Dirty Laundry

I finished my pizza and sat there chatting with a few of the guys. Gabe came up to me and looked down at my knees with a guilty expression. ‘‘What?'' I asked smiling lightly at him as I lifted my drink took a sip. ''I know I promised you a week...'' he started.

I sighed nodding. ‘‘I should have guessed as much'' ''you’re mad'' he sighed. ‘‘No I’m not'' I shook my head locking my ankles around his waist. ''But I-'' ''yes you promised me, but I didn’t want you to promise me anything. I just wanted you to heal'' I shrugged. ‘‘So you’re not mad?'' ''No silly'' ''for the record I barely feel it'' ''doesn’t mean it’s not there hon'' I kissed his cheek. ''Since I don’t like you being left alone with all these men I sent for Landon and James's men are staying in a hotel'' I rolled my eyes at his antics. ''Don’t you trust me?'' ''You I trust, it’s them I don’t'' ''fine then I won’t argue with you'' ''I’ll be a bit far though, I’m going to Michigan'' ''really?'' ‘‘Yes I’d tell you more but I can’t'' he grumbled. ‘‘Come on then let’s go get you packed'' I hopped off the counter and holding his hand. ‘‘The only ones allowed while I’m gone is Jared, Landon, and James'' he explained. ''Ok'' ''I've got to go pack'' he picked me up ''why are you taking me?'' I giggled ''well I’m going to see if you fit in my suit case'' he chuckled kissing me. I rolled my eyes at the cheesy joke.

I grabbed a back pack from the closet as he grabbed a pair of jeans and two shirts along with his uniform. ''I’ll wear my boots'' he insisted. ''Make sure you have more socks then'' ''it’s only one day'' he stuffed everything in the pack. I laughed shaking my head ''don’t just stuff it in there'' I took the back pack and unpacked his mess. I folded and rolled his clothes to fit neatly ''there see'' I said smugly. He gave me a half smile rolling his eyes. I wonder if he has noticed that he smiles almost every day now. He’s so handsome when he smiled. I cupped his cheek and rubbed my thumb over his lips and dragged it lightly to his dimples. I poked at them and he frowned. ‘‘No I love your dimples'' I pinched his cheeks lightly. He chuckled smiling again.

I kissed his cheek and turned to the bathroom and grabbed the little sewing kit. ''I won’t need that'' he wrapped an arm around my waist. ‘‘You never know'' I shrugged as I put it in a small pocket. He lifted the hem of my shirt and I laughed ''stop it'' I pushed his hand down. ''I’m sorry I just love the way you feel'' he wrapped both arms around me tightly. ‘‘You smell good too'' he whispered burying his head in my neck. I'll admit I loved it when he held me and then that biting thought of him gone for a night. Yeah it was one night but I got so used to him being there when I slept that this will be an interesting night. He was like my teddy bear and pillow. Oh well. It can’t be helped. A shiver stole up my spine as he kissed my neck. He knew my most sensitive spots, like my neck and collar bone. ''Gabe stop it'' ''mhmm'' he breathed. ''Gabe I mean it'' ''ok'' his voice was muffled by my hair.

He wasn’t paying any attention to anything I said. ''Gabe you need to pack your tooth brush and-'' ''I will'' he said absently lifting the hem of my shirt again and rubbing my belly. I was always a bit self conscience about myself since I wasn’t particularly skinny, but he always made me feel I don’t know I guess like I was size 0. I always thought I was nothing special but when he held me I did feel special. Sad that a man could do that and it’s pretty pathetic but I loved him so I didn’t feel like that at all. It just felt like two people who loved each other.

I guess love was blind. Or at the very least it made things seem different than what they really are. Or maybe my self esteem just isn’t up to par. I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around his neck ''Gabe, as much as I really really love you touching me right now you need to get packed'' ''you want me to leave?'' ''No, I just want you to come back as soon as possible'' ''I guess that makes sense'' he said thoughtfully. ‘‘You’re so spacey today'' I laughed. ‘‘You do that to me'' ''aw that’s sweet'' I raised myself on my tip toes and kissed him. He picked me up and laid me on the bed still kissing me. I knew what he wanted and why. ‘‘You’re insatiable'' I laughed pulling his shirt off. ''yeah well one night one week a few hours what’s the difference point is I’m going and you won’t be there I want something to hold onto when I lay in that damn hotel by myself'' he whispered.

Unfortunately the door opened ''hey Smi-oh shit my bad'' Jared said wide eyed. Landon was beside him in the door way with a smug look on his face. ''I’m going to kill you'' he growled at them as he stood up and helped me up too. I pulled my shirt on facing away from them but my face was still red as a tomato. ‘‘Well sorry we interrupted'' Landon cooed. I knew I wouldn’t hear the end of it when Gabe left. Jared was just standing there wide eyed. I left the boys to be boys and went to the bathroom and grabbed Gabe’s tooth brush and deodorant. I walked back out and packed them. Gabe was standing in the doorway talking with Jared and Landon. Finally they left to go do heaven knows what but leaving me to Gabe.

I sighed as I pulled up to the runway on Langley. The plane was already waiting for him. He slung the back pack over his shoulder as he got out of the car. He leaned over the passenger seat and kissed my cheek ''I’ll be back soon'' he assured. ‘‘Ok'' I nodded. He turned and boarded the plane. A few more people got on and then they took off. By the time the plane cleared the run way I was already on the main road heading home but I could still see the plane. As I pulled into the drive way and parked the garage door opened and Landon was standing there with Kyle as he cried. A panicked look on his face told me he didn’t know what he was doing. I thought he helped his sister with her kids. I laughed softly as I turned off the car and got out.

Cerberus dashed outside to greet me. I patted his head then went to Landon ''he won’t stop'' ''did you change him?'' ‘‘Yes'' ''tried to feed him?'' ‘‘Yes'' ''did he eat?'' ‘‘Yes'' ''did you burp him?'' ''…no'' ''that’s the problem'' I took Kyle from him and patted lightly on his back. He burped spitting up a little and I cleaned it with his bib. He stopped crying instantly ''I probably should have thought of that'' Landon said like an idiot. ‘‘Come on did you eat any pizza?'' ‘‘No'' ''well go eat something'' I nodded towards the kitchen.

James's crew had left when Gabe and I left. James was sitting on the couch watching sports as Jared sat on the recliner. When he saw me his face lit up. That mischievous smirk that I hated so much lightened his face. ‘‘Hey Nani'' he said annoyingly. ''Jared I don’t want to hear it'' I hissed glaring at him. ‘‘So do you like him because he looks good or is the sex good?'' he snorted. I glared daggers at him ''I love him Jared'' ''his looks or his moves'' he wagged his eye brows. ''Jared, let me put it in a way an incomprehensible fool like you would understand.

There is this emotion called love. It’s unconditional. You could care less what they look like as long as you love them. And sex isn’t everything'' I grumbled at him.

‘‘What is this unconditional love you speak of?'' he snorted. ''Jared when you find the girl of your dreams you won’t be making fun of me, who knows maybe no woman would ever want to date a selfish idiot who's as dumb as the look on his face'' I sighed. he sat back stretching ''love, sex what's the difference it’s getting it in that counts'' ''your such a pig'' I rolled my eyes. Why did the only douche in the world have to be in this house with me? ‘‘Oink oink'' he winked. ‘‘You’re just jealous because there’s no love for you'' I snorted as I walked upstairs. James chuckled ''bomb'' ''burn dude the expression is burn'' ''whatever bombs burn you don’t they?''

I laid Kyle in his crib and took a shower getting ready for bed. I put on sofies and a tank top and went downstairs with Kyle putting him in his rocker so that he'd fall asleep. I swear he loved that rocker swing thing. It always put him to sleep. At least I doubt he'd ever have motion sickness. Then again people change with age as they grow.

I sat down on the couch in Landon's lap ''I’m bored'' I grumbled. It wasn’t like I was cuddling up to him he was like my big brother. He curled me up in a small ball ''wanna watch Netflix?'' he asked poking my sides. I squirmed nodding then slapped him ''knock it off'' I grumbled. He squeezed me tightly ''I wuv yuu'' he snorted. ''Yeah yeah'' I rolled my eyes. I got up and went to the kitchen ''I’m going to make some hot chocolate any want some?'' I said over my shoulder a chorus of ''me'' rang out. ‘‘Ok'' I nodded. We watched black hawk down then I went to my room.
I cuddled under the blankets but couldn’t really sleep.

I knew Kyle was fast asleep in the other room and the boys were downstairs watching heaven knows what but I didn’t really care. I sat up sighing and climbed out of bed and went across the hall to Gabe’s office. I logged onto Facebook just to kill time.

Unfortunately I hadn’t checked my Facebook since I uploaded the pictures from the aquarium and there were almost a million comments. Most of which were ''who's that?'' ‘‘Is that your son?'' and so forth. so I changed my status to taken since I wasn’t single anymore and wrote one comment ''that’s my son Kyle and my boyfriend Smith'' I turned off the computer not wanting to hear what they had to write until I was probably in a better mood and went back to my room.

''Come in'' I said quietly as I sat up in bed against my pillows at the sound of a light knock on my door. Jared poked his head in. ''hey'' he said sheepishly ''what do you want? Come to harass me again?'' I sighed. ''I deserve that one'' ''look if you came to be a bigger douche then save it I don’t want to hear it so just leave me alone'' I waved him out. ''I wanted to apologize'' he said annoyed that I was blowing him off so easily. ‘‘Yeah? Sure when pigs fly'' ''I’m being serious'' he grumbled. He stood straight and put his hands behind his back ''I was just curious'' ''of what? How to make me blush or which would humiliate me more?''

‘‘I didn’t mean it like that'' ''so now you’re going to tell me that in front of people you’re a total douche and when we're alone your ok?'' ''No'' he said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes getting more annoyed ''get the hell out of my room'' I waved my hand dismissively. ‘‘Fine then I take back my apology'' ''who said I ever wanted you to apologize in the first place?'' ‘‘Well fine I’m sorry I apologized in the first place'' ''well I didn’t ask you to apologize for apologizing'' I growled at him. I took me a few seconds to realize this conversation was going nowhere. ''Jared just go to bed please and keep your voice down Kyle is sleeping''

‘‘Why are you even with that guy?'' he closed the door coming closer to me. ‘‘He’s like ten times your age'' ''it’s hard to explain'' ''men like him don’t just fall in love Nani, he's a trained killer he doesn’t know what love is'' ''and you do?'' I snorted. ‘‘I know more than he does'' ''really?'' I rolled my eyes ''yes'' ''you don’t know him very well'' ''and you know him?'' ‘‘Yes, I know his real name I know a lot about him but I won’t say anymore because he doesn’t like others to know. He’s told me everything about himself Jared'' ''and your still with him?'' ‘‘I love him'' ''how do you know he loves you as much as you love him?'' he crossed his arms.

‘‘I don’t, but I can always hope can’t I? I know why he is the way he is and he loves me I know he does but to what extent I don’t know. I can just hope'' ''I don’t get you'' ''don’t try to'' I snorted wryly. ''I’ll admit when I saw you earlier today I didn’t know what to expect. It was so unreal to see you here of all places'' ''well get used to it, now let me sleep goodnight'' I yawned. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds before he turned ''night'' he called over his shoulder closing the door. I snuggled into bed but still couldn’t sleep. It seemed like forever that I finally fell asleep.