Saviour (Saviour #1)(40)
“Wait here” I order him and go and knock at the front door. I look back at Gabriel while I'm waiting. He's wearing long lose cargo shorts, a T shirt and thongs. His hair is pushed back off his face and his blue eyes look tense. His arms are leaning behind him on the Ute; his long legs stretched out and crossed in front of him. He looks like he's posing for a camera, a perfect male model, tall, trim, toned, and tanned, but he's not here for any photo shoot, he's here for me and I actually feel my breath catch as I acknowledge this fact. My nerves are already a jumbled mess of neurons, firing in all directions; my scalp is prickling with tension. I'm so scared that Jay will be home or turn up but looking across at Gabe is almost enough to send my body into emotional overload and I have to look away and take in a few deep calming breaths.
I put my key in the door and let myself in. The house is silent; I call out for Jay, just to be sure. No answer, so I rush straight into my bedroom and start pulling my clothes out of my drawers and stuffing them into a suitcase I've grabbed from the wardrobe. When this is full I pull it out to the front door. I run back and simply walk through my wardrobe pulling everything off its hanger and bundle it over my arm. I take this to the front door. Gabe has put the case in the back of the Ute so I just leave this lot at the door for him to collect too. I make three more trips, shoes, toiletries, hair straighteners, I had considered bringing these on the night I left but fear of making a noise as I unplugged them stopped me! My laptop and a few photos and personal bits are the last items. I stop at the front door as I’m leaving and look at all of the family photos on the hall table.
“Fuck Jay, what have you done to us? We were always so good, you were my best friend”
I say it out loud to a picture of us laughing into the camera. It was taken on holiday in Bali; we went with Jemma and Max, around fifteen years ago. We look so happy, then it occurs to me, when we got back to our room, the night this picture was taken, Jason had accused me of flirting with Jemma’s husband, we had an almighty blue and he had pushed me. I was holding a glass at the time and I fell, breaking it in my hand. I ended up with six stitches and a ruined holiday; Jason blaming it all on the fact that I'd had too much to drink and claiming he'd only given me a little shove and I fell because I was too drunk to stand. I let out a long breath I hadn't realised I was holding. I feel an overwhelming sense of sadness wash over me. Without even turning around I know Gabe is behind me. It's like a mild electrical current running between us. His arm is over my shoulder and he kisses my hair. I reach up and weave my fingers through his.
“You okay bubby?” he asks. I know if I speak, I will cry so I just shake my head no.
“Come on, let’s get you home” I nod in agreement. I close the front door, lock it and walk away. My emotions are raw and shot to pieces and I'm really struggling not to cry as we get in the car and drive away from my former life, another part of who I was gone.
Gabriel's phone rings and unfortunately for him, it's connected to the cars blue tooth.
“G’Day, Gabriel Wilde”
“Hey baby, how are you? Long time no see, or speak for that matter”
It's a woman, obviously, I doubt that any of Gabe’s mates would call him baby. I keep staring out of the window. Great, just what I need today!
“Who is this?”
“It’s Alyssa, Gabe”
“What can I do for you Alyssa?”
“Well don't sound too pleased to hear from me, will you?”
“Alyssa, you’re on blue tooth in my car and my girlfriend is listening, what do you want?”
Hee heee, I think to myself, he called me his girlfriend but he’s obviously on the phone to an ex, so I hold off on the smile.
“Ha, your girlfriend, that's funny. I have tickets for the Footy Grand Final and wondered if you wanted to come with me, we could make a night of it, get a hotel and stay over in the city?”
He turns to me and says “What do you think babe, do you mind if I go to the footy and stay in the city with Alyssa over night?”
He’s grinning from ear to ear. I shake my head at him, bastard,
“Sure baby, go for it”
His face is a picture as he shakes his head and mouths “WHAT” at me. I can't help but smile... That'll teach him, smart arse!
“Sorry Alyssa but I have plans for that Saturday so no but thanks for the invite… .And Alyssa, please don’t call me again, ever”
He ends the call before Alyssa can respond.
“I can't believe you said that” I try not to laugh but can't help myself. He shakes his head. “You are so gonna pay for that”
“You get a call from some random bird inviting you to a dirty night in the city and I'm gonna pay, I don't think so sunshine and who the f*ck is f*cking Alyssa anyway?”
He's still shaking his head.
“You sounded so English when you said that, I love it when you’re angry and that accent makes an appearance”
“Don’t avoid the question Gabriel, who is she?”
“Just some girl I hooked up with about a month or so ago, one of the few I saw more than once but that was it and I've not spoken to her since”
“Did you bang her?”
Do I really want to know this? Well I’ve asked now. Bring it on!
“Yes I banged her”