I spent the next hour organizing and cleaning before there was a knock on my door.
I groaned when I saw Gabriel through the peephole. We hadn’t spoken since we’d broken up, aside from a few messages he’d left for me, which I hadn’t returned. I pulled the door open.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” I said, my voice ice cold. This man didn’t deserve my time or my energy. He had some nerve showing up here.
“I came to say goodbye to you, my love.”
I tried not to physically show my repulsion as my hands fisted at my side, anger coursing through my veins.
My love?
He didn’t even know what the word meant.
He’d lied to me. Betrayed me. And I’d hoped I’d never have to see his face again.
I looked at him as I blocked the doorway. “I’m guessing you stopped in the café and heard I was leaving?”
“Yes. I gave you some time to cool down and thought maybe you’d be ready to talk about it, and then I found out that you’re leaving. Your age is showing, Gracie.”
He loved to pull the age card on me. He was a decade older than me, and anytime we disagreed about anything, he’d say it was due to my age, not the fact that he was an arrogant prick.
“And your ignorance is showing, Gabriel.” My lips formed a flat line.
“You broke up with me before you found out about the affair. So obviously we weren’t happy. We both weren’t happy. But we should have talked about it, not broken up.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his crisp white dress shirt buttoned down low enough to show a little chest hair.
Gabriel was physically attractive, there was no arguing it—but now that I knew who he was, I didn’t look at him the same way.
He’d changed so much from the moment we’d arrived in Paris, only to follow it up with broken promises and deceit.
We had nothing to discuss.
“Why do you care? You were sleeping with another woman.” I sighed. “And as shitty as I think that is, you are correct—we weren’t happy. This move was a huge mistake, and I’m ready to make it right.”
“Perhaps if you’d moved in with me like I’d suggested, and not chosen to live in this…” He flung his arms around as his temper started to show again. Anytime he didn’t get his way, he would find something to whine about. “This shit shack.”
“How eloquent of you.” I glared at him. “The only decision I’m proud of since moving here is that I trusted my gut about getting my own place. Otherwise, I would have felt trapped.”
“Trapped?” he scoffed. “I live in a goddamn penthouse in a neighborhood most people dream of living in. ‘Trapped’ is a bit dramatic, Gracie.”
“Listen, we’ve had time to cool down, so I’m going to speak plainly.” I cleared my throat before continuing. “I romanticized our relationship, along with this move. You made me promises that you did not keep, and I pulled away from you because I wasn’t happy. So let’s cut our losses, and just say goodbye.”
“And what promises didn’t I keep, Gracie?”
Was he for real? Did he think I wouldn’t call him out?
“Well, for starters, you were going to help me start my design business. But from the moment we arrived here, you did everything in your power to keep me from doing what I love. You guilted me daily about needing my help with your career. We were supposed to support one another. But I think you moved me here to make me your personal assistant. You had no intentions of helping me start my own business. You knew I didn’t know anyone here, and you did what you could to force me to be dependent on you. But here I am, Gabriel, putting mylife back together all on my own,” I said, tipping my chin up as the words left my mouth.
His jaw clenched, and it was obvious that I’d struck a nerve. “Do you know how long the list of people is who want to be my assistant? Yet you didn’t appreciate the opportunity I gave you.”
“An opportunity that I didn’t ask for. I have my own dreams. I can support yours and still pursue mine. You want a partner who supports yours and has none of her own. So, it was never going to work.”
“My plan was always to help you after my next exhibit. But you were impatient. Young. Too quick to jump ship.”
“Gabriel. You were having an affair. I’m certainly not the only one who jumped ship.” I chuckled, but there was no humor in it.
“Has it ever occurred to you that I fucked someone else because I wasn’t fucking you?” he hissed, showing that side of himself that had had me running for the hills the first time I saw it the night I’d ended things. “We hadn’t had sex in months. I’m a man who has needs. You’re a woman who doesn’t bring much to the table sexually.”
Ouch. That one is going to leave a mark.
