20

As the days went on I noticed that Elijah was behaving strangely. He would keep his distance and if I wasn't mistaken, I was sure he was avoiding me. I couldn't pin point why he was trying to distant himself from me, but I didn't like it... not one bit.

Since the day we returned from the hospital, Elijah done nothing but ignore me. I tried not to think much of it but it was becoming tiring. We were doing so well, I did not understand why he was behaving this way. I wanted to address the matter... god knows I wanted to, but I was afraid I would only make it worse. Elijah was like a ticking bomb at times, one wrong move and the entire place will explode.

Not only was Elijah confusing me but I was also confusing myself. I never cared for his attention before... or at least I never voiced it. Yes, I would do things to show I was bored but never have I directly voiced it out to him. Never have I told him directly that I wanted his full attention. I found that I hated Elijah ignoring me. I hated that he was so close, yet so far.

Elijah was no where in sight and I was sure he had went on one of his runs again. He did everything he possibly could to keep me at a distance. He would sleep in the guest room and leave me to myself whenever he was around.

Shaking my head to get rid of the painful thoughts, I went to get started on breakfast. I knew Elijah would not be back until late in the afternoon so I didn't bother to make much. It was Sunday and the bakery would be closed today, leaving me to find something to entertain myself with.

I decided to do some Sunday cleaning, something Gran and me did every Sunday. Always good to start the week off fresh she would say. No matter how bad the past week was she was always in good mood to do her Sunday cleaning. I smiled softly at the thought.

It took a couple hours before I finished cleaning the bakery. As I was about to head upstairs and start on the laundry, the man of the hour walked in. My heart skipped a beat as Elijah leaned against the door and eyed me out from head to toe.

An involuntary blush colored my cheeks. I knew I was a sight, with a dull vintage dress that stopped right below my knees. My hair that once sat in a neat bun on top of my head was now messy with strands falling into my face. And to top it off I was covered in dust.

Elijah did not say a word which only made me more conscious about my appearance. Suddenly he pushed himself from the wall and walked towards me. All thoughts left me when he cupped my jaw tenderly before swiping his thumb across my cheek.

"You're filthy," He mumbled showing me the dust that was now on his finger. I only stared at him dumbly, not knowing what to think.

"I... I was cleaning." He nodded. As if he was suddenly pulled back into reality he took a step away from me, his beautiful blue eyes now staring at me with no emotion.

"Go pack... we leave in twenty." I frowned in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because I fucking said so."

"But why?"

"Gabrielle." I drew in a breath and shook my head at the confusing man before heading up stairs. It took me an hour before I made my way downstairs. Elijah grabbed my bag without saying a word and put it in the car. As soon as I was seated we were off to god knows where.

We been on the road for hours. Elijah did not relent, he refused to stop at a motel and rest. We only stopped once and that was to get gas and something to eat. The moment we were finished we were back on the road.

I don't know when I fell asleep but was awoken when we came to a stop. To my surprise we were at Elijah's mansion. Memories of the last time I was here flooded my mind. It's been months...

It wasn't until I remembered Faith that I dreaded coming here. How could I have forgotten about her? How could I have forgotten about what Elijah had said? Was she here? Was the wedding still on?

Question after question flew through my head and I suddenly wanted nothing more then to return home. Elijah got out the car only to stop once he realized I was not following him. I shook my head when he gave me a questioning look.

He surprised me when he opened the car door and abruptly pulled me out by my forearm. Keeping my feet glued to the ground, I refused to move. I tried to remove myself from Elijah's bruising grip, only to have him tighten his hold on me.

"What the fuck Gabrielle?" I could see the confusion in his eyes.

"Why am I here?"

"Because I'm here," He said as if it made all the sense in the world.

"I do not want to be here... I will appreciate it dearly if you would take me home." I stated nodding me head.

Elijah nodded dismissively. "Yeah, okay." He tried to force me to walk but I refused to move.

"I want to go home." I said defiantly. Elijah released me and eyed me out darkly. I kept my chin up refusing to back down.

"Do you now?" The way his intense dark eyes watched me made me uncomfortable, I would have cede but my fear of seeing Faith was too much to overcome.

"Yes, I do."

"Get the fuck inside." He was getting irritated.

"I want to go home." I repeated. Elijah nodded.

"You want to go home?" I hesitantly nodded. "Okay, go..." Um... I frowned, unsure what exactly he was going on about. It wasn't until he made no move to get into the car did I understand.

"What?" I whispered.

"You want to go home... you just all but fucking begged me... Go," I frowned. "Fuck off!" He yelled out so loud, I jumped back in fright. He then turned on his heel and went inside, leaving me there to do as I please.

It took me about an hour to make my way inside. By now I was freezing cold and needed the warmth of shelter. It didn't help that I had on a small spaghetti strap shirt and leggings. Normally I would never leave the house dress this way but it was suitable to wear for such a long car ride.

I braced myself when I found Elijah, Noah, and David seated in the living area. Elijah was smoking a cigarette, not once glancing at me as I took a seat on the opposite sofa. Noah was first to break the tense silence.

"Took you long enough." Not having the strength to say a witty response I focused on warming myself by crossing my arms over my chest and lightly stroking my arms. I was now conscious of what I was wearing and instantly felt exposed.

"Cold?" Elijah had the nerve to say. I glared at him.

"I have nothing to say to you." Elijah took a long drag of his smoke, his dark eyes never moving away from my shivering form.

"Not cold then?" I ignored him. My brows knitted together in confusion as I watch Elijah take off his shirt and throw it to me. Not wasting another minute I put on the shirt, relishing on the heat radiating from it. Once I was content I turned towards David with a smile.

"How are you David?" I asked politely. David only raised a brow but said nothing, not that I was expecting him to answer me but it was still rude nonetheless.

"What? You're ignoring me too?" Noah said, catching on to me.

"Yes," I answered simply.

Noah looked genuinely confused. "The fuck did I do?"

"There is no need for that type of language." I shook my head with a small frown, not understanding these stupid men. "You left without thinking to call and tell me that you're safe. Not only that but you sent Elijah to do your dirty work. I was worried sick for weeks."

Noah looked truly lost. "Okay Gabby... what can I do to make it up to you?"

I tapped my chin as if I was thinking hard. "An apology would be just fine."

"I'm sorry..."

"You're forgiven," He shook his head as if something was wrong with me. "You know Gran always said taking ownership is the key to success. Anyone can point fingers at someone else but to actually see your wronging shows how big of a person you are. I remember this one time-"

"Gabrielle, shhhhhh." My brows knitted together upon hearing Elijah's words.

"How rude," I mumbled.

"Okay, time for bed for you."

I frowned, feeling disheartened. "But we did not have dinner." Elijah cursed under his breath before standing and making his way out the room. Minutes later he entered with a plate full of food. I felt my mouth water as I stared at the beautiful sight.

Elijah waited patiently for me to finish. No one saying a word, which did not bother me one bit. Once I was done I bit my lip nervously, unsure what to do next.

"Upstairs Gabrielle," Elijah demanded when he saw my hesitation.

"Um... where do I sleep?"

I could see the exasperation on Elijah's face. "Where the fuck you always sleep." I furrowed my brows in confusion. Was Faith not occupying his room?

"That kind of language is unnecessary Mr. Knight." I almost laughed at how frustrated Elijah was becoming.

Rubbing his temple he responded. "My room Gabrielle... you sleep in my room."

Smiling, I stood from my seat. "Thank you." With that I headed upstairs hoping I was able to hide my confusion. If Faith was not sleeping in Elijah's room does that mean she's sleeping in the guest? And if so, why?

The questions was soon forgotten the moment my head touched the pillow. Not waiting to find out where Elijah would be sleeping, I closed my eyes instantly falling into a deep slumber.

The next morning I was surprised to find Elijah in bed. He was asleep and looked so peaceful. His arm was wrapped around me, refusing to ease his grip and pressing my back against his front, and his leg was draped over me. As much as I loved being beside him when he's in this state, I needed him to move away. My body was overheating and not only that, but he's suppose to be in bed with Faith, not me.

I tried to shake him awake but when that did not work I began trying to wiggle out of his grasp. I froze when I felt something poking my lower back and it did not take long for me to figure out just what it was. Seconds later Elijah cursed loudly before moving away from me and into the bathroom.

Not wasting anytime I quickly dressed and all but ran downstairs and into the kitchen. Some cooks looked surprised to see me, others' expression softened when they saw me. They did not say a word as I began helping with breakfast.

Once done, I helped take it out. Elijah, David, and Noah were seated and waited for the maids to bring out their meal as if they were kings. I wanted to scold them about how arrogant they were acting but one look at Elijah and I settled on staying quiet. He looked irritated for some reason.

Breakfast went on quietly. I tried to keep to myself, not to irritate Elijah further, but the silence was deafening.

"Is Faith not going to join us?" I asked when I realized she was not seated at the table. The way Elijah's dark blue eyes landed on me could've had anyone shifting uncomfortable in their seat.

"You want her to join us?"

I bit my lip nervously. "It's rude for us all to eat... if she's here she should eat too. I think you should invite her down."

He smiled. "And since when did I give a fuck about what you think." You would think he would be a little nicer when it came to his 'fiancé'.

I shrugged, ignoring his cold response. "We will not continue eating until she come down and join."

"Why the fuck do you care if she's here or not? She couldn't give two fucks about you... actually she was happy to see the back of you." Oh...

"It's the right thing to do." I answered proudly.

"Right thing to do huh?" Not waiting, he stood and left the room. His sudden change of moods confused me, but what else was new.

"Why do you go and get him riled up?" Noah asked me.

I shrugged, innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Noah let out a breath. "Fuck me... I swear you can kill anyone's life."

"All I did was ask for Faith to join us. I mean she is his fiancé."

Noah looked shocked to hear this. "Fiancé?" Did he not know? If I was not mistaken I could've sworn I saw the corner of David's mouth twitch up. "Faith is not Elijah's fiancé?"

"Excuse me?"

"Elijah kicked her out a week after you left. Told her to pack her shit and fuck off... his words not mine." What?

To say I was confused would be an understatement. If this was the truth why did Elijah lie and hide it from me. I did not understand his motives. Elijah Knight was indeed a confusing man.

Although I was extremely confused by this new information, I was also relieved to say the least. It was like the weight on my chest have been lifted and I was suddenly able to breathe.

That night I waited up for Elijah, and just as I knew he did. He looked a lot more calm than he did earlier but still a little tense. He did not look at me, instead he went into the bathroom. It took him about twenty minutes before he reentered the room dressed in his sleepwear. Still not sparing me a glance he got into bed, lying on his back with his arms supporting his head. Though his eyes are closed I knew he was not asleep.

"Why didn't you tell me Faith was no longer here?" A few seconds went by, and just when I thought he would ignore me he answered.

"You didn't ask." I glared at the sarcastic bastard.

"You know what I mean."

"The fuck do you want me to say Gabrielle?" His eyes were staring into mine, now giving me his full attention.

"I want to know why you lied?"

He raised a brow. "About what?" He knew exactly what I was asking.

"About Faith... about you being engaged... why did you lie?"

He drew in a breath. "What difference will it make." He said sounding over me, but I was not willing to give up just yet.

"I want to know." I almost fell out of bed when Elijah suddenly sat up, thankfully he caught my arm just in time.

"You want to know?" I nodded. "Because I couldn't get you out of my fucking head for the four months you were gone. Nothing fucking worked... I didn't want anyone but you. I tried... I tried to forget you and not fuck up your life for good. I don't know what it is that draws me to you. You're like a fucking drug to me." I stayed silent, taking everything in. "I hope you enjoyed your few months of freedom, because I do not plan on letting you go again."

I bit my lip out of nerve, not knowing what to think. "I... have you been with anyone since I left."

"Did you listen to shit I said." He tapped my forehead gently, or what he believe is gentle. "I swear there's nothing there." My brows knitted together and I swapped his hand away, earning laugh from him.

As we laid together on the bed, my head on Elijah's chest, I couldn't help feeling that everting in this moment was perfect.

"Elijah?" He hummed. I lifted my head and looked up at him. "Do you love me?"

"When the fuck do you come up with this shit?" I eyed him out patiently. "Yes, Gabrielle..."

I smiled, feeling my heart speed up. "Yes what?"

"Fuck me," He let out a breath. "Yes, I love you." Not understanding myself I lightly kissed his lips. Elijah groaned in my mouth and I felt myself deepening the kiss. Elijah allowed me to have control for a while before he could no longer take it. He sat up, placing me on his lap never breaking the kiss.

Tearing off my underwear, I was surprised when he impaled me onto his shaft. He hissed in a breath as he allowed me to be in control once again. I didn't move, still shocked and embarrassed by such an intimate position. Elijah seeing my frozen figure began to working me using his fingers.

He teased my nub and I found myself wanting more and moving up and down. All to soon I set a good pace and continued to take myself. Elijah neck tensed as he watched me with his piercing blue eyes. It did not take long before the pressure became too much and I felt myself clench around him as my orgasm spasmed through me.

Suddenly I was flipped around with Elijah thrusting into me. His hard brutal thrust did something to my body. The way he held my hips with every thrust had my body working itself up again.

"Tell me you love me." I frowned in confusion. When I didn't answer fast enough Elijah thrust into me hard causing me to gasp.

"I... I love you," He sped up and I could see how close he was.

"Again,"

"I love you," I yelled out so loud as my second orgasm waved pool through me.

"Fuck!" Elijah thrusted a few more time before he was sated. Before I could become conscious about what just took place Elijah pulled me into his arms, softly kissing my head. My eyes became heavy and just before I lost conscious I could've sworn I heard Elijah mumble something.

The next day Elijah was not in bed when I awoke. I dressed and went to find something to busy myself with. I decided to help around the garden. My mind drifted back to last night and a blush made its way to my cheeks. The way I acted last night was something else. It was like I was possessed, more importantly it was embarrassing.

I spent most of the day avoiding Elijah, not wanting to see him after last night. It wasn't until late afternoon he found me reading in the garden did I see him. I tried to ignore him but the blush was already flushed onto my cheeks as I looked anywhere but him. He took a seat beside me on the green grass and I tensed.

"Last night was fun." He whispered into my ear earning a gasp from me. My cheeks flushed beetroot red and I wanted nothing more then hide somewhere when Elijah laughed. "Why the face? Did you not enjoy yourself?"

"Stop," He laughed again before standing and grabbing my arm forcing me to follow. We took a seat with David and Noah who were already seated on the patio.

I greeted them both quietly and spaced out as they started discussing something. It was hard to focus on anything with Elijah's hand on my leg. He would unconsciously move it ever so slightly and I took everything in me not to remove his hand from my leg. Knowing Elijah he will only tease me if I showed him a weakness.

I let out a breath I did not know I was holding when Elijah moved his hand and settled on placing his arm behind my chair as he stroked my hair lightly. His movement was so fluent as if he did not think about what he was doing, instead doing it out of instinct.

"Why are you so quiet today?" Noah asked. Instinctively I looked at Elijah and blushed. When I did not answer he only raised a brow but did not question it further.

"We have an event." David suddenly said and my interest peaked.

"An event?" David nodded. "Like the party before?"

"Yes," He answered then turned to Elijah. "What are you going to do with her?" Elijah rubbed his neatly trimmed jaw while eyeing me out.

"She stays put."

"I want to join."

"No,"

"Why?"

"Because I said so,"

"Please, I'll be sure to stay out of your way. You won't even know I'm there." Thinking back from before I remembered how women all but threw themselves at Elijah and I felt a hint of jealousy wash over me.

"Elijah?"

"She will join," Elijah turned to me. "This is business Gabrielle. You do as I say understand." He said, all playfulness now gone.

I nodded before quickly realizing my mistake. "I understand." Elijah sent me upstairs to get ready.

As I was about to find something suitable to wear a maid entered hold a dress. Before I could protest she was rushing me out of my clothes and into the dress. She did my hair and make up and only when she was satisfied was I allowed to look at myself.

I was dressed in a red dress that hugged my body and reached my mid thigh. My hair was falling down my back in a mass of curls and my makeup was done to a minimum. All in all I did not like it one bit. Before I had a chance to comment on my appearance Elijah walked inside.

The woman quickly made her leave giving us privacy. I tried to not squirm under Elijah's dark lustful gaze. Walking towards me he grasped my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

"You look beautiful... too beautiful." Although it was set up as a compliment, I knew it was anything but.

"Why did you dress me this way?" Ignoring my question, he grabbed my arm and pulled me out the room but not before warning me to behave.

The place was alive... people were everywhere and music was playing. I instantly felt uncomfortable. Wanting to feel safe I turned towards Elijah only to see he was no longer there. I looked around wondering if we got lost in the crowd and separated. I pushed through the crowd of people trying to find a familiar face.

"Gabrielle, is that you?" I came face to face with Mr. Cruz.

Plastering a smiled I greeted him. "How are you Mr. Cruz?"

"Great now that I ran into you. You look gorgeous, I almost didn't recognize you." I blushed at his bold compliment.

"Um, thank you." I tried to side step him, but he caught my hand within his.

"Come, dance with me." Before I could object I was on the dance floor swaying to the slow song. Not wanting to make a big commotion I allowed one dance before I go search for Elijah.

"How have you been, Gabrielle?"

"Gabby, if you don't mind."

"Not at all... you did not answer my question." His dark eyes stared down into mine intensely. I knew he was a dangerous man just by the way he carried himself. His voice held no room for questions, and he was very arrogant. Much like Elijah.

"I've been fine... just grateful to see another beautiful day."

"Is that so?"

I nodded. "Of course, most people take for granted a lot of people could only wish to have and see. It's good to see the worth in everything." Mr. Cruz slowed our movement until we came to a complete stop. I watched him questioningly

"You are out of this world." He suddenly said as if he was talking to himself. "Come home with me." And if that didn't surprise me I don't know what did.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What do you want? Money?" I frowned at him, disapprovingly.

"Mr. Cruz that is very insulting of you to assume that I am willing to let you buy me... or any human being. We are all human like you, and you are not worth no more than anyone else." He let out a booming laugh.

"You are very amusing Gabby. I'll really enjoy your company if you were to come with me."

I shook my head at the stubborn man. "I would rather stay here, I hope you understand."

"Are you with Elijah?"

"I am," I answered simply. He hummed. I couldn't have been more grateful when the song came to an end. I quickly moved myself away from the strange man only to all but run into Noah. I let out a sigh of relief at finally finding a face I'm familiar with.

"Noah, I lost Elijah-"

"Follow me," He grabbed my hand and led me away from everyone. I drew in a deep breath, more then ready to return to my room and sleep the night away. As I continued to follow Noah I couldn't help but wonder where he was taking me.

"Noah-" Before I could say more he suddenly pushed me against the wall and slammed his lips against mine.