|
THE TOWNHOUSE
Antonio sat silently on the couch as the morning sun peeked through the window. His mind reeled with the events of last night. Heather pulled him down on top of her as their lips sought out each other hungrily. Antonio was lost in the moment, driven completely by desire. Antonio was kissing her chest wildly as he felt Heather unzipping his pants. "Antonio," she whispered softly as she started to reach inside. He pulled his lips away from her as he was jolted from his lust by her voice. "Oh my God, I…I can’t do this." He pushed himself up and looked at Heather lying underneath him almost out of her bra and skirt holding on to the waistband of his boxers. He stood up quickly as he fought to catch his breath. His eyes fell to his waist where his pants hung unbuttoned and open. "I...I don’t know what...I’m sorry." He zipped himself and walked over to where his shirt lay on the floor. "This never should have happened. I’m married, Heather and I love my wife." He pulled his shirt on as Heather lay back against the pillows. "It’s okay, Antonio," Heather said softly as she pulled the pillow over to cover her chest. "Your wife is a very lucky woman." Antonio gathered his things quickly. "Goodbye, Heather," he said quietly and walked out the door. Lucky? That wasn’t the word Antonio would choose for Gabi right now. He had watched her sleep for almost two hours last night. She was so peaceful, so beautiful...so trusting. He had betrayed her trust in the worst possible way. He almost slept with another woman for reasons he didn’t even understand. How would he face her? What would he say? How could he look her in the eyes? Would she know? Would he tell her the truth? "Antonio! You’re back," Gabi’s voice called out cheerfully from the stairs. "When did you get home? Why didn’t you come upstairs?" Antonio closed his eyes at the sweet sound of her voice. "Antonio?" He sat motionless on the couch. Gabi walked over and sat down next to him. Antonio looked at her and attempted a smile. As soon as his eyes met hers, he felt a pain in his heart like nothing he had ever felt before. He dropped his eyes quickly. "How was your trip?" she asked as she gently placed her hand on his. Her touch felt so good, so soft. He cringed to think that this could be the last time she might ever touch him. "It was fine," he said quietly. "I’m so glad you’re back," Gabi said excitedly as she kissed his cheek. "I have something for you." She jumped off the couch and walked over to the televison. She grabbed the tape off the VCR and held it up. "The ultrasound video of…" her voice trailed off when she looked into his eyes. His head was down but he was looking up at her with a pain in his eyes that came from deep in his soul. Gabi squinted in confusion. "Antonio?" she said quietly. Antonio stood from the couch, his legs feeling like they would surely buckle. He walked slowly to the fireplace and leaned against it with his hands hanging his head. Gabi watched as he ran his hands across the mantle. In a single second, he had to decide whether to tell his wife what happened or keep it from her for the rest of his life. He turned around and raised his eyes to meet hers. "Gabi," his voice cracked. "I...something happened..." Gabi’s breath caught as she braced herself for his news. "While I was gone." "What happened, Antonio?" Gabi feared that someone was ill or worse. "Is it Carmen?" Antonio shook his head as he looked down at the floor. "No, Gabi. I did...something...I," his voice was unsteady as he slowly met her eyes. Gabi frowned in confusion until she heard a nuance in his voice that grabbed her by the heart. "Something happened...with Heather." Her eyes widened as she felt her breath quicken. "It was wrong, Gabi...I was wrong," he forced himself to look directly at her. "I don’t know...how it happened." Gabi breathed heavily as she began shaking her head no. She couldn’t believe her husband was about to tell her this. She blinked as her bottom lip began to quiver. Antonio watched in agony as his wife began to process what he was telling her. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her…but how could he protect her from himself. "You..." her voice was quiet and soft. "Did you...?" Tears filled Gabi’s eyes as Antonio’s head dropped at her question. It hurt him to hear her say the words. Instantly, she knew. "Did you sleep with her?" "No," he said softly without looking up. "I stopped it before it got that far." Gabi let out a cry as she put her hand to her mouth. Antonio startled as he looked up to her. The tears spilled quickly as she took a step backwards bumping into the table. She lost her balance and began to stumble. Antonio instinctively stepped toward her to catch her but stopped when she got her footing and stood upright. She stared at him for what felt like forever. "But you wanted to?" her voice was shaking as much as her hands. Antonio looked at her, his eyes shining with tears. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. "Answer me!" Gabi demanded. "No..I...I don’t know, Gabi," he said remorsefully. "You don’t know?" she whispered incredulously. She felt sick to her stomach as her lip trembled and tears soaked her cheeks. She turned away from him and walked to the window. Gabi took a deep breath. "How did you stop it?" she asked coldly. "Gabi, don’t..." he began. "Tell me," she said forcefully. Gabi didn’t want to hear the details, but she was going to make him recount it to her just to hurt him. "Tell me," she hissed when he didn’t respond. Antonio took a deep breath and looked to the floor. "I...we were in her hotel room." Gabi closed her eyes tightly. "We were talking and then..." Antonio would rather die than have to tell his wife the details of his infidelity. "Some papers fell and...it just happened. We...were kissing..." The words pierced Gabi’s heart as she desperately tried not to imagine his lips against Heather’s. "And then we ended up on the bed." Gabi began sobbing silently but Antonio could see her shoulders shaking. "Gabi, don’t make me do this," he pleaded to her back. She didn’t answer so he continued reluctantly. "It was all so fast and she," he swallowed hard. "She unzipped my..." "STOP!" Gabi yelled out as the sobs escaped her loudly. "Just stop." She hung her head and cried. She couldn’t hear any more. Antonio walked over and stood just behind her, his heart breaking and his stomach tied in a knot. "That’s where it ended, Gabi. I swear. As soon as I realized what was happening, I stopped it." Gabi spun around quickly. "As soon as you realized? You had to realize it was wrong?" Her eyes searched his frantically for an answer. "Gabi, I’m sorry," he managed to say through the lump in his throat. "I’m so sorry." He hesitantly reached his hand out to her. "I…" As his hand reached for her arm, she raised her eyes defiantly. "Don’t touch me." Antonio’s hand stopped inches from her. His heart sank like a rock as she stared at him coldly. He pulled his hand back slowly as a tear slipped from his eye. "I think you should leave." "Gabi..." he began desperately. "I want you to go," she said sadly as she turned and stepped away from him. Gabi stopped in her tracks as she realized she was still holding the videotape in her hand. She turned back slowly as he raised his eyes to hers. She held out the tape and as he took it in his hand she whispered, "It’s a boy." She turned and silently walked out to the patio. Antonio’s eyes fell to the tape in his hands. The ultrasound tape of their baby...a boy. His heart pounded in his chest as his hands trembled. He could see Gabi standing on the patio as the breeze blew softly through her hair. He wanted to run to her, but he knew he had no right. He headed quietly up the stairs to pack some things. He looked slowly around their bedroom, his eyes lingering on their bed. The place where they had made love so many, many times. He closed his eyes and remembered the last time they made love…how he had cried and Gabi held him close to comfort him. How could he have ruined it all…betrayed their love? How would he survive if Gabi never held him again? As he finished packing, he reached over and took their framed wedding photo from the nightstand. He placed it on top of his clothes and closed the suitcase. He walked out into the hall and stopped in the doorway to the nursery. Wallpaper samples lay scattered on the floor. Four different colors striped the wall where Gabi had painted them for comparison. Several shopping bags full of baby clothes and toys sat on the floor awaiting the dresser and changing table. Would he see his son come home to his waiting nursery? Reluctantly, he left the doorway and walked downstairs. Antonio stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned toward the patio. Gabi stood in the same spot as when he had gone upstairs. She was staring out onto the beach with her arms wrapped around her. Tears stained Antonio’s cheeks as he turned and slowly walked to the front door. Gabi heard him come down the stairs but fought the urge to turn and run to him. She didn’t want him to leave, but she couldn’t let him stay. He hurt her deeply and she needed time to work through what she was feeling. She rubbed her hands on her belly as the baby kicked furiously. "Shh," she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried to comfort their baby when she herself so desperately needed to be comforted. Her heart broke as she heard the heavy door close behind Antonio. She turned and ran inside all the way to the front door. She placed her hands and cheek up against it as she cried. "Antonio, I love you," she sobbed quietly. Antonio stood on the other side of the door. His heart ached as he placed his hand against the door. "I love you, Gabi," he whispered before he turned and walked away. SAN DIEGO Heather sat back against the pillows and pulled the sheet up around her. "I never expected to fall for him," she said sadly staring at her hands. "Yeah, my brother the charmer," Ricardo said spitefully as he stood and pulled on his pants. "I’ve heard that one before." "He’s a good man, Ricardo. He really cares what people have to say and what they think," Heather said wistfully. "I don’t understand why you wanted to hurt him like this." "I told you, he hurt me. Don’t go getting a conscience on me now, babe," Ricardo huffed as he buttoned up his shirt. "You were well taken care of for your part in all this." He leaned over her and kissed her hard on the lips. "Very well taken care of." Heather watched Ricardo walk over to the surveillance equipment and remove it from its hiding place. "He didn’t make love to me, Ricardo." "It wouldn’t have been love, Heather," Ricardo snapped. "Besides, I’ve got plenty on here...finishing the job wasn’t the point." Heather couldn’t believe this man was Antonio’s brother. They were so completely different. Antonio treated her with respect and kindness, Ricardo treated her like every other guy she had ever been with. She felt incredibly guilty for agreeing to help him with his plan in the first place. "How did you know he would come back here with me and...that he would want me?" Heather said cautiously. "He seems really in love with her." "Because he’s a Torres and it’s in our blood. We inherited it from our father, Heather. Our love of women," Ricardo said egotistically. "Antonio hasn’t sown his wild oats yet, so to speak. I knew he would be completely unable to control himself with you. You are, after all, a very beautiful woman." Ricardo walked over and placed a large wad of bills into Heather’s hand. "Here’s $2,000." Heather took the money. "What if he already told her? He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who could lie to his wife." "All the easier for me." Ricardo patted the tape. "I’ll just have some insurance." "How did you know I would help you?" Heather asked. "What if I had told him about you the night you approached me at the Deep?" Ricardo turned to face her. "I knew you wouldn’t because you’re a smart business woman, Heather. It was just a business arrangement." Ricardo started to walk to the door. "She must be quite a woman for two brothers to both love her so deeply," Heather called out to him. Ricardo stopped with his hand on the door. "She is." He opened the door and walked out.
|