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And thank you to the familiar names I see every chapter review :)

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Chapter 5

The empty ice-rink was cold as Troy led her in by the hand, Gabi wrapping both her hands around one of his and staying close to his body in the dark while he searched for the lights switchboard. When he found it, the oval of glistening frozen water lit up patch by patch, creating their very own private skating world.

"Size four," he handed her the skates he'd picked up for her, sitting down to lace up his own size tens.

"This is a bad idea." Gabi predicted somewhat sulkily as she reached back to tie up her hair.

"No way! This is fun!" He argued.

"I don't skate, Troy." She announced.

"I'll teach you," he offered.

"Do you play ice hockey?" She wondered as he led her by the hand to the side of the ice pad.

"Not anymore." He answered, looking wistfully out.

"You mean you used to?" She looked at him in surprise.

"In college. Before I joined the church."

"You joined the church after college?" Her mouth gaped and he grinned at her with a nod, sliding onto the ice with ease, skating back round to get her, leading her on with two steady hands.

"Eighteen." He confirmed.

"Wow," she let out a breath, her shaky legs causing her to lose balance which he quickly restored, grasping her arms firmly.

"Just relax and look at me," he instructed and she looked up, her golden eyes alight with the powerful bulbs above them.

"Easy for you to say…" She grumbled, awkwardly placing one foot in front of the other and managing a broken, choppy skate.

"Stride, Gabi," he explained, letting go for a second to twist and show her, pushing his legs back as he stretched the muscles out.

"Stride…" She told herself, letting one long push glide her out and then she squealed excitedly, losing concentration as she slipped and fell heavily onto her backside.

"Ouch, fuck!" She swore, and then cussed for swearing, finding Troy's amused face above her.

"Nice vocabulary, Miss Montez." He joked, holding out his hands to help her up. "You ok?"

"I can't get up," she complained and he instructed her to place her toe picks against his so he could lever her up. "My ass hurts."

"If I was anyone else, I would offer to rub it better," he quipped and she smiled, liking his humour.

"This is just like a real date." She tilted her head amusedly.

"I said if…" He remarked, skating around her and shadowing her body with his, acting as a support for her while she tentatively learnt to skate.

"I don't like skating." She decided as he let go and she managed some brave steps alone.

"I'm sorry. Next time we'll go wherever you like." He promised.

"Next time?" She questioned jokingly.

"If you stay…if you wanted to." He added shyly, blinking his long lashes down onto his cheeks and flashing her that incredibly adorable guy she could almost fall in love with.

"I might." She answered both his questions.

"Here," he held out his hand and she took it, meeting his gaze hesitantly, skating beside him now, her confidence returning at the contact. "See, you look amazing!" he cheered.

"Do not!" She crowed back, wobbling on a rough patch.

"You do, you look beautiful," he assured, flicking his eyes over her and really thinking that she did look beautiful. Her shapely legs wrapped in devils chainmail, her tiny but curved-to-perfection body revealed and shaped by her sexy attire. Her hair, free and begging for his hands and most of all, her bronze-lit eyes shining with joy.

"Are you allowed to say that?" She squinted, skating up toward him and stopping him with her hands to his chest.

He licked his lips and looked down on her, his breaths ragged in his chest as he fought for words. Of course he shouldn't be saying that! What was wrong with him? For those moments he felt like he was just another guy- the one he said would rub her bruised behind better- and he'd nearly forgotten everything else. For the first time ever he looked at her through the eyes of a man and not the eyes of God he usually reserved for female company.

"No. I'm sorry. I was out of line." He apologized wanly and skated off, leaving her to look around in panic.

"Don't leave me!" She called, upset at his quick exit, relieved when he stopped and paused, seeing his sigh as he turned back.

"I'm sorry." He said again and she felt like she had lost him. That guy she had just skated with- the one who joked with her and let her see inside his cloak, he'd gone and was replaced with this anaesthetized version.

He held out his elbow and she latched on, guided back to firm ground where Troy stalked off, leaving her alone again, wondering what was wrong.

"Damn it!" She cursed her skating boots and picked at the laces with anger, annoyed at herself for causing Troy to walk away. He came back to catch her curse, lifting his brow at her.

"Bless you, my child." He joked.

"They won't come off." She folded her arms.

He smiled patiently and crouched to loosen her laces, his gentle fingers steadfastedly working on the ties until her feet were free. "See, just a little persuasion…"

"Why do I think you know all about persuasion?" She asked.

He smiled glibly back at her teasing and stood to go. "Cinderella has to get home," he said.

"Already?" She didn't want the night to end.

"I'm afraid so…"

She accepted his jacket as they got outside into the cold and a group of three teenagers wolf-whistled her stunning figure, causing Troy to scowl at them and she wrapped the jacket tight around her, covering her torso.

"I thought you said you'd be okay?" She mused.

He shrugged and stuck out his elbow, to which she latched onto, pressing her head into his arm, happy tears coming to her eyes at the perfect night they had shared. She actually felt like she could lean on him and he wouldn't run- or fall. Tonight had been the closest thing to having a best friend and she didn't know why, but her heart pounded excitedly at that thought, her emotions still intense and jagged.

"Sooo…." She began as they walked, unable to stay quiet for long.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, ignoring her.

"Hear what?"

"The cry of the Coyote?" He asked and she listened, only hearing the brush of the wind.

"No…"

"Shh, listen…" he paused, closing his eyes and lifting his face to the wind, almost tribally, something that made Gabi want to throw him to the floor and kiss him senseless.

"You are too sexy to be a Reverend. Tell me it's not true." She demanded, shocking him into pinging his eyes open.

"It's true." He said for lack of anything else to offer.

"Damn…" she sighed. "Were you an Indian or something?" she asked next, changing the subject and rejecting her body's tingling awareness to the man next to her.

"No. My father's father was, though." He said. "My middle name means 'Coyotes Cry' because it was the only thing that would stop me crying as a baby."

"Your dad took you out to see Coyotes as a baby?" She spluttered.

"No, he took me to Frank Point. The howls echo across the canyon to there." He explained.

"Where's your dad now?"

"Heaven," he said softly, swallowing in memory.

"You lost him young…" she realised.

He nodded. "Before I started college."

"And your mom?"

"Lives in Arizona and loves it when I visit so she doesn't have to go to 'Sin City'," he described. "She thinks its hilarious I'm a church man and living in the least moralistic city in the world…that is, according to her." He added.

"I guess it is demoralised…" she agreed.

"I don't believe that." He argued, looking to her, and then starting his walk again.

"What's your view on women who sell sex?" She enquired drily.

"Everyone has a reason." He vouched.

"So what was mine?" she wondered.

"You tell me…"

She smirked. "My family live in a war-torn country and I came here to escape. I got my visa but my job didn't work out- it was a dime an hour waitressing job and at sixteen, I couldn't get anything better. I knew about the street work, I was lured into it one night when I was drunk and desperate for cash and then it got addictive. Sex with strangers is strangely satisfying…"

"Until you get hurt."

"Until I opened my eyes and saw I was convincing myself it was the only choice I had. And the day I came to confession, is the day I knew deep down I couldn't do it anymore. It was the first time I had admitted my sin."

"I'm glad God helped you find your way," he offered and she closed her eyes in disappointment.

"Be my friend, Troy." She asked. "This has nothing to do with God and everything to do with you."

"I didn't do anything…" he objected.

"You told me to wait outside. You showed me that human beings- that men- can be caring. That someone gave a shit about my life." She explained, walking with heavy strides that tugged on his arm each time she placed a foot down and he had to smile down onto her angry figure.

"I totally give a…" he paused, about to repeat her blasphemy, then caught himself. "I totally care." He amended sheepishly, making her laugh softly.

"How do you…manage," she swallowed, "without it?"

"Without sex?" He checked and she nodded, biting her lower lip, the flesh there taunting him.

"I guess I never knew what I was missing," he shrugged.

"You've never…" She opened her mouth.

"I joined at eightteen…"

"I was sixteen when I…" She paused, grimacing. "I'm a slut, ignore me."

"You are not what you just said," he quickly argued. "But I didn't have anyone I cared about enough to take that step with before I joined. I had my faith and I found girls with the same views, but it wasn't even down to that. I just never felt it."

"Did you after? Did anyone ever make you wish you didn't have a vow?"

You. He answered silently, playing for time as he traced her angelic face with his eyes.

"Only once." He lied.

"Did you tell her you were celibate?"

"Kind of…"

"Did she leave?" She worried, her black-rimmed eyes wide with upset.

He licked his lips. "Not exactly."

"You're talking in riddles." She accused.

"I'm telling the truth."

They were heading back toward the Chapel now and they both felt the ache of loss as their night threatened to end. As Troy unlocked the door, Gabi let her hand slip back into his and she smiled as he tightened his fingers around hers, leading her inside and closing the door.

"It's goodnight kiss time." She announced, looking up to him expectantly.

"Huh?"

"To end our 'date', the proper thing to do is to share a goodnight kiss…"

"You know I can't do that…" he argued.

"Actually you can." She replied knowingly and he flicked his eyes to each of hers.

"Not without making the others jealous."

"Fine," she grasped his shoulder and tiptoed, kissing his cheek. "Goodnight Troy."

He opened his mouth to protest, taking in air as he fought for the right words to call her back and demand his kiss after all, but he ultimately knew it was best she walked away before he did something they would both regret.

She was the first woman he had ever met that he actually wished he wasn't celibate for and it was crazy, but she was the first woman who wasn't entirely intimidated by his vow, either.

Gabriella Montez was a dangerous commodity, he measured. One he had to avoid at all costs.