No Reason But Us

Chapter 37 : Our Connections

At night, Oddey was in the auditorium to continue working on the set all by herself. It was very quiet there, and it was not because no theatre club members practicing. Even though Gage was at home to be with his parents for just a few days, she could not help but miss him and even wanted him beside her to help rehearse some lines while she did the set.

Also, she could not shake the feeling of guilt that all these terrible things were happening to his family because of her father, and she could not even tell him. Suddenly, her phone rang. She ran to it and saw that it was her Romeo calling again, so she excitedly answered it, "Hey," she greeted in a giddy tone.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't call sooner, I'm here now in my parents' house," he said to her.

"That's okay. I understand."

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, I'm painting a wooden plank, so how's everything there? How are your parents?" she asked.

"Not good. My parents can't get out without being attacked or insulted," Gage replied.

"Oh, my God. That's terrible. Are they safe, at least?"

"Mom said that there's gonna be a cop patrolling around our house."

"That's good to hear," Oddey said, as she put down the brush and wiped some paint off her hands.

"I just wish it would stop soon. This Leon Magnum has gone too far," the Romeo groaned, while his lady could hear the anger in his voice.

The Juliet began feeling very bad that he was feeling that way since her father was causing all this, but she could not tell him. "I wish I could do something to help," she whimpered accidentally.

"No, don't worry about it," Gage responded. "Knowing that you're right by my side is more than enough for me. Anyway, I have to go, I'm just gonna help my mom set up the table for dinner."

"Oh, okay. You guys be careful, okay?"

"We will. You should take a break too," he told. "Don't overwork."

"I'm just about to get back to my dorm," Oddey said.

"Bye, talk to you again tomorrow, my Juliet."

"Alright, bye, Romeo." She put down the phone, and as happy as she was to hear his voice, Oddey still felt guilt-ridden about it. "Gosh, I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, she got a text from her father, so she read the message.

'I hope you are not busy tomorrow. Do you want to have lunch together?'

----

After fifteen minutes inside the car, Adrian entered his home with the fear that his dirty deeds would be revealed to his family, and that was when he saw Marie asleep on the couch with the television still turned on, so he turned it off. He gazed around the framed family photo, and then tears began to roll down his cheek.

Gage got down the stairs and saw his father. "Dad?"

The man jolted as he quickly wiped the tears from his face and turned to his son, "Gage," he gasped. "You're here."

"Yeah, I'm here for you, Dad," his son said. "You okay?"

"Yes... I will be."

Gage gazed over at his mother. "Wow, Mom fell asleep waiting for you. Where were you anyway? And why are you coming in now?"

"I... I was in the bar with Uncle Henry. I lost track of time... that's all," Adrian stammered. He did not want his son to know that he got into an altercation with the man who ruined his life.