Chapter 53
GAbrIEL
Irritation coils in my gut like a restless serpent as I glance at my buzzing phone, silencing yet another call from my father. It’s the fifth time this week, and not once does the man leave a message
Yet he keeps calling.
What the hell does he want?
I push aside thoughts of him, focusing instead on Cecilia. Tonight is supposed to be about her. About her big win. Seeing the lights illuminate her face as she smiles wide, her gaze filled with wonder as she takes it all in, leaves me breathless.
She’s so fucking beautiful.
We spend a little over an hour at the museum before hunger gnaws at all of us and we decide to grab a bite at the Sun Valley Station—a local twenty-four-hour diner.
Despite the lively atmosphere, a heavy tension lingers, suffocating the air around me after seeing my father’s call. But it’s just me. Everyone else seems to be having a good time.
Conversation flows freely between friends. Everyone’s smiles are genuine, their laughter infectious.
But I can’t shake this feeling that another shoe is going to drop.
Why does he keep calling?
I manage to make it through the meal, keeping mostly to myself when our waitress drops off the bill. Everyone reaches into their wallets to grab some cash, enough to cover their portion. But when Julio retrieves his wallet from his back pocket, a small envelope lands beside it.
He mutters a curse under his breath as he tosses a twenty onto the table, sliding the envelope over to me. “Sorry, meant to give this to you earlier,” he says, his expression troubled. “It slipped my mind.”
I reach for it, my fingers tracing over the thick paper to read the calligraphy style gold lettering. There’s no return address, but the envelope is heavy. The paper is a thicker quality than your run-of-the-mill mail.
I rip the top and tug the card free from inside.
A whoosh of air slips past my lips followed quickly by a curse.
Fuck this.
I barely get a glimpse of the first line before the words make my blood run cold and I throw it back to the table as if the fucking thing bites.
“What is it?” Cecilia asks, her hand reaching for the card.
You are cordially invited to the wedding of …
“It’s nothing,” I snap, my frustration bubbling over as I rise from the table.
I toss a few bills onto the table, enough to cover the tab, and head for the door. Cecilia calls after me, but I don’t bother to respond.
Stepping outside into the chilly night air, I close my eyes and try to steady my racing thoughts.
The others follow suit, their expressions grim as they join me outside.
Kasey asks about our plans for the night, but my mind is elsewhere.
Driving back to Richland now would be reckless—it’s late and I’m not in a good headspace.
But the thought of spending another moment in this heavy silence is unbearable.
I see the way Julio and Felix are looking at me.
As everyone says their goodbyes, I linger beside my bike, feeling the weight of the evening pressing down on me. Cecilia’s gentle touch breaks through my reverie, her concern evident in her voice.
I try to brush off her questions, but her persistence softens my resolve.
“Are you okay?” she asks, her eyes searching mine.
“Fine,” I manage, my tone softer now. Taking a deep breath, I try to push aside the turmoil churning inside me. “I’m fine,” I repeat, more to convince myself than her.
She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip.
“So, uh …” She swallows hard. “Your mom is getting remarried?”
“Looks like it.”
She nods. “It’s none of my business—”
“Then leave it alone,” I cut her off. “My mother isn’t something I want to talk about right now.”
Her brows pull together, and I know she wants to argue, but with a sigh, she folds her arms over her chest and lets it go.
“Here.” I hold out my extra helmet for her and help her secure it. “Let’s get you back.”
After we arrive back at the hotel, we all take the elevator and head to our respective rooms. We got two, each with two queen beds, but the thought of going back to mine sends a spear of dread into my stomach.
I hesitate beside the door for Cecilia’s.
She and Adriana are sharing one, and I’ve never been more envious of the girl in my life.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” I tell them both, dropping a quick kiss to Cecilia’s forehead.
Adriana huffs out a breath, her tone irritated when she holds out her hand. “Give me your room key,” she demands.
I scowl at her. “Why would I do that?”
Her eyes flick from me to Cecilia. “Because weird shit is going on with you two. You’re getting stuck in your head and she—” she points a thumb in Cecilia’s direction, “is going to stay up all night worrying about you. I, for one, would like to get some sleep. Give me your key, and I’ll take your bed.
You can have mine,” she snorts. “Though I doubt you’ll use it. ”
Rolling my eyes, I pull out the thin electric card and hand it to her. “You sure that’s the only reason you want to swap?” I ask her. “You know I’m rooming with J, right?”
She shrugs. “He’ll get over it. Let me just grab a few things.”
We all three step inside Cecilia’s room while Adriana grabs some pajamas and heads into the attached bathroom, presumably to change.
She comes back out in a pair of sleep shorts and an oversized shirt with a small toiletry bag in her hands.
“See you two in the morning,” she says, heading for the door without so much as a backward glance.
Cecilia is the first to break the silence now that it’s just the two of us in her room.
Her voice is hesitant as she speaks. “Gabriel, about the invitation …”
I tense, the mention of the wedding an unwelcome intrusion into my thoughts. “I don’t want to talk about it. There are far more interesting things we could be doing in this room than discussing my mother’s wedding.” My gaze drifts to the bed, a silent invitation lingering in the air.
Cecilia’s breath hitches at my insinuation, her eyes flickering with a mixture of uncertainty and desire. She takes a small step closer, and I meet her halfway, closing the distance between us. “Gabriel, I—“
“No more talking.” I silence her words with my lips and walk her closer to the bed.
“Wait,” she gasps, tearing her lips free.
I ignore her, trailing kisses down her neck as my fingers work to unbutton her jeans.
“Gabriel, stop.” I freeze, my hand halfway into her pants, fingertips grazing the lace of her panties.
“Why?” Drawing back, I stare down at her.
Her chest is heaving. Her pupils are already dilated. She wants this. So what gives?
“I’m not sleeping with you,” she says.
My frown deepens. “Why not?”
She laughs, smacking my chest lightly before she pulls my hand free and re-buttons her pants.
“It’s my time of the month.” A pink blush stains her cheeks. “I just started this morning.”
I’m not seeing the problem here.
“Are you in pain?” I ask.
Her face twists in confusion? “What? Oh, no. Not really. I’m uh …” Her blush deepens. “My cycle isn’t usually that bad. The cramps, I mean.”
Alright. “Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m bleeding.” She waves a hand down toward her crotch. Has no one ever fucked this girl on her period? I thought chicks were hornier around this time. What gives?
“As you’ve already said,” I tell her. “But if you’re not in any pain, why does a little blood need to ruin our night?”
Her mouth drops open. “You’re kidding, right?”
Nope. And if a little blood is her only objection, I’m not about to let that slow me down. Crowding her space, I grip the backs of her thighs and hoist her into my arms. She braces her hands on my shoulders to steady herself, and instead of the bed, I make a beeline for the attached bathroom.
“What are you doing?” she hisses.
I nip at her full bottom lip. “I’m going to fuck you.”
“Absolutely not.” She wiggles in my hold, and I have to tighten my grip so I don’t drop her.
“What is the problem?” I ask again. “Do you dislike sex during your period? Does it hurt?”
“No, it’s just …” She trails off. “Messy.”
I grin, using my foot to kick the bathroom door open. “Problem solved,” I tell her as we step inside the brightly lit tiled room. “Shower sex, it is.”