Gabe Harrison

“well i…..” heather started saying on gabe’s lap, before realizing that she had no idea about this guy’s mom. just that all heather had to do was message her that she knew her son and boom, they were friends. “good question.” she said, looking back on her phone, hoping for a good idea. but with gabe kissing her cheek and rubbing her back she could hardly keep focus. “shut up.” she laughed, nuzzling her face in her neck, whispering “you’re my favorite person, you know?” just before he mentioned breakfast. a smile spread over her face, facing him again. “ no fair, now all i wanna do is stay in bed.” she raised her eyebrows before leaning in his face and kisisng his lips, long but memorable, just before pulling away. “but okay, let’s go see if you can make omlets as good as mine.” she giggled as she pulled herself out of bed.

gabe somehow, always knew the right things to say. just easing her into the situation, and never breaking his word. even saying how he would be okay with just staying friends….a thought that never even crossed her mind. could they stay just friends? could they just pretend none of it happened….it might’ve been easier if it weren’t last night. if they didn’t go as far as they did. but they did. and she knew there was no turning back on that. they would always have that night, for just them. and she couldn’t turn back….and yet she didn’t want to. “gabe..” she started to say…but she she was quickly interrupted by gabe eating a fry way too fast. “oh my god! you’re gonna burn your tongue off!” she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, as she watched him suck his drink feverishly. “okay now you’re gonna get a brain freeze. slow down.” heather shook her head, taking the milkshake away. “kermit the frog by the way.” she laughed again, taking a sip of his milkshake. “you could’ve quoted anyone from plato, socrates, even shakespeare to sound philosphical…and yet you quoted kermit the frog.” classic gabe, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “gabe, i could pretend none of this happened…but that’s not fair. to either of us. i keep replaying all of last night in my head..and i can’t just push that aside.” she said, as she timidly sliding her hand over his leg. “that’s gonna be between us. it’s never going away. and yeah, it scares me, but it scares me even more that i won’t have you at all.” it didn’t even occur to heather that her hand was placed on his knee, and moving dangerously high. “oh shit, sorry!” she burst into a fit of giggles, and leaned her head on his chest. “you make me so….excited. But scared.” she laughed, before looking into his eyes. she got that weird knot in her stomach, just like right before last nigt happened. “what made you wait so long to kiss me? you and i had best friends for forever, what made you….i don’t know. make a move? i know i can be pushy and agressive, but i always figured if one of us would do it, it would be me.”

Heather could feel herself nervous eating again, as she just ate one fry after the other as gabe talked. just everything she wanted to hear. that he was willing to work through everything, that they’ve already been through everything together, and he was right. he’s seen all her crazy, knows about everything. and he was still here. even pulling her in for a hug saying how much he loved her. “oh gabe…” she managed to say back as she leaned into the hug, burying her head into his neck. and it felt like home….not like all the other hugs she’s given…but not that nervous gutteral feeling she felt when she worried she would mess everything up. everything felt…just right. she let go of the hug, squeezing his hand and wiping away a tear she felt fall. “i love you too….” she said, looking down, making a big sigh. “i don’t know what to do next.” she admitted, taking another drink of her milkshake. “i really don’t know. i usually have all the answers, and i odn’t want us to get weird about any of this or what to do if….ugh if it doesn’t work out gabe. i can’t just not have you in my life. and i feel like i’m going crazy that i can’t say the right thing here. all i can say is that i love you and that i’m scared to break that barrier with you cause once we do we can’t go back….i mean we already broke it last night i guess but….ugh why can’t it jsut be easy?” she sighed, realizing that she was rambling…..reaching for another fry, though then she realized she ran out of fries already.

heather felt bad, to say the least. not only did his date make out with some other guy, but heather literally took him away and almost ruined it. and now he was paying for fries. “you don’t have to.” heather said lowly, before the same waitress that always pushed a relationship with them came to take their order. and maybe…that was a sign. “uhh….same, but a chocolate milkshake.” she said a bit flustered before the waitress walked out. and as they sat in a small silence…her head was still buzzing from the few shots of tequila. and maybe that was the way to go, if she was sober she would think too much about it. but then again, that’s how they ended up in this situation in the first place. but she knew she might never see gabe again if she just let it be…”i’m sorry gabe.” she finally manage to say, breaking the awkwardness, and the tension. “this is all my fault. if i wasn’t so anal and in my head…..i just…” she made a big sigh and looked up at him. “did you mean what you said earlier? do you really love me?” she asked, and once it was confirmed, her could feel her heart leap out of her chest, and feel all warm and fuzzy. as she had always wanted those words from someone who meant it…..but again…it scared her. “wow…” she said as she turned away and wiped a tear. she covered her mouth slightly, before letting out a laugh of joy. “i’ve always wanted to hear you say that.” she sighed with a smile, looking over at him. “i never thought you’d feel the same way. i just…” she couldn’t help but put her face in her hands and run her fingers through her head, her overthinking getting to her once again. “ugh what’s wrong with me?” she let out a frustrated sound, before putting her hand on her chin. “i’ve literally loved you for so long, but then i get all freaked out about last night because i wasn’t even thinking about what would happen the next morning. and after you kissed me i just…all i wanted to do was be with you, i didn’t let myself. cause i knew i would get all in my head about it and chicken out and all i wanted was you. but then i woke up and i freaked myself out so i left while you were sleeping, but then all this happened right now and i just i don’t know why i’m like this. because the fact is if i wasn’t drinking last night i wouldn’t have had the courage of kissing you and if i wasn’t drinking tonight i wouldn’t have said anything and i just hate that im not fun or reckless and just want to be myself but by being myself about thinking back of how every other guy who said they liked me it ended because i’m the uptight anal crazy one and i can’t lose you like i lost them, i just can’t but im so scared that-” eventually she could tell she started rambling, because their fries and milkshakes still arrived, she didn’t even realize how much she had been saying. but she gave the waitress a friendly nod, before taking her milkshake a sip, trying to shut herself up.

he said it. there he said it. he loved her. something in her mind, heather had always known. and reciprocated. and you think it would be easier with gabe…to open up her feelings. but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything back. of course, gabe would be the one to see she was just trying to distract him from what was happening. “i don’t know, is it working?” she half laughed, before he agreed to the french fries. but not without one more shot….heather swore anymore and she would be in a state she was last night. but maybe for once it was a good thing. she smiled, as she took the shot with gabe, and couldn’t help but laugh at the hat presented. “long live the queen.” she giggled as she walked out of the noisy nightclub with gabe. and luckily, the diner with the best fries was just around the corner. and for just one second…it was as if things hadn’t changed. they were the same as they always were…and yet she wondered if she even wanted to keep it that way. but as they walked along the way…gabe opened up again. and heather agreed. she knew what that felt like. all the romance novels, and everytime she would set someone up, it’s cause they wanted to be wanted. everytime she was in a relationship, she opened up, it’s because she wanted to be wanted. but those never turned out great….maybe that was why she couldn’t open up to gabe…cause everytime she had, it ended badly. and then he said that word that made her cheeks flush and heart flutter all over again. love. he loved her. “gabe…i get it…” she started to say, but suddenly, all those bad memories of past loves. one sided relationships she was caught in the middle of. words she had heard and said to others. her old fairytale romances gone up in flames….she didn’t want to lose gabe like that she wouldn’t let herself lose him like that. and she’s glad she didn’t let her buzzing state make her a fool again. and before she knew it, they were at the diner. “oh look, we’re here!” she said, trying to redirect once again, before grabbing gabe’s hand and walking into the diner, and sliding into their regular booth. “i’m kind of in the mood for a shake too…” she started saying…eyes on the menu in front of her…trying to make things normal even for just one minute…

heather continued to look on with the blonde girl and jackson dancing, and she started to wonder, no wonder why gabe liked this girl enough to accept her invite. she was sexy, blonde, and can move like nobody’s business. a strange wave of envy washed over her, as she continued to watch her dance…before she heard a dangerously familiar voice come up to her. and there he was, gabriel harrison, the boy who’s heart she broke, and her best friend. “uhhh, hi.” was all heather could muster up as she took off the black cap and sat back in the stool, as he handed her a shot. to say she was embarassed that she was caught was very looked over. not once had she ever been caught face to face when she stalked her friends and family on their dates…of course gabe would be the first and only to do so. and of course gabe looked like he had been drinking, of course so was heather, and gabe started to feel sorry for himself about all that happened to him. sure he had ever right to, with what heather put him through, and that girl completely using him. but again…heather couldn’t help but wonder if he had the same intentions. and that heather wanted to come out more. “really gabe?” she stood there, arms crossed and tapping her foot. “you’re gonna sit here, pouting, and tell me you didn’t accept that girl’s invitation just to make me-” she stopped herself mid sentence…she didn’t want to bring up that can of worms right now. she took a quick look at the dance floor, only to see that she was now making out with jackson. and one thing’s for sure, heather knew gabe didn’t need another thing to pout about. “hey.” she said, taking the tequila shot he had given her, for confidence and leaning into his ear so he could listen better. “let’s get out of here, ya? you wanna go talk? we can…get french fries.” both of them were buzzed at this point. but now she hoped she wouldn’t give into her wants as easily.