34 | you're mine

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CHAPTER 34

Sunlight started to enter through the window in sharp streaks, slowly forcing me to regain consciousness.

As my eyes opened and caught up with the rest of my body, I began to notice a few things.

How unusually comfortable I was, my body pressed flat between the soft couch and something else.

Then what that 'something else' was, the curly-haired culprit with her back to my front.

The last thing I noticed was with a start.

This marked the second time in ten years that I hadn't had a dream reliving that awful day, and both times shared a common factor.

I tilted my head to get a better look at her.

Candyfloss.

Her chest rose and fell a little each time that she took a breath, and I could feel every single one against my chest.

There was a barely-there smile on her lips as she slept, and she gave me a glimpse of it as she turned her head to the other side.

I wanted to know what she was dreaming about.

That little smile on her full lips paired with my body's inability to ignore the fact that she was on top of me was a dangerous combination, and I forced myself to focus on something else.

My eyes found trailed lower, to the point where she had laced our fingers together in her sleep. Quite tightly, I must add.

Case in point, I couldn't move.

But if we're being honest, I didn't really want to.

The only thing stopping me from staying on that couch forever was the basketball match that I knew I had in—

Damn it.

Less than an hour according to the clock a little way away from me.

I carefully lifted her head from my chest, replacing it with one of the cushions on the couch.

Her fingers tightened around my hand a little as I did, leaving me with a new problem.

I had to pry them off one by one, not even trying to fight the smile that fell on my lips at her tenacity.

To quell the need that I knew would be there otherwise, I leaned down and gave her cheeks a small kiss, stopping to admire the way the skin there grew ever so slightly pinker.

I slipped back into the clothes that I had been wearing during last night's game night - a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt - and took a quick look around.

First at the table that we'd managed to clutter with things that didn't even make sense. Even from here, I could see a playing card floating in one of the red cups.

Then at the carpet, littered with the occasional sweet wrapper that took me straight back to last night.

And at long last the couch, on which Cora was still sound asleep.

With that, my mind found itself placed at ease and I made my way to the door.

I placed my hand around the knob and twisted it as quietly as I could, finding that the cold air that met me instantly was a welcome wake-up call.

This match was important.

And I needed to work my socks off if I wanted Cora there watching me in the final one.

The distance from Cora's apartment to the courts we were playing at was relatively short, hence my decision to walk there.

Miles of greenery gave me a soft footpath as I did, only ever slowing down to notice the trees that were beginning to sport pink blossoms. It was that time of year.

I had to fight the urge to go back inside and convince Cora's sleepy self to come on the walk with me, having had a gut feeling that she would enjoy it just as much as she did in Cornwall.

To compensate, I made a mental promise to myself that I'd get her to come on a run with me at some point.

My mental back and forth kept me occupied for the whole journey, and it ended at the same time that my music did - white earbud cords that I pulled from my ears as I opened the door.

The raucous noise that fell to my ears was instant.

Balls that bounced up and down the court, players that charged after them, and the shrill sound of Coach's whistle.

"Madden! About time." Coach's frown looked a little deeper than usual as he checked his watch.

He dismissed me with a wave. "Hurry up and get on the court."

I threw on the familiar black jersey and shorts, fingers itching to make a basket.

I got my hands on a ball and finally satisfied that feeling, cruising over the court and making the basket with ease.

All of a sudden, the noise in the room doubled in size.

My head whipped around to see what had caused it, and I was faced with an unwanted reminder that it took two teams to have a match.

They all bore the same blue gear and smug smiles as they made their way through the doors, flooding the peaceful chaos like a tidal wave.

The referee was already here, seated on one of the pews near the back of the viewing gallery.

He stood up upon noticing that the other team had arrived, taking his place at the side of the court.

After briefly introducing himself and establishing the rules that were already obvious, the whistle blew.

And we were off.

The thumping sound that the ball made as it travelled along the floor was the only constant.

Everything else was changing continuously, and taking me right along.

Players that I saw in one part of the court one moment were in a completely different part the next.

Countless months of late practices, overused water bottles and sweaty jerseys had gone into this, and we were sure as hell playing like it.

Arms up.

Flick your wrist.

Eyes on the ball.

Ever single piece of advice I'd been ever been given since the first time I clumsily picked up a basketball was flashing through my mind, channelling into the one that I now held between my fingertips.

It had been passed to me all of five seconds ago, but I knew I had to act fast to get it in that basket before halftime.

I poised myself for the shot, letting the ball leave my hands.

The silence in the hall was somehow louder than the shouting had been, that heady anticipation that was shared by every single person watching.

The ball hit the rim of the basket, rolling twice in what seemed to be the universe's way of toying with us.

Just as it seemed as though it was about to fall off the side, it changed course and fell through the net instead.

The relief that flowed through me was instant, accompanied by that pride that appeared every time I came out on the right side of a high-pressure situation.

The whistle blew almost immediately after, drowning out the whoops and cheers that I could hear coming from the viewing gallery.

Halftime.

The fluorescent blue of the board was an exhilarating reminder that the score was currently 14 to us, 10 to the other team.

But we couldn't afford to let our guard down, knowing all too well how quickly things could change in the second half.

Especially since with only a brief glance, I could see that the other team still looked raring to go.

Coach used the fifteen minutes that we had to bark some last minute instructions - things he'd noticed during the game that we needed to work on.

"Kingsley. You need less time watching the ball and more time going to get it."

Ouch.

"Davies. Keep a tighter watch on your player."

"Evans. Be more aggressive with those rebounds."

"And Madden." He paused, giving me that rare half-smile. "Nice work on that last shot."

Then with that familiar ear-splitting sound, the whistle blew again.

The second half had officially begun.

The match progressed just as it had before, but the tension in the room had increased.

You could tell that the other team was playing to win.

Unluckily for them, so were we.

Our players were on fire, pushing themselves down the court.

Further.

Faster.

Until we reached that basket, jumping up and slamming the ball through the thin white of the net.

I didn't even need to look at the scoreboard to know we were winning.

After all, we had training for this exact moment for months.

Coach had basically been prepping us since the term started.

The other team didn't stand a chance.

And so when that final whistle blew and the court erupted in applause, I couldn't even stop the smile that found its way onto my face.

The only thing that I was thinking about at that moment was Cora's face once I told her the good news.

Those lips that I knew she would bite as I spoke.

That proud smile she'd give me once I'd finished.

The way her eyes would crinkle at the corners while she did.

Hell yeah.

I couldn't wait to get to her.

- - -

I knew that Cora had an afternoon shift today, meaning that she was at work right now.

But that didn't stop me from leaving the team's celebrations in the hall, stepping on the gas, and heading straight for the cafe.

The familiar teal brickwork glinted at me as I stopped my car, sitting pretty in its place around the cafe's entrance.

I could see through the car window that the wooden tables outside the cafe were all empty, and since the sun was shining brightly above me, I figured that the cafe couldn't be that busy.

That, or everybody had suddenly decided to ignore the nice weather and sit inside anyway.

But based on where we lived and what the weather usually looked like, that seemed less likely.

I shut the driver's side door behind me, tucking my car keys in my pocket as I made my way in to the sound of the shrill bell.

My teeth ground against each other of their accord as I walked up to the counter.

That guy that Cora worked with was manning the checkout, but Cora herself was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey." I said, watching as he looked up from the keys that he had been pressing.

He paused, and I watched a look of recognition pass over his face. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Drew."

"Gabriel." I bared my teeth. "But my friends call me Gabe."

"Nice to meet you Gabe." He replied, and I had to work hard not to let my annoyance show.

I said my friends.

"Have you seen Cora?" I asked instead, deciding to choose my battles.

"You must be the boyfriend." He said more to himself than me.

The hell?

"Yeah." I replied, trying to keep my voice from hardening. "You know where she is?"

"She's not here." He said. "She's disappeared for a few minutes. Said she's looking for a cinema viewing for tomorrow."

My head cocked. "She's going to the cinema?"

He nodded.

That was news to me. "Do you know if she's going with anyone?"

I wanted to punch him.

As those words came out of his mouth, I wanted to punch him.

"She's going with me."

I didn't need to hear anything else.

"I'm going to find her," I said to no one in particular, my jaw setting.

If that dickhead heard me, he didn't say anything in response.

Or maybe I just walked away before he could.

The bell wished me a fair well as I passed through that door, and I noted that it was for the second time in mere minutes.

I tried to think.

There was an alleyway behind the cafe, all grey cobblestones, dull bricks and overflowing bins.

It was just a series of old flats that were squished together until they formed a row of buildings, only truly united by their bland exterior.

That was the only place I could think of that Cora could be.

But I was beginning to lose hope as I walked through it, spotting nothing but thin cats and the occasional frayed carpet.

That is, until I reached the end.

Cora was standing with her hands tucked into her apron pockets, facing away from me and staring at those lifeless bricks.

"I've been thinkin' bout you," I said, breaking the silence.

I watched as she whirled around in surprise, taking me in.

Her eyes went from my face to my body and then back to my face again.

"Like the song." She finished for me once she was done, voice sweet and smile gentle.

I nodded, echoing her. "Like the song."

"Gabe, I need to tell you something." She had changed mood like the wind, quickly and without warning.

She started talking before I could say anything, barely even pausing to breathe. "Drew. That's the guy I work with at the cafe. He asked me to come to watch a movie with him last week. I said yes to be nice, because he covered all my shifts while we were in Cornwall."

"I know I should've told you, but I chickened out whenever I got the opportunity. Are you upset?" She took a breath once she was done, round eyes watching my face for a reaction.

I shook my head. "I already knew."

She looked confused. "Really? How?"

"He told me a few minutes ago," I explained.

She went to say something, but I cut her off before she could. "I don't think you should go, Cora. I don't trust him."

"And if I sound like a jealous asshole, it's because I am." I finished, watching her bite back a smile.

"You're mine, Cora." I said, that jealousy still flowing through my veins.

I held her gaze, needing to hear it from her. "Say it."

My voice softened a little, hand darting to her cheek. "Please."

She stayed silent for a moment before her lips parted, those sweet words falling past them. "I'm all yours, Gabe."

Her eyes were bright against the grey of the bricks as she whispered. "All yours."

And that was it.

I walked her forwards with urgency, refusing to stop until her back was flat against those same grey bricks that I had been criticising earlier.

I had to say that I now had no problem with them.

In fact, when she brought her lips to mine and ran her tongue across them lightly - teasing me - I decided that all other bricks would forever pale in comparison.

I vaguely registered something brushing against my lower leg, but ignored it in favour of savouring the feeling of Cora's lips against mine.

But when that brush turned into a sharp pain, I pulled away and glanced back quickly.

Bright yellow eyes and a thin coat of hair were staring right back at me.

Great.

While I was turned away, one of those thin alleyway cats had bitten me on the leg.

A furry reminder that we were on a creepy street behind the cafe, and that Cora was still working.

Once she noticed what had made me stop, Cora burst into laughter.

I had to bite back my own smile. "You think this is funny?"

She stopped, tongue in cheek with her eyes glittering. "A little."

And when her laughter started up again, the only sound that could be heard for miles, I had no choice but to join her.

It was infectious.

She had dropped her head to my chest at some point during her giggles but raised it again to speak, voice a little more serious. "Why are you here. At the cafe?"

Her question reminded me of the reason that I'd hopped in my car and driven here in the first place, and I grinned.

She did all the things that I knew she would.

Bit her lip while I spoke, telling her about the highlights of the match.

Gave me a proud smile once I told her the score, throwing herself forward in a wide-armed hug.

And when she pulled away with a dimpled smile, I couldn't help but notice the small creases next to each eye.

So predictable.

So familiar.

So mine.

Thank you guys for being so patient <3

Chapters from now on will be a lot more regular (hopefully multiple times a week again !!)

Have a good day/night and thank you for reading!