Page 130 of Angel Eyes

His eyes flashed with anger. “Just who do you think you are? What—you think just because she had a little fun with you for the summer that you have some sort of claim on her?” He scoffed. “Well, I’m sorry to inform you, but your acquaintance has come to an end. I’m here to take Juliet home. Where she belongs.”

Cold fingers of dread climbed the length of my spine, closing around my throat until it was suddenly hard to breathe. No. Juliet wasn’t going anywhere with this asshole. Was she?

My hands tightened into fists. “I don’t care what you’re here to do. I’m not leaving until I speak to her. Now, are you going to step aside, or shall I assist you?”

“You arrogant son of—”

“Kyle?” Juliet’s voice floated through the open doorway a second before she appeared. Her eyes widened when they landed on me. “Gabriel.”

Kyle made a rude noise in his throat at the familiarity in her tone, and he moved to her side, placing a possessive hand on her arm. “I’ve already told him you don’t want company.”

She stiffened. “Don’t you think that should have been my decision?”

Annoyance flickered across his face before he covered it up with an indulgent smile. “Of course, sweetheart. I was only looking out for you.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead, and it was all I could do not to throw him down the stairs.

“Do you want me to stay?” he said to her, tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear before sliding his gaze to me. I bared my teeth at him in a grin that said Keep fucking with me and find out.

She shook her head, moving out of his hold. “No, I’ll be fine. You should go.”

He deposited his hand back in his pocket as if he wasn’t at all bothered by her rebuff, but the tense set of his jaw indicated otherwise. “Okay, I’m staying at the Ritz if you need anything.”

Giving her one last smile, he tossed a menacing glare in my direction before disappearing down the stairs. I waited until I heard the scrape of the building door before turning to face her again. My eyes trailed over her, an army of emotions warring for dominance in my chest. Fear, regret, shame. But one feeling rose above them all.

Love.

“Juliet,” I rasped, my throat full of knives. “Can we please talk?” She huffed bitterly and looked away, folding her arms protectively across her chest. “I know I’m the last person you want to see, but I’m begging you. Please, just give me a few minutes of your time.”

She gave me a wary look, and my heart fractured at the hurt in her eyes. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Gabriel.”

I winced. She doesn’t trust me. And why would she? She had placed her heart in my hands, only for me to crush it like diamond dust at the first sign of trouble.

“At least tell me you aren’t considering going back with that guy.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I really don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”

Not my concern? Like hell it wasn’t.

“No,” I said, my voice laced with panic as I sliced a hand through the air. “I won’t let you do that.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I’d said the wrong thing.

She bristled, a look of indignation coating her features as she squared her shoulders. “You won’t let me?” She jabbed a finger toward my chest. “After you left me standing on a dark quay like I meant nothing, like everything we had meant nothing.”

“Have,” I said, my stomach pitching violently. “Everything we have. And I know I messed up, but if you’ll just—”

She cut me off with a dismissive shake of her head. “No. You don’t get to show up here with some half-baked apology and think everything is going to be all right. And for the record, I’ve had enough of men telling me what to do for one day, so if you’ll excuse me.”

Her words rang with finality, and I surged forward on instinct, blocking her escape. “I’m sorry I overstepped. I didn’t come here to pile on and be yet another person trying to pull you in a direction. I came because I have something to say to you, and afterward, if you want me to go …” I swallowed hard. “If you tell me you don’t want to see me again, I swear, I’ll respect that.”

She raised her eyes to me, and for a second, I could have sworn something shifted in her expression, her gaze swirling with the tiniest sliver of emotion.

“Please,” I said, holding my breath like my entire life was hanging in the balance. Just as I thought I would implode from the silence, she nodded once and gestured inside.

Juliet

The door slammed shut behind us, closing us in with a silence I could almost feel.

When Gabriel showed up at my apartment, my traitorous heart had leapt at the sight of him, my chest filling with a relief I didn’t ask for. If Kyle hadn’t been standing there, I might have lost my head entirely and thrown myself into his arms. As it was, Kyle’s presence had been the restraining force I needed, that extra sixty seconds to lock down my feelings and remind myself why we were in this situation. Why I had lost four pounds in the past week, and Gabriel was sporting more stubble on his jaw than usual, dark splotches under his eyes.

We had broken up for a reason, and I couldn’t afford to forget that.

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