Pregame(3)

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"Let me get this straight … Gabriel Harris asked to take you on a date  tonight and you said NO?!" Elle cried out, throwing herself onto my bed  dramatically. We had both finished all of our classes for the day and  came back to the apartment to change into our swimsuits and lie out at  the apartment complex's community pool to get some sun before the  weather started to get too cold. I grabbed my turquoise bikini and  slipped it on rolling my eyes at Elle's antics.





Once we got outside, I walked over to the lounge chairs and sighed knowing that there was no way Elle would drop the subject.





Adjusting her red bikini top Elle looked down at me in my lounge chair.  "You realize that you can't swear off all men forever, right? You're my  best friend, Brookelyn, and I understand that you're scared after what  happened with Jesse but you can't live your life in fear. If you do then  you'll end up the fat lady with twenty dogs sitting around knitting all  day."





"I'm pretty sure the saying is twenty cats, not dogs, Elle."





"You hate cats. I improvised." She piled her hair into a messy bun and  lied back in her chair with a sympathetic smile. "I worry about you. I  worry that you're going to miss out on what it feels like to be truly in  love with someone who loves you back. There's no greater feeling than  realizing the person who captured your heart feels the same way."





"Not all relationships are as good as yours, Elle. Colin's a great guy  and you're lucky, but not everyone has that same luck. Drop it." I knew  Elle was only being a good friend and looking out for me but as much as I  was attracted to Gabe, I knew that I couldn't go down that road.





Elle huffed, "No, I will not drop it. You know you like him so why not  give it a shot? It's Gabriel Harris for Christ's sake! He told you that  you looked beautiful today. That is so sweet, Brooke."                       
       
           



       





"I don't like him, I barely even know him. Am I attracted to him? Who  wouldn't be! He's hot, Elle. But that doesn't mean I can date him." I  slid my sunglasses off and turned to Elle and looked her right in the  eye. "You know I can't."





Elle was quiet for a moment and I figured she was finally accepting that  I wasn't ready to throw myself back into a relationship and risk all of  my hard work from the last eight months.





Just when I figured Elle had come around to the idea that I would not be  going out with Gabe, she grinned wickedly, winking at me before saying,  "We'll see."





~~~~





We lied out at the pool for a couple of hours before it started to get a  little chilly out. Thankfully Elle hadn't brought up Gabe again but I  was still trying to figure out what she meant with her cryptic, "we'll  see."





Elle was slick; she had always been able to convince or trick me into  doing things I wasn't up for doing. Last summer she even convinced me to  go zip lining despite my fear of heights. She was good.





We decided to try out the newly opened Mexican restaurant downtown for  dinner, already sick of the school's cafeteria food. After showering off  the excess tanning oil, I blow dried my dirty blonde hair and put it in  a long side braid so that by the time we left it would create soft  waves down my back. I slipped on a pair of black skinny jeans and a  white, fitted long sleeve shirt. I applied my everyday make up, light  eyeliner, mascara, and light pink gloss to my lips, and then decided to  wear my worn black leather boots that went up to my kneecap. I tied a  pink scarf around my neck in case it had gotten colder outside and  walked out to the living room to find Savanna and Elle already dressed  and typing away at their phones. Elle was similarly dressed, donning her  favorite blue skinny jeans with black ankle booties and a flowing long  sleeved violet blouse. Savanna, as usual, had on a pair of heels,  although they were about three inches shorter than she usually wore and  she paired them with white boot cut denim jeans and a black tank top  under a cropped black leather jacket. Her pale blonde hair was tied up  in a high pony and her eyes were rimmed heavily with black eyeliner.





"Nice heels, Savanna." She looked up from her phone and then down to her shoes to remind herself what she was wearing.





"Hey!" she cried. "Ollie's tall, I can't kiss him if I don't have these babies on."





Savanna was only about 5'1, and while Elle and I were only a couple  inches taller than her, she always used her height as an excuse to wear  heels so that guys wouldn't think she was high maintenance, even though  she was.





I laughed and sat down at one of the kitchen stools, pulling out my  iPhone to send a quick text to my mother saying hi when there was a  knock on the door. It must have been Colin and Ollie to pick us up.





"I'll get it!" Elle shot up from the sofa and ran to the door. I heard  the familiar sound of Colin's voice as he greeted Elle, nuzzling his  face into her neck as she giggled. I waved at Ollie who was making his  way over to Savannawhen I noticed a figure still standing in the  doorway. My stomach dropped and I snapped my eyes over to Elle who was  looking at me with a guilty smile. She shrugged her shoulders, like it  was no big deal.





"Hey, beautiful. Ready for our date?" Gabe walked over to me, smirking,  of course, and stood in front of me. I looked up at him and narrowed my  eyes, which made him laugh. He clearly knew I was being forced into this  date. What guy wants to date a girl who is unwilling? Red flags went up  all over the place before I told myself to calm down and stop  overanalyzing everything. It was comforting to know that it wouldn't  just be the two of us alone, though.





Gabe was dressed casually in a black button up shirt and faded jeans,  his disheveled hair slightly managed but still flopping against his  forehead. He slid his hand to his face and pushed his bangs from his  eyes and reached out for my hand to help me off of my stool. I ignored  the gesture which just made him chuckle, and walked ahead of him out of  the apartment, shooting daggers at Elle who was now too busy whispering  with Colin to pay me any mind.





We got over to Colin's car and I realized that all six of us wouldn't  fit. Savanna, noticing my expression, started to giggle, when Gabe  placed his hand on the small of my back leading me over to a two door  dark black Mercedes.





"You're riding with me, beautiful." Gabe winked, before pulling open the  passenger side door and gesturing for me to get in. It didn't go  unnoticed as I peered over my shoulder to see Elle give me an impressed  smile at the gesture. I had never before had a guy be gentlemanly enough  to open a car door for me. He must really want to get into my panties, I  figured.                       
       
           



       





Gabe settled into the drivers seat and pulled out of the parking lot,  following behind Colin's car to the restaurant. I clasped my hands  together to stop from fidgeting, uncomfortable with the awkward silence  that had settled between us.





Gabe cleared his throat and turned his eyes from the road to look over  at me. "Are you okay with this? I know you weren't aware of Elle's plan,  and I don't want to force you to hang out with me if you don't want  to." He paused, searching my face when I didn't answer. "Although, I  gotta be honest, I'm really hoping you'll give me a chance, beautiful. I  want to get to know you."





I still didn't know what to say to him. I stared at him, trying to form  my words carefully. While I wanted to give him a shot and be a normal  college sophomore going out on a group date, I couldn't help but hear  the little voice in the back of my head reminding me what can happen  when you let your guard down.





"Why do you do that?" I spit out, not able to control my mouth from  forming words on it's on accord. I cringed, aware of the harsh tone of  my voice, immediately feeling bad.





Instead of looking insulted or angry, Gabe just smirked, "Why do I do what?"





He glanced back and forth from me to the road, clearly unsure of what I was referring to.





"Why do you call me beautiful? I have a name. It's Brookelyn. And it's a  lot less cliché." I didn't know why I continued to be bitchy towards  him, but a large part of me realized that I was hoping it would push him  away.





We pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and found a space beside  Colin's car. The four of them started getting out of the car just as  Gabe switched off the engine and looked over at me and smirked, slightly  shaking his head. "Because you're beautiful, beautiful." With out  another word he got out of the car and came around to my side, once  again helping me out. Elle and Colin were waiting for us by the door  while Savanna and Ollie went to grab us seats. As we walked across the  parking lot Gabe placed his hand at the small of my back, almost as if  to remind me that he was here. Approaching Elle, I saw the silent  question in her eyes asking me if everything was okay. I nodded,  deciding to give this night, and Gabe, a chance. Part of me told myself I  was an idiot for letting a new guy back into my life so easily, while  another part agreed with Elle that I couldn't keep hiding from the  possibility of finding love. I didn't want to be by myself, and yet at  the same time, all I wanted was to be left alone.