Robbery
981 Words
Gabriel's POV
The hospital release papers felt like a death warrant. Two days. Two days of smelling antiseptic and watching my mom hover over Derek like he was a saint instead of the guy who had gotten her own blood in danger in the first place.
Packing up was quick. I didn't have much to begin with. Just a duffel, my box of sketchbooks, my life really and a handful of shirts. I dragged it all down the stairs, trying not to look at them. Mr. Miller was in the living room, on the phone, looking pleased with himself. I walked straight past him. I didn't care anymore.
I hit the lobby and saw the TV mounted on the wall. The news was playing. A picture of Connor. His face was everywhere. Headlines scrolling about his family’s empire collapsing, the merger tanking, the whole thing burning to the ground because of that one video.
I stopped. I didn't know how to feel. Should I be happy? The guy broke my ribs. He was a piece of s**t. But seeing him get dismantled by Derek… it didn't feel like justice. It felt like watching a shark eat a smaller fish. And the shark? The shark was waiting for me inside.
"Hey, move it."
Derek’s voice was right behind me. Still that same lazy, entitled tone. I didn't even turn around. I just kept walking out the sliding doors into the heat. I headed straight for the curb. My cab was pulling up, a beat up sedan that looked like heaven compared to that penthouse.
I stood there, waiting for the driver to unlock the door. Derek’s car was parked nearby, his luggage already tucked away. He stood by his door, leaning against it, watching me.
"Hello?" he called out. "Aren't you coming with me?"
I looked at him. His face was still bruised, purplish yellow, but he looked smug. Like he had won the war. "No thank you. I ordered a ride."
Before I could even blink, he was across the space between us. He snatched my box out of my hand before I could even brace for it. He held it up, high enough that I couldn't reach it.
"Get in my car now."
My blood started boiling. The headache from the hospital drugs was nothing compared to the spike of rage in my chest. "No, give me my luggage."
He took a step closer. He was tall, way taller than me, and he used every inch of it, stepping into my personal space until he was like a wall I couldn't climb. "What's with this attitude?"
I grit my teeth. I just wanted to go. Anywhere but here. Anywhere but with him. "Nothing. I just want to be left alone."
He laughed. A short, dry sound that had zero humor in it. "There is no such thing as alone when you have me."
I reached out to yank the box back, but he dodged, nimble even with his injuries. My cab driver beeped. Thank god.
"Give that back," I snapped, my voice shaking.
He smirked. "If you want your luggage, get in my car."
I looked at the box. My sketches and clothing. Then I looked at Derek. The smug look on his face, he really thought he had me. He thought he could just own me because he was the heir or whatever. I was so sick of it. Sick of the games, sick of the fear, sick of my new family bullshit.
"Fine," I said. My voice was steady. "You can have it. I still have clothes in my dorm."
I didn't wait for his answer. I didn't look back to see his reaction. I opened the cab door and climbed in.
"Go," I told the driver.
"Wait, you didn't......" Derek started, his voice dropping the playful act. He looked genuinely pissed. Shocked.
The driver didn't wait either. We peeled away from the curb. I watched Derek in the rearview mirror, standing there on the sidewalk, holding my luggage, his mouth hanging open just a little. For the first time, he looked small.
The ride to the dorm was quiet. I felt weird. I had just left everything behind. But it was the best feeling I had in weeks. I wasn't going to play his game. Not today. I will find money on my own and get the stuffs I just lost to Derek.
It was 6 PM when I finally unlocked my dorm door. The hallway was empty, just the usual smell of stale coffee and floor wax. I stepped inside, dropping my keys on the desk.
Man, I was tired. I needed to crash. Then it hit me....my tablet. I had left it in the luggage.
"f**k," I muttered to the empty room.
I shook my head. Whatever. I would get it back later. Maybe I would make him bring it to me, that tab was f*****g expensive. I turned to my closet to grab a hoodie, thinking I would just wear whatever was left in there.
I pulled the door open.
It was empty.
I blinked. Maybe I had left it open? I looked closer. No. It wasn't just empty.....it was bare. Not a single hanger. Not a shoe, not a sock, not a pair of jeans. I spun around. The desk was bare too. My books were gone. My laptop charger was gone. Even the damn sheets were ripped off the mattress.
My room looked like it had been gutted. Like I had never lived there.
My heart started thumping against my ribs so hard it hurt. I checked the drawers. Empty.
Did I just get robbed?
I stood in the middle of the room, spinning in a circle. There were no signs of a break in. The door hadn't been forced. No broken glass. No mess.
Then it hit me.
"Derek! that prick!"
- Writer
