Rule (Marked Men #1)(18)

Startled I looked up at Ayden. Since when did Rule who normally ignored me, or pretended I didn’t exist start checking anything on me out? She lifted her eyebrow.

“If Shaw runs into him any time in the near future I’m sure she’ll pass it along that you want his number or she can just give him yours if he’s interested, now let’s talk about something really important, what do you want to do for your birthday? It’s only two weeks away.”

I groaned and gave up on trying to get an accurate count out. Instead I just handed the money to Ayden and started sorting and stapling the credit card slips which took far less brain power. I hated my birthday. Normally it was a fight between which parent and step parent I was going to spend an awkward dinner with, that was when they bothered to remember, last year I just got a card from dad with a check for a grand in it and a call from my mother with a promise of something when she found time, there was never time. Ayden had ended up taking me for sushi and we went to see some stupid romantic comedy and the day went by lack luster and unmemorable. Even the Archers tended to be low key on my birthday I think it reminded them that another year had passed and that Remy was still gone. Rome always sent me something from whatever part of the world he was in and to this date those were always my favorite gifts. I guess since I was turning twenty this year I should try and make a big deal about it, I just didn’t want to.

“Why don’t we go dancing?” I looked at Loren like she had grown a third head. I didn’t really socialize with the girls from work, not because I didn’t like them, some of them were really sweet and most of them were just like me and Ayden struggling to pay bills and balance college, but they were normally young adults into drinking, partying, meeting guys, going out and doing all the things that just didn’t register for me. I didn’t need any more people in the world thinking I was fundamentally broken so I just avoided those social interactions.

“Uh I don’t dance.”

Ayden scowled at the blond. “Plus who invited you?”

She blinked heavily lashed eyes and wrinkled her nose. “I thought maybe since it’s your birthday Mr. Tall, Dark and Tattooed would be around. I’m telling you ladies I’m in stage four lust and it can’t be cured.”

Ayden and I shared a look and I went back to my stapling. “No, my birthday isn’t a big deal so Rule won’t be around. I like to keep it low key.”

“You mean boring.”

I wasn’t friends with Loren, in fact I wasn’t even particularly fond of her so I was about to tell to stick her where the sun didn’t shine which was totally against character for me, but Ayden just kept on talking like Loren wasn’t even there.

“Come on Shaw, let’s do something fun. You know your parents are just going to stress you out and you only turn twenty once. It should be fun and exciting.” She had a glimmer in her amber eyes that I knew she was cooking something up that I would be hard pressed to talk her out of. I shoved the piles of paper into the drop bag and took the money Ayden handed me and did my tally. We always made good money, but for whatever reason today had been very profitable. I pulled my hair out of the ties and raked my nails across my scalp.

“Let’s talk about it later, okay? I just want to find Lou to walk us out in case Gabe decided to show back up and head home.”

“You think he will?”

She hooked her arm through mine and we made our way to the main entrance. “Do you think he would have the nerve to do that? I mean Rule and his friends seemed pretty intent on getting the point across that he back off and Lou told him to scram or he was gonna call the cops.”

“I don’t know, Ayd. He’s acting crazy. I never would have thought he would show up here and try and be all grabby and in my face. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I mean it isn’t like we had some great romance and I left him heart broken or anything. We were lukewarm on our best days. Rule thinks he’s embarrassed that I dumped him plain and simple.”

“He’s probably right.”

I made a face as Lou escorted us to my car. We said goodbye and headed home. I was trying so hard to make decisions that were best for everyone, I wanted Rule to have the love and support of his family, I wanted Margot to get help and stop vilifying her son, I wanted Gabe to get over his deal and just move on and mostly I just wanted to have everyone else be okay so I could stop feeling so responsible for it all.

***

The next week went by in a blur. I had two tests, I picked up an extra shift at work and I was doing a very complicated game of dodge the ex because Gabe also went to DU and even though he was prelaw and typically on the other end of campus for some reason he seemed to be popping up around every corner. He called me at least twice a day and I was considering getting a new number but it seemed like such a hassle that I just sent his calls to voicemail and got really good at pretending I didn’t seem him.

Rome called and said Margot wasn’t doing any better. She was flat out refusing to go see a grief counselor and was now blaming Rule for the fact that I refused to come to Brookside on the weekends. According to him she was insisting he had somehow brain washed me and turned me against her. He wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone just yet even though Rule was harassing him to come and hangout I could tell he was feeling the familiar tug I often felt of being caught between his brother and his mom. I was bummed he wasn’t going to be around on my birthday but he had so much on his plate I didn’t say anything.