Part 10 (2/2)

”My name is Gabriel,” I said as I took my first step as a free man.

Chapter 17.

[ Elle ]

The weather seemed normal or as normal as it could be. It was still, dry, and possessed no electric charge. The star lit sky blanketed the expansive desert. I had harbored such hatred for the mundane continuity of it all, but after the electrical sand storm, it seemed possible to take some sort of enjoyment from its normalcy now.

”Gabriel.” I tested his name on my tongue. He had finally told me and I didn't know how to react to it. I realized it would probably be difficult for me to change from Tex to Gabriel, even though I loved his birth name a million times more. ”Gabriel,” I tried it again.

”How many times are you going to say my name?” He said as he flicked my ear.

”I approve,” I said and swatted his hand away.

”I'm so glad you approve of my name, Blondie.” He added dryly.

”Why did you decide to give it to me?” I turned towards him and walked backwards so I could see his face.

Gabriel shrugged and scratched the back of his neck.

”You're hiding...” I bit down on my bottom lip, grabbed his face in my hands, and pulled him down to me. He was at my eye level for once and I made my gaze so intense that he couldn't look away even if he wanted. ”Stop. Hiding.”

Gabriel pulled my hands from his face and lifted his own to the sky, signaling his defeat. ”Jesus, I don't know, Blondie. I just felt like I could.”

I grinned. ”See, now that wasn't so difficult, was it?” I laced my fingers together behind my back and we continued on our way.

I was in one of my playful moods. It was foreign to me; I hadn't felt like that in a long, long time. Maybe I was just giddy with excitement over our destination, the fact that we'd be there in just a few hours. Or maybe it was because I could finally call this man Gabriel and not Texaco.

”Gabriel,” I said again, but it wasn't to call for his attention. I just wanted to taste it on my tongue once more. I heard him sigh, overly exasperated by me. I just laughed.

I turned and started walking backwards again, but this time right in front of him. I flattened my hand against his chest and he looked at me questioningly-one eyebrow rose.

”Try mine now.” I sucked on my bottom lip, eager to hear it.

He grunted and looked past me.

”Elle.” I said. ”Here, look at me and see how I p.r.o.nounce it.” His gaze fell to my mouth. I parted my lips and flicked my tongue against the roof while saying my name. ”See, it's not too difficult.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and his face hardened. He grabbed my chin so that I had to stand on my tip toes. For a millisecond, I thought he was going to kiss me. His face was so close to mine; our breaths combined into one. My eyelids fluttered and my heart kicked into gear. I was afraid he could hear it.

”You better watch it, Kid.” He said as he let me go and pushed by me.

I frowned. ”Sorry, Old Man.” I handed him a piece of gum and painted a mile-wide grin on my face.

”h.e.l.l no!” He yelled.

I made a knowing smile and laughed, so he laughed too. And everything was forgiven, even though I wasn't sure why he got irritated in the first place. I should have been the one irritated-teasing me with such close proximity like that. I grumbled and stuffed the gum in my mouth.

”Tell me something,” I said.

”Something?” He said after finis.h.i.+ng off a water bottle and opening a package of stale chocolate chip cookies.

”Anything. What kind of student were you?” I stole a cookie from him.

”Straight A's and Salutatorian.”

I gasped and almost dropped my cookie. ”No way!”

”Why is that so hard to believe?” He scowled at me.

”I always imagined you as the cla.s.s clown.” I shrugged and then frowned. ”Or at least a stern-looking loner. You could pa.s.s for both.”

”You've imagined me in a cla.s.sroom environment?” He raised both of his brows and looked down at me.

”It's not like you've given me much to go on.” I yanked the entire package of cookies from him.

He inhaled deeply. ”My name is Gabriel Reed. My birthday is November fifth. I tend to like the color green more than others. My mother was Louisa and my birth father died when I was only an infant; I grew up calling my step-father Daddy. He was a good man, a Navy veteran, which was why I wanted to join. I had a German shepherd named Shep growing up and he died of old age. I loved watching my mother cook, so now I'm not too bad in the kitchen. I was never a big movie-goer or video game player. I'd rather play sports than watch them. I hate bugs. I've read over a five-hundred books in my lifetime, not including school a.s.signments. I'm an adrenaline junkie. I'm attracted to the female s.e.x.” He ticked off a finger after every statement. ”I like the pink jellybeans. I used to enjoy the desert and often went camping. I miss sleeping in a bed.” He took one more deep breath. ”And I miss my daughter.”

I blinked.

”Is that good enough?” He crossed his arms, looking a little too happy with himself.

I pressed my fingertip to my lips. ”Why pink jellybeans?” I asked with a tone of innocence.

He threw his hands into the air and disappeared into the night, so I ran after him.

[ Gabriel ]

”So, we have to go over this next mountain, and there should be some sort of entrance on the other side?” Blondie asked as she balanced on top of a meteorite.

I couldn't help but smile, watching her this way. Her arms were stretched out wide, eyes closed, and head back. She looked carefree. I was happier lately, but I still didn't think I could ever feel the emotion she was experiencing at that moment.

The moon was low in the sky and behind her. She was outlined in a white glow like some sort of moon G.o.ddess. Her pale skin brilliantly reflected the moonlight. Blondie was short, making her look like a child, but when you really looked at her, you could see she was no kid. She had cheekbones that were placed high on her face. Her hips sloped into the curve of her a.s.s-and she had a great a.s.s. If it was up to me, she'd wear those tiny shorts every day. Her legs were covered by boots that reached just below her knees, leaving just enough bare skin for my viewing pleasure.

I laughed at myself. ”Yeah. Get down already; we're almost there.”

She paused for a second before jumping down. ”This thing is worth quite a bit of money. Well, it used to be.” She gestured toward the meteorite.

”Yeah-used to be. It's stupid to think about now.” I walked in the direction of the mountain, beckoning her to follow me.

”Humor me, Mr. Reed.” She looped her arm around mine. ”What would you do with the money?”

”It's irrelevant, Blondie. In order for me to get any money out of it, the end of the world couldn't have occurred, which means the meteor wouldn't have fallen from the sky, which means it doesn't exist, which means I wouldn't be able to receive any money to buy anything.”

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