Jacey covered her mouth with the back of her hand and battled a yawn. Coming off a twelve-hour shift, she was exhausted. Tears welled in the corner of her eyes while the yawn took over. When she regained control of her face, she sighed and shook out her shoulders and neck.
When the elevator doors opened, she slumped forward and hit the button to take her to the ground floor. Her feet were aching. She wanted a shower followed by a good meal before crawling into bed. But she knew what awaited her at home was about as appetizing as the food in the lunchroom. She’d probably have to stop at a drive-thru again on her way to her one-bedroom apartment.
Lulled by the mechanical rhythmic pattern of the elevator as it passed floor after floor, Jacey was nearly half asleep when the ding sounded, and the doors opened. She cracked one eyelid open. Two floors above ground level. At this time of night, most folks had gone home and visiting hours had ended about twenty minutes ago. Arms crossed, she leaned against the glass wall, the handrail digging into her back, and attempted to relax.
“Jacey?”
Startled by the familiar voice, Jacey looked around and saw Brooke walk into the elevator. She looked different from when she’d last seen her at the motel. She was no longer dressed in professional clothing; instead, she was sporting sweatpants and a zip-up hoodie. Both were designer labels, but the change was dramatic. She wasn’t wearing makeup, which seemed to put the dark circles beneath her eyes on display, and her hair looked crumpled on one side, as though she’d been sleeping in one of the lumpy hospital chairs.
“Visiting someone?”
“Yeah,” Brooke said around her own yawn.
“Not a happy visit, I take it?”
She reclined against the opposite wall, her head hitting the glass with a loud thunk. “Happier than some. She’s coming home tomorrow.” Her smile turned into a frown. “At least for a little while.”
“Who’s she?”
“My mom.” Before Jacey could ask, Brooke explained, “Colon cancer. They didn’t catch it fast enough.”
“I’m sorry.”
Brooke sighed
They rode the rest of the way in silence. When the doors opened at the bottom floor, they stepped out together. They were no doubt parked in opposite directions, and not sure what to say, Jacey was afraid an awkward moment might intercede when Brooke’s stomach growled.
She wrapped her arms around herself and mumbled an apology.
“Skipped dinner?”
“And lunch.”
“I had a shitty vending machine sandwich for lunch.” Jacey glanced around the nearly empty lobby. “Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not hitting on you or anything.” Brooke laughed. “Do you want to grab dinner? There’s a great little twenty-four-hour diner about a block away, and they make a great chili. I don’t know about you, but my food options at home aren’t all that great.”
Brooke took out her phone to check the time. “Looks like I apparently had a lengthy nap upstairs, but sure, why not?”
They drove separately to the diner. Unfortunately, heavy rain had started on their way over, and they both got soaked running for the cover of the awning. Being soggy didn’t improve the disposition of either woman.
“Wonderful,” Brooke muttered.
Jacey held the door open for her. “Hopefully, it’ll let up before we leave.”
When the waitress had seated them, they both asked for water. Even though she badly wanted a cup of coffee, Jacey knew it would keep her up, so she hoped the chili would help to warm her. After looking over the menu, they each ordered a sandwich and a bowl of chili.
“Thanks for inviting me. It smells good in here.”
“So,” Jacey started, “Gabe didn’t mention that your mom was sick.”
Brooke pinched her lemon wedge and dropped it in the glass before giving her water a stir with the straw. “He doesn’t know.”
Jacey frowned. “You said you went to high school with him. I thought you were friends.”
“Friends is a stretch. More of a leap, really, like over a deep, deep gorge.”
Confused, Jacey tossed the lemon into her glass, causing the water to slosh over the edge. “So why would he bring you into the fold?”
“Got me.” Brooke shrugged. “He’s been acting weird lately.”
After Gabe and Brooke had left the motel on Saturday night, the rest of the women had stuck around for a little while. Jacey, Shannon, and Taylor all agreed something was going on between Brooke and Gabe.
Following the initial meeting with Brooke, all the women had thought Gabe was acting oddly, but their suspicions were confirmed after this weekend. Something was definitely different.
Wanting the inside scoop, Jacey decided to pry. “Start at the beginning.”
Jacey thought Brooke might refuse. She looked around the diner as though searching for an escape or maybe a different conversation topic, but finally, she fessed up.
“Gabe and I have a rocky past. We didn’t get along in high school. I did something stupid that I shouldn’t have done, and he’s never forgiven me for it. The only reason we still talk is because I’m going out with one of his buddies.”
Shocked, Jacey spat, “You have a boyfriend?” She never thought Gabe would get involved with someone in a committed relationship.
Brooke wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, no. I’m still getting used to the idea that we broke up. It’s been years since we dated steadily, but whenever I’m in town,” Brooke grinned and motioned, “we hook up.”
Still surprised, Jacey replied, “I didn’t think Gabe was one to swim in someone else’s pool.”
“Oh, no. Kevin ended things for good this time.”
“Did Kevin know about your mom?”
“Yeah.” Brooke looked ready to continue, but the waitress interrupted with their orders.
She asked if there was anything else they needed before flitting off toward another table. Jacey unrolled her utensils from her paper napkin. “That’s a dick move. Did he give you a reason?”
“It’s really not that bad.” Brooke defended her ex. “In fact, I’m surprised he’s put up with me this long. It was a dead-end relationship. Actually, that was something Gabe pointed out.”
Jacey nodded. “Gabe does tend to pick us up hot on the heels of a breakup. So, why didn’t you break up with him if it was going nowhere?”
Brooke put down her sandwich a few bites in, and picked up her spoon. “Nostalgia? Kevin saw me through a lot of difficult times.”
“And what you’re going through now isn’t difficult?”
“Of course it is. Kevin’s been in to visit my mom. Despite everything I know, he still cares, and if I need him, he’ll be there, but right now, he needs space. After everything he’s helped me with, I need to respect what he wants.” She rubbed at her temples. “What he needs.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes. When Brooke complimented the chili, Jacey decided to push for more information. “So you and Kevin dated in high school?”
“Yep.” Brooke picked up her sandwich again and devoured what was left of it before turning her attention back to the chili. Apparently, she’d been hungry. Jacey continued to chip away at her meal.
“Does it have to do with the scars on your legs?”
Brooke paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. She returned the spoon to the bowl, and Jacey wondered if she’d pushed too far. Brooke took a sip from her water. “Yeah, it does. Well, it’s got nothing to do with Kevin, but yes, it happened in high school. Mostly. I figured you and Taylor would understand what they are.”
Jacey nodded. “Shannon did, too. So, you cut?”
“I used to,” Brooke admitted. “Cutting was just one of my problems.”
“Why’d you do it?”
Brooke resumed eating. “My therapist and I figured out that it was a way for me to cope. I found it relaxed me and let me control something in my life. Sometimes, when I’m really low, I still get the urge.”
Around a bite of sandwich, Jacey asked, “What do you do then?”
“I have to redirect. I found that coloring works. Back in the city, I also visit the animal shelter once a week and play with the kittens to help socialize them. It’s a lot of fun and gives me something to look forward to.”
“Kind of like animal therapy?”
“Exactly.” Brooke scraped the last of her chili bowl clean and licked her spoon.
Jacey felt comfortable enough to probe further. “What were your other problems?”
“Besides the cutting?”
Nodding, Jacey settled in to finish her meal.
“Depression and anorexia, suicidal thoughts.” Brooke winced. “And a few attempts.”
Jacey saw that a lot in her line of work. Deliberate drug overdoses, wrist cutting, hanging, shootings. Some were unsuccessful, and others, unfortunately, had succeeded.
Stuck on what to say and feeling her own mood plummeting, Jacey quietly ate and cursed her curiosity.
“Do you think Gabe knows?” Brooke asked.
“Knows what?”
The waitress came by and refilled their water before removing Brooke’s empty dishes. When she’d walked away, Brooke clarified her question. “Do you think he knows what the scars are?”
Jacey thought back to that evening. “I doubt it. Although, he seemed really protective over you. Have you considered telling him?”
“God, no!”
“Why not?”
“Because he’d want to know more, and I’m not interested in sharing it all with him.”
“Does it have anything to do with that stupid thing you did?”
Brooke narrowed her eyes. “Maybe,” was all she said on the subject.
“Does this guy Kevin know? You said you dated him in high school, right?” Jacey assumed it all happened around the same time.
“Yeah, he knows. He was part of my support system.”
“Well, if Kevin knows, and he’s friends with Gabe, don’t you think Gabe will ask him?”
Jacey wasn’t prepared for the answer she received. “If Gabe knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep his nose out of my fuckin’ business.”
Gabe had said Brooke was a firecracker. Jacey prayed she hadn’t just lit the fuse. After a few seconds of silence, Brooke tossed back her head and really laughed. Wiping tears away from her eyes, she said to herself, “Oh, that’s too funny.” But Jacey didn’t understand the joke.
Just then, a crowd of men came into the diner, momentarily distracting Jacey. She recognized a few of them from the hospital—one was a new surgical doctor. When he spotted her, he smiled and gave her a brief wave. Brooke looked over her shoulder to watch the exchange. She lifted an eyebrow.
“He’s from the hospital,” Jacey supplied, not wanting to discuss it further, then changed the subject. “So, I got to ask, what was the stupid thing you did?”
Brooke studied her as though deciding whether to share or not. Finally, she admitted, “I used to stalk him.”
Jacey put her spoon in her now empty bowl and stacked the bowl on the plate that used to hold her sandwich. “Stalked him. What do you mean? Like followed him around and called him and stuff?”
“Yeah, that. I mean, I didn’t really call him all that much, but I arranged my class schedule around his. I followed him, not only around school but around town. I put gifts, notes, and things in his locker. The first time I broke into his locker was when he started to get scared. Then it got worse. I started going by his house. I befriended his friends.”
“I can see how that’s not the best idea.”
“I know it’s a lame excuse, but I was sick. Like something was wrong with me. I developed an unhealthy attachment to him. I was fifteen, and he’d been really nice to me the first year of school. I wanted someone to care.”
“What made you stop?”
“A restraining order.”
Jacey nearly spewed out the water she’d been drinking. “What?”
“See?” Brooke waved her hand over the table. “Now try explaining to me why he let me through the door at the motel. It makes no sense to me.”
Jacey’s brain was still stuck on restraining order. “Elaborate. Please.”
“That stupid thing I did, well, it wasn’t just the whole stalking thing. It all boiled down to one night. No one was at his house, so I broke in.” Brooke must have read the shock on her face. “Not cool, I know. I was fifteen. I was dumb and stupid. I stripped naked, struck a pose on his bed, and waited for him to show up.”
“It didn’t go well?”
“His younger sister found me first. Screamed bloody murder and ran from the room. Next thing I knew, the whole room was crowded with Gabe and his family. They were all shouting at me. Someone tossed my clothing at me and ordered me to get dressed. Someone else called the police.”
“Oh, my God.”
“I know, sounds like a bad TV show.”
“What happened next?”
“I was arrested for breaking and entering. They took me to the police station, where my mom had to pick me up. I sat there listening to the officer explaining what had happened. Gabe’s parents were still there, too. I was so ashamed.”
“They asked for a restraining order?”
“The idea was thrown around. In the end, they didn’t push for one, but mostly, I think that was because I had to do court-mandated therapy. I missed a lot of grade eleven because of rehab and some other stuff. That was when Kevin and I started dating. We’d been friends before it all happened, and he stood by me through everything, even though he was friends with Gabe. But because of their friendship, I saw Gabe a lot, and he wasn’t the least bit shy about letting me know he hated me.”
Jacey was more confused than ever. The way Gabe looked at Brooke now in no way resembled hatred. It was lust, maybe even more than that. There was no way they’d misread the situation so poorly. He behaved differently with Brooke. The fact he’d convinced her to come back after the first mishap was proof he wanted her.
“Well, at least that’s changed. He doesn’t seem to hate you anymore.”
“Yeah, I don’t get it. When I first came back to town, he was avoiding me, and now I can’t seem to go a day without hearing from him.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing.”
Wide-eyed, Brooke squeaked, “It’s bizarre.”
Jacey thought about it for a bit before tossing out a follow-up question. It sounded as though Brooke was truly finished with her ex-boyfriend, but Jacey was concerned about Gabe. Having spent the last few years getting her sexual relief from the orgies he planned, she’d grown to care about Gabe and all the women he invited back to the motel room.
Gabe might like to think he’d escaped the relationship noose with his setup, but he had multiple women who cared about him, and Jacey knew, on some level, he cared about them, too. If she was ever in trouble, she didn’t doubt that Gabe would help her. They might not have a romantic relationship, but she considered him a close friend.
Worried about him, she had to ask, “The other night, you said you were trying to get him out of your system, so what does that mean? How do you feel about him now?”
Brooke paused over that question. Pulling her wallet from her purse, she dug out her credit card and laid it on the edge of the table. A signal to the waitress they were finished, or was she signaling an end to their conversation? “Just what I said. Hopefully, I can get my fill and get out before I fall down the rabbit hole again.”
“But what about Gabe?”
Brooke signaled for the waitress. “What about him?”
“He cares about you.”
She snorted. “No way.”
Jacey frowned. “He’s my friend. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”
“You think I’m going to hurt him?” The waitress interrupted before Jacey could respond. “Can we get our checks, please?”
The waitress disappeared again.
Before Jacey could speak, Brooke rushed in. “Gabe’s in no danger from me. It’s sweet that you want to protect him, but I’m no threat. As Taylor said, he’s set up the perfect male fantasy. In a few months, I’ll be a distant memory, and Gabe will bring in someone else.”
Jacey knew Brooke was wrong. She understood they had an odd history, but despite the fact, Brooke was blind to it, there was something between her and Gabe. They’d all sensed it. Jacey wondered if Gabe was as confused as Brooke.
Deciding to switch gears, Jacey led Brooke away from the topic. “Are you going to be joining us again this weekend?”
Usually, the group only convened at most once a month. With prior commitments and life obligations, meeting at the motel was a pre-arrangement for sexual release. It was a casual evening out that started with an easy conversation and progressed into hot sex. The fact Gabe had already arranged their next meet, and with only a week in between sessions, was another hint he wanted Brooke again. So badly that he couldn’t wait.
The waitress returned, and they paid their bills. She thanked them for coming before trotting off to leave them to their business. Brooke shuffled out of the booth and grabbed her purse. “As long as everything goes okay with my mom this week, then yeah, I’ll be there.” She adjusted the strap over her shoulder. “I guess I’ll see you then?”
Jacey nodded, but when Brooke turned to leave, she stopped her. “Brooke, can I ask you one more question?”
“I’ve basically spilled all my dirty secrets, but sure.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
Brooke’s brow furrowed. “About?”
“Gabe’s feelings. What if he does care about you? What if he’s interested in you? What would you do then?”
The tip of her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip as she considered the question. Brooke glanced around the diner, then leaned toward where Jacey sat in the booth. “The guy that came in earlier hasn’t stopped glancing over here. I think he likes you.”
Jacey looked over, and sure enough, Riley was watching her. While she was distracted, Brooke hightailed it out of the diner, the door swinging shut after her. That seemed to be Brooke’s MO—ditching situations that made her uncomfortable.
With Brooke gone, it only took a few seconds before Riley sank into the vacated spot across from her. “Hey, Jacey, just getting off shift?”
Riley had obviously showered at the hospital. His hair was still damp, and he smelled like clean soap. He wore fresh slacks and a button-up shirt. Jacey wished she’d taken the time to shower, but she’d just wanted to get home. She knew she sported bags under her eyes and looked like something akin to a wrung-out dish rag.
Politely, she smiled at the handsome young doctor. “Yep, just grabbing a bite to eat before heading home.”
The thought of a quick shower and collapsing into her twin bed sounded like heaven.
Riley’s gaze dipped down to her chest. Her large boobs were hidden beneath a high-necked sweatshirt, but he’d seen her in scrubs, and while they might not be flattering, they didn’t do much to hide her rack. He knew what she was packing. When his gaze met hers, his face eased into a grin. “Maybe one night we could grab a bite together.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d made such a suggestion. In the years she’d spent with Gabe’s Girls, she’d been asked out several times, and each time, she’d found a reason to say no. Gabe demanded exclusivity from the girls, but they could walk away at any point. No sex outside the group prevented the possibility of unwanted sexual diseases.
Jacey had been able to focus on her career and get sexual relief when she needed it.
She hadn’t felt a spark of interest in anyone until Riley had been hired at the hospital. Probably assuming she’d turn him down again, Riley sweetened the pot. “Maybe we could go somewhere that doesn’t wrap their utensils in paper napkins?”
On the weekend, Taylor suggested a plan to help push Gabe and Brooke together. Jacey had thought it should happen on its own, but now, as she stared into Riley’s blue-green eyes, she figured a push might not be such a bad thing.
Jacey picked up her wallet and cellphone off the table and shoved them into the pockets of her hoodie. She thought she saw Riley’s jaw tick, no doubt preparing for rejection. Decision made, she grinned and said, “This weekend is no good, how about next week?”