For now, Nick decided to back off. If she wanted to spin lies and feed him garbage, he would accept that. Perhaps it was important to her to keep this thing a secret. He didn’t understand, but he would do his best to do so.
“Please give me a little time,” she pleaded. “Everything will become clear.”
Having already decided to not ask more questions, he simply nodded. “Do you want me to take your bags?”
Fresh fear exploded over her face. “No, I…I’ve got some things in the cupboard. Tomorrow, we can take them.”
She was lying again. With an effort, nick curbed his temper. Not now! Not this way! Sooner or later, she would’ve to come clean. “Do you want me to do something about the party?”
She sucked in a deep breath. “No! It’s all done. The food is ready. Willow has everything under control. I’m going to get dressed and go down in a little while.”
“I’ll go home and change then,” he said. “See you in a while.”
For the first time since he met Gabby, Nick was disappointed as he walked out and strode downstairs. This wasn’t the woman he fell in love with. The woman he cared for and admired wasn’t a liar. What would make her spin these tales that he couldn’t believe? Only one possibility sprang to his mind. She was having an affair.
The thought even as it ran in his mind froze his inside. He couldn't move, couldn’t even take another step. All the breath whooshed out of his lungs and Nick felt lightheaded. No way. That couldn't be true. But if that was true, it explained her behavior. If she was interested in another man, she wouldn’t want to shift with him. That would curb her freedom and wouldn’t give her the chance to meet the man she liked. If that was true, it explained her shady behavior such as talking on the phone.
Shit!
Was he blind? How could this possibility not occur to him before?
“Hey man, what’s up?” said Matt in a loud voice as he climbed up the stairs.
Startled, Nick shifted. “Alright. What are you doing here?”
Matt raised his eyebrow at Nick’s abrupt tone. “I’ve recruited to deliver this to Gabby.” He held up the packet in his hand. “It’s some beads or necklaces or some such thing that Tasha lent to her.”
Nick resisted the urge to snatch the package from his hand. In his current state of mind, he didn’t want to barge into her room again. And also, he didn’t think Matt was the one having an affair with Gabby. And perhaps, he was wrong. It could probably be his imagination that as going wild. “Go right ahead. I will see you at the party.”
“Yeah, sure, man.” Nick must have detected something in Nick’s voice because he didn’t immediately start to climb up. Ignoring him, Nick wound his way down. He didn’t talk to anyone else. Instead, he walked out of the clubhouse.
Surely, he was wrong.
He couldn’t possibly be right.
Gabby wasn’t the sort of woman who juggled two men at the same time. She was honest and decent. If she didn’t love it, she would have told him straight out. Why would she lie to him and sleep with another man?
But nothing else fit her behavior as well as this theory.
Ronald was waiting outside with Willow. They were also headed back home to get dressed. The two of them were together for more than fifteen years now. Sometimes he looked at them and his heart swelled with an ache. He wanted the same love that they shared with each other. For years, they were with each other through thick and thin. When he found Gabby, Nick had naively assumed that he’d found something similar. Given time, he expected to grow old with Gabby.
Now, it looked as his dreams would never come to fruition.
“Hey, how is the man of the moment?” Ronald’s grin damn near broke his head. “Ready to tie the old yolk around your neck, boy? She is moving in. That’s a huge deal.”
Willow poked him in his tummy. “Don’t scare the boy. You love living with me, and he is going to cherish this too. Gabby is a great girl.”
Ronald winked at Nick. “Sure, that is true. But there is no end to the nagging, I tell you that. Pick up the towel. Don’t leave the dirty dishes in the sink. Fold the laundry and put it in. I may be boss in this clubhouse, but she works me like a slave in the house.”
“Me? Nag?” Willow put her hands on her hips. Another time, her indignant expression might have amused Nick, but now he couldn’t think straight. “You just wait till we get home, Ronald James Mathew!”
“See, this is exactly what I am talking about.” Ronald gripped her arm and marched her towards the bike. “Nag! Nag! Nag!”
They bickered all the way to the bike, but he helped her strap on the helmet, and when she rode behind him, her arms went around his waist in a loving manner. Willow waved to him before they sped off. Nick didn’t bother to wave back. He was feeling too depressed, but maybe he was blowing this whole thing out of proportion. Surely, his sweet, loving Gabby couldn’t be cheating on him with another man. She loved him. Maybe she hadn’t said the right words back, but that didn’t mean anything. They shared a perfect relationship, and soon she would fall into his rhythm. Life was good, and he should read too much into minor incidents.
Nothing could deter him from his goal of taking her home tomorrow, and once she lived with him, their lives would settle down and they would be happy forever.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Gabby hated lying to Nick. She abhorred the idea of deserting him, but it was the only way she could keep him out of harm’s way. Perhaps one day, he would understand. Or most likely, he would curse her till his last breath. She could leave him a note to explain things, but she knew that if she did so, he would try to come after her and attempt to bring her back.
It was important to sever all ties so that he could remain happy in his world. Joseph would track her to the end of the world, and she didn’t want even his shadow to fall on Nick. Soon, after she was gone, Nick would get over the heartbreak. He would find someone else and be happy forever. The mere idea sent a lance of pain through her heart. She couldn’t bear seeing him with another woman, and the thought that she would never see him again was devastating. She would never be able to get over him. Never. He was the love she’d never imagined she would get, and yet, now she didn’t have a choice but to leave him.
After she dressed, Gabby carried her bags to the pantry where she left them for the time being. Once the party was over, she would slip out of the backdoor. She couldn’t risk carrying the bags down the stairs at that time. This was the perfect plan. It didn’t give her much time. A few hours, at most. She checked her watch. It was already six in the evening. Soon, people would start trickling in. Once she finished her preparations, she went into the kitchen.
“Hey, you look fabulous,” said Tasha as she cast an appreciative glance at Gabby. “But what are you doing here? Your dress will get spoilt. Go out, shoo!”
“I just came to see if you need help.”
“I’ve got everything covered,” said Tasha as she tugged Gabby’s hand and led her out of the kitchen. “You don’t need to worry over a thing. It’s your party and I want you to have fun. Tomorrow, you can be back in this kitchen and do all the work and I will sit and relax in a corner.”
Gabby’s heart swelled with pain. She would never see her friend again. Would Tasha wonder what made Gabby do such a miserable thing? Would they all sit and speculate over her reasons? She would never find such good friends ever again. She clasped Tasha’s hand in hers. “Tasha, you’re amazing. Don’t ever change.”
Her grin split her lips. “And you’re amazing too, girl.”
“What is this? A mutual admiration club?” said Willow as she sashayed towards them. She wore a black shirt, a while off-the-shoulder blouse, and wore a bandana from which a feather jutted upward. “How do I look?”
Tasha clapped. “Fantastic. I love it. Guess I should go and change.”
“You think? Yeah, go run, girl. People would start coming in. This party is happening, and don’t worry about anything in the kitchen, I will handle it.” Willow cast her gaze over Gabby’s outfit. Reaching with her hand, she fiddled with the necklaces until she was satisfied. “You do look beautiful, like an angel who has come in the guise of gypsy. When Nick sees you, he will be floored.”
Her heart squeezed with the pain of the knowledge that only she was privy to. Gabby fought the tears that sprang to her life. “Your dress will get spoilt if you work here. Let me help you.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” Willow put her arm around Gabby’s waist and led her to the main room, away from the kitchen. “Tonight, you relax and enjoy. We want you to have fun.”
“I’ve had nothing but fun ever since I came here, and you’ve been a delight, Willow. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Willow caressed Gabby’s cheek. “You would’ve managed just fine, girl. It’s you who have made this life. It’s all your doing, and I am so proud of you. Nick is a great guy, and I just know that you guys will be happy together.”