Chapter Thirty Seven: Time’s Up

It had been a full day since gym class and the whole… Gavin thing. And somehow, I still hadn’t stopped thinking about it.

Not just the way he caught me, twice, or the almost-kiss that made my lungs stop working. But the way he pulled away. Like he was afraid.

Of me.

Of himself.

I told myself it didn’t matter. That I shouldn’t care. That I was better off not diving into the feelings that made my chest ache and my head spin.

And yet…

I still found myself glancing over at him when I had the chance.

Watching the way his jaw clenched when he thought no one was looking. The way his fingers flexed absently as if he was remembering something.

Like he was remembering me.

After my last class, I stopped by the library to return a book. Unexpectedly, I noticed Gavin’s bag on the desk in the corner where he usually sat.

He always had the same setup: old notebook, headphones next to his phone, a spare hoodie that still smelled faintly like cedarwood and something darker.

I se