Page 85 of The Longshot

“Yeah.” I swallow, re-reading the text message once more before I shove my phone back into my bag. “Things are fine.”

“Chelsie.” I know he knows that I’m lying. “What’s wrong, love?” He frowns, unconvinced. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

I sink back into my seat, closing my eyes to tune out the world until, eventually, I cock my head in his direction—too tired to withhold the truth.

“You know how I went home last week, right?” I ask him rhetorically. “Well.” I toy anxiously with my fingers. “I never told you, but my parents ended up inviting an unwarranted guest…”

Gary’s face drops.

I don’t even have to say Simon’s name for him to know exactly who I’m talking about.

He knows.

“Seriously?” I watch as his jaw clenches. “Are you taking the piss?”

I release a long, drawn-out breath as I'm reminded of the events of that evening. “I wish I was.” I rub along my temples to soothe the imminent headache I can feel coming on. Simon has that effect on me. “But I got out of there almost immediately. My mum and dad knew I was mad, and since then, they haven’t stopped reaching out to apologize.”

I scan my phone in Gary’s direction, his eyes peering over at the screen to read it before he looks down in thought.

It’s apparent he’s angry… pissed even, but whatever emotion he’s feeling, he’s quick to resolve it as his hand gravitates to brush soft circles on my cheek.

“I’m sorry they did that to you, love,” he apologizes on their behalf. “That wasn’t fair to you. I don’t know what they were thinking.”

I sink into the comfort that is his touch. “It’s okay,” I tell him, even though it’s not. It’s really not. “The only problem is, my mum and dad want to see me again to apologize before their vow renewal.”

“Vow renewal?” he asks.

I shake my head.

“It’s a long story. I just… I don’t think I can go back there, Gary. I don’t want to face them alone and what if Simon shows up again, huh? I could’ve sworn he was this close…” I pinch my fingers together. “To telling my parents that I’m here. It’s like he’s trying to hang it over my head.” I firmly shut my eyes as my head falls inevitably into my hands. “I just… don’t know what to do.”

Gary allows for a silence to pass between us before he speaks up. “How about I come with you?” he proposes, prompting me to look up at him.

“What?” I straighten my spine in disbelief,

“You heard me. I said I’ll come with you.” He reaches out to hold onto my palms, rubbing them soothingly. “I’ll be there to look out for you, Chels, and if Simon shows up, then guess what?” He raises his right fist into the air. “He’ll have another thing coming.”

I can’t help but laugh. Even in my darkest thoughts, Gary always has a way of forcing a smile out of me.

“I don’t know.” I can’t help but feel somewhat reluctant to his offer, given that throughout all of this, I’ve failed to mention that my parents think Gary is my boyfriend, and after that awkward denial at dinner with Gary’s family, I’m definitely not going to let him in on that little secret.

Should I have said to his family that we are boyfriend and girlfriend?

I mean, we’re acting like a couple, but are we?

Labels… fuck. Things are so good right now, putting a label on things… I don’t want it to change what we are. Besides, the last time I put a label on something good, something bad only came out of it…

“Listen, love,” Gary pulls me out of that thought and into his arms. “I don’t want to push it. But the offer stands. You just let me know, okay?”

I nod ever so faintly as he twists his key into the car’s ignition and re-merges back onto the road, quickly changing the topic of conversation after a few minutes of cruising in comfortable silence.

“Did you have a good time tonight with my wild family?” He flashes me a cheeky stare.

My mood instantly inflates. “Are you kidding? Your family is the best! I’m so glad we ended up staying for dinner.”

Dimples form on either side of Gary’s cheeks as he smiles this time. I can’t help but admire him. “You’re a great big brother, you know that?” I can’t help but compliment the way each and every one of his siblings dotes on him—especially Georgie.

“You don’t have to say that,” he rejects my praise with a brush of his hand.

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