Inferno | ✎

03

**TW: Physical and Verbal Abuse***

GABRIEL TURNED THE KNOB of his door and entered his home, acknowledging his glowering wife Isabel sitting on the nearby couch.

"Finally, you're home," Isabel hissed, her eyes raking Gabriel from the couch. "Why were you late?" 

Gabriel sighed as he slid his shoes off by the door. "Work. The fundraiser, remember?" 

Isabel crossed her arms, her face twisting with anger. "The fundraiser should have finished, at most, an hour ago. Don't lie to me." 

"I'm not lying." 

Gabriel gritted his teeth. In reality, he spent most of the evening helping the station clean up after the fundraiser finished, then took the longest way home possible. Being alone and occupied was infinitely better than being here with her. 

"You're full of shit," she stated. "You have that look on your face, that sad I-just-kicked-a-puppy look. Where were you really? Let me guess, sleeping with one of the fundraiser women? Fucking gross."

"Christ, I'm telling the truth," Gabriel mumbled, making his way to the bathroom. "Where do you even assume these things? I've never slept with anyone. I'm going to shower, then sleep. It's been a really long day and work needs me out there early to help train the new 'probie'."

Isabel, frustrated, got off the couch and followed her husband to the bathroom, watching him undress down to his underwear as he turned the shower on. He eyed her, quizzically arching an eyebrow. 

"What?" 

"Why are you so giddy?" 

"What? What do you mean?" 

She sighed. "Sure, you look like a tired mess right now, but something about you seems different."

He freezes. Is the paint splatter still there? "What about me?" 

Her eyes narrow. "What's that mark on your cheek?"

His shoulders grow heavy. "It's paint from the paint stall. One of the others asked me to help, so I sat with him and painted. It's--"

She cut him off with a hard slap across the face. He stumbled back, bewildered, catching himself on the bathroom sink. She folded her arms.

"I don't believe you for one second. I bet you think I'm an idiot, lying straight to my face. One of those people kissed you during a photo-op, didn't they? I bet the girl couldn't resist, and I bet you liked it. Tell me the truth, did you get kissed or not!?"

"I... I didn't..." his body began to shut down. All he wanted was for her to stop yelling. Every day, it's something, and every day, he believes it's his fault. Isabel was always upset or tense about something, and almost all the time Gabriel took the brunt of it. 

Isabel raised a hand again. Gabriel instinctively cowered, shielding his face with a hand. Isabel chuckled, lowering it back down to her side. She shaked her head. 

"You know what? Nevermind. You're so pathetic. You're this big, muscly man, the gem of this town, and you're cowering from me? I'm done. Who would kiss this weak excuse of a man?" 

She turned on her heel, leaving the door wide open, the cool night air snaking up Gabriel's body. Gabriel begrudgingly shut it, that all too familiar feeling of hurt tugging at his gut, weighing him down. 

He locked the door. Opening the cupboard, he twisted the lid off his antidepressants bottle and dry-swallowed a pill. He looked at the mirror; a reddening print smeared across his face, right where the pink paint residue was. It'll be gone by morning, thank God. 

Just as he was about to jump into the shower, his phone lit up. 

For the first time in a long time, Gabriel actually smiled in his own household. However, a twinge of guilt sliced at his heart. 

It was Nathaniel.

Hey, Gabriel. Just wanted to say that today was nice. You're coming into work tomorrow, yeah? The Captain showed me around, but I still don't know where anything is. Would prefer a friend's help, if that's okay.

His hands began to shake.

===========

Hey hey! Don't forget to leave a comment and a vote if you're enjoying the story so far. Let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving an in-line comment here.

Much love,J.S x