Hellfire was usually the highlight of my week; getting to hang with my best friends and lose myself in a campaign, but as soon as Gareth arrived tonight the atmosphere was completely off. The way he'd spoken about Rain joining us had riled me, and his reaction to my neck was way outta proportion, but I was prepared to drop it all and move on. "Okay ladies let's get this show on the road!" Erica announced, herding everyone into their seats. I liked mini Sinclair - she had balls and knew how to put us all in our places. A couple hours in we took a break. "Y'know Suzie gave me a hickey last time I saw her, it was pretty intense." Dustin laid back in his chair, looking smug. Will cracked a smile as Mike shook his head, Erica rolled her eyes and spoke up, "Suckin on someone's neck is dis-gus-ting." Lucas looked embarrassed by her and nudged her with his elbow. Gareth just slumped in his chair, sighing and looking pissed - what was with him tonight?! I could see Will and Mike's knees touching under the table and it sparked a flame of joy in my stomach. Will turned to me, "Are you and Rain exclusive now?" Jeff answered before I could, "Pfft of course they are, matching hickeys? They're basically married now." He shot me a grin across the table and I flicked a chip at him, trying not to grin back. Dustin slapped a hand on my forearm, "I knew you guys would get together soon enough. I'm stoked for you man, you both look really happy." God damn I loved this kid with my whole heart. I slung an arm round his shoulder and thanked him. The splintering sound of a can being crushed made us all jump, Gareth had destroyed his Coke can and had a face like thunder. "Can we please get back to the game, seriously why are we all acting like Eddie's the first guy in the world to get laid." I arched a brow at him. Jeff looked uncomfortable and tried mediating, "We're just telling Eddie we're pleased for him, you know how long he's been into Rain."

We continued with the campaign but every now and then I felt Gareth's eyes burning holes into my skin. Towards the end of the session I'd had enough of his crap and finally snapped. "Out with it Gareth - the fuck is up with you tonight?" Everyone looked awkwardly between us. "Don't have a problem." He muttered. I stifled a sarcastic comment, then saw Mike looking pretty pissed, "You do dude so, what is it? Do you have an issue with my cousin? Because you were super rude to them earlier." He shot at Gareth, who looked stunned by the outburst. "Jeez why is everything about Rain all of a sudden?! I don't have a problem." He rolled his eyes. Dustin carried on the interrogation, "Okay so you're butthurt that Eddie got lucky this weekend, because that girl you were sucking face with at the party rejected you?" Mike flicked a chip at Dustin when he mentioned me getting lucky with Rain, and honestly I was shocked he'd said it too. Gareth turned pink and slammed a fist on the table, "Annie didn't reject me, because I didn't try to sleep with her, that chick wouldn't be hot enough to screw unless I was completely wasted. On that note, how do we know that wasn't the only reason Eddie got laid after the party? We all know that's the only reason anyone's slept with him before." The implication that Rain would have to be wasted to want to sleep with me was enough to push me over the edge. What made it worse was how Gareth used something I'd confided in him with, against me. After the last woman I'd briefly dated dumped me by saying she'd had to drink every time we screwed because she wasn't actually sexually attracted to me (she'd just wanted me for free tattoos), I'd shown up on Gareth's doorstep and lamented about my shitty luck with love (as well as about my encounter with Steve). Everyone I'd ever done anything with either kept me a secret, had to be drunk, or ghosted me afterwards.

I snorted, "Trust me G, Rain wasn't drunk, either time." Mike clapped his hands over his ears and sauntered upstairs, followed immediately by Will, Erica and Lucas. By now Gareth and I were both standing opposite one another, arms folded. Jeff tried once more to defuse the situation, "Not cool Gareth. Whatever's got your panties in a twist, forget it. Session's over, let's go." He pushed Gareth in front of him and up the stairs, Dustin stuck close to my side and mumbled, "Don't listen him, he's been a total asshole recently." I looked down at Dustin and bumped him with my shoulder in appreciation, 'thanks for having my back." Dustin gave me a wide smile, "Always." Back in the kitchen, I leaned against a cupboard as the hellfire club filtered out of Mike's house. When it was just Mike, Will and I left in there, I apologised for the scene. "Listen dude, I'm sorry for what happened tonight, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Mike was leaning against Will, and lifted his head to reply, "It's fine. Gareth shouldn't have said those things. You and Rain are good together - just uh...spare me the intimate details in the future." At that moment Nancy and Rain strolled into the kitchen, "hey, ready to go?" Rain eyed me suspiciously, sensing something was up. I shrugged it off and said my goodbyes to Mike and Will.