GABRIELLE’S POV
I stared at him, unable to speak.
His hand was still on my face and his thumb brushed my cheek like he was trying to keep me calm even though he was the one shaking inside.
“What do you mean?” I whispered.
He looked away for a moment, like the floor was easier to face than me. His jaw tightened and his chest lifted in a slow breath before he looked at me again.
“I caused the event that led to it. That is all you need to know right now.”
“That’s not enough,” I said. “You can’t drop something like that and expect me to accept it.”
“It is all I can give you right now, Gabrielle,” he said. “The rest is buried too deep and I don’t want you near any of it.”
My stomach tightened. “So you admit it. You admit you were involved.”
He shook his head. “I admit that I was young
