Chapter 25
Tori headed over to The Bike Shop. She asked for Gavin and Jonny blushed and stammered when he said Gavin wasn’t there. Enough of this. She shook her head in frustration and strode toward the back of the shop, pushing aside the curtain to the door of their repair room. There was Gavin, his hands greasy, standing over an upturned bike.
His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in irritation. “Thought I told Jonny to say I wasn’t here.”
“He has been saying that. Each time I come by. But I didn’t listen to him today.”
Gavin sighed and turned back to the bike with a dismissive shrug. “Well, you should have. We don’t have anything to say.”
She walked up closer to him, stepping over scattered tools and parts, determined to make him listen. “But I think we do.”
He set down the rag he was holding, making no attempt to wipe away the grease, and turned back to her. “No, we don’t,” he said, his words brittle with finality.
“So you’re just never going to talk to me again? I never lied to you. I just didn’t tell you every detail about my past. I bet you haven’t told me everything about your past.”
“I did. And I told you about Anna. And how I never wanted to be involved with someone that the media flocks to.”
“I’m not like that. I walked away from all of that.” She watched his face, hoping to see some crack in his stony expression.
“Really? Did you?” Gavin snapped. “How many reporters do you think have come to town in the last few days?”
“I haven’t spoken to any of them except to ask them to leave,” she insisted, her frustration mounting.
He pinned her with a fierce look. “I know you’re selling the theater to Cliff and heading back to Broadway. Don’t lie to me.”
Exasperated, she stamped her foot. “Gavin, I’m not lying. You’re not listening to me. I was never selling it to Cliff. He wanted to buy it, but I turned him down.”
“You did?” He looked skeptical. “How do I know I can believe you?”
“Because it’s the truth. And I turned down Miss Eleanor’s offer to buy it too. I want to stay here and run the theater. Make my life here. I want…” She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “I want to stay here… with you. See what happens between us. I… I care about you.” There, she’d laid her feelings bare. And she wanted to kiss him again, to hear him laugh, to share little tidbits about her day when she saw him in the evening. She wanted that and so much more.
He stood there silently watching her, then finally said, “I don’t trust that you won’t run back to the limelight. Leave. And I don’t know why you couldn’t tell me about your past. Why you hid it from me.” His tone held the tiniest bit of hurt that he couldn’t disguise.
“I didn’t tell anyone about what I used to do. I just wanted to be Tori for a change. Have people like me for me, not for being an actress.”
He crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. “I’m not sure what you want me to say here.”
“I want you to say you accept my apology. That you’ll give us a chance. That everything will be okay.” Her heart thundered, clinging to her last shred of hope.
“I’m sorry. That’s not something I can give you. I’ll accept your apology, but it won’t make any difference. We can’t be together. We can’t.”
“But, Gavin?—”
He held up his hand. “No.” He turned his back on her. “I have to get back to work.”
She turned and walked out of the back room, across the concrete floor of the shop, and out into the sunlight. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. She had hidden who she was. And he’d plainly told her the other night on the beach that he would never date someone famous.
Tears tugged at the corners of her eyes, and she swiped them away. Maybe things would have been different if she had told him sooner who she was. Or if she could tell him the whole truth now. Then maybe he’d understand why she did what she did. But… she couldn’t tell him or anyone. The producer of her last show had made sure of that.
She trudged down the sidewalk, the glare of the sun mocking each step as if asking what she had expected. A fresh start? That he actually cared about her? She should have known better.
She’d hoped that she could have another chance with Gavin. But he’d made it clear that wasn’t going to happen now.
She went to the theater and climbed the front steps, entering the lobby where she was surrounded by the hum of excitement. She squared her shoulders, determined to put all this with Gavin behind her. She had a theater to run and the opening to focus on. The show must go on, she thought wryly. That was all that mattered now. This theater was all she had.