Thursday — January 3

Gael's three-bedroom condo unit in One Lincoln Plaza was a contemporary haven. His apartment, specifically, was designed with function and luxury as the primary focus. It had an open layout and minimalist aesthetic with direct Central Park views from the tall windows throughout the living room area and the master bedroom. The beautiful, picturesque green view was too different from Angela's ocean view from her apartment in Esmea.

But she loved this place nonetheless. With white walls, white or neutral-toned furniture, and some black accent pieces like the massive TV screen and theater setup in the living room, the place screamed bachelor pad. However, she could very much feel that this was Gael's place. It had quite a different vibe than the Brownstone in Brooklyn where he grew up. But she came to adore both places because Gael's personality was present in both homes.

The area was in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. And though Angela wasn't a local in New York, she knew the houses or apartments anywhere in Manhattan cost a fortune. It made her wonder why Gael kept this apartment even though he already had a house in Brooklyn.

There were no clues that any women had been in this place. Not even a box of condoms in his nightstand drawer. But the idea of him having a bachelor pad that he probably only used to bring women here in the past—and not in Brooklyn—plagued her mind, and she wanted to be sick. She never asked him that, and she didn't think she'd be bothered enough to ask him either. But for the past couple of days being cooped up in the place, that stupid idea would barge into her head at random times. It was hella annoying. Today, she thought she'd better ask him so that she could shut the voice in her head, even though his answer might not be what she'd hoped to hear.

Angela woke up in bed alone. She squinted her eyes and blocked the ray of sunshine that peeked through the slit of the curtain that's drawn close. The clock on the nightstand said it was 12:59 in the afternoon. She tucked the blanket under her arms to cover her breasts as she sat up and looked from side to side in search of Gael in the room, but he was nowhere to be found.

Gael was right. They stayed in the apartment for three days—and yes, she didn't need many clothes on. Actually, none at all. They walked around and stayed in bed naked. One time, she changed into a sheer shirt and wore underwear after a shower when she felt weird just being naked on the first day. That didn't last. He'd removed her clothes as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom.

There wasn't any food in the apartment since he didn't stay here most of the year. So they survived through deliveries. The only times he was dressed was to receive them. As soon as the door closed, he'd strip off again and join her on the floor by the foot of the couch. Then they'd watch movies on the big screen, eat, make out like horny teenagers that led to sex, nap; repeat. Just at dawn this morning, they got hungry and finished off the cold pizza in front of the fireplace in the master bedroom with an action movie playing on the TV above it. And, of course, they were naked.

Angela thought there couldn't have been a much better way to spend the new year with Gael. Pizza, sex, movies? They were living the dream.

The past couple of days flashed in her mind, and she shook her head, laughing as she rolled out of bed. If it wasn't for the ringing of her phone, she'd probably still be sleeping until the sun had set. An unknown number flashed on the screen, but the ringing ended before she could answer.

Dragging herself into the bathroom, she quickly washed up and put on a robe before walking out of the bedroom to look for Gael. God knows if Gael had any guests over and she'd walk out without any clothes on. That would have been so embarrassing. However, the entire place was quiet, with no sign of Gael.

She found a note on the dining table.

[ Out for a quick errand and a coffee run. You better be naked when I get back. ]

Angela couldn't help but laugh at the message. If he came back and found her in his robe, she was sure he'd think of any punishment to have his way with her. Of course, she wouldn't complain. She'd willingly give herself to him.

Her phone rang in her hand again, and it was the same unknown number from earlier. She answered.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Su? This is Sergeant Gregory. We met last week at your apartment. I conducted your interview with my partner about the Robinson Family incident."

Angela's heart raced as she spoke on the phone with the police officer. He called to update her regarding the case because she asked to be in the loop of things. She lived right next to the Robinsons, and she felt the need to know what's going on with them. The bloody scene came back to her like a slap in the face, and she paled the entire time she was on the phone. The call only lasted for five minutes, and it ended just as Gael walked through the front door.

Still stunned by the conversation she had with the officer, she watched as Gael stalked towards her. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a white cashmere sweater, looking absolutely gorgeous. In his right hand, he held a cardboard tray of Starbucks coffee and a paper bag of what she believed were pastries while in the other was a sealed brown box that had his name on it—a delivery, she assumed, and then a couple of envelopes in between his teeth.

He released the envelopes, and they fell onto the dining table as he simultaneously set the box, the pastries, and the coffee tray down. Then he narrowed his eyes at her as he gave her a once-over, seeing that her body was covered with a robe. "I thought I told you to stay…"

His voice trailed off when he noticed the expression on her face. She looked pale. "Babe, what's wrong?" He glanced at the phone in her hand that she gripped so tightly.

Angela could see his mouth moving, but she couldn't hear what he said until he squeezed her shoulders to get her attention.

"You're scaring me. Angel? What happened?"

She gasped for air when she came to, realizing she was holding her breath, and she wasn't even aware. "Oh… Ummm… I'm… I'm okay. It's just…" She looked down at her phone and told Gael who she was speaking to before he came in.

"What did he say?"

Feeling slightly relieved that he's here now, she took a deep breath and told him about the phone call. "The son is stable, but he's still in the hospital. He wouldn't say anything to the police when he woke up after the surgery. The police did a gunpowder residue on Mrs. Robinson…" She shook her head. "But they didn't find any. Except for her son's blood on her clothes and the fingerprints on the gun…there's..."

"So… She didn't shoot her son?" he asked.

Angela shook her head again. "It took a while of testing and interrogation. In the end, they found out that it was Mr. Robinson who fired the shots."

"But Mrs. Robinson admitted the crime."

She nodded. "They said she didn't want her husband in trouble. That's why she said it was her. The police took Mr. Robinson into custody, and when Mrs. Robinson found out about it, she fainted. She was brought to the hospital, and the doctors said she had a heart attack. She's currently under critical care."

Understanding washed over Gael's face. He pulled Angela to his arms and locked her in a tight embrace. "You're sad…"

Angela couldn't deny it. She was deeply affected by what was happening to her neighbor even though she wasn't close to them. Having only spoken to Mrs. Robinson a couple of times, she could already see the older woman's love for her husband. What happened to their family was tragic, and Angela wasn't sure how she could continue staying in her apartment after the incident that took place and the story behind it.

She allowed him to hold her as she wrapped her arms around him. "I feel bad… I don't really care about the son or Mr. Robinson. But Mrs. Robinson… I don't know what to say. It's all crazy."

They stayed in the same position for a few minutes until Gael lifted her chin up to meet her gaze. "Let's not let it ruin your day. You wanna go out?"

The smile was back on her face, and he felt relieved. "You're finally going to let me out and wear clothes?"

Gael chuckled. "Only for a few hours." He winked and then leaned down to kiss her lips. "Come on. I got you a cappuccino and some croissants in case you're hungry. Then you can get dressed, and I'll take you to some places I think you'd love."