Bloodspell (The Cruentus Curse, #1)(71)

To her chagrin, she realized that she did indeed have the book upside down, and burst out laughing at the expression on his face.

"Busted!" he laughed.

Cheeks flaming, she put the book down and decided to give him a partial truth. "Sorry, it's just that Charla and some of her friends walked by and it was really uncomfortable, so I was thinking about what I should do."

Gabriel shrugged. "Don't do anything, she'll come around. She's just being ... Charla."

"But it's uncomfortable, Gabriel, to have one of your friends think that you are after her boyfriend ... because that is what you are, isn't it?" she asked. "You need to tell her that this is nothing more than what it is—two friends studying."

"Is that all it really is?" he said, pouting. She shot him a dark look, and he put his hands in the air in surrender. "Just kidding, I know, I know ... you're 'not in a dating mode right now,'" he said, mimicking her consistent response to him on why they shouldn't date. "We're just study buddies."

"Be serious, Gabe," she said. Gabriel smiled; he loved it when she called him Gabe. She noticed him smiling and chucked a book at him, thinking he was still messing around. "Please, will you just do it?"

"Fine, I'll talk to her," he promised. "Now will you stop bugging me? I really need to study!" Victoria rolled her eyes at his dishonest comment, and turned back to her book, this time making carefully sure that it was the right side up.

They worked in quiet camaraderie for a few hours until Gabriel sat back and announced that he was hungry. They decided to head to the Black Dog to get something to eat there instead of staying on campus, and Gabriel drove. It was the first time that Victoria had been in his car and she was impressed. It was black and sporty with shiny chrome wheels and custom racing stripes. Given what she had learned over the holidays about their wealth, she wasn't surprised that Gabriel could afford such an expensive car. But rather than seeming ostentatious for a high school student, it suited him perfectly, she thought, as he got in and gunned the engine. He smiled at the sound, and she rolled her eyes.

They got to the Dog in no time at all. Gabriel drove fast, flying around corners at breakneck speed and screeching to a stop in the restaurant parking lot. She'd held on to the sides of her seat with white fingers and literally released the breath she had been holding for five solid minutes when they finally arrived in one piece at the bar.

"Well, that was the first and last time you're ever driving me anywhere!"

"Come on." He laughed. "That was me being careful." Gabriel held the door open for her, and they waved to Tony when they were seated in a booth near the bar. As they wolfed down burgers and fries, a couple of his teammates came over and chatted for a while. Gabriel glanced at her apologetically but she smiled and nodded for him to continue with his friends. As he spoke, she studied him. There was so much more than met the eye with Gabriel. It was as if some hidden part of her identified with a part of him. She had tried to explain it to Christian but he wasn't exactly open to the discussion.

Christian did not like Gabriel, and though he'd been especially irritated that they'd been partnered together on their Calc project, he had never asked her switch classes or change partners. Christian seemed to think that Gabriel was after Victoria, and while she assured him that that would never happen, he still didn't trust Gabriel's motives where Victoria was concerned. He'd even suggested that Gabriel had somehow masterminded them being assigned as partners, which was ludicrous. No one could get away with something like that!

Gabriel was still talking to his teammates when she saw Charla and her entourage make their way to a table at the far end. Charla looked around as if she were looking for someone specific, and it was very obvious to Victoria exactly who she was looking for. Victoria looked down at the table when she felt the hostile gaze settle on them. She kicked Gabriel under the table. He winced and looked at her accusingly. Victoria inclined her head toward the bar. She saw the recognition in his eyes and looked at him meaningfully until he sighed, excused himself from his friends and stood up, walking over to Charla's table.

Victoria watched as he hugged and kissed Charla performing like a pro for their captive audience, asking her entourage very loudly whether they were getting his best girl in trouble. Charla beamed from the attention. Victoria kept her expression carefully neutral. She hated the pretense and had decided that she would leave just to make the point for the hundredth time that she wasn't interested in Gabriel. She was just getting her stuff together to see if someone could give her a ride, when a small figure slid in the booth opposite her.

"Oh, hey Angie, you look different," she said, suddenly noticing the short hair and the fact that Angie actually looked happy. Angie smiled dreamily.

"Thanks. Just trying a little something new," she said. "Taylor's coming up this weekend." Victoria's mind went blank and then she remembered in a flash. Taylor? New Year's Eve Taylor whom Angie had been making out with for hours? Angie's face turned pink with embarrassment, and Victoria grinned. Definitely that Taylor.

"That's really great," Victoria said, and meant it. "I didn't realize that things had gotten serious after New Year's."

"We kept it under the radar. I mean we all grew up together, so we didn't want it to be weird for everyone else," Angie said. "But since he's coming up this weekend, it won't be a secret any more, will it?"