“No.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I keep trying to, but the last thing I remember from that day is driving to work that morning. Everything between that and waking up in the hospital is still a blur.”
He could tell she was frustrated, and he understood why. A huge piece to the puzzle they needed to solve could be locked away somewhere inside her, but she couldn’t seem to find it.
She’d get there eventually. Gabe had complete faith in that. Because he had faith inher
“Don’t try to force it, Elle,” he told her softly. “Your brain just needs time to heal. You’ll get there.”
She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “Hopefully I get there sooner rather than later.”
“You will.”
One corner of her mouth turned upward in a half-smile. The movement was just enough to show off one of her adorable dimples, and damn if he didn’t want to kiss it.
“So basically, we don’t have shit…err…crap to go on.” Zade gave Elle an apologetic grin. “Sorry, Doctor Dawson. I meant no disrespect.”
“I told you before to call me Elle, Zade.” Her smile grew wider. “And as surprising as it may seem, I have actually heard the word ‘shit’ before today.”
Her smartass comment left the guys chuckling, but all Gabe could focus on was the fact thatbothdimples were showing now. God, he missed seeing those.
He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep himself from doing something stupid like yanking her out of that damn chair and hauling her upstairs to her bedroom.
“I’m sure you heard a hell of a lot worse when you were married to this guy.” Matt jutted his chin toward Gabe.
“We’re still married, dickhead.” The comment was out of Gabe’s mouth before he could stop it.
“Oh, that’s right.” Matt raised a brow. “Sorry. Hard to keep track.”
Shit. Gabe knew he’d have to clear the air with the guy soon. Back when Matt’s woman had been taken and was being held captive, he’d told him about Elle. Sort of.
Instead of giving Matt the truth, Gabe had shared the rehearsed version of why he and Elle weren’t still together. One involving a fictional bank robbery and Elle blaming the Teams for keeping him away from home.
Why go through the trouble of inventing such a story? Because he was a chickenshit bastard.
Elle’s eyes shot up to his, then awkwardly skittered away.
Seriously, Dawson? Why the fuck did you bring attention to the fact that you’re still married?
He wished like hell he knew. From the second he’d stepped foot into her room two days ago, Gabe had been all over the fucking map.
Just like her switching between having a cool indifference toward him to thanking him for wanting to protect her, his own conflicting thoughts and emotions had been bouncing around inside him like a goddamn pinball machine.
And he fucking hated it.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d apparently lost control of his goddamn mouth, too, because…Jesus. Had he really thrown the fact that she’d filed for divorce back in her face?
Yeah, asshole. You really did.
Gabe knew full well it was a total dick move. One he regretted making the moment it happened.
Not only did the woman have every right to divorce his ass, she should’ve done that shit a long damn time ago.
A nauseating churn formed by years of regret filled his gut.
Despite the fact that he’d been the one to leave, it still killed him to know Elle was finally moving on without him. And God, the thought of her being with someone else made him want to pick her up and carry her away from every other male on the planet.
But she deserved to be happy. To be free to live the life she wanted. The life shedeserved.There once was a time Gabe thought that life would include him.
Maybe it still can.
