Chapter 73

Gabriel

Several months ago.

I froze when I saw "Lily Grant" on my ringing phone. Her caller ID had been just "Lily" with a stupid emoji—a setting she'd kept for years until six months ago, when I changed it back to her full name the day I broke up with her. That was the day I told her I was marrying a girl my grandparents had chosen for me, the day she asked me to choose between her and my work, and I chose my work; the day she cried in my arms, and I told her that maybe, just maybe, if she waited a few months, I would return to her. She didn't answer; she just walked out.

She never called again.

I'd forgotten that my six-month contract marriage to Sophia was ending. Sophia's grandfather had passed away, and she was consumed by grief, and I, by her. She didn't give much of herself, but I obsessively accepted whatever she offered—a ghost of a smile, a longing gaze in her broken eyes. I held her because I knew her longing, her smiles, everything she gave me, was for me.

Sophia was my kryptonite. She entered my life unwanted, yet she crept closer until I gave her space. I was bewitched by her—mind, body, and soul.

I was never a jealous man, but for her… oh, for her, I would kill.

When we were together, the rest of the world ceased to exist. Seeing Lily's name on my phone was a jarring reminder that my six months with Sophia were ending, and that there was a world outside our own—a world I fully intended to ignore.

Lost in thought, I didn't realize the phone had stopped ringing and then rang again. I snatched it up, catching Sophia's eye from across the bed. A pang of guilt hit me as I put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Gabriel," the voice wasn't Lily's. It was my grandfather's. He'd left the day before because someone needed to be at the office to run meetings. We could only take so much time off together, so despite his best friend barely being cold in his grave, he returned to the city, leaving me here with Sophia for a few more days. Before I could reply, he said, "It's Alister. Can you hear me?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Hm?"

"Good. Is Sophia with you?"

"Yes." I glanced back at Sophia, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. Her face was devoid of color.

"Okay. I know I asked you to stay with your wife a few more days, but I need you to come here."

"No," I replied firmly.

"Gabriel…" he sighed, almost groaned. "It's an emergency. I need you to come here, now."

"I can't," I said, my voice even firmer. The old man was crazy; he thought I was leaving Sophia alone. And why was he calling from Lily's number anyway?

"Gabriel, son, I need you. One thing about Alister Whitlock is that he never shows affection. Another is that he demands, and the world obeys. I learned it from him. So, for him to sound so… soft and desperate… it was something. Perhaps Jim's death affected him more than he let on. "Please."

I paused. I wanted to ask about Lily, but I didn't want to mention her name in front of Sophia. My wife was grieving, breaking down constantly, barely sleeping or eating. Her constant worry was that I would leave her and go back to Lily. As if. I didn't want to upset her further by mentioning Lily unless there was something to worry about. "F*ck," I cursed. "Okay."

"Don't say anything to Leila or Sophia, understand?"

"Okay," I agreed.

"You understand, right, son?"

"Yes," I said, just as annoyed as I sounded when I hung up.

I turned back to Sophia, who looked like she might cry. Her voice was meek as she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"It's just work," I told her truthfully. "A work emergency. The same one Alister left for."

"Do you have to go?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, sweetheart." I leaned down, inhaling her scent before kissing her forehead. I hated leaving her like this, and I hated that I had to go. "I'll double the security, make sure you're safe every hour, okay? You won't be alone for a minute. I'll see you at home tomorrow, yes?"

"I'll see you," she replied, but there was no promise in her words. I pressed her hand once more before pulling away. The ghost of her touch stung; I wanted to hold her hand forever.

I didn't go home after driving three hours from Sophia's hometown to the city. I went straight to work, to my grandfather's office. I entered without knocking.

A few years ago, I would have been reprimanded, but now I lacked the patience.

He looked like he'd been expecting me. "You came fast. Good." He nonchalantly rose from his humongous, tacky, shiny black chair and straightened his crisp suit.

Alister Whitlock, even at seventy, was impeccably put together, a quality he'd cultivated in me after failing to do so with my father.

I tried not to grit my teeth as I asked, "What emergency couldn't wait?"

His gaze softened—a rare occurrence. "In the past week, the paranoia of my age catching up to me has been playing on my mind obsessively. Losing your best friend to cancer does that to you." He paused, cleared his throat, and I wondered where this was going. "There are certain changes I've noticed in myself in the past few months…"

My eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Nothing much. Just a little blood in my…" He paused.

I blinked. I didn't have all day; I planned on getting back to Sophia. Although I told her I'd see her tomorrow, I wanted to pick her up. "You have…?"

"Stools."

I said, "You have blood in your stools?"

"I thought so. But my overthinking led me to get tested, and it turns out it's colorectal cancer."

I blinked. My mouth opened and closed. Nothing came out.

He immediately added, "The doctor says he caught it early, and I won't need chemotherapy like Jim did."

"Alister…" I began, pausing. "Grandfather…"

"Save it, Gabriel. 'Grandfather' seems forced. We're on a first-name basis most days, and that's fine. I don't need a cute name to know you love me."

I winced. "I… I'm sorry." My lack of words was strange, even to me.

"I'm not dying, Gabriel. I won't even need chemotherapy."

I stayed silent, processing this before clearing my throat. "Can I speak to your doctor?"

"You may." He gave a half-nod. "Dr. Grant. Lily's uncle."

My eyebrows furrowed again. "Lily's family is in the diamond industry."

"Her uncle is a famous oncologist, Gabriel." The disappointment in his tone was clear. "Tell me you knew this much about the girl you were going to marry."

"Of course I knew," I said, lying.

"I called you from his clinic," he added. "My phone died, and I had to borrow Lily's phone; she happened to be visiting."

I nodded firmly.

"Talk to that girl, Gabriel."

"To Lily?" Surprise was evident in my voice.

He nodded. "If you plan on returning to her, tell her. And if not, free her."

I stared at him. "You knew?"

"I always knew," he said, sliding a file across the table. "These are the papers transferring my share of the company to you."

I picked it up with trembling hands. "Why now?"

"I wanted you to have it. You kept your end of the deal by marrying Sophia; I'm keeping mine."

"I thought you weren't dying."

"I'm not," he laughed. "I'm just retiring."

"It's time," I said, signing the five-page document. I passed it back to him.

He nodded, and I nodded back. I turned to leave when a thought resurfaced. "Why did you do it?" I asked. "Get me married to Sophia—Freckles. And don't give me that crap about Jim and you having a deal about paying for his chemotherapy, because I know you would have done it regardless of her decision to marry me."