"Can you come out? I'm already waiting"
It was pouring outside. Gabrielle sprinted out of the house letting big drops cover all of her. Chills ran down her spine along with wetness. But she loved it more than expected. The sounds of water crashing into the ground created music that she could silently dance to.
He was already waiting. Water running down his face created a much more appealing image than ever. She felt her heart jump a little when they crashed into each other's arms. It felt like home. Where they both always belonged.
"You're so wet" she giggled brushing away sticky hair strings away from his perfect shaped face.
He kept silent. The face was hardly readable. Gabrielle seemed not to notice the pale sharp expression, blinded by the magic of the moment. Everything around was gone the second he showed up. His arms were still secure around her but there was nothing flowing from him. He looked empty. And it was scary.
Gabrielle stood on her toes trying to make herself same height as him just to meet a blank look was hitting slowly. They stood in silence for a few minutes letting the rain wash over them. Gabrielle always thought it was like purification before all the dirt pouring down and drowning in eternal darkness. She examined his face, feeling the alarm from the cold the air around them and slowly fading shine from his blue.
"Is something wrong?"
His fingers traveled up her cheek and returned the smile on her face for a brief moment. The touch was so cold she almost flinched, his fingers moving along the contours of her cheeks but feeling so distant. Meaningless cold motions scared her, forcing the body to react with trembles and shivers. His hand was colder than the rain but she let it stay no matter what.
"Do you remember the one manager which helped me to record my first songs?" his whispers felt already deadly "Charlotte introduced him to me and we worked together for a while. I spent night after night creating my future in the studio. You were there. Do you remember that huge studio?"
Gabrielle nodded in agreement. How could she forget? It was one of the few times she saw him truly happy. Late nights brought brand new atmosphere to the place where they all, manager, she, he and Charlotte were witnessing magic. Those nights were only the beginning of his widely spreading wings that was gladly taking Gabrielle for a thrilling fly. Lately, not even she could put such joy in his heart than the music he made. It was everything to him. She loved to watch him lost in sounds mixture. She loved to get lost when he sang to her.
"The songs have hit the radio stations. It made such a huge jump so fast. Probably the best thing that happened to me since you"
She widened her smile and pressed her self harder to him. She wanted to share the happiness like everything they have shared in recent years. Sudden success didn't drag him away from the ones he loved, it was quite opposite: he cherished each person in his life more than ever.
But now, when she looked him straight in the eyes she saw nothing. Each drop of love was hitting the ground with the rain. His arms accepted her only for a brief time: it grabbed her shoulders and placed steadily in front of him. Gabrielle froze. The lightning struck revealing sharp facial features and she shivered.
"Gabrielle...Charlotte offered me a contract with the same manager. I don't know yet how long it will last. Could be months. Could be years. I would have my own recording room. My own team. I could create something beautiful...You know it's everything I ever wished for" his eyes were flashing with sparkles and it raised Gabrielle's pulse. She knew all that brief excitement was not because of her "I can get it if I want to. And I do. Very much."
She could feel upcoming agony. His fingers sinking into her skin paralyzed the whole body. The pressure slowly put more weight on her and she felt being thrown into the same ocean as him. But she was the only one who was drowning with no escape while he was ready to swim further.
"If I say yes, he will take me with him. And I'll get all I want. With a price" he took a small pause to locked his look to hers "I must go with Charlotte to England. It's where the studio is placed. She is his assistant and would be mine as well. That is why she must come with me and stay for the whole contract time. The studio has the equipment and everything a starting singer would need. England would a place for me to bring dreams into reality"
"What are you saying?" Gabrielle whispered already knowing the answer. His plain face announced the verdict mutely and she felt the first piece of her being ripped out "But...What about me? You know I can't go with you. I have school, I have a family, I have...
"I know"
The silence between them was killing both. The thunder echoed the last words cutting deep into her. His arms released her and threw the last look letting the muffled decision drag him away into the darkness. Gabrielle could swear she spotted a glimpse of hurt but it was gone within a second. A ball stuck in her throat not letting to make a sound. He was slowly making his way away backward, like wanting to remember each second of her image and disappear at the same time. Gabrielle felt the ground dragging her down but she refused to obey. She forced herself to step forward hoping to win this fight even though she couldn't find anything to fight with. His words took everything away.
"No...You can't leave me..." her voice cut the air stepping closer to him. With each step coming closer, he stepped back "You can't leave me like that...We can try to figure something out...Just don't walk away like that, please.."
It was unclear where the tears and where the rain started on her face. Everything was blurry at this point, her eyes only recognized his perfect shape. She didn't need to see his expression, the coldness was striking from miles away. Just as she dared to step closer, an almost visible ignorance wall stopped her, but she refused to end it. Her whole life was about to walk away and she refuses to let it go. Gabrielle's shaking fingers reached for his elbow: she didn't know if it would make him stay, but she wouldn't forgive herself if she wouldn't at least try. Her whole body wanted to feel at least last seconds of him. To remember how he feels. How his scent lands on her and remains as a small part of him she can always carry.
"Please stay..." her fingers slid up his arm but he pushed away like an irritating insect.
"We leave early in the morning. I have packing to do. I just came here to say a fast..."
The words were cutting his throat as he couldn't finish the sentence. Gabrielle desperately looked for any signs of compassion, but it wasn't there. All she could see was a coward leaving the one he said he loved in one of the most important moments of their both lives. His carelessness was ripping her apart leaving opened bleeding scars. The tears started to burn her face erasing everything they created.
"You can't simply walk away like that! You promised you would stay if this happens! You promised..."
The screams were mixing with thunder. She could physically feel the blood running down her heart from the wounds he just made. It was difficult to decide which hurt more: the realization of him disappearing from her life or seeing him backing away so easily. His whole body was steaming with a wish just to walk away as fast as he can. The words leaving her mouth were choking her.
"You promised...You said you would love me no matter what...you said you would..." words could barely leave her mouth not wanting to admit the truth "you don't get to say you love me and then walk away! Is this all I mean to you? Don't I deserve a better reason?"
He still looked at her with no readable expression and it was punching Gabrielle more than echoing words he left her with. She let out a scream like it would hurt him as half bad as he was hurting her now as it would make everything better or at least easier and threw herself at him. Her shaking hands tried to stick same sharp knives back at him: tiny fists containing great pain should have destroyed him until he is as ripped as her. But it was no use. Muscular hands caught it with no effort and pressed it hard. He forced her to face him and she saw nothing but rage which would have frightened her since he never looked at her that terrifying way. But she wasn't afraid. There was no place in her heart for fear. Everything was taken away from her piece by piece and the only thing she wanted now was a decent explanation. A spark of regret. A drop of affection. But there was nothing. With his choice, he ripped himself apart so hard he had nothing to react with.
"You are going to regret this very much" the words were slowly leaving her sour lips not breaking the eye contact so he remembers her destroyed image for the rest of his life "I promise you, one day you will look back again but I'm not going to be there. If you walk away now, I'm not going to chase you. There will be no us again" all the worst ideas were crossing her head banging into her doors with unreasonable explanations and she unconsciously let them in "Just please tell me...Is the studio only a disguise? Is it because of Charlotte?"
He didn't need to respond. The face expression and wanting to escape said it all paralyzing her lungs. Gabrielle gasped for air but it wasn't anywhere near. Charlotte spread itself inside her head not leaving a second to rest. It burned everything inside: all memories, all dreams, and wishes. It burned everything she loved. But the image of him was simply stolen from her.
His fingers released letting her hit the ground, but it wasn't as hard as his silence. Coldness took each Gabrielle's body cell and filled it with shivers. She couldn't tell anymore which part caused more pain; he leaving or he leaving with her. She couldn't fight the resistance anymore. There was nothing left inside her to fight with. Silent screams traveled in her veins leaving ice cold traces. It only prepared for real pain which will come with empty space in front of her.
"One day you're going to remember me and how much I loved you. And then you're going to hate yourself for leaving me like that" the cries overtook the storm looking straight to him "I promise, you're going to look back at me and wonder why you walked away"
He stood still watching her shaking. For a moment she thought he would run towards her with healing arms and whisper all her wishes. But he didn't. He just stared at her before turning around and leaving only her broken heart laying on the icy ground.