Here's the next chapter! I hope you guys really love it :)
Also, to all of you who don't know, I have started writing a new story. It's called "Someone I Lost" and I would really appreciate it if you would give it a looksie! Thanks in advance! :)
Also, I'm obsessed with "Fix You" by Coldplay. So, that'll be the song for the chapter. Please give it a listen! It's absolutely amazing.
Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing. Absolutely nothing. Trust me.
XxxxXXXxXXxxXXxx
"Garrett?" Belinda was shocked. She hadn't seen her ex in nearly two months, much to her relief. She had actually begun to think that he had finally listened to her and decided to keep away from her. She could see now that that was not true. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, this is a public sidewalk, Belinda. I think I'm allowed to stroll down it whenever I want to."
"Oh-" Belinda suddenly worried that she had been rude. Being around him, she had never really known what was too much to say. She had always been super careful about what she said and how she said it, what with his...handicap...and the fact that he was in a wheelchair. The stump where his left leg had been had taken some time to get used to, his leg had had to be amputated after a hit-and-run accident with an SUV. They hadn't even thought he would survive, and then he had woken up. But his leg had been far too broken, nearly every single bone crushed or severed. There had been no choice. So, off it had went. His injury had proved difficult to get used to for Belinda, and it still shocked her sometimes.
He grinned at her. "It's alright. I'm just messing with you."
She sighed with relief and returned the smile, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Soooooo...what've you been up to lately?"
"Nothing much," Garrett replied as he shrugged, "Not many people hiring handicaps."
Belinda inwardly flinched. She knew he wasn't trying to invoke self-pity, but then again, she couldn't help but feel that maybe he wanted something. Ex-boyfriends always did, didn't they? She absent-mindedly nodded her head.
Garrett exhaled loudly. "So...yep. That's about it. You?"
"Oh, nothing much either. The library closed."
"Yeah, I heard about that," he replied in a voice that actually sounded concerned.
"But, I got a new job, so that's good."
He raised a brow. "Oh, really? Whatcha doing?"
Belinda stumbled as she tried to explain. "Oh...well...it's nothing really. Just something to help pay the bills." No one...no one....needed to know she was working for Mr. Gold, and as long as she could keep everyone in the dark, she would. Especially Garrett. She nearly flushed with embarrassment at the thought.
Garrett's brows just furrowed. "You ok? You're being taken care of, right?"
She nodded. "Still living in that grungy apartment, but can't complain." Liar, such a liar, her inner thoughts buzzed.
There was silence then. It was awkward and Belinda wished she could just find an excuse to leave, but she found that her mouth wouldn't open and her tongue was like sandpaper. There was nothing she had to say. As she observed Garrett, she saw that he looked conflicted about something. It was only when he spoke to her that her heart sank and her mood soured. "So, d'you think, maybe, that I could see Rose?"
"Is that what this is about? You wanting to see Rose?" Belinda couldn't help but accuse him and he tensed at her tone.
"No, I just thought that maybe I-"
"Well, you thought wrong. I told you you can't see her and that is my final decision." Not caring if she was being rude or not, she turned to continue walking down the street but his next words stopped her right in her tracks.
"I'm her father, Belinda! I deserve to see her!"
She whipped around as fast as she could and stomped back up to him. "Don't you dare think that." Her voice was low, almost a whisper, but it was cold and biting. "You lost all connections to her when you left us. Father or not."
"C'mon, Belinda. You know I had to leave you. What was I supposed to do? Huh?!" Garrett was yelling at her, in the middle of Storybrooke, but she didn't care. She didn't care that people might be stopping and staring. She didn't care that she was being rude and uncaring, or absolutely, positively horrid to her ex-boyfriend. He deserved it, every bit of it, for making her go through what she had all by herself! "What was I supposed to do?" He repeated. "I couldn't take care of you. Not with this leg. And I wasn't even ready to be a father, Lindy!"
"Don't you dare call me that!" She shouted back, her voice seething. "And maybe you should've thought about that before you slept with me, Garrett! You do know that leads to children, right?"
He scoffed. "Well, I didn't see you protesting!"
Her mouth fell open and she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming. "How dare you!"
"How dare I?" His face was red with anger. "Dammit, Belinda, you're keeping my own daughter away from me. I demand that I-"
"I'm sorry, but is there a problem, Mr. Stone?" Belinda heard a voice ask from behind her and she flinched. She knew that voice anywhere. Question was, what was he doing behind her and why was he interrupting something that clearly didn't involve him?
Garrett didn't seem frightened though. He just balled his fists and shook them at the man. "What's it to you, Gold?!"
Mr. Gold stepped even closer until he was standing right beside Belinda. "Mr. Stone, you are yelling at this young woman in the middle of the street. I'm merely asking what seems to be the problem?"
"And I'm telling you that it's none of your business!" Garrett roared in anger.
"Please." Mr. Gold's voice, however, was calm and collected. It was a marvel to Belinda how he could stay so calm during such an encounter. "I would ask you to lower your voice." There was something in his tone, even if it was cool and collected, that made even Garrett shut his mouth. There was a very clear warning. If Garrett didn't lower his voice, then there would be a price to pay. Mr. Gold nodded in contentment. "Thank you. Now," he grabbed Belinda by the arm, "If you'll excuse us. Ms. French and I have some business to attend to." He quickly turned around, pulling Belinda with him. Her cheeks were red with anger and embarrassment and she couldn't bear to turn around and see the look of surprise in Garrett's eyes.
Her face grew steadily more red with anger and mortification as they walked up the street to the pawn shop. Several men and women stopped to stare, baffled looks on their faces, wondering what on earth she was doing in the hold of Mr. Gold. The entire way back to the shop he didn't release her arm.
The very moment the door was opened and then closed behind them, Belinda wrenched her arm free and stared at him. "What the hell was that?!" She snapped at him.
Mr. Gold wasn't perturbed by her use of language or the ferocity with which she spoke. He just continued to lock the front door, to put the closed sign in the window, and to close all of the blinds over the windows. Very soon, the room was darkened, and they were left alone, without any chance of people watching their encounter. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, dearie."
"You don't know what I mean?" She shouted at him, clearly fed up with all men everywhere. They were just so stupid! "You just pulled me away from a conversation that I was having and then you dragged me here!"
"Ms. French, call it what you like, but that wasn't a 'conversation'. That was an argument."
"Whatever it was, you had no right to interfere!"
He gave his crocodile grin. "Oh, I had every right." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she was silent, and he just grinned all the more. "You see," his hands twirled in a strange way, almost elaborately, as he explained. Belinda found it quite strange and very eccentric, almost theatrical. "You were ten minutes late. Considering you have a contract to fulfill, I was just going out to see what could possibly be taking you so long."
"A contract? That's what your calling it? I'm not your slave."
"No, but you work for me because I made you."
She shook her head. "No one decides my fate but me."
Mr. Gold chuckled. "Be that as it may, dearie, you still work for me against your will."
"That reminds me. I never asked you how long I would be working here. I was too angry to ask."
"You will work here as long as I want you too."
"But I would've paid off the 250 before then! It doesn't take long to pay off so little."
He tented his fingers. "Now, no, it doesn't. But this isn't about the 250. For your services, Miss French, you live in your apartment rent-free. Considering I'm your landlord, I figured it was only fair, since whatever money you would have earned here would have just been paid to me anyway."
"Rent-free?" Belinda was shocked. That was one curve-ball she had not been expecting. "You never said anything about that."
"Well...you didn't ask."
"But my work here isn't worth nearly enough to make up for the rent money." Belinda just couldn't explain it. What on earth was he hoping to gain from all of this?
Mr. Gold nodded his head in agreement before he replied. "Well, then, you best get to work and make it worthwhile." With that, the conversation was over, and he walked behind the glass counter and began to sort through his records.
Belinda couldn't help but smile just a bit. If she just had to work here, with all of these beautiful antiques filled with so much past and history, and her rent would be paid in full, then how could she complain? The work certainly wasn't that awful, even if the company was. But, then again, Mr. Gold wasn't terrible company as far as she could tell. He was quiet and cold and calculating. But she kind of liked it. And he was a mystery. Why had he wanted her to work for him when it really brought no profit to him? Mr. Gold always had a reason for everything, and now she had to figure out his reason for all of this. Why had he brought her here in the first place? Why had he agreed to help her? And why had he confronted Garrett? Belinda had an idea that, silly or not, Mr. Gold hadn't just been intent on getting her to the shop in one piece so that she could work. Her idea was that perhaps Mr. Gold had actually been concerned enough to rescue her. But he certainly wasn't that noble, was he? Especially towards someone he didn't know hardly at all. A silly notion, for sure. Foolish. But no matter what she did, Belinda couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this Mr. Gold than anyone else knew.
XxxxXXxxXXxxXXxx
Gosh, the feels are just so strong and I haven't even started yet! This story's just starting to pick up some speed.
Also, I think that I'm gonna have a contest of sorts. I've got about 50 reviews as of right now. The person to write the 100th review will receive a one-shot written personally for them. You'll be able to pick which couple in OuaT you want me to write for. Don't let this opportunity pass you by! Call it a Christmas present :)
And please don't forget to check out "Someone I Lost"!
See all of you guys next week; I love you!