Page 62 of Gabriel's Album

“Your girlfriend seems like a lot, but if I was your girlfriend, I’d probably be a lot too,” she laughs.

My eyes widen at her comment, but then I can’t help but laugh with her before saying, “Thanks, I think.”

I’m aware that Ariana will be waiting for us the whole time we’re paying for our table and bidding farewell to the fans, and I’m grateful that both Sebastian and Hayden blow off the women they were flirting with to come back to the car with me. I think they know the car ride back to the hotel will be frosty and would potentially be a huge source of gossip if fans were to witness it.

When we reach the town car, though, it’s empty. Our driver is standing nearby and smoking a cigarette, looking guilty at being caught in the act. My heart begins to race in my chest, and I feel cold all over. I thought Ariana was safely in the car waiting for us, but actually, she’s who the fuck knows where.

“Did you see the brunette woman who was with us?” I ask as I stride over to him.

“Yes, sir. She got into a taxi over there.” He points to a taxi rank across the street.

“Fuck!” I exclaim as I climb into the car.

Not even Heather says anything as I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Ariana’s number. I don’t hang up when it becomes obvious she’s not going to answer.

Heather’s glaring at me again, and I grimace. “Don’t say it, Heather.”

“I didn’t say anything,” she shrugs at me.

“Well, you’re thinking it very loudly,” Sebastian jokes, and she whips her head around to look at him.

“Not the time, Seb,” she tells him through gritted teeth.

“Stop yelling your thoughts at us, then.” He gives her a cheeky grin. “Come on, guys. Ariana is obviously upset, but she took a taxi back to the hotel. I’m sure she’s fine.”

I take a deep breath and hope like hell that he’s right. News stories about women being kidnapped and murdered after taking a taxi solo run through my mind the rest of the way home, though. I busy myself by looking up the hotel information in my email to find Ariana’s room number. I have an inkling that she’ll have gone there, instead of to my suite, the same way she did after our fight in New York.

The car has barely pulled to a stop before I get out of it and head straight into the hotel to take the elevator to Ariana’s floor. I reach her room and knock on the door. I can barely breathe while I wait for her to answer. When she opens it, I’m flooded with relief that she’s okay. She’s obviously been crying, though, and the guilt comes rushing back to me.

“Can I come in?” I ask.

“Of course.” She moves aside and gestures toward the room behind her.

I walk to the middle of her room. I don’t know whether I should sit in the armchair squished in the space between the bed and the window, or if I should sit on the bed. Fuck this hotel room.

I turn to face Ariana instead of sitting anywhere, and she walks over to me, stopping when we’re standing about fifteen feet apart.

“What the hell, Ariana?” I demand. “You just left, and you wouldn’t talk to me or even let Heather come with you.”

“I needed some time alone, Gabriel. Was that too much to ask?” She frowns at me.

“That’s fine, you can have your alone time, but you could at least wait until you’re safe to get it.”

“I was perfectly safe. I caught a taxi; it was fine.” Ariana shrugs casually.

The memory of the fear that gripped me when I realized I didn’t know where she was and couldn’t get hold of her comes to my mind. My entire body tenses as I think about what could have happened.

“You might not have been, though. You didn’t think I would worry about you being on your own in a strange city?”

“I thought you’d barely even notice me leaving. I thought you were sufficiently distracted with the half-naked woman practically lying back on the pool table yelling ‘fuck me!’ at you,” Ariana says through gritted teeth.

“That is not fair, Ariana.” My hands ball into fists as my frustration with this entire situation intensifies, and I glare at her. “You know that’s not fair.”

“Why? Because you didn’t do anything with her? It didn’t mean she wasn’t trying it on with you.” Ariana shrugs before turning away.

“Exactly!” I exclaim. “I didn’t do anything with her, Ariana, because I love you. Something I would’ve quite happily informed them of, but you won’t let me tell anyone about us. This is what you wanted, remember? You don’t want people to know about us, so I didn’t clear anything up with them.”

“Is that why you brought them over?” Ariana yells, whirling to face me.

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