GABRIELSuddenly, the cave seemed too small for both of us. Kira was getting angry. “Wow, you don’t really mean that,” I said in a low voice.“And what makes you think I didn’t mean it?” “I felt you shivering in my arms. I felt how you gave yourself to me with all your love” The vein in her temple was twitching, and she could barely hold my gaze. Yet she did it with a stoic determination. “You are one of the most stubborn people I have ever met.” She sighed and looked down at her hands. “I don’t like that about you, but I admire it as well. You’ve put up with an unfair amount of shit for a person your age and it saddens me to see how much pain you put yourself through because you can’t figure out why everything is so mixed up in your life. I wish there was something that could help you, but there isn’t. You will just have to figure this all out by yourself,” she snorted in one breath.I turned on one leg and looked away from her. “What do you know about my life, Kira Reed? You sp
KIRA“My dear, something is wrong with you. And that’s coming from me, your grandmother, who doesn’t have so many years for nothing,” Granny said and it wasn’t a question. She was very sure Gabriel had something to do with my mood. “What’s wrong with me? I’m fine, Granny,” I said.“It is not a question of what is wrong with you. It’s about what’s right,” Granny answered and I felt like I just could not lie anymore. Granny had been my accomplice all my life.“I see nothing in me that needs to be changed. Do you?” I was getting confused, which was only natural, as I had never thought much about myself, let alone me being anything special or different from anyone else. “What do you think of yourself?” she asked, and that question shocked me. Nobody ever asked me that. How was I to answer?The truth was that I knew very little about myself and the things that concerned me were mostly my own opinions on certain matters not based on facts; they were just gut feelings and what I had been
KIRAThe day had come and gone like a blur. All I could think about was the turmoil inside my soul, and the fact that my grandmother now knew who the man who had come after me here really was. It seemed like time had stopped, but at the same time, it felt like it had raced by. I didn’t have time to process any of my emotions, let alone think about what I should do next. All I knew was that it filled me with a sense of dread and uncertainty. My heart was heavy with the weight of my thoughts and my mind was spinning with questions. But still, I had to keep going. I had to find a way to move forward, no matter how difficult it seemed.For so long, I had kept my true feelings hidden behind a wall of fear and uncertainty. I got scared of what would happen if I let anyone else in on my innermost thoughts and desires. But when I looked into her eyes, I knew I couldn’t keep it hidden anymore. All I could do was hope that the rest of my family wouldn’t be able to see beyond the wall I had crea
KIRA I love you, Kira Reed!It was all I could think of from our talk this morning. Right after he confessed, Gabriel left. I didn’t know where. He left me confused and agitated. Even the fact that the holidays were coming up in the family didn’t warm me. I knew I couldn’t go back to being the woman he left behind in London. But I also knew it wasn’t my choice to make. It wasn’t. And I needed him to know that. I flinched when my cell phone rang. It was Alana. God, how much I missed her!“Kira, girl, how are you? You haven’t called me since you left here. Are you okay? Rumor has it that the boss came for you? I hope it’s just a rumor... or is it?” I had no choice but to hold an awkward moment of silence that confirmed everything to Alana. “Oh my God! It’s really true!” she exclaimed in shock. “Yes, he came,” I said, exhaling. Another awkward moment of silence. “What the hell is he doing there? Has he come to beg you to come back?” I had so much to tell Alana that I didn’t ev
KIRAAlana’s arrival was the best thing that could have happened to me in this entire ordeal. Now I had to fill her in on everything that was happening. And there was a lot. The ride home was a quiet one. From time to time, Alana was giving me her worried look. But I knew once I walked through the door I had to change this sad face. I didn’t want my mother to know the real reason for my condition. “I hope you can have another guest for Christmas dinner,” Alana said with a wide smile.My brother’s face suddenly brightened. “You know we will.” Mother said and gave her a warm hug. I looked over at my brother who was still looking at me with an odd look in his eye. The smile on his face was gone, replaced by a look of confusion. It was the look that told me he didn’t understand. I didn’t know what to say, and I just shrugged. “Come on, darlings, let’s sit around the table. I guess Alana’s tired. Would you like some hot chocolate?” Mom continued the series of questions.“That’s a w
KIRAMy heart raced as I turned to face him, unsure of what his reaction would be. He looked back at me with a mix of surprise and sorrow, the same emotions that I felt myself. I knew that this was the end of our relationship, and it hurt more than I had expected.The silence between us was deafening, and I wished I could melt away at that moment. I knew I had to face the situation head on, no matter how much I wanted to run away.“Gabriel,” I muttered again. He looked at me with a mixture of confusion and pain, and I couldn’t help but feel my own heart breaking. I knew I had hurt him with my words, and I wished I could take it all back. But I knew it was too late.We both stood there, unable to say anything else. I wanted to apologize and tell him I still cared, but I knew it wouldn’t make a difference. We both realized that this was the end of our relationship, and we both had to accept that.The silence stretched on until he finally broke it.“I think it’s best that I go,” he whisp
KIRA It hurt my heart and my whole body knowing Gabriel had to be part of something like this.“Kira? What happened?” asked Mark trying to pull me away an inch so he could look at me. I could already feel Gabriel’s fierce gaze. “Nothing, just hold me!” I said and jumped back into Mark’s arms. Only this time, Gabriel stepped in. “Who the hell are you?” he screamed. I looked up at him. The man who had just kissed me, who I thought was the love of all of my life, was standing so close I could feel his pain and fury. My eyes fell on his face, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. It was as if he knew I could understand. But I didn’t. “Definitely not the reason she is crying for,” Mark said with a twisted face making a wall around me. Hearing Mark, a wave of anxiety washed over me. Gabriel was quick to anger, and it wasn’t long before his hands were tightening on the collar of Mark’s jacket. Mark looked at me and then looked back at Gabriel. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
GABRIELIt affected me so much to see her in that man’s arms that I felt a mad need to just leave. I got into my car without thinking about the consequences of my actions and drove back to London. Kira must have wondered where I was. But the way she stood up for that idiot really pissed me off. My first stop was John, my lifelong friend. He was a notorious traveler and never stayed too long in one place. If you asked me, he seemed to have a home in every corner of the world. Probably for the holidays he had decided to come to his homeland, and I took advantage of his coming to come and talk to him. As I arrived after midnight, it shocked him to see me on the doorstep.“Gabe? What the hell? What time is it?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.“Man, I’m sorry to barge in like this, but I need to talk to someone.”“Talk… ok… we can talk. Come on in,” he continued yawning.Sleepy as he was, John invited me in. He even made a cup of coffee, hoping he’d be able to wake up more. “You can talk no