In the book the best of me Dawson hits a professor with his car he said it was a accident but no one believed him because his family had a bad criminal history. So Dawson ended up going to jail for four years when he got out he got out he fled. But when he heard that his friend tuck died he came back for his funereal. When he was there he saw Amanda it has been 25 years science he has seen her. It was awkward at first but then they started talking and the more and more they talked Dawson liked her more and more again.