Elevator (Completed)

40

Dedicated to @sanehuman because she's been supporting me since I started this story <3 thank you!

•forty•

Gabriella was deliberately late the next morning, so she didn't have to meet Luke. Yeah, she was a coward like that. She was working at bakeraaay that afternoon when she saw Charlene got into it.

Her eyes widened as she tried to spot Luke. He was nowhere in sight, she let out a relieved breath.

"Gabri?"

"Charlene!" She smiled at the kid. "What are you doing here, char?"

"Luke got a day off work today, so we decided to just walk around. You want to join us?" Charlene grinned.

"Luke? Where is he?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I think he went to buy some ice cream. Come on Gabri, take the rest of the day off and come with me!"

"Why?" Gabri chuckled uncomfortably. "I can't take the rest of the day off, charlene."

"Come on." Charlene whined. "It's not everyday we can hang out together, you know. And no one's here anyway." She looked around the bakery.

"No." Gabri said, adamant. There was a reason why she got into the elevator 5 minutes later than usual.

"Aww, please." Charlene pouted. "It's my birthday."

"Today's your birthday?"

Charlene nodded eagerly, grinning. Gabriella contemplated for a second, before giving in.

"Fine then. Happy birthday, sweetie." She pinched charlene's cheek. "I'll talk to the manager first." She said and walked to the staff room.

*

Gabriella walked out of the bakery with Charlene beside her, eating her chocolate cake that gaby gave her. Because hey, every birthday girl deserves a cake.

"Charlene?" Luke said behind his niece, holding three cups of ice cream. Was it gabriella next to charlene? How did she manage to get gabriella out of bakeraaay? And why was charlene eating a cake?

They turned to face him. He narrowed his eyes at charlene.

"How did you get that cake?"

"Every birthday girl deserves a cake!" Gab answered.

What? Charlene's eyes widened and narrowed at Luke, raising her brows as if she was trying to tell him something. He gave her a blank look before saying, "whose birthday is today?"

"What?" Gabriella asked, confused. Charlene did a face-palm as she finished her cake and threw the wrapper into a trash bin at the side of the road.

"It's not her birthday, hun bun." He said, chuckling slightly. "By the way, I got these ice creams for us." He held the ice creams out for charlene and gabriella.

"Oh? Really?" Gabby crossed her arms narrowed her eyes at charlene, who smiled sheepishly.

"Well that was the only trick that could get you to hang out with me..." Charlene reached for her strawberry ice cream and the vanilla one, handing it to gabriella. "At least he bought you ice cream?"

Gab rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh, taking the vanilla ice cream. "Whatever."

Charlene grinned and grabbed gab's hand. "Where to?" She asked him.

"Wanna get some tac-"

"It was rhetorical." Charlene cut Luke off. "We always get pizza." She grinned and started to walk. Gab looked at luke and they both laughed before following charlene.

"Were you going to eat two ice creams or were you actually going to give me this?"

"Of course I was going to come to bakeraaay to give you that." He smiled.

They were just about to get into Domino's Pizza when a deep man voice called Charlene's name behind them. Luke stiffened slightly.

"Just keep walking." He said under his breath and they kept walking. Gabriella glanced to see a quite old man with a beer bottle in hand, trying to catch up with them. He had big tummy, wrinkled clothes and he kept stumbling while walking, receiving glares from people he stumbled into.

"Clayton!" He shouted. Luke swore under his breath before turning around to face the homeless-and drunk looking guy, soon followed by charlene and gabriella.

"What?" Luke snapped, glowering.

"You son of a bi-"

"Mom is NOT a bitch." Luke growled, cutting the man off.

"you told me you didn't know where charlene is! And here she is, standing beside you!" He pointed accusingly at Luke with his beer bottle, slurring the words out.

Oh, he was Luke's dad.

"Sorry sir? She's my sister." Gabriella joined in.

"And who are you?" The dad glared at her.

"Dad." Luke growled. "She's not charlene and you're drunk as hell. You better go now."

"I know she is charlene!" His dad raised his voice, catching some attentions from the people around them. Gabriella looked at them worriedly.

"She is my sister, sir."

"Bullshit!" He spat.

"Fine! Fine, she's lying. But this girl," Luke grabbed Charlene's hand. "Is NOT your granddaughter. Sober up! You don't even know how charlene looks like now. When was the last time you saw that kid? Five years ago?" Luke mocked.

"I'm gonna take her as my granddaughter." His dad growled, attempting to grab charlene's another hand.

"Wow- fuck off, dad!" Luke said, pulling Charlene away from his dad while receiving tons of glares from people around them. Gabriella looked worriedly at Charlene. "She's not Charlene. Charlene has a black hair, remember?"

"I fucking know she is charlene. Who else could she be?"

"well! This girl here is my wife." Luke pointed his chin at gabri, the side of his mouth turning upwards when he saw her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink. "And Nina here, is our adoptive daughter."

Gabriella's expression was basically shouting what-the-fuck now. Was luke seriously stupid enough to say that? Of all lies, he chose to say that?

"I don't believe you." His dad growled. "She doesn't wear the wedding ring."

"Actually, I forgot to wear it after I took a shower."

"You." His dad slurred, pointing at gabriella. "I know you're lying. Just see, clayton. I'm going to take my granddaughter to me, away from you."

"You want to take care of her?" Luke challanged him. "Sober up first!"

His dad laughed for no reason. "You're just like your mother, stubborn."

"Oh really dad? And you know what? I'm legal now. I can take care of charlene if I want to. So you better go now and leave us alone."

"You son of a fucking-"

And then the guy collapsed to the ground, passed out.

*

Hey, readers. I'm so sorry I just updated now! But that was longer than usual, I hope I'm forgiven! :D

Please don't forget to vote and comment. Thank you for reading! Xx