Gen woke up later that day feeling warm and safe. Gabriel was beside her, sleeping on his stomach and facing her, with one arm thrown over her. She’d never really thought about how he might sleep before, and was a bit surprised he was a stomach sleeper. When they’d fallen asleep, she hadn’t gotten a chance to fully appreciate him and watched as his body rose and fell with sleep, how his muscles shifted, and how much she liked his arm holding her, even while he’d changed positions.
She took a deep breath and looked around the room, catching sight of a clock on his side of the bed. They’d been asleep for maybe ten hours and it was now the afternoon. Soon, she would have to go home and face her mother again, but for now she could pretend yesterday hadn’t happened and stay hidden in the palace a little longer.
Her eyes strayed to the neatly folded pile of Sam’s clothes. She couldn’t bear to think about Sam gone, about never speaking to her again, or never going to the diner with her, or just havinga friend with terrible ideas for your life that maybe weren’t so terrible in the end.
Gabriel shifted onto his side and pulled her against him more. He kissed her head and blinked his eyes open. His voice was rough and low and she liked knowing what his ‘morning’ voice sounded like. “Did you sleep, my dear?”
She nodded and cuddled closer with him. She really wanted to drink some more water, get up and use the bathroom, but even those simple tasks seemed daunting this morning.
“I was thinking last night…” he started.
“About what?” her own voice sounded pretty rough and she winced.
Gabriel didn’t seem to notice though. “Would you like to stay here? Either with me or in another suite if you prefer?”
“Today, you mean?”
“Yes, but also forever if you wanted it.”
Sure she’d heard him wrong, she looked up at his still sleepy eyes. “What?”
“Truthfully, I can’t bear the thought of you going back to your mother.” He ran a hand down her side, then back up to cup her face. “She won’t take care of you, and your injuries are bound to feel worse today.”
She did have a splitting headache, and her entire body felt sore, and also tender in a few spots. “But you said ‘forever’, didn’t you?”
“Yes and I meant it.”
“You want me to move in with you? That’s a bit fast.”
“I know, and I shouldn’t push it, especially today. But there’s something you should know.”
He tugged her just the slightest bit closer. “I love you, Genevieve.”
She sucked in a breath.
He brushed a thumb over her cheek. “When I thought I’d lost you…it made me realize many things, and one of them is that I love you, and that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this a life you could want to live with me.”
Sam’s words kept looping in her head.Don’t be afraid to love him, Gen. Promise me.“Last night…or this morning, really…a lot of things happened. And I can’t process what you’re saying right now because I’m simply not able to. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”
“I know. And I’m not trying to pressure you into saying anything. I only wanted to ask and let you know the offer was there. You’ve lost one person you love, but there are others here who love you too. Not the same way as she did, but we do love you.”
Her eyes were too dry for tears, and she was probably dehydrated after everything that had happened anyway. But she would have cried then if she could have. Instead she tilted her head up, wove a hand into his hair and brought his lips to hers for a gentle kiss. “Thank you, Gabriel.”
They laid there in silence for several long minutes until Gen, who was so used to doing things and running around, found herself feeling guilty for doing nothing. Then she suddenly thought about Gabriel’s schedule. “Did you have work today?”
“I did work a bit earlier.” He paused, then, “I followed up on the investigation into the crash.”
Gen tensed.
“The man who died, the other driver? He was drunk, far above the legal limit. Though the blood alcohol content standards are new and not widely enforced, he’s going to be used as an example as to why it’s needed. The police may need to speak to you again, but you’ll not be charged with anything. You’re a victim here too.”
At least that was one thing off her mind, though it didn’t ease her grief any. If anything it made her angry again. She wished he’d lived so she could see him punished. Was that wrong? What would Sam have wanted if Gen had been the one to die?
“Are you all right?”
“I don’t know.”
He nodded, and they remained silent for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, he spoke again. “As for the rest of my work, I rescheduled everything and told everyone not to bother me unless it was an emergency for the next few days.”
