Raela

Chapter 9

A/N

TW- SH and su!c!de

Raela POV

We walk into this amazing living room and I am just in shock I guess you could say. I don’t know what I was expecting, or where I was expecting to go, but it sure wasn’t here. This. An amazing cabin. I just look around. It's all wood with high  ceilings and big windows and a fireplace. It looks so… cozy. Definitely not what I expected from Gavin. 

“So come sit down. Let's talk.” Gavin says

I go sit next to him on the couch “Okay. Let’s talk”

“So where did the whole s*x issue come from? I mean I am pretty sure I know, but please tell me.” Gavin asks

“Ashley told me you would just take advantage of me and use me then leave me high and dry” I explain looking at the fireplace

“Raela, Ashley knows nothing. Did I come onto you at all today? Did I try to take advantage of you at all?” Gavin asks

“No” I say picking at my skin around my nails 

“Exactly. Don’t listen to anything Ashley says. She’s just mad.” 

“But why is she mad?” I ask “Is there history there?” 

“There is, but it isn’t important.” he says brushing it off. “But promise me” he reaches over and grabs my hand, “you won't listen to anything she says.”

I look at his face and he looks sincere, and maybe a bit sad.

I smile softly “I won’t. Today you have been amazing. And that’s what matters. What happened with you and Ashley has nothing to do with us. If there is an us that is.” I say and look away feeling a bit embarrassed 

“Well, if there isn’t an “us” I will definitely regret bringing you here and showing you my secret hideout” Gavin laughs

“What are we 5? Secret hideout?” I laugh

“It's always good to embrace your inner child.” Gavin says then sticks his tongue out at me

I can’t help but laugh. He is nothing like I always thought he was. He just always looked all tough and brooding and he always was with a different girl following him around, always beating someone up or something. But here, he’s sweet, and funny. I can’t believe my life right now. 

“True” I say and stick my tongue out him

Gavin starts tickling me and I try to push him off but he's too strong. I am laughing so hard I can’t breathe and I yell okay “Okay okay! Truce!”

“So maybe we should get you home so we can make sure you get to school tomorrow.” Gavin says

“Or I could call in and say I’m sick and skip tomorrow? I mean it's only Wednesday I can have Anna pick up my work for today and tomorrow and I can finish it all tomorrow night so by Thursday morning I will be all caught up. No harm done.” I smile

“Fine I guess. Let me text Jay and let him know that I won’t be in the shop tomorrow.” He pulls his phone out, “But” he looks at me “No more skipping after this”

“I promise” I smile “I should probably text Anna and ask her to get my work for me too, huh?”

“Yeah, probably” 

I pull my phone out and text Anna

Me- Hey, can u grab my work 4 2day n 2mro n I will get it 2mro nite?

Anna - Yea. Y arent u goin 2mro?

Me- Jus dont wanna deal with miles yet or my fam. 

Anna- Ok

I smile over at Gavin, “So what do you do out here?”

“I watch tv or movies, I get in the hot tub, I lay in bed and sleep a lot, I play pool or bowl or swim in the basement.. But I do have a question, Do you want to sleep in the guest room?” 

“I didn’t really think about it. I mean what are my choices? “

“We can hang out down here, get snacks, maybe watch something then go to our respective rooms. Or we can get snacks, go up to my room and watch TV in bed. I have extra blankets so we don't even have to share blankets. It's up to you Rae. I still have zero intentions of trying to have s*x with you so everyhting is up to you. No pressure. But I also don’t want you to think that I don’t want to spend the night with you.” Gavin explains sounding nervous, kind of rambling.

“Can we hang out down here for a little while first. While I think about it? I don’t know.” I say.

But I think I do know. I just don’t know if I am ready to tell him my decision yet. 

“Yeah that's fine” Gavin says

“Do you happen to have any spare clothes? I love my HK jammies but I am a bit warm” I say looking over at Gavin who is texting someone on his phone looking a bit pissed off

“Oh uh yeah, I have a tshirt you can wear or I don’t think my older sister's room was ever cleaned out and usually she had stuff brought here and never came so there's new clothes up there as well that you can have a look through, I think you’re about the same size. Whichever you prefer”

“Uh, would she mind? “ I ask 

“I don’t think so. She isn’t here anymore. She ki*led herself 3 years ago.”

“Oh my God Gavin, I am so sorry. I had no idea. I actually had no idea you even had a sister.”

“Yeah. She lived in the city with my parents, I moved here with my uncle when I was 11.” Gavin explains

“I am so sorry.” I say as I reach for his had to hold it

Gavin gives my hand a slight squeeze “Come on, I’ll show you to her room so you can go through her closet.” He stands up and pulls me up and we go up the steps and go into the room. 

Her room was big and the closet was bigger. But Gavin was right. Most of the stuff in here still had tags on it. I start looking around kind of amazed. I’ve never been in a closet like this. 

“So I am gonna go, but you can wear whatever you want.” Gavin says as he begins walking out

“Actually, Gavin, can you stay with me?” I ask softly. 

I don’t want to be in here alone. Plus as soon as he leaves my side I feel lonely. 

Gavin smiles looking slightly surprised “Yeah sure”

I eep looking around and find a pair of capri leggings and a tank and I pull off my shirt and Gavin goes to turn around but I tell him it's fine he doesn’t have to. The tank I found fits perfectly. Then I start to slide my pants off. But I hesitate. I don’t want Gavin to see my legs. But I’d rather him see them now and decide its too much than for him to see it later and decide its too much after we are already invested. But do I want to ruin tonight? 

I feel a hand on my shoulder and snap out of my internal dilemma, 

“Rae?” Gavin looks concerned “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” I ask then I quickly processed what he said “Yeah I’m fine. I just don’t want to ruin tonight.”I say looking down at the floor

“Raela just because you don’t want to sleep in the same room won’t ruin tonight” Gavin laughs

“I don’t mean because of that. I mean because I would rather you see me change now than later. But when you see me change, you may decide you don’t like me anymore and that I am too messed up for you” I say.

Gavin puts his hand under my chin lifting my face up to look at him, and he uses his other hand to wipe my cheek. I didn’t even realize I was crying. 

He looks into my eyes and says “Raela, nothing you do can make me think you’re too messed up for me. If anyone is going to be too messed up here, it's going to be me. I promise you that. I just hope I don’t scare you away.”

“You could never scare me away.” I smile

“Good, now can we go a head and get you changed so we can go back downstairs and watch a movie?” Gavin asks

I bite my lip nervously “Yeah I guess.”

I step back and pull my pants down and reach over for the capris, but I look over at Gavin and I see him staring at my legs. I just look away and put the capris on. As soon as I have them in Gavin comes over to me hugs me so tight whispering in my ear that I am beautiful. I can’t help but smile. I hug him back around his neck and squeeze as tight as I can. He makes me feel so good. But he is squeezing a bit too tight

“Gavin honey, you gotta let me go. I can’t breathe. You’re squeezing too tight” I laugh 

“Oh, sorry” He says as he sets me down

“Don’t be. I liked it” I smile. 

Gavin grabs my hand and starts to walk out of the closet, “Okay come on, let's go back downstairs.” 

I stop him and he turns to me. I step closer to him and raise up on my toes, I place my free  hand onto his cheek and him softly.

“Actually, I kinda wanted to sleep in your room with you. If that’s okay.”