AllFreeNovel
Share Us
AllJessheard was,Don’tcall us, we’ll call you.Nevera positive sign. ‘Great.Um.Sure.Well…bye!’
Beforehe noticed the moisture gathering in her lashes, she opened the door and headed directly to the lift.Avery large part of her wanted him to come after her, to take her in his arms and kiss her one last time.
Buthe didn’t.
Asshe stepped into the lift and pressed the button for her floor, a bitter laugh escaped her lips.Onthe bright side, she hadn’t thought aboutKrishsince yesterday.
8
Forthe firstpart of the journey on theMetro,ElodiequizzedJessabout herself, wanting to know where she was from, did she have brothers and sisters, what teacher training was like in theUK, who her parents were, what they did for a living…the questions were endless.
Asthey switched onto a bus at theGareStLazare,Elodieasked, ‘Sowhat’s this stuff about a spontaneity science fair project?’
‘Oh, it’s nothing.’Jessblushed, embarrassed.Tellingpeople that she’d just been dumped made her worry that the first thing they’d wonder was: ‘What’swrong with her that he dumped her?’Silly, she knew, but she couldn’t help how she felt.Jessbreathed deeply.Shehad to get used to saying it, so she might as well start practicing now. ‘It’sjust…Irecently broke up with someone, or he broke up with me, actually.Iwas supposed to be getting a ring on my finger this weekend…inParis…but…’Sheshrugged. ‘Hefell in love with someone else.’
Elodiewinced and touchedJess’sarm. ‘Wow, that sucks.I’msorry to hear that.’Theysat in silence for a moment and then she probed, ‘Butthat doesn’t explain the spontaneous thing.’
‘Oh, that’s becauseI—’Shewas about to say she was afraid that he broke up with her because he found her too unadventurous, but she decided to say, ‘I’mtrying to say yes instead of no all the time.Openmyself up to new experiences.’
‘Experienceslike my brother.’Elodiesmirked.Seriously, she remindedJessof a dirtyAudreyHepburn.
‘Like…your brother, yes.’
Elodienudged her with her elbow. ‘Andwas it everything you dreamed of and more?’
‘Um.Uh.Itwas great.He’svery…attentive.’God, did she want to stop having this conversation.
‘Well, if you want to have any more spontaneous sexual experiences, let me know.Mygirlfriend has been begging me to do a threesome.’
IfJesshad been drinking water, she would have spit it out. ‘Oh, um.No…thank you?Imean,I’mflattered that you asked, butIdon’t thinkI’mfeelingthatspontaneous.’
Sheshrugged. ‘Shame.’
Jesswas dying to ask some questions of her own, like what he was doing that day and why he’d reacted as he did whenElodieforgot.However, that seemed a bit too personal andJessdidn’t want to seem like she was snooping.However, there was another thing that had been bugging her for a while…
‘Howold isGabriel?’
‘Ha, this is going to blow your mind.He’s36.Yeah,Iknow.Heacts 50.’
Doingthe math,Jessrealised he had been around her age when he lost his foot.Herheart ached for him.Shecouldn’t stop thinking about how alone he must have felt.
Ona similar train of thought,Elodiesaid, ‘ButIguess when you’ve been through what he’s been through, it ages a person.’
‘Didit…did it change him?’Shedidn’t want to pry, but also she really wanted to know.
‘Definitely.’Shewas uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. ‘Hewent away a boy.Alwaysso interested in other people, social…and came back…well…something else.Ashadow of who he’d once been.Iremember, before, he was the guy that everyone wanted to talk to at parties.Thestories he told…Icould see that he loved his job, even thoughIalways hated it.’
Jesshad trouble picturing the frowning man she’d met at the gallery in this role, theraconteur.Heseemed so serious now.
Elodiecontinued, ‘Andthen when he returned to us, he lost his spark.Ontop of that, the poor guy had to live with my parents while he waited for his prosthesis and learned how to be independent again.Imean, that would depress anybody.Ourmom mourned the loss of his limb more than he did.’
‘Doyour parents live nearby?’
‘Theyused to, but now they’ve retired toMartinique.Theywere in the process of moving whenGabrielhad his accident.Theystayed until he was back on his feet, literally, and then left.Personally,Ithink they couldn’t handle seeing their son less than he’d been.’Shehuffed bitterly. ‘Thething is,Idon’t even think it was losing his foot that broke him.Itwas what happened toFatima, in my opinion.Althoughhe’s never told me the full story.’
Jesspursed her lips.Fatima…that must be the woman in the photograph.Jesswanted so badly to ask more questions, but felt that whatever happened to this woman wasGabriel’sstory to tell, not his sister’s.Insteadshe said, ‘Sonow it’s up to you to take care of him.’
‘Ido my best.Hedoesn’t make it easy.’Elodieglanced heavenwards. ‘He’sa lot better than he was.Findinghis love of aerial photography helped.Hetook me up once, andIsaw a glimpse of the brotherIonce knew up there.Carefree.Excitedby life.’Jessagreed.Hehad been a different person in the sky. ‘Butother than that,Inever met a man so good at filling up hisschedule with meaningless tasks.Likehe’s just biding time until he dies.Whenhe’s not travelling to take pictures, he’s either reading or working or doing his stupidJapanesepottery thing or watering his plants or sitting upstairs in his man-cave listening to classical music on vinyl.Didhe show it to you?’
