Page 11 of Sticks and Stones
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Gabby said, as soon as Gianna walked into the shop. “What the hell? I thought we were friends.”
Gabby was the first real friend Gianna had in a long time. The first person who didn’t care about where she lived, what kind of car she drove or whether Gunnar madeForbeslist last year.
“We are friends,” Gianna said, setting her purse under the counter. “Why would you say that?”
“I ran into Billy when I was opening the shop,” Gabby said, still scowling. “He told me about your date last night. Gunnar. Seriously? Your commitment-phobe ex is Gunnar Williams? The freakin’ rock god?”
“He’s not a god,” Gianna said, trying to play it off. “He’s just a man, trust me. He leaves the lid up and conveniently forgets to take the garbage out just like every other man.”
She wasn’t surprised Billy had told Gabby about her ex. She could have asked him to keep her secret, but that seemed silly. It was bound to get out sooner or later, especially now that Gunnar was visiting.
“You told me he was the only man you’d ever been with though,” Gabby said, her tone softening. “It had to have been rough, leaving a man like that.” She laughed. “When you told me about him, I pictured some deadbeat who drank too much beer, played videogames, invited his rowdy buddies over and—”
“You were right,” Gianna said, smiling sweetly. “He does all of those things. Only difference is his friends are richer, his house is bigger and so is his TV.”
“I’ll bet that’s not the only thing that’s bigger than most,” Gabby said, winking. She laughed when Gianna elbowed her in the back as she inched past her to check their orders for the day. “Come on, that man oozes sex appeal. You can’t tell me he’s not amazing in bed.”
“Depends on your definition of amazing, I guess,” Gianna said, reaching for the take-out cup of green tea she’d brought with her. “Was he skillful? Yes. Did he always make sure I was satisfied? Yes.”
“But?”
“It was just sex. I don’t think we made love once. Not in all the years we were together.” It hurt like hell to admit as much, but it was one of the many reasons she’d left him. “You know, he never even told me he loved me.” Until last night.
“What?” Gabby shrieked. “What are you talking about? Of course he did! You guys were together, what? Almost fifteen years? You lived together. Had two daughters together. Of course he told you he loved you.”
“No, he didn’t.” Gianna was almost embarrassed to admit it, but she needed her friend to understand why she’d left a man the rest of the world thought was perfect. “He took care of me and the girls, he bought us pretty things—”
“But he told them he loved them?”
“He did,” she said, swallowing. “When they told him first.” She’d only expressed her love to Gunnar a few times. When he wasn’t able to say it back, she simply repressed the thought every time it threatened to spill out.
“Okay, I know I don’t have to tell you that is seriously messed up,” Gabby said, shaking her head.
“He didn’t have it easy growing up,” Gianna said, feeling the need to defend him. She didn’t think she was betraying him by sharing with Gabby. He’d always been an open book about his life. “He once told me he didn’t believe in love, not the romantic kind, anyway. He said people were happy together until they weren’t anymore, then they just parted ways. Everything is temporary according to Gunnar.”
“Wow, that’s a pretty pessimistic life view.”
“From a pessimistic man.” She watched Gabby turn on the speaker so she could filter her favorite tunes through her iPod. “How do you think he’s been able to write so many dark songs?”
“Must suck going through life like that.”
“Yeah, it must.” There was a time she’d felt sorry for Gunnar, when she believed she could love him enough to change him, but she’d given up hope of that happening a long time ago.
“So, what’s he doing here?” Gabby asked, reaching into the cooler for a bucket of roses. She set them on the floor by her workstation and reached for a block of damp oasis to lay out on the table.
“He came to spend time with his daughters, I guess. He’ll be going back out on the road soon, maybe over the summer, when they get a break.”
“Must be hard on them,” Gabby said, spreading the red roses out on the table. “Never seeing their dad.”
“It is, but they’re used to it. He’s always been gone more than he’s been around. So it doesn’t really matter where he lives, they don’t get to see him much. Even when we were all living under the same roof, he was rarely there.” She told herself she wasn’t bitter about that. Gunnar was just doing his job, but she knew there were plenty of people in his position who’d somehow found a healthy balance.
“It must be weird,” Gabby said, trimming the stems before she stuck them in the foam block to preserve them until they were delivered to the customer. “Having him around. Staying in your house, eating your food, sleeping in your...?”
“Guest room,” Gianna said, laughing at her boss’s not-so-subtle attempt to dig in the dirt. “He’s sleeping in my guest room. There is absolutely nothing going on between us.”
The bell rang and Gianna looked up to see the man himself walk through the door. He was wearing black athletic shorts, a gray T-shirt, and running shoes.
“Hey,” he said, grinning at her. “Hope you don’t mind me stopping by like this. I was just going out for a run and was curious about where you work.”
