All this Time

Nathan

19th January

Gabrielle cares about my sister so fucking much and I have to admit, I love that. She sits next to me, sniffling and sobbing over the engagement video we just watched. It was a beautiful video, as much as I can't stand listening to Drayton getting pornographic over my sister, he definitely loves her and I appreciate that.

Half way through the video, Gabrielle had grabbed my hand and I'm not sure I want to let it go.

"It must be nice to be loved like that," she murmurs, staring at the blank TV screen.

I don't know what to tell her, I don't know how to comfort her. She deserves to be loved like that. Josh should've loved her like that. He walked out on a good woman and I can't understand it.

She finally lets go of my hand and picks up her phone, her sniffles subsiding. "Better text them back and tell them it was beautiful."

I check my own phone and see a couple of texts from the guys asking what I'm doing tonight. We don't have a schedule for when we get together, it's usually on a whim if we're all free. I'm never not free but I'm also not as keen to get out of the house as I usually am.

I text Cain back and tell him I'll let him know if I can do a beer later. It depends on what Gabrielle is up to. In the back of my mind, I'm concerned about why I'm basing my decision on her but I'm not going to think about it too hard.

"Just us for dinner, Gabrielle," I say, putting my arm on the back of the couch. If she wanted to, she could settle right into my side and I wouldn't stop her. "You want something particular?"

She twists her torso and looks at me, red rimmed stare and dark brown curls framing her face. "Why do you call me Gabrielle now? You never used to."

My gaze follows the soft curves of her body, the slender but supple frame. "Because you're not a Gabby anymore. You're a woman, Gabrielle. All woman."

Her lips part on a breath, the way they do when she's flustered. Whenever I look at that mouth for too long, I remember our New Year's kiss and how her lip felt between my teeth.

"Do you want to kiss me?" She whispers, her gaze curious but her breath quick.

"Yeah, I fucking do."

She swallows.

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

She inhales. "I don't know."

I won't take that personally. She's going through a lot right now and I know she's feeling the pull between us, but that doesn't mean she's going to give in. Once upon a time, I'm sure she would have, but she has a daughter now and this Gabrielle has more to think about than how good it would feel to cave.

"Dinner?" I ask again.

She puts some space between us and falls back into the couch. "I can cook."

"Let's have breakfast for dinner," I suggest.

She looks at me, her expression brighter. "Waffles?"

"Yes," I point at her and stand up. "Orange juice and vodka?"

She laughs and all I feel is fucking relief.

"Listen," I say, walking over to the kitchen. The cupboard doors are open from when I'd abandoned the cleaning earlier. "I was thinking about the living arrangement. You know I've got that little office at the end of the hall. What if we cleaned it up and decorated it for Lydia?"

Gabrielle stands up and follows me into the kitchen, leaning on the breakfast bar while I scour through the fridge to make sure I don't have to go out and get anything.