Page 170 of The Bonus

“Define getting on.”

“Not getting on, you idiot,” I whisper. “Getting along.”

“Together?”

“Oh my god,” I whisper. “Get in the car before I run you over.”

Fifteen minutes later, we pull into my driveway, Gabriel in his car behind me.

“The ducks are out,” Lucia gasps. “Can we go see them?”

“Yes, okay.”

They both jump out of the car and disappear around the side of the house.

We walk up onto the porch and go to open the front door. Gabriel comes up behind me and stands way too close, I feel his breath on my neck and every cell in my body stands to attention.

“Do you mind standing back a little?” I ask him.

He takes an overexaggerated two steps back.

“You know, you’re getting a little too comfortable with me,” I warn him.

“You said we could be friends.”

“Yes but…”

“But what, Gracie? This is me being friendly.”

Am I being overdramatic? “Okay, but…just so you know.”

“Trust me, I know.” He rolls his eyes as he stuffs his hands in his pockets. “You’re like Mother fucking Teresa now.”

“No shit.”

You have no idea.

I open the door and we walk inside and I look around our home, it seems so tiny and insignificant now that I’ve seen his new place.

“Home sweet home,” Gabriel sighs sarcastically.

“He feels comfortable here.”

Dominic walks in the back door with a basket of kindling and goes to the fireplace, he bends down and begins to scrunch up the paper.

Gabriel watches him. “Do you light the fire all by yourself?”

Dominic nods as he keeps loading the kindling in.

“Dominic is the fire man of our house,” I say proudly.

“Impressive.” Gabriel nods. “I’m not sure I could light a fire all by myself, you’ll have to teach me one day.”

Dominic doesn’t acknowledge him and keeps doing what he’s doing.

“Dominic…” Gabriel says. “I know that you’re angry that I haven’t been around for you and your sister…but I want you to know that…I’m angry too.”

Dominic glances up at him and then catches himself and acts uninterested, he goes back to his task.

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