Gabriella closed the library door behind her and suddenly it hit her. Her father….her father was dying. Did it matter? Yes, it did. She was more confused then before and more troubled. When she looked up her eyes met with ones filled with anger and accusation.
For a moment Gabriella was frozen on the spot by the coldness she saw in Blayne's eyes. And just as suddenly they turned away from her. Blayne walked towards the breakfast room without even acknowledging her presence. Diana that had been walking closely behind her stopped for a moment when she saw the exchange between them.
Diana saw as Blayne walked into the breakfast room then she walked over to Gabriella. "Everything okay?"
Gabriella looked down at her hands then up at Diana. "Yes, thank you."
"Are you and Blayne fighting again?"
"No, I don't know….Blayne is …." Gabriella trailed off.
"She's really okay. She just seems a little off kilter. Besides the news about father….she's …..I think something is going on with her. So don't be too mad at her. She really is all right. Blayne is Blayne. I think we get angry at her because she is just so right all the time….but when I'm in trouble she is the one I call," Diana said honestly.
Gabriella looked away. "I guess I just looked to myself. I never had anyone to …" She trailed off.
"Well, you do now don't you?" Diana smiled and slid her arm through Gabriella as she pulled her towards the breakfast room. "You have at least one sister."
Gabriella looked at Diana and smiled tenderly at her. "Yes, I have a sister."
For the next two days Blayne and Gabriella stayed well away from one another and their estrangement did not go unnoticed. Chaz in particular seemed happiest of all not missing any opportunity to be with Gabriella.
Gabriella mentioned over breakfast that she would be leaving early the next morning which inwardly made Blayne breathe easier than she had in the last two days.
"Must you go so soon?" Diana asked as disappointment obviously showed in her demeanor.
"Yes, I've been away from home too long. But, you will come and visit soon, I hope?" Gabriella finished saying with a smile as her hand covered Diana's.
"Yes, I want to meet my niece and nephew," Diana answered excitedly.
Gabriella turned towards Arthur. "I will speak to my children…then I will call you."
Arthur smiled and nodded.
"Well, I hope I am invited to see you soon as well," Chaz said with his most charming voice.
"Of course, Chaz," Gabriella said cordially.
Abigail did not fail to notice, as Arthur did, that Blayne was the only one that had seemed oblivious to their conversation.
"Someday I would like to meet them as well my dear," Abigail said genuinely.
"Yes, I would like that too," said Gabriella honestly. For the last two days Abigail had been so kind to her. It hadn't been what she said so much as how she said it and the honesty of her emotions seemed to come through.
"Does that mean you will be leaving us as well, Blayne?" Diana asked as she turned her attention to her older sister.
"Yes, I have been away from the office for too long. If you all excuse me I have some phone calls to make." Blayne got up and walked out of the room.
Blayne had called her office advising them that she would most likely be in the next day. She went over some correspondence over the phone with her PA and when the knocking on the door broke her concentration the irritation showed in her voice.
"Come in!"
Gabriella walked in slowly and closed the door behind her.
Blayne met her eyes for a moment before continuing to speak to her PA on the phone. "Matt can you hold a moment?" She then covered the receiver and directed her comment to Gabriella who was still standing by the door. "What do you want?" Blayne did not bother to hide her dissatisfaction at being interrupted.
"I wanted…I need to talk to you before…"
Blayne then uncovered the phone. "Matt, I'll call you back." She then hung up the phone and faced Gabriella from the power position behind her desk.
"I…" Gabriella found it hard to speak.
"I don't have all day. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Yes, you can come here and stop making this harder than it is for me," Gabriella said as she began to shake.
Blayne only waited a moment before she got up and started walking slowly to the woman standing nervously only a few feet away from her. She had told herself over and over again that Gabriella would not have the chance to disrupt her psyche again and yet here she was doing exactly as she had been asked, walking towards her. Walking to what? Blayne stood a mere few inches away from Gabriella still fighting to keep some distance. Suddenly, she could see the tears that Gabriella's eyes held and when Gabriella walked into her arms she only resisted for a moment then her arms slowly came up and held tightly to her. A moment later Blayne pushed Gabriella away still trying to find reason in the insanity she knew this was.
"No…" Blayne said softly more to herself than to Gabriella.
It was futile to fight her body, Blayne told herself, as she tried desperately to. As Gabriella's tears silently rolled down her face her mouth came up and when she moaned, "Blayne…" there was no resistance left in Blayne, no resistance at all to the plea. Blayne's mouth came down quickly and took the invitation offered and she was not sure who's moan she heard next Gabriella's or her own.
There was another knock on the door and Blayne pulled away almost as the door opened. Diana walked in and found them looking away from one another. Blayne turned away and walked back to her desk and Gabriella began to wipe her face.
"You weren't fighting again were you?" Diana asked them both in exasperation.
Blayne still had her back to her as she leaned on the desk in front of her. "Diana, please not now," she said shakily. Diana looked in her direction noticing the unsteadiness of Blayne's response. "Diana, I need a moment to speak to Gabriella," Blayne said softly, trying to catch her breath. "Please leave us for a few minutes, please."
Diana looked towards Gabriella. It was obvious to her that something was wrong. Gabriella had indeed been crying since she could still notice the moisture in her eyes and the way her hands shook. "Gabriella, are you all right?"
"For God's sake!" Blayne turned around now filled with anger. "She is fine. Diana please, just give us a moment, all right!"
"I'm not going anywhere until I know that you two aren't fighting again. So don't try and be a bully. It won't work with me big sister," Diana said as she put her hands on both her hips.
"Diana, we aren't fighting. Please, I need to speak to Blayne," Gabriella said softly.
"What is it with you two?" Diana asked in exasperation. "Why can't you two get along…. Gabriella, why are you crying?"
"Diana! Please leave us for a few minutes please." Blayne turned around and faced her.
"Blayne, I am…."
"Diana, please, it's all right," Gabriella said reassuringly.
Diana looked from one to the other. "Diana!" Blayne was loosing her patience.
"Okay, okay."
Diana walked out leaving the door open.
"Close the damn door, Diana!" Blayne yelled.
The door closed immediately. Then Blayne gave Gabriella her full attention but now there was palatable distance between them.
Gabriella was the one that walked to her and held Blayne to her. "Don't be angry anymore, please," she pleaded.
"Gabriella, this is a mistake..."
Gabriella then kissed her knowing that this physical connection if nothing else was the one thing that neither of them could fight against. And Blayne responded, as she knew she would.