Chapter 7
7
SOPHIE
“ I heard Gav broke up with Mary, rather spectacularly, it seems,” Felicity said.
“What?” Sophie asked, her eyes growing wide.
They were in Conor’s back garden, waiting as he and the guys got their instruments sorted.
Felicity smirked. “Guess he thought he’d made it clear to her on Friday afternoon but then she showed up last night acting like she still had a chance. So, he cut to the chase and told her right in front of Conor that they were over.”
“Oh, I see.”
She had tried so hard not to read too much into the connection she’d felt with Gavin when he walked her home last night. She’d even told herself the long hug he gave her was just out of pity for what she’d confessed about the bullies back home. But now she revisited that walk in a new light, including what he’d told her when he followed her out of the club.
I’d rather be with you.
Smiling, she let herself enjoy the sight of Gavin as he went about strumming and tuning an acoustic guitar. There was an ease he had in his own skin that was so attractive.
With a tug on Felicity’s sleeve, she whispered, “Gavin looks so good today!”
Felicity responded by rolling her eyes. “Please. He looks like he hasn’t bathed in a week. Conor, on the other hand—he looks delicious.”
Taken aback, Sophie looked at her friend. Felicity had never said she was interested in Conor before, but now that Sophie thought about it, there did seem to be some kind of closeness between them that went beyond friendship. She knew that Conor had a habit of showing up to group outings with Felicity in tow. Sophie had seen them tease each other or join forces in arguments against others. They even had nicknames for each other that no one else used. It all added up to a natural fit for a romantic relationship, and Sophie was surprised she hadn’t put it together sooner.
But it made her wonder why Conor danced with her last night. And why he seemed ready to try to kiss her. At the same time, she was glad she hadn’t said anything to Felicity about that. There was no point when nothing actually happened.
Instead, Sophie asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you like him?”
“’Cause I don’t. I just think he’s sexy. So sometimes we do it, is all,” Felicity replied nonchalantly.
As Sophie was forcibly closing her mouth, Conor caught her eye. He swung his guitar strap over his head and the instrument hung low against his hips. At almost six feet, he was a couple of inches taller than Gavin. His build was athletic, probably because whenever he wasn’t with Gavin, he was playing soccer. Today he wore crisp Levi’s that were still dark blue and unblemished, while Gavin wore faded jeans with a hole in one knee. Whereas Conor’s dark hair was cut short and neat, and his face was cleanly shaven, Gavin wore his wavy hair longish and unkempt and had a few days of wispy beard growth. Conor was all cool and control, while Gavin oozed confidence and charisma.
“But—you mean you just have sex with him?” Sophie blurted out.
“Shh! Sophie, you’re the only other person who knows about it. Well, expect for Gavin. I’m sure he knows. But, yeah, every so often we just … get together.”
“And that’s all you want?” Sophie touched her friend’s hand and eyed her with concern.
Felicity smiled and then laughed. “It’s really okay. Maybe I’d want something more if things were different. But it’s okay. When we’re together, it’s actually sweet.”
“What do you mean—if things were different?”
“I’ve told you my plan. I want away from Ireland. Away from my Ma. And even if I wasn’t planning on leaving, there’s no way I could be serious with someone like Conor.”
“I don’t get it. If you like him and he likes you, what’s stopping you?”
“Only because he’s in a band, Sophie. And they’re good. They’re determined to go all the way. There is no way in the world I’d let my heart get involved with a guy who wants to be a rock star. He’ll end up going on the road, cheating on me, and forgetting me altogether. I have too much self-respect to do that to myself.”
Sophie nodded with distraction, unable to even take in the music as the boys began to piece together a song. The idea of casual sex was incomprehensible. She had never been with anyone in that way and couldn’t imagine doing so without love and commitment being involved. Despite her mother’s pragmatic personality—or perhaps in subconscious rebellion against it—she had grown up with Disney princess ideals of finding that one true love.
Felicity nudged Sophie. “He wrote a fucking song about you, Sophie!”
“What?” Sophie asked, confused.
“Haven’t you been listening? It’s called ‘Exotic Creature.’”
Exotic creature. That was how Gavin had described her in his attempt to explain away the aggressive way he had challenged her upon their first meeting. And now he’d incorporated it into a song he’d written … for her .
She met his eyes as he sang, “You take my breath, darlin’, and I like this dizzy feeling.”
Being sung to—sung about—felt as intimate as she imagined sex would. Their connection was undeniable at that moment. It felt like the school hallway all over again where everyone and everything else faded away.
Sophie watched him sing the last few lines as the song wound down. He set his acoustic guitar on a chair before going to her. Felicity gave her hand a quick squeeze before she wandered off.
“I hope you like the song,” he said. “It’s a bit rough still, but?—”
“I love it,” she said quickly.
“I wrote it to try to tell you what you do to me. I suppose I could have told you outright as soon as I broke it off with Mary, but I just … I had this in mind.”
“It’s perfect, Gavin. Really, I can’t imagine anything better.”
“You’re my girl, Sophie,” he said softly. “You’re the one I want.”
She sucked in a breath and blinked away the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “Really?”
“I’ve wanted you since that first morning I saw you at school. It took me a minute to get out of my own way. But when I did, I not only got lost in those stunning green eyes of yours but in the tenderness of your heart. I’ve done nothing but think of you, want you, need you. I’d say you’ve stolen my heart, but you can’t steal what’s already yours.”
Everything he’d just said was completely swoon-worthy. But it was just one word that did her in: need . For him to say he needed her was all it took for her to know she’d be his forever.
When he took her hand in his, she swallowed hard. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through her body that only intensified when he cupped her cheek and leaned in, capturing her mouth with his in a lingering kiss that was so delicious that she hungered for more. She’d been kissed before. But not like this. Not in this confident, sensual way that was so perfect it made her sigh.
“You want to take that somewhere else?”
They broke apart at the sound of Conor’s suggestion. But Gavin didn’t remove his hand from her cheek or step away. Instead, he gently pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, smiling.
“I like this dizzy feeling,” she whispered.
Pulling away so he could meet her gaze, he said, “Jesus, darlin’, you repeating my lyrics for you back to me might just be the end of me, but I’ll go happily if that’s the case.”
She couldn’t resist being the one to kiss him now, savoring the sweet connection they’d found.