“From the school, Mom.” Gabriel sighed. He glanced over at me. “Good night, Jenny.”
“Good night.” This time as I pulled my hand from his, he let it go. I felt his gaze on me as I walked toward the girls’ dormitory, still within earshot of his mother’s words.
“You need permission from me first, Gabriel, I’m your mother. Just because you’re attending this school doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want. We’re not like the rest of these people, don’t you get that?”
Her words echoed through my mind as I stepped into the dormitory. She wasn’t wrong. Gabriel was nothing like anyone I’d ever met. My heart fluttered at the memory of leaning toward him for a kiss. I was grateful that he’d stopped me. But now all I could think about was getting another chance.
Was I ready? Did I really want to take that risk?
I spent the remainder of the night dodging Maby’s questions and pondering my own.
I woke up the next morning with excitement buzzing through me. Saturday meant that I could spend as much time with Gabriel as I wanted without interruptions. The only question was whether he would want to spend that time with me. After the way his mother had acted the night before, I guessed that he might have been in a bit of trouble. If that were the case, he might want to avoid me.
I was barely dressed when Maby pounded on my bedroom door.
“Let’s go, the taxi will be here to take us to the stables in ten minutes.”
“What?” I opened the door and poked my head out. “What are you talking about?”
“I made plans for us to go to the stables today. I thought you could use a good ride.” She smiled at me. “Don’t worry, I invited Gabriel to join us.”
“I wasn’t worried.” I cleared my throat and picked up a muffin from the box on the kitchen counter.
“Liar.” She laughed. “I wouldn’t recommend wearing those sparkly shoes of yours, though.”
“Shut up!” I growled and laughed at the same time.
“I still don’t understand why you won’t tell me if they worked or not. Did you kiss?” She met my eyes.
“Do you want to know because you’d be happy about it or because you’d lecture me for it?” I quirked an eyebrow.
“I want to know because you’re my best friend and I should know every little detail of your life.”
“Oh, I see.” I grinned and took a bite of my muffin. “Well, all I can tell you is that it was a fabulous night.”
“You’ve already told me that.” She rolled her eyes. “I knew it would be. Who do you think told him about the band?”
“You are so bad.” I shook my head then ran for the door. “Race you to the taxi!”
“Not fair!” She laughed as she grabbed her purse and bolted after me.
As I reached the taxi and slapped my hand against the back window, Maby slammed into me from behind, laughing too hard to talk.
“What is going on here?” Gabriel grinned as he walked up to us, along with Wes, Fi, and Oliver.
“A little friendly race.” Maby ran her fingers through her hair, then pulled open the door to the taxi. “Squeeze in, kids, I’m not springing for another taxi.”
“I guess you’ll just have to sit on my lap.” Oliver wrapped his arm around Maby’s waist and kissed her cheek. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“Listen to this one.” Wes rolled his eyes. “Ladies, tell me, do cheesy lines like that really sound so much better because of the English accent?”
“Sounds just fine to me.” Maby smiled as she let Oliver climb in first, then settled in his lap.
“I guess it’s the only courteous way to ride.” Wes grinned as he tugged Fi into the taxi with him.
I stood awkwardly beside the taxi and avoided Gabriel’s eyes.
“Well?” He cleared his throat.
“What?” I glanced up at him.
“You’re going to have to get in first if you want me to sit in your lap.” He tipped his head toward the open door.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I got in the taxi. Gabriel settled in my lap, though I noticed that he kept his weight shifted mostly on his feet. My heartbeat still quickened when the taxi picked up speed and he leaned back against me. I tightened my arms around his waist and breathed in the scent of his skin.
By the time we reached the stables, I knew I’d fallen harder for him than I first realized. Never once had I felt this way about Chuck—as if my heart might burst if he ever stopped smiling at me.
Chapter 24
The taxi pulled up to the stables and Gabriel climbed out of my lap. He turned back to offer me his hand to help me out of the taxi.
“I hope that I wasn’t too heavy for you.”
“Not at all.” I smiled as I stepped out. “It was quite comfortable actually.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He grinned. “Oh, wow.” He stared at the stables as the taxi pulled away. “You guys were serious about going to the stables.”
“Did you think I was joking?” Maby laughed as she draped her arm around Oliver.
“I just thought maybe you were talking about a club or a bar or something.” He ran his hand back through his hair. “But there are actual horses.”
“Yes, lots of horses.” I laced my fingers through his. “Beautiful creatures.”
“Beautiful, sure.” He cleared his throat. “I rode on a pony once. Actually, scratch that, I refused to get on it.”
“Uh-oh.” Fi grinned. “We’ve got a newb.”
“How hard can it be?” He shrugged, then straightened his shoulders. “I’m sure I’ll learn in no time.”
“Me too.” I squeezed his hand and led him toward one of the corrals. “You do have to pass a riding test in order to take the horse out on the trails. But with a quick lesson, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“Alright.” He stared at a horse that walked up to him. “Wow, you’re bigger than a pony, aren’t you, pal?” He held out his hand to the horse. The horse promptly sneezed.
“Oops.” I laughed as I saw his horrified expression.
“That was not pleasant.” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you laughing at me?”
“Maybe a little.” I pulled a few tissues out of my purse and handed them over to him. “All better, right?”
“Is there some kind of horse flu?” He frowned as he wiped his hand. Then he glanced up at me and smiled. “You know what? None of that matters as long as I’m with you. I’m really looking forward to spending the day with you.”
“Me too.” I pointed to a woman who was walking toward us. “That’s Shelly, she’ll help you with your lesson.”
“Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Great. Yes, let’s do this.”
I put my hand on his back and tried to meet his eyes. “It’s okay if you’re scared, Gabe. You don’t have to do it.”
“You’re right.” He met my eyes. “It’s okay to be scared. But it’s far more important to be brave. Some things are worth overcoming fear for.”
As his words hung between us, my heart fluttered. I knew he wasn’t talking about horses anymore. Luckily, Shelly led him into the corral before I could respond. I watched as he navigated mounting the horse, sitting on it, and holding the reins. The quick lesson wasn’t enough to make him an expert rider and I could detect hints of fear in his expression as the horse began to walk, then trot. But, as he’d promised, he remained brave until the end.
“You’re a natural.” Shelly smiled. “As long as you stick with your group, you can ride. Just take the beginner’s trail.” She locked her eyes to mine. “Got that, Jenny? No wandering off. Okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I smiled at her and gave Gabriel a thumbs up. “You did it!”
“Trust me, it surprised me too.” He smiled. “So, I guess you get to take the lead.”
“I guess so.” I gathered the reins of my horse, then mounted him. As we joined the others and started down the beginner’s path, I kept stealing glances in Gabriel’s direction. He’d made it clear that he wanted
me to be brave, but I wasn’t sure that I could be. I did know that I wanted to be.
“Can you please tell me why this horse keeps wiggling?” Gabriel tightened his grasp on the reins. “I don’t think it likes me.”
“She likes you just fine.” I matched his pace. “But something does seem a little off with her gait. Try taking her up to a trot. She may just need to stretch out her muscles a bit.”
“Okay. Let’s go, girl.” He encouraged the horse to up her speed. The moment he did, the horse reared up and gave a loud sound of protest.
“Gabriel!” I gasped as I watched him slide in the saddle. “Hold on! Don’t fall off or she might trample you!”
“I am holding on!” Gabriel tightened his grasp on his reins, then leaned forward. “It’s alright, girl, everything’s okay.”
I slid down off my horse and walked up beside the frightened one. As I stroked her side, I could feel how tense her muscles were.
“She must be hurt.” I frowned as I took the reins from him. “Just slide down, very carefully.”
“Is everyone okay here?” Shelly ran up as Gabriel landed on his feet.
“Something’s wrong with her. I think she must have an injury.” I handed Shelly the reins.
“I’ll make sure she gets looked at. Come back to the stable, I’ll get you another horse, Gabriel.”
“Another?” His face went pale as he licked his lips.
“You know what, don’t worry about it, Shelly. He can just ride with me. Right, Gabe?” I met his eyes. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“No.” He looked at me with relief. “I don’t mind at all.”
He mounted the horse behind me and we rode off together. The others had gotten ahead of us as they didn’t see the trouble we’d had. I didn’t care. All I cared about was the feeling of Gabriel’s arms around my waist and his chest against my back. Each time the horse moved, he slid a little closer to me. It took my breath away when his hands grazed against my stomach.
Without hesitation, I guided the horse off the path and down another.
“Where are you going?” His lips brushed against my ear as the horse shifted in the same moment he spoke.
“I want to show you my favorite place.” I smiled at the sensation.
“You’re breaking the rules?” I felt his smile against my cheek.
“I’m no beginner.” I laughed. “I can go where I want.”
“Sounds good to me.” He tightened his grasp around my waist and kept his cheek lightly against mine as we continued to ride.
The trail narrowed, then widened into a wide-open space. Sunlight sparkled off the surface of a narrow brook that flowed through it.
“I can see why this is your favorite place.” He slid down from the horse, then turned back to help me down.
For a short time, he held me in his arms, my feet hovering above the ground. Then he set me down and looked toward the water.
“Did you come here a lot before?”
The question triggered a flood of memories.
Yes, I’d come here a lot—most often with Chuck. We’d spend hours sprawled out in the grass, laughing about life, planning out our future. My stomach twisted. What was I thinking bringing Gabriel here?
“Now and then.” I swallowed back the truth as I walked up to the edge of the brook.
“You know, you don’t have to hide that life from me. It’s okay to talk about it.” He stepped up beside me. “I’d like to hear about it.”
“There’s not much to tell. I was a kid and then I had a kid.” I glanced over at him.
“I know there was a lot more to it than that.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “You were in love with him, weren’t you?”
“I thought I was.” I bit into my bottom lip, then shook my head. “I should have listened to Maby. She warned me that kids our age couldn’t be in love.”
“Oh? Maby? The one who is all kinds of wrapped around Oliver every time I see her?” His eyes widened.
“Yes, that’s the one.” I grinned. “She’s changed her stance on love lately.”
“And you?” He turned toward me. “What are your views on love?”
I continued to stare down at the flowing water. It was too rough to see my reflection. “You first.”
“Me first? That’s not fair. I asked the question.” He smiled.
“I don’t know how to answer it.” I turned to face him.
“That’s okay.” He met my eyes. “You don’t have to.”
“You keep saying that. But you know it’s not.” I cupped his cheeks with my palms.
“Jenny, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. I know that you’re not ready for anything serious.” He searched my eyes. “But you can’t blame me for trying to figure out why, can you?”
“No.” I whispered the word as I stroked my thumb along his cheek. “I’ve been trying to figure it out myself.”
“Maybe we can figure it out together?” His voice softened and his head dipped toward mine in the same moment that my lips reached for his.
“There you are!” Maby stepped off the end of the trail.
I pulled away from Gabriel so fast that he stumbled, one of his feet slipping into the brook.
Chapter 25
“Oh no!” Maby gasped and winced at the same time. “I’m so sorry. Bad timing?”
“It’s fine.” I looked over at Gabriel as he pulled his foot out of the water.
“Just fine.” He cleared his throat as he shook a few droplets from his shoe.
“I wouldn’t have interrupted, I swear, but apparently Gabriel’s mother is on the warpath.”
“What?” Gabriel pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ve missed some calls and texts from her.” He stared at the screen, then tucked it back into his pocket. “I’m sorry, Jenny, but I should go.”
“Is everything okay? Is it some kind of emergency?” I noticed the tension in his features.
“Everything’s fine. But I need to go.”
“Gabriel, I’m sorry.” I started to walk after him.
“Don’t be.” He flashed me a smile and met my eyes. “I had a great time. Thanks.” He gave me a short wave, then jogged off down the trail.
“What do you think that was all about?” Maby stared after him.
“I’m not sure.” I narrowed my eyes. “But probably nothing good.”
“I can’t believe that you’ve been holding out on me!” She gave me playful shove that almost knocked me into the brook.
“Watch it!” I laughed. “I haven’t been holding out.”
“Are you kidding me? I saw the two of you.”
“You didn’t see anything. We didn’t even kiss.” I crossed my arms.
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to kiss when you look at each other like that. The way you two were mooning over each other, you might as well be married with three kids by now.” She met my eyes. “You’re in over your head, girl. Better just admit that to yourself now before it’s too late.”
“Too late for what?”
“Too late to make a different choice.” She tugged lightly at my arm. “Let’s go, we’re all on the trail that goes up the side of the hill. Let’s go for a good long ride.”
“Yes. That sounds like exactly what I need.”
I watched her head back off down the trail. Was she right? Was it already too late to make another choice? Briefly I imagined what it would be like to have a future with Gabriel. It was silly, of course, because we’d only known each other for a short time. But what if Maby was right? What if we did look at each other that way?
The thought filled me with a mixture of excitement and concern. I’d wanted to throw caution to the wind, just to enjoy what Gabriel and I had, no matter what it was. But now things had gone too far. I’d almost kissed him, when I knew that he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
Yet no matter how many times I tried to promise myself that I would put a stop to things the next time I saw him, all I coul
d think about was his cheek brushing against mine and the way he’d held on to me.
It wasn’t like it had been with Chuck. Our bodies had gone into overdrive. I’d wanted him, but not because of who he was. It was just because we’d been together and alone a lot.
With Gabriel it was different. I wanted him because of who he was, because of every little thing about him.
That desire kept me awake all night.
Then it distracted me throughout Sunday.
I tried to find Gabriel. I texted him. I called him. But he didn’t answer. By the end of the day I wondered if he just didn’t want anything to do with me. Maybe the near-kiss at the stables had been the final straw for him. He probably thought I was playing games. In a way I was. I knew I would continue to be until I figured out exactly what I wanted.
But as I sat in the courtyard alone on Sunday night and hoped that he might wander past, I knew it wasn’t just about me. I wanted what was best for him. Even if that wasn’t me. I hated to think of having to say goodbye to him, but I also didn’t want to do anything to hurt him.
I woke the next morning with an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t want to feel this way again.
I thought about the texts that I’d sent Chuck last year and the way he’d ignored them. I would stare at my phone just hoping that he would contact me back. But he didn’t. That was when I knew that I would have to face my pregnancy alone. It broke my heart that he’d just ignored me, so I did the same to him. I stopped trying to reach out. Then I was sent to live with my aunt and cut off from Oak Brook completely.
If Gabriel had changed his mind about the way he felt about me, maybe it was for the best. Just getting a taste of that fear and hurt was enough to remind me of why I’d promised to be on my own for a while.
I couldn’t pretend that it didn’t hurt. Every time I thought about the day before, about the concert we’d shared, about basically every moment since I’d met him, all I wanted to do was run to Gabriel.
But I’d learned a lot over the past year. Mainly that life wasn’t all about me. Other people were impacted by my decisions.
A Fresh Start: A Young Adult Sweet Romance (Oak Brook Academy Book 5) Page 10