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Dane blinked a few times,then his stomach grumbled.
Oh, damn. He was hungry. But he ignored it. Gabriella was in his arms, and the last thing he wanted was for her to wake up.
The night had not gone how he imagined.
She cried for so long on the couch, he’d been afraid she was going to make herself sick. He’d never heard a woman cry for so long. Could one even get sick from crying so hard? Well, she had developed a nasty headache once the tears abated. She’d said the lights hurt her eyes, and her head pounded.
That had been the moment he picked her up and transferred her to her bed without turning on the lights. He grabbed a glass of water, some pain mediation, and a cold washcloth. He didn’t get many headaches, but a cold washcloth always helped him. He delivered the goods and helped her take the pills and laid the washcloth on her forehead. He had even helped her get undressed and put on a pair of pajamas.
It’s as if all of her energy had been zapped from her body. Whether from the crying or from the events of the day, he wasn’t sure.
He’d never seen anyone in so much pain before—not even one of his parents. He wasn’t sure he was doing anything right, but she hadn’t asked him to leave, so he figured he wasn’t doing anything wrong.
She fell asleep shortly after moving to her bedroom with her head resting on his chest. He didn’t move a muscle other than to slowly rub his hand up and down her back.
The evening faded into the dead of night. With a gentle twist of his head—because he didn’t want the slightest movement to wake her up—he saw the clock on the nightstand read two am.
He must’ve fallen asleep at some point. He couldn’t remember what time that might’ve been, he’d been so focused on making sure Gabriella was comfortable.
Although he didn’t want to wake her, he couldn’t resist placing a gentle kiss on her head. He ached to squeeze her tightly and hold her there for as long as he could.
He almost lost her today.
Some madman had shot at her.
He couldn’t fathom his life without her. Thinking about it gave him the jitters. Strange, when a month ago the most he thought about was the next contract on his desk.
His worst fear earlier today had been asking her to join him at his parents this weekend. Which wasn’t the best thing to bring up anymore. She was on administrative leave. How long? He wasn’t sure because Jaxson didn’t say. But her mind wouldn’t be able to focus at his parents with something so heavy on her mind. And she’d need her full attention at his parents.
He always did.
His mother was a saint.
His father…
Could never get off his case.
Maybe he could bow out of the supper as well. Gabriella needed him.
And then his mother would disown him. He couldn’t miss her birthday.
A warm hand hit his cheek, smoothing across the rough surface. “I can practically feel your thoughts. Your entire body is vibrating.”
His eyes sought out Gabriella’s. She was staring at him with what looked like contentment. No pain. No sadness. Just content. For the first time that night.
“I didn’t mean to wake you up.” He kissed her lips softly.
He truly didn’t mean to wake her up. But damn, his thoughts about supper must’ve been heavier than he imagined, making him tremble with repressed anger. Dealing with his father always brought out his anger and irritation—sort of like dealing with Champ as well.
A wicked grin split across her lips. “I also heard your stomach speaking.”
Thank heavens her curtain was open and the light from a nearby streetlamp allowed him to see her smile. He adored every single one of her smiles.
Before he could respond, her grin disappeared. “I’m sorry you couldn’t even eat. I don’t know why I got upset over something so si—”
“So important to you,” he finished for her. He knew she didn’t like it when people interrupted her, but he figured she was about to say “silly,” and damn it, nothing was silly about last night. Her feelings weren’t silly. She had every right to be upset and hurt. It never felt good when someone you loved pushed you away. So, Mia’s actions hurt her.
