Chapter 9

Heather

I was finishing up my hair when Tyler came in.

"Since when can you afford a dress like this?" He's been so grumpy lately. He has been trudging around getting into fights with me for no reason and he's looking for one right now.

"It was a gift from a friend," I said plainly while patting down the flowing purple fabric. I started to do my makeup.

"Friend? Is this friend a man?"

"Yes, but like I said he is just a friend." Tyler looked pissed.

"So he just bought you a dress because..."

"Because he is going with me to the wedding and wanted us to at least match." I lied, I really had no idea why exactly Gabriele bought me a dress. I mean he is my boss but over this past month, he was also a friend to me.

"What? Why didn't you tell me this?" I felt guilty but I didn't want to tell him this because I know how over protective he can get about the slightest thing.

"You said you didn't want to go so he offered. The last thing I want to do was sit at that wedding alone and see my sister and Alex tie the knot."

"You're still hung up on Alex that's why I don't want to go. I don't want to see you look at him sadly knowing I was  the second choice, wasn't I !" He yelled throwing his hands in the air. I knew this was going to happen.

I looked at him shocked in the reflection of the mirror.

"You know what don't even fucking answer that, I know I am, go whore yourself around with another guy." He stormed out of the room. I felt a tear slid down my cheek I rubbed it away before it smeared my makeup. Before I could stop the other tears, they poured down my cheek. The wedding was going to start in an hour and I had to pull myself together.

Pitching up at the wedding with tear stained cheeks would make my sister's day, she'd think she won (which she already has). I had to stay strong, the words Tyler violently screamed at me, whore, he didn't mean it. I'm sure.

I took a shaky breath. Something has been eating at him since he got back home yesterday from his business trip he went on a week ago. I tried to get him to talk to me about it but each time he bites my head off. Today was the first time in our one year relationship that he called me a whore, he has no bloody right to.

I finished dressing, my hair was elegantly pinned up, my silver heels and necklace complimented the dress perfectly. As I stood looking at myself in the full-length mirror I chanted to myself "I can do this, do it for my parents and show Nichola she can have Alex because I don't care."

I heard a knock on the door, it was probably Gabriele. Luca was spending the day at his grandparents so it was just him and me.

Gabriele's mom was something else, every time I saw her she had a mischievous glint in her eye. Gabriele did tell me once when we were talking over a cup of coffee, that his mother likes to set him up on dates with her knitting circle friends' daughters, but he doesn't take her up on the offers. I had an inkling she has something planned. I talked to her once, I hinted that I had a boyfriend but she shook that off. She was probably planning to set us up.

"Come in," I yelled since I couldn't come to the door as I clipped on the bracelet. I heard footsteps and turned around.

There stood Gabriele in a perfectly tailored suit and a purple tie. He was cleanly shaven with his thick dark hair styled back. He looked sexy as hell I had to admit. My heart was rapidly beating and sped up. I couldn't help but study him from head to toe, he looked like Greek god or rather an Italian masterpiece.

I shouldn't be checking him out, I smiled awkwardly.

"H...Hi I'm just about finished."

"You look beautiful." My face flushed red but I tried to hide it.

"Uh thanks, you clean up nicely too." He raised his eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Thanks. Wasn't Tyler going to be here?"I faced away from him picking up my purse so he couldn't see the sadness looming in my eyes about what Tyler said to me a few minutes ago.

"He had to be somewhere," I answered vaguely. I shifted awkwardly and stepped towards the door.

He followed me out of the apartment as I locked up. I stopped at the black sports car sitting in my driveway. It was a beauty.

"Wow." I gasped.

"Like it?" I nodded. He opened the door for me and I tried to graciously get in but I wasn't the most adept to walking in high heels. As he drove to the ceremony hall I stared out of the window, I wanted to be anywhere but there and what Tyler said drifted around in my head.

We haven't been talking lately, we fight and then he storms off and continues to avoid me. Things are falling apart piece by piece, the sweet loving guy I used to know vanished and this stranger took over his body.

"Something wrong?" I snapped out of my daze. He looked concerned. I felt so sick, it is silly I know but the guy that I love called me a whore for no reason.

His face retorted into a scowl, the scowl I've only seen once, and that was when Luca threw a tantrum. It was my problem to deal with and I couldn't make my problems his.

A half hour went by and the church was coming into view. A few people were standing at the entrance including my parents and my brother. Tristen looked annoyed at my mother as she was straightening his tie, my father stared out in front of him with a stoic look.

My father was the calm one and my mother was the overly hyper one. Gabriele parked the car with the others, he stepped out opening the door for me. He helped me out since the path to the entrance was paved in gravel-hell for heels.

I walked up to my brother who noticed me for the first time after he escaped my mother's nit picking scope of his attire.

"Hi, I honestly thought you would blow off this wedding." He said with a grin on his face. He embraced me in a hug and let go turning his head to Gabriele.

"I see you finally kicked  the pretty boy to the curb." Tristen has never liked Tyler and he wasn't shy letting it be known.

"No, you know I had to come and secondly, this is Gabriele Armanto, my date for the wedding. Tyler had to work  remember." Tristen pursed his lips in disappointment, he took a liking to Gabriel since they both work in the financial field.

I escaped their bantering about stock and greeted my mother.

"Hi, mom." She pecked me on each cheek. I was a spitting image of my father, I was tall-ish with brown hair and green eyes, my brother and sister, on the other hand, looked like my mother with light hair and blue eyes.

"Hi darling, I haven't seen you in forever."I hugged my mother, she eyed Gabriel stretching out his hand to shake hers after he left Tristen's side. She studied him like a lion studying it's pray-for a good few minutes I was waiting for the worst to happen. She took his hand in hers and I let out the breath I was holding in.

"Gabriele Armanto, Heather's friend." He looked nervous, like my petite mother would attack him or something. I snickered at the thought, tall and strong Gabriele being scared of my little mother, to be honest, he has good reason since that little lady can seriously kick some ass.

"Amanda Jackson, nice to meet you." She greeted with a small smile spreading across her face. We entered the church hall and took a seat near the back, I wanted to be able to escape without getting noticed.

An orchestra was playing near the entrance, filling the space that was my manic thoughts. It felt like a weight was pressing down on my chest, things were getting too much. I took a few breaths, I was over him a long time ago but I always hoped that we could be something and that Nichola was just a mistake.

Gabriele took my hand in his, a little spark ran up my hand even though it is just a gesture of comfort. The weight I was feeling was lifted and I turned to him, he looked at me.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Between this and what Tyler said to me, I guess this isn't the worst thing that is happening."

"What did Tyler say to you?" He squeezed my hand, I looked at him, what I said just slipped out.

"He called me a-" Before I could finish my sentence the wedding march started playing, everyone stood up and turned to the door, Alex was already standing at the arch-I hardly noticed him when I sat down. The big oak doors swung open, in a haze of white my father and Nichola strode to the altar. My father pecked her on the cheek and patted Alex's back before he sat down. Alex lifted Nichola's vail.

The preacher started saying the well-known speech

"And do you Alex Williams take Nichola Jackson to be your lawfully wedded wife?"He swallowed and nodded muttering a yes. He looked nervous.

Gabriele turned to me whispering to me.

"Don't you think that this wedding happened fast?" He had a curious frown etched on his face, to be honest, it did. It was barely two months after her engagement. I smelled a rat.

Before I could answer him again, Nichola turned around with Alex beside her smiling adoringly at the people in the pews as she strutted out with him-well she finally has him. The crowd moved outside to the tents for the cocktail hour before the reception.

"I think she's pregnant." I turned to Gabriel shocked.

"You think so...it couldn't be ...my parents would have a field day with it. It would explain it though. But I'm not so sure."

"Believe me, she's pregnant-that guy looked ready to run from the altar, but something was keeping him there and your sister looked all too pleased." I shrugged, he chose her and this is what he gets, being trapped into a loveless marriage with a child. I think karma was on my side.

He broke my heart but then again the same thing is happening with Tyler and me.

"Guess we'll see in about 8 months." Tears were streaming down my face now, it still hurt what Tyler said to me. Gabriele looked at me with concern as we walked to the bar. He stopped and pulled me so that I was a mere inch away from him. He took my face in his big hands, making me look him in the eyes.

"What did Tyler say to you?"I swallowed.

"That he was the second choice and I'm whoring myself around tonight."I knew I shouldn't tell him, his dark eyes deepened. He is my boss for pete's sake he doesn't need to know about my pathetic problems including this wedding but it was already too late for that.

"I hope you kicked him to the curb." I shook my head. How could I?

"I'm going to make you forget about him for tonight." He handed me a long island iced tea and he grabbed a scotch.

I had a feeling that tonight is going to be something interesting.

A/N Cliffhanger?Not sure if this counts as one but okay...Like it? Hate it? Well if you do then why are you reading this?