Page 59 of For Three Seconds

And because I was weak where Gavin Dunn was concerned, I got in his damn car. Before I sat down, he handed me the can of Pringles.

“You can wipe that smug smile off your face,” I said between bites of Pringles.

Gavin’s eyes went soft and that made me feel funny on the inside too.

“You’re getting there,” he said softly.

“Getting where?”

“You’re not there yet, but soon.”

“I kinda have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said even though my stomach was in all kinds of knots at the moment.

“It will all make sense eventually.”

Right.

When we got to school, I didn’t know what I expected him to do, but wrapping me in his arms and pressing my body against his was not what I had in mind. I still had my hands free to keep eating my chips, but still.

“Um, Gav…”

“This way, no one can kidnap you,” he said.

“It’s daylight,” I told him.

“No one can stare at your ass this way.”

My mouth dropped open.

“Unless you want my tongue down your throat, close your mouth, Scarlett.”

Too stunned to say anything—but really my brain turned to mush—I let him walk us to my first class. We had to stop several times as guys approached to greet him. I felt a little self-conscious when girls openly glared at me.

“Don’t you two look cozy?” Ollie came up and started to walk next to us. “I wondered where my ride had gone off to this morning, and with my chips.”

I chewed slowly, then turned my head up to look at Gavin.

“You gave me someone else’s chips?”

“Those are your favorite,” he replied.

I turned to Ollie and offered him some. “He’ll buy you a new can.”

Ollie didn’t have time to answer before a pretty raven-haired girl was standing in front of us and glaring at me.

“Wow, you’re really going to do this to Gigi?” she spat at Gavin.

At her words, I felt my knees buckle a little. For a moment I actually forgot all about her. But my guilt over my choices that affected her life didn’t matter. It was just me and what I wanted.

Gavin’s arms around me got tighter.

She then turned her gaze at me. “I know who you are. You’re the little slut who came between them. You’re the reason—”

“You aren’t welcome at the house anymore,” Gavin barked.

The girl’s face paled.

“Ollie, get Selena out of my face,” Gavin demanded, and then he moved us out of the way, pressing me into the wall, his hand coming to my chin and forcing me to look up at him.

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