Summer Lovin'

Chapter Eleven

(April 2005)

(Gabriel's POV)
It was my 18th birthday and I decided that I needed to grow a set and tell Hailey how I really felt. I couldn't keep living in this weird platonic hell that we had built for ourselves.

It had been a perfect plan, or so I thought, because the plan was really low-key. I had thought we were going to chill and watch some movies at Liam's house.  We'd enjoy all my favourite snacks and then I would say I wanted to bail early and I would confess my feelings for my favourite person, to my favourite person.

That plan had changed drastically as soon as we had entered Liam's house and she had pushed me through the door to an exploding, "surprise!"

I looked around at the party happening around me, it went to show you how bad I had it for her because I loved a good party and right now all I felt was disappointment.

As I got pulled into another shot with a new group of people, my eyes tracked across the room to where I could see Hailey and Josie dancing. Apparently the low key night had been a ruse and I sighed into my beer as I realized that my confession would have to wait.

I felt a heavy arm go around me and looked over to see my friend Liam, "why so glum man? Let's party it up tonight!"

He was one of the only ones that actually knew how I felt about Hailey. He was adamant that I was making too big a deal about all of it. He was of the belief that we were meant to be and that we just both needed to be honest with each other.

I sighed again, but nodded. They had gone out of their way to make this party and I wasn't about to ruin it with my disappointment. He walked us over to Hailey and Josie who were now talking to Lincoln and Declan. He interrupted them and said, "you guys want to try a new game my parents brought back from Florida?"

His parents were partiers and constantly on the hunt for great games to play. He led the way downstairs and I hung back, falling into step with Hailey. My hand reached out and rubbed her arm, because I found it so hard to not touch her. Especially when I was drinking, "want to be partners?"

She looked up at me, flashing me her big grin. Hailey was always happy but give her a couple drinks and I swear her smile got bigger than her face. I tapped one of her dimples and she giggled and linked our hands, pulling me behind her, as we followed the group. I felt my eyes dip to her ass and groaned.

Yup definitely disappointed in this party. I was ready to know how this gorgeous, perfect creature really felt.

Every once in a while, like right now, I would get hints that she felt the same way but there was still a hard level of indifference and since we had reestablished our friendship, she had been harder to read. It was unsettling considering the fact that she held my heart in her hands.

It didn't help that I knew that Colin had betrayed her trust and she had been tepid about dating anybody again, it wasn't for lack of interest there were so many guys that approached me to see if she was available that it made my head spin. 

Every time I had to say that she was available,  it bothered me a little more because I didn't want her to be. If she didn't feel the same way, then I'd make sure she knew that I was a big boy and that I loved her regardless and we'd put it in the past.

It felt like a risk worth taking. I had to believe that the chance at finally being with her would outweigh the awkwardness that might come out of this.

Fuck, I had been so lost in thought that I had completley missed the instructions for the game Liam was describing. He was calling it, "beer pong" and had set it up on his ping pong table. As I reigned in my running thoughts I  realized that I was still holding on to Hailey's hand like she was my life line. I let go and said, "Hailey and I will go in the second round."