Page 48 of Desired By you (Always & Forever #3)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Gabriella

It’s Brad’s birthday, and I don’t want to be here.

It’s been weeks since I saw him at the MET, and every day without him becomes more painful than the last. But if I hadn’t come tonight, it would have raised questions, which would have meant more lies, and I am already struggling to carry the many I already have.

I couldn’t face another. Ali came here with but she’s barely said a word, but she assures me she’s just recovering from the flu.

Patrick has been blowing up my phone all day, and I’ve ignored every call.

I told him I had plans this weekend. He only seems to want me when he needs me.

Needs me to be his arm candy or go on a lunch date with my parents.

We bumped into Harry last night, and I could see he wasn’t convinced by my display when I introduced Patrick as my boyfriend.

That term and Patrick shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, but what can I do?

I’ve been doing everything he’s asked and yet he still hasn’t ended my suffering.

I may look confident on the outside, but on the inside, I’m in so much pain it’s hard to function, and that pain only increases when I see Brad leaning against the bar dress in a black dress shirt, the top two buttons open, the sleeves rolled up to the elbow showing the tattoos that I could draw from memory, and black pants.

His facial hair is a little longer since I saw him last, and my body is finding it hard to adjust to feelings of craving him, with the need to run from him.

Our eyes hold each other in a way our bodies can’t.

It’s only when Ria calls my name that I am snapped from my trance.

“Ahh, Ri, look at you.”

She rubs her growing belly. “I know. This baby is not shy. She’s already letting the world know she’s on her way.”

“She?” I say excitedly.

Jack chuckles. “We don’t know if it’s a she, but we have a feeling it is.”

“You are both destined to be girl parents, I can see it.” I beam with pride watching them just be in love. Simple, uncomplicated love, and I wonder if that’s something I’ll ever experience.

I make my way over to Brad, leaving everyone to chatter amongst themselves, knowing it will be best to rip the band aid off and say hi, rather than spend the rest of the evening avoiding him. With every step I take, his eyes travel up from my feet, up my body to my face.

“Gabriella,” he greets, his voice as smooth as the whiskey he’s drinking.

“Happy thirty-fifth birthday,” I say, my voice sounding light and sugary as I lean in and hug him.

I can do this. I can act like everything’s fine.

I’ve been doing it my whole life. I can act like he means nothing more than a friend to me.

I can pretend I haven’t fallen for him and that it doesn’t physically pain me to be here in front of him. Yeah, I can do it.

Lies.

I think it will be a quick embrace, but when his hand finds the base of my spine and pulls me closer, his hot breath in my ear, I know I’m screwed.

“You look beautiful.” I freeze, waiting for him to release me, but he doesn’t. It’s only when Harley shouts my name that I break the embrace and stand awkwardly. I hold a finger up to let her know I’ll be a second.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t bring a gift with me. I wasn’t sure if you would want me here, so...” My words trail off, and I chew on the inside of my mouth in anticipation of what he will say, and when he speaks, my heart flutters.

“You being here is the only gift I wanted.” He twirls the glass of amber liquid in his hand before drinking the rest and placing the glass on the bar.

“I better go see what Harley wanted,” I say, gesturing over my shoulder. I don’t wait for a reply. I turn and leave, feeling his gaze burning into my back as I head back to the group around the table and pray with every step that I can keep it all together and bury my feelings for the evening.

There’s something off. A thickness in the atmosphere that I can’t quite put my finger on.

I’ve managed to avoid chatting to Brad as much as possible.

When the waitress brought over an ice bucket of champagne and sparklers to the table and spent far longer than needed with her hand on his arm, it stirred up a level of jealousy I didn’t know I was capable of.

I wanted to tear her hand off and tell her he was mine.

But he isn’t, and I only have myself and my stupidity to blame.

“Ooh, who’s the hot blonde at one o’clock?” Kate slurs, sipping on her mojito. I turn to see where she’s facing, and my blood runs cold when I see Patrick dressed in navy pants and a white polo shirt, looking around. He stops and grins when he spots me.

What the hell is he doing here?

I leap up out of my seat and storm over to him.

“Ah, there you are,” he says.

“What are you doing here? It’s my friend’s birthday,” I hiss, glancing over my shoulder to see my friends are open mouthed.

“I’ve come to see my girlfriend since she’s been ignoring my calls all day. You do remember you have a boyfriend, right, Gabby?”

“How could I forget?” My tone is laced with sarcasm.

He leans in, wrapping an arm around my back.

To spectators, it would look like he’s embracing me, ready to kiss me, but his voice is full of venom and sends chills down my spine as he grips my wrist with a bruising force that makes me let out a little whimper of pain.

“I’d watch your fucking tone with me. When I call, I expect you to answer.

Got it?” I nod, and he plants a kiss on my lips that makes me want to hurl.

“You’re hurting me,” I say weakly. He releases my wrist and I bring it to my chest to massage where he held it.

“Now, take my hand and show me off like a proud girlfriend or I’ll be telling all your friends over there what you really get up to in your free time.”

He has me over a barrel and there’s nothing I can do but obey him. My shaky hand reaches out for his and I fix my smile as we walk over, hand in hand, to the booth.

“Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Patrick. Patrick, this is Kate, Harley, Mason, and Brad. It’s his birthday.” I point to Brad, and the look on his face crushes me.

Patrick greets everyone with a hug or a handshake and when he reaches out to Brad’s, Brad ignores it.

“We’ve met,” Brad says flatly.

“Yes, you’re right we have. Sorry, you just have one of those faces that’s easy to forget.”

Brad scoffs and his eyebrows raise, and I want the ground to swallow me up.

“Why don’t we get a drink?” I suggest, trying to break the tension.

“Good idea. I take a scotch on the rocks,” Patrick says, taking a seat next to Harley.

“You’re not going to get the drinks?” Brad asks, his tone annoyed.

“Gabby’s a big girl. She likes her independence, don’t you, honey?” I fight back the shudder that wants to roll through me at the use of the word honey. I don’t want him to give me a pet name.

I clamp a hand round Brad’s arm, stopping him from causing a scene.

“Yes, does anyone else want a drink?” No one answers me. Patrick already is commanding the attention of everyone, and I turn and head to the bar, with Brad hot on my heels.

“Why do you let him treat you like that?” he spits.

“Just drop it,” I say through gritted teeth, taking a spot at the bar, waiting for a waitress.

“You know he’s cheating on you, right? I caught him with another girl in my club.” His words should hurt, cut me in two, but they don’t. I don’t care what Patrick does. All it does is make me angry that Patrick can get away with doing what he wants, and I’m expected to go along with his games.

“You deserve better,” Brad says, pressing his front to my back and I could so easily melt into him and beg him to save me, but I deserve this. I’ve fucked up, and this is my punishment.

“Brad, with all the respect in the world, my relationship isn’t any of your business.”

I stare straight ahead, and I feel his hand come to my waist and circle my stomach with his fingers, sending zaps of pleasure right to my center.

“Whether you like it or not, Gabriella, you are my business and will always be my business. I can’t stand by and let some piece of shit treat you like that.”

I tap my foot impatiently, trying to block out his words.

“Follow me,” Brad mutters.

I gasp when his teeth nip my ear.

He moves away, and I turn around. Everyone is still talking, so no one is paying attention to us. I slip away from the bar and blindly follow Brad into a corridor where the faint sound of the music can be heard.

“Look, I don’t know what you want me to—”

My words are cut off when he pins me to the wall, covering my body with his.

“Tell me I mean nothing to you, that what we had meant nothing, and that Patrick is the one and I’ll back off.”

I gulp, my head feeling light and dizzy. “I…”

“Tell me. Tell me he’s the one that can give you everything you want.”

“Brad, I…”

“Tell me.” His tone is firm as he pushes his thigh between my legs.

I fist his shirt in frustration. I want, need him.

It’s been months since I felt his hands on me properly, his lips on mine, and I feel like I’ve been holding on for dear life, trying to get through each day, carrying the weight of my secrets and longing for him.

“I didn’t think so,” he murmurs. Pulling back, he looks me up and down, a pained expression on his face, and then he walks back toward the club. I sink to the floor and cradle my legs, balancing on my heels in a vain attempt to make myself feel as small as I feel.

Congratulations, Gabriella, your life is a fucking mess, and it’s all your own doing.