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Steve had long since stopped listening to what Gabriel wanted in life.
 
All he cared about was his image.
 
Pride wouldn’t allow him to let Gabriel pursue the career he wanted.
 
No, Gabriel had been set up for the perfect life, but he wanted no part of it.
 
And along with that came Claire Scofield.

“Whatever man.
 
Let’s just get this win,” Gabriel said as he called his teammates around him.

***

“Can you believe it?
 
We’re going to state!” Sadie cried, bouncing up and down on the metal bleacher.
 
The crowd lingered, no one wanted to leave after such a spectacular game.
 
The final score was 21-14 and Gabriel Marston was the talk of the night.
 

Roseline rubbed her arms, trying to hint at a chill that she didn’t actually feel.
 
She was painfully aware of the intense green eyes that watched her every move and it grated on her nerves.
 
“Why did we have to bring him?” she muttered, cocking her head back at Nicolae who’d been forced to sit two rows behind them after Sadie went ballistic on him for spilling hot chocolate on her coat.

“My mom made me,” Sadie groaned, her spirits plummeting at the mention of her shadow.
 
“The guy is really creepy.
 
All he does is ask about you.”

That’s what Roseline had been afraid of.
 
“What does he want to know?”

Sadie shrugged.
 
“I don’t know.
 
Really random stuff.
 
Like do you ever go to church, if you ever go outside on really sunny days or if you like garlic on your pizza.
 
I’m telling you the guy is mental!”

Roseline nodded, trying to hide her smile.
 
So Nicolae did know about her, but he’d been sucked into all of the silly vampire myths.
 
When would humans learn that Vampire’s don’t exist?
 
“I agree.
 
I’m just sorry you’re stuck with the guy!”

“Hey, it’s not just her that’s had to suffer,” William added, climbing over the bleacher seat.
 
“I’m the one that has to share a room with the freak.
 
He’s like anal to the max.”

Roseline’s eye brow rose.
 
“Excuse me?”

William grinned.
 
“Sorry, um…he’s like freakishly neat.
 
The guy even rolls his underwear.
 
All of his socks are color coded and don’t even dream of touching his picture album!
 
The guy totally went loony toons last night when I accidentally knocked it off the table.”

Roseline made a mental note of that.
 
“I’m getting cold.” She shivered for added effect.
 
She would stoop to anything just to get out of there.

“No problem.
 
I’ll go grab us some hot chocolate.”
 
William ducked out into the stairwell and took two steps at a time.

“Wait up!” Sadie called, hurrying after her brother.

“Aren’t we leaving?
 
The game is over,” Roseline called at Sadie’s fleeting back.
 

Sadie grinned over the head of a toddler girl dressed like a Rosewood Prep cheerleader.
 
“Leave?
 
This is when all of the fun begins!”

Roseline groaned and sank down onto the cold seat.
 
The warmth from her bottom had faded long ago.
 
“Great.
 
I knew I should’ve stayed home,” she mumbled.
 
She shot a glance over her shoulder and found exactly what she expected.
 
Nicolae was staring straight at her, unblinking.
 

She felt Nicolae shift and whirled around.
 
“What’s your deal?” Roseline asked, using a phrase she’d heard Sadie use countless times.
 

Nicolae’s eyes widened.
 
“Pardon me?”

“You heard me,” Roseline growled, stomping up the bleachers to where he was sitting.
 
Thankfully the rowdy fans were still cheering loud enough to mask their conversation.
 
“You’re staring at me and it’s really starting to tick me off.”

“I’m sorry.
 
I didn’t realize,” he mumbled, averting his gaze from her for the first time since they’d arrived at the game.

“Cut the crap, Nicolae.
 
We both know it was you I saw in
Brasov
.
 
Why are you here?” she demanded, keeping her voice barely above a whisper.

She didn’t think it was possible for his eyes to widen anymore, but she was wrong.
 
They bulged, looking like they might actually pop out of their sockets.
 
“You saw me?”
 
Nicolae scowled.
 
He hadn’t meant to be so obvious.

“Duh,” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.
 
Oh how quickly she was adapting to American life.
 
She’d even managed to become a sarcastic teenager.
 
Sadie would be so proud!

“I didn’t know it was you.
 
You were kinda covered up that day,” he retorted.

Roseline leaned over, meeting him at eye level.
 
The glow in her eyes was unmistakable, but that didn’t matter now.
 
He knew what she was.
 
“If you tell anyone who I am or where I’m from, I promise I will enjoy ripping out your spine.”

Despite his bravado, Nicolae visibly blanched.
 
“I understand.”

“Good,” Roseline smiled, patting Nicolae on the head like a little child.
 
“Oh, and give Sadie a break.
 
You’re driving her crazy.
 
I’m tired of hearing her moan about how annoying you are.”

Nicolae glared but managed a curt nod.

With that she turned and came face to face with Gabriel.
 
“Oh!” she cried, flustered so badly she tumbled backward.
 
Roseline fell ungracefully into the space between the seats.
 

Gabriel was instantly at her side, offering her a hand up.
 
“I’m sorry to scare you like that.
 
I just wanted to say hi.”

Roseline thrust herself upward, rising to her full height.
 
She sent a scathing glance back at Nicolae and headed away.
 
Gabriel trailed behind her.
 
“Aren’t you going to say something?”

“What’s there to say?” Roseline said through gritted teeth as she rubbed her sore hip.
 
Her limp was slight but enough for Gabriel to offer his hand.
 
Roseline stopped, warily glancing up at Gabriel.
 

“I won’t bite,” he grinned, holding his arm evenly for her.
 
Roseline shrugged and allowed her gloved hand to wind around his arm.
 
Even through the thick material she could feel the intensity of his warmth.
 
Roseline was shocked to find that this heat didn’t drive her away like all of the rest.
 
What was it about him that defied all logic?

“Thanks,” she muttered, allowing him to help her reach the bottom of the steps.
 
“So…”

Gabriel cleared his throat, glancing at the curious eyes following their departure.
 
Surely word would spread quickly about their conversation.
 
“You’re a very mysterious girl.
 
Do you know I’ve asked all around school and no one seems to know your name?”

Roseline shrugged.
 
“I mostly keep to myself.”
 
She stared up at him, amazed at how blond his hair looked under the stadium lights.
 
His breath hung in the air, pumped from lungs that were buried under a broad chest and a swatch of rigid abs that pressed against his thin cashmere sweater.
 
Surely he must be freezing!

“I noticed that.
 
But it seems like you’re pretty close with Sadie Hughes.”
 
This fact still puzzled him.
 
Of course Sadie was a nice girl, he’d lived next to her for most of his life, but he’d never dreamed that Roseline would continue to be seen with her.
 
Why couldn’t she see what was glaringly obvious to everyone else?
 

“Oh so people do know her name,” Roseline laughed.
 
“I was beginning to think I was the only decent person at this school.”

Gabriel chuckled.
 
“Sadie’s great.
 
But I didn’t peg you for the type to hang out with a girl like that.”

“A girl like what, exactly,” Roseline asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
 
She jutted out her hip and waited for what needed to be a really good explanation.
 

Realizing he was on slippery ground, Gabriel amended his original statement.
 
“I didn’t mean anything by it.
 
It’s just…Sadie’s not really a football fan,” he covered lamely.

“Well neither am I,” she replied, feeling oddly protective over her friend.

Gabriel leaned in closer, unable to resist the pull he felt towards Roseline.
 
He tugged gently on her arm and they resumed walking.
 
“Then why are you here?”

Roseline shrugged, beginning to wish Sadie hadn’t talked her into attending the game.
 
“I didn’t have any other plans.”

Gabriel’s stunning grin took Roseline off guard.
 
She was used to seeing beauty.
 
It’d surrounded her every day since
Vladimir
had stripped her humanity away.
 
But Immortal beauty and human beauty were two different things.
 
This teenage boy was appealing in ways Roseline had never dreamed possible.
 
The softness of his hair, the smooth curve of his lightly stubbled jaw, the subtle scent of tantalizing cologne and the easy smile all added to the charm that sucked Roseline in.
 

The light mist of freezing rain glinted on his sun streaked blond hair.
 
His eyes were the palest blue color she’d ever seen.
 
So pale they looked transparent.
 
In the light they appeared iridescent, a startling quality that Roseline found appealing.
  

It was obvious Gabriel took pride in his looks.
 
From his body hugging cashmere sweater to his designer jeans and rain dampened leather shoes.
 
He knew he looked good, and yet oddly enough he didn’t come off as overly cocky.

“So does that mean you’re free now?” he asked, pausing as they reached the end of the bleachers.
 
He took a step closer to see her in the dim light.
 
Gabriel’s eyes lingered on hers; the hope shining from them stole her breath away.

Roseline braced for it.
 
The inevitable was about to happen.
 
The harder her heart pounded in her chest, the faster the hormones would seep from her skin.
 
She watched his pulse thump against his neck.
 
The instant her feminine scent hit Gabriel his eyes dilated.
 
His pheromones kicked in…but there was something wrong.

He had all of the usual responses to her and yet he wasn’t trying to drag her under the bleachers for a spicy make out session.
 
Gabriel should have been pleading to touch her, but he wasn’t.
 
His restraint was deeply unsettling.

She decided to test his resistance.
 
“What did you have in mind?” Roseline asked, her voice low and sultry as she stepped closer.
 
She marked the increase in his pulse and yet amazingly enough he still resisted.