Gabriel’s Inferno Trilogy by Sylvain Reynard Page 0,286

protect you.”

“Tread very carefully, Gabriel. Tread very, very carefully.”

He froze. He’d never heard her use that tone before. All at once, he felt himself losing her. The mere idea was crippling.

He began speaking very quickly. “We only saw each other once or twice a year. As I said, I haven’t been with her since last December.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Did you expect me to catalogue each and every sexual encounter I’ve ever had? I told you I had a past.”

Gabriel’s eyes met hers. He held her gaze, taking a tenuous step forward.

“Do you remember the night I told you about Maia?”

“Yes.”

“You told me I could find forgiveness. I wanted to believe you. I thought if I told you how I gave in to Paulina again and again, I’d lose you.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Are you lying to me now?”

“No.”

Her expression was skeptical. “Do you love her?”

“Of course not.” He took another cautious step in her direction, but she held her hand up.

“So you slept with her for years—after you made a child with her and she had a nervous breakdown—but you didn’t love her?”

His lips thinned. “No.”

He saw tears shimmering in her big, dark eyes and watched as she fought them, her pretty face marred with sadness. He closed the distance between them, removing his suit jacket and tenderly placing it around her shoulders.

“You’ll catch pneumonia. You should go back to the house.”

She clutched his jacket, bringing the lapels up to her neck.

“She was Maia’s mother,” Julia whispered. “And look how you treated her.”

Gabriel stiffened. Maia’s mother.

Julia and Gabriel stood silently, noticing briefly that the snow had ceased falling.

“When were you going to tell me?”

Gabriel hesitated, his heart beating a furious tattoo in his chest. He wasn’t entirely sure what he would say until the words escaped his lips.

“I wasn’t.”

She turned around and began to walk in the direction she thought would lead back to the house.

“Julia, wait!” He came after her, tugging at her arm.

“I told you not to touch me!” She pulled her arm back, glaring at him furiously.

“You made it clear that you didn’t want to know the details of what I was like before we met. You said you forgave me.”

“I did.”

“You knew I was lustful,” he reproved her, softly.

“Clearly, I thought there were limits.”

Gabriel recoiled, for her remark had cut him. “I deserved that,” he said, the temperature of his voice rivaling that of the snow on the ground. “I didn’t tell you everything and I should have.”

“Was the Christmas gift from her?”

“Yes.”

“What was it?”

Gabriel’s shoulders slumped. “An ultrasound picture.”

Julia inhaled roughly, making a wheezing sound as the bracing winter air filled her lungs. “Why would she do such a thing?”

“Paulina assumes I’ve kept everything secret. She’s right, of course, when it comes to my siblings. But she assumes I haven’t told you. This was her way of ensuring I did.”

“You used her.” Julia’s teeth began chattering. “No wonder she won’t let you go. You fed her with scraps, like a dog. Would you treat me like that?”

“Never. I know that I treated Paulina abominably. But that doesn’t give her the right to hurt you. You’re innocent in all of this.”

“You misled me.”

“Yes. Yes, I did. Can you forgive me?”

Julia was quiet for a moment, rubbing her hands together against the cold. “Have you ever asked Paulina to forgive you?”

Gabriel shook his head.

“You toyed with her heart. I know what that’s like. I can have compassion for her because of that.”

“I met you first,” he whispered.

“That doesn’t give you license to be cruel.” Julia coughed a little as the cold air burned her throat.

He pressed a light hand to her shoulder. “Please go back. You’re cold.”

She turned to leave and Gabriel reached out to catch her hand.

“I felt something for her, but it wasn’t love. There was guilt and lust, and some affection, but never love.”

“What will you do now?”

He wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her into his side. “I’ll resist the urge to react to the present she left and try my damnedest to make things up to you. You’re who I want. I’m so sorry to have injured you.”

“Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

He held her more tightly, his expression fierce. “You’re the only one I have ever loved.”

When Julia didn’t respond, he began walking with her toward the house. “I would never be unfaithful, I swear it. As far as what Paulina tried to do yesterday…” He squeezed her waist. “There