38. Chapter Thirty Eight
Reluctantly, I dropped Riley back at home about an hour ago, and now I”m just relaxing at home with a much needed beer.
“There you are,” Nate says as he walks in the front door and sees me in the kitchen.
“Hey Nate, just making myself a sandwich, you want one?” I say with a smile, the same cheesy shit eating grin that”s been glued to my face pretty much the whole weekend.
“Who are you and what have you done with my asshole of a brother?” Nate teases.
“Fuck you!” I laugh as I throw a cherry tomato straight at his head. It misses, and Nate bends and picks it up, then tosses it in the trash.
“Nah, seriously, it”s nice to see you smiling for once.” Nate beams as he reaches over and steals a tomato from my plate, popping it into his mouth. “So, where have you been all weekend?”
I grab another plate from the cupboard, cut my sandwich in half and place part of it on a plate for Nate. I then grab a Coke and another beer out of the fridge. “ Well….” I begin.
Nate takes his sandwich and grabs two bags of chips for us while I tell him about going to see Tate and how his daughter Trixi helped me pick out proper biker gear for my little Wildfire.
“That”s so sweet, yet so you,” Nate says with a smile as we each find a seat outside, making the most of the warm night air.
“Where did you go next?” Nate questions.
“Well, I looked up some of those date ideas you suggested, but I’ll be honest, most of them were boring as fuck. Picnics in the park, strolls on the beach, pottery making, it kinda seems like something a complete pussy would choose.”
I see the expression on Nate”s face and realize he and his precious princess have probably done all those things. “No offense,” I add hesitantly.
“Some taken,” Nate frowns, shaking his head.
“Oh shut up. Can you really see me packing a picnic and discussing the weather or nature? Or frolicking on a beach, picking up seashells?” I say with a raised eyebrow.
“Seriously, never use the word frolicking again,” Nate chuckles.
“Point made,” I laugh back.
“Where did you take her instead? Knife throwing? Fire breathing? Monster trucks?” Nate teases.
“Actually, you sarcastic dickhead, I took her to Six Flags.”
“What? That sounds so cool,” Nate comments, sounding like an excited child.
“Have you ever been?”
“No,” Nate replies with a sad expression on his face.
“I’ll take you soon, I promise. You”ll love it.” Finally for once, there”s a nice experience, something exciting I get to show him as his big brother. “I”ll speak to Riley, maybe we can go again in a few weeks.”
“What?” Nate squeals as his eyes go as wide as saucers. “That would be amazing; I”ve always wanted to go. The rides look so exciting in the commercials.”
My heart aches as I think back to our childhood; the way we’d see commercials with happy families and pretend it was us.
How we’d play in the lake and pretend we were at the beach, or we would take turns dragging each other around on an old blanket as fast as we could and pretend we were on our own version of a rollercoaster. I’m going to take him for real. Prove to him that I can be a good brother after all.
“I promise, I”ll take us. We may need to take your car though.”
“Of course. We won”t exactly fit all three of us on your bike,” Nate jokes.
“Actually…” I say, before taking a deep breath. You”re doing this for Riley and Nate, I remind myself before I continue, “I was thinking maybe we could make it a foursome.” You can do this Gabe, it will be okay. You promised Riley you”d make the effort. Plus, you’ve got a lot of making up to do for the shitty way you’ve treated Nate since he got back with Isabella.
“Foursome?” Nate says with a confused frown. “Who else is coming?”
“Perhaps… well maybe it wouldn”t be the worst if… she’s probably too much of a princess to risk messing up her hair but…”
Nate jumps off his chair and throws his arms around me in a tight hug, “Thank you!”
Nate releases me a couple of seconds later and gives me an ‘oops, sorry’ look as he does.
“Wait, you did mean…” Nate asks hesitantly as he sits back down.
“Yes, Princess fucking Isabella can come as well,” I say as I roll my eyes and let out a breath. I hope this works out! It could be a complete fucking disaster, but it could be alright.
Nate beams from ear to ear like a kid on Christmas morning, and I must admit it feels nice to know that for once I”m the cause of someone else”s happiness. If anyone deserves some happiness in their life, it”s him.
“So what was it like? What did you do? Were the rides as fast and terrifying as they look on TV?” Nate asks excitedly.
I go into detail about the rides, about how I thought my heart was gonna fall out of my ass on the rollercoaster. I complained half heartedly about Riley making me go on some baby teacup ride and then tried to make me jealous.
“Yup, sounds like Riley, alright,” he laughs.
I explained how we ended up staying in some hotel as the rain got too heavy to drive home in and then about how we went out for lunch and even visited a local stadium to watch a baseball game this afternoon before we drove back home.
“Wow, putting me to shame, Gabe,” Nate laughs. “I’d best not tell Bella; she’ll think she chose the wrong brother. Who knew you were such a romantic at heart?”
“What? I am not!” I exclaim, feeling oddly insulted.
Wait, am I? Am I romantic? I don”t do all that flowers and chocolate bullshit, but I do like to make Riley happy, I guess.
“So you and Riley are getting pretty serious now. Never thought I”d see the day Gabriel Scott would settle down and get himself a girlfriend,” Nate teases. But I can see from the huge grin on his face that he’s proud of me.
“I’m just as surprised, heck probably more fucking surprised than you are about it,” I reply honestly. “But there”s something about her, she”s just different. Different to anyone else I”ve ever met, I guess.” Why is it so hard to put into words what I see in her?
“I”m so happy for you Gabe, I”m so glad you”ve finally let somebody in, plus Riley is amazing. I love her.”
I must fire him a disapproving look because he quickly adds, “Like a friend; I love her like a friend. She’s great for you, and I love seeing how happy she obviously makes you. You deserve it.”
I deserve it? Is that a good thing? A compliment or an insult? Usually when someone says I deserve something, they”re talking about a fiery death, or at least a shit ton of pain. But could it be just once that someone truly believes I deserve some happiness? That maybe I”m not beyond redemption, that I do deserve some goodness in my life after a lifetime of pain and trauma.
We sit in silent peace for a few minutes, just listening to the chirping sound of the grasshoppers around us, before I decide to speak.
“I told her about Dad,” I say, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
“What?” Nate gasps as his head spins around to look at me.
“Yeah, today. I told her about Dad, and the Jacksons.” I continue to stare ahead into the darkness surrounding the woodlands around us, just letting those words sink in.
“Fucking hell, Gabe, that’s huge. What did she say? Are you okay?”
I think about it for a moment. Am I okay? I opened my heart to another person and trusted them not to use my vulnerability as a weapon.
“Yeah, I actually am.” And for the first time I mean it. I am okay. Like really and truly okay. Perhaps better than okay.
I opened up to her about everything - things I thought would scare her away for good, yet she stayed. I gave her a glimpse of my demons, and rather than shy away in fear, she stood beside me ready to slay them for me.
“She didn”t run,” I say softly. “She stayed and listened.”
“So what did you tell her?” Nate asks hesitantly.
“A lot, not quite everything, but more than I”ve ever told anyone else.”
I see him wipe away a tear. Shit! Is he upset? Did I betray his trust by telling our secrets? Maybe he didn”t want anyone to know. I”m sure Izzy knows everything. But maybe he didn”t want anyone else to know. Fuck! I screwed up. I betrayed him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I can”t do anything right!
I see him go to stand and brace myself for the inevitable punch I expect to come. But instead he throws his arms around my neck, so tightly I swear he cuts off oxygen. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Gabe,” he whimpers. “She really is the best thing that could have happened to you. And I”m so proud of you for letting her in, Gabriel.”
Gabriel, that name. A name that is so rarely used by anyone. But one that holds so much emotion. The memories of my mother, the memories of a tiny little Nate looking up at me like I was his own personal superhero. That name, one that seems far too good to belong to someone like me. But one that fills me with so much love and warmth.
Gabriel. The name slips from my lips but feels so right. I can”t stop the tears streaming down my face as I hug my brother, a hug that just a few months ago he would have rejected instantly, yet now, even though I can feel his body stiffening, he allows it.
I ease up the hug and see the way he finally releases the uneasy breath he is holding. It breaks my heart that he’s still so uneasy with a simple gesture, yet I”m so happy he’s trying.
If this were a movie, it would be the moment someone cracked open a bottle of champagne and sprayed it over us.
I still can”t believe the difference I”ve seen in him since he met Riley. He’s like an entirely different person.
I can”t help but smile as I watch him retrieve his phone and type out a message, clearly intended for Riley, if the shit eating grin on his face is anything to go by. A few moments later, I hear his phone buzz, followed by an even bigger smirk as a carefree chuckle leaves his lips. I decide to fire off my own message to Riley, letting her know how grateful I am for taking the chance on my brother. I”ve never seen him happier.
“You want a beer?” Gabe mumbles as he makes his way inside, with his head still buried in his phone.
“Nah, don”t drink. Remember?” I respond with a smile, shaking my head.
“Oh yeah, water I guess?” Gabe asks as he scratches his head.
“Nope, I”m fine. I need to get a shower anyway. I”m covered in mud from football with Tucker. Unless you wanna chat for a bit longer?” I add.
“Nah, I”m gonna go to bed,” Gabe says with a mischievous grin as he walks back inside.
I look at my watch and see that it”s barely even 7pm, but don”t bother saying anything since I know today has been a lot for Gabe and that he probably needs some time alone to process it all. I don”t wanna force him to run before he”s able to walk.
I”m lying on Izzy”s bed with the rest of the girls, watching a movie, when my phone buzzes.
My man
This weekend was amazing. Can”t stop thinking about how fucking sexy you looked with your legs pinned up on my shoulder. Looking forward to seeing what next weekend brings.
My heart pounds and my core flutters at his words.
Me
Maybe four years of gymnastics comes in handy for something. I can”t wait to explore just how flexible I am with you soon.
I”m about to send another cheeky message when a message from Nate pings through and dampens my fire.
Nate
Hey Riley, I just wanted to say how grateful I am to you for taking the time to get to know the real Gabe. I”ve never seen my brother so happy or content, and that”s all because of you.
My heart swells at the sweetness of Nate”s message, but also makes me kind of feel like a giddy school girl knowing that the boy I am head over heels for feels the same about me.
Me
Awe, thanks Nate. I feel the same. Your brother has such a sweet side to him. I wish everyone else could see that side too.
Another message from Gabe appears.
My Man
Challenge accepted. I plan to have you in every position known to man while you scream my name.
I look around the room at my three closest friends and desperately wish I was alone right now.
Me
Maybe I”ll pick up a kama sutra book on my way over *devil emoji*
I’m about to flirt more when another message from Nate appears.
Nate
You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear. Gabe probably won”t admit it, but you”re so important to him. Please don”t break his heart. I know he pretends he doesn”t care and he seems like he’s made of stone at times, but when that man welcomes you into his life he will burn the world down for you.
Aww, what”s he been telling Nate about me? Does he feel as strongly about me as I do about him? Heck, if even Nate is messaging to say how much I mean to Gabe, Gabe must be gushing about me to him.
I don”t even have time to reply before another message from Gabe comes through.
My Man
I plan to find moves with you not even the Kama Sutra has invented yet. Maybe I should ride over right now and we can get a head start. I”d love nothing more than to hear your beautiful moans before I fall asleep.
The contrast between the sweet and spiciness of the two conversations has my head spinning. I quickly reply to both and then hide my phone away.
To Nate:
Don”t worry. I have no intention of hurting Gabe or leaving him anytime soon. His stone heart is safe with me.
To My Man
Can’t wait to see what you come up with but I”m currently at Izzy’s, surrounded by the girls and unless you want them to be the ones hearing me moan, I suggest you stop.
I hear my phone buzz beside me but I don”t dare open it yet, as I know Gabe’s hand will be just itching to punish me for being a brat, as he so kindly puts it.
Izzy’s phone rings a moment later.
“Hey baby… yeah, I”m just here with the girls…” she begins.
“I know, Riley’s just been telling us that she and Gabe went to Six Flags…” Gabe told Nate, that”s kinda cute.
“What?” Izzy virtually screams into the phone. “Gabe said that? Are you sure he meant ME?” Fuck, What has Gabe done now?
“And he definitely meant me? Like he said my name specifically?”
“You okay?” I mouth as I rub her shoulder reassuringly, mentally preparing myself to comfort her for whatever mean thing Gabe has said or done to her. He promised he’d try harder.
Izzy nods her head in response but continues to look dumbfounded as she listens to whatever Nate is saying on the other end of the phone.
“No I do,” she practically cries out. “Tell him thank you and that I can”t wait.”
Thank you? Can”t wait?
“I love you too, baby, and I”m so friggin’ excited!”
“What was all that about?” Ava asks before I have the chance.
“Gabe…” Izzy starts before she”s interrupted by Ava.
“For fuck sake, what’s he done now?” she huffs.
“He’s… he’s… invited me and Nate to go… to go out with him and Riley to Six Flags at some point soon.”
“What?” I gasp. What the fuck? This is huge!
“If that”s okay with you of course?” Izzy says as she looks at me with a nervous expression.
“That”s amazing, I”m just shocked that”s all,” I tell her.
“Not as shocked as I am,” Izzy replies as she hugs me. “ I don”t know what you did or said to him, but thank you!” Izzy says as she begins to cry.
“What are you thanking me for?” I say as I hug her back.
“I don”t know, but I know I have you to thank for it. Gabe is different with you, even Nate has said the same. Nate says that Gabe’s more like the brother he grew up with since he started dating you.” Really? Other people can see how much he’s softened too? It”s not just in my head.
“Oh my god, we”re going on a double date!” Izzy squeals excitedly.
“We could all go, make it a whole group event. I”m sure Tucker would come, and you could bring that guy from work you”ve been flirting with, Harper,” Ava says excitedly as she gets ahead of herself.
“No,” I reply, feeling oddly defensive. This is going to be hard enough for Gabe just with Izzy there. And it”s such a huge step out of his comfort zone the last thing he needs is for us to bombard him with the whole gang.
“No?” Ava says, looking shocked and a bit angry. “You don”t want us there? I thought we were best friends?” she adds, sounding hurt.
“No I do; of course I do. But Gabe….” I begin, unsure how to explain. Thankfully Izzy jumps to my rescue.
“We need this Ava. You have no idea how much of a risk and compromise Gabe is making by inviting me along. Getting Gabe Scott to be friendly is bigger than winning the lottery. Don”t be mad, but I really need this. We all need this.” She cares about him too, and in her own way, she”s just as protective of him as I am.
“I guess that makes sense,” Ava shrugs.
“Maybe another time,” Harper adds with a smile before she hits play on the movie again.
I reach for my phone, ready to text Gabe and tell him how proud I am of him, but can”t help but smirk as I see his response to my earlier message.
My Man
Do I have to remind you of what happened the last time you thought it was funny to act like a brat? You thought I punished you when you dared to look at someone else while you moaned my name? And that was just a fictional character. If I find out another person, girl, boy, friend or not, gets to hear you, I”ll make sure your stubborn ass isn”t able to sit down for a week!!
My whole body fills with arousal and anticipation as I imagine the look on his face and the tone of his voice as he says all that.
Me
Good thing you can’t reach me then! But don”t you worry, yours is the only name I plan on screaming, and when I go to bed tonight, you better believe it will be your fingers I”m imagining making me moan.
His response comes instantly. A picture of him in the shower with the caption, “That’s good because I”ve already moaned yours.”