“That’s why you freaked out earlier, right? Because someone hurt you?”
“No.” I vigorously shake my head. “No. No. No.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” He reaches out for me and—shit. I can’t. My hands fumble for the latch on the door and, getting it open, I fall back onto the sidewalk.
“Jesus—” Gabriel rounds the car before I even manage to scramble back to my feet. “Cecilia?—”
I pick up my bag and make a beeline for my house.
“What just happened?”
Gabriel jogs to keep pace with me. The door to my car is wide open and I can’t find it in me to care. I just need to get away.
“Cecilia, talk to me.”
Gabriel puts himself in front of me, blocking my path, and grabs both of my shoulders. “Will you stop for one second?”
“No.”
“No?”
I tear away from him. I can see my house. I’m almost there. My steps pick up. I’m nearly running, but Gabriel is right beside me.
“You can’t just run away from this.”
Watch me. I push past the front gate to my house and jog up the porch steps. Shoving my way inside, I slam the door behind me, but Gabriel is there to catch it. Without missing a beat, he follows me inside.
Mom and Dad are in the living room like they always are, waiting for me, but I can’t deal with their shocked expressions right now.
I round on Gabriel. “Get out of my house!”
Gabriel’s jaw tightens. He turns to my parents and in a respectful tone says, “Mrs. Russo. Mr. Russo. Hi.” He nods in greeting.
“Don’t talk to my parents.” My vision goes red and the feeling of betrayal wraps vicious hands around my throat, reminding me they’ve already met. That they helped him invade my life. “Why are you saying hi to my parents? Get out!”
He keeps his eyes locked on me, but I’m not the one he speaks to.
“Is it alright if Cecilia and I speak in her room?”
Mom and Dad stare at him in stunned silence, but it’s Dad who clears his throat and tugs a wide-eyed Mom to her feet. “We’ll give you two some privacy.” He grabs his keys from the hook by the door and tugs my mom out behind him. Neither one of them mutters so much as an apology to me before leaving.
I stare open mouthed at their backs. What the hell is happening? How could they do this? Just leave me here alone with him. They don’t even know him.
The door closes behind them with a soft snick, leaving Gabriel and me alone in my house, and I just can’t with him right now. I storm upstairs to my bedroom, ignoring the sound of his heavy steps on the carpet behind me.
I try and fail again to slam my door in his face. He kicks his foot out into the gap between the door and the frame before pushing his way into my space. My life. It’s too much.
He has no right to do this. To insert himself into my life like this. I don’t want him here.
“Get out.”
“Not until we talk?—”
“Get out!” I say again, my voice louder this time.
His eyes narrow, and a vein jumps out on his neck.
“You had a panic attack.”
