Chapter 26

Chapter 26
As Gabriel pulled into the parking lot of the bar close to his apartment building, exhaustion weighed heavily on his shoulders. The day had been quite grueling, dealing with a particularly indecisive and demanding client who'd seemed determined to test his patience at every chance. All he wanted now was a moment of peace, a quiet, crowdless corner where he could nurse a glass or two of alcohol.

But as he approached the entrance, his thoughts drifted to Joslyn, her image vivid in his mind as always. The memory of their kiss lingered, leaving him with a confusing mix of emotions. Did she kiss him out of genuine desire, or was it merely a gesture of gratitude, like she'd said? Gabriel hoped the first was the case.

Pushing aside his doubts, he stepped inside the dimly lit bar, sighing in relief at the sight of the few customers in it. The soft murmur of voices and clinking glasses welcomed him as he made his way to the counter.

He was quick to gain the bartender’s attention. “Whiskey, please. Neat,” he ordered, his voice tinged with exhaustion as he leaned against the counter.

Gabriel scanned the room out of habit, surprise filling him when his gaze almost immediately fell on a familiar figure.

There she was, the woman who never seemed to leave his mind. Joslyn was seated at a table not too far away from the bar counter where he stood. Gabriel smiled, prepared to approach her after getting his drink until he suddenly noticed the man beside her. He stalled.

He would have walked over to her regardless, identifying the man as a mere stranger seeking a woman for the night but as Gabriel continued watching, he realized that the man was familiar to Joslyn, seeing as she was grinning and being free with him.

Either that or she was already drunk.

Wanting to make sure Joslyn was safe, Gabriel discreetly shifted to a vacant table closer to the duo—close enough that Joslyn wouldn't notice him but he could hear bits of their conversation over the din in the bar.

“Y’know, I've been thinking…” The unknown man began, leaning closer toward Joslyn, much to Gabriel's annoyance.

“Oh yeah?” Joslyn replied and Gabriel quickly noticed that her voice sounded quite steady and she wasn't slurring on her words, meaning she was sober and willingly around the man.

Gabriel's fingers tightened around his glass but he watched and listened on.

“...about the night we shared, Lyn. Hell, I can't stop thinking about it or how I want a repeat of it—and not just for another night, but for many to come. I want you, Lyn.”

Gabriel went frozen in his seat at the stranger's words and when he craned his neck to see what reaction they’d drawn from Joslyn, he couldn't see her face but her prolonged silence made his heart sink to his stomach as a pang of jealousy laced with doubts ignited like a damning flame within him. He clenched his jaw, his knuckles blanching as he gripped dangerously tighter on the glass. Perhaps the kiss she'd given him was indeed out of gratitude.

The thought left Gabriel's mouth with an acrid taste as he swigged the rest of his whiskey. For a brief moment, he considered confronting her, or making his presence known to her. But then, he recalled what his mother had advised him to do and the thought of confronting her shriveled up and died.

Taking a deep breath, Gabriel forced himself to stand down. He wouldn't force Joslyn to return his feelings, no matter how much he wanted to. And even though the curiosity ate away at him to hear her response to what the man had said, Gabriel pushed off his seat, stopping briefly by the bar to pay for the drink he'd ordered before leaving. With a heavy heart, he got into his car, opting to drown his sorrows at their apartment rather than do it here.

As he drove back home, the weight of his emotions lingered, casting a shadow over his thoughts. But deep down, he knew that pushing Joslyn away was not the answer. Despite the pain, he would wait for her, hoping that one day she would come to him willingly.

❀ ❀ ❀

Pacing his apartment, Gabriel couldn't help but be consumed by thoughts of Joslyn and the guy from the bar. Despite trying to pacify himself, his agitation grew with each passing minute as various disturbing scenarios of them played out in his mind—the image of Joslyn saying yes to the guy then marking the start of a relationship between them with a passionate kiss, or worse, bringing him home. Thoughts like that plagued Gabriel endlessly.

He glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time, the minutes ticking by agonizingly slow. It was nearly midnight, and yet there was still no sign of Joslyn. Anxiety gripped him as he imagined all sorts of scenarios that could be playing out between Joslyn and the bar guy.

Then, all of a sudden, Gabriel was jolted out of his thoughts when he caught the unmistakable but quiet jingling of a set of keys from outside. Without a second thought, he rushed to his own entrance, his heart pounding with anticipation and unease. He swung the door open without a preamble, taking Joslyn off guard as her hand hovered mid-air, frozen in the act of unlocking her door.

Their eyes met, and Joslyn's shock was evident as she stared back at Gabriel, her expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity. She hadn't expected him to open the door so abruptly.

Gabriel's eyes scanned the hallway frantically, searching for any sign of the guy who had been with Joslyn at the bar. When he found no trace of him, his gaze returned to Joslyn, scrutinizing her for any sign of dishevelment or that distinct look of sexual satisfaction. He found neither of those things nor guilt on her face but Gabriel's relief was ephemeral as he closed the distance between them, his expression tense.

“Um, Gabriel, what's going on?” Joslyn asked, evidently confused, as she took an unconscious step back with Gabriel's approach.

Ignoring her question, Gabriel pressed on, his voice sharpened with urgency. “Where is he?” he demanded, his eyes locking onto hers.

Joslyn frowned, perplexed by Gabriel's words. “What? Who?” she asked, caught off guard by his sudden interrogation.

Gabriel's jaw clenched, his impatience evident as he whispered his next question, voice laced with a subtle hint of pain and desperation. “Did you sleep with him?”

The furrow between Joslyn's brows deepened, her confusion growing with Gabriel's persistent yet cryptic questions. In that moment, she was half-tempted to press her palm to his forehead just to make sure he wasn't being delirious due to a fever.

“Gabriel, what's going on? Are you okay? Who are you talking about?” She asked once more.

Ignoring her question again, Gabriel reiterated, his voice gaining an edge, “The guy at the bar, Jos. Did you sleep with him?”

Joslyn's eyes widened, jaw dropping in sudden realization. “I–What? How do you know about him? Were you at the bar as well?” She asked, her tone a mix of shock and disbelief. “I didn't see you.”

“That’s not the answer to my question, Joslyn.” Gabriel responded curtly, moving further closer until he had her cornered against her doorway, his gaze unwavering. “Did you or did you not have sex with the guy at the bar?”

Joslyn raised a defiant brow at Gabriel, feeling a flash of annoyance, frustration and something akin to glee at his obvious jealousy. “And why should I answer that, Gabriel? I don't see how that's any of your business,” she scoffed.

For a tense moment, Gabriel watched Joslyn in silence, his gaze searing through her before he finally muttered, “Was the kiss we shared truly just out of gratitude?”

Caught off guard by his question and change in tone, Joslyn faltered, blinking quickly. “I–” her voice wavered. “Gabriel, I don't wanna be rude but what goes on in my love life shouldn't be a concern of yours. You have no right to ques—”

Gabriel struggled to remain in control as Joslyn spoke but every word that left her mouth made the task difficult for him, and thus with a silent curse, his resolve finally snapped. Shoving his mother's words to the back of his mind, Gabriel let out a small growl before eliminating the rest of the distance between he and Jos, his actions fueled by frustration and longing as he sealed his lips over hers, cutting her off.