Crys And Gabe

by J. A. Hornbuckle

  "What's so fucking important that we need to talk at the crack of fucking dawn?" he yawned, closing his eyes and wiggling back down into the covers.

  Oh, hell, no. He could go back to sleep in seconds.

  I ripped off the covers and pulled the pillows out from under his head.

  "Fuck, Crys," he yelled, coming up onto one elbow.

  "Do I have your attention?" I asked. "We need to talk, Gabe. Or rather, you need to listen."

  He just glared at me.

  After a few moments of our stare, he finally sat up further.

  "So, talk, already," he grumbled.

  "You've got to go, Gabe," I said softly, holding up my hand when he opened his mouth to speak. "I was serious last night. We both have shit to sort and all this," I waved my hands around the bedroom, "is clouding our issues."

  He was frowning.

  I didn't give a freaking damn if he agreed or not. This is my life and I knew that sleeping with Gabe, having amazing sex with Gabe, was screwing with my head.

  "I'm not going, Crys," he rumbled and crossed his arms.

  God, freaking alpha dudes! Isn't there a way to, like, breed that gene out?

  "If you stay, then I'll go, Gabe," I affirmed. "I need space, baby."

  I caught the stricken look on his face before he turned his face away. I didn't want to hurt him, but I had to come first, put what I needed at the top of my list.

  He brought his face back to mine, his eyes seeming to test my resolve.

  "Would you consider something else?" he asked slowly.

  I could feel my eyebrows lift. I didn't know where he was going with this, but he obviously understood that I couldn't be talked into, sexed into, changing my mind. I was kind of disappointed that he wasn't trying harder.

  "Would you consider letting me stay in the other bedroom? As a roommate?" he asked watching me carefully.

  I thought about it. I knew he didn't want to go back to his dad's, since they still were having issues. They'd always had issues. And, I knew how to behave around roommates having had more than a few since Daddy died. Gabe and I got along and we're pretty comfortable in the day-to-day stuff.

  It was only the sex thing that confused the issue.

  That always confuses everything.

  "Oh-kay," I drawled, thinking. "But we are not a couple. No sex. No talk of marriage. Just roommates. Got it?"

  He ran his hand through his hair, arm flexed and muscled body on display, looking more delicious than a man had a right to look.

  "Deal," he finally sighed, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it. "I'll get the furniture sorted this morning since I don't have to be in the shop until later."

  "Deal," I agreed and grabbed my purse, turning towards the door.

  "But, Crys?"

  I stopped in the doorway of the bedroom and turned back, loathed to look at him in all his naked gorgeousness. I knew I was doing the right thing, but a girl has her limits, you know?

  "Last night was awesome, wasn't it?" he asked.

  "Yeah, Gabe, it was," I agreed slowly.

  And I meant every word.

  *.*.*.*.*

  After Crys left, Gabe was a mess and knew it.

  Back in Eugene, it had sounded so simple. Come back to Grantham, claim Crys, take over for his dad and begin a future of happiness.

  The only easy part had been coming back into Grantham.

  Crys didn't want to be claimed and, if he was honest, was not the kind of woman any man claimed. She was way too independent for that and if she'd been any different, she wouldn't be the Crys that he wanted so badly.

  His dad was still just as much as a problem as he ever was, thinking that he could just demand and Gabe would do his bidding. Fuck! When was that shit going to stop? When Gabe was forty? Sixty-five? He loved his dad but they were so completely and totally different that it was sometimes hard to just talk; to listen and be heard.

  Future of happiness? Gabe was beginning to think that was just another goddamn, motherfucking, urban myth.

  But.

  He'd been able to talk her into letting him stay, even if it was in the other bedroom. So, he was down, but not yet out.

  At this point, he'd take it.

  He sighed as he made his way to the bathroom.

  Furniture shopping it is, then.

  *.*.*.*.*

  He'd gotten a whole bedroom suite with a king-sized bed and scheduled delivery for tomorrow, Saturday, and had even had them throw in a couple of lamps for free.

  It made him proud that he'd negotiated two deals in one day.

  Sometimes you have to dig deep for your silver linings.

  He shoved linens and a couple of sets of towels into the basket. He was going to have to use a sleeping bag for tonight, but thought it'd be okay for just the one night. Well, if she let him borrow a pillow or two anyway. Who was he kidding? Better add pillows to the cart.

  He was trying not to think about not sleeping next to her, which he knew in his heart of hearts was going to be the really hard part.

  By the time he made it to the shop, he was tense and had dropped some major moola on getting the room sorted.

  But, it could work, would work.

  His plan was still in place, but his timeline was a lot different than it had been.

  "Hey, Buddy," his dad yelled when Gabe arrived. Had his dad always been so loud?

  "Dad," he greeted, making his way to the big book.

  "Heard you wouldn't do Carmi's fill," his dad boomed. "Problem?"

  Gabe glanced at the reception area, noting only one kid in the seats, who was peering through the photo books.

  "Yeah, Dad," Gabe said. "I'm not happy with her getting practically the same design and colors as Crys."

  He felt his dad's eyes on him.

  "Why not?" Benny asked, his voice still loud but not overpowering the .38 Special music that was rocking the shop.

  "Crys is special. Deserves her own ink," Gabe said after taking a few moments to think about his answer. "I don't want her to have anything less than original, one of a kind."

  "Aw, Gabe, Crys wouldn't mind," Benny said in this new loud voice he'd developed.

  "Oh, yeah, I freaking would, Ben!" Crys came barreling out of her booth, gloves on and holding a piece of bloody gauze in one hand and a pair of, what looked to be, some sort of pliers in the other.

  "Shit, get back to your client, Crys," Benny yelled. "Customer service, you know?"

  "Stop, Dad," Gabe said firmly, grabbing Ben's arm. "Let it go. If you want to give Carmi a fill when the doc gives you the go-ahead, then okay. But I'm not going to do it, alright?"

  "What the fuck?" Dex yelled poking his head out of his booth. "Get over it or take it outside!"

  Benny harrumphed as he crossed his arms and planted his feet, before jutting his chin out at Gabe. Oh yeah, Gabe knew that look.

  It was his dad's 'my way or the highway' stance.

  Fuck him.

  Gabe made his way to the kid in one of the reception chairs.

  "Hi, are you Eric?" At the kid's nod, Gabe continued. "I'm Gabe. Sorry about the yelling. You know what you want?"

  And life moved on.

  *.*.*.*.*

  "Ah, Crys?" I heard Gabe say from behind me as I cleaned my booth from top to bottom, getting ready to leave for the night.

  I glanced up at him but didn't want to say anything. I was still trying to swallow around the lump in my throat from overhearing his conversation with Benny earlier.

  Gabe had defended me, defended my ink. It surprised me that the freaking slut, Carmi, wanted ink like mine. If anything, I would've thought Carmi would choose something completely the opposite of whatever I sported.

  "The furniture's being delivered tomorrow between nine and eleven. I saw you didn't have any appointments until after lunch. Could you let them in and have them set stuff up?" Gabe asked quietly, or as quietly as you could in a shop that was hopping with people and music.

  During the school year, it
was mostly the teens and early twenties. But this time of year? Tourists. Lots and lots of tourists that were baby-boomers and who wanted ink or body jewelry to complete the version of themselves now that they'd retired.

  And the shop music selection reflected it, playing a lot of seventies and eighties tunes.

  "Yeah, no worries. You know where you want everything?" I asked, going back to my disinfecting.

  "Left a drawing on the counter. Do you have a sleeping bag I can use tonight?" he asked, trying for casual but not quiet making it.

  "Yeah, I'll put it in the room. You need pillows?" I asked, still not looking at him. I suddenly had a vision of Gabe in a sleeping in a bare room in a bag on the floor and I felt a clench in my stomach. I know it was kind of mean to do, to kick him out of my bed like that. But, it had to be done.

  He nodded. "Pillows would be great."

  "There's an extra key in the junk drawer," I instructed. "You'll need to grab it tomorrow."

  "Yeah, okay," he said and I heard his boots creak as he shifted his feet. "You getting ready to take off?"

  "Pretty soon," I murmured. "Saw you had late appointments. If the lights are off, use the outside key, 'kay?"

  "Yeah," he said and I saw him turn away out of the corner of my eye. "See ya, Crys."

  "Later," I breathed, and felt that clench move up into my chest.

  It had to be done, I told myself.

  But the thought of not sleeping next to him left a cold spot inside.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  We'd settled into things, Gabe and I.

  He was in his room and I was in mine.

  He was in his booth and I was in mine.

  And my heart missed him so much I felt like I was dying inside.

  We still talked and, sometimes, even laughed.

  But it wasn't the same.

  I caught him looking at me more than a few times with a look in his eye that my body totally knew and reacted to, and sometimes it even took my breath away. Most times, I'd get a rush of goosebumps then I'd get the heart clench.

  If only my dreams would cooperate. There wasn't a night that went by that I didn't hold Gabe in my arms while I slept. When I didn't imagine his kisses or the sweet feel of him between my thighs.

  But, I had to be strong. I had to get through this.

  Jake was able to put me in touch with a contractor and the smaller bedroom was getting fixed along with the roof. The investigation of the fire was still being worked.

  Things at the shop were still the same, no real differences other than I found myself avoiding Benny like the plague. I didn't care what he did or said, he was just on my last nerve. Maybe it was because he was so excited about being a Grandpa, about Trish being pregnant, but whatever it was, I didn't like being around him anymore.

  And it seemed I wasn't the only one.

  In the last business meeting we had on Monday, Dex had gotten all up in Ben's face about not taking care of things when I had been in the hospital and then in Oregon. Or, as Benny was told, in Albuquerque. Dex point blank told him that he either worked reception, the whole of reception, or he stayed home. No more half-assed shit.

  Benny yelled.

  Dex yelled back.

  Not the kind of meeting corporate America has, even without all the f-bombs that were dropped.

  So when Benny had Wednesday off, it was my turn to work the desk. He still wasn't pulling his weight, though he did at least open the mail. Didn't distribute it or file it, but he opened it. The voicemails were cleared, though I didn't see any messages for any of the other inkers or me.

  I got it sorted and moved to the HH email. We didn't get a lot during the school year, some from kids that had the foresight to make an appointment via the web. But this time of year, a lot of our clients were traveling and making their appointment via email. We'd developed quite a fan base that way, especially with the Boomers, and Dex even did a monthly newsletter to keep those fans happy. Though he absolutely refused to use Twitter.

  There was a message from 'Sultry Red' that peaked my interest and while it was sent to the main email at the shop, it started out 'Dear Benny'.

  'Thank you so much for your invitation!' it read. 'I've confirmed my flight to Durango and will rent a car. The Grantham Hotel sounds heavenly and I'm still waiting to get my email confirmation for my reservation. Aren't you sweet? I look forward to meeting you, too, Grandpa. I'll see you at the shop on Monday, June 11th. Until then, Trish.'

  You've gotta be fucking kidding me.

  I read it through again slowly, even slower than my normal speed.

  This was bad. This was very, very bad.

  I thought about it for a while, even marking it as 'unread' as I tooled through the rest of my tasks.

  Should I or shouldn't I?

  Finally, even though I knew it was gonna cause trouble, I forwarded the email to both Dex and Gabe.

  Gabe needed to know he was about to get ambushed.

  Dex needed to know because, well, I just needed Dex to know.

  I knew Dex had received it by the swearing that was wafting out of his booth. Though it wouldn't have freaking mattered to Dex in the least if he'd had a client in his chair.

  "Call Elle, now, Crys," he bellowed. "Right the fuck now!"

  I heard him moving toward me behind the desk.

  "Get her on the phone. I don't care if you go to our house or she comes to yours, but you need to talk with her immediately," he said panting, chest heaving, fists clenched. He was pissed. Boy, was Dex pissed.

  So I did what anyone who is on Dex's good list does.

  I called Elle, like, right the eff now.

  "Leila? Crys. You busy tonight? Can I come by?" I said with Dex practically hanging over my shoulder. "Is seven okay? Alright. Can I bring anything? Okay. See you then."

  I turned to Dex as I dropped my phone in my back pocket.

  "Happy?" I asked, sarcasm dripping.

  "Fucking ecstatic, Baby Girl." Dex gave as good as he got. "Now just be sure to get there on time. I get a call that you didn't show, there'll be hell to pay. You get me?"

  "Fuck off, caveman," I mumbled. "I called, didn't I? I'll be there."

  "And, Crys?" he called over his shoulder stomping back to his booth. He turned around and stared before he pointed his finger at me. "You fucking tell her the truth. The whole fucking nine yards. You hear?"

  "They can hear you in L.A., Dex!" I yelled back, my courage coming back with the fifteen feet between us. "I'll tell her the truth. Geesh, Dex. Get a grip, huh?"

  Before I left, though, I sent the email to myself so I could show Elle. You know, like if the subject came up or anything.

  *.*.*.*.*

  Gabe was working a new design on the light box when he felt the vibration of his cellphone in his pocket. Dex had made it a law that they were to keep their phones on silent while they were working and Gabe had forgotten to turn his back on when he came home.

  He read it through once, then again.

  His fucking head was going to blow.

  His dad, behind his back, had invited Trish for a 'visit'?

  Oh, fuck, no.

  He quickly switched the light box off and moved to leave the light on over the stove as he snagged his keys and locked the house up behind him.

  What the fuck was his dad thinking?

  He pulled up to his old house with gravel from the driveway spewing.

  Lights were on so his dad was home.

  He didn't bother to knock but slammed his way through the front door.

  Without even thinking, he started bellowing, "Dad!"

  He heard some bumping from down the hall and his dad came running out only wearing a sheet.

  "What the fuck, Gabe?" his dad yelled, moving to the stereo which was booming with Green Day's first album, and turned it down.

  "Trish? You fucking invited Trish to come here?" Gabe yelled. His muscles were so tight he felt he might break and shatter if they clenched any harder.

  "W
ell, yeah," Benny said, running his hands through the longer length at the top of his head. "She's gonna make me a Grandpa, so it's time I get to know her, Buddy."

  "You're gonna be a Grandpa?" the high, young voice said from the hall and both men turned towards it.

  Gabe glanced and saw a girl about his age wearing one of his dad's t-shirts just highlighted from the glow of the living room lamps. She was cute, with her long strawberry curls and creamy skin but not exactly what the situation called for at the moment.

  "Go back to bed, Darlin'," Benny said. "Be there in a minute."

  Gabe was flabbergasted.

  So it was true. His dad liked young things.

  Shiny, young things.

  Fucking hell.

  "Don't want Trish here, Dad," Gabe growled. "She's not what I want."

  "You're too young to know what you want, Buddy. Fuck, I already told you about your mom and me. It worked out. It worked out better than we ever hoped. It could be that way for you, too," Benny said, plopping down on the old, worn-out, plaid sofa.

  "Not going to happen, Dad. You need to understand, to get it through your head. I want Crys," Gabe pushed, hoping that he was being heard. But, if he knew anything at all, he knew how this was going to play.

  "I'm paying and she's coming here, Buddy," Benny yelled. "Get, the fuck, over it. You need to man up, Gabe. The sooner you do, the better you're gonna feel about yourself."

  "Feel about myself? What do you know about how I feel? I've told you that I want Crys…"

  "Crys? The fucking retard? The girl who can't even read well enough to do shit?" Benny stood up quickly. "That's what you want for the rest of your life? Are you outta of your goddamn mind?"

  Oh, fuck, no.

  Not his dad.

  His dad who'd always been so nice to Crys, so supportive, taking on the role of 'Dad' when she'd lost her own.

  This is how he really felt?

  This is the man he'd left to look after Crys when he'd gone?

  Benny must've seen the look that Gabe felt move over his face because he started to back pedal. Back pedaling really fast.

  "Not that she's not a good girl, Gabe. She's the best. But, Buddy, you could do so much better than her. Trish sounds so much better. Smart, funny and doesn't swear or anything. A lady, you know?"