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My head snaps up and my eyes meet his
And he rushes toward me
But Gavin stands up and all of a sudden, his frustration with the situation has a target A target who doesn’t deserve it, but is a target nonetheless
Quinn
Gavin rushes at hiression that I’ve never seen in hi on and then he does the only thing he can do
He defends himself He braces himself for impact
Gavin plows into hiround
Quinn’s head whips back and I hear it crash into the ground with a sickening thud My stomach clenches at the sound He hits hard And then Gavin punches him Hard I can hear his knuckles smash into Quinn’s cheek
And then Quinn roars like a lion
He throws Gavin off, and Gavin tries to come back for more Quinn is able to hold him at bay
“You don’t want to do that,” Quinn says I think he’s pretty cal the situation His lip is split and it is bleeding And I know he’s holding back He’s not thrashing Gavin the way he could
“You don’t knohat I want,” Gavin snaps
“Oh, I do know,” Quinn says “And I’m sorry that you can’t have her”
And then Gavin punches at hie hand and squeezes, forcing Gavin away But Gavin won’t give up He brings his knee up and slaut I hear the air whoosh out
And suddenly, Quinn has had enough
He punches Gavin Hard In the face
Gavin flies backward into the dirt And he lays there, still
I find my wits now and rush to him
“Are you alright?” I shake his shoulder He’s dazed, but he opens his eyes “Gavin, are you okay?”
I am panicked now Blood see, his nose I twist around and see that Quinn’s face is strea blood, too
This can’t be happening
OhMyGod
“Gavin?” I say, and my voice is shaky “Can you hear me?”
He actually smiles for a second, but then he turns serious
“Of course I can hear you I’m not deaf”
He pushes ets to his feet
He stares down at me
“This isn’t the right decision, Mia,” he tells me And then he walks away before I can even answer
Quinn takes a step and offers me his hand
“Are you okay?” he askseverywhere and he’s asking me if I’m okay
“I’m fine,” I tell him “How about you?”
He touches his cheek gingerly and I see that his hand is swollen already I start to grab it, but restrain myself I don’t want to cause him more pain
“Oh ht be broken,” I tell him worriedly He nods
“I’m pretty sure it is Don’t worry about it It won’t be the first time”
I stare at him
“Do you get in fights often?”
He grins his crooked grin
“Did I forget to s Americans like to do?”
“You like to get into fights?” I’m incredulous He smiles, then shakes his head
“I’ But I do live in a small rural town There’s not ht or two What I reallyfootball It’s okay I’ll heal”
“You need ice,” I tell hirab his arm and spin him toward the house I’ical
He stops
“Are you okay?” he asks me quietly “I heard you Your o see a doctor, or…”
I stare at hi blood and he’s worried that I’m the one who needs a doctor? I mention the ridiculousness of this to him and he smiles
“I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with this whole a It just makes sense that you would need to see your doctor”
I shrug “Maybe I do, but not as ht now”
“I’m fine,” he insists And as he does, he wipes the blood from his lip I shake my head
“You aren’t fine,” I tell him
He ignores that “What was that even about?” he asks “What set Gavin off like that?”
I pause I don’t have a great answer
“I… u ti that everyone needs—the perfect son, the perfect friend He tries very hard to be laid back and easy going And when I lost my memory, I think he saw an opportunity to be part of a relationship with someone who understands what it is like to be with soht, he knew that wasn’t going to happen And I think that everything just sort of exploded for him All of his pent up frustrations and whatnot It didn’t have anything to do with you Don’t take it personally, although I know that’s hard”