GABRIELLE’S POV
I opened my mouth to say something—anything—but the words were stuck in my throat.
After a few seconds, I tried again.
“Is she another one of your ex-wives?”
A moment of silence passed between us.
“No, we were together as teenagers,” he said, walking past me to sit on the couch. “We dated when I was only a boy but I loved her. As much as a boy could.”
I sat beside him. “You were able to love?”
“I could feel my emotions once upon a time,” he said, his eyes staring at the center rug intently. “But that was before my life went wrong.”
I swallowed hard. “What happened?”
Damon didn’t look at me.
“Life happened. People betrayed me and I lost everything I cared about… including her,” he finally spoke. “She ended things with me when I was twenty-one because I couldn’t g
