I know.

Thirty Five

I hit send of the picture of the bar to Fin. This wasn't my usual drinking place, but Gus had said it was the place Fin told him to watch the games when he could finally drink for them. It was over in Milborough so was a little trek to get here but we were making it work. Piper and Dec had finally returned home on Wednesday, tanned and all over each other, their' hands had not left the others for barely a second and I swear she actually pouted when he went to the bar, almost squealing at his return. I wasn't as grossed out by it right now. Not now I had Fin. Bitter single people am I right?

Zoe and Gus had fought over who got to bring me out tonight but, I was out with Zoe anyway, collecting my order from the suppliers so it was now packed in the back of her car. Pictures of Fin's bruise had been everywhere this week. Reporters dying to find out who had left them. It was such an obvious claim that, whoever it was, wanted the world to know he was theirs. Zoe raised her eyebrow at me when Gus saw it at Thursday night dinner, Moira going on a screaming rant, as I had expected her to. I still hadn't told Zoe about the boyfriend thing. Or the sex thing. Or the late night video calls where I'd follow his detailed instructions and pant to his groans.

"Come on Ror. It was you wasn't it?" She pried again, Pip at the loo, the boys getting another round of drinks in.

"No comment."

"It had to have been you. He wouldn't kiss you and then be pictured 4 days later with a hickey in the shape of a freaking love heart. You told me you did that to Cason when you first got together."

"Don't know what you mean."

"What are you two talking about?" Dec squashed Gus into the corner of the booth beside me.

"Who do you guys think left that cute little bruise on Fin's neck?" Zoe took her drink from the middle of the table.

"Obviously whoever he was sleeping with back home."

"Who was sleeping with who back home?" Pip sat down on Declan's lap, instantly wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Okay can we keep marital relations out of sight please?" I shuddered. "I'm happy you're happy and in love and whatever but gross." Zoe snickered.

"Griffin was sleeping with some girl up here whilst he was home. Barely spent a single night in his own bed." Pip looked at me and raised an eyebrow at me not freaking out over his name.

"Oh. Pip. We're good. We had a long conversation."

"I don't think shouting at each other and you calling him a whore in mums kitchen counts as you being good."

"He deserved that." I shrugged and sipped my beer.

"Anyway, getting back on track. Who could Griffin be sleeping with?"

"I reckon he has a girlfriend in London he's not telling anyone about."

"Why would he hide a girlfriend?" Piper laughed. "That's such a stupid thing to hide. If you're happy, you're happy, flaunt it."

"No, I don't think it's a girlfriend. Fin doesn't do labels. Did you know he never officially labelled him and Shannon?" I looked at Zoe and then back to Gus.

"What?"

"They were together for like 3 years." Gus nodded. What? He didn't label things with the girl he dated for 3 years, but he labelled it with me after less than 48 hours? "That can't be right Gus."

"It is. When I told him I wanted to ask Sara to be my girlfriend at the wedding, he told me labels were meaningless. You could have everything without a label and be open to trying out other options and no one can get pent up about it. His exact words."

"But why would you let someone leave a mark like that, knowing too damn well it's going to get picked up on if you don't have a label on it?" Gus shrugged at Declan's question. "What an idiot. Sorry man. But he is. Some girl is marking her territory for the whole world and he doesn't want to put a label on it so he can sleep around? She's obviously trying to tie him down when he doesn't want to be." I looked at my phone, seeing the message I'd sent him had been read.

This preseason match apparently had a lot riding on it. The first decider between last year's top 2, his current team and the one he wanted to swap for. He'd said he wanted to grab the manager after the match and talk privately. He was going to text me what was said because I'd most likely leave here with everyone after the game, head to our local pub and get wasted. It was Friday night. Nothing mattered.

"No. I think this is different." My eyes darted up to Gus. "He used to brag about whoever he was sleeping with. I have a call with him twice a month. Me and him and then I'll put him onto mum and when I ask him how he is he's always goes on about the name he's fucking or whatever. But he's been so secretive about whoever this is. I asked him about it before he left on Friday and he just smiled. That was it. Not even like a mischievous smile, you know like Griffin does? No, just a sweet, soft smile. I think he really likes whoever it is."

"Then why hide it?" Piper rolled her eyes again.

"Maybe he likes her too much Pip. Going from that kind of personality, fuck boy, sleeps around. Whoever it is, she must be close by so someone from town, someone we know. Maybe he doesn't want the town to judge her?" Zoe's hand slipped onto my leg, giving me a little squeeze and pushing her phone towards me as I looked at my lap.

'He likes you that much? I thought it was just a kiss?' The text in her note read. I took it from her, swallowing and considering what I was about to type.

'We went away on Friday. To some cabin in the middle of nowhere, called me his girlfriend. On our way home Sunday, things got a little heavy in the back seat of his car after I gave him that bruise.' I handed it back to her, knocking her when she gasped and looked at me with wide eyes.

"What?" Piper tried to look over the table at the phone but Zoe locked it, coughing as she reached for her glass.

"Nothing. Just a hiccup."