Page 53 of For Three Seconds

“How dare you mention her name right now when I feel so low because of what you two did!” Gigi snapped.

“Because I deserve happiness, Gigi…I’m tired of this. It fucking sucks, and it guts me, and I feel that pain, but you need to leave me the fuck alone.”

She stepped back, angry. “If you think I’m going to stand back while that little bitch tries to take you away from me again, you are wrong. It’s you and me!”

I didn’t listen to her. Instead, I took a step toward the door.

“I was never yours, Giuliana, and it kills you because you’ve always known it.” I walked away. I was almost out the door when I turned around while she looked between her little posse of bitches and me. “Stop telling everyone I’m pining over you because we both know I’m not.”

I felt free when I walked through the doors, the guilt I had been carrying since prom now gone. I looked at the time and cursed Gigi all over again. When I made it to school, it took me a minute to find Scar. I knew she sat on a bench before she left for her last class of the day. It was the first time I was glad we had pledges.

“Just to let you know, it’s me, Gavin, not a kidnapper, and I’m going to sit across from you,” I announced loud enough for her to hear me.

She brought her head up and looked at me like I had grown two heads. “Why are you here?”

After our last conversation, I would question my motives too.

“Your brother said you needed a friend, and I guess he picked me to be that friend.” I grinned.

It wasn’t a total lie, but maybe she would appease Nick and let me in a little that way.

“He didn’t,” she whispered in mad disbelief.

“Baby, he did.”

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.

Okay, apparently things weren’t going to be that easy. That was fine. I loved a good challenge.

“There are other things I could call you.” My voice came out like a seductive purr, and her eyes flashed briefly, her gaze landing on my lips.

“How about goodbye?” she spat before she got up and walked away.

I got up and went beside her.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” I said, and she ignored me. “See, the other night, I realized where the problem was. I have let you run away time and time again, and you seem to think you can do the whole yo-yo act and come back when you feel like it.”

She turned to look at me and glared. “Don’t you worry about that. I’ve cut the strings. There will be no coming back.”

I didn’t say anything until her building was a few feet away. I grabbed her arm and stopped her and turned her body to face me.

“Scar, you lie through your teeth whenever I’m near, so I’m done listening to your words—” I took a step closer to her and noticed her stop breathing. I bent my head so I could kiss her. “Whenever I touch you, baby, you come alive. So I’m just going to listen to your body.” I kissed her again, this time more forcefully. “You want me, Scar, and that scares you, but it doesn’t scare me. So fight me, but soon you’ll be in my arms, you in my jersey at my games, and at nights in my bed.”

Scarlett had her eyes closed, and when I let her go, she turned around and ran away again. This time I wasn’t mad; instead, I loved the curve of her ass.

What I didn’t mention was that she would let me in her heart.

Nineteen

You want me,Scar, and that scares you.

Gavin’s words kept haunting me night and day. I woke up, and it was the first thing I heard. I went jogging, and they snuck into my time of solace. I was with the girls watching TV, and they crept through.

What fucked with me the most was that he said those words, and then nothing. He sat next to me in class, walked with me, made small talk, but didn’t kiss me anymore, didn’t even try to reach for my hand.

I didn’t know what game he was playing, and he seemed overconfident that he was winning. For the first time in years, I was glad to be at my therapist because it gave me someone to talk to. Things with Nick got weird for a few days after I caught him doing the nasty, and this weekend, he had practice, so it wasn’t like we were avoiding each other.

“Now, today, I want to talk about Gavin. You said you didn’t blame him, but you don’t trust him.”

---