Chapter 3
The night of the ball was the last I heard from Gabrielle and her family. She never came around, I didn't see her at the hospital and I never saw her around town. And all the days I haven't seen her has taken its toll, I can hardly eat, shopping has lost its appeal, I lock myself away in my room because it's the only place that holds her memory here, the way she kissed me that night still echoes on my lips and drags my heart through the dirt. I miss her.
I gave her space because I realised that kissing me, showing me her feelings scared her. It was her fear and I wanted her to build her confidence, but it was now 2 months and I heard nothing. I grew angry, I sat in the lounge flicking through a magazine. Each flick wound me up tighter and each click from the clock grounded me into the couch I sat on, so I was merely a spring ready to launch.
It was getting on in the day that at 4:15, I threw the magazine away and marched through the ground floor to the foyer. I shrugged on my coat and left the house. I got into one of my father's Mercedes and drove across town to the apartments. If she wasn't coming to me then I was going to her.
I parked up outside and locked up. I crossed the parking lot to the doors, I walked up the steps as James was coming out, he stopped walking when he saw me coming towards him.
"Rosalie, I thought Gabbie was meeting you." James smiled, and I looked at him oddly.
"I haven't seen her in 2 months." I said crossing my arms.
James's face fell into understanding then he rolled his eyes and leaned in close, whispering, "She kissed you, didn't she?" I stared at him shocked but before I could say anything he nodded then said, "You may think Gabbie is tough, but the girl is paper thin, she can hide herself very well. Gabbie has a heart of platinum, she is this way because she cares about what you think and feel about her."
"Gabrielle's scared of commitment?" I asked, and he shook his head.
"She's scared of being hurt, the girl lacks confidence when it comes to the next day sort of thing. She can do what her heart tells her, it's what you might do afterwards that hurts her." James explained.
"Then what do I do? I have tried giving her space, but 2 months is too long." I said, and he smirked.
"I'll let you in, but you have to be brave. You have to reach out to her admit your feelings and what you want to happen. She'll try everything to discourage you but don't allow her too. Be tough." James said as we walked to the door.
"I can't be as tough as her."
"Then be angry, let her know that 2 months has hurt you." James said, and I couldn't help but ask, "You are okay with Gabrielle being gay?"
"As her brother I see nothing wrong with it, in fact I encourage it but as her lawyer, I'm dead against it. The amount of laws she could be prosecuted with and the punishment for them, it…scares me." James expressed then he said, "Gabrielle's apartment is 6 if she isn't there then try 8."
I nodded, and he turned around without saying good bye. I walked across the lobby towards the lifts, strangely the lobby was quiet, the reception to my right had no computer nor any keys. It was odd. I rode the lift to 6 and the doors opened up into a gorgeous open plan living room. It wasn't anything swanky or top of the range, it was cosy and homely. The room was split into living room at the right of me, a hall heading down to closed off rooms at my left and across from that a kitchen.
I stepped out of the lift and walked inside. I looked up at the ceiling and found it quite high with low hanging lights. In the living room sat a black leather couch against the wall with a white rug and oak coffee table on top. By the opposite wall sat a glass cabinet with ornaments and fabric boxes in-side the doors with a record player and stereo sat on top. The kitchen was simple, black marble counter with oak doors.
A door opened to my left and looked down the hidden hall and saw Gabrielle coming out a room in a bathrobe. She was coming this way but there was something different about her. Her head hung low and she lacked the intimidation in her walk. James was right, the girl had low confidence.
"Gabrielle." I said, and she froze, her back to me. She turned around slowly, and I watched as her shield slowly pieced back together.
"What are you doing here, Rosalie?!" She demanded
"You can't get angry at me for coming here, you allowed it to happen, you created a 2-month wedge between us." I said as her eyes iced over.
"It's illegal for us to get in a relationship." She told me, and I clenched my fists at my side.
"Didn't stop you from initiating it!" I fired back, and her eyes narrowed, harshly.
"It was a mistake that I have come to regret." She said coldly.
"I don't believe that for a second, and I did kiss you back." I stepped towards her and she stood rigid in her spot.
"Why? Did you come here to threaten? A lawsuit, what do you want from me?" Gabrielle demanded, and I took another step, so we were close.
"I want to know why you stopped seeing me, I want to know why you're so cold with me now. Last night you were so warm and open, what has changed?" I asked, and her eyes lowered to the floor, I touched her cheek, "Have you changed your mind about me?"
"Yes." She whispered
My hand lowered from her cheek, but she took it in her own and kissed each knuckle. Another hand snaked around my waist and brought me closer, her eyes were locked with mine as I watched pain, determination and unease run through them.
"I know you care about me, I know you like women but have you any idea what those 2 months have done to me?" I whispered, and her eyes softened, "we might have been moving fast but you have woken things in me I never thought existed."
Gabrielle swallowed and asked, "tell me what you want me to do."
I smiled slightly and placed my other hand on her cheek, she was growing confused until I pressed my lips to hers. She didn't struggle away from me, she snaked her arms around my back and deepened our kiss. My coat dropped to the floor as my hands ran down her back. Suddenly, Gabrielle lifted me and sat me her hips.
Her hands that held my hips ran down to my thighs and I felt my entire body heat up. It didn't help that her lips fell from mine and were kissing my neck.
Gabrielle stopped suddenly then whispered, "Stay with me." I ran my fingers through her hair making her look at me. I said, "Okay." Then my back was hit against the wall, her lips kissing mine and her hands grasping my thighs, pulling the skirt up a fraction.
I felt my body's warmth shift between my legs and I moaned as her hand touched my hip. I never done anything like this before or felt anyone else do this to me and I know I should be nervous and scared, but I didn't. It was odd, my thoughts were going a mile a minute and my heart was racing a long with it.
However, I desperately needed to know that if we did do this would she leave again? Would I be left without contact again? Slowly I pulled away and touched her cheek, her eyes were closed, and her breathing was heavy.
"I must know, will you leave me again? Will you run off?" I asked in a whisper.
"I wouldn't be able too." She told me, "This is me."
Without another word, I kissed her but my hands down her front, undoing the knot that sat behind my thigh at her side. I jumped down and stopped. She was gorgeous, under her robe she wore a lace night gown. I watched as Gabrielle smirked and shrug off her robe.
"Are you sure?" She asked, and I nodded.
Without warning, Gabrielle lifted me and carried me down that hall, all whilst kissing and unzipping me. It wasn't until the morning that I realised how wrong last night was. I was led my heart and sex that made me do what I did but I still did it nonetheless.
When I woke, I was lying on my side with my back against a warm body, an arm wrapped around my waist keeping me where I was. The sheets lay around us in disarray, but I felt fuller than I have ever been. It didn't come to me until much later when I turned around and found Gabrielle naked and asleep behind me then I looked down at myself to find myself clothe-less.
I hid my face in my hands and groaned, why? Why? Why? I let out a sigh as the body behind me moved closer, her arm tightening and her mouth brushing along my shoulder making my body heat up and melt, my legs wakening up.
"Morning." Gabrielle muttered, I caught a smile cross her lips from the mirror across the bed. It pushed my disease away.
"Morning," I smiled lying back. She took my lips and I lost myself again. I wrapped an arm around her neck and kissed her back.
Gabrielle pulled away and smiled, "Have you anything to do today?"
I thought about that. I did have things to do but for the life of me, I couldn't think of what it was. I stroked her shoulder idly then groaned. I had my shift at the hospital.
"Shift at the hospital." I sighed but it turned blissful as she kissed my hip.
"It isn't that bad, we work the same shifts." Gabrielle smiled as she pulled the sheets back, "It's not until later so…we could do this." Gabrielle kissed across my navel, her hands through my legs over her hips. My breathing grew heavy as she kissed lower, "Or…"
She pulled away and I glared at her, "We could get breakfast."
"I don't like a girl that doesn't finish anything she started." I warned, and she gave me a sly grin.
"Then you'll hate me." She gave my inner thigh a kiss making my heart lurch then jumped off the bed.
"Gabrielle!" I shrieked.
She ran out the room laughing, and I ran after her. I couldn't help but giggle as I chased her down the hall. She hid in the kitchen, which unfortunately was a dead end. I caught up to her and jumped into her arms, I was swung around and sat on the counter.
"My door is always open for trouble makers like you." She smirked, and I wrapped my arms around her neck, kissing her.
I felt her fingers stroke the scars on my back softly like she did last night. She told me each scar made up a piece of me and she named them, the one on my shoulder was happiness, the one on the middle of my spine was determination, the one on my hip was care, the one on just off where my left kidney would be, was stubbornness and the one on my shoulder blade was strength. She kissed each of them as she said it which made me feel something passionate and full.
After last night the emotion that had settled in my heart only grew. With each touch and kiss it opened like birds' wings and flourished like a flower. It made me want to cry, scream from the rooftops, erupt with happiness and smile for the rest of my life.
I pulled away breathless, "At this rate, we might not get everything done."
With a small laugh, Gabrielle gave me one last kiss then asked, "Food, what do you want?"
"What have you got?"
Gabrielle walked around the island towards the refrigerator and opened the door. She let out a breath then said, "Bacon?"
"Perfect." I jumped down from the counter and said, "Better get changed."
I kissed her cheek as I left the kitchen. I walked down the hall almost skipping on my way to her room. I closed her bedroom door and started dressing.
