It would be early in the morning and she knew she’d waken him from a deep sleep, but in the end, they were friends. That’s what friends were for, right? He picked up on the third ring.
“Hello?” His voice didn’t sound sleepy like she envisioned.
“Are you awake?”
“I am.”
Her heart fell into her stomach. What if he was with someone else? Someone he was doing unspeakable things with? Should she ask him? She couldn’t quite get the words out of her mouth before she started crying. Bawling like a baby.
“Hey, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“I,” she sniffled, “Lolita got broken into tonight.”
“What? Was anything taken?”
Air in through her nose, out her mouth. “No. Well, just maybe a hundred dollars or so, but nothing else. He tried breaking into my safe, but I walked in on him and thank God, stopped him—”
“—You walked in on him? Did he hurt you?” he demanded.
“No. Well, I’m icing my elbow right now. Cause when he pushed me, I fell into that cabinet by the door. You know, the one your mom found for me?”
“He pushed you? Gabbie, what the fuck? I don’t like this. Why were you there so late? Did they get the guy who did it?”
She sniffled again. “I forgot my phone and thought maybe you would call me. I didn’t want to miss it if you did. So, I went back and ended up walking in on him.”
A large sigh came over the line. “Why didn’t you take your gun?”
Such a smart question. And she had no real good answer. “Because I was literally running in there for just a second to grab my phone. How was I supposed to know I should go in there armed?”
“You’re not, I suppose. But you of all people should know to never let your guard down. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. Just scared, mostly. The police said I should get a camera or a security system, in case it happens again.”
“What would give them the impression it might happen again?”
“I don’t know. Nothing. You know police, just being extra cautious. I hope I didn’t interrupt whatever you were doing…”
“You didn’t. I was just lying in bed awake. I haven’t been sleeping that well since I got out here. It’s noisy and it doesn’t get dark enough in my room.” His voice trailed off and she wondered if he missed her.
“I miss you, Logan,” she whispered.
He was silent on the other end.
“Do you miss me at all?” she asked.
“Like crazy. You know I do.”
“But how come you wouldn’t tell me just now? Why make me ask?”
“Because it changes absolutely nothing. It’s hard enough being here, learning my way around REEVES, living in a city that isn’t me. I don’t need my feelings for you fucking with my head on top of all the other shit I have going on.” He wasn’t yelling, but his tone was harsh.
“You have feelings for me?” she asked innocently.
“Don’t play dumb, Cinderella. You know I do. How could I not? You’re so fucking beautiful and smart. With just a simple touch, you come alive in my hands and it’s killing me right now, that I can’t touch you.”
Wow. His words melted her heart. She hadn’t expected any of it when he hadn’t been able to admit he even missed her. Momentarily speechless, she rubbed her aching elbow.
“What’s wrong?”
“My elbow hurts and that’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.” She started to cry again.
“Jesus, Gabbie. I didn’t fucking say it to make you cry again. You asked.”
“I know, but I wasn’t expecting those nice words. I’m crying too because my elbow hurts and I’m emotional. Poor Lolita!”
“Is it cracked?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. If it continues to hurt, maybe I will go to the doctor.”
“Fuck. If I were there, I would be taking you to Urgent Care, right now.”
She stayed silent as she contemplated the idea of him being there, looking out for her. She thought about how different tonight would have been because had Logan been with her, she probably wouldn’t have gone back to retrieve her phone. Had she though, he would have most likely been the one to go inside Lolita and get it for her. He would be there now, letting her mess up his shirt while she cried. Then, hopefully they would both be sleeping in each other’s arms after they had made sweet passionate love. Yes, if he were here, tonight would’ve ended a little differently.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked.
“Indeed.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Logan paced around in his office the following morning. The sun shone through the slats of the blinds over the windows and every so often a striking auburn-haired woman walking alone on the street below would sidetrack him. Gabriella had been all he could think about since he left Windsor. He’d been angrier than he’d let on about her keeping her pregnancy from him. Angry wasn’t even the right word.
He was hurt.
He didn’t care that she had accidentally gotten pregnant or even that she’d wanted to get an abortion. He was hurt she had gone through one of the most trying times of her life and kept it in the dark, kept it from him because she was worried he would judge her. The idea that she’d thought he would do that to her altogether made him steaming mad. He wanted to defend himself, tell her all the reasons she should have trusted him, how she hadn’t even given him a chance to have an opinion, but he couldn’t. It was all in the past. Nothing could be un-done at this point and did it change the way he felt about her? No.
Ever since she’d called last night crying to him about the
