Page 167

“Damn,” Adriana murmurs, “We took our sweet ass time. He must really want to talk to you.” She rocks back on her feet.

“You’re not helping,” I hiss, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Swallowing hard, I turn back to Wyatt. Pretty sure he caught all of that.

“Um, hi.”

“Hey,” he says, raising his hand in a small wave.

We stand there in the parking lot, neither one of us saying anything else.

“Well, this isn’t awkward,” Adriana adds.

I glare at her. “Not helping,” I repeat.

Her lips twitch, and her eyes look out toward the field. “Incoming,” she offers, and I follow her gaze.

Gabriel spots us and starts cutting across the field. Panic grips me. “Shit,” I mutter under my breath. My stomach jumps into my throat.

“So, um, what’s up?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

Wyatt offers me a small grin, oblivious to my rising anxiety. “I just thought we should talk. I feel kinda shitty about how things ended on our date.”

“It’s fine,” I tell him, needing him to say his piece and go fast and far away. “I had a good time.”

“Yeah?” His expression brightens with hope.

Uh oh. That isn’t my intention, but I’m also not trying to be a bitch.

“Yeah,” I confirm. “I think it’s just too soon for me to do the whole dating thing, obviously.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

His expression softens, and I see a look of pity on his face. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t know about that. If I did, I never?—”

“Time’s up,” Adriana interjects.

“Is there a problem?” The sound of Gabriel’s gravelly voice sends shivers racing down my spine.

Wyatt’s head snaps toward him, and I don’t need to look over my shoulder to know Gabriel is standing right behind me. I can feel the heat radiating from him, seeping into my back.

“Hey man, can we have a minute?” Wyatt asks, unaware of the situation he’s stumbled into.

With a grimace, I wait for Gabriel's reaction. He doesn’t disappoint.

“No, man. You can’t. So why don’t you—” He steps forward but I reach out, my fingers latching onto his hand.

“Gabriel,” I whisper, shaking my head. “Just a minute?”

His jaw clenches. “No.”

So much for that. Pursing my lips, I try not to get angry. Gabriel’s just looking out for me. He’s being overprotective right now, but I know it comes from a good place.

Unsure of what to do, I look at Adriana, but she shrugs. “Don’t look at me. I’ve never been able to get Gabe to listen.”

Wonderful.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, sighing heavily.

“I appreciate you coming to talk to me,” I tell Wyatt, giving him my full attention. “But we’re good. You don’t have anything to worry about.”