Her eyes widen and she takes another step back. “Oh. Ohhhh.” She shakes her head and tucks a blonde strand behind her ear. “I—okay, sorry.” She bites her bottom lip. “I’m super happy for you.” She smiles, though I see her eyes becoming glossy with tears. I’m not sure if it’s because she had feelings for me or the alcohol or a combination of both. “Can I meet her?”

“Yeah, that will be a no,” I tell her. “It’s still new but it’s also unnecessary. She’s very aware as to why you’re showing up at my apartment at two in the morning.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Which is precisely why I’m here instead of her. She wasn’t happy about it.”

“Right, of course. Duh!” she says smacking her head. “I should go.”

I nod. “I think that would be best. Are you okay to get yourself home?”

She nods before pulling out her phone again. After a moment, she looks up at me. “Wait, we slept together like three weeks ago. How can it already be serious? Unless of course, you cheated on her!” she whispers, assumedly so my mystery woman wouldn’t hear which is nice in theory but it irritates me that she’d even say that.

“I’d never cheat on her. It’s new but it’s serious and that’s all you need to know about it.” I’m getting more irritated the longer she’s here, so she needs to realize that this isn’t going to end the way she imagined when she showed up here unannounced.

“I see.” She swallows. “Well, okay then. Bye James.” She waves before moving down the hallway. I almost feel bad for her when I hear her pull out her phone.

“Hey, I’m coming over.”

I close the door and let out a deep breath, unsure of what I’m walking into when I see Gabrielle sitting on the floor against the wall where I left her. She stands up and I can see the sadness on her face. “Three weeks ago?” She bites her lip and it’s not in the usual sexy way but in a way that lets me know she’s trying to stop herself from crying. “That was like a week before we…”

“Baby, please don’t be upset. I’m sorry. I had no idea that the following week we’d be here. I had no idea that I’d ever have you.”

She frowns. “I waited my whole life for you.”