Lost Without You Ch.2

Gabriel led Angel to his car, opening the door for her. He got in the driver's seat and turned on the car.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere but here..."

They arrived at the park, Gabriel following Angel to the swings. She sat down, looking at the floor. He sat on the swing next to her.

"You remember when you and I decided to save it for marriage when we were together? Alex always laughed at you...But you were proud to respect my virginity..."

"Alex is an ass...Listen, I know we ended pretty badly back then..I'm still blaming myself for everything. But Angel, I want to be there for you. In this, anything you need let me help."

"Gabe....don't.."

He rolled his eyes and looked at her.

"Why not?"

She started to cry and walked in front of him. She lifted up her sleeve, light scars on her left wrist showed under her gold bracelets.

"There is nothing you can do, he took it from me. I'm disgusting..You don't know how it feels to try to feel clean again. I have scratches all over my skin from trying to scrub the feeling of being dirty off of my skin...Gabe....."

He was hugging her, holding her left hand close to his chest.

 "He isn't going to hurt you again. I can promise you that. I can't change the past. I hurt you once but I will do the best I can to keep you from being hurt again. You know I can help, Angie don't isolate yourself from me. Please..Who else is there for you?"

She nodded and hugged him back.

"I want to get tested...", she whispered softly.

He nodded and looked at her.

"C'mon then, no time to waste. The sooner we go the faster we can catch anything."

Gabriel drove her to the clinic where she received multiple tests. She was offered therapy as well. Angel declined, saying she would think about it. As she walked out of the room, she started crying as she met up with Gabriel in the waiting room.

"What happened?", he said as she walked out to the car.

"I'm scared Gabe..."

"I know ma...But tell me what's wrong."

"I'm pregnant."

Angel sat at the dinner table with her family. Her mother was eyeing her as she played with her food. Angel pushed the plate away and her mother closed her eyes.

"Angelica...What now?"

"Nothing, I'm not hungry."

"Miguel...Please tell your daughter to eat before she dies and gets me into problems."

Angel's dad turned around from where he sat on the couch.

"Eat something princess..Please? Cereal, anything."

"I can't..."

Her mother stared at her.

"Why not? "

Angel wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'll throw it up."

Her mother rolled her eyes and bowed her head, Angel getting up from the table.

"You have been acting like your damn cousins from Puerto Rico these past couple of weeks. What is your problem Angelica, please?"

"I'm sick,ma...I'm tired and stressed out. I throw up almost everything I eat."

Her mother shook her head.

"Stessed over what? You come here and don't do anything but sleep and complain. What are you tired over? Why are you stressed if you have everything?"

Angel bit her lip and closed her eyes. Everything....Alex took that from her.....

"I'm pregnant."

Her mother's eyes opened, her brothers leaving the table as fast as they could.

"What? What did you say?"

"I'm pregnant...."

Her mother had her hands around Angel's neck so fast that Angel didn;t have time to back away. Her father jumped in, grabbing her mother and pushing her away.

"You whore! You see me bust my ass for you for what? To bring another worthless piece of garbage into the world? Miguel...do something with that wench before I kill her!"

Her father walked over to Angel, Angel backing away.

"Daddy please, don't hurt me, I was raped..Please...", she said as she covered herself with her arms and dropped to her knees.

Her mother laughed cruelly.

"Miguel you know she is lying. She is a whore, just like her older sister. Get her out of my sight."

Her father put his hand on Angel's shoulder and told her mother to shut up. Her mother slapped her father in the face, her father storming away. Angel ran out of the kitchen and into her room upstairs, locking the door. She threw clothes into a bag and got her schoolbag. She opened her bedroom window and threw her bags onto the street. She wrote a note to her father and hid it in a place he would find. Angel climbed down the fire escape and grabbed her bags, walking as fast as she could away from her house. She ignored the cat calls and jeers from Alex's friends when she passed that section of town. She had no idea where she was going. As she began to get tired she heard someone call her name. She turned around. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled.

"So I guess you're my guardian angel?"

Gabriel smiled and took her bags.

"I guess you can say that. I saw you walk past the barbour shop...What happened?"

She sighed and they started walking.

"I told my parents...But my mother tried to strangle me and my dad of course left...I had to get out of there."

Gabriel led her to the barbour shop where he worked.

"Nelson, I need about 15 minutes.", Gabriel said to his boss as he brought Angel to his apartment above the shop. He put her things down and sat her down on the bed. He gave her water .

"It's small but I'm sure you prefer this to your mother's. The tv is hooked up if you get bored, I work a few more hours before closing. You don't mind right?"

Angel shook her head and waved as he walked out. She turned the tv on and walked around, finding the bathroom. She washed her hands, looking at herself in the mirror. She sighed and walked back to the bed, laying down.

Gabriel walked in, Angel was asleep. He covered her with a blanket, shutting the tv off. He ate dinner quietly, amazed at how long she had slept. He got in the shower, singing softly to himself. Angel heard him as she opened her eyes, he hadn't changed a bit. She smiled and sat up, Gabriel walking out in a towel. She felt herself blush as he grabbed his boxers from his drawer and walked back into the bathroom. Angel laid back down, staring up at the ceiling.

"You can stay here as long as you like....Oh and Alex came by."

Angel's heart stopped when he said his name.

"What happened?"

"He said he just wanted to know if I had seen you. I said no. He then said he got a nasty call from your mother telling him that he was a bastard and that you were having his child. Alex of course denies it..But paternity tests can handle that. Any way, there is dinner in the fridge that I can heat up for you."

She looked at him and he noticed she was frustrated.

"I'm not trying to be your dad Angie...I'm your friend. If you let me, I can help. You're not having this baby alone. I'm gonna be there for you the whole way."

Angel walked over to him and hugged him tight. She'd trust him again..The past was over and Gabriel was not the little boy he once was. Gabriel in that moment was all she had...Not letting him help her would be a mistake.