It seemed nothing worked in her favor today. Not the hot water in the shower—there wasn’t any, or the shampoo that turned her hair in a tangled mess. Certainly not her conversation with Gabriel.
What was she thinking the other night, asking him to make love to her? Was it the kiss that stole her common sense? Sure, it had taken her by surprise, knocked her off her feet, left her knees weak and her body trembling with lust, but they should have been no match for her powerful mind. She should have remained in control and walked away. Instead, she made a fool of herself.
Gabriel’s rejection stung. Even more because he initiated the kiss. He’d given her hope that it might lead to something more. Why did he do it? Was it because he wanted a warm body and hers was the only one available?
Of course.
If she hadn’t been around, he would have had a woman in his bed. She would have been the furthest thing from his mind. The kiss meant nothing, after all.
Well, she was grateful he had to sense to brush her off, for they would have gone all the way. And it was probably the worst decision they’d make.
She returned to the seat and refreshed the website, entering the details as her cell phone beeped. She ignored it, waiting until she completed the online process—with success this time—to check the screen.
It was a text message from an unknown number. She didn’t have to open it to know who’d sent it. But curiosity made her proceed with checking the content.
Run, but you can’t hide, Callie. Wherever you are, I’ll find you.
Her skin tingled with anger and fear. Blood rushed to her head. She deleted the message and blocked the number with trembling fingers.
So, Matthew figured she was still in the country. How, she had no clue. And he seemed hell bent on finishing what he started. His threats had been coming in often, more sinister each time, and as soon as she blocked a number, he tried with a new one.
Callie brushed the phone away from her, embracing the fury, pushing the fear away. She was done being afraid, and she had no intention of hiding. His threats meant nothing after what he put her through.
She made the biggest mistake of her life by being with him, but thank God she escaped when she did. She wouldn’t forget his cruelty, not as long as she lived. But she refused to keep the scars or let him ruin her for another man. He’d get his karma, and she… well, she would find the man of her dreams.
The problem was, she couldn’t imagine it being anyone but Gabriel. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the one. But how? When he gave no sign that he felt the same? When he had no intention of settling down?
Yes, she remembered his vow in college. At first, it came as a joke, but as the years went by and the women kept changing, she realized he meant it. All because of the number Gino had done on him as a kid.
She didn’t doubt his father’s wild life played a role in his. He looked up to Gino all his life, followed his footsteps to medical school, adopting a similar orthopedic career. Of course, he mimicked Gino’s womanizing habits too.
She wished it wasn’t so, that she could tell him what lay on her heart, give herself to him and not hold back, or fear regret. But that would never happen. What she needed to do was focus on getting back to work and keeping her sanity intact until her green card came through. Then, they would end the arrangement, amicably, keeping their friendship alive.
The thought of signing divorce papers brought sadness. That’s not what I want. God, I want Gabriel.
But maybe, it was too much to ask…
The ringing cell phone pulled her from her thoughts. Seeing Gabriel’s name on the screen, she rushed to answer. She still harbored remorse for being so short with him this morning. It wasn’t his fault she had gotten caught up with a kiss.
“Hey.”
“Hey, you.”
Callie closed her eyes, leaning against the seat. His voice, the thick, raspy tone that could melt a woman’s panties, washed over her, weakening her. His effect on her grew in strength each day. How was she going to last a whole year?
“What’s up?” She tried to keep a normal tone, but was sure he heard the tremor in her voice.
“You okay?”
“I think so. You?”
His sigh came in a rush through the phone. “Trying to be. Work’s a bitch. Back-to-back emergencies.”
“I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say. Gabriel loved his job. She’d never heard him complain so his day was just as shitty as hers.
“Yeah… speaking of which, I won’t make it home tonight. So, our talk will have to wait.”
“Oh.” The heavy pang that came from his announcement resembled a punch to her stomach. Was it work, or did he plan on being with someone else? Maybe he didn’t want to take the woman, whoever she was, to the apartment where his wife lived. She wanted to ask, but was afraid of what his answer would be. Better to leave it alone.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Lock the doors before bed.”
“Got it.” She hung up before he said more. Her eyes burned with tears and she swiped them in frustration. Why are you crying? Did you think he would stop sewing wild oats because you’re married? Come on, Callie.
Right. Married or not, Gabriel was still a free man. She had to keep that in mind. Which meant, she had to let her love for him go. The problem remained in finding the how.
CHAPTER TEN
“Callie?” Gabriel dropped his keys on the table by the door while removing his coat. The smell of cooking eggs assaulted his nose the instant he stepped into the living room. He followed it to the kitchen where she stood over the stove in bikini shorts and a crop top that gave him a preview of her gorgeous back.
“Callie.”
She jumped, dropping the spatula. Whipping around to him, she gave him a frown before dipping to pick the utensil from the floor. “You startled me.”
“Sorry.” He couldn’t help the grin that emerged. She looked so cute, with her hair in a messy topknot and a stern glare she thought was doing damage but had no effect at all—well, not the way she intended. He wanted to lift her on that countertop and kiss the frown away. He wanted to—
Gabe, stop.
“I’m making eggs,” she said, returning the stove. “Want some?”
“Sure. I’m starving. But I won’t be here for long. Gotta wash up and head back to the hospital.” Half of his team were out with the flu, which meant he had to take extra shifts this week. Usually, he wouldn’t mind working back-to-back with just enough time for food and a nap, but he hated leaving Callie alone for so long. But duty called. A week would return everything to normal.
Callie paused, the spatula in midair. “Oh.”
“What?” He didn’t miss the emptiness in her tone.
“Nothing.” She scooped the egg from the frying pan and dropped it on a plate with force.
“Callie. What’s wrong?”
“I said nothing. How many eggs?”
“Two.” He watched her, reading the aggressiveness in her body language. Was this about their talk? “About the other night…”
She waved him off. “There’s no need for a discussion, Gabriel.”
“Ok, so now I know you’re mad about something. You never call me Gabriel.”
“I’m not mad, ok? I’m just saying, we need not talk about it. We got in over our heads. Luckily, one of us still had some common sense left. The kiss shouldn’t have happened. It won’t happen again. End of story.”
“It’s not like I didn’t want to—”
“End of story. Just let it go.”
“Fine.” He’d take the out. It beat having to find an explanation that would soothe her. “I’m gonna take a shower.”
She didn’t answer and he turned away. If he hadn’t, he would have seen the dejected slum in her shoulders, or probably heard the heavy sigh that left her mouth.
***
Just get over it already, Callie. Sheesh.
It was easier said than done.
She couldn’t erase the pain. Knowing he’d been out with someone else hurt more than it should. While he’d been getting his groove on, she hardly slept a wink last night, plagued by thoughts of him making love to another woman.
From Gabe’s fatigued appearance this morning, he hadn’t slept either. Dark circles around his eyes, his hair a tousled mess, his undershirt half-tucked in his pants. Clearly, he enjoyed the night before.
Ugh! She wanted to punch something, someone… him. For enjoying his night while hers was nothing but torture. For being so goddamn sexy even when he looked like hell. For making her mad and horny at once. It was a sin to want someone so much. An even greater sin to desire a man who didn’t return the sentiment.
The doorbell rang. Caught up in her thoughts, she moved towards the sound without thinking. A cautionary mental reminder came too late. The door was already open before she remembered the possibility that Matthew could be on the other side of the door.
She didn’t doubt he was still searching for her. His need for control wouldn’t allow him to give up. His constant text messages were an obvious hint that he wanted to do more harm.
But it wasn’t Matthew on the other side of the door, though it wasn’t much of an improvement. The tall red-head with the wide smile instantly turned her stomach. She didn’t know Adrienne, but she couldn’t stand her. And it wasn’t because she suspected Gabriel and her had a thing. Or, maybe it was…
“Gabriel’s not here.” No need for any pleasant greeting or small talk.
“I know.” A stupid smirk graced Adrienne’s face as she raised up a shirt. “Thought he might need this, though.”
Callie’s stomach clenched. The long-sleeved buttoned shirt looked similar to the one he wore yesterday—and she remembered the half-tucked undershirt he came home in. So, he’d been next door, beneath her nose, all night long with this—
Gritting her teeth, she took the shirt with a tight, “thanks.”
“Anytime.” As Callie made to close the door, she asked, “how are you?”
Callie blinked, surprised by her enquiry. Why did she care? “I’m fine.”
“Good. Gabriel told me how much he’s helping you out. I’m sorry about your… little trouble.”
Callie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This bitch wasn’t sorry at all. “It is what it is,” she replied.
“I bet. But you’re a lucky woman, to have a buddy like Gabriel. He’s the greatest thing, isn’t he?”
“One in a million,” she said through her teeth, forcing a smile.
“Anyway, I gotta go. I’m still recuperating from a long night.” A sly smile came before she stepped off, then pivoted. “Wait a minute, tell him…” she paused, cocking her head and looking upwards as if thinking. “Never mind,” she said after a beat. “I’ll see him later.”
Callie didn’t answer, just slammed the door much harder than necessary. If she needed an answer to Gabriel’s feelings for her, she’d surely gotten it now. If he told Adrienne about her ‘little problem’, it meant he trusted her. Which also meant there was more between them, much deeper than she’d thought.
She didn’t care how close they were. He had no right to share her business with a stranger.
No freaking right!
Tonight, as soon as he got in, she’d give him a piece of her mind.
No, not a piece. All of it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Gabriel entered the darkened apartment and flipped a switch, illuminating the foyer. As he removed his coat, he looked to the pitch-black living room, wondering where Callie was. Maybe she’d gone out. He hadn’t been able to reach her all day. Usually, it wouldn’t have been a cause for concern, but her withdrawn behavior made him wonder.
Did she take his rejection that hard? Why? The Callie he knew would have shaken it off and rebounded, for what she had was an in-the-moment reaction to the kiss. Nothing serious. At least, not on her end. Callie wasn’t into him like that. Her come-on was an automatic response to the hot-and-heavy moment they’d just shared. In another time or place he doubted she would have made such a move.
He wished he hadn’t kissed her, because it brought a lingering, confusing tension that seemed in no hurry to leave. If they didn’t face it soon, he feared it would affect their relationship. But he didn’t know how to approach it. He and Callie never had a falling out, not once since the day they met. How could he fix this?
Maybe she’s gotten over the whole thing by now. It’s been three days. She must have.
He stepped into the living room, almost tripping over an ottoman. Damn it. Why did he not think to turn the lights on?
As he moved towards the wall to do so, a rustling on the couch drew his attention. He flipped the switch, just as Callie raised up to glare at him.
He softly sighed, dropping his bag on the coffee table. Ok. No change. Time to get this under control. “Can we talk?”
Callie crossed her arms and her scowl deepened. “Oh, yeah, definitely.”
She came towards him and he took an instinctive step back. The aggression on her face wasn’t there before. This morning she’d been distant, not angry, with her eyes shooting fireballs at him. “What’s up with you?”
She stopped before him and poked him with her forefinger. “You, asshole. You. That’s what’s up with me.”
The fuck? Who was this woman, and what had she done with his best friend? “Ok, I’m lost as shit, Callie. Just lay it on me. What’s going on with us?”
“There’s no us, Gabriel,” she bit out. “There’s me, then there’s you and your flapping mouth.”
“Huh?”
“Why did you tell your little girlfriend about my problem?”
“My what?” The title threw him off guard. For a moment he forgot Adrienne. “What girlfriend?”
“Oh.” Callie snorted, throwing up her hands. “I forgot there were so many. The one next door. The woman you spent the night with.”
“Hold up. One thing at a time. Adrienne’s cool, ok? And she needed to know. She and I…” he rubbed the back of his head while trying to categorize what he and Adrienne shared. “We had—have a thing.” He still hadn’t told her they had to end their fling. It was on his list, after mending whatever was broken with Callie.
“I don’t care. This is my business, and it’s delicate. I decide who gets to know about it.”
“I didn’t think it would have been a problem. I’m telling you; I trust Adrienne.”
“Well, I don’t.” Her snappy response came with a violent swipe of her hair. It fell over her shoulder and he saw her face clearly now. Yeah, Callie was pissed as hell. But it seemed a little too much for the situation. Knowing Callie, there was a lot more beneath the surface. To get past the strain, he’d have to dig deep.
“I’m sorry. I should have checked with you before talking to Adrienne. But it just happened. I didn’t have a choice.”
“Whatever.” She flashed him off before turning to go, but he leaned in and caught her.
“Callie, come on. Talk to me. What’s bothering you?”
She huffed, her eyes watering, alarming him. “Nothing.” She tried to pull from his hold, but she was no match for him. “I’m fine, Gabe. Just a little stressed. I want to get back to work already.”
Whew! So, it wasn’t what he thought. She wasn’t hung up on his rejection. Now he understood her silence. Callie had a tendency to withdraw under stress and now was a taxing time as any.
“And there’s nothing else, right?”
Callie shook her head. “That’s it.”
He released her and she took off at once. She was almost at her bedroom door when he remembered something. “Wait a minute.”
Pivoting, Callie faced him with a tentative stare. “What?”
“What was that bit about spending the night?”
“You spent last night with Adrienne, didn’t you?” A flash of anger crossed her face, replaced at once with a hard stare.
Ok, so she wasn’t Adrienne’s biggest f
an. But what was her deal? She’d never displayed a hostile attitude towards any woman he dated. And why did she think he spent the night with Adrienne, anyway?
He asked her then, and she rolled her eyes in response. “As if.”
“As if what?”
“She brought your shirt in, Gabriel, the one you wore the morning before. And she just about hinted you spent the night at her place.”
“That’s bull.” He’d been at the hospital all night, breaking once to grab coffee across the street with one of his residents—a guy, no less. He made dinner plans with Adrienne last night to end their affair, but he canceled because of the emergency. “I never left work, and I didn’t see Adrienne. Not until I came home.” He ran into her as he left the elevator, but it wasn’t the time or place for what he wanted to tell her.
“Yeah?” She propped her hip against the wall with a sardonic smile. “Then what was she doing with your shirt?”
He shrugged. “It must have slipped from my shoulder at some point.” He hadn’t missed it until now.
“Yeah, right. Whatever, Gabriel.” She pushed from the wall and slipped into her room, slamming the door.
Gabriel wanted to tear his hair out, he was that frustrated. What was Callie’s deal? No way was this about her immigration issues. No. Something else remained. He knocked on the door and turned the knob at once. “Callie, I’m coming in.”
“Go away.” She lay curled on the bed, her back to the door.
“Not until you talk to me. I’m literally mind blown right now. This isn’t you.”
“I said, go away.”
“No—” He held her waist to turn her to him, but she shimmied to the other side of the bed and got out. “Are you going to tell me what’s really bothering you?”
“I told you, it’s work.”
“We both know it’s not.”
At his words, Callie released a harsh breath. “Just let it go, Gabe. Leave me alone.”
My Fake Wedding: A Best Friends to Lovers Romance: A Soulmate Romance Novel (Medical Heart Throb Series Book 4) Page 6
