"I'M SORRY, I was just shocked when I used the iron." I whispered, my lashes lifted with soft plea.
"I'm sorry?! You haven't done anything right here at home, and that's all I can hear from you, sorry?!" he shouted, narrowing his eyes at me.
I was swallowed by what he said. My lips were almost bleeding from holding back the tears, my two hands fisted with silent anger. If I open my lips something else might come out of my mouth.
"You know what?! Marcus was right, we shouldn't have hired you here as a maid. Since you came here everything in this house get worst. If it weren't for Sandra, you wouldn't have been here for a long time," he said without a blanch or blink.
I heard myself stammered and tremble. I wanted to stop crying but it quickly dripped from my treacherous eye.
Gabriel stood and watched me for a long moment. He sighed, trying to expel the tension.
The silence lingered so long, he saw how I wiped away the tears that dripped.
"Look, Emory..." His voice was different now, it was soft and tender. His hand went up, I waited for him to touch me but I was disappointed when he rubbed his palms on his face instead.
"You, get back to your work," he stated firmly, before I turned away without warning.
I violently wiped away the tears and quickly resumed crying in my own room. Moments later I heard the engine of his SUV start.
I buried my face deeper in the pillow to pour out my resentment on him. How can he hurt me like this? Is there no space left in his heart for me? I try to hold myself even though I'm in so much pain, I don't know what else I can give for this love of mine for him.
From then on, Gabriel and I didn't had a chance to talk. Alessandra is the only one I always speak to. If he needed something he will send it to Alessandra. Gabriel no longer stays at home on Wednesdays, only every weekend when Alessandra takes a day off from work. I didn't ride to his car for a grocery. I have many reasons, and almost spend myself on housework.
Sometimes I refuse to eat with them no matter how hard Sandra asked for. We don't even meet in the hallway or even in the garden because I myself avoid him, especially when he's just around.
It wasn’t just my personality that hurt as well as my heart. Especially when I see their open tenderness and kissing even when I'm just around.
*****
It's late night but sleepiness still doesn't visit me. I rolled the wine glass I was holding while bowing on the veranda. I asked Alessandra for this wine and she quickly agreed before going upstairs to sleep.
Gabriel isn't here yet. It's Wednesday and he's day-off from work. He told Alessandra earlier that he'll attend to a birthday party. I glanced at my wristwatch. It's past two in the morning.
I sipped the wine from the glass and hugged my white robe tightly as the wind blew around.
I looked around when I heard the car coming. I knew the sound of his car. Gabriel had arrived. I reluctantly opened the gate so that he
would not blow the horn again and again.
Our eyes briefly hit his open window as he entered his SUV into the spacious garage. I also immediately lock the gate after I close it.
I caught him entering the house, the lights were off inside and only on the veranda where I was drinking and upstairs.
I hesitated to ask if he ate dinner, but I just laughed to myself, he came from a birthday party, right? I shook my head one after another as I went inside.
"Why is the light on the veranda still on?" he asked with baritone voice. I squeezed my eyes together and inhale a steady breath. My knees also want to shake because it's been a long time since he talked to me. I badly miss his soft tone voice, as if he is pulling me and taking me to heaven.
"I couldn't take a sleep, I asked Alessandra for a wine," I answered promptly.
He turned to me, his dark eye pinning me at the floor, it got even darker because I could barely see the whole of his face because the darkness was scattered around.
He stare at me for several beats, before he gripped his tie to loosened up.
I swallowed with effort, as I watched him do that. I knew he caught my explicit lip biting because of what he did.
Slowly his hand came down and unbuttoned the part of his sleeve he was wearing. I swallowed again, I wanted him to continue what he was doing but his arm folding protectively in front of his body.
"G-do you want to eat? I'll prepare you a late dinner." I got to say to avoid looking at him and give myself a little embarrassment.
"I'm still full," he said, before glancing at the veranda. "Just give me something to drink." he said in a low voice.
"Water, juice or coffee?" I quickly said, preparing myself for the kitchen.
"No, just give me a glass of wine." he replied.
I obeyed what he said, I quickly went to the wine bar to get a wine glass. I didn't even decide to open a bottle because it looked like what I had brought earlier. That's all I'm going to offer him.
I reached him on the veranda. Standing like a greek, elbows resting on the banister. From here I glanced at him carefully. His body more sculpted, he looks more hotter and mature, he's absolutely gorgeous – tall, and a kind of drool-worthy body. Nothing has changed, he is still the man I loved from then until now.
I tasted to let him know of my presence. He leans back and looks at me, "I hope you don't mine if I've already used your glasses," he said to me, before slightly raising the wine glass with the contents.
"Uh, it's alright." I nodded and inhaled sharply, I wanted to fill my chest with night air because my heartbeat hadn't been normal since before.
I step farther to him where two people space between us. He lifted the wine bottle to copy what I was carrying. "Thanks." I softly said. My heart was full of shame as I sipped the wine he had put. A chill runs down my spine, it seems like now I'm feeling colder even more.
I was so embarrassed because of the clothes I'm wearing, the only thing inside is my silver gray lingerie with my bra and panties on. I hesitantly knot the string of my robe to cover my skin...
"Let me do it, " he said to me before pulling two ribbons of my robe.
I backed away, because of his outright approach. I couldn’t help but gasp while he was just in front of me. My heart also feels so close because of our approach.
I close my eyes tightly when I feel he tight knot in the ribbon of my clothes.
"There you go," he said in his husky tone voice.
I couldn't help but look at him who is staring at me. His prominet jaw protruded, a fixedly glance sent shiver down my back. I restrained myself from touching him.
"I'm going to rest." I offered him a soft smile, so I convinced him that I badly needed to go. I want to end the interaction we have now. I felt bad about it, about Alessandra. I shouldn’t be doing this to her.
"Just finish your wine first," he said and pouring me another drink. His stare meeting mine again.
Another beats of silence lingered between us, before I could realize he still stood in front of me.
"I want to apologize about last time." He started, his jaw tightening as he poured the wine into the glass.
"I should apologize for what I did, if you can just deduct the burn clothes from my salary–" he hitched his brows so my lips were closed.
"I'm not replacing you with what you broke, I can buy another one if I want but I wouldn't," he said under his breath.
To my surprise, I knew that dress had sentimental value to him. "I'm sorry again," I muttered to him, lashes fall down.
He sighed deeply. "You're forgiven." he barely whispered to me. He was so close, I could feel the warmth of his breath when he spoke.
Maybe Alessandra didn't want to hear what we were talking about so she almost just whispered it in the air.
I lifted my head to look at him in the eye. His gaze dropped and lingered on my lips. I feel like I'm sweating from the stick even though the air is right on my skin.
The wind gusted, lifting my hair gracefully. We remained in such a position that no one spoke.
I step backward and lightly open my mouth to speak but I decide to quelled my lip into a bottom one. I do not know what to say. My heart seemed to want to go out because of his excessive commentary.
"It's getting late, go to sleep. You'll be up early tomorrow." his voice is low, bordering a command.
"Uh, hmm." I nodded, before I could straighten out drinking the wine in the glass.
He watched me do that before he drank the last drop of his wine.
"Thanks for the drink." He stare down at me with steady gaze. He handed me the empty wine glass.
"Goodnight, Emory..." he softly said.