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“There’s a swimming pool on the opposite side, and the land stretches to the tree line.” He points to somewhere on the distant horizon.
Oh boy, I’m not in Kansas anymore.
Gabriel and my life are polar opposites in every way. Our child will undeniably be a child of two very different worlds. My family and I can never compete with all that Gabriel and his family can give it. My heart sinks at the thought.
“This was my room growing up.”
I plaster on a smile as we turn away from the window. It’s then I notice the large, wooden four-poster bed.
“That’s some bed for a child,” I say.
Far removed from my tiny single bed at my parents’ house. Something Vince would always complain about when we went to stay hence, I often went alone.
Gabriel surprises me by laughing. “This is an upgrade,” he says. “When I hit six feet, with no sign of slowing down, my parents realised my feet were hanging off my old bed. This, however, is another upgrade. This might be my old bedroom, but it’s also a guest room.”
“Were you an untidy teenager?” I ask. “There’s a lot of space to make a lot of mess.”
“My mum would tell you I had a floordrobe. I never remember it being that bad,” he says sheepishly, making me smile.
“I think most teenagers have their own floordrobe. When we have to buy our own clothes, we just learn that throwing them on the floor is not such a good idea.”
Once again, my mind returns to Vince, and the fact he never tidied up after himself, despite having come from a similar background to my own. Maybe it’s not so much about what or where you come from but about how we behave. I think about Gabriel’s bedroom, everything has a place. His clothes are neatly organised. Not that it matters. Gabriel and I are not a couple and never will be. We are enjoying a sexual relationship and having a child together. Whatever the girls want to think, our relationship has no long term future, and it will never have a fairy tale ending. Gabriel made that clear in the beginning. It’s not something he believes in and I have to remember that. Instead, I’m going with a happy for now, at least until our child is born, then I’ll have something else to concentrate on, something to look forward to.
“Come on, we better get downstairs before my mother sends out a search party, although maybe she won’t,” Gabriel says, pulling me into his arms, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that turns my legs to jelly as he walks me back towards the bed.
I root my feet into the carpet, my hands pressing against his shoulders. “We’re not keeping your mother waiting,” I say, knowing the colour in my cheeks is high.
“You’re no fun,” Gabriel says, stepping back.
“I’ll remind you of that later,” I say, spinning towards the door, my hips sashaying away from him.
“Tease,” he says, happily following.
CHAPTER 39
GABRIEL
Caleb arrives in the middle of afternoon tea. He scoops Leah up into a hug, spinning her around.
“You made it,” he says.
The sight of her laughing, her hands resting on his shoulders, sets my teeth on edge. Why does my brother think he can touch Leah at every opportunity?
“We did,” she says, sending a smile my way, her eyes softening. She moves to sit next to me, and I place a hand on her thigh. I know the gesture screams mine, but I can’t help it.
It’s at that moment Kat walks in. She looks her usual pristine self, not a hair or item of clothing out of place.
She walks up to our mother, dropping a kiss on her cheek. Mum pulls her in for a hug before reluctantly letting her go.
“It’s good to see you, darling,” my mother says, her hand cupping my sister’s cheek. “You’re working too hard.”
Mum’s polite way of telling Kat she looks tired.
“That’s what this weekend is for, some R and R,” Kat shoots back with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Kat, no Zach?” Caleb asks.
My brother likes Zach, although I can’t fathom why for the life of me. In my mind, he’s always been too weak for Kat and too agreeable. She’s been dating him for years, but he’s never understood her, not the way someone who’s supposed to love you should. I watch my sister flinch, although she hides it well. But then, I know her tells and her secret.
