CHAPTER FOURTEEN - CHLOE
THE WIND COMING off the sea billowed my hair back off my face. I hugged Gavin’s coat to my body, now and then taking a deep inhale of his scent coming off the cotton. It hadn’t changed. It was still just as intoxicating as it had been that night. He’d grabbed it out of his jeep for me before we started out to the sand, and I’d left my shoes there so I didn’t get sand in his car. He said he didn’t care, but I did. Getting sand out of a car was nearly impossible.
“You know, I’ve lived near a beach most of my life, on one side of the country or the other, and I think I can count on both hands the number of times I’ve gone in my adult life,” I said, staring out at the glittering waves.
“You need a better beach,” he replied. “Then you wouldn’t be able to stay away.”
Something about the statement suggested that he wasn’t talking about the beach.
“I think it’s the sand,” I said. “It gets everywhere.”
Gavin glanced over at me. “Yeah, you can tell you don’t get out here much,” he said.
My head jerked his way. “Are you calling me pale?”
He chuckled under his breath. “I’m not calling you tan.”
“It’s nice to know the smartass in you hasn’t changed,” I said, nudging him.
Fuck, that smile. It was a weakness I couldn’t escape. I swallowed in the silence, turning my face away from him and back to the ocean, forcing my legs to move even though they begged to stay in one place.
“Some days I want to jump in the car and just drive,” I said. “I feel like there’s so much of the world I haven’t seen.”
“By yourself?”
“Maybe. I’d want it to be a vacation. No work. No meetings. No set schedule or destinations. Just driving and turning onto whatever interstate intrigued me. I’d eat shit gas station food and pick up hitchhikers.”
“Beautiful girl driving alone across the country and picking up random strangers on the highway.” His brows raised at me. “I think I’d better come along to make sure no one tries to murder you.”
“Don’t lie. You would come along just for the junk food.”
“Imagine all the shit diners we could stop at,” he said.
“Mm… I have one request, though,” I said.
“Anything.”
“We spend my birthday at the Grand Canyon,” I told him.
“When’s your birthday?”
“February,” I answered.
“Fuck,” he said, stopping in front of me. “That’s five whole birthdays I have to make up for.”
I laughed. “Just as long as it’s not something extravagant or some expensive gift.”
“You’ve ruined my plans, now.”
I laughed. “Sorry,” I said.
“Why don’t you want any of that?”
“Because…” My laughter faded, an emptiness settling in the bottom of my stomach. “Gifts can’t make up for time missed or be a rebuttal for any actions worth needing forgiveness,” I said. “Gifts are special. I don’t think anyone wants to only feel special when the person they love wants another chance.”
Gavin looked me over silently, his smile solemn. “What would you rather have? To forgive someone, I mean.”
“A true apology,” I replied. “True change. Time together.”
