Carbon: Devil's Rose #8

Chapter 9: Gabriella Jordan

I wasn't lying to Roman. It was definitely hot. I didn't feel the need to lie to him about that apparently. I didn't know that would be the first thing I said to him after he reacted to Lucas' words. I thought it would be a thank you but instead, my brain was like "No, you're going to say something a little more fucked up." 

He was stunned, to say the least. I think that was the funniest part about the whole scenerio. Not that much of it was funny, but if anything, the wide-eyed expression on his face made me feel so much better. So did the beating up of Lucas, but it feels weird to admit that. 

He didn't do anything to Lily. She told me that she was feeling panic attack prone the whole day and being alone with Lucas sent her over the edge, not because of anything he did, just because he was a man and she was alone with him. 

I can understand that. I'm not as anxiety-prone as Lily is but being alone with a man can be scary.

However, now that I'm back at work with her, and she has someone there, she's feeling less at risk of another panic attack. Our other coworker didn't show up due to a family emergency, and Lily thought she could handle it alone, so that's why everything happened. 

But it's all good now. Lily is feeling better, and Lucas has most definitely been scared off. Lucas can be a jackass, clearly, but I honestly forgive him for it. I know I shouldn't, and I know Roman would call me a dumbass for forgiving him, but we had a rough relationship. 

It wasn't just one of us causing problems, it was both of us and thank goodness we were big enough to admit that. We just weren't right for one another. I have said some shit to him after some drunk nights, so I'm not surprised that he wanted to get the final word in. 

Roman will have something to say about that tonight I'm sure. I wasn't expecting him to react so violently either.

What was even going through his head? Anything at all?

"Hey, Gabby, it's five," Lily calls out to me from across the room.

I was so lost in thought, I didn't realize that it was time to close. I place the book organization project I was working on 'on hold' - pun most definitely intended - and start to help Lily with closing. 

We turn off the lights except for the one by the door on the porch, and Lily offers to drive me home because I decided to walk this morning, thinking that I would have been walking home in the middle of the day, not toward the evening time. 

I take up her offer for many reasons but mainly because it's safer, and we chat in the car about Lucas and how he tried to console her while she was freaking out. She doesn't try that hard to hide the blush on her face. 

That would be an interesting matchup. He may have changed slightly though. Not my circus, not my monkey. I wouldn't be mad about it if they decided to go on a date or something.

It could be cute.

I say thank you to her before walking up the five flights of stairs to my apartment, passing Jack, my neighbor's boyfriend in the hallway. He waves at me, but I only acknowledge him with a nod, not wanting to be too friendly. 

The vibes are off with him sometimes. I just don't want to have to deal with it. I could always ask Roman to beat him up for me. Too early? Maybe that was too early.

I close my apartment door behind me and step over my mess on the floor to get to my bedroom. I should clean more. I'm not a super messy person but throughout the week, all my stuff seems to pile up in the entryway to my apartment (which isn't a good look) and I don't pick it up until Saturday or Sunday when it's just going to get messy all over again.