I remembered back to the comments on the No Shade page. Most of the comments were directed at me.
“Men are always able to walk away smelling like roses while we’re left holding the bag,” she said.
My shoulders sagged.
“I gotta go,” I said.
“Go where? Do you need me down there?”
“No,” I told her. “I’ll call you if I need you.” I hung up the phone and headed out of the room. I grabbed my shoulder bag and keys to my rental before leaving. There was only one person who could genuinely answer whether he’d done this or not. And I wanted to look him in the eye while he answered me.
* * *
It didn’t makesense that Gabe would be the one to do this, but I still needed to ask. Like Rayven had said, my judgment when it came to men was questionable. It was built into my DNA. My last relationship all but proved that.
I was so sick of being lied to and manipulated by people. The people who were supposed to be the closest to me often became the ones that I could trust the least.
I thought I’d formed a tough outer shell from it all, but as I drove over to No Sweat, I could feel the tears pricking the backs of my eyes. The questions that Demetria and Rayven both brought up kept running through my head. Gabe had been the one to suggest we go to that club that night. He told me his friend from college owned it. If anything, he would’ve had the opportunity to set up those photos.
But then again, it could've been a random stranger in the club who recognized either one of us. Everyone had a camera phone these days, and many people were willing to sell photos to a gossip site for money.
I made it to No Sweat and barged through the door of the gym. I headed to the staircase and ran up the steps to get to his office.
Energy buzzed through my veins as the questions in my mind continued to mount. I didn’t want to believe that Gabe could’ve done something like this, but then again, who wants to think that the man they’re in love—
Not love. Like. The man they like could be capable of deceiving them.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Clarkson,” the office assistant greeted.
“Is Gabriel here?” I asked, scanning the office with my gaze.
“Uh, yes, he’s in his office. Let me give him a call.”
“No, don’t,” I said, holding my hand up. I wanted this visit to be as much of a surprise as possible. That way, his reaction would be genuine.
I didn’t wait for her reply before rounding the corner toward Gabriel’s office.
I knocked on the closed door.
“Miriam? Come in,” his deep timbre instructed.
I pushed through the door. Gabe glanced over his shoulder away from his computer. Surprise registered in those damn oddly colored eyes of his, and I had to look at a different point on his face.
“Did you do this?” I asked, shutting the door behind me.
He rose from his seat with a deep wrinkle in between his eyebrows. “Do what?”
I held up my phone and opened the email Demetria sent before turning the screen to face him.
“This.”
His frown deepened as he took the phone from my hand. He read it over, scanning the photos.
“Fuck.”
“Did you do this?”
His gaze was sharp as it turned on me. “Are you asking me if I sold photos of us in New York to a damn gossip site?” There was a guttural undercurrent in his voice. It made me think twice about what I was asking him, but still, I pressed forward.
