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“Please cut it the fuck out! I know you, Soul, better than any other person on this earth…”
“You knew me, Gabriel, eighteen years ago. A lot can happen in almost two decades,”
“I know you, Soul, and time doesn’t change that. I know the girl who had dreams, desires, fire in her gut, and a thirst for life but also a girl who was scared to do a lot of things, and you used that situation to hide, Soul.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about!”
“Then tell me I am wrong. Tell me you didn’t use your father’s stroke as a reason to stay behind.”
“He needed help, Gabe. He…”
“Had a wife, a full congregation, an around the clock nurse, and the best doctors. Your father’s church is the biggest in our jurisdiction and one of the biggest in our denomination. So tell me something else. Please stop trying to bullshit me.”
“This is why I didn’t want to have this conversation. You are not going to force me to say what you think I should. He is my father, he had a stroke, and I stayed back to help my mother with him and help with the church. I am happy here. I made the right decision.”
“Your father had a minor stroke and was back on his feet in less than a year, Soul,”
“Why can’t you move on from this?”
“Because I can’t move on from you, Soul! Don’t you understand that? I loved you then, I love younow! But if you stand here and tell me you are good, and have no regrets, that you didn’t make your decision based off of fear, I will leave here and leave you alone for good. All I want is the truth.”
“Gabe,”
“The truth.”
“I was scared okay! Your career hadn’t taken off, you were running out of money. How would we have survived, Gabe? Having to take care of me, I would have been an anchor for you. I finished school, got a job, and committed myself to helping with my parents church,” I say, realizing I am crying.
“I had more than enough to support both of us, Soul. I would have never let us fail, baby. Don’t you know that?” With each word he moves closer to me, wiping the tears from my face and pulling me into his arms.
“I missed you, Soul, missed us,”My goodness he feels good, smells good, and is saying everything I’ve secretly wanted to hear. Soul, girl please get you a backbone, one hug and you’re folding like a billfold.I move out of his hold, taking some space to clear my head.
“I want you with me, Soul. I want you to want to come though. All your life you have done what everyone else has expected you to do, and I don’t want to be one of those people. Take time to think about what you want for a change, and if you still want to sing, hell, if you want to be with me, come to me. I will say this though, live your life, Soul. It’s okay to do what makes you happy. I gotta go, I have a plane to catch. If you really want to come see me, a ticket will be waiting for you,” he says, picking up my phone. He puts his phone number in and texts himself from my phone.
“I hope to see you soon, but if not, this is goodbye. I love you and I wish you nothing but happiness.” Pulling me back into a hug, he kisses my forehead and he is gone. Now what am I going to do?
??
CHAPTER13
Gabe
It’s been weeks since I left Willow Brook, and I have not heard from Soul. It took herculean strength to walk away from Soul again. I wanted to go caveman, throw her over my shoulder, and bring her home with me. I mean, my cave is better than most, but I needed it to be her decision and I needed to give her time. Even though she’s had years, I needed her to have time to make her decision out of honesty, not because she was forced and not out of fear and that was going to take time. Serenity’s crazy ass has been texting me, but I asked her not to pressure her sister. The decision had to be Soul’s. But as the days continue to tick by with no word for her my hope is fading fast.
I head to the kitchen. I need a snack, and I am grateful for my lifestyle because this stress eating would have me weighing at least ten-thousand pounds. Popping a shortbread cookie in my mouth, I almost choke when I hear, “Those things are gonna big your back.”
I turn so fast, I almost break an ankle. There she is standing in my kitchen, looking breathtaking with a suitcase.What does a heart attack feel like?
“How?”
“Um, I enlisted the help of Andre, Gary, and Daniel,” she says. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“And that?” I say, gesturing to the suitcase.
“Enough for a visit.”
“I’ll take it. Hungry?”
“A little,”
