Page 203 of Gabriel
It feels manipulative. Wrong. But at this stage in our relationship, I’m not above it.
That should bother me, but it doesn’t. And I should feel ashamed about that, but I don’t.
I turn to Julio, my brows drawn together. "I'm going to the wedding.”
He raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my sudden change of heart. "You sure about that?" he asks cautiously.
I nod, not at all confident in my decision, but what other choice do I have? “Yeah. I already told Cecilia I’d go,” I say, my voice firm. "Maybe she’ll still come with me. You know,” I shrug. “After the dust settles.”
Julio studies me for a moment, his expression not at all pleased. “If you think it’s a good idea—” he hedges.
“I do,” I assure him, feeling my shoulders relax now that I have some semblance of a plan. I pull out my phone, ready to mark the wedding date on my calendar. It may be a long shot,but if there's even a chance of Cecilia going with me, of spending time with me again, I'll take it.
And maybe, just maybe, this can be the first step towards putting things between us back together.
I won’t let our relationship splinter apart. Not over an asshole like Austin Holt. He doesn’t get to take her from me.
CHAPTER 63
CECILIA
“He asked about you today,” Adriana says.
“You’ve mentioned that before,” I tell her with a sigh.
“He asks about you every day.”
Using my concealer and a beauty blender, I gingerly press over the purplish skin around my eyes and the bruises marking my jawline. It does little to hide the state of my face, but there isn’t much more I can do.
“I know,” I tell her. “I keep meaning to call him back.”
Adriana drops down on my bed. “When, Cecilia? When are you really going to call him? Because that man is falling apart at the seams with worry over you.” She huffs out a breath. “It’s annoying. This sad and mopey Gabriel is so different from the version of him I know.”
Shame washes over me. “I know,” I tell her. And I do. I read all of Gabriel’s messages. I listen to each and every one of his voicemails. I know he’s worried about me, but I’m just … “I’m so angry with him,” I admit. “And it’s like I get angrier with every passing day.”
She nods, understanding reflected in her eyes. “He broke your trust.”
“Yeah.”
“He went behind your back. Blew up your life. And now you’re stuck dealing with the mess.”
“Pretty much,” I tell her. It’s been a week since the assault, and in that time I’ve withdrawn from one of my classes and switched the other two to online only. My parents have assured me it’s for the best. That I can go back to in-person classes next semester. But it still feels like a loss. Like Austin is taking more away from me.
Mr. Ayala wasn’t wrong when he said I’d be interviewed more than once. I’ve had to recount my story four times already and I’m dreading the day I’ll have to do it again in court. I don’t know where things are going to go from here.
The media caught wind of the story and reporters have been on our doorstep every day. The house phone never stops ringing, and I can see how the stress of all this is getting to my parents.
I’m happy Austin was arrested. He deserves to go to jail for what he’s done to me and with any luck, he will. But if Gabriel had just left things alone … I hang my head. I wouldn't have to go through any of this. I wouldn’t be putting my parents through this either.
“Then be pissed at him,” Adriana tells me. “Yell and scream at him. Tell him he’s an asshole. But you need to get it out. Bottling everything up inside isn’t going to do either one of you any good. If this is too big a thing for you to get over, Gabriel needs to know that. And you need the chance to tell him how you feel. To rip him a new one for breaking your trust. You deserve the opportunity to show him your anger.”
Swallowing hard, I nod. “Maybe.”
Adriana snorts. “No maybe. Call him.” She holds my phone out to me. “It’s been a week, Cecilia.”
Shoulders slumping, I accept the phone. “Okay,” I tell her. “But …” I hesitate. “Maybe I’ll start with a text.”
Rolling her eyes, she grins. “Fine. Whatever. Start with a text.”
