Marshall is kissing her back. His eyes are closed, his hands on her waist, and he’s kissing her with the same confidence he does everything else. I stare, taking in the way his head tilts, the way his mouth moves, the way his hands flex against her hips.
The jealousy intensifies, and it’s joined by something else. Something worse.
I don’t want to be kissing Luca.
I want to be in Sofia’s place.
Kissing Marshall.
The realization hits me all at once, and I can’t breathe. It’s horrifying. It’s wrong. I can’t want this. I can’t want him.
But I do.
Luca’s lips move against mine, and I feel nothing. No spark, no heat, no desire. Just the crushing weight of the truth I’ve been running from. I feel like I’m breaking apart.
Suddenly, Marshall opens his eyes.
He doesn’t stop kissing Sofia. His lips are still on hers, his hands still on her waist, but his eyes are open.
And he’s looking directly at me.
The world narrows to that single point of contact. His gaze, dark and intense, locked on mine. The music fades. The crowd disappears. It’s just us, staring at each other while we kiss other people.
The moment stretches. Longer than it should. Longer than makes sense. Longer than can be explained away as an accident.
My knees weaken.
I stumble back, breaking the kiss with Luca. He says something, his mouth moving, but I don’t hear it. I’m already turning, pushing through the crowd, away from him, away from Marshall, away from the dance floor and the crushing realization that I can’t undo.
Bodies press in on all sides, hot and suffocating. I shove past them, not caring if I’m being rude, not caring about anything except getting out of here.
7
Marshall
I push through the crowd back toward where I last saw Gabriel, but he’s gone. Bodies press in from all sides, hot and damp with sweat, and I shove past them without apology. The dance floor is packed tighter than before, or maybe it just feels that way now that I’m looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found. I check the bar first, then the bathrooms, but there’s no sign of him. My chest is tight, and I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or something else.
I didn’t say goodbye to Sofia. I just left her on the dance floor, probably confused as hell. I should feel bad about that. I don’t. All I can think about is the look on Gabriel’s face before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
The exit is on the far side of the club, and I make my way toward it, squeezing past couples grinding against each other, groups of friends shouting over the music. The bouncer gives me a nod as I push through the door, and then I’m outside.
The rain hits me immediately. It’s coming down in sheets, heavy and relentless, drumming against the pavement and the awnings and the tops of parked cars. The street is slick and shining under the streetlights, puddles forming in the low spots. I blink water out of my eyes and scan the area.
Gabriel is standing under an awning about twenty feet down the street, but it’s not doing much to protect him. The wind is driving the rain sideways, and his shirt is already soaked through, clinging to his shoulders and chest. His hair is plastered to his head, the careful half-bun he’d tied earlier completely undone.
I jog over to him, my shoes splashing through puddles. By the time I reach the awning, I’m as soaked as he is. Water runs down my face and neck, seeping into my collar.
Gabriel doesn’t look at me when I stop beside him. He’s staring out at the rain, his expression unreadable. The ease I saw in him earlier at dinner is gone, replaced by something tight and closed off. His jaw is set, his shoulders tense, and there’s a blankness in his eyes that makes my stomach drop.
“Hey.” My voice comes out rough. “What happened? Did someone say something to you? That guy you were dancing with—”
“I’m fine,” he cuts me off, still not looking at me. “Just needed some fresh air.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Fresh air? In this?”
He shrugs, a small, jerky movement. Water drips from his hair down his face, and he doesn’t bother wiping it away.
The laughter dies in my throat. I step closer, trying to catch his eyes, but he won’t look at me. “Gabriel. Are you okay?”
