The Fluke

30 - Luke

"So, are you gonna tell me what the fuck crawled up Gavin's ass or are you gonna make me ask?"

Spencer's long strides pound the pavement next to mine, forcing a brutal pace to our run. My breath is coming out in hard pants and a stitch has been biting at my right side for the better part of a mile. The sun is blistering high above us, cooking the asphalt beneath our feet and effectively giving us a nice simmer, too.

The way the golf game went a couple days ago, I had planned on avoiding Gavin at all costs and at every opportunity. By a stroke of luck he left the desert the following day. Some investor with deep pockets was traveling through San Diego, which is only about a 2 hour drive from here, and he borrowed one of Spencer's cars to go have a meeting with the guy. That was two days ago and he hasn't returned.

The last 48 hours have been amazing. Without Gavin around, Jules and I have been able to just be together without worrying about anybody's sensitivities and, fuck, I do not want to go back to looking over my shoulder or feeling Gavin's creepy and penetrating gaze in our direction.

It's also been nice treat to go to the bathroom without being interrupted by an empty threat.

I try to focus on my breathing and ignore Spencer's question but he doesn't let up. "Come on, man. I've known Gavin for years and he's never acted like this. What's going on?"

I take a deep breath and try to formulate an answer. "It's complicated," is all I can manage.

Spencer isn't satisfied with that response. "Complicated how?"

I hesitate for a moment. He's asking me point blank. I hope Jules will understand. "Gavin has feelings for Jules. He's been acting possessive over her. He's been aggressive towards me because he sees me as a threat, I guess." I end with a shrug, as if I don't know that is exactly what Gavin views me as.

Spencer's feet falter and he comes to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road. "Fuck. I had no idea."

Part of me is skeptical about that admission. It seemed pretty fucking obvious to me from the jump that Gavin was all about Jules, but maybe that isn't a fair assumption to make. Gavin would never have acted towards Spencer the way he has been acting towards me, and definitely not in relation to Spencer's own sister.

Spencer's expression is grim as he starts jogging in place, his arms crossed over his chest. "Has he been into her all these years, or do you think it's just because he's seen her with someone else?" His tone is hollow. He already has suspicions. He's only asking out of hope that he's wrong.

"Seems like he's been holding a torch for her, man." I kick the curb next to my foot and then drop my ass down onto it. Fuck cardio right now.

Spencer mimics me and plops down at my side. "Yeah," is all he says before he drops his head to hang.

As we sit there, catching our breath and trying to process the situation, I can't help but feel a sense of relief that Spencer finally knows what's going on. But at the same time, I'm worried about what this means for Jules. Gavin's behaviour seems to be escalating. I don't want things to spiral further out of control. I hope they won't, but Gavin has been sneaky, aggressive, and now both Jules and Spencer have admitted they've never seen him act the way he has been acting lately. The alarm bells are still ringing loud and clear in my head but I want to gauge what Spencer thinks before I react.

I quickly fill him in on the hallway, the clubhouse bathroom, fill in some other blanks when he asks a couple of questions. When I'm finished, Spencer's face is twisted in a mixture of disbelief and fury.

"This is un-fucking-acceptable. I can't believe he would do that. Jules is his friend, he's supposed to respect her choices. And you... Gavin knows you're like a brother to me, Luke. How did I not pick up on all of this sooner?" He's up and pacing in front of me now.