I’m packing my gear listening to Dax ramble on about chords and songs and other stuff, when I notice Gavin chatting up Ellie … again. It seems as if every time they’re together and I’m not looking, he’s with her, heads together discussing who the fuck knows what. Not to mention he’s lying about his reason for being in London, I just know it.
“Fuck,” I hiss under my breath. My temper flares and I crack my neck to release the stress. I try not to get angry, and fail miserably, which is crazy. I hate fighting, but all I want to do when I see Gavin fawning all over my girl is to beat the crap out of him and his stupid good-looking face.
Dax notices that I’m not listening to him anymore, and follows my line of sight to Ellie and Gavin. When Gavin puts his hand on her shoulder and laughs, I lose it. I ignore Dax as he tells me not to do anything stupid.
“Hey! What’s all this about? You moving in on my girl? Is that why you wanted to join our band?” I shout as I storm over to the now very surprised, Gavin and Ellie.
“What?” Gavin jerks his head up, the thick lashes surrounding his wide blue eyes flutter in shock. He tucks his slightly too-long blonde hair behind an ear and stares at me open mouthed.
“Adam, don’t do this. There’s nothing going on,” Ellie warns, stepping between me and Gavin when she sees how furious I am. She crosses her arms and her brow pulls down, giving her sweet face a decidedly harsh look.
“That’s a load of shit and you know it,” I snap. “Every time I turn my back, he’s chatting you up or touching you. I’m not an idiot, Ellie.” I grit my teeth, fuming as Gavin and Ellie stare at me like I’m mental.
Hawke and Dax have come over, eyeing me warily, likely intending to jump in if I attempt to pound on Gavin’s stupid, pretty face. As much as I claim to hate fighting, the urge to rough him up is very real, swirling up from inside of me, like a cancer I can’t get rid of. It’s always there underneath the polite and happy surface.
“Dude, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Hawke says, holding a tattooed arm out in front of me. “He’s not interested in her.”
“Buggar off, Hawke! It’s nothing to do with you!”
“Hey man, don’t be an asshole!” Hawke shouts right back, stepping directly in front of Ellie and Gavin, getting in my face.
“It’s not your fucking fight!” I growl at Hawke. My gaze flicks over his shoulder and I see Ellie, her face now drawn and pale, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Fuck!
“You know what? Fucking forget it!” I spin on my heel and snatch up my guitar case before storming out the door, stopping only to hit the doorframe with an open palm. I really want to punch it, but I can’t risk another injury to my hand.
I’m halfway down the street when I hear Ellie calling my name. Sod off, I’m not in the wrong here. A guy as good-looking as Gavin was chatting up my girl right in front of me and I’m not supposed to be angry?
“Adam! Will you stop?” she pleads, gasping for breath as she runs up behind me.
“Why? So you can make me feel stupid again?” I ask, not breaking my long strides.
“No, Adam. So I can tell you what Gavin is always talking to me about.”
As much as I want to keep storming away, my curiosity gets the best of me. Gavin is hiding something and I want to know what it is. I stop to face Ellie on the narrow street, scowling with my hands stuffed into my pockets. “Fine, go on then. What does Gavin always need to discuss with my girl that involves touching?” I bark out rudely.
Ellie’s sweet face crumples in pain. Now I feel even worse than I did a minute ago.
“He’s gay, Adam,” she whispers, her voice on the edge of breaking.
“What do you mean he’s gay?”
Ellie gives me a look. The ‘are you really asking such a stupid question’ look and I feel about two feet tall. That isn’t at all what I was expecting her to say. Not even close, but it certainly explains a lot.
“Well,” I huff, “why the hell does he need to talk to you about that? You’re not gay.” My eyebrows shoot up in uncertainty. “You’re not, are you?”
At least some good comes from my complete and utter stupidity, because Ellie bursts out laughing at my ridiculous statement. “No, Adam. I’m most certainly not gay. I would think you could vouch for that.” She hesitates, but continues, “My best mate growing up, before I moved here, he’s gay. Gavin’s been asking questions about him, about his family.”
“Oh,” I deflate. “He doesn’t fancy you then.”
“No. He doesn’t,” she snaps. “You need to apologize to him.”
I step back, shocked. “What? Isn’t he going to be angry that you told me?”
“I don’t think so, but don’t spread it around or anything. His mum and her family know, Hawke knows, I don’t know if Dax knows, but Gavin’s dad doesn’t, or he suspects it and isn’t happy. Gavin has had a tough time. That’s why he’s here for a year. To get away from the pressure to conform to his dad’s ideal. His mum thought it’d be good for him. She doesn’t care if he’s gay. Apparently his dad won’t take it as well.”
“Well why is Hawke here? They’re not… you know, together are they?” I don’t think Hawke is gay, but obviously I don’t know a single thing about who is or isn’t gay.