Chapter 46
GAbrIEL
Dropping Cecilia off at her parents’ house leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, a sensation that lingers despite the cool night air. What I really want to do is drag her back to my place and make her fall apart all over again. But there are rules.
My upper lip curls just thinking about them.
“So uh …” Cecilia stammers, her voice breaking the silence as we stand on her doorstep.
Without hesitation, I reach out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
My fingers linger, tracing the curve of her jaw before finding their place on her hip, pulling her closer.
Leaning in, I capture her lips in a kiss, silencing whatever words were about to spill from her mouth.
She sighs into the kiss, her hands finding purchase on my chest. When her lips part, I resist the urge to deepen the kiss, instead pulling away, keeping it chaste.
Confusion clouds her features, her brows furrowing.
“Don’t overthink shit,” I murmur against her forehead, planting a gentle kiss there. “There’s no reason to make this weird. Let it be what it is.” While I turn it into what it isn’t.
Her cheeks flush, nodding in agreement. “Right. Yeah. Okay.”
God, she’s fucking adorable when she blushes like that. I can’t help but chuckle. “See you tomorrow, Cecilia.”
Not waiting for a response, I climb back onto my bike as she unlocks her front door.
She pauses just inside the threshold and looks back at me over her shoulder.
Her cheeks are still pink. Yeah, she’s going to go to bed thinking about me.
Smiling to myself, I pretend not to notice as I secure the strap on my full-face helmet, waiting just long enough for her to slip safely inside.
I don’t like that I have to drop her off. That I can’t pull her into my side and fall asleep with her lying beside me in my bed. But for now, it’s okay. I’m able to breathe my first real breath since she broke things off.
I’m back in the game. And I’m a hell of a lot closer to getting my girl back. For good.
I take another deep breath, relishing in the contentedness I feel as I head back to the soccer house. I’m not at all surprised when I find all four of my roommates in the living room despite the late hour.
What surprises me more is that they stayed out of the house as long as they did, giving Cecilia and I some much needed privacy, but now that she’s gone and they’re home, did the fuckers really need to wait up for me?
Felix is the first to jump to his feet, leaping over the back of the sofa as soon as I walk through the door. His grin is wide with anticipation. “So?” he prompts eagerly.
I raise a skeptical eyebrow. “So, what?” I’m beat and would much rather catch some Z’s than have whatever conversation he’s hoping for tonight.
Felix groans. “Don’t play dumb, cabrón.” Fucker. “How’d it go? Is she—”
“She’s fine,” I cut him off, not wanting to discuss the details.
The less they know, the better. “We talked. She’s okay now.
I took her home.” I can’t say the same for the asshole she was on a date with.
That fucker and I are going to have some words.
But Cecilia—I grin, thinking about what we did—yeah, she’s good.
Felix waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “And ...?” He eyes me up and down, giving me an expectant look.
“Come on, bro. Don’t leave us hanging,” Atticus chimes in.
“There’s nothing else to tell,” I deflect, hiding the truth behind a facade of nonchalance. “We’re good. But we have an early start tomorrow, remember? So stop pestering me about my personal life and go to bed.”
Keeping our arrangement on the down low is another of her rules, and while I’d like to shout from the rooftops exactly what we did and where we stand, a gentleman is never supposed to kiss and tell.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I stifle my chuckle. I’d hardly consider myself a gentleman. Not with the ideas swirling around in my head. The things I plan to do the next time I have Cecilia alone in a room.
Fuck. I’m getting hard just thinking about it, which means I need to get the hell out of here and into my room. Maybe rub one out before bed.
“Please tell me you’re kidding?” Felix whines, “You swooped in and saved the fucking day. How do you not get the girl after a knight in shining armor moment like that?”
I shrug, brushing off the question, and notice that Julio still hasn’t moved from his seat on the couch. When my eyes meet his, the look on his face calls me a liar.
So what if I am?
Julio doesn’t want me with Cecilia, anyway, and it’s not like I need his sour mood bringing me down.
“It’s fine. We’re cool now. Stop harassing me about my love life and go to bed. I’m not going to go easy on any of you fuckers in the gym tomorrow. You know J won’t either,” I say, dipping my head toward the broody fucker.
Felix grumbles but makes his way upstairs, Atticus following close behind him.
Julio is slower to get up, and right before he passes me, he stops.
I know he has something to say, and I already know I’m not going to like whatever it is.
“Spit it out,” I tell him, bracing myself. The guy can never just leave well enough alone. I know he doesn’t approve of me pursuing Cecilia. That he thinks both of us should work on our shit. But I’m happy right now.
Can’t the guy give me a break, just this once, and let me bask in the afterglow for a little while?
Julio’s mouth pulls into a frown, and he shakes his head. “You’re a grown man,” he tells me. “You can make your own decisions.”
I grunt. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
Disapproval radiates from his gaze, but he keeps his mouth shut after that, heading for the stairs. Thank fuck for that.
Deacon is the last to get up, taking his time as he gathers his things from the end table.
A glass and plate, his phone, and some weird stuffed plush thing.
He drops his dishes in the dishwasher while I put away my jacket and helmet.
I expect him to head upstairs when he’s done, but instead, he walks back over, his expression thoughtful as he approaches me.
“You need something?”
He rubs the back of his neck, choosing his words carefully.
“Is she the girl you’ve been messed up about?”
I nod, surprised by his perceptiveness. “Yeah.”
I haven’t told Deacon about Cecilia. They’ve met, obviously. But it isn’t like we’ve sat down and I’ve given him the 411. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Felix or one of the other guys gave him a quick rundown when he moved in.
I’d been so out of it that day.
But I have the rest of my roommates up in my business twenty-four-seven as it is. I’m not looking to add to the mother hen crew.
“What about her?” There’s a bite in my voice I hadn’t intended, but Deacon catches it.
His brows lift, hazel eyes taking me in.
“Look, I’m not trying to be an ass,” I tell him. “But if you’re going to suggest I cut my losses and move on or some shit, I don’t want to hear it. I won’t meddle in your shit,” I assure him. “And I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of mine.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest anything,” he reassures me, sensing my defensiveness.
Good.
“All I was going to say is, if she means that much to you, don’t let anyone else influence your decisions,” he tells me, taking me by surprise. “I know he’s your boy but—” He hesitates, seeming to choose his words carefully. “Look, I’m not trying to start anything between you two.”
“Then don’t.” I shrug, eager to end the conversation.
Julio’s been my best friend since grade school. There isn’t anything Deacon can say to cause problems between us. Not real ones, at least. J’s always coming from a good place.
When it comes to Cecilia, he’s a little one-sided. But he’ll come around. The guy worries about me. That’s all it is.
“You know how he feels about your girl?”
Nodding, I tell him, “I do.”
“If you care about her, like if she’s the one—” He pauses for me to confirm my feelings one way or the other, but I do neither and wait him out instead. He sighs. “Don’t let anyone else get in your head. If she’s it for you, then go all in. Make sure that girl knows what she means to you.”
“She does,” I assure him, though doubt creeps in. Have I made my feelings clear enough? I poured my heart out to her once already. Nothing’s changed for me where she’s concerned, so I don’t think I need to do that again. Hell, with where we stand now, repeating myself will only scare her away.
But I appreciate where the guy is coming from.
“Good,” Deacon nods, a weight lifted off his shoulders.
“And sorry if I’m overstepping. I just …
” he purses his lips. “I’m watching in slow motion as one of my boys back in Sun Valley loses his girl.
You think they know how you feel and then poof.
” He shrugs. “Words need to be said. That’s all I wanted to say. ”
“Thanks, man,” I clap him on the shoulder, grateful for his insight. “Cecilia and I, we’re good for now.”
He nods, satisfied, and we each head to our rooms.
Lying in bed, images of Cecilia consume my thoughts like a drug, her essence intertwining with every fiber of my being. It's more than just being "good for now." It's about fighting tooth and nail for her, for us, until she's mine in every way possible.