“No need.” JT throws up a hand, leaning back in his seat. “Mr. Wallace already called his mom this morning.”
I jab him hard in the side with my pencil, and the two knuckleheads I call friends laugh hysterically.
After school, JT drops Shane and I off at my house. I’d be driving my badass vintage Corvette, but thanks to Mr. Wallace, my dad took it away last week.
The second my foot crosses the threshold my mother’s on me. “Gabriel Jonathan Abbott, were you late this morning?” Half her blonde hair is pulled back off her face as she barrels toward the front door.
I pretend to think about it for a minute, dropping my backpack to the floor. “I don’t know. That was a long time ago.”
“Do not play with me.” She snaps me with a kitchen towel. “All I ask is that you show up. I don’t even care if you pass, although that would be a bonus.”
“Well, good news. I showed up.” I trot down the hall toward the kitchen, Shane trailing behind.
“Late!” She spins, hot on my tail.
I finish my trek backwards. “Right, but that’s not what you said.”
Spinning when I hit the kitchen, I’m met with my dad’s stern stare.
“Gabe, please tell me I didn’t just hear that Mr. Wallace called your mother again.” He’s doing the classic Jon Abbott stance: feet apart, arms crossed, shoulders back. Pair thatwith his huge stature and dark features and he’s one intimidating motherfucker.
“Hmm… you should do something about that. I think that guy has a thing for her.”
Shane chuckles as we both slide into the barstools at the island.
“Gabriel!” he barks. “Half this town already thinks you’re a punk. Don’t give them more reasons.”
My laughter comes to a screeching halt. “Yes, sir.”
“Oh, and the rumor I heard about you at fight night better be just that.” He glares at me for a minute before stalking out of the room.
Shane winces because he knows as well as I do, it wasn’t a rumor.
10
ASH
JULY 8 YEARS AGO
“What happened between you and Jordan last night? Someone said you broke up,” Nik asks as we pull into the field behind her friend Akers’s house in the new red Jeep my mom got me this year for my birthday.
“No. My brother’s asshole guard dog caught us at the sawmill and scared him off,” I grumble. I met Jordan at a party a few weeks ago with Nik and he’s practically lived at Gran’s since.
That is until last night.
“Who? Gabe?”
“Yep.” We jump out of the Jeep.
“The party’s back here.” She gestures toward the woods, and I follow. “Why’s he care anyway?”
“No clue.” Shrugging, I whine, “I can’t even breathe this summer without one of his friends tattling on me.”
Leaves and sticks crunch under my Converse sneakers. The further into the woods we walk, the more I’m starting to think I should have worn something other than a T-shirtand denim shorts. With my luck, I’ll wake up covered in poison ivy tomorrow.
“Were you guys… you know?” she wiggles her brows.
“No, thank God we were just about to leave. You should have seen it, though. He literally threatened to cut his eyeballs out and send them to his mom if he ever looked at me again!”
