‘Well, we’re not together,’ Ana told her, flustered suddenly.
Ines looked surprised. ‘You’re not? Why not?’
Ana drew her lips together and shook her head. ‘We’re just focusing on other things,’ she said, although the second she said it she realised how hollow her words must sound to Ines, who’d come here because she had eyes and could tell something was going on between them. She was right, of course. The only thing Ana had been able to focus on for the last few weeks was Gabriel but, just as she did with everyone, she had pushed him away. Because of her, they were over.
Ines kissed her cheek and said she’d see her soon. Her insides were swirling with this new information. Ana couldn’t help thinking that maybe, in another world, she and Ines might even have been friends.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
ANA WATCHED FROM across the room with a heavy heart as Carla helped one of the elderly patients out of her seat in the waiting room. Her returning assistant, now fully recovered from her Carnival injury, was a petite woman with short, dark, wavy hair and a warm smile who, like Ebony, had a calm presence that put many of the patients at ease right away. But neither of them was Gabriel. It felt wrong, not having Gabriel there beside her, helping out in his own unique way. It felt like for ever since she’d seen him, even though it had been less than a week, and she missed him more than she’d ever thought it was possible to miss anyone!
Her stomach tightened in a knot of longing and she struggled to contain her emotions. His cheerful personality had been like sunshine in the clinic, everyone had said so, and she couldn’t help thinking that, without him, the place she had been dreaming about for so long lacked the one special something it needed most.
‘Where’s Gabriel?’ she heard Evelyn ask Carla some time later. Evelyn directed the same question to her once she was seated in the consultation room. Of course, Gabriel had been here for her first visit, when they’d run the tests and discovered her thyroid was causing her complaints, so she wanted him to see to her this time too.
‘He’s not working here any more,’ she said sadly, forcing a smile at the look Maria threw her as she put down a file, then closed the door. Maria knew how much Ana missed him; she had told her many times.
Carla was doing an amazing job, but they all knew it didn’t compare with what Gabriel had brought to their team of healthcare providers. Every patient he had treated seemed to light up when they saw him walk into the room—even if they’d been feeling down or unwell when they’d first arrived. He had such a natural way of making everyone feel comfortable and reassured. And, as for her, she missed him at night. She missed the way he had made love to her. She’d probably never find that with anyone again, but he was clearly already over her. She’d not heard from him since he’d walked out.
The rain finally cleared later that day as Ana ran a small yellow duster over the leaves of her favourite fern. Everyone else had left for the day and it was just her here now, wrapping things up before they closed. She was taking her time. It was important to show her plants as much care as they showed the patients in this place, and she took pride each time she wiped the dust away from their delicate leaves.
But today, if she was really honest with herself, she just didn’t want to go back home to her lonely, quiet apartment. Before starting this relationship with Gabriel, she hadn’t felt lonely. It had just been normal for her, going home, reading her books, working, working some more, pretending to cook whilst heating up her mother’s leftovers which she was still kindly leaving on Ana’s doorstep, unasked for but much appreciated. Now, she spent most nights staring blankly at screens and pages, each one stretching ahead of her like an eternity.
She was just telling herself that there was no point in dwelling on what was over and done with, and that she’d be just fine with heating up another slice of lasagne and getting an early night, when a noise at the glass entrance door caught her ear. Wheeling herself round the corner, she stopped short in her chair.
‘Savio?’
There was something on the little dog’s collar. Moving forward and opening the door, she realised it was a beautiful, voluptuous orange marigold, just as the dog leapt for her lap, as if he couldn’t wait to do his half of their well-practised trick. He sat there proudly, looking at her with his intelligent black eyes, and she stared back at him, not sure what to think.
‘Did you escape, mijo?’ she found herself asking the animal.
‘He’s with me,’ came the voice. Peering over the dog’s head, Ana’s eyes widened as Javi stepped into view. He was also holding marigolds, a small bunch, which he held out to her as Savio leapt from her lap. She took them, breathing in their soft, subtle scent, too surprised to speak for a second.
‘Javi, these are beautiful, but what are you doing here, and where’s your...?’
The word ‘papa’ got stuck in her throat. Her question was answered before it even left her mouth. Stepping out from around the building, walking towards her, was Gabriel. She stared at him in disbelief. He was holding a bigger bunch of marigolds, so big it engulfed the top half of his body, before he moved them aside to reveal his handsome face.
‘Gabriel.’ Her hand flew to her mouth as he stopped in front of her. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, unbuttoned at the top to reveal his strong collarbone and gleaming dark skin. Oh, how she’d missed him. The deep-navy suit jacket paired with black trousers was complemented by the unruly mop of dark hair, as if he had been running his hands over it with nerves.
‘Hi,’ he said simply, holding out the flowers to her. ‘These are for you.’
Taking them, her hand brushed his, shooting sparks right to her heart. As he fixed his penetrating gaze onto hers, she couldn’t help but think that he was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most handsome man she had ever seen. But what was all this about?
He smiled at her, dimples peeking out on either side of his face, and all the days and nights she had spent apart from him melted away in an instant, even as the nerves settled back in. ‘What is all this?’
He motioned for her to wheel her chair along next to him, and she let him help her lock the clinic doors. As they started down the street, with Javi talking to Savio just up ahead, she could feel her heartbeat in her throat.
‘So, Ines got in touch...’ he started, pressing his hands into his pockets. Ana clutched the flowers to her lap, wondering what had been said. She’d contemplated that maybe Gabriel would be angry with her for sticking her nose in, seeing as she hadn’t heard from him till now.
‘Thank you for talking to her,’ he said, and she sighed in relief. ‘I know you were worried about Javi.’
‘I just knew something was going on,’ she admitted. ‘I was worried about you too.’
‘Well, I appreciate it. Ines has agreed to let me have Javi more often while she and Pedro work things out. I have you to thank for that.’ He sighed and she realised he looked more anxious now than he had before when he’d showed up. ‘I shouldn’t have just quit on you, Ana, as a friend or co-worker...’
‘Neither should I!’
‘Working at the clinic with you, that’s given me more than I ever knew I needed or wanted. Maybe some day, if you’ll have me, I can work with you full-time?’
If you’ll have me? Ana’s mind was reeling now.
‘It’s not the same there without you,’ she admitted, as the idea took seed in her mind and started sprouting in every direction. Of course she would take him on full time—everyone adored him.
‘My life isn’t the same without you,’ he said. Gabriel stopped, glancing at Javi quickly. ‘There’s something I have to ask you.’
Ana sucked in a breath as he took her hand, turning it over in his, studying her fingers. Oh...he wasn’t going to propose, was he? Suddenly her heart was a riot. This was something she had not been prepared for at all, not that she could imagine a future with anyone else. Of course, she would probably say yes if he asked, and maybe even move into his place if he didn’t mind always carrying her to the bedroom...
‘Will you be my best friend, now and always?’ he said, cutting into her frenzied inner monologue.
What?
She stared at him, searching for words as the smile she knew and loved stretched out across his handsome face. Gosh she could look at those dimples for ever, but... ‘Friend?’
‘I want that, with you. But I also want you to be my girlfriend. Will you be both, Ana? I’m madly in love with you—you know that, don’t you?’
Ana blinked, her mouth opening and closing several times before the words came tumbling out. ‘Girlfriend? I mean...yes! Of course! I’ve wanted to be your girlfriend for so long, Gabriel.’
She felt her cheeks heat up with a blush as he smiled down at her, obviously pleased with her answer, even though she’d blurted it out at a million miles an hour. Luckily, there were no more words needed. Gabriel bent down to her slowly and closed the distance between them, his lips brushing hers ever so gently till she looped her arms around him and kissed him back even harder. Suddenly there was another brush of wetness on her cheek and she shrieked with laughter, pushing Savio away.
