Letting You Go (Stone Lake 1)

“And a couple of classmates. A Larry Reynolds and a Darren—”

“Just stop,” I murmur, sick to my stomach.

I’m going to throw up. I’ve been doing it all the time lately. I’ve lost fifteen pounds because I haven’t been able to eat. That’s what made me check to see if I was pregnant. I swallow the bile back down, hoping I can get control of it in time. I don’t want Agent Dern thinking I’m weak or realizing I’m pregnant. I need to be the one to tell Gavin.

“You see the problem.”

“Not really. They can’t prosecute him on that, surely. Not when I’m eighteen and willing to testify to the truth.”

“They might not, then again, maybe they will. Either way it doesn’t matter. Another arrest on Gavin’s permanent record will pretty much ensure that the FBI will pass him over.”

“Pass him over?”

“By choosing you, Luna, Gavin is giving up his dream. He’s giving up his one chance for a future—a good future. I don’t want to see that happen.”

“What do you want me to do?” I ask him, but I know. I know and suddenly I hate Agent Dern. I hate him more than anyone I’ve ever met.

“I want you to let Gavin go, Miss Marshall.” His words are softly spoken, and I can see the pity in his eyes.

His words destroy me.

Chapter Sixty Three

Gavin

“Luna.” I grab her, pulling her behind the building, before she even finishes walking to me. I take her into my arms, pressing her against me, burying my head in her neck and breathing in her scent.

“Gavin—”

“Fuck, Moonbeam, you feel so good in my arms. I was scared I’d never have that again.”

“Gavin,” she sobs, her body shaking, but finally she softens against me, her hands going around me to hold onto me tightly.

Finally.

“I’ve missed you so damn much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she replies, her voice muffled because her mouth is against my shoulder. I move a hand to her neck, holding her gently, tilting her head up, and capturing her mouth in mine. It feels like a million years since I’ve kissed her.

Once we pull away, I stand back, keeping my hand on her neck and look at her.

Really look at her.

“You’ve lost weight.”

“It’s been a rough month.”

“God. Has it been a month since we’ve seen each other, Moonbeam?”

“Longer,” she murmurs.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. How about you? I know it had to be horrible there. I wanted to see you, but they wouldn’t let me.”

“It was hell. I was in county lock up for a while. Once Lawrence got there, he had them bring me back up to the Sheriff’s office. That was better.”

“Lawrence?”

“Agent Dern. He said he met you.”

“Yeah, we’ve met,” she says. Her face goes pale and I feel her tremble in my hold.

“Are you okay?”

“I… I’ve not been feeling well.”

“You’re sick?”

“It’s nothing. Probably a stomach virus or something.”

“Luna, I want to leave right after graduation. We need to plan, especially since we don’t get to see each other.”

“Gavin—”

“You can start sneaking things you want to take with you to school and Wally will get them to me.”

“Gavin, I don’t…. it’s not going to work.”

“It’s not ideal, Moonbeam, but it will be okay. We have a little time before graduation. How long do you think you have before your Mom comes looking for you?”

“Not long,” she says, her head going down to look at the ground.

“Hey, look at me,” I urge her, tilting her head up to look at me. It guts me when I see the tears in her eyes. “Don’t cry, Babe. It will work out. I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

“What happens if we leave and my parents go after you?”

“How can they?”

“They have witnesses lined up against you, Gavin. They are saying that I—”

“I know, Agent Dern told me,” I inform her, stopping her from talking. I don’t even want to hear her say that shit. I step back, rubbing the back of my neck, wondering how to reassure her, when I’m worried myself. “It doesn’t matter, Luna. We’ll be far away from Stone Lake, living our lives. No judge is going to listen to that bullshit.”

“But what happens if they arrest you, Gavin? You know my father won’t give up. He won’t.”

“Then, we’ll weather it until the judge hears the whole story. You’re mine, Luna. I love you. We belong to each other. We can face all of it, Moonbeam. We just have to face it together.”

“Gavin—”

I see the sadness, the pain in her face and I see the bleakness in her eyes, where once I saw happiness and hope. Desperation fills me. I feel Luna slipping away and I don’t know if I can live if that happens. She’s rooted so deep inside of me that I think if you cut me, she’d be in my blood. She’s the best part of me.