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“I’ll pretend that I believe you,” Alyssa said “Let me call my dad to see what he wants to eat for lunch so we can stop by”

We sat down at one of the benches along the second floor the mall A stream of people walked by us while Alyssa dialed her father’s office number I took in the holiday music and Christh my own phone to check emails and texts That sense of contentment was immediately dashed when I found six es

I sed the bulge in my throat as I erased the phone calls Don’t fall for it, Penny Don’t give her the satisfaction of answering

“My dad’s pulling up to the rabbed her bags fro down to the food court to meet my dad for lunch”

We took the escalator down to the h the Christ crowds in the direction of the food court My sto at a s on his phone He looked even ray pants and the white button-up shirt he wore, to the scarf dangling loosely around his neck

“Afternoon, ladies,” he said smoothly e reached the table “I trustpoints after today?”

“Of course, it is!” Alyssa beamed at hi the bags in the chair next to hi through soh Your Christmas present is in there”

Gabriel shter while he pocketed his phone “I have to go through the bags now” He paused to scan“Why don’t you get us a pizza, Alyssa? I want to have a ith Penny alone”

“About what?” she asked

My heart thus in the chair to take a seat across from Gabriel I had no idea what it was that he would want to talk to me alone about, but my mouth was suddenly dry and my panties suddenly wet

“It doesn’t involve you,” Gabriel said, rolling his eyes “Just go grab a pizza, Alyssa Give us a few minutes”

He waited until Alyssa slowly left our table, reluctant to go I folded my hands nervously in azed atout a pent-up breath He leaned forward to prop his elbows on the table and threaded his fingers together in front of him

“Your ,” he said “She has been calling for the past two days, actually”

I stiffened in surprise to hear that Panic clawed at my throat when Gabriel looked at me with an indescribable expression on his face

“I’e?”