothering me. Do you want to know?" She asked, and he quickly nodded for her to go on. "Antonio…Ricardo…he knows. About us. He…he's seen the tape and he knows we made love in the cave in at the resort. He's known for a while."
Now he was even more shocked. But not enough so that he didn't see the pain in Gabi's eyes that she had been so deeply burying so he wouldn't see before. Stepping forward he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "My God Gabi…I'm so sorry…you shouldn’t have had to go through this alone…I can't believe it…" He said, unable to fully realize the scope of the situation.
Gabi listened carefully to what he was murmuring
to her and felt immense relief as she rested her face on his shoulder.
The hard part was over…she was so glad. Yes, Ricardo might hate her now,
but at least she wouldn't be alone. Antonio knew and now he could help
her. He would protect her, become her knight in shining armor once again.
She could get through this now…she could get through anything with Antonio
by her side. She loved him…