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His mirth fades when he realizes I’m unamused. “Thank you, Archer. I mean that sincerely.” He folds his hands in front of him, glancing down briefly before meeting my gaze. “You stepped up making sure the deal went through and saved Serena a lot of embarrassment. And I’m going to do what I can, so there’s as little backlash as possible.”
I take a sip of water as the server finally comes by to fill our glasses and put bread on the table, silently acknowledging my thanks, then order, waiting till we’re alone to speak again.
“I actually have a meeting with Dad about next steps after this.”
Gabriel blows out a breath. “Too bad I’ll have to miss that.”
“So… we’re good then?” Connor glances between the two of us, ever the peacekeeper.
I give a single nod, ready to put this behind us. “Who are you staying with?” I may not be completely happy with him right now, but he’s still my brother.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Is it that woman you told me about?”
We both turn heads toward Connor, who immediately goes sheepish as Gabriel shoots a death glare at him.
“I said don’t worry about it,” he grits out.
My eyes flick between the two of them. “You were seeing someone else the whole time?”
“No,” he insists, running a hand through his dark hair, tugging at the ends. “Listen, I have to go.”
“Sit down.”
He pauses from halfway out of his chair and plops back down, heaving a long sigh.
“You can trust Archer,” Connor murmurs, guilt all over his face from spilling the beans about whatever secret this is they’re in on together.
Gabriel purses his lips, staring at his untouched glass in front of him. “I fell in love with someone else after Serena and I became engaged. We didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did.”
I suck in a breath. He’s always been more cavalier in his dating life than me, but he’s never mentioned love. Never even dated anyone more than a week or two as far as I know.
“Don’t ask me who. Please.”
“I won’t snitch to Dad if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“There’d be consequences,” he says in a low voice. “I’m not telling anyone until it’s safer.”
“Safer?” Is this woman in the witness protection program or something?
“Just… until some time has passed. I’m not excluding you, I promise.”
I nod, sensing his resoluteness. Maybe the less I know, the better. Deniable plausibility if Dad questions me about it.
“I never wanted to put you in an awkward position - either of you. But this is something I had to do. And honestly, I’m fine. More than that actually. I’m… alive.”
He smiles, some kind of inner peace radiating from him I’ve never seen.
It’s weird.
“Well, if you need somewhere else to stay, you can always use my place,” Connor says, dipping a hunk of bread in the bowl of olive oil and herb mixture on the middle of the table. “Dad doesn’t have to know.”
“Didn’t you just hear Archer? Dad wasn’t bluffing when he said he’ll take everything away. I don’t want anything from either of you.”
A small part of me eases at his words. I was half afraid when he walked in he’d ask for a handout, dreading having to deny him. I may not always have been the best brother, but the recent interactions we’ve had over the last month during his wedding planning seem to have… changed something between us.
But it’s not only a matter of me or Connor snitching. Dad has eyes everywhere.