Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Bobby
The warmth of her was the first thing I felt before I even opened my eyes.
Gabbi was still tangled against me, her body pressed into my side, her breath soft and steady against my chest. For a long moment, I just lay there, taking it in.
The way her fingers lightly curled against my ribs, the way her leg rested over mine, the way her hair tickled my skin.
It was unfamiliar and familiar all at once, something I hadn’t had in so long but something I had missed without even realizing it.
I inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly, letting myself feel this. The silence wasn’t empty like it used to be. It wasn’t heavy or thick with unspoken words. It was full of something softer, something lighter. I opened my eyes, shifting slightly, and felt her stir against me.
Gabbi let out a small sigh, stretching against the sheets before her face nuzzled into my shoulder. "Mm, morning," she murmured, her voice raspy with sleep.
I glanced down at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Morning," I murmured back, watching as her lips curled into a slow, lazy smile.
She shifted again, stretching her arms above her head before relaxing back into the pillow, her dark eyes locking onto mine. "You’re staring," she teased, voice still thick with sleep.
"Can you blame me?" I said, letting my fingers trail down her arm, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my touch.
Gabbi hummed, her smile soft as she tucked herself closer into my chest, her fingers lightly tracing the ridges of my stomach. "This is nice," she admitted.
I ran a hand down her back, slow and steady. "Yeah," I agreed. "It is."
She stayed there for a moment longer before sighing, stretching once more before finally sitting up, pulling the sheets around her. "We should probably get up," she muttered, rubbing her eyes.
"Probably," I said, making no move to do so.
She smirked, leaning down to press a soft kiss to my jaw before pushing herself out of bed, grabbing my discarded shirt from the floor and slipping it over her head.
Watching her walk across my bedroom in nothing but that, looking like she belonged there, did something to my chest that I wasn’t ready to name.
She disappeared into the hallway, and I forced myself up, running a hand through my hair before pulling on a pair of sweatpants.
The second I stepped out of the bedroom, the smell of bacon hit me, and I wasn’t even surprised to find Liam already at the kitchen table, his arms crossed as he watched the sizzling pan on the stove.
I smirked, stepping into the kitchen. "You planning on cooking that, or just watching it burn?"
Liam barely spared me a glance, his mouth twitching. "I was considering whether or not your cooking was actually safe to eat."
Gabbi snorted as she opened the fridge, grabbing the orange juice. "Smart kid."
Liam’s gaze flickered to her, to the way she was still wearing my shirt, and I saw the exact second he put two and two together. His expression didn’t change, but there was something in his eyes, something observant, assessing. Then he leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow.
"So," he said, completely deadpan. "You two back together, or should I leave again?"
Gabbi choked on her drink, coughing as she grabbed a napkin, while I just shook my head, flipping the bacon onto a plate.
"Sit down and eat your damn pancakes," I muttered.
Liam smirked, clearly satisfied with himself, but didn’t push. He just grabbed his fork, leaning back in his chair like he had been expecting this all along.
I plated the food, setting it down before sliding into the chair across from him. Gabbi took the seat next to me, her knee brushing against mine under the table, and for a few minutes, we just ate.
It was simple. Normal. And that alone made my chest ache in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
Gabbi and Liam started talking, easier this time, the conversation light, teasing. It wasn’t perfect—not by a long shot. There were still walls up, still pieces that needed fixing. But there was something different now, something a little more open.
"You know," Liam said, twirling his fork between his fingers, "for a guy who spent six years brooding, you got back together with her pretty fast."
I narrowed my eyes. "Watch it, kid."
Gabbi grinned, nudging my arm. "Yeah, Bobby. Pretty fast."
I sighed, shaking my head. "You two are gonna be a problem, aren’t you?"
Gabbi rested her chin in her palm, smirking. "You love it."
Liam smirked too. "Yeah, he does."
I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue.
Because, yeah. I did.
We didn’t talk about what came next. We didn’t talk about how much still needed to be worked through, about what life would look like now that everything had changed.
But as we sat there—**Gabbi smiling at Liam, Liam rolling his eyes at me, the smell of bacon still filling the air—**it felt like a start.
I glanced at Gabbi across the table, met her gaze as she reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together under the table.
I squeezed back, silent but firm.
We made it.