𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝟏𝟖+

28. jet

GABRIEL DALTON

✥

I leave Poppy to shower whilst I head downstairs to fix us something to eat. There is a heavy smile on my face after the morning we had, nothing like a bit of pillow talk leading to a happy ending. God, I sound like such an old man who never gets laid.

But Poppy is the first person to touch me in years.

Alexia is always on my back to try and find myself a partner after she's been all over Lonzo but it hasn't appealed to me. I guess the right woman never came around until Poppy walked straight into my life and turned it upside down.

She says handjobs can't change your life but holy hell, it certainly can. It's like I'm a damn teenager all over again.

As I approach the kitchen in nothing but a pair of dark sweatpants, I find Lonzo and Alexia enjoying their own breakfast that Harriet has prepared for them. "Hey," my sister's eyes light up as she sees me.

"Morning," I nod.

I don't miss the way Lonzo stares me down like he has lasers in his eyes. Deadly ones at that. "What?" I huff out to him as I approach the fridge and swing it open to see what we're working with.

"You spent the night with Poppy?" His voice is dark and makes my skin crawl.

My eyes flick up to the ceiling. "And what?"

"I told you not to bring her here."

I slam the fridge shut as loudly as I can because I feel like being petty right now. "And you're not the only one who lives here."

"Lonzo," Alexia says carefully. "You need to drop this nonsense."

"Nonsense?" He repeats. "Keeping you safe is nonsense?"

I turn to face the pair of them and I'm relieved to find Alexia staring at Lonzo the same way I am. In utter disgust. "She has done nothing to us!" Her voice echoes over his. "She's sweet and caring. She works for Zane, has a fucking job. So what if she went to court over something that happened years ago? You said Ray was going to find out more information and he hasn't. So drop it."

"Thank you, Alexia." I nod and return to making food on the counter.

"I don't think you understand–"

"No, I understand plenty." She raises her voice and I'm so pleased to find that she has a backbone when it comes to him. Not a lot of people do and she speaks her mind freely. It's one of the many things that I admire about her. She doesn't take any shit and can put Lonzo in his place when she wants. "If you do anything to push her away, ruin whatever is going on between her and Gabriel, I will never, ever forgive you."

Alexia's eyes are cold and I know she means every word. Lonzo just stares back at her as if he's contemplating her words but realistically, he will never do anything to break what they have. I know how exactly she makes him feel–she turned his ice heart fucking warm.

The kitchen turns to an awkward silence and I'm so thankful that I'm occupying myself with making breakfast right now. Once I have the plates ready to take upstairs my phone starts ringing in my pocket, I place my hand inside and pull it out to find my mother's name across the screen.

I furrow my brows. I haven't heard from her in months, if not years.

"Well isn't this a surprise, mother." I drawl.

Alexia's gaze snaps to mine within a millisecond. "Gabriel," her voice is shaken and I stiffen. "Something has happened."

I clutch the phone tighter and lean on the counter. "What?" I demand. "What has happened?"