The ride back to Gabriel's apartment was thick with silence. It wasn't a comfortable silence, but one vibrating with what had transpired in the office and the weight of the performance we were to put on tomorrow. I sat beside him, my fingers unconsciously stroking the silk scarf around my neck, feeling the smooth texture that hid our secret. Gabriel glanced at me occasionally, his gaze heavy and contemplative, before returning his focus to the headlit road.
Once the car stopped in the apartment's basement, he got out swiftly, coming around to open my door. A gesture of courtesy that felt automatic, yet his hand quickly found the small of my back as I stood, a brief touch laden with meaning before we walked to the elevator.
The door to his apartment opened with a quiet beep. The moment we
