Loving Gavin by Pixie Perkins

Author:Pixie Perkins [Perkins, Pixie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pixie Perkins
Published: 2022-06-10T04:00:00+00:00

14

things are different now

I don’t buy any horrible tops or ugly brooches (I’m not wasting my money like that), but I do buy a journal and a pair of dangly star earrings that I “took forever” to decide on. Alex buys his murder mystery—smiling the whole time—and then he also buys a random packet of something. All I see is a glimpse of color, which is definitely not enough to identify what’s in the said packet.

We pass on shopping bags, say our “goodbyes” to Safiya and Caroline, then carry our stuff out of the store.

“So, what else did you buy?” I ask him, my curiosity getting the best of me. “What’s in the packet?”

“Temporary tattoos.” He taps it against my nose. “I remember how much you used to love them when we were kids.”

OF COURSE, he remembers that. I was honestly obsessed with temporary tattoos for a while. Poor Mom got so mad when I had decided to put one on my cheek right before picture day back in fourth grade. At the time, I thought a llamacorn was the perfect addition for my school picture look. To be young again…

“I thought they could be fun,” Alex continues, now studying the packet. “I can only see a couple of them, but what are the odds that they all suck?”

I really hope the odds aren’t in his favor.

Once we’re back in his car, he starts playing some music that sounds vaguely familiar.

I shove my new journal and box of earrings into my already-crammed book bag. “Is this off the soundtrack from that new fantasy movie?”

“Yeah, have you seen it?”

“Not yet,” I say as he drives out of the parking lot, “but I know everyone’s been raving about the music all over social media.”

“I haven’t seen the movie either,” he replies with a laugh. “I just heard one of the songs in some video I was watching and then I stalked the comment section until I found where it was from.” He reaches over and slides his fingers through mine before guiding our clasped hands to rest on the console. “We could always watch it together as a date night though.”

My mind goes blank for a second as his thumb strokes my skin.

He’s holding my hand. He’s holding my hand while he’s driving. Just like I hoped Gavin would do one day.

I almost yank away from his grasp as a result of my frustration—but gosh darn it! Alex holding my hand feels too nice…

He makes some small talk about being excited to read his new book, and how he wants to go thrift-shopping with me again. I, on the other hand, don’t offer any kind of response.

Why?

Because. I. Don’t. Want. To.

And I’m mad that he had such a great thrift-shopping experience with me.

So, I just gaze out my window and cling to the promise of being home soon where I’ll be free from his company.

But then Alex pulls into the entrance of Smoothie Slaps. “What are you—”

“I figured you could use a smoothie,” he tells me while getting in line for the drive-thru.

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