Another image flashed, but this one was different. It was of Ellena’s face when Gracie commented on how no one knew he was married.
I fucking hurt her.
Gabe rubbed his chest before turning on his heels and heading back inside. He needed to make this right with her. Explain why he hadn’t ever mentioned her or their marriage to the guys and make her understand it had nothing to do with her.
The screen door creaked as he pulled it open. Ellena was still standing by the table where he’d left her, the computer now held snugly against her chest.
“I’m sorry,” Gabe whispered softly.
“For what?”
“I should have told my team about you.”
A set of guarded blue eyes shone back at his. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. I shouldn’t be. I was your wife, and you shut me out back then. Why would your new team be any different?”
“You’re still my wife, Elle.” He took a step toward her. “And I…I never meant to shut you out.”
“Yes, you did.” She smiled sadly. “And I let you. That was my mistake.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Your entire focus back then was on protecting me. That’s all you thought about, to the point you obsessed over it.” Her swallow was audible, her voice barely more than a whisper. “But I didn’t need your protection, Gabriel. I needed your love.”
Heart pounding to the point of pain, Gabe closed the distance between them. Cupping her face with his palm, he stared down at her, willing her to understand.
“My love for you is the whole reason I left.”
Ellena shook her head against his hand, a single tear falling down across her cheek. “You left because you were scared.”
“I left becauseIwas the reason you lost everything.”
Another tear fell. “That’s where you’re wrong, Gabriel.” She reached up, wrapping her fingers around his thick wrist. “I didn’t lose everything until you walked away.”
Removing his hand from her face, Ellena turned her back on him and walked quietly to the bedroom.
As she reached for the doorknob, Gabe said, “Ellena.”
She stopped but didn’t bother looking at him.
The words he wanted to say—things heneededto tell her—were right there, on the tip of his tongue. But when he opened his mouth, all he heard himself say was, “I need to do a perimeter sweep. Check outside and make sure the area is secure.”
She gave him a resigned nod. “Okay.”
Goddamnit.
Why couldn’t he tell her everything he was thinking? Everything he felt?
“I’ll lock the door behind me and let myself back in. I won’t be far, but”—he sat the burner phone down on the table beside him—“this phone is for you to use in case of an emergency. It has my number already programmed in it. I’ll only be gone a few minutes, but if you need something, call me.”
Ellena looked over at the phone, but not at him. With another soft ‘Okay’, she walked into the other room, shutting the door behind her.
Resting his hands on his hips, Gabe closed his eyes and hung his head, hating that he’d taken yet another fucking step backward with her. How the hell they went from being seconds away from ecstasy to her barely speaking to him…
Fuck!
Full of pent-up anger—mostly at himself—Gabe yanked his keys from his pocket and headed outside. After making sure the door was locked, he stormed down the porch steps and started his perimeter check.
A cool, fall breeze blew through his short hair as he strategically walked around the cabin and through the trees. Elle’s words ran through his mind, making his heart physically hurt.
