Crys And Gabe Read online

Frank's eyes moved to roam over Gabe's face then body.

  "She didn't lie, though," he said with a smile. "Glad you're here, Gabe."

  Gabe didn't know what to do with that, or the man's perusal, so he simply sat back down.

  "Pyari?" he heard from the door and saw a very tall, very broad shouldered man in a policeman's uniform fill the doorway and watched Marianne hastily move to step over legs, pushing through the crowded room to get to him.

  "Oh, Ram," she breathed as she wound herself around him.

  Gabe watched as their heads came together and heard their low murmurs but couldn't catch the words.

  "New police chief," his dad whispered from his side. "Marianne and him seem to have a thing."

  "What happened to Chief Saltzman?" Gabe asked. The old chief had been a terror, especially to the young bucks in Grantham.

  "In prison. Corruption."

  Huh. Good to know that justice still prevailed. He'd had a lot of friends that were busted by the Grantham PD for real and imagined infractions.

  Gabe was just starting to doze off when the noise level rose, waking him up.

  "We're gonna go," he heard Marianne say as he brought his head up. Without thinking, he stood up and felt her arms go around him. Pretty soon, he had three sets of arms around him with Frank rubbing his back.

  The lump in his throat was back. If this was half the caring that they gave Crys, he knew why she considered them friends.

  "Thank you for coming," he said softly.

  "Give me your phone," he heard Caitlin say.

  "Mine?"

  "Yeah, silly, yours," Leila said with a soft smile and a twinkle in her big brown eyes.

  Gabe pulled his cellphone from his back pocket and watched as it made its way around their tight circle, each one programming in their names and numbers and adding his to their phones.

  "All you have to do is call one of us. The person who gets called will call the others, okay?" Frank explained, his eyes wide and wet.

  "Thanks for coming," he said again, his mouth not able to find the words in his heart, his voice thick.

  "Oh, honey," Marianne sighed, hugging him tight. "You're one of us now. Deal with it."

  "God help you, man," Jake rumbled from the doorway. "This fucking group will do your head in."

  The group of girls plus Frank made their way to the door as Jake came towards him to capture the back of his neck.

  "You call. My girl gets worried if she doesn't hear. My girl gets worried, I get worried." Jake warned. "You don't want me worried, Gabe, yeah? Be strong, man."

  The hand at the back of his neck tightened before Jake let him go.

  "Ram Patel," Marianne's man said, grabbing his hand and pumping it. "Sorry to meet you this way, Gabe. We'll be thinking you both good thoughts."

  A stocky man with a beard was next to grab his hand. "Stan, Frank's partner."

  "Hi, Stan," Gabe said, frazzled by so much information coming so fast when his brain wasn't even in the room.

  "Keep us informed, okay?" the red-headed teddy bear continued. "Frank will drive me nuts if you don't."

  "Yeah. Call one and everyone will get a call. Got it." Gabe said, nodding.

  He watched as Leila waved before she moved out the door with the others and he heard them all making their way down the hall to the elevators.

  Dex stepped around the coffee table and grabbed him. Not in a man hug, but a full on, two-armed brace.

  "This what you want, boy?" he asked softly, his head pressed against Gabe's.

  "More than anything, Dex," Gabe admitted, the knot in his throat breaking as his eyes again leaked.

  Dex raised a hand and ruffled Gabe's hair as he released him.

  "Good," Dex said with a nod as he thudded Gabe's chest. "Call Elle and she'll get the word out."

  "Yeah," Gabe said, blinking.

  Where the hell had all this caring come from? What the fuck had happened since he'd been gone. It used to be that it was him and Crys against the world since, like, forever.

  Now?

  Jay-sus.

  He turned his eyes to his dad, seeing him for the first time as a person, not just his dad. The man he'd been fighting both with and against forever. At the moment, though, Gabe couldn't remember why they'd both gotten so emotional over such small shit.

  Now, Gabe just saw a handsome man that seemed a bit tired, a bit beaten by things that were out of his control. And neither Ben or Gabe liked for things to be out of their control.

  Benny raised his eyes to Gabe.

  "You okay, Dad?" Gabe whispered, pulling up his jeans to give him something to do with his hands.

  Benny didn't say anything as his eyes moved around the small room that now seemed almost bereft without all the care and concern filling it.

  "I don't understand it. No, that's not true. I don't like it. You guys are like brother and sister."

  "No, Dad, we're not," Gabe said softly but firmly.

  Ben dragged his eyes back to his son.

  "This is what you want?" his dad said, his shoulders tense.

  "Yeah, Dad. It is. It's been a long time coming, but she is exactly what I want," Gabe averred. "Can you bring me Mom's rings when you come back?"

  Benny stared up at him, before he slowly nodded. "Need anything else?"

  Gabe gave him a list of clean clothes and the kit that he kept his toiletries in. It wouldn't do for his girl to see him getting scruffy.

  "You gonna stick here?" Benny asked pulling out his keys as he made his way towards the door.

  "Yeah, Dad," Gabe yawned. "As long as it takes."

  "I'll be back tomorrow then," Benny said before stepping forward and snagging Gabe's head, pressing it into his shoulder in a hug much like he had delivered when Gabe was little. "Let me know if you need anything, Buddy."

  "Will do," Gabe responded thickly, before undoing his arms from around his dad and realizing that was the first real hug they'd shared in years outside of the one-armed clasp of goodbye. In fact, he couldn't remember ever touching his dad as much as he'd done today.

  "Mr. Armstrong?" he heard a voice say and opened his eyes slowly. He must've fallen asleep after everyone had left.

  The pretty Filipino nurse stood back. "You can go in but only for ten minutes."

  He stood quickly and took a moment to stretch and rotate his neck.

  "What room?" he croaked, quickly stepping to the door.

  Chapter Four

  Okay, I know I didn't handle life, real life that is, very well on a day to day basis. But this hospital crap was on my last nerve. They didn't just mess with your present, oh hell, no. They want to know about your past and, with some of their flipping questions, want to know about your future as well.

  Did I look like someone that has a handle on their future?

  That's what I thought.

  So I was in their ICU yesterday for a few hours. I didn't remember it, therefore, it never happened.

  But they loved to remind me of it; holding it over me, damn-well lorded it over me, to get me to do what they wanted.

  "Ms. Armstrong, you don't want to go back to the ICU, do you?"

  It may have worked if I'd had any memory regarding my time in the ICU, but I didn't. So their quasi-warnings, which were more like threats, meant diddly-squat to me.

  But everything must have turned out okay because they took me back to a regular room, which I soon called 'the Torture Chamber'.

  I wasn't allowed out of bed, except to go to the bathroom.

  Ever had the headache from hell?

  No?

  Okay, let me break it down for you.

  Whatever you do, don't move.

  No, don't even blink.

  Don't breathe. It hurts your teeth to breathe, never mind your head.

  Try, try very hard, not to even think because your brain is oatmeal and you'll wanna die if you try thinking too hard.

  Honestly. It's true.

  I liked to move.

  I've danced since b
efore I could walk, if what my Dad's friends said was true, so this lying around doing nothing shit gave me the heebie-jeebies.

  I liked being around people, but when your head hurts?

  Uh-uh, that ain't happening.

  Nurse's assistant Betty tried.

  I'll give her that, but she was just as nutty as the other people that manned the medical posts at the hospital.

  She chatted, she tucked, she wiped up and she chatted some more.

  I now know more about Betty's grandson's bowel movements than I did about my own.

  Just for the record?

  I didn't need to know that kind of stuff. Had my own stuff to deal with, if you know what I mean.

  A nurse came in eventually with the syringe full of blessed meds and shot it into the IV. Didn't know what it was but my head was better in just a couple of minutes.

  I heard someone poke their head in the room with a soft call, "Crys? Honey, are you awake?"

  Looking over my shoulder I saw my friend Kelli standing at the doorway with her distinctive huge smile and cascade of strawberry curls. She was with a tall blonde that I didn't recognize.

  "Hey, Kells," I said softly. It was easier to talk today, but my voice still sounded weak even to my own ears.

  Kelli made her way to me for a quick cheek press. We'd spent years together in dance class and she was able to put that experience to good use after her husband, Dan, had run out on her and her little boy. She danced at Fuego's and made really good money, from what she said.

  "This is my friend, Samantha from Bewitchments," Kelli said, doing a head point at the tall blonde.

  "Hi, Crys," Samantha said, with a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"

  "Getting better or so they tell me," I mumbled, trying to smile. "You sell sex toys?"

  "Yep, my brother and my best friend do, too," she replied with a chuckle. "You pierce?"

  I nodded gently.

  My brain still felt like it was sloshing around inside my head if I moved it too hard or fast.

  "Where do you want these?" Kelli asked, lifting the small basket of flowers.

  "Thanks, Kell. Uhm, windowsill?"

  "Do you know when you'll be released yet?" Samantha asked. She had a trace, just a trace of some kind of accent, but I couldn't place it. I watched her flip her long, blonde braid back over her shoulder and wondered how long her hair was without it. The braid itself was almost down to her waist.

  "Not yet," I grumbled. "They said they'll know more when the tests come back."

  "Do you need anything, Crys? Can I bring you anything?" Kelli and I had been roommates a couple of years ago and I should've probably thought about that yesterday when Cait asked about bringing me some stuff.

  "Caitlin's doing it, but thanks," I said, feeling guilty. Somehow, when a roommate left, you just didn't make a point of getting together as much as you used to. But, Kelli was a friend, too, and I should've made a point of it.

  "No problems. But if you need anything, just give me a call," Kelli said before leaning down for another cheek press. "We're going to take off so you can rest."

  "Okay. Thanks for coming by. Nice to meet you, Samantha," I mumbled.

  "You can call me, Sam," she said with a twinkle in her big blue eyes as she patted my shoulder. "Hope you feel better soon."

  They were almost at the door and I heard Kelli exclaim, "Niko!"

  I watched as Niko joined Kelli and Sam just outside my door and it looked like Kelli was introducing them.

  I smiled softly.

  Niko had a thing for blondes, especially curly blondes with good bodies and I knew that Sam would be right up his alley.

  "My Crys," he said as he came into the room and put his big bouquet of flowers, in a cut glass vase, on the windowsill. "How are you doing?"

  "I'm in the hospital, Nik, how do you think I'm doing?" I asked back with a smile, taking in the full view of all that was Niko.

  In a word? Gorgeous.

  Thick, shaggy black hair with twinkling light blue eyes and a killer smile. He had filled out since our days as an official couple when we were in high school, and had learned how to dress better, too. Today he was wearing a soft v-neck sweater in a blue that matched his eyes and a pair of black jeans which fit him like they were custom-made. Which they probably had been. He was one of the sons of Goran Milosevic and their family was rich. Not just plain rich, but mega-cake kind of rich.

  Niko was the total package.

  It was a shame that I couldn't seem to get giddy with that package. Although, I'd given it a try for a couple of years. I'd even thought I loved him for a while, but it never bloomed into that 'I can't live without you' kind of love. Although, he had been my 'first'. Yeah, that kind of first.

  He moved to me and gave me a soft kiss.

  "I was sorry to hear that you were hurt and in the hospital," he said as he straightened.

  "How did you hear?"

  "From Sky, at Fuego's. He knows we are friends and told me about the trouble at your shop," Niko explained as he picked up one of my hands and held it cupped in both of his. He stared at it before he carefully turned it and brought it up to his mouth as he raised his eyes to mine.

  I smiled.

  This was a typical Niko move that always got to any woman he did it to, the suave Niko back-of-the-hand kiss. And, if he really liked you, he'd press your hand against his chest after kissing it.

  Even I had to admit it was a killer move.

  "So the bartender at Fuego's knows we're friends?" I asked. "You aren't going around telling people we're a couple again, are you?"

  "No, Crys. I remember what you said about us not being a couple. What you always say about us not being a couple. But I'm your friend. I will always be your friend." He wasn't smiling as he said this and I wondered if he was getting ready to jump into his 'I love you' speech that he gives me about once every six months, usually when he's half shit-faced.

  I hoped not. I wasn't up to having a major conversation.

  "Help me turn over, Nik?" I asked. My body was really sore, especially my tailbone, and it was hard to turn, especially with my hands out of commission.

  He gently grabbed me under my arms and helped me lay on my side, before sitting down on the edge of the bed in the open space I'd left.

  "You clean up nice," I murmured, seeing the clothes once again. And, on Niko, if you noticed the clothes, you noticed the body that went with it.

  "You mean better than the all black?" he laughed, showing his beautiful smile.

  "C'mon, you made a great Goth," I chuckled with him. Back in high school, we both had totally been into the whole Goth look. Which just helped others identify us as the school's freaks, me with my reading issues and him with being a foreigner. The Milosevics were from Bosnia and Niko's English hadn't been very good back then, which had made him quiet with everyone except me.

  "You were more Goth than I was," he admitted shaking his head. "And now, without all your makeup and jewelry, you look like you are twelve years old."

  "Be nice," I warned. "I may be down, but I'm not out and can still kick your ass."

  He threw back his head and laughed before reaching down to wiggle the end of his nose against mine. "You crack me up, Crystal."

  I rolled my eyes at him before allowing my smile to break through. We had originally gotten together as outcasts, but became really good friends before getting romantically involved.

  He was just straightening up when I heard Gabe say, "Crys?" from somewhere behind Niko's back.

  Niko sat up fully and looked over his shoulder as I leaned around him, holding onto his arm to steady myself.

  "Hey, Gabe," I said softly, feeling my heart pick up at seeing him.

  "Niko," Gabe said, his voice deepening.

  "Hello, Gabe," Niko said softly as he stood up. He turned back towards me and leaned down to give me another soft kiss. "I must be going. If you need me, please call."

  "Okay, Nik," I said softly, too. "Thanks."

&
nbsp; I watched him leave before turning to Gabe.

  But Gabe was glaring at Niko's back.

  Aw, shit.

  I'd forgotten about that.

  About how much Gabe hated Niko, hated that Niko was in my life.

  "What's he doing here?" Gabe asked coming to the side of the bed, the exact spot that Niko had been standing in.

  "Visiting," I said.

  Gabe didn't say anything but reached to move the chair closer to the bed.

  We stared at each other a couple of moments before he looked away.

  I didn't mean to make him mad, but I wasn't going to apologize for Nik coming to see me. Or for the friendship we had together.

  "How are you feeling, Kitten?" Gabe asked, his tone softer now, as he sat down.

  "Not great, but not as bad as yesterday for my head. The body is a different story," I replied.

  "I went home when they brought you back down from ICU," Gabe said. "Do you remember any of it?"

  "The whole ICU thing? No, but they keep reminding me of it."

  "Your whole group of friends were there in the ICU waiting room with me for a while," he said slowly. "You've got a great group of friends."

  "Yeah, Gabe. I know," I acknowledged softly. I didn't used to have hardly any friends back in the day and the ones I had now were special, very special.

  "Have they got any of the test results back yet?" he asked after a few moments.

  "Not yet. The doctor came in earlier and said that he couldn't release me until they did. I'm hoping they come soon."

  He grinned. "Going crazy just laying around, Princess?"

  Gabe knew me too damn well.

  "Yeah. It hurts to move, it hurts to lay down. And my head just plain, old hurts," I grumbled. "They're giving me stuff for pain, but it never really goes away."

  "Sorry you feel bad," he said, tenderly cradling my closest hand. "Wish I could help."

  "I know," I said on a yawn.

  "Go ahead and close your eyes," he suggested softly, pushing my hair off my forehead gently. "Sleep will help."

  I closed my eyes just to see if he might be right and must've gone to sleep. I woke up with a start to the sound of a tray hitting the bedside table.

  "Sorry, I was just bringing your lunch," the orderly said, smiling in apology.

  "No worries," I said, using my elbows to try and turn onto my back.