Page 247 of Gabriel
“After everything he did? Why would you even agree to speak with them?” His voice is raw and dripping with disappointment.
I flinch again. I didn’t expect him to take it well, but the intensity of his disapproval … it cuts deeper than I thought.
“I’m not doing this for him.” My voice cracks under the weight of my frustration. “I’m doing it for me.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightens, his chest rising and falling as he tries to rein in his temper. His eyes search mine, disbelief flickering there. “For you?” he mutters, low and dangerous. “How is this for you?”
I step forward, hands clenched at my sides. “If we go to trial, there’s no guarantee Holt gets more than five years. And Gregory and Parker? They walk without this deal. I can’t livewith that, Gabriel. I won’t. Not if there’s another way.” My voice strengthens, resolve unfurling in my chest.
Gabriel mutters a curse under his breath, his body tense. “You should have talked to me. You know how worried I was last night. We all were.”
“I know,” I whisper, my throat tight. “And I was going to. But you stormed off, remember? I couldn’t exactly call you when she showed up, and even if I could’ve, you wouldn’t have answered.”
Silence stretches between us, the weight of my words sinking in. Gabriel’s eyes lock on mine. It was a low blow, and part of me regrets it, but it’s still the truth.
“Tell him,” I say, turning to Mr. Ayala. “Explain what happens if we go to trial.”
Mr. Ayala clears his throat. “A trial like this is going to be long and arduous, with no guarantee when it comes to sentencing. Without this deal, it’s likely that the other boys walk free. The charges are too light and for both boys, it’s only their first offense. Neither has a record and both come from well-known families. The prosecutor will opt to focus their efforts on Mr. Holt and wash their hands clean of the others. This arrangement ensures all three perpetrators face jail time.”
Gabriel’s nostrils flare, his hands now fisted at his sides. “But five years? It isn’t enough. Holt will get out, and then what?”
I swallow hard, my voice barely audible. “I’ll be free of him. I’ll have finished college. I can move. Start over.”
Gabriel turns away, glaring out the window, his frustration simmering in the air between us.
“If we go to trial,” Mr Ayala says, “there is always the risk of Austin Holt walking free. I’m very good at my job,” he assures us, “but you should both understand that being found ‘not guilty,’ is always a possibility in situations like this.”
Which is exactly the reason I’m giving thought to Jaymin’s offer at all.
“I should’ve told you sooner,” I admit, my voice shaky. I don’t want to fight with him, but this is still my decision. “But this is my choice. My life.”
Gabriel finally looks back at me, his eyes a mix of anger and hurt. “We’re supposed to be in this together, Cecilia. You said you wanted a real relationship, but this—” He shakes his head. “You can’t shut me out of the big decisions like this.”
Tears prick my eyes, but I blink them back, standing my ground. “I can when they’re my decisions to make.” My voice thickens, but I push through. “I know you don’t want to hear that, and I’m sorry. I really was going to tell you. But I need you to understand that I’m doing what I need to do to move on. I want us to be a team. To be on the same page. But I also need you to support me, even when I’m making decisions you don’t necessarily agree with.”
Gabriel’s shoulders sag, some of the fight leaving him. “Right,” he mutters. “Looks like you’ve already made up your mind.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I think I have.”
He steps forward, pulling me into his arms, and I bury my face in his chest, breathing him in.
“I just need this to be over,” I murmur, my voice barely holding steady.
Gabriel presses his lips to the top of my head. His touch is gentler now, but there’s still tension coiled in his body. “I know, baby. I’m trying to understand that. But I also need you to understand that if we’re going to make this work, you have to start letting me in.”
I close my eyes, trying to block out the mess of emotions swirling inside me. “I’ll try.”
CHAPTER 81
GABRIEL
I’m holding on by a thread, frustration simmering just beneath the surface, as the reality of the situation slips further out of my control.
Mr. Ayala leaves, promising to schedule an appointment with Cecilia and her father soon so they can discuss the particulars of the plea agreement should she decide to move forward, and fuck, it seems like she does.
I bite my tongue and brace myself for her words as Cecilia shows him the door. She waves him goodbye, closes the door, and slumps against it.
“Not really the way I saw today going,” she mutters.
