Chapter Nineteen

I s p o t t e d Gabriel twisting around tables like a complicated dance towards us. He wasn't wearing his uniform now, instead wearing a black jacket with a white v-neck, with some blue jeans. He caught my eye and smiled, his nose crinkling adorably. God. I was falling hard.

When he came up to the table, it was the time where my father had out down a tip. I felt excited as I reached for my denim jacket and pulled it over my shoulders.

It was dark by now outside, the hustle and bustle of the streets seeming to die down slightly. The restaurant was quieter too. They weren't blasting the music so loud to make ears bleed, which I was thankful for.

Gabriel got to the table and I exchanged an anticipated smirk with him as I slowly got to my feet. My dad was in my trail in an instant. I swear. Morning and night he's always on my back, and I am never allowed to step out of line or all hell breaks loose. I'm always confined to match him stride by stride. Luckily, my step-mum could be much nicer.

"And where are you going, Aidan?" My dad said sharply as I rose to my feet. I sighed in annoyance like the rebellious teen that I was and crossed my arms across my chest.

"Can I go out with Gabriel now? I'll be back by 9." I watched my dad steadily. He started at me like I'd just lost my mind. My parental father figure frowned his big bushy eyebrows to form one captipillar across his brows and he curled his lip.

"No."

"I'll go wait outside." Gabriel said like the little chicken he was. I glared at the back of his head for abandoning me as he waltzed away.

My dad watched him leave with his eyes like a hawk, then turned back to me. He opened his jaws to shoot some angry comment at me.

"-Oh, just let the kid be a kid." Nana P interjected, putting her hand on top of his. Her green eyes flashed warningly and I smirked. If my father objected, he was in for it. "She's in love, can't you tell? Let her chase her heart. Go on now, Aidan, but be back by 9."

I felt a twinge of annoyance at the first comment, but I was grateful all the same. I let my arms relax to hang loosely at my sides. I smiled and started backing off. "I'll be back by 9. Promise." Nana P winked and I mouthed 'thank you' to her. She just smiled affectionately and shook her head.

Trying to keep my hands from shaking, I pulled open the door as the wind hit me like a slap. Was I really doing this?

"Hi." I said softly, keeping my eyes on Gabriel. Now that I noticed, his eyes had purple bags below them and his hair was a little messy. But somehow he managed to pull it off as a bad-boy look, not the look of a sleep reprieved teen.

"Hey." His voice was smooth, now that I noticed and we weren't inside where there was music too loud to hear yourself think. He smiled in a way that made me think he was sincerely happy that I had come. His gaze was intense. "Were your eyes always that bright green?"

"Thanks? Were yours always so silver?" I wanted to say something about his job, but I held myself back, and I didn't want to push it too quickly. "Where are we going?" I asked instead, and he started walking without answering my question.

He took a left so we were walking down the alley to the side of the restaurant, and he pulled out some keys from his jacket-pocket. He clicked them, and a car's headlights a couple of feet away flashed in the dark.

As we neared, I realised it was a Porsche. I gasped, recognising an expensive car when I saw one. Gabriel chuckled, his laugh like wind chimes, and walked around the other side to the driver's seat. He tapped it lovingly and I cocked my head.

"Where did you get this? Did you steal it?" He simply shook his head, dark curls flying in front of his eyes.

"Second hand. Got it for my birthday. Just get in."

I obeyed, and slid into the passenger seat, clicking in the belt. The leather was soft and the mantel was full of many buttons and dials.

"Now where are we going?" I said as Gabriel clicked in his keys and the engine roared to life with a satisfying growl.

"There's an old playground by the back of the Garage." He pulled the car into drive and headed away from the alley and restaurant, down another street that I didn't recognise. "I figured we could go there and just hang out?"

I nodded. "What's the Garage?"

"It used to be a house a few decades back but they turned it into a youth centre." He kept his grey eyes on the road. "It was closed a few years back for safety regulations and stuff. Now it's just a bunch of old buildings."

I eyed him cautiously, apprehension churning in my stomach. "Do you go there a lot? Is it safe?"

He frowned and nodded sincerely. "Of course. I wouldn't take you somewhere that's dangerous. If I did, I could just heal you with this new Aphrodite Magic." My shoulders slumped slightly with relief. He took a left turn and I gripped the handle of the car. "Most kids go out there to hang out after school. It should be empty by now."

I nodded and looked out the window, the flashes of headlights gone in an instant in the milky blackness.

Gabriel turned right into a winding road and I spotted a three story building with large white columns. The roof had a sharp slant and to me it resembled the haunted mansion in the Fright Farm back on North Dakota. It had gabled windows on the third floor and a tall, narrow tree twisting up the side like ivy, that reminded me of a security guard out to keep out unwanted visitors.

Gabriel parked around the back besides a sprawling wooden playground, and I brightened when I saw it. Now I understood why he wanted to come here. The playground must have had ten separate platforms, all different levels and sizes, and the highest one had the pointy roof of a fairy tale castle. Narrow steps and bridges connected each platform to others so it resembled a web of sorts. Each platform had a different way to getting into it; logs, ropes, tyres, steps. The platform to the far left even had monkey bars. It bore slight resemblance of the Robinson Treehouse.

Beside it was a merry-go-round. It had a circular disk attached to the bottom with metal poles to cling onto. It also had a wide pole coming up the centre. It looked like it was made in a completely different decade than the rest of the playground.

I got out of the car and wandered towards the merry-go-round, my fingers skimming the cold metal rail. "I haven't seen one of these since forty grade." I said softly, biting back a grimace at the memory. "I fell off the side, and twisted my ankle. Haven't been on one since."

Gabriel laughed and I felt a flutter of achievement for making him smile. "I can picture that." He chuckled. "This time why don't you stand in the middle and I'll push so you don't fall off."

I tilted my head to the side, a slight shiver of apprehension snaking down my spine. "Okay." I said slowly, stepping onto the platform. It shook slightly as I moved and I froze, nostalgia and flashbacks hitting me like a truck.

Gabriel must have sensed my jerky movements. "Hey, you're okay." He wrapped his arms around my torso, so that his chest met my back and his warm breath prickled my neck. "Just keep it steady."

I felt embarrassment flood over me like a wave at being scared at a merry-go-round. How pathetic could I get?

I tried to put my foot on the Merry-go-round as Gabriel held me firmly. I made my way to the denture, balancing myself and whipping my wild mane of hair over my shoulder.

I looked at him, a flash of anxiety crawling down my skin. Gabriel looked at me calmly. "If you don't want to do it-"

"No, no. It's fine." I said hurriedly, not wanting him to think me even more pathetic. "Just don't let me fall."

"Never." He smiled. Then, he grabbed the hand fail and starting running around within it, making the world spin slightly. The playground and surrounding buildings combined as one dark blur. Suddenly, all dread left me and I found myself feeling like I was in elementary school all over again. My ashy blond hair whipped in my face and I let out a giggle of adrenaline, tilting my head up to watch the bright stars, twinkling coldly so far away. They looked like diamonds.

Suddenly, the platform jolted as Gabriel hopped onto the thing, pulling himself closer to the centre with some struggle. Due to Centrifugal force or something that I learned in 7th grade. Even though we were both wearing jackets, our arms brushed and I felt sparks zip up my arm. Not electricity, but the mind that invoked kissing and affection and all that lovey, touchy stuff that usually made me want to barf.

I admired the stars in silence until the merry-go-round spun to a creaking stop. I licked my lips, suddenly unaware of the cold but utterly aware of how close we were. I glanced up and admired Gabriel.

He was definitely hot. I'll admit. All of the girls, and some of the guys, had fat crushes on him. Only if Scarlett wasn't such a creeper. But technically she said she supported me being with him. Then again, she said that when she was half out of her mind, mid way through a mental breakdown and drunk.

With his jaw that could cut, those silver orbs that looked like they could stare straight into your soul, his pale, smooth skin and his loosely tussled curly black hair that often times shielded his eyes from view.

I laughed to relieve the tension building in my chest. "Sometimes I miss Wisconsin." I murmured in a barely audible whisper. "Then I'm in situations like this and I think 'nah'." He didn't laugh, just continued to watch me like a lion eyeing up a mouse.

I shook my head, and some of my hair was trapped in my lipgloss. Gabriel immediately shot out his hand and brushed it away. I frowned and suddenly he was cupping my face with both hands. His fingertips were a bit chilly, and a little shaky too, but so were mine.

"I really want to kiss you right now." He murmured, and a mix of terror, excitement and shock made me freeze. My mouth was dry an the feeling that I had just sat on my legs for hours watching The Office took over my whole body, and my legs were shaking uncontrollably.

His fingertip traced my cheek as he leaned in, his warm breath fanned my face and my heart rate quickened to a fluttery thump. His buttery lips gently brushed against mine and he pressed his lips to mine.

We're kissing, we're finally kissing. It was sweet, innocent and romantic. Gabriel tasted like cinnamon, pine trees and black liquorice. Then suddenly it changed. His tongue brushed along my bottom lip as if asking for entry, and I obeyed, and his tongue found its way into my mouth. It was this insane, hot, intense feeling that awakened my senses as I brought my hands up to tug the silky strands of his hair.

He let out a quiet moan and it was my new favourite sound. I found odd pleasure in just knowing I could make him make that noise. It was me who pulled away first, but we stayed with our foreheads pressed together, breathing heavily. I couldn't tell it was cold, all I could tell was it was just him and me.

His eyes shone with adoration and his whole face was bright with happiness. I couldn't stop myself from staring, the gods clearly spent extra time creating him. I could do this all night.

"I liked that." I admitted, looking into his sliver eyes.

"Yeah?" He giggled slightly, and pushed his black hair back from his eyes. "Me too."

A/N: sip that tea sis. This has been long awaited lmao. Anyway, I suck at writing romance or in general so thanks to my bestie Just_a_little_Jade for yet again saving my ass.