Page 8 of My Girl
Whoa, back it up there.Jarrod would kick Gabe’s ass if he knew where Gabe’s thoughts were headed.
“Gabe?”
Sheridan’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts. He’d been so engrossed in them he hadn’t heard her return to the car. “Sorry, I missed that.”
“Everything okay? You seem a little distracted.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Like I said earlier, just tired. And I could seriously do with a drink.”
“Rough flight?”
“Rough few months,” he replied.
He tipped his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, exhaling as it if was the first proper breath he’d taken in years. He was glad to be home. Being on the road was great as they got to see countries and places they’d never been. But there was no place like home.
These past months hadn’t been easy. The accident had taken its toll on the band members and their families. They’d lost one of their bandmates and one of the crew. It had been a dark and difficult time.
God, he was tired – right down to his soul weary.
The smooth ride lulled him, and he drifted in his own thoughts. Even the usually chatty Sheridan was silent as if she realised he needed the quiet time to collect all the scattered bits of himself. Bits scattered by grief and terror the likes of which he’d only ever known once before.
When the little girl had screamed in the airport, he’d thought his heart was going to stop. It had taken him back to painful memories he’d far rather forget. With the time that’d passed, he thought he was coping better than that. Apparently, that wasn’t the case. He sighed again.
Eyes still closed; his mind wandered back to therapy in Texas. He had avoided thinking about it on the flight home, but now that he was here, there was nothing else to focus on. His thoughts went back to his last appointment with Dr Davis. The good doctor had accused him of evading anything unpleasant – specifically, talking of his past. Of wasting the doctor’s time and his own money because he wasn’t committed to solving the issues that plagued him – the survivor’s guilt that’s rode him hard.
To be fair, he’d only gone because he’d had no choice. Jarrod hadn’t believed him when he’d said he’d find someone back home – someone Sheridan could recommend, and so he’d thrown down the ultimatum Gabe had feared was coming. Either go speak to someone or lose his place in the band.
While he may not have wanted to go to the shrink in Texas, he couldn’t fault the man’s acuity. The man had him pegged when he said he ran from everything in his life, be it from making a commitment to dealing with his past issues. Gabe compulsively ran from anything serious, and eventually, it would catch up with him. If he didn't stop running, he'd lose.
The thing that scared Gabriel was what exactly the doctor meant by losing. He couldn’t be sure if the man meant love or his mind. Neither prospect sounded great.
He startled violently when he felt a soft hand on his forearm. He turned his head to look over at Sheridan. Her eyes were like saucers. Crap, he’d scared her.
“Geez, Gabe. Easy. I wanted to let you know we’re here.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I got a bit of a fright is all. I wasn’t expecting it.” He gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, sugar bear.”
She gave his forearm a gentle squeeze. “It’s all good. I’m fine. Come on. We’re here.” She removed the keys from the ignition and hopped out of the car.
Gabe sat for a moment, taking in his surroundings. They were parked in the driveway of a house he didn’t recognise. The area was clearly new, but pretty. There was plenty of greenery and a park across the street. The house itself had simple, elegant lines. He wondered who it belonged to.
“Hey, lazy bones. You planning on sitting there all day, or are you coming to give me a hand with your luggage?” he heard Sheridan call.
He couldn’t help but laugh at her. “Yeah, yeah. Keep your hair on – I’m coming. I was admiring the house,” he replied.
By the time he joined her at the back of the vehicle, she was in the process of wrestling his unwieldy duffel bag from the boot. When she spotted him, she paused.
“What the hell have you got in there, dude? A body? Bloody hell, this thing’s heavy.”
“Here, let me. I didn’t expect you to do that.” He gripped the handles on top of the bag and lifted it out effortlessly.
“Way to go. Make a girl feel like a weakling.” Sheridan laughed up at him. She watched as he pulled his suitcase out next before she grabbed his rucksack. Then she started towards the front door.
“So, whose house is this anyway?”
The megawatt smile she beamed at him could have lit a city block. “It’s mine. Pretty, huh?”
Gabe looked at Sheridan, at the house, and then back at her. “This is yours? Seriously?”
