Chapter 146

“Fucking again?” Lucy sneered as you and Gemma walked through the apartment, passing by the living room.

“I mean ... technically and ironically, yes,” you said.

“Also literally,” Gemma said.

“Ugh,” Lucy grunted. “You two couldn’t go to his place?”

“I was there last time,” Gemma said. “This time I brought him here. Lucy, we’ve had like three group meetings about this.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t let him know how much he sucks, and tell you how big a mistake you’re making,” Lucy sneered.

Usually, this was where Charlotte or Becca usually stepped in, but there was no sign of either of them. “Come on, love,” you said, taking Gemma’s hand and tugging her towards the hallway and her room. “Let’s just-”

“Love?” Lucy barked out a cynical laugh. “What, are you trying to put on a British affectation now or something? Trying to seem more put together and interesting than you really are, John?”

“Actually, he got it from me because I started calling him that as our pet name first,” Gemma countered. “And then he turned it serious, because he’s a wonderful, attractive, caring, considerate man who told me he loves me, and I happen to have quickly fallen in love with him as well.”

“Pffft,” Lucy blew a raspberry. “You two are in love after a week? What a fucking joke. Congratulations, John. You caught Gemma on the rebound. I’ll stop complaining because you two will be done in another week, tops. You love each other. Sure.”

“Gemma, no,” you said, holding her back as Gemma snarled and curled his hands into fists.

“You fuck knuckle cunt,” Gemma growled. “You have no fucking idea what’s going on between us. And if you couldn’t wrap your dog fuck mind around how good a guy John is when you were in high school, that’s your own cheating slag case of issues. So why don’t you run your snotty little wizard sleeve off to your next tinder cunt fuckboy who will treat you like the shitty tart you are, while we go fuck each other’s brains out all night and fall asleep happy and in the arms of the person we love.”

Lucy’s mouth was hanging open at the obsolete torrent of vitriol Gemma had just spilt out. It had honestly been a little hard to follow, as Gemma’s Aussie accent started to ramp up and even some of the more innocuous insults sounded worse the way she said them.

You had two choices. Option A: Give Lucy a chance to respond. See things escalate. Maybe they fight it out. Then you would get to watch Gemma kick the shit out of Lucy most likely - she had some height and weight on her, and Lucy had always been a little bit of a priss while you had no doubt Gemma could probably throw a proper punch. But, that might literally lead to a domestic call to the police from a neighbour.

Despite kind of wanting to see the middle part of Option A, you went with Option B and picked Gemma up in your arms, carrying her towards her room. “Aaaand that’s the line right there,” you said. “You two can hash it out when you’ve cooled down.”

“Fuck you!” Lucy shouted, standing up from the couch and starting to follow us.

“Don’t!” you said, turning back and pointing right at her. You were loud, and you toned it down immediately. “Lucy, just don’t. Cool off.” Then you kept walking, Gemma wriggling for a moment in your arms as she threw the bird at Lucy over your shoulder.