CHAPTER 38. Breaking Down
1611 Words
Gabriel connected their foreheads with closed eyes. Remembering the remarkable moments they have shared on the island.
"I thought you’ll wait for me?" Gabriel calmly started staring at her baby blue eyes, but Crystal kept her gaze diverted away from his.
"You should have looked for me when you arrived in Creekwood. Tell me, why are you here? What happened to you?" He continually inquired, holding both of her hands as he also squeezed them gently.
"I've been looking for you. I came back, I saw your ruined cabin on the island and thought that something bad might happen to you. I even waited for you until sunset, but none of you came. I am so scared and worried about you, Crystal." He told her sincerely and about to hug the lady but Crystal pushed him away.
"Liar. Don't touch me." Crystal retorted, looking at him sharply.
"What?" Confused by her words.
"Don’t you hear me? I said you're a liar. You shouldn't even have to come back to the island because even if we met each other there, I will not let you fool me again. I hate you and I regret knowing you. I shouldn't have trusted you. How I wish to erase every single memory I have with you because I hate you, Gabriel." Crystal disappointedly hissed at him as she quickly wiped the tears falling on her face.
"Crystal? What are you talking about?" looking at her eyes with his gentle ones, trying to figure out where her hatred is coming from. He raised his hands to touch her face, but Crystal didn’t let him and nudged his hands away
"I said don't touch me! Stay away from me!" Crystal cried and reached for the doorknob, but Gabriel grabbed her, pinning her back to the wall.
"No, I'm taking you out of here. Do your parents even know that you are working in this kind of place?” turning away, Gabriel grabbed his coat that was hanging on the couch and about to cover her but she quickly jerked her body to avoid his gestures. That’s when Gabriel's eyes turned into his fierce ones.
"What is wrong with you!? Why? Are you enjoying it here now?" He madly presumes.
"Very. I enjoyed every second in here until you came and ruined everything," she retorted in a hostile way, without breaking her stare this time. Gabriel sneered and took a few steps backward.
“Lotus. So, you are Lotus.” examining her entire body, covered with a red shimmering mini dress that barely reaches half of her thigh while showing off her body to the crowd of men and dancing enticingly on the stage. Gabriel clenches his fist tightly while imagining lots of shameful things she may have done during her work in the strip club.
“You disgust me, I never thought you could do this.”
“I don’t care. I’m not even asking for your opinion.” Still, in a haughty expression, Crystal responded and tried to walk away, but again, Gabriel didn’t let her go.
“I’m not done with you!” grabbing her arm with a ruthless pressure
“I’m sorry, mister. But you are not my customer for tonight. If you want, you can settle your schedule with Margaux. Then, I would gladly serve you when it’s your turn.” Crystal pissed him off even more with a smirk.
Gabriel pressed his lips in anger while his eyes glowed with a savage fire as they gaze at each other intently until later on, he gives up. Slowly, he released her arm and let Crystal go out of the room.
“Crystal,” he whispered her name as he watched her getting away.
"Why?" He slumped his body, feeling defeated by the reality that Crystal wasn't the one he used to know before on the Island of Caro.
Crystal quickly ran out of the room, going back to the dressing, and there Rose welcomed her.
"Look who's back, it's Lotus! I'm surprised at how you manage to take care of two men in a single night." She mocked her. Crystal stayed put in her spot, not wanting to argue with the lady since she is already used to her mocking and hissed ever since she came and be Margaux’s angel.
"I wonder what spell you used to make them crazy for you. Tell me, what is your secret?" Walking closer to Crystal then flicked her hair, also tracing her fingers on the skin of her arm.
"Don't touch me," Crystal warned her with a piercing look.
"Or else what? Taking a handsome guest away from me again? How desperate of you, Lotus. Why? Are you that hurt when Jayson left you behind? So pathetic." Rose continues walking around her, but Crystal just ignores Rose and continues walking away from her, straight to the locker area. Rose irritatingly sighed and crossed her arms in front of her.
"Well, let's see when Margaux already sends you to Sebastian. This might be your last night in Mi Paraiso, Lotus. Good luck!" Smirking maliciously, and turned away.
Crystal changes her outfit into her casual one and is ready to go back to her safe quarter. But while on the road, Crystal still could not recognize what just happened earlier. Would she be thankful that nothing bad happened to her, or would she feel unlucky for meeting Gabriel in that horrible place?
"Looking for me? Why would he even do that?" She dramatically mumbled and quickly wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes.
"Rachel would be furious when she learns her fiance went to that kind of place." She sighed, remembering her beloved cousin again and how she and her father treated her during her grandfather’s funeral.
When she arrived at her hidden shack, she immediately changed her clothes to dress and took some snacks to eat from the cabinet.
"He disgusts me, huh? What about him kissing Rose?" She unbelievably remarked while putting some crackers on her mouth as her tears continued shedding down to her cheeks.
"Then kissing Rachel afterward, unbelievable!" She huffed.
"I hate you." She muttered with her full mouth while gawking at the dark sky outside the window. But later on, the emotions that she keeps on suppressing since the moment she saw him at the club overpower her as she suddenly bursts into tears, dropping her head down on the table.
She is crying hard and can't even comprehend the feelings she has inside her heart. Being alone for months doesn't even make her strong. Instead, it is making her vulnerable every day and second of her life. She even came to a point of finally giving up, but realizing that her parents could still be alive somewhere is giving her the courage to swim up to the surface and to breathe again.
Dark is just an understatement to describe how her life is now.
"Mom, Dad, I'm badly missing you." She muttered with her shaky voice while tearing excessively.
Crystal spends hours crying until the light from the sky shows up and gradually spreads around. Her tears badly swelled her eyes while her body felt weak all over, but she had no excuse not to dip her body into the water.
*****
Crystal is not feeling well and decided not to go to work tonight. Her body was shivering with the chills she was feeling as she changed her clothes to dry ones and laid down on the bed. She wrapped her entire body with the blanket to ease the cold she is feeling all over while her skin was hotter than a normal temperature. She closed her eyes and her soul quickly pulled into a deep slumber, which she obediently heeded.
Silence surrounds the night, as usual, hearing only the breeze from the sea and some humming insects around. Until an unusual sound suddenly occurred in her dark chamber, but unfortunately, she was feeling so drowsy to recognize the noise. Slowly, she moved and tried to look around with her weary eyes.
"Don't move." A man's voice suddenly uncovers from the quiet darkness. She felt a muscular arm supporting her body while fixing her pillow with the other one.
"Hmm?" She tried to look up, but her eyes were blurry to recognize the person until she tasted something bitter in her mouth.
"Take this, it'll help you feel better." The person said, pushing a tiny bitter pill into her mouth with his fingers and giving her a glass of water which she quickly gulped to ease the horrible taste on her tongue and pushed her back on the bed.
Suddenly, she felt an arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer while providing her body with the temperature she needed. She moved and rolled, snuggling even more inside the warm skin beside her.
The next morning she woke up with a much better feeling. She looked around her crowded room, but nobody else was there anymore. She frowned. Until her eyes narrowed, gazing at the table just a few steps away from the bed where she is. She put both her feet on the ground, then took some steps closer and saw plenty of food on it. There are fruits, a smoking soup in a bowl, and waffles, also a tiny note under an empty mug.
‘I’ll be back later, be well soon.’ is the brief letter written on it.
“Jason?” she muttered unbelievably when she recognized the handwriting.
- Writer
