39. Chapter Thirty Nine
The last few weeks have been almost perfect. Our relationship has just gotten stronger and stronger. Gabe has joined the group a couple of times for parties or trips out with the boys. Although I can see he’s still not completely settled within the group yet, he”s much more settled and comfortable than he used to be, especially when it”s just him and the boys. Heck, the other night he even agreed to a double date with Nate and Izzy to some Italian restaurant in town as a ‘trial’ for today.
“I”m nervous!” Izzy says as she shuffles from foot to foot while twirling her hair anxiously.
“It’ll be fine,” I say as I stroke her arm and try to reassure her.
“But what if he hates me? What if I say or do something wrong and ruin it all?” Izzy replies as she begins to chew on her nails.
“Izzy, relax,” I say, pulling her hand away from her mouth. “Me and Nate will be right beside you.”
Nate’s car pulls up outside my house and Izzy instinctively walks towards the passenger seat, that is until she spots Gabe sitting there and stops in her tracks. He fires her his stereotypical, murderous gaze before flashing what can only be described as a painful looking forced smile.
“Hey Gabe,” Izzy mumbles as she climbs in the backseat.
Gabe gives her a slight nod of recognition, but doesn’t reply. Not wanting to draw too much attention to either of them, or add any more tension to the atmosphere that”s already thick enough to cut with a knife, I decide to try and add a little humor.
“Damn it”s hot today. Thank god for the air conditioning or I”d be nothing but a puddle by the time we arrive.”
I see a smirk form on Gabe’s face in the mirror and know he can”t resist the urge to reply with a cocky comment,
“Well it wouldn”t be the first time you”ve been wet for me, would it?”
I see Nate’s eyes widen slightly before he playfully hits his brother in the arm. “You”re so inappropriate,” Nate grumbles as he rolls his eyes.
“I aim to please,” Gabe replies with a smirk as he tips his imaginary hat.
We take off driving, there”s the occasional comment from one of us but the air still has an uncomfortable feel to it. This is gonna be a looong drive.
“So Nate…” I begin as I lean forward to rest my head between the two seats, “.... have you ever been to Six Flags before?”
“Nope, kind of nervous but excited,” he tells me with that boyish grin of his.
“Don”t worry, your brother screamed like a little bitch the whole time, so I”m sure you’ll be no worse than him,” I tease.
“You screamed?” Nate gasps, before turning towards his brother.
“I didn”t scream. I may have swore a little, but I definitely didn”t scream,” Gabe huffs.
“He did,” I correct. “If I remember correctly you said… ‘fuuuuuuuuuck!‘”
“Exactly, I swore.” Gabe gloats.
“I’d pay to have seen that!” Nate chuckles.
“And then he had to sit on a bench to recover as his legs had turned to jelly,” I add as I playfully poke Gabe in the shoulder.
“No, my legs were just cramped as they were squished in the seat,”” Gabe says defensively.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”
Nate starts laughing harder now, “Gabe’s a little bitch boy,” he sing-songs.
I sink back in my seat with a big smile on my face. I look over at Izzy, who is clearly also trying to hold in a laugh as we both listen to the boys squabbling in the front seat over who’s gonna be the biggest wimp today. Mission accomplished!
The next hour or so of the journey is pretty good. The radio is playing some decent tunes, everyone is talking to each other and making plans about which rides we want to hit first, what we”re going to eat, and just talking in general, which is actually so nice. Maybe there is hope for us all to be close friends after all; I mean, best friends dating brothers is pretty much the dream right?!
Nate suggests a game of eye spy to pass the time, but it quickly becomes apparent that when you stick these two together, the sibling competitiveness is just as strong with them as it is with me and Harper. Especially when Gabe cheats by choosing M for moving vehicles.
I look over at Izzy who’s being unusually quiet beside me.
“Are you okay?” I mouth.
Izzy shakes her head slowly in response, before making a ‘I feel sick’ gesture.
“Any chance we can pull over at the next gas station? I feel kind of queasy,” I lie. Izzy gives me a grateful half smile before closing her eyes and taking a small breath.
“‘Course,” Nate replies as he begins looking for a way to exit the highway.
“I’ll pull in there,” Nate pipes up when we spot a gas station a few minutes later.
The car is barely parked when Izzy flings the door open and runs away. I quickly follow behind her and find her throwing up just around the back of the building.
“Are you okay?” I ask as I grab hold of her hair.
“Sorry,” Izzy says as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hands. “I sometimes get travel sickness on long journeys. I either have to sit in the front so I can see the road or lie down in the back. I don”t think the nerves help either.”
“What”s there to be nervous about, you big idiot?” I say with a sympathetic smile.
“It’s going so well; I don”t wanna do anything to mess it up,” Izzy admits.
“Leave it with me,” I reply, before walking off towards the store.
I quickly buy a couple of bottles of water and a small bottle of mouthwash for Izzy. I hand the water and mouthwash to her, then together we walk back to the car.
“There you are!” Gabe sighs, as he and Nate lean against the outside of the car waiting.
“Yeah, sorry, I felt a little queasy. I needed to use the bathroom, and then I got us each a drink.”
“You okay, do you have a temperature?” Gabe fusses as his hand reaches out and touches my forehead.
“No, no, I”m fine,” I laugh as I brush his hand away. “I think it”s the long drive.”
“You were fine last time,” Gabe points out. Shit, he’s right.
“I know, but cars make me queasy sometimes,” I lie.
I see from the look Nate is giving me and the way he”s gently stroking Izzy”s back that he knows full well I”m lying but thankfully he doesn”t call me out on it.
“I fucking knew I should have brought my bike!” Gabe huffs as he slams his hand down on the roof of the car. Fuck, now I’m the one ruining things, this is like walking on eggshells.
“Dude!” Nate snaps.
“Sorry.” Gabe grumbles. “But your car is making my girl sick.” My girl - swoon! My heart flutters at his words. He’s called me that a few times before but this is the first time he’s called me his girl in front of anyone else. Anyone else we know, at least, and he doesn”t seem to even realize he said it.
“Maybe we could switch it up? Either I get in the front with Gabe, or Gabe, you get into the back seat with me.” I suggest.
“I don”t mind sitting in the front,” Izzy says at the same time as Nate answers, “Gabe, you get in the back.”
“I’m not sitting in the fucking backseat; it’s too fucking cramped!” Gabe snaps, sounding like a petulant child.
“Well you ain’t fucking driving,” Nate snaps back.
Fuck. This isn”t going to end well. I look over at Izzy who gives me a ‘what do we do’ look as the two boys begin arguing over who should and shouldn”t drive.
“I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been fucking.”
“But I”m a much safer driver, plus I”ve not been drinking,” Nate huffs back.
I look over at Izzy who looks like a deer in headlights.
“Neither have I!” Gabe retorts.
Nate gives him a dubious look to which Gabe replies, “Fucking smell my breath if you want, I’ve not had a single drop since last night, not even a beer for breakfast.” Does he usually have a beer for breakfast? Like I know he likes to drink, but does he do it every day when I”m not around?
Gabe’s comment is met by a look of disbelief from his brother, but I can see he’s also kind of intrigued.
“Really?” Nate quizzes. “Not a single drink, not even a beer?”
Gabe replies by opening his mouth and breathing an exaggerated breath right into his brother”s face, “See? Totally. Fucking. Sober! Although I really wish I wasn”t if I”m expected to put up with your condescending ass all goddamn day,” Gabe snaps before lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag.
“When did you last drink?” Nate questions, but I can tell from his calmer, inquisitive tone that he’s almost ready to give in.
“Fucking hell, you”re worse than the police. I haven”t had a single drop since around midnight, before I went to bed,” Gabe says as he throws his hands in the air like he is being questioned by the police.
“How come?” Nate questions as he squints his eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m pleased, but you gotta admit, that”s unlike you.”
“Riley made me promise not to drink and drive whenever she rides with me,” Gabe admits as he continues to smoke. Wait, he actually listened? I know he’s been better recently, but I didn”t realize he was doing that just for me.
“It”s true, Nate,” I whisper as I loop my hand around Gabe’s waist, ready to defend my man. “He’s not driven his bike once after drinking, at least not when I”ve been with him, not in months.”
“Oh,” comes Nate”s genuinely surprised reply.
“Yep, she’ll only agree to ride me if I agree to ride my bike sober,” Gabe jokes as he squeezes my ass.
I roll my eyes in response. I should have known he’d make a joke somehow. “Gabe,” I whine as I swat at his chest.
“What? It”s true. First you ride the bike, then you ride the biker, those are the rules!” Gabe says with a mischievous grin.
“Eww, you”re disgusting,” Nate replies as he covers his ears.
“Are we fucking leaving or what?” I grumble, holding out my hand. Nate reluctantly hands me the keys and then joins Princess fucking Isabella in the backseat. I can”t help but give Riley a smug grin as I make my way to the driver”s side.
I reposition my seat and the mirrors ready to drive off, and am just about to turn the key when Nate pipes up telling me, “You have to jiggle the ignition a little.”
“I know.” I”ve only watched him drive this heap of junk every day for the last six months.
I rev the engine and am about to pull out when again his voice sounds from behind me. “Make sure to check your mirrors.”
“Yes I fucking know Nate,” I huff. Seriously, does he forget I was driving for dad long before I was old enough to have a license?
I pull out and begin driving, and am just feeling my groove when yet again, like the annoying little shit he is, Nate’s face appears between the chairs, “You might wanna switch…”
“Nate, sit the fuck back down, and shut your fucking mouth before I rip the fucking gear stick off and shove it down your goddamn throat!” I remain calm, but say it all through gritted teeth.
I almost burst out laughing as I watch him quietly slither back into his seat.
“You”re such a dick,” Riley whispers as she attempts to slap my thigh, but I grab her hand and pull it over, placing it directly on top of my cock before quietly replying, “But you love this dick.”
My words are met with a little tap to the balls, before she pulls her hand away and furrows her eyes in mock annoyance. That”s it, keep pretending Firecracker, because I know if I was to brush my hand over your panties, they would give away just how much I know my words affect you.
I look in the rearview mirror and see Isabella and Nate fast asleep. Isabella is curled into Nate”s arms as he rests his head lovingly on top of hers and I can’t help but feel a little envious, that it”s not me and Riley curled up together instead.
As if reading my thoughts, Riley leans over to me and whispers, “I wish that was me curled up in your arms.”
I reach my arm out and pull her towards me, before placing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “Later baby, later.”
“So I was thinking…” Riley says, but her voice seems to fade into the distance as my brain hones in on the song playing on the radio. No it can”t be, not this song. Please.
I continue listening as the song plays, and the memories of my mother singing this to me again and again play on repeat.
I can vaguely hear Riley”s voice but it sounds a million miles away. “Gabe!” Riley calls, as she gives me a shove.
I blink back the tears and realize that the car has started to veer off toward the side of the road.. Thank god there are hardly any cars around.
I pull the car over, park it and climb out not even bothering to close the door as my feet take on a life of their own.