“Before I had some time to think.” She put the dishes in the sink a little harder than necessary.
“When?” The pitch of his voice rose to an incredulous tone. “While you were napping?”
“Does it matter?” She grabbed ahold of the porcelain edge and rolled her lips inward to keep from shouting. Looking back at him, Ellena willed herself to speak with a calm, cool voice. “Look, I just think that maybe…maybe we’re blowing this whole thing out of proportion.”
“Someone has been stalking you.” He stood abruptly. “They left you hurt and bleeding in the fucking car.”
“That doesn’t mean they were the one to actually hit me.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious.”
Are you?
With a shake of his head, Gabe began moving in her direction. “For argument’s sake, let’s say it was the same person. And that same person purposely rammed his car or truck or whatever the fuck it was into the driver’s side of your car. Then what?”
“Then I don’t want you getting hurt because of some misguided obligation you feel toward me!”
Gabe stopped walking. His dark eyes blinked several times, and it was obvious he was as surprised to hear the admission as she was to have said it aloud.
At first, he didn’t say anything more. He just stood there, staring back at her as if she were some sort of great mystery needing to be solved. When he finally did speak, his harsh tone had softened.
“Is that what you think?” he asked quietly.
Terrified she’d say something even more revealing, Ellena shrugged but remained quiet.
He continued forward, not stopping until he was standing right in front of her. “You think I’m here because I feel obligated?”
“I know you still blame yourself for what happened with Vic, but…” Ellena licked her dry lips and swallowed. “You don’t owe me anything, Gabriel.”
He needed to know that. Needed to understand she wasn’t trying to use their past to guilt him into staying to protect her. Because if something happened to him, too…
“Don’t I?”
Gabe’s broad shoulders fell slightly, the cold wall he’d erected cracking just enough to reveal a sliver of emotion. Despite the pain his leaving had caused, the torment behind his eyes broke her heart.
“Gabe…”
He reached out, his hand inching toward her face. Unable to move, Ellena held her breath as he slid his callused palm against her cheek. His eyes dropped to her mouth.
He’s going to kiss you.
A million thoughts raced through her mind all at once. The one that stood out amongst the rest…
I really want him to.
It was a mistake. One that would no doubt haunt her forever.
She didn’t care.
Ellena lifted her chin as she braced herself to feel what she’d been missing for so long. Gabe leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a barely-there caress.
The doorbell rang.
Sucking in a breath, she looked away. At the same time, Gabe’s wall was back, a cold indifference refilling that damn crack as if it were never there.
“I’m sorry.” He took a step back. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
