Chapter Eight

Gabriel

I press hard on the gas, praying to the heavens that she's safe. And that I find her. I never believed in prayers but now I'm desperate enough to supplicate for help from a higher being. I'll kneel – no, I'll crawl on the ground and beg if that's what it takes to bring Lily back to me.

My angel…

It's been three days… Three long, torturous days since I got back home to find her gone. I've called her a million times, but I keep getting her voicemail. Her soft and perky voice, instructing callers to leave a message, is the only thing keeping me sane right now.

I must have gone back to the address she used to live at a hundred times, but each time, there's no one at home. I don't have her friend's phone number and no one in the whole damn apartment building had useful information. It's infuriating, to say the least. I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind and there's nothing I can do about it. These past days without her made me realize that I can't live without Lily. It doesn't matter that I haven't known her that long. One thing is certain: I'm in love with Lilian Thompson:

And that's why I kept going back to Dana's apartment even though I knew no one was home. It was all I could do to stay sane. Today though, I got lucky. I met Dana at the door on her way to work. Before giving me Lily's hometown address, she'd told me a part of Lily's past that broke my heart and made me angry.

From what Dana told me, her stepfather was a violent drunk who took his rage out on their family, and her mother was a neglectful shrew who insisted Lily always respect the "man of the house." After spending her whole life trying to protect her sick little sister, she took matters into her own hands and sent him running out of their lives. Now her mother blames her for the fact that their breadwinner is gone. Apparently, her getting more than a part-time job is out of the question. Instead, it's Lily who must pay for their bills, even though her mother has cut her off and kept her from her sister for months. Worse, she took all of the money I gave Lily and left Ella to die alone while my angel was none the wiser.

I was angry at those whose job was to protect her but hurt her instead. I was angry at the universe for dealing her such a shitty hand and at myself for not paying better attention. I now understand the deep pain on her face as she battled the demons in her nightmare. I now understand the fear in her eyes when I asked if she wanted to talk about it.

My angel had a really hard life, and that pisses me off to no end. I'm determined to protect her against the world now and forever. So here I am, pulling up in front of a small bungalow with fading white paint and what looks like a once-thriving flower garden.

I get out of the car and run to the front door, hoping to God that she will let me in. I press the doorbell, but there's no response. I'm convinced she's inside the house, though. So I keep knocking until the door is pulled open from within.

And there is Lily, staring at me with a blank look. I blink at her in shock, unable to believe my eyes. In just three days, she looks like she's been to hell and back. Her hair is all over the place, and her skin is unnaturally pale. She has deep bags around her swollen red eyes, and her lips are so dry they're starting to blister.

"Oh, angel," I mutter, reaching out to hug her, but she steps back stiffly.

Disappointment courses through me, but I push the feeling away. This isn't about me.

"How did you find me?" she asks in an unusually detached voice.

"Dana gave me the address."

She nods and steps aside a little. "I see. Come inside."

The inside of the house is almost as shabby as the outside, with old furniture and tattered wallpapers.

"Please, sit," she says, gesturing to the couch. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks," I reply, wondering why she's being so cold. I've never seen her this way. It's beyond terrifying.

"I'm sorry about your sister," I say, moving to stand in front of her. "I don't know…"

"You shouldn't have come," she cuts in, looking squarely into my eyes. "I'm sorry I left before the contract ended. I promise to pay you back. I have some money saved now, and I…"

"That's not the point, Lily," I say, taking her hands in mine.

"What's the point, then?" she snaps, snatching her hand away to gesture around widely. "What other business can you possibly have in this hell?"

"Lily, I…"

"My life is a hoax, Gabriel," she says with a self-deprecating snicker. "You know nothing about me. I'm not some innocent angel like you want to think. I tried to kill someone. I'm an attempted murderer, and a fucking liar and failure."

"Lily! Why would you say such a thing about yourself?"

"Because it's true!" she replies, running a hand through her hair as tears fill up in her eyes. "I got tossed out of my family and lied to by my mother, and now Ella is dead and it's all my fault!"

She closes her eyes, tears streaming down her face as she falls heavily against the wall behind her.

"This was her revenge," she continues limply. "She blames me for running off her asshole husband and my sister was a sacrifice in her lies and games. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Ella. The poor girl was alone in her last moments. It's all my fault… if only I'd just walked away and gone to bed that night. If only I never left home…"

I walk over to where she's standing and gently cup her face with my palms. "Look at me, angel," I say gently and I'm glad when she obeys. Her once-lively eyes are now filled with a host of heartbreaking emotions. I can see the sadness, confusion, anger, and even her cry for help.

She needs me as much as I need her…

"Dana told me everything," I say, keeping my voice leveled and my eyes locked to hers. "Whatever happened with your stepfather was in self-defense. It's not your fault that you were surrounded by crappy adults who hurt you instead of protecting you. I'll protect you now, Lily. No one, not even your mom, will be able to hurt you now."

"W-why?" she asks in a small voice, tears flowing down her cheeks unchecked. "Why would you even bother with me?"

I smile into her eyes, brushing my thumb over her cheeks to clean her tears. "Because I love you. I love you, Lily."

Her mouth drops open and she blinks at me like I just dropped a bombshell. "T-that's not possible."

"Why not?"

"Because y-you just can't love a woman like me," she replies with a helpless shrug. "Look around you. This is my reality. I don't belong in your world, nor you in mine."

"There are no boundaries in love except the ones you set to stop yourself, Lily," I say gently. "You're an exceptional woman and I'd be lucky to have you by my side."

"B-but…"

"No buts, Lily. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you in the lobby on the day of your first interview. And that's why I came up with this ridiculous fake marriage thing; it was the only way I could get closer to you."

"The thing about your Chinese business partner was a lie?" she asks, blinking up at me in surprise.

"Yes, it was all a ruse," I reply with a small smile. "I couldn't come up with anything better at the time. I wanted to have you all to myself, so I lied.

"But I don't regret the lie, Lily. The past three days have made me realize that I don't want to live without you. I can't."

"Oh, Gabriel," she sobs, throwing her arms around my shoulders and burying her face in my neck.

I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly against me as she sobs. "I'm not going to let you go," I mutter against her hair.

We remain that way for a long time, and when her sobs finally quiet down, she pulls back slightly and smiles shyly at me. Swollen eyes and all, she's easily the most gorgeous woman to me.

"I- love you too, Gabriel," she says, holding my gaze despite the furious blush spreading across her face. "I think I started to fall for you when you cooked for me at your house. Or maybe earlier than that," she adds with an embarrassed chuckle.

"I want to hear you say it again," I say, trailing my thumb slightly over her lower lip. "Say you love me, angel."

"I love you, Gabriel."

I start to lean in for a kiss, but she pulls away, shaking her head with a playful laugh. "I haven't had a proper wash in days. I must stink so badly and…"

I seal my mouth to hers, cutting off her nervous rant. She instantly melts into me with a small moan of satisfaction. She slides her arms around my neck and buries her finger in my hair, pressing herself closer to my body.

"Gabriel!" she yelps in surprise when I sweep her up in my arms. Her tinkling laughter sounds like music to my ears, and I can't imagine a life with that beautiful sound.

"What way to the bedroom, hun?"