course. Right down the end on the left.’
Gabe disappeared, and Lizzie went to the fridge to get some water.
Just as she was putting some ice in a couple of glasses, she heard a beep. It hadn’t come from her phone, but she noticed that Gabe had left his on the coffee table. She filled up the glasses and carried them over.
The phone beeped again, and she couldn’t help but glance at the lit up message on the screen.
I hope you’re not out with that slut. When are you coming to see me?
Lizzie gasped. What the hell? There was no name on the message, just the initials CC.
She heard Gabe coming back, so she quickly sat down and tried to look natural.
He grinned.
‘That’s better.’ He plonked down beside her and picked up one of the glasses.
Lizzie’s head was spinning. Should she confront Gabe about it? She couldn’t exactly come straight out and say she had been spying on him, even if it was accidental. But she couldn’t just pretend she didn’t know anything either.
‘I think you got a text just now,’ she said lightly.
‘Oh right.’ He picked up the phone and looked at the screen. His face fell into a frown before he locked it again and shoved it in his pocket.
‘Everything alright?’ she prodded.
‘Yeah. Just Mum wondering where I am.’
Lizzie was pretty sure he was lying. Unless his mother had a habit of calling girls sluts. Which she supposed might not be entirely out of the question. Gabe did say he didn’t want her to meet his parents for her own good. Maybe she was really protective of her son. But Lizzie suspected the messenger was someone younger.
‘Shouldn’t you text her back?’
‘Nah. She can wait.’
Lizzie wasn’t sure what to think now. Why wouldn’t Gabe tell the truth? Unless he was cheating on her.
The thought made her feel sick.
He put his glass down and started massaging her shoulders.
‘How long until your dad gets home?’ he asked.
‘Um, actually, I thought he was going to be late, but he just texted to say he’s on his way,’ she fibbed.
He stopped rubbing.
‘Oh. That’s a shame.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Do you want me to stay so I can meet him?’
‘I’m not sure you want to do that,’ she said with a small smile. ‘He can be pretty tough.’
‘I can take it. But perhaps tonight isn’t the best time to do the official intro. How about we arrange to meet up another day? Next weekend or something?’
‘Sounds good,’ she said weakly.
He got up and started heading towards the door, peeking through the front curtain on the way.
‘It looks like Jacques is still here, so I guess I’ll go.’
‘OK.’
‘Are you alright?’
‘Yeah, sorry. I think I’m just a bit tired. It’s been a big week.’
‘But it’s been a great one,’ he said earnestly, and leaned in to kiss her.
She returned the kiss, but with more restraint than she intended.
He pulled back, confusion in his eyes.
‘Are you sure everything’s alright?’
‘Yes.’ Lizzie wondered if she was just being silly about the whole text message thing. She grabbed him by the head and kissed him again, this time more enthusiastically.
‘That’s more like it,’ he laughed afterwards. ‘I’ll talk to you over the weekend.’
‘I look forward to it,’ she said, smiling.
But as he left, the doubts resurfaced.
Who was CC? And how did she fit into Gabe’s life?
***
Lizzie heard her dad come in just after ten. She didn’t feel like talking, so she pretended to be asleep when he knocked on the door.
Normally she wouldn’t be able to get away with something like that because he knew she never slept, but since she’d discovered Brandon’s music, she’d been turning in earlier and earlier. And every night, she had fallen asleep almost immediately, before waking refreshed the next morning at seven. It was amazing. She’d told her dad that she’d been practicing some new kind of meditation, instead of trying to explain the truth. She couldn’t imagine what he might
Gabe disappeared, and Lizzie went to the fridge to get some water.
Just as she was putting some ice in a couple of glasses, she heard a beep. It hadn’t come from her phone, but she noticed that Gabe had left his on the coffee table. She filled up the glasses and carried them over.
The phone beeped again, and she couldn’t help but glance at the lit up message on the screen.
I hope you’re not out with that slut. When are you coming to see me?
Lizzie gasped. What the hell? There was no name on the message, just the initials CC.
She heard Gabe coming back, so she quickly sat down and tried to look natural.
He grinned.
‘That’s better.’ He plonked down beside her and picked up one of the glasses.
Lizzie’s head was spinning. Should she confront Gabe about it? She couldn’t exactly come straight out and say she had been spying on him, even if it was accidental. But she couldn’t just pretend she didn’t know anything either.
‘I think you got a text just now,’ she said lightly.
‘Oh right.’ He picked up the phone and looked at the screen. His face fell into a frown before he locked it again and shoved it in his pocket.
‘Everything alright?’ she prodded.
‘Yeah. Just Mum wondering where I am.’
Lizzie was pretty sure he was lying. Unless his mother had a habit of calling girls sluts. Which she supposed might not be entirely out of the question. Gabe did say he didn’t want her to meet his parents for her own good. Maybe she was really protective of her son. But Lizzie suspected the messenger was someone younger.
‘Shouldn’t you text her back?’
‘Nah. She can wait.’
Lizzie wasn’t sure what to think now. Why wouldn’t Gabe tell the truth? Unless he was cheating on her.
The thought made her feel sick.
He put his glass down and started massaging her shoulders.
‘How long until your dad gets home?’ he asked.
‘Um, actually, I thought he was going to be late, but he just texted to say he’s on his way,’ she fibbed.
He stopped rubbing.
‘Oh. That’s a shame.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Do you want me to stay so I can meet him?’
‘I’m not sure you want to do that,’ she said with a small smile. ‘He can be pretty tough.’
‘I can take it. But perhaps tonight isn’t the best time to do the official intro. How about we arrange to meet up another day? Next weekend or something?’
‘Sounds good,’ she said weakly.
He got up and started heading towards the door, peeking through the front curtain on the way.
‘It looks like Jacques is still here, so I guess I’ll go.’
‘OK.’
‘Are you alright?’
‘Yeah, sorry. I think I’m just a bit tired. It’s been a big week.’
‘But it’s been a great one,’ he said earnestly, and leaned in to kiss her.
She returned the kiss, but with more restraint than she intended.
He pulled back, confusion in his eyes.
‘Are you sure everything’s alright?’
‘Yes.’ Lizzie wondered if she was just being silly about the whole text message thing. She grabbed him by the head and kissed him again, this time more enthusiastically.
‘That’s more like it,’ he laughed afterwards. ‘I’ll talk to you over the weekend.’
‘I look forward to it,’ she said, smiling.
But as he left, the doubts resurfaced.
Who was CC? And how did she fit into Gabe’s life?
***
Lizzie heard her dad come in just after ten. She didn’t feel like talking, so she pretended to be asleep when he knocked on the door.
Normally she wouldn’t be able to get away with something like that because he knew she never slept, but since she’d discovered Brandon’s music, she’d been turning in earlier and earlier. And every night, she had fallen asleep almost immediately, before waking refreshed the next morning at seven. It was amazing. She’d told her dad that she’d been practicing some new kind of meditation, instead of trying to explain the truth. She couldn’t imagine what he might
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