“We were on the way to my parents' cabin for the Valentine's Day weekend but it’d started snowing. A huge blizzard caught everyone by surprise and my wife was caught in the middle of it after she insisted she had to go to the pharmacy to pick something up before we left. The last time we spoke she told me she had something to tell me but couldn’t say until we got to the cabin. I never saw my wife again.”
A silent sob escaped my lips at the realization of what he was telling me. His wife was dead.
“Oh my god,” I whispered, throwing my hands over my mouth to stop the sobs from breaking the silence. Watching as a single tear descended down his right cheek. Then he carried on.
“She was a couple weeks pregnant at the time.” He paused, clearing his throat. “A truck lost con-control.”
The moment he stuttered, I left the support of the wall and sat beside him. Next, I did something I thought I’d never do, not with him at least. I threw my arms around his neck and started to stroke the thick locks of his hair in comfort.
“You don’t have to say any more,” I whispered.
“No.” He sat up, wiping his nose. “You need to know everything.”
“Okay.” I nodded.
“After the accident was when I took down all the photos in my apartment and moved into one of my hotels. The photos are in storage, most of them are of me and Melissa. Others are of my father and my family. I couldn’t look at them so I hid them away.”
“Can you explain Kate?” I asked, trying to pull him away from the clearly painful subject of his wife.
“Kate was Melissa’s sister.” He paused. “She’s my sister-in-law. She and her family blamed me for the accident. They said it should’ve been me in that car, if only I’d been charming and a real man and told her I’d go and get what she needed for her. Melissa was stubborn.” He sighed. “I think you would’ve got on well.”
“Why was Kate always so mean towards me? It makes no sense.” I said, recounting the times when I thought Kate was the devil… or an ogre. Either one was appropriate.
“The nightclubs were getting bigger with every opening and I knew I needed someone to head up the PR side. So I went to Kate. I still felt guilty for Melissa’s death, and they made me feel like I owed them something. But she sent you instead.”
“Oh my god.” I gasped. “She knew, didn’t she?”
It all became clear. She knew about me and Gabriel. She knew we were fighting back feelings, or at least I was fighting against my own.
He nodded.
“Yeah, she knew from the moment I called her after our meeting to tell her I wanted you to handle the account. She saw what was happening between us. Though never disclosed or seen, she just knew.”
Turning to face me, he said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“It’s the secrecy that hurt more than anything, Gabriel. I told you things about me I hadn’t told anyone, other than Kylie and Quinn. It hurt, Gabriel. It really hurt me.”
“I’m so sorry, princess,” he whispered, moving a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“I don’t think I could ever be with a man who held something like that back, Gabriel. I don’t ever want to feel like that again. My heart couldn’t take it,” I said quietly, standing from the bed.
“Do you know why I was here a couple of weeks ago?” he asked out of nowhere.
I shook my head as I stood in front of him.
“I spoke to your parents for a reason. That reason would lead to my past being revealed to you, I just didn’t think my past would creep up on me sooner than I planned. I knew the minute you’d find out about it, you’d run here. That’s why I left the envelope.”
“What are you saying, Gabriel?”
“Payton, I came to your parents' house to ask your father for his blessing.”
“I… YOU… WHAT?” I stammered, trying to process what on Earth he’d just told me.
“I asked your father for his blessing. I want to marry you, Payton. I want you to be my wife,” he said, standing from the bed. “I need you in my life.”
“Gabriel—” He shook his head.
“Do you need me to beg? For you, princess, I’ll beg.” He arched his brow. “No doubt to your amusement, but I’ll beg.”
“Gabriel, you kept something from me, something that would change everything. You lied to me,” I whispered.
“I’ve known love, Payton. I’ve been there with Melissa. The highs, the lows and the moments you’ll always remember. But with you... it’s never felt like this. Fuck, it’s never felt so damn good. Payton, I love you. I love your sass, your stubbornness, your brashness, your need to put others before yourself, the way you drive me crazy, how you call me out on my bullshit. I love you because of those things and so many more. You challenge me, you’re not afraid to work hard, your cowboy boots, the way your Southern accent appears when you’re angry, and you call me Mr. Black.”