Page 65 of The Fantasy League
A cold breeze made goose bumps stand up on my arms., Maybe I should have worn a sweater? I hadn’t planned on Malibu being so cold in the evenings and my sleep shorts and oversized lounge shirt weren’t exactly going to keep me warm. But then again, I hadn’t expected to spend time outside this late in the evening either.
Abel must’ve noticed my chills because he pulled my back closer to the warmth of his chest. His heat radiated down my back and I sank into him, wanting more.
He tugged at my waist to stop my stride.
Nerves and excitement filled my chest while I uncovered my hands from my eyes.
I gasped.
“Abel…” I croaked out in shock, taking in the display that was in front of me. A projector screen setup, the outdoor coffee table covered with my favorite snacks, and a mound of blankets sitting on the couch to keep us warm. “What is all of this?”
“I wanted us to have another movie night, but this time I came prepared.” He pulled a slow smile that melted my insides.
Somewhere in the recesses of my brain, I’d known for a while that I was falling for him, but this solidified it. How could Inotbe in love with someone who put so much thought and effort into everything that he did for me?
When did he have time to do all of this?
My eyelids grew hot thinking about what Mom would think of all this… of him.
“You okay, Red?” Abel’s brows knitted together.
“Y-yes, yes.” My voice broke, but I cleared my throat to cover it. It was hard to navigate the swirl of emotions in my chest while simultaneously pushing down the tears that pricked the back of my eyes. “I’m more than okay.” I sniffled with a pitiful smile, taking in my surroundings once again.
It was moments like this that made me think that the way I felt about Abel wasn’t all that one sided after all. How could it be when he planned an entire date for us? I use the term “date” loosely since he hadn’t officially asked, but this took too much effort for it not to be.
People who were “just friends” would throw on sweats and sit on the couch, fighting over what movie to watch while shoving three different types of chips into their mouths at once.
So, by that logic, Abel and I most definitely weren’t friends in his mind, right?
Dear God, I hoped so because at some point tonight, I was going to confess my feelings for him… when it was the right moment, of course. Maybe after a glass of wine? Or two? Okay, fine. Definitely after three… maybe five. Who knows?
I jumped up into Abel’s arms and threw my hands around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist. My stomach dipped when he held me up by gripping the lowest part of my ass.
That was sort of our thing now—me wrapping my legs around his waist whenever we hugged. Granted, he was an entire foot taller than me, so it made sense. But still, every time, without fail, it made my entire body tingle.
“You like it?” Abel questioned, setting me back on the ground.
“Mhmm.”
What’s not to like?
I stayed glued to his side while we walked over to the couch. I plopped down, closing my eyes and letting the soft cushions mold against me. Abel got comfortable next to me—sitting so close the outermost parts of our thighs were touching—and placed a blanket over our legs.
He handed me one of the buckets filled with popcorn and candy that was sitting on the coffee table in front of us. “Unfortunately, there’s only one blanket… laundry day.”
“It’s Saturday, not Sunday.” I arched a brow, and all he did was shrug with a small smile. “So, what are we watching?”
Abel put on a romantic comedy at my request, although he didn’t grumble and groan about it. He could deny it all he wanted, but he loved a good rom-com. Nothing could prove otherwise.
What started as the two of us sitting side by side slowly turned into my back pressed against his front with his arm wrapped around my body.
By the time we were halfway through our second movie, I was dozing in and out of wakefulness while Abel’s hand rested steadily on my hip bone. He’d occasionally drag his hands up and down my thigh or across the waistband of my shorts over the course of the movie which prevented me from fully falling asleep.
Every time he ran his hands over me, I held my breath, overwhelmed by his touch. I liked watching how naturally he looked doing it. Like we’d done this a thousand times and would a thousand more.
Did he have any idea how much he was driving me wild?
When the credits of actors and production crew members began to roll down the screen, I turned on my side so that we lay face to face.
