CurrerBfighting: See? I told you she just needed time.
Just play it cool.
Battlescar13: I’m not sure I know how to play it cool around this girl.
Any tips?
I wrinkled up my nose. I was pretty sure Gabriel Corrigan didn’t need any tips from me or anyone else on how to play it cool. He was as solid as a block of ice. And he had far more experience dating than I did. I was the one who lost her chill around him. If anyone needed tips, it was me. Still, I had a part to play online and Gabriel had asked me a question.
CurrerBfighting: Just be you.
That’ll sweep her off her feet.
Battlescar13: I don’t think this girl is the type to get swept off her feet.
She’s pretty invincible.
A proud smile played on my lips and again, my gaze shot to the drawing. I liked how he described me. It made me feel seen.
CurrerBfighting: You know, even an invincible girl can fall for the right guy.
Battlescar13: I hope you’re right.
You’re pretty good at this.
I always feel better after talking to you.
CurrerBfighting: Any time.
I was in danger of nixing the whole plan and abandoning my keyboard to go hunt Gabriel down and get a redo on our last lip-locking try. I shouldn’t have been encouraging him or myself like this. It didn’t make sense to let myself get so hopeful. Not when everything was still up in the air.
We’d made it to the final round. In four days, I’d be standing at the after-school club with my online profile name pinned to my shirt like a giant neon sign. Everyone would know it was me. And when they did, Gabriel would get the shock of a lifetime. I shouldn’t have been encouraging him.
Still, I couldn’t help myself. There was something about him. Something that didn’t let me call it quits.
Battlescar13: So, we gonna do this, or what?
My eyes searched over the game as the new map populated with the variables Gabriel had chosen for us. That same little spike of adrenaline coursed through my veins at the start of every game.
“Gabriel, you don’t know this, yet,” I said quietly to my screen as I locked and loaded my weapon. “But I’ve been playing you. And when you find out, you’re probably going to hate me.”
My eyes blurred over momentarily as a series of strong emotions hit me like a punch to the gut. It was guilt, regret, and frustration all rolled into one. But I couldn’t give into them. The first online enemies were upon us. And as Gabriel and I fell into our familiar pattern of battling together, I felt a wave of comfort wash over me.
There was no denying that we were good together. Online and off.
But I needed this win. I needed it bad.
If only life didn’t have to be so complicated.
Chapter Sixteen
I marched into the ice rink with my head held high and my heart thundering like a herd of horses. I’d had an entire day to think about what I wanted. To stare at that superhero drawing Gabriel had doodled for me and make up my mind.
I was strong. I was tough. I was the kind of girl who made the world a better place.
That meant staying true to my goals.
And preparing myself for the inevitable hour that Gabriel would finally hate me.
Which wasn’t easy when I spotted him already waiting for me on the ice. He’d changed out of his practice pads already and wore a pair of jeans with a black hoodie. An extra set of skates sat near the entryway to the rink. I’d bet anything they were a size eleven.
“I thought we’d go for round two,” Gabriel called, skating over toward me as I set my laptop and things on the bottom bench. He wore a charming lopsided grin that made my stomach flip flop in my abdomen. “Let’s call it a warm-up.”
“A warm-up for homework?” I planted my hands on my hips and smirked at him. His grin only grew wider.
Still, I couldn’t say no to a little more action on the ice. I’d left the Gryffindor cardigan at home today and gone back to my usual black t-shirt with a Fortnight logo printed on top. But this time, I’d matched it with a pair of my sister’s black, torn-up skinny jeans she’d left behind when she went to college this year. They were tighter than the straight cut jeans I usually wore. It made bending down to put on my skates a little more difficult than usual, but somehow I managed it. And when I straightened up to face him, I found Gabriel watching me intently, the grin slipping from his face.
“What’s wrong?” I immediately patted down my legs, hoping one of those artfully done tears hadn’t split into something that could do some real damage. No one needed to see my Power Rangers underwear in all of their glory.
“Nothing,” he said quickly with a cough. His eyes were now anywhere other than me and crimson blossomed on his cheeks.
He was really starting to freak me out. I took a second to check out my clothes. Everything was intact. No embarrassing stains or tears. No reason for Gabriel to be embarrassed.
And yet he was still red-faced.
“Okay...well if I sat in gum or something and I find out later that you didn’t tell me, I’m going to have to hurt you,” I said, walking slowly onto the ice.
A chuckle came from my left side and suddenly Gabriel took my arm, guiding me forward. “No gum. You just look...nice, actually.”
Nice? That was the second time in two days Gabriel had said I looked nice. I was starting to agree with Lexi that boys were more confusing than they cared to admit. What did nice mean? Wasn’t that the same kind of compliment a boy paid his grandma when he saw her at a Christmas Eve church service? I wanted to be beautiful. Gorgeous. Hot.
Not nice.
Still, I wasn’t in the position to be turning down compliments from guys. It wasn’t like there was a long line after Gabriel hoping to woo me with their poetic declarations of love. Not that I minded. I had a hard time thinking I’d feel the same about anyone who wasn’t Gabriel. The way my body was starting to respond to him every time he took my hand was volcanic. And as he weaved his fingers through mine, I got an extra spray of molten lava erupting in my belly.
We skated slowly in a wide circle around the ring, being careful to stay close to the edges to avoid another major collapse. But this time, I stayed on my feet. And by the time we headed back to the exit to begin on our project, I was feeling pretty good about my skating abilities.
“Okay, maybe I’m not ready for the team just yet, but you have to admit I’m already getting better. Watch, teach.”
Letting go of his hand, I skated a little harder toward the exit and turned around, sliding to a stop in an impressive shower of ice. I squealed with excitement and then did it again toward the middle and then back toward the exit again. By this time, Gabriel was standing there waiting for me, a proud grin on his face.
“You’re definitely becoming a pro,” he said with a nod. “A few more times around the rink with me and I’ll have you playing forward on the team next season.”
A few more times with him? I couldn’t say no to that. Especially not when he offered his hand to help me step out of the rink. Electricity danced between his skin and mine, like delicious little static shocks of longing. My heart was thundering, my pulse throbbing. I looked up at him to check if he was feeling it, too. He met my gaze with a slight frown. The flash of his blue eyes seemed to suggest something was going on inside of him as well. I wished I could know what exactly he was thinking.
And if he’d hate me come Saturday morning.
“I guess we should get to work,” I said, running my fingers nervously through my hair. I could feel a word vomit coming on. It seemed to be my response to any boy-related stress. “I’ve got my laptop over there. We’ve just got the finishing touches to put on the report and the videos. I lost my dad’s memory chip somewhere, but I managed to save copies of the videos we liked on my hard drive, so we’re good there. But in the meantime, if you find it, let me know. That’s going to cost me a good chunk of allowance money.”
I laughed
to fill the silence. His eyes were flashing, emotions flitting so quickly over them that it was hard to read. The hardening of his jaw was the only thing that made me snap my mouth closed. He probably didn’t want to hear me blabbering on. I was pulling a Lexi. That girl was rubbing off on me. She always had a hard time quieting down. Zane seemed to love her for it, though.
“Beth?” Gabriel took in a breath and bit down briefly on his lower lip. There was hesitation in his voice. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle, too. “You do know that I’d give up my slot in the gaming finals for you, if it meant you could play, right?”
I dropped my hand from his, shock and guilt coursing through my body. What had brought that up? Did he have some kind of sixth sense? I wasn’t sure I could handle this line of questioning. Walking toward the bench, I sat down and busied myself with unlacing my skate.
“That’s nice of you, but it’s just not possible.”
I didn’t have to spell out that not only was it not possible, but it was unnecessary. He’d already helped me get a spot in the final round. And it was that reason I was so torn up right now.
He sat next to me, but didn’t move to undo his skates. “I know it’s not possible, but I would. And I’d go back in time and stand up to Michael for you, if I could.”
I sat up straight then, facing him. He looked so serious, his eyes dark and hooded. I could tell he desperately needed affirmation. He needed it from me.
“Don’t worry, I believe you,” I said softly, putting my hand on his arm.
“You were right. I’m an enabler.” He pressed his lips tightly together and swallowed. “And yesterday, when he was giving you crap in anatomy, I just sat there. I couldn’t say anything. And I realized how right you were. About everything. Honestly, I’m surprised you don’t hate me right now.”
My lips twisted into a wry smile. “Who says I don’t?”
He gave a pathetic chuckle. “Really, though, why don’t you?”
I clenched my fist tight, my nails biting into my palms. Nerves pricked my stomach as Gabriel stared at me, waiting patiently for an answer. If we started down this road, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to rein myself in. He was going to see right through me, straight to my thundering and traitorous heart, and realize I’d been playing him since the beginning. But I couldn’t just smirk and say one of my dismissive lines. He needed the real me right now.
“To tell you the truth, if you’d asked me two weeks ago, I probably would’ve said I hated you.” I squeezed his arm gently. “But that was because I didn’t know you. I thought you were just like Michael. Maybe a little bit quieter and more intimidating, but still a bully. I didn’t realize you’d been playing referee between us for the past five years.”
He groaned and put a hand to his forehead. “The worst referee ever. I’m sorry for that.”
“It’s not your fault Michael and I are both extremely stubborn.” I laughed and slid a little closer to him on the bench, until our thighs touched. It sent another forbidden spark through me that landed right behind my belly button. “But now I know you’re different. You’re kind. You coach little kid hockey teams and help clumsy teenage girls learn how to skate.” He snorted, which made me grin. “You’re smart, you’re hard working, and frankly, I think you’re the better-looking twin.”
That made his chin snap up. He stared at me for a long second before he burst into laughter. His face lit up in a way that was hard to look away from. I liked the way his eyes squinted and how I could see the hint of a dimple on his right cheek. He swept his hand over his head, mussing up his curls. With a final, humorous sigh, he turned toward me.
“Thank you for that. I know I shouldn’t have put that on you, but I needed to hear that. Sometimes I’m afraid that my identity gets lost around Michael. I get this irrational fear that I’m going to fade away while no one is paying attention.”
“No. I won’t let you fade away.”
I slid my hand down his arm to interlace my fingers with his. With the pad of my thumb, I traced the gentle curve between his thumb and forefinger. His smile slowly melted from his face, leaving behind a grave expression tinted with a hunger that I felt reflected in my own gut. Gabriel’s eyes flicked down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. I did the same, taking the time to appreciate the fullness of his bottom lip and the slight parting of his mouth.
When I’d told myself this morning that I was going to be strong and focus on my goals, I hadn’t realized how hard that would be with Gabriel so near. I’d had a brief taste of those lips not too long ago. My body wanted more. It didn’t care about gaming or sticking it to the patriarchy. All it cared about was that boy right there making my heart beat faster.
“Beth, I have to confess something.” Gabriel’s voice was hoarse. I bit my lower lip and then forced my gaze away from his mouth and up to his eyes. His grip on my hand tightened. “The last time we were here together, you ran away, and I was pretty sure I ruined everything between us. But a wise friend of mine said I should give you time to figure out what you feel. Did you get enough time?”
I nodded, remembering our online conversation before the last battle. I had told him to give me more time and over the last couple days, my feelings for Gabriel had only intensified.
He laughed nervously at my silence, raking his hand through his curls once more. “If I’m misreading the signals, just say something. Anything at all. One word and I won’t ever move in on you again, I promise.”
I pressed my lips tightly together. There was no way he’d get a single word out of me now. Not when every cell in my body wanted to press against him and feel his lips against mine again.
It didn’t matter that I hadn’t made up my mind about the tournament. What I wanted here and now was Gabriel.
He seemed emboldened by my silence. Reaching toward me, he took a strand of my blonde hair in his hand and tucked it gently behind my ear, the brushing of his fingertips against my skin setting me ablaze with heat. With his large hand, he cupped the side of my cheek and paused to look deep into my eyes.
“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” he whispered.
I closed my eyes against the sudden onslaught of doubt his words conjured. “You’re just saying that.”
“No, I’m not.” The harshness of his answer made me open my eyes in surprise. He stared at me with such honesty that I could feel it in my soul. “You’re gorgeous, Beth. I’m not sure why you don’t know that. Open those ridiculously sexy green eyes of yours.”
I tilted my head back and laughed, even as warmth filled every part of me. “Ridiculously sexy green eyes? Really?”
“Definitely.” He nodded solemnly, rubbing his thumb agonizingly slow over the apex of my cheekbone and then down to the corner of my mouth. “I dream about those eyes.”
That took my breath away. I never imagined I’d be important enough to anyone for them to dream about me, but the way Gabriel was looking at me and cradling my cheek with such tenderness, he had me believing every word he said. He could’ve told me that purple unicorns existed and I would’ve believed him.
“So you really don’t hate me?” he asked, leaning closer.
The scent of his soft breath was a cool winter mint. He hesitated just inches from my lips, his gaze thoroughly locked in on my mouth. I couldn’t help but smirk as he waited for my answer. Maybe he already had me melting into a pool of goo, but it was finally my turn to make him squirm.
“I mean, things could always change,” I said slyly. “I could kiss you first this time and then you could run away screaming.”
His lips curved into a relieved grin. “Never.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Summoning all of my courage, I leaned toward him. My breath hitched in my lungs, excitement jolting up and down my spine. This was it. I wasn’t going to be a chicken anymore. I wasn’t going to doubt myself. If Gabriel said I was beautiful, I was going to believe it. He looked so tempting sitting there with his chest ra
pidly rising and falling. How could I let this moment pass me by without taking a second shot at getting that kiss right? This time, no running away.
Still leaning closer, I drew my tongue quickly over my lips and Gabriel’s gaze went straight to my lips, his eyes widening. His jaw went slack and I could’ve sworn I felt his hand tremble against my cheek. It was amazing to see such a tough guy melt from just the sight of me drawing near. I’d never felt such power. It made me wonder how else I could affect him.
Splaying a hand on his chest, I focused on the rapid beat of his heart beneath my fingers and the changing rhythm of his breathing. The hand that cradled my cheek sunk into my hair and he gently urged me toward him, as if holding out for any longer would break him.
“To tell you the truth, I’ve thought about this for a long time,” he whispered in a hoarse voice as he gently placed his forehead against mine.
I smiled, my attention too captured by his lips to tear my gaze away. “How long?”
He swallowed hard. “Too long.”
“Show me.”
It wouldn’t have been like me to wait. My sister, Trina, always did say that I had the habit of forging my own path wherever I went. It wasn’t enough to follow. I wanted to be the first. And so as Gabriel took a last fortifying breath, I leaned the rest of the way in, planting my lips firmly on his.
He stiffened at first, as if in surprise. But as any good hockey player would, it hardly took a second for him to adapt to this change of play. He cupped the back of my head with his large palm and wrapped his other arm around my back, firmly holding me close to him. The minty taste of his mouth was like heaven. The heat of his skin next to mine burned with a fierceness that I feared would leave a lasting mark. I melted into his arms, thoroughly ready to give myself up entirely to this second chance kiss.
And this boy certainly knew how to kiss. With an expertise that had to have been gifted to him by the universe, Gabriel worked his lips slowly over mine, teasing out each delicious moment until my toes curled in pleasure. My hands worked their way up to the back of his neck where my fingers entangled in his soft curls. My cheeks were on fire. My head was as light as a cloud. And when he ran his hand down my back, he caused an involuntary shiver that shook me to my core. I was pretty sure he liked the way my body reacted to him. I felt his lips curl into a pleased smile against mine and then he deepened the kiss, earning a happy sigh from me.
Dare You to Catfish the Hockey Player (Rock Valley High Book 6) Page 12
