Depend On Me

Home (1)

Chapter 9: Home (1)

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“You really are an optimist, aren’t you?” Elizabeth remarked. “If I were in your shoes I wouldn’t be as calm as you are right now…”

“Well if you were to get robbed you actually would have something to lose… While my apartment was filled with junk anyways… Nothing really valuable or important to me…” Gabriel explained, he leaned back on the sofa and relaxed. “I think Lexi knew that I wouldn’t care if she took everything away… That’s probably why she did it…”

“You really are… a strange guy…” Elizabeth remarked, somehow in the man’s eyes there was no resentment, he didn’t seem to have any bad feelings towards the person that wronged him. “How long have you two been together?”

“We were together for a bit… Then broke up… maybe a year ago? Or even more than that, I can’t remember anymore. The relationship we had with each other was never so important to any of us…” Gabriel said as he looked down at his lap. “It was mostly a physical relationship but she never liked me… Maybe I didn’t like her either… that’s why we were fine with living together despite breaking up.”

“Wait, so you continued to live with your ex girlfriend for so long?!” Elizabeth was shocked to say the least. “I don’t think… I’d be able to do something like that…”

“Well, neither of us had anywhere else to go, nor the money to move out so we just stayed together and split the rent ever since we broke up…” Gabriel said as he looked up at the woman. ‘Why does she look so worried about me? Did I say something wrong? Damn… she’s far too pretty…’ He couldn’t help but think to himself as he watched the woman’s saddened expression.

“That must have been harsh…” Elizabeth felt sympathy for the man that didn’t have much in his life and got robbed on top off all that. Without a place to stay and without a girlfriend… it all seemed to pile up on top of the man like rocks.

“It wasn’t that difficult really, we didn’t see each other at all since our schedules were so different. Then soon after she brought in a new boyfriend of hers and we started living the three of us there. Which also wasn’t bad since he too was out whenever she was…” Gabriel tried to make the situation seem just a little bit better. He was happy the woman was empathetic to him but he didn’t want to sadden her so.

“Did you ever think of getting back together with her?” Elizabeth asked as she sat down on the sofa next to him. Maybe it was from the little wine she’d drank that night but somehow her eyes seemed to be watery as if she was going to cry just by listening to the man’s replies.

“No… When we broke up, it was once and for all. Both of us knew it was going nowhere and we both accepted it.” Gabriel said as he put his palm on the woman’s face and brushed away a tear from her eye with his thumb. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to say anything-” He was interrupted.

“Ah… don’t worry about this… just my contacts have moved a bit and my eyes aren’t appreciating it.” Elizabeth said as she pulled up a mirror and began fixing them.

“I didn’t know you wear contacts?” Gabriel remarked as he watched the woman fix them. ‘f**k me… I just did something unnecessary, didn’t I? But… I did touch her face… that should count as a win? Shouldn’t it… no… no… don’t think about things like that…’ The man’s mind was a complete mess as he contemplated what to do or say next.

“Ah… well… I’m trying to hide my eye color a bit…” Elizabeth said as she removed her brown eye contacts. “Look, my eyes underneath are pitch black… haha… many people say they look really scary so I usually wear these brown ones to… you know…”

“……..” Gabriel stood there looking into the woman’s eyes with a mouth nearly agape.

“Sorry… I probably shouldn’t have shown you-” This time Elizabeth was the one interrupted.

“No, just… your eyes are… really pretty…” Gabriel said as he leaned a bit closer to the woman to take a better look. Some might thing this is a way for him to try and flirt with her but that wasn’t it… He genuinely found the woman’s eyes to be beautiful.

“Huh?” Elizabeth couldn’t move in that moment. She stood there stunned as the other observed her eyes. ‘W-why… is he so focused…’ She wondered to herself. While the man was leaning in, she could clearly smell his cologne and the faint scent of her cigars that stuck to Gabriel while they were outside the restaurant. It felt strange to her and a bit uncomfortable.

“Just as I thought… your eyes are like black marble, they really suit you…” Gabriel said as he leaned back again and smiled.

“W-what do you mean?” Elizabeth stuttered a bit, which was something she never usually did. Because she never lost her cool in front of anyone… then yet this was the first time anyone’s ever complemented her eyes as well… The eyes she hated all so very much…

“Well black marble represents power, strength, seriousness and elegance. I’d say that suits you better than anyone else I know.” Gabriel said with a smile on his face. It wasn’t an empty compliment either, those words that left his lips were his true perception of the other person.

“I… have to go to bed… It’s getting really late…” Elizabeth said as she stood up from the sofa and headed to her room.

“You’re right, I’ll go sleep as well. Goodnight.” Gabriel said as he went back to his own room and the woman went to her own room. That night… Elizabeth was the only one having trouble sleeping due to her racing heart…