Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
GAbrIEL
Idrove without direction after leaving Charlotte’s house, torn between the urge to turn around and make her listen, and the quieter temptation to disappear into my condo with a bottle of bourbon until everything went numb.
Neither option felt right.
So when my hands turned the wheel on instinct, I didn’t fight it. Twenty minutes later, I was pulling into my parents’ driveway.
The porch light flicked on before I even killed the engine. My mom appeared in the doorway, her silhouette framed in the faint light. Her head tilted the way it always did when she was quietly reading me. She didn’t wave or call out. Just waited.
A moment later, my phone buzzed.
Come inside. I’ll put the tea on. Or something stronger if you need it.
My chest squeezed. She’d always been the family’s anchor. Tonight, I needed that anchor more than I cared to admit.
“Hi,” she greeted softly as I stepped in, pulling me into her arms.
“Hi, Mom.”
She reached up and put her hands on either side of my face, studying me. “Are you all right, Gabriel?”
I gave a short shake of my head. “Not really. But don’t worry. Samantha is fine.”
She smiled, leading me into the family room where we sat on either side of the sofa. “I know. She called me about a half hour ago, but thank you for saying it. You’re a good dad.”
A humorless breath escaped me. “At least I’m finally getting one thing right.”
The way her brow pinched indicated she had something to say, but before she could, my father stepped into the room. His presence, even after all these years, had a weight which steadied everything around him.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his tone calm but probing.
I swallowed hard, the words heavy. “Did you ever have to make a choice in business that cost you everything professionally but let you keep your integrity?”
Someday, I knew I’d look back without regrets over walking away from the title of CEO. Charlotte or not, I couldn’t work for men like the McMillion brothers. But in the short term, the disappointment stung over all the hard work I’d put into this goal, all for nothing.
My mom squeezed my hand. “I’ll make some tea while you two talk.” She slipped out quietly, leaving the air between my father and me thick with unspoken things.
He settled into the chair across from me, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. “Titles, money, and jobs come and go. But integrity? It’s what defines you.” He studied me a moment longer. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
Times had changed. He was asking instead of insisting, making it easier to tell him everything. From the dinner in San Francisco with the client, through what the owners had said to me today when offering the job, to tonight and Charlotte’s reaction.
When I finished, the silence was deafening until he finally leaned forward.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of you, Gabe. At least not professionally.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Yes. You didn’t compromise who you are even when it cost you something you wanted. That’s integrity. That’s who we raised you and your brothers to be.”
His words hit deep, but all I could think about was the one person who hadn’t believed in me. My voice came out rough. “Charlotte wouldn’t hear me out.”
Of everything I’d lost today, she was the one I couldn’t get past.
My mom reappeared then, carrying a tray with tea and setting it on the table. Her eyes softened when they met mine. She’d clearly heard enough. “Then fight for her, Gabriel.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know if she’ll let me. She thinks I betrayed her trust, and maybe she’s right. I promised to keep what happened in San Francisco between us, and I broke my promise.”
My parents exchanged a look with quiet understanding. My dad finally spoke, his tone sincere. “Then you apologize. And you earn it back.”
“How?” My voice cracked more than I wanted. “How do I prove to her she can trust me when this is exactly what she’d been afraid of?”
Mom boldly asked her next question. “Do you love her?”
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “So much it hurts to think I’ve lost her.”
“Then don’t give up,” Mom whispered, taking a seat beside me on the sofa.
“Giving up is my specialty,” I muttered, my voice flat. “Ask Tanya.”
My dad’s response was immediate. “That’s bullshit. You didn’t give up. You escaped an unhappy and unhealthy relationship.”
My mom shot him a warning look, but he continued.
“No, I’m saying this now because I should’ve said it years ago.
We watched you twist yourself in knots trying to make your marriage work.
And not once did we think you needed to try harder, Gabriel.
When you ended it, we weren’t disappointed, we were relieved you finally realized you deserved better. And so did Samantha.”
The words landed deep, shaking loose something I hadn’t realized I was still holding on to. For so long, success had been my compass. I’d carried around the weight of an assumption that my parents had been ashamed I couldn’t salvage my marriage.
I glanced between them, disbelieving. “I always thought you were both so disappointed in me. Then I left for London, and I figured it compounded.”
Mom’s eyes softened, a sheen of tears gathering.
“Oh, Gabriel.” She took my hand in hers.
“We were never disappointed. All we’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy.
And seeing you with Charlotte the other night?
It was the first time we’ve seen you truly happy.
The kind that isn’t about obligation or guilt, but peace. ”
For the first time in years, the heaviness I’d carried cracked, just a little. They hadn’t been quietly disappointed in me. I’d simply been too wrapped up in my own guilt to see it.
But despite the unexpected relief, one ache refused to ease. “I need a plan. I need to figure out what to say to Charlotte.”
My mom patted my knee. “Then you’ve come to the right place. Let me grab something stronger and call your brothers.”