Page 51 of Crossroads of Love

I don’t want to argue with him. I don’t want to fight. I want to walk right into his open arms and never leave them, but I can’t.

A wave of guilt hits me. I turn back around quickly and take a few deep breaths so that Gavin can’t see any of it.

By the time he leaves, the house feels too quiet. Jayla’s upstairs, probably texting her friends, and I’m left in the kitchen, staring at the empty sink. Gavin has a way of getting under my skin, of making me feel things I’ve spent years trying to bury.

I shake my head, turning off the light and heading upstairs.It’s just Gavin, I tell myself. He’s always been like this. Charming, infuriating, impossible to ignore. Yet as I climb into bed, I can still hear his laughter and see the way his eyes softened when he looked at me.

What if Gavin hadn’t told me I was just a fuck buddy? What if he had not left Hicks Creek and never looked back?

What if Aaron hadn’t come back from the Army when he did?

What if I told Aaron no when he asked if we could get back together?

What if that is the reason Gavin stayed away this long?

What would it have been like to see him every day, not as my brother-in-law but as… something more?

If he had come back while I was married to Aaron, would I have been able to curb the urges I have when he’s around?

It’s a dangerous line of thinking, and I hate myself for it.

God, even now, just thinking about his name feels like a betrayal.

It’s wrong. It’s too soon.

Chapter Eleven

Gavin

“Hey, Sean,” I say into the phone when my friend answers.

“Hey, Gav, how’s the farm life?” he teases.

“It’s different.” I chuckle. “Thanks again for taking over getting the penthouse ready for the real estate agent.”

“No problem. I think it’s smart to have them do all the legwork for you to use it as an Airbnb for people.”

“Yeah, just more to add to my portfolio. I can do almost anything from here. Unfortunately, I have to go into town for decent internet, though. Luckily, the library doesn’t allow people to talk to me nonstop when I’m there.”

“Never thought I’d see Gavin Wells hanging out at the library.” He chuckles.

“It will be short-lived. I have someone coming out to install better internet in the next few days.”

“Did the movers get all of your stuff there yet?”

“Yeah. My work-from-home setup was the most important, obviously, but I can’t do anything with it just yet.”

“Are you really doing this?” He sighs. “Your life has been in the city. Do you even know what you’re getting yourself into?”

“I have no choice. My father made sure of it.”

“You don’t have to stay.”

“I do. If I leave, the farm goes to auction, and I can’t let that happen. I owe it to my mom, if nothing else.”

“I guess I get it, but…Gavin Wells is not a small-town country boy.”

“It’s who I was before I went to the city.” I chuckle. “It can’t be that hard to go back to it.”

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