Gavin (A Redemption Romance #3) Read Free Page B

been returned, it had been tossed away, not wanted, forgotten. I’d never put myself in that situation again.
    I hadn’t been his priority; I’d never been anyone’s priority. My father who’d left before finding out mom was even pregnant, my mom – she tried, but she never moved on from the girlish love she’d had for my dad. I was working hard to at least make myself a priority – for me, if no one else.
    Gavin’s smiling face joined our circle. He gave Hope and then Aurora a quick cheek kiss and side hug, chuckling as Luke growled from behind him.
    Aurora, being the consummate hostess, introduced us. It was laughable really, I did my best to play along, not wanting to draw attention to our history. Gavin kept his gaze on Aurora as she spoke, but finally turned to look at me as Aurora gestured to me and said my name.
    I gave a quick smile and nod in greeting, but I didn’t miss the moment it registered. Gavin’s eyes bulged out, shock crossed his face, and he took a step forward as if he were about to hug me. I couldn’t handle that, not now. We weren’t kids anymore. I hadn’t been that naïve eighteen-year-old girl for a long time.
    “Dawn, holy shit, it is you.” His hoarse voice was full of confusion, my smile was hesitant and my wave ridiculous.
    “Hey, Gavin.” I noticed both of the women next to me look between us with curiosity, but I wasn’t about to explain. There was too much, water under the bridge for all that.
    Even after all these years - when he looked at me, I felt the flush crawl up and color my cheeks. Embarrassment and shame swamped me, taking me back to a place I never wanted to go again. The pain of not only losing the hope of what I’d wanted for so long, but also losing his friendship was too much.
    I did my best not to notice as he took me in, raking his eyes over my fully grown body. I had changed, not a lot, but enough that he apparently noticed.
    I was uncomfortable with his attention, but did my best to hold still and wait. Giving the group a small smile, I muttered something about getting a drink and escaped into the kitchen.
    Convinced that he’d gotten the message, I was shocked when he followed me. Pinning me in between the fridge and his hard body, I shook with nervousness and frustration, and looked for a way to escape without causing a scene.
    “Talk to me,” Gavin rumbled in his deep, concerned voice.
    “It’s been a long time, how are you?” I tried flippant, but the hard set of his jaw told me that it didn’t work.
    “Dawn, I haven’t seen you for eight years, why are you trying to avoid me?”
    “I’m good, thanks for asking.” Trying again, this time, I went with slightly snotty, my tone stayed flat. I didn’t fully understand why he was cornering me why he was pushing me?
    This wasn’t the time – and there wouldn’t ever be a good time for this reunion. I was completely mortified. I could only imagine what he’d thought of when he’d seen me. The pathetic little girl who’d confessed her love for him, when he’d never shown the slightest interest in her, not like that anyway.
    I was irritated that just the sight of him, after all these years, brought those old feelings back. Loss, pain, shame and knowing that I wasn’t enough, that I’d never be what he wanted, I couldn’t do it, couldn’t go back to the friendship we’d once had, not that he was asking for that.
    Gavin’s body relaxed and when the sound of voices coming into the kitchen caught his attention, I used that moment of distraction to slip out, under his arm and escape to the safety of the living room and the rest of Aurora’s friends.
    I’d worked for Indulgence for a couple of months, had only been back in Texas about four, and this had been the first time I’d accepted one of Aurora’s many invitations. I’d been spending time getting my little house in order, visiting with my mom and seeing some old friends I hadn’t seen in years.
    Living in LA for the past couple