Expel (43 page)

Chapter 77

The Break Up

The heat in the shower rises to inconceivable levels, the steam soaks in our carnal desires and we manage to extinguish them before we end up on the floor mixing around in the debris of cake and frosting.

Gage leaves to change and I indulge in a real shower washing a sugary glaze from all sorts of interesting crevices. I think of Gage’s fiery touch and I ignite all over again. Who knew cake could be so disturbingly erotic? Maybe Tad is right and cake diving will really take off. It was sort of fun even if it was Chloe flinging me into the multi-layered wall of icing.

I wrap a plush towel around myself, cobalt blue the exact color of Gage’s eyes. It feels warm, safe, and makes me want to run out into his bedroom and latch onto him before getting dressed. It’s not until I realize, the only outfit I have is lying in a sopping heap, that running and latching onto his person in this delicate state of undress is a very real possibility.

I knock on the bathroom door before entering his room.

“All clear,” he says, clad in a t-shirt and navy colored sweats.

I love Gage with his hair slicked back. He’s so freaking hot I just want to rip my towel off and attack him.

“You have any sweats for me?” I skip over, flaunting my clothing deficient status.

“Nope,” he hides his smile behind a look of mischief. “You’re holding them all hostage. I haven’t had the chance to replenish my supply.”

 
“I’ll just hang out like this.” I hold up my hands exposing my barely-there appearance.

“My dad wants to talk to us about,” he nods over towards Logan’s room.

“Regarding my thrill to kill?” I arch my brows, trying desperately to get him to remove my towel. I would moan like a dove for Gage.

“You know what I hate more than you having to kill Logan?”

“What?” I wince at the thought of actually having to kill Logan.

“Not going to prom with you.”

“I’ll be there.” I run my fingers through the wet tendrils of his hair. “And you’ll be there.”

“We have to make it look real.” Gage shakes his head. “Holden’s going to wonder why you suddenly want to go to prom after not carrying out a single conversation with him for the past few months.”

I lay my head over his chest and listen to the steady thump—let its rich soothing cadence reverberate through my skull.
 

“I hate this, too,” I whisper. “I hate having to convince Holden of anything. Wish we could just flood his bed with water while he sleeps and throw in a toaster.”

“How did you know there would be electrocution?” The corners of his lips hold a devilish smile.

“Your sister—who, by the way is working for my mother, who, by the way is the strangest being in the universe.”

Gage presses his finger to my lips.

“You may not want to incite her,” he whispers, dropping a kiss on my lips. “I have a feeling the last thing we need is your mother after us.”

“I know, right?” I wrap my arms tight around his waist. “Hey,” I jostle him from side to side. “It’s kind of like we’re dancing.”

Gage picks up my right hand and holds it out, presses his hips against mine and moves in rhythm.

“We are dancing,” he corrects.

“This is our prom.”

“You look gorgeous tonight.” He dips into me with a quiet grin. “Have I mentioned how much I love your dress?”

“And you look dashing in your attire as well. I especially love the way the color of your
suit
brings out the prince charming in your eyes.”

Gage throws his head back with a slight laugh before taking on an ultra serious demeanor.

“Would you be my princess?” His dimples flare, no smile.

“I’m humbled to be considered for the honor.” I hike up on the balls of my feet and sway into a blistering kiss that lets him know exactly how honored I am to be his anything.

***

 
We find Dr. Oliver downstairs in the back office. Turns out Gage did find a pair of sweats for me, so I don’t have to face Barron, or worse, Tad later in a towel that hardly covers my bottom—was sort of a nice prom dress though.

I give Gage a secret smile. I so loved our private prom. I can’t wait to do it over and over again.

Gage pats the couch beside him, and I sit a respectful arms length away.

“Skyla,” Dr. Oliver folds his hands over a stack of papers on his desk, “Gage has implied that you’re to distribute the fatal blow. How do you feel about this?” His glasses shift as he anticipates my answer.

“Um,” I look over at Gage. “Yes. I want to. I mean, Chloe has me in a corner, and even though we’re sort of at an impasse at the moment, if either you or Gage were to kill him, she might use it against me,” I glance over at Gage, “us.”

“Very well,” he takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes momentarily before depositing the frail looking spectacles on his desk. He reaches below and lands a small box in front of him. A long erect needle sits attached to a tangle of blue wires that protrude from the device. “This,” he holds up the unit, “has the capability to stop a man’s heart with one quick jolt.”

“God,” I cover my lips. “I have to stick him in the heart with that thing?”

“You not only have to stick him—to do so properly, you’ll have to penetrate the protective shield of his rib cage.” Dr. Oliver looks from me to Gage. “Skyla, you must dig into the reserve of your strength. This won’t be easy.”

“What if I can’t?” Usually thinking of Chloe or Michelle gets me riled up, but what if I miss the opportunity and am left to my own weakling devices?

“Regardless, whatever happens, make sure this isn’t used against you.” His face grows cold as stone. “This could just as easily multiply the tragedy we’ve already experienced.”

“Nothing will go wrong,” I say.

“Famous last words.” Dr. Oliver pierces me with his heavy stare.

“I won’t let it,” Gage offers. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He pats me on the knee. “It’s time to break up.”

***

Totally, I think breaking up with Gage is going to be a ton of fun.

Emma has graciously invited us all into the kitchen where she’s doling out her latest sweet treat, a steaming hot apple pie served over a bed of vanilla ice cream.

Of course, she and Barron have been completely debriefed to the situation about to unfold, so I don’t feel bad at all about wolfing down two whole slices before hacking into her son.

Holden slogs down three pieces before sticking the entire can of whip cream down his throat and indulging in one long squeeze. It comes out of his mouth like a tower before he collapses his lips over the creamy mess, and the reserve drips onto the floor. Charlie goes over and licks at his feet. Come to think of it, Charlie has made quite the habit of following Holden around these past few months and with good reason—Holden is a freaking pig.

“Are you just going to sit there staring?” Gage stirs the pie on his plate, good and miffed while mowing me down with a palpable hatred. “Why don’t you just crawl over and sit on his lap.” He cocks his head at me. “You know you want to.”

My mouth falls open. My heart picks up pace because suddenly it doesn’t feel so fun anymore.

“Maybe I will,” I counter. “Maybe I’m sick of you talking to Chloe Bishop whenever you feel like it. I know for a fact she’s been texting you.”

“So you’re checking my phone now?” He pushes his plate away.

“You’re the one who planted the seed of doubt. You gave me no choice.”

“Whatever,” Gage huffs a laugh and gets up. He heads towards the counter and scoops more vanilla ice cream onto his plate, never wavering from his annoyed expression.

Holden gapes at the two of us, he’s buying this bull by the crap-load.

I follow him over, abandoning the pie, which is truthfully the best homemade anything I’ve ever eaten. I miss the days Mom would make edible meals for us. With her ovaries on the line, it’s all zucchini and entrails from here on out.

“I’m really getting sick of you telling me I can’t talk to Logan,” I hiss, “that you want me to quit my job because you’re so insanely jealous every time I’m within ten feet of him. I’m not gonna stand around and let you tell me who I can and can’t see!” I shout the last few words in his face.

“Everyone calm down,” Dr. Oliver says it low for added effect.

“I’m really getting tired of this, Skyla.” Gage looks bored, his aggression boiling just beneath the surface as though it were real. “I never signed up to be anybody’s second anything.” He tosses his spoon into the sink a good five feet away in a fit of rage. “I’m sure there are a lot of girls out there that would treat me with enough respect to cut their ex-boyfriends out of their lives.” The copper kettle on the stove vibrates as his voice blasts across the room.

“Is that what you want?” I howl back. “For me to ignore Logan at school? Treat him like he’s dead to me because you can’t freaking trust me?”

“Everybody knows I can’t trust you,” his voice booms off the walls, reverberates within my skull long after it leaves his lips. Gage spears me with a look. The hurt in his eyes tells me this isn’t entirely a fabrication, that he’s seen proof, and so has everyone else.

The moment seems to stretch out an inordinate amount of time, just Gage and I lost in a tunnel of horrible truths. It cuts through me, rips me apart from the inside like a thousand rusted hooks.

I take a breath before going on. “Maybe it’s you nobody can trust. Weren’t you the one following me around like a puppy just waiting to find a crack in my relationship with Logan, so you could inject yourself?
You
broke us up!” I accuse. “You had me convinced Logan was some monster who did nothing but womanize, and you were so self righteous. Ha!” I laugh in his face. “As soon as Chloe came back into town you glued yourself to her side like she was macaroni and you were cheese.” OK, that last part was insanely stupid and unnecessary. Thinking on my feet is not my strong suit. “Face it,” I go on, “you cannot stand the thought of me and Logan together because secretly you know that it’s him I really belong with. Logan and I could start a fire with the electricity we produce from across the room, and it kills you that no matter how hard you want to make me yours—deep inside you know it’s going to be me and him in the end.” I point hard over at Holden. “That is my forever Gage—the one you could only dream of.”

The room quiets to an unnatural hush.

Gage ticks his head back a notch as if I had physically slapped him. The undeniable look of hurt in his eyes lets me know I’ve gone too far. It was believable enough with the first few barbs. This is
Holden
we’re talking about. He won’t be considering a career in rocket science anytime soon. I should have stopped before I carved Logan loves Skyla all over Gage and his tender heart.

“Get your shit out of my room,” he seethes before speeding away and picking up his keys off the counter. “I’m sure you can find a ride home.” He glares over at Holden.

“Fine!” I follow him out to the entry.
I’m sorry!
I mouth.

Gage holds up his hand, and I give a high five before he takes off into the driveway.