68

CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT
GABRIELLE
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I didn't know how long I stood out here gathering the courage to enter inside, but my legs were starting to hurt, Inhaling deeply through my nose, my fingers touched the handle of the door, then I slowly pulled it open.
"Why the hell would you bring her to this place!" I heard Lucian yell and entered just in time to sew him slamming his hand against the table as he glared at Devin. Perhaps he suddenly got aware of my presence as his head snapped in my direction.
I thought I saw surprise and warmth flashed across his features as he stared at me a bit too long, I also took that moment to stare at him, my heart missed a beat as I thought of how long it had been. A part of me wished to throw my arms around him and tell him how much I've felt his absence and touch, the night and days were never the same without him.
The moment was short-lived when his face transformed into a frown. My anxiety immediately returned and my stomach suddenly felt as though it had been knotted with a rope.
I wiped my sweaty palms against the material of my clothes as Devin took his cue to leave us alone.
He broke the silence first, seeming as though my very presence irritated him. "What do you mean by coming here?"

"I needed to see you, you traveled without telling me, you weren't answering any of my calls, you chose to stay away from me." And it hurts so bad, every minute felt as if I was dying, I added silently.
"Isn't that what you want? For me to stay away." He stated and a brief flash of distress in his eyes made me think that it was hard for him to be away from me too, it gave me hope.
"You're wrong, I never wanted you to stay away." I whispered and watched his adam's apple bob as he swallowed.
He watched as I walked towards him until I was right in front of him with scarce inches separating us.
The air was thick with the tension that always seemed to follow us.
"You are upset and you have every right to be, but can you hear me out? Please...?"
"There's nothing for us to talk about. I would like you to leave. " He pinned me with a fixed stare that had my heart crumbling.
He didn't sound angry as I thought he would be, my spirit dampened as I thought if it was because he didn't care anymore.

For the first time, my hand reached to touch him, my fingers slowly curled around his arms, I felt him stiffen before he pulled away and the action pierced straight at my heart.
"I'm sorry for whatever happened. I'll do anything to make up for it, just name it!" I cried out in helpless frustration mainly because I wanted to make everything better, I wanted us to go back to how we've been doing, but I just didn't know how.

"I didn't mean to hurt you by lying, do you know that in those moments seeing how happy you were, I always wished that I was pregnant for real! It already happened and that was something I couldn't change even if I wanted to. We were doing fine until...can't we go back?" My voice cracked as I fought not to burst into tears, my hormones perhaps due to the pregnancy had been quite active these days.
Our eyes searched each other's, I was frustrated that I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was too difficult to read.
"Brie, you should..." He started when I pulled at his shoulders and went on tiptoe to slam our lips together in a hungry kiss. He resisted for the briefest second then groaned, jerking me closer until my breasts were softened against his chest. A whimpering moan escaped my mouth when he gripped my hair taking control of the kiss, our tongues battled with each other until we sprang apart gasping for air. Our gaze remained locked, our nose brushing and in this instant, I almost felt as if everything was alright.

"God, I missed you so much." I panted, throwing my arms around him, embracing him as tightly as I could.
I suddenly thought that maybe the news of our baby would be able to renew the broken trust, Maybe he would finally understand that what happened was all in the past and everything had changed when I fell in love with him.
I didn't count that it would be my biggest mistake.
"Do you know that everything fell apart at the wrong time, that night, I wanted to tell you that...that..." I brought his rigid hand to touch my stomach.
"I'm pregnant! It's real this time!"
And the perfect moment was broken.
He recoiled his hand so quickly, A gasp escaped my mouth when his hand wrapped around the back of my neck.
Anger distorted his features as he growled. "Don't Fucking Lie To Me!" He punctuated each word slowly before jerking away from me as though the feel of my skin burned.
It felt like a slap in the face. Then again, I've always known that he wouldn't believe me, but he had been so calm a few minutes ago and now he was staring at me as though I was the person that disgusted him the most in the world.
I remembered Devin's words, it would be difficult for him to trust me again especially since I've lied about this before.
"It's true Lucian! If you don't believe me, I can take a test, the doctors can prove it!" I whispered, my eyes pleading with him to believe me. He almost seemed as though he believed every word that I was saying, he looked like he wanted to but the cold snarl that curved on his lips sent all of my hopes dashing.
"You're lying again! You only want me to believe you so you'll break my trust again, isn't it!?" His voice was raw as he took a step back, then another. He was withdrawing farther away and it wasn't just physical.
Somehow I knew nothing I said would make him believe me. A surge of anger and frustration swept through me, I bit my lips hard to hide the fact that I was dangerously close to tears.
"Fine! Since you are not willing to believe me and constantly think that I'm going to hurt you, then I'm leaving!" I started to leave, then paused to give him a final glance.
"And there's also no point in returning to that house if you're not going to be there!" If looks could kill, I would be lying six feet under from the sharpness of Lucian's stare. The tension in the room seemed to increase by a hundredfold.
I turned and barely managed to reach the door when I was pulled back against him roughly, his hand banded across my chest to keep me still with my back pressed against his chest. The heat of his breath moved against my ears as he spoke. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I should probably be scared by the ice that dripped from his voice, but fear was the last thing that sizzled through me from being in this close position with him.
If he didn't trust me, why was he stopping me from leaving?
"Since you don't trust or want anything to do with me anymore, why shouldn't I leave to give you what you want? At least in that way, I won't ever break your trust again."