Reina de la Muerte

chapter eighteen

♕

vanessa

I am greeted by the sunlight burning through my eyelids. On a normal day, I would have my curtains shut so no evidence of life can peek through the windows but someone decided that today was a good day to change that. Who was that someone?

Gabriel fucking Díaz.

He must have woken up a few hours ago to open the curtains because he seems knocked out cold behind me, his body pressed to the back of mine as he sleeps his heart away; his muscular arm splays across my shoulder and goes up my chest.

When I lift my hand to caress his forearm, I smile tiredly to myself—I've been using him as my pillow. I kiss his inked flesh and, immediately, I'm pulled closer. My eyes widen when one of his arms loosely wraps itself around my neck, securing me against his chest.

"Go back to sleep, mi amor," Gabriel mumbles, kissing my hair. He's out like a light before I can even respond.

I huff. All I've done is laze around the bed, in and out of consciousness. I slept better tonight with Gabriel than I have in the past two weeks and now that I feel rejuvenated, I'm going to spend my time admiring him. It's the most I've done since before the banquet.

With all of the negative emotions from finding the contract, I wanted to forget any ounce of positivity Gabriel has given me. Last night was a reminder of the man I know behind the scenes, his vulnerability and honesty woke me out of my anger. I should have given him a chance to explain and knowing that I didn't makes me want to punch myself for not, especially if this is what he's been hiding—he did it for the sake of his family's safety, nothing more.

It's hard to believe that Gabriel isn't even a little mad for all of the days I spent ignoring him.

I maneuver around Gabriel's arms so I'm facing him and admire his chiselled abs, the muscles that make up his shoulders, and the tattooed arm over my shoulder. When I reach his face, I can't help but caress the scar moving down the left side of it. He has yet to tell me about any of his scars—I don't think he ever will, if I'm being honest—but I don't need him to. Last night was a chance to start over with no secrets or lies and I don't want it to end because I'm pushing Gabriel for information he isn't ready to tell.

I've missed him.

"Still staring?"

My eyes snap up to a tired smirk that has stretched across Gabriel's face, his eyes peeling open right after.

"How do you catch me every time?" I grumble. "Your eyes weren't even open."

"Let's call it intuition." Gabriel's eyes glisten with amusement before he yawns, closing them again. "Stare away, beautiful. I don't mind."

I scoff under my breath and face away from him. Meanwhile, my head feels like it's going to melt off from how hot it is.

It's one compliment, Vanessa. Pull yourself together.

Gabriel tightens his arm around my neck, pulling my head back to meet his gaze. I show off the smallest of smiles but he doesn't return it, raising an eyebrow instead.

"What?" I ask him,

"What's on your mind?"

Am I really that easy to read? Jeez.

I like to think I'm good at hiding my emotions. Maybe his talent is seeing through the blank stares I give everyone. Then again, we're married. He's probably caught onto these things about me before I could.

"I'm sorry," I blurt, quickly looking away so he can't see the shame that stains my cheeks red. This feeling has grown more and more as I think about my behaviour these last two weeks.