Fully man.
And still as intimidating as he was when I was a kid.
Funny how that didn’t deter me from relying on him my entire life.
“You’re back.” His voice is gravelly. Low. But his gaze doesn’t leave mine now that he’s caught me.
“Yeah.” I pull in another drag, daring him to say something about it.
Gabe lifts a golden brow at me. “Pick up that bad habit in the city?”
The tension in me snaps, and heat swarms me. “Don’t judge me. It’s legal now.”
Because if he judges me now, after this, I will fall apart.
Pushing off the side of the house, he takes slow, careful steps across the snow until he’s propped beside me.
He takes the joint from between my fingers and presses it to his mouth, making the cherry glow bright red in the darkness.
His lips press together as he hands it back, and smoke seeps from his nose before he blows it away.
I can barely hide my giggle as I take another hit. I didn’t know he smoked. I mean, I should have guessed.
He’s always put off bad boy vibes, even if I’ve never seen him act bad.
Not around me anyway.
This town does like to gossip though. And he did like to run around after dark. Pull dangerous stunts. Break hearts.
Having him next to me calms me down as much as it flusters me. I missed how stabilize he is.
Gabe smokes the joint with me. Silently.
And once it’s done, he puts it out in the snow and pockets it. He’d never leave the evidence behind.
“Want to come in for a slice?”
2
GABE
She’s back. Drew is back. Finally.
Something inside of me settles at the sight of her. Even though she looks so different.
Her dark brown hair is longer, more inviting to twist between my fingers. Her lips are fuller, and she’s added a new piercing in her earlobes.
Those innocent brown eyes hold more hurt, which I should have expected with the wave of scandal she rode into town on.
One that the citizens of Pinebrook have already carried to every corner of town.
My hands clench into fists. I can’t protect her from them just like I couldn’t last time.
And it makes me want to tear something apart.
How can the people and the town I love treat her this way? Again?
It makes me so angry.
