Hey there, I'm putting this up faster than I thought I would but I just started writing and couldn't stop. "Thank you" to everyone out there, who sent me such positive emails, you made me smile. I'll try to keep on writing as long as you keep on enjoying it.
Perfect
~ Chapter 4 ~
Flashback Gabriel's POV
"How dare you?" yelled the voice.
"M-om, what?" Her hand came out of nowhere, smacking me on the lips. Cupping my bleeding lip I stared at her in wide-eyed horror.
"You didn't think I saw, did you?" she ranted.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, tears running down my face.
"I saw you in bed with him, you little freak," she spat.
"Saw me with who?" I said quietly. Deep down I knew what she was talking about. This morning I crept out Connor's room without anyone knowing. At breakfast however she had been weird, every minute turning to look at me as if I was a germ she couldn't get rid of. She sent me to my room as soon as I came home from school, and brought Connor next door to play with the neighbor's kids. Now she stood in front of me, eyes flashing with hatred, chest heaving with her every breath. Oh God she knew, I thought to myself, she knew and she despised me for it. She always hated any weakness in me. "You have to be better Gabriel, better than anyone else or you'll be nothing and nobody will ever want you." She always told me this, if I got less than perfect on a test or assignment.
"You crept into bed with him, didn't you? You little faggot do you really think I'll let you ruin what I've worked for my whole entire life?"
"I-I-I didn't do anything Mommy, he had a nightmare." I pleaded with my eyes for compassion, understanding anything resembling feeling a mother should have for a son.
"Don't lie to me. I knew you were queer the moment you came out of my womb. Your father and his family did this to you, passed their disgusting genes onto you, God knows you couldn't have gotten this from me."
I couldn't believe the vicious words that were coming from her mouth. I just stood there hoping this was a horrible dream I was having and I would wake up any minute.
"Did you really think I would let you corrupt him?" she yelled.
"I would never hurt Connor Mom--y," She slapped me again, hard. Knocking me to the ground.
She bent down to look into my grief stricken eyes. "I'm not your mother. You're a defective seed, implanted into my body. I kept you around because your father, the bastard, left all the money to you. I don't need you now and I want you gone."
No, No, No she didn't mean that I said to myself. She was just angry.
"I'm sorry, I'll do better I promise."
"Ha, nobody but your father could stand you. I don't want you." She said.
"Where will I go? I have nowhere else to go." I cried
She stood up, brushed off dust from her pristine pink dress. "A private boarding school, in France, where I won't have to see you, except for Christmas and March break. I suggest you find something to do in the summer because you're not welcome here for that amount of time. God knows what you would do to poor Connor." She threw a pamphlet on my bed and walked out
I lay there curled up into a ball, praying I would die.
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Present Day- Gabriel's POV
Gabriel sat in the back booth of Kinkird's, a dark pub catering the Brampton locals. Toronto had always been too busy for me, so instead of living in the city, I moved to Brampton a district, where the population was low, houses cheap and it was just a 20-minute drive into the city. I plucked a few fries from the greasy paper cradling what remained of my fish and chips, then washed them down with the last swallow of draft in my mug. Signaling to Joe, the bartender, for another I returned my attention to the paperwork spread on the table. One of these days, I was gonna get into the twenty-first century and get the business computerized, but for now, it was all paper and ink, usually done in the evenings. Mosaic Paints stayed too busy for me to waste sunny days on something that could be taken care of after dark.
Joe plunked a frosty mug of beer on the table, sloshing a little onto the payroll blotter.
"Careful," I cautioned, grabbing a handful of napkins from a chrome dispenser to soak up the beer.
"Sorry Gabriel," Joe said absently.
I gave an equally insincere nod as Joe turned and padded back behind the bar.
I wrote out the last few payroll checks, slipping them into a worn leather satchel, but left the blotter out to dry. I then started filling out the week's invoices, most of which would go to O'Neil Builders, for work on the newest condo development down on Forest Way. I had never wanted to take work from Connor's father's company because it felt too much like taking handouts. But after Doug O'Neil admitted that he hadn't known it was my company he chose to paint his Condo's, I took the job. Now most of my business came from his company.
Doug and I have been in contact almost 2 years now. At first I thought he would be react angrily towards me but after meeting with him for lunch one day he put my fears to rest.
"Your not responsible for your mothers actions Gabriel." He had said.
"I know I'm not but--" I drifted off, not knowing what I was trying to say.
"I know why she sent you away." He said quietly.
My head snapped up, my expression on of horror. "How could you know?" I asked.
"I overheard her a few months before I left, talking to one of her friends about you. I tried to help but I couldn't do anything without custody of you. Besides a father knows when his son is loved. I just hope you can someday tell him how you feel."
"What if he doesn't want me?" I asked sadly.
He came over to me, bending down to look me in the eyes. "He's my son and I love him but he's stubborn. You'll have to be patient with him but don't give up Gabriel, your deserve to be happy. This is your chance, don't be afraid to take it."
The sound of glass shattering rose me from my revelry. I looked around trying to find where the sound was coming from. Joe was looking at me with an expression of distress. Looking down I realize that I was clutching the broken pieces of my mug.
"Sorry," I mumbled to Joe. Dropping $40 on the table I grabbed my stuff and headed out. Jumping into my car I went home.
Buying my 3-bedroom house had seemed like an extravagance when I first bought it but I loved that house the minute I saw. It sat in front of a lake, with sprawling trees and wild flowers. I turned the barn into a workshop where I built furniture on my spare time. I loved making things with my hands.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I pictured living in this house with Connor but you can't always get what you want I guess.
I was glad, I'd gone today, glad I'd seen. Glad that I wouldn't waste anymore time on a hopeless dream.
"Better a snob, than trailer trash." His smug words still crackled through my veins and left me feeling subservient to him.
No more, I told myself, as I crawled into bed naked, No more. No more thinking about him, it was time to move on with my life, to begin a new chapter.
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Connor's POV
"Do you believe he actually came here?" Connor seethed.
"Sweetie don't you think your reading too much into this?" Hunter said softy.
I spun around to face him, my expression incredulous. As soon as Gabriel left I immediately went over to Hunter's. I needed some one to talk to, some one to tell me how I was going to inform my dad of this new development. Some on to tell me I had done the right thing. Never had I treated anyone with such disrespect as I did Connor. I felt ashamed I let my angry get the best of me but I couldn't look at him and not remember what hell my Dad went through. The hell I was made to watch.
"You're taking his side." I yelled.
"Now I know you've lost your Damn mind. I don't know this guy but Connor why, No, how could you treat some one like that?" he asked, his voice filled with disappointment.
I look down at floor. "His mother ruined my life."
"Listen to what you just honey, his mother not him." Hunter stated.
I walked over to the window, staring at setting sun. "They can never be trusted Hunter, after all I've been through, how dare you blame me for not believing another lie." I fumed.
"He said this had nothing to do with his mother." Hunter walked towards me, touching my shoulder in comfort.
"No." I declared, shrugging his hand away. "They're up to something and I'm going to find out what it is." With that I turned my heal and left the apartment
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The drive to my father's house was torture. Never had I thought I would have to bring up her again. This part of my life was supposed to be over. Pulling up to the 2 story Spanish style house that I lived in my late childhood, I drew in a deep breath. Grabbing my keeps I headed to the door.
"Dad," I called as I walked in.
"In the study!" My father yelled back.
Dad's study was a huge room, covered with dark mahogany bookshelves. A massive desk and leather chairs was centered in the middle of the room.
"I didn't know you were coming over." He said as I came in.
"It was a last minute thing." I said.
He looked up from his computer, and smiled. Doug O' Neil was handsome man for a 54-year-old. His blond hair only contain a few silver hairs, so light it was unnoticeable. His eyes reminded me of mine, so brown they looked like chocolate. He and I also shared the same built; the only thing I had inherited from my mom was her hair and lips.
"How's school?" He inquired.
"It's cool." I said, trying to build up the nerve to start the conversation because I wasn't sure how my father is going to react.
"You like the condo?"
"Yeah, it's fine." I replied
"What's up?" He demanded.
"Why do you think something's up? Can't I just visit my father?"
"Huh, Huh, Connor what's wrong?" His brow crinkled.
Signing, I started to talk. "Remember how I wanted to paint the condo?"
"Yeah," He replied.
"Well, I met the owner of the Paint Company this morning." I said.
"And?"
"It's Connor Dad. He showed up with some lame story about wanting to let me know he was in the city." Running a hand through my hair, I started to pace. "I think maybe his Mom put him up to it. She probably wants money."
"Shit!" He exclaimed angrily.
I threw myself down on a chair, glad to finally have someone who could really see my side of the situation.
"Don't worry I made it clear to him that we will never give him any money Dad. I don't think he's going to bother us anymore. If he comes around again maybe we should think about getting a restraining order.
My dad sucked in a breath making me look up at him. He sat there staring at me with an incredulous expression.
"You did what?" He asked in a whisper.
"I told him off." I replied hesitantly.
"Oh, Connor, what have you done." He said, shaking his head in regret.
My temper exploded. "I didn't do anything." I yelled.
"Yes you did or you wouldn't be so angry. Tell me what happened."
For a half an hour I told the story, repeating every ugly word that had passed through my lips. My father didn't say anything after I finished, just watched me.
"I'm not sorry I did it." I whispered.
"You have never gone out of your way to hurt anyone before, I can't believe you would behave that way to your step-bro---"
I cut him off. "He's not my brother."
"Ok, he's not you brother, but--"
I cut him off again. "NO, NO but's. First Hunter and now you. You of all people should understand what his family has cost you."
"His mother did those things Connor."
"Like mother like so--" I trailed off, taking a good look at my dad. There was no shock his face. In fact he didn't look surprised about this conversation at all. That didn't make sense unless....
"You knew he was here didn't you?" I accused.
"Yes." he said.
"And you didn't tell me, Why? Why would you protect him?"
"Because I knew you would react this way, and I wanted to avoid this ugliness." He rubbed his eyes as if weary.
"My God, were you ever going to tell me?"
"Yes, but I wanted Gabriel to be ready to do it" He said sadly.
My mind was reeling. He had been protecting Gabriel. Protecting him from me, as if I was some kind of monster. I wasn't the monster in this, Gabriel and his family were. A money grubbing leech that sucked the life out of my family once and I was never going to let that happen again.
"I don't know how he's done it but he has you thinking he's a saint. You need to remember what she did to Nick. How she destroyed him. Do you want that happening again?"
He whitened at my mention of Nick. That name hasn't been mentioned in this house in almost 4 years.
"He's a good man Connor, just give him a chance." Dad murmured.
"Don't defend him to me."
"I love you Connor, but your being an Ass. Never can I say I was ashamed of your behavior, until this day. You have treated that man abominably and what makes it was you don't feel remorse for it. Badly done, Connor, badly done." Dad stated, shaking his head.
"Come back when you've pulled your head from your ass." With that Dad, turned back to his computer.
For a minute I couldn't contemplate what happened, but I quickly recovered. Angrily I slammed out of the house.
As I walked to the car I looked up to Dad's study window. The shades fluttered and I knew he was there watching me. Not wanting him to see me shaken I quickly drove away.
Lying in bed, later that night I began to relive all the conversations that took place today. The hardest for me was the one with Connor. I let my anger for his mother poison my judgement. I let it poison me, turning me into some one I didn't recognize. Tears fell down my face as I recalled the look of displeasure on my father's face.
Oh God, What had I done?
To Be Continue....
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