Betrayal - Book 3 of Guardians Saga - EDITED

CH 11.2 Amnesia, The Way Out

As the sun set, Gabe walked into the carriage house with an exhausted air about him. He saw Cale standing in the living room, fingers clutched tightly around a tablet. His younger brother had been staring at the bedroom door for so long that his claws were visibly worn from incessant clicking.

Cale glanced up at Gabe. "Gabe, we had to call Dr. Dewey over. There's something I need to tell you."

Gabe's hide flushed to a deep gold as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. His gaze pierced through Cale, demanding answers.

Cale's fingers were clenched around his tablet so tight that a claw splintered. "Alex's had some kind of, well, he called it 'post-traumatic amnesia'. More of it, actually. She doesn't remember what happened yesterday or anything that happened recently with Morgan. She thinks she got drunk at a party and that's why she can't remember."

Gabe closed his eyes, lips pressed into a thin line. He nodded once and moved to the bedroom door.

Cale's voice followed him, low and urgent. "Dr. Dewey said to let her believe what she wants."

Gabe paused, one hand on the doorknob as he looked back at his brother, and then opened the door slowly, revealing Alex in a curled-up position on the bed. His heart skipped a beat as her eyes fluttered open.

"Alex?" His voice was soft. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to wake up or not.

Alex blinked up at him with a sleepy yet friendly expression. "Hmm? Oh, hi, Gabe." One corner of her mouth lifted in an inviting smile as she beckoned for him to join her by patting the edge of the bed next to her.

Gabe stood there rigidly, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword until his knuckles went white against the distressed golden hide. Despite his unease, he couldn't deny the invitation etched into her smile and hesitantly made his way over to take a seat next to her.

Her smile turned questioning at his hesitation and she looked at his white knuckles. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. How do you feel?" Gabe remained still except for his hands trembling slightly as he tried to contain his emotions.

"I said if I heard that one more time, I would scream. I'm fine." Alex squinted at him suspiciously; her brow furrowed and her lips pursed into a thin line. "Are you mad at me?"

"What?" Gabe asked, though he knew exactly what she was asking.

"I said: are you upset with me? Y'know, because I got drunk. Or is it because those punks on the street beat me up? I'm sorry. You were right all along that I wasn't ready." Alex's voice dropped to a whisper as she bowed her head in shame.

Her eyes filled with tears while Gabe felt like a heavy weight was crushing down on him; her apology so much worse than any punishment he could have ever imagined.

Tears streaking down her face, Alex said in a wavering voice, "Don't be mad at me, I'm sorry. I'll never do it again. I swear, this is the last time. I can handle my drinking...I just need to train more."

Gabe's heart ached as he watched Alex break down before him. He moved to sit on the bed next to her, feeling a wave of warmth swell in his chest. He placed his arm around her waist and she turned to bury her face into his shoulder, the sound of her muffled sobs cutting deeper than any words could have done.

Alex's words tumbled out between sobs. "You were right. You were right all along. I should have listened to you. I'm not good enough for street-fighting and I got beat up and then I was stupid enough to get drunk and now you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you. Please stop saying that." It made him feel so much worse.

"You're not?" She sniffed and dragged her sleeve across her nose. "Are you sure? I had this terrible feeling that you were furious with me."

She reached out hesitantly and placed her hand on his arm. He felt her touch like a gentle wave washing over him, soothing his pain.

"No, not at all." Gabe hugged her cautiously. Anger was the last emotion he felt. He gathered her in his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he held her tight. For the first time in ages, his heart unclenched and he felt hope.

"Take a nap with me," Alex begged. "I'm still tired and sore."

Gabe scanned her body, noticing the black eyes, swollen lips, and bandages that made her look like a porcelain doll

"Please?"

He knew she was still aching from his rejection. "I don't want to hurt you." He stopped himself from adding 'anymore.'

"Please lie down and I'll snuggle against you."

Gabe lay on his side, and she had to arrange herself with care. His heart ached for her as he heard her struggle to get comfortable. He helped her settle into place, gently arranging her body against his while she bit back cries of distress. But at last, her warm skin was against his hide and he loved the feel of her breath across his chest as her head lay on it. She was asleep in no time. Alex always had a knack for that.

***

Rile stepped through the threshold with a scowl and saw Gabe walking out of the bedroom, trying to look nonchalant. Turning to his middle brother, who was anxiously pacing alongside the wall, Rile nodded in acknowledgment but didn't say anything. Cale clicked his broken claws together as Rile asked in a low voice, "How is she?" Rile pointedly avoided eye contact with Gabe.

"She still doesn't remember what happened. Not only has she blanked out Morgan, but she doesn't remember the whole incident with Brockner either," Cale said over the staccato of his splintering claws.

Rile faced his oldest brother, eyeing him with disdain, his own color flushed a deep, angry red. Hatred emanated from his body as if it were visible in the air. "How convenient for you. That eliminates a lot of problems, doesn't it, when all your mistakes are forgotten." Rile turned his back on him and addressed Cale, "That jerk really does have everything handed to him." With that, he spun on his heel and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him with such force that the walls shook.

***

A/N

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