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We park and make our way to the gift store, and we hear the two girls shrieking and laughing long before we see them. They're both there, side by side, each with a little red basket full of goodies, and they're in line to pay. The cashier counts them up., "Separately or together?" he asks, pointing to the baskets.
"Together," Tucker replies. "It's on me," he says as he closes his eyes and hands the cashier his card.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" says Tucker, looking back at me.
"That'll be $17.50, please," the cashier says with a laugh.
"What? $17.50 for pet food!" exclaims Tucker.
"No, $13.50 for food for our furry friends." Ava starts. "We bought one of these for both of you," Bella finishes.
They hand us both a small keychain with the words I DEER-LY LOVE YOU and a picture of a cute baby deer on the other side. Both girls laugh and giggle like little kids at this, and they lean up on their tiptoes to kiss us.
"We got played there, didn't we, bro?" asks Tucker with a grin.
"Sure did," I reply with a smile, before scooping Bella into my arms and annoyingly peppering her whole face with kisses while she laughs and begs Ava to save her.
We spend the next few hours walking around the park. We stop for a picnic. And it turns out the girls were smart enough to pack snacks, drinks, cakes, and even a big blanket for us to sit on. We see wild rabbits hopping around happily; a few even come close enough that we get to hand feed them some of the food we bought from the store. We spot some wild birds flying around overhead, and Tucker is even convinced he has seen a hawk. But since none of us have seen the hawk ourselves, we keep telling him it must have been a black bird. And for the past fifteen minutes, we've been hand-feeding a pack of wild deer. I'm shocked that the deer are so trusting and unafraid of humans that one has even brought its three little fawns over to join in on the action. As you can imagine, the girls are absolutely in their element while they beam and marvel at the little animals. I hate to admit it, but I actually enjoy it, too. It’s like the four of us are in our own little paradise, shielded from the outside world. That is, until I decide to pull out my cell phone to take a few photos and discover a few messages from Gabe.
11:15 a.m.:Nate, I haven't seen you since last night. Are you still alive?
11:45 a.m.:Your bed doesn't look slept in, so I'm guessing you slept in someone else's.
12:30 p.m.:Text me back bro, I'm getting worried.
1:35 p.m.:I'M SERIOUS, NATE! Text me back or I'll come find you.
I look at the time. Shit, it's almost 2 p.m. I call him, and he answers on the second ring.
"Holy shit, man, it's almost two o'clock! Where the fuck have you been?" yells Gabe.
"I'm sorry, I met some new friends yesterday and went out with them last night. Today we went to a park, and now we've gone out for a drive. I totally lost track of time; no big deal," I say, trying to calm him down and keep myself from getting frustrated, as I know deep down he's so overprotective because he cares.
"You really scared me, Nate. After what happened, you know it stresses me the fuck out when you're gone too long," he says, sounding calmer but still worried.
"Gabe, you seem to forget that I'm almost eighteen. I'm old enough now to make my own decisions. We're not little kids anymore. No one is going to separate us again. I've got you, and you have me, Gabriel. That's all we need," I say, trying to reassure him. Sometimes he reminds me of an insecure little boy, clinging to me like I’m a lifeboat.
"I know you keep saying that, but I promised Mom on her deathbed that I'd always take care of you and keep you safe, and I never want to break that promise again," says Gabe.
"I know, but like I said, we were kids; that doesn't count. You never broke your promise as far as I'm concerned," I reply.
"Anyway, did you at least get lucky at that party last night?" Gabe asks, his wall firmly back in place. I don't know why, but other than the few moments of sincerity he shows me, he completely refuses to show anyone that he actually has any feelings. Instead, he hides them behind his mysterious bad boy persona.
"It wasn't like that," I snap, feeling myself getting angry and frustrated that something as special as what happened between me and Bella last night could ever be downplayed as justgetting lucky.
"That's all it's like, little brother. Girls are only useful for one night. After that, they're just a waste of energy," Gabe rants coldly.
"Not everyone sees it that way, Gabe. Some see girls as much more than just a place to park your ride," I try to convince him while also trying to be discreet just in case someone is within earshot.
"Don't tell me, Mr. I'm-too-good-for-a-one-night-stand is still hung up on Princess Isabella," Gabe seethes in a bitter and condescending tone.
"This is none of your business, whether I am or not. I'm just saying that not everyone is a heartless asshole like you," I yell and hang up on him.
I pace for a bit, trying to calm myself down. My whole body is shaking and I realize my hands are clenched into fists. After that conversation, all I want to do is find him and kick his ass. I know what happened was tough and that it changed him, but sometimes I feel like I don’t even know him anymore. What happened to my loving and caring big brother? When did he turn into such a selfish, cold-hearted asshole?
Less than one minute later, a text pops up,
Gabe:I'm sorry, bro, you know she's a difficult subject for BOTH of us. I don't want to lose you, especially when I finally have you back.
