The suddenknocking on her window caused her to jump, making her drop her phone onto thefloor board. Looking up she was surprised and immediately wary to see Gabrielstanding outside her car, Salene did not want him to see her like this. Notreally having much of a choice she rolled down her window.
"What areyou doing out here Salene?" His gaze raking over her in curiosity as heleaned his forearm on the top of her car door.
"I amsitting in my car, minding my own business what does it look like?!" Shesnapped back tartly as she avoided his inquisitive gaze staring aheadsightlessly, praying he would go away.
Out of thecorner of her eye, she watched him straighten away from her car, bringing onlyhis jean clad waist into view from her angle. Please go away, please go way,she repeated in her head. There was only a handful of people she did not wantto see during this embarrassing moment in her life and Gabriel Breslin was oneof them.
"Well itlooks like you have been sitting in this parking lot all day with the intentionto stay the night," he leaned down further, this time, leaning his forearmcasually on the windowsill preventing her from rolling it up on his growingsmile. "My dear Salene, are you by chance homeless?"
Her heartthudded in her chest at his accuracy, turning her head away from the window shebit her lip to stop the threat of oncoming tears. Salene would rather fling herbody into traffic before she cried in front of this prick.
"Get off mycar Breslin," turning the key in the ignition she began to shift intodrive when his hand grabbed her steering well. Shocked she turned back aroundonly to be face to face with her tormentor.
Green eyessparkled back with undisguised humor. "Follow me."
Chapter 3
Pulling into the garage, Gabriel swatted the garage door openerbutton to close behind him as he made his way through the house. Walkingthrough the darkened living room, he flipped on the light before pulling backthe front window curtain. Just like this morning the shitty blue Corolla,pulling the ridiculous looking trailer, stopped in front of his house.
Gabriel could not help but smile, hell probably for the first timein weeks. Getting out of her car slowly Gabriel watched Salene take a visiblesigh as she walked towards the front door. Finally, God was smiling down on himsince his bitch of a soon-to-be ex-wife ran out on him. Opening the front door,he smiled widely as she walked past him silently. Just the thought of gettingto see Amber's prissy best friend get knocked down a peg or two was just toogood.
Wearing some faded jeans and a button-down shirt, Salene lookeddownright pitiful. The handful of occasions he did have the displeasure ofmeeting her she was normally always well dressed. Oh how far she had fallen, hemused as he plopped on the sofa. Now she was standing make-up free with a messyponytail holding back her massive brown curls looking very nervous.
Not offering her a seat Gabriel spread his arms out over the backof the couch. "So what the hell has to go so wrong that I find SaleneAgnew sleeping in her car?"
Clutching her purse strap tighter she pivoted nervously as shestared at some unseen object past his head. God, he was enjoying this.
"I lost my job," she mumbled.
"What, no savings?" He laughed.
That got her, just as he experienced in their past confrontationsher light brown eyes cut towards him sharply.
"No I did have a savings, but since I lost my job, that wasquickly depleted." She slowly enunciated each word as if he was stupid."But I would not expect for a grown man who lives off daddy's good gracesto understand that."
This is why he hated her, clenching his fist Gabriel took a deepbreath to check his boiling anger. Ever since he met Salene, they fought likecats and dogs. The first time he met her was right after his honeymoon, Amberwanted him to meet her college friend. Gabriel could still vividly remembershaking her hand and the bright warmth of her smile she gave him on that firstmeeting. That was the first and last time she smiled at him.
"Well I have to say, that insult just hardly has any effectcoming from a woman sleeping in her car."
Grabbing her keys from her purse, she turned on her heel towardsthe door. “I am not sure why I even came here."
"Probably because you did not want to get robbed and raped ina parking lot," he added venomously.
Her hand paused over the door knob momentarily before pride kickedin again causing her to open the door.
"You can stay for tonight only." He said as he got upfrom the couch walking out of the living room leaving her alone. "Use oneof the spare bedrooms in the hall to your right," Gabriel called from thehallway.
The sound of the front door closing along with a heavy exhale ofdefeat made him laugh.
Chapter 4
Opening aseries of doors down the dark and seemingly abandoned hall, Salene found whatshe assumed was the working guest bedroom. The other two rooms were filled withboxes and various items, while this one housed a queen bed and only a fewboxes. Thankfully some of the boxes were marked with linen allowing her toeasily find what she needed to make up the bare bed.
Had theynot been living in this house for nearly four months now? Surely they couldhave unpacked by this time, Salene thought. Judging by the nice statelyneighborhood and the outside of the large house one just assumed the insidewould be just as nice. From the little, she did see the place was in disarray,just boxes, a few pieces of furniture here and there, and tons of bare walls.
Grabbingher overnight bag, she walked across the hallway into the bathroom. Thebathroom was completely empty save for some toilet paper and a shower curtain.Opening the cabinets, she found them all empty. Searching through all the boxesin her room she could not find any semblance of a towel. The thought of goingoutside and digging through her trailer entered her mind, but she really didnot want to open the overstuffed trailer.
Walkingback down the hallway Salene stopped in the empty living room. Where could thelaundry room be? After opening a couple of doors near the grand unused kitchen,she finally found the laundry room. Piles of clothes were laying everywhere,some in and out of baskets. Shaking her head at the clutter Salene opened thewashing machine to see if there were any towels there.
