Chapter 18
“What’re you doing here?” Eyes wide, I got up from the couch, taking in his appearance. He was still in his work clothes. It had been just a little over two hours since I talked to him, and it took three to reach here in the normal speed limit.
He had a meeting. He couldn’t have possibly cancelled his meeting and sped here after our phone call… Or could he have?
“Where are your manners, Sofia?” He mused, “Scoot over. Invite me to join.”
I glared at him. “Gabriel, what’re you doing here?”
Ignoring me, he turned to face my friend. “I’m Gabriel, Sofia’s husband. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“I’m Alice, her best friend.”
‘Best friend, huh? Funny she never mentioned you.”
“Husband, huh?” Alice replied rolling her eyes, “Funny she never mentioned you either.”
“I like her,” Gabriel looked at me, amused. “Can we keep her?”
“You can’t keep people.”
“Yes, we buy them.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t buy them either.”
“I bought you.”
I smiled sarcastically. “Actually, your grandparents did.”
“Freckles, scoot over. Or I will make you.”
Huffing, I shifted to the end of the seat, making space for him.
“Freckles.” Alice was just looking at the two of us with amusement, her eyes setting at me in the end. “I’m sure you both don’t care about each other at all, huh?”
“Alice!”
“Is that what she told you?” Gabriel asked her, nothing short of amused too.
“Uh huh.”
“Freckles?” He looked at me. “I did take care of you pretty good last night, didn’t I?”
“Gabriel!”
Alice giggled.
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I was glad at least two out of the three of us were enjoying this conversation.
I
She spoke up. “I’m not the one you need to get all territorial in front of. As much as I love Sof, I also have a boyfriend. Sam, on the other hand…”
I gave her the most pointed eyes I ever had, and she immediately shut up.
esam? w
Who’s Sam?” Gabriel looked at me and then at Alice.
“Nob*dy.” I glared at both of them, Ignoring my husband’s narrowed eyes. “I need to get back to Grandpa. And you need to tell me what are you doing here.”
getting
“Yeah, it’s late and it’s cold,” Alice blew some air out of her mouth standing up, “I’ll leave you two alone. Sof, don’t you dare leave without saying bye this time.”
“I won’t. I promise.” I smile at her.
“Nice meeting you. Gabriel
“You too, Alice.” He was polite but not smiling anymore.
As soon as Alice left, he turned to me. “Who’s Sam?”
I contemplated the urge to roll my eyes. “He’s my friend of many years who was hurt just like Alice was that I got married without telling either of them.” I did leave out the part where he liked me for the better part of those many years, and I him.
I wasn’t lying.
It was just selective omitting.
“Just a friend?”
“Just a friend, Gabriel.”
“Okay.”
“So, what’re you doing here?”
“You got a job,” He said, his tone almost accusatory.
“Yeah, and I told you before that.”
“How much is your salary?”
“What?”
“How much are they paying you?”
“A hundred. But that’s not the point, the point is-”
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He cut me off. “III pay you three times that to quit.”
My mouth hung. “No.”
“Five times.”
“I’m not working for the money, Gabriel,” I glared at him.
“Then why?”
“Did you just drive all the way here to have a conversation we could have at home when I got back? I eyed him. “You had an important meeting, didn’t you?”
“I am rich, Freckles. Rich enough to buy the stupid diner we are at right now. I cannot have my wife on someone else’s pay roll for a hundred grand.”
“I am your
wife for six months, Gabriel,” I reminded him, “I need to have a life after that. I cannot come out of this looking like a gold digger who enjoyed the millions for months and then never worked a day in her life because of divorce money”
“So this is about what the world thinks? Because-”
I cut him off this time. “No, it isn’t. It’s about me. I… I got married for money. My self respect fell in my own eyes the day! said yes, but I needed to say yes because Grandpa needed the money. But I’m not a gold digger and I can’t sit at home picking wallpapers all day. I can’t.”
“I know you’re not a gold digger, Freckles.” His voice was soft, almost affectionate.
“Yeah, but that is what you thought about me when we first got married, didn’t you? I don’t know what changed your mind but I can’t look at myself that way every day, I can’t have the rest of the world looking at me that way. I.. I can’t.” I pause, “1 need to do this for myself. Please, Gabriel.”
He sighs. “So you’re not going to budge?”
“Please don’t make me.” I beg
“Okay.”
“Okay as in yes?”
“Yes.” He gives me a little smile. “Can I at least convince you to come work for me?”
“If I wanted your money, I could’ve just swiped the Amex you gave me.” I roll my eyes.
He chuckles. “Touché. Can you consider it at least? I’ll put you on the pay roll like everyone else. And I wouldn’t have to hire
a PR team to cover the mess the media will make when it comes out my wife is working for someone else”
“Your wife is her own person.” I tell him. “If it comes out, we tell the world that. But… if it means something to you, it it’ll create a mess for you, I can think about it? I offered.
“Yes” He got up, “Now, I promised Jim I’ll get you back soon.”
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My eyes widen a little as I follow him out of the booth. “You’re staying?”
“Do you
think I cancelled my meeting and drove for hours hore just to leave after having this conversation?” He opened the door of the diner, letting me walk out first and then following after mo. “You were right, you know. I don’t know anything. about you. I figured I would take the day off to know you and your home and your life before my grandparents uprooted it… If you’re okay with that.”
I shivered from the cold wind blowing around us but my eyes softened as I looked at him. “I would love that. And you should know these things about me. If someone asks you, of course,”
“If someone asks me, of course,” He replied hiding a smile.
“Gabriel Whitlock, I am flattered you took the day off just to get to know a nob*dy like me, I teased, grinning as we walked side by side on the pavement.
He rolled his eyes. “Knock it off, Freckles. Don’t make me regret taking an off day.”
As we passed the supermarket, I looked at Gabriel. “Can I grab ice cream?”
“It’s not summer.”
“So?”
“So? It’s cold outside.”
I stopped walking. “I want ice cream.
“Are you a child?”
I glared. “Are you my dad?”
“Daddy.” He corrected with a smirk and I pretended not to hear him.
“Gabriel, are you coming or not-
“Sofia!” A woman’s voice cut my conversation with him short and I turned around to see someone I really wanted to see, but at the same time was hoping not to.
“Mrs. Riley,” I greeted back, stepping towards her. She left her shopping cart aside as she came forward to hug me. I had. just been gone a month, but I couldn’t help but notice how she looked weaker. She walked slower.
The arthritis was catching up with her.
Sam must be horrible…
Sam…
I took a deep breath. “How are you? How’s Sam?”
“I’m okay, darling. A little angry at you that you were just sitting in my backyard helping my son set the barbecue one day,
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and getting married the other. Did it not cross your mind to let me know once? I love you like a daughter, Sofie.”
Guilt flashes on my face. “I know, Mrs. Riley, I’m so sorry, I feel so bad about it. It all just happened so fast, and… this is Gabriel, my husband.” Running out of apologies already, I give way for her to look at my husband, who just stood behind me watching me converse until now when he had to step in “Gabriel, this is Mrs. Riley. She is Sam’s mom. She’s like family, she took care of my Grandpa on the nights I had to work”
“You worked nights?” He mumbled in my ear while stepping ahead and taking her hand, pleasantly greeting her, apologising to her that she wasn’t at the wedding.
I had almost sighed in relief, happy that I was beginning to make amends with another person I had to apologise to. I was happy until her son stepped out of the supermarket and I watched with dread as his smile dropped when his eyes set on
