Gabriel shrugs. “It’s what family does.”
“Come on! J made food,” Atticus chimes in, leading our group into the kitchen where we find a spread of carne asada, tortillas, rice, and beans.
My vision blurs. “You guys didn’t need to do all of this,” I tell them.
Gabriel presses a kiss to the side of my neck.
“Yes, we did,” Julio tells me, an almost apologetic smile on his face. “You’re one of us,” he says. “And we take care of our own.” My heart melts into a puddle. Not so long ago, Julio was the one telling me to let Gabriel go, and now, to have his acceptance … I don’t know. To belong— I can’t help but grin.
Gabriel grabs a couple of water bottles from the fridge, but his gaze is locked on me, watching my every move. There’s this unspoken understanding between us, like he knows what I need before I even have to ask.
I take a sip of the water he hands me, feeling it cool the previous tension in my chest. For a while, we just stand there as everyone else grabs plates and moves about the room.
“Bro, did you ask her yet?” Felix asks.
“I’m getting there,” Gabriel growls at him.
My brows furrow. “Ask me what?”
“Well, get on with it,” Atticus adds, then we can really celebrate.
“What are they talking about?”
Gabriel shakes his head. “Ignore them,” he tells me. “They’re meddling.”
Deacon steps up beside me and offers me a plate. "We're meddling because you’re taking your sweet ass time. Stop being a pussy and ask her already.”
My curiosity is officially peaked, and I give Gabriel a look that says,well?
He chuckles before leaning forward to capture my lips. The kiss is quick, gentle, but it still does something to my insides and has me leaning into him, desperate for more.
“Move in with me,” he murmurs against my lips.
His words cut through my desire, and I freeze, my breath hitching as I look up at him. For a second, I’m not sure if I heard him right.
“What?” My voice is barely a whisper, my heart pounding so hard I swear he can hear it.
Gabriel steps closer, his hands slipping around my waist, pulling me against his chest. His forehead drops to mine, and I feel his exhale, the warm rush of his breath brushing over my skin.
“Move in with me,” he repeats, softer this time, his voice rough around the edges. “I know it’s fast, but I don’t care. I want you with me, Cecilia. Every day.”
My mind spins, trying to process the weight of his words. Move in with him? Live here, together? I look around the room at all of the waiting faces. “You guys are all cool with that?” I ask.
I’m greeted by a chorus of “Yes!”
“I ... I don’t know what to say,” I murmur, my voice trembling.
Gabriel tightens his grip on me, his hands trailing up to cup my face. “We all talked about it over the weekend,” he tells me. “You don’t have to decide right now. Just ... don’t say no. Okay? Think about it.”
He kisses my temple, his lips lingering there for a second longer than usual, and it’s like the world stops spinning. His touch, the warmth of his breath on my skin—it anchors me in a way that nothing else ever has. I want to move in with him. I’m ready to be all in.
“Yes.”
The word slips out before I can even think it through, but the second I say it, I know it’s the right decision. His head jerks back, his eyes wide, searching mine like he’s trying to make sure he didn’t imagine it.
“What did you just say?” His voice is hoarse, his hands trembling slightly where they rest on my cheeks.
I smile, the weight of everything lifting off my chest. “Yes, Gabriel. I’ll move in with you.”
