Page 52 of Make Me Scream
“What, Gabriel?”
“We’re in school. Might want to cool it with the PDA.”
“You’re one to talk,” I mutter but still put some distance between me and Abel because the last thing I need is a detention when I’m trying to get a scholarship. And by distance, I push him up until he’s sitting in my lap again because that’s the furthest away he’s getting from me now that he’s made the moves he has.
He’s made the choice, and now, I’m living with it.
There’s no going back now.
“Hey, I’m a lot more discreet than you two fuckers.”
“He’s right. We’ve never been subtle, baby… speaking of,” Abel drawls, and my muscles lock up tight, wondering what he’s going to say because whatever it is isn’t going to be good. “Why hasn’t your mom caught on yet? It won’t be frowned upon soon enough…”
“Oh, boy.” Gabe laughs loudly. “That’s my cue to fuck off. Come on, y’all. Let’s leave these… love birds to it.” He stands and swings his bag over his shoulder, shooting Abel a wink, which I’m sure he returns. I just glare at him.
I reach behind me and chuck the closest thing to me at Gabe—which happens to be a bun from lunch. It hits him in the shoulder, and he laughs, shaking his head. “You’re so fucked, buddy,” he says as he walks away from me.
“You’re telling me,” I mutter, knowing he can’t hear me.
Abel curls his upper-half around and brushes his fingertips along my cheek. “Do you wanna be fucked?” he asks, blinking up at me with his very not-innocent eyes. I scowl, even as my heart capsizes, chugging so hard, I feel the beat at the base of my throat, choking me.
“Shut the fuck up, runt.”
This makes him smile—and I realize my fuck up immediately.My defensiveness.
“Never going to happen.”
“If you say so,” he says with a smirk, reaching around to pop a french fry into his mouth. He chews loudly and swallows obscenely, and I can’t look away for a second.
My hands around his waist tighten, and Abel falls back against me easily, a soft sigh falling from his lips. It’s nice to be alone, but not alone like this.
My heart is no longer racing, even though I know there are still eyes on us—I can feel them. Watching. Taking us in.
“Can you feel them?”
Abel doesn’t question me. He justknows.
“Of course, I can.”
I flinch, my left eye twitching as I curl inward a bit. Luke’s voice echoes like it always does, but it’s been easier to ignore these last few weeks—nearly nonexistent to the point I haven’t really thought about him…
And that makes me pause.
I’ve barely thought about him and what he’s done to me—for the first time in forever.
What is Abel doing to me?
“Does it not bother you?”
“No,” he says resolutely. “I’m used to it—and so are you. Just not in this context, but it’s not any different, baby boy.” He reaches around and trails his fingers down my jaw, back andforth until my skin feels numb and I’m leaning into his touch like the ravenous man I am.
“Just take a breath ‘cause you’re already doing it.”
“So, what,”Gabe remarks, dribbling the ball back and forth. The sound echoes in the shadowed depths of the park. “You are just… together now?”
I dip forward and steal the ball from his hands, rushing past and jumping up to shoot. The ball swishes through the chain net, and I turn to him with a grin. Gabe’s got his hands on his hips with a deep furrow in his thick, dark brows.
After a moment, he shakes his head. “And this is why you’re team captain, I guess. Fuck,” he chuckles, and I snort, rolling my eyes.
