“You really wanna keep pushing my buttons, Wild? You’ll be able to suck your own dick later because it’ll no longer be attached to the rest of you.” I attempt to pull away from him as I make my threats.
I get nowhere. He pulls me tighter against him and kisses the top of my head.
“You’re so full of shit today.”
Turning me around, he pushes me away but slaps my arse before I’m out of reach.
“Go pick a car,” he orders.
* * *
After lookingat the cars out on the forecourt, we wander inside the sleek looking showroom with Gabe’s arm thrown over my shoulder, my hand reaching up and across my chest to lace my fingers through his, and both of our heads thrown back laughing at a joke Gabe just made about our purchase being based on whether there’s enough room to fuck on the driver’s seat.
“Mr Wild. We had a call to say you’d be dropping by. Good to see you looking a lot better than the last time we met.”
Gabe stops moving and laughing simultaneously. I still next to him but keep the smile on my face as I watch the tall blonde move towards us.
Holding out her hand, she says, “You must be Lauren, I’ve heard so much about you.”
I take her hand and shake but say nothing. Turning my head till my eyes find Gabe’s, I find him staring at the blonde, all trace of humour now gone from his face.
“How was he when he got home to you the other week? He was a mess when he left me?” she asks while still holding on to my hand.
I look from Gabe to her and pull my hand away. Turning my eyes back to Gabe, I see that his are now closed.
“Lyss,” he whispers, and it’s a good job I’m still holding on to Gabe’s hand as I think I physically sway. My insides definitely do, my head too. I continue to look between them, my smile fighting to remain in place.
“How was your head the next day? Bourbon hangovers are the absolute worst.”
I pull away from Gabe and he lets me. Somehow, I manage to move one leg in front of the other, and head towards the white Evoque and pretend to start looking around and inside the car while attempting to process what it is exactly that’s happening here.
He called her Lyss. Lyss is the girl who called him to hook up, way back when we were first together. Lyss is Alysa, the only girl he’s ever taken to a work function. The uncomplicated girl who, like him, just wants to fuck, no strings. Gabe’s fuckbuddy.
We’ve come to buy me a car, and Gabe’s fuckbuddy is the sales consultant.
I climb into the driver’s seat and close my eyes.
They’re everywhere. Everywhere I go, every part of life, work, family, now shopping, I have women who Gabe has had some kind of sexual experience with confronting me.
The passenger door opens, and Gabe slides in beside me.
“Ren . . .”
“Don’t,” I cut him off without looking at him. “This one will do, this colour, however it comes, this one will do.”
“Can I just . . .”
“No. No, Gabe, you can’t just anything. This isn’t about me being a bitch, this is about me not being able to take any more. I’m done.” I turn and face him. His skin looks grey, devoid of colour, pretty much summing up how I’m feeling right now.
“Can we just go home? I just want to go home,” I grip the steering wheel and tell him.
He nods and climbs back out of the car. I watch in the rear-view mirror as he shakes hands with a dark-haired man before sitting at a desk. I leave it a few minutes, and when I’m sure the blonde isn’t going to play any further part in the transaction, I join them.
Chapter 18
Gabe.
I fucked up.