39. Gavin
GAVIN
As the camera pans to follow Penelope walking down the red carpet, Violet and Dahlia jump up and down. I’ve never seen my girl so happy. She hits me with a smile that makes the world feel simple and good, and then lunges at me, throwing her arms around my neck.
She’s a whirlwind of excitement. I stumble, and she freezes, wide-eyed. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” I steady us. “You’re just stronger when you’re all amped-up on fashion.”
“She’s wearing my dress. Penelope Hart is wearing my dress.” If her voice gets any higher, she’ll be able to communicate with animals.
“I saw. She looks great. Congrats, baby.”
She squeals and bounces, rubbing her body all over mine in the process.
“You look pretty great too,” I murmur, leaning down and attempting to kiss her.
She’s a moving target, but as soon as my lips cover hers, she melts into me.
Being on the receiving end of all that enthusiasm has me ready to throw her over my shoulder and run upstairs.
Metaphorically, of course. I’m not quite up to running stairs yet.
The knee is better. I’m off my crutches and in physical therapy.
I don’t know if I’ll be ready by the time the season starts next fall, but that’s my goal.
I want that NCAA championship. After that?
I’m still not sure. I know it involves the girl next door.
She doesn’t hate my guts so much anymore and I’m going to do everything I can to keep it that way.
“I’m so happy for you.” Dahlia comes over to my girl. I let her go, so the two of them can hug again.
We’re in the media room for the big event.
All her roommates and a few friends from her fashion design class are here to watch Penelope strut down the red carpet in Violet’s dress.
There’s a party outside for her, too—the biggest of the year.
That was Tommy’s doing. I think he’s trying to win over my girl. He’s still a little scared of her.
Felix steps into the doorway and tips his beer in my direction. “What’s going on?”
Nodding toward the TV, I say, “Penelope Hart. She’s wearing one of Violet’s dresses tonight.”
“That’s awesome.” He glances at the screen.
It really is. She’s so talented. It blows me away.
“Felix!” Violet greets him.
“I just heard the news. Cheers to you.” He lifts his drink.
“Thank you. Done any recent modeling?”
He smirks. “Busting my balls?”
I chuckle and pull her into my side.
Felix moves his attention to Dahlia, who seems to have turned to stone right in front of us.
“Hey, Dahlia,” he says. “How are you?”
Her blonde hair bounces around her shoulders as she nods. She opens her mouth like she’s going to respond, but it takes another three or four bobs of her head before she does. “Hi. Okay. I mean, great.”
Felix takes a step closer to her, and she looks panicked. “When is Penelope wearing your dress?”
“It isn’t a dress,” she says, sounding a little more confident, but her face turns red. “It’s a jumper, and this summer.”
“On her worldwide tour,” Vi adds.
Dahlia blushes harder.
“Let’s go dance.” Jane rescues Dahlia and tugs her friend out of the theater room. The rest of us follow behind.
Vi and I are the last to step out into the yard. I swing our joined hands between us.
“Need to sit?” she asks.
“Offering to do a lap dance?”
She rolls her eyes and shoots me a playful smile. A few empty chairs are abandoned next to the fence, so I take one and pull her to sit on my good leg.
The music is pumping. People are laughing and having a good time. Vi sways to the beat as she watches her friends.
“Go.”
“But what about you?”
“I need a fresh beer anyway.”
“Why didn’t you grab one on our way out?” Her eyes twinkle with humor.
“I didn’t need one then.”
Laughing, she presses a quick kiss to my lips and then rushes off.
The kitchen is as packed as the rest of the house tonight.
Someone made Jell-O shots and the little cups of colorful gelatin laced with alcohol take up the entire island.
I grab a couple of beers, so I don’t have to come back any time soon, and then stack up as many shots as I can for Vi and her friends.
I’m heading back out when Bailey steps in front of me.
“Hi, Gavin.” She smiles at me and eyes all the booze in my hands. “Woah, someone is planning on having fun tonight.”
“Bailey,” I say coolly as I try to pass her.
“Let’s do a shot.” She places a hand on my forearm and closes the distance between us.
“I don’t think so.”
“Violet’s busy. She won’t mind.”
The fact she knows where Violet is, tells me everything I need to know about how calculated this little interaction was.
I look her dead in the eye and smile. She reciprocates and tips her head to indicate we should go inside.
“I mind.” I try to push past her again.
Her grip tightens and a smirk twists her lips. “Come on. Don’t be like that. I’ll let you do anything you want to me.”
“I’m with Violet, and even if I weren’t, I’m not interested, Bailey. Not now. Not ever.”
“Whatever.” Her body stiffens. “You probably can’t even get it up or you’d pass out like last time.”
I start to walk away but then her words sink in. “What did you say?”
“I said you probably can’t even get it up.”
“The other thing,” I grit out. “You said I passed out. Before or after we hooked up?”
She says nothing and my blood boils. “Answer the damn question, Bailey. Did we or did we not sleep together?”
“Not yet,” she purrs and tries to step into my space.
I hold up a hand. “But we were in bed together.” She’d been fully naked, and I was mostly there. I don’t remember getting to her dorm or anything that happened after, but it didn’t look good.
“I told you it was Violet’s bed. You were so drunk, you would have believed anything I said.”
“So you and I didn’t do anything?” I ask again, to be sure I’m following correctly.
She rolls her eyes. “No. You were going on and on about Vi all night. It was obnoxious. Seriously, she isn’t that great. You passed out as soon as you hit the mattress.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You just let me think that we hooked up? Why?”
She shrugs. She fucking shrugs.
Something snaps inside of me. My head tips back in a laugh that’s part hysteria and part relief. “Get the fuck out of my house, Bailey.”
I leave her without another word and cross the yard to get to my girl.
Vi sees me when I get close and dances toward me. Her brows pull together in concern as she studies my face. “Are you okay?”
I know I’ll tell her eventually, but not tonight. Tonight is about celebrating her. “Never better.”
“O-kay.” A slow smile spreads across her face. “Then are we drinking to black out tonight?”
“For your friends.” I hand her the stack of Jell-O shots and then loop my arm around her waist. “And to answer your question, fuck no. I want you to remember every dirty thing I’m going to do to you later.”
Her eyes darken. “Maybe we should take a quick party break.”
I fight back a chuckle. “Sounds like an excellent idea.”
We cut through the crowd, and I chase after her upstairs to my room. We’re both laughing and out of breath. She stands in the middle of my room, looking so gorgeous. I can’t believe she’s mine.
I linger in the doorway, just staring at her.
“What?” she asks, confused because I still haven’t moved.
“I love you so fucking much.”
A coy smile tilts up the corners of her mouth. “I love you too.”
She turns and walks to the window. I finally step fully into the room and close the door behind me.
She gasps. “My car is blocked in!”
I wrap my arms around her from behind. She’s right. Cars line both sides of the street, including her driveway.
“Good thing you’re not going anywhere tonight.”
She spins on me and gives me a haughty glare that takes me by surprise. “You’re the worst, Gavin Leonard.”
A slow smile replaces the glare.
I place an open-mouth kiss to her shoulder and then bite lightly. “The absolute worst.”