The Replay (Boys of Richland #3)

31. Cecilia

cecilia

. . .

Gabriel and I barely speak the entire ride back from court. The car hums with the weight of what just happened, the silence between us thick but not uncomfortable. It’s over. It’s really, finally, over.

I can feel Gabriel checking on me in the small, unspoken ways he always does. His hand stays wrapped around mine on the drive, his thumb tracing soft circles over my skin, grounding me when my mind wants to spiral.

He brought me coffee this morning, sat with me through the entire sentencing, never once letting go. And now … now we’re going home.

It’s surreal. All of it. The weight I’ve been carrying for what feels like forever, it’s … not gone necessarily. I’m not sure it’ll ever truly go away. But it’s no longer this heavy oppressive thing dragging me down.

Gabriel pulls into the driveway, cutting the engine before turning to face me. His honey-brown eyes are filled with that familiar concern, but they’re softer now, like he knows what's going on inside my head. I’m so grateful for him.

“You ready to go inside?” he asks, his voice gentle.

I nod, my throat too tight to speak. The last thing I want right now is to be alone, but the thought of going home to my parents hovering over me didn’t sound appealing so we came here, to Gabriel’s.

We step out of the car and make our way to his front door. It’s weird, the normalcy of it all, walking back into his house after everything that went down today. The sentencing went quicker than I expected, but it didn’t make it any less emotionally draining. Seeing Austin, Parker, and Gregory again—it brought back all the fear and the trauma, but it was different this time. Gabriel was right there, holding me through every second of it.

Something settled inside of me as each one of them entered their plea of guilty. I know they weren’t confessing to what they did to me last summer. But it was vindication nonetheless. They hurt me. They admitted it in court. And now it’s on the record. They can’t take it back.

I follow Gabriel inside, kicking off my shoes by the door but then I hear a chorus of “SURPRISE!”

My head jerks up to find Felix, Julio, Deacon, Atticus, and Adriana just past the entryway. There are balloons all over the place. Felix is holding a cake. And hanging above the staircase is a hand-painted banner that says “Congrats on Putting out the Trash.”

“You guys—” a watery smile spreads across my face.

“We didn’t want you to be sad,” Adriana says.

“Yeah,” Felix chimes in, stepping forward to show me the cake. “Today is a day to celebrate. Those fuckers got what they deserved, and we’re going to par-tay!”

“Did you know about this?” I ask, nudging Gabriel with my elbow.

He shakes his head. “Nope. But I’m not surprised.” He shifts behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I lean into his embrace.

“Oh, yeah?” I ask, tilting my chin up to look at him. “Why’s that?”

Gabriel shrugs. “It’s what family does.”

“Come on! J made food,” Atticus chimes in, leading our group into the kitchen where we find a spread of carne asada, tortillas, rice, and beans.

My vision blurs. “You guys didn’t need to do all of this,” I tell them.

Gabriel presses a kiss to the side of my neck.

“Yes, we did,” Julio tells me, an almost apologetic smile on his face. “You’re one of us,” he says. “And we take care of our own.” My heart melts into a puddle. Not so long ago, Julio was the one telling me to let Gabriel go, and now, to have his acceptance … I don’t know. To belong— I can’t help but grin.

Gabriel grabs a couple of water bottles from the fridge, but his gaze is locked on me, watching my every move. There’s this unspoken understanding between us, like he knows what I need before I even have to ask.

I take a sip of the water he hands me, feeling it cool the previous tension in my chest. For a while, we just stand there as everyone else grabs plates and moves about the room.

“Bro, did you ask her yet?” Felix asks.

“I’m getting there,” Gabriel growls at him.

My brows furrow. “Ask me what?”

“Well, get on with it,” Atticus adds, then we can really celebrate.

“What are they talking about?”

Gabriel shakes his head. “Ignore them,” he tells me. “They’re meddling.”

Deacon steps up beside me and offers me a plate. "We're meddling because you’re taking your sweet ass time. Stop being a pussy and ask her already.”

My curiosity is officially peaked, and I give Gabriel a look that says, well?

He chuckles before leaning forward to capture my lips. The kiss is quick, gentle, but it still does something to my insides and has me leaning into him, desperate for more.

“Move in with me,” he murmurs against my lips.

His words cut through my desire, and I freeze, my breath hitching as I look up at him. For a second, I’m not sure if I heard him right.

“What?” My voice is barely a whisper, my heart pounding so hard I swear he can hear it.

Gabriel steps closer, his hands slipping around my waist, pulling me against his chest. His forehead drops to mine, and I feel his exhale, the warm rush of his breath brushing over my skin.

“Move in with me,” he repeats, softer this time, his voice rough around the edges. “I know it’s fast, but I don’t care. I want you with me, Cecilia. Every day.”

My mind spins, trying to process the weight of his words. Move in with him? Live here, together? I look around the room at all of the waiting faces. “You guys are all cool with that?” I ask.

I’m greeted by a chorus of “Yes!”

“I ... I don’t know what to say,” I murmur, my voice trembling.

Gabriel tightens his grip on me, his hands trailing up to cup my face. “We all talked about it over the weekend,” he tells me. “You don’t have to decide right now. Just ... don’t say no. Okay? Think about it.”

He kisses my temple, his lips lingering there for a second longer than usual, and it’s like the world stops spinning. His touch, the warmth of his breath on my skin—it anchors me in a way that nothing else ever has. I want to move in with him. I’m ready to be all in.

“Yes.”

The word slips out before I can even think it through, but the second I say it, I know it’s the right decision. His head jerks back, his eyes wide, searching mine like he’s trying to make sure he didn’t imagine it.

“What did you just say?” His voice is hoarse, his hands trembling slightly where they rest on my cheeks.

I smile, the weight of everything lifting off my chest. “Yes, Gabriel. I’ll move in with you.”

“Woohoo!” Felix cheers. “We’ve got ourselves a new roomie, boys!”

A slow grin spreads across Gabriel’s face, and before I can say anything else, his lips crash against mine. The kiss is hungry, desperate, and full of relief, like he’s been holding his breath waiting for me to say those words. His hands slide down my body, gripping my hips as he pulls me closer, and I can’t help the soft moan that escapes me.

“We’ll see you guys later,” Gabriel says between frantic kisses.

Everyone laughs and cheers and tells us to get our asses upstairs. So we do.

Within seconds, we’re stumbling toward the stairs, our lips never breaking contact. Every inch of me is on fire, my body aching for him. By the time we reach his bedroom—our bedroom—my shirt is halfway off, and Gabriel’s hands are roaming over my bare skin, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

“I love you,” he groans against my lips as he lifts me, my legs wrapping around his waist. The strength of his arms holding me steady makes me feel weightless, like nothing in the world can touch me as long as I’m with him.

“I love you, too,” I breathe, my voice barely audible over the sound of my racing heart.

Gabriel carries me to the bed, his hands never leaving my body, his lips trailing down my neck, over my collarbone, and lower. Every touch, every kiss feels like a promise. We’re together. We’re solid. We’ve been through hell, but we’re still standing. And this—us—it’s the one thing I know I can always count on.

As we come together, everything else fades away. There’s only him, only us, and the overwhelming certainty that this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

We’re endgame. Always.