Healing Gabriel Read Online Free PDF Page A

the scratches on her arms with the peroxide-soaked
gauze.  She hissed again with pain.
    “Sorry.”
    “That’s okay.”  She studied his face in the light. 
Engrossed in cleaning her arm, it was the first time he wasn’t actively hiding
the left side of his face from her.  She stared at the scars that marred his
face.  Half of his left eyebrow was missing as was the hair at his temple.  No
hair grew on the marred skin, and she supposed that was the reason why he kept
the right side of his face and his upper lip so closely shaved.  The burns had
come incredibly close to his left eye and his bottom lip pulled slightly to the
left because of the scarred skin.
    She quickly looked down at her arms when he raised his head,
knowing he would be embarrassed if he saw her looking at him.  He took a new
piece of gauze, soaked it in peroxide and went to work on her left arm.
    “I’ll change the light for you tomorrow.”  He suddenly said.
    “Thank you.  I really appreciate that.  I’ll probably still
trip but at least I’ll be able to see when I’m picking myself up out of the
rose bushes.”  She grinned at him and he felt his lips twitching in response.
    “Why Mr. Dern - is that a smile?”
    This time he really did smile, revealing even white teeth,
and she gave him a delighted look.  “You have great teeth.”
    He blushed and she patted his arm.  “Aww, you’re blushing. 
Seriously though – great teeth.  Did you have braces?”
    “Yeah, two years.”
    “Me too.  Weren’t the tightening’s awful?  Gosh, I used to
moan and complain something awful when I had to go in and have them tightened.”
    He just shrugged and swiped at one of the scratches. 
Without looking at her, he said, “Were you out with Andy tonight?”
    She twitched a little.  “I was.  How did you know about
Andy?”
    “Small town.  News travels fast.”  He didn’t tell her that
he had seen Andy picking her up for dinner earlier in the week and had casually
asked his sister about it.
    She laughed.  “I guess I’m used to the city where no one
knows your name and couldn’t care less about your business.”
    “I didn’t mean to be nosy.”
    “You weren’t.”  She said hastily.  “I’m not trying to hide
it or anything.  I met Andy at your sister’s barbeque last weekend.  He asked
me out to dinner and we had a good time so I accepted his invitation for a
movie tonight.”
    “What movie did you see?”
    “A really awful horror one.  Just between you and I - I
think Andy was expecting that I would squeal and latch on to him in terror.  I
should have told him that I don’t scare easily, and then maybe we could have
gone to the comedy I suggested.”
    He finished wiping her arms and sat back.  “There you go.”
    “Thanks again Gabe.  I appreciate your help.”  She gave him
a sweet smile and he hesitated. 
    “Wait.  Your face is bleeding too.”
    He took the final piece of gauze and soaked it in peroxide. 
She leaned forward until he could feel her warm breath on his face, and closed
her eyes.  He licked his lips, staring at her mouth and then at her eyelashes. 
They were incredibly long and thick, and he had to squash the urge to reach out
and touch them.
    He wiped gently at the scratch on her cheek.  She flinched a
little when the peroxide bubbled lightly. 
    “I’m sorry.”  He whispered.
    Her eyes opened and he stared into her light blue eyes.  Their
faces were so close he could see the rims of her contact lenses.  He continued
to wipe at her cheek without tearing his gaze from hers.  Her pupils became
darker and larger until there was only a tiny bit of blue showing.
    Her lips parted and he could feel her trembling under his
touch.  He was drowning in her eyes and he dipped his head, moving his mouth
towards her.  At the last moment he caught sight of his reflection in her eyes,
at the scarred and disfigured skin, and he jerked his head back.
    He dropped the gauze on the table and