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Love? Ha!
She didn’t love him. Not like he loved her. Foolishly.
Love was nothing but a foolish emotion.
He put on his shoes, grabbed his phone and wallet, and left the apartment without another word spoken to either woman.
This was why he made work his solace.
It never disappointed him.
* * *
Gabriella shivered.Not from the fact she only had on a tank top and short pair of shorts. Usually, she didn’t go around her apartment so bare. She liked wearing her old sweats and a comfy T-shirt most of the time.
No, she shivered from the soft click that echoed from the hallway. By the silent way Dane left. By the hurt in his eyes. By the fierce way he had fought for her.
But he didn’t need to say what he had to Mia. He shouldn’t have spoken to her like that. Mia had every right to ask her to leave last night. If she wanted to be alone, then fine.
Kind of like she wanted to be alone. Even though her heart had silently shouted at his back to not leave.Stay! Don’t go!
Mia sighed from across the kitchen.
Gabriella lifted her head and met her troubled gaze. She didn’t know what to say to her. While Mia had every right to kick her out last night—and she hadn’t been rude about it, per se—it had still hurt. That pain filtered back in. All of Dane’s calm and soothing vanished as if he had done nothing to make her feel better.
“He’s not wrong. That was selfish of me to ask you to do that,” Mia said in a quiet, timid voice. Almost as if someone had forced the words out at gunpoint.
“I don’t know why he brought that up. It makes me think he hasn’t forgiven me, even though he said he had.”
And he talks about despising liars. He was obviously lying to her. What was he doing with her if he still harbored hurt feelings about her little undercover stint?
Mia shrugged. “He was trying to make a point.”
“I don’t think so.”
A tenderhearted smile spread across Mia’s lips. The smile that always said, “You’re so cute but completely dense.”
“You’re always there for me, Gabs. Always. No matter what I ask, you always come through.” She shook her head, the shame hitting her eyes. “Sometimes, I shouldn’t ask. He’s right. I do take advantage of our friendship. I don’t know why I never saw it before. I’m sorry.” She let out another weary sigh. “I’m sorry I asked you to leave last night. I acted so silly.”
“Your feelings aren’t silly. I—”
“Neither are yours.” Mia’s tone was firm. Not harsh. Not cruel. But firm. Very, very firm. Mia rarely spoke that way to her.
“I was completely shocked by Jaxson’s words last night. Like I got hit by a curveball. I reacted badly about it. I see that now. I didn’t mean to upset you last night. I didn’t, Gabs. I know…” Mia’s voice hiccupped, almost as if she was about to cry. And damn it, if Mia started crying, then so would she.
“I know what happened yesterday with you and Jaxson. The shooter and whatnot. I’m a terrible friend for not being there for you for once. I’m sorry. Forgive me?”
It had been a rough day yesterday. If not for the shooting, Gabby didn’t think she would’ve reacted as badly to Mia, shutting her out as she had. But after dealing with death—a shooting that reminded her of Mia’s dad—it had been too much.
She reacted badly as well.
“Of course, I forgive you. You don’t even have to apologize.”
“But I do.”
Then they both started to giggle, knowing they’d go back and forth about who should be apologizing. The tension that had filled the room like a smoky parlor suddenly evaporated. They closed the distance and hugged, a mingling of laughter and cries. Yeah, a few more tears escaped.
Gabby swore in her head she wouldn’t cry again for at least five more years. Crying took too much of her energy, and she had a full day ahead of her.
