Brother's Girl✔️

Viente y quatro

Gabriel's POV

"I don't think that's how it works," I told Camila as we walked down the streets together. "Why do you live with her?" I asked her referring to her mom. She was complaining about her mother. I understood her, I had complained about my mother also, but I still loved her. 

"I feel bad," she answered. "My dad was cheating on her and I guess I'll feel guilty if I leave her also," I nodded my head. I almost forgot that her dad was married to Dominique's mother. I shook my head, why was I thinking about her now? I've been avoiding her since the barbecue disaster, I kissed her two days in a row. I needed to stay away before everything got worse, before Matteo found out how we are betraying him. 

"It's not your fault," I told her stopping in front of her house. "People fall out of love all the time, you can't feel bad for your father leaving," I assured her. I wish I could also convince myself that I could not feel bad for loving Dominique. Why should I feel bad for a decision my heart chose to make without my permission? I did not plan this, I did not want this, it just happened. 

"Thank you," she said. She tippy-toed and kissed my cheeks. She was a nice girl, if I didn't have a stupid love for someone else we could work out. The more time I spent with her, the worse I felt about how I am using her. We only spent time talking and joking around, but I could tell she thought we were somehow serious. "I have to go, thanks again for the pep talk," I watched as she walked up to her porch and entered her house. I stood staring at the house for a while until I turned back deciding to head back home.

It was late in the afternoon, we had met up to run at one of the parks. After about fifteen minutes I reached home, I opened the door and I didn't hear talking which meant dinner was over. I smiled, I didn't want to have dinner with them anyway. "Gabriel," I heard my name being called as I tried to go up the stairs. I turned around to see my mom. "This is the fourth time you have missed dinner this week," she put her hands on her hips waiting for my explanation.

"I'm sorry mom," I apologized. "Just not in the mood to do the whole family dinner thing," I told her. 

"Are you even eating?" She asked me. Was she really going to be motherly and get worried right now? 

"Yes, I am," I told her. 

"Mhmm, I'll have Amy cook your favorite," she said. "Go shower and come down and talk to your brother or I'll lock both of you in the closet again. Y'all so childish," she huffed and left to go back in the living room. I chuckled, my mom used to lock us in the closet when we were angry with each other for hours until we would make up, hug, and apologize. I didn't think she still had the power to do that, I really needed to move out. 

I ran up the stairs to my room, I got in the shower to I take a long cold shower.  After about twenty minutes, I got out and threw some clothes on. As I dried up my hair, I heard a knock on my door. No one ever leaves me the fuck alone, what did they want now? It was probably my mother saying I took too long. "Come in," I said walking out of the bathroom. The door opened and Matteo walked in. 

I stared at him asking what he wanted. He probably thought I was still mad at him, I wasn't, I had forgiven him a  long time ago. I just felt so guilty about everything, I couldn't look him in the eye, I couldn't laugh with him, I couldn't sit and eat with him. "Here," he handed me a file. "Track him down," he said. Oh, he was here for work. I opened the file to see a picture of the person I was supposed to track down. "I want him alive," he told me.

"Okay," I said. 

"Alive," he repeated. I nodded my head telling him I understood. I would bring him alive if he didn't try to resist. I didn't have time for all that, "thank you."

He nodded his head and opened the door to leave. "Matteo," I called him. He turned back around. My mom was right, I had to talk to him. I hated myself for my feelings, but I couldn't stand not talking to him. "I'm sorry," I apologized.

"For what?" He asked me. 

"Everything," I answered. "I know we haven't been talking and it's my fault," he nodded his head. 

"It was my fault, I should have never hit you. So, I'll completely understand if you punch me now, Gabe please punch me," he said. I laughed and gave him a hug. 

"I deserved the punch, I should have never gotten in the middle of you and Dominique. I don't know what I was thinking," I told him. No matter how much I was wishing their relationship would fail, I went too far. I knew Ella was a sensitive subject for him, it wasn't about him not trusting Dominique, it was about him not being able to live with what he did. He had killed someone; even though the person was a monster, he still felt bad. 

He didn't feel bad just because he had killed him, he blamed himself for Ella dying. He thought if he hadn't been goofing off with Erika, Ella could have been alive. Truth was, she probably would have still been dead. There was nothing he could have done to change that, I was in the room, I should have pulled the pillow away, but I didn't. "You shouldn't have," he said. "But I should have been honest with her about my past. I told her about everything," he said. 

"Everything?" I asked him. 

"Yeah, I feel relieved actually," he said. "Anyways, it's my turn to read Veronica a bedtime story," he smiled and left the room. I sighed and rubbed my face, I opened the door and walked out. I rand own the stairs, Dominique was coming from the kitchen with a bottle of water in her hand. She looked up at me and gave me a smile. I smiled back and entered the kitchen. 

"Sorry I took so long," I told my mom taking a seat.