The guest house isreally the size of my mom’s house back home, but it’s outfitted for a performer.Small bathroom, kitchenette, and closet laundry off the second bedroom, but in the very back of the house is a studio with a soundproof booth and everything.Clay and Tate look as shocked as I am.
“Wait, Gabby, are we allowed to be in here?”
“It’s Gabriella, and I think so?”
“What do you mean you think so,” I press.I want to question her further, but a phone starts vibrating.Tate’s.I watch as she reaches into her baggy pockets and pulls it out.
“Oh, I have to take this.Don’t say anything important without me.”
“When do we ever?”Gabriella laughs.Tate rolls her eyes and turns to walk towards the corner of the room, but still in listening distance.
“Hi, Daddy!”she answers.
“Oooh, Daddy!Who’s that?He sounds hot!”Gabriella gushes.
I look over at Tate, her expression pinched and red with embarrassment before she shoots Gabriella a dirty look and walks to another part of the house.I look back at Gabriella and all I see is red.
“Gabriella, do you ever just stop talking!”Leave her alone!”The words run from my mouth rushed and abrupt.My mouth hasn’t even closed before I’m shoved off-center.Clay.
“What was that?!”
“You can’t yell at girls, man.”
“Oh, the morality police is here.”A huff of laughter rolls out of me, and I feel it happening...I feel uncontrolled anger taking over.Rage.Slithering its way from my center, pulling at the muscles in my arms, neck, and jawline.“Clay, good ole Clay.Wants to win to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring but spends all his time with two other girls,” I seethe, moving closer.Close enough to head-butt him if it comes to it.
“Levi, stop!”
My eyes move towards the small voice behind him.Gabriella.Not the confident, loud Gabriella, but the softer version.Maybe who she really is.I wish it was enough to stop the train, but as part of my brain tries to convince me it is, Clay blurts out, “You’d better step back, cowboy.”Followed by another shove, this one with heart, and I’m once again all in.
I twist my cap backwards and start towards him.My fingers curl up into my palms at my side; I’m going to finish this thing.Halfway there, I feel something small gnawing in my stomach.Something like a little paw...Tate is no longer on the phone, she’s in front of me, and the gnawing feeling is actually just her hand.That’s at least what my brain’s reporting as truth, and I feel myself start to settle, which is alarming.I hold on to the last bits of anger I can find.
“Move, Tate.”
“No.”
I look down at her again.She moves her hand from my abdomen only to then place it on her hip like my mom does right before she’s about to let me have it.
“Tate, you’re, like...two pounds wet.I could easily move you.You know that, right?”
“Yeah, but you won’t.”Her chin tips up in confidence, eyes looking right into mine.
The anger’s gone, now replaced with sober clarity.I look around at Clay, then Gabriella.Remorse sweeps over me.“I’m sorry for snapping.That was wrong.”
“All good, Levi,” Gabriella says, and I believe her.
Tate makes a throat-clearing sound, drawing my attention back to her.She’s flicking her eyes to the other side of her.Towards Clay.What?I mouth, just to watch her try harder.She combines an eye-flick with a tight nod of her head towards him.It makes me laugh, but my apology tour is over.I have nothing to say to Clay.He pushed me.Twice.He’s suddenly taking up the small space between me and Tate.I prepare myself for this to go either way.
“Hey, man, I’m sorry I laid hands on you.That wasn’t cool.I let my anger get the best of me and I hope you can forgive me.”He smiles and holds out his hand.It’s sincere and mature, making me feel a whole two years old.
“Of course.I, uh, I’m sorry too, for what I said about you.I was just upset.”Accepting his hand, I pull him into a half-hug.
“All good, and hey, you’re not wrong.I’m actually going to head back in for the night.”
“Oh, Clay, don’t go,” Tate whines.
“I’m actually going to head out too,” Gabriella says, walking around the bunch of us.“Walk me in?”she asks, looking at Clay.
“Gladly.”
