Page 32 of It's Always Been You
“Well, what did he say?” Hallie asks. “We’re not doing half stories here.”
“Ugh, fine,” Molly groans. “His exact words were,if you don’t take your hand off my fiancée right the fuck now, I’ll cut it off.”
The room is quiet for a full ten seconds before Hallie breaks the silence. “You told asshole Brad, nephew of Molly’s biggest client, the guy who is trying to steal said client from her, that you were her fiancé?”
“It’s fine,” Molly says, waving her away. “It got Brad to back off, and if he tells his uncle, I can just tell Mr. Randall that Brad misheard. Brad’s due for some light gaslighting anyway.”
Hallie cackles. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, but seriously, that’s the kind of shit I thought only happened in romance novels. Gabe Sullivan, you are a real-life book boyfriend.” She gives me a look of admiration that has me laughing.
“I’d settle for being any kind of boyfriend, honestly.” I give Molly a cheeky grin, and I can see her biting the inside of her cheek to hide her smile.
“Oh, my god,” Allie breathes, a hand over her heart. “He’s just as swoony as the rest of you.”
“Bite your tongue, baby girl. No one is as swoony as me,” Jordan says, hooking an arm around Allie’s neck and kissing her.
“Uh, not true,” Asher says. “You once called me the president of simp-town. That makes me the swooniest of all.”
“Nope, I win,” Jeremy says, wrapping an arm around Emma. “I taught Maddy how to cook and we read together every single night. I’ve got the whole hot dad thing going on. Maddy’s our daughter,” Jeremy tells me, a dreamy, deeply satisfied sort of smile on his face. “She’s eight and the absolute best.”
“Uh, I’ve got the coffee thing, and I make breakfast. Every day.” Ben tips Hallie’s face towards him and gives her a kiss far better suited to a dark room than a living room full of people. When they break apart, she looks a little dazed and he gives a satisfied nod, like he’s confident he’s got everyone beat.
Not to be outdone, I lean down and whisper in Molly’s ear. “They can try, but no one beats me, Rory baby. I won the swoon Olympics ten years ago, and imagine how much I’ve learned since then. I’ll give you so much swoon you won’t know what to do with yourself.”
Molly’s face turns red, she clears her throat, and I can see her press her thighs together. I am completely delighted by her. And now I’m also hard. Fantastic.
“Okay, this has all been sufficiently gross and pathetic, so back to me. I still think it’ll be fine. Mr. Russell is all family first and everything, but I think I can convince him that Brad didn’t hear what he thought he heard.”
Emma looks at Molly thoughtfully. “It’ll probably work, but you said he’s going to be at the meeting next week. I don’t lovethe idea of you working with him. He’s obviously unhinged, and we now know he can be violent.”
“Hard agree,” I mutter, leaning forward on the couch, elbows resting on my knees.
Molly leans into me a little and lays a hand on my back, running her fingers back and forth along my spine. I think it’s meant to be a calming gesture, but it’s the first time she’s touched me unprompted like this since I’ve been here, and it has unexpected emotion rising in my throat. Watching all the couples in this room who are obviously wildly in love has made me realize how much I missed it. The casual familiarity, the little touches, the way Molly and I used to be able to read each other’s thoughts, anticipate each other’s needs. I want it back. Badly.
Patience, I remind myself.
You broke it.
It’s on you to fix it.
Give her as long as she needs.
All of these things are easier in theory than in reality.
Before Molly has a chance to answer, my phone dings and I lift a hip to pull it out of my pocket, giving everyone an apologetic look. “Sorry about this, I have to grab it. My sisters are in Washington D.C. and Boston, and even though they’re not kids anymore, old habits die hard.”
Molly gives me a reassuring nod. I click my phone on and see that it is, in fact, the family group chat. As soon as I open it though, I really wish I hadn’t.
Team Sullivan
Ames
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK GABE!! WHY DOES EVERY NEWS SITE ON THE INTERNET SAY YOU’RE ENGAGED?
Liv
Gabriel. You do not propose to a girl without telling your sisters. Especially if that girl is the love of your life who you have been waiting ten years to see again. What the shit is going on there?
My anxiety rises as I click out of the group chat without answering and stab my finger on the internet browser icon. I search for my name and hundreds of articles appear immediately, all with some form of,Tech Wizard Gabriel Sullivan Engaged to Pittsburgh-Based Tax and Estate Planning Lawyerin the headline.
