Page 18 of Love at a 7-Eleven

"To my brother's office. He's got some of my skates."

"I thought you might come to the gym where we're playing basketball."

"I thought you were trying not to talk to me in front of Kevin."

"Can I come with you to your brother's office?"

"Yes. But hang on. I forgot to ask him."

I took out my phone and called EJ. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I forgot to ask. Can I go get some skates out of your office? If not, I think Dom has a pair in his."

"Of course. You have a master key for emergencies, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Just use it. Your skates are in that same locker."

"Thank you. Love you."

I hung up with my brother.

"I'd like to see you skate."

I glanced at Caleb. I didn't know what to think or how to feel. He had been so distant in front of everyone else that it was hard to switch gears.

"You wouldn't want to," I said as we continued to walk.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, I'm just messing around."

I had been about to say something hyper-confident and tell him that if he saw me skate he would fall in love with me. Growing up with two older brothers made me a trash talker, and I had wanted to mess around with him and say he was in danger of falling under my spell if he watched me. But the truth was that I wanted him to fall for me, and so it just felt weird saying it.

"We'll be playing basketball for at least an hour. You can maybe come over there when you're finished skating."

"Yeah, I'll walk over there. It's on my way back from the rink."

We went into a back hallway and to the offices. I had been in and out of this gym since it was built. I found my way to EJ's office and easily unlocked the door. I turned on the light and walked inside. Caleb hesitated by the door, and I glanced at him. "You can come inside."

Chapter 7

I walked across EJ's office, heading to the row of metal lockers that lined the far wall. They were both functional and a vintage decoration. Caleb came inside and let the door close behind him. I retrieved one pair of skates and socks from the locker I knew to be mine. I put a sock in each skate and put them in a soft bag which I slung over my shoulder. It was something I had done many times before, and I went through the motions easily.

I smiled at Caleb as I headed back toward the door. He was standing near a wall, looking like he might not want to leave right away. His head was tilted, and he was looking at me with a thoughtful expression. I could just melt at the sight of those dark eyes. It was like they pierced through me. I wanted to be near him so badly that I felt weak in the knees.

"Can you just come over to me for a second?" he asked in a quiet voice.

It was as if he was reading my mind, and I easily agreed, setting down my bag. I had a small bag strapped across my chest diagonally, but it wasn't in the way, so I left it in place. I stared at him as I took a step toward him. He came closer to me as well. I had been next to him in the hallway, but it didn't feel like this. We gazed at each other from this new close proximity, and the tension was so thick that I felt short of breath. I had never seen anyone who looked like Caleb. He was absolutely gorgeous—like a work of art.

"Are you going to say anything?" I asked after several long seconds of feeling like I might burst from the tension-filled silence.

"I rarely…" His voice was hoarse, and he paused and cleared his throat. "Lila, I never put myself in situations like this. I've… for years, I've thought that God had plans for my life that didn't include women. I used to date in high school, but for years, I haven't even… I've sort of made it a thing in my life that I'm not looking for a relationship."

I took a step back, feeling flush with instant fear. He was telling me he had taken some kind of vow, and there I was, growing all these feelings.

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