All this Time

Gabby

8th February

Hangovers hit a whole lot different at the ripe old age of twenty-four. It's offensive how awful I feel after one evening of throwing back shots and sipping on watermelon martinis.

Thank goodness mom took Lydia to school this morning. I got an hour of extra sleep before I had to be at work.

Cleaning is a hell all of it's own.

Nathan gets home from work when Lydia and I are dragging our small suitcases out into the living room. He's in his work hoodie, boots and those pale brown slacks that hug his ass so well.

"Nathan," Lydia rolls her bag behind her and runs over to him. "We're going on the plane!"

"Sure are," he gives her a fist bump. "You excited?"

"Yes. I'm excited to see my uncle and aunt. Especially uncle Drayton because he's so funny. But I do love my aunt Dallas too."

Nathan stares at her, a tight smile on his mouth. "Mmm, I can't wait to see your uncle too. I just love spending time with him. In public is when it's best."

I bite down on a giggle at his blatant sarcasm. Lydia doesn't hear it though. "Are you friends with my aunt Dallas?"

Nathan takes his gloves and beanie off and slips them into the basket. "She's my sister."

Lydia turns her face up in thought, she has such a dramatic thinking pose. "I don't have a sister. Or a brother. Maybe my mom will have another baby one day. I think I'd like that because I could give the baby a bottle. But not change the diaper. Yuck."

Nathan looks at me but I'm quick to divert my attention to the bundle of passports and tickets, checking I have all of it. Classic Lydia, dropping me into a vat of awkward tension and borderline humiliation.

I need to talk to Lydia about her dad and I. Telling her that he was gone for a while was the first step. I think I need to let her know he and I are no longer a couple. I'm not sure how to broach it or if it's even the right time. But if I ever decide to move on, it's better she knows I'm single in advance.

It's unfair that I have to have these conversations with her at all, but this is our reality and sweeping it under the rug won't help. It won't make it any less real.

"Gabrielle," Nathan's deep voice saying my name should not elicit such a reaction from me, but it's involuntary at this point. I peer up at him and remember all the sweet things he said and did for me last night. He's an absolute wet dream. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Panic sets in because I have no clue what he could want to talk about that requires us to be in private. Thoughts of him dragging me into the bedroom and kissing me like he's starved cause me to short circuit. It's constant, the fantasies, the desire, my thoughts almost run off with me but he crosses the living room, his brows raised in question.

I give him a quick nod and set our passports and tickets down on the bench top. I let Lydia know she can watch television for ten minutes and then follow Nathan, all broad shouldered and tight ass. I'm still staring at the size of it when he turns around and holds the door knob, waiting for me to get inside the room.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Nathan shuts my bedroom door. "Nothing's wrong."

"Well, what's going on?"

He faces me, hands sliding into his pockets. "I have a couple of students on the football team, as well as freshmen that want to try out next semester that need tutoring to get their grades up. English seems to be the main subject but math too. I wondered if you wanted to tutor them? The parents are willing to pay. Could be a little extra income?"