Gable Read online

  I blinked as I watched him, somewhat surprised that he’d shared that much with me.

  He pursed his lips. “Reason why I’ll never have ‘stitches’ again,” he mumbled almost as if to himself as he looked down at his drink he was spinning slowly on the table in his fingers. We stayed silent for a bit but when he finally looked up at me, I knew the moment had passed if the shit-eating grin on his face was any indication. “Wouldn’t mind lookin’ at your stitches, though.”

  I huffed out a laugh. “God, every time I think you’re normal, you never fail to remind me that you’re an asshole.”

  I watched as his grin got bigger then he shrugged as if to say, “Mission accomplished.”

  All I could do was shake my head as I chuckled. “So, I should probably get back. Make sure Amy’s okay and not puking her guts out.” It was two-thirty, so I thought she’d probably be home from the party unless she’d decided to take things to the next level and stay with Chad.

  Gable nodded then stood and held a hand out, helping me out of the booth. Dang. He’d certainly learned somewhere how to be a gentleman. I let him hold my hand on the way to his car telling myself not to put too much into it because I knew if I did, he’d only hurt me in the end.

  He was so quiet on the way to my apartment I asked if he was okay.

  “Yeah. Just thinking,” he answered.

  I knew my stitches theory had opened up old wounds for him which made me feel kind of bad for bringing it up.

  When we got to my apartment, he came around to unbuckle me and help me out of the car. “Thank you for going with me,” he said after walking me to my door.

  “Thank you for taking me,” I said with a smile.

  He looked down at me as if trying to make a decision, so I made it for him by tiptoeing up and kissing his cheek again. “Good night,” I said before unlocking the door and going inside, watching him walk to his car before I closed the door.

  I went to Amy’s room to see if she was there, which she was, so I guessed she was holding off on making Chad her next ex, which made me chuckle quietly. Her soft snores indicated that she was fine, so I slowly closed her door and walked back into the living room then heard a low knock on the front door. I went to it and through the eyehole saw it was Gable and I frowned wondering what he’d forgotten.

  “Hey,” I said when I opened the door. He was standing with his arms raised above him, his hands holding onto the top of the door frame and he looked at me for a beat, his eyes narrowed on mine, before he stepped inside quickly and, taking my face in his hands, bent down and smashed his mouth to mine proceeding to give me the kiss of a lifetime. I was stunned for a few seconds but recovered quickly, bringing my arms up to lace around his neck and tangling my fingers into his hair as the kiss got deeper and hotter. Whoa. He somehow ended up inside the apartment, kicking the door closed behind him, then turned us, backing me against it and pressing the hard planes of his body into my soft ones. His hands slid down and cupped my butt before he picked me up making me wrap my legs around his waist, and, sweet Jesus, I knew right then all my inner babblings of encouragement to stay the hell away from him were wasted because in that moment I wanted him more than I wanted my next breath.

  We made out for what seemed like ever, which was totally amazing, and the instant I was so thoroughly worked up that I was ready to lead him to my bedroom where I could have my wicked way with him, he pulled away, and resting his forehead against mine, gazed down at me and muttered, “Fuck,” then touched his mouth to mine briefly, set my feet back on the floor, kissed my forehead, said, “Good night, Scout,” and was out the door and gone before I could even catch my breath.

  I leaned back against the closed door, throwing my head back to bang against it as I looked up at the ceiling. Oh, Gable, how you excite me, thrill me, and totally, completely and thoroughly confuse me.

  Week Nine

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: Sorry

  Date: October 22, 3:52 p.m.

  To: 9543254

  Dear Mr. Four,

  I just wanted you to know I’m okay. I’ve just been busy. Sorry I made you worry.

  Hope last week & this week were awesome & your classes are going great!

  Just a question… if someone knew something about you but didn’t tell you, what would you do?

  Six

  xo

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: Sorry

  Date: October 22, 4:02 p.m.

  To: 9565876

  Mr. Four. I like it.

  Glad you’re okay. Thanks for letting me know. I was worried.

  Classes are good, some better than others.

  Hm. If someone knew something about me and didn’t tell me? I’d think of it as lying and, well, I hate liars. I can’t help it, but I hold grudges, so if someone lies to me, I’m pretty much finished with them. Why?

  xx

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: Sorry

  Date: October 22, 4:10 p.m.

  To: 9543254

  Just wondering. Even if it was something minor?

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: Sorry

  Date: October 22, 4:12 p.m.

  To: 9565876

  A lie is a lie is a lie…

  ~*~*~*~

  Shit. Would Gable think my knowing he was my pen pal and not telling him was a lie? I was afraid to find out because I didn’t want to lose his friendship or whatever this was that we had going.

  In “real life” things had been going great with him. He’d sat by me Monday and Wednesday in psych class. He’d held my hand when we walked out then given me a sweet kiss before I went to my next class both days. This weekend we were going on a ghost tour of Seattle, which I was really excited about, especially since Halloween was just around the corner. On top of all that, he’d asked for my number and we’d begun texting. So now I not only had to keep up with him through email, I had to deal with texting him too. The double life I was living with him was weighing on me and didn’t know how much longer I could keep it up without spilling it all. It was too confusing trying to remember what I’d told him through emails and in person, so I’d made the decision that I’d be more distant in my emails, thinking that’d solve things.

  I should’ve known it wouldn’t.

  ~*~*~*~

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: Can’t take it

  Date: October 22, 11:09 p.m.

  To: 9565876

  Six,

  I fantasize about you. Can’t get you out of my head…

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: Are YOU drunk?

  Date: October 22, 11:34 p.m.

  To: 9543254

  Um…

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: Perfectly sober…

  Date: October 22, 11:35 p.m.

  To: 9565876

  I want to taste your lips… want to touch you… want to be with you…

  ~*~*~*~

  Holy shit. He was being really bold in his emails and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. On the one hand, what he was saying was flattering, not to mention hot, but on the other, if he didn’t know I was his pen pal and he was writing those things to a girl he didn’t know, well, then that was just a giant hole
of suck.

  “You should just tell him who you are,” Bodhi said Thursday at lunch.

  “You think? I mean, this has grown into some huge fucking monster now.” I shook my head at how absurd it’d all become. “If I tell him, he’ll think I was lying this whole time and hate me.”

  Bodhi stuffed half of his generic Pizza Pocket into his mouth, chewed twice and downed it. I’d never understand how the guy could stay so skinny when he ate as much as a herd of elephants. He threw the last half of it in his mouth and said between chews, “He couldn’t hate you. He likes you.”

  I frowned. “I forwarded the email to you. You saw what he said about lying.” I took a drink from my bottle of water. This was making me miserable, even to the point that I felt guilty for having fun when Gable and I were together.

  Bodhi drank the rest of his soda. “Yeah, but I still don’t think it’d change his mind.”

  I just shook my head and rolled my eyes because I thought it would.

  “You could just pretend when you guys do the reveal that you didn’t know it was him and act all surprised.”

  “Yeah, and that surely wouldn’t be a lie, would it?” I answered sarcastically.

  Bodhi shrugged. “Don’t know what else to tell you. Sorry, Scout.”

  “Thanks anyway, Bode,” I mumbled, watching as he put all his trash on his tray.

  He stood and kissed me on the forehead. “It’ll be okay. Promise.” He picked up his tray and left for his next class.

  I hoped he was right.

  ~*~*~*~

  Text Message—Thurs, Oct 24, 11:34 p.m.

  Gable: What’re you doing?

  Me: Studying, as usual

  Gable: You’re so dedicated

  Me: Gotta keep the scholarship ;)

  Gable: I know. Hey, remember when I told you about Justin asking my dad about that part he needed for his car?

  Me: Yes

  Gable: Yeah. He lied to my dad and said I told him he could pick it up for free. He came by the shop this morning and got it. Dad called and asked what was going on. So I called Justin and he fucking lied to me about it saying Dad gave it to him. Told him I knew he was lying and was done with him.

  Me: But you’ve been friends for, what, fifteen years?

  Gable: I don’t give a shit. He lied. That’s not cool. He told me he was sorry and everything but that’s one thing I can’t stand is a liar. Fuck him. I don’t need that shit in my life.

  Great. He’d ended a fifteen-year relationship and all because the guy lied. I was so screwed.

  Gable: Ready for tomorrow night?

  Me: Yes! I love ghost stuff!

  Gable: I’m kinda fascinated by it too

  Me: What if we get attacked by a poltergeist or something?

  Gable: You HAVE seen those ghost hunter shows, right? Nothing ever gets them

  Me: Oh, something definitely gets ME ‘cause that one has a really hot guy who’s the head ghost hunter…

  Gable: Huh…

  Me: What? You want me to tell you he’s not as hot as you?

  Gable: That’d be nice

  Me: Oh, Gable, you’re SO much hotter than that Zac guy! He doesn’t even begin to compare to you… your tattoos are way better than his… you’re so much stronger than he is… I’ll bet you can out-ghost him any day

  Gable: Smartass. He has tattoos?

  Me: Yep

  Gable: Hm. That’s cool. Hey, what if you get possessed or something and start spewing pea soup?

  Me: I’d be possessed to knock your block off…

  Gable: That’d be cool too

  Me: It can be arranged

  Gable: Know what?

  Me: What?

  Gable: You’re cute

  Me: Okay, I have to call you hot but you call me cute?

  Gable: Oh, you’re hot too… but you’re also cute

  Me: I think I’m blushing

  Gable: I can do some things to you that’ll make you blush

  Me: Now I know I’m blushing

  Gable: Can’t wait to see you tomorrow… want to taste your lips…

  All right, now, seriously, I didn’t know whether to be thrilled or pissed that he was telling me the same things he was telling his pen pal. God. I was totally losing it by being jealous about myself.

  Me: I love your lips on mine…

  Gable: I’d love my lips anywhere on you…

  Me: Wow…

  Gable: Your lips… neck… shoulder…

  Me: Wait. Are we sexting?

  Gable: Only if you want to be

  Me: Well, I really need to go put a load of laundry in

  Gable: Chicken…

  Me: I’m embarrassed

  Gable: Nothing to be embarrassed about… it’s just me

  Me: I know. Give me some time to get used to this?

  Gable: Yeah. K, go do your laundry xx

  Me: See you tomorrow xo

  I didn’t really have to do laundry. I really was a chicken.

  After brushing my teeth and just as I lay down in bed, my phone alerted me that I had an email.

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:03 a.m.

  To: 9565876

  Six,

  Seriously can’t get you off my mind…

  xx

  Damn it. Now it felt as if he were cheating on me by emailing her. Who was me. But I didn’t know if he knew it. Arrgggghhh!

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:05 a.m.

  To: 9543254

  Mr. Four,

  Why?

  xo

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:07 a.m.

  To: 9565876 .

  I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking about you.

  xx

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:07 a.m.

  To: 9543254

  You don’t really even know me

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:08 a.m.

  To: 9565876

  I know, but I want to

  xx

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:08 a.m.

  To: 9543254

  Maybe after we meet at the end of the semester?

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:09 a.m.

  To: 9565876

  I want to fuck you

  xx

  Holy Moses. That escalated quickly.

  As the shock wore off, once again, I couldn’t figure out if I should be jealous or not. I mean, here he’d just tried to sext real me and now he was suggesting intercourse via Internet with pen pal me. I really hoped he knew I was both. Ugh.

  As I thought about it, I figured I could go one of two ways with this. I could ignore him now and when I next emailed him I’d just keep things at an impersonal level and not egg him on. Or I could go for it. I mean, what would it hurt, well, other than real me if he was really into pen pal me and didn’t know I was her.

  God, I was one sick bitch.

  My curiosity won and I moved forward thi
nking that when he found out at semester’s end that it was me he’d been writing and that I’d basically lied to him and he never wanted to see me again, at least I’d had a little fun with it, right?

  Yeah. A little fun and a ton of heartbreak.

  I took a deep breath and replied.

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:15 a.m.

  To: 9543254

  I don’t think I’d be opposed to that…

  xo

  EEP!

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:15 a.m.

  To: 9565876

  Baby, I’d make you so hot, opposition would be the farthest thing from your mind… you’d be begging for more

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:15 a.m.

  To: 9543254

  Tell me…

  ______________________________________

  From: 9543254

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:16 a.m.

  To: 9565876

  First I’d kiss you so hot and deep your head would spin… my fingers in your hair… your arms around my neck… I’d kiss your jaw… down your neck… in the hollow of your throat… then I’d take your shirt off… your bra… and see your gorgeous tits… I’d suck on your nipples… make you come just from that…

  Oh, my God.

  This was hot.

  Gable didn’t mess around.

  When I was with Hayden, his emails had been amateur compared. Good lord. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure I was up to this. I’d always been the bold one with Hayden but Gable had taken this to a whole other level.

  I took a deep breath, gave myself a sex pep talk, took another deep breath and forged ahead hoping I could keep up with him.

  ______________________________________

  From: 9565876

  Subject: You

  Date: October 25, 12:18 a.m.