The rest of the night goes by in a blur. Adriana and Kenji hit it off and Cecilia joins in their conversation. We order a round of burgers and wings, and Kenji and I both have a few more beers. I keep waiting for the tight feeling in my chest to lessen, but despite the hour that passes, it never really does.
“You okay?” Cecilia asks after Kenji gets up to use the bathroom.
“All good,” I tell her with a grin.
“Don’t do that,” Adriana interjects. “She doesn’t deserve your lies.”
My mouth tightens. “Now isn’t really the?—”
“Yes, it is,” she interrupts me again. “Whatever it is about him, that kid got in your head. You’ve given tonight a solid effort. Kudos. I’m proud of you. But get your head out of your ass. Go home and talk about your feelings with your girl. I’ll tell Kenji you guys decided to call it a night while you go get your head on straight.”
My knee-jerk reaction is to snap at her, but as her words settle over me, it dawns on me that she’s actually doing me a favor. Pulling my wallet out, I toss a few bills on the table to cover mine and Cecilia’s tab and then I tug my girl to her feet.
“Thank you,” I say to Adriana.
She gives me a two-fingered salute. “It’s what I’m here for,” she says. To Cecilia she adds, “Make him talk to you. Don’t let him bury all this shit down. Okay?”
“I won’t.”
With that, we make our way outside. Cecilia slides her arm around my waist, leaning into me as we walk toward her Jeep. “I’m sorry about tonight.”
I press a quick kiss to her temple, trying to push the guilt down. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” I tell her. “I had a good time.” But as the cold air bites at my skin, I know I’m lying. Because tonight stirred up shit I’ve been trying to avoid, and now I have no idea how to deal with it.
CHAPTER 86
CECILIA
The drive back to Gabriel’s place is quiet, the tension between us thick like a weight pressing into my chest. He’s staring out the window, jaw clenched, his fingers tapping a beat against his thigh, a rhythm that doesn’t match the calm I’m trying to find in the silence.
I should say something. Anything. Ask if he’s okay. But I already know he’s not. He’s drowning, and I’m stuck on the shore, wondering how to pull him out.
As we pull up in front of his house, I shift in the driver’s seat, fingers gripping the steering wheel like it’ll stop the nervous energy buzzing in my veins. “I can head home if you need space,” I offer, my voice softer than I mean it to be, trying to gauge his mood.
I expect him to say yes. Take the out. But instead, he surprises me.
“No. Stay.” Gabriel’s voice is rough, low, cutting through the silence. His hand finds mine, resting on my thigh, fingers brushing over the denim like he’s holding onto me for balance. “Please.”
My heart stutters. There’s something in his eyes—something desperate, a plea wrapped in all that tension.
“Of course,” I whisper, squeezing his hand.
We get out of the Jeep, the night air biting at my skin as we make our way to the front door. Gabriel unlocks it, and we step inside. The house is dim, quiet except for the low hum of the refrigerator. But before we can get upstairs, Julio’s voice slices through the silence.
“Where’s Adriana?”
Gabriel sighs, his shoulders sagging as he turns toward his roommate. Julio stands in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, eyes sharp with something close to rage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this upset before. He’s normally the calm, level-headed one in their bunch.
“She’s still out with Kenji,” Gabriel says, his tone clipped like he doesn’t have the energy for this conversation. Not tonight.
Julio’s jaw tightens, the vein in his neck pulsing against his colorful tattoos. “You left her with him? Alone?”
“She’s fine, man,” Gabriel mutters, running a hand through his hair. “She’s a grown-ass woman. She doesn’t need a babysitter.”
Julio grabs his keys off the counter, snatches up his motorcycle helmet, and storms past us, muttering under his breath. “I’m going to check on her.”
Gabriel doesn’t stop him. Just watches as Julio disappears out the door, the sound of his bike roaring to life seconds later.
I glance at Gabriel, worry creeping into my chest. “Should I warn her?”
