They Don't Know About Us

Chapter 11

The only skill that Ava’s father had taught her was how to speak loudly and clearly, which was something she hadn’t even fully hung onto as she grew older. He hadn’t taught her how to ride a bike or pick a lock, but at least Gavin was teaching her one of those things. 

“You got it! Pretty easy once you get the hang of it right?” Gavin exclaimed, beaming at her proudly as they gazed at each other through the opening to the bathroom. After spending some time at the diner talking, they managed to get a few hours of sleep before waking up and deciding to rest in the motel for that day so that they could figure out their next move. Gavin had decided to use the time wisely and teach Ava a few things, like how to pick a lock and how to tie bedsheets together in firm knots if she had to ever use them to escape from a multi-story building.

Even if the tips he was teaching her were only really for survival or emergency situations, Ava still found herself having fun learning new things, especially with him teaching. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to really use anything that he had taught her, but at least she knew what to do. She wouldn’t be completely helpless if things took a turn for the worst. “I can’t believe I got it,” Ava laughed softly as she glanced at the bathroom lock that she had just picked open. She stepped out of the bathroom to stand at his side, her head tilting up to look at him. “What else you got?”

Gavin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his fingertips grating over his dark stubble. He motioned for her to follow him back onto the carpeted floor near the bed and the television, stopping between them. “Let me show you a defense move or two. Just in case they get near you, you can protect yourself,” Gavin suggested, standing across from her.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you or anything,” Ava asked him as she cautiously stepped in front of him. She didn’t know the first thing about self-defense. One summer during high school, she wanted to sign up for a two-week self-defense class, but her parents didn’t want her to get into any sort of fighting activity. The thought of that situation still made her want to roll her eyes.

Gavin chuckled softly as he waved his hand dismissively. “Trust me, you won’t,” he teased her, a cocky smile crossing his lips.

Ava raised her eyebrows at him, surprised at his boldness, but it only fired her up to try. “What’s the first move?” She asked, ready to get started. She was always looking to try something new. 

“So, instead of your fists, I want you to try striking with the heel of your hand. Push up with it,” Gavin replied, tapping his chest for her to aim at.

Ava tried out the move slowly, gradually extending her arm out and thrusting her heel forward to meet his chest. She tried it at full speed, knocking him back a step and making a grunt sound from him. “How about that?” Ava asked, a bold expression gracing her face as she hopped a little on her feet. The usual anxiety she had since they ran off had subsided a little, giving away to how much excitement was coursing through her. She hadn’t felt so alive in awhile.

“Really good. I’d give that an A,” Gavin replied cheekily, his bright smile proving to be infectious.

“Can I get a plus added to that?” Ava asked, tilting her head at him in a flirty motion, one that she didn’t realize she was doing until it was too late. Her body nearly had a mind of its own, acting on its own accord to tease and play with him. He was easy to mess around with, making her feel comfortable enough to poke fun at him. She hardly just saw him as her professor anymore. He had become something of an unexpected friend, but she was too embarrassed to voice that aloud to him. He could feel totally different about her.

“Let’s see how you do on this next move,” Gavin chuckled, motioning for her to turn around. He came up close behind her, his chest nearly brushing her back with each breath.

Ava felt something close to chills race down the base of her neck to along her spine, her breath catching in her throat as she felt him come so close to her. Even with him behind her, she still felt safe. She felt a certain level of trust with him. “What do I do?” She asked him, leaning back on her heels a bit so that her back briefly rested against his chest. He felt so warm and inviting, but she mentally shook her head at herself, pleading herself to get a grip.

“I’m going to come up like I’m grabbing you from behind, okay?” Gavin told her, waiting for her nod before wrapping his arms around her waist and holding his right wrist with his left hand, securing her in a grab from behind. His chest leaned down against her back, his lips coming up near her ear. “Lean over just slightly and slowly drive your elbows back. At that angle, your elbow would strike my head and make me release you.”

Ava followed through with his instructions, tilting herself over a little and slowly throwing her elbows back, feeling them gently press against his temples with each fake blow. “That’s a pretty good move,” she told him, realizing the damage she could do if she was actually performing the move on an attacker. If she was quick, she could land a lot of blows on her attacker’s head and totally disorient them, allowing her more of a chance for a successful escape from them. 

“Your heels of your hands, your elbows, and your knees can be very important weapons for you,” Gavin told her, holding her for a second more before releasing her and stepping back.

Ava nearly frowned at the loss of contact, having enjoyed being in the safety of his arms. She turned around, noting a hint of red adorning his cheeks. She figured he probably thought he had gotten too close to her, but she hadn’t minded him being pressed against her at all. He was incredibly warm and comfortable, making her want to soak up all of the care and comfort that he had shown her. “Thank you for showing me these moves,” she told him sincerely. She felt like it was important for everyone to learn self-defense moves, and she could likely face a situation where she would have to use them. She really hoped that that wouldn’t be the case, but Gavin told her to be prepared for anything.

Suddenly, noise sounded from outside of the motel room, followed by the sound of a car door slamming and a knock on the motel room door. Ava immediately stepped forward, putting herself between Gavin and the door automatically. Her instincts were telling her to protect him like they told her to protect her friends. “You should hide,” she whispered, staring straight at the door as she heard another series of hard knocks.

“What? No!” Gavin hissed back, his hand grabbing hers to try to pull her back from the door. 

Ava twisted her hand away, immediately turning on him. “They can’t see you!” She whispered sharply before spinning around and heading to the door. She glanced behind her as she put her hand on the door handle to see Gavin diving behind the bed. She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm herself and convince herself that the people chasing them wouldn’t just knock on the door. They would bust it down and set to work on them. She just didn’t want Gavin to be seen by anyone else just in case. She popped open the door to see a man who was a little older than she was donned in a pizza delivery outfit holding a large pizza box.

“Oh, um … hi. Here’s your pizza!” The man told her after gazing at her for a few moments, his voice coming off more higher pitch than she expected it to be. He seemed to be awkward, his eyes fluttering over her shyly as he held up the pizza box toward her.

“We didn’t order a pizza. I think you have the wrong place. Sorry,” Ava told him, passing him an apologetic smile. She felt relief wash over her as she realized the whole situation was just a false alarm and they weren’t in any immediate danger. She felt her heart rate start to slow a little, her breathing going back to normal eventually.

“Oh, shoot. I always do this,” the man chuckled, shaking his head at himself. He gave her one more look before smiling a little and walking back to his black sedan.

Ava watched him for a moment as he sat in his car and spoke on the phone, dragging a hand through his hair. She felt bad for him. He seemed frazzled, but she needed to get out of sight. She headed back into the motel room and closed and locked the door behind her. “You can come out,” she announced as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Gavin rose from behind the bed, an unreadable expression on his face. “You didn’t have to do that. That was risky,” he told her as he sat on the surface of the bed beside her, his arm grazing hers.

Ava hadn’t thought of it like risking herself for him. It just felt like something natural to do. She just didn’t want him to be even more at risk than he already was at the moment. “It was just safer for you that way. If they snatched me up, oh well.”

“No, it wouldn’t be oh well. I would save you. I’m supposed to be keeping you safe,” Gavin pointed out, leaning his shoulder against hers, his eyes lifting to meet hers.

Ava felt so much tension in the space between them, her heart rate starting to shoot up again. “You have my back and I have yours. Even back at college, you had my back. You listened to me rant about my parents in my papers and our discussions. You made sure I was comfortable with the subject matter. You always looked after me, and I don’t even know why,” Ava murmured, her fingers rubbing together in a nervous manner. She hadn’t realized just how caring and accommodating he was to her until recently. It went beyond just being a professor to her. He was being a friend and a partner, a support that she needed. She had told her friends some details about her parents, but she didn’t tell them everything because it was too heavy of a subject matter to discuss when they were eating burgers or going out on the town. With Gavin, the space felt safe and open wherever he was and whatever he was doing.

“Well, I knew you were different when your friends ran away in the alley and you didn’t for a few moments. Beneath all of your anxiety and uncertainty, I see a little adventurer within you. You strive to know more, experience more. You’re full of a life you have yet to live. I just see so much in you that you haven’t even realized of yourself. Plus, it’s always a treat to see you in class,” Gavin commented, a hint of a shy smile when he spoke the last line.

Once Ava realized that he meant he liked looking at her, her face felt like it was dipped in flames, a raging blush scouring her cheeks as she glanced down at her hands and awkwardly laughed.

“I’m sorry, I hope I’m not out of line. I mean, I know I am, but …,” Gavin trailed off with an awkward laugh of his own, his hand raising to rub at the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Oh, no! No! Thank you. I think … I mean, I like looking at you too,” Ava stumbled over her response, trying to pitch the compliment back in a smooth way, but she dropped the ball on that. She nearly facepalmed herself, wondering why she couldn’t be just a little bit cooler around Gavin. He just made her a bumbling mess with his bright smile and obvious care for her.

“I’m going to shower. We can talk more later?” Gavin asked her, a hopeful expression gracing his face.

“Of course,” Ava told him, always enjoying their talks. There was an openness and rawness to them that she never experienced with any other person. She always felt light after them, like the words she spoke lifted weight from her body and mind. She felt his hand come over and gently squeeze hers before he stood and headed into the bathroom. Once the bathroom door shut, she flopped onto the bed on her back, placing her hands on her warm cheeks. She shook her head at herself, hardly believing how close she was getting to him. She found herself not wanting to stop. She wanted to crash into him and just see how far they fell.