Page 65 of Kept in the Dark

He said, “Yeah. But for what it’s worth, I think there’s more to you and I’m curious.”

She eyed him, trying and failing to hide a smirk. She was both irritated and intrigued by this man. His straightforwardness was a relief while everyone else tiptoed around her as if she was a bomb waiting to go off. And maybe she was. But she didn’t need to be handled with care, and he somehow knew that.

Sticking her nose up at him, she said, “Fine. You can walk with me. But I'm not great company.”

He chuckled. “You look like great company to me.”

A smile tugged at her lips, but she pushed it away. “You realize I’m a convicted felon, right?”

“And? You’re innocent, aren’t you?” He shrugged. “Hailey told me.”

She nodded slowly. “Good to know she’s got a big mouth.”

He laughed again and she found herself loving the sound. They began walking around downtown, the shadows of palm trees covering them every few feet. Sara had forgotten how beautiful it was here, with the palm trees lining the sidewalks, bright flowers, and brick sidewalks.

If she wasn’t so miserable, she might actually enjoy it.

“So, tell me about yourself,” she said.

Ugh. She sounded lame. As a teenager, she would have never said something like that.

“Obviously, I was in the Marines.” He held up his dog tags, proud of his service. “I met my business partner in college and we both decided to drop out of law school and serve. Then we opened a private security firm.”

“Was being a Marine as hard as they make it out to be on TV?”

Gavin smiled. “Harder. What about you?”

She tensed. “Not much to know, other than the obvious.”

“That’s not true. You went to prison for something you didn’t do and now look at you. You’re a fighter. Plus, you’ve got a scar on your neck that I’m sure has one helluva story.”

She started, alarm racing through her body. She was beginning to regret letting him walk with her. Regret seemed to be in high numbers these days.

“You don’t have to tell me. I was just making conversation,” he said.

Sara looked away. “Like I said, there’s nothing to tell.”

He grinned mischievously. “Whatever you say.”

Gavin didn’t push her for details and instead changed the subject. It had been such a long time since she’d truly connected with anyone, something he quickly picked up on. But he didn’t seem to mind and made it easy to laugh at his jokes. She even allowed herself to flirt for a minute.

As they walked, he shared stories about what he’d seen while overseas, most of which was very traumatic. Much like what she felt.

“I still have nightmares from time to time. It’s hard to make sense of feeling like you did something good, even if it cost people their lives.” He pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a round scar on his pectoral. “I was shot and almost died. We were taking fire, and my buddy had been hit. I went back to drag his body behind a building and was hit in the process. Don’t remember much after that, but I woke up in the hospital and was told I almost didn’t make it.”

She studied the raised flesh and nearly reached out to touch it but caught herself. Instead, she traced the one on her neck, memories flooding her.

“Did your friend make it?” she asked.

Gavin slumped slightly. “No. He left behind a wife and newborn. That was rough. I don't really have any family and yet he was the one to die.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

He smiled sadly and nodded.

For the first time, she felt safe enough to share her story. Funny it was with someone she didn’t much care for, though her hardness for him was softening. Sure, he was still flirtatious and arrogant, but there was a quiet gentleness about him that hadn’t been there years before.

She found herself drawn to tell him about her life, her secrets, her thoughts. She’d tell him about her hopes and dreams if she had any.

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