Page 11 of Gabriel's Salvation

“She didn't want to come,” I sigh sadly.

“How come? The two of you are normally thick as thieves?”

“Let's just say her and Justin aren't exactly best friends at the moment.” I shrug

“What's my idiot of a brother done now?” Lexi asks, moving to sit on the chair beside me.

“Well…'' I begin. “First of all he stood me up when he was supposed to come to family dinner, and you know what she's like. She'd gone all out baking cookies and cakes for us. Then, when he finally turned up the next day saying he’d been in bed with the flu. She gave him the benefit of the doubt until he let slip he was actually playing basketball with a few friends.”

“So, that was strike two, as far as she was concerned I'm guessing,” Lexi interrupts.

“Yup. And then to top it all off, do you remember my friend? The cheerleader?” I ask.

“Erm, I'm not sure, maybe?”

“Well, she's dating this totally hot jock. He's a great guy, super friendly, super goofy, but also super loyal. Justin saw us joking around outside school while we were waiting for her to get out of practice, and well, Justin got all jealous. Didn't even give either of us the chance to explain. Instead, he punched the boyfriend straight in the mouth. The two of them got into a fight and it took both me and his girlfriend to split them up. So now no one is really talking to me,” I admit.

“Damn girl that does sound bad. I'm sure they'll forgive you soon though. It's not your fault my brother’s turned into a raging douchebag this year.”

“Glad I'm not the only one to notice,” I say quietly.

“Believe me, we’ve all noticed.” Lexi reasures, as she puts her arm around me. “And if he's gonna treat you like that you really do deserve better.” A single tear runs down my cheek as I think about everything he's put me through these last few months. Heck even while he was away it was pretty tough.

“Don't cry, Freckles, You've always been too good for him anyway,” Lexi reassures me as she pulls me into a hug. As soon as I feel the comfort of her arms, the floodgates open and I begin to sob. “He's just not the same Lex, I don't even recognize him anymore. He's not the same guy I grew up with.” I sob. Lexi reaches out and uses the corner of the towel to wipe away my tears.

“No boy’s worth your tears Freckles, especially not my brother. Go fix your makeup in my room, use whatever you need.”

I make my way inside and up the stairs, as I do I hear muffled sounds coming from inside Justin's room. I push the door open, expecting to see him working out since that’s where he said he was going earlier. But instead, I'm met with a sight that makes me wanna throw up.

Gabe

Ido my best to stay away from the bar, but Stacey isn't far from my mind. I hooked up with a few girls trying to get that witchy girl off my mind. I don’t know what spell she cast over me, but fuck me, I can’t shake it. At best, the randoms keep me entertained for a few minutes. But before I can even tuck my dick away, she's right back there, center stage in my brain.

Monday morning rolls around and I'm at some fancy house working on an extension for some rich lawyer with a few of the guys. The whole time we are working we can hear laughing and squealing from the back garden where the guy's son seems to be having some sort of pool party.

“Rich pricks or what?” I scoff, rolling my eyes in frustration when a scream almost makes me drop my hammer.

“Right! Makes you sick doesn’t it,'' Jack replies.

Next thing we know there's the sound of doors slamming and it becomes apparent that the scream wasn't a playful one.

There's a loud smash sound. One I would recognize even in my sleep. A sound I've heard so many times I could pinpoint its origin in a heartbeat. The sound of glass smashing against a wall.

“You’re a fucking psycho, you know that?” a guy shouts as he storms out of the house and straight past us.

“And you're a lying, cheating, mother fucker,” an angry female voice screams back from just a few feet behind him.

Jack and I both move, hoping to get a better seat to the shit storm happening just around the corner of the building.

“Wait, it’s not what it seems,” another voice, a much softer one says, as a girl storms out the door like a fucking hurricane of anger.

“I walked in on my boyfriend with his head between my best friend’s fucking legs… pretty sure he wasn’t looking for goddamn quarters, Jessica!” the first girl screams. It's then I see the girl's face and realize it's Stacey.

Almost at the same time that I see her, she sees me. She wastes no time marching over to me and kissing me. Just in time for her boyfriend, the same guy who'd virtually pissed on her to mark his claim just a few weeks ago, to walk in and see us.

Refusing to allow her to have all the power, yet again, I wrap my hands under her ass and lift her up into my arms. It's then I realize she's wearing nothing but a skimpy bikini with a thin shirt over it.

“Whore!” the ugly ginger boyfriend shouts before attempting to drag her out of my arms.

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