Fox Life

If Elise had known how stubborn Gale would be, she would have never stepped out of her room. It didn't matter if she tried to show off her sincerity or bait him into taking up a challenge, he didn't bite anything. He was immune against all her strategies.     

"Ms, we've arrived," the driver said, and Elise shook Gale's shoulder.     

He didn't react at all. She put more force into it, but with no greater success. "Gale! Gale! We're at your place!"     

But even her shouting had no reaction. He was sleeping like the dead, his eyes not fluttering open no matter what she did.     

When Elise pushed him off her shoulder, he just slid to the other side, bumping his head against the side door. She winced a little for him, afraid he was gonna jump into a fury at her, but he was still asleep.     

'Just when was the last time you took a rest?' Elise wondered with some horror. She had never seen someone out like that without abuse of drugs or alcohol. And she was pretty certain he hadn't take either of them, based on how he wasn't delirious in their conversation before.     

"Ms, you need to leave the car ," the driver said in a gentle, but firm voice. He wanted to continue with his work.     

"Right, right," Elise murmured to herself while glancing at the high rise apartment building before them. Gale probably lived there, but so what? She had no idea which room was his, and there were over a dozen floors from which to choose. There was no way she was going to try and knock on each one to see in which one was his sister.     

With a sigh, she told the driver a new address. Although she wasn't happy with Gale's actions in regards to her, she wasn't going to just drop him on the street. She wasn't that petty.     

When they reached her place, she realized one problem—how could she possibly bring Gale out of the car? The elevator wasn't far, but so what? He was out cold, and she was no super woman with immense strength. Her visits to the gym were only to remain healthy and keep herself in shape.     

In the end she pleaded with the driver. He wasn't too happy, saying it wasn't part of his job, but after she promised to pay for his time, he reluctantly agreed.     

Back home, Elise dropped in the chair with a loud exhale of air. Even if she hadn't been the one dragging anyone along, she was already tired. And it was just six in the morning.     

'It's going to be a long day…'     

As she thought that, her eyes roamed to the man on her bed. She pushed her chair closer and examined him.     

No one could deny that Gale was handsome. He was the heartthrob of many a woman, and he carried himself with that knowledge. It was a tool he used without holding back.     

But at that moment, Elise saw something else. His hair had been messed up from their perfectly styled form earlier and fell around his face. His features were as stunning as always, but without his constant mesmerizing smile, he didn't look as innocent or air-headed anymore.     

It both surprised and fascinated Elise. Her emotions regarding Gale had never been simple, with the two of them always managing to show their worst side to the other, but she had never paid too much mind to it. They lived in different parts of the business world, so there should have been no reason for them to interact again.     

Yet there he was sleeping on her bed. It was amazing how life sometimes conspired against people.     

Elise extended her hand to push the bangs from Gale's eyes. Her fingers froze next to his face for a moment, but she pushed away her hesitation. She wasn't doing anything indecent.     

When she retracted her hand though, she noticed something unexpected. Was that powder on her fingertips? A bit surprised, she went into the bathroom and came back with a cleaning tissue. Gently, she wiped Gale's face and saw deep shadows under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept for a whole week.     

'No wonder he just dropped.'     

Some guilt wormed its way into Elise's heart. She had chosen to approach him at that time because she knew he'd be too tired to easily see through all her schemes, but who would have known that he was way past the point of being able to even stand, let alone converse.     

'But that didn't stop him from pushing me away.' She sighed at that thought and decided to make Gale a little more comfortable before leaving him to his rest.     

First, she made sure that she cleaned away all the make-up, then tried to help him get rid of his suit jacket. It, however, showed up to be a task from hell. How was she supposed to do it when the person himself was not helping her in the least?     

When she failed for the fourth time, she really considered to just cut the jacket apart in frustration. But she controlled herself. After another ten minutes, she finally managed to drag it off Gale and swore to herself to never do anything as stupid as bringing unconscious men into her apartment ever again.     

She took off his shoes then, which was a lot simpler matter, and decided that it was enough. She was tempted to help Gale with his shirt as well, but that seemed like a bit too much. With a shake of her head, she threw a light blanket over him so he didn't catch a cold or something and closed the blinds to send the room into a comforting dimness.     

When she left after that, she thought it was over and prided herself in not doing anything inappropriate, but a noise reached her ears not two hours later. It came from her bedroom, and she looked at the closed door with discontent. Wasn't he asleep just moments ago?     

Annoyed, she returned to the room to see Gale thrashing about. The blanket was clutched tight in his left hand as he lay on the side, breathing hard. As she watched, he kicked out with his right leg and pushed against something invisible. But it didn't seem to help, for his grip on the blanket grew even tighter, to the point that his knuckles went white.     

Elise heart went out to Gale and she wished to do something, wake him up or console him with her presence, but both choices sounded life-threatening to her. He seemed completely out of it, so she would probably only get hurt if she went any closer.     

Besides, they were little better than strangers, so why would her presence help him? Only a girl who'd read too many romance novels would think that.     

In a while, Gale exhausted himself and fell back asleep. Elise brought a warm wet towel then and cleaned the sweat off his forehead. As she watched him taking in calm breaths, she wondered about just how little she knew about him.     

Everyone knew that his flamboyant womanizer persona was just a facade, but few had an idea of just how deep it went. When every person wears a mask, no one bothers to check if somebody is wearing twenty of them, all piled one over the other.     

"Just why are you pushing yourself so hard? Kyro left for the business deal and Mark went back to visit our parents, but you remain here, working yourself to the bone when you could be enjoying your life."     

The unconscious man beside her provided no answer, however. He breathed in and out, his chest rising with each intake of air, but that was all.     

Elise watched him for a time, admiring how he looked without the many masks. Would she ever get to see him like that ever again? She knew, however, that the moment he woke up, he would never let her see the many scars that he was so masterful at hiding.     

'I'm acting like a creep,' Elise told herself to force herself out of the room. As much as she wanted to understand the man that was growing more fascinating with each moment she spent in his presence, it wasn't okay to do it when he was asleep. Even if it was her once in a lifetime opportunity.