life was already mapped out. Her family arranged for her to marry a man back home—someone in politics. My money and family name didn’t matter. She knew what was expected of her and was too afraid to go against her family’s wishes. When she graduated, she went home and married him.”
Terri’s eyes softened on him. “What did you do after she left?”
Thinking back, the pain of rejection crushed him. “I just said, screw it. I didn’t go back to school.”
Terri’s mouth fell open. “You left school? Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“What did your parents say?”
“My mother tried to be understanding, my siblings thought I was crazy, and my father was livid.”
Cyrus Senior used to drive him nuts, constantly on his case about finishing school and demanding to know what he wanted to do with his life. Gavin used to wish he would leave him alone, but he’d give anything to hear his father’s booming voice. Even if it were filled with disappointment. Just one more time.
“Did you ever see her again?”
Terri’s voice interrupted his thoughts and forced him back to the present.
“One year I, uh…heard she was in Mozambique the same time I was, so I pulled a few strings and got myself invited to the same political function. She looked beautiful, just liked I remembered.” Absentmindedly, he dragged his forefinger back and forth across the tablecloth. “By then, I had finished my degree and we discussed our experience at Stanford and the jobs some of our old friends had landed after graduation. She introduced me to her husband and shared pictures of their son. To be honest, she looked and sounded happy, and I realized she’d moved on, and so should I.”
Serwa had been his first love and the only woman he ever said “I love you” to. Even though losing her pained him, he had fond memories of their time together.
Terri’s hand crept across the white table cloth and her finger touched his, the same one moving back and forth in agitation. The sensation of her finger was surprisingly soothing. He playfully tugged her fingertip and she smiled.
“If it was meant to be, it would have happened,” she said.
“Yeah.” Gavin nodded. They were quiet for a while, then he said, “Your turn. You’ve had me talking way more than my normal. Have you ever been in love?”
She pulled back her hand, and right away, he missed the contact.
“Huh?”
“You heard me.”
“I plead the fifth.” She avoided his eyes, looking out at the nighttime view.
“Come on, Miss it’s-never-serious. There’s a story there somewhere.”
Terri covered her face. “Ugh. I do not like to share.”
“I know, but all that changes tonight. Come on, spill the details.”
“Fine.” She took an exaggerated deep breath and rolled her eyes. “I’ve been in love twice.”
“Had your heart broken twice?” Gavin asked.
She stared down into her coffee and didn’t answer right away. “Something like that.”
“What happened?” Gavin prodded.
She met his gaze. “The first time, I was young and he was a lot older.”
“How young and how much older?” Gavin prodded.
She bit the corner of her lip, hesitating.
“No judgment,” he promised.
“I was sixteen and he was twenty-five.”
“ Okay . What did your parents do?”
“My parents were dead by then.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Terri brushed away the comment. “My brother and I ended up with a very strict uncle and his family. He didn’t say much when I decided to leave and move in with my boyfriend. I think by then they were tired of my acting out.”
“What about school?”
“I finished. He was a truck driver and gone a lot, so I drove his car to school most days. When he was in town, he dropped me off and picked me up. My friends thought I was so cool and grown. Hell, I thought I was cool and grown. We were together for six years, if you could believe it. For the most part, we had a great relationship. Our biggest bone of contention was
Terri’s eyes softened on him. “What did you do after she left?”
Thinking back, the pain of rejection crushed him. “I just said, screw it. I didn’t go back to school.”
Terri’s mouth fell open. “You left school? Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“What did your parents say?”
“My mother tried to be understanding, my siblings thought I was crazy, and my father was livid.”
Cyrus Senior used to drive him nuts, constantly on his case about finishing school and demanding to know what he wanted to do with his life. Gavin used to wish he would leave him alone, but he’d give anything to hear his father’s booming voice. Even if it were filled with disappointment. Just one more time.
“Did you ever see her again?”
Terri’s voice interrupted his thoughts and forced him back to the present.
“One year I, uh…heard she was in Mozambique the same time I was, so I pulled a few strings and got myself invited to the same political function. She looked beautiful, just liked I remembered.” Absentmindedly, he dragged his forefinger back and forth across the tablecloth. “By then, I had finished my degree and we discussed our experience at Stanford and the jobs some of our old friends had landed after graduation. She introduced me to her husband and shared pictures of their son. To be honest, she looked and sounded happy, and I realized she’d moved on, and so should I.”
Serwa had been his first love and the only woman he ever said “I love you” to. Even though losing her pained him, he had fond memories of their time together.
Terri’s hand crept across the white table cloth and her finger touched his, the same one moving back and forth in agitation. The sensation of her finger was surprisingly soothing. He playfully tugged her fingertip and she smiled.
“If it was meant to be, it would have happened,” she said.
“Yeah.” Gavin nodded. They were quiet for a while, then he said, “Your turn. You’ve had me talking way more than my normal. Have you ever been in love?”
She pulled back her hand, and right away, he missed the contact.
“Huh?”
“You heard me.”
“I plead the fifth.” She avoided his eyes, looking out at the nighttime view.
“Come on, Miss it’s-never-serious. There’s a story there somewhere.”
Terri covered her face. “Ugh. I do not like to share.”
“I know, but all that changes tonight. Come on, spill the details.”
“Fine.” She took an exaggerated deep breath and rolled her eyes. “I’ve been in love twice.”
“Had your heart broken twice?” Gavin asked.
She stared down into her coffee and didn’t answer right away. “Something like that.”
“What happened?” Gavin prodded.
She met his gaze. “The first time, I was young and he was a lot older.”
“How young and how much older?” Gavin prodded.
She bit the corner of her lip, hesitating.
“No judgment,” he promised.
“I was sixteen and he was twenty-five.”
“ Okay . What did your parents do?”
“My parents were dead by then.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Terri brushed away the comment. “My brother and I ended up with a very strict uncle and his family. He didn’t say much when I decided to leave and move in with my boyfriend. I think by then they were tired of my acting out.”
“What about school?”
“I finished. He was a truck driver and gone a lot, so I drove his car to school most days. When he was in town, he dropped me off and picked me up. My friends thought I was so cool and grown. Hell, I thought I was cool and grown. We were together for six years, if you could believe it. For the most part, we had a great relationship. Our biggest bone of contention was
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