Chapter Fourteen
Gavin
Yeah, subtle as a wrecking ball. On top of that, Ben was right. Tony was right too, for that matter. Gavin wondered if he’d ever get a turn. He knocked on the bathroom door. “Teeny, it’s Gav. Lemme in please.”
He could hear Tina sniffling, but she turned the handle on the door. She was sitting on the toilet lid, blowing her nose into a handful of tissues. Gavin sat down on the edge of the tub, his knee touching hers.
“You okay?”
“No,” she said, her eyes swimming with tears again. “I can’t stop crying.” She paused to blow her nose again. “I’m so sorry, Gav. I just… Ben seems like a really nice guy—please don’t be mad at him.”
The verdict wasn’t in on that one, but Gavin didn’t say it. “What happened?”
“We were talking and, like… We laughed and stuff and… I found some dirty pictures on your tablet, and he helped me and made a joke and…”
Gavin cringed. He should’ve thought of that, dumped the photos or password protected them or something before leaving her with his tablet. Knowing Ben, he was going through every nook and cranny in the apartment right now, getting rid of the porn and making sure there weren’t any stray dildos out where she might find them. Damn him.
“Then what happened?”
“I asked him if he didn’t like me and… he said it wasn’t me, just that it looked kind of crummy for me to show up now, when I needed help, not a year or two ago.”
Hm. Ben had a point, maybe. Maybe Gavin should’ve thought of that too, should’ve felt hurt or suspicious or something. But, really, when he saw Tina in the living room, it had felt like a dream come true. Gavin had tried to fill the hole in his heart where his family—Tina especially—had been, but it had never worked very well. He loved Nora and Anna, but it wasn’t the same. He tried to tell himself that Ben was just more cynical, but Gavin quickly realized Ben’s cynicism was why Gavin could afford to be so trusting. Ben was cautious enough for both of them. Damn him again. “He actually used the word crummy?”
“Not exactly.” He hadn’t thought so, but it got a small laugh out of Tina. “But he was right, Gav. I wanted to, honest. Wanted to since the day you left, the day they made you leave. But… I just didn’t know where to start until it really mattered, ya know?”
Gavin pulled her into a hug, squeezed her tight. “I know, sweets. Ben might not get it, but I do.” He kissed the top of her head. “I told you he was protective, right?”
She nodded against his chest before she pulled back. “You weren’t kidding. He’s kind of scary even when he’s trying to be nice.”
Gavin couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, he kinda is, but… once he loves you, he won’t let anything bad ever happen to you again.” Well, unless you count that whole kicking Gavin out for his own good thing, but hey, he was trying to let that go. Really. And Tina didn’t need every detail, right?
Just then, he heard Ben’s voice boom through the door. “Look, Gav—Tina—I’m sorry.” He didn’t say anything else for a long moment, and then he added, “I’m gonna head out for a while, okay? You don’t have to hide in the bathroom anymore.”
Yeah, even when he was trying to be friendly, it came off rude. Gavin knew that about him; he just never thought his baby sister would be on the receiving end of it. Gavin could hear some shuffling in the apartment, and then, after a few beats, he heard the front door close.
“I didn’t mean to chase him out of his own home,” Tina said quietly, guilt in her tone.
Gavin smiled at her. “I chase him out of here all the time,” he said, getting her to smile at him. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”
She only nodded in response.
“Let’s get you ready for your appointment, okay? Getcha dressed? Maybe we’ll go get some new clothes or something after.”
Tina shook her head. “You don’t need to do that. I don’t want you to spend a bunch of money on me or anything.”
Why couldn’t Ben hear things like that? “You’re gonna need some stuff at least. Maternity clothes and whatever.” He looked at the simple little flats on her feet. They were in decent shape, but they didn’t seem very comfortable, didn’t seem like they’d give much support.
“I need to get a job,” Tina said thoughtfully as she wiped her nose one more time. “And figure out where I’m gonna live.”
Gavin didn’t even hesitate. “You’re gonna live with us,” he said firmly. “For as long as you want.” Then, hearing Ben’s voice in his head, he added, “And you’re gonna finish school before you even think about getting a job.”
Tina looked like she might argue, but instead she jumped up from her spot, flipped the lid back on the toilet, and threw up.