His wise, sensitive, beautiful eyes met mine. “It’s closeness I struggle with. As you know.”
“Oh, yes,” I said softly, feeling suddenly … honored that I might be the only woman on earth who did know that. It felt like a … secret, something personal and private that I alone knew about this man. It made me feel warm and trusted. And I remembered, too, how I had abused that trust, how I’d sent Rita in when he was expecting me. Shame rose up within me, heating my cheeks and making me feel suddenly weak with remorse. “Gabriel …”
His hands stilled and he looked over at me with concern. “What is it?”
I picked at my fingernails for a moment, gathering the words I needed to say. The words that were overdue. “I’m sorry.” It came out as a hoarse whisper, and I blinked up at him. “For what I did at the club … I’m sorry.”
His eyes ran over my face, down to where my hands still fidgeted and back up to my eyes. “I forgive you.”
I tilted my head, my hands ceasing in their pick, pick, picking. “Why?” I whispered.
His smile was slight, sort of sad. “Because what you did hurt me … but I think it hurt you, too.”
I let out a quick rush of breath, the truth of his words running through me. God, yes, it had. How had he known? Still, it wasn’t about me. I’d caused him pain on purpose, and any hurt I felt because of it was well deserved. I shook my head slightly, not able to decide whether I was glad he’d forgiven me or not, wanting to change the subject back to what we’d been talking about. The interview. I cleared my throat. “Well, anyway, it’s nice of you to grant that interview. Sounds like a worthy cause. A contribution to … um, education and all.”
He stared at me for a few heartbeats before smiling slightly again and looking back to William, his hands moving over the cherub’s curls. “I told you about it because I arranged it with her to come here to my house so I’m available if you need me.”
“Oh, you really didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to. But I also wanted to let you know in advance so you know what’s going on.”
“Thank you.” It was his house, so he didn’t owe me that. I knew I was disrupting his life in any number of ways, and yet he was so kind and flexible. Why? It was the one question I kept coming back to and didn’t want to ask because I wasn’t sure how the answer would affect me. “I should be able to move back home in a couple of days—”
Gabriel stopped working again, tilting his head. “Why would you, Ellie? Why would you want to manage three flights of steps and an empty apartment where no one could help you if you needed it? You’re still healing. It’s only been two weeks.”
“I don’t want to be dependent on you,” I mumbled.
Gabriel sighed. “Is it really so bad?”
I opened my mouth to say something, when the sound of a vehicle approaching his house dried up the words on my lips. Gabriel put his tools down and removed his gloves slowly. His back suddenly looked stiff, and I wondered if I was imagining it. Whoever it was pulled out of sight of the open garage, and I heard the engine turn off. Gabriel walked outside to meet the person whose footsteps I heard in the gravel.
“Dom,” I heard Gabriel say. Gabriel’s brother was home.
“Hey, bro.”
“How were the fish?”
“Biting. I brought a cooler full back. Fish fry later?”
They both walked into the light of the open door, Gabriel and a man that looked a little bit like him, although not as much as I’d imagined. He was darker haired and not quite as broad. He was good-looking but definitely didn’t have Gabriel’s stunning brand of handsome. He halted when he saw me, giving me a narrow-eyed look.
Gabriel’s jaw looked rigid. “Dominic, this is Ellie.” He was gazing at him with a warning look.
Dominic appeared confused for a moment. “I thought you said her name was Crystal.”
My eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out what was going on. Gabriel had obviously told his brother about me. Told him I was coming here. Was that why he’d been gone?
“Crystal’s my stage name,” I supplied quietly, half of me hoping Gabriel had told him what I did so I didn’t have to, and the other half hoping he didn’t know.
His expression was so disdainful, I was tempted to look away, but I didn’t. He obviously knew very well what I did. Finally he muttered, “Ellie,” his inflection clearly hostile.
I cringed inside to hear my real name in his disapproving voice. I plastered an unaffected smile on my face, the one I’d perfected so long ago. For some reason, it was difficult to muster. It’d only been two weeks, and I was already out of practice. I felt twitchy and self-conscious just like I’d been at the start of every school year when I’d shown up in my old, ugly clothes and too-small shoes, some years with a bruise I’d covered as best I could. My cold detachment had always been my armor, and now I felt as if I’d misplaced it somehow. I wanted it back. Needed it back.
“Dominic. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry for not getting up.” I pointed to my cast and gave him a small quirk of my lips.
Dominic grunted, turning to Gabriel. “I’m going to go unpack my gear.” He turned and left without another word, walking through the garage door that led into the house.
Gabriel let out a ragged breath and ran his hands through his hair. He looked back at me, obviously weighing what to say.
“He’s not happy I’m here,” I said so he didn’t have to.
He huffed out a small sigh. “Dom’s … protective of me. He thinks he’s looking out for my welfare.”
“He’s not happy you’re keeping company with a stripper.” I hated the wave of shame that enveloped me. Had I forgotten that’s what I was? How stupid.
Gabriel walked around my lounge chair and took a seat on the edge. Close. So close. He took a deep breath and picked up my hands in his. My eyes moved down to where our fingers were laced, my heart skipping a beat. His hands trembled very slightly, but he was relaxed, the look on his face determined. Oh, Gabriel.
“Ellie, he doesn’t know you. He’ll come around.”
I snorted. “Once he gets to know my charming personality, you mean?”
He grinned and my stupid heart skipped yet another beat. At this rate I’d go into arrhythmia. “Yes.” It was only one word, but he said it with so much conviction.
I startled myself by laughing softly. “You’re … God, I don’t even know what you are.” I laid my head back on the lounge chair. “It’s not fair for me to be here if it makes him uncomfortable. This is his home.”
He squeezed my hands gently. “This is my home. I own it. And I’ve been thinking lately that maybe my brother and I could use some space anyway.”
“Not because of me.”
He shook his head. “No, actually, not at all because of you. But if he doesn’t welcome one of my guests, then it’s just another reason.” He let go of my hands and stood up. I felt the loss of his warm body next to mine, his tender grip. He went back to work, focusing on William, but his expression remained tense.