Jared followed her gaze.
Gabriel stood in the doorway, his lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes dark and grim. How long had he been standing there?
Silence descended upon them.
Gabriel’s footsteps sounded loud in the absolute stillness of the room. He came to a halt next to Claire and just looked at her for a moment, as though seeing her for the first time.
Claire swallowed and smiled shakily. “It’s not—”
“Don’t worry, you won’t have to put up with Jared anymore,” Gabriel said, his voice rough with barely controlled rage. “We’ll leave by the evening.”
Jared inhaled sharply.
Claire’s eyes widened. “Gabe—”
Gabriel turned away, his face stony.
“Don’t you dare ignore me, Gabriel DuVal!” Claire snapped, grabbing his shoulder. “You can’t say stuff like that and then ignore me! Let’s talk like—”
Pursing his lips, Gabriel turned around. “There is nothing to talk about,” he said, his tone deceptively calm. “You made your feelings very clear. If you feel that way, I can’t change it. So I’m leaving.”
“But I was talking to Jared! That had nothing to do with you—”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Gabriel said. “I don’t want to be with a woman who doesn’t respect the person I love. By offending him, you offend me. By trying to hurt him, you hurt me.”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears. “You can’t just leave like that. We’re a family. I’m the mother of your son. Are you going to leave your son? Just like your parents left you?”
Paling, Gabriel sucked a breath in. “I won’t let you manipulate me. You won’t make me feel guilty. I fully intend to be a father to my kid and you won’t ever need anything. And you can have the house. It’s worth ten million, so I’m not going to feel sorry for you. You’re young, attractive and now filthy rich. Congrats.” Turning on his heels, he stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Claire and Jared alone.
“That was a low blow,” Jared said quietly, trying to rein his anger in.
Claire crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “You can be happy now,” she said, her eyes wet. “You won.”
“Won?” Jared said, standing up. “He’s not a fucking prize.” He left the kitchen before he could say something he would regret later.
He found Gabriel in Jules’s room. Gabriel stood over the crib, watching the sleeping baby, his back unnaturally straight.
Jared took a place next to him and looked at the baby, too. Jules really resembled Gabriel a lot.
“He’s so tiny,” Gabriel said. “I’ve been so afraid to hold him, you know—I thought I’d hurt him—and now…”
“You will hold him when you want to,” Jared said. “You’re his dad.”
“Yeah.” A few seconds passed. Then Gabriel said, “She’s wrong. You know that, right?”
Jared swallowed, eyeing the blond fluff of hair on the baby’s head. “She’s tired, frustrated and protective of her family,” he said, instead of answering. “It’s only natural that she lashed out.” He brushed his hand against Gabriel’s. “Don’t do anything rash that you might regret later.”
“I should have seen sooner that it could never work. That’s the only thing I regret. To be honest, it’s been coming for a while—all the bitterness, frustration and disappointment—but I guess I just turned a blind eye. I didn’t want to admit it wasn’t working.” His hand slid into Jared’s and he squeezed. “You shouldn’t feel guilty. It’s not your fault. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”
“Quit blaming yourself. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.” Jared turned his head and met Gabriel’s eyes. “But I’m not going to say it isn’t your fault at all. You’ve always been too stubborn for your own good.”
Gabriel smiled faintly and nodded. He opened his mouth but seemed to hesitate.
“What?” Jared said, his thumb brushing Gabriel’s wrist.
“Yesterday I asked Stephanie to look for a place for you in the area and she got back to me this morning. There are a few good options not far from the training center. But it looks like I’m in need of a new place too. What if…” Gabriel looked away for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “What do you think of sharing? It’ll be easier and more convenient.” A look of embarrassment crossed Gabriel’s face. “Too much? If I’m being too clingy, just tell me to fuck off.”
Jared’s mouth went dry. To see Gabriel every day, to live with him—
He told himself to get a grip. He failed. “You’re right. Looking for one house would be much easier.”
Gabriel beamed, his smile so radiant it took Jared’s breath away and sent his heart into his throat. God, he was hopeless.
Chapter 17: Wanted
Gabriel was already smiling as he parked his car in front of the picturesque little house he and Jared had bought together three weeks ago. It was a lot smaller than his old one—the one he had given Claire and Jules—but it felt more like home. Gabriel couldn’t even explain why he loved this house so much more than his old house. He suspected it might be because he and Jared had bought it together—for them. The thought warmed him up so much that he didn’t even feel the cold February wind.