Page 63 of The Breakaway

Would I lose it all if I wasn’t his? It was true what I’d said at breakfast. I’d spent time with the Outlaws before Logan. But could it be the same after?

“Sharla! Get the hell over here!”

I turned to see Crystal and Maddie already sitting on their trays. I hurried over, dropped my tray on a flat patch of snow, and climbed on.

“Bring it, bitch!” Crystal shouted, and we pushed off. The night air bit at my cheeks as I gathered speed, and then Crystal was careening toward me.

"You're insane!" I yelled, laughing as she missed and rocketed to the other side of the hill. I hit a bump and went airborne for a second, landing hard enough to rattle my teeth.

Maddie somehow beat me to the bottom, and I slid to a stop next to her. Her smile said it all. Yeah. We were doing that again.

I grabbed my tray and raced her back up the hill, meeting up with Crystal on the way. We took turns riding down with the others, mixing and matching passengers. Maddie and I managed to stay upright together for a full thirty seconds before tipping into a snowbank. Axel tried to stand up on his tray like a snowboard and immediately face-planted. Rory convinced Pam to ride with him, then dropped his hand into the snow to send them in circles the whole way down. They probably heard her screams in Okotoks.

My legs burned as we trudged back up the hill, breathless and giddy. And then I made the mistake of looking up. Rob stood at the top, watching us. His dark hair was damp with melted snow, his cheeks flushed from exertion and cold.

Damn it.I jerked my eyes away. Why did I care so much what he thought? Why was his non-friendship declaration eating me up inside?

Yes, I liked to be liked. Who didn’t? But this felt like . . . more. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Truthfully, I’d been thinking about it since the day I moved in, my brain hovering over the puzzle that was Rob Thompson.

“I’m going to ask him.” Crystal jutted out her chin. “Watch this.” She climbed the last few meters and beelined directly for number twelve. We couldn’t hear what she was saying, but the guy smiled, then nodded his head. And then they were getting onto Crystal’s tiny tray, his legs wrapping around her.

“Hell yes,” Maddie whispered next to me.

Hell. Yes.

I clenched my jaw, gripping my tray tighter. “Hey, I’ll be right back.” I changed my trajectory, walking directly toward Rob. He stiffened as I approached, and I wanted to smack him over the head with my cafeteria tray.

“You and me. Let’s go.” I pointed at my tray.

His lips twitched. “I think I’m done for the night.”

“No you’re not.” I slapped my tray down and got on, positioning myself on the front half.

“We won’t fit.”

I looked up at him. “If that’s a fat joke?—”

“It’s not a fat joke,” he growled.

“Then what? You’ve ridden down this hill with people you don’t even know, so it shouldn’t be too hard to last thirty seconds with a non-friend.” I winced. “And don’t make some joke about lasting longer than thirty seconds. Axel and Rory have truly outdone themselves with innuendo tonight.”

Rob’s jaw flexed, and I started to sweat. What if he said no? What if he walked away from me right now, and I had to get up off this damn cafeteria tray and walk back over to Maddie? What if?—?

Rob dropped his tray on the snow and stalked toward me. He sat down behind me, nearly knocking me down the hill before grabbing onto my coat. “You’re going to have to sit in my lap.”

I smirked. “If you want to get up close and personal with my ass, you could’ve just asked.” I pushed up from the tray and dropped on top of him, relishing the soft “oof.” Good. I hope I knocked the wind out of him.

“You’d say yes?” Rob murmured, and every thought in my head evaporated like smoke. His arms wrapped around me, and I was transported back to my bed. To his body behind mine. The warmth of his skin. The scent of him.

“It was a joke.” My voice was thin. Breathy.

“Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.” He lifted his legs, supporting mine as he pushed off and gripped onto me. I wrapped my arms around his thighs, sucking in a breath as we dropped over the edge.

My whole body lit up as we flew down the hill. His stubble rubbed against my cheek, his breath whispering over my skin.

“Why can’t we be friends?” I shouted, then gasped as we hit a bump and my stomach dropped out from under me.

“What?” he yelled.

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