Gabriel’s the only one I want near me right now.
“Okay,” I whisper, almost to myself. “Just for tonight.”
His arms tighten, and I can feel the tension leave his body, like he was holding his breath, waiting for me to pull away. “Thank you.“ His voice is thick with relief.
Without another word, Gabriel takes my hand and leads me to the car. His touch is firm but gentle, his thumb brushing over my knuckles as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he lets go. Felix sits in the front seat, his gaze flicking between us as we slide into the back.
“Everything good?” Felix asks, his tone cautious, but filled with an unspoken understanding.
Gabriel nods, pulling me into his side the moment we’re both seated. “Yeah. We’re good.”
Felix doesn’t ask any more questions, just throws the car into drive and heads for the soccer house. I lean into Gabriel, letting his warmth seep into me, the steady rhythm of his breathing a balm to my frayed nerves. His arm stays wrapped around me the entire ride, his fingers tracing light patterns on my arm.
When we pull up to the house, Gabriel doesn’t waste a second. He opens the door and helps me out, his hand never leaving mine as he guides me inside. The familiar smell of him—cologne and something distinctlyGabriel—soothes me, keeps me from falling apart.
The house is quiet, the lights dim, and there’s an eerie sense of calm as we walk through the door. It feels surreal, like this moment isn’t supposed to exist. Like we’re suspended in time, just the two of us, trying to navigate through all the wreckage of tonight.
“You need anything? Water? Something to eat?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m okay.”
Julio and Atticus, with Deacon only a few steps behind them, step into the room having come from deeper within the house.
“Everything good?” Julio asks, taking in the three of us.
“All good,” Felix says, but some other form of silent communication passes between them.
“We’re going to head upstairs. We’ll talk more in the morning,” Gabriel tells them.
Julio frowns but doesn’t object as Gabriel tugs on my hand, encouraging me to follow him.
“Goodnight,” I tell the guys.
“Goodnight,” a chorus of voices responds.
“C’mon,” Gabriel murmurs, his voice soft, but insistent, as he leads me up the stairs and into his room. It’s dimly lit, the moonlight filtering through the blinds, casting soft shadows across the bed. His space is always so clean, so organized, and yet right now, it feels like the safest mess I could ever step into.
I sit on the edge of the bed, running my fingers through my hair, trying to shake off the weight of the day, but it clings to me like a second skin.
Gabriel crouches in front of me, his warm hands on my bare knees, his eyes searching mine with so much intensity it makes my chest ache. “You okay?”
“I will be,” I whisper. “I just … need a minute.”
He nods, his thumb brushing over my skin again, sending shivers racing up my spine. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
I believe him.
Seconds pass, turning into minutes, both of us too afraid to break the silence. Whatever this is, whatever moment of peace we’ve found together, it feels fragile, and I don’t want to be the one to shatter it.
“You know you can talk to me,” he murmurs.
“Do you want to talk about the wedding?” I counter.
His lips press into a thin line, and he shakes his head no.
“I don’t want to talk about tonight, either.”
“We need to,” he tells me.
