GABRIELLE’S POV
I wiped my face even though the tears were already dry. “You shouldn’t look at me like that. I’m a mess.”
“You’re not,” he said quietly.
I lowered my gaze.
The exhaustion from crying made my voice small. “I didn’t think you would come home this early.”
“I told you I’d be back,” he replied as he sat beside me on the floor.
The warmth of his words hurt in a way I couldn’t explain. My throat tightened again as he took my hand and lifted it into his lap.
His thumb brushed over my knuckles lightly.
“Did you eat?” he asked.
“No.”
He exhaled. “You need to eat.”
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“You still need to eat.”
He stood up and offered his hand.
I sighed. “Damon, I’m tired.”
“I didn’t ask if you were tired,” he said. “I asked you to get up.”
I frowned a little, but I t
