25 | finally ready

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CHAPTER 25

"That'll be £6.70 please." The taxi driver said. Or at least that's what I thought he said — it was difficult to tell with the accent coating his voice.

Amazing. I'd found another thing to love about Cornwall already. The prices were actually reasonable.

Gabe reached into his pockets and took out a bunch of coins, jingling them in his palms as he passed them over. "Thanks for the ride."

"Course. You looked like you needed it." The taxi driver replied.

I noticed that they both spoke to each other wearing the same wide grin.

It felt like they were old friends instead of complete strangers, but I guessed that was just a side effect of living in such a small town.

You were automatically friends with everybody, whether you knew it or not.

We stepped out of the taxi together, armed with our luggage and excited smiles.

My eyes left Gabriel's face to get a proper look at the house we were standing in front of.

Wow.

Even at night, the beauty of the Madden household was impossible not to notice.

Shadows were cast over the cobbled walls, but didn't even touch the large windows that offered a glimpse inside of the house.

The size could've made it intimidating, but something about the shrubbery that surrounded it stopped it from looking like anything but a well loved family home.

The vines that draped themselves over the brickwork made it hard for us to find the doorbell but we persevered, with Gabriel pressing it once and then coming to wait alongside me.

Right before the door opened he turned to whisper softly in my ear, somehow knowing that I'd need the reassurance. "She's going to love you."

The creak of wood was the only thing I heard before a woman threw herself at Gabriel, a blur of shrieking, open arms and laughter.

She pulled away from him after an understandably long hug, allowing me to get my first look at her face.

The first thing I noticed was the striking resemblance she bore to the person standing next to her, from her pale skin to the single dimple I could see hollowing into her cheek.

The only difference was in the eyes, hers a clear grey instead of piercing blue.

Those eyes glittered as she turned to look at me, smiling wider than I would've thought possible. "And who's this?"

I smiled back, finding that hers was infectious. "Hi Mrs Madden, nice to meet you. I'm Cora."

"Call me Maggie." She said warmly before her voice became a squeal. "You'll have to excuse me if I'm a bit excited. This is the first time Gabriel's ever brought a girlfriend home to meet me."

My face fell a little. I hated to have to burst her bubble. "Oh um, I'm not his girlfriend."

Somehow, even without turning to check, I knew that Gabe had just broken into a smile.

That was probably the furthest thing from what I expected, and I found myself confused. That is, until he began to speak.

"She's not my girlfriend yet. We just kiss sometimes."

My mouth dropped open in disbelief.

There is no way he just said that.

When his mother did nothing but laugh at his blatant honesty, eyes creasing at the corners, I knew two things in that moment.

The first, exactly who he had gotten his frankness from. His mother didn't seem to hide her emotions any more than he did, and it was clear that he had inherited it from her.

I actually envied them both for it and as we made our way into the house, I began wishing I could be as clear about the things I wanted as they were.

The second, that I liked Gabe a lot more than I had truly admitted to myself.

The fact that it had sent a thrill through me when he used the word 'yet' instead of made me feel like I should be halfway out the door, was a huge sign in itself.

"I'm sorry the house is such a mess. Gabriel didn't tell me what time to expect you guys." Maggie said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

My eyes followed the direction her arms had gestured in, but I couldn't find the mess she was talking about. The inside of the house was just as spotless and beautiful as the outside.

Before I could tell her that, she spoke again. "Come, come. Sit down."

Kindness radiated through every word she spoke, and as we removed our shoes and made a beeline for the couch, she didn't hold back.

"How was your trip?" She smiled.

"Absolutely beautiful." I told her honestly. "Even with all the noise in the background."

Gabe chimed in from beside me. "Cora loved the sleeper train as much as I do."

"I'm glad." She yawned.

"Oh my. If I'm tired, I can't even begin to imagine what you guys feel like. I'll get out of your hair in a moment."

Her attention turned to me. "Cora, the spare bedroom is next to Gabriel's, so he can show you where it is."

"That's perfect, thank you." I replied softly.

Before she left us to our own devices, she told us her plans for the next day.

"You guys should get out tomorrow, explore the town. We can have a big dinner when you come back and," she looked at Gabe with something in her eyes that I couldn't decipher, "I'll introduce you to Martin."

Who on earth is Martin?

I didn't ask since it would mean intruding on some kind of private moment and that was the last thing I wanted to do. After all, I'd find out tomorrow.

"That sounds good Mum." Gabriel answered, voice laced with tiredness.

Although we both slept on the train, three hours definitely wouldn't be enough to keep us going the next day.

Both of us were desperate for a bed, and it was beginning to show.

"Goodnight Gabe." Maggie smiled.

She turned to me, her face taking on the mischievous expression that I had seen on Gabriel countless times before. "And goodnight Cora. We'll be able to talk properly tomorrow."

Talk... okay.

I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She might have been a sweetheart but she was still Gabe's mum, and I felt compelled to make a good impression.

She padded away in her nightgown and slippers, leaving him and I alone in the cosy living room.

He turned to face me, dimples on full display. "Told you she'd love you."

I laughed. "I get the feeling that she loves everyone."

His face changed then, eyes growing more serious. "That's true. But she sees it in you too."

My brows furrowed. "Sees what?"

He shrugged. "I can't explain it. But whatever it is, it's the reason I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since I met you."

My head felt light and my heart was pounding against my chest like it was trying to escape.

He couldn't spring things like that on me when I was sleepy and vulnerable. There was no telling what I'd do.

Ignoring the shiver that was running through me, I changed the subject and stood up. We could finish this conversation tomorrow, when I was fully rested and less likely to jump on him. "Can we go to bed now?"

He nodded, taking me up the stairs. The pine creaked as we went, a reminder that what had felt surreal so far was actually happening.

I just met a member of Gabe's family and was currently standing in the house that he grew up in.

Why me though?

Why not Danny or Jake?

And did the fact that I was here instead of them mean something?

Before I had time to deliberate over that properly, we had made our way into the hallway that housed both of our bedrooms.

He showed me which one was mine, stopping me right before I went in with a smile. "Promise me something."

I tilted my head quizzically. "I feel I should hear what it is before I lock myself into anything."

He met my eyes and began to speak, humour lacing his voice. "If my mum asks you to look at photo albums with her, say no."

I laughed, pushing the door open. "No chance. Goodnight, Gabriel."

"Night candyfloss." He called back in response, the door shutting behind me and enveloping me in darkness.

My gaze found the window, watching the moon cast a silvery glow onto the faint blue of the walls. It was the same blue that I knew covered the water most days here, and I couldn't wait to finally see it in person.

As my eyes adjusted to the lack of light I began to notice other details -- the flowers that trailed a beautiful pattern onto the bed sheets, the shaggy rug that lay a little way away from me, and the picture frames dotted around the room.

I walked over to the desk that one sat on, picking it up at random. I smiled when I noticed that it was a family photo, recognising a younger, chubbier version of Gabriel's face and the smiley one of his mother at his side.

On his other side was a man that I didn't recognise, but seemed strangely familiar.

Maybe it was the way that he had his arm tightly wrapped around Gabriel, or the blue eyes that I could somehow see even with the gloss of the photo, but I had a feeling that he was somebody important.

Was this Gabriel's dad?

Or the Martin that his mum was talking about?

Scratch that. It couldn't be the latter because she spoke about introducing him, and the person in this photo clearly already had a strong bond with Gabriel.

I added it to my mental list of things I needed to speak about with him tomorrow, growing nervous when I remembered what was at the forefront of that list.

Christ.

When I grabbed for him in the train and begged him to stay with me, it had nothing to do with my drowsy state and everything to do with the fact that I was finally ready to let him in properly.

And I don't mean as a flipping friend.

Kisses, dates, late night train rides — I wanted it all with him.

The question was, did he want those things with me?

Screw it. I was going to make him want those things with me.

Gabriel had been beautifully patient with me up until now, coping with my constant cold feet and not complaining once.

He had done enough chasing for the both of us. Now it was my turn.

That night, after showering and putting on the pyjamas that I hadn't been able to wear on the train, I found myself staring at the ceiling.

Considering the fact that I was lying in both a new bed and a new place, it was strange how homelike it felt.

The faint sounds of water moving, the chirps of the birds that would otherwise be annoying, and the tree branches tapping against the window of the room.

It was everything I hadn't known I needed until then, and I fell into a deep and gratifying sleep.

The kind that had me dreaming about everything.

My past.

The good parts. Stolen moments with Edna, the times I spent with the few friends I made and my favourite memories of Ivy and I as children.

My present.

Sitting at the window of the room I was in now, looking out and painting what I saw. My canvas was tainted with an image of the beach that stretched for miles, and the water that ran alongside it. There was nothing with me but the faint sounds of the wind outside, and I was completely at peace.

My future.

I was older, but still recognised myself. A man was next to me, and only when he turned to kiss me did I gasp.

The man standing next to me was Gabriel.

- - - -

The unmistakable smell of bacon permeated through my dreamlike state, and I sat up in bed as quickly as I got into it.

My ears perked up as I heard laughter coming from downstairs and I slipped my feet off the edge of the bedding, preparing to step down.

I brushed my teeth and made myself look presentable enough to face the general public, smiling into the mirror when I was done.

The door creaked open when I pushed it, and the laughter became clearer. I was guessing that I was the last one up and they'd already started having breakfast.

Either that or someone had broken in, but the first option was less distressing.

"Morning Cora." Gabriel and his mum chorused when I walked into the kitchen, matching smiles on their faces.

Aww.

"Good morning." I answered cheerily. I was starting to think it was impossible to be in anything but a good mood around those two.

"We made pancakes." Gabriel said, hand gesturing the heaped pile I could see on a plate by the counter.

His mum twisted to face him, raising an eyebrow. "I made pancakes. He did nothing but distract me."

He placed his hand over his heart in mock indignation. "You're making me look bad in front of Cora."

I couldn't help but laugh at the two of them. They may have been teasing each other, but it was clear how close they were.

A pang of envy shot through me, but I pushed it away as quickly as it came.

"You guys should head down to the beach while it's still nice out. It's supposed to rain later today." Maggie told us, daintily popping a piece of pancake into her mouth afterwards.

"Sounds good." Gabriel gave me the roguish smile that had featured in my dreams last night more times than I would care to admit. "I have some things I want to show you before we come back for dinner."

I nodded, placing a few pancakes onto a plate and sitting down to eat them.

"These are delicious." I groaned, receiving a pleased smile from Maggie in response.

About five minutes into my meal I raised my head to be met with Gabriel's eyes piercing into mine.

"You're a slow eater." He commented.

My brows furrowed. "Okay?"

My head dropped back down to continue eating, but he slipped his finger under my chin before I could. "Take them with you. We need to go."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're right. Let me just throw them into backpack."

His mother's laugh cut into the conversation at that last statement. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

Gabriel eyes flickered between my face and his mother's so quickly that I was surprised I caught it, and a small smile appeared on his face. "Fine, just eat quick. I'll be by the door."

Just to put him out of his misery I forked the mouthfuls of pancake into my mouth a little faster, placing my plate into the dishwasher that I'd spotted when I was done.

"Thanks honey." Maggie smiled when she saw what I was doing. "Have fun."

With my own smile and wave, I made my way out of the kitchen and into the doorway that Gabe was standing in.

He was leaning in a way that meant his back was resting against the door, and I could feel the heat of his stare even with the space between us.

A dark leather jacket was hugging his muscular frame and I knew that it must have been put on within the last few minutes it took me to finish those pancakes, since it definitely wasn't on while he was in the kitchen.

I would've noticed.

He looked dangerous. And a little rough around the edges.

Like he was capable of corrupting me.

The thing is, I was finding that I was strangely okay with that.

His fingers beckoned me towards him, but I found my feet frozen in place.

"Come here." He called, putting it into words. I somehow managed to move again, eyes honing in on the expression written all over his face.

What was he up to?

I stopped right before our bodies could touch, needing the space if I wanted to be able to  maintain any kind of restraint.

He clearly had other ideas since he stepped forward and eliminated the distance that I had worked so hard to keep, his lips barely grazing the corner of my ear. "You ready?"

"For what?" I asked, my voice coming out as nothing more than a whisper.

"The adventure of your life." He replied, pulling away with a smirk and slipping us both past the door.

I ignored all my schoolwork to write this chapter — clearly I've got my priorities straight hehe

Also Cora's finally come around yay!!

I feel like I need to celebrate. With a cake or something. Might actually go bake one now that I've got it in my head lmao

Have a good day/night and thank you for reading <3