Chapter 83: Let Me Show You How Much I Love You
Gabriel’s hands slid down the wall, his palms rested on either side of Lirian’s hips.
He leaned closer, his golden eyes seemed to be piercing hers.
His breath was warm, laced with the faint scent of some wine he drank before, sending an weird shiver through her.
"I don’t think you understand, Lirian," he murmured, sounding so deep, possessive.
"When I say you’re mine, it’s not just words. It’s a vow. One I’ll keep until my dying breath."
Lirian swallowed hard, her hands pressed flat against the wall behind her, trying to steady herself.
"Gabriel, you’re acting like—like you’re obsessed."
"Maybe I am," he admitted, his lips curled into a dangerous smirk. "Maybe you’re the one thing in this world I can’t control, and it’s driving me mad."
His words sent her heart into a chaotic rhythm, fear and something she wasn’t ready to name.
She pushed against his chest lightly, but he didn’t budge.
"You need to stop," she said, and her voice was shaky.
"This isn’t fair, Gabriel. You can’t just claim me like I’m some prize you’ve won."
His smirk faded, replaced by pain.
"Fair?" he repeated, with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you think any of this is fair, Lirian? Do you think it’s fair that I’ve spent every day since we met fighting for you, protecting you, only for someone like Raphael to waltz in and—"
"This isn’t about Raphael!" she snapped, cutting him off.
"This is about you! About how you’re suffocating me with your jealousy and your need to control everything!"
The words hit him like a blow, and he stepped back, his hands fell to his sides.
For a moment, he looked vulnerable, his anger stripped away to reveal real emotion.
"Suffocating you?" he asked quietly.
His voice was fading away a little.
He loved Lirian, but he didn’t know how to express himself exactly.
Love wasn’t his strongest part, and he needed a lot to learn about his emotions, feelings, and how to express them.
"Is that what you think I’m doing?"
Lirian hesitated, the intensity in his gaze made her chest tighten.
"I think... you’re afraid, Gabriel. Afraid of losing me. But if you keep acting like this, you’re going to push me away."
His jaw clenched, his hands curled into fists at his sides.
"You don’t understand, Lirian. You don’t understand what it’s like to love someone so much it consumes you. To know that one mistake, one wrong move, and they could be taken from you."
"I do understand," she said, softening her tone.
"But love isn’t supposed to be a cage, Gabriel. It’s supposed to be a partnership. You have to trust me."
He let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair.
"Trust? How am I supposed to trust you when Raphael looks at you like you’re the sun itself? When he says he wants you? How am I supposed to just stand by and do nothing?"
"Because I’m telling you that it doesn’t matter what Raphael says or wants!" she said simply, stepping closer to him.
"I chose you, Gabriel. Not him. You."
The room fell silent, her words stuck to his heart like a lifeline.
Gabriel stared at her, his eyes darted around just a little bit, as if he were trying to process what she’d just said.
"You chose me," he repeated, mumbling under his breath.
"Yes," she said, reaching out to take his hand.
Her fingers were warm against his rough palm.
"But if you keep acting like this, if you let your jealousy control you, you’ll destroy everything we’ve built together."
Gabriel looked down at their joined hands, his thumb brushed against her knuckles.
"I don’t know how to stop," he admitted. "I don’t know how to let go of this... fear."
"You start by trusting me," Lirian replied gently but firmly.
"And by remembering that I’m not going anywhere. No matter what happens, Gabriel, I’m here. With you."
He lifted his eyes to hers, and for the first time, she saw the walls around him begin to crack.
His eyes shimmered with a golden butterfly, and he let out a shaky breath.
"I don’t deserve you," he said quietly.
"Maybe not," she replied with a small smile. "But you have me anyway."
A small, soft smile crossed his lips, and he let out a little chuckle. "You’re maddening, you know that?"
"I’ve been told," she said, widening her lips to smile.
Gabriel pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
She let herself relax against him, her head rested on his chest as his heartbeat thudded steadily beneath her ear.
"I’ll try," he murmured into her hair. "I can’t promise I’ll get it right, but I’ll try. For you."
"That’s all I need," she whispered, closing her eyes.
For the first time that night, the weird energy between them seemed to ease, replaced by a genuine sense of understanding for each other’s needs.
The battle wasn’t over, but for now, they had found a moment of peace.
Neither of them noticed the shadow hiding just beyond the door, or the sharp intake of breath as Raphael turned away and walked down the hall.
"Gabriel?"
"Yes, wife?"
"That hard thing between your legs, can you...you know..."
Gabriel smiled, "no. Not when I’m with you. It’s always up."
This was her time to act, to show her love to him.
She wasn’t going to abandon her villain, let him die alone.
No...
"Gabriel, help me take off my dress, please."
Gabriel paused, "what?"
"Please, it’s really hot with it."
"O-okay," Gabriel stuttered, but agreed.
Lirian showed him her back, and he started unbuttoning her waist.
"This dress is so tiny, how can you breathe in it?"
His fingers traced downward, sending shivers along Lirian’s bare spine.
His touch was neither cold nor warm, yet it stirred something within her, compelling her to follow his lead.
Gabriel pushed her to the bed, and she surrendered gracefully, like a snowflake drifting to the ground.
"Let me show you how much I love you tonight..."