Page 233 of The Bonus

A knock sounds at the door and Gabriel ducks around the curtain to answer it, he blocks the view so I can’t see.

“Hello,” a man’s voice says.

Jack.

“What are you doing here?” Gabriel replies flatly.

“I came to see Grace.”

“She’s not accepting visitors.”

“I don’t think that’s up to you.”

“I’ll tell her you came by.”

“Is she okay?”

“She will be.”

“You’re really not going to let me in to see her?”

“No, I’m not. Goodbye, Jack.” He closes the door in his face and then comes back in and sits down, totally unfazed.

“Are you serious?” I ask.

“About what?”

“Gabriel…”

“Look, I get that you don’t want to go out with me.” He points to the door with his thumb. “But you’ve got to be fucking kidding me with him.”

I smirk, such an asshole.

An hour later.

“So your wrist surgery is tomorrow, and thankfully your ankle is just ligament damage, so nothing needed there.” The doctor reads my chart.

“Uh-huh.”

“Hopefully you’ll be out in a few days.”

“Yep.”

My parents and Gabriel all listen intently, it’s visiting hours at the zoo.

“Nothing to eat after midnight,” he reminds me.

“Uh-huh.”

“The orthopedic surgeon will be around later tonight to talk about the operation in the morning.”

“Thank you.”

He leaves us alone.

“I’ll organize to take some time off work,” Mom says.

“What for?” Gabriel asks.

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