They Don't Know About Us

Chapter 10

With a small sigh, Ava flopped down onto another queen motel bed, her eyes staring at the plain white ceiling. “We must have bad luck,” she muttered, watching Gavin grab a pillow out of the corner of her eye and place it on the floor. They were stuck in another single bed motel room, prompting Gavin to volunteer to take the floor again. Ava had tried to take a turn on the floor, but he had refused, wanting her to feel comfortable around him.

“Maybe I deserve it. I’m not exactly a saint,” Gavin sighed as he grabbed a sheet from the bed and sat on the floor.

“No one is a saint. I mean, you didn’t seem all that nice when you were beating up that guy in the alley,” Ava pointed out as she sat up to look down at him. She still wondered about that night, her perspective starting to shift a little. She wondered if he had been fighting out of self-defense instead of being the bad guy. She hoped that was the case.

“Good first impression, huh?” Gavin smirked a little before shaking his head and continuing. “He was one of the people who is following us. He approached me and I attacked him so that I could escape without getting caught.”

“So, they want to kill us?” Ava asked, her chest nearly growing tight at the question.

“I don’t know how far they would go. It’s down to the main man what he wants to do. Whatever they do, it won’t be pretty,” Gavin explained as he laid back down, resting the back of his head on the pillow as he brought the sheets up to his hoodie-covered chest. His hands rubbed together slowly, almost in an anxious fashion.

Ava drew in a shaky breath, choosing to lay down as well. It was still a lot to take in. “How long will we run for?”

“Until I find us a safe place and the storm blows over,” Gavin told her, his own eyes staring intently at the ceiling.

Ava knew that could take weeks or months. The life that she previously led could very well be over. Besides college and her friends, it wasn’t much of a life that she would be leaving behind. She wouldn’t miss it. She would miss a better place to sleep and not having to stress about being found, though. “I’m going to try to sleep,” she murmured, feeling tired, but she also had a head full of thoughts.

“Me too,” Gavin replied quietly before silence fell upon the old motel room.

Ava was tired enough to fight off the concerns occupying her head. She felt completely restless, constantly tossing and turning. It got to the point where it frustrated her. She just wanted to go to sleep, which was the only thing that she could do to escape from her reality. She just needed to clear her head for at least a little bit, and now she couldn’t. She was trapped inside of her own head, and it had been a few hours since she had first started to try to go to bed.

“Can’t sleep?” Gavin’s voice sounded through the darkness.

“No,” Ava sighed out, her fingertips playing with the end of one of her braids. She figured that he was experiencing the same problem as she was, making them trapped together. Deep down, it made her feel better to not be alone. 

“I saw a 24-hour diner on the way here. Want to go check it out?” Gavin asked her.

Ava couldn’t help but feel a tiny hint of a smile pull at her lips at his suggestion. It sounded way more fun than laying there in the dark with a mind that wouldn’t shut down for the night. “Sounds great,” she replied before hopping out of bed and joining him at the door. They decided to walk down the street to the diner, already able to make out the red and yellow glowing sign from their motel room door. “I don’t mind this stuff,” she commented.

“Late night diner runs? They’re my favorite,” Gavin chuckled, his bare arm brushing against hers briefly, his hoodie now gone and leaving behind a plain black T-shirt that accented the lean muscle of his arms. 

Ava glanced at him through the corner of her eye, finding herself staring at the impressive curve of muscle of his biceps to how built his chest seemed. He was in great shape for just a psychology professor. He even pulled off the black joggers that he wore along with black sneakers. He looked a lot more casual than he usually was in class, and Ava found herself admiring how he looked. 

With him being her professor, she had quickly pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to be like those girls that sat behind her, but it was hard to ignore that he was fairly handsome. He also had an air of confidence about him as well as a surprising kindness and shyness at times. The shyness only came out when there was a situation with the beds or he felt like he did something wrong to her, like he really cared about her comfort. It was more care and concern than she had experienced from most people in her life, including her parents.

“Let’s see what we have here,” Gavin murmured as he pulled open the glass door for her, nodding for her to walk inside. Once he stepped inside at her side, he led her to an empty red and white booth in the back corner. There were only two other people in the diner besides the older waitress and a cook in the back. He sat across from her, his hands rubbing over his face tiredly. “I know this isn’t the impromptu college trip you imagined yourself having with your friends, but I’m glad that you came with me. It’s just safer for you this way,” he explained to her, his hands clasping together on the table.

“Because you’ll protect me?” Ava asked, c*****g an eyebrow at him, something close to a smirk crossing her lips as she gazed at him. She wondered how far he would go to protect her. They had only known each other for about a month now, but they had talked most of those days, whether it was about class or personal matters.

“Of course,” Gavin told her, giving her a look like she should have expected his answer. He glanced up as the waitress hobbled over and ordered a coffee and a slice of apple pie before looking over at her. “Order anything you like.”

“Oh, thank you,” Ava nearly stumbled over her words, not expecting him to offer to buy for her. She was still stuck on how he claimed he would protect her, and he had expressed it so casually, like it was something natural to him. The thought of him so selflessly putting himself in between her and the danger he faced made her heart race a little. It was more than anyone had ever done for her. “Just a chocolate milkshake is fine.”

“I’ll be back with your orders,” the waitress replied, her voice coming out raspy. She turned and slowly made her back toward the order window that led to the kitchen to relay their orders.

“You could’ve just left me to get taken by them, you know. You didn’t have to go through all of the trouble of bringing me along with you,” Ava murmured once the waitress left. She kept her voice low, like it was a secret for only her and Gavin’s ears. She liked keeping things between them. It just made things less complicated. Jackie and Stephanie still didn’t know about Gavin being the man in the alley that night. She had continually made up other excuses for when she visited him during his office hours, like an interest meeting or an extra credit opportunity. Of course, she didn’t like lying to her friends’ faces, but things would be simpler if she kept them from being around each other.

Gavin leaned against his arms on the top of the table, a smile crossing his lips. “I just don’t want you getting hurt. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. I’m sure I’ve nearly crossed a line being your professor and everything, but, then again, I think the line has been obliterated now,” he chuckled sheepishly.

The line hadn’t even really existed. Their first time seeing each other had set them on the path beyond just being professor and student. They were runaways together now. They had to be partners to survive, and Ava wasn’t planning on dying anytime soon. She figured that she should be trying to help Gavin instead of complaining and moping. They both wanted to live. She didn’t need to be difficult and add more stress and issues to the situation. It hadn’t been entirely his fault that they were seen so much together. She had a part in that as well. She had chosen to spend those moments with him, to see him so much when she didn’t even really need to. She had been drawn to him without even noticing. The charm and charisma from him were like magnets, luring her to a man unlike any other that she had been around. Plus, it didn’t hurt to stare at his handsome face a little more outside of class.

“You don’t have to tiptoe around me so much. I’ve felt safer with you than most people. If you were going to hurt me, you would’ve done it already,” Ava told him with a small shrug. She didn’t have much of a reason to fear him anymore. She was apprehensive about the lack of knowledge she had about his past, but she felt like more of those things would eventually come to life. There hadn’t been a moment when she was around him that she had felt truly in danger besides the first time they saw each other. 

“Can’t let them take away my best student,” Gavin laughed softly, the tip of his sneaker brushing against hers beneath the table.

Ava didn’t flinch away from the touch. She actually pushed the tip of her shoe against his again in a soft touch, a blush warming her cheeks when she realized that she was basically playing footsie with him. She didn’t know how to flirt or how to be smooth around boys that she thought were cute, leaving her being awkward and unsure of what to do to express any sort of interest. She wasn’t even sure what she was feeling for Gavin, but she knew that she liked being around him and that she felt safe with him. That provided her enough comfort to stick by his side for this. If she was ever going to get out of this situation, she felt like it would have to be with him at her side. He knew way more about what was going on than she did anyway.

“Bet you say that to all of the girls,” Ava smirked with a small shake of her head, her words bordering on a tease as she gazed at him from across the table.

“Just you,” Gavin replied, shooting her a playful wink before the waitress walked back up to the table and started setting their orders down on the table in front of them.

Ava stared at Gavin the entire time, sharing a warm smile with him until they looked away to thank the waitress and indulge in their orders. She steadily sipped on her milkshake, reveling in the sweet flavor, her eyes focusing on the frothy surface of the beverage in the clear glass. She felt like if she looked up that her face would burn even more intensely, and it already felt like her face was on fire. She had no idea what was going on with her because she hadn’t felt this way before. She had felt the intensity around him the past week or so, despite the whole situation covering those sensations for the past day and night. They seemed to be back and even more intense. The lost feeling that she harbored was still there, but having him there with her made everything seem a little less frightening.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

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.