Chapter 22

I sing in accordance to the beat, and we all laugh at how bad our voices are, but we keep going. Kelvin will soon be parked in the driveway, and we will all be headed inside. When I open the door and smell supper cooking, I grin and hurry inside to join Elizabeth in the kitchen. When I watch William put a kiss on Elizabeth's lips, I groan and shut my eyes. "I'm afraid I'm going to puke." Kelvin feigns a gag while clutching my shoulder, while Linda mutters about how she has to watch this more than the rest of us.
Before William takes over, Elizabeth chuckles softly and draws us in for a hug. Soon after, Chris joins us, scooping me up then ruffling my hair before putting me back down. I punch his chest with a scowl while correcting my messed-up curls. Everyone takes their seats at the enormous dining table and delves into the meal, accompanied by a succession of sighs and groans everyone will take our very first nibbles. "As always, Elizabeth, you are fantastic." I take a spoonful of rice and put it in my mouth. "Thank you, honey," I say. Her dark hair is pulled over her shoulders as she giggles.
"How is school going for you? So far, how do you like life here, kiddo?" While adding a few of the salads onto his dish, William inquires. "What do you mean you're hanging out with Kaden Reid?" Chris' scowl draws my attention to Kelvin, who just lifts his arms in a yielding gesture. "He's my friend, and no, lest you start lecturing me about it, he's not a nasty guy who compels me to go racing at night, skip school, use drugs, and smoke." When Linda bursts out laughing, I deadpan, smirking, only to cough as Chris turns to look at her, his eyes softening at the harmless smile she offers him.
"Don't get too close to him; he's not really a saint." Chris mutters to himself as he tinkers with his meal. I sigh and keep eating while speaking with everyone. I pulled my phone from my pants' pocket to take a sip of water when it beeps, alerting me to a notification. When I turn it on, I notice that I have a text from Gabriel. I listen in on the chat and respond by typing. Amanda: Can you tell me how you got my phone number? Gabriel: As you went in to change yesterday night, I recommend you put a lock.
Amanda: That'll be OK. I respond with a thumbs up icon. Gabriel: That's great. Where have you gone? Amanda: I'm having supper with some pals from my family. Is it true that you're standing outside my apartment? Yes, Gabriel. When are you going to return? I'd want to meet you. Kelvin, who twirls his finger at me like I'm a child getting reprimanded, snatches the phone from my hands before I can respond. "There's no cellphone at the table, uh uh uh. cos the rules are ru...?!  What are you doing chatting to Gabriel Silva "
"What?!" While everyone else in the room yells, I recoil, causing me to slip down into my seat a little as they gaze at me while William grabs the phone, Elizabeth peering over his shoulder, before passing it on to Chris then finally Linda. "How long have you known him?!" As I pull the cellphone from Linda's grip, Chris scowls at me. "You must keep a safe distance from him, Amanda." With seriousness in his gaze, William says severely in his deep voice. "Why? What is it with everyone restricting me from males, first Kaden but now Gabriel?" I murmur under my breath, my arms crossed across my chest.
"In any case, why then should Gabriel Silva be attracted in Amanda? What exactly is he searching for..." Chris pauses in consideration, his eyes wide with bewilderment as he glances across to his parents. "What does it even mean?!?" I inquire, enraged. "Is it necessary for males to have a purpose and be with me, a hidden agenda? Why can't they just be with me unless they like me?" Chris lets out a sigh and shakes his head. The room becomes tight, and I rise from my seat, upset how he would say such a thing.
"Anyway, I'm sorry if I wrecked dinner, but I'm leaving. Thank you very much, Elizabeth." I mutter, my voice becoming nearly a whisper at the end as I strive to maintain a neutral tone. I hear everyone's protests, but I ignore them, racing out of the house to get my purse and jacket off the couch and out via the front door. Before slowing down, I rush down to the driveway and a short distance down the street to make sure that they aren't following me. I heard my phone ding again, and when I switch it on, it connects me to Gabriel's and my chat.
Gabriel: Why don't you respond? Gabriel: Are you all right, baby? I sucked out a choked gulp of air before gagging on a sob and covering my mouth with my palm to stifle any sound. I refuse to think Gabriel is really with me for any other reason than to help me. I realize as I look around that I didn't think this one through. My place is twenty minutes' walk from my vehicle, so walking will take a long time.
I slam my foot on a neighboring wall, yelling in despair. If only Kelvin hadn't snatched my phone, and Chris hadn't said what he did. I'm getting a headache and tears are welling up in my eyes as I consider what I'd do next. When my phone rings, I sniffle and pull the cords of my bag tighter towards my chest, after which I let it go. Before placing the phone to my ear, I slide my thumb out across the screen. "H-Hello?" "Amanda, what the fuck are you doing?! Why haven't you responded to my texts? Do you realize how concerned I am? " Gabriel screams angrily from the other end, his voice hushed.
"I got sidetracked." As I walk towards my flat, I sniffle. "Do you have tears in your eyes?" "What have you done with yourself?" "I'm not sobbing!" I said emphatically. When I let out a sob, I snapped, muttering beneath my breath. "Tell me where you are and I'll come fetch you." In the background, I heard an engine start. I attempt to calm him down by telling him the address, but it doesn't work. "Calm down, darling; I'll be right over." I'm in such a bad mood that I do not really notice the compliment he's given me. While I waited for him, I leant against the wall, hugging my jacket to my chest. While wiping away the tears, I counted the number of vehicles that passed by. I have no idea why I'm weeping! Finally, I put my arms over my waist and quit wasting time scrubbing at my cheeks. I ignore the incessant pings from my cellphone, knowing they're most likely from Chris. I turned off my phone since I didn't want to talk to him. When I heard a horn in the distance, I turned right, seeing a familiar black automobile approaching the street where I was on. Gabriel leaps from the car and runs up to me, cleaning my wet cheeks and cradling my face. With foggy vision, I stare up at him, his emerald eyes now black and stained with blood. I don't care if his eyes are blazing a different hue at this point. I wept into his chest while he cuddled me and pressed his kisses to my forehead. My arms were around his waist.