Chapter 5

    MABEL.

    

    

    

         I feel my eyes tweak at the sight of me. I couldn't tell what made me angrier. The fact that he's so insensitive to actually make that comment after my mother just passed away or because he's the last person I actually wanna see. 

         How did I just run away from him this morning only to have him pull up on me like this? 

         

         How did he find me?

         

         The longer I stood on the curb watching him, the more awkward this became because soon, we were in a staring match. 

         

         My heart is filled up with so much to say to him— I imagine myself pulling that door open, screaming my heart out at him and smacking that smirk off his face— and yet I can't even find my voice. 

         

         All I'm feeling at that moment is so much pain in my heart. I feel the tears welling up in my eyes and the underlying cry filled in my chest.

         

         I knew if I stayed there any longer I'm going to burst out crying and that is the luxury I would never give to him again. 

         

         Never again.

         

         Just before I turn and walk away, I noticed how that amused smile started to disappear off his face, and his lips going down in confusion. 

         

         Was he perhaps sensing the gravity of what I was going through? And decided that our of sheer pity he would stop mocking me?

         

         I start walking slowly along the pavement, hoping he would take the hint and just drive away and leave me alone, but I knew with Caleb Da Stephano, that was something almost non existent. 

         

         This is him. This is who he is. This is what he's meant to do. Bully people. Make them feel so little.

         

         I hear his car roll up on me again but this time I don't stop and just continue walking.

         

         "Mabel.." he calls, but I don't stop.

         Strangely enough I found tears cascading down my eyes as I approached the end of the pavement where I would need to either cross to the other side of the road or take a cab from here. 

         

         I slowly put my forearm up and whipe my eyes, just in time for Caleb's car to make a quick stop next to me.

         

         I badly want to run to the other side of the road just to get away from him but I knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't stop coming at me. And the last thing I wanted was getting attention from these people walking around. 

         

         Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea after all. Maybe if I keep walking and he keeps following me, people might think that he is some kidnapper trying to snatch me off the roads and call the police on him. Especially when they see me as distressed as I am right now. 

         

         'i know that has nothing on him.' a voice in my head tells me. The Da Stephano name is a very powerful and influencial name in the entire city— if not the world. 

         Him getting arrested — if it even gets to that point— can and will backfire on me, even though he was the offender. 

         

         

         So instead, I decided to ignore him and think of the better problems at hand now. 

         

         But why does this stupid tears keep coming.

         

         I was so completely immersed in my own feelings that I didn't realize Caleb had stepped out of his car and has now circled around his car to get to me. 

         He steps in front of me, hands tucked deep in his pants pockets.

         

         "Mabel," he calls softly "look at me."

         

         He commands me. And somehow it all just seemed right. 

         I feel a type of safety just having him standing right there, his body towering over me. 

         I slowly look up to find his gaze on me. His eyes moves with such intensity as they watched me, like he was trying to see what was going on with me without me having to tell him. 

         

         His hair which is a bit curled on the ends are falling over his face as he bent forward over me.

         

         I feel so little in front of him. I feel useless. Just like I did many years ago. I've always been the smaller and weaker person when it came to Caleb. 

         

         Even when he wasn't this grown up back in highschool, I was still skinnier than this and as a child, he still easily towered over me, intimidatingly.

         

         Without warning, I sensed his hand rising up to my face before I even see it, his thumb pointing at my cheek like he was reaching to wipe off the tear cascading down my cheek. 

         

         But I move on impulse before he could. 

         Why does he have that pitiful look on his face? The last thing I want is this arrogant prick feeling the need to pity me because of some tears on my face. He doesn't even know what's wrong with me. How dare him?

         

         I'm pissed all of a sudden as I step away, throwing my face to the side as I speak "I need to leave."

         

         "I'm sorry if I hurt you last night." His voice is tender and consoling. 

         Did he just apologize?

         

         Did I have a good sex with him last night? Yes. Do I close my eyes since the last four hours of running off and having a flashback of how he fucked me good? Yes. Do I wish we had slept together sober? Yes. Do I wish we have sex again? No. 

         

         Everything that happened between us last night was a mistake. The one I so badly wanna leave behind. And him appearing just a few hours isn't going to help. 

         

        What if he had sex with me because he pitied me? 

        

        The realization hitting me is wild. 

        

        "Please I need to leave." I say harshly, attempting to walk past him.

        

        "Let me drop you off please." His voices comes up behind me as soon as I stepped off the last curb. 

        

        The hospital is still a very long distance to my house and work place. I'm currently thorn between going back home and heading to work first to see my manager. I know I've definitely gotten fired when I walked out of that door last night but it couldn't hurt going back to try my luck in getting my job back, right?

        

        I don't think going back home would be a good idea. Because I'm not ready to face Dicken after everything and neither do I want Caleb to know where I live. Not me giving him more reasons to see how ratched I still am after so many years.

        

        I don't have any money to take a.....

        

        "I know you don't have any money to get you to where you're going." His voice hits me again.

        

        I close my eyes and take soft breaths in and out. I'm going to handle this like a matured woman.

        

        So I turn around slowly to an amused smile on his lips. "You don't have your wallet" he adds.

         Ignoring him, I walk past him and he quickly opens the door for me to sit down.

        

        

        The entire ride is silent except when I needed to point him to the right direction. 

        

        Once the restaurant came into view, I ask him to stop. 

        

        "Thank you." I mutter quietly, more to myself as I undo the seatbelt and try to step out.

        

        "Do you regret what happened last night?" Caleb's question leaves me frozen by the door. 

        

        I don't know what to say to that. Does he regret it? Or is he asking this question for some other reasons? Why is he so okay with bringing this sex talk? 

        

        "Is that why I'm being treated like this?" He adds and that was it. I jump off his car and give him a court nod in appreciation for driving me here. 

        How do I explain to him that I've just lost my mother after I couldn't raise her surgery bill on time and that before that, my stupid ass boyfriend cheated on me and took my entire life savings?

        

        I feel Caleb's gaze on me the entire time until I enter into the restaurant.

        

        Since it's still early in the morning, there's few customers. Mainly people who have come to have a morning coffee to start their day. 

        

        Shit I forgot to ask Caleb if he found my phone in his house. Or perhaps it fell off at the club? Or someone took it while I was drunk? Could it be one of those hooligans outs......

        

        

        "What the hell are you doing here, Mabel?" Davis's voice cuts through my estranged thoughts, forcing me back to the reality surrounding me. 

        

        I look up quickly to see him standing by the coffee counter, apparently involved in a conversation with one of the workers behind the coffee machine when he sighted me walk in. 

        

        I start walking in, my jacket tightly gripped over my forearm.

        

        "If you're here with one of your excuses and wanting to beg for your job back, Mabel, you're wasting your time. So, ba-bye." How could a person hate another person so much? 

        

        I'm mentally gritting. Oh, how I wanna smack the tooth out of his mouth so bad.

        

        "I just wanna talk to you for a minute, Davis. Please." 

        

        "You wanna talk? Okay, let's have it." His voice is really testing my limits. 

        He scoots away from leaning over the counter to standing In front of me, his arms folding across his chest. 

        

        The disgust in his face is actually unexplainable.

        

        "Davis, I know I shouldn't have left the way I did last night," I start gently "but my mom was dieing at the hospital and the doctor needed me to be there. You know how it is, I had to leave."

        

        "M-hm," he nods like he couldn't understand what I'm saying but deep down, I know all that head nod and movement— and tapping— of his feet were his way of telling me to get it out with and get the fuck out.

        

        "I'm sorry but my mom needed me, Dav, and there was a whole lot of people that could take over from me"

        

        "M-hm," he hums again "listen Mabel, when you work here, you work here. You don't bring school or family drama here."

        

        Family drama? I'm stunned.

        

        "As long as you get paid; no as long as we pay you for your services here, you don't get to bring personal matters here. I expect that should be clear enough to you, like everyone else here today. 

        "Let me spell it out for you, Mabel. You were rude to a customer and the least you could do at that moment was walk out of here just like that? Without a sorry?"

        

        "Davis, I had to leave," I can't help my trembling voice. My eyes are getting teary again and I'm seconds away from breaking down again "Davis, I lost my mother last night because.... because....."

        

        

        I thought I would see remorse in his face, not that I was trying to emotionally sabotage him with my predicament. But all I got was a straight face.

        

        "Well, Mabel, sorry for your loss but you need to get out before I call the security. See yourself out."

        

        And with that he turns away and starts walking away. 

        

        Tears is brimming at my eyes now as I turn away and watched the nearly empty room. 

        

        I feel so much pain and anger. Seconds later, I feel the pain quickly get replaced with intense anger and before I could stop myself, I hurry over to the empty tables by the walls and turn them over, causing a loud commotion in the room.

        

        Clatterring and shattering sounds overtake the room as I rummage through the room.

        

        I don't stop until I've turned a couple of tables and chairs, the people in the room all gasping in disbelief before I walked out.

        

        "Mabel, I'm calling 911!" I hear Davis's empty threat as he rushed back out but by the time he would reach outside, I'm already long gone. 

        

        As I disappeared through the pavement and down the busy streets, I feel tears force their way down my face. 

        

        Then I break down as I reach a certain alley, back pressed against the wall, wailing in pain.