She purrs her request at Nate, and he nods like a lovesick puppy-dog.
Linking arms with me, we grin at each other and leave him to it. His gaze is hot on both of our backs as we make our way to the exit.
I imagine he’s trying to work out what he’s got himself into.
CHAPTER FOUR
Gabbi
“So spill the deets.” Amy gets straight to the point the second we’re out of Nate’s ear shot. I groan inwardly; the walk to our usual café is going to be long with this gossip hound. When I don’t answer her fast enough, she pinches the inside of my arm.
“Okay, okay. This goes no further than you, though.” I fix a don’t-fuck-with-me glare on her and she nods with perceptible reluctance. Making her keep a secret is akin to torture—gossip is her vice. “We met at the supermarket. He ran his shopping cart into me and made my ankle bleed. I cussed him out and we left it at that.”
I screw my nose up at her. “Happy now?”
“I would be if I thought that was the whole story.” Her big brown eyes are pleading for the juicy details.
“All right then, you nosy bitch.” I bump her with my shoulder so she knows I’m only joking. “He hit on me. And I might have agreed to meet up with him at Nitro’s tonight.”
Amy giggles when she sees my face. “So now you’re packing it that he’s going to let the cat out the bag at work and they’ll all work out that you’re not the angry little ice queen you pretend you are?”
“Nah, I’m still angry, I just like to fuck my frustrations down to a manageable level.”
Her shoulders bounce as she silently laughs and I smirk at her.
“Amen to that sister,” Amy quips as we reach our destination and make our way through the entrance. “Although, I’m tempted to take the little hottie out for a spin myself if you’re not interested.”
“Spin away, Ms. Cougar. If he’s occupied with you, then he won’t be eyeing Zali.” Pulling out my chair once we’ve reached our favorite table, I lift my eyebrows at her and shrug, a devious smirk curling my lips. “You can use your pussy to sweet talk him into helping me maintain my ice queen rep.”
“Looks like I’m taking one for the team,” she drawls. “And that’s enough of the cougar talk. I’m not that much older than him.”
***
Taking a deep breath, I pull open the door to the gym. I just want to grab Zali and get the fuck out of here. Cooper needs to be picked up from school and I still need to find a way to butter up Zali enough so she’ll agree to watch him tonight. It’s my only night off this week and my body needs to release its pent up hostilities before I end up in a fist fight with someone—namely our mom.
Leaving Amy to chat at the front reception desk, I walk through the gym to the back office area, saying hello to the staff and regulars who call my name. The gym is state of the art, modern and new. We offer personal training sessions from four in the morning until midnight because there’s a lot of shift workers in our area who need those hours. Steve’s poured his heart and soul into this place and I love it. I feel more at home here than I do at my own house. During the two years I’ve worked here, I think Cooper’s spent more time in the crèche, watching me hold training sessions, and sleeping on the sofa bed in the staff room than he’s spent at home.
I used to leave him at home until it became clear that Mom wouldn’t hesitate to sneak out once he was asleep. After the last frantic phone call from him asking me to come pick him up because he was home alone, I decided it was easier to bring him everywhere with me. It’s not a perfect situation for an eight-year-old but it’s the best I can manage.
“Hey,” Zali greets me from where she’s sitting near Amy’s desk.
“Are you ready to go? We need to pick up Cooper.”
“I’m ready, but you need to go and see that Nate guy before we go. He said he needs to speak with you.”
“Great.” I sigh. “Come on, we’ll see him on the way out.”
“I think he wants to see you by yourself. He said he’d be in the staff room waiting for you. Come get me when you are ready to go.” Zali picks up the magazine she’s reading and starts flipping through pages.
Wandering toward the staff room, I make sure my resting bitch face is in full force. If this turns out to not be work related, Nate’s going to learn—the hard way—that the rumors he’ll have already started to hear about me are true.
“Hey,” I say, pushing open the door. Nate’s sitting on the lounge with his legs on the coffee table watching TV. “Zali said that you needed to see me.”
“Yeah,” he says as he casually swings his legs off the table and stands to face me. “Just thought I’d remind you about tonight before you left.”
Ambling toward me, he appears surprised when I hold my ground. Leaning down he nuzzles my neck with his face before blowing over my ear. My traitorous body tries to shiver, but I’m strong enough to tamp it down.
“Ten. Nitro’s nightclub. Meet me in the VIP area. I have something planned,” he whispers, warm breath blowing over me again. This time I’m ready for it so my body doesn’t react at all. He becomes bolder with my lack of protests and runs a hand over my exposed stomach, flicking my belly button piercing.
“Nate,” I match his low tone and he smiles, anticipation making his eyes glow. “Touch me again and I’ll break your fucking arm.”
Grabbing the wrist of the hand he has resting on my stomach, I take control of his arm. Twisting my back to him, I cock my hip and then throw him over my shoulder onto his back on the floor. With a loud “ksshh”, I strike his chest with the flat of my palm, leaving my hand hard against it. The move isn’t designed to hurt; it’s intended to shock him.
And shock him, it does.
“Purple belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I’m just waiting to turn eighteen so I can grade for my brown.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah,” I smile, satisfied that he’s showing the appropriate amount of awe. Moving my hand from his chest, I hold it out, helping him to his feet once he accepts my assistance.
Raising his hands in the air, he smirks. “I come in peace, ninja girl.”
“Good.” He’s fucking hot and part of me regrets missing my opportunity to take him for a test drive. My pussy throbs, letting me know that I definitely need to get laid tonight. There’s no way I’m gonna last another week. It’s crunch time; get some cock or walk around like a ticking time bomb ready to fight the next person who pisses me off.
“Friends?” I hold my hand out, half expecting him to leave me hanging like I did him earlier today. He doesn’t though, grasping it straightaway.
“That was fucking hot, but yeah, friends will do.”
My smile widens. He’s funny and cocky enough for me to see myself being friends with him...as much as I’m capable of being friends with anyone. As long as he cuts the flirting, because now that we’re working together, I’m not interested.
“For now, anyway. You’ll cave.”
I can’t help it. My vision narrows and my temper spikes. Sweeping my leg toward him, I take his feet out from underneath him. He lands on his back for the second time in less than five minutes. I hear the air rush from his lungs upon impact.
“That was your only chance.” I throw my statement over my shoulder at him where he lies, groaning, on the floor. Pulling the staff room door open, I shake my head at Amy and Zali when I catch them standing on the other side, evidently eavesdropping. “Now, you’re just a douchebag like the rest of the fucking assholes in this gym.”
“Epic fuck up, dude,” Amy giggles at Nate once he’s pushed to his feet. “Now you’re on her shit list.”
I ignore the pair of them, grabbing Zali’s hand and leading her toward the exit. I need to get out of here before I actually hurt him.
“That was pretty cool,” Zali whispers as we leave. “I guess all those hours of training were worth it.”
“Something like that,” I answer, as the automatic doors that lead outside slide shut beh
ind us. She doesn’t have a clue how often “all those hours of training” are put to use by me and my temper.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gabbi
“I can start Monday and he’s going to organize with the school so that my traineeship becomes part of my Senior year studies.” Zali chats away excitedly as she skips beside me to my car. “I’m going to be getting paid for doing athletics which I love and I don’t have to go to school full time. Thank you so much, Gabbi.”
She twirls in a circle next to me, and not for the first time, I wonder how the fuck we’re related. We’re like yin and yang. Exact opposites.
I press the remote to unlock my black CX-9. It’s a totally over the top car for a seventeen-year-old to own but it’s a guilt gift from Dad. He bought it for me when I got my permit at the start of last year during the last of the four times he’s come back to visit us since the divorce. Accepting it made my blood boil and grated against every fiber in my body that wanted to tell him to stick it up his ass. Sheer need to have a reliable way to transport Cooper around was the only thing that induced me to swallow my pride.
“Do you have any idea of your shifts?” I ask Zali as I start the car and we head toward Cooper’s school. The biggest problem I can see with Zali having a job is her lack of a car to get herself to and from work. I paid for her driving lessons earlier this year so she has her permit like me. I just can’t afford to buy her a car and save for art school.
“Steve said that I’ll mainly be working from six to eight in the morning and then four until eight in the afternoon. Plus, whatever free study periods I have. He worked it out for me and I’m going to earn about five hundred a week plus overtime.”
Flicking the indicator, I don’t answer her as I turn into Cooper’s school parking lot.
“That’s really good.” I smile once I’ve parked, all the while making a mental note to double check with Steve that he’s not paying Zali extra because of our unique family situation. Steve knows about Mom’s bullshit, and that’s only because I needed his okay to bring Cooper to work with me. “Are you positive you’ll be able to manage those hours? What’s Devon gonna say?”
It takes all of my strength not to show my distaste for her boyfriend when I say his name. Unclipping her seatbelt, she turns to me with a strange expression on her face. “Of course, I’ll handle it...”
I wait in silence when she pauses; it’s pretty bloody clear she’s about to hit me with something I’m not going to like. “Devon wants me to move in with him. That way he can get rid of his housemate and still afford his rent.”
“What the fuck, Zali? NO! No fucking way.” Shaking my head, I draw in a deep breath and try again to reason with her. Yelling at her will make this worse. “You’re only—”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” she argues. Flicking her hair over her shoulder she turns her back to me and looks out her window, mumbling her next sentences. “Plus, Dad said it’s okay. He’s going to buy me a car to make it easier.”
My dead heart flips in my chest and thuds back to life. It hurts. Pure, agonizing torment grips me at her words. “You’ve heard from Dad?”
“Yeah, he has a phone that Maribelle doesn’t know about. He phoned me a few weeks ago.” Her voice is small, filled with fear as she answers. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d flip out.”
Bashing my fist against the steering wheel, I lean forward and repeat the move with my forehead. “You’re an asshole, Zali. How can you speak to him after what he’s done? He ditched us for her. Left us to fend for our-fucking-selves for three bloody years.”
“It’s not his fault. You know what Maribelle’s like—”
Lifting my head, I twist in my seat to face her. She’s still looking out her window, avoiding my gaze, as she defends the indefensible. “How the fuck isn’t it his fault? He left three kids and a crippled wife for her best friend. It’s so cliqued, they could make a fucking Lifetime movie about it. Like, fuck me, his new wife has a tantrum every time he spends time with his original kids so his answer is to get a secret phone she doesn’t know about? The whole farce is bordering on ridiculous.”
Grabbing the top of her arm, I make her turn and look at me. Tears run down Zali’s pretty face, making my chest feel tighter, and stoking my anger at our stupid father. “You’re not moving out and there’s no way you’re accepting a car from him. It’s just to fix his guilt and make him feel better.”
“Screw you, Gabbi,” she wrenches her arm from my grip, rubbing it once it’s free. Her tears are drying up, being replaced with her own anger. It glitters in her eyes, making the amber sparkle as if it’s about to ignite. “You’re not my mom. You’re not Cooper’s mom. So back off!”
I draw in three big gulps of air to try and calm myself down. She’s right, but that doesn’t change a fucking thing. I’m not their mom, yet if I don’t look after them, who will? Mom’s always been slightly unhinged so Dad was our calm, sensible parent. We could rely on him, and the sense of betrayal I feel over him leaving us for my godmother and starting a new family with her, hurts so much that I can’t breathe sometimes. Digging my nails into the tops of my thighs, I reach out to touch her once I have some semblance of control. She pulls away so I let my hand drop.
“What’s going to happen with Cooper if you leave as well?”
Turning to look out her window again, she mutters, “That’s not my problem.”
“Fuck you’re selfish.”
“Better than being a doormat like you,” Zali snaps back. “I need to live my life for me.”
I spot Cooper walking out the school gate with his mates and I practically swallow my tongue in an effort not to argue in front of him. She’s just proven that she has more of our parent’s selfish ways in her than I could’ve ever imagined. My right hand burns with the need to smack some sense into her.
My pulse pounds in my ears, and my body starts shaking. I’m two seconds from losing it and giving into my urge. Unable to let it go, even with Cooper in eyeshot, I turn to Zali and tell her between gritted teeth, “You can take what you want from Dad but leave me and Cooper out of it. Enjoy your fucking guilt money but don’t come crawling back to me when it all blows up in your fucking face. Devon will screw ya over...and so will Dad. That’s all men are good at.”
Leaving her white in the face and with her mouth hanging open, I get out of the car and walk to where Cooper’s messing around with his friends.
“Cooper.” I wave at him and he runs over to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and gives me a hug, his little arms holding me tight. My pent-up rage subsides slightly with his innocent touch. “Hey, bucko. Good day?”
“Nope, school sucks.” he mutters. I run a hand over his smooth brown hair, sympathizing with him. I was never a fan either.
“Gabriella.”
Looking up, I find Cooper’s teacher heading my way. Her lips pursed, she takes in my appearance, and finds it lacking, if the tightening in her expression is any indication. It takes me a moment to swallow my urge to roll my eyes so I can return her greeting. “Mrs. Scott.”
“Cooper has a note in his bag. Your mother needs to sign it. He was disruptive in class again today so I need to meet with her to discuss new ways to deal with his behavior.”
Fucking brilliant. This is just what I need to top off my day.
“I can meet with you now to talk about it. Mom’s still pretty sick. She’s happy for me to relay any messages to her—”
“What exactly is wrong with your mother, Gabriella? My family and I were out for tea at the tavern the other night and she was at the bar looking quite healthy.” Mrs. Scott cuts in. Her gaze is assessing; her tone sly. She sounds as if she knows something I don’t. “I haven’t seen your mother at any school events all year and only knew it was her because my older son pointed her out as Zali’s mother.”
“Well, we aren’t sure yet.” I hedge, giving my usual excuse. I hate how the dumb bitch makes a spectacle of herself in public without giving a
shit that it draws attention to our situation. “She’s still being investigated for chronic fatigue and a few other things. You must have seen her on a really good night.”
“It must have been. She seemed very enthusiastic toward the gentleman she was with.” Mrs. Scott stares pointedly at me as she agrees. And there it is, the whole point of this conversation. Dropping her gaze, I grab Cooper’s school bag off his shoulder and sling it over my own. I’m not acknowledging her comment. No doubt my mother was drunk and all over some loser when Mrs. Scott saw her. If I deny what she’s saying, I’m going to look stupid. Agree with it and she’s going to know that I’m lying to cover problems at home.
The anger that seeing Cooper muted for a moment returns with a vengeance. My face heats and I imagine myself wiping the condescending smirk off his teacher’s face, then driving home and doing the same to our useless mother. She’s dicing with being reported to child protection for neglect if she doesn’t pull her head in. If I lose my brother because of her shit, I’ll kill her.
The lump of burning rage that’s sitting in my throat, trying to choke me, agrees with my thoughts. After finding out Zali’s plans today, Cooper’s all I have left, and nothing will jeopardize my plans to get him away from our present situation.
Not my useless mother or this nosy fucking teacher.
“Have a good weekend,” I mutter, my tone making it clear that I hope she has anything but.
Taking hold of Cooper’s hand, I turn to head for my car.
“Tell your mother I expect her at the parent-teacher interviews next week,” she calls after me. I pause, closing my eyes and wishing for the ability to vaporize the meddling bitch on the spot using just my vision. Looking at her over my shoulder, I regard her through hard, angry eyes.
“I’ll try my best. If not, I’ll be there.” She gulps as the naked hostility in my expression tinges my words as I say them. I know it’s not the smartest approach but today has stripped me of the minute amount of patience I possess for the other people who inhabit this planet with me. “I’ve been to every other interview. None of the other teachers have had a problem with it.”
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