Ethan sank deeper into the couch, the bag of snacks cradled between his knees.
He nibbled at a cookie, eyes half on the window, half on the sunlight spilling across the room.
Every bite tasted sweeter because Gabriel had been here, even if only for a few moments.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he thought of Gabriel—the way he moved around the kitchen, the faint crease between his brows when he concentrated, the quiet patience in his voice. Angel… he's mine now. My Angel.
But as the warmth settled in his chest, a shadow crept over it.
The truth he'd hidden, the lie that had kept Gabriel in the dark all this time, pressed against him like a weight. What if he finds out?
The thought made his fingers tighten around the cookie. I wasn't really out of town. I ran. My father… my father set an arrangement for me, and I ran. What if Gabriel hates me for lying?
