GUILTY (Gabe's Trials)

We all go a little crazy sometimes

"Jules?" My friend's voice came from the other side of the door making me jump slightly while buttoning up my shirt. "Hey, you're in there?" Running a trembling hand through my blond waves, I quickly spun around, opening the bathroom door and found myself facing both Lila and her son. My eyes teared up at the sight of little Joshy smiling around his pacifier while his little hands fumbled with his mother's golden necklace, the unwelcome thought of my incapacity to have any children of my own coming to mind once more. "Are you ok?" My friend suddenly asked, making me look away from her. I was not ok.

"Fine. Did you bring it?" Lila smiled while extending her hand to me, the keys of my Mazda resting in the center of her palm. 

"I still don't think it's a good idea for all it matters. He's gonna go ballistic, Jules. You know that." Yes, I knew that indeed, but to be honest, I didn't really care about it. I was way past reasoning with Gabriel Shaffer.

"I'm not going home with him, Lila. I can't go back there." She gave me a sad smile while trying to untangle her son's hands from her necklace. 

"And I'm not saying you should. I just... I think you should talk to him." Giving a little shake of my head, I turned on my heels and reached for my bag. I had already tried to talk to him. I'd tried that for a whole fucking week.

"Each time I brought it up, he just scowled at me, saying it's not up for discussion." A small, incredulous laugh went past Lila's lips, making me squeeze my eyes shut for a moment. "Look! He wants to take me back to the mansion and he just doesn't take no for an answer. For fuck's sake, he even talked dad into turning against me so don't tell me I should talk to him." Her lips formed an incredulous grimace, my friend barely containing herself.

"What did he tell him?" I frowned, my eyes frantically scanning the room for my shoes.

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't there. The bastard made sure to get dad alone first and then did the talking." I watched as her eyes went wide with shock, mine then scanning the room for my shoes again and finding them next to the door. "Where is he, Lila?" I asked as my hands made quick work of the laces of my black Converse. Immediately going back into business mode, she gave me a sharp nod of her head before speaking again.

"He went home to take a shower and get everything ready for your arrival. I would hurry if I were you though. He'll most likely be back soon." Briefly nodding my head at her, I gave my friend a small smile before heading for the door. 

"Once he's back, make sure you keep him here at least until I get to my car." I said while looking back over my shoulder and catching a glimpse of a very confused Lila. If I wasn't in such a hurry I would've probably stopped and took a picture of her, but not now. At the moment I needed to hurry and get the hell out of the damned hospital I'd spent way too much time in already. 

"Jules, wait! How the fuck am I supposed to do that? Jules!" Little Joshy's shrill whine was the last thing I'd heard as my feet took me away from my friend and towards the exit. 

$$$

The hallway was full of people bustling around and I found myself stopping to asses my surroundings for a moment. A hand gently touched my arm the moment somebody softly pushed me out of the way, the motion sending the sports bag that currently held all my belongings bumping against my side, pain errupting from the now closed wound that used to be a bullet hole. My body doubled over, my hand going to my stomach in an attempt to stop the nausea that was about to take over me and I thanked God the moment I realised it worked. The pain slowly faded away, my back straightening again as my feet started to move. And then I saw him.

Freshly shaven and wearing what seemed to be a very expensive designer suit, Gabriel made his way through the crowd with no effort whatsoever. It was simply as if he owned the motherfucking place. As if people were just stepping out of his way, granting him easy access to my room. My throat closed in on me, my body liquefying as his leather shoes screached on the floor. He was coming exactly my way and unless I thought of something fast, he was also going to see me, making it impossible for me to make my escape. I was so fucked.