Husband With Benefits

Autumn sat in Gabe’s room, staring silently at his unconscious form. It had been three long days since the accident, and though the swelling in his brain had finally decreased, the doctors remained uncertain about his recovery. The constant beeping of the machines monitoring his vital signs provided little comfort.

With a heavy sigh, she looked down at the diary in her hands. The police had given it to her, explaining that it was something that had survived the car crash. She knew it belonged to Arabelle...

She was torn, knowing that reading Arabelle’s diary could reveal much about Gabe’s past and his late wife, but also feeling that it might be an intrusion into something deeply private. What if he did not like it? What could be so important that Elena would pass it onto him now? The questions swirled in her mind, creating a tumultuous storm of doubt and fear.

More pressing, however, was her fear of the future. She’d almost lost Gabe this time. What if the contents of the diary made Gabe reconsider his decision to stay with her? After all, he did not love her, not truly. And now that Savoy was gone for sure, what did that mean for them? Wha if this diart reminded him of his deep unshakable love for his late wife? If only the diary had been destroyed in the accident...

She shook her head at herself, calling her a fool for wanting something like this. But she soon came to a decision. She was allowed a bit of fear, wasn’t she? She sighed deeply, her fingers trembling. But just as she was about to open the diary, the door creaked open. Panicking, she quickly shut the diary and looked up to see Seb entering the room. She knew he’d already guessed what she was about to do, so she tried to explain," I just..."

Seb smiled, sent a glance at Gabe and then walked to her," You were about to read the diary. But why does it look like you were about to commit a theft? Hmm?"

Autumn looked down at her hands, clasping the diary tightly," Wasn’t I? This belongs to Arabelle and Gabe..."

Seb sighed and took her hand in his," Read the diary freely, Autumn. You don’t have to worry. Gabe wouldn’t want to hide anything from you."

"But what if the contents inside this are not what I imagine? What if, reading it changes everything?"

Seb smiled then," Isn’t change the only constant in this world? Hmm? Listen, if you find something Gabe hasn’t told you, you can’t hold it against him. Everyone has their secrets, and sometimes they’re kept for a reason. But Gabe cares about you. He wouldn’t want you to be left in the dark."

Autumn nodded slowly, taking in Seb’s words. "You’re right. It’s just... I’m scared."