Chapter 16
“And you?” Gabriel asked softly. “Why aren’t you in a relationship?”
The question caught Nicole off guard.
She hadn’t spoken about her personal life in a long time.
Vanessa and Rick were her friends, yes, but not close enough for her to ever open up to them this way.
What she had gone through in the past wasn’t something she shared lightly—it was something that gave her trust issues, something she kept buried, something she carried alone.
“I—um… I had a rough relationship,” she replied, lifting her glass and taking a small sip of wine, hoping it would calm the sudden nervousness tightening in her chest.
“Look, if you don’t—” Gabriel started.
“No, no. It’s fine,” Nicole interrupted quickly. “I want to talk about it. I haven’t done that with anyone before, and sometimes… it eats me up inside.”
She paused, gathering herself.
“I had this boyfriend back in high school,” she began, forcing a shaky smile onto her lips. “We were in love… or at least, I thought we were.”
Gabriel could tell immediately that the smile was only there to mask her pain. Without saying a word, he reached across the table and gently placed his hand over hers, to show her that she could trust him.
Nicole felt it instantly.
“Thanks,” she said quietly when she noticed his hand resting on hers. The simple gesture brought her an unexpected sense of relief. Knowing that he was willing to listen—really listen—made it easier to continue, even if the story itself was painful and humiliating.
“We argued sometimes,” she said. “But it never felt serious to me because I loved him. I thought that was just what relationships were like.” She inhaled deeply before continuing. “Then one day… I found him.”
Her voice faltered.
“I found him sleeping with my best friend.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks before she could stop them.
“I was furious,” she continued, her voice breaking.
“I told them both to get out of my life. I wanted nothing to do with either of them.” She paused, wiping at her tears.
“But after a while, Dylan came back. He apologized. He said he never meant to cheat, that Claire—my best friend—was the one who threw herself at him.”
Her lips trembled.
“I forgave him,” she whispered. “We got back together, and I didn’t even think twice about it because I was madly in love with him.
Dylan wanted sex, and I wanted a best friend…
but I was willing to give in to his demands just to keep him.
” She swallowed hard. “Later on, I started noticing things. Late-night texts from random girls. He grew distant and indifferent to our relationship. Like I didn’t matter anymore. ”
She clenched her fingers.
“On his twenty-third birthday, I went over to his place to surprise him,” she said, her voice barely holding together. “And I caught him in bed with another girl.”
That was it.
Nicole broke down completely, covering her face as sobs wracked her body.
“I never should’ve forgiven him,” she cried. “I knew he wasn’t being honest when he first apologized, but I still forgave him. I still believed him.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Gabriel said gently, his voice steady as he tried to comfort her.
“I was so stupid,” she said through tears. “I was a complete idiot.”
“You weren’t,” he said firmly.
“I tried to move on,” Nicole continued, her voice hoarse. “But every relationship after that turned out the same. That’s how terrible I am.”
“Don’t say that,” Gabriel said immediately. “You’re a great person.”
“You can’t say that,” she replied weakly. “You barely know me.”
“We may have only known each other for a few weeks,” Gabriel said, rubbing her knuckles gently with his thumb, “but I can tell you’re an amazing person.”
Nicole sniffled and let out a small, shaky chuckle.
“Thanks,” she said. “I must look terrible right now.”
“Excuse me,” Nicole said softly. “I need to use the restroom.”
She stood up and walked away from the table.
While Nicole was gone, Gabriel sat there in silence, lost in thought. He couldn’t understand how someone as sociable, warm, and full of life as Nicole had gone through so much pain and still managed to appear strong. Meanwhile, he had been drowning in sorrow over a single breakup.
He wished he had her strength.
He was still thinking when Nicole returned. As she approached the table, Gabriel noticed several men openly staring at her with undisguised lust. Something dark twisted inside him.
Anger.
Possessiveness.
Why was he reacting like this?
Was it because she had just trusted him with her story? Was that why he felt so unsettled?
He pushed the thoughts aside and decided they were done here.
“Do you feel better now?” he asked as soon as she sat down.
“Yes,” Nicole replied softly. “Thank you for listening.”
Gabriel called the waiter, settled the bill, and led Nicole out of the restaurant.
They arrived home soon after and stood quietly in front of their bedroom doors.
“I had a wonderful night,” Nicole said. “The French cuisine was delicious. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Gabriel replied, stepping closer to her.
“Goodnight,” he said, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
A rosy blush instantly colored Nicole’s face. This was the first time Gabriel had ever said goodnight to her like that.
“Goodnight,” she replied quietly before retreating into her room.
Once inside, Nicole leaned against the door, her heart racing.
She didn’t understand why she always felt butterflies whenever Gabriel touched her. She had only felt that way once before—with Dylan.
Could it be because she talked about Dylan tonight?
But that didn’t make sense.
She had been feeling this way for over a week now.
Nicole placed her purse on the nightstand and lay down on her bed.
“I can’t be in love with him,” she murmured to herself.
She warned herself mentally, reminding herself not to fall in love again. Men were all the same—they acted kind at first and revealed their true, monstrous selves in the end.
But Gabriel seemed different.
From what little she had seen and known, he wasn’t like the others. Still, she couldn’t allow herself to fall for him. This was only a contract—one that would end in a few months.
The thought alone made tears spill down her cheeks.
Why was she so unlucky in love?
The question lingered in her mind as exhaustion finally pulled her into sleep.