Chapter 55

    Chapter 55: I Don't Care If I Crash

    LYRIC'S SPENCER POV

    The girls' voices overlapped, their demands growing louder by the second. Lana, Catherine, and Hanna bounced on the bed, their matching pajama sleeves flapping as they argued over what counted as a real magic trick.

    I blinked at them, momentarily overwhelmed. A real magic trick? What did they even mean by that? I could do a simple card trick, but that wasn't going to satisfy them.

    Just as I opened my hands to sign a compromise, a voice interrupted from the doorway.

    "I think I can help with that."

    I turned my head to find Gavin leaning casually against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, a smirk tugging at his lips. What was he doing here? I looked over at the clock on the wall; it was fifteen minutes past eight.

    The triplets immediately turned toward him, eyes wide with interest.

    "You can do magic?" Hannah asked skeptically, tilting her head.

    Gavin stepped into the room, his expression confident. "Of course, I can." He knelt in front of them, rubbing his hands together dramatically. "I don't just play hockey, you know. I'm also a world-class magician."

    Catherine narrowed her eyes. "Prove it."

    He grinned. "Alright, watch closely."

    "Okie dokie, we are ready," Lana said.

    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin, holding it up between his fingers. "See this?" He waved it in front of them before closing his fist around it. "Now, keep your eyes on my hand."

    The girls leaned in, completely focused.

    Gavin tapped his closed fist with his free hand, then slowly, theatrically, opened it—revealing that the coin had vanished.

    Their mouths dropped open.

    "Where'd it go?" Hannah gasped.

    Lana whipped her head to me as if I had the answer. I just shrugged, just as curious as they were.

    Gavin smirked, then reached toward Lana's ear. With a quick flick of his wrist, he pulled the coin out from behind it.

    "Ta-da."

    Catherine shrieked, slapping her hands over her ear. "How did you do that?!"

    Hanna scrambled closer, grabbing his hand to inspect it. "No way! Do it again!"

    Gavin laughed, giving me a view of his glorious Adam's apple. "A magician never reveals his secrets." He tossed the coin in the air, catching it effortlessly. "But... I do have one more trick."

    The triplets practically vibrated with excitement as he pulled a rubber band from his wrist. He stretched it between his fingers, then carefully threaded it through another band.

    "See how they're locked together?" he asked.

    The girls nodded.

    With a smooth movement, he pulled his fingers apart—and the rubber bands magically slid through each other, separating without breaking.

    Lana screamed. "NO WAY!"

    Hanna gasped, eyes as wide as saucers. "That's so cool!"

    They clapped and bounced on the bed, completely won over.

    Gavin leaned back, looking pleased with himself. "Told you I was a world-class magician."

    I let out a silent laugh, shaking my head.

    The girls were still grinning when Lana turned to me, signing quickly.

    <<Auntie, Gavin is cooler than you.>>

    I scoffed and shot him a mock glare. He just shrugged, smirking.

    Catherine tugged on his sleeve. "Do another one!"

    "Yeah!" Lana chimed in. "One more, please?"

    Gavin glanced at me, as if checking to see if I minded.

    I shook my head. They were happy. That was all that mattered.

    With a playful sigh, he ruffled Lana's hair. "Alright, one more. But this is my grand finale."

    I sat back, watching as he continued, a warm feeling settling in my chest. I never knew Gavin was good with kids; he always gave off this cold vibe. I didn't think he could even smile at a kid, much less engage them.

    The twins hung onto Gavin's every move, their excitement buzzing through the air like static electricity. He shuffled the deck of cards effortlessly, his fingers moving with the ease of someone who had done this a hundred times before.

    "Alright," he said, spreading the cards out in a fan, "pick one. But don't let me see it."

    Lana eagerly reached forward, plucking a card from the deck, while Hanna leaned in close to peek. They giggled as they examined it together, their matching faces alight with mischief.

    "Got it?" Gavin asked.

    The kids nodded vigorously.

    "Good. Now, put it back in the deck." He held the stack out, and Lana slid the card in carefully.

    With a flourish, Gavin shuffled the deck again, his hands moving so smoothly it almost looked like the cards danced for him. He paused for a dramatic moment, then flicked his wrist—causing a single card to shoot up from the deck.

    The exact card they had chosen.

    Catherine gasped. "WHAT?"

    Hanna grabbed the card, flipping it over as if she expected some kind of trick. "How did you do that?!"

    Gavin just winked. "Magic."

    The twins squealed, bouncing on the bed, completely satisfied with the performance.

    I rolled my eyes playfully but couldn't deny how impressive it was. Since when did Gavin know magic tricks?

    Lana and Hanna turned to me, their hands moving fast as they signed, <<Auntie, Gavin is a real magician! We should keep him!>>

    I snorted, shaking my head. <<He's not a stray cat.>>

    "Gavin, can you please stay? You could share a bed with Auntie Lyric!"

    My pupils widened at Catherine's suggestion, and I shook my head firmly against it, hoping my face wasn't flushed. Catherine didn't like it when Wren stayed over for dinner; why was she so open to Gavin?

    It must be his charm.

    Gavin grinned. "I mean, I wouldn't mind staying. You guys have better entertainment than I do at home."

    His words were lighthearted, but I caught the hint of something beneath them.

    The moment lingered for a second longer than it should have.

    Then, suddenly, a loud knock at the front door made the air shift.

    The laughter in the room died instantly.

    I tensed.

    So did Gavin.

    Miss Spencer's voice carried from the living room, tight with nerves. "Dinner is ready!"

    At the mention of dinner, the girls wore their flip-flops and rushed to the parlor to eat. Catherine came back, a smile hanging on her lips, "At the dinner table, I will sit next to you, Gavin."

    Gavin mirrored her smile. "Sure."

    After she left, it was only the two of us in the room. The last time he was here, I was whimpering shamelessly under him. I couldn't help but blush at the memory.

    I turned to my table, grabbing anything. It was a comb. I needed to hide my red face from him. I pretended to comb my hair, keeping my eyes on the table. I hoped he would take the hint and leave. Unfortunately, he didn't.

    I must have sensed him approaching because my fingers twitched around the comb.

    "You can keep pretending I'm not here," he said, his voice calm and steady. "But we both know that won't make me disappear."

    I pulled out my phone, my fingers moving fast over the screen before I held it up for him to read. *GO AWAY*

    "Lyric."

    I picked up a dryer, plugging it in. The sound of the dryer echoed in the room. I started to dry my hair, humming to myself.

    "Lyric, please." His voice grew louder over the dryer. I continued.

    "Okay," he sighed. "Then don't talk to me. Just... listen."

    My jaw tightened, but I didn't pull out my phone again.

    I don't know why. I unplugged the dryer and glanced at him.

    He ran a hand through his hair, frustration flickering across his face. "I was a dick to you. I know that. What happened between us... I didn't handle it right."

    I let out a slow breath through my nose but kept fidgeting with my dress.

    He pushed on. "It wasn't because of you. It was because I was too much of a coward to face what I was feeling."

    That made me stop.

    I turned to face him, keeping my expression carefully neutral as I typed.

    *And what exactly were you feeling, Gavin?*

    He swallowed, shifting his weight like he wanted to run but had nowhere to go.

    "Like I wanted to stay. Not for the night, forever."

    I froze. My fingers trembled over the screen.

    "Like I was falling," he repeated, his voice quieter this time. "And I didn't know how to stop."

    My breath caught in my throat.

    He took a step closer, his eyes locked on mine. "And the worst part?"

    I didn't move.

    Didn't type.

    Didn't breathe.

    "I think I wanted to fall. To stay. To hold you in my arms. I have never felt that before, and it scared me."

    The world around us faded; I could only see, hear, Gavin. Was this a love confession?

    I looked down at my phone, my heart hammering as I typed out the only question that mattered. A flutter settled in my chest.

    *And now?*

    He exhaled sharply, the weight of everything between us settling deep in his chest.

    "Now I don't care if I crash."