I tilt his face up, holding his hazel gaze. “I love you,” I say. “And I’ll always be yours.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
SPENCER
Gabriel smoothsdown the front of my dress shirt. We’re backstage, waiting to record a post-Paris interview with the journalist Maisel Leon that will air in primetime later this week.
“Looking very dashing today,” he says. “And not a hint of nerves, either.”
I smile and push his hair behind his ear. “What’s an interview with a global audience? Sounds like just another week to me.” I straighten his tie. “You look very dashing, too, by the way.”
He brushes a kiss over my lips. “Thank you. And let’s hope the weeks ahead have fewer and fewer PR fires to put out, yeah?”
I nod. “Just Grammys and Grand Slams from here on out.”
An assistant waves us over, and after another quick kiss, we walk onto the set. There’s no audience, just a busy crew, bright lights, and a comfortable set with Maisel waiting in a tasteful antique armchair. Gabriel slips his hand into mine as we join her for a friendly greeting before we take our places on the loveseat.
Maisel perks to attention. She wears her curly hair up, and her fitted pink suit would be equally at home in an upscale office or on the red carpet. With a warm smile, she begins the interview.
“Thank you both for making the time to join us. It’s been one week since you won your first Grand Slam, Spencer. Congratulations.”
I flash a confident smile. “Thank you. It’s been a whirlwind. I’m just grateful for the outpouring of support I’ve received since the French Open.”
My mind flashes back again to the incredible sensation of winning a Grand Slam. It was a tough match, but I came out on top.
Gabriel was right there supporting me the whole time, his ticket reinstated after Alyssa utilized her network to appeal to the right people. Seeing him there made one of the most thrilling moments of my life even more brilliant.
His hand lands lightly on my knee. “He hasn’t stopped training, though,” he adds. “Spencer’s only doubled down since his win. I fully expect him to land another title this year.”
Maisel smiles to Gabriel. “Naturally. Although the support hasn’t only been for you, Spencer,” she says with a nod back my way. “Your relationship has taken the world by storm. Yet earlier this year, no one would have guessed that either of you would end up married, let alone to each other.”
Gabriel chuckles. “The Vegas odds weren’t in our favor.”
I smile at him. “Although the Vegas chapels did lend us a helping hand.”
Maisel laughs. “I doubt any of your fans will forget when those photos first hit the tabloids. Looking back, can you tell us what happened? How did you go from a dedicated bachelor and a man who wasn’t out of the closet to getting married?”
“Simple,” Gabriel says. “Spencer is the love of my life. I’m not sure if love at first sight is a real thing, but we came pretty damn close to it.”
I chuckle. It’s a little more complicated than that, of course, but Gabriel’s talented at giving the public just enough of the truth while keeping the full story to ourselves.
And it’s not like either of us remembers the wedding night, anyway.
I lean forward as I lay my hand over his, still pressed to my knee. “He’s a relentless flirt,” I add. “That helped move things along.”
Gabriel and Maisel both laugh. “Duly noted,” she says. “As much as your fans love your relationship, I’m sure there are plenty of people jealous that you, Spencer, are the one who finally landed this guy.”
Gabriel turns his palm up, taking my hand. “No one else had a chance,” he says. “If anything, they should be jealous of me. Men like Spencer are one in a billion.”
Maisel nods. “But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.”
Gabriel’s face turns serious as the journalist directs us into the real topic of this interview, the thing we’re trying to clear up and put behind us for good. “Douglas Wilchins,” he says, squeezing my hand. “I assume you’re referring to the scuffle in Paris?”
She gets serious, too. “Will you tell us what happened, from your perspective?”
I take a deep breath. There’s still so much pain there. The loss sits heavy in my chest, and it’s rare for a day to pass when I don’t think of all the ways my father betrayed me.
It hurts, but I don’t regret a thing. I traded a relationship formed by judgment and rejection for real love, and Gabriel’s support validates that decision every day.
