“Laugh it up guys.” Gabe cursed. “Why is it that I get a date with my cousin and you get her?” He pointed at me while he was talking to Wes.

“Just lucky I guess,” Wes answered.

“True.” Gabe winked in my direction. “Well, the good news is I don’t have to kill you.” He was talking to Wes again. “She seems unharmed.”

“Except for the kiss,” I said with as much seriousness as I could.

Gabe’s eyebrows arched as he examined me and then slowly turned to Wes.

“Thanks.” Wes nodded in my direction. “Throwing me under the bus for doing you a favor, nice.”

I smirked.

“It was on her list,” Wes explained. “One I’m helping her with.”

“You were on her list?”

“Ah…” I stepped between them and set my book down on the table, careful not to drop it too hard. “I believe I wrote, ‘kiss a hot guy’.”

“Hi.” Wes held out his hand “Hot guy. Now what’s that make you?”

Gabe shook his head and then burst out laughing. “Clearly not hot, but she did call me nice yesterday.”

“Ouch.” Wes winced.

“Right. It’s like cutting off a dog’s balls without putting him to sleep first. She didn’t even give me a warning, just a ‘hey, you’re nice’.”

“Still recovering?” Wes asked.

“I may whore around later this week to prove a point.” Gabe gave a half hazard shrug. “We’ll see.”

“Men are animals,” Lisa said coming back into the main room. “Alright, I’ve got chocolate, fruity drinks, and the movie. Anything else?”

“I think we’re good.” Wes wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close. I noticed Gabe watching us, but it wasn’t with jealousy. It was more like concern, which in turn made me want to feel concerned too.

Wes stumbled a bit as we made our way to the couch.

“Hey.” I steadied him. “You okay?”

“Fine.” But he was pale again. “I just… can I use your bathroom?”

“Sure,” Lisa spoke up. “You can go through either one of our rooms. We share a bathroom, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Cool, thanks.” He got up from the couch, still unsteady on his feet, and made his way to my room.

“He okay?” Lisa asked me.

“I’m sure he’s just tired,” I lied. Curious myself as to why a six-five, perfectly healthy quarterback would suddenly look like he’d been drinking all night long.

“Be right back.” Gabe shot up from his seat and went the same direction Wes had.

“Uh-oh,” Lisa murmured. “That can’t be good.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Time was running out fast. I could feel it from the tingling in my hands to the erratic beating of my heart — why was I suddenly finding it so damn hard to realize the end was near? Probably because she made me feel new—like a new beginning.

Weston

I gripped the counter and told myself to keep all the contents of my stomach in, instead of out.

My cell rang.

David.

I pressed ignore and started my typical breathing exercises. It wasn’t healthy for me to panic. In and out, in and out. I held my breath and chanced another look in the mirror.

My phone went off again. This time it was James.

Time for your next set of meds.

Right, like I wanted to take more pills that made me feel shittier, and quite possibly would ruin my date.

I’m fine. I texted back and slipped the phone into my pocket.

I flexed my arms as I braced the counter and breathed in and out through my nose as the nausea came and went. I couldn’t go on like this. The last set of drugs before Christmas were supposed to be the strongest, the doctor’s final hat trick, only I was worried they were hurting more than helping. If I had to keep taking them I wouldn’t be able to play football. I wouldn’t be able to run. I wouldn’t be able to live. I’d be lying in bed sick as a dog as the days ran into each other, until finally, I just didn’t wake up.

“Hey.” The door pushed open. Gabe walked himself right in and shut the door behind him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Not the time, Gabe.”

“The hell it isn’t!” He grabbed me by the shirt, not a smart move considering I had at least five inches on him, but whatever. I was too weak to care. “What the hell are you taking? Oxy? Meth?”

I laughed. Not because it was funny, but because for a second I wished it was a drug problem. Damn, how pathetic was that?

“No.” I bit down on my lip. The nausea was finally passing, the feeling returning to my extremities. “Nothing like that.”

“You better not be messing with her.” Gabe released me and hit the door with his hand. “I swear I’ll kill you if you hurt her.”

“I just want to be her friend. Honest.” I lied. I wanted more. But people didn’t always get what they wanted.

The nausea came back full force, causing me to double over in pain as, I swear, knives started attacking my stomach. “Hold on, give me a second.”

“Dude.” Gabe put his hand on my back. “What’s wrong? You got the flu or something?”

“Or something,” I said through clenched teeth. “I’m fine, I just get… episodes.” It was the best I could do without lying.

“Like nervous episodes?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah, like that.”

“Sorry.” He swore. “I just… that girl is important okay? Don’t ask me how or why I know she is, I just know. There’s something about her. She’s frail and I don’t want you messing with her just because she’s a hot piece of ass okay?”

“I swear…” It hurt like hell but I stood to my full height. “…that I’m not messing with her. I want to help, and I want to be her friend.”

“Friends don’t kiss.”

I forced a laugh. “You sound like her.”

Gabe didn’t join in the laughter. Great, I’d pissed him off again.

“Look.” I crossed my arms and tried to concentrate on anything but the pain in my chest and stomach. “I like that girl. I won’t hurt her. Hell, I won’t even touch her again. I’m not going to steal her virginity. I’m not going to make her promises I can’t keep.”

“How do I know I can believe you?”

“Tell you what.” I put my arm around his and opened the door. “Why don’t you just trust me, and if I do something that royally pisses you off or I screw up, you can beat the shit out of me. Deal?”

Gabe was silent and then he held out his hand. “It will be a pleasure kicking your ass.”

“Too bad you won’t get the chance.” I shook his hand just as Lisa walked through the door.

“Uh, everything okay?”

“Perfect.” Gabe’s grip tightened against mine. “We were just talking sports.”

Lisa snorted. “Fine. Can we start the movie?”

“Sure thing.” I released Gabe’s hand. He gave me a swift nod.

When we made our way back into the room, Lisa was sitting on one end of the couch and Gabe maneuvered next to her, leaving just the love seat for me and Kiersten. At least the night was going to end on a good note.

Lisa pressed play.

“Wait!” I yelled, holding up my hand. I grabbed the drinks Lisa had brought in and pulled a tiny paper umbrella from my pocket. Grinning, I dropped it onto the side of Kiersten’s drink. “A fruity drink with an umbrella.”

“You got any more of those in there?” Lisa asked.

I laughed, finally feeling more relaxed now that the date was well on its way and Kiersten knew my plan. “Sure.” With a tug I had about five different colored umbrellas set out on the coffee table. “Okay, now we can start the movie.”

“Thank you.” Kiersten’s lips grazed my ear, making me horny as hell during the opening credits. “For my best first date ever, my umbrella, my kiss, and my book. The way you’re blowing through the list we won’t have much to do in a week.”

My stomach clenched.

Hell, no.

What was I thinking?

I needed to go slower.

I shrugged and whispered back, “Well, the other tasks are a lot harder. It may take a while.”

“Fine by me.” She reached for my hand and didn’t let go.