Page 25 of Crossroads of Love

I watch him for a moment, the glow from the fire casting shadows across his face. He looks different now, the weight of the day hanging heavy on him. For once, that polished, unshakable facade he always wears seems to have cracked, and what is underneath looks… raw.

“Thank you,” he says suddenly as he stands, brushing his hands on his jeans before looking at me. “For taking care of everything. The funeral, this party… all of it. Dad would've loved tonight. I just…” His gaze drops for a moment. “Thanks.”

His vulnerability catches me off guard. Gavin isn’t the type to show that side of himself. I take a step closer, wanting to offer him something, anything to ease the hurt I can see flickering in his eyes.

Why do I always let him get to me like this?

One moment of vulnerability doesn’t mean he’s changed!

“Henry was always so proud of you. Even when you didn’t think he was. He talked about you all the time. You know that, right?”

It’s the truth, but I don’t know why it came out. I don’t have to ease his pain or his guilt; he needs to feel guilty for not having contact with his dad for these past eighteen or so years. It’s not my responsibility to take the guilt away for him. My stomach clenches, and the familiar tightness is in my chest as I fight back the tears.

“It’s my fault he left,” Henry told me. “I stuck my nose in where it didn’t belong, but I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Gavin lets out a soft breath, almost like a laugh, but there is a sadness to it. He shakes his head slightly, not meeting my eyes. “I don’t know about that.”

I step closer again, just enough to feel the warmth from him.

It’s intoxicating. It feels like home.

“It’s true. He loved you more than you’ll ever know.”

I clear my throat and look away quickly. Talking about Henry and being this close to Gavin is causing too many emotions.

I should go back inside.

He shifts slightly, turning as if to walk away, but his arm brushes against mine as he does. It’s the lightest touch but sends a jolt through me, electric and sharp. I feel it down to my core, and I know he felt it too because he freezes, his back to me now, his body tense.

Then, as if pulled by something neither of us can explain, he turns around. His eyes meet mine, dark and intense, and he steps forward and grabs me, pulling me into him.

And then his lips are on mine, fierce and hungry, the kind of kiss that knocks the breath out of you and leaves you dizzy. I melt into him, my hands tangling in his shirt, every thought, every worry slipping away. The fire between us is undeniable, consuming, and I feel it burn all the way down to my toes, making my entire body hum with electricity. I can feel the heat and the dampness fill my panties. I get lost in the moment, in the sensations of everything I want this to mean.

I kiss him back with everything I have, years of unspoken words and hidden feelings pouring into that moment. Tears sting my eyes as I feel every ounce of the love I have for him, every bit of how much I’ve missed him all these years.

I’d forgotten how good this man could kiss.

When we finally break apart, breathless, I’m left reeling, my heart pounding in my chest as I stare up at him. His forehead rests against mine, his breath hot against my lips. Neither of us says a word, but the look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know.

What are you doing, Lena? You can’t be here with him, like this, right now!

He’s not going to stick around. Don’t get your heart broken again!

Then the anger hits me like a tidal wave, and the tears threaten to fall in front of him. I want to punch him in the stomach for the pain he put me through. I pull away, shoving him at the same time and scurry into the house because what else am I going to do?

Chapter Five

Gavin

I’m not in any rush to get to Mike’s office, not with everything hanging over me. But I leave early anyway because I can’t stand being alone in that house a second longer.

It’s not like I can get any work done. The service out there is like being stuck in the age of dial-up internet.

I know I told Jayla I would try to stick around, but it’s not possible. I can’t stand to be in this house with the memories, either.

I send a quick text to the airstrip, asking them to prepare a flight plan for me to go home today. I’ll finish this with Mike and then take off as soon as possible. It’s better if I call Jayla to say bye, too. I can’t say no to her face. She’s too good at getting to my heart.

I’ll stop by the diner along the way. A part of me craves a return to routine—the diner, the coffee, the familiarity of something that hasn’t been marred by the past or the weight of what I was here to do. The diner was filled with good memoriesof growing up, not the fights, the anger, and the words that can never be taken back like the house was.

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