Page 22 of The Fangirl and the Playboy

There. Obscure enough so that if it’s not his number anymore, whoever owns it will respond with a wrong number text or not at all. And if it is still his number…

I flinch as my phone vibrates a second later. My eyes widen as I read the response, and my heart starts to race against my express wishes.

FP:Are you at the shop? I can be there in five.

Holy shit. Okay. This is happening. Right now.Fuck.

Me:Yes. See you soon.

* * *

Eleven Years Ago…

A light tap sounds on my motel room door, and my body sparks to life…and not in a good way. I’ve been wallowing in lonely misery ever since I witnessed that press conference this morning, wishing I could confront Gavin for his lies and betrayal. To cross my arms and tap my foot and refuse to listen to his excuses while I took him down a few pegs. To show him I won’t be broken by his games.

All while simultaneously dreading this very moment.

What will he say? More lies? Or will he apologize for leading me on?

It makes no fucking sense. Why would he pretend to love me, but refuse to have sex? That would be the obvious motive for the whole charade, right? Or is he just some weirdo who gets perverse pleasure from making girls fall for him and breaking their hearts?

Pushing myself up off the bed, I smooth my hair and shirt before striding toward the door with purpose. I’m in control, now. I need to end this with a clean break for my own sanity.

Pulling open the door a few inches, I block it with my foot so he can’t push it any further. As soon as he sees my face, his own expression falls. And when I don’t invite him in, his entire body slumps.

“You saw the press conference,” he says in low, dread-filled tones.

“With my own eyes, live and in person,” I say in a lifeless tone. “I came straight to you when I saw that picture of you kissing her, knowing you would clear it up as a mistake, or a joke, or something. Imagine my surprise when I saw you telling a bunch of reporters how in love you are with Julia Warner.”

“Please, Willow,” he begs. “Let me in so I can explain. It’s not what you––“

“It’s over, Gavin,” I cut in before he can finish. “Don’t come back here again.”

“Don’t do this. Please. I love––”

“Stop,” I all but shriek, interrupting him again before he can finish and shatter what’s left of my broken heart. “Don’t you dare say those words to me. In fact, don’t sayanywords to me ever again. Goodbye, Gavin.”

“Willow, please,” he cries, but I only frown and shake my head.

Then I slam the door in his God damn face. Throwing the deadbolt, I turn and lean back against the thick slab of wood before sliding down to the floor. The tears return, and I don’t even try to stop them.

This is it. Gavin and I are done.

It’s really over.

For good.

ChapterTwelve

Gavin

I’m nervous as hell as I walk into Moonstone Mystic. This is it. Willow and I are finally going to have it out, and while I can’t tell her the whole truth about Julia––still not my secret to tell despite my determination to come clean when everything went down––I can explain what happened all those years ago and somehow make her believe I never betrayed her.

Not on purpose, anyway.

I don’t know what I hope will happen. Do I think she’ll fall into my arms, and we’ll start right back up where we left off? No. That’s ridiculous.

More than a decade has passed, and we’re both different people now.

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