Page 320 of His Virgin Romance Series

MILES

Something was different. Even the party I’d had a few days ago had felt strange somehow. Maybe the vibe of the party had been off, but nothing was different. Maybe I was the one who had changed. When David had called and asked if they could come over to hang out for a bit, I had said okay only because I wanted to see if that would be different too.

It was only a few friends hanging out… the normal casual evening of sitting around, drinking, talking about different topics, and maybe smoking a little pot. I still had a stash of pot on me, but I had made sure to let my friends know that I was all out. I was pretty sure that Gabby wouldn’t be okay with it, and I didn’t want to scare her away again. I had let her know that my friends were coming over, and she had seemed fine with it.

Again, it was the same thing all over again. The night took on the same routine as a hundred other nights, but everything that I used to enjoy seemed to fall flat somehow. It was like I was looking for something else and I had to admit to myself that something inside me had changed and maybe I had to face the fact that it had to do with Gabby.

She was polite and sweet when she arrived, but I could see she was tired and unwilling to join us like I had hoped. The moment she excused herself and headed to her room, I felt the need to follow her. Suddenly, my friends became impositions, and I just wanted to get rid of them.

“So, guys,” I said. “It’s getting late…”

Chelsea frowned at me. “What the fuck are you talking about?” she demanded. “It’s barely ten o’clock.”

“You sure you don’t have any pot?” David asked.

“Sold the last of it,” I lied.

“Geez… you know, Miles, we brought the snacks and the beer. The least you could do is treat us to a little pot.”

“Keep your voice down,” I said, glancing towards Gabby’s door.

“She still doesn’t know you’re dealing?” Trevor asked.

“Please,” Chelsea laughed. “She still thinks he’s a fireman.”

The boys burst out laughing, and I shot them an annoyed glare. “I met her at community service, and I didn’t correct her assumption, okay?”

“Hey, I’d have done the same thing.” David nodded. “She’s fucking hot. I’d want to impress her too.”

“Please,” Trevor said, shaking his head. “He’s going to get caught.”

“Of course he is.” Jay nodded. “That’s going to be fun to watch unfold.”

“I don’t know why I’m friends with any of you,” I said, with irritation. “Just go back to drinking your beer.”

Thankfully, they did, and the conversation turned back to street art and interactive display that Jay and Trevor were trying to get off the ground. I tried to pay attention, but all I wanted to do was to get rid of these guys so that I could spend some time with Gabby. But from past experience, I knew that they probably wouldn’t clear out until past midnight.

I went to the kitchen to get myself another beer, and I realized that I could just leave them in the living room and slip into Gabby’s room for a bit. The thought caught hold, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything if I didn’t act on it. So I grabbed another beer for Gabby and headed to her room, unconcerned whether the rest of them saw me go or not.

Gabby looked surprised to see me, but she held the door open and let me in. I thought that was a good sign. She closed the door too, and I felt a rush of relief to know that it was just the two of us now. There was something that seemed a little different about Gabby today too. Her eyes were bright and searching, and I felt as though she were grappling with something too.

“What are you thinking right now?” she asked me suddenly.

I paused for a moment, wondering if I should answer honestly or just give her a generic and safe answer. I decided to be brave tonight, and I was pretty sure the beer had something to do with that.

“I was just thinking how beautiful you are,” I said.

Her eyes seemed to glow a little brighter. “Yeah?” she asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“Prove it.”

I looked at her in surprise. “What?”

“Prove it,” she repeated again. “Kiss me.”

I felt my head spin for a moment and I wondered if I was actually living this or if I was dreaming. It did feel suspiciously like something I would imagine. Before I could say a word, Gabby took a step towards me and pressed her body against mine. I was very aware that we both had beers in hand, but Gabby didn’t seem to notice… or care.

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