“Ma’am you need to get behind him if you are riding.” The sixteen year old attendant says to me.
“Ma’am?” A look of disbelief in my eyes. Gabe starts chuckling quietly.
“Yeah Ma’am are you going to ride with me or not?” Gabe asks me smirking.
“You know I don’t ride roller coasters.”
“I’ve seen you ride them before.” He mentions making me wonder if this is about me riding a roller coaster.
The next coaster comes in and the people get off with their hair all windblown but smiles plastered on their faces. Gabe gets in sitting down in his assigned seat. I look at him and then the attendant who keeps yelling over to me to either get in or move out of the way. The blonde behind me looks like she wants to run me over for her chance to sit next to Gabe. The sun is making Gabe’s blue eyes sparkle more when he looks at me. For some reason his face brings over a calming safe feeling so I hop in the seat fastening my belt. The metal bar comes down and my throat free falls into my stomach.
Gabe is staring over at me instead of looking at the hill ahead.
“You got me on this ride so you better answer the question.” My words are staggering as we reach the middle of the first hill and I am trying to only concentrate on him. His defined jawbone that comes to the smallest point when it reaches his chin. How his eyes are set back but his long dark eyelashes making it so you don’t notice right away. The sun has developed a few small wrinkles around his eyes. Lastly I land on his lips that are turned up for me now. His bottom lip a little pouty compared to his top lip. They are the perfect shade of dark pink and when they open you see his white teeth. All perfectly straight except for one at the bottom that slightly covers another indicating he never had braces. He was a gorgeous man.
The top of the hill is fast approaching making my anxiety higher. My heart is beating out of my chest. Gabe grabs my hand telling me it would be ok. Just as our car is about to go over the hill I squeeze his hand so hard closing my eyes. My butt starts coming up from the seat at the same time Gabe’s lips meet mine. His hand rests on my cheek while his mouth covers mine. His tongue licks my bottom lip asking to enter which I happily open my mouth. Our tongues mingle together while butterflies fill my stomach. When Gabe pulls away my mouth goes cold, I stare into his eyes noticing we aren’t moving anymore. Then I hear the hollers and clapping around us. I don’t remember the ride only Gabe’s mouth and hands. Looking around at the crowd my face turns a nice shade of pink.
“Come on let’s get out of here.” Gabe grabs my hand leading me out from the coaster.
We walk hand in hand down the exit ramp. He pulls me over to the train station that is already boarding. We grab an empty row in the back.
He instantly kisses my lips but this time it is short. “We need to talk.” He says.
“It’s fine Gabe. Thank you for keeping my mind off the ride.” This is where he tells me we can’t be together for one of the twenty reasons listed in his head.
“Maddy, I mean this in the nicest possible way. I need you to shut up for about five minutes.”
“I will try.” I agree.
“That kiss wasn’t just to help you keep your mind of the ride. I mean it was but I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to.” He grabs both my hands with his putting them in his lap. “This is so much harder than I thought it would be…Let me ask you something?”
“I thought you wanted me to shut up?” I raise my eyebrows in question.
“I did until now.” He doesn’t laugh or smile.
“Ok ask away.” I become concerned inching closer to him.
“Do you feel this?” He motions between the two of us.
I look at him questioning. “Gabe, I felt that kiss everywhere if that is what you are asking.”
“Yes…no.” He pulls his hands away brushing them through his hair. “What I am trying to say is…I love you. I know it’s complicated as hell for us and all the people that won’t understand it but I have loved you for so many years. I thought I could get over you when I moved to Florida but every girl I tried to date never kept my interest, they never compared to you. There were so many times I wanted to tell you but one thing after the next held me back. I am sick of waiting for the time to be right or people to come to grips. I want you to be mine.” He divulges not looking up at me.
“Oh Gabe!” I don’t know what to say. I know I love him too but I can’t stop thinking about Trent or his family not liking me. The trouble it would cause if we got together.
“Shit!” He yells and the family a couple rows up turn their heads towards us.
“Sorry” I apologize to them.
“I thought for sure you felt the same way.” He whispers staring at his feet.
“Gabe, look at me.” I place my hand on his knee.
He slowly turns his face up to mine his eyes filled with regret and despair.
“Who said I didn’t?” I smile over at him.
“God, you scared the shit out of me.” He confesses.
“Gabe just because I feel the same doesn’t mean I think it’s a good idea to be together.” His smile falters and he shakes his head.
“Maddy, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. If we love each other we should be together.”
“Your mom hates me, Trent is your brother, and we live in different parts of the country. Nothing about this is right”
“All that matters is this” he kisses me again but this time more urgent and persistent. Our lips and tongue can’t seem to get enough. His arms are warm around me, fingers gingerly running through my hair. My hands rest on his firm chest. That feeling is there again. The electricity I only feel with him. As though everything is right in the world when I am with him.
When he pushes back from me resting his forehead on mine. “I guess I can’t argue with that.” I relinquish.
“I promise you Maddy, I will protect us. We are worth fighting all this crap for.”
“Okay, but can I ask one thing?” I bring my pointer finger up.
“Anything.” His hand rests on my hips rubbing up and down.
“You have to kiss me every hour.” I laugh.
“I think I can do better than that.” His lips crash down on mine again.
I can’t tell you how long Gabe and I rode the train. He held me in his arms kissing my neck and ears when his lips weren’t on mine. We didn’t talk about all the important topics that would soon be in our face once we told everyone. We only relish being together as a couple. Touching each other, stealing kisses and talking about our feelings toward one another.
It feels so good to be with Gabe but it scares me at the same time. How were we going to be together? Which one of us would tell Trent? Would I lose him as my friend? What about his mom? The questions just keep running through my mind, I can’t escape them. Gabe is so sure it is going to work out telling me our love would prevail. When we get off that train everything comes crashing down. I don’t think I can make everyone else upset just to make myself happy. There is no way I can do it this weekend, my brother’s wedding has to come first.
“Gabe, hold on a second.” I stop him right before we are getting to the water fountain.
“What’s up Mad?” He pins me against the brick wall of a building.
“I don’t think we should tell anyone…yet.” I see the disappointment on his face so I look down.
“It doesn’t matter what they think.” He kisses my neck.
“I can’t ruin my brother’s wedding. We don’t know how your mom or Trent will take this.” I shake my head back and forth.
“Promise me this has nothing to do with Trent?” He pulls away a little.
“No, it’s not that. After the wedding we can scream it on the ten o’clock news. Please say you understand.” I grab his shirt pulling him back to me.