GAGE

37| f a l l e n

My eyes flutter open and the room around me is tinted grey. It takes me a few seconds of blinking to realize that I am in Gage's room. It's not my first choice, but it defiantly beats a cold dark warehouse.

Gage must've carried me in here because the last thing I remember is us fighting which triggers a migraine to begin. He's not in here which doesn't surprise me, but I need to leave anyways.

I palm around me to find my phone before realizing that I don't have one anymore. Hailey is probably worried out of her mind.

Pulling the short dress down that's scrunched up at my waist I pad towards the door before slowly pushing it open.

Silence.

I try to make my way downstairs soundlessly, but the creaking of the steps defy me. For once the faint scent of smoke is absent and I find myself glad to finally breathe for the the first time in days.

"Where are you going?" I jump at the sudden noise.

When I turn around Gage is shirtless and he sits on the windowsill like always. The reality that I have no where to go and no way to get anywhere hits when I imagine how brutally fucked my life is.

"Take me home." I demand.

"You don't have a home."

I close my eyes in attempt to repel the harsh truth.

"Just stay here." He continues.

"No." I scoff.

"Then where are you gonna go?" He challenges.

"You act like I don't have friends..." I don't. Anymore.

"You'll be safe here. I'll take care of you." He gets up slowly and walks towards me.

"I don't need you to take care of me." I don't know why I'm trying to fight him because I'll lose and I don't have anything anyways.

He quirks an eyebrow earning an eye roll from me.

"Just stay with me," he breathes.

"Gage, I'm literally poor. I don't want you doing all this for me, it's too much." I raise my arms by my sides.

"I'd do anything for you, this is nothing... And I don't want you to think that you can't tell me things." He shakes his head.

Ugh.

"I thought you didn't want me talking to you anymore." I cross my arms and direct my stare to the blood smeared across my leg.

"Well that was before..." He trails.

"Before what?" My eyebrows drop.

"Before I killed him." He speaks.

He's kidding. He has to be. I don't know exactly who he's talking about, but a small part in me believes that he actually did shamelessly murdered someone.

"Killed who?" I keep my voice low.

"Rich."

An involuntary smirk creeps into my lips, "You did not." I'm fucking insane.

"I did, he was going to kill you first. If I didn't, you'd be dead by now." He explains.

"Well, what's going to happen now?" I ask when he takes my hand in his. I keep my other hand folded under my arm.

"I don't know, babygirl." He answers honestly, "But I do know that you'll be alright."

"Okay..." I nervously bite my lip. Some of the fear has diminished knowing that no one is after me anymore and my probability of me dying prematurely has decreased significantly. But then again it could be higher for Gage now that he's killed the boss.

Maybe it'll be like the movies where the leader was secretly hated by all and everyone is happy when the person dies.

"What are you thinking?"

I flicker my eyes to Gage staring at me intently.

"That I want to get this blood off of me." The first time I showered in days was last night, provided by some of the Mafiosi. My lip begins to tremble as I replay the memories of when I was kidnapped.

Gage let's my hand go and before I go upstairs he pulls me into his chest, "It's all over now, you're okay." He plants a kiss on my forehead.

But I'm not. I'm not okay.

It hurts, everything does. My flesh burns under my skin due to the boiling inside me. I turn on the bath faucet when I get into the bathroom and look into the mirror while the water runs.

I'm surprised my contacts haven't melted onto my eyes considering they've been in for five days due to my conditions. I peel them off my irises and throw them into the trash nearby.

My eyes are red and slightly puffy and I overall look like I've been hit by a bus.

Following me taking off my clothes, I rinse off in the shower to remove the red stains from my body before entering the bath, one body part at a time. The water almost singes the stubble from my legs, but the sensation is overall relaxing.

I put my mop of hair into a sloppy bun on the top of my head and close my eyes, listening to the splash of water that continues to file into the large tub.

I screw the faucet down when it's full and meanwhile take a mental note to get my clothes from Hailey's house.

After a while the door opens and incomes Gage. He doesn't acknowledge me when he walks past and stops in front of the mirror.

I lower my eyes so they're just above the rim of the tub that my hands grip. I stare at him, soaking up everything I've missed over the time span that we've been apart.

When his eyes lock with mine in the mirror I look away quickly and adjust myself so I'm sitting upright in the deep water, pulling my knees to my chest.

I wave my hands around underneath the waving surface, "Can you take me to get my clothes from Hailey's house today." I breathe shakily.

"Sure." He shortly replies.

He props himself onto the counter and watches me with neutral eyes.

I exhale and close my eyes again, throwing my head back to rest on the wall behind me.

I open my eyes when the water rustles and Gage is positioned in front of me with a light smirk. "Come here." He pulls my legs towards him and I sit between his legs.

"I missed you." He tries to find my eyes but I keep them on the wall.

"Oh," is all I say. His fingers gently caress my arm.

When he finds my distraught eyes a nostalgic feeling flushes over me, remembering the way everything used to be between us; so carefree. Now it feels like I'm connected to him in some way that I can explain. I can't just leave if I feel like it, I'm here now.

I feel like one of those old people who've 'fallen and couldn't get up' because I've fallen for this dysfunctional boy and can't do anything about it.