“What’s the problem?” Luca asked over the whirr of the treadmill’s mechanism. “She seems like a great woman.”
“Isabella is great,” he had to raise his voice to be heard.
“So what’s the deal then?”
“You’re saying I can’t know a great woman and not be in love with her?”
Luca and Max shared a look. “It just seems…” Max said thoughtfully.
Gabe waited on tenterhooks for him to finish, but Luca wrapped his hand around Max’s arm, shaking his head. “Forget about it, man. We must have got it wrong.”
Max frowned. “I guess so.”
“Enjoy your run. I’m…glad you’re back.”
The parting comment played on Gabe’s mind for the entire six-mile run. I’m glad you’re back was a simple statement and yet he felt the implications with a sense of frustration. It was possible Luca had meant only that Gabe had returned to Villa Fortune, yet he knew his cousin better than that. There was more to the throwaway comment. Enough people had made remarks on his changed mindset for him to feel as though he were being backed into a corner. It was like everyone thought he’d crossed some sort of line and no longer carried a burden of guilt for what he’d done, for Carmen and Avery, for that December night that had brought an end to Carmen’s life and Avery’s as she knew it. And his family was glad and relieved, like finally he was ‘happy Gabe’ and they could stop worrying about him.
Well, he didn’t want their concern – he never had – but he didn’t want their expectations either.
It was undeniable that Isabella had done something to him – he did feel differently about life and love now, but if everyone kept wanting a happy ending for him, they were going to be disappointed. Isabella was a temporary part of his life – a wonderful, beautiful, sensual chapter, but it was coming to an end. It had to end. Because regardless of what everyone in his family obviously wanted, Gabe wasn’t prepared to give away his grief and guilt. He didn’t want to forget what he’d done and lose himself in a shared life – and there was no way he’d risk poisoning Isabella with the darkness of his soul.
A whisper of regret ran through him. Perhaps bringing her here had been a stupid idea after all? But the second he thought that, he knew it was wrong. Seeing her face as she’d opened Yaya’s present had shifted something inside of his chest – he’d never seen someone feel greater happiness and warmth than in that moment. He was glad he could give that to her, just this one Christmas.
14
ISABELLA FELT AS THOUGH her tummy might be on the brink of exploding! So much delicious food, wine and merriment – the world was bright and perfect. It was most perfect of all though because of the revelation she’d had the night before, the secret kernel of knowledge she carried in her heart, that she loved Gabe.
She slipped away from the salon, where board games were being played by adults and children alike, needing a moment to herself. She also needed to record a video for her followers, wishing them a happy holidays.
She’d barely thought of her online community in the last few days, and guilt at that betrayal made her determined to film a lovely clip and post it right away. She just needed a private space to record something, a room that didn’t show too much décor – it was important to respect the Montebellos’ privacy.
Finally, she found a lovely sitting room with windows that looked out onto the stunning pool area. She sat at the window seat with the light on her face, angling the camera so it framed only her head and a hint of wallpaper behind her, and began to talk. She spoke in the way she always had – open and honest – her online community incredibly important to her. It was just a quick message, a few minutes. She watched it back once, then uploaded it, waiting for the video to clear, enjoying the peace and quiet of the room until voices punctuated it.
“For God’s sake, just leave it alone.” Gabe’s exasperation was easy to hear. She frowned, leaning towards the windows a little, until she could see him, standing out by the pool. His back was to her, so she couldn’t see his face, but she could tell he was talking to one of his brothers, Nico and his body language was tense, shoulders taut, back straight.
“Not while you’re being so stupid.”
“What’s with you guys? First Luca and Max, then Raf, and now you? Is this some effort to indoctrinate me into the ‘happily married’ club before sunset?”
“I’d settle for the ‘happy in life’ club, to be honest,” Raf fired back.
“I’m fine. Stop worrying about me.”
“For the first time in years, I can almost believe you when you say that.”
There was a static pause, filled with sparks of tension. Isabella knew she should leave; it was wrong to eavesdrop. But something kept her bottom glued to the window seat.
“You do seem fine, or as close to it as you’ve been in a long time. And obviously it’s because of her.”
Pleasure spread through Isabella’s chest. She held her breath.
“Leave it.” Gabe’s irritation was obvious; it brought a crooked smile to Isabella’s face. It was so like him to want to defend his – their – privacy.
“You don’t get it. I know how hard it is for any of us to open up and find love. I had it right in front of me and almost let it – her – go. Maddie was such a gift and I couldn’t see that. It’s not easy for any of us to get our heads around the idea of love, but least of all you. You’ve been determined to shut people out since the accident but I can tell she’s different. You’re different around
