Chapter 145 Gabrielle, I Love You
Wait–did I read that right?
I sat there frozen for a second, my pulse racing. Then, trying to keep it together, I took a slow breath and typed back:
[Ryan, you’ve gotten so bold lately.]
He quickly sent back a pouting emoji, along with a short message:
[Baby, I just miss you.]
I rolled my eyes with a laugh. Seriously? We’d only been apart for like.. thirty minutes. Tops
Still, I replied earnestly.
[But we just saw each other.]
His reply popped up almost immediately:
[Even a minute without you feels too long.]
My heart began to race as I stared at the screen.
This man… how did he flirt like this all the time? And why did it always work?
His words had me all tangled up inside. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, ready to type something back when the next message hit me like a truck:
[Gabrielle, I love you.]
Simple. Direct. No fluff. Just raw honesty. I stared at the screen, the sweetness of it crashing over me like a wave–and right behind it, a twinge of panic.
I hovered over my phone, fingers shaking slightly. Typed: I love you too. Paused. Deleted it. Typed it again. Deleted it again. God, what was wrong with me? After way too much hesitation, I finally took a breath, steadied my hands, and typed:
[Ryan, I’m learning how to love someone too.]
The second I hit send, I stared at my phone like it might bite me.
It took him a while to reply. I could just imagine him on the other end, frowning, maybe pacing, totally overthinking.
[Who is it?]
I let out a short, nervous laugh. Seriously? Did he not get it? Was he messing with me?
Gathering my courage, my fingers trembling, I typed a single word “You.” Then I hit send before !
could chicken out.
As soon as the message went through, I immediately dropped my phone like it was on fire and covered my face with both hands. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst right out of my chest.
Oh my God did I just confess to him? Was I being too impulsive?
As I sat there, completely flustered, my phone buzzed again. I snatched it up and read his reply:
wish toould come home right now.
without thinking twice, I typed back:
[Todo what?]
His answer came instantly just two words:
Fuck you
Thud–My phone slipped from my hands and landed on the soft seat cushion with a dull thump.
I froze in place.
My heart skipped a beat, my mind went blank, and for a long moment, I couldn’t even process what I’d just seen.
Was this really Ryan?
The emotionally constipated Ryan? Mr. Cool–and–Distant?
The man who always seemed untouchable–saying something this raw, this explicit?
My cheeks went up in flames. I could feel the heat crawling up to the tips of my ears.
covered my face with my hands and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down, but the shame and excitement bubbling inside me refused to fade.
The worst part?
I liked it
Way more than I should be.
My brain instantly betrayed me with flashes I had no business imagining–Ryan leaning in, murmuring in that low, dangerous voice, his lips brushing mine, his hand gripping my waist, whispering, “Gabby, be a good girl._*
I shook my head like I was trying to knock the thoughts out. But my body had already caught fire, and there was no putting it out.
Panicked, I scrambled to pick up my phone, intending to reply–but nothing came to mind. My brain was mush. In the end, I did the only thing I could: I ghosted him.
Just then, the driver up front chuckled and spoke.
“Ms. May, chatting with your man?”
I finched. My whole body stiffened as guilt washed over me. “W–What? Why would you think that?”
He glanced back at me through the rearview mirror, grinning. “You’ve been blushing ever since you got
in the car. You keep smiling too. Pretty obvious you’re talking to someone you like.”
My hands flew to my face again. Crap. Had I been that obvious?
Chapter 145 Gabrielle, I Love You
LEWO
The driver continued with a warm chuckle. “He must treat you really well. And from the looks of things, you love him just as much. He’s a lucky guy.”
I froze for a second, staring out the window at the passing scenery, lost in thought.
Love him?
Do I really love Ryan?
