Page 39 of I Dreamt That You Loved Me
If I really thought about it, this was all Gabriel’s fault.
If he’d just chased after me the first time he saw me, we could have avoided this whole mess.
I would have dumped turtleneck-wearing David and met Gabriel for coffee, and by now, we’d know for sure if we belonged together or if we weren’t a good match, after all.
Damn you, Gabriel.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
He was waitingfor me when I left work, leaning against the building next to House of Simone.
I breezed right past like I hadn’t even noticed him.
Undeterred, he fell into step with me so I, of course, quickened my pace and practically sprinted up the street.
In my haste to get away, I stepped off the curb onto Broadway right into oncoming traffic. Gabriel snagged the sleeve of my coat and yanked me to safety just as a white van careened past, mere inches from where I stood.
My heart was racing. I put my hand over it and tried to catch my breath.
God. This is what this guy did to me. I could have gotten myself killed.
I spun around and glared at him. “Why are you here?” I planted my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to get me killed or something?”
“I just saved your life,” he protested. “And you’re welcome.”
“I wouldn’t have stepped onto the street if you hadn’t gotten me so…so…” I threw my hands in the air.
He grinned. “You’re so crazy about me you can’t see straight. You can barely speak.” His smile grew wider.
I turned on my heel and crossed at the light. I was trying to hold on to my anger. It trumped heartache any day of the week.
“I talked to Annika today,” he said casually.
My gaze snapped to his face. “What do you mean youtalkedto her?”
“She showed up at my apartment this morning. She told me that she overheard you talking to your mom about me, so we hashed it out.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. Like I hadn’t lost sleep and my sanity over it.
“And what did you say? What did she say?” I prodded.
“Let’s grab some food and I’ll tell you everything.”
I stopped and turned to face him. “Just tell me now.”
He stamped his booted feet and blew on his hands. His breath came out in white puffs and as usual, he was woefully underdressed for the weather.
“It’s twenty degrees out here and I’m starving. I can’t think when I’m hungry.”
I didn’t want him to get hypothermia or starve to death, so I relented.
We went to the diner on Astor Place, a cavernous space with yellow walls, red pillars, and kitschy paintings, and settled into a booth next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
After we gave our order to a surly waiter, Gabriel draped his arm across the back of his seat and smiled like the Cheshire cat. “This is where I was sitting the first time I saw you and now, here we are.”
“Yeah, here we are,” I said glumly. “I’m going to lose my best friend over this.”
“You’re not going to lose Annika. It’s not looking great right now but she’ll come around,” he assured me.
I wasn’t feeling quite as optimistic.
