Chapter 9: What He Thought He Saw
217 Words
Gavin didn’t mean to follow her.
He told himself he was just walking, clearing his head. The night before had been a blur of sharp words and jagged feelings, and sleep hadn’t helped.
But then he saw her down by the path — Vanna, silhouetted against the sea like something out of a memory he didn’t deserve to keep.
He almost called out.
Until he saw the man stepping off the boat.
His father.
Dan.
Gavin’s breath caught. He moved closer, staying just out of sight on the upper walkway. His fingers curled around the wooden railing, his pulse suddenly too loud.
They were talking — too far away to hear, but not too far to see.
And then it happened.
Dan reached for her hand.
And Vanna... hesitated.
She didn’t take it — at least not that Gavin saw. But she didn’t pull away fast enough to erase the image seared into him.
It was the look on her face that wrecked him — not love, not joy, but something he couldn’t name. Softness? Sadness? Regret?
All he knew was that it wasn’t him she looked at like that.
He turned before he could see the rest.
Turned before Vanna stepped away.
Turned before her voice sliced through the air like truth sharpened to a blade.
- Writer
