The CEO's Favorite

Chapter Thirty Six

My breathing is quite heavy as he pulls me with him up the stairs. I know something changed after I told him I loved him. The air seems lighter and it feels like he's ready to let me in.

Since we started dating, I tried not to focus on how private Gabriel is. He literally never talks about himself, but somehow, he's always talking. He knows almost everything about me, down to the high school I attended and who my middle school crush was. But I don't even know the college he attended.

I know strangers probably knew more about him than I did as a quick Google search would tell me all I needed to know because of how popular he was in the city, but I didn't do that. I wanted to know about him. The only thing I knew was his personality. I didn't know his background or past.

He first makes a stop at Lucas' room to check if he's still sleeping before continuing to our room. It warms my heart to see how much he cares about my son and I momentarily forget I'm supposed to be annoyed with him.

Gabriel opens the door and lets me step inside before him. I sit on the bed and he approaches me carefully. "I know I have been a bit reserved." I snort and he purses his lips, correcting himself. "Okay, a lot reserved and I also know that for this relationship to work, I need to let you in, but I just want you to know that it's nothing personal, okay?" He assures me, sitting beside me but I don't respond. "It's just the way I'm wired. I don't even realize it, but I push people away, which is what I almost did with you."

"Speaking of," I interrupt. "You never told me why."

His tongue pokes the inside of his cheek and he takes a deep breath as though that is something he doesn't want to talk about. Wanting to busy himself, he bends down before me and starts unbuckling my sandal. "My father is... not a good man," he finishes after looking for the right word to use.

I can't help my scoff. "No shit."

This extracts a small smile from him, but it's wiped away so fast that I wonder if I imagined it. He removes my right sandal and massages my foot for a bit. I sigh in satisfaction. "After you told me that you had dinner with him, I confronted him, of course. I told him he was bluffing, but he wasn't. He really was going to hurt you and Lucas."

I lick my lips nervously and continue listening as he moves on to my other leg.

"Which resulted in me telling him not to come within fifteen feet of you. He said he didn't have to and he could get rid of you from his house, just as he did with..." he trails off, his jaw clenching and I can't stop the gasp that exits my mouth.

"Lucy," I finished for him and he nodded, still not looking at me.

He chuckles sardonically. "I lost my shit that day. I didn't— I couldn't— he's a fucking bastard, Aria. I hate him."

I can hear the vulnerability in his voice and I feel bad for him, for having the kind of father that will get rid of your partner just because he didn't approve of them. "You don't have to keep talking," I tell him, noticing how hard it is for the words to come out.

Gabriel shakes his head immediately. "No, I want to." When his voice comes out shaky, he clears his throat. "I lost my shit and I punched him. I swear, I would have killed him that day if it wasn't for the workers around to help his ass. All these while, I thought Lucy died because of me. We were arguing that day and she was the one driving. I could have died too. He could've killed his own son and he wasn't the least remorseful about it. I guess it's still kind of my fault because of the kind of father I happened to have."

"Don't say that." I refute his statement, raising his chin, and locking my gaze with his. "It's not your fault you came from such a vile man as him, Gabriel. You are also a victim. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."