Sage

15

"Watch your step," Gale tells me as he leads me into the condo. My dried voice doesn't allow me to speak, so I nod as he turns on the dimmed light.

The condo is well put together but lacks personality, looking like something right out of a catalog. I do notice the gaming system hooked up to the flat-screen TV that hangs on the wall and wonder if Gale took me to his place or Harry's. He was very vague on the thirty-minute drive here, not that I would have paid attention to anything he said anyhow.

The door is closed behind us with a soft thud and I clear my throat, turning back to face Gale. He gives me an apologetic smile and yawns afterward. It has to be at least 2 in the morning.

The night had become a blur. I remember crying about how I'd care for the baby, talking on the phone with Gale, and going out for food. The rest, my braid had fogged over and when I tried to think about it, my headache intensified. 

My eyes were dried from all the crying I'd done on the ride here and my body was void of emotion. I just wanted to sleep.

"If you wanna shower, I can find you some clothes to wear." he offers.

I nod, and he does as well, leading up the spaced, marble stairs and to a white door that's almost silent when he opens it.

I'm shown where the soap, face wash, and extra towels are before Gale shuts the door, telling me that he'll be back with a shirt and shorts.

The shower is a sleek walk-in, and my eyes are burning with exhaustion when I finally learn how to work it and climb in, letting the hot water cascade down my body. The one consistent thought I had was about the baby. When I fell on the floor, I landed on my side. I knew there wasn't much to feel for but it still concerned me and I'd go to the hospital to make sure everything was okay if it weren't for the fact that I had no way to afford it.

And I thought about Harry. How annoyingly calm he had been when he and Gale came. 

Why did Gale leave him with Danny? And did Harry crack one of his bones? What did he say to him when we were leaving? What are they doing right now? Nothing really made sense and I didn't know if it was because I was just that exhausting or if Harry and Gale were genuinely being weird.

A soft knock comes on the door and I sniff and splash water on my face, "Yeah?"

"It's me, I'm gonna leave the clothes on the floor here,"

"Okay,"

I wash my body and my face as well before gargling some mouthwash and wrapping the towel around my body to dry off. As promised, a graphic, beige-colored Playboy tee along with cotton shorts are on the floor. I don't even care that I won't have any undergarments as I slide into the clothes, grabbing my dirty ones in my hand and exiting the bathroom quietly.

I walk to the railing where I look over and see Gale on the couch, his body leaning forward as he speaks on the phone in a hushed tone. 

As if sensing my presence, he turns around quickly, mumbling that he has to go and hanging up the phone all in two seconds. I'm too tired to even question him.

"You can leave those in the hamper in the restroom, Ashley comes at six,"

"Ashley?"

"The maid," He clarifies, and I scoff quietly, mostly out of shock. 

He stands to his feet and makes his way up the stairs with a slight jog, nodding once he's at the top, "Anyway," He huffs, "There are two bedrooms, you can take the main one, the bed is bigger and the sheets were just cleaned today. I've been camping out in the guest one,"