Connected Lives (a Les Twins FanFiction)

Chapter 1

Gabrielle sat alone, tapping her sculpted nails against the rich cherry wood table. Why am I here?

She had loved him since she was 16. He had loved her too. For a while. They had made it through the MJ Immortal years and even the first Beyonce tour. Well, most of it anyway. She liked to tell herself that the US had changed him. Or maybe Beyonce's special attention to her matched set. That it was beyond his control. But she knew better. If she was honest, she would admit that it was Laurent and his nature. After all, it was that charisma and passion that drew her to him, and kept her coming back.

Her tapping was replaced by the click click of her stiletto against the glossy concrete floor as she tried to still her fingers. Why can't he just on time. She imagined for a moment looking right at him there at the table and saying, "You know what? I am sick of being treated like shit Lau. I'm too good for your cheating ass. Have a nice life." She smiled to herself and chuckled under her breath at the image.

"What you smiling about Gabi?'

She started at his voice and the feel of his hands lifting her heavy hair off her neck. Her breath caught when he pressed his lips to her neck, just below her ear. Her resolve to tell him to get lost dissolved. She hated herself for that. But not enough to change I guess, she thought. She plastered on her most dazzling smile and turned to him.

"Hey! I've missed you! Thank you for doing dinner! I mean taking us out! Uh...you're late though, haha!" Oh. My. God. Gabi. Desperate much.

Laurent cocked his head, arching his left brow, "Everything okay Boo?"

Ugh, so he's using pet names again. I'm not doing this, I swear, she chastised herself. But it didn't matter when she answered. "Yes! Everything is fine! I'm just glad you're home." She kept smiling. It felt fake and she wondered it looked fake. Self-pity welled up making her chest ache. Skin pulled tight as she smiled harder and forced her eyes to brighten and halt the tears pricking at the edges of her eyelids.

Laurent gave her that deep look that made her go weak. "Let's order then!" he said with childish enthusiasm.

"You know, Lau, I'm just not very hungry. My stomach has been sort of upset all day." She said it lightly but she watched his eyes cloud over with confusion, maybe some concern, and definitely aggravation.

"Okay, so what we going to do?" he asked with thinly veiled sharpness, "you want to stay or no?"

She honestly didn't know but staying seemed easier at present. "It's okay, I'm totally fine..." her words were cut off by a barely restrained squeal to her left.

A girl, probably 18 or so, stood there bouncing, almost hyperventilating. "Oh my god, oh my god!" she panted, "I can't believe I am meeting you! Oh my god!"

Gabi hid her disgust and looked at Laurent. He hated when fans did this sort of thing when it was obvious he was out with family or friends. He used to hate it anyway. Now, it appeared, he loved the attention any time. Gabi frowned as she watched him completely forget her and instead give his full attention to the fangirl, soaking up every drop of obsessed praise she lavished on him. You have to be fucking kidding me.

What seemed like an eternity later, plus a hug and cheesy selfie, the fangirl walked away, still tearfully gushing. Laurent kept his shit-eating grin and turned to Gabi with an air of arrogance. Not what she wanted to see from the man she'd known more than half her life, but she had come to expect it. All she could do was stare at him. She had no idea what look was plastered on her face but she knew it wasn't impressed. She was ready to go. Now.

"Hey, sorry about that, just part of being famous," he laughed. The self-satisfied look slipped from his face when he finally spared a moment to actually see Gabrielle. She was just staring at him as if she didn't know who he was, her head shaking ever so slightly. Despite his fight to stare back, his eyes dropped to the table, his arms outstretched with clasped hands. "Gabi, " he paused, "I, look, I..."

"Who are you Laurent?" It was a statement, not a question. It was a judgment. Her brow was deeply furrowed as she glared at him. But while her face showed anger, her eyes only read confusion and hurt. Very deep hurt.

"Boo, I'm sorry, let's just go back to my place and talk," he pleaded. He kept his voice low as his eyes slowly wandered the room. This wasn't the way he thought tonight was going to go.

Ha, she thought, all the sudden fame isn't to sweet. But her moment of gloating was quickly replaced by the ache in her chest. She didn't want to go to his flat, she wanted to tell him to fuck off. And she desperately wanted to go home with him. She wanted to allow herself to believe nothing had change between them. She could do neither, yet she had to do something. So she sat and watched him. A gleaming sheen of sweat had formed across his forehead. He licked his lips as they dried but dared not spare a second for a sip of water. He wondered if Gabi that realized that he knew that they were at a precipice - and he didn't know what to do. Her lips pursed into a tight frown. It wrinkled her chin and creased the space between her brows. He knew the expression well. Most of the time he was the cause.

"Let's just go Gabi. Please." It was not quite a plea, but he did suddenly and desperately want to get out of the public eye.

Gabi started to say something but stopped. She looked down and shook her head. She took a deep breath. By the way her shoulders moved, Laurent knew she was shaking her hands and flexing her fingers under the table. He knew her so well. So well that he knew the things that hurt her most, yet it didn't stop him from doing them anyway. She should leave and never look back. She deserves more than me, he thought, but she always stays. That last thought brought him comfort, a sense of security. But also deep sadness and guilt. More comfort though or he'd end this. He needed to have her to come home to. I'm a selfish bastard.

"No Lau," Gabi's voice, soft and choked with hurt, snapped him out of his thoughts.

"No?" He was confused.

"I...I'm not going with you," her voice was still strained but getting stronger. "I'm not doing this anymore. No more. I don't know the man at this table. The man I know is lost. I want him back but he's gone. All of this, Lau, it can't be undone."

The scrape of her chair against the concrete signalled the end of her parting statement. She forced herself to breathe and ordered her arm to reach for her clutch. She stood there a long time. At least it felt like it. Go Gabi, go, walk away now, she yelled at herself. Putting one foot in front of the other with deliberate care, she started her walk toward a life without Laurent. When she got even with his shoulder she allowed herself one momentary pause. A precious second to run her fingers down his arm. She almost let, "I love you," slip past her lips. Almost. Instead she covered her mouth with her hand.

And she walked away.