31. Veronica
Chapter thirty-one
Veronica
Stay out...
After dinner, Gabe and I make our way home. I’m a little antsy in my seat as I try to call Noah for the millionth time today. And once again, it goes to voicemail. I don’t bother leaving one, since he hasn’t responded to all the others I’ve left.
Gabe takes my hand in his, kissing the back of it. “I’m sure he’s fine. But we’ll need to get a handle on this soon, with training camp starting up next month. He needs to get back in shape.”
“I know… I’m thinking of booking him an appointment with my therapist. That’s if he would ever come home.” I chew my lip.
With everything that’s been going on with Victor, I’ve started seeing Dr. Hallaway every two weeks, instead of only once a month. I might seem and feel fine, but I’m not dumb. I know this whole situation is affecting me deep down, and the stuff happening with Noah is just adding onto it.
Gabe’s phone begins to ring through the cab, the word ‘Lobby’ appearing on the display screen of the car. He frowns as he looks down at it but answers the call. “Yes?”
“Hello, Mr. Ellis. This is Antoine, from the front desk. I’m sorry to be bothering you this late into the evening, but we seem to have a situation.”
My mind immediately jumps to Noah and every worst-case scenario that could have happened. And with the way Gabe’s eyes flick to mine, I know his did too. “I’m listening. What’s the situation?”
“There’s a woman down here in the lobby asking to see you. We haven’t let her up to the penthouse since she isn’t on the guest list, but she’s becoming agitated and causing a commotion. I’m afraid we will have to call the authorities.”
“What’s her name?” Gabe asks the man on the phone.
“She claims to be a Mrs. Courtney Ellis.”
Gabe’s swallow is audible as he leans his head back against the seat. “Tell her that I’ll be there in five minutes. If she causes another scene before I arrive, you have my permission to call the police.”
“Very well, sir. We’ll notify her.”
“Thank you.” Gabe ends the call and lets out a sigh.
I’m afraid to ask, because I have a feeling I already know the answer, and I don’t know if I’m prepared for it. “Who is she?”
He turns to look at me as we pull into the underground parking lot. “My mother.”
Gabe pulls up in his spot, and I notice Noah’s car still isn’t here, despite me pleading with him not to take it when he’s drinking. Gabe turns the engine off and simply sits in his seat for a minute, eyes closed, not saying a word.
I bring my hand up and cup his cheek. “Hey, do you want me to go up there and throw her out?” I don’t even understand how she’s here. Gabe told me his parents still lived in Colorado from what he last heard.
He smiles. “No, it’s okay. I knew this would happen eventually. I think it’s time I face them and end this for good.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?” I ask softly.
“Please?”
I lean in, cupping his other side as well and delicately pressing my lips to his. “Anything for you, Gabriel.”
We pull apart as he takes my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist. “I thought that was my saying?” He smiles.
“I think it works both ways.” I smile back.
He takes another minute for himself, then we exit the car and head up to the lobby. The second we exit the elevator, a shrill voice pierces through the room. “This is unacceptable! Call him up right now and tell him he can’t keep me waiting like this! I did not drive all this way for nothing!”
“Ma’am, please, I’m going to ask you to calm down. He—”
“What are you doing here, Courtney?” Gabe asks as we step closer to the deranged-looking woman.
She whips around, greasy long blonde hair almost slapping her in the face as she swivels. “Finally!” She flaps her arms at her sides, then takes quick, hurried steps toward us.
“I asked you a question.” Gabe stops a few feet away from her, holding my hand.
She comes up even closer, looking up at him from her short height. Gabe clearly gets his height from someone else. “Is that any way to speak to your mother!?”
His jaw ticks, but he stays calm. “You aren’t my mother.”
“Bullshit!” she spits with anger in her eyes. “I fucking carried you for nine god-awful months. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here!” She points a finger in his face, and on instinct, I slap it away.
“Don’t fucking touch him.”
Her intoxicated eyes turn to me with clear disgust, a reddish tint over the sclera, and fully dilated pupils. Clearly high. “Who the hell is this tramp?” Her gaze turns back to Gabe. “Is she the reason you’ve been ignoring us? You always did act like a wimp for every woman who spread her legs.”
Oh, I am about to lose it on this woman! I take a step closer, but Gabe puts his arm to stop me. “That’s enough. Either you tell me why you’re here or get the fuck out.”
She fists her hands at her sides, nostrils flaring. She sniffs and lifts her hand to wipe her nose, then looks from side to side like a paranoid woman who’s being watched. “They took your father. I don’t know where he is,” she whispers harshly.
Gabe frowns but with little care. Good, they don’t deserve his pity. “Who?”
“The people we owe money to! Who else do you think, stupid boy!” she hisses.
“Watch your tone because I’m seconds away from slapping you,” I growl like a lioness protecting her king.
“Don’t fucking talk to me, little girl! You have no place here,” she says, trying to sound threatening, but it comes out anything but.
“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Gabe says, trying to defuse the tension. A clear reminder that he doesn’t like altercations, at least not the ones involving him.
“It’s your fault they came to get him! If you had just sent us the money you owe us, we wouldn’t be in this mess! I couldn’t stay there. I had to get out before they came back for me.”
“And you thought by showing your face here, I’d give it to you?” He scoffs.
“YOU FUCKING OWE US!”
He takes a step closer to her, and she instantly cowers. “I don’t owe you shit!” he says through clenched teeth, then takes a step back. “We’re done here. Get out and don’t come back.” He turns his back to her, still holding my hand, and walks us toward the elevators.
“I’m going to make you fucking pay for this! You’ll see! I should have fucking killed you the moment I found out about you!”
My patience snaps. I rip my hand out of Gabe’s, turn and march over to her so quickly, she doesn’t have time to react. Pulling my fist back, I smash it against her face, feeling something crack from the powerful punch. I bring my fist to my chest, cradling it, then shaking it out with a hiss.
Courtney stumbles back with a scream, falling to the floor as she clutches her face with both hands, blood already pissing from her nose. “YOU BITCH! YOU brOKE MY NOSE!”
“Threaten him again, and it won’t just be your nose,” I snarl above her.
“So you can threaten me, but I can’t?!” She wipes the blood away from her face with a glare, spreading it everywhere.
“Oh, hun, that wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.” I smile wickedly and turn around to find Gabe smiling proudly at me a few steps away. I reach him, taking his hand with my uninjured one, and kiss him passionately.
When we pull apart, he looks over to the front desk, where Antoine stands a little shocked, yet holds a small, satisfied smile. “If she doesn’t leave on her own within the next two minutes, call the cops. I’m sure they’ll be happy to pick her up.”
We head into our elevator and jump each other like wild animals the second the doors close. Once in the penthouse, our clothes leave a trail from the foyer to the couch, where Gabe lays me down and fucks me with fierce passion into oblivion.
Two hours later, when the movie we’re watching ends, Gabe yawns and looks at his phone. I lift my head from his shoulder and kiss his cheek. “You can go to bed if you’re tired. It’s okay.”
“Are you sure? I’ll admit that after the events in the lobby, I’m a little beat. But I can wait up a little longer with you.” He cups my cheek, stroking it with his thumb.
“No, baby, go to bed. I’m gonna head in as well.” I stand and grab my phone from the side table, waking the screen to see if I have a message from Noah. It blinks back at me empty, and my heart cracks a little more.
Gabe lifts from the couch and takes me in his arms. “He’ll come home.”
“I hope you’re right…”
We turn off the lights in the penthouse and head upstairs, hand in hand.
Once on the landing, he brings me to Noah’s door and opens it.
His fingers slide through my hair as he pulls me in, tilting my head back and capturing my lips between his.
I melt against him, hands fisting his shirt, a soft moan falling from my lips as he swallows it up.
“Thank you, Vixen,” he whispers against me.
“You never need to thank me, Gabriel. I’ll do anything for you.” I kiss him again.
“Anything for you,” he repeats.
I lean back, staring into his vibrating grayish-blue eyes. “Anything.”
He smiles lovingly, pressing his lips one last time to mine. “Goodnight, my beautiful queen.”
“Goodnight, Gabriel.”
I step into the room and close the door behind me, heading into the ensuite to brush my teeth and clean my face.
Once I’m done, I turn off all the lights and climb into bed with my phone in hand as I lie on my side.
Facing where Noah should be sleeping with the cover tucked under my chin, I dial his number one last time and bring the phone up to my ear.
“This is Adler. Leave a message.” It doesn’t even ring, sending me straight to voicemail.
“Hey, babe. I was just wondering where you were…. I’m worried about you… we all are…” I sniffle as the tears begin to run freely down my cheeks. “I miss you… please come home, Noah… please.” I end the call, throwing my phone down on his pillow and curling into a ball as I cry into my pillow.