Chapter Three
Marcus
I ’m sitting on my couch, the Red Sox game on the TV and a glass of whiskey in my hand. It’s my third since I got home from work two hours ago. I used to just drink if I went out with Linc or Jax or if we were all hanging out. Now I drink almost daily. It helps me sleep, helps me feel some sort of semblance of relaxation.
I hear the lock on the front door beep. Since Gigi’s over here often enough, she has her own code to get in. She walks into the living area, throwing her purse in a chair, then flopping down dramatically on the couch. “Hey.”
I turn to look at her. Today, her curls are up in an organized mess on the top of her head with a black ribbon tied in a bow. She’s wearing a faded Rolling Stones t-shirt, a black pleated skirt, and black boots. I’ve always appreciated her sense of style. It’s unique. And I’ve always liked when she wears a bow in her hair. It’s one of her trademarks.
“Hey. Rough day?”
“It wasn’t horrible.”
“Want a drink?”
“Whiskey please.”
“Wasn’t that horrible, huh?” I get up, pour her a glass, adding her required three ice cubes, and grab myself a water. I make my way back to the couch and hand her the glass.
“Thanks.” She takes a long sip, wincing at the burn.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Okay.” I reach for the remote to turn the TV back up, but before I can press the button, she turns to me, frustration in her eyes.
“Why can’t he leave the fucking apartment? Why won’t he compromise and do things I want to do sometimes?”
I place the remote back on the end table. I make myself pause for a moment to prevent myself from telling her my true thoughts about Lewis. It’s a constant internal battle that I’m not sure I can win much longer.
“G, you know who he is at the core. I think you know by now that he isn’t going to change. Why are you still with him?”
She looks down at her hands in her lap and picks at her black polished nails.
“I don’t know.” She says it in a whisper.
“I think you need to figure that out.”
She plays with the gold ring on her thumb. “He says he loves me, Marcus. I don’t have to worry about him running around. I’m just not sure I did the right thing moving in with him.”
“You can always move out.”
“I know. But I also know that if I move out, it’s over for us. We’ve been together too long to go backward.”
“G, look at me.” Her eyes raise up to meet mine. “This version of Gigi that you’ve slowly slipped into is different from the woman I met two years ago. I know you’re trying to make it work; just don’t lose yourself in the process. It’s okay to have hope in your relationship. Just make sure your hope is met with actions and effort.”
“I know.”
“If you think Lewis can provide those things, then work on it. But it can’t be just you doing the work.”
“I just need some sort of sign from him that he even cares.”
“I think you need to have a talk with him.”
She nods and huffs out a breath. “How do you know so much about relationships, prince?”
I laugh. “I had a good example of what a relationship shouldn’t look like.”
She doesn’t know the environment I grew up in. Hell, no one in our group does. I don’t need people’s sympathy or to have them pity me. It’s easier not to tell anyone.
Her lips form a tight smile. “Can I hug you?”
“Yeah.”
Gigi is the only person in my life that has understood to ask consent before touching me. Linc, Melonie, Jax, and Audrey are allowed to hug me. I know that’s how they express themselves, so it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. But even though Gigi knows she can touch me, when she asks first, I feel like she gets me.
She shuffles across the couch and wraps her arms around my shoulders, resting her head on my chest. She smells like all the expensive creams and oils she uses at her spa. I wrap my arms around her and feel her chest rise and fall.
I have always liked how small she is, a contrast to myself. I’m six-foot-three and two-hundred-twenty pounds, she can’t weigh more than one-thirty. Feeling her small frame against me makes me want to protect her, but that’s not my place. I’m just the one that hears the stories and tries to give advice. I’m just a friend.