Page 136 of Thrill Me (Dark Odyssey 3)

“I’ll leave you guys. I have some stuff I have to take care of.” I have nothing really other than worrying myself sick over Salvatore but it’s time to go.

“Thanks for coming by,” Charlotte says.

“I’ll bring you some of that tea you like and some magazines in an hour.”

“I’d love that.”

I give Gabe a little smile before I walk past him and proceed down the corridor, he catches up with me though. He calls me and I stop mid stride.

“Mimi,” he says my name again with more fervency.

“Hey…”

“You okay?”

I nod. “I’m better.” We haven’t spoken since the night at Porter’s. I was a real mess that night. “I’m better than I was the other night.”

“If you need to talk I’m here. I hope you know that.”

I believe him and I appreciate the gesture. “I do know and thanks.”

An awkward silence passes between us and he glances down at the ground then back to me. “Thanks for being there for her. For Charlotte. It’s a scary time. I’m grateful for the kindness you always show her.”

“That’s okay. She… needed her pillows fluffed and …someone.” I look at him and I’m not sure what more to say. This is always going to be a difficult conversation.

“Thank you for being that someone.”

“Well, I want to help where I can.”

“You are… she likes you a lot.”

“Me too. She’s great.” I nod.

He presses his lips together and a cautious look spreads across his face. “Mimi I’m going to tell her about our baby,” he states, shocking the hell out of me.

He saidour babytoo which sounded weird.

I blink several times trying to process it. I process it and I know I don’t want that. I don’t want him to do that.

“Don’t,” I practically whisper. “Don’t.”

“I need to. We don’t have secrets and I’m not going to keep our baby a secret, like she never happened. She did. I will blame myself for as long as I live for everything that stopped her from being… but I’m not going to forget my daughter.”

His words have me gripped, standing in place planting my feet to the ground to keep from falling over.

He sucks in a sharp breath and continues talking. “It doesn’t matter who I’m with or who I got married to. I was with you and it wasn’t that I crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed with you. The answer is, I didn’t treat you right. So I will do this.”

“Thank you… I don’t know what to say. I just don’t want it to upset her or cause some rift between you. You guys have the real deal.”

He nods. “That’s why we’ll be okay. I just wanted you to know, so you know I’m not going to forget.”

He leans forward and plants a kiss on my forehead.

With a nod he walks away, back to the room and I look on watching until he goes inside and the door closes.

I move only then and take the walk back to my room on shaky legs.

I think back to when I was with Gabe. It’s an experience I try my best not to think about. Being with him was a line I shouldn’t have crossed either, but I feel like I can finally put the past behind me. I feel like I can do that.

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