Chapter 28
MOLLY
Molly really screwed up.
Truly, she’d moved beyond really-screwed-up and well into totally-screwed-up territory.
Gavin didn’t answer his door for her. Which was okay, because maybe he wasn’t home? But he also didn’t answer his phone, either.
She called his office but got sent to his voicemail.
She thought about going down there, but she didn’t want to cross that line between the let-me-apologize ex-girlfriend and the let’s-call-the-cops-on-her version.
Since he wasn’t answering, she texted him saying that she’d very much like him to come to the finalists dinner.
They were announcing the overall winner here tonight. The winner was picked by most popular final vote. Everything Molly had heard since she arrived was that Agnes and Charlie were very much still the frontrunners.
She was very much the frontrunner.
But it didn’t feel as good as it should’ve. Didn’t feel like a win. Not really.
Gavin should be here. She wanted him here.
“Molly?” Oh, yay, it was Cassidy.
Molly glanced over her shoulder to…yup. Cassidy. “Hi.” Molly pulled her purse up on her shoulder.
Cassidy had gone with a blue dress with cute little white flowers stitched up the side.
“It’s like I see you everywhere.” Cassidy pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I always think there’s a reason for that, you know? Like maybe we should have coffee sometime. I’m still new here and I’m trying to make friends.”
Coffee? Molly wasn’t sure she could do that.
“I like going for coffee,” Molly said. “And, you know, I know you and Gavin have a history.”
Cassidy nodded. “Ancient history. Right?”
One of the DJs from the radio station swooped in and pressed a kiss to Cassidy’s neck.
“Cass. Who’s this?” he asked.
Uh. That was not a friendly kiss. That was a kiss of someone who knew Cassidy intimately, if Molly was correct. And Molly was correct here, there wasn’t a lot of question.
“This is Molly,” Cassidy said, holding the DJ’s hand and looking up at him like he was her everything. “I told you
about her. She’s seeing that guy I used to know.” That guy she used to know?
“Can I ask something?” Molly said, though she was going to go ahead and ask it anyway. “Where did Gabby’s name come from? I always wonder about that kind of thing.”
“My great-grandmother.” Cassidy looked up at the DJ guy. “Gabriela. She’s just like her, too. The name is very appropriate.”
So, Gabriela was not an ode to Gavin? Molly’s throat got thick. This was…unexpected. She glanced at her glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
“Ah.” She cleared her throat. Took a heavy gulp of wine, grateful she’d snagged a glass from the bar at the restaurant.
She’d grabbed it mostly so she’d have something to do with her hands.
Something to hold. Now she did more than sip at it for aesthetic purposes, because she’d totally screwed the salami sandwich on this one.
“That’s really nice,” she said, sipping a nice big gulp of not-aesthetic-anymore wine.
“Well, hello there. We came over to scope out the competition,” said Peter, the other guy in the lead, as he slipped right into the conversation with Cassidy.
They did small talk before Cassidy and her DJ boyfriend guy slipped off to do whatever it was they were going to do. Really it wasn’t any of Molly’s business.
“Will we get to meet Gavin tonight?” Peter asked, as though reading her thoughts.
Peter being the real matchmaker in this competition. “I think he’s coming,” Molly said. “He’s just a little
late with work and all.” Or so she figured. “Sometimes it happens.” Also, he hadn’t texted her back, so she didn’t
really know.
“Heads up,” Peter said, eyeing his husband and then Molly. “Chris here is a master bullshit detector. You shouldn’t even try with him.”
“It’s true. I listen to people all day for a living. I’m like a Jedi Master for sniffing out relationship trouble.”
“You think I have relationship trouble?” She did. She was also curious about what gave her away.
“I do.” Chris nodded. “How?” Molly asked.
“It’s hard to describe.” Chris looked her over. “More like a feeling. Not so much anything you did or didn’t do.”
“He’s like a relationship intuitive,” Peter said, giving Chris a look like Gavin had given Molly. A look of pride mixed with desire.
“He gives me too much credit.” Chris took a pull of his Coors. “Do you feel like talking about what’s really happening?”
Not particularly. “I messed up, that’s about it. I messed up and now I want to fix it.”
“How big of a mess-up are we talking?” Peter asked. “Little bit or lotsa bit?”
“I don’t know.” Molly sipped at her wine because what else should she do? “I thought I was doing the right thing for him. It turns out that by trying to do the right thing, I did the wrong one. It’s complicated and nothing makes sense.”
“Did you tell him this?” Chris asked, suddenly taking the conversation more seriously than two minutes before.
“He’s not responding.” Molly pulled her lips between her teeth. “But our kids are friends and they’ll stay friends and his ex-wife is my best friend, so we’re definitely going
to end up seeing each other eventually. Especially since my best friend—that’s Rachel—married his brother. So it’s all complicated. And stuff.” Oh look, she had more wine.
She dreaded looking up, but she sort of had to. She couldn’t stare at the carpet forever. Could she? She could try, but that would also be rude.
“So, breaking that down,” Chris said, setting his Coors on the windowsill behind him. He stopped. Then he started again. Then stopped.
“Right, so I think you just broke Chris’s brain.” Peter rubbed circles on Chris’s back. “I watched your web show. Love the dating tips. They’re all very in tune with the dating climate.”
“Thanks,” Molly said. “I appreciate that. Also, Chris, sorry for breaking you.”
“Oh, it’s fine.” He tilted his head to the side as he studied her from apparently a new perspective. “I’m just trying to unravel that whole thing in my head. I love a good puzzle.”
“Sometimes I find it’s best not to unravel things like this.” Molly made her eyes obnoxiously big and then sipped a touch more wine. She should probably stop now.
“Well, the plot just thickened,” Peter said, glancing behind Molly. “I am all on board to watch this one.”
Molly didn’t have to turn around to know Gavin was there. Of course he came. He cared about her, and he wouldn’t want to let her down.
She should really turn around, go to him. Yet, she couldn’t quite get herself to move. Couldn’t will her muscles into action. Hell, she was hardly breathing and there was a real risk she might pass out.
“Breathe,” Peter said. “Molly. Breathe.”
She did as he said. Because, really, she didn’t need to pass out and end up with stitches. They’d probably be on her scalp, and stitches with curly hair was total mess. Ask her how she knew?
“Molly.” Gavin moved beside her, pulling her against his side.
She’d gone the little black dress route this evening. Flats because she’d learned her stiletto lesson the night of the gala.
Gavin had shaved at some point in the day—looked like it was later, since he had no shadow at all.
His navy suit fit perfectly, and he looked ready for anything.
He also had a small box under his arm. Not like a necklace, more like something from Nordstrom.
Or what her mother would send Ollie dress shirts in at the holidays. That size.
“Gavin.” So his name was totally breathy, and she was having a hard time breathing. But she was really working on it. “I’m so glad you came.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” He pulled her closer to his side in a hug that lacked any and all feeling.
Her mouth went dry. Motions. He was going through the motions.
“Hey.” She wrapped her arm around his waist, not wanting him to pull away like she figured he was about to. “I need to talk to you.” Again, with the breathy.
“Okay,” he said, but his expression was totally shuttered against the world.
“Have you ever screwed up, Gavin?” she asked, low and quiet, the words only for him even though they had two matchmaking eavesdroppers listening in. “Because I screwed up. I’m really sorry I screwed up. I—”
Peter made a sound in his throat.
She glanced at him as Chris whacked him on the shoulder. “Shh,” he said. “They’re reconciling.”
Gavin gave her a funny look, like he wasn’t quite sure what to make of all of this.
Well, join the club. This was new to her, too.
“I haven’t ever felt this way about someone,” Molly said, turning her body into his. Hoping he wouldn’t pull away. “And you’re right, it’s terrifying for me. Because I don’t want to make you unhappy.”
The shutters he’d pulled tight fell open, and the raw intensity she saw there made her seriously wonder what the hell she’d been thinking sending him to another woman. Sending him to someone else. Sending him away.
“So, if you don’t mind me messing up a lot more, I’d like another chance.” Her chest heaved because…air. Air was important.
“Molly.” Gavin did the touching her jaw thing again he was so fond of. “You have all the chances.”
Oh.
She wasn’t breathing.
“Take a breath, Molly,” he said.
She nodded. In through the nose. Out through the mouth.
Peter let out a sigh. Molly glanced at him.
Chris whacked him on the arm again. “This is just getting good. Stop making sounds.”
“I brought you something.” Gavin held the box to her. “Was hoping you might still want it.”
Was it the necklace? No, he didn’t bring the necklace.
The box wasn’t the right size.
She took it, pulled the lid off, and there was her scarf.
The softest, pinkest, prettiest scarf she’d ever seen.
He’d made it with his hands for her, because she mattered. He wouldn’t leave her behind. He’d just keep knitting her scarves.
“Don’t cry, Molly,” he said.
She wasn’t crying. She didn’t cry in front of other people.
Ever. She just didn’t.
So why were her cheeks wet? Why were her eyes dripping?
“Damn,” she said, swiping at them. “Can I have it?” She reached for the scarf. “For real?”