With All My Heart (A Devons Series)

Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

"We are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel."

Emma POV

I couldn't sleep. All that worry for my grandmother on my mind was weighing down on me. I get up to go downstairs. The house is strangely quiet and is painted in a strange yellowish tint from the streetlights reflecting off the snow.

I go to the window and hold open the curtain, admiring the soft flakes of snow drifting to the ground. Gazing outside now, I can't help but worry for Grama. How is she doing without me? I hate leaving her alone for so long. With this snow, it's going to be impossible to drive to see her. Even though I called her earlier to let her know I was safe and to ask how she was doing, I'm still nervous that maybe something will happen to her while I'm out of reach.

I'm so immersed in my thoughts, that I don't hear the creak in the floorboards. I only realize that I'm no longer alone, when I hear a soft, tentative voice say my name. "Emma?"

I whirl around to find Gabriel standing by the stairs. He's staring at me and I at him. Then, once the air starts feeling tense and charged with something, I turn back to the window. "Hi," I reply softly.

He doesn't say anything for a few moments but when he does, he is much closer. "You've been avoiding me, haven't you?"

I roll my eyes. "No sh*t, Sherlock," I say sarcastically. "You didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat for me when we first met."

He barks out a short laugh and nods, his lips curling in a wry smile. "Yeah, you're going to keep reminding me of that, aren't you?"

"Damn right I will, I'm not letting that go," I snap. "Your attitude to me is disgusting. What do you want anyway?"

A grin crosses his face and my stupid heart that can't seem to get over his painful good-looks, stutters. "I know that you're not going to forgive me so easily. I'm fine with you holding a grudge on me, actually. Oh, by the way, how're things between you and Thea?" I know he knows that our relationship is still strained so I want to punch him for rubbing our argument into my face.

I glare at him and stalk to the stairs. I brush past him and snarl, "I'm going to bed."

I'm half way to the staircase when Gabriel's voice floats up to me. "Please don't go back to Landon's room." If I didn't know better, I would think that Gabriel sounds upset. But that's not possible, is it? Gabriel hates my guts and I hate his.

I roll my eyes and snap, "Why should you care where I sleep? Unless you're implying that I should sleep outside?"

Fire flares in Gabriel's beautiful, murky gray eyes. "No, I'm not implying that," he growls. And stupid me thinks that he's going to apologize for his disgusting attitude but then he ruins it by asking in a smug voice, "How're things between you and Landon?"

That has an enraged fire shooting up in my veins and I want to slap him across his face to get that smug smile off his face. "That is none of your business," I snap.

"I suppose not," he admits.

We fall into an uncomfortable silence and I have no idea why I'm still standing like an idiot at the foot of the stairs. Gabriel breaks the awkward silence by saying, "You're definitely not like other girls, are you? You're not going to swoon over me like they do."

My lip curls up in a disgusted sneer. "Absolutely not. I get it. I'm a piece of crap to you. You made it very clear how you see me. You insult me any chance you get, you treat me like sh*t and you expect me to swoon over you? Sorry, I don't do bad boys. I don't need a guy that's an ass on the inside but a steaming hottie on the outside. No thank you."