Is she preparing to leave? To pack up and run like IwishI’d done the first time I thought something might be wrong but ignored my intuition?
I don’t know. I never took the time to learn anything about the woman he chose over me. And I don’t want to now. I just hope she’s going to be okay.
I slide my camera into my bag then drive the rest of the way home in silence, my vision blurring with unshed tears. By the time I pull into Gabriel’s driveway, they’re slipping down my cheeks, hot and unstopping, but I don’t bother wiping them away. I just push open the door, step inside, and the second it shuts behind me, my body gives out. I collapse.
I think I’ll have a moment to pull myself together—it’s late, Gabriel’s probably already asleep—but he’s right there. Sitting on the couch. Waiting for me like he always does when I’m not home.
“Aly?” His voice is sharp and alert. The crackling fire in the living room casts flickering shadows over his face as he shoots up from the couch, ripping off his glasses. “What happened?” he growls, striding toward me. “Who hurt you?” Before I can answer, his arms are around me, lifting me off my feet, holding me like he’s afraid I might disappear.
The pain that I thought I buried two years ago rips through me like it’s a fresh wound, and Gabriel takes it all—every sob, every broken sound—as he carries me to the couch. He settles me in his lap, one arm wrapped tight around my waist, the other cradling my head against his chest. His fingers stroke throughmy hair, combing out the knots and scraping against my scalp to calm me. His lips press soft kisses to my temple and my cheeks, catching the stray tears that slip free.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Let it out. I’m not going anywhere.”
His voice is steady. Grounding and I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve such a strong man. A man who I know for certain will always have me. I can only hope Brian’s girlfriend finds someone just as good as Gabriel someday when she gets the courage to leave.
I breathe him in, clinging to his warmth and the familiar scent of him that feels like home, to the quiet strength of him, until the sobs fade into nothing but a hollow ache that lingers in my chest.
The crackle of the fireplace is the only sound in the living room when he asks me gently, “Do you want to talk about it, sweetheart?”
I swallow and nod my head. “The target for tonight… It was my ex-husband.”
His body stills.
“Did he speak to you?”
I shake my head. “No. But the woman he left me for—she’s the one who hired me.”
Gabriel’s grip tightens, his chest rising and falling with slow, controlled breaths. “Thatmotherfucker.”
I tilt my head back, meeting his eyes, searching. Maybe understanding. I find that and much more.
“I felt her pain, Gabriel,” I whisper. “Her fears. Her doubt. That voice in her head telling her she was just being paranoid, that she was making things up. And then the moment she realized she wasright. I know exactly what she’s feeling right now.” My throat tightens. “I feel horrible for her.”
He nods. “I know you do.” His fingers stroke slow, soothing circles into my back. “But this is her journey, Aly. You can’t carry it for her. You can’t suffer because of thatman-childagain.”
“I know.” And I do. I really do. I want to say that she’ll get through this, that one day she’ll be able to trust and love again, but I don’t know if she will. Because I’ve walked through my own hell. And now, she’ll have to navigate hers.
I inhale deeply then let it out slow. “I don’t want to do it anymore.”
His brows pull together. “What?”
“The PI work. I’m done with private investigating.”
Gabriel exhales. “Good,” he says simply. “We’ll figure out how to pay off your debt some other way. I’ve paid off my mortgage. I don’t have any debt. These apartments will start selling soon. We’ll make it work, sweetheart. I’ve got you.”
“I’ll take more shifts at the bar.”
“Aly.” He cups my cheek gently, tilting my face up to his. “You’re mine now.We’llfigure it outtogether. From the moment you became mine, your problems became our problems and vice versa. Roman and I are going to sell these units fast. I’m making an offer on another property next week in the city and we’ll break ground on those renovations by July. I have more money than I’ve ever had before. I can take care of you.” He pauses, searching my eyes. “But I know you want to do this on your own, so, we’ll find a way to do it.Together.”
And I believe him. Itrusthim. We’ll figure it out. Because he’s got me. And more than that—he’s gotus.
Chapter 37: Alessia
“You alright?” Gabriel asks me again, his hand firm on my shoulder as he tucks me closer into his side like he’s trying to protect me from the results.
His warmth is grounding, his presence a steady anchor in the middle of this storm that I’ve been navigating for years now. Except this time is different. This appointment is different. Because I don’t feel alone having him by my side now.
I nod, though my hands betray me, trembling slightly as I clench them into fists in my lap.
