D U S K ✔

Chapter Twenty-Three

{AN} --- Okay, so this week has been very special for me. Firstly, I've finished my exams so I'm buzzing and I have the longest summer ever meaning I'm hopefully going to actually finish this book.

Secondly, and more importantly, we reached 100,000 reads this week! How did that even happen? I remember writing about having 1,000 reads and being so proud. So, I want to thank you all, everyone has been so supportive and kind, you guys never fail to amaze me or make me happy and for that I want to thank you all. You guys are amazing! I love you all so much! 

Here's a super long chapter for you all! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have a great day! XD

[UNEDITED]

  "Hello?" I turned away from Rob and began sauntering back into the church.

  I heard a stifled cough on the other line, "Is this Gabrielle?"

  Halting my footsteps, I stopped in my tracks. Pondering for a moment, "Who's asking?" I returned, cautiously.

  "It's Jimmy, from the Diner. Am I speaking to Gabrielle?"

  For an odd reason, a sickening taste invaded my mouth; all the air escaped from my lungs, clogging my throat.

  "Yeah, it's me. What's happened-"

  Hearing a groan on the other side of the phone, I slowly moved back down onto the bench. "It's Adam, I need you to come pick him up."

The bitter taste left my mouth, but a dark cloud suddenly hung above me, placing a dampen on my mood. "Why?" I snapped.

I heard another groan, "His parents can't see him like this, they won't like it."

  "Like what?"

  I heard shuffling on the other side again, "Just come get him."

  "I don't owe him anything, I'm busy, I have plans." I looked longingly back to the place where Rob once stood, sighing at the inconvenience. It wasn't much of a lie, more so that it was just parts of the truth twisted. I did have plans, albeit, they weren't exactly plans, it was more just helping my dad with the church, maybe doing some baking, and then watching reruns of Friends.

  A typical Sunday.

  "You owe me. If you want to bring up loans," he scoffed, "you never paid me for those milkshakes, Gabrielle."

  I shook my head, bewildered. Of course I didn't pay, Adam was basically dying on the floor. "That's unfair."

  "That's life."

  "I don't even know where he lives." I released a gust of air, rubbing my temple, as Jimmy's excited voice burst through the other end, spurting out a contorted jumble of words, forming an address.

  Peering down at my phone after ending the call, I plodded towards the nearest bus stop, with a heavy weight squashing my stomach, I waited.

  The journey to Adam's house was definitely one I had never taken before, in fact, it was in the part of town I hadn't even seen nor stepped foot onto in my entire life. For a moment, as I watched as the houses trek past me, blurred with the smudges on the glass, all the while growing in size and wealth, I wondered what it would be like to life a life of luxury. A life like Adam lived.