Page 20 of My Girl
“I’m sorry.”
“Come again?”
“I’m sorry. I treated you like shit, and you didn’t deserve it. So, I’m sorry.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “You missed your flight to come tell me you’re sorry for the way you treated me before you left?” she said, scepticism ripe in her tone.
“No, I missed my flight so I could do this.” He yanked her up against him and crushed his mouth to hers. He demanded entry, and in her dazed state, she gave it to him.
Gabriel poured his all into the kiss, trying to show her how he felt. The kiss burned hot for long seconds before Sheridan pushed back against his chest. He tried to pull her back into his embrace, but she locked her arms to gain some distance, breaking the kiss.
“What the hell, Gabriel?” She retreated to the sofa, curling into herself as she sat in the corner.
Blowing out a harsh breath, he clasped a hand around the back of his neck. It was now or never. If she threw him out and refused to see him again, he’d accept it. He deserved it after the way he’d treated her. But he had to tell her how he felt.
“I ...” He cleared his throat. Damn, it was harder than he thought it would be. “I got as far as the boarding gate. There was a couple in front of me in the queue – an older couple. Maybe late sixties.”
Sheridan stared at him, confusion clearly stamped on her face.
“It was the sweetest thing. They were chatting and laughing, enjoying each other’s company. It was clear for everyone to see they were deeply in love. And then she kissed him on the cheek, and he hugged her tight up against his side. He kissed her on the forehead and called her his girl. His girl. Like he didn’t see her grey hair and the lines around her eyes.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why are you telling me this?”
He continued, almost as if he hadn’t heard her. “I stood staring at them when it hit me. I want that. I want to grow old with someone who makes me feel like that.”
“Gabriel, you’re not making a lick of sense.”
This time he looked right at her, right into her eyes. “You know what else I realised?”
Sheridan shook her head again. “No, Gabe. What did you realise?”
Still staring at her, he replied, “I realised that I wanted what they had, and I want it with you. I want you to bemy girl. To share a life and grow old with me.” He went to kneel in front of where she sat and took one of her hands in his. “I love you, sugar bear. I couldn’t leave without telling you how I feel.That’swhy I missed my flight.”
She sat, still as a statue, seemingly speechless. He waited for her to say something. As the silence stretched between them, he grew uncomfortable.
“Please. Say something.”
“It – I – you …”
“Surely you’re not speechless. Are you?” When she didn’t reply, he laughed. “I’m so sorry there’s no one to witness this moment. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless in your twenty-eight years.”
Sheridan smacked him against his shoulder. “That wasthe last thingI expected to hear you say.”
“But I did. I shouldn’t have left the way I did earlier. In fact, I shouldn’t have left at all. Instead of running, like I always do, I should have stayed and talked this out with you. I should have told you how I feel.”
Without warning, she launched herself into his arms. Not expecting it, he had no time to brace, and it took him to his back on the floor. Sheridan peppered his face with kisses, making a happy noise in her throat. Sitting up, she looked down at him. “I didn’t think you felt that way about me. My feelings for you changed years ago, but I never had the courage to tell you.” She took a deep breath. “I love you too, champ. I have since I was sixteen.”
Gabriel rolled over, tucking Sheridan under him. He gazed down into the soft aquamarine-blue of her eyes. “I want to have babies with you, grow old with you, Sheridan Alicia Daniels. I don’t know what the immediate future holds for me, for us, but I do know that much.”
It would take time for his past and his body to heal, but Gabriel knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that as long as he had his girl by his side, he could get through anything life threw at him.
Epilogue
Jarrod
Their video call over, Jarrod closed his laptop. It brought him joy to see how happy his sister was. Oh, he’d given her and Gabriel a hard time when they’d broken the news to him that they were now together. He chuckled at seeing his best friend sweat. But eventually, he’d relented.
He’d known years ago, long before either of them had clued into the fact, that they loved each other. And honestly, they were a perfect fit. Sheridan touched the softer side of Gabriel and brought him peace. Gabriel made his sister happy. She glowed when she was in his company.
