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BEN & MARIA’S
Gabi bit her lip nervously as she waited for someone to answer. "Ben? Maria?" Antonio called out when the phone rang. "Is anybody here?" He walked over and looked at the ringing phone as he shrugged his shoulders and picked it up. "Hello?" Gabi’s heart skipped when she heard Antonio’s deep voice. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe. "Hello?" Antonio said again. "Hi," Gabi said shyly. Antonio felt a rush of warmth as he heard Gabi’s sweet voice. "Hi," he answered softly. There was a long moment of silence. "How are you? Are you okay?" Gabi smiled at his concern. "Yes, I just sprained my wrist. I’ll be fine." She paused. "I was calling to say thank you. It’s beautiful." Antonio felt his heart swell from her compliment. He was so happy that she was pleased. "Your welcome." He hesitated. "I couldn’t believe it when Maria said you were painting the nursery yourself. You could have asked me to do it." Gabi looked to the floor. "I wanted to do it myself...you know. I have to start taking care of things on my own." Antonio felt his stomach twist. "I mean, if I’m gonna stay here." "Why wouldn’t you stay there, Gabi?" Antonio was confused. "Well, I just didn’t know if you...if you wanted the...the house." Gabi blinked away the tears that were forming. "I mean, it’s yours." "It’s our house, Gabi," he said quietly, his heart breaking. "You know I’ll always take care of you and the baby, Gabi. No matter what." The doorbell rang. Gabi let out a small cry. "I have to go, Antonio. I just wanted to say thank you." "Gabi, wait," Antonio pleaded as the phone clicked in his ear. He hung up quickly. THE TOWNHOUSE Gabi wiped her eyes as she walked to the door. "Ricardo? What are you doing here?" she asked noticing the time. "Sorry I was paged to the station before. I just wanted to come by and make sure you were alright." He took in her wrist splint and her tears. "Are you?" Gabi laughed as she shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, no...I don’t know!" Ricardo smiled as he walked in and closed the door behind him. "Come sit down." He led her over to the couch. "What’s wrong?" Gabi stared at the floor. "I just talked to Antonio." Ricardo’s curiosity piqued. "He told me...that he would always take care of me and the baby, no matter what." "And that’s a bad thing?" Ricardo asked noncommittally. "No," Gabi replied. "But it doesn’t mean the same as I’ll be waking up in the same bed with you everyday." Ricardo’s stomach turned at the thought. "Does he want a divorce, Gabi?" Gabi’s heart did a flip-flop. "We haven’t talked about it." "What about you, Gabi?" Ricardo asked sincerely. "Can you really forgive him for cheating on you...for screwing around with another woman?" Ricardo always knew just what to say. "I don’t know, Ricardo," Gabi said, disgusted with the thought. "I’m trying not to think about that." "But that’s what this is all about, Gab." Ricardo said surely. "Antonio was making it with another woman behind your back. That’s not very easy to forgive." "You forgave me," Gabi ventured boldly. Ricardo was stunned...how would he comeback for that one. "That’s different Gabi, you and I are friends." Good save, he thought. "We were friends before we were lovers, real lovers that is." Gabi blushed. "If you have friendship as a base of a relationship, it makes it all different." "Antonio and I are friends," Gabi retorted. Damn she was right, he thought. "We were friends first." "But he’s your husband, not your boyfriend. That makes it different." He hoped she was buying this. "He made a vow before God to be faithful to you. But then again, we know how he values those vows before God." Gabi shot Ricardo a look. "Sorry! Let me get you something to drink." Ricardo stood up and went to the kitchen. Gabi sat quietly on the couch recalling her conversation with Antonio. Did he really want a divorce? What did "no matter what" mean? Antonio walked up to the patio doors and saw Gabi sitting on the couch. She was deep in thought as he watched her. He had to clear up what they started on the phone, he thought she had gotten the wrong idea. He stepped in the door. "Gabi?" he called out quietly. Gabi glanced up and her heartbeat rose. Antonio was standing just inside the door dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt with his hands tucked in his pockets. He still made her knees weak just looking at him. "Hi," she said softly. "What are you doing here?" She stood up and walked toward him slowly. Her dress hung snugly over her bulging stomach. She carefully tucked her hair behind her ear with her good hand. Antonio thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "I wanted to finish..." "Hey, Gabi...I wasn’t sure if you...." Ricardo bellowed as he rushed back into the living room. Antonio and Ricardo’s eyes met instantly. Antonio hadn’t looked his brother in the eye since the night on the beach when he had been ready to kill him. Ricardo smirked at the sight of his brother. The tension between Antonio and Ricardo was so thick you could reach out and grab it. Gabi was so thrilled to see Antonio, she completely forgot Ricardo was in the kitchen. "What are you doing here?" Antonio seethed. "I could ask you the same thing?" Ricardo replied casually. Gabi could sense things were going to turn ugly. "This is my house," Antonio said without blinking. "I think you gave up that right when you landed on top of that blonde in the hotel," Ricardo sneered. Antonio felt his blood boil as Ricardo stared at him daringly. Gabi stood helplessly as the two brothers inched towards each other. "Antonio. Ricardo." she said meekly. "I think you should leave," Antonio said angrily. "I think you should leave," Ricardo replied. "Gabi, why don’t you go in the other room?" "Don’t tell her what to do!" Antonio demanded. "She doesn’t belong to you." "She doesn’t belong to you, either," Ricardo snorted. They were so close their chests were almost touching. Gabi boldly stepped in between them as they stared each other down. "Enough, both of you. Stop it! I don’t belong to anyone!" Antonio looked at her apologetically. "I think you both should leave." "Gabi, we need to talk," Antonio pleaded. "I think Gabi needs to get some rest," Ricardo smiled at her. "I’ll call you tomorrow." He turned to Antonio. "Let’s go." Antonio ignored him. "Gabi, please." "Antonio, I’m exhausted," she gave him the eye. "We’ll speak later." Antonio nodded in understanding. He brushed past Ricardo who turned and followed him out. Antonio stopped as Ricardo walked up to him. "Why don’t you stay the hell away from my wife," Antonio poked Ricardo in the chest. "I thought I told you that once before." "At the rate your going, T, she won’t be your wife much longer," Ricardo said spitefully. "Nice job, by the way." Antonio grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him against him roughly. "I’m not playing games, Ricardo." "No, you’re just playing the field," Ricardo retorted. "You couldn’t wait to get your hands on Gabi and now you can’t wait to get them on other women. I knew you were a true Torres, you just had to lose the collar." Antonio reached his boiling point as he pulled back his fist and jammed it into Ricardo’s stomach. Ricardo doubled over as Antonio shoved him backwards. Antonio turned to walk away when Ricardo grabbed him by the shoulder. He turned him around and landed a right hook into his jaw. Antonio was taken completely by surprise. His head flew to the side as he landed against the patio chairs. Ricardo leaned over him. "You screwed up, T, and now you’re going to lose her." Ricardo laughed and walked away. Gabi heard the commotion from inside and ran to the patio doors. Antonio was sitting in one of the patio chairs. "What happened?" Gabi said as she stepped outside. Antonio looked up at her with blood dripping from his lip. "Oh my God, Antonio, your bleeding. Come inside." She took him by the arm and led him into the living room. "Sit down, I’ll be right back." Antonio sat down on the couch as Gabi went into the kitchen. She returned with a towel and some ice. She sat next to him and held the towel up to his lip to wipe the blood. Antonio watched her as she gently wiped his lip and chin then placed the ice inside the towel and held it up to his jaw. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she tended to his wound. Gabi was so concerned about Antonio’s jaw that she didn’t notice how close they were sitting to each other or how he never took his eyes off her. Antonio hesitantly lifted his hand and touched it to Gabi’s hand that was holding the towel. Gabi’s skin tingled from his gentle touch. She looked up into his eyes as they stared at each other in silence. "Gabi," he whispered. Gabi pulled her hand out from under his. "Just keep the ice on it." She dropped her eyes from his. "I’m glad you came back," she said quietly. "I never left," he quipped as he winced from his pain. "I knew Ricardo wouldn’t leave if you stayed and you wouldn’t leave if he stayed." Gabi touched her splint as she squinted her eyes. "Does it hurt?" Antonio asked quietly. "Not really...well, just a little," she conceded as Antonio smiled at her. "Why did he hit you?" "I hit him first," Antonio chuckled. "Gabi," he said, suddenly serious. "We need to talk." Gabi took a deep breath, "I know. Why don’t we go for a walk on the beach?" "Are you sure you’re up to it?" Antonio was concerned about her and the baby after her fall from the ladder. "Come on," Gabi stood up and headed out the door as Antonio followed her. They walked in silence, Antonio with his hands in his pockets, Gabi fidgeting with her necklace. Antonio kept stealing sideways glances at her as he thought about where to start. He was startled as Gabi spoke first. "Antonio," her voice cracked. "Do you love her?" Antonio’s heart fell to his feet. "No, Gabi, no." He stopped and turned her to face him. "Is that what you think, that I love her?" His strong hands held her shoulders. Gabi closed her eyes as he said the words. "I thought that if you...you were going to sleep with her, so I…" Antonio’s stomach knotted up again. "Oh, Gabi, no. I don’t love anyone but you." He bent to look her in the eyes. "I will never love anyone but you." Gabi returned his gaze but then pulled herself away from him. "Then why, Antonio?" Her voice was filled with pain. "Why did you do it?" Antonio hung his head as Gabi looked to him for an answer. "I don’t know Gabi." "You have to know, Antonio," Gabi said resolutely. "There had to be a reason." She waited for his response. "You’re not physically attracted to me…because I’m pregnant?" "No, Gabi," he said strongly. "I think you’re more beautiful than ever." "You wanted to see what it was like to be with someone else?" "No, Gabi," he shook his head. "Then I don’t understand, Antonio. Make me understand." Gabi was pleading with him. He looked at her standing before him with tears filling her eyes. He desperately wanted to make her understand...but he didn't even understand. "Gabi, I..." his voice faded. "I don’t know what to say except that it just happened." Gabi sighed heavily. "Are you unhappy with me, you don’t want to be married to me anymore?" She paused. "Do you want a divorce?" Antonio’s eyes widened. "No, Gabi," he almost shouted it at her. "I don’t want a divorce." His voice got very quiet. "Do you?" Gabi shook her head as the tears slipped down her cheeks. "No," she whispered. Antonio was as relieved to hear her say no as she was to hear him say it. They stood quietly for a few minutes. "I’m tired, Antonio. I need to go home and get some sleep." Gabi started to walk away as Antonio reached out and grabbed her hand. "What about us, Gabi?" She looked down at their hands. "I don’t know, Antonio," she said sadly. "I think we both need to figure that out." "I miss you, Gabi." He squeezed her hand. "I miss you, too Antonio. But right now, I can’t be with you." She stepped toward him and touched her hand to his chest directly over his heart. "You hurt me, Antonio and you need to understand what happened so you can make me understand. Until you know…we need to be apart." Gabi turned away from him and started back to the house. Antonio knew she was right, but he hated the thought of being away from her for even one more night. "Let me walk you home at least," he called out as he caught up with her. They walked back to the house in silence. Antonio stopped at the patio doors as Gabi stepped inside. She turned to face him. "Good night, Gabi." "Good night, Antonio." Gabi slid the patio door shut and turned and walked to the stairs. She turned back to see Antonio standing on the patio facing out to the water. She turned off the light and walked upstairs to bed.
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