Indestructible: Reinforced

Chapter 66

Chapter Sixty-Six

     September 2012

     Present Day

     I marched into the cafeteria and headed straight towards Josh, who was having coffee with Jake and Pete. What the hell was Pete doing here? That threw me off for a bit, but I didn’t let it distract me. I had to do this, and I had to do it now.

     “Gaby Cassidy.” Pete grinned up at me and the light from above shone in his thick, red hair. He was probably the only good-looking ginger guy I’d ever seen. And he was really, really sexy. He was Jake’s bestfriend, and he was taller and bigger than Jake. Well, I was a little bit distracted, what with him flashing me that grin… “Haven’t you grown?”

     “Jesus, Pete!” Josh shook his head. “Do you have to hit on every single woman within a two-mile radius?”

     “Aye.” Pete ran his fingers through his hair and I wondered if I could ask him if he used hair-products without insulting him or insinuating that he was gay. Pete was a very proud Scotsman, and he really hated it when someone joked with him about stuff like that. He once broke a guy’s nose for it actually, and the guy had been kidding. And that guy was his other bestfriend, Dave. “She’s a fine lass now. You’re a lucky lad, Josh.”

     I rolled my eyes at him, he hadn’t even lived in Scotland since he was ten, and his accent was so thick you’d think he was a kilt-wearing Glasgow man. “Pete, you scoundrel. What are you doing here?”

     “Came to see your sister, of course!” He grinned. “The other fine Cassidy lass.”

     “She’s not in a very forgiving mood.” Jake sipped on his coffee. “She hates you too, you know. You were my accomplice.”

     “Hate me?” Pete asked incredulously, his hazel eyes rounding. “You’re mad, man. She loves me! Yes, I might’ve been shite to her since you two got a divorce, but I’m like a brother to her. She can’t hate me.”

     “You’re hugely overestimating yourself, Pete.” Josh chuckled and drained his coffee. “Avy’s fully capable of hating her family if they treated her like shite, you pretentious bastard.”

     “Jake, man.” Pete tapped Jake on the arm with the back of his hand. “Your brother’s finally dropped his balls.” He looked at Josh and smirked. “Took you long enough. Jake had to leave the bloody country for you to step up to it, aye?”

     “Back off, Pete.” I narrowed his eyes at him. “Unless you want your balls served on a plate for you.”

     Pete laughed as Jake chuckled and Josh shook his head. “Blimey!” Pete coughed. “He’s not the only sibling whose ass hardened. Taking after your sister, aren’t you, Gaby?”

     “I like to believe I have a little bit more finesse than Avy.” I smirked at him. “Of course, you lot taught her everything she knows. It’s not her fault she turned out like that, now, is it?”

     “Hey, Josh.” Pete scowled at him. “What lies have you been feeding your lass here about us? We’re your friends, man.”

     I needed to wrap this up so I just bent and gave Pete a kiss on the cheek. “Just messing with you, Petey.” I ruffled his hair. “Don’t be so touchy.”

     “If you were a lad I’d smack you for that.” He grinned and patted me on the back. “Aye, you’re alright. How’s the other sister?”

     “Kicking ass in the US, getting ready to go to Harvard.” I ran my fingers through my hair and looked at Josh, who was scowling and looking at Pete’s arm that was around my waist. “Josh, I need to talk to you.”