Page 20 of Truth Or Dare
“You’ve said that every single time I made pancakes,” I chuckle, joining her on the couch.
She looks up at me with the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. “Because they’re always the best.”
My cheeks heat up, loving that she likes something I made for her. “You know…” I glance over at her, struck by her beauty. Her dark, straight hair spills over her shoulders, her face free of makeup, and those intoxicating blue eyes stare up at me. I swallow, clear my throat, and blink, trying to get back on track. “I actually haven’t made them in a while,” I admit.
“What?” she asks, her eyes widening, making the blue stand out even more. “Chris, that’s a criminal offense. Why not?”
My head tips back, a laugh bubbling out of me. I love how dramatic she is. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like Gabi, and I don’t think I ever will.
“Because I only like making them for you,” I tell her, flashing a smile.
I love doing anything for her. The only reason I ever got into baking was to satisfy her munchies when we’d get high. She used to devour anything she found in the house. One day, I made her some crappy boxed brownies, and she ate them like they were gold. I remember how my stomach flipped every time she let out a little moan or told me how good they were. Making her happy became my favorite thing, so I learned how to make decent, homemade ones, and it kind of stuck.
Anything I ever did was for her.
Gabi pushes at my shoulder. “Chris, you big softie.”
I fake wince, laughing at how she’s so right. She can’t even fathom the lengths I’d go for her.
I blow out a breath as Gabi lays her chest on me, her touch overwhelming me to the point where I can’t even breatheproperly. “I’m so stuffed,” I say, adjusting my position so she can lay her head on my chest. “There’s no way I can sleep now.”
“Really?” Gabi mumbles against my chest. “I feel like I could pass out.”
I chuckle, gently moving her chocolate brown hair out of the way so I can see her beautiful face. “I know you could.” She always had a talent for falling asleep within minutes. “Do you want to go to bed?” I ask, trailing the tips of my fingers across the skin of her back. Memories of us from five, six, seven years ago come flooding back to me. Her head on my chest, my hands rubbing up and down her back until she fell asleep in my arms.
It’s been so long that I was scared things would be different between us. But they’re not. She’s still my best friend, we’re still comfortable with each other, and I’m still in love with her.
Nothing has changed.
I feel her head move against me as she shakes her head. “Hell no. I’m not ruining our first sleepover together because ofsleep.”
Her words, slightly slurred from tiredness, make me chuckle. “I’m staying for a while, Gabi,” I assure her, slowly stroking her back. “We’ll have plenty of other nights.”
She shakes her head again. “It’s not enough,” she mumbles, making me freeze. She’s right. It’s not enough. Two months isn’t nearly enough after spending four years away from her. But ithasto be enough. Because when summer is over, I have to go back. “Stop trying to get rid of me,” she says, twisting out of my hold so she can sit upright. “Here. Grab the controller. Let’s play a game. That’ll keep me awake.”
I smile. We haven’t played together in a while, at least not in person. “I can’t wait to kick your ass,” I joke, grabbing the remote from her hand.
“Pfttt.” Gabi shoots me a playful glare. “I’ve gotten better than you remember.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Really? Did you forget I practically do this for a living?”
She waves me off, rolling those gorgeous eyes of hers that I love so much. “Sure, but there’s this guy who plays like a pro. We’ve played together a few times, and I might have picked up some new tricks.”
The end of her sentence drowns out as my heart bangs against my chest. “Guy?”
“Yeah.” Gabi shrugs, starting up a game. “He’s great. Dude’s an amazing basketball player, too. He’s huge. Like so tall it hurts my neck to look at him.”
I can hardly hear her over the pounding of my heart, shaking my head slightly as I blink at the side of her face. “Oh, I… I thought you said you weren’t dating anyone?”
I doubt she’d hang out and play video games with just any random guy she hooked up with, right?
“What?” Gabi’s head snaps to the right, facing me with a twisted expression. “Ew. Gross. No. He’s dating Leila.”
“Leila?”
“Yeah. One of my best friends. I think I’ve mentioned him before. Aiden Pierce. Captain of the basketball team?”
The name rings a bell, and I nod, feeling heat creeping up my face. “Right. Yeah. Sorry.”
