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“They decided to get married a few years ago, but she got cancer. They put off their plans. Now she’s in remission. The cake is a celebration. A tribute, really. To her survival and herstrength and her resilience. She said it was more important to her than her wedding dress.”
“Then you should bake it.” In Gabriel’s eyes, and in his voice, I hear something else.You survived. You’re strong. You’re resilient.
I shake my head. “You shouldn’t be alone. Neither should Nate.”
He shushes me, reaching around to cup the back of my neck. His fingers work to give me a gentle massage.
Whyis he so good at that? It’s annoying. I’m trying to be stressed out right now, but I can’t when he’s touching me that way.
It’s familiar and comforting and not the least bit sexual. Not that I’m against sex with Gabriel. I’m veryprosex with Gabriel. It just makes my heart feel ten sizes too big to think we can have everything. The whole range of couple experiences.
“Don’t worry about me.” He’s calm. Reassuring. “And don’t worry about Nate. I’ll make sure he takes his painkillers with something to eat, and then he’ll sleep for the rest of the day.” A tug at my heart. Gabriel knows all about this. “Once I make sure he’s settled, I have to head out for a few hours, too.”
Worry spikes. It’s ridiculously sweet to wake up in bed with him, but there’s a strange anticipation in the air. Maybe it’s just from being slingshotted out of sleep by the alarm. “Where are you going?”
A faint smile. “To see my brother.”
“Is everything okay? Is Charlotte okay? The baby?” She would have texted me, wouldn’t she? My best friend would have told me if something was wrong. Or maybe I missed it. Oh, no…
“Don’t worry, sweetness.” He kisses my cheek. “Charlotte’s fine. The baby’s fine. My brother is fine. I just decided to merge my company with his.”
I guess the surprises are going to be nonstop for the time being. “Um. What?”
“I’m as shocked as you.” Gabriel laughs, sounding warm and pleased. “No, that’s bullshit. It was always leading to this.”
“But…you’re in the consortium. Don’t they own your company now?”
“Mason will help me figure it out. We’ll have all his lawyers, and all his people. He’ll know what to do.” My heart aches to see how confident he is. How relieved to be accepting Mason’s safety net. It’s not just that, though. It’s his brother’s love.
“I don’t know what to say.” They’ve fought about this. Real arguments. And what if Masoncan’tget him out? “Are you happy about this?”
Gabriel’s been adamant about not joining Mason’s company. What changed?
“I’m happy.” A brisk nod. “I’m sure about it. Keeping myself apart was only for revenge. It was only for Bettencourt’s sake. So he’d see me as a rogue agent in the Hill family and he’d trust me.” Gabriel sobers. “That’s over now.”
“Because he’s never going to trust you.” I should be happy about that, but I feel a confused disappointment. This isn’t what Gabriel wanted. He was willing to trade his company to destroy the consortium.
Gabriel brushes a kiss to the tip of my nose. It’s unbelievably cute. Andromantic.I can’t help but smile, heavy conversation be damned.
“He’s never going to trust me again, but I don’t care. I don’t give a fuck about revenge. I’m done with it. I’m ready to move on with my life.”
“Wow.” I never thought I’d hear him say it. I fall back against the pillows, stunned. Scared. Maybe even a little delighted. About a hundred emotions blur together.
The only reason Gabriel was ever interested in me was for revenge. That’s all I am to him. A means to an end. I know we’ve gotten closer. We’ve built a relationship together. But a nagging fear clings to me. Even if he can somehow extract himself from the consortium, he might not actually want to be with a Bettencourt.
“Elise.” I meet his eyes, which are clear and green and hot with love. “I’m ready to move forward withyou. Maybe even with Nate, if he’ll have us. I want a family. I want a future. I want it with you, Elise Bettencourt.”
My heart’s going to explode. “Okay, now Idefinitelycan’t leave you to go bake a cake.”
His laugh is the best thing I’ve ever heard. “Go bake your cake. Make that couple proud. That’s what you do. You give people sweetness and beauty and joy. I’m going to go merge companies with my brother.”
I bite my lip. “Are you sure Nate will be okay?”
“Yes. I’ll explain the situation to Remy and have her bring some clothes in his size. She’ll check up on him too.”
That’s how I end up in Brooklyn, baking a cake in the late morning. There are layers to bake and cool and freeze. Frosting to whip. Each layer is a different flavor, bonded together with raspberry filling. I mash thousands of raspberries. My fingertips are stained red when I’m done. I only stop for a minute to call Gabriel, but he doesn’t pick up. That’s okay. He needs this time with his brothers.
When I look up from the cake, the afternoon’s gone. It passed me by. The sun set already. I wash my hands and check my phone.
