My Stepbrother Wants Me-Chapter 159: You Are The Only One

Catherine’s POV

I had been running for nearly an hour, pushing my pace until my legs felt like lead and my lungs burned with every breath. A jog was the only way to clear my head after the disaster in my bedroom with Julian. I needed to drown out the memory of him drugged, the heat of his skin, and the way he had looked at me before he collapsed. I was just reaching the edge of the estate, my skin slick with sweat, when Gabriel’s car pulled up alongside me. He hadn’t been back home since the night with Dante, and seeing him now made my heart skip a beat.

Gabriel tapped his horn twice, gesturing for me to get in. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and moved to the other side to get into the passenger seat. The air conditioning plus the sweat on my body made me feel really cold.

"Here," Gabriel said, offering me his jacket.

I took it with a nod. "I haven’t returned the other one you gave me at the gala night."

Yes, the jacket Julian had seen me with that night wasn’t for Dante.

Gabriel didn’t say anything; he just waited for me to click my seatbelt into place before pulling away from the curb.

"Are you still mad at me?" I asked, breaking the silence. I looked at his profile. He was dressed in a grey polo, his hands gripping the steering wheel with practiced precision.

He let out a short, dry laugh, before glancing at me briefly and returning his gaze to the road. "I was never mad at you. I’m sorry about that night. I was just tired, and I honestly thought you were in danger. My protective instincts got the better of me. I didn’t mean to make it a big deal out of nothing." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"But I’ve told you Gabe, that you don’t ever have to worry about me," I replied firmly, shifting in the seat, while trying to find a comfortable position despite my damp clothes. "I am very capable of taking care of myself. I spent years doing exactly that before I ever stepped foot in this house. I’m not a Barbie doll."

Gabriel nodded slowly, and I expected a laugh from him at my joke but it didn’t come. "I know you are. Sometimes I just forget that you aren’t like the rest of the people in this family. You have a different kind of strength." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "How has the house been without me? Did Richard even notice I was gone?"

I decided to try another joke to lighten the atmosphere. "Honestly? No one really noticed your absence except me. There is always drama and chaos in that house to blind everyone."

There was no smirk or a witty comeback from him, guess he didn’t find any of my jokes funny.

With a brief cold stare ahead, his face settled into a mask of resignation. "That’s how it’s always been," he muttered with a voice barely audible over the hum of the engine. "I’m a ghost in that house until there’s a contract that needs signing or a fire that needs putting out."

I realized immediately that my attempt at humor had backfired. It wasn’t funny to him because it was his reality. "Hey, I didn’t mean that, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I was only trying to be funny."

He suddenly hit the brakes, pulling the car onto the shoulder of the road. He put the car in park and turned fully in his seat to face me. The intensity in his eyes was startling. "Catherine... stop. You do not have to ever apologize to me for anything. Not now, and not ever. Do you understand? You’re the only person in that entire building who is honest."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my back pressing against the door. The way he was staring at me was overwhelming. It wasn’t a look of brotherly affection; it looked like something far more raw and desperate. I felt the hair on my arms stand up as he continued to hold my gaze. Thankfully, he broke the contact after a few seconds, looking down at his hands.

"One time, when I was ten years old, I got tired of the fighting and the constant pressure," Gabriel said and leaned his head back against the headrest. "I ran away. I was gone for four days. I slept on old tarps and ate whatever I could scavenge from the gardens."

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open. "Four days? Gabriel, that’s a long time. Richard let you do that?"

He scoffed. "Richard? He didn’t realize I was missing," he said, a bitter edge to his voice. "I walked back into the house for dinner on the fourth night, expecting a search party or a lecture. My father just looked up from his newspaper and asked if I had finished my math homework. I realized then that I could disappear entirely and the Vaughn Foundation would just keep on rolling."

I felt a wave of genuine shock. The neglect he had faced was staggering. Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand, my fingers wrapping around his. "Don’t worry. I’m here for you now. I will never forget you."

Gabriel turned back to me. His eyes were red and wet, the moisture making them look glassy under the car’s lights. He didn’t say anything at first; he just lifted his free hand and cupped my face, his palm warm against my skin. "What did you say?" he whispered. "Please repeat it."

"I will never forget you," I said, my voice steady and clear.

A sad smile broke across his face. He leaned in slightly, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone. It was a tender, quiet moment that felt completely out of place in our world. "You’re the only one who has ever truly cared about me. The only one who looks at me and sees a human being."

I placed my hand over his, the one still on my face. I wanted him to feel connected to the rest of the family, to believe that he wasn’t as alone as he felt. "You may not realize it, Gabe, but I think your brother and your dad love you too. They just don’t know how to show it. This family... it’s broken, but the feelings are there."

Gabriel’s expression hardened instantly. He pulled his hand away and turned back to the steering wheel, a harsh, cynical scoff escaping his lips. "I wish," he mouthed.

"Gabriel, I’m serious. Julian—"

"Please," he interrupted, his voice tight and final. "Don’t insist on it. I know exactly where I stand with them. I’ve spent years learning that lesson. Don’t try to unteach it. Let’s just get you home."

I respected his wish and stayed silent. He pulled the car back onto the road and drove the rest of the way to the estate in total silence.