Gabi shivers, her face twisting. “I can’t believe you thought I was dating him. He’s kind of like the brother I never had,” she explains. “And Grayson is like the brother I didn’t want.”
I let out a laugh, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. She didn’t refer to me as a brother, and I hope to God she never does.
“He uh…” She smiles a little. “He actually wants to meet you.”
“He knows about me?” Honestly, I don’t even remember the guy. Every time Gabi calls me, I get a little distracted by the sound of her voice, and by the fact I’m talking to my best friend.
“Yeah. I talk about you a lot.” I like that. Fuck, Ireallylike that. My friends are sick and tired of hearing me talk about Gabi, so I’m really fucking happy that she talks about me too. “Last year, Madi was busy with her career and everything going on with Lucas. I didn’t want to bother her with my stupid problems, so I guess Aiden and I kind of got close.”
I blink, my brows dipping. “Bother her with what?” I ask.
She shrugs, not meeting my gaze. “Just things.”
The worst possible scenarios flood my mind, and I drop the controller, sucking in a breath. “Gabi—”
She lowers her controller, and meets my gaze. Swallowing hard, she shakes her head. “I didn’t, okay? It wasn’tthat. I just needed to talk.”
My heart breaks a little. “And you couldn’t do that with me?” I was the one person she would always tell everything to, and the fact that she didn’t, feels like a punch to my gut. Actually, it feels like a knife digging inside my skin.
“I tell you everything, Chris,” Gabi says, with a sigh.
I feel a lump form in my throat, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. There’s something she isn’t telling me. Something she went to some other guy for.
“But?” I coax, afraid of what her answer might be.
My eyes drift to her slender neck, noticing the subtle movement as she swallows. “It was just a small issue. Not important at all.”
Not important my fucking ass. It’s obviously important if she felt like she couldn’t come to me. I drop my eyes, trying to see if I can see any—
“Stop that!” Gabi’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I lift my gaze until our eyes meet. I see the tears welling up, her eyes turning glassy.
Fuck. My heart pounds against my chest as I run a hand through my hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. “If you didn’t tell me—”
“It’s not that,” she repeats, shaking her head. “I promise.”
I promise. Her promise settles the turmoil in my stomach, and I blow out a breath, not wasting another second before I pull her into me. She’s never lied to me. And she’s never broken a promise. Her shaky breath makes me close my eyes as I clutch onto her tightly.
“I just… I felt alone, Chris,” she mumbles. I snap my eyes open, guilt churning inside of me. “You were in London, and I needed to talk to someone.”
I pull back, clutching her face in my hands, staring into her glassy eyes. “You can talk to me, Gabi. Doesn’t matter where I am. If you need me, then you call me, text me, hell, just send me a plane emoji and I’ll get on the next flight and be there for you,” I tell her, my heart pounding in my chest as I hold my whole world in my hands. “No matter what.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t disrupt your life like that, Chris.”
I want to shake her, to tell her that she couldn’t disrupt my life if she tried. I pull her into me again, pressing my lips on the top of her head. “There’s no life if you’re not in it, Gabi,” I mumble against her. “You are my life.” She lets out another shaky breath as she wraps her arms around me. “I’m here now, Gabi. You’re not alone. You have me.”
“For two months,” she mumbles, tightening her hold on me.
I close my eyes, the weight of her words sinking in. “Always,” I correct. She’s always had me, more than she realizes. Pressing another kiss to her head, I pull back and hand her the controller. “Come on. Let’s play a game so you can get some sleep.”
Gabi wipes her eyes and shoots me a glare that looks adorable as hell. “Three games.”
Her eyes are heavy with exhaustion, and I doubt we’ll get through three games, but I nod as I grab my controller. “Fine.”
She smiles and lays her head on my chest, turning on her side to face the TV as I press play. “There’s a party on Friday,” she says, her gaze fixed on the screen. “I could introduce you to my friends.” Her head lifts, and her eyes meet mine. “Maybe you could come?” The way she asks, unsure and a little nervous makes me smile.
The idea of going to a party doesn’t really excite me, but doesn’t she know by now that I’d do anything she wanted? If Gabi wants me there, and wants me to meet her friends, there’s no way in hell I’m saying no to that.
“I’d love to,” I assure her.
