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“Before Simeck took me in, I lived in an abandoned building two blocks over. It was a nightmare.”
Gabriel pulled to the curb and turned to look at me. “I’m sorry Riley, I didn’t realize you’d lived in this same neighborhood. The last thing I wanted was to stir up a bunch of bad memories for you.”
“I actually believe in confronting my past. If we leave things in the dark, they just keep growing until they start to seem monstrous. But if we drag them into the light, we can see them for what they are, and they don’t seem so scary anymore.”
He whispered, “I wish I was strong like you.”
“You’re so much stronger than you realize, Gabriel. You were strong enough to save both of us.”
“But there’s still so much I struggle with, and I feel like I should have made a lot more progress by now.”
“That doesn’t make you weak,” I said. “In fact, every day that you get up and keep trying is a testament to your strength. And who says you should have made more progress? As long as you’re moving forward, no matter the speed, that’s a total win.”
When Gabriel grinned a little, I asked, “Am I being too clichéd? When I was in rehab, I had a counselor who was super positive all the time, and who’d basically talk in bumper stickers. She’d say stuff like ‘all progress is good progress’ and ‘just keep putting one foot in front of the other’. It was annoying, and I think I just did the same thing to you.”
“Did she help you, though?”
“She did, actually. Whenever things get tough, I find myself repeating her little catch phrases, and I can practically hear her cheering me on.”
“Just keep being my cheerleader, Riley,” he said, as he put the SUV in gear and pulled away from the curb. “I like it.”
It was still pretty early when we got back to the apartment. Gabriel took off his heels first thing, and on our way through the living room, he muttered, “What a huge contrast between this place and our old neighborhood. It’s hard to believe we’re in the same city.”
“It feels odd to me to be surrounded by this much luxury. This just isn’t the world I live in, and it never will be.”
As we continued to the bedroom, he said, “Honestly, I felt more at home back in that rough neighborhood than I ever did here, even though Sawyer and Alastair were so welcoming all those months I lived with them. It just always felt like playing dress-up in someone else’s closet, if you know what I mean.”
“I can see why.”
“It’s actually the same at Seahorse Ranch. I’m staying in a lavish house that isn’t mine, and I’m working at a resort I’d never be able to afford as a guest. Even though I absolutely love the friends I’ve made there, it doesn’t feel like home any more than this place ever did.”
When we reached the guestroom, he sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at me. I brushed his hair back as I said, “You just need a place to call your own. It’ll happen.”
“Will it, though? I’m turning thirty this year. That means I’ve been on my own for well over a decade, and I feel like I have nothing to show for it.”
I knelt down in front of him and took his hand. “You have me, Gabriel, and a lot of people who absolutely love you and care about you. Plus, you battled addiction and won, so it’s not true that you have nothing to show for the last few years.”
He flashed me a lopsided smile. “Way to turn it into a positive.”
“Were you serious when you said you’d love to turn your lingerie into a business?”
“Definitely.”
“In that case, we’re going to make it happen.” I asked, “Did you bring some with you?”
“Yeah, I brought as much lingerie as I could cram into my suitcase.”
“Perfect. Starting this weekend, we’re launching phase one of your brand. Once we get the business to turn a profit, you’ll have enough money to find a place you can call home.”
His smile got wider. “I love it when you’re like this.”
“Like what?”
“You’re so confident you can make this happen. It makes me believe it, too.”
“Oh, it’s happening,” I told him. “One question: how do you feel about posing for some fairly risqué photos in your lingerie, then posting them on social media?”
He shrugged and said, “It’s not much different than when I was dancing burlesque, which made me feel sexy.”
“Okay, good.” I got to my feet and kissed his forehead. “This is going to be the start of great things. You’ll see.” I was determined to make that the absolute truth.
Chapter 6
Saturday morning, Gabriel rolled over in bed, raised an eyelid, and muttered, “What’re you doing?”
