We laughed and Gael bumped me with his shoulder. His parents were warm, and I instantly felt at ease with them. Maybe my luck was changing.
A few
hours and equal amounts of coffee passed by as we talked about everything. Honestly, it felt as though I had known them a lot longer than one day. The doorbell started doing its chime song, interrupting our conversation.
Erica stood. “I’ll be right back.”
She left as Dave and Gael were finishing talking about some French menu options Gael was thinking about adding to Gael’s Place. The whole process fascinated me and it was evident Dave was equally passionate about food. The sun sat behind the seashell curtains in the back window.
When Erica entered, she carried two white boxes. “Something arrived for you, Gael, and for your father and me. It’s from a delivery service. There’s no card.”
Gael removed his arm from around my shoulder to grab the box from his mom. “Let’s see what this is.”
Sitting across from us, Erica opened her box also. Curiosity had me leaning over Gael’s arm to see what was underneath the multiple layers of tissue paper. The corner of a magazine showed in the box. Erica let out a gasp as she held up what looked to be a similar magazine.
Tearing through the last layer of tissue paper, I was abhorred at the image I saw. It was from two days ago on Gael’s back porch. I was on the rail and I knew we had been having sex in that picture even though it looked from this angle like we were in a passionate embrace.
My lip trembled as I read the title.
It was a tabloid magazine. Another inset of me standing on the back porch looking out into the ocean showed my face clearly. Then there was another picture of Harris standing on my front porch like he was leaving my place. I glanced up and saw the shock on Erica and Dave’s face. Gael scowled. This was too much.
I stood abruptly, not knowing what to do, but feeling sick to my stomach. “I’m so sorry. It’s not what it looks like. I mean of course it’s what it looks like, but I’m not with Harris.” My sentence was more like a rambling as I somewhat admitted that I was having sex with Gael on the back porch. Kill me now. The situation was only getting worse and I looked like a whore. This was bad and I couldn’t stand the humiliation. “I’m so sorry again. I’ll leave now.”
I ran from the room as Gael called, “Ashlin, wait.”
As I made it to the front door, two arms came around me and Gael’s lips were at my ear. “Hey, let’s go talk.”
“Please take me home. Gael, I’m humiliated. There’s a picture of us having sex on a national tabloid magazine.”
His arms tightened around me and his breath tickled my neck. “Let’s talk first and if you still want to go home we will. Please, give me a second.”
I simply nodded instead of responding and let him lead me to the opposite side of the house from where his parents had been. How could Harris do this to me? I hadn’t seen Harris since he had been to the house to threaten Gael. It had to be him feeding the magazine the bullshit about a reconciliation. Things had been going well with Gael’s parents and now I would be the easy girlfriend that ends on up national magazines while screwing their son.
Gael closed the door behind us as we entered what appeared to be a guest bedroom done in a ship theme. Fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve, I refused to look up even though I could feel Gael looking at me.
Interrupting the silence, Gael spoke, “My parents know about Harris. I told them about it in case I needed their help if he tried something else while I was gone.”
Shock resonated through me. I was getting used not having to hide what I felt around Gael. “They know about Harris. Why didn’t you tell me? Gael, they must think you’re crazy dating someone like me.”
My inner temper flared about being kept in the dark about what his parents knew prior to me meeting them. Not being told was unacceptable. It’s how Harris had treated me when he determined what I should or shouldn’t know about things that pertained to me.
Gael put his hands up as my jaw set. “Ashlin, I can see you’re pissed and I probably should have told you, but I wanted you safe. I was in France, heard you being threatened, and didn’t know what that maniac was capable of doing. And honestly, I was afraid you were going to pull away.”
The earnest words softened me as I massaged the headache that formed at my temples. Damn Harris.
“Please don’t do it again. Gael, I can’t have a relationship built on omissions. I know from experience they don’t work.” A few strands of hair fell into my face and I brushed them to the side.
Closing the distance between us, Gael brought me closer to him. “Ashlin, I get it. I do. When I was in France, I felt like you were going to realize that it was too soon to start something as serious as I wanted. Hell, I still think you’re going to run.”
I laid my face to his chest and smelled the manly cologne that I had become accustomed to.
Sniffling, I fought back the tears. “I’m not running. I think you should reconsider this, though. If this was his first strike, Gael. It’s only going to get worse.”
Pulling back, Gael put his fingers underneath my chin to raise my eyes to meet his. “I don’t care. The only thing I hate about that article is what it’s implying. Fuck, Ashlin. I want to kill him.”
There was a knock at the door. “Gael. Ashlin. It’s Erica. Can I come in?”
“Just a second, Mom.” Gael turned his attention back to me. “Are we good? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my conversations with my parents. I should have.”