Page 267 of The Bonus

“Great,” he mouths across their heads at me. He puts his arms along the pillow and brushes the backs of his fingers across my face. I smile. A simple act to tell me what he’s wishing we were doing.

Me too.

Dominic snuggles into me and Lucia snuggles into him, and he smiles lovingly over at me. “I love you,” he says softly.

“Love you too,” Lucia says all sleepily.

I glance down to see that Dominic is already asleep, and I smile over at Gabriel, he blows me a kiss good night before he turns off the bedside lamp.

I know it’s not the night he wanted…but it’s pretty perfect anyway.

I wake with a start and look around, disoriented. Darkness, but Gabriel isn’t in bed with the three of us.

I sit up onto my elbow and look around, I grab my phone from the side table.

4:30 a.m.

Where is he?

I sneak out of bed and, using the light on my phone, go in search of him. I pad down the hall and check the bedrooms as I pass. Down the stairs and through the house.

No sign of him…is he even here? Where would he have gone…

Ariana.

Panic sets in, and I begin to look more urgently.

Did she call him? Did he rush to her side? I hobble up the hall to his gym, the only room I haven’t checked, and I burst open the door. To my surprise and utter relief, I find Gabriel running on the treadmill.

“Thank god.” I put my hand over my heart.

He slows the treadmill down, his T-shirt wet with perspiration, his skin covered with a wet shine. His chest is heaving as he struggles for air.

“Hey,” he pants as the treadmill comes to a standstill. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought you weren’t here.”

“Where would I go?”

Before I put my brain-to-mouth filter on, I reply, “To her.”

He frowns as he stares at me. “To who?”

I wrap my dressing gown around me. What the hell did I say that for? “Never mind.”

“No.” His chest is still struggling for air. “What did you mean by that?” He pulls me by the hand down the hall and into the kitchen, sits me up on the large island bench and puts his hands on either side of my legs. “Now, I’m going to ask you again…what did you mean by that?”

“I just…” My eyes well with tears.

Damn it, I don’t want to be this insecure crazy person.

“You mean Ariana?” he pants.

I nod.

“Gracie.” He brushes the hair back from my forehead. “I’m one hundred percent with you.”

My eyes search his.

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