Chapter 27: Thorns
Chapter 27: Thorns
Diane spun on her heel, her heart suddenly started pounding faster in her chest.
Standing at the garden gate was Gabriel, his green eyes seed to be shadowed by an expression that was equal parts regret and sothing like control?
"What are you doing here?" Diane snapped, straightening up.
Gabriel stepped closer, his tall body looked commanding as he entered the garden.
"I ca to talk."
"Talk?" Diane crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him.
"After what you accused
of last night? Do you have another ridiculous dream to throw in my face?"
Gabriel's jaw tightened, the muscles in his face tensed.
"Diane, I didn't co here to fight. I—"
"Then you shouldn't have co at all," she interrupted, in a quite icy tone.
"I've had enough of your baseless accusations and your self-righteous attitude."
Gabriel's eyes flashed, his composure slipped a little.
"Self-righteous? You think I'm self-righteous? Do you know what it's like to wake up from a dream where the person you trust the most betrays you? To feel that pain as if it's real?"
'I did betray you, but you didn't love ...' she thought to herself.
But to cover herself, Diane decided to let out a cold laugh.
"Oh, please. Spare
the dramatics. You're a grown man, Gabriel, not a child frightened by a nightmare."
"It's not just a nightmare, Diane!" Gabriel's voice rose.
He brushed his hair with his fingers.
"It's more than that. I felt it. I saw it. You—" He stopped, clenching his fists as he looked away.
"You broke my trust in a way I can't explain."
"And what about the trust you've broken with ? Do you think I don't feel betrayed every ti you let your insecurities dictate how you treat ? Every ti you try to control
or seduce ?"
"Control you? I'm trying to protect you from your crazy family, Diane. But you don't make it easy when you keep secrets and shut
out."
"Protect
from my family? From what? From who exactly?"
Gabriel's green eyes bore into hers.
"You don't get it, do you? I'm not here because I want to argue with you. I'm here because I sohow care about you, and whether you like it or not, I'm going to make sure you're safe."
Diane laughed bitterly. "Care about ? That's rich, coming from the man who accused
of things I haven't even done! Do you even hear yourself?"
'I'm sorry, Gabriel. But it's best for you if I act this way.'
"You think you're so strong, Diane, but you can't see the danger you're in. You think you can handle everything on your own, but you're blind to the threats around you."
Diane refused to back down.
"And you think you can walk in here and dictate my life? You don't own , Gabriel. You don't control . So stop trying."
The tension between them crackled like electricity, neither of them willing to back down.
Gabriel's voice softened, but the edge remained.
"You're so focused on proving you don't need anyone that you're pushing away the people who actually care about you. Is that what you want, Diane? To end up alone?"
"Alone is better than being suffocated by soone who doesn't trust . You don't own my loyalty, Gabriel. You earn it, and right now, you're losing it."
"You're impossible," he muttered, stepping back.
"Sa feeling," Diane replied back.
"The dream was so real...I felt the pain, I felt everything."
She didn't say anything, but bit her lip.
Then Diane turned her attention to the rose bush beside her, her hand brushed against the brittle, dying petals.
"You think you know everyone so well, Gabriel," she said quietly. "But you don't. You only see what you want to see, and you project your fears onto ."
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small pair of gardening shears.
Gabriel's eyes followed her hand.
"Let
show you sothing," Diane said in a deceptively calm voice.
She selected one of the wilting roses, its petals looked browned and lifeless, its thorns seed sharp.
Then quickly, she snipped the stem, the sound was cutting and final.
She held the rose up, looking at Gabriel.
"This," she said, "is what happens when sothing beautiful is suffocated. When it's weighed down by distrust, by control, by fear."
She let the rose fall to the ground at his feet, the brittle petals scattered like ashes.
Gabriel's jaw clenched, his green eyes seed to change a little.
"Is that what you think I'm doing? Suffocating you?"
Diane t his eyes, her own looked fierce.
"What I think doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that I won't let it happen. Not to , and not to anyone I care about."
'Including you...'
"You're wrong about , Diane. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here because I can't stand the thought of losing everything."
"Then prove it," Diane challenged him...
"What?"
"Stop trying to control . Stop letting your fears dictate our relationship. And stop thinking you know what's best for
better than I do...and stop picking on Riot who's only doing his job."
Gabriel stared at her, "You're asking for sothing I don't know if I can give," he admitted.
"..."
"Your brother ca to see
today."
Diane turned around, trying the hardest to hide the water in her eyes.
"Can you hear ?"
She didn't answer at first.
"Diane?"
"Yes..."
"Adrian, ca into my office today, demanding to see you."
"And what did you say?"
"I told him yes."
She turned back, her fist looked ready to punch him, but Gabriel grabbed her, holding it gently.
"See? This is what I'm talking about! You're the flower that needs to be watered, not ." He shoved her to the side and walked away.
Diane sniffed a little, and wiped her tears.
"I need to get rid of Adrian. I can't waste my ti on trash like him."
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