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“What’s that supposed to mean, her?” she scoffs. “But to answer your question, no. He is most definitely not my kid.”

“Dude, how old do you think she is?” Gabriel laughs, nonetheless, throwing an arm around her shoulders before tossing her hair.

“I don’t know,” I mutter, suddenly feeling uneasy. I probably should know how old the girl is that I’m awkwardly obsessing over.

Izel shoves Gabriel away, pushing hair out of her face. Which only makes him laugh harder.

“Alright, well where are we going now?” he asks as we start walking back to my truck.

I walk behind Izel with the urge to touch her. I want to grab her hand and walk beside her, but I don’t want Gabriel saying something. I know there’s always a chance for her to and Gabriel seems just as talkative as she is.

“We’ll figure it out,” she mumbles as if she doesn’t want me to hear what she’s saying. “It’ll be okay.”

Neither of them speak as we approach the truck. Unlocking it, Gabriel climbs into the back and before I can open the passenger side, she taps my arm and nods her head towards the back. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, but still help her into the back. Rounding the truck, I wait for them to buckle up before pulling out of the woods.

Just as I go to hand Izel my phone for music or whatever she wants to do with it, someone’s stomach growls in the back. My eyes shift to the mirror, looking back at Gabriel who shyly tries to sink back into the leather seats.

“When was the last time you ate?” Izel asks.

“I’m fine,” he mutters.

“Gabriel, when was the last time you ate? And you know I won’t stop asking, so just tell me. When was the last time?”

Gabriel’s eyes flick up meeting mine in the mirror before he scowls. “Two days.” He lowers his voice but fails at not letting me hear it.

I might be a bastard but I’m not going to let the boy starve.Even if I want him to stop touching her.

“Uh…” Her eyes travel to the front. I already know what she’s going to ask before she has to.

“I’m fine,” Gabriel once again says.

I’m getting real sick of this fucking word, fine.

“The only place probably open is McDonalds,” I finally say, taking a left where the fast food would be.

“I told you I’m fi–”

“Gabriel Hollow!” Izel hisses, rage filling her eyes as she glares at him. “Just say thank you.”

“Err, thank you.”He grunts, meeting my stare in the mirror.

Nodding my head, I tighten my grip on the wheel when Izel grabs his hand, holding it. I have no right to feel this way. I shouldn’t be upset that she’s touching another man. Fuck this sickening feeling.

She’s not mine.

She’s not.

She can’t be.

“That’s a lot of food,” Gabriel’s says to Izel as she steals another fry from me. She tries to be sneaky, yet she almost misses the container every time.I swear she’s blind half the time.

“Just say thank you, Gabriel,” she reminds him.

“Thanks.” Since saying thank you, he has refused to make any more eye contact, or even glance in my general direction.

Waving it off, I swirl the cup in my hands, needing them to do something. I want to reach over and run my hands across Izel’s skin. But that would be weird especially with Gabriel. Just the small amount of time with him, he’ll noticed and surely ask questions.

No one talks after that. Izel just smiles at him while he shoves his face full of nuggets and fries. Having ordered two twenty pieces, two large fries, and three burgers, Gabriel finishes most of it but the fries. It’s not until I glance over at Izel that I find she’s already watching me, it shouldn’t surprise me. But it does.