Matthew's Pov
As I walked up the stairs to our apartment, I couldn't help but feel like a failure. I had just left the comfort of my closest friends, who had given me the best advice they could—advice I was honestly too stubborn to hear earlier. But now, the anger had faded, replaced by a deep unease. I didn't know how to fix what had happened. All I knew was that Gabrielle had a way of making me feel both complete and like a wrecking ball all at once.
I reached the door to our apartment and paused. My fingers lingered on the doorknob for a moment, my heart racing faster than I would’ve liked to admit. What if she was still angry? What if she didn’t want to talk to me at all? My fangs, which had ached only a few hours ago in frustration, now throbbed with a different kind of tension. It
