Should I call you a cab?

Chapter twelve

-Vienna, are you okey? Sorry I woke you up, I was in the bathroom. -Gale approached her when he realized her clothes were all damped, and she looked pale- Do you have a hangover? -he tried to caress her hair, or touch her forehead to check her temperature, but Vienna pushed his hand softly. - Vienna, you're burning -Gale looked at her confused, everything seemed fine last night, why would she push him away?

-I'm fine, just a little backache -she ignored Gale's discomfiture- Is Gaston up yet? -He sighed, sitting in bed, and tried to take her hand and pull her closer to him, but she didn't move. He felt rejected, sad.

-Why did you sleep on the floor Vienna? Are you feeling sick? I think you might have a fever -she pretended to be distracted looking for her other slipper, so Gale started feeling exasperated- Vienna, gosh, look at me please, what the hell's wrong? -she didn't wanted him to notice her eyes were all watery, so she ducked to search under the bed. Annoyed by her indifference Gale stood up, grabbed her by the shoulders with both hands and made her stand too- Vienna, talk to me, now. -Gale was being serious, but then he realized Vienna was crying. He released her shoulders to hold on both her hands- No, no Vienna, don't cry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, what did I do wrong?

How could she tell him? How could she make him understand that she was crying because she wished he was someone else? How could she even say something like that not hurting his feelings? She was given everything, the warmth, the smiles, the happiness. Every little glorious thing she had and adored having was given to her in a dream. A memory, can a memory be a dream? A real dream that teased her to remember, and never forget, how happy and full her life was. Was. Past tense. Vienna burst into tears, bending her knees into the white carpet on the floor again. Gale, poor Gale, was feeling guilty as shit, and he didn't even know why. Thousands of theories on what he might have done wrong that last night popped into his head in less than a second, none of them correct. But he didn't took the time to process them, instead, he sat on the floor next to her trying to confort and calm her down. He grabbed her shoulders and hugged her with both arms. This time Vienna allowed it, she was wrecked. Like if that wound she felt was getting bigger and bigger. Like if the space on your chest where the heart it's supposed to be, it suddenly empty. Did you know that feelings can literally make your body hurt? The expression "heartbroken" it's not entirely figurative.

-Oh my god blondie, what are you holding in? -Gale muttered quietly kissing her hair line and rocking her like a tiny baby. 

On the next room Gaston woke up, hearing Vienna's crying. So, fuzzy and confused he got up and hurried to check on her. 

-Vienna what's wrong?- He opened the door nervously, without calling, to see her laying on the ground, on the arms of a guy he didn't even know, crying desperately. So he thought the worst, clearly concerned- Who are you? What have you done? -Gaston first reaction was to push Gale, taking her both hands, trying to get Vienna back on her feet, out of his arms.

-Gaston stop, please -she whimpered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand and trying to get her breath back- stop, I'm fine... This is Gale, I'm fine. Really, I'm fine, I'm sorry I woke you up.

Gaston froze, with both knees on the floor. He looked at Gale doubtful, so Gale, without saying a word, let Vienna out of his hug. She crawled into Gaston's arms, breathing heavily. The boy sat on the floor with her, and Gale just stared at them, he was literally lost. Confused and sad. He knew he screwed it up, but didn't know why, or how. Vienna cried a bit more in Gaston's arms while he comforted her. He insisted on asking, softly into Vienna's ear, if Gale had done anything to her or if he should kick him out. But Vienna said no, sniffing, no, and no, a thousand times. Gaston just stood there, both hands resting on his legs, palms up, as if they had given up. Staring at her worried, begging with his eyes for a solution, an explanation. So Vienna hid her face into Gaston chest and muttered with a cracked voice, between tears: