Creatura (15 page)

I moved away from him. “You hurt me,” I paused, “You could’ve called me to breakup, you know? I didn’t know cowardice was a part of your personality.” With that I turned and started walking again.

“Isis… Isis!” Gabriel called after me. I didn’t respond. I walked to the door of the car and glanced at David, but Gabriel place himself in front of me obstructing my view before I could signal David to unlock the car doors with the car remote.

“Listen to me, sweetness. I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I’ll make it up to you. I’m in town for a week and a half for spring break. I’ll do anything it takes for you to take me back.”

“Too late. I don’t want anything to do with you. I’m late for something; I gotta go.” I waved to David, signaling I was ready to leave.

“Is he the reason you’re being like this with me?” Gabriel frowned.

I gave him a scornful look and sighed, waiting for David to arrive at the car.

David reached for the door handle and partially opened the car door. Gabriel shoved it closed.

“I’m not done speaking with her.” Gabriel’s brow pulled down as he spoke to David. “Can I have a few more minutes, please?” He spoke through his teeth.

“She has a prior engagement. Maybe on another occasion.” David opened the door. Eryx, Galen, and Bill raced to the scene. I stepped into the car and shut the door. The conversation was still audible even through the enclosed vehicle.

“What the hell is your problem, man?” Gabriel reproached, shoving David by the shoulder.

David’s nostrils flared. I could see he was withholding himself from a more serious confrontation. Eryx and Galen stood side by side with David.

“Take it easy,” Bill recommended. “It’s three against you, Gabe. Don’t be a dumb ass.”

I tried to open the car door, but the child lock was on. I jumped over to the driver’s side and stepped out. I walked angrily to the other side of the car.

“Hey!” I said in a loud voice. Galen stood between David and Bill as I spoke. “Leave, Gabriel. I’m done talking with you.”

“Go back inside the car, Isis,” David ordered me.

“No,” I objected.

Bill and Andy pulled Gabriel away from the car trying to talk him down. Gabriel pulled his arms from their clasp in a violent manner and climbed into his own car. The tires screeched as he pulled out of the parking lot. A gust of grey smoke and the smell of burnt rubber traveled slowly in the humid breeze.

I couldn’t believe how immature Gabriel was. I was embarrassed the Chios boys knew that he had been my boyfriend after exhibiting that behavior.

Gabriel was not the violent type. The guy in that parking lot was nothing like the Gabriel I knew. There was something that just wasn’t right about him. From his looks to the way he carried himself, Gabriel was different—a whole other person.

David’s face was hard. His brothers insisted on David driving the Land Rover home and they the Maserati.

“That was so unlike Gabriel.” Andy ignored the Chios’ conversation. “Did you see how bad he looked?”

“Yeah.” I bit my nail listening to Bill try to convince David to follow his brothers’ advice.

I couldn’t believe they were giving Gabriel so much importance. Then again, he did almost start a fight with dream boy over me.

“Avoid yourself conflict, bro. This town is too small. It’ll be a miracle if you don’t bump into him on the way home,” Bill debated his point.

For Bill to be giving advice like that, he must have sensed something was brewing in Gabriel’s head.

“Why are you guys so adamant about this?” I interrupted the boys’ convo. “He’s gone. There’s no point in taking it to such extremes as to switch cars and hide from him.”

“Isis,” Bill started, “he was talking a lot of crap before you got here. It was crazy talk, like he was high and mighty… saying he would beat the living daylights out of anyone who touched you… saying you were his and that he didn’t give a flying this or that about who he’d be up against.”

Bill looked at his feet, shaking his head. “His hands were shaky; his eyes blood shot. I’d swear he was high or something. That wasn’t the guy I knew three months ago.”

“William is right to be concerned,” Eryx agreed. “We don’t want any problems.”

“I’ll ride with Bill,” I said glancing at the time on my phone. “I really have to get going.”

“No,” David opposed my suggestion. “
I’ll
drive you.”

“David, be reasonable.” Eryx argued. “He will be persistent with her. Avoid the catalyst of any future confrontations.”

David sighed scathingly. “Right, then.”

“We’ll speak of this at a more convenient time, Isis.” Eryx gave me a stare that let me know he could not discuss the matter in further detail with Bill and Andy present.

“We’ll be in the car,” Andy said, observing the twins reluctance to speak to me with them there.

Once Andy and Bill were in the Mustang, Galen took the lead in speaking.

“The reason we are taking such measures is because we must abide by the laws; we are restricted from physically harming any mortal, and that is something that can easily be achieved in a state of anger. We would be verboten from your world for many centuries. That is something I am not willing to sacrifice.”

“Oh,” I said in a low voice, remembering a previous conversation where David had mentioned this. “Well, I doubt he’ll come looking for David. I’ll put a stop to his little fits.”

“You’re overconfident.” Galen raised his brow. “That toddler just had a severe tantrum. Do you really think he will cease?”

I understood Galen’s point. My neck tensed to think David wouldn’t return if a fight broke between Gabriel and him. This is exactly why I was keeping myself from falling for David. I was afraid the day would come when he’d disappear from my life completely. I was afraid of being pain stricken. I wouldn’t be able to bear it.

The brothers exchanged car keys and decided on an alternate route home. I thought they were over dramatizing the situation, but they felt it was necessary.

I announced I was leaving when my phone rang for a second time and the display indicated it was Claire. I was late.

The twins slid into the Maserati and revved the engine waiting for their brother to enter the Land Rover. David ignored the signal and walked me to Bill’s car.

“Do not call him,” David urged me. “Do not deal with him at all.”

On the way to Dr. Jameson’s office, Bill was quiet listening to Andy relating the words said by Gabriel in their full syntax—colorful language and all. It was strange for Gabriel to swear like that in front of Andy. He was completely changed.

The doctor’s appointment went well. I was told I no longer needed Dr. Jameson’s services, but that I was more than welcome to continue with sessions once a month if I felt it necessary. I told the doctor I didn’t expect anything to change, and I would only be wasting his time.

Dr. Jameson brought Claire into the consult room and explained that I was being released from his care. Claire let out a sigh of relief and hugged me. Her eyes sparkled, retaining the moisture forming in them. I was glad the whole shrink ordeal was over.

It must’ve been an hour past sundown when the doorbell rang. My mother answered it and called me downstairs. Immediately, I imagined David standing in the middle of my living room. I was mistaken.

Gabriel paced outside, beneath the porch light. His pale skin looked a light hue of grey even with the yellow glow of the bulb.

“Can we talk?” He rubbed his face downward anxiously. He looked sickly thin and the red blood vessels in his eyes made him look sinister.

“What about?” My arms overlapped each other while shifting my weight to one leg.

“Isis, I messed up. I’m sorry. I want you back.” He extended his arm to touch my face. His hand was trembling.

I removed his hand from my cheek and took a step back. “That’s not gonna happen.” I bit my lip and peered at the porch floor. “Do me a favor… don’t come looking for me again, okay?” I took a half turn, stepped into the house and shut the door behind me. I waited near the door listening for his footsteps to descend the porch stairs. I could hear him pacing back and forth on the wooden floor. He knocked on the door with three loud thumps.

I looked back at Claire leaning on the kitchen doorway with one hand on her waist. I was expecting her to offer to open.

Her lips were a straight line. “Don’t look at me,” she said throwing the dishtowel she had in her left hand over her shoulder. “That’s
your
problem.”

Upset, I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.

“What?!” I scoffed.

“I know you’re mad at me. I know you don’t want me anymore, but give me an opportunity to win you back.” He fidgeted as he spoke. “I can make it better, babe. I can.”

I watched him rubbing both hands nervously. His shoulder rose to his cheek every so often in a twitch like movement. He could hardly maintain still. My heart started feeling heavy, worried about him. But I wasn’t going to give him an opportunity to hurt me a second time.

He waited for my response.

I recalled that sleepless night he was responsible for months ago. That morning, I had stumbled to the bathroom and washed my face. As I looked in the mirror, I saw that my eyes had swollen from what seemed like an ongoing eight-hour trail of tears throughout the night. I looked as though I had aged dramatically. My light brown hair looked ash gray and my olive green eyes were bloodshot and in pain. I was pale and lifeless and my already petite five-foot body felt like it was a mere five inches tall. I had felt like a grieving widow.

“I’m done with you.” I said after a long moment.

“Isis, no.” His voice cracked. “Baby, where there was fire, ashes will remain.” His brown eyes dampened.

“No, Gabriel. I’m over you. Don’t make this harder for either of us.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t feel anything for me anymore. I know you, Isis. I know you still care about me.”

Maybe he was right. Maybe what I was feeling was repressed anger I should have experienced when I had no one or nothing to direct it on when the break-up occurred. He had been my friend before he had been my boyfriend. That had to count for something.

I observed the dark circles under his eyes and his loose fitting clothes. I wanted to know if he was sick, but I was hesitant to let him know that I held any type of concern for him. I had to think about David and I couldn’t make the mistake of admitting that, even though I was angry with Gabriel, his appearance pained me.

I had known Gabriel since early elementary and we had remained friends through out the years until high school, when we became an item.

Forgetting someone you were friends in your childhood and then having been romantically involved was not easy. My mind was going in circles trying to figure out what my next move should be.

Suddenly, Gabriel strode quickly toward me and grabbed my waist, roughly pushing his lips on mine. I struggled to get loose, but he was stronger than me. I reached up and grabbed him by the ear and dug my nails into it.

“Dammit, Isis!” His hand lay flat against his ear.

“Leave!” I demanded gritting my teeth. “Idiot!”

I stomped into the house and slammed the door.

“Isis…” I could hear him on the other side of the door pleading. “Open the door, I know you’re still there.”

I didn’t answer. I heard him mumbling to himself and knock lightly on the door. He stood silent for a while and rang the doorbell.

“Crap,” He sounded irritated.

He remained on the veranda for a few more minutes pacing. Finally, I heard him walk off the porch and onto the cement walkway. I peeked through the window blinds, making sure it was his car driving away and not another.

I was blazing in fury. I could only imagine the look on my face as I walked up the staircase. My mother was at the top of the stairs waiting for me.

“You don’t look too happy.” Claire noted.

“He’s a moron.” I felt a ball in my throat.

“What happened?”

“He’s a moron.” I repeated.

“I got that part the first time.”

I broke down and started to cry.

“Oh no, honey. Don’t. He’s not worthy of your tears.” Claire embraced me.

“I’m just mad, Mom. Why did he come back? I was doing fine without him,” I sniffled.

My mother stayed quiet listening to me vent.

“He’s different, Mom. I hate to admit it, but I’m worried about him. He looks… sick. And he kissed me, and I scratched the crap out of his ear and he showed up at school too.” I kept going. “He wanted to start a fight with David and he won’t take no for an answer.” I wept softly now. “What should I do?”

My mother was probably as shocked as I was that I was being so open with her, but I couldn’t hold in what I was feeling anymore. I had to tell her exactly what was happening in my life. I needed her as both a friend and a mother and she was one of the best friends and only mother I had.

“How do you feel about Gabriel?” Claire was curious.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I hate him and… and I want to know why he’s so changed now.”