Broken (BWWM)

4

Gabriel

I turned down the heat on the stove and placed a top over the spaghetti sauce. I opened the oven and took out the garlic bread turning the oven off.

"Hey Gabe. Thanks for letting me stay for the weekend. I really can't go back there." Kristen said as she took a seat on the stool next to the island.

"You know that I don't mind. But what happened this time?"

"I have been hanging out with a friend and she got upset, that's it." Kristen avoided my gaze.

"There has to be something else Kris, she can't get mad at you for just that. Now tell me the whole truth." I said giving her an accusing glare.

"Well. We met a few months ago and we became close friends. We did everything together from shopping to even playing on a flag football team together. When we were together everything seemed possible and no one else mattered. And we made it official last month and mom found out." Kristen took a pause and cleared her throat.

"She was so upset and called me so many names. I-I had never felt so degraded and unloved in my life. But I love Stephanie. She means everything to me and without her, I don't think that I could live without her ever being in my life. Gabriel you are the only family that I have left, I can't have you hate me too." Kristen looked at me tears flowing down her porcelain cheeks.

I looked at my hands trying to comprehend what she just told me. My cousin, my sister, is a lesbian. I can't believe this. I imagined scaring her fiance and going to the bachelor party to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. But she is in love with a woman.

I love my cousin but I don't know if I can accept this. I cleared my throat,"I need time to think about this. But stay here as long as you need." I nodded and turned back to the counter and grabbed a princess bowl for Gabi.

I'm not saying that I will reject her, I just need time to accept her.

Toya

I had many disappointments in my life, my dad leaving my mom and I , my mom getting cancer and dying not to long ago. I was disappointed because I grew up with my mom always reminding me that things would get better, and once you go to college and get an education, everything else will fall into place. That was the first time I realized that my mom had disappointed me. The first time I let myself down, was just now, when I walked up to my apartment door and saw an eviction notice on my door.

I felt like the small poor life that I had, was beginning to crumble. I want to finish college, and pursue a career that I love and that can support me financially. But what I want isn't important right now, it's about what I need to survive.

Looking at the paper one more time, I sighed grabbed the letter, and turned back around heading towards the bus stop. While walking out the apartment building doors, I saw Gabriel standing by his car. Pretending like I didn't see him, I turned and walked in the other direction, but that didn't work out so well.

"Hey!" I heard him call behind me. I sighed and turned around facing his approaching figure.

I looked at him with annoyance and muttered a quick greeting.

" I need to talk to you."

"What could you possibly have to talk to me about. You don't even know me." I couldn't bring myself to look in his eyes, I had too much on my mind. And I knew that those gorgeous blue orbs would make me forget about my problems, something that I didn't need right now.

"Can we go out to dinner and talk?" Gabriel asked with hidden hesitation.

" I can't. I have some stuff that needs to be taken care of, and I have to go work my shift at the bar."

"Does that 'stuff' have to deal with that letter in you hand?"

Gasping in horror, I noticed that the eviction letter was indeed in my hand, and on display. I looked up to meet his eyes, and averted mine away quickly.

"Look, I'm not trying to make you feel like you're below me. But please, cancel your shift, and come to dinner with me. Trust me, by the end of the night, you won't regret it." A sexy smirk appeared on his face, and he sent me a wink.

I didn't know if I should take it in a sexual context, my mind wasn't, but my body, that's a different story.

Clearing my throat I gave him a small nod and smile. We began walking back to his car, and he opened the door for me.

"So, where are you from?" Gabriel asked trying to make small talk as we drove to the restaurant.

"Oregon. But I moved here to attend the University of Nevada a few years ago." I said looking out the window.

"What was your major?"

"I majored in business and marketing. I want to help run and operate any business that will hire me. What about you, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a doctor. I am about to take over my dad's practice very soon, on one condition." He muttered the last part, but I still caught it.

"What's the condition?" I asked looking at him with curiosity.

"Um. We are here." He said turning the car off.

I got out of the car and looked up at the small diner. It wasn't that busy, and once we walked in, I saw that there was only three other people dining in.

We sat at a table, and waited for someone to come take our order.

"So, what do you recommend at this place?" I asked trying to lighten up the air. Even though I was still stressed out about my situation, I still wanted to enjoy this.

"I love their bacon burger, I think it's the best thing on the menu. And their garlic parmesan fries, I wish I could eat those everyday." I watched as his eyes glazed over in excitement.

"Sounds good. Well how about you order for the both of us." I gave him a smile.

Just as I said that an elderly woman approached our table wearing the diner's uniform and a name tag saying Patricia.

"Hey welcome to Southwest Diner. My name is Patricia, what can I get for you guys this evening?"

" We both will be having two bacon burgers with garlic parmesan fries, and large strawberry milkshakes." Gabriel ordered for us.

"Okay, I will be right back with your milkshakes." Patricia nodded and went to the back to place our order.

"So, tell me about this mysterious 'condition' that your father put on you." I wanted to get to know him, because this will probably be the only human contact I will have for awhile. Being here in Nevada by myself for so long, made me realize that all I need is to make sure that I am situated and settled.

"Well, this condition involves you." He looked at me nervously.

"What do you mean? I just met you two days ago." I asked taken aback by his statement.

Patricia emerged from the back with the strawberry milkshakes in her hand. She set them down on the table and left once more.

"Before you say or do anything, I need you to listen to everything i have to say, and then consider my offer."

I nodded. Not at all prepared for what he was about to say next.

" I need you to marry me. Tonight."

After hearing those words, I had no idea how to react to him saying this. But next thing I knew I woke up with a coll rag on my forehead and my eyes gazing up at the diner's ceiling.

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Hope you enjoyed, you'll find out if she accepts or not in the next chapter.