Letting You Go (Stone Lake 1)

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to get through the holidays without seeing you every day,” I murmur, letting my thumb drift against her cheek as I hold her neck, staring at her and wishing I didn’t have to let her go.

“You could come see me.”

I’m lost for a minute, watching her lips move, listening to the soft sweetness in her voice. That’s the only excuse I have for not understanding at first just what she’s saying. When it hits me, I look at her. “Moonbeam—”

“I’m serious, Gavin. We’ve been seeing each other like this for a while now. You said you wanted to prove to me that you were serious, that what’s between us is real.”

“I did, but that’s not—”

“I’m convinced, Gavin. I don’t doubt you at all,” she declares, her hand coming up to rest against mine on her face. “I’m completely sure in our relationship. I want everyone to know that we’re together. That we…”

“What?” I ask, unable to stop myself.

“That we belong to each other.”

Shit. I love the sound of that. The thought that she feels that way means more to me than I could ever tell her.

“Luna, I just don’t want bullshit to pull us apart.”

“As long as we’re together, Gavin. Nothing can tear us apart. We just have to believe in one another.”

I want to tell her that life is not that cut and dry. I want to tell her that she’s being too naïve, but I can’t bring myself to do that. Luna doesn’t understand how hard life can be. She hasn’t seen the ugly side of it, hasn’t breathed it in her lungs like I do. She doesn’t know, and I find that I want to protect her from that world. Only I don’t know if I can.

I exhale a large breath, not wanting to disappoint her, but needing to let her down easily. If I show up at her house over the break, her parents will go through the fucking roof. Luna doesn’t see it, but I’m not the kind of guy that Mr. Marshall wants sniffing around his daughter.

“I told Mom about you, Gavin.”

It feels like everything inside of me stops. My heart refuses to beat, breath fails to move into my lungs.

I’m frozen.

“You told your mom?”

“I did. I mean I didn’t tell her how much time we’ve actually been spending together, since I’m supposed to have been with Jules most of the time. But I told her that we’ve been talking. I told her that I really liked you and…”

“And?”

“I told her that I wanted you to come to Thanksgiving dinner.”

“You told her…”

“Yep,” she announces proudly.

“Luna, your mom doesn’t—”

“She asked me to invite you and your dad and brother too.”

“I… she what?”

“She said to invite all of you.”

“I am not bringing Dad or Atticus to your parents’ home, Luna.”

“I know, so I told Mom that you’d be nervous enough just coming to meet them for the first time, so it would probably just be you.”

“There’s an understatement.” I step away from her, not sure how I feel about any of this. Luna’s parents are okay with me coming over? She wanted to ask my whole family? It’s no secret that my dad stays drunk all of the time. Maybe that kind of town gossip doesn’t get back to the Marshalls. Maybe they’re too rich to hear the gossip on the common people of Stone Lake. Still, I can’t believe that they’re okay with me dating their daughter. Even if they don’t know about my Dad, they have to know that I don’t have money, that I don’t have a future they would desire in a guy dating their daughter.

“Gavin?” Luna asks, nervously.

“You told her you were talking to me? You told her my name and everything? She didn’t freak and demand you not be around me?”

“Gavin, I told you my parents aren’t like that. You’re worried over nothing. She was fine with it and Mom called and told Dad I was bringing you to dinner too. There was no freaking out, I promise.”

“Luna, I don’t know…”

“Please, Gavin? I want you to be at dinner. I want to spend time with you, without having to sneak around. I want everyone to know that you’re my…”

“What am I?”

“My boyfriend?” she whispers, her face flushing with embarrassment.

“Damn,” I growl.

“What? You don’t want to—”

“When do you want me at your house for dinner, Luna?”

“Gavin, you don’t have to do this. I don’t want—”

“Shh…,” I whisper putting my lips to hers. “I want to have Thanksgiving dinner with my girlfriend and her parents,” I tell her as I pull away. I’m kind of lying. I don’t want to be anywhere near Luna’s parents, but I do want to be with Luna. I love that she claims me as her boyfriend, and I love that she wants everyone to know that she’s with me—that she’s mine. When Luna smiles at me, it hits me that I’d walk through fire for her if it meant having her smile at me like that.