The sounds of the crowds walking on the boardwalk. The sounds of the people walking along the edges of the beach. The sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the pier. All of these sounds and all others that came across in Sunset Beach met deaf ears to three people who were standing at the edge of the boardwalk. Gabi and Antonio quickly dropped their hands to their sides. Ricardo noticed they had been holding hands. His face had grown pale at seeing them as had Gabi and Antonio's. All Ricardo was able to muster to say was a mere hello.

"Hi." He said with a frog in his throat. He was looking right at Gabi. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He took in everything about her. In his memory, he burned her image in his mind. It was a moment he would probably never forget. All of a sudden, his knees became weak, his whole body became cold. His mind raced with so many thoughts that he felt it was going to explode. He could not think straight. All the things he had wanted to say had vanished from his mind. Looking at this woman who was before him, all of his will and strength disappeared. He didn't even see Antonio standing there anymore. All he saw was Gabi and the effect she was having on him overwhelmed him. He couldn't handle it. Pressure was coming from every angle and his breathing started to turn into a small attack of hyperventilation. He slowly backed away trying desperately to find the pavement to the boardwalk. He couldn;t do this. He couldn't confront her just yet. He would melt in her hands if he dare tried now.

"No...no...I can't do this." His voiced cracked as he was barely able to get the words out.

Antonio stepped forward to try and get a hold of his brother. He looked as if he was ready to pass out. The look on his face was one of a man who had just lost everything. Antonio hadn't realized seeing Gabi again would take such a toll on him. He had no idea his brother knew of their betrayal. Gabi wanted desperately to hold Ricardo in her arms. The look on his face was a such fear. His vulnerability shined through and it scared her to see him look so frightened. He seemed to be frightened of her. She had no idea that seeing her again would have this effect on him. Then again, like Antonio, she didn't know that Ricardo knew about them. Gathering all the courage she had, she stepped forward to him and gently spoke her words.

"I need to talk to you. We need to talk to you, Ricardo. It's very important that we do." As Gabi finishedm the tears once again started to flow.

NO! Ricardo could not listen. He would not allow them to tell him that they wanted to be together. It seemed obvious to him that that was what they planned on doing. They had already broken his heart and here they wanted to shatter more of it. His face clouded over in shear anguish and he stepped back further. "No! I don't want to hear it!" He shook his head back and forth and Gabi and Antonio were didn't know what to think. His reaction was something they did not expect at that point. "Just leave me alone for now. Please I beg of you. Don't tell me anymore. I can't take this now, not this." He stretched his arms out as if trying to keep them at a distance. He found his footing and began to run across the boardwalk.

"Ricardo!! Ricardo!!" Both Antonio and Gabi screamed in unison. Gabi began to run after him but Antonio grabbed her from behind and held her back. She tried desperately to escape from his hold but was unsuccessful. "Antonio let me go, I need to go after him!! Please let me go!!" Gabi lost her resolve and broke down in his arms, literally convulsing in tears.

Antonio held her and shut his eyes in as a wave of shame rushed over him again. Ricardo must have discovered what had happened. The was the only explanation he could give for his reaction to seeing them. Her immediately thought of what to next. He had to act quickly. Parting from Gabi, he held her at arms length as tears streaming from her eyes, her face racked in pain. "Gabi, Listen to me....go back to Surf Central, do you hear me! Go back and stay there. Don't follow me and don't try to find Ricardo. This is between him and I for now. Do you hear me!" Antonio's adrenaline was pumping on overdrive right now.

Gabi shook her head. She didn't have time to say a word for Antonio took off and started running in the direction Ricardo had taken off. "ANTONIO!!! NO!!!" She sank to the sand, wailing in her arms, feeling more lost than ever before. "Oh God!! Please protect them, please don't allow anything to happen to them. Keep them safe, please God keep them safe!." Gabi grabbed her stomach and continued to cry, not even the waves of the ocean could soothe her pain and anguish.

Antonio had been running for about 5 minutes trying to locate where his brother might have gone to. He was breathing hard and looked around anxiously for a sign of him. Antonio was about 10 yards from under the pier. He began to walk towards the pier when he heard what sounded like sobbing. He listened intently and followed the sound. He came directly under the pier next to one of the pillars helping it stand. There, leaned up against the pillar, sitting with his knees pulled up and his head leaned up against his arms, was his brother. He was crying like he had never seen him before. The sight of him in that condition, scared Antonio. His brother had always been strong and seeing him like made him extremely uncomfortable. He knelt down by Ricardo and gently placed one hand on his shoulder. Ricardo then looked up with a tear stained face and briefly glanced at his brother before turning to look at the ocean. Antonio couldn't take his eyes of of him. He wanted to say something, tell him he was sorry for all the pain he had caused him, but he didn't know where to begin, his mind was blank. Antonio wasn't even sure if Ricardo knew everything.

"Just tell me one thing." Ricardo spoke out of the blue. Antonio waited held his breath and waited for him to continue. "Do you love her?" Ricardo could not look at him. His face remained staring at the water in front of him.

He knew. His brother knew he had betrayed him. Antonio looked down on the sand and took a deep breath before answering. He didn't want any more lies. From this moment on, he would tell nothing but the truth. "Yes, I love her." He waited for his reaction. But he didn't get one.

Ricardo continued to stare out at the ocean but this time his eyes shut for a brief moment. The moon then appeared from over the pier and shined on both of them. Antonio could see his brother's face clearly and the look on his face crushed him. It was on of disappointment clouded over in a mask of pain.

Antonio continued. "But she loves you and not m----."

Antonio stopped dead in his tracks, he didnt even get a chance to finish. At the mention of Gabi loving him, Ricardo's face quickly turned to Antonio and a rage of fury washed over his face. Ricardo shot up like a lightning bolt and grabbed Antonio by his collar and slammed him up against the pillar. It happened so quickly, Antonio was so shocked and disoriented by Ricardo's sudden outburst that when he finally realized what was happening, Ricardo had his hand over his neck, beginning to squeeze tighter. Antonio knew that look, Ricardo wanted to hurt him badly. He had the face of a madman. "How dare you tell me she loves me. You son of a bitch! I could kill you right now!" Ricardo seethed with anger.

For the first time in his life, Antonio was scared to death of this brother......