Only The Goode Spy Forever

Chapter 21: Abrielle

(Back to Cammie's first person)

    I didn't know who this Abrielle girl was but I knew one thing for sure: I DID NOT LIKE HER. I was surprised that Zach hadn't told me about her. I understand that there are some things that we hide from each other because it's the life we chose. This did not seem like something that he needed to hide from me. I didn't say a word to him all the way to the beach. I continued ignoring him while we visited with our friends.

  I saw Grant go off to the kitchen to get some food, so I took my opportunity. I casually strolled into the kitchen behind him and sat on the counter looking bored. Grant nodded to me and started grabbing some snacks.

   "Hey Grant?" I said innocently.

   "Ya Cam?" He asked.

    "What can you tell me about Abrielle?" I asked. Grant had been taking a drink and he practically choked on it. He set his glass down and eyed me. He stood there thinking.

    "Abs is a part of the past," he said cautiously. I cut my eyes. He was picking his words very carefully.

   "Spill," I said. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He nodded his head a couple times, deciding if he should tell me or not.

   "Abrielle's dad is the headmaster of Blackthorne. I've never heard anything about her mom, but she had to live there with her dad. Headmaster Marcus put her in our classes. At first we all thought it was weird. She never went to any of our assassin classes, though. Just the normal stuff. She was basically a normal girl living in a top secret spy school," he answered.

    "Interesting," I said and yawned. "I want to know about her and Zach." Grant picked up his snacks and began to leave. It was clear I was chredding  in shallow water.

    "Woah there, Cam. Sorry, but you're going to have to ask Zach about that. It's really not my place," he said. I frowned. That was not the answer that I wanted to hear. It was obvious I wasn't going to pry it out of Grant, so I waited for my next victim.

    "Jonas!" I exclaimed. He looked at me oddly. Which, I'm sure he was a little surprised. I had never acted excited to see him before. He studied me, so I asked my question. "You work with Abrielle, right? What can you tell me about her and Zach?"

    There were many differences between Grant and Jonas. The most clear one I saw that day was that Grant was a highly trained operative. Lying and keeping his cool was what he did best. Jonas absolutely could not lie. His face turned white.

   "Abrielle and Zach?" He asked. I nodded. "Now that is entirely Zach's business. All I will tell you is that she was terrible for him, toxic. Zach was given a push to be with her and so he took it. It's not his fault she got a big head over everything." I frowned.

   "What do you mean?" I asked.

   "Look Cammie, it's really not my business. Why don't you talk to him? I shouldn't be the one to tell you this," he said. And with that he left quickly, probably trying to make sure I didn't crack him. My mouth dropped open. If I couldn't pry it out of Jonas then it had to have been something REALLY bad. If Zach wanted to keep secrets that was fine. If he wanted to pretend it never happened he could sure try. I grinned and thought, game on, Zachary.

*                                             *                                          *

We got to our room for the night. We both changed into our pajamas. I didn't say a word.

"Gallagher Girl?" Zach asked finally. I wasn't facing him, so I was able to smirk without him knowing.

"Hmm?" I responded. I looked in the window and saw the concern on his face.

"You alright?" He asked. He slowly took a step towards me. I turned around and smiled brightly.

"Oh, I'm fine honey," I chirped. Zach nodded and turned around. I counted 3 seconds before he whipped back around and looked at me questioningly.

"What did you just call me?" He asked. It took all of my training not to laugh.

"Huh? Sweetheart, what are you talking about?" I asked innocently. Zach's mouth dropped open. I never acted like this.

"Honey? Sweetheart? What did I do?" He asked. I walked over to him and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Oh nothing, baby. I love you," I sang. He was looking at me like I was from a different planet. I bit back my grin. "Wow, your lips. I'd know those lips anywhere." Zach frowned.

"So that's what this is about," he said with a sigh. "Look Gallagher Girl, you weren't my first kiss. It's not a big deal, it's not like I was yours."

"Oh that's not why I'm mad, Zachary," I snapped. He held my hard gaze. "I'm mad that you never even mentioned her. You never told me a girl went to Blackthorne. You never told me that she was your girlfriend. And why pray tell didn't you tell me that you had confided in her and told her all about your mom?" Zach ran his hands through his hair.

"Look, I don't ask about Jimmy, you don't ask about Abs," he replied.

"Josh!" I exclaimed. Zach waved his hand as if the detail meant nothing. "And you KNEW about him. That's the difference, Zach. You knew he existed. You knew I dated him. You knew he broke my heart. But did I know about her? No!"

"Well jeez Cam, what do you want to know? I don't talk about her because she isn't important to me. She means nothing. I don't bring it up because I don't want to revisit that time in my life," he snapped back.

"I want the truth, Zach. That's all I've ever wanted. I thought we were past this. I thought we didn't keep things from each other anymore," I whispered. I pouted and sat down on the bed.

"Hey, we have okay? I'll tell you the truth. I just didn't want to bring it up," he said softly. He sat next to me and put his arm around me. "She was the first friend I made at Blackthorne. My mom shipped me there a couple weeks earlier than all of the other boys, so it was just me and her. My mom came to visit me at Blackthorne. A lot. She was grooming me to take her place after all. My mom liked her. Catherine wanted me to be with her. At that time, I was just a kid desperate for his mother's love and approval. So yeah, her and I were together. I wouldn't really say we went out. I mean, there's not many places you can go when you're in prison. I kissed her and pleased my mother for a while."

"Why did you end things?" I asked. Zach shrugged.

"I dumped her because I wanted to be more than my mother. Abrielle pushed me to be an assassain, to be something my mother was proud of. I didn't have feelings for her. And then a couple weeks after I dumped her I tailed a girl in DC. The rest is history," he said with a smile. I smiled back. It felt good to know the truth. He shook his head. "The things she had me do. What she told me would make her happy was... awful."

"She wanted you to kill people. She wanted you to take your mother's place?" I asked. Zach nodded.

"When we got back to Blackthorne after the exchange she snapped. She wanted you dead. She told my mother that I had feelings for you. That's why my mom called you my girlfriend in the tombs. Catherine was so mad at me. That's when I knew I had to leave. Whenever my mom saw something beautiful, she destroyed it. And her knowing that I loved you made her want to get you even more," Zach said with another shake of his head.

"Is it safe for Chase? Would she do something to him?" I asked fearing Zach's answer.

"No," he said firmly. "She wouldn't. Besides, she didn't learn everything that we learned. Chase could easily take her. After all, he is my son." He grinned.

"So you don't have feelings for her?" I whispered.

"No!" Zach shouted. We lay in bed and turned off the light. I cuddled up next to him. "Only you. My Gallagher Girl."