Page 128 of Gabriel's Album

I’m distracted when I hear a fan from the direction of the entrance to the room shriek, “Let me go!”

I look over and am completely horrified to see that Sebastian has grabbed the fan by the arm and is pulling her toward the door. I don’t know what the fuck is happening right now, but this is way over the line.

“Sebastian! What the hell are you doing?” I growl and glare at him.

Both Sebastian and the fan freeze in place at the sound of my voice, and their struggle is halted.

“You’re scaring our guests, and that is not okay.”

My voice is cold because I’ve seen Sebastian treat women poorly in the past, but I didn’t think that even he would do something like this. He looks as though he’s a child who’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as though he’s truly afraid of me right now for some reason.

The woman whose arm he had previously had hold of turns to face me and my blood turns to ice in my veins. I can’t truly believe who is standing in front of me.

“Ariana?” My eyebrows fly up into my hairline, and I can’t even fathom what is happening right now. “What are you doing here?”

She stares at me for a second, then cringes. “I’m sorry. Sebastian was right; I shouldn’t have come.”

She keeps looking at me, and I drink in the sight of her. It’s been too long since I’ve seen her. She’s as beautiful as she ever was, and I ache to have her in my arms again. I can’t find any words to speak as I take her in. She’s wearing the emerald green dress from our first date. The one that matches her eyes. I can’t count how many times I told her it was my favorite. Did she wear it tonight for me?

As I’m still processing her appearance, Ariana turns and begins walking toward the exit.

“Ari.”

My voice cracks as I say her name. There’s so much that I’m saying in that one word, and I know that she knows it because she pauses with her hand on the doorknob.

For an instant, I’m hopeful that she will stay, but she remains turned away from me as she says, “I’m sorry, Gabe.”

Then, she opens the door and walks through it. I’m flooded with emotion at everything, but most overwhelming of all was how right it was to be near her again. Hearing her say my name, the nickname reserved for family—it soothed something deep inside of me.

The entire room is silent behind me, but I just stare at the door that Ariana walked through a moment ago. Hayden, Harrison, and Heather descend on Sebastian and me.

“What the fuck is Ariana doing here?” Hayden asks.

“She apparently won tickets. This is her friend,” Sebastian gestures to the fan standing next to him, whom I only just noticed.

It’s the woman who was brought onstage as part of the VIP package.

“How do you know Ariana?” I ask.

“We work together,” she squeaks.

A million butterflies take up residence in my stomach. This woman knows Ariana and works with her on a daily basis.

“How long have you known her?” Harrison queries.

“Umm, I’m not sure, maybe two years or something?”

Two years. So, Ariana started working there as soon as she got back to Chicago, I guess.

“Where do you work?” Heather joins in the interrogation.

“Wilson Realty.”

A real estate agent? Receptionist? Accountant? What is she doing for work?

“Can you call Ariana for me?” I urge her.

“No, sorry. We message at work, and we’re Facebook friends, but I don’t have her number.”

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