13. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
Griffin’s Beach Gavin
W as it stupid to get an apartment when money isn’t coming in from the club yet, and he’s too busy to have a real job to tide him over until he’s patched in? Probably. But does Gavin care? Not really.
Gracie waddling around his parents’ house as she continues to grow outward is one thing. He gets it even if she’s not yet seventeen. But the constant talks with their mom about various pregnancy symptoms whether some things are normal or not have become too much.
There is nowhere near enough discretion when it comes to talking about bodily fluids when it comes to his sister. There are some things a brother just does not need to know. It’s bad enough when she’d talk about being on her period, but this is a completely different level.
His parents hounding him to find out who the father is hasn’t made things any easier.
For some reason, Gracie refuses to give up a name, and Gavin wishes she’d just spill already.
Since Hailey left, Gavin could really use the physical release of pent-up emotions in the form of beating this asshole half to death. Maybe all the way to death.
A knock at his apartment door makes him groan and contemplate pretending not to be home. “I swear, if this is one of the guys wanting me to do some bullshit task, I am not in the mood,” he mumbles.
He walks from the bedroom as the knocking begins again. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Keep your pants on!”
The living room has no furniture except for two folding chairs, and he hopes whoever stopped by isn’t here for a beer and a chat.
Opening the door, everything he had in his mind to say to the person on the other side disappears as he gapes. “Hailey?”
“Surprise.”
“What are you doing home?”
“We have a four-day break, so I decided to come and visit. Lucas mentioned you got an apartment, so I thought I’d stop by and give you this.”
Hailey holds a plant in her outstretched hands, and he takes it, unsure how to interpret this exchange. ”Uh, thanks.”
“Are you gonna invite me inside?”
No, you dumped my ass, remember?
“Uh, yeah, come in,” he says instead.
“You have a bed at least, right? You’re not crashing in the corner or something?”
“Yeah, I have a bed,” he says and can’t stop himself from laughing. “I’m not crazy enough to sleep on the floor of the place I live in.”
Looking around, she shrugs. “I’d only recommend sleeping on the floor of places you don’t pay to live in.”
He winces when he realizes what he’d said and to whom. The reason Hailey and Lucas ended up with Colt and Lex is because they were found squatting in their old house. The two teenagers would rather sleep on the floor in a house without electricity and running water than the house they ran from.
“Sorry,” Gavin says and frowns.
The first time he sees the woman who still has his heart in a death grip would be when he puts his foot in his mouth.
Reminding Hailey of her drug addict stepmom and abusive stepdad wasn’t on the list of topics to discuss when he saw her again.
Not unless he happened to run into Harold in a dark alley one night.
“It was a joke, Gavin,” Hailey says.
He still feels guilty. Mention of that place has to remind her of her mother’s suicide thanks to her stepmother and her father’s death by car accident. She has no one but Lucas.
Sure, she has Colt and Lex, but she keeps them at a distance. The one thing he learned when she dumped him is that she never lets anyone get too close.
Sighing, he walks to the fridge and grabs her a soda. “So… How’s school.”
She takes the can and opens it. “It’s school. I don’t have a roommate until the fall semester, so it’s kind of cool having the large room to myself.”
“Have you talked to her?”
“A little bit. Mostly chatting online. I think we’ll get along. Her name’s Lindsey, and she’s cute with blonde freckles. She doesn’t look old enough to be eighteen, though.”
“Did she graduate early?”
Shaking her head, she takes a drink. “She’s actually six months older than me. She looks twelve, though. Poor girl.”
She pulls out her phone to show Gavin a picture from social medial. The girl really does look like she hasn’t hit puberty yet. “Wow. Would not guess she’s even old enough to drive yet.”
“She’s from a small town in Oregon. She’s looking forward to getting out of state and away from her large family. I tried to explain that Riverview isn’t exactly a big metropolis, but she won’t hear of it.”
“Must be cool having a big room like that to yourself. Do you have one of those suites with the bathrooms attached to your room? Or do you have to share with the other coeds?”
Chuckling, she shakes her head, a few strands of dark hair falling from behind her ear. “No, it’s not a suite. I wish, though. And it’s nice, but it’s also kind of weird. I don’t really remember living anywhere without Lucas. I kind of miss him. Not that I’m ever going to admit that to him.”
“He’s doing good?”
“Oh, he’s thriving with Lex and Colt. I think he really likes being the older brother. They think he’s a superhero, and he’s always been the good one.”
An eyebrow raises as he stares at her. “The good one?”
“You know what I mean. He’s the one who never pushes the boundaries and purposely pisses people off to see how far they stretch. The one who doesn’t have issues following the rules and being quiet. You know, the angel to my devil.”
He studies her as she looks at the counter. Hailey looks good. Great, even. Between the two of them, she doesn’t seem to be affected by the breakup whereas he feels like he’s a total mess. She clearly doesn’t miss him as much as he misses her, and it pisses him off.
“What are you doing here, Hailey? You broke up with me, remember?”
She focuses intently on the can as she twists it on the counter. Refusing to meet his eyes, it gives him a little satisfaction to know she needs to do something with her hands.
Is she nervous? No…
“I miss you, Gavin.”
“I miss you, too.”
“If you miss me, why haven’t you taken me into your arms and kissed me senseless until I strip completely naked and risk a noise complaint from your new neighbors?”
“Are you kidding me?”
Shrugging, she continues playing with the can in front of her. “No.”
“You broke up with me.”
“Long distance would have been too hard.”
“According to you. I tend to only sleep with the woman I’m with, and you made it very clear that we are not together.”
She nods and finally looks up into his eyes. “I understand.”
“Is that what you came here for? To fuck me before heading back to campus like you did before?”
“At least you’d know I was leaving this time,” she jokes.
“It’s not funny, Hailey.”
Her mouth snaps shut, and she looks remorseful. “I’m sorry.”
“You hurt me by what you did and how you did it, and you thought stopping by to fuck me before disappearing again would be a good idea?”
“You’re good at what you do, and I do care about you, Gavin. I never meant for you to think otherwise.”
Looking at the ceiling, he lets out a long breath. “It didn’t feel that way considering how it all went down.”
“Maybe when I’m done with school, we can see if there’s a way to make this work. You know, when you’re not a Prospect, and I’m not miles away studying.”
Gavin looks at her and stares for a long moment as he weighs his options. Maybe he can show her that long distance wouldn’t be as terrible as she thinks it would be. That they can make it work by being together like they are now.
Walking around the counter, he pulls her face to his and kisses her. Her hands slide around his waist and hug him closer, and no matter how much she hurt him, he’s pretty sure he’ll always want her.
If they can’t make this work, Hailey will forever be the one that got away. The one he’ll never get over. So, it’s game time. He has to show her they can find a way to not let the distance ruin them. And he’s going to start tonight as he leads her into the bedroom.
W aking up, Gavin reaches across the bed to find the spot next to him empty. He’s naked under the sheet, and he sits up.
Last night was amazing. Hailey and he came together like never before. Everything he felt, how much he loves her, was poured into every kiss, every touch, and every orgasm. There’s no way she can’t see how great they are together.
The passion wasn’t just one-sided, either. The way she sucked and fucked told him she really does miss him. That she wanted him as much as he wanted her. They made love for a couple of hours before he fell asleep with her in his arms for the first time ever. He can’t remember ever being happier.
Getting up, he slips on his boxers and goes on the search for her. Maybe she woke up early to make breakfast to refuel before talking about their future and spending the rest of the day in bed together.
The apartment only has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, so it doesn’t take him long to find her gone. His place is empty.
“Maybe she went home to avoid having to explain where she was all night,” Gavin says.
Even as he says the words, he knows it’s a lame attempt to find an excuse that doesn’t completely crush him. Hailey doesn’t live at home anymore, and Colt and Lex both knew they were fucking in her car. Neither would care if she spent the night in his apartment.
He has to know for sure, though, and he quickly changes and heads out to his motorcycle. The entire drive to Lex and Colt’s house has him praying she’ll be there. That he’ll see her car parked in the driveway, and his worst fear won’t be true.
His hopes disappear when he doesn’t see her car in the driveway where it’s normally parked.
Maybe she parked in the garage. Maybe she needs Colt to change her oil. Or maybe a belt.
Gavin grasps at straws, and he knows it. Especially when Colt walks out of the house and climbs onto his bike. Pulling off his helmet, he prepares to hear something that may break his heart. That Hailey left him again.
“Gavin? What are you doing here?” Colt asks.
“Going somewhere?”
“Gotta meet someone about a thing.”
Club business. Got it.
“Is Hailey here? I know she has a long weekend from school.”
Shaking his head, gives Gavin a pitying look. “No, she decided not to come home this weekend.”
He juts out his chin. “What?”
“Yeah, she texted Lex last night around eleven-thirty or midnight. Apologized for getting her hopes up, but she wanted to stay at school. Something about using the meal plan we pay for.”
Narrowing his eyes, he shakes his head. “What?”
“Yeah, it sounded like a bullshit reason to me, too, but I barely graduated high school. What the fuck do I know?”
“Same.”
Colt takes off, and Gavin just sits on his bike in the driveway. Hailey stopped by around nine-thirty. They fooled around for a couple of hours, and then he fell asleep. Thought she had, too, and would stay the night.
“If she texted Lex around eleven-thirty or midnight…” He closes his eyes. “She waited for me to fall asleep before slipping out.”
He wants to hit something. Break something. Instead, he slams his helmet on the ground and watches it bounce and crack. Just like his heart.
“Probably fucking laid there and watched my breathing even out. Once I was out, she snuck off in the middle of the night.”
And just like that, Hailey left Gavin. Again.