Letting You Go (Stone Lake 1)

“I’m so sorry, Attie. I had no idea,” I whisper, putting my hand on his leg in silent support.

“It’s okay. I’m used to doing things on my own. I don’t need anyone.”

“Well, you have your brother, Gavin. It’s good you both have each other.”

“Yeah, good ole’ Gavin. He’s—”

“Late to the party.”

My head jerks up at that deep voice and my body experiences an all over shiver. Gavin is standing across from me and Atticus. It’s dark, but the light from the fire highlights him perfectly. He’s wearing jeans and a flannel shirt that I’ve seen him in often. It has different colors of blues and greens in it, and I love it because it somehow makes his dark hair appear like it shines.

“What are you doing here?” Atticus says, and his voice is laced with anger. I’ve never seen Atticus upset at anything or anyone. He’s always been laid back and easy going. The change in his demeanor is shocking.

“You invited me. Remember?” Gavin says, and something about his smile tells me that is not the full story.

“I remember telling you that there was no way you’d get what you wanted. You might as well go back home now.”

“I don’t think so. I’m just now starting to enjoy the view,” he says and this time when he smiles, he looks right at me.

My heart beats frantically in my chest. It’s a dangerous smile. I kind of feel like I’m Little Red Riding Hood and Gavin is the Big Bad Wolf.

“Hey, Luna,” he says.

Oh my God! Oh my God! My brain screams as my palms go sweaty. If I thought my heart was beating hard before, it’s thumping like a runaway train now.

Oh. My. God.

Gavin Lodge spoke to me!!?!!

And he knows my name. Mine.

Holy freaking cow!

“Uh… Hi…. Gav… Gavin.”

Heat explodes through me and centers on my face as I blush so deeply that I probably glow from it.

Can I be any lamer?

I barely could get his name out and my voice cracked. I want to die in shame. I want the ground to swallow me up and bury me alive.

“Want to go for a walk?” he asks, and I blink.

“Me?” I squeak.

“Don’t see anyone else here I’d be asking, Babe. Unless you and my brother are busy?”

Oh my God. Gavin is asking me to walk with him. He wants to be alone with me!

Every freaking dream I’ve ever had has centered on this guy and he just asked to be alone with me.

Me!

“Attie? Um… No. We don’t have anything going on. I mean… We’re merely friends. We were talking that’s all. You know…”

I have got to get control of my nerves. I’m not making any sense, Gavin probably thinks I’m insane. He’s probably already regretting asking me to go on a walk.

I expect him to tell me he changed his mind, but then he reaches his hand out.

“Then, take a walk with me, Babe.”

I put my hand in his and watch wide-eyed as his fingers wrap around mine and he pulls me up.

His hand is warm, strong and I memorize the feel of it.

I’ll remember how it molded to mine for the rest of my life.

Chapter Five

Gavin

I shouldn’t have done this…

That’s the one thing I keep thinking as Luna and I walk away from Atticus. It doesn’t even help to see the annoyance and anger that flashes over his face.

This is a mistake.

A huge one.

I know that by how great it feels to hold Luna’s hand and the rightness I experience in my chest at finally having her close. It might be a mistake that I never recover from.

I have plans after I graduate. They’re plans that don’t include a woman, they can’t. I don’t have anything to offer one.

Not yet.

One day, I will. One day I’ll work my ass off to have the kind of life I’ve always wanted. When I get to that point, I’ll be ready to have a woman in my life like Luna. One that’s sweet and pretty. One that smells good and blushes when she laughs. One that makes a man want dreams and plans.

I’m definitely not that kind of man right now. Which means I should run fast and hard away from her. Luna’s not like the other girls. She has forever stamped all over her.

“It’s a nice night,” she says after we’ve walked for a bit. I don’t know why I do it, but I lead her down to the old wooden boat dock at the edge of the lake. The wood has seen better days, but it’s still sturdy. I let go of her hand, ignoring the urge to take it back in mine, and sit down. She does the same, sitting close, but we still have a couple of feet between us. I don’t like it, and I immediately want her closer, but the distance is good.