Chapter 55
GAbrIEL
Cecilia puts on a clean pair of panties and reaches in her bag for a sleep shirt, but before she has the chance to pull it on, I pluck the offending fabric from her fingertips and replace it with my own.
“Here,” I tell her.
Smirking while cocking her head to the side, she doesn’t comment as she tugs my shirt over her head. The hem falls to the tops of her thighs, and I can’t help but feel a surge of possessiveness seeing her wear my shirt.
Almost like she isn’t aware she’s doing it, I catch Cecilia tugging up on the collar, scenting my shirt. Her breath is deep, her sigh content.
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “Do you like how I smell?” I tease, catching her off guard.
Her cheeks flush a delicate pink, and she quickly drops her hand, attempting to play it off. “I was just—”
But before she can finish her sentence, I pull her close, pressing my lips to hers in a heated kiss, effectively distracting her from any further explanation.
“I like you in my clothes,” I tell her. “And I like my scent on your skin.”
It’s yet another way of marking her as mine. Maybe I can convince her to take one of my sweatshirts when we get back to Richland.
Pulling away, I note the exhaustion evident in her expression and lead her over to the bed. She needs rest. It’s been a long day for her, and while I’d love nothing more than to strip her bare all over again, I know Cecilia needs a good night’s sleep.
After pulling on my discarded boxer briefs, I drop onto the bed and tug her down beside me. Pulling her body flush against mine, her back to my front, I breathe in the coconut scent of her shampoo. A wave of contentment sweeps through me.
This is how we’re supposed to be.
The warmth of her body against mine is exactly what I need, and I squeeze her small frame tighter to my chest.
“You’re breaking the rules,” she whispers, her voice soft but playful. An admonishment without any real heat.
I chuckle, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. “Rules were made to be broken, weren’t they?” I whisper, trailing kisses along her neck.
“Mmm,” she murmurs and settles into me.
“Relax,” I tell her. “It’s only one night. Or would you rather I go to my room and send Adriana back here instead?”
“No. You can’t do that.” She huffs out a breath. “They’re probably both asleep already, anyway.”
“Then it’s settled.”
She sighs. “One night.”
“One night.” I let the lie fall from my lips.
“Then we follow the rules again,” she says.
Unlikely. After having her in my arms and holding her through the night, I know there won’t be any going back for me. But she needs the lie in order to relax, so I give it to her.
As exhaustion begins to claim me, I feel myself drifting off. The steady rhythm of Cecilia’s breathing lulls me into a state of relaxation until her near-silent words have me opening my eyes again.
“I think you should go to the wedding,” she says quietly, rolling over in my arms to face me.
Her gaze searches mine. “I know it hurts you not having a relationship with your family.” I stiffen at her words, and she places her hand on my bare chest. “This can be your chance to fix things with your mom.” I open my mouth to argue, but she brushes her fingertips along my lips.
“Treat it as an olive branch, Gabriel. Because I think that’s what that invitation is.
Don’t miss out on that opportunity because you’re scared of being hurt again. ”
Her words hang in the air, heavy with some other unspoken meaning. Is she also talking about us? Is she afraid of missing out on this, on what we have, because she’s worried about getting hurt?
I try, and fail, not to read into it. I’m hearing what I want to hear instead of listening to what she actually says. There’s genuine concern in her eyes, and a part of me knows she’s right.
But the idea of facing my family, of confronting the painful memories that come with that, fills me with apprehension. It might be an olive branch, but if it isn’t … if it was a mistake …
“I don’t think—” I begin.
“Please,” she murmurs, leaning forward to kiss the corner of my mouth. “I really think it can be good for you.”
How the hell am I supposed to deny this woman?
Reluctantly, I nod, knowing deep down that this might be a mistake. “Okay,” I concede. “I’ll go.”
But I have a condition, one that breaks yet another of our rules. “But only if you come with me,” I add, my voice barely above a whisper. “You have to be my date.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, and hesitation flickers across her features. It would be a public outing, a breach of our carefully constructed boundaries. But as she meets my gaze, I see the resolve in her eyes.
After a moment of contemplation, she nods, her lips forming a small smile. “Okay,” she agrees softly. “I’ll go as your date.”
Cecilia leaves bright and early on the bus with the rest of her team. I try to convince her to ride back with me on my bike, but she declines.
I know what she’s doing. I’m not blind.
She’s trying to put space between us after we spent the night with one another, and I don’t like it. But I decide not to push her. Not today.
I’ll let her have her space. For now. But she’s delusional if she thinks she’ll be spending the night tonight anywhere but in my bed.
Since practice isn’t until later in the day, the rest of us decide to burn some time and visit an old friend.
We meet up with Allie and her fiancé, Roman, for breakfast.
As I walk into the Sun Valley Station, the nostalgic vibes of the place hit me like a wave, transporting me back to a time of poodle skirts and slicked-back hair. I’d been too distracted the night before to really take it in, but today I’m seeing it with new, much less exhausted, eyes.
Sun Valley station is a vintage-styled diner straight out of Grease, complete with neon signs and checkerboard floors.
Allie is the first to spot us, her face lighting up with a smile as she rushes over to greet our crew. "Gabriel!" she exclaims, enveloping me in a warm hug. "It's been too long."
"Yeah, it has," I reply, returning the hug before she moves on to Julio, Felix, and Deacon, hugging each of them in turn.
I can't help but notice the protective aura that surrounds her fiancé, Roman, as he watches her interact with us.
He grumbles when she hugs us, but he's decent enough to shake each of our hands, even if he tugs Allie back to his side at the first opportunity.
There was a time when an innocent hug would have sent Allie over the edge. She’s come a long way and worked through a lot of her past trauma. We all have this broody fucker to thank for that. Not that I’ll ever admit it out loud. Pretty sure J won’t either. But regardless, we’re grateful.
Roman keeps Allie close, a possessive hand resting on her thigh as we join them at their table.
It's a subtle gesture, but it speaks volumes about their relationship.
I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as I watch them together, knowing I'd be the same way with Cecilia if she'd let me.
We settle into the booth, the atmosphere buzzing with conversation as we catch up on each other's lives. Allie fills us in on her latest welding adventures and talks about watching Roman play football while he sits beside her, his arm now wrapped around her waist in a protective embrace.
He’s a junior at Suncrest U. Their star receiver.
If he wasn’t such a dick sometimes to anyone who isn’t Allie, I might actually be impressed.
But Roman’s never been one for making new friends.
He’s only here for her. And that’s just fine.
The way he looks at her, his eyes filled with adoration and love, it’s clear she’s his entire world.
The two of them, they’re exactly as they should be. Content in their relationship.
It's a stark contrast to the tumultuous emotions swirling inside me, but I push them aside, focusing on enjoying the morning with friends.