Page 72 of Organized Chaos
I peeked through the comforter to glance at the clock. It was almost three p.m., even though it felt like only minutes had passed.
“Raven let you in?” I groggily mumbled.
“Mm-mmm.” Gabby stretched out next to me, her head hitting the same pillow as mine.
Pulling the comforter down, I turned to face her.
“Did she tell you what happened?” I asked nervously.
“Only that you stormed off at the airport. And to make it a short visit because Raven wants to talk to you when you wake up.” Gabby closed her eyes, looking ready for a nap herself.
“Did she tell you why I stormed off?” I pressed.
“Nope. Said it was totally out of the blue.” Gabby opened one eyelid. “She asked if it was boy-related.”
I bit the insides of my cheeks. Every time I expressed one single emotion, Raven assumed it was the aftereffect of a boy who ruined me. Her theory was spot on during this specific situation, but that was beside the point.
Reid and Raven had no clue how they behaved around me. Whenever I brought it to their attention, they either dismissed it or promised to do better, neither of which yielded positive changes.
“What did you tell her?”
“The truth,” Gabby said plainly. “You did the nasty with Brandon, and this behavior was part of the moping around since the fuck-fest. Should have seen the way Raven turned red. You Americans are such prudes.”
“You’re an American,” I pointed out.
“Barely,” she countered. “I moved here when I was eight. At this point, I have lived in France most of my life. The stature of limitation has expired.”
“Uh-huh.” I yawned. “So, what did you actually tell Raven?”
Gabby sighed, turning to lie on her side. “That you were the purest virgin to grace this earth. And if you were ever to get pregnant, it’d be nothing short of miraculous inception.”
“Immaculate conception,” I corrected. “You’re forgetting all of your English,” I tutted.
“Yes, that,” Gabby dismissed. “Told her that I had planned to buy you a cast-iron chastity belt for your birthday, but all of the customer satisfaction reviews were terrible.”
“Hilarious.”
Gabby shrugged. “I thought so, but Raven didn’t find it funny.” She tucked her hands under her face, her beautiful dark hair spilling to the side. She scrutinized me quietly before opening her mouth again. “Mia... does any of this have to do with Brandon?”
“No,” I replied without hesitation.
Brandon played a huge role in what happened today. I was used to being ignored and taught myself to be okay with it, but the run-in with him left me shaken. I was seeking a bit of comfort, not the usual dismissal.
But I didn’t have the heart to tell Gabby that. She was the only one who knew about him (minus his age) and liked to romanticize the fling—being whisked away and all that. Every time she did, it gave me false hope.
Brandon had given me the necessary wake-up call. I had to eradicate all hopes and dreams, focusing only on the reality of the situation. While my positive outlook was shattered, I didn’t have to destroy Gabby’s.
“Hmm,” she silently challenged my proclamation, her bright hazel eyes taunting me. “I have never known you to get into trouble. But since this Brandon dude, it seems like you can’t stay out of it.”
I groaned again, sitting up.
Before I could voice a convincing response, my bedroom door flew open. The formidable jury was here to hand out the verdict.
“Hey, you’re up,” Raven said cautiously, approaching me as if I was about to go off the handle again. Reid wasn’t far behind. He didn’t say anything, though shades of disapproval were written all over his face.
“I was just leaving.” Gabby sat up, reading the tension in the room. “Call me later.” She blew me a kiss and practically ran for the door.
Judas.
