Page 32 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

She knew he was a runner. He’d run when she needed him most. First emotionally, then physically. She’d never count on another man again. It hurt too much. And because she was so familiar with the feeling of being abandoned, she’d never leave Emma feeling that way.

She crossed her arms. “I’m staying until Emma’s future is settled.”

Gavin regarded her with a stubborn glint in his eyes. “So am I.”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to put up with each other.”

“I guess we will.” Their gazes clashed for a long moment.

Then Laurel got up and headed toward the stairs, feeling his eyes on her every step of the way.

Chapter13

Despite her mom’s dire warnings about men, Laurel and Gavin breezed through their senior year of high school. Laurel was high on love. But, goals in sight, she poured herself into her academics, and in the fall she earned a full scholarship to Clemson. She couldn’t stop staring at that acceptance letter. She’d done it. This was her way out, her way up.

Gavin took her to Asheville to celebrate and surprised her with a trip to the Biltmore after supper. As they walked through the gardens and grounds, she told him all about the plants and the history of the place. The grounds were a flora and fauna wonderland. And the rich history, going back over a hundred years, represented a kind of stability and continuity Laurel could only dream of. He listened and asked questions and didn’t once seem bored by her passionate monologue.

At school she relished her role as Gavin’s girlfriend. The football team had their best year in a decade, and shortly after the season ended, Gavin was offered a partial football scholarship to Appalachian State, where he would major in construction management.

They celebrated the offer, and the school year seemed to fast-forward from that point. They attended prom, then graduation was upon them. She finished as class valedictorian while Gavin claimed salutatorian. And before she knew it, high school was behind them, and their uncertain futures opened up before them.

She confided in Mallory her worries about the upcoming school year. She and Gavin would go their separate ways, and the colleges were more than three hours apart. How would they remain close when they lived in separate worlds? He would be a campus football star. Surely some other girl would catch his eye, and Laurel would lose him for good.

But she couldn’t give up a full-ride scholarship to a university so highly ranked for its horticulture program. And she surely couldn’t ask Gavin to turn down the opportunity to attend his mother’s alma mater. He’d had his heart set on AS since before he’d begun dating Laurel.

Her mom encouraged her to break up with Gavin, but Laurel couldn’t even consider it. Still, her heart ached at the thought of a long-distance relationship. As July slid into August, Gavin seemed at ease about the impending separation. Once football season passed, they’d get together on weekends, and their relationship would continue as usual.

Laurel hid her fears from him, pretending to be confident that they’d breeze through these long four years apart. But really, how often did high school sweethearts make it long distance? The deck was stacked against them, and in mid-August as Gavin and Mom helped her settle into her dorm room, a dark cloud hovered over Laurel’s head.

Her mom gave her a hug on the steps of her dorm building andpatted her back awkwardly. “You’re going to do great, honey. Stay focused on your academics—that’s what matters.”

But as her mom headed toward her car, Laurel couldn’t even remember what classes she’d signed up for. Gavin stood in front of her, holding her hands, that boyish grin tilting his lips, and suddenly she just wanted to grab him and never let him go.

Once he left, he would be headed straight for his campus, where he’d meet other girls. Prettier girls with more to offer. Girls who’d feel more comfortable in social situations. Girls who were more fun and spontaneous.

Pain unfurled in her chest at the thought of days on end without him. Without hearing his laughter. Without kissing those lips. A sense of doom filled her. Her mother had been right. She never should’ve let herself fall in love with him. She’d just been asking for—

He cupped her face. “Hey, look at me. We’ll see each other in two weeks, remember? And until then we’ll talk on the phone every day. You’ll get tired of all my texts.” His eyes twinkled. “You’re not going to forget about me, are you?”

Never. She forced a saucy expression. “Doesn’t sound as if you’re going to let me.”

He chuckled and drew her into his arms and whispered into her ear, “I will be the biggest pest in the universe.”

She clung to him, letting her body say what her mouth would never admit.

“You’re going to be late for orientation,” he said a long moment later. He kissed her softly, calming her in a way only he could. When the kiss ended, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’ll call you when I get to campus. Cross your fingers my roommate isn’t the jerk he seems on social media.”

“I’m sure you’ll make it work.”

He held her again for a long moment. Time ticked away like a bomb.

“You’re going to kill it here, Laurel.” He whispered in her ear, “I love you.”

“Love you too.” She forced her lips into a smile as he pulled away and squeezed her hand. And then he was walking away. And her heart was beating so hard she pressed a palm to her chest just to make sure it didn’t burst from her body.

The first days of college passed in a flurry of classes and meetings. Laurel poured herself into her schoolwork, organized her schedule right down to each meal break, and missed Gavin every second in between. She missed her mom and Mallory. She missed the Robinsons too. Since the time she and Gavin had started dating, they’d become her second family.

Her roommate, Sarah, was a nice girl from Asheville. Even though she was also a freshman, she seemed to have made a lot of friends already and invited Laurel to parties and girls’ nights out. Laurel mostly turned her down, opting to study instead.

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