important author's note at end.

• [ g o   t o   h e l l ] •

♥ gabriel ♥

ON A SCALE of one to ten, I'd always known I was a solid fourteen - of course, that's excluding an addition couple points for the killer confidence - but I'd genuinely never have thought I'd have the ability to make Louisa flush. If I bought it up, I knew she'd blame it on the heat inside the club but we all knew that was an excuse.

I was Gabriel Reid after all.

Her petite hands were clasped together tightly as her legs looked twenty times longer than usual. I could tell she was startled at my question yet Lou simply shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not."

Whilst telling her about my past, there were a couple stages at which I was bombarded with images; ending up in hospital after a gang who I thought were my friends had beaten me up, being robbed numerous times whilst drunk on top of the vivid nightmares that I'd suffered from in the immediate months after the incident.

Now I thought back, I had no idea how I got through it all in one piece.

The fact that Lou had simply listened to what I'd said without making any judgments had seemed to help. This time around, I'd managed to talk about it all without erupting into a shaky mess like usual.

Yes Gabe. Pro-bloody-gress. Maybe ask Nanna to give that amazing therapist a tip. She'd definitely been doing her job right.

A small smile danced on my lips as I raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you jealous, Louisa?"

"What?" She looked genuinely surprised at what I'd said. It was almost as if she had expected me to say something different. Her brown eyes widened as wisps of her ebony hair swayed past her long neck and tickled her sharp collarbones. "No. Of course not."

She probably was being serious yet I couldn't help folding my arms and glancing at her. "Mhm, sure."

Lou looked at me hard before tilting her head to the side in frustation. "Gabriel. I'm engaged." For emphasis, she waved her hand at me on which there was a huge jewelled engagement ring.

Of course Logan the douche would compensate for his total lack of personality with an excessive ring.

Attempt to compensate.

"Only just," I teased, causing her to roll her eyes her skin glowing even brighter than usual under the bright lights.

Come on Darling, give me some sort of reaction.

"Think what you want." Lou glowered at me, giving me a brief look before turning her attention to the crowd of people in masks. "I know you're just to trying to get a reaction out of me."

Ah shit, how could she read me that well?

"Course not, Lou. I wouldn't dare," I said whilst flashing her a boyish grin as we both laughed. "I'm just saying, why else would you be curious about her?"

Louisa's face went blank for a couple moments before she sobered up. The smooth olive skin covering the bumps of her spine that I'd seen earlier when my eyes had fallen upon the open back of her dress stiffened. I found myself naturally mirroring her, my face turning to concrete at what I presumed to be the more serious subject change. "I'm not. I don't know. I just think she could be a helpful link in finding out about that night."

To be completely honest, I had never given much thought to that girl. When it had happened, I'd been with a different girl each day and had never payed much attention to who any of them were.

Shrugging my broad shoulders, I rolled up the sleeves to my shirt. Within the past month, I'd figured out more information about that night than I had during the last twelve months. Especially when I'd looked at the hospital records.

"It's alright, Darling. I'm determined to figuring it all out. And I've already started looking properly anyway. I think I'm in a better headspace right now to find out what actually happened." I threw my head back and laughed. "It's just that everything is so fucking twisted."

Louisa looked at her great darkly, "You could say that again."

"Yeah."

Her feline eyes narrowed. "Does this have anything to do with you being at the hospital that day?"

"Uh-"

So far, I had deliberately left out the fact I was having memories about a girl, broken glass and blood. I trusted her but I really didn't know how she'd react if I told her that. "I think that's enough about me," I said curtly. "It's your turn now."

Louisa stiffened. She probably thought I'd forgotten about that. Over the last half hour, the physical distance between the two of us had drastically decreased and I really wasn't complaining.

She'd also drank more than half of the bottle of rosé we'd ordered. Apparently that was her second favourite drink after daiquiri.

"Gonna back down, Darling?" I challenged her.

"I don't go back on my word," Louisa said more fiercely than I anticipated and I blamed it on the alcohol. Her eyes glowed brightly, flames dancing around the fiery orbs. "What do you want to know?"

Just hang on a teeny tiny sec, let me whip out my four hundred page list of damn questions.

I asked the most recent question. "What did I overhear you talking to Logan about? On the yacht."

My eyes glossed over her face to her deep eyes that seemed to swirl with potency as if somebody was stirring a strong cup of freshly brewed coffee. Warm. Intense. Bitter.

Unintentionally, I found myself leaning forward in my chair towards her until our knees lightly brushed against each other. She was directly in front of me, dark hair cascading over her bare shoulders. The soft curves of her scarlet lips were reminiscent of tulips pushed apart by the summer breeze.

Ah shit, she was saying something.

10 more seconds.

Snap out of it, bro.

5 more?

Dude no.

I dragged my eyes away from her to my almost empty whiskey tumbler.

"We were talking about brunch. He knew I was planning a surprise for him but didn't know what. That's why he was joking that it better be good," Louisa explained as I narrowed my eyes slightly. There was definitely more to it than that.

"He didn't sound like he was joking, Lou." She rolled her eyes before leaning towards me. I could smell the faint scent of her perfume as she whispered to me. Rich earthy tones, sensual and creamy vanilla.

"Shall I tell you something, Gabe? You're just saying that because you don't like Logan." I nodded as her hand accidentally grazed against mine. Dislike was an understatement.

"That's funny. I wonder what gave that away." Sarcasm coated my words as I pursed my lips. "It's not my fault that the dude envies me. Not everyone can be aesthetically blessed as me, can they? And you really need to stop dodging my questions."

I smirked as she scowled a little, frustrated that I'd noticed what she was trying to do.

"I'm surprised you noticed. I thought it would be a good hour until you finished your self aggrandizing lecture," Louisa humorously responded with ease as our conversation bounced to and fro.

My head fell back as I laughed, briefly gazing at the sophisticated nightclub ceiling, "You gotta give me more credit than that, babe. I'm not that stupid."

She raised an eyebrow as if what I'd said was absurd.

"You're avoiding the question."

"Fine. You're right. He wasn't joking," Louisa said bluntly as made eye contact with her again. I sensed her glimpsing at the silver ring on my right hand. "Both of us were stressed out because of our parents' expectations. They want the announcement of our engagement to be big news so that they can cash in on it."

"So you don't want to marry him? It's your parents decision," I questioned quickly about to stand up yet she instantly shook her head and grabbed my muscular forearm to stop me.

"No, of course not. I do want to marry him. It's just that both our parents want to make the most of this as a business opportunity too." I noticed how she avoided looking at me, instead focusing her attention on her long nails. The analysing look I was giving her caused her to lift her head and sigh. "This is normal in families like mine. It's nothing concerning, Gabriel."

I was tempted to question her on it but dropped it after hearing the earnestness in her voice. Comfortably, I sank in my chair close beside her. She absent-mindedly leaned back towards me as if thankful for my presence. The alcohol had clearly loosened her inhibitions. "If you say so."

Just when I was about to ask her about those bruises I'd seen on her when she 'fell down the stairs,' I saw a familiar bronze coloured mask from the corner of my eye.

Nanna flashed to mind.

It was about time the damn idiot showed up. Part of me couldn't be bothered anymore yet I knew it was time to start the show. Louisa didn't seem to notice Logan's watchful gaze, uh I meant hateful glare, over the two of us.

"Gabriel. I'm not lying."

"Never said you were, Lou."

"Your tone says it all," she bit back as I shuffled my chair forward so that it was even closer to hers. If she noticed, she chose not to comment on it. Her knees were trapped between mine as her long tanned legs crossed over each other beneath her white dress.

A tuft of my dark hair fell onto my forehead as the space between our faces decreased until we were mere centimeters apart. "Well, then maybe you're reading it wrong." She didn't move back either.

And I thought I was obstinate.

"I'm never wrong," she whispered.

I was so close that I could see the reflection of myself in the glassy sheen of her coffee orbs. She froze as if suddenly processing our proximity, drowning in the storm raging inside my grey eyes. I noticed that my hand had somehow found its way onto her toned right thigh.

In that moment as Louisa looked at me from beneath her thick eyelashes, breathing wasn't the only thing I'd forgotten. For a good minute, I'd completely forgotten that this was all just to prove to Logan that I wasn't afraid of his empty threats.

He could take that 'stay away from Louisa' note and go to hell.

Shame that Louisa noticed Logan just when I was trying to get lost in the moment again.

Her two hands pressed against my chest as she shoved me backwards. My head whipped in Logan's direction just in time to see him give me a seething look. Funnily enough, he didn't come striding towards me. Instead Logan simply turned on his heel and walked away as I was forced backwards again.

"What the actual fuck, Gabriel? You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Louisa harshly hissed at me whilst standing up. "You knew he was there!"

Her eyebrows were scrunched up tightly in sheer fury as she glared at me so intensely I felt the urge to drink the rest of the bottle of wine in one shot. "Fucking asshole," I vaguely heard her curse under her breath.

I ignored the strong urge to wince and instead grinned at her. "Told you Logan's all talk. He just ran away like a little child. Didn't even have the guts to punch me."

Louisa was not amused as her eyes bore into me. I laughed not feeling the satisfaction that I had hoped for. I didn't feel as if I'd gotten a one up against him. Instead, the look that the gorgeous girl was giving me made me feel as if I'd just lost.

It didn't matter. At least I now knew Logan would never have the backbone to hurt Nanna. That was what was important. Not this.

"This is unbelievable. What the hell's wrong with you? Why would you purposely do that?" Louisa yelled at me over the music angrily. She didn't sound hurt. She was furious.

"You pushed him too far this time, Gabriel. Too far. Just rubbing it in his face like that." Stands of her ebony hair swayed as she shook her head and laughed bitterly. "This time you're absolutely fucked. Absolutely and utterly."

That asshole was too weak to actually do anything. Just now had proven that. If somebody had been talking to my girlfriend like that, they'd be knocked out on the floor. Louisa clearly didn't understand that.

"Don't you get it, Louisa? He's an-"

"Forget it." Louisa interrupted me sharply causing me to exhale in frustration and grab the half filled bottle of wine from the side table. I'd had my eyes on it for a while and right now it was looking more alluring than ever. Her eyes narrowed as she scoffed. "I don't want to hear you talk trash about my fiancee."

I pulled the cork off the bottle and took a couple large gulps, feeling the rush of the liquid fill my hollowness.

Well, that stung a little.

Once I felt slightly numb, I turned my attention back to the growing impatient Louisa.

"Lou, you don't get it. Logan has threatened me before-"

Louisa looked at me as if I was stupid. "He's one of the richest eighteen year olds in the word. He can do more than just threaten."

Ignoring her interuption, I continued. "I needed to prove that I'm not going to take any of his crap. I'm not just going to listen to whatever the pretty boy orders. He needs to know that he can't treat people however he wants and more importantly, he can't always get his way. I'm not scared of him."

"You're missing the point, Gabriel," Louisa said, her voice growing even louder than before and showing her exasperation.

Both of our chests heaved, our eyes blazing as we shouted at each other. Louisa was smarter than this. I didn't understand why she didn't get it. What was she so damn afraid of?

I continued talking, running my hand through my head. "Turns out it's the other way around. Logan just ran away like a coward. Talk about it being anticlimatic," I said bringing the wine bottle back to my lips for a second round.

Both of them were so damn frustrating.

"Don't do it, Gabriel. You do shit like this and then complain about people saying you have a 'drinking problem.'" Louisa angrily snatched the rose bottle away from my hand and slammed it on the table. Nobody had ever called me out in that before and I was momentarily stunned.

My eyes widened a little as my mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words.

"The fact Logan simply walked away doesn't mean he's scared. It just means somebody else is going to bear the brunt of his anger. It's a question of who go-"

My eyebrows furrowed as her expression became taught as if she'd just realised something.

"Lexi's absolutely screwed."

Important authors note:

Hi all! I've never really said this before but I feel like I should. Recently, I've found it difficult to find the motivation and momentum to keep writing 'The Price of Gold.' A huge part of this is because I'm genuinely not sure whether others are enjoying the novel or not. Some of you writers will probably relate to this.

Of course, I try to remind myself that I'm writing for my own enjoyment and not for others but it's so much easier to say that than actually believe it. And hence, often I find myself feeling unmotivated.

Whenever I get a notification that somebody has voted or commented, I immediately feel as if somebody has given me a huge lift and pat on the back. It gives me a powerful surge of encouragement to continue writing and I feel motivated to continue doing what I love.

So I wanted to say that I really appreciate every one of you who have voted on the chapters, especially those that have taken the time to go back and vote on previous chapters.

It means so much more than you can imagine and - to put it simply - can be the difference between me publishing a chapter and completely deleting it. Thank you.
KiwiAndKoalas x

♥ 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫! ♥