Page 55 of Bad at Love

“You’re serious?” he asks after it’s been quiet for a few moments.

“Very.”

His grin could rival the Cheshire cat’s. “Then I have some great ideas.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Storm

Gabriel is pacing the living room when I wake up Sunday morning. Okay, early afternoon, whatever.

“What’s wrong?” I grumble, scratching my head as I yawn. During the week, I like to get up early to have breakfast with Gabe. Especially on the days he goes to work. On the weekends, I catch up on sleep.

“I can’t decide if I should go to dinner at my parents’ house tonight. After last week…”

“I vote don’t go.”

“Why?” he asks, following me into the kitchen, where I grab a mug to make coffee.

“Well, after the way you freaked out last week, I don’t think you should ever see them again, but I’m sure that isn’t an option.” I grab a coffee pod from the cabinet and pop it into themachine, then lean against the counter and cross my arms over my bare chest.

“It’s not.”

“So, I say don’t go today and see what happens. Do they call you because they miss you? Are they worried? Or do they not give a fuck? You need to know what people think about you before you give them your attention. Not everyone deserves it.”

I snap the cover shut on the machine and press the brew button. I turn to face Gabriel again.

“They’re my family,” he says, like that means something.

“So?”

He scoffs. “Does family mean nothing to you?”

“Not really, no.”

They’re just people that you’re biologically connected to. Emotions have nothing to do with it.

“You visit your mother every day. That means something.”

“If my mother treated me like your mother treats you, I wouldn’t.”

He shakes his head. “No, that’s not right.”

“Agree to disagree. Guess I can’t help you then.”

“Guess not,” he snaps, turning back to the living room.

He’ll have to make his own decision, since he doesn’t want to take my advice. I didn’t think he was going to in the first place, but I wanted to try. I don’t know a thing about his family, and if I’m honest, I don’t know much about him either. But with what I know and have seen, I can tell his family is not good for him. They’re toxic. Therefore, he should distance himself from them. I understand how scary that is when you don’t have anyone else, but if he wants to be happy, he needs to make a move.

I take my mug of coffee through the living room to go upstairs.

“I still think you should take me as your date to their anniversary dinner. Show them you know how to stick up for yourself,” I say as I walk by him.

“How does that show them I can stick up for myself?”

“Being a big boy. Making your own decisions.”

“That’s not even the same thing,” he grumbles.

---