Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Fine,” I say with a sigh. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I want to talk about us.” His expression is guarded, and I can tell he’s afraid of saying the wrong thing. “About our future.”
“A future that I’ve twice tried to have with you and you’ve run scared both times,” I say acidly.
“I ran scared once,” he corrects, his eyes blazing with indignation. “The second time, I was doing you a favor.”
“Are you stupid or something?” I ask incredulously.
Gabe’s hands fly outward in exasperation. “Yes, I’m stupid. I thought that all the crap between our families and my father continually fucking things up—trying to kill Sylvie and almost getting you killed—meant that you were better off without me. That you would be happier. But I’ve been told recently that line of thinking is idiotic.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “Ethan came to see you?”
“Yeah, last night. He didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head, marveling that my brother would take a stance. My entire family has been quiet on the Gabe issue, but I think they’re all afraid to bring it up.
“He came by to tell me that I could see Sylvie… without a chaperone.”
“Oh, wow.”
Gabe nods, a soft smile playing at his lips. “He said he trusted me. Called me his friend.”
“Really?” I ask with wide eyes. “He said that?”
For a minute, I forget all about the problems Gabe and I seem to be facing and marvel at what a monumental step this is, not just from Ethan who is incredibly protective of Sylvie but who has more reason to hate the modern Mardraggon family than anyone.
I have to say… it’s impactful that Ethan trusts Gabe.
“I think I made an impression on your brother,” Gabe says.
I nod in understanding. “Turning your dad in. Rescuing me. I imagine that goes a long way with Ethan.”
“I think it was more walking into your family home and telling everyone that I loved you.”
His words hit me hard because no matter how good we had it for a short period eight years ago, neither one of us ever uttered that phrase. And maybe that’s why we didn’t work out back then because we weren’t ready to give our hearts completely.
The implication of what it means now is staggering. “You told my family you love me?”
“It didn’t go over very well,” he mutters. “Trey wanted to kill me.”
“Trey’s a hothead. But you really said that?”
Gabe steps into me, hands going to my face in a move purely to hold me captive. Forcing my head to tip back, he bends closer and his eyes fall on me with the weight of a hammer. “I love you, Kat. It started eight years ago and while it might have faltered, the feelings never stopped. Over the years, I always felt the loss of you and the sting of regret. And so many horrible things have happened… Alaine dying, losing Sylvie to your family, my father turning out to be a wacko. But fuck if I can really bemoan any of that right now because without all those things happening, you and I would have never been given a second chance. So I choose to be grateful for the opportunity and yes, I fucked it up a bit this past week, but I’ve always been a bit slow to process feelings. I have to digest things and I have to learn how to put myself out there. That’s what I’m doing… putting myself out there right now to you.
“I’m telling you that I love you and that I want to have a life with you. I want our families to support us on this and we might have to work hard to get it to happen, but it’s time to let the past go—for everyone. If there’s ever a reason for everyone to get on board with that, it’s Sylvie. She deserves to have her family completely united and whether your family likes it or not, Ethan has opened the door to me. And I’m walking through.”
It’s a good thing he’s got me secured with his hands because I’ve never had my knees go so weak just from words.
But no… not just words.
That was a statement.
A mantra.
An oath.
A creed.
My throat tightens with emotion, but I manage words of my own. “How could I not love you after that?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?” he asks, the corner of his mouth quirking.
“Yeah… shouldn’t be a question at all. I should give the same affirmation. I love you. You’ve shown through words and deeds that your character and heart are bigger than anyone could have imagined. I’m glad it didn’t take any longer for me to see it because I don’t want to waste another moment of this life without you.”
Gabe exhales so visibly, he almost curls in on himself but then his mouth is on mine and he’s kissing me so deeply that he becomes part of me. And in that touch, a new dawn rises for us both, one that is free from the past with the unspoken promise that we’ll only look forward. We’re going to make our family do the same, not just for our sakes but Sylvie’s as well.