THE GILTER

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

True her father’s words, Gab saw Scott, she was sitting under a tree after her lectures, going through what the lecturer had thought them, she raised her eyes and saw Scott, he was about to enter a class, she rose up quickly and jogged to him.

“Scott! “she called, taking him by surprise.

“Hi! “he smiled weakly at her.

Is there anyone in the whole universe that is as handsome as Scott? She thought inwardly she starred at him hungrily, she’d really missed him. She shook her head.

“Ehhh, we should talk, “Gab said “don’t you think? “

“No, there is nothing to talk about. “he said

“I have something to say.” Gab said “please.”

“hmmm.” He bit his bottom lip “I have class now.”

“later------- six o’clock.” Gab said hurriedly “At the café.”

“Okay.”

When Gab entered the school café six o’clock on the dot, she saw Scott immediately, he sat at a table near the window, he was looking out the window, sipping from his drink.

She went to the canteen and both a drink too, she joined him, sitting on the chair opposite his across the table.

“Sorry, am late,” she said smiling at him.

“No, you are not, I am the one early.” Scott said smiling back. “So?

Gab shifted on her sit “Scott do you love me? She asked “I mean do you still love me?”

He was silent for some moment, then “Gab--- just answer me, Scott.”

He nodded “I never stopped loving you, not for a moment.”

“Then why are you letting me go?” she asked

“I told you” he said, biting his bottom lip again. A rare habit among men Gab thought, she wondered what her mom would have to say about that.

“I am not letting you go.” she said firmly

“What? “ Scott raised his brows “you don’t know what you are doing.”

Gab shrugged “I love you, you are stocked with me.” She said, smiling wickedly “I want to be that girl you get married to in the future.”

“Are you mad?” He sounded shocked.

“Yes, for you “Gab said “when you asked that we break up, I didn’t say yes.”

Scott was silent for some moment, staring at her with hurt in his eyes “why are you doing this, Gab.”

”Because I can’t see myself in the future without you?” Gab said, then sighed “What made you think I can’t live on a ranch?”

He looked at her shocked, how the hell did she found out?

She nodded her head “I found out,” she said

“You will be miserable.” He finally said “you won’t be able to cope?”

“Why should you think that?” she asked curiously, she might as well tell him she had lived all her life on a ranch.

He chewed his bottom lip, a habit she now knew he practice whenever he was nervous.

Hmmm------- My mom,” Gab lean forward “She came from a rich family too. Although my father was not poor but compare to her family-------They were very rich, and when she wanted to marry my father, her family opposed.”

Gab nodded her head firmly and shrugged.

“You see, she stood for herself, because she was in love with my dad.” Scott continued “They got married and they came to live on the ranch.”

“So what happened?” She knew that wasn’t the end of the story.

He cleared his throat “By the time I was three, my mom was so depressed, she couldn’t cope with living on a ranch. Her life became miserable.”

“Am so sorry.” Gab said, Scott shook his head “It’s all in the past.” He said “She finally left when I was four, I never saw her again.”

“Scott I ----------“

“I don’t want a life like that, I don’t want my child to go through what I went through.” He cut her off.

“Listen to me.” Gab said patiently “You never asked if I could live on a ranch, you just assumed I couldn’t.”

Scott smiled sadly “Gab, I know you, you’ll come with me but with time you can be-----“

“I will never be like your mom, Scott. I have spent all my life on a ranch, well except now that I am in school.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Scott frowned at her

“You know the O’Connell Ranch?” she asked

“Of course.” Scott said still frowning

“That’s where I live, It’s my family’s.” Gab said seriously “My mother, she is the famous Catherine O’Connell that people search for on goggle.”

He raised his brows in disbelieve.

“I am serious, Scott, I am a full time ranch girl.”

“Oh my God!” Scott said with disbelieve “I am a fool.”

“Yes you are.”

“But you never told me.”

“We never talked about our parents’ occupation, you never asked, I never asked.”

“Oh my God!” Scott said staring her with intent “I could actually see some resemblance now, I could ask your mom about some management advice.”

Gab chuckled “About Your mom, I am so sorry!” she said holding his hand across the table “You see, I was angry at first when you said we should break up, then I got really furious when I learned the reason. As in, I have lived on a ranch all my life. I can’t imagine myself in a modern fancy house driving fancy cars around for the rest of my life. Oh my God! The horses. Beasts!”

Scott laughed “Who would have known you are a cow girl, but you are driving a fancy car”

“Just for the time being, before I go back to the ranch!”

Gab and Scott chatted for a while, caught up on missing time and like that, they were together for life. Gab thanked her parents silently.