Page 87 of A Lot Like Adiós
“I don’t even know where to begin.”
“You begin with what you want, regarding Michelle, the gym, and Mom and Dad. I didn’t tell you this before, because I knew you weren’t ready to hear it, but they were devastated when you left. We all were. Well, except for me, because you’d at least reply to my texts. Mom, Dad—hell, even our aunts and uncles were pissed at you for disappearing after my wedding. Only Tío Marco got it, and I think he tried to talk to Dad, to explain. I did too. But they were so hurt, Gabe. You have no idea.”
He forced himself to take a small sip of beer. “I was hurt too.”
“I know you were. And I understand why you felt like you had to leave. But if you think you can just waltz back to Los Angeles like nothing’s changed... maybe you’d better think again.”
He had thought that, but now he could see he’d been fooling himself.
What do you want?
His sister’s question echoed in his mind. Gabe shut his eyes and tried to think.
He wanted...
Michelle.
No shit. He’d always wanted her.
But what did it mean, to want her? Beyond sex, beyond a shared past.
He didn’t know. Once, he’d wanted a future with her, but his plans had changed and he’d realized it was impossible. She was firmly entrenched in his old life, and he couldn’t stay here, not even for her. And he’d never ask her to leave her family for him.
The reality was, he didn’t have a future in New York, andhe didn’t have a future with Michelle. It didn’t matter what he wanted.
It was painful to think about leaving her, so he turned his thoughts to Agility.
This, at least, was becoming clearer. He missed the real work of helping people recover from injuries and improve their mobility, to live better lives in the bodies they had now, instead of whatever kind of body they wished they might have.
But he was currently the owner of “Hollywood’s 5th Hottest Celebrity Gym,” and he had an obligation to expand that brand into a new market.
As for his parents, he didn’t want anything from them, except to prove his father wrong and show them that he could be a success all on his own. For that, he needed the gym expansion to go well, and that meant he needed Michelle to stay on board.
He had to stop doing anything that would jeopardize Agility. Including messing around with Michelle.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” Nikki asked.
Gabe pushed the beer bottle farther away from him. Now was not the time to introduce more self-doubt. “I’m going to buy my return ticket to LA.”
Nikki sighed and shook her head. It clearly wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear, but it was all he had.
Somehow, he had to untangle himself from Michelle. From his parents. And, if he could manage it, from the responsibility of managing the New York location.
Fourteen years ago
Windows Messenger Chat Transcript
Celestial Destiny: Episode 10 Planning Session
Michelle:
Our poor fans.
Gabe:
We’re going to rip their hearts out.
Michelle:
