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“And?”

“It’s really too difficult to say fro “We should try it again so that I have o on”

He cupsmine

He tastes of butterscotch and man

Twenty-five beats of my heart later, he pulls away

“And?” I breathe

“You’ll do,” he grins

I swat at hiainst his chest It is warm here, where his skin is bathed by the sun I feel so safe, like he would protectBut even better, it’s like he knows exactly what to protect me from

“The old you would never have done that,” he tells h

“Gavin, you’ll never kno tired I aainst my shoulder

“I’ it because it is true Asthat ain until you remember a little bitoff any of my i advantage of the situation”

I snuggle closer “Maybe I’est

“Oh? How so?” Gavin asks He shiftsmore comfortably in his lap I feel evidence of his ‘i into me, but I pretend not to notice

“Maybe I’ ood to keep them closed in the sun

He laughs “Well, in that case, feel free to use me in any way that you want And if you require any of my important body parts for that, say the word Just remember, I’m always ready”

I smile

But then, for a second, one second, Quinn’s lop-sided grin pops into my head andGavin’s lips when Quinn has the ability to give me heart palpations?

The answer is pretty clear though

Because I like Gavin’s lips

And he has the ability to make my heart pound, too

In a world that is confusing and scary, Gavin is one of the only things that is real and true He’s steady, like a rock, and I so need that right now

But is that really a good enough reason to be lying in his lap right now? Maybe he was right and we should wait I sit up

“Don’t do that,” Gavin ain”

I roll my eyes

“Maybe you’re right,” I tell him This pops his eyes wide open

“What? Say that again Because you never, ever say that I’ht”

I roll ain

“You ht about this I don’t even knoho I am So how in the world could I knohat I want? I don’t want to screw you over while I’ure it out And I definitely, definitely don’t want to ruin our friendship It’s the best thing in ht now”

He arches a dark eyebrow

“Mi, I’ve always been the best thing in your life”

He laughs and I laugh with him

“Seriously, though You’re not going to ruin our friendship You’re not going to screw h I think it’s cute that you’re worried about it How about this—we’ll just play it by ear We’ll do our thing like ays do And if things develop like they did this afternoon, we’ll pursue the Just relax”

I twist around and stare at him

“Just relax and go with the flow?”

He nods “Exactly”

I nestle into his chest once again and he tightens his arood here with Gavin

But just as I’ain I reainstdrawl in my head My heart quickens in response, like it always does

I have no idea what I’

That much is clear

But as Gavin and I nap in the botto, curled up in the sun and miles away from our nearest proble to try and do what Gavin suggested

I’o with the flow

I only hope I’ht direction

Chapter Thirteen

I text Dante fro me off in town But then Gavin decides to join us So I spend the re hoeird it will be to have Quinn and Gavin in one place

But it turns out to not be weird at all