I checked my watch when it seemed like a lot of time had passed, and she didn’t call me to say goodnight. I wonder if she’s mad that I didn’t stay, and that’s why she’s not calling. Did I give her the impression that I didn’t care by just callously leaving her with people she barely knew?
“Shit!” I jumped up from the chair and grabbed my jacket on my way to the door. How could I forget that she finds it hard to sleep without me? She’s crawled into my bed every night this week; how could I have been so cruel? Geez, Gianna, why didn’t you say something, baby?”
I thought of going to the house and climbing up the outside wall to her room but crump that. I’m ringing the doorbell, and if they don’t let me in, I’ll just take her out of there and bring her back here. “Hurry!” I ordered the driver Pop had insisted I bring with me. Speaking of which, I think I may have found some use for those four he plans to stick me with once we get back.
The house looked asleep, with barely enough light on inside in case someone woke in the night. It was in direct contrast to the well-lit grounds I’d left just a few short hours ago. I bounded up the steps, but before I could ring the bell, the butler opened the door. “Good evening, Master Gabriel.”
“It’s Gabe.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“No one else calls me Gabriel but Gianna.” Is that a smile he’s trying to hide? “I’m going up to see her. Is that going to be a problem?”
“I shouldn’t think so. Madame left instructions that you were to be admitted at will.” My friend Eloise is on it. Good, unless she’s as nosy as my nana, then I’ll be in for it.
I made my way up the stairs to the room I’d taken her to before. She wasn’t even in bed but sat upright in a chair by the window, fast asleep. I walked over and stood over her, her face soft in the moonlight. I sometimes forget how gorgeous she is, how perfect.
“Gabriel?” Yes, sweetheart, I’m here.” It took me a second to realize she wasn’t awake, and what that did to my heart, hearing her call out for me even in sleep, it’ll take me a while to get over. She didn’t wake when I lifted her from the chair and took her to the bed that had been remade and turned down since her earlier nap.
Why something as simple as that should touch me, I don’t know. But seeing her being cared for in such a meticulous way pleased me immensely. She slept soundly in my arms all night while I took little cat naps here and there. There were too many unknowns here for me to let my guard down.
In the morning, she woke to find me looking down at her.” Hey sleepyhead, I think it might be time to get up. I hear the others moving around downstairs.” I kissed her nose and rolled her off me, heading for the bathroom to hide my condition until I was decent and find some mouth wash to chase the taste of sleep from my mouth.
“I’m going to leave you to spend some time with them today. Are you going to be okay on your own?”
“Yeah, sorry for being such a baby about it. By the way, when did you come back? I didn’t even hear you.”
“It’s okay; I found you in the chair and moved you to the bed. Now I’m gonna go back to the hotel room and get some sleep.” I stretched to ease some of the kinks left from holding her all night.
I waited while she showered and got dressed before taking her downstairs, where her family waited. Since no one seemed surprised to see me, I figured the butler had squawked. “Call me if you need me.” I kissed her forehead, said goodbye to our captive audience, and bounced.
I spent the better part of the morning scheming, and by evening when she called, I realized how much I missed her face. It’s the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other in the last week.
Sunday morning, I awoke once again beside her, and the weather had changed overnight. Outside dark clouds gathered, and the wind started pushing against the house. “This looks bad.” Those were the first words I said to her upon awakening. “I’d better check the weather.”
As it turns out, there was a storm front moving in that would catch us right in the middle of takeoff. “If we want to get back, we’ll have to leave much earlier than we planned.”
“How early?” I took her hand, hating to do this to her.
“Like within the next hour or so. I’m sorry, I’ll bring you back here soon.”