25. Plans

Plans

DREW

Gabriella’s lack of interest in me has me feeling left out. Well, if I’m honest, it left me feeling more than a little jealous. I can’t figure out where I went wrong. I hit her with every damn pickup line I could think of over the last couple of days. I’ve even gone so far as to start leaving flowers on the coffee table for her every morning. They’re not the store-bought kind but I thought she’d at least be appreciative of the effort. Instead, she got up this morning and has been glaring at them for the last five minutes.

“You’d think housekeeping would at least choose a nicely cut bouquet, not these disgusting weeds.”

My head rears back at her tone. I’ve never heard Gabriella say anything so… Urgh, I can’t even think of the right word right now. She’s driving me up the fucking wall.

“Is no one going to make my breakfast this morning?” She snaps her fingers towards me and the look she gives me is enough to make me take a few steps back from her. “You, Jamie! Where’s my coffee and breakfast?”

Jamie? Since when has Gabriella not been able to tell us apart?

“What are you standing there for? The coffee isn’t going to make itself!”

That’s it, I’m done. I can’t take another minute of this.

I growl like a wolf beneath my breath and storm into Jamie’s room, slamming the door behind me. It makes a very satisfying bang, waking Jamie up from a dead sleep. “What the fuck?” He mumbles rubbing his face.

“I don’t know who the fuck that is out there but that is not Gabriella. Explain.” I snap at my twin as he climbs out of his bed and shuffles over to the bathroom.

“It’s Melody. She’s being dealt with today. Did Gabriella and Parker not find you yesterday?”

“No, I’ve been avoiding that girl out there since she yelled at me for not grabbing her an apple yesterday at lunch.” I shake my head, “Wait, did you say Melody?”

“Yeah, she’s been impersonating Gabriella for the last few days. I found out about it yesterday morning. Gabriella was going to tell Parker after classes yesterday.” He rushes back out after flushing the toilet. “Wait, did she find him or is he still in the dark?”

“Only one way to find out I guess.”

“No, Gabriella has a plan to out Melody in front of the whole school. She won’t want us screwing it up. She was going to ask you to make sure Melody was in the cafeteria on time for the bell at lunch.”

“Why me?”

“Cause you share a class with Gabriella right before lunch and we figured Melody has been going to Gabriella’s classes pretending to be her, so she’d be there.”

“Oh, good point.” I sit down on the edge of his bed, trying to think. “Wait, I need to ask you something.”

My twin inclines his head to tell me to spit it out while he’s pulling on some clean clothes.

“Do you like Gabriella? The real Gabriella. As in Like like her?” The second the words are out of my mouth; I want to take them back. I don’t want to know the answer. I don’t want a girl to come between us because despite the jokes and the bets, I do like the real Gabriella. A lot.

“Do you?”

“I….” I take a deep breath and release it slowly, making my fringe tickle my nose. “Yes.”

“Me too.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. Let her decide?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Or we could….” He blows out a breath, “Never mind, it’s stupid. Let’s just see how things go.”

“Yeah, okay.” I agree but my curiosity is going to kill me. I want to know what he was thinking before he stopped short. For the first time in my life I wish my brother and I were telepathically linked just so I can figure out what he really thinks of Gabriella. So I can find out if what he’s thinking as a solution is the same thoughts I’m having but it couldn’t be. Cause all I keep thinking is that maybe she shouldn’t choose between us. Maybe she could be both of ours.

I shake my head at my own thoughts. Nah, she’d never go for that. It’d be impossible.