Page 83 of Vengeful Lies

“How do I fix this?” he asked desperately, not willing or able to just give up.

“I don’t know, Cade.” Gabriella sighed tiredly and rolled over onto her side, facing away from him. “I don’t even know if you can.”

September 27th

4:56 P.M.

While her body and mind were getting stronger every day, Gabriella could feel her heart hurting worse.

Each day Cade brought Essie to the hospital to visit. The little girl still hadn't had her first day of school, Cade didn't want to take the risk of sending her somewhere that would be a security nightmare, so they spent a lot of their time together doing letters and numbers. While Gabriella had no formal childhood education training, Essie seemed to be learning so she must be doing something right.

It was so weird, as hurt and angry as she was with Cade, she was also grateful that he was no longer keeping Essie away from her.

But niggling at the back of her mind was the reminder that one day it would end.

Cade had fired her, and she didn't think she could go back to work for him again even if he unfired her. It was just asking to get hurt all over again. She still had feelings for him and there was no way she would allow herself to be in a position where he could break her heart again.

Once she was out of the hospital, she feared there would be no more daily visits, no more cuddles and giggling, no more snuggles and playing games.

When that happened, she worried that she would sink right back into that deep, dark place where she didn't care if she lived or died.

Resting back against the pillows, she fiddled with the scratchy blanket covering her. Cade had just left with Essie, and Connor, who had been playing babysitter, had walked them out.

While no one had outright yelled at her about allowing herself to become so sick when she could have picked up a phone and called any member of the Charleston Holloway family, or even a doctor, or an ambulance once she got bad enough, they’d all made their feelings known. They’d just done it in that way she’d heard parents did where instead of yelling they just talked and told you how disappointed they were. Not that any of them had used the word disappointed, they’d just told her they were sad that she hadn't been aware that they considered her family regardless of whether she was Cade’s employee or not.

Those were words they’d all spoken to her, especially after the abduction when Cade was missing, but they hadn't sunk in.

Maybe now they were starting to.

After all, they might not have used that word disappointed, but she could tell that every single one of them was hurt she hadn't reached out when she’d needed help.

The door to her room swung open, and she turned, expecting to see Connor and maybe Becca, too, but instead, it was Cade standing there.

If there was one word you would use to describe Cade it was confident. He was always sure of himself, never cowered to anything, and guided his family with leadership skills that implied he was a whole lot more than a couple of years older than his brothers.

Only now he didn't look so confident anymore.

In fact, he looked the opposite.

So unsure of himself that she was actually the first one to speak.

“Hey,” she whispered softly.

Surprise filled his brown eyes as his gaze darted to the bed. “Hey.”

His gaze traveled her body, giving her an appraising once over like he hadn't just been in the room picking up his daughter five minutes ago.

Why was he back?

Something couldn’t have happened with Essie.

Could it?

“Is Essie okay?” she blurted out as her pulse kicked into high gear.

A warm smile spread across his face, and she felt that smile down to her bones. It curled inside her, sending warmth spreading through her limbs. How many times over the last four years had she wished he would smile at her like that?

Had to be at least a hundred.

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