Page 252 of Gabriel
I shake my head. “It’s just one date, right? You’re not committing to anything serious.”
She hesitates, her gaze drifting back to Kenji, who’s now laughing with his friends but sneaking glances in her direction when he thinks she’s not looking. It’s obvious—he’s waiting for her to say something. To make a move or approach his table maybe.
“You know what?” I say, giving her a nudge. “What if we do a double date? You guys with Gabriel and I?”
Adriana freezes, her fingers tightening around her cup. There’s a flicker of something behind her eyes—hesitation, or maybe even doubt—like she’s unsure whether to trust me with this decision. Then she releases a breath, her shouldersloosening like she’s letting herself settle into the idea. “Okay. Fine. I’ll go out with him, but you’re coming too.”
Victory. “Deal,” I say, grinning. “Now, text him and set it up before you chicken out.”
She laughs, pulling out her phone. “You’re relentless, you know that?”
“Of course, I am. Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t let a good thing slip away.”
Adriana pulls out her phone, her fingers moving fast over the screen like she’s trying to get it over with before she changes her mind. She hesitates for a second, her lips pressing together tightly before she places the phone face down on the table, almost like it’s a challenge. “Okay, it’s done. Happy now?”
“Ecstatic.” I give her a wink, and she rolls her eyes, but her smile is softer now, a little less forced.
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, sipping our drinks, and I can’t help but feel a little proud of myself. Kenji’s clearly interested, and Adriana deserves to have some fun. Plus, it’s nice to focus on someone else’s love life for a change.
Her phone buzzes on the table, and she glances at it before looking up at me, eyes wide. “He’s good with the double date idea. He wants to know if Tuesday next week sounds good?”
I lean back in my chair, a smug smile on my face. “It’s a date!”
Adriana shakes her head. “You’re the worst.”
“Or the best,” I counter, grinning. “This will be fun. Trust me.”
“MmmHmm. Might want to let your boyfriend know what you signed him up for.”
Adriana’s words land softly, but they carry an edge, like she’s testing them out—trying to figure out how I’ll react. Boyfriend. It’s not like I haven’t thought about it—Gabriel being my boyfriend—but hearing someone else say it out loud makes it feel more real. Like we’ve crossed some invisible line from casual tosomething more. And damn if that doesn’t give me all the warm fuzzies.
I bite my lip, trying to suppress the goofy grin spreading across my face, but Adriana catches it. “Oh my God, you’re totally swooning.”
“No, I’m not,” I say, even though we both know I am.
She arches a brow. “Liar.”
I swallow the immediate defensiveness that rises, brushing it off with a laugh. Okay, fine. I totally am. But I mean, can you blame me? Gabriel Herrera is just so …great.And hearing him referred to as myboyfriend? It feels good. Better than good. Like maybe this whole "taking things slow" thing is exactly what we need.
I let out a little sigh. “Okay, fine. Maybe I am swooning a little. It’s just … I don’t know. It feels nice. Normal, even.”
Adriana smirks. “Normal isn’t a word I’d use to describe you two, but I get it. He’s good for you, Cecilia. Even I have to admit that.”
I smile into my cup, taking a sip of my coffee. “Yeah, he is.” And even though we’ve been through a lot—more than most people our age should have to deal with—I like where we’re headed. It’s not perfect, but it feels solid. Real.
Adriana’s phone buzzes again, pulling her attention back to the screen. “Alright. Tuesday is a go. You are not allowed to bail on me,” she says, holding up her phone. “Now all you need to do is tell Gabriel and remember, no bailing!”
I roll my eyes, but the smile on my face betrays me. “He’ll be fine with it.”
“You say that like you know he won’t complain about being forced on a double date without his consent. I assure you, he will. Gabriel doesn’t mingle outside of his crew. He won’t like it.”
I laugh. “He’s not going to complain. He’ll probably just grumble a little and then go along with it because that’s what he does.”
She gives me a look. “For you. Gabriel only ever bends for you.”
I shrug, but inside I’m doing mental backflips. “Maybe.”
Adriana leans back in her chair, a satisfied smirk on her face. “It will be nice to go out, I suppose. Kenji seems like a decent guy. I don’t get the typical asshole jock vibe from him that seems to follow most PacNorth athletes around.”
