Page 28 of Forever Mine

“No. I had a feeling. He’s not exactly my boyfriend, but I’ve been trying, and he just gets angrier and angrier with me, and I don’t know what to do …” she trails off.

My entire body stiffens as her words sink in.

“He gets angry?” I ask calmly, my hands in tight fists.

She looks up at me, and her eyes widen.

“Oh, Gabriel. No. No! He doesn’t hit me. He just yells and then leaves. He’s never touched me like that, I swear,” she blurts out. I exhale slowly. This is typically how many men begin beating their women. They start out slow. Just an argument. Just raising their voices. Then the gaslighting starts, and then finally, the violence.

“You’ll tell me if he hits you, right?Querida, you have to tell me,” I say quietly. Fuck. I slipped and called her sweetheart again. Her eyes narrow.

“Stop calling me that,” she hisses angrily. I hold up my hands in surrender.

“I’m sorry, Monica. Ms. Valducci. It just slipped out,” I tell her earnestly. “You can trust me. I promise. If he hurts you, you can trust me.”

Her eyes search mine, and she nods.

“Let me go in and get your food for you. That way, you don’t have to see him, talk to him, or anything. Okay?”

Monica nods again.

“Get back in your car. I’ll be back out.”

I run inside and grab her to-go order before returning to her car. She sits sullenly in the front seat, holding on to the steering wheel. When I knock on the window, she visibly jumps before putting her hand to her heart, then rolls down her window.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” I tell her.

“I’m the one who should be sorry. I’ve bitten your head off so many times in the last few months, and you’ve been nothing but nice and respectful to me. I’m sincerely sorry, Gabriel,” she says. I give her a crooked smile as I hand the bag of food through the open window.

“It’s fine, Ms. Valducci. Enjoy your evening. I’ll see you in a week,” I tell her as I turn away.

“Didn’t Chase tell you?” she calls out.

“What?” I ask.

“He’s sick. He won’t be attending the conference with you. I will.”

My eyes close in anguish. Four days stuck in a conference with Monica will be blissful torture. My dick is about to be raw because I’ll have to fuck my own damn hand multiple times a day to keep a clear head around her.

“He didn’t tell me,” I say as I focus on keeping my voice steady. “He and I were going to drive to Boulder together. Would you like me to pick you up?”

Monica hesitates before nodding.

“If that’s okay with you,” she says softly.

“Of course. Text me your address. I’ll be there around noon on Monday, okay?”

“Thank you, Gabriel.”

“Have a good weekend, Ms. Valducci,” I respond.

“Gabriel?” she calls as I begin to walk away. I hesitate before turning again.

“Yes?”

“You can call me Monica.”

As she closes her window, she gives me a small smile as she drives away.

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