scolding. “Fine. Can someone give me a ride back to my truck?”
“Only if you promise you’re not going to do anything stupid,” Logan said.
One corner of my mouth hooked in a grin. “How long are we talking? Like for the rest of the day, or…”
He punched me in the arm.
I followed him to his truck, feeling calm, but still shitty. I didn’t know what I was going to do about Skylar. Had I fucked things up forever?
Or worse, did she not want me at all?
Maybe I’d been nothing but a diversion. Great for the orgasms, but not for anything serious. And the truth was, I couldn’t even blame her for that. It wasn’t like I’d ever given her a reason to get serious with me. I’d never given her a chance.
I’d never given us a chance. And maybe that had been my biggest mistake of all.
38
Skylar
I stared miserably into my mug, only dimly aware that it was empty. It had been a long twenty-four hours. Ever since Gavin had walked out yesterday, I’d been in a daze.
What the hell had happened?
Had he really come in here and randomly suggested we get married because the accident on the bridge had made him realize he didn’t want to lose me?
And had he seriously waited until he was walking out the door to mention being in love with me?
What the fuck was that about?
My words to Ginny came back to haunt me. It’s not messy now, and I’m certainly not going to let it get messy today. Gavin and I are fine.
So much for that. I didn’t know how it could get any messier.
Cupping my chin in my hand, I leaned my elbow on the table. I’d spent most of the last day in my room, trying to wrap my head around what had happened. Was it my fault that it had gone so badly? What else could I have done? We couldn’t get married. He was crazy.
Wasn’t he?
“Hi there, sweetheart.” Mom lacked her usual breeziness when she came into the kitchen. “How are you feeling?”
“A little sore, but I’m okay. How are you?”
The airbag had deployed, but fortunately it hadn’t hurt her too badly. She just had a little bruising on her chin.
“Still sore, but better than yesterday.” She poured herself some hot water and dunked a tea bag in her mug, then came over to the table to sit with me. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
I sighed. “Not really, but it’s not because of the bridge. Gavin came over yesterday and…”
“What happened?”
“He said we should get married.”
Mom’s lips parted and she hesitated for a second before replying. “He proposed?”
“He didn’t propose so much as say he thought we should get married because the accident made him realize he doesn’t want to lose me.”
“Wow. I didn’t know you two were so serious.”
“No, that’s the thing, we aren’t. We’re friends, but that’s all.”
She blew on her tea. “Well, that’s not all, honey.”
I hesitated for a moment. “There was… another dimension to our relationship.”
With a smile, she tucked my hair behind my ear. “We’re both adults, you don’t have to beat around the bush with me.”
“Fine, we’ve been sleeping together. But we were supposed to just be friends. And now he’s mad at me because I didn’t die of happiness at his non-proposal?”
“If he’s mad, it’s because you wounded his pride and he wasn’t ready for it.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt him. But what was I supposed to say? It’s totally understandable that the accident freaked him out, and if he’d come in here and said it made him realize he wants more with me, I would have been ecstatic. I want more with him, too.”
Tears pricked my eyes. Oh my god, it was true. I really did want more with Gavin. And I might have ruined it.
She put her hand on my arm. “Give him a little time. He’ll calm down and you two can figure out where you ought to be.”
“Thanks, Mom. By the way, where’s Dad?”
“I don’t know.” She glanced away.
“You slept in your own bed last night, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “I did, and I probably should have been all along.”
It was my turn to put a comforting hand on her arm. “Mom, what happened?”
“The accident didn’t exactly bring out the best in either of us. I should have known better. We’ve been down this road before and it didn’t end well.”
I hesitated, not sure if I should ask. But it had been one of the defining moments of my