Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

Barrett

" Y ou and Gabby looked like you're getting along again," Abel says the next day as we're finishing hanging the last of the drywall.

He's finally helping and I won't have to give him shit tomorrow. It's the little things. Isn't that what everyone says?

I don't love talking about my relationship with her, because she and Kara are such good friends, and I'm never sure how much Kara shares with Abel. However, I do know that Abel shares everything, so I don't want to put a wrench in their relationship. "We're trying."

He pushes his hat back from his forehead, and looks at me, before bringing it back down again. "What happened with y'all last time? You weren't forthcoming, even when we all tried to help you."

The thing about Abel is that he's a fixer. Between him and Boone, if they could be the heroes for everyone in their lives, they would. It's just how they're built. Me? I'm more of the quiet guy who leans back and watches. I observe, so a lot of times I don't need people to tell me anything, I'll already know. Abel though, is not one of those people. "There were a lot of things working against us."

"Like what?" He pushes a pencil up into his hat from where he's made a mark.

One of the things Abel doesn't do is take hints well. So I'm going to have to give him a little bit, just to keep him from driving me absolutely nuts. "She's divorced, eleven years older than I am, a business owner, and is desperately trying to keep her shit together while things like getting broken into are happening to her."

His eyebrows furrow together in question. The next words out of his mouth are plainly spoken and said with a lot of mirth. "It was your mom, wasn't it? One of the reasons you're not with her anymore. You forget that I know her."

Fuck him. He knows way too much about my personal life because we've been friends for so long. "My mom did have an issue with it, and she was not quiet about it. Gabby may have heard my mom's thoughts on it, and I'm more than positive it was one of the biggest contributing factors of us breaking up." In fact, it was, I know it was. If I'd been able to stand up to my mom, then none of this would've happened.

"So what are you going to do about it?" he asks, as he taps a nail with the head of the hammer. For him it's simple. Nothing is going to keep him from the woman he loves. I wish I were as brave as him.

"I hate that you're making me talk about this," I grumble, holding up the piece of drywall.

He grins. "You love me, and you didn't talk about it before, so now's the perfect time. Maybe that was the problem. What are you going to do about it?" he asks again.

I sigh heavily, hating every bit of this. Groaning loudly, I roll my eyes. "I had a talk with my mom after the two of us broke up, but since Gabby and I are talking again and trying to work out what fucked up the first time, I'm going to have another talk with her."

"What did your mom say?" He asks, not letting this go.

I might as well stop trying to beat around the bush and just give him what he wants. He'll continue to push and push until I do. "When we were dating the first time, I was having lunch with mom, and I was telling her about Gabby. Mom knew she was older, and holy shit. I didn't realize it was such a big deal for her. I found out that it was, and that's when things went sideways."

"So who is this woman you've been spending all your time with?" Mom asks as she grabs a piece of her sushi with the chopsticks. "Every time I call you or text you, you're out with Gabby. Do I know her?"

My stomach drops as I think about how to explain who Gabby is. I know my mom, too fucking well. "Yeah, she owns Get Baked. I think you've said you love her sandwiches and cookies."

"I do." She sets her chopsticks down. "But Barrett, isn't she older than you?"

There it is. "She is, but I'm a grown man who knows what I like. We met one another and hit it off."

"I just don't know if I like this." She purses her lips. "Is she taking advantage of you?"

My eyes bug. "What the fuck are you talking about? I'm not a teenager fucking his teacher. I'm a grown up, Mom. You can say whatever you want, but it isn't going to change what I'm going to do."

She bristles. "It's my opinion, Barrett. Regardless of whether you like it or not, I have one. I'm your mother, I'm allowed to do that. She should be ashamed of herself."

And that's when I notice her. Gabby is standing not far away from us, a smile dropping from her face. It's obvious she heard what my mom said, and before I can go to her, she's turned away and is heading toward the door. Fuck my life. "You can have it, but I don't want to hear it anymore. She was behind you, and was probably coming over here to introduce herself..."

"Not long after that, Gabby and I broke up. I can't really blame her." I shrug before wiping at my forehead to get rid of the sweat. "It was never the same, and it was as if we couldn't get past what she heard. If someone had said the same about me, I'm not sure I would've been quick to forgive either. But it still hurt the same."

"I can see that." Abel sighs. "What is your plan for this time around? What's going to make it different?"

That's a good question, one I've been asking myself. "Me. Before I was willing to sit back and let my mom say what she wanted, because I didn't want to make waves. I didn't want to piss off my mom, you know her whole personality and identity is me."

He snorts loudly. "That's the truth. I don't know how you put up with it."

"It sucks," I agree.

My parents divorced when I was younger, and since then my mom has decided that I'm the one person she will live for. Her whole identity became being my mother, and she's leaned into it further as she's gotten older. It's suffocating, and we've argued about it more times than I care to acknowledge.

"But it's going to be different this time, because I refuse to let her ruin this for me. There's a part of me that knows I'm supposed to be with Gabby, whatever that means, and I won't be letting anyone stand in the way of that. Both she and I have suffered, and I won't allow us to do it anymore. I won't let anyone else's opinion ruin what we have together. No matter who it is."