Page 66 of For Three Seconds

“Here.” I handed her my jersey.

She smirked at me. “Most guys give roses on the first date, and you give me your shirt. Modest much?”

I pulled her by the hips toward me, leaning down and smelling the skin by her neck. My waiting game was a real pain in the ass right now.

“I want you in my jersey at my games and at night when you go to sleep, and when I take you, I want you in nothing but my shirt.”

When she shivered, I kissed her forehead, then brought her hands to my lips and kissed them too. Then I got her in the car before I dropped to my knees and begged her to come with me after graduation. I’d been playing the long game all my life; this was just another one.

We had just arrived at the movies when my phone started to vibrate again. I took it out and tensed when I saw it was Gigi calling again.

“Is everything okay?” Scar asked, full of concern.

“Everything is perfect,” I said even though that felt like a lie.

I turned my phone on silent as we made our way through the concession stand. I had Scarlett curled up to me watching some chick flick I wouldn’t ever watch again unless that’s what she wanted, and everything should have been perfect, but I kept getting texts and messages from Giuliana.

I held on to Scarlett a little tighter, kissed her a little longer, feeling a sense of dread. The next time I checked my phone, I saw a text from Isaac, and Ollie had tried to call me too.

“I’ll be right back.” I gave Scar a chaste kiss on the lips and went to the hallway. When I called my frat brothers, I wished I would have stayed in an ignorance bubble.

“Dude, you need to check on Gigi,” Ollie said.

I closed my eyes, feeling hate burn through me, but at the same time, shame.

“I’m at the movies with Scar.”

“I know. I wouldn’t have called if I didn’t think it was important.”

When I hung up on him, I called Gigi.

I wish I hadn’t.

Gav…God…I can’t take this pain anymore. I feel like I’m going crazy. I want it to stop.

Her words haunted me and scared me. I knew I couldn’t have something like that on my conscience.

I wasn’t thinking straight because I knew if things didn’t get handled right, I could lose Scar again. I was backed against a corner, and that was never good because you made rash decisions that way. Running a hand down my face, I wanted to scream in frustration, but pulled myself together. When I walked back to where Scar was seated, I felt like the biggest fraud in the world.

“Baby, I have to go,” I told her.

“Something happened?” She sat up, losing her carefree glow.

I hated this damn triangle I had started.

“Nothing—I just really need to get to the house. Here are my keys. I got an Uber. Just stay and finish the movie.”

She opened her mouth, and I couldn’t have her near me, not when I felt like I was cheating.

“Just finish the movie, please. I love you, Scar,” I said as I leaned up to kiss her.

She didn’t say anything; she just sat there watching me leave.

Twenty-Three

Love.

What did that word even mean? I stood still against Gavin’s kiss. He just told me he loved me, just like that. I was shell-shocked.

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