Page 60 of For Three Seconds

“Don’t let that selfish bitch take more from you than she already has,” Gavin said.

“She was my best friend, Gav.”

“It was a long time ago, Scar.”

I looked at him, at the boy I had a crush on, and the pain I’d buried deep in the back of my mind resurfaced. He had picked her over me time and time again.

“In my mind, we never left,” I told him before I pushed him off me and left to class.

* * *

Gavin

When Scarlett pushed me away, I let her. My hands were shaking, and I wanted to punch something or someone, but hell if I’d risk my career over my rage. Everything felt as it was slipping right through my fingers. My heart had stopped beating as Selena spoke. That meant Gigi had told whoever would listen that she had lost my child.

Fuck.

The thought killed me because that was my burden—that was my kid—and she’d found a way to turn it into a pawn in this selfish game she’d been playing. God, if Scarlett knew, she’d never forgive herself, nor me.

“Texted Drew. The boys won’t be happy. She’s always down for a good time, but they won’t let her in the house.”

“I owe them,” I told Ollie.

He clapped my back, and we both walked into class, where Scarlett had picked a seat at the front. The class was too packed now for me to sit with her. Ollie snorted and looked at Scar, then at me.

“You sure she’s worth all of this?”

“I’ve been in love with her since I was twelve years old,” I confessed aloud for the first time. I left to take a seat by the aisle. That way, I could get a hold of Scarlett once class ended.

As soon as the professor dismissed us, I rushed out the door so that I could grab her there. Fuck me—my stomach dropped when I saw tears in her eyes.

“Scar,” I pleaded for her to talk to me.

“I have to go to my next class.”

I felt like I was losing everything before it fully belonged to me, and I knew I couldn’t let that happen. Not when I was running out of time.

“What are you doing?” Scarlett hissed when I picked her up and hauled her over my shoulder.

“I’m kidnapping you,” I told her as I made my way to the parking lot.

I was not about to lose all my progress with Scar for one jealous bitch. She was my endgame, and I needed her to open her eyes and see how good we were together. It should have been her and me from the start—my perfect puzzle piece.

Twenty-One

I wokeup happy this morning, full of hope, and life came back to remind me of the wrongs I’d done.

“Gavin, let me go,” I hissed as I hit his back.

“That’s all I’ve done my whole life, Scar. I’m changing things up,” he replied without pausing or breaking his stride.

Once we were next to his car, he went to the driver’s door, opened it, and motioned for me to go in.

“You want me to drive your car?” I screeched.

“It’s stick, and you never learned how to drive stick,” he said matter-of-factly.

“I could have,” I said defensively. “What am I supposed to do? Sit on you while you drive us?”

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