“Oh, no way,” I exclaim, turning another page.
Madeleine Dubois, twenty-two years old and the love of my life . . . Relationship status? Now probably single again. Character traits: 100 percent wonderful, a little bit dirty, sarcastic, loving; she’s just perfect!
“Did he ask you to do this?” I say to Etienne, who looks at me innocently.
“What do you mean?”
I turn over the book to show him; there are no printed letters, only handwriting. “This right here!”
He clears his throat. “Did you hear? Dad called me!” With those words he gets up and flees from the library.
“You filthy traitor!” I yell after him, laughing, and look back at the book. Please turn page is written at the bottom of the page. I do and see a black-and-white photograph of one of our dances. Don’t look at it too long, there’s more on the next page. I turn it with a smile.
Dear Lane,
You left me, but I’m not accepting that. You’re the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known. You awaken feelings in me I could never have dreamed of, but also a fear I never knew before. I’m sorry for what happened, but am I really the culprit? I should have taken the threats more seriously and shouldn’t have bothered you on that evening at the club. I know what happened to you is my fault, but doesn’t everybody deserve a second chance?
I love the world of literature, and I’ve visited Middle-earth, Shadow World, Ravencroft, Anwyl, and many others, but the most beautiful world I’ve ever been in was yours. I want to live in that world and love you. If you’d give me another chance, you’d make me the happiest man alive. I know I’m not perfect, I’ll probably never be, but with you I’m pretty close. In such a short time you became the most important person in my life, there’s nobody I can talk to like you. I love reading to you; I love the way you look when you wake up in the morning; and I love the feeling of holding you in my arms.
If I somehow managed to convince you with these words, I’ll be waiting for you today at six p.m. on the beach (near Ryker’s Bar, Pax told me where).
Please don’t make me look like a complete idiot by not coming. Please don’t break my heart, Lane, I only have one.
I love you,
Gavin
P.S. Your brother said he’d bring you so you don’t have to go out on your own.
I keep leafing through the book until I find some song lyrics. “Lane’s Song,” it’s called. I read the first few lines of the song and sigh. I don’t have a melody to go with it, since I’ve never heard the song before. I glance at the clock. It’s four thirty p.m. Should I go meet him or not? I wonder. “Etienne!” I call out.
“Yeah?” he replies, entering the room. He can’t have been that far away, then.
“Could you bring me to the beach?”
“Sure. When?”
“So I’m there at six.”
“Sure thing, do you want to get dressed first? I don’t think sweats are particularly romantic.”
I pull out the pillow from behind my back and throw it at him, but he dodges it, laughing. Then I get up and hurry into my room. “Mom!” I yell. She absolutely has to help me with my outfit.
I can hear her heels rapidly clicking up the stairs. “What is it?” she asks, bursting into my bedroom.
“What should I wear? Gavin’s . . . waiting for me on the beach.”
Mom looks nonplussed. “Are you crazy, yelling around like that because you need an outfit?”
“A bit, maybe,” I reply innocently. “So what should I wear?”
“How about your white summer dress? The one with the bell sleeves.” She pulls it out of my closet. It used to be part of a Halloween costume that I wore when I was sixteen. I’d dressed up as an angel. “And I suppose I could do your hair.”
“No need, thanks. All I need now is matching shoes.”
Mom bends down, pulling a pair of white flats out of the bottom of the closet. “How about these?”
“OK.” I pull off my sweats and slip into the dress.
“If I were you, I’d put on a white bra, the black one shines through,” she tells me with a chuckle.
I look down at myself. “Oops.”
She hands me a white bra. “Call me if you need anything, but please don’t scream as if Etienne’s about to beat you to death with a crowbar.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I kiss her cheek before she leaves me alone again, and then I change into the bra.
Five minutes later I’m doing my makeup in front of the mirror. “Mom?” I call again.
“What’s up?”
“Do you think you could do my hair anyway?” I ask loudly.
“Sure, lay out the things you’ll need.”
“OK.” After applying a final coat of mascara, I get out a brush, hair tie, and pins from the bathroom and bring them into my bedroom.
I lay them on my desk, which I then sit down at.
My mom arrives a few moments later. “Oh, good, you’re ready.” She steps behind me and opens up the bun I’ve been wearing daily for two weeks. “Good grief, Madeleine, did you even brush your hair since you got back from the hospital?”
“Well, I combed it with my fingers,” I admit sheepishly.
“I’m sorry, sweetie, but this isn’t going to be a picnic. Your hair is pretty tangled.”
“Just go ahead.”
Mom picks up the brush and tugs it through my hair, and normally it doesn’t bother me too much if she’s a bit rougher, but this time I give in to the tugging and lean back with every stroke of the brush.
“Do you want to make up with Gavin?”
I look at her in the mirror on my desk. “I want to hear what he has to say to me, and I want to tell him a few things myself.”
“So you want to make up with him?”
“What would you do?” I ask her curiously.
“Back at the hospital, the love for you was clearly visible in his eyes. Whenever he looked at you, they started shining, and the same thing goes for you. When he came in and you looked at him, you were like a different person. I wouldn’t have thought love could be as visible as it is with the two of you, honey.” She sighs. “It was the same between your father and me, and I’ve never regretted it that I gave him a second chance after hearing that I destroyed a marriage. I love your father at least as much as you love Gavin, and from my own experience I can tell you that you should protect and take care of that love, or you’ll be unhappy. Which you are right now, by the way.”
I think about her words for a while. I know she and my dad went through a hard time back then because he didn’t tell her about his marriage. She only heard about it when she was pregnant with me, but he fought for her, too. I don’t remember how he ended up convincing her, but he managed. While I follow my train of thought, Mom pins up my hair. She ties it into a ponytail, pinning my curls down around the hair tie.
“I’m scared, Mom.”
“Scared of what, sweetie?”
“Of my feelings. I’m scared I won’t be myself anymore if I get involved with him.”
“You’ll be a girl who enjoys her life and love instead of a girl who ruins everything by overthinking out of fear. Believe me, hon, you’re going to enjoy it. A love like the one between you and Gavin doesn’t pass by, it stays for a lifetime.” She wraps her arms around me from behind and places a kiss on my cheek. “And you deserve to be happy after all that’s happened.” She lifts my head so I look into the mirror. “When I look at you, I see a girl I can love with all my heart even though she was always disappointed. Let yourself go on this adventure with Gavin, and you’ll see it will be worth it.”
I smile with my newly healed lips. The only reminders of the mugging that are left are splints on my hand and knee. “What if I get mugged again?”
“Didn’t you see what Gavin wrote? It’s been in the Boulevard Press for three days now.”
“No, what?”
“He said he’d leave the band if his fans don’t stop begrudging him his happiness. And h
e distanced himself from the girls who attacked you, saying he’d rather have no fans at all than that kind. He also said he’d never get involved with a fan, only with a woman who doesn’t know him as a celebrity, but as a human being,” she tells me. “And a few more things, but I can’t remember all of it.”
“He really said that?” I ask, surprised.
“It was an interview with one of those music show channels. Etienne showed me on YouTube when he came here. So I don’t think there will be any more problems for you.” She sighs. “How do you feel about him? What do you think?”
“I love him.”
“And?”
“I don’t want to live without him.”
“And?”
“Mom, I’m . . . just incredibly happy when I’m with him, and I don’t want to give him up, but my head’s saying it would be better while my heart objects,” I admit.
“And since when do you listen to your head instead of your heart?” she inquires, raising an eyebrow.
“Since . . . You always do, because your head can reason you into stupid things,” I reply with my mother’s mantra.
“Exactly, so whenever you feel insecure, close your eyes and listen to your heart.”
“OK,” I reply.
“You’re done now.” She smiles at my reflection.
I get up and slip into my shoes. “I hope I’m not too late.”
“It’s almost five thirty, you should hurry up if you want to be there on time.”
“How do you know when I’m supposed to be there?”
Mom grins at me. “Honey, your brother let me in on it, but how was I to know it would take you so long to look at the darn book,” she tells me, chuckling.
“I’m on my way, then.” I grab my purse and leave my room.
“Good luck, sweetie.”
“Thanks, Mom!”
I hurry downstairs, where Etienne’s already waiting for me. “Don’t give me that look, let’s get going,” I demand.
He laughs as we walk toward the car. My brother drives a sports car like my father, which means we should get to our destination quickly, as long as we don’t get held up by traffic. We get in and Etienne drives off before we’ve even fastened our seat belts. I catch up on that quickly, but he waits until we reach an intersection. There he finally fastens his, too.
The moment the street is free in front of us, he positively shoots across the street, until suddenly we’re stopped short by a traffic jam. “Shit!” I say.
“No worries, we’ll be on time.”
“You think so?”
“I know,” he replies. Meanwhile, the traffic jam in front of us has loosened up a little, but only so much that we get about a hundred feet.
I keep getting more and more restless as we keep stopping and going. “Gavin’s probably going to be gone when we arrive.”
“I’m certain he’ll wait.” Etienne gives me an encouraging smile.
I lean back, looking into the mirror that’s part of the sun visor. The only reminders that are left of my black eyes are some yellowish spots. Then I fold the visor back up and close my eyes, trying to grasp the words of my heart.
Six fifteen. I’m panicking as we arrive, because I don’t think Gavin’s still waiting for me. I jump out of the car and take off running, even though I shouldn’t yet due to the hematoma in my knee.
I arrive on the beach and stop short. There are loudspeakers and a little stage on the beach. An entire band is standing on it, but it’s not Downstair Alley. A few people are standing in front of them, hard to tell if they’re fans or just bystanders. Linden is holding Thalia in his arms, and the others are sitting off to the side. Gavin’s sitting on a stool onstage and looks down at his hands. “OK, looks like she isn’t going to come. We can clean up now,” he says into the mic as I approach him.
“You’re wrong, Gav!” Alexis calls out.
He raises his eyes and sees me, and then a wide smile stretches over his face. He looks over his shoulder and nods at the band. “Lane, I was going to declare my love to you, but because the guys thought my song was too kitschy, I decided on another one. These guys right here are D.A.C.C.P., and they’ve got a little more rock than us, which is why they’re supporting me tonight.”
I stop a few feet from the stage and look up at him. The people who were already here give me curious glances.
“All right, then,” Gavin sighs, locking eyes with me.
He starts to sing “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith. The lyrics are all about not wanting to miss one moment with the woman he loves.
I cross my arms and raise one hand to my cheek to wipe away a tear.
I feel goose bumps covering my body while Gavin sings the chorus. Meanwhile, the tears are flowing freely.
“So, are you surprised?” Pax asks me over the music.
I look at him, overwhelmed. “Don’t tell me you knew about this, too.”
“We were all in on it. Each of us had one of those books to give to you today. Even Macey came here to give you one in the worst case,” he responds.
I look around to see if I can find her, but she’s nowhere to be seen.
“She’s at Ryker’s Bar, because she had to use the restroom.”
“Oh, right.” I turn my attention back to Gavin, whose husky, smoky voice sends one pleasurable shiver after another down my back.
Gavin sings the last line, and then he holds out his hand to me. “Lane?”
“Yeah?” I say, even though I know he can’t hear me from this far away.
“Will you come to me?”
I shake my head. I am not getting up on that stage with him.
“Fine, I’ll come to you, then,” he says, jumping down onto the sand. He drops the mic into the sand, where it lands with a muffled thud. He comes toward me quickly until he finally stops a step from me. “Lane, I—”
I interrupt him by flinging my arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” I cry.
Gavin wraps his arms around me. “Actually . . . I was meaning to ask you something.”
“Whatever it is, my answer is yes,” I sniffle into his shoulder.
“You’re flying into space with me?” he asks quietly.
I pull back my head to look at him in pretend shock. “What? No!”
He lays his hands on my cheeks. He wipes away my tears with his thumb. “No, I was just joking . . . I wanted to ask you if . . . you’d be willing to give me another chance to show you how crazily much I love you?”
I close my eyes and listen.
“What are you doing?” he asks in confusion.
“I’m trying to listen to my heart,” I whisper.
“Say yes, dammit!” Pax yells behind me.
“I think your heart just called out loud and clear,” Gavin says quietly, stroking my neck with the back of his hand.
I open my eyes and gaze into his. “Actually, it whispered.”
“And I’m not her heart, I’m her conscience, and I agree with her heart!” Pax calls out, laughing.
“And what did it whisper to you?” Gavin presses without letting his gaze wander from mine.
“If you don’t take the chance, I’ll go on strike, and then you’ll be done for,” I answer with a smile.
“That’s enough for me,” he murmurs, lowering his lips to meet mine. I return his kiss with closed eyes, and I realize I missed being close to him. A sigh escapes as he parts my lips with his tongue. I welcome it, playing with it gently.
Then he pulls away. “What convinced you?”
“A book,” I answer quietly.
Gavin pulls me close again, and I snuggle up against his muscular chest. “We’ll make it through, no matter how many are against us. As long as we stand together, nothing can separate us.”
“All right, then,” I whisper.
“Whoever’s against you is going to get their ass kicked!” Macey chimes in.
I raise my eyes to look at her. I give her a smile, pulling away from Gavin and walk
ing over to where she’s standing. “Hey,” I greet her with tears in my eyes.
“Oh, God, if you cry, I’m going to cry, too,” she says. And already tears are running down her cheeks just like mine.
We hug tightly. “I hate you, you know that, right?”
“Because I kept a secret for once in my life?” she asks in surprise.
“No, because you didn’t kick my ass,” I reply drily.
“Oh, so you don’t really hate me.” She laughs, letting go of me. “Now my makeup is ruined because of you.”
“There are worse things,” I reply, knowing full well that I must look like a monkey did my eyeliner, too.
“Go back to him, you shouldn’t let him wait after he organized all this,” she tells me, giving me a wide smile.
I hug her again. “Love ya, Macey.”
“Love you, too. Now go.”
After turning back around to face Gavin, I take off my flats and walk over to him. He gives me a warm look and inhales deeply. “Shall we go?”
“Where to?” I ask as soon as I reach him.
“Let me surprise you,” he responds, taking my hand.
I follow him over the beach for a while until we reach a Jeep parked in the dunes. “You’re bringing me to a car?” I check out the car; there’s a blanket on the hood.
“Exactly,” he replies and lifts me up, and then he follows me himself. Gavin leans back until he’s leaning on the windshield and pulls me into his arms. I lay my head on his chest. “Lane, I’ve got to tell you what I’ve been thinking.” He starts singing and my heartbeat accelerates.
I’m the happiest man, knowing you’re in the world
You’re the love of my life and the beat of my heart
It whispers your name with every move that it makes
With all that I am, I give you my love
I give you my love
I sigh happily. “I love you, too,” I whisper, raising my eyes to meet his.
“The song isn’t done yet, but I’ll play it to you as soon as I have a piano to play on,” he murmurs, kissing my brow. His fingers caress my hair while he gazes at me raptly. “I’m sorry I didn’t fight harder.”
Gavin: Pure Passion (Hamptons Book 1) Page 25
