Chloe“Little bit to the left!” I yelled from the ground as I navigated Gabriel’s hand on the roof while he tried to clean the clog in the rain gutter. “More… more…! There!”If anyone ever told me that the most handsome man I’ve known would be balancing on the short ladder, trying to reach a pile of leaves and branches while I shouted instructions, I would’ve never believed it! What’s more, I would’ve laughed.But here we were.For three days after he put the diamond on my hand, we were doing chores around the cottage, fixing whatever needed to be fixed, and we talked. A lot.No matter how many times Gabe denied my accusation of being the biggest romantic in the world, his words and actions never disappointed me but only proved I was right.That was why I had such a hard time reconciling Gabriel I loved, with the one that wanted to marry Molly. Even imagining him being ready to settle for anything less than what we had was… not a pleasant thing to think about.Then again, weren’t we a
ChloeI wasn’t sure what I expected to find when we arrived at my apartment, but whatever it was - it wasn’t there.There was no chaos, no debris left at the foundation of my building, no paparazzi lurking in the neighborhood. Everything was… normal.After we landed at LAX, Gabe drove us to my place. Conveniently, his suitcase was in the trunk, and he wasted no time unloading it, taking me up on my old offer to move in. I helped him unpack and hang his suits and shirts on the racks, and as we worked together, side by side, I wondered if we would always be like this because I didn’t want it to stop.Even when we shared the sink while brushing our teeth or showering while getting ready for bed, our moves were synced to perfection as we had practiced them for decades and not a mere few months. But I wanted it no other way. If this time we spent together was any indicator of how our lives would be, I couldn’t wait for the rest of it to come.~ ~ ~“Oh, boss! We didn’t expect you so soon.”
Chloe“I was wrong.” The calmness coloring Gina’s voice scared the hell out of me. “I shouldn’t have tried to kill Miller for driving my best friend out of the city.” My eyes were glued to her form as she swung the glass of champagne and bottomed it up before her mask of indifference fell off, and she turned into a fuming beast. “I should’ve beat the shit out of you for being so fucking stupid! What is wrong with you, Chloe? Giving up the love of your life because of some trust fund bitch!…”“Hey! I had not-”“Wait! You tried to kill my brother?” a giggle interrupted my futile attempt at defense, and I folded in front of two women who joined their forces against me.“Yeah. But unlike my friend here,” she pointed a finger in my direction. “Your brother stood his ground proudly!”Sighing in defeat, I leaned in the jacuzzi and relaxed into the bubbles, but I couldn’t help the memories from running through my head. Indeed, the clash of my favorite titans was epic - Gina aimed for Gabe’s t
ChloeDecember was kind to us.As if some higher power was watching over me and ordering the rain to stay away, the first ten days of the month were the best I remembered since I came to live in LA. Skies were perfectly cloudless, and winds were unusually mild; nature conspired to give me the wedding I desired - an intimate ceremony with only the closest friends and family members gathered on the beach behind Gabe’s house.Our intention to get married as soon as possible did cause a few questioning glares and assumptions about the reason for the rush, but Gabe and I didn’t care. All we wanted was to say our vows and take one more step towards the future we wished to build for ourselves.With the set date nearing, my nervousness grew. Was it cold feet, I wondered. No. It, most definitely, was not. What’s more, I couldn’t wait to be the lawfully wedded wife of Gabriel Miller. Because there was no point in waiting. Everything that happened to us from the moment our destinies crossed path
ChloeTen months laterTaking the last stroll through the new workshop, I made sure everything was set in place for tomorrow.The big day was coming, and I was reaching my patience limits. Although I double-checked that we didn’t miss a thing and that the plan for the opening was followed to the letter, I still caught myself expecting a catastrophic flaw to jump at me from the corner and destroy everything I had worked hard for.But the arm that wrapped around my waist chased away my doubts. And the kiss that captured my lips took me to heaven.“You promised to take it easy.” Gabe scolded me as I dived deeper into his embrace.“I’m just checking for the last time. My new crew is coming in tomorrow, and I want no lags in the production.”To my surprise, Gabe chuckled and tightened his hold on me. “For someone unwilling to expand their business, you seem eager to see it live now.”And I truly was. Somehow, the push Simon made with intentional overbooking and the support I got from Gabe
Chloe “No, Simon, don’t worry. I’ve got this.” When in reality, I knew I didn’t. Simon was my employee and friend for over four years, ever since I opened my pastry shop. He was the first person who answered my job listing; 20 at the time, tall, blond, Viking type, and it wasn’t a secret I liked him from the moment I saw him. Before I discovered he had a boyfriend. But him being so easygoing and friendly made that initial awkwardness vanish quickly, and we grew to be more than friends; he became a brother I never had. Usually, Simon was in charge of the delivery, but today his boyfriend was having knee surgery, and I understood he had to be there. “But…” he said, and I interrupted him. “No but! Go! That’s an order!” I commanded with a smile, knowing he wouldn’t misunderstand. “And wish Dave to get well soon!” I yelled after Simon, who was already on his way out. Watching him disappear from my sight, I sighed loudly. “Are you OK, Chloe?” I heard Abby ask from the storage room. “
ChloeThere, in the middle of the room, on the soft purple carpet, surrounded by clouds of puffy white tulle, sat a bride-to-be.I couldn’t take my eyes off her; they were glued to the apparition on the floor, and no matter how much I knew I should turn around and return the same way I came, I couldn’t. Some pull from the bottom of my gut was not letting me. Instead, it was screaming at me to go in and see what was wrong.I quickly scanned her and concluded that the girl was crying inconsolably. Her pretty face had traces of smeared makeup, and the once-perfect bun was half destroyed. Even all messed up, she was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. She could’ve easily been mistaken for a princess from a fairytale.“Hey,” I whispered. “Are you OK?”My voice seemed to snap her out of her trance, and she raised her head to meet my gaze. Oh, God! How could so much pain exist in such magnificent blue eyes?She didn’t answer my question, but the subtle flinch of her eyebrow told me sh
ChloeRemembering how shocked I was earlier today when I opened the room door where Molly was crying desperately, my hand hesitated on the handle this time. What if something happened? What if…?What was I doing? Hesitating about entering my home? Snorting lightly, I pressed the handle and went in. Luckily, no surprises were waiting for me.I found Molly in the living room, watching the news and munching on a bag of chips in front of the TV. Her head snapped in my direction when she heard me come in, and she smiled like crazy, making me worried about her mental health.“Look! They’re all talking about me!” She motioned for me to sit next to her. “They’re calling me a runaway bride! Like in that old movie. Can you imagine how pissed off my parents must be now?” She switched off the TV and turned to me. “Sorry about the chips. I got hungry.”“Don’t worry about it,” I brushed it off. “How are you?”“Oh, better than I have been in a long time. Thank you,” Molly’s voice was so thick with e