As We Are

Chapter 23

Gavin licked his lips and looked away. “Can you blame me for thinking that? You two just looked so together.” He wanted to sink into his seat, but he was torn from his thoughts when something hit the back of his head. It didn't take him long to know that Lindsay had smacked him there. He lifted his hand up to massage the spot she hit and hissed through his teeth, “Ow.”

“I can't believe you actually thought that,” Lindsay laughed.

“I made an assumption and my imagination ran wild with it.”

“Yeah, a little too wild. I mean, I'm not saying I never would, because Michael's absolutely adorable in every way, but I never would.”

Gavin raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled before further explaining.

“I'm just not interested in him like that.”

Gavin sighed in relief and Lindsay's eyebrows knitted together at that sound until she thought it over, and then she gasped softly. Gavin mentally cursed to himself for making himself look even more obvious, because he already knew what Lindsay was going to say to him.

“Oh my god, you like him,” she whispered, a grin forming on her face.

“How do you possibly do that?” Gavin asked her.

“Do what?”

“How do you always figure out the answers? All I had to do was sigh and you knew!”

Lindsay's smile faltered a little as she faced forward and shrugged. “My dad was a lawyer, so figuring things out was kind of his thing. I used to listen in on him trying to find ways that he could help his clients, and well, his witty thinking... I can never forget it; I think it kind of rubbed off on me.”

Gavin smiled sadly at her and when she looked back at him, she smiled a little bigger.

“Does he know?” She asked.

Gavin nodded. “Yeah, we've... we've had our moments,” he looked down, “Uh... we've kissed and-”

“So, wait, does that mean-”

“No,” Gavin quickly cut her off as he faced her, and he could see her smile slowly fading, “No, it doesn't.”

“Why not? Was it because you thought he and I were a thing?”

“It's because he doesn't want anything to happen between us.”

Lindsay raised her eyebrows and she sat back. “Did he say why?”

Gavin's eyes flickered to where Michael was sitting to find that it was the same sight – him and Ray looking like they didn't know each other at all.

“He just doesn't want to be in a relationship,” Gavin answered softly, looking away from Michael.

Lindsay glanced at Michael and then sighed before facing Gavin, “I know he's not exactly the most affectionate person, but if he really likes you, he might want to try someday.”

Gavin smiled weakly and shook his head. “That's the problem, Linds; he doesn't like me enough.” He saw Lindsay opening her mouth to speak some more, so he interrupted her before she could, “Don't say I don't know that, because I do.”

Lindsay slowly closed her mouth in defeat and frowned. She decided not to say anymore on the subject for the rest of the bus ride and although neither of them said anything about it, she knew this wasn't something she was going to go on and tell anyone.

The quietness between Michael and Ray was beginning to be the most uncomfortable thing that Michael finally rolled his eyes and spoke.

“It's your business, your privacy, so I get why you don't want to tell any of us what's going on with you, but Ray, I hope you never forget that we're here to listen.”