Chapter 7

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JOANNA

After putting the things we bought away, I excused myself, grabbed my computer, and headed down the beach, hoping to get started on my book or something. Being around Gabe is messing with my head. It's like I'm fifteen all over again and every ounce of attention he throws my way makes me crave more.

I hated seeing those women ogling him at the store like he was a piece of meat they were ready to devour. But I have no business getting jealous. He's Maria's brother, for heaven's sake. I should be over this ridiculous crush by now. I've seen what men can do, and I'm definitely not ready to get my heart broken again, especially by Gabe.

Not thinking much, I open my computer and go over my notes. I have to decide if I'll sign this contract they offered me or not. So, I go over it one more time.

I don't know how much time has passed, but when I feel my eyes burning, I turn off my computer and head inside. Things do look pretty standard and I'm really inclined to sign the contract.

Maybe if I force myself to write, I'll be able to get out of my funk.

As I walk back to the house, I can hear the gentle tunes of Gabe's guitar coming from his room. The loud ticking of the clock on the wall reminds me we have only a few hours before we need to head to Ed's. The sugar-free apple pie recipe I found online is super easy to make and soon I'm putting it in the oven.

Setting the oven's alarm up, I turn just in time to see a freshly showered Gabe entering the kitchen. He's wearing a pair of light-wash jeans, sans shirt. I need to force myself not to ogle. His hair is wet and curling at the edges, and he's looking all shades of handsome right now.

"Can you check the pie while I get ready?" I ask.

"Sure thing." He walks to the fridge and I hurry to go to my room.

I take my time showering and washing my hair. The warm water falling on my skin relaxes my muscles, but it is not enough to wash my attraction to Gabe away. He's the last guy I should be thinking about getting involved with. But I've caught the way he looked at me when he talked about my perfume and I just can't get it out of my mind.

Stepping deeper into the spray, I place my hands flat against the cool tile, wondering if what I saw was real. Could he also be attracted to me?

"God..." I sigh, turning off the shower and heading out to the bedroom.

Getting a white sleeveless summer dress from my bag, I start getting ready. I won't have time to do something fancy with my hair, so I just comb it and let it dry naturally. My skin is already sun-kissed, so I'll just go with some concealer, mascara, and lip gloss. Oh, and some perfume.

When I'm done, I walk to the living room to find Gabe sprawled on the couch, messing with his phone. He's wearing an off-white cotton shirt rolled up to his sleeves, and I smile when he looks up.

"Wow." He stands up, his eyes going over me from head to toe. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you." I walk to the kitchen to hide my silly smile. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"I took the pie out of the oven." I hear him say from behind me.

"Hmmm... It smells good, right?" I ask, realizing it's cool enough that we can easily carry it to Ed's place.

"Sure does," Gabe says, and I skip a glance at him. Big mistake. He's looking at me like he can't help it; like he's happy with what he sees.

"Are you ready to go?" I wrap some paper foil around the pie, ignoring the voice in my head telling me that the look in his eyes is male interest.

"Yeah." He gets closer, grabbing the pie from my hands. "Let me."

We walk the short distance to Ed's house in silence; a weird feeling that we're going on a date making its way through my mind. I try to shrug it off, reminding myself we're just friends, about to have dinner with another friend, but my poor heart is already enjoying this evening with Gabe way too much.

And it has barely started.

Ed opens the door to his house after the first knock and invites us inside with a warm smile. "Ah, you two arrived just in time."

"It smells amazing in here," Gabe says, his hand pressing to the small of my back as he ushers me inside. He's been touching me a lot lately and as much as I try to brush it off, my body is really enjoying the attention.

"We baked you a sugar-free apple pie." I offer Ed the dessert, and he flashes me a bright smile.

"We is an understatement." Gabe chuckles by my side. "I only helped with selecting the apples at the market."

"Still. It's very thoughtful of you two to bring me a sugar-free dessert," Ed says, placing the pie on a side table by the door. "Let's head to the dining room."

"Wow, it's beautiful in here," I say as Ed pulls a chair for me to sit on.

"Well, I haven't really cooked for anyone but me in a long time, so I might have gone a bit crazy with getting things ready," Ed says, making us chuckle.

"Well, I love it. Thank you," I say, admiring how the tall windows welcome the glowing twilight and how the savory aroma from the kitchen fills the air.

"Me too," Gabe says, pulling a chair for him to sit across from me.

"So, let me get the food." Ed claps his hand together, a sweet smile on his lips.

"Can I help with anything?" Gabe asks.

"It's all good, son. Just give me a second."

A moment later, we're all gathered at the table. I'm in awe of the stunning table setting, with its luxurious fabrics and delicate flower arrangements. Ed went the extra mile to get fresh flowers and candles, and it fills me with warmth to see this kind gesture.

Gabe and I devour every bite of the tender, flavorful rack of lamb. The experience of having a professional chef cook for us is sublime. As we savor the delicious food, Ed shares stories from his career with us. We learn he got several awards for his culinary skills, and one smell of his dishes is all it takes to understand why. His food is so flavorful that it takes your taste buds on a journey.

He tells some of his family is taking some days off to stay with him for a while after the scare yesterday, and I feel much better. It's great his loved ones are coming to check things out and see how he's doing.

It's finally time for the dessert and the moment I taste the créme brûlé he made, my eyes roll in the back of my head. "God, Ed! This is out of this world."

"I'm glad you like it, sweetheart. It was my Aurora's favorite." He looks down, a small smile on his lips.

"How long has she been gone? If you don't mind me asking." I touch his hand, squeezing it slightly.

"Five years." He pats my hands. "But it feels like an eternity."

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"I'm sorry, Ed. How long were you two married?" Gabe asks, his eyes meeting mine for a second before focusing on Ed.

Ed's eyes light up. "Fifty beautiful years."

"Wow!" Gabe's eyes widen, his shock visible.

"We met when we were seventeen." Ed chuckles, his eyes shining as if remembering the day in his head. "She had moved next to my parents' house, but wouldn't give me the time of the day."

"Oh! But you ended up together, so I know there's a happy ending in there..." I say, a deep feeling of curiosity and wonder rising from within my soul. I could never understand people who stay in love for so long. Sure, I write romance books, but the story ends when all the conflicts are solved and the couple is reunited. The real-life happily ever afters, where there's no last page to a story, has always fascinated me.

"Did you know Jo is a romance writer, Ed?" Gabe says, making me blush. "You can see it in her face that she's eager to know more."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Ed chuckles, and I give Gabe a pointed look.

Shrugging, I look down. "I'm not even sure I can call myself a romance writer anymore, to be honest."

"And why is that?" Ed asks.

"Inspiration has abandoned me after my debut novel," I say, "I'm... Well, I'm not so sure love like yours and Aurora's is even possible in today's world."

"Oh, but it is, sweetheart." Ed looks at me, his eyes shining as if he really believes what's saying.

"Most men are cheaters or players, Ed. No offense. You're clearly one of the good ones still alive." I take a sip of my wine. "But when it comes to my generation, I haven't been so lucky."

"Hey, I'll take offense to that." Gabe scoffs, making me roll my eyes.

"When was the last time you had a serious girlfriend?" I meet his gaze and he has the decency to blush.

"Maybe I haven't found the right one yet," he murmurs, a little flushed.

"Right." I take another sip of my wine, doubting he's ever wanted to look for one. Turning my attention to Ed, I allow my heart not to go there with Gabe. "Do you mind me asking how you won Aurora over?"

"Well..." He smiles, his eyes darting between me and Gabe. "I would write her those little love notes and ask one of the kids down the street to give them to her."

"Aw... See... The only times my ex wrote me notes was when he wanted me to do him a favor or something." I give Ed an exaggerated sigh, making him laugh.

"Her ex was a piece of shit." Gabe rolls his eyes. "Not all men are like him."

"So, Ed. You would write her these romantic notes and then...?" I ask, too invested in his story now to focus on how big brotherly Gabe is when talking about Jaxon.

"Well..." He slices the pie I brought and serves us each a piece. "One day she smiled at me and thanked me for the beautiful notes. I remember my heart felt like bursting out of my chest, and I couldn't think straight for a moment."

"So, you didn't ask her out, then?" Gabe asks.

"I asked her to marry me." Ed laughs, making us gasp.

"Jesus! You set the bar too high for the next generations." Gabe chokes on his pie.

"Aw, damn it, Ed!" I shake my head. "Where do I find a younger version of you?"

"You want to get married?" Gabe asks before Ed has time to answer me.

"I don't know... I've never really thought about it." I swallow past the lump in my throat. Once upon a time, the dream of having a good guy I could build a family with was everything to me. But now, I just don't think it's in the cards anymore as my record with men has proved.

"What about you, Gabe?" Ed asks, a knowing smile on his lips. "I'm sure you want to settle down someday."

"I don't know." Gabe shakes his head, looking down. "Not with the life I have right now. I spend most of my time on the road and I've seen what it can do to most couples."

"Well, you kids still have time to figure things out." Ed shrugs, a sweet smile on his lips.

*****

After dinner at Ed's, we walked home side-by-side, the only sound between us being the crunch of the gravel beneath our feet. I don't know why, but hearing Gabe say that building a family is not part of his plans put me in a weird mood.

At some point in the past, my young self dreamed of marrying him when we both got older. I would daydream about him finally admitting he loved me too and sweeping me off my feet. I guess somehow he just burst that bubble and made me realize how stupid young Joanna was.

Maybe it's the fact Jaxon cheating broke something in me, or that deep down I always knew men are just after sex. But confirming Gabe is also just looking for a good time when it comes to women brought back a sense of melancholy I thought I was finally leaving behind.

We're about to walk up the doorsteps when he touches my shoulder. "It's still early. How about a drink before we call it a night?"

"Uh... I don't know." I look at him, trying to come up with an excuse. "How pathetic is that hearing about Ed's life put me in a weird mood? What kind of romance writer am I when a beautiful love story makes me sad?"

"Come on." He squeezes my hand, guiding me to the patio. "It can't be that bad. I'm sure at least a small part of you still believe in the happily ever afters."

"I wish..." I murmur, getting comfortable on a loveseat.

"Hold up that thought. Let me get some booze." He chuckles, rushing inside. Then, a moment later, he's back with a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. I just realize he is also carrying a blanket when he throws it over my shoulder.

"Oh, thanks," I say, touched by the gesture.

"Can't have you freezing on me." He sits by my side and pours us some wine.

"Can I ask you something?" I get comfortable as I sit cross-legged with the sea in front of me.

"Of course." He shifts, so he's resting his arms over the back of the loveseat. With this position, his attention is fully on me, and I need to take a deep breath to focus. We've never sat this close before and his delicious scent catches me off-guard.

"You know what... Forget it! It's a silly question." I look down, my fingers clutching my glass as my heartbeat increases.

"Oh no. Now you'll have to tell me." He chuckles, touching my chin so I can look at him. Which is a big mistake. Because when our eyes meet, we both can't look away.

"I... Do you really think it's possible to have casual sex with no mixed feelings?"

_____

A/N: Wait what?👀🙈

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Celeste


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