Page 67 of Crossroads of Love

Jayla takes a deep breath and looks back at her uncle.

“I wanted to apologize for being rude to you the other night. I was scared and didn’t know how to handle it.”

He opens his arms, and she rushes to him in a hug.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, Jay. Thank you.”

“I have a basketball game tonight. Will you come?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Really?”

“Really. Hey, Dayton said there’s a new foal in the stable if you want to go check it out.”

She doesn’t even reply before she sprints toward the barn. I laugh and then look back at Gavin with a grin. He’s smiling, watching me carefully before he reaches out and takes my hand in his.

“That was nice,” he says.

“Gavin,” I breathe. “I…I have to know what we’re doing. I can’t…I can’t be going into this thinking that it’s a relationship and you’re just having fun. It’s—”

He puts his finger up to my lips to shush me, and my knees go weak. His eyes gaze right into mine, and I feel the wetness between my thighs. My heart is fluttering ridiculously.

“This is a relationship. We will go as slow as you need to go, though. I don’t want anyone but you. It’s always been you.”

“Gavin,” I sigh.

“I know I told you before that we were just fuck buddies. It was an asshole move, but I panicked. I was ready to propose to you back then, and I know that probably sounds insane, but it’s true. Dad and I got into a huge fight when I told him. I knew that if we went public back home so soon after that, it wouldn’t go well.”

“Why didn’t you…”

“Because I told myself that maybe it was better. If my dad was against us, then your parents would be, too. I was young and dumb. Then you got back with Aaron, and I thought I had just been a placeholder.”

“You weren’t. I wish you would have told me.”

“We can’t change the past. We can only make sure the future isn’t the same.”

“I like that.”

I lean forward and put my forehead against his.

“Is Jayla okay with it?”

“We talked, and I think so.”

“Good.” He pulls back and kisses my forehead.

I immediately feel like I turn into girl goo at the gesture. It’s so nice to feel giddy for once.

“Hey,” he continues. “I’ll have to go into the city this week for a few days. I have some loose ends to tie up and a meeting I have to be in person for. Collin is a football star, but he plays basketball, too, and asked me to be at his game.”

I nod slowly, a pang of jealousy hitting me. It’s an irrational thought, wondering why he’s not asking me to go with him. Just a little bit of insecurity left over from Aaron.

I take a deep breath and blow it out. “Will you be able to talk and text when you’re there?”

“Of course, there’s no way I’m going a day without talking to you.” He smiles as he pulls me into a hug.

I smile, melting into him as I do. He’s giving me reassurances that I need without even knowing he’s doing so. This is nice.

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