Spin My Love(8)

“Don’t worry about it, Tane. What you do isn’t my business,” I say, cutting him off. He thinks I’m upset because I saw him about to have sex with Keira? And while yes, that hurt badly, it’s nothing compared to what he’s done before. My whole body tenses when I see his gaze trail over the tattoos on my arms, his eyes widening.

Is it possible that he doesn’t remember that night between us?



*****



Tane

“Giselle,” I say again softly. I love saying her name. She looks beautiful. Now that I have time, I look over her every feature. That jet-black hair is tied up in a messy ponytail. Her face is flushed and her bright, blue eyes are piercing.

“Parker go into your uncle’s room for a minute, please,” she tells the kid, fussing with one of the bracelets piled on her wrist. I can’t help but check out her body. The tight pants and tank top she’s wearing hug her every curve. She must have come here from the gym or something.

“Okay,” Parker answers, doing just that. I stare at her beautiful inked artwork. Something about the pieces are slightly familiar.

“How have you been? You look so different,” I tell her honestly.

“And you haven’t changed at all,” she says. The tone of her voice is surprisingly harsh. Her words sting.

“I guess it’s not just your appearance that’s different,” I say, eyebrows raised. “You used to be so quiet and sweet.” I had meant for it to be a light-hearted comment.

I didn’t expect to hear her laugh coldly. “I used to be a lot of things.”

She has changed. And it’s something more than the weight she’s obviously lost, the hair, tattoos and makeup. I can’t help but miss the old Giselle. She was something else. Kind to everybody. I was always protective of her. Sweetness like Giselle’s needed to be savoured, because it doesn’t come along very often. I left before I had a chance to do that.

I rub my chest where it suddenly burns.

“What brings you back home? Slumming it?” she asks as she walks into the kitchen and pulls an apple out of the fridge, slamming the door closed behind her.

“I’m taking a break,” I tell her. “Finally visiting home.”

“How long before you leave again?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You know why I left last time, Giselle,” I tell her. She sighs, her body releasing some of the tension she was obviously trying to hold. She washes her apple, and then takes a small bite out of it.

“Do I?” she replies. “I think it was about more than just losing your mum.”

It was, but I don’t say anything.

“I’m sorry, but you left a lot of people behind as well, Tane,” she says frankly. “It’s been years since any of us heard from you.” I swallow hard when I see the emotion blazing in her blue eyes.

“Hey sis,” Gage greets her as he walks out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. I watch as she walks over to her brother and kisses him on the cheek, before disappearing into one of the rooms. Gage gives me a curious look as she walks away, but says nothing.

“You want to head out and catch some waves?” Gage asks me. “I have a spare board.” I nod hesitantly, wanting to talk some more with Giselle, but I guess now isn’t the time. Some surfing with my old buddy actually sounds good. It’s been a while. I linger in the kitchen, waiting for Giselle to come out. When she does, she is hand-in-hand with Parker.

“We’re going to get going,” she tells us.

“Bye Uncle Gage! Bye Tane!” Parker calls out. I notice Giselle stiffen noticeably.

“Bye little man,” Gage says, leaning down and kissing him on the forehead.

“Bye Parker,” I say, but my eyes are solely on Giselle.

“Mama, can we get ice cream on the way home?”

My heart skips a beat.

“Sure thing, baby,” she replies with a warm smile. I watch them both walk out of the apartment, not looking back.

I stand there, staring where they were in my last view of sight, shocked. Parker is Giselle’s kid? Not Keira’s? Feeling confused, I remember the colour of his eyes and frown.

Who the fuck is the father?





Chapter Four

Giselle

The week passes slowly so I welcome Friday with open arms. I can’t seem to get Tane off my mind. I keep thinking about us growing up. How he had been. I compare my memories of him to his behaviour five years ago, and then recently. Seeing him almost naked, getting down with Keira, had been torture. I couldn’t get the images out of my head, and they made me feel nauseous. Yet, despite every ounce of logic telling me that Tane was nothing but bad news, I can’t help the feelings I have. I just have to write them off as being the lingering emotions of a young, insecure girl.