Every Mistake That I Make
Chapter Ten
Next morning, Dallas woke in a tangle of blankets on Gerard’s living room floor with Frank’s hand over her face. She pushed a heavily sleeping Frank away from her and struggled to the floor, pulling out of the blankets that were pinned to the ground by the weight of Bob, Anya, Ray, and Frank and flopping down on the nearest sofa. She landed on top of a beer can and had to get it out and chuck it on the floor (it narrowly missed Bob’s head).
Her head felt murky, but she clearly recalled the kiss between Mikey and Rachael in the garden. With that thought, that memory, she felt her heart sink. Her worst, worst thoughts had come true, and the worst thing was Gerard didn’t really seem to care, or notice, what was going on around him.
“Oh, so someone else is awake,” a clear, arrogant voice spoke from the kitchen doorway. Dallas looked up to see Rachael stood in the doorway, already looking pristine and perfect and sipping at a cup of orange juice. Rachael’s eyes passed over Dallas’ dishevelled form on the sofa with disdain before draining her glass.
“When Gerard wakes, tell him I’ve gone home,” she requested, and added, “and Mikey.”
Dallas glared at Rachael.
“Well, I’m not going to pretend I don’t know that you know,” Rachael shrugged in reply. “So, I’ll be off...” With that, she nimbly stepped over the sleeping bodies and left the house, slamming the front door shut. Upstairs, Dallas heard a floorboard creak directly above her, so she leapt up and ran upstairs, throwing herself into Mikey’s room. Just as she’d expected, he was stood up, stretching and awake.
“What are you doing?” he snapped.
“I think I should be asking you what you’re doing!” Dallas answered in the same tone. “You are, after all, the one who kissed his brother’s girlfriend at his brother’s birthday party.”
Mikey rolled his eyes. “Give it a rest, Dallas.”
“Does Gerard know?” she persisted, ignoring him.
“No.”
“Well, he knows –”
“Yes, you told him that but he doesn’t believe you. Trust me,” Mikey interrupted in a careless, bored voice.
“Anya saw,” Dallas said softly. “She didn’t tell me, but I know she saw. I could see it in her face and the way she looked at you when you came into the kitchen.”
Mikey stared at her, his face momentarily paling.
Dallas walked closer to him. “Mikey, I don’t agree with what you’re doing,” she told him softly, “and you know it. But you’re not going to stop it. I just want you to know that...be careful, because you do one more thing and I might just go and tell Gerard, and this time, I’ll make him listen to me. I’ll make him believe me, and you can trust me on that one.” Dallas turned and walked out of Mikey’s bedroom hoping that her empty threat had sounded anything but empty.
Her head felt murky, but she clearly recalled the kiss between Mikey and Rachael in the garden. With that thought, that memory, she felt her heart sink. Her worst, worst thoughts had come true, and the worst thing was Gerard didn’t really seem to care, or notice, what was going on around him.
“Oh, so someone else is awake,” a clear, arrogant voice spoke from the kitchen doorway. Dallas looked up to see Rachael stood in the doorway, already looking pristine and perfect and sipping at a cup of orange juice. Rachael’s eyes passed over Dallas’ dishevelled form on the sofa with disdain before draining her glass.
“When Gerard wakes, tell him I’ve gone home,” she requested, and added, “and Mikey.”
Dallas glared at Rachael.
“Well, I’m not going to pretend I don’t know that you know,” Rachael shrugged in reply. “So, I’ll be off...” With that, she nimbly stepped over the sleeping bodies and left the house, slamming the front door shut. Upstairs, Dallas heard a floorboard creak directly above her, so she leapt up and ran upstairs, throwing herself into Mikey’s room. Just as she’d expected, he was stood up, stretching and awake.
“What are you doing?” he snapped.
“I think I should be asking you what you’re doing!” Dallas answered in the same tone. “You are, after all, the one who kissed his brother’s girlfriend at his brother’s birthday party.”
Mikey rolled his eyes. “Give it a rest, Dallas.”
“Does Gerard know?” she persisted, ignoring him.
“No.”
“Well, he knows –”
“Yes, you told him that but he doesn’t believe you. Trust me,” Mikey interrupted in a careless, bored voice.
“Anya saw,” Dallas said softly. “She didn’t tell me, but I know she saw. I could see it in her face and the way she looked at you when you came into the kitchen.”
Mikey stared at her, his face momentarily paling.
Dallas walked closer to him. “Mikey, I don’t agree with what you’re doing,” she told him softly, “and you know it. But you’re not going to stop it. I just want you to know that...be careful, because you do one more thing and I might just go and tell Gerard, and this time, I’ll make him listen to me. I’ll make him believe me, and you can trust me on that one.” Dallas turned and walked out of Mikey’s bedroom hoping that her empty threat had sounded anything but empty.