Chapter 90

By the time evening came I realized that my mind was completely messed up. I might as well have been the most confusing person there was in the history of confusing people. Throughout the day I tried reading, meditating, God! I even surfed the internet! At some point I left the motel room and went outside to get some much needed fresh air,but even that didn't help. 

Gabriel was a constant image in my head. And I thought it was just me being a girl, that I was taking things way too seriously and that by the time the following day came, I would be okay. But I doubted it. I couldn't let myself believe that I was never going to see him again, that that was literally the end. 

In some stupid part of my brain I had imagined him searching for me and popping up just like the last time. But he never did. And I missed him intensely, to the point of tears even. Not having him close was shredding me apart. 

But it had been my decision to leave, I couldn't blame anyone for that. It's true that the method of departure I had chosen wasn't the best one, I ought to have at least said something, but I didn't wanna have to argue with him again.

But what bothered me most was how we had left things. Thinking that he probably hated me now wasn't settling well with me. I just needed to know how he was. I checked my phone for the hundredth time, confirming whether he had sent me a text or anything, but there was nothing from me. The last text was from last night, when he asked me to get into the house because it was cold outside. It was such a Gabriel thing to say, the way he structured the words. Like he cared but didn't want you to think he did. When he had sent it I had still been pretty pissed. 

Groaning, I laid face down on the bed and tried to gather my thoughts. I needed to wake up early the following day and find a job. It hurt knowing I would no longer be working at Dahlia's, but it was for the best, her opinion of me had been ruined and even if she didn't fire me, it would have been really uncomfortable working there. 

When night came, it really dawned on me that he wasn't going to show up. I couldn't blame him though. I had pushed him away so much it was only logical he be tired of me already. And besides, he was a hot and rich bachelor who could have any girl he wanted. 

Crap! What if he was currently with another girl? What if they were....

I slammed my fist in the mattress and forced myself to sit up, then I crossed my legs and exhaled deeply. I was mentally exhausted, I needed a break from all the thinking. And I was hungry as well since I hadn't eaten anything all day. I had woken up and the first thing I had done was check whether Arden and Gabriel were gone before I grabbed my things and quickly left. 

A glance at my phone had me realizing it was almost eight. I felt lazy all of a sudden and all I wanted to do was crawl into my sheets and close my eyes until the following day. But my hunger wouldn't let me. I grabbed my purse and took out some cash for food. Which reminded me, I had to figure out a way to return Gabriel's money to him as soon as possible. 

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GABRIEL'S POV

Did the silly girl have an obsession with crappy motels?!

I found out where she was at around noon,but I decided to wait till later in before I went and dragged...I mean, politely got her from that place. I also had some urgent work to tend to and had I not seen to it then I would have ultimately lost a fortune. 

Money is my first love. 

It was difficult though, knowing exactly where she was but not being able to get her immediately. But as soon as I wrapped things up at the company I immediately drive to the depressing construction where she had fled to. Even from the outside it looked pitiful. Like the kind of place where fishermen stored their tools overnight so they could easily get them the following day. There was no security, there was a broken window. And according to the neon sign out front, the actual name of the motel was 'Madix', but the last two letters on the sign had blacked off, so the first thing a person saw when they drove up to the creepy parking lot was the word ' MAD'. Layla was either reckless or blind. 

Without wasting time, I headed to the receptionist desk and asked for her room number, the bald headed gentleman was reluctant at first but a few dollar bills had him flipping through his book faster than Arden could come up with a lie. 

I walked up the hallway, searching for her door, and when I found it I didn't knock. I unlocked it and immediately went in, wondering why she'd leave it unlocked like that when she was clearly staying at a place where criminals went to hideout while the cops were after them. I frowned, squinting my eyes because of the darkness. And I wondered whether Mr. Bald had made a mistake. There didn't seem to be anyone in there, I searched for the light switch in the dark until I found it. And once the lights were on I looked around. Her suitcase was there, that was a good sign. But where was its owner? Did the criminals get to her before I did? She was supposed to be in there!

It was late already so I didn't understand where she could have gone at such an hour, she never liked walking around. Layla was the pure definition of the word introvert. Whenever she went out it was either because she really had to or because I had forced her into doing so. 

I went to the bed, flicked my thumb in the sheets to confirm the sheets were clean, then I sat down and tapped my foot restlessly in the floor. I hated the fact that she was planning on staying at a place like that. Perhaps she still didn't know that I had transferred money to her account? And the main reason I did that was to ensure she would he comfortable wherever she was until I went to get her. 

She could have at least rented out an apartment, a fully furnished one that didn't come with creaking doors and crawling insects. Not that I had spotted any but I was certain there were quite a number there.I shuddered, I had basically gone to hell just to get her, and it wasn't the first time. 

I took out my phone and dialed her number, the waiting was getting frustrating. I heard it ring, literally. It was as if she were right there with me, I immediately recognized the ringtone. Then I heard footsteps approaching and I knew she was coming back. So I did the most mature thing I could think of at the moment and I switched of the lights.The phone ran till she was outside the door, then she literally cut it without picking up. I felt very offended.

She unlocked the door and got in, and my ears suddenly became alert since she was talking to herself. Actually it was more of scolding. 

" Make up your mind already Layla! You want him to call but then you hang up when he does!"

My eyes widened, I was intrigued.

" Of all the people in the freaking world you just had to go ahead and fall for-" She turned on the lights, turned around, saw me..then she screamed. It was more of a shocked yelp but it's technically the same thing. 

" Well hello there sweetheart, " I smirked, looked at her from head to toe before I held her gaze and dared her not to look away. Her chest was heaving so fast I feared she might pass out. And I loved how wide her eyes had gotten, her hands had gone up to cover her mouth, stopping her scream. 

" Finish that statement for me, will you? "

I slowly stood, then I glanced at the space between us, calculating how many steps it would take to get to where she was. 

She withdrew her hand from her mouth, she was holding a brown bag in one and her phone in the other. The last unfinished statement she had been making rang over and over in my head. I wondered what it meant, whether it was what I thought it was because if so, then things might have just taken a drastic left turn. Or a right turn, depending on how I chose to view it. 

I started walking towards her and she looked around desperately, the scene was all too familiar. But this time I knew exactly how it would end.