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Right to a bedroom door

What the hell?

I push the door open and am shocked beyond belief

It’s Gavin alright And he’s naked And he’s not alone

Gavin and Elena are in bed

Together

What

The

Hell

“Mia!” Gavin exclaims He yanks the bedcovers up over Elena’s naked body and I ao, I would have been devastated because I thought I was falling in love with Gavin

Thank god I have my memories back and know otherwise

Because this would have crushed my heart

“What’s going on?” I murmur I can’t tear my eyes away from Gavin’s His are troubled He didn’t want me to see this That much is apparent

“What’s it look like, Mia? God!” Elena snaps

And we’re clearly back to norot the upper-hand I realize that in a rush They won’t want anyone to know about this, so they’re at a huge disadvantage I hate to play hardball with Gavin but the fate of s in the balance

“Gavin, seriously! Here? On Dimitri’s new boat? What the hell do you think he’d say if he knew?” I snap Gavin looks a bit dismayed

As he should

“He won’t find out,” Gavin says slowly “And Dante won’t either Will he, Mia?”

He looks at me pointedly

My heart clenches a little I do love Gavin, even if it is only like a brother or a best friend I look at Elena

“Get dressed and get out I need to talk to Gavin”

She practically snarls at me, but she does pull her clothes on She flounces pastabout this, Mia Or there will be hell to pay!”

I don’t even bother to answer her I wait until she’s gone and then I close the door And then I sit next to Gavin

“Gav, seriously What are you doing?”

He sighs

“I don’t know I don’t knohat I’ herself on me like she always does and I felt rejected by you and it seeood idea at the ti to tell anyone, Mi”

I reach up and touch his face His eye is still swollen and black from where Quinn punched him

“I’m sorry all of this happened,” I tell hiht I’m sorry that I drove you to that I’m sorry that I didn’t knohat I wanted- and that I led you on, I guess I didn’t mean to, but I did And I hate that I hurt you, Gav I love you like a brother- like a best friend Because you are my best friend, and I’m so worried that I’ve lost you”

I’ down my face and I wipe at them

Gavin pulls nore that part I focus instead on the co my back

“Mia, don’t cry,” he whispers into my hair “I love you too And you knohat? It’s okay You and I weren’t meant to be We weren’t If ere, ould have realized it a long tio You’re ”

I pull away and look at him

“So, we’re good?”

He nods

“We’ll always be good”

I exhale slowly Knowing that I haven’t lost hiest sense of relief I’ve ever felt But then I remember why I’m here

I stare into his eyes

“Gav, you’ve got to talk to your dad It’s not right that he’s pressing charges against Quinn Quinn was only protecting himself and you know it”

Gavin looks uncoets a bit

“I can’t control my dad,” he finally says “You know that You kno he is”

I nod

“I do But in this instance, you’ve got to It’s not fair to send Quinn back to A that wasn’t his fault You were mad at me, at the situation and you took it out on Quinn He shouldn’t have to pay the price for that”

Gavin is still hesitating, so I have to use e that I don’t want to use

“Gav, if you es, I will never breathe a word of what I saw here today Ever Not to anyone Not to Reece, not to Dante, not to Dante’s father”

Gavin stares at aze a bit cool

“And if I don’t?”

I shrug “Let’s not worry about that, okay? Because I know you’ll do the right thing and make your father drop this”

The ed Gavin’s eyes are pissed I can see that But he has to know that I’ht And the fact that I even had to use this situation as leverage ry too

“Gavin, this is ridiculous You’re a better person than this You knohat the right thing to do is You’re a good person—just do the right thing”

We’re having a stare-down His dark gaze meets mine And holds

And holds