I've gotten quite a few emails asking me to post a little faster, and I really appreciate the enthusiasm. I realize how frustrating it must feel to have to wait so long for each chapter, but I really don't want to rush this story and quite possibly ruin it. I feel that at least every two weeks to a maximum of one month should be a good time frame to churn out good chapters. I can write as I feel the inspiration come to me, let it simmer, and then go back and edit. I feel like chapter 4 came out so much better than the others due to the fact that I went back reread from the beginning and made the right adjustments. I also appreciate any corrections anyone might feel I need to make. I've already changed the coconut trees to palm trees because someone pointed out there are no coconut trees in California and I took them at their word. I do plan on publishing this so your help/comments is vital probably more so than the actual voting. Again, Lit is taking off votes, most often than not the score actually goes up, so please don't double vote. Lit deletes those scores. It's not fair to me or other writers here. Thank you.
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Abigail acquired a used car and then stopped at a shop and purchased a cell phone. The attendant had showed her an entire wall of technological wonders, way too complicated for her impatient simplistic mind to grapple with. She'd walked out with a small white phone and a basic understanding of how to deal with its functionality.
Back outside, a shiver of apprehension had her gazing repetitiously over her shoulder. The eerie feeling of being watched followed her all the way to where she'd parked her cheery red, 1999 Volkswagen Beetle.
Slipping quickly into her new car, she closed the door and engaged the locks, breathing out a sigh of relief.
Hands gripping the wheel tightly, she glanced through all the mirrors before looking skyward, remembering Gabriel's mention of paparazzi in helicopters. It's how they'd managed to get her picture that first night with him.
The sky overhead was a brilliant blue with only one or two insignificant clouds making it picture perfect. No helicopters.
Starting the car she'd affectionately christened as El Chapulin, she glanced at the clock and headed for Irvine.
She'd considered never returning to the hospital, but the memory of Anna Maria's pleading eyes to keep an eye on Gabriel wouldn't leave her be.
Somehow, she'd get the woman's number and call her after checking in briefly on Gabriel. Then she would go apartment hunting.
Her new car had only cost her a little over three thousand dollars and the phone only twenty-five with a monthly based plan of fifty dollars which included unlimited everything.
She felt proud of her accomplishments thus far. Excitement on her upcoming apartment hunting had her grinning like an idiot as she checked and adjusted the mirrors of the car.
Switching on the radio, she eased into traffic. A soft sigh escaped her as her thoughts returned to Gabriel. What unpleasant scenario awaited her today? She hadn't gone the day before needing a little time away from the circus of attention he drew, though staying away hadn't been easy either. He invaded her every waking thought.
Abigail was accustomed to a quiet, simple life. As beautiful and enigmatic as Gabriel was, his lifestyle was far from alluring for her. She would never be able to actually be with a man like him, an adored rock god. It was too much for her.
The sound of a haunting melody and equally mesmerizing voice had her turning up the volume of the radio. The man sang of love, its heartache, and complications, the loneliness of it when it wasn't returned fully. His voice was so heartrending, so powerful and full of anguish, Abigail's eyes misted over, her nose growing itchy.
By the end of the power ballad, she was actually sniffling, loving the song and the hair-raising whine of electric guitars that made it more enthralling. It had moved her and she gasped when the DJ jovially announced that it was Diavolo's latest hit.
He went on to mention Gabriel's accident, and how he and millions of fans hoped for a speedy recovery.
It took her about twenty minutes to finally make her way to the familiar imposing medical center. Having prepared before hand, Abigail tucked her blond braid under a floppy hat and switched her glasses for a dark pair of sunglasses. She made her way to the emergency room entrance and the familiar guard that always helped her and the band members make it to Gabriel's room.
She smiled at the guard. For a brief second he only scowled at her, but then he flinched, his eyes going over her sundress-clad figure before rising to her dark glasses again.
"Ms. Brown?"
Abigail nodded, feeling very self-conscious. She'd bought the baby-blue dress on a whim, loving the delicate lace around the elastic shirred bodice and the little tie up straps. The skirt flowed from an empire waistline to mid-calf. She paired it with a pair of low-heeled, white espadrilles, and a white crocheted sling bag.
"Right this way, miss," he replied once again regaining his professional composure.
All seemed quiet, almost back to normal except that she noted the increased amount of security just about everywhere. On Gabriel's floor, the nurses at the station eyed her with a frown as she walked past. There was shouting at the end of the hall and Abigail wondered briefly who the problematic patient was. Some people just couldn't handle being sick and cloistered in a hospital. She used to make frequent trips with the nuns at the convent to hospitals and even jails to visit the unfortunate.
As she neared Gabriel's door, she realized in dismay that the shouting emanated from there.
The guards were still at the door and stepped aside to allow her to enter.
The scene that greeted her made her mouth gape.
Gabriel stood, fingers wrapped around a metal walker leaning with an angry scowl toward Rafael.
"You're fucking crazy, man. You just had surgery yesterday. You can't leave. Be reasonable," Rafael shouted, hands gripping Gabriel's bulging biceps.
"Get the fuck outta my—"
Gabriel's yell stopped the second his burning green eyes fell on her.
"Abigail." Her name whooshed from between his lovely lips, sending a shiver through her.
Rafael turned, his hands still tensed on Gabe's arms.
"Bout time you finally showed up," he snapped, making Gabriel scowl at him anew.
"Don't fucking talk to her that way."
Rafael turned back to him. Abigail couldn't see Rafe's face anymore but his tone was scathing. "Like hell. You've been a prick since waking up from surgery yesterday morning because she wasn't here. I'm about to strangle you with the damn morphine line."
Abigail's heart tightened. He'd been through surgery while she'd been cruising around town absorbing the scenery? Guilt had her tripping forward, her eyes traveling over him.
The silly hospital gown hung down around his elbows probably from the tussle between him and the guitarist. It put on display all of his upper body. His long hair was a mess around his shoulders and his jaw stubble was now more of a beard. Her whole body clenched at the sight of him.
Rafael stepped away when she approached. She looked intently for any signs of bandages to show where he'd been cut. Her eyes watered at the thought of his beautiful skin being marred by a scalpel. The bandage he'd had around his head was gone and he had a few stitches near the corner of one brow.
Abigail reached for the grayish blue hospital gown with the dark blue polka dots, intending to set it to rights when his head dipped down and his mouth sealed over hers.
******
She was a vision, fucking more beautiful than he remembered. Forgetting about the fact he'd acquired a metal spike driven into his right femur less than twenty-four hours prior, he released the walker, desperate to wrap his fingers around Abby's slender waist and haul her against him. His mouth touched hers, his tongue finding the heaven within, before pain roared with unforgiving intensity through him. He began to go down seconds before Rafael's arms went around him from behind with a grunt and a curse.
More pain blazed through him, his broken ribs protesting the male arms that held him in a vise grip. He ignored it all.
Rafe holding him up, Gabriel fused his mouth to Abigail's again, one hand gripping the cursed walker, the other wrapped securely around her.
