California Dreaming

Chapter Thirteen

   Everyone around me was going insane, all screaming, everything becoming one huge blur as people began to embrace each other, even people whom I had never met. Leila threw her arms around me and jumped up and down, squealing into my ear. 

   “We won!” She yelled. 

   “I know!” I exclaimed, but my voice couldn’t quite emit the same kind of enthusiasm that Leila’s did. 

   I looked out across the soccer field, to where the team were shaking hands with the losing side. A few of them had stripped of their shirts, which were dripping with sweat, after the long ninety minutes. Henry through his shirt over one shoulder and peered into the crowd, scanning over everyone until he caught me and Leila. We grinned and jumped up and down, shouting his name like fangirls. 

   “Come on, let’s go down and meet them,” Leila said eagerly, grabbing my hand pulling us past the crowds of people. 

   Our seats had been pretty high up in the stadium, so we had to squeeze down our aisle before hopping down step after step, reaching the bottom level. Gabriel and Hen ran up to meet up, grabbing us by the waist and throwing us over their shoulders. I began to giggle then, like a little girl, and I saw Leila wriggling around as Henry tried to look down her top. 

   “Was it a good game?” Gabes asked, swinging me around so he was holding me in his arms. 

   “Yes!” I beamed. “Those runs you made down the left side, and the assists to the goals-” I was interrupted by his flaming lips against mine, his breath heavy and his skin a little damp. 

   “It was you,” he uttered softly. 

   “I’m your lucky charm?” I stroked my fingers across his jawline. 

   “Hmm,” he kissed the tip of my nose, “perhaps you are.” He kissed me again and Henry began to wolf whistle, but we just ignored him; it was just me and Gabriel and the air we breathed, our racing hearts. 

   “You need a shower,” I whispered, giggling, combing my fingers through his damp hair. 

   “I know,” he laughed, “are we still on for later?” 

   “Of course,” I grinned, nodding, and he put me back down onto the ground. “Go get washed up and I’ll wait in the car, okay?” 

   “Okay,” he nodded, smiling, grabbing Henry and heading towards the changing rooms. “Love you!” He called back over to me and I giggled. 

   “Love you too!”  I bit down on my lip and linked arms with Leila, heading through the back to the parking lot. I draped my arm around her shoulders and Leila looked up at me, smiling. 

   “You two really are incredibly cute.” 

   “Really?” I said, still thinking about the way Gabriel’s dark eyes had caught in the light. I jumped into the back of the convertible and Leila slid into the driver’s seat, plugging the keys into the ignition and turning up the radio. 

   “So,” she lent her chin against the back of her seat, “how long before you realized you loved him?” Her eyes were large and glowing with curiosity. I had to think about it for a moment, consider all the times we had been together. 

   “About fourteen years,” I answered finally, making Leila laugh. 

   All of a sudden, I felt someone jump on top of me. I squealed in shock and pushed them off my lap, causing them to fall onto the seat besides me, their legs up in the air, their hair tousled.