Unbound

Chapter 24

That was it: the cliff. All day I had been waiting to stand there, toes over the edge, body wavering between pitching forward or backing away. I'd reached the apex. Without knowing whether safety was ahead of me at the bottom of the drop or waiting behind me, I'd chosen the former. I was plummeting.

I sat just inside the guesthouse, my back against the closed door and my knees curled up to my chest. My fingers kept finding my lips, running softly across them, each time reigniting the tingling sensation that Gabriel's had left behind. Everything inside of me was moving faster than it was supposed to: my heart, my breath, my blood. My thoughts, too, were a jumbled, rushing mess.

Once the shock wore off and the butterflies that filled and fluttered in my stomach had finally come to rest, the nausea hit. My conscience was marred with guilt. Jack. I'd just betrayed the man I'd loved for half of my life, and for what? To be Gabriel's rebound?

That had to be what this was—a rebound. He'd just sent Odette away barely 24 hours ago. He was angry and disappointed and looking for a distraction. And I was convenient. Surely he'd sensed my attraction to him before and figured it made me an easy mark. He'd been right on that count: I had given in so quickly, without any hesitation. If he hadn't pulled away, I wouldn't have either. In that moment, I would have done anything he'd asked of me.

I sent a text to Ephraim early the next morning claiming to have woken up ill. It wasn't far from the truth, but really it was the thought of walking into that house, the mere possibility of seeing Gabriel, that had my stomach churning violently. I knew that I wouldn't be able to avoid him forever, but a day or two of hiding out in the guesthouse seemed like a good idea.

I eased myself into a scalding hot bath, letting the water soothe the muscles that ached from the tension I'd carried since the day before. Tipping my head back to rest against the tiled wall, I closed my eyes. When all I could see was Gabriel's face, I snapped them back open and swore. I longed desperately for a friend—I wanted to vent, to ask for advice. I wanted to talk to Jack. My best friend, the one I could talk to about anything. He always knew the right thing to say, could always look objectively at a situation and suggest a way forward. But this was one secret I couldn't share with him, and that realization made me feel impossibly lonely.

I took the next day off as well, hiding out for most of it in my bed watching clouds roll by through the skylights. I was a coward.

By late afternoon, I ventured down to soak again in the tub. The hot water and sweet-smelling bubbles seemed to be the only thing that could quiet my mind. I took my time, lighting a candle and dimming the lights. Twice I let it grow cold, only to drain it halfway and refill it again. Finally, beginning to feel overheated, I stepped out and dressed. I was toweling off my hair on my way back to the loft when my heart launched into my throat.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriel was crouched down in front of the fireplace, tossing a log onto the small blaze he'd gotten started there. He straightened up when he heard me come in, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Ephraim said you've been sick. I came to check in on you."

"Oh. Just a low fever," I lied. He crossed the room in three large strides and pressed the back of his hand to my forehead. I couldn't pull away fast enough.

"You do feel warm," he said. I was grateful he'd caught me right out of the hot bath, though it could have just as easily been his proximity that had raised my body temperature. I moved into the kitchen to fill a glass with water, looking for any excuse to put some distance between us.

"You know, landlords are supposed to give tenants notice before entering their property."

"I knocked; you didn't answer." A bemused smile turned up the corners of his lips as he looked me over. "Are those my sweats?"