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“Come sit down.” Gabrielle helped Hugh to her couch an hour later. “I’ll get ice for your face.”
He sat, rubbing his enlarged jaw. “I can’t believe Warner acted that way.”
Gabrielle went to the kitchen, put ice cubes in plastic wrap, and came back into the living room. “You sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“Please.” Hugh laid the compress on his jaw, twitching. “Those weak-ass punches he was throwing?”
Gabrielle planted light kisses over his jaw. “I’m sorry he hit you.”
“You’re not mad at me for acting like a barbarian?”
“I’m disappointed in Warner. Why is he being like this?”
“He’s in love with you.” Hugh’s swollen face spread into a smile. “It can drive a man crazy, trust me.”
“There’s never a reason to act like Warner did. What can I do to make you feel better?”
His eyes twinkled as he pulled her into his lap. “You know the answer to that question.”
“Really?” She put her arms around his shoulders, and he swept her into a breathless kiss. “It’s good to see you haven’t lost your touch.”
He gripped her breast through her blouse. “Never will with you.”
“Miss Montane?” Mateo spoke through the speaker. “You have a visitor.”
Hugh pulled his lips from hers. “Whoever it is get rid of them.”
“Already ahead of you.” She ran to the speaker and pushed the button. “I’m not accepting any visitors, Mateo.”
“Gabrielle?” Warner shouted. “I need to speak to you. Please.”
Hugh scoffed.
“I have nothing to say to you,” she addressed Warner. “What you did was inexcusable.”
“You owe me a chance to explain myself.”
“I don’t owe you anything.”
“Please, Gabrielle.” Pain hijacked Warner’s voice. “Give me a few minutes. It’s important.”
She sighed, glancing at Hugh. “Let him up, Mateo.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Hugh looked at his red knuckles, mumbling.
She let go of the button. “Don’t be mad.”
Hugh adjusted the ice on his jaw. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I wanna hear his explanation.”
“Why?” He smacked his lips, rolling his eyes. “If he looks at me wrong, I’m knocking his ass through the wall.”
“Just promise me you two won’t tear my apartment up.”
“I make no such promise.”
Someone knocked on the door, and Gabrielle checked the peephole. “It’s him. Please cool it, Hugh.”
“I’m not the one who attacked someone on live television.”
She shot Hugh a warning glance before answering the door. “Warner.”
“Hey.” His yellow curls floated around his head as if they were running away from the purple bruises on his face. “May I come in?”
She stepped aside.
He entered, exchanging angry glances with Hugh.
“Don’t start guys.” Gabrielle closed the door. “You fight and I’m kicking you both out of here.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Hugh asked.
“I sure as hell didn’t come to speak to you.” Warner’s inflamed bottom lip interfered with his pronunciation.
“If you had any sense you’d apologize,” Hugh said.
“I’d suck your dick before I apologize to you.” Warner turned to Gabrielle. “Can we talk alone?”
“No,” Hugh blurted out. “I’m not leaving you alone with her with the way you acted today.”
“I’d never hurt Gabrielle.” Warner exhaled, flinching.
“You already have,” she said.
He moaned, touching his swollen chin. “Give me a few minutes. Isn’t that why you let me up here?”
“You attacked Hugh. How can you make up for that?”
“I did nothing he didn’t deserve.”
Hugh rose from the couch and Gabrielle held her palm out to him in warning. “You embarrassed all of us on national television,” she scolded Warner. “How could you behave that way?”
“How could Hugh steal the woman I love?”
“I didn’t steal anyone.” He marched toward Warner and Gabrielle jumped between them. “Gabrielle had a choice and chose me.”
“She had no choice with the way you were hounding her.”
“If this is why you came you can leave, Warner.” She pointed to the door. “I thought you came to apologize.”
“He shouldn’t be here, Gabrielle.”
“Who are you to say that, Warner? Hugh’s my boyfriend now and you gotta accept that.”
Hugh rocked his head, smiling.
“I’ve been there for you all these years,” Warner said. “Me, Gabrielle.”
“Your friendship is very important—”
“I’m not talking about friendship!” He pulled at his hair. “You knew all these years I wanted you.”
“I didn’t.”
“Don’t give me that innocent crap.” Warner jutted his chin, squinting. “You play men like fiddles. You did it to me and Hugh.”
“Watch your mouth.” Hugh got in his face.
“Why? You know it’s true. Look around.” Warner widened his arms. “Everything she’s gotten was because of a man.”
“That’s not true,” she grumbled.
“Isn’t it? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be famous. I did your first portfolio that put you on the map.”
“What the hell does this have to do with how you acted today?”
“It has everything to do with it.” Warner lunged at Gabrielle, and Hugh shoved him. “You’ve been running this game on men your whole life.”
She looked away, butterflies tearing through her tummy.
“Sure is funny you want Hugh now you’re that starring in his big movie. Is that a coincidence? That these opportunities fall into your lap at the right time?”
“That’s enough.” Hugh grabbed Warner’s shirt. “You’re not gonna talk to her like that while I’m here.”
“Don’t turn things around on me to justify your own actions,” Gabrielle told Warner.
“What about your actions?” Warner pointed to Hugh. “What about his actions? What about the betrayal I feel?” His eerie gaze landed on Hugh. “And, you don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself.”
Hugh pulled her next to him. “This is the picture of true love, Warner.”
“True love?” Warner cackled. “You’ll be bored in a month because all you wanted was a challenge.”
“I wanted Gabrielle because she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.” Hugh pressed his hand in the curve of her back as if to tell her to ignore Warner’s claims. “I’ve wanted her for years, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“If it weren’t for me, you’d never have met her.”
Hugh grinned. “Guess I should thank you for getting us together.”
Warner grabbed him, raising his fist.
“Get out.” Gabrielle pushed Warner. “I don’t wanna see you again. Our friendship couldn’t have been real if this is how you’ve felt about me all this time.”
He uncurled his fingers from Hugh’s shirt. “You think Hugh’s more genuine than me?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I thought you were smarter than this, Gabrielle.” Warner stabbed his finger toward Hugh. “This is a man who’s gonna dump you the minute someone with bigger tits walks into the room. I’d give this farce of a relationship a month tops.”
Gabrielle lifted her chin, swallowing. “I’ve made my choice, and you can’t say anything to change that.”
Water pooled in Warner’s eyes. “All these years we’ve been friends and it ends like this?”
“That was your choice. Besides, if you have such a low opinion of me why would you wanna be my friend?”
“Get the hell out, Warner,” Hugh said. “Don’t make me say it again.”
Gabrielle sashayed past Warner and opened the front door. “Goodbye. I wish you the best.”
He strolled toward the door, smirking. “A month. It might not even be that long.”
“Warner?” Hugh stepped up, wide-legged. “It’s already been a month, Bro.” He closed the door in Warner’s face. “You okay?”
“I hope you don’t see me the way Warner does.”
“You don’t use men.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “If Warner thinks that it’s his problem.”
“It’s going to be weird not having him in my life.”
“It’s a new chapter, Gabby.” He pinched her chin. “A new life waiting for the both of us. If Warner’s not included that’s fine with me.”
“Do you regret how this has turned out?” She grabbed his waist. “How our relationship’s affected things?”
“I don’t give a shit what happens with anyone as long as you and I are together.” He hugged her. “I love you, Gabrielle. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”
She smiled, laying her head on his chest. “I look forward to it.”