I Should Have Stayed

Chapter 27

She grew quiet and stared closely at my face. "Don't do that again. For my sake. You scared me so much. You made me wonder what's beneath that facade of your's. Deep down underneath, there's a murderer. I don't want you to go back to that. Please." She gripped onto my hand and tightly held it.

I simply nodded at her in understanding. I didn't want to relive the monster either and I definitely didn't want her to be there if I did. I couldn't make her see that side of me under any circumstances again. She rested her head on my shoulder and held my hand. I watched as her eyes closed slowly and she took a deep breath. I sat my head on her's and closed my eyes too. We might as well get some sleep.

I woke up about an hour later and Ava was looking out the window. I shifted in my seat and accidentally caught her attention. "How's your leg?"

I chuckled at her. "Still hurts, but not as badly." She nodded at me and went back to looking out the window. We were still holding hands and I pulled her hand into my lap and caressed her thumb. I wanted to be gentle with her. She was probably going to form PTSD from what she witnessed so I had to make up for the hell I put her through.

"The steward said we'd be arriving in 20 minutes. I didn't want to wake you until we got there... wherever there is." Ava said. I gave her a small smile to reassure her and then waited for us to land. We both were quiet until the plane landed. It was a comforting silence and when the door opened and the stewardess grabbed our bags, I was still holding Ava's hand. She seemed a little embarrassed but I wasn't letting go.

We walked into the airport and I hailed down a taxi and the stewardess put them in the trunk. I gave her a wad of cash with a small thank you and then we climbed into the taxi. I was still holding Ava's hand. We sat in the back of the taxi for awhile until we finally arrived at the place. We climbed out and I paid the driver. Both of us stood in front of a magnificent gate and Ava stood there looking at it in shock.

"So what do you think?" I asked her.

"This place is amazing. Where are we even at?" She looked at me closely.

"Did you not read the signs or anything?"

She blushed slightly. "No, I was focused on... your hand in mine." She sort of covered her face in embarrassment and I laughed a little at her.

"Well, we're just outside of Portland, Maine." I smirked at her and grabbed her hand and then unlocked the gate with my other hand. We walked up the rest of the way to the house and I unlocked the front door. As soon as we stepped inside all the memories of Lindsey came back and I almost collapsed in pain. My heart hurt and so did my thigh, but I managed to put the pain aside and shut the door.

I remembered our 'honeymoon' from what seemed like so long ago and I only let a small tear escape my eye before I wiped it away before Ava noticed and then we made our way inside. She set down our bags and we both went into the living room.

"Wow! This house is amazing! Is it your's?" She asked.

"It is. I bought it a while ago right after... after... Lindsey joined the gang." I said slowly looking away.

She grabbed my chin and turned me to face her. "Breathe. Look, let's focus on the now and not the past." I nodded at her and then settled down on the couch. It was getting late and we needed to get some rest for the upcoming days. I wanted my leg to get better and I wanted Ava to heal emotionally after what she saw in me. It was horrible what I had put her through these past several weeks ever since I ran into her that first day I came back. I brought nothing but trouble and fear onto her and now I was starting to pay for it. I mean, for crying out loud I got stabbed in the thigh and got a bloody nose.

"Let's go to bed, Ava." I said to her after a few hours of showing her around the house. I walked her to the bedroom that Lindsey and I used to stay in.

"We're staying in the same bed?" She asked looking at the king sized bed in front of us.

"Yes. We've already slept together so I don't see how this would hurt anyone. I also don't want you to be so alone in this empty house." I said even though it bothered me just a little bit deep down. She nodded at me in understanding.

"I didn't know you were so squishy inside." She said walking to the bathroom to change into pajamas.

"Squishy? Excuse me!" I ran to the bathroom to attack, but she closed the door while laughing at me as I hobbled as fast as I could to her. I changed in the room and then got in bed. I heard the bathroom door open and then felt an arm snake around my waist. Slowly I turned over and looked at her in the face.

Her eyes held so many emotions and not only did I see Lindsey in them, but now I saw Ava in them. They were her brown eyes now and it was time that I moved on and stopped sulking by myself.

"Do you want to try that night in Vegas over again? This time not drunk?" She asked unsurely. She didn't know how I would react. I was a little surprised that she would ask that but I didn't say anything as I climbed over her and looked deeply into her eyes. I read her instead of her reading me as I slowly leaned down and pressed my lips to hers.

At first we were both hesitant. There wasn't any alcohol making us wild and so we both could actually feel everything and remember it. I smiled into the kiss and then pulled away just for a moment to look at her face. I think I could get used to this. Every second with Ava was probably extremely wrong, considering how she used to be my teacher when I was in high school. But now?

I had fallen in love with her and she had fallen for me. And even though it was wrong, I couldn't leave her, she couldn't leave me. And now we were bound together by this one moment and I never regretted a second of it.