Page 16 of The Fangirl and the Playboy

“I love you, Willow Bardin,” he whispers as I drift off into slumber land.

I know you do,are my last thoughts before everything goes dark.

ChapterEight

Gavin

This was a mistake.

I jumped at the chance to come to this impromptu outing the second Pressley mentioned Willow would be here, but now I can see my blunder. Willow’s not happy to see me.

And that’s an understatement.

When I decided to stay in town for a while, I knew reconnecting with Willow would be a challenge. But she hasn’t thawed––at all––as the afternoon has dragged on. Very little eye contact. Zero conversation. I’d say she’s pretending I’m not even here, but the pinch of her lips and the furrow in her brow tell me she’s very aware of my unwanted presence.

And to make matters even worse, Trace keeps shooting suspicious looks between the two of us. Like he can sense something bubbling beneath the surface despite Keegan’s constant attempts to distract him. That one keeps sending me apologetic looks like she knows something is off between Willow and me, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know the reason.

No, Willow hasn’t said anything about our past to any of them. Is it because she’s embarrassed? Or still too hurt and angry to even discuss it? Neither of those options bode well for me and my attempts to get back into her good graces.

Into her life.

We’re sitting around the bonfire as the sun dips below the horizon, and Bram is playing guitar and singing along with the melody. And he’sreallygood. His deep voice is smooth and emotion-evoking, and someone with his talent could definitely make his mark in the music business. I have a couple of contacts who might be able to help, if he’s interested. I make a mental note to mention it to him later.

Pressley is on my right, sitting between me and Bram, her body swaying back and forth as she watches him perform. She’s got hearts in her eyes, but I’m not entirely sure if it’s because she’s enamored with his talent or if that look is for the man, himself.

Keegan and Trace are cuddled together in a camping chair on my left, her body curled against his as they watch the flames of the bonfire dance in the breeze. His hand curves protectively around her hip, and her fingers twist tenderly in his hair. They obviously love each other, and seeing it so clearly makes something in my chest clench.

And Willow? Willow is on the opposite side of the fire, on Bram’s right––as far away as she can possibly get from me and still be part of the group. The light from the fire flickers across her features, and even frowning the way she is, she’s more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her.

I stare at her, hard, trying to catch her eye. But so far, she’s been successful in ignoring me completely. Like I’m not even here. Totally unworthy of her attention.

I just wish she would give me a chance to talk to her. To explain what really happened all those years ago.

Would it fix everything between us? Probably not. I made some bad decisions, and I can admit it, though my intentions at the time were pure. If she knew the truth, it might not make her trust me, completely, but it would be a solid first step to bridging this bottomless trench between us.

* * *

Eleven Years Ago…

We’re close to wrapping the filming of Wane, and the ticking clock over my head is driving me crazy. As hard as I’ve fallen for Willow, I have to come to terms with the fact that her life is here, and mine isn’t.

I’ll be gone, promoting the movies for at least the next year and a half as each one releases in theaters. Traveling around the world, taking interviews, and walking red carpets. And in the downtime between those appearances, I need to start auditioning for my next role. My agent promises I’ll be a hot commodity, and the offers will start pouring in as I cash in on the hype the Cursed movies are already getting.

I’ll have to be in L.A. for those auditions, then I’ll travel to wherever the production of my next project takes me. Whichwon’tbe here in Evening Shade.

It’s not fair to Willow. I know it isn’t, and I’m trying to be very transparent about the future so as not to lead her on. We’ve talked about it, and she knows that our relationship will be put on pause once Wane wraps. We can still call and text, of course, but I might not be able to squeeze in a trip to see her for a while, and she seems okay with that.

Like I’m worth it. Andwe’reworth the wait.

Once we finish filming for the day, I shower in my trailer and dress in a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. I made plans to borrow a production assistant’s car to drive to the nearby town of Jonas Hill, where I’m meeting Willow at the drive-in theater for an honest-to-Goddate. We decided to leave Evening Shade so we could be in public together without worrying who might see us.

I park in a dirt lot outside the drive-in, then jog around to hop in the passenger’s seat of Willow’s waiting hatchback. She greets me with a smile and a quick kiss I feel all the way to my toes before shifting the car into gear and navigating into the line to enter the drive-in. I pull out my wallet to pay for entry, and Willow snatches the leather tri-fold from my grasp to stare at the picture I tucked into the clear license sleeve. The two of us are centered in the shot, a selfie I snapped on my phone a few weeks ago. I used a printer in the production office to print it out so I could carry it with me always.

She looks at me with hearts in her eyes as she hands my wallet back to me, then ruffles her fingers through my hair. I smile as I pay the attendant, and she pulls the car into a parking spot near the back. As soon as the car is in park, she unbuckles her seatbelt and leans over the center console to kiss me.

I lose myself in that kiss, and flashes of our future together stream behind my closed eyelids. Me, coming back for her and being able to show the world how much I love her once she turns eighteen. Willow, welcoming me with warm hugs and passionate kisses. Holding hands as we walk through town. And eventually, slipping a ring on her finger and making her mine, forever.

That last image shocks me a bit, but doesn’t scare me. We may be a couple of kids, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know what we want. And what we want iseach other.

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