Chapter 36

Why a lot of people give the advice ‘Sleep on it’ to someone facing a seemingly insurmountable dilemma, Gabriel would never understand. How could anyone sleep when their mind was running at top speed and peeling away at layers and layers of data, both factual and otherwise? Factor in the accompanying emotional dynamics of it, and sleep would be like a distant dream (no pun intended).

Gabriel could attest to it. He’d been tossing and turning for the better half of the night. His body was already protesting, his eyes felt sandy, his muscles had the consistency of Jell-O, and his abdomen felt like it had gone twelve rounds with Manny Pacquiao.

Funny, how despite the gravity of his situation, his biggest fear was Louisa being seduced by his youngest (treacherous) brother. Now, what did that say about him? That he had no confidence in his fiancée? That he thought Louisa would be just like him–weak in the face of temptation? Or that he had too much faith in Angelo’s ability to seduce an innocent like Louisa?

Maybe.

In truth, he was just insecure. He didn’t really know how Louisa truly felt about him. And even if she did have genuine feelings for him, they would not be strong enough to enable her to survive his perceived betrayal.

Gabriel punched his pillow for the hundredth time. Shouldn’t he be thinking about the more important things, like how to extricate himself from Isabella’s clutches? Yet, after admitting (to himself, at least) that he’d fallen in love with Louisa, nothing could be more important than being certain of her feelings for him. If she loved him as much as he did her, they would be okay. They would be able to face this problem together. He would run through hell if he was assured she would be waiting for him on the other side. He raised his fist to punch the much-abused pillow one more time when Miguel’s voice cut through his destructive bent.

“Please, Gab. Don’t punish my pillow too much. It’s done nothing to deserve your wrath,” Miguel said, casually dropping onto the couch across from him.

“Can’t sleep either?” Gabriel asked, sitting up.

“Hay, Hermano. I would be sleeping like a babe now had it not been for the grunting and sighing and punching pestering my ears.”

Miguel’s spacious apartment had an open layout where, aside from the bathroom, only the kitchen area was hidden behind a glass-block partition. A tall modular shelf containing numerous books and several antique pieces stood between the living and sleeping area. Gabriel could not deny his brother’s accusation.

“Sorry, Migz,” he muttered in embarrassment.

Miguel chuckled, “I’m just messing with you, Gab. It’s no bother, really. Truth is I can’t sleep either. I’ve been going through everything we talked about last night and I just couldn’t stop the wheels up here from spinning. I must say, you’ve bitten off more than you can chew this time, big bro.”

“You really had to go there, didn’t you?” Gabriel groaned.

“Sorry,” Miguel replied, not sounding a bit contrite. “I just call it as I see it. The real question now is, when are you planning to tell Papa about this? I suggest you do it pronto. I’m afraid Isabella will call in reinforcements if you don’t end your engagement to Louisa A.S.A.P. And that would be messy.”

Gabriel let out a long-drawn breath and jumped to his feet. Things could really get messy if he didn’t act immediately. He didn’t have the luxury of time. Isabella had already made her move and she would not stop there. Knowing her, this could easily turn into another battle royale if she didn’t get her way. He needed to outsmart and outthink her. Make her feel she’d already won. Wait until she dropped her guard and outmaneuver her. He returned to the couch, his fingers raking through his messy hair.

Miguel was right. He could not put off telling his father about this fiasco much longer. Isabella would surely drag their fathers into this mess. He must beat her to it. He just didn’t know which would be harder to take from his father – his anger or his disappointment. He’d been very vocal about his aversion to this betrothal and the older man might construe this as a blatant act of defiance.

“Is she really pregnant, Gab?” Miguel’s quiet inquiry broke the silence.

“I don’t really know, Migz. We’ve both been very careful before.”

His relationship with Isabella was, for lack of a better word, ‘casual’. What drew Gabriel to Isabella was her being accommodating and detached at the same time; she knew when to keep her distance. She was adamant about discretion, something Gabriel valued in his ‘relationships’. They both agreed from the beginning that their involvement was only physical and not emotional–no breathless declarations of love and devotion from either party were expected. It’s why they both made sure there would be no ‘accidents.’

Isabella had also made it absolutely clear to Gabriel that she didn’t want to marry him because he was too independent for her taste. She only saw him as a lover, not a husband. Gabriel wasn’t looking for a wife or a girlfriend either, since he already had a fiancée back home. Isabella, libertine that she was, couldn’t care less. To Gabriel, it was the ‘perfect’ liaison: pure physical gratification without the emotional attachment. He really couldn’t understand what had changed all of a sudden. Why had Isabella been acting so out of character?

“Are you sure? Could either of you just been a tad careless, at least once?” Miguel said.

“Isabella was not my first dalliance, Migz. I’ve always been careful,” he paused, a horrible thought flashing into memory.

Except on the night when I was so drunk. I woke up the next day without really knowing what I’d done! The night when I supposedly ‘married’ Isabella!

Gabriel blanched, breaking into a cold sweat.

Miguel must’ve seen his pallid look because he shook his head and slumped against the back of the couch, resignation written in his eyes.

“I suppose you’re not so sure now, are you, Gab?”

Grunting in frustration, Gabriel jumped back to his feet, pacing before Miguel like a caged tiger.

“Did she show you any proof of her pregnancy, like an ultrasound or an EPT?” Miguel asked.

Gabriel’s head snapped back to Miguel in surprise. How could his nerdy brother know about ultrasounds and EPTs? He couldn’t help but smile when Miguel blushed profusely.

“How do you know so much about confirming a pregnancy?”

Miguel shook his head, smirking.

“Oh, no, you don’t. You’re not turning the tables on me, Gab. Let’s just say I’m not as clueless as you think, but enough about me. You didn’t answer my question.”

For the first time that night, Gabriel threw his head back and laughed.

My, my, my. Miguelito has his own deep, dark secrets.

“Ok, Migz. I’m letting you off the hook this time, but only because you’ve been very accommodating. Don’t think we’re done with it, though.”

Miguel raised both hands in mock surrender and laughed along with his brother. “Alright! Alright! I’ll give you all the nasty details someday. But for now, let’s not make this about me. You’ve got bigger problems, bro.”

The laughter died as quickly as it started, and Gabriel found himself thinking about his ‘unborn child’. He would have welcomed a child at any other time, but not under the current circumstances. Especially not with a woman he didn’t even really like!

Damn! What a mess!

“Actually, I only have her word for it. She didn’t tell me much, come to think of it. She didn’t even tell me how far along she already was,” Gabriel said, returning to the couch with a frown.

Why didn’t I think of that? Had I asked her how far along she was, I would’ve already deduced if she was telling the truth or not!

“Know what you can do to confirm it? Ask her to take an ultrasound. If she refuses, then she’s making it all up. And if she’s lying about that, there’s a big possibility she’s also lying about the marriage contract.”

Gabriel wanted to hug his brother. His practicality always brought the simplest solutions. He probably would’ve thought of it himself had he not been plagued with worry about Louisa. However, a dark cloud appeared on the horizon, threatening to rain on his parade.

“But how can I make her do it? Isabella can be as stubborn as an ox when she wants to be. And she’ll be suspicious if I ask her to have an ultrasound.”

“Well, if you ask her now, she will refuse. She might see it as an insult. I guess you need to use your charm on her one last time, big bro. Say something like you’ve been thinking and after the initial shock, you’re actually happy about it. Tell her anything! Just as long as you make her think you’re excited to be a father and an ultrasound would make it more real for you. But make sure you come along with her to be sure she’s not going to produce a fake ultrasound result, you know. She’s got the money and just enough nastiness to pull it off.”

Gabriel was just now seeing his brother in a different light. It was a bit disturbing to see the gentle, soft-spoken Miguel’s ruthless, scheming side.

Or, maybe he’d already gone through the same thing himself. Guess you can never totally know people, no matter how close you are to them.

“It’s also why you have to tell Papa,” Miguel continued. “Tell him you never planned any of these, and you have doubts about Isabella’s claims. He’ll understand. Of course, he’ll probably call down the wrath of heaven on you first, but as soon as he calms down, he’ll understand. Who knows, he might even help you get your butt out of this peccadillo.”

“But, what about Louisa?” Gabriel asked, his insides churning again.

“Now, she’s another matter. And a bit more complicated, I’m afraid.”

“Why?”

“She’s a woman, Gabriel. Women think differently than men and they react differently as well. She’s also very confused right now. Confused and vulnerable. Being with Angelo doesn’t help things either,” Miguel replied, his eyes boring into Gabriel, gauging the effect of his words.

A knife-like pain sliced through Gabriel’s guts. He didn’t know how Louisa was taking all of it. Of course, her earlier reaction in the office showed that she was hurt. Her refusal to see him (or speak to him, as Angelo had blatantly made clear) was also proof of how mad she was at him. Still, was it only because of the embarrassment and dishonor their current situation would bring to her and her family, or was it because she’d already fallen in love with him, too? Was she afraid of losing him? Did she feel betrayed because she thought he loved her? Or was she just mad at him for making her (and by extension, her father) look stupid?

“I need to see her, Migz. I need to speak to her. I can’t lose her like this. I just can’t lose her, Miguel. I can’t–” Gabriel said, his voice breaking into heart-wrenching sobs.

He didn’t want to cry, especially not in front of Miguel, the brother who he knew looked up to him, almost worshipped him even. But he couldn’t help it. He would explode if he kept his tumultuous emotions bottled up much longer. He’d fought against this betrothal for so long, tried so hard to wriggle out of it when all the while his heart had already decided for him. Without his knowledge, his heart had already reserved itself for Louisa and it only took one look at her for it let her in. And he’s sure it’s going to keep her there, to have and to hold, until his last dying breath.

Three hard taps on his back, accompanied by his brother’s nervous laughter brought Gabriel back from his personal hell.

“Now, don’t be such a watering pot, bro! It ruins the image of the Montoyas,” Miguel flippantly said, pounding on Gabriel’s back. Gabriel grunted and viciously swiped the back of his hand at his wet eyes.

“I’m sorry, Migz. I don’t know what came over me,” Gabriel said, stretching his aching arms and neck. He chanced a glance at Miguel and was touched when he saw genuine concern and sympathy in his brother’s eyes.

“You haven’t lost her, Gab. If you’re determined to see her, I’ll find her for you.”

A ray of sunshine peeked through Miguel’s draped windows and into Gabriel’s gloom, as well.

“How?” Gabriel asked, hope blossoming in his heart.

“Wait here. I need to make a phone call,” Miguel said, striding into his sleeping area. Gabriel waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity but was actually more like five minutes.

When Miguel came back, he was holding a thick bath towel in his free hand, the other holding his cellphone. He tossed the towel into Gabriel’s lap and settled back on the couch.

“Go clean up, Gab. We’ll be leaving in a few.”

“Where are we going? Have you found her already?”

“Hay, Hermano. I can see you’re really out of sync right now. Have you forgotten that all of our vehicles have GPS trackers installed in them? I just asked one of my guys to do a trace on Angelo’s car and as soon as he calls in, we’re rolling out. Had I known you were ready to face the fire and brimstone Louisa would surely rain down on you, I would’ve suggested tracking them sooner,” Miguel answered, winking wickedly at his eldest brother.

Gabriel smiled at his brother, completely ignoring his last barb. Thank God for geniuses like Miguel. Finally, he would be doing something. He wasn’t out of the woods yet, but at least it was a start.

“You don’t need to come, Migz. I’ve bothered you more than enough. Just tell me where they are, and I’ll take it from there.”

Miguel shook his head, his eyes steady and deadly serious. “I don’t think so. Angelo would also be there, and I’d rather not have to visit you in maximum a year from now. Because in your current state, you just might forget he’s your brother and murder him on sight.”

“Migz…”

“‘Nough said. Go take your shower while I scrunch us up some breakfast.”

Knowing he would not win this argument, Gabriel did as he was told. He took a quick shower then ransacked Miguel’s closet. Miguel was shorter than him by a couple of inches, so he had to make do with his own slightly crumpled jeans. Thankfully, as it was a Friday yesterday, he was wearing casuals. Next, Gabriel grabbed one of Miguel’s loose MIT sweatshirts, which were the only ones that would fit him.

He gasped when he stood in front of Miguel’s full-length mirror. He looked horrible! He couldn’t believe it was just yesterday morning when he was whistling in front of his bathroom mirror, excitedly anticipating a new day with Louisa. Now, he hardly recognized the haggard-faced man before him. He needed to shave, but he didn’t want to waste time on trivialities. When he came out of the bathroom, a large plate of left-over pasta, a steaming cup of coffee, and several slices of toasted bread were waiting for him on the dining table. Miguel was just dumping the last of his meal into the sink when he sat down, sipping his coffee.

“I’ll just take a quick shower. Grab a bite, bro. You’ll need your strength. We’re going to Tagaytay,” Miguel said.

Gabriel stood to bolt out the door and search for Louisa on his own, but when he jammed a hand inside his pocket his car keys were not there.

“Don’t tire yourself looking for your car keys or mine. They’re both in safekeeping,” Miguel tossed over his shoulder.

I wonder where he kept the spare?

“You won’t find the spare, either. Just eat your breakfast, Gabriel.” Miguel bellowed from the bathroom.

Gabriel grunted but accepted his fate. Miguel was right. It was better if he went with him. Gabriel still wasn’t sure how he would react once he came face-to-face with his youngest sibling.

One thing’s for sure. He wouldn’t be greeting him with a smile.