Chapter Fifty-Two
Walker
A stomp around the car park had done nothing to improve Walker’s mood. Gabi had fucked up his day. Make that his week. His entire spring.
There was no way he was supposed to be this worked up over a woman.
He was supposed to be getting on with his career and having fun.
She was the most infuriating person he’d ever met.
Somehow, he couldn’t get enough of her physically but that didn’t get him as close to her as he wanted to be.
The realisation hit him like a fire truck. Fuck, he had it bad. He wanted more.
And now she was taking his advice about letting people in – with Fox – and wanting him to be happy about it. She obviously didn’t feel the same way about him. In fact, it would seem she felt nothing for him at all.
He found himself back at the riverbank and Rosie waved him over.
The whole gang was there, including Fox, and Walker felt a pang of jealousy.
He wondered where he and Gabi had been before they arrived at the rowing club.
Looked like a nice little family day out, Reggie and George in the back seats.
He groaned and tried to push the image from his mind.
‘You okay?’ Rosie asked, nudging him. She could always read his mood.
‘Fine,’ he said and then, softer, ‘I’ll tell you later.’
‘Beer, mate?’ Fox asked, holding out a bottle.
‘I’m working,’ Walker said shortly, and he turned away to watch the river, but not before he glimpsed the flick of hurt on Fox’s face. Serves him right. Now he knew how it felt. He took out his multi-tool knife and flicked it open and shut, open and shut, just for something to do.
The gun went off further upriver, and he heard Amber announce to everyone that it was Jayden’s race. He kept his back to them all, not trusting himself to be nice even though he wanted to be. He felt all over the place, thinking about his best friend with the woman who was driving him crazy.
The gang moved closer to spectate and someone stood beside him, eyes on the river. He knew it was Fox without looking. He snapped the knife shut and pocketed it, keeping his own eyes on the river.
‘You okay, mate?’ Fox asked quietly. ‘You seem a bit upset.’
Walker snorted quietly and shook his head. He didn’t want to get into this right now but, then again, why not?
‘When were you going to tell me about you and Gabi?’
Fox swivelled to face him.
‘What about me and Gabi?’ he said, surprised, looking silver-grey gorgeous in the sunlight. It was obvious what Gabi saw in him.
‘I saw you in the car . . .’ Walker ground out.
‘Oh, that. I gave her a lift to her hospital appointment,’ Fox said. ‘She rang and asked me this morning, told me she was trying to ask for help more, let people in a bit.’
Fox had Walker’s full attention now. He caught his friend’s elbow to hold him still. ‘She said what?’ he stuttered.
‘Said she was taking advice that sometimes being too independent means she might push people away,’ Fox said, peering at Walker, trying to read his face. ‘Walker, you didn’t think . . . there was something between us, did you?’
‘I don’t know what I thought,’ Walker said. ‘But I certainly got it wrong.’
‘You were jealous!’ Fox goaded with a light punch to the shoulder. ‘You thought she’d fallen for the Fox Meister.’ He laughed out loud.
‘No way,’ Walker said, punching him in return.
‘So, tell me why you were so pissed off at me?’ Fox said. And then the words that Walker himself had been thinking: ‘You got it bad, man.’ Fox clapped him on the back, as if in congratulations, or sympathy. Walker wasn’t sure which was more appropriate.
‘I’m not sure what’s going on, but I think I need to talk to Gabi once and for all,’ he said. ‘We’re going round in circles.’
Fox pointed out to the water. ‘Well, you’ll have to wait until she’s out of the boat and back on dry land.’
Walker followed Fox’s finger until he saw Jayden and Gabi, rowing full pelt down the river towards them. Her leg boot was straight out in front of her, her shoulders leaning into the stroke. Jayden was shouting the rowing rhythm, and they were in perfect time.
‘What the fuck?!’ Walker exploded. His new favourite phrase of the day. What the hell was she doing now?