When I awoke the next day, the first thing I noticed was the pain, I groaned as I attempted to lift myself. As I moved I winced and that's when I noticed the second thing. I could feel something warm and solid underneath me.
I was laid on my side, half of my body draped over another body. A warm body! Gabe's body!
My frozen brain tried to go over the previous night to come up with an explanation.
I went to see my father at the hospice and was ridiculed for being gay and a teacher. Being told I had disappointed him as usual, him hitting me, the hospital visit, calling Gabe, the blonde bimbo, coming to Gabe's house and then…
What happened next? My mind was blank.
I was certain I went to bed alone. He left. I remembered him leaving. So, why was I in bed with him?
The pain resurfaced as I struggled to get up again. I was afraid I would wake him, I didn't want him to see me like this. Quietly, I made it over to the medicine bag and found a bottle of water. I waited for the quick-acting drugs to take effect and then I got changed, grabbed my bag and left.
Despite what the doctor said, I didn't like the idea of someone taking care of me. All my life I've taken care of myself, I wasn't going to allow someone else to do it. Especially not the playboy, who thinks life is just a game.
---
When Mia started dating Matt I was concerned about her associating with Gabe. He was widely known as a playboy throughout college and I had seen him around with so many different girls on his arm. Then after the conversation I overheard, I was even more concerned.
I'd never seen him with a man before, but the fact that he would be so vulgar about something so intimate, just to get a woman to leave him alone didn't sit well with me. Every time I saw him after that just made it worse.
Well ... until after the graduation trip when we went to the beach.
The nightmare hadn't been unusual, of course. I'd sweated so much that I had to rip my shirt off and decided against putting on another. I was shocked to see him still up, he had his phone in his hands so I had assumed he was talking to a conquest.
Without a word, I went out to watch the ocean and he followed me. I expected him to try and talk to me, I knew he'd noticed the scars. However, that night, he had surprised me. He never said a word, just sat with me.
That improved my opinion of him, but not my first impression of him. He was still a playboy, and I knew he couldn't take anything seriously. At least it made interacting with him easier. I knew Mia would dump Matt in a minute if I had an issue with him or his friends. Seeing how head over heels in love with him she had been, I couldn't allow that.
---
As I let myself into my apartment my phone rang, and the caller ID said it was Gabe. Sighing, I answered after the fifth ring.
"Yeah?" I asked groggily, the pain meds were making me sleepy.
"Nate? Where the hell are you? I woke up and you were gone," he sounded concerned and angry.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just wanted to be at home," I told him.
"Send me your address now!" he ordered.
"Gabe, I'll be fine," I sighed. "I've taken my meds, I'll get something to eat and then I'm going to sleep."
"Nate, I am serious! Send me your address!" he was practically shouting now and I didn't have time for it.
"Look Gabe, I'm going to go now. I will talk to you later, ok," I heard him call my name as I ended the call.
He tried calling again but I let it go to voicemail. Then he sent a message. However, I decided to make a sandwich before I read it. My phone pinged again and I sighed before picking up my phone.
'Nate, please send me your address. The doctor was clear that you can't be alone right now.'
I sighed before reading the next one.
'If you don't send me your address, I will ask Mia for it. Bear in mind she will ask why I want to know.'
I hesitated for a second before sending him my address. Sighing, I made my way to my room and laid down. Though I'd given him my address, it didn't mean I was gonna let him in.
----
I was startled out of my sleep by my phone ringing. When I looked at the screen I had about ten missed calls from Gabe and several text messages.
'Open the door, Nate!'
'Are you home? Where could you have gone?'
'Nate, please open the door!'
As I sat up I noticed the sound of banging. I wondered how long he had been standing there and how he could have gotten into the building. The main door was electronically locked and you had to have the passcode to get in.
My phone started to ring as I approached the door, but I ignored it as I opened the door crack. Gabe looked pissed off and concerned. The last emotion threw me.
"What the hell Nate? I've been banging on this door for the better part of an hour!" he shouted.
"Sorry, I was asleep," I apologised.
His face softened slightly but he still looked worried.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. The meds knocked me out for a bit. That's why I said you didn't need to come," I told him.
Gabe tried to step inside but I didn't budge. He eyed me warily.
"Aren't you going to let me in?" he asked.
I sighed and shook my head. When the hurt look passed his face I tried my best to ignore it.
"Sorry, Gabe. I'm really tired and just want to sleep. When I wake up I will be working, I have lots of lesson plans to prepare, ready for the new term," I explained.
His whole body seemed to sag as he sighed and lowered his head. A stab of guilt raced through my heart but I quickly squashed it.
"Nate, I know ..." he started but I stopped him.
"I'm sorry Gabe but I'm going to go back to bed. Thanks for picking me up last night and letting me sleep in your spare room. I'll talk to you later," I said before slowly shutting the door in his face.
I peeked through the peephole to check if he had gone and the look on his face had me confused. He looked like he'd just been rejected by the love of his life. I scoffed at myself.
Gabe had never been in love, his door in college might as well have been a revolving door with the number of girls coming and going. Though, now that I think about it, I don't think I've heard of or seen him with anyone since graduation.
I shook my head and headed back to bed. Maybe a few good hours of sleep will help rid me of this guilty feeling.
----
A week later, the pain was almost gone, I could move about more comfortably and I had stopped taking the pain meds. Now the only proof of what happened was the bruise on my eye and jaw. If it still hadn't faded by the time work started up again I knew how to conceal it. After all, I've had plenty of practice.
Thankfully, a lot of my day was taken up with work and planning which required me to sit for extended periods. So, it meant I could take my mind off my pain and the look on Gabe's face. Ever since I shut the door on him a nagging guilty feeling had been welling up inside me.
I had told him I would talk to him later but what could I say? A small part of me wanted to question the look on his face but another part didn't want to open that can of worms.
After I looked at my phone for the twentieth time that evening I decided I needed to get out for a bit. Normally, I was an indoor cat that loved being alone. However, tonight I felt like I needed to be outside.
The night air was cool and refreshing. My apartment building wasn't that far from the university where Mia and I worked and it was close to the bar that Gabe owned. However, it was in the opposite direction to campus.
Before I realised what was happening I found myself making my way towards his bar. I decided I needed a drink and I convinced myself that was the only reason I was going there.
The bouncer at the door recognised me and let me in ahead of the crowd who all groaned and called out. I smirked as I looked at the pissed-off faces as someone so plain, and clearly not dressed for a club, got in before them. I made my way to the bar and instantly asked if Gabe was here tonight.
Millie, the bar manager, smiled and pointed to his office. Without thinking, I made my way up the stairs. His bar had a typical layout. On the main floor, there was a large dance space with various tables and high tops littered about. The bar hugged one long wall on the opposite side of the entrance. Up the stairs led to a second floor that was more intimate and had its own bar and terrace, with ceiling-to-floor windows. Up the last set of stairs were Gabe's office and the staffroom. There was a security guard that prevented people from going up. Luckily, like the one at the front door, he recognised me too and allowed me to pass.
Ignoring both the bars and the strange looks from the patrons and new staff, I made my way to his office. I was about to knock when I heard shouting coming from inside. I knew it was wrong but I stopped to listen.
"Damn it, Christie! I don't have time for this shit, get out!"
Christie? That name rang a bell, but I couldn't place it.
"Oh come on Gabe, quit playing hard to get. I'm right here you don't need to play anymore."
That voice, I recognised that voice. It was the woman who came with him to pick me up. The one who followed him and got left behind.
I was curious as to why she was here again after he had not so ceremoniously left her stranded at the hospital. Was this woman really that desperate?
"Playing hard to get? Are you kidding? I'm not playing hard to get, it's more like impossible to get!" his voice sounded angry. "Now for the last time, get out!"
"Oh come on baby, you know we can have fun together."
I rolled my eyes at her voice, she really sounded pathetic.
"Oh really?" he asked.
I stilled, it sounded like he was interested and for some reason, I didn't like that. I was about to leave when his next words stopped me.
"What fun could we have together, huh? You don't know anything about me and I don't want to know you. You don't even know my favourite band. You don't know what I like to read. You don't scowl at me the way he does. You don't wear glasses or clothes two sizes too fucking big like he does. You mean nothing to me compared to him!"
It felt like my lungs had frozen. He'd just described me. That holiday at the beach we hadn't just talked about our love for music but also what we liked to read and watch. I scowled at him often enough and wore glasses. I often found him watching me the few times we were in the same room when I was reading.
He, Mia and Matt have all complained about my choice of sizes. I've always worn bigger clothes to hide any lumps and bumps from the beatings, now it was just normal to me. Mia only started complaining because she thought I no longer had anything to do with my father.
I was still frozen to the spot when the door started to open.