I never wanted this. i didn't choose for this to happen. But all that doesn't matter anymore. Because Maya, supposedly my Best friend, was taking sides with Gabriel.

  Gabriel stands along side Maya as we made our way to his hotel lounge. it was probably bigger than my own apartment. If I wasn't mistaken it was bigger than both mine and Maya's rooms. Somehow that felt odd. why would one person live in such a big pce? with exactly 3 bedrooms? it was probably a coincidence...

  "Oh my! You really out did yourself with the choice of your room for the small stay here in New York!" Maya excimed with fttery

  "I guess its alright..." i mutter under my breath pouting slightly.

  He does not respond to Maya's comment and casually walks to the secluded bar area in his living area. "What would you dies like?" He asks in his low voice. As he reaches upwards and pces a rock gss gently on the counter. He drops 3 ice cubed that were shaped like spheres and then pours Jack Daniels.

  I never drank alcohol. I am a very good girl, i must tell you this though, that at times i sip wine when things get hard to deal with. Being a Elementary School Teacher with PTSD was not for the weak. And it also was a habit i seemed to have gotten from my Ex.

  "Cra, right?" his cunning smile hidden behind the mask of fake innocence and shyness. I nod confused slightly. "we have math together" he points at the time table that i kept attached behind my ID. It made things convenient that way.

  During dispersal i walked out alone, i guess that came naturally from having the reputation of the trending crime case all over the news. Though my identity was anonymous to the whole of america. Yet people in my area had a curiosity towards other peoples nightmares.

  "Cra!" the same guys voice from earlier called out my name from behind. I caught how people stopped talking around me and looked towards Sam. He pants slightly as he looks at me breathless from sprinting from his css to me, but he was grateful he caught up to me.

  "Let me walk you home-"

  "Orphanage." i correct him as i readjust my grip of my bag that now seemed heavier on my shoulders suddenly.

  His eyes feigned Sympathy "I'm sorry" he apologised reaching out to touch my shoulder. And unlike usual i let him. Maybe because i felt alone before he started his small interactions with me. And i did not want to set boundaries and push him away eventually. I did not want to be alone. Though i never understood why people apologised for the death of my parents. Like why should you feel sorry?

  Shouldn't My Father feel sorry for hitting Mother when i was little? And shouldn't My Mother feel sorry for killing Father and herself to leaving me all alone to face the reality of her actions? Though i do not hate her for killing my father but i do feel hurt knowing she did not think of me. Not even for a second.

  I nod pstering a small smile to not seem rude. I was a hell of a peoples pleaser.

  Months have passed, Sam and I have had a very distinct restionship. throughout which he made me feel and seem less than him and how i was not anything more than the ashes of My Mother's sins not washed away. He made me feel like shit. But it was too te for me to run away.

  Not because i loved him too much, i mean sure i felt something for him though he had killed most of it himself, but i didnt leave him because....

  His voice erupts suddenly as he enters the empty cssroom during lunch "Cra! I thought i had made it very clear from the start that i do not want to see you talking to Rebecca."

  I blink for a second "But shes the only friend i have-" i stand up from my seat trying to brush over the fact that i had a tendency to flinch when voices got loud. My therapist told me it was because my parents would yell loudly for the smallest of issues.

  "Do you want me or your dumb bestfriend?" he spat out as his cold eyes lock onto mine. His steps louder on the floor as he walked towards me. "You stay with her and soon you will end up like her! Have you seen the way she clings to guys?"

  "Those are her elder brothers friends. They all practically grew up together-"

  "You're defending her? Well it doesnt surprise me that you love the attention too" His gaze darkens with no remorse in them.

  "Sam how could you-"

  "Because I know how you are!" he yells loud enough for people outside the cssroom to hear guessing from the way kids tried peaking inside the room.

  He gres at them as they flick their heads the other way.

  "Sam I-"

  TWACK! A sharp pain on my left cheek which was slightly chubby, now had redness due to my sensitive skin. My hand falls on my cheek to soothe it. But i do not know what hurts more. Him spping me or the memories of Father doing the same to Mother.

  "You dare ask me questions? Doubt my loyalty? Maybe because you are a whore yourself and can't believe i am nothing like you!" he spat on her face after he delivers a sharp sp again on her cheek. I was so sure i could see her blood clot on her cheek.

  I remained sitting quietly on the floor as tears streamed down my soft face. "Mama..." A 4 year old Cra shivered in fear.

  With that my father left the room after grabbing his car keys. He was probably going to go out for another round of booze. Slowly the smell of cigarettes faded outside as Mother had kept the window open.

  She took slow steps towards me, her hair scattered on her face making it less visible to me. Her hand reaches out from behind her as she held a knife "Turn Cra." her voice held the usual Creulty when she used me as a way to vent her pain by causing my pain.

  My mother was a undiagonsed Sadist.

  After 10 minutes of torture she walked back to the kitchen to clean the blood from her knife. Till this day i have scars on my back as a ghost haunting me each day everytime i looked at myself in the mirror.

  "Cra!" Gabriel's voice brings me back to reality. "I asked if you wanted to drink something too." My eye fall on Maya who was drinking a premixed cocktail as she scrolled mindlessly on Tiktok.

  I look back at Gabriel "Ah... Sorry I just bnked out" embarrassed I look at the floor.

  "Are you Alright?" His tone remained neutral though with something rough hidden beneath all that facade. His eyes locked onto mine like he wasn't going to give up asking me.

  I gulp slightly and he notices. Suddenly his mask goes back on his face. The almost concern returns to a emotionless robot expression. "Rosé?" He asks as he reaches out to grab a wine gss much like he knew I would say yes.

  "That would be nice." I smile awkwardly.

  Gabriel's change in behaviour did not go unnoticed by me. Even though I have been interacting with him for only a few hours, I tend to notice everything in his body nguage even the small bits he shows rarely. He withdrew himself when he figured that a certain question was not professional. But his slips ups revealed more of his true self. But I didn't know him enough to make wild assumptions. Not yet.

  He hands me the wine gss as I take it, our fingers brush against eachother. Something was very different about Gabriel. Not just something, everything about Gabriel tends to catch me off-guard. I try to py it off and make my way on the couch beside Maya.

  "Cra! Look at him!! Isn't he so hot?!" Her eyes lit up as she double tapped repeatedly.

  My eyes were locked to the screen of her phone that had a Shirtless Man with a Ghost face mask on. He held up a fake knife and titled his head looking at the camera matching the audio of the video.

  He has a lean, sculpted build. More toned than Muscur. Not bulky but so defined. A small mole sat just beneath his left nipple, barely noticeable. My lips were slightly parted as I focused on his mole. I didn't even realise I did that, not until a CLINK! sound distracted me and Maya.

  A subtle tension in the jaws of Gabriel. "Rest now." His voice rougher and his grip on the gss he pced down was tighter. "Our trip will be Tomorrow at 9 in the morning." His eyes slightly darker as he tried to compose himself. He turns at his feet making his way back to his room. The door shuts with a little more sound than necessary.

  "That was weird." I mumble under my breath and Maya catches it.

  "Very much." That was the least amount of words she spoke, So naturally I turn my head to look at her now.

  "Is something wrong?" I ask cautiously.

  "No. Just lost in thoughts." Her tone suggested she was thinking about something deeply. But this was so unlike her usual goofiness. Or maybe I'm just overanalyzing things now.

  I nod as I stand up now before sipping some wine. It had a sweet and dry taste to it. I prefer Wine over any other alcoholic beverages. It kept things cssy that way.

  "I should go get some sleep." Maya stood abruptly. Which was weird because she didn't sleep past 1 a.m. and right now it was 10 p.m..

  "Right now?" I raise an eyebrow taken aback.

  "Yeah..." Her voice trailed "And besides we have a flight to catch tomorrow." She tried to fake her usual self, I caught the act but didn't say anything about it.

  "Right." I nod "Goodnight then." I look at her as she nods at me and walks to her room.

  I don't take much time and grab my phone and the winegss entering inside my room. I pce them both on the bedside stand as I enter the bathroom.

  After a while I walk out the shower with my hair damped wet and a towel wrapped around my body. I sat on the bed after wrapping my hair too. I apply my favourite body lotion little by little patiently all over my legs and arms. Then I slip into my PJ's

  TING!

  I walk to the bed as I fall on it exhausted from the day and grab my phone. A notification from the same guy who texted me before. I knew he'd text again.

  Unknown: What are you doing, Amor?

  Me: How much does a Gun cost?

  Unknown: Pn on doing something bad, Love?

  Me: Stick to one nickname.

  Unknown: You fit all the definitions yet no word has been made to describe you.

  Me: anyways... How much for a gun?

  Unknown: lol you seem impatient for one.

  Me: Sooner the better. Gets the job done quick.

  Unknown: gun for what exactly?

  Me: To shoot you. So that you stop texting me.

  Unknown: ??

  I stare at my screen completely taken aback. Did he just send me a pink heart emoji after I threatened to kill him? What was he on? My phone tings again at his message.

  Unknown: I'd still haunt your soul, dragging you to the depths of hell with me.

  Me: So you're aware you'd end up there? Self awareness suits you more than I thought.

  Unknown: And your Light pink PJ's suit you too.

  I freeze reading that. I look around terrified slightly gripping onto my bnkets. How did he know that? Isn't this pce supposed to be the safest? Because it's a VIP lounge for Gabriel? There was no way someone could barge in or even peek through the window because this one was beneath the parking area secluded and had heavy security.

  My fingers tremble slightly but before I could click send he messages me.

  Unknown: It was just a wild guess, Love.

  Me: that was too accurate to be one.

  Unknown: I tend to guess things right when it comes to you.

  Me: How?

  Unknown: You've caught my eye for almost a year now, Love. You bet I know everything about you.

  That did not make me feel any better. Rather it made me realise how little cautious I was though my guard was usually up and alert.

  Me: Are you unemployed? Cz damn you need a job.

  Unknown: My new job is looking after you.

  Me: I don't need your babysitting.

  Unknown: okay you could keep my baby though??

  The audacity he had. But I wasn't going to give him the reaction he wanted.

  Me: How old? Charges may vary on how long you return by.

  The message is seen but not replied. After few seconds he texts back.

  Unknown: Is this your way of rolepying, Love? I will not resist indulging??

  This bitch. No matter what I said, it didn't matter to him. Because he always found a way to make it worse. I turn off the lights and switch my phone off irritated as my hands push it upwards to the stand.

  I close my eyes as I let out a sigh. My Life's changing so quickly, I have no time to catch up with it. I don't know if I'm scared or love the adventure.

  Gabriel walking to his room incident repyed in my head. Why did he act like that?