“Stop it,” she said, pushing him away. “Kissing me won’t solve this.”
“No, kea, it won’t. This issue runs deep and has for a long time. Now, let me take you to see about that hand.”
“No. We’re going to stay here, and you’re going to act like we’re fine. You’ll escort me around, chat with your mother, and we’ll dance and do the appropriate things. Then when I deem it’s time to leave, we’ll go.”
He raised a brow and narrowed his eyes. “But your fingers.”
“Right now, I don’t give a damn about my fingers.”
“So, I see how it’s going to be, then.”
“No, I don’t think you do. You told me once to trust you. Right now I’m having difficulty with that.”
She may as well have popped him with a right uppercut—he staggered when her words plowed into him.
“You don’t trust me?”
“How can I? You accused me of betraying you. After I swore an oath to you. Those words crushed me, Kolson. This,” she held up her hand, “was nothing compared to the pain of your words.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it. I’ve shared things with you I’ve never shared with anyone. You know the ugly truth about me, every last tiny detail. And you made me believe I could trust you. Well, you managed to destroy that tonight with a few casual words. I’ve been destroyed, like you have, too much over the past to put myself at risk again. I promised myself I would never be vulnerable again. Do you know why I tried to kill myself? I never told you the whole story. Yes, you know how Danny raped and beat me. And how he told all my friends I was a whore. My parents even thought I was one, which was so ridiculous because I never went anywhere. He pushed all my friends away from me because their parents didn’t want them hanging around one of ‘those kinds of girls.’” She squiggled her index fingers in the air when she said it. “But when the teachers at school treated me differently, that’s what broke me. The isolation became unbearable. Danny would mouth things to me, terrible things that made me sick. And that’s when I wanted to die because I knew it was never going to stop. My only friend was the fucking ceiling that I stared at every night.
“So my trust factor was obliterated. But you convinced me I was safe with you. Me and my terrible secrets. That I could trust you. So I did. And what happened? You accused me of betraying you. Well, I didn’t. But you betrayed me, Kolson. You betrayed my love and trust in you. And you’ve destroyed me. So we’re going to finish this night here, and then you’re going to take me home.”
Kolson’s world was detonating, like a nuclear blast. But how could he possibly find fault with her words? She was right. He hadn’t given her a chance. She was only doing what she thought was right. She was being polite to a charming, handsome man who she knew absolutely nothing about. He hadn’t told her that his father was a demon in disguise. He hadn’t told her of the heinous things that had been done to him as a child. She couldn’t have known. She only saw the persona he’d presented to her and the public … the man everybody loved.
And now Kolson was losing the only person he’d ever loved. All because of his stupid actions.
“Gabriella, I’ll do anything you ask. I am sorry. More than you’ll ever know. And one day, I promise I’ll tell you. But I’m afraid to tell you now. I’m afraid to speak of it because I think if I go back into that dark past, I may never resurface. I’m so sorry. But for now, that’s all I can tell you.”
“I’m sorry too, Kolson.” She turned and walked out of the room, leaving him to stare after her.
The rest of the evening was spent making inane small talk with people she neither knew nor cared to know. The only thing she wanted to do was crawl into her own bed and ice her hand. The dinner was excruciating, because her hand made it difficult to eat, but also because she had to pretend all was well with Kolson. Later, he danced with her several times, as was expected, and he spent time with his mother. They finally said their goodbyes and had the car drive them back to the waiting helicopter.
When they returned to Manhattan, Gabby didn’t stay with Kolson. She went to her own place and had a long conversation with her ceiling.
For the first time in ages, she wished her ceiling could talk back.
Chapter 22
Gabby was heartbroken. The only person she’d ever trusted had let her down. Her heart had been cracked before, but this time was different. The love she felt for Kolson was greater, deeper than anything she’d ever known. How was she to pick up the tiny specks of her heart and glue them back together? Was that even possible? Gabby didn’t think so.
As she sat at her desk, her head pounded. The ache in her heart overruled it, though. As she retaped her injured fingers, she replayed over and over what happened at the party. It was still shocking to her how Kolson had reacted.
Her phone beeped and she looked at it, thinking it was another text from Kolson. He was persistent, that was for sure. She was getting texts from him every hour without fail. This one, however, was from Danny: Where’ve you been, cunt? I’ve been waiting for you. I’m getting lonely. Don’t make me wait too long or you’ll regret it. By the way, the bodyguards are getting old, precious.
Her head snapped to attention and she bolted out of her chair. She was between patients, so she ran straight to Case’s office.
“I just got another text.”
“Lemme look at it.” Case read it and said, “Have you told Kolson?”
“We’re not speaking.”
Case checked her out. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Does it have anything to do with your hand?”
“Drop it, Case.”
“How long?”
“Huh?”
“Since you haven’t spoken to him, ’cause I gotta call him and let him know you got this.”
“Saturday night.”
“Shit. It’s Wednesday.”
“I know what day it is.”
Case’s nostrils flared but he knew when to keep quiet.
“Go ahead and call him, because I’m not going to. On second thought, don’t bother. I don’t think I want him to know yet.”
“Gabby,” Case said with an undercurrent of alarm.
“I’m fine. I have the bodyguards. I have you. I’m not afraid of him anymore.”
“Be smart, Gabs. He’s probably escalating. You need to watch your back.”
“Not to worry, my big worrywart friend. I’ve got this. And besides,” she said under her breath, “why would Kolson care, anyway?”
“I heard that. It’s childish and you damn well know it. I’m calling Kolson.”
“Fine. You call him. I’m not.”
Gabby left that night and went home. Sam dropped her off and she was in a terrible mood. Her head pounded and her belly ached. She rode the elevator up to her apartment, and tried to piece back what she’d eaten that day. Maybe she was coming down with something. She just felt off.
She unlocked her door and it wasn’t hard to notice that someone had been in her apartment. The couch cushions were pulled off and everything was in disarray. She opened the door to the hallway and called out to Max, her bodyguard.
“Max, someone’s been in here!”
“Dr. M., stay out here, please. Let me check to see if it’s safe.”
Max went inside to check things out while Gabby waited in the hall. She peeked inside, but couldn’t see anything. As she stood with her back to the hall, she never heard the door to the stairwell open.
“You’re looking as sweet as ever, precious.” Danny was standing right behind her.
Gabby didn’t move but opened her mouth and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Max came running into the hall and Gabby kept screaming.
“Dr. M.! What happened?”
Gabby, violently shuddering, gripped Max’s arm and tried to speak.
“D-d-d-d ....”
Max took out his phone and
called Case. “You need to get over here, sir. Something’s happened.”
* * *
When Case arrived, Gabby was sitting on a chair and she was gray.
“What the hell is going on?”
“I can barely get a word out of her, sir,” Max said.
“Gabby, what happened?”
“D-d-danny.”
“What about him?”
“Here.”
Case looked at Max.
“When I brought her home, she called out to me in the hall and said someone had been in here. I went inside to check and then I heard her screaming. I couldn’t get her to stop.”
Case took a hold of her hands. “Talk to me, Gabs. I can’t help if I don’t know what happened.”
“I h-h-heard him. In the h-h-hall.”
“Fuck. Does she have anything to drink in here?” Case asked Max.
“No. Nothing,” Gabby answered.
“I’m gonna call Kolson.”
“No!”
Case blew out his breath. “Gabby, tell me everything then.”
She took several deep breaths.
“Gabs, it’s me. I won’t let anything happen to you. You got that?”
She nodded. “Max was inside and I was trying to see what was going on, and I heard this voice right behind me say, ‘You’re looking sweet as ever, precious.’ That’s when I started screaming. It was him. I’d know his voice anywhere.”
“He must’ve been waiting for you to come home. I have to call Kolson.”
“Please don’t,” Gabby begged.
Case still held her hands. “I wish you two would fix your shit because right now I’m in a bad place. He’s calling me every hour checking on you and when I tell him about this, ‘cause you know I’m not gonna lie, he’s gonna blow a gasket. Babe, I love you but this is driving me nuts. And I know how upset you are. You need someone to stay with tonight.”
“You.”
Case looked around. He knew what his answer would be and so did she. He could never leave her in the state she was in and Kolson wouldn’t trust just anyone with her. Hell, neither did he.
“Max, stay here until I get back. Do not leave for anything. You got that. I gotta run home to pick up a few things but I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
“No problem, sir.”
* * *
Five days … it had been five days and he hadn’t heard a word from her. He’d talked to Case yesterday and was worried about her. That text from Danny wasn’t a good sign. But after what Danny did yesterday, Kolson had to see Gabby. When Case called him this morning, he’d barely kept it together. All he could think about is what would’ve happened if Max hadn’t been there. He’d immediately texted her countless times but still received no response. At eleven thirty in the morning, he had Sam drive him to her office. The receptionist greeted him and he said he wanted to see her. She told Kolson that Gabby was with patients.
“When will she be free?”
The receptionist checked the schedule and said, “Not for another thirty minutes, sir.”
“Is she open for lunch?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, she’s open for at least an hour. Her afternoon patients don’t start until one thirty.”
“Thank you. I’ll wait.” He took a seat and stared straight ahead.
Thirty minutes later, Gabby escorted her patient to the waiting area and saw him sitting there. She said goodbye to her patient and could only stare at Kolson. “What are you doing here?” Her greeting was less than welcoming.
“I came to take you to lunch since you won’t answer my texts. I had to see how you were after what happened yesterday.”
“Well, as you can see, I’m fine. But I can’t do lunch. I’m busy.”
“No. You’re free until one thirty. I checked.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“That’s fine. You can watch me eat.”
“Kolson, I …”
In a steely voice, he said, “Gabriella, we need to talk. Now stop avoiding this. You could’ve been ... We’re going to lunch.” He clamped his hand around her elbow and guided her out the door.
They got into the waiting car and she uttered not one word, not even to Sam. When they arrived at the restaurant, Kolson got out and extended his hand to assist her, but she ignored him. “Gabriella, please.” She brushed past him and walked inside. He had no choice but to follow.
When the host spied him, he smiled. “Mr. Hart, follow me, sir.” He took them to a private alcove, where a table for two was set. Crisp white linens, silver, and crystal completed the setting.
“May I serve you water?”
“Please,” Kolson replied.
“Still or sparkling?”
He glanced at Gabby and she said, “Sparkling, please.”
“I’ll have the same, please.”
“Coming right up, sir.”
Kolson reached for Gabby’s hand, but she moved to pull it away. However, he was too quick. “Please, Gabriella, when Case told me what happened yesterday. This is killing me.”
“You’ve already killed me, Kolson. It’s painful, isn’t it? It hurts when the one you love makes you feel that way, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, damn it. It does.” He bowed his head for a moment, and the waiter returned with water and menus.
“Our lunch special today is fresh Coho salmon, grilled on a cedar plank, served with quinoa and fresh grilled asparagus.”
Kolson quickly replied, “Excellent. We’ll have that.”
“Very good, sir.”
When he left, Gabby looked at him. “What if I don’t want salmon?”
“Are you intentionally trying to be difficult?”
She winced at the phrase he used to describe her. “Please don’t ever use that term to characterize me. You of all people should know what a low blow that is.”
Kolson felt like he’d just murdered his favorite pet. “Oh, God, Gabriella. I wasn’t thinking. Seems I’m the fucking idiot who keeps putting his goddamn foot in his mouth.” Then he took a long, deep breath. He tilted his head back and then leaned forward. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been more sensitive. The truth is I miss you terribly and I’ve been worried sick about you. I love you and I can’t stand this … what’s going on between us. I fucked up. Unbelievably so. I was wrong and if I could turn back time, I would do things differently. But I can’t. So I’m begging you, Gabriella, to please forgive me. You didn’t betray me at all. It was my foolish mind that betrayed me.”
“Kolson, why can’t you trust me?”
“I do. I do trust you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, it’s myself I don’t trust. There’s so much you don’t know. But know this. There’s not anything on this Earth that I wouldn’t do for you. And in time, I’ll tell you everything. And when I do, perhaps you’ll understand.”
“Please forgive me if I don’t jump up down and say, ‘Oh yeah, let’s go back to the way things were.’” His crestfallen look made her instantly regret her snarkiness.
“I understand. Can we at least talk?”
She bowed her head. Talking to her lap, she said, “We can talk. For now. Nothing more.”
“Gabriella, I’ll take whatever crumbs you’re willing to toss my way. If it’s only talking, then so be it.”
“And please don’t bully the receptionist.”
“Bully? You think I bullied her?”
“Maybe bully isn’t the right word. I’m sure you charmed her to death as only you can do.”
He sighed. “I only asked her when you were free and she checked your schedule.”
Gabriella finally looked up at him. “Hmm. I need to talk to her, then.”
He smiled. “You’re beautiful when you’re angry.”
“I hate being angry.”
He lifted her hand and inspected her fingers. “Have you had these checked out?”
“No.”
“Gabriella,” he huffed. “If they don’t heal properly, the b
ones may grow together crooked.”
“Kolson, I’m not stupid.” Disdain painted her features.
“I didn’t mean to imply you were. I’m only concerned for you.”
“They’re not broken. I can move them just fine. They’re only sore now. I’m sorry. I’m tired and I’m taking it out on you. Yesterday was a bit of a strain on me.”
“Will you please stay with me tonight? I don’t want you staying alone. You can sleep in the guestroom. Or with me. But it doesn’t have to be anything more than sleep. I miss you and want to hold you in my arms. Please say yes.”
She wanted to melt into him because the truth was she felt the same way. “Oh God, Kolson.”
“Please. Don’t think, kea. Just say yes.”
“I’m moonlighting at the clinic until ten tonight.”
“I’ll go with you and bring you home. Please say yes.”
“Let me think about it. I’ll call you this afternoon.”
Their food arrived and they ate in silence. She eyed him warily and he eyed her with hope.
At four forty-five, Gabby texted Kolson one word: Yes. Kolson grinned larger and longer than he could remember doing in his life.
He knocked on her door at six thirty and escorted her to the waiting car. And he sat in her office in the clinic, waiting for her while she worked. At ten fifteen, they rode home, and she recounted her evening to him. He smiled to himself as she told him about her various patients. When they got on the elevator, he asked, “Well?”
“The yes meant for tonight as well.”
It took all his strength not to lunge at her. But he didn’t. Instead, he beamed and gripped the rail in the elevator until his knuckles turned white.
“I’ll spoil you tonight, kea. Would you like a long bath?”
“You know, I’d really just like to go to sleep. I’m wiped out.”
“As you wish.”
She went to her room and put on her favorite Snoopy pajamas. When she joined him, he raised one brow but didn’t utter a word. He only lifted the sheets so she could climb into bed. Then he pulled her to him and rubbed her back and neck, massaging it in tiny circles, getting the kinks out.
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