Gabriel's Salvation: small town, misunderstood MMC, overcoming trauma, first love romance

6. Chapter Six

Saturday morning rolls around. I”ve been waiting for Saturday since me and Nate made our plans back in January. Today Nate is flying into Washington, ready to move back home.

Heck, I”ve even hired two maids… topless ones, of course, to come and clean the place so it’s ready for him when he arrives later today. I get dressed, head to Walmart to stock the fridge, and cupboards full of food and am just finishing a well-deserved beer when my phone pings.

Nate

Just boarding the plane now. See you in a few hours.

Smiling and resisting the urge to get in my car now and drive to wait at the airport, I head to the kitchen to make myself a sandwich.

I try to stay home and distract myself with TV but the excitement is too much, so after just an hour I jump in the truck John lent me to pick Nate up from the airport. I throw on the stereo, open the windows, and drive.

I have the music blaring and I”m singing along with the tunes. It”s not exactly the same as riding my bike, feeling the wind whipping all around me, but it”s okay. It”s nice to be able to sing along to the radio without getting bugs in my mouth, I guess.

I arrived at the airport shortly before 1p.m. I check the app on my phone, the one I use to track Nate”s flight hoping it”s going to be early, but nope, I still have an hour and fifteen minutes until he’s due to land.

Finding a cafe nearby, I order myself a coffee. I”d rather have a beer but this is the first time I”ve seen Nate in almost three years so I want be at my best.

One coffee turns into two, then three, then four. After drinking all those coffees, I”m virtually bouncing off the walls. Finally though, I receive a “just waiting for my bags” message. So I grab the makeshift sign I made from the chair beside me and head to the gate.

I see dozens of people come out of those gates, most of whom have to take a double look at my well thought out sign. Then, finally, I see him. At least I think it”s him. Although he looks nothing like I remember. . He still has the same dark hair, but it no longer looks dirty and disheveled.

The last time I saw him he still looked like an awkward teenager, far too skinny and weak for his own good, yet now he’s filled out. He”s obviously been hitting the gym. I watch him scan the room, until his bright blue eyes lock with mine. Yup, it”s definitely Nate; I”d recognize his face anywhere.

“Gaaaabbbe!!” Nate shouts before abandoning his bags in the middle of the walkway and running full speed into me. It takes all my strength to stop myself from falling over.

“I’ve missed you sooo much bro,” Nate squeals. That’s right, the motherfucker squeals like a ten year old girl.

“I”ve missed you too,” I say, pushing him off of me.

“Shit my bags!” he laughs before running back to the cart.

I can”t help but shake my head in shock and disbelief. I can’t believe that Nate is finally home. I better not fuck this up too.

I can”t help but let out a little smile as I see him strutting over with not one but two large suitcases and a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He”s finally here ready to live with me. It makes me happy to know that he’s obviously had a good life and has been treated well, hence why he has so many belongings to bring. The last time I saw him was just a few years ago and we managed to fit all our worldly positions in a single black garbage bag. That garbage bag somehow held over thirteen years worth of memories for us both. Yet, now he looks like a kid who’s never wanted for anything.

I refuse to allow my mind to relive that moment. The moment we were ripped away from the only family we had ever known and were thrown into foster care. I just put on my protective armor, push any feelings I have deep, deep down and lift my sign higher.

As he walks back over I see the recollection on his face. He snatches the sign out of my hands and whacks me over the head with it.

“Really, Gabe? Fucking really?” Nate huffs, as his cheeks turn as red as a tomato.

“It”s okay, Nate. I love and support you anyway,” I say loud enough to draw even more attention to me and my sign.

Complete with little squishy dicks stuck on for effect.

I can”t help but belly laugh at my own joke, even more so when Nate attempts to storm off while still pushing the cart with the bum wheel through the airport.

Running to catch up, I throw my arm around him. “What”s up, Nathaniel? Don’t want everyone to know you”ve got a micropenis?” I laugh again. More so when I see a cute looking girl almost choke on her drink as we walk past.

“You’re such a fucking asshole, Gabe,” Nate whisper shouts through gritted teeth as he continues trying to storm through the airport.

We finally make it outside and I lead the way to the truck. Popping open the back, I help Nate throw the cases in. Just as I turn to walk to the driver”s seat, Nate throws his arms around me and pulls me into a tight hug. “You”re a dick, but I’ve missed you so much, Bro,” Nate says. I try to push him away, but he grips tighter. “Enough now. I”ve missed you too, but get off,” I grumble. Still he doesn”t release me. “Seriously, get the fuck off me,” I groan, trying again to push him off. “Seriously Nate this is your last fucking warning, get the fuck off me!” I push him much harder this time, hard enough that his back crashes against the back of the truck.

“Woah, Gabe, what”s your fucking problem? Can’t I hug my own brother? The brother I”ve not seen in years!” Nate snaps, sounding a mixture of hurt, confused and pissed off.

“Not when that bothers me, you can”t,” I snap, turning round and slamming the driver”s side door as I get in.

A few minutes later Nate finally joins me. “Seriously, Gabe, what the fuck’s your problem? I gave you a bear hug, and you”re acting like I fucking attacked you or something.”

“Same thing,” I snap. “I don”t like being touched.”

I see the way he subconsciously rolls his eyes. He may know I don”t like being touched, but sometimes I wonder if he understands that it runs so much deeper than not being a touchy feely person like him.

“I know Gabe, but it was a fucking hug. One hug isn’t gonna kill you. Is it?” Nate says as he looks out the window.

“I just don”t like people randomly touching me, that”s all. No big deal.”

“No big deal? I”m not some random stranger in the street, Gabe. I”m your goddamn brother,”” Nate snaps. This time it”s clear to see he”s hurt by something I said.

“You know the shit we went through; it makes me wary of anyone touching me,” I admit.

“Know it? I lived through it, too. Or did you forget that? In case you don”t remember, I was usually the one bleeding on the floor.”

“Yeah, and I was the one constantly saving your ass. You have no fucking idea what I went through to try and keep you safe, Nate. No fucking idea!” I all but scream back at him. I take a deep breath in, hold it for five seconds and release it, all in an attempt to calm down. This is so not going the way I thought our reunion would go.

The next hour of our drive is in pure silence, not even decent music to break up the awkwardness since this piece of shit truck doesn”t have a place to plug in my phone to drown out the silence. Instead I”m forced to listen to the shitty ass radio as we drive back to Washington.

My phone beeps in my pocket, so I slide it out. Assuming it will be another job from John. But to my surprise it”s not.

Unknown number

Hey sexy, wanna meet up later? Was thinking you could take me for another ride. *wink emoji*

Me

Who is this? Stacey?

Unknown number

Wow! You have so many girls that you can”t even remember me? Now there was me thinking saving me from my asshole of an ex and spending the whole day together might have been at least slightly memorable.

Me

Oh, believe me it was definitely memorable. Maybe next time I”ll let you ride more than just my bike. *Devil emoji*

Unknown number

Who knows, maybe I will.

“Who are you smiling at? Does Gabey have a girlfriend?”” Nate teases as he reaches out and snatches the phone from my hand.

“Hmm, Gabe has a naughty girlfriend,” he laughs as he reads the last message.

“Fuck you! She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just some girl I wanna fuck.”” Even as the words leave my mouth, they leave an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

“Sure sure, I believe you. Many wouldn”t, but I do,” Nate laughs, handing me back my phone. I tuck it back into my pocket and continue driving.

We make it back to the house and as soon as we pull up I see that uneasy look on Nate”s face, the one I had pretty much every day for the first year I lived here alone. That face that lets me know he”s got a million memories, none of them good, flying through his mind.

“He’s gone, Nate. Gone and never coming back. We”re safe,”” I whisper as I reach out and squeeze his shoulder reassuringly.

“He might be gone, but his memories and the fear live on,” Nate replies, more so to himself than me.

Stepping out to give him a moment alone to compose his thoughts, I head out, get the bags and take them inside. Nate follows behind a few minutes later.

“It”s so much smaller than I remember,” he says as he looks around.

“Wow, this is new,” he says pointing to the brand new doors separating the kitchen from the living room.

I don”t mention that the reason I swapped it out was because it still had the holes from the times Dad hit or kicked it in a drunken rage.

“And this wasn’t this color before… was it?” he asks, pointing to the now gray walls.

“Yeah, thought they could do with some color,” I lie. Not revealing the real reason I painted them such a dark color was to hide the many blood stains that were ingrained in the once white walls.

“Where shall I put my stuff?” he finally asks.

“Erm, in there, in your old room. I”ve bought a new bed for you and new carpet as well.

“Oh? Where do you sleep then?” he asks looking genuinely confused.

“In the other bedroom.” I see his eyes widen in surprise, knowing that the only other bedroom in this place used to belong to our father.

“Yeah, it”s bigger,” I lie again. Refusing to admit the real reason I sleep there is to remind myself he’s never coming back. That I”m the man of the house now. I tried sleeping in our old room when I first moved back, but I couldn”t stand lying in our old room, falling asleep staring at the same crack in the ceiling I used to when we were kids. Putting my clothes away in the same wardrobe I used to hide in as a child. Or listening to the same creak in the door I used to listen out for as a child knowing it meant danger was on the horizon.

“Oh, okay. That makes sense, I guess.” Nate replies with a shrug.

I leave him alone to unpack his things, grab a beer and head outside. Sitting down on one of the old deck chairs, I pull out my phone and find more messages from Stacey. I save her number then begin scrolling through.

Cock Tease

So is that an invite?

Or perhaps a promise?

I can”t help but smirk at her playfulness and confidence. This girl is hot as fuck.

That is until I read the next message and almost throw my phone in anger.

Cock Tease

Or maybe it”s neither, maybe I need to find someone with a bigger engine to ride?

Bigger engine? Maybe I should march over there right now and show her exactly how big my engine is!

Me

Don”t you fucking dare!

Immediately another message pings through.

Cock Tease

Sorry the user you”re trying to contact is busy having the ride of her life right now, please try again later.

I hit the call button before I even have time to think about what I”m doing. She answers straight away.

“Who is he?” I snap. Whoever he is, he”s about to become familiar with my fist.

“Who is who?” she asks, feigning innocence.

“Who are you with?” I snap back feeling frustrated. My heartbeat pounding in my chest, my breathing coming out in short bursts.

“Well, if you were here you”d know the answer now, wouldn”t you?” she pokes and I can hear a hint of laughter in her voice.

“You”re alone aren”t you?”” I ask, finally feeling my pulse slowing and my breathing evening out.

“Yep,” she replies, popping her lips on the P sound before laughing. “But nice to know you care so much.” She replies with sass.

“I don”t care,” I snap feeling flustered. Wait, do I care? Why do I care? I don’t care about people, especially random girls.

“Oh? So you wouldn’t care if I told you I was here right now with two gorgeous guys who are about to take turns fucking me senseless?” she asks in that annoyingly sexy yet innocent voice.

I can”t even speak; instead, I simply let out an agitated growl.

“That”s what I thought,” she laughs before hanging up.

I pick up my half empty beer bottle and throw it against a tree in frustration. Who the fuck does she think she is trying to annoy me? And more to the point, why do I care? Why does the thought of her with another guy fill me with so much rage? I want to charge over there and rearrange this fictional guy”s face.

Just at that moment I receive a text from Kelly. I almost ignore it, the same as I do almost every time she messages. After all, she only has one or two uses, and both of them involve some part of my body entering a hole in hers, neither of which I have any interest in right now. But desperate to take my mind off of Stacey and whatever the fuck that girl is doing to me, I open it.

“Hey sexy, my friend is down from New York for the weekend. Wanna meet up for a little fun tomorrow?”

Spending the night with her is the last thing I want to be doing since she bores the fuck out of me, but I need to take my mind off Stacey so I agree.

“Sure, my little brother just got back so I”ll bring him along to keep her company.”