Page 5 of Beautifully Used
“Don’t beat yourself up about it, Gabby. I didn’t see it, and I was around him all the time. How could anyone else know?”
“Well, they say love is blind, but I should have seen it.”
Lena rolled her eyes and waved me off. “Not that blind.
“I should have known when you suddenly quit the band that something was wrong. I knew how much you loved playing and singing with us. I should have checked on you more regularly. I’m sorry.”
“Gabby, we’ve been over this before. You have nothing to be sorry for. I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want anyone to know that I’d married such a horrible person. Oh, speaking of cocky, or maybe just plain ol’ conceited, how was your ride from the airport?”
“Quiet.” When she flicked her gaze back to me in question, I added, “I slept most of the way. I’d been up all night, so…”
“Well, at least he brought you the coffee I told him to get.”
“Yeah.” I chuckled softly. “He pretended that he thought of it on his own, like he knew what kind of coffee I liked.”
“He must like you. Sounds like he was trying to impress you.”
“I doubt that.”
“Why?”
“Not after what happened.” I shook my head slightly.
“What happened?”
“I never told you because, well, it was just something that I wanted to keep to myself.”
“And now? You’re gonna tell me, right?”
I sighed. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Big enough for you to think he doesn’t like you. Now tell me,” she begged as she drew her cup of tea to her lips and blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Last time I was here, Brodie kissed me.”
Her eyes lit up, twinkling with a mixture of delight and surprise. I thought she was going to spew hot tea all over the place, but she managed to keep it all in and under control. “Well, I guess that really shouldn’t surprise me. Brodie has a certain charm that most can’t resist.”
“Well, that’s not all.”
“What do you mean?” She glanced quickly behind her at the kitchen door and leaned in close, whispering, “Did you sleep with him?”
“God, no.”
“Then, what?”
Keeping the hushed voice thing going I said, “I slapped him.”
“You hit him? Why?”
“Oh, God, Lena. I don’t know, he… he surprised me. He came on too strong. I was okay with the kiss. In fact, I enjoyed it.” The memory of that night filled my mind and I realized then that I had overreacted. “But then he… his hands, he started fondling my breast and I just freaked out, I guess. It just all happened too quickly, and I wasn’t ready for that. So, I slapped him across the face. I’ve regretted it ever since. He never approached me or even spoke to me again that entire weekend. Now he hates me.”
“That explains so much,” Lena said.
“What do you mean?
“When Jackson asked Brodie to pick you up at the airport he frowned and didn’t answer right away.”
“But he didn’t say no?”
