Say Something
Eight
April
A week later, Gwen had agreed to Claude's suggestion that he take both Gwen and Livvie out. Now, as Claude pulled into Danny's driveway, easing to a stop and turning the car off, she had her doubts. Claude turned and smiled at Gwen.
"Why are we at Danny's?" Gwen asked.
"I didn't know where to go with you both," Claude replied, glancing at Livvie in the rear view mirror. "So I called Danny for advice and he invited us over. He has the boys and Cameron is only a couple years older than Livvie."
Gwen nodded, her lips set in a thin line. She knew Danny had set this up on purpose and she wanted to throttle him but she climbed out of the car and let Claude take her hand. Livvie trailed behind them.
"Claude is here!" Carson, the middle Briere son, called out, flinging the front door open. His brothers appeared behind him moments later and they all hugged Claude when he got closer. They chorused hellos to Gwen.
Danny appeared then, ushering his boys inside. He smiled warmly at Gwen and she stared coldly at him. His smile faltered but he quickly recovered as Claude chased after the three boys.
"Hello, I'm Danny," he said to Livvie with a smile.
"Hi," she responded shyly, peeking out from behind Gwen. "Do you play hockey too?"
Danny nodded. "Yes, Claude and I play for the Flyers. Would you like to come to our game tomorrow? I can leave tickets for you and your mom."
"Okay!" Livvie responded with an enthusiastic nod of the head. Danny smiled. "Can I play with those boys?" Livvie asked Gwen.
"Yes you may." Livvie headed down the hall in the direction Claude and the boys had gone, following their loud voices. Gwen heard Claude introducing Livvie to Danny's boys.
Danny took a step closer to Gwen and pulled her to him, kissing her. She fought the urge to kiss him back but gave in against him. They broke apart as peels of laughter came down the hall. Gwen punched Danny in the arm.
"What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the spot.
"You shouldn't have kissed me!" She hissed at him.
"You kissed me back."
She rolled her eyes at him. "What the hell were you thinking inviting us here?"
"I was thinking I'd invade your date so you'd forget about him."
“You are an asshole, Danny Briere,” she huffed. She turned to walk away from him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him again.
“Talk to me,” he begged her.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Please?”
“Don’t look at me with those puppy dog eyes, Danny. It won’t work." She sighed when he hung his head. "Jesus, Danny. What am I supposed to do? What do you want me to do?"
"One date, Gwen. That's all I'm asking."
"And I should tell Claude what exactly?"
Danny's eyes narrowed and he pulled Gwen into the kitchen. "How serious are you two?"
"I don't know. We see each other when we can."
"Are you a couple?"
"We haven't talked about it in those terms."
"You haven't slept together," Danny stated. Gwen stared at him, dumbfounded. "He told me, Gwen. He comes to me for advice and he told me. Why haven't you fucked him?" Gwen remained silent and Danny continued.
"He's a playboy, Gwen. He got plenty of tips from Carter before he left and Max taught him all his tricks. He doesn't do relationships. Claude is about a good time and that's it. So if its not with you, then who?"
"You think very little of someone that is supposedly your friend."
Danny shook his head. "I know Claude and I know you deserve better."
"You think you're better?"
"I know I am." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body flush to his. He guided her face to his and kissed her without reservation. Her body responded to him instantly and she moaned into his kiss, hating her body for betraying her mind. She pulled away from him abruptly.
"Danny," she said softly. "This isn't right."
"It feels right." Gwen hung her head in shame and Danny pulled her to him, his arms holding her in a warm, tender hug. "One date. We'll be discreet," he promised.
"One date," she agreed reluctantly. "You can't let this come between you and Claude. Promise me, Danny."
"I promise, Gwen," he answered, hoping beyond hope that he could keep his word to her.
A week later, Gwen had agreed to Claude's suggestion that he take both Gwen and Livvie out. Now, as Claude pulled into Danny's driveway, easing to a stop and turning the car off, she had her doubts. Claude turned and smiled at Gwen.
"Why are we at Danny's?" Gwen asked.
"I didn't know where to go with you both," Claude replied, glancing at Livvie in the rear view mirror. "So I called Danny for advice and he invited us over. He has the boys and Cameron is only a couple years older than Livvie."
Gwen nodded, her lips set in a thin line. She knew Danny had set this up on purpose and she wanted to throttle him but she climbed out of the car and let Claude take her hand. Livvie trailed behind them.
"Claude is here!" Carson, the middle Briere son, called out, flinging the front door open. His brothers appeared behind him moments later and they all hugged Claude when he got closer. They chorused hellos to Gwen.
Danny appeared then, ushering his boys inside. He smiled warmly at Gwen and she stared coldly at him. His smile faltered but he quickly recovered as Claude chased after the three boys.
"Hello, I'm Danny," he said to Livvie with a smile.
"Hi," she responded shyly, peeking out from behind Gwen. "Do you play hockey too?"
Danny nodded. "Yes, Claude and I play for the Flyers. Would you like to come to our game tomorrow? I can leave tickets for you and your mom."
"Okay!" Livvie responded with an enthusiastic nod of the head. Danny smiled. "Can I play with those boys?" Livvie asked Gwen.
"Yes you may." Livvie headed down the hall in the direction Claude and the boys had gone, following their loud voices. Gwen heard Claude introducing Livvie to Danny's boys.
Danny took a step closer to Gwen and pulled her to him, kissing her. She fought the urge to kiss him back but gave in against him. They broke apart as peels of laughter came down the hall. Gwen punched Danny in the arm.
"What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the spot.
"You shouldn't have kissed me!" She hissed at him.
"You kissed me back."
She rolled her eyes at him. "What the hell were you thinking inviting us here?"
"I was thinking I'd invade your date so you'd forget about him."
“You are an asshole, Danny Briere,” she huffed. She turned to walk away from him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him again.
“Talk to me,” he begged her.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Please?”
“Don’t look at me with those puppy dog eyes, Danny. It won’t work." She sighed when he hung his head. "Jesus, Danny. What am I supposed to do? What do you want me to do?"
"One date, Gwen. That's all I'm asking."
"And I should tell Claude what exactly?"
Danny's eyes narrowed and he pulled Gwen into the kitchen. "How serious are you two?"
"I don't know. We see each other when we can."
"Are you a couple?"
"We haven't talked about it in those terms."
"You haven't slept together," Danny stated. Gwen stared at him, dumbfounded. "He told me, Gwen. He comes to me for advice and he told me. Why haven't you fucked him?" Gwen remained silent and Danny continued.
"He's a playboy, Gwen. He got plenty of tips from Carter before he left and Max taught him all his tricks. He doesn't do relationships. Claude is about a good time and that's it. So if its not with you, then who?"
"You think very little of someone that is supposedly your friend."
Danny shook his head. "I know Claude and I know you deserve better."
"You think you're better?"
"I know I am." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body flush to his. He guided her face to his and kissed her without reservation. Her body responded to him instantly and she moaned into his kiss, hating her body for betraying her mind. She pulled away from him abruptly.
"Danny," she said softly. "This isn't right."
"It feels right." Gwen hung her head in shame and Danny pulled her to him, his arms holding her in a warm, tender hug. "One date. We'll be discreet," he promised.
"One date," she agreed reluctantly. "You can't let this come between you and Claude. Promise me, Danny."
"I promise, Gwen," he answered, hoping beyond hope that he could keep his word to her.