Chapter 45

    # Chapter 45: Not Giving Up

    ## LYRIC SPENCER POV

    "Lyric, Lyric, wait—"

    My world spun as Gavin snatched my hand, pulling me against his chest. We both tumbled to the muddy ground, his arms caging me like a mother protecting her newborn.

    When we finally came to a stop, I lay on top of him, breathless. Droplets of rain slid down my face, dripping onto his. My soaked hair clung to my skin, and his chest rose and fell beneath me.

    Gavin jerked me by the waist, flipping us over in one swift motion. Now, he was on top of me, his face inches from mine. In the dim light of the rain, he looked almost unreal—like a different version of himself.

    "Lyric—"

    I shook my head, my legs kicking in defiance. I didn’t want to hear whatever he had to say.

    "I’m not going to force you," he murmured, his grip firm but gentle as he pinned my wrists above my head.

    His voice softened. "I’m sorry for what I did that hurt you. I’m sorry I didn’t meet your expectations for what your first time was supposed to be like. But I hope—" he exhaled, his breath warm despite the cold rain—"dare I say, we can hang out like the adults we are and let bygones be bygones?"

    I stared at him, stunned. I hadn’t expected an apology.

    Slowly, he leaned closer. "Come inside and take a shower. We’re both covered in mud. After dinner, I’ll drop you off at your house. Deal?"

    I narrowed my eyes at him, skeptical.

    He let out a shaky breath. "You don’t have to forgive me. You don’t even have to like me. But leaving in this weather and taking the bus doesn’t feel right. Let me make it up to you—just let me feed you dinner."

    Hearing this, my heart ached. The sadness etched onto his face was undeniable.

    My eyes flickered away, looking everywhere but at Gavin Hawkins. He was still on top of me, and strangely, it felt as natural as brushing my teeth.

    Though my hands were still locked above my head, I managed to lift a shaky thumbs-up.

    Gavin’s face lit up at my acceptance. He rolled off me and stood, then extended his hand. From my spot on the muddy ground, it almost looked like an angel reaching out to save me.

    Without hesitation, I grabbed his hand. He pulled me up, our bodies wobbling for a moment before we found our balance.

    Time seemed to freeze.

    Until—his cold fingers brushed behind my ear, tucking away a strand of wet hair. I shivered in response.

    A soft chuckle escaped him. "Let’s get you changed."

    ---

    The first day back at school, I had one goal—avoid Gavin Hawkins.

    I kept my head down, focused on my textbooks, and made sure to take different routes between classes. It wasn’t easy. Gavin had a way of finding me, of lingering just within sight, his gaze heavy on my back.

    At lunch, I sat at the farthest table in the cafeteria, earphones in, drowning myself in music. But even as *Sweater Weather* played, all I could think about was the way his fingers had ghosted over my skin, the way his eyes had locked onto mine like they were reading every unspoken thought.

    “Lyric.”

    I stiffened.

    Even without looking, I knew it was him.

    “Go away,” I gestured, shooing him, staring down at my untouched apple.

    “You’ve been avoiding me.”

    *No, I’ve been busy.* I typed into my phone, the robotic voice slowly reading out my text.

    Gavin scoffed, sliding into the seat across from me. His cologne engulfed me, and all I could think about was having his lips on mine. I pressed my thighs together, trying to get things back under control.

    His eyes flitted to mine; he looked tired today. More than ever, as he talked, my gaze fell on the bruises on his knuckles. I almost inquired about them. “Really? Too busy to even look at me?”

    I clenched my jaw, still refusing to meet his gaze. *I don’t owe you anything, Gavin.*

    The table went silent. I expected him to argue, to demand an explanation, but instead, he exhaled sharply.

    “You’re right,” he admitted, his gaze lowering. I felt a dip in my stomach, enough to make me grimace. “You don’t owe me anything.”

    That caught me off guard. I finally looked up, only to find him watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher—frustration, hurt, something else I didn’t want to name. I hoped it meant I would be left alone. But a part of me wanted him to stay.

    I watched him as he disappeared toward the hall.

    ---

    ## GAVIN HAWKINS POV

    Practice needed extra effort after my little chat with Lyric. I could not stop thinking about it. What bothered me was how much I was invested in this.

    This was not me.

    Still, something was wrong with Lyric.

    She wasn’t just mad—she was hurt. And I had no idea what I had done to cause it. But I apologized anyway because I needed to, even though I had never apologized before.

    For the rest of the day, I watched her. Not in a creepy way—at least, I hoped not—but just enough to notice the little things. The way she avoided eye contact. The way her fingers tapped against her desk like she was trying to distract herself. The way she chewed on her lip when she thought too hard.

    She had always been good at keeping to herself, but now she was shutting me out. And I hated it.

    The worst part was her best friend had not resumed school, so she was all on her own. I didn't like that. I made sure she was not bullied.

    Yet, I wasn’t giving up that easily.

    That night, I sent her a text.

    Me: I still need that playlist.

    No response. My heart raced in anticipation.

    Me: Lyric.

    Nothing.

    Gavin: Come on, just tell me what’s wrong.

    *Read at 10:42 PM.* No reply.

    I sighed, tossing my phone onto my bed.

    Fine. If she wasn’t going to talk, I’d find another way.

    I just needed to remind Lyric Spencer of one thing—

    She wasn’t the only one who knew how to be stubborn.