Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Aurora shook her head as she leaned in. “He’s all talk.”
“Like last weekend? Didn’t you fuck that hot cheerleader from Lake Placid?”
“Shut up, I did not,” Gavin replied, as the rest of the group laughed again.
“You’re not gonna get shit from Miss Goody-Two-Shoes,” one of the guys said.
“Come on,” Aurora whispered, “let’s go.”
I shook my head and stayed rooted in place. I had to hear Gavin’s response.
“Trust me, if I wanted to get into Brystol’s pants, I could,” Gavin stated.
His response made me feel sick. I placed a hand over my stomach.
“Then why go to the movies with her?” Lucas asked.
“Like I said, it’s nothing,” Gavin replied. “I felt sorry for her, that’s all. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“So it is a charity date. You’re a better person than me, I’ll tell you that. No way would I go out with that girl. She’s pretty, I’ll give her that, but she’s boring as hell, doesn’t utter a word unless it’s to answer a question in class, and I bet if you did fuck her, she’d just lie there like a frickin’ log.”
A couple guys laughed, and I peeked carefully around the corner where I saw Gavin smirking.
I turned and quickly walked away.
Aurora caught up and wrapped her arm in mine. “Ignore them, Bry. They’re just a bunch of assholes.”
I wiped the tear from my cheek and nodded. As we were making our way out to my car in the school parking lot, I stopped and faced Aurora. “I can’t meet him there tonight. I can’t.”
She took both of my hands in hers. “I’m going to tell my mom I can’t go this weekend.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. Go with your family. I’ll be okay.”
“It’s not fine. You’re my best friend, and you need me. Don’t worry about meeting him. I’ll meet him—and give him a piece of my mind!”
I hugged her and fought the urge to cry but ultimately lost.
Wrapping her arm around my shoulders, Aurora guided me to the car’s passenger side. “I’ll drive.”
As I slipped into the car and wiped my face, I saw Gavin walking out of the school, flanked by four other guys, all football players. They were all laughing, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was still at my expense.
Gavin suddenly looked directly at me in the car. He frowned as I wiped more tears from my face. I turned away and said, “Go, Aurora. Go.”
Gavin
Present Day
I sat in my patrol car and stared out the window at Memory Lane. One quick look at my watch told me she would walk up at any second. And bingo. There she was.
Right on time, Brystol Duggan, the owner of Memory Lane Toys, walked down Main Street holding a cup of coffee I knew she’d gotten from Timeless Cup, a coffee shop down the street from the toy store.
Brystol waved to a couple walking their dog and stopped to chat with them for a few moments before she unlocked the front door of the toy shop and slipped inside.
The knock on my window caused me to jump, and I turned to see Declan Gallagher standing there, a shit-eating grin on his face. I rolled the window down.
“What are you doing?” Declan asked.
“I’m sitting in my patrol car. What does it look like I’m doing?”
He glanced across the street and then back to me. “Were you watching the toy store?”
I laughed. “No.”
Declan raised a brow. “No?”
“No, Declan, I wasn’t. What are you doing here, anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be closing on the house today?”
He and his fiancée, Harper, who owned Crazy Daisies flower shop, were buying a house by the lake.
He smiled. “We close at noon. So, do you want to tell me why you’re spying on Brystol?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll have you know I’m dating Cindy, and I’m not the least bit interested in Brystol. She’s a pain in my ass.”
Declan leaned into the open window of my car. “You keep telling yourself that, but here I find you staring at her from across the street.”
“I was eating the breakfast I got from Cadie’s this morning, that’s why I’m parked here.”
“What did you get?” Declan asked, looking into the car and seeing the bag from Batter Up Bakery.
“I got a slice of banana nut bread and a cupcake for later.”
He nodded. “Then I’ll let you return to enjoying your breakfast…and view.”
“Go to hell, Declan.”
“Been there before, not a pleasant place.” He pushed off the car and laughed as he entered the bakery.
Declan had been a Marine Raider, which was kind of like a Navy SEAL but the Marine Corps version. I had no doubt in my mind he’d seen some terrible things.
“Christ,” I whispered. “What are you doing, Gavin?”
My cell buzzed on the seat next to me, and I reached down to see it was one of my best friends, Denny McCain. I went to high school with him, and we’d been friends, but not like we were as adults. We’d grown close since he moved back to Moose Village with his wife, Evelyn, whom he’d dated since high school.