Until Them...

Chapter Five

NORAH

I keep reliving it. Every single thing he's ever said to me. Every lie, declaration and promise, but it's all clouded now. Destroyed in an instant. What anything we had even real? I play back it all back in my head. Our first kiss, our first argument, the first time we made love, our break up, getting back together, and now this. The worst thing he's ever done to me, and that's saying something because he's done a lot of shit. Yet he's still making it worse for me. Eli came back earlier telling me that he refused to tell him where my sketchbook and keys were. I knew he wouldn't make it easy, but doesn't he realise how much it's hurting me. Even now he's still causing me all of this pain and I just want it to all to be over. I don't want to feel any of this ever again.

...

A LOUD BANGING wakes me up from my restless sleep. I climb out of bed and go to answer but then his voice radiates through the door. I can hear him as he tries to put his key in the hole but luckily I've kept mine inside the lock from the other side of the door. That way he won't be able to unlock it and come inside, because I knew he would do this. That's why he refused to give Eli my key back.
"Norah? Please open the door" he slurs. Is he drunk?
"Baby please just open the door" he gets louder. I don't know what to do? I don't want to open up because I know he will force himself inside and once he's in here he'll never leave. But I also can't let him stay out here yelling at me through the door.
"Baby please...just open the door. I need you to let me explain" he says and I slide myself against the door, as I listen to him. "I miss you so much. Why won't you let me see you? I need to see you"
Something about his tone sends chills down my spine. He sounds so far away, even though he's only on the other side of the door.
"I'm so sorry for everything, I never should've lied to you or kept things from you. I was scared, I knew you'd leave me if you found out about Lena, and I couldn't bare that. Couldn't bare the idea of you hating me, but you do. You hate me and it kills me. I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to be with you and love you"
Why is he doing this to me?
"I never expected her to show up and ruin everything. We'd been doing so great lately and she had to come and ruin it all"
She didn't ruin it, you did. You ruined our relationship and everything we made together. You ruined any possibility of a future.
"They shouldn't have done that to you. Embarrass you like that, and in front of everyone. It kills me that they did that to you. I tried to get her to leave, and to not do that to you. But she wouldn't listen to me. Neither would you when I tried to get you to come with me, so I could explain"
Is he seriously blaming me right now? I know he's drunk but that doesn't make up for what he's saying to me.
"I love you baby. Please Norah, Are you in there? Open up so I can make this right"
I can't sit here and listen to him any longer. I get off the floor and grab my phone from the nightstand. I call Eli, but he doesn't answer straight away. It takes a few tries before he finally answers.
"Norah? Are you okay?" his voice horse.
"No, Gabriel's here" I tell him panicked and unsure what to do.
"What? Did you let him in?"
"No, but he's right outside my door. And he's drunk"
"Okay don't let him in. I'll make him leave" he tells me, and I hear him shuffling in his room.
"I'm sorry" I apologise, feeling bad that our drama is constantly dragging him into this. But he hangs up and I hear him about thirty-seconds later.
"Get up. You need to leave now" Eli shouts in the hall outside.
"I'm not leaving...not until she answers the door" he continues to shout.
"Norah isn't here" Eli lies to him, because if he knew I was inside he'd be kicking the door down by now.
"Where is she?" Gabriel wonders.
"I don't know but she's not in her room, because she knew you'd do something like this"
"I need to see her Eli...please" And even though he's slurring from the alcohol, I can hear the need in his voice.
"It's the middle of the night and everyone's trying to get some sleep. Just go home, she'll talk to you when she's ready"
"She's never going to be ready"
"Maybe not. But it beats sitting out here and waiting for someone who doesn't want you around" I hear Gabriel as he slams his hands against my door, making me jump a little.
"Look, I'll tell her that you were here okay. I promise" Eli tells him. Gabriel mutters something but I can't hear what it is, and his voice gets fainter until I can no longer hear him.
"Norah" Eli says, giving a gentle tap on the door, "He's gone"
And I open the door and look behind him just to make sure Gabriel definitely isn't there. Give me some peace of mind.
"I don't think he'll come back anytime soon" he says, pulling me in for a hug.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do" I say into him.
"That's okay, we all knew he'd show up trying to talk to you sooner rather than later"
"Is he okay? He sounded really drunk"
"Honestly?" I nod, "He looks like shit"
"Good" I say, and Eli gives me a little laugh.
"I'm going to go back to bed"
"Okay, thanks again" I say hugging him one last time before he leaves. I can't seem to fall back asleep. Gabriel's words have been spinning through my mind since he showed up and caused a scene.