Page 148 of Gabriel's Album

“I took what you said very seriously, sweetheart. The day after I saw you, I told Elena everything. I told her about our whole relationship, how you left, how we met again at the concert, and that I went to your work and we had talked.”

I cringe internally as I recall the conversation and how hard it had been. I feel so much regret about the way I handled it. I should’ve just ended it with Elena that day.

“I admitted we’d been texting and I’d invited you over and that you’d come and we almost had sex, but you stopped us. I even told her that if you hadn’t come to your senses, I wasn’t about to come to mine. I told her that you’d said you loved me and would wait for me.”

A brief smile comes across my face as I say those words, but it slips away as I tell her, “To say she was upset would be an understatement. It was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had in my life. She thought I was breaking up with her, but I did take what you said to heart, Ari. I didn’t want you to be the reason we broke up.”

I stop for a moment and look at Ariana, drinking in the sight of her. It’s so completely strange that she’s here with me now. It doesn’t feel real, and a part of me is terrified that she’ll leave again.

I close my eyes and push away those thoughts. She’s here, and we can get to know each other again and make it work this time. I’ll never again push her to do more than she’s ready to do. If I have to live the rest of my life hiding her from the paparazzi, I’ll happily do that.

I sigh and continue my explanation. “We tried to make it work. We even did a few sessions of couples counseling, but it was obvious that it wasn’t working, so we agreed a couple of days ago that it would be best if we split up.

“I know that you didn’t want to be the reason we broke up, but, in all honesty, it was over as soon as I saw you at the concert that night. Everything I felt for her paled in comparison to how I felt with just an instant of being near you.”

Ariana smiles, and it lights up her face. It’s so true, though. I hadn’t realized how much I was simply existing when she was gone. The world was no longer dull and gray like it was when she first left, but it certainly wasn’t technicolor like it is now.

“I told myself I could forget you if only I had a chance to talk through it with you, so I came to see you at your work, but everything we had was still there, and more. I lied to myself that we could be friends, and I’ll forever be grateful to you because you stopped us from crossing the line that night when the time wasn’t right.” I’m done talking about Elena right now; I need Ariana in my bed. So, I take her hands and pull her up from the sofa. “Is that enough of an explanation for now?”

“Yes.” She smiles at me.

“Is there anything else you need to know before I fuck you?” I ask and am pleased when Ariana’s breath catches.

She shakes her head in response to my question, and I lead her into my bedroom. I pull her over to my bed and push her gently onto it. She lays on her back and swallows as she looks up at me. Her breasts are rising and falling with her breaths, and the skirt of her dress has ridden up her legs to expose her thighs.

“Oh god, Ari,” I groan. “I can’t believe I have you in my bed again.”

“Come join me here, then,” she says in a husky voice.

She doesn’t have to ask me twice. I climb onto the bed and lift up her dress. I peel her panties off her, relishing the view in front of me as I toss them to the side of the bed. I spread her legs and bury my face between them. She tastes so fucking good, and I’m painfully hard right now. I push my fingers in and out of her as I continue to lick her clit, and Ariana’s moans cause my cock to jerk in my briefs.

After she comes, I make my way up to kiss her mouth. She tastes faintly of coffee, and I feel as though I might come in my pants any second. I reach down and unbuckle my jeans, not bothering to take them off. Instead, I lower them and my briefs enough to release my cock and roll a condom on myself.

I push myself into her, and Ariana gasps before moaning loudly. She’s so wet and tight, and this feels phenomenal. I thrust roughly into her, desperate for the connection that I’ve missed for so long. Eventually, her muscles contract around me while she comes, and my orgasm hits me as she comes around me.

We lay together, breathing heavily, and I shift my weight slightly so I’m not directly on top of her. I kiss her on the mouth and begin feathering kisses all over her face and neck and any bits of exposed flesh I can reach.

“God, I love you,” I say.

“I love you, too,” she replies.

She pulls me down and kisses me on the mouth, and I feel like I’ve been given wings, because my heart is so light.

Once we’ve caught our breath, we make our way to the shower, where we both take our clothes off and jump in together. I grab the sponge and wash her from head to toe before Ariana returns the favor. As she’s cleaning my legs, she gets on her knees and takes my cock in her mouth.

I groan as she closes her warm, wet lips around me, and I’m instantly as hard as a fucking rock. She sucks me for a while before we turn the shower off and return to the bed for round two. We spend the rest of the night sleeping and making love whenever one of us wakes up.

In the morning, Ariana makes us breakfast, and it’s just so perfect having her with me that I can barely stand it.

“You look good in my apartment,” I tell her. “I’ve missed you so much over the last two years. You have no idea.”

“Are you going to hold that time against me forever?” She chews her lip as she waits for me to answer.

“Oh, sweetheart.” I walk over to her and pull her into my arms. “I don’t hold it against you at all. It is what it is, but I want you in my life, and I don’t want to waste another minute not having you in it.”

“I am sorry I left, Gabe. If I hadn’t, though, I don’t know if I ever would have realized how much I need you in my life. I’ve learned a lot over these last two years; I’m different now, and I hope you understand that.”

I meet her gaze and laugh. “I can tell. It became obvious to me somewhere around the time you told me off for trying to get in your pants while I was still calling someone else my girlfriend.”

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