They Don't Know About Us (BWWM)

Chapter 7

Her steps were rushed, her anxiety willing them to slow as the soft fabric of her black sleep shorts swept along her thighs. She headed out of the hallway and through the side door into the stairwell. Panic grew more and more intense inside of her as she neared the back door to the building, her breathing turning shakier as she placed her hand on the doorknob. Thinking of her friends, one of which with a boyfriend bleeding on her dorm floor, she gathered up the minimum amount of courage she needed to open the door and step out into the vacant lot behind the dorm building. She could just make out a black car and a figure in a black hoodie standing in front of it, the car's LED lights blaring past the person to nearly blind her.

"I knew you were a good listener." The voice that came from the figure was eerily familiar.

Ava narrowed her eyes as she stepped closer, trying to make out the figure's face beneath the hood and through the bright car lights. She watched his hand lift to pull the hood off, familiar dark hair coming into view. "Professor Rivers," Ava breathed out in disbelief, her eyes dropping to her phone to look at the text message and then back at him. She wasn't even sure how he got her number or why he was calling her outside. He must've had something to do with Darren getting hurt, but what was his role in the whole thing?

"Gavin is fine, Ava. Let's skip the formalities, okay? It'll probably make this situation a little easier to deal with," Gavin replied, waving his hand dismissively at her as he stepped toward her.

"Situation? Did you hurt Darren?" Ava asked, her voice etching up in volume. She was almost surprised at her sudden boldness, but she had to know if he had anything to do with it.

Gavin narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head profusely. "What? No! That's going to happen to us if we don't get in my car and leave right now, though," he told her, his eyes shifting around quickly to scan the area.

"Wait, what? Us? Go where?" Ava asked, countless questions filling her head as he spoke cryptic words. She had no idea what he was talking about, the confusion overtaking her relief of him not being involved with Darren. She still didn't know what was going on from who hurt Darren to why would they be next to be hurt. She nearly felt dizzy because her head was spinning so much.

Gavin sighed sharply before grabbing his phone from his back pocket, tapping a few times, and then presenting the screen to her.

Ava looked closer to see a picture of him and her walking along the sidewalk with coffee in their hands. When he swiped over, it was a picture of her walking through the psychology building with him. Another picture showed them sitting on a bench together outside of the psychology building. They were all pictures of them together, but who had taken them? "What are these?" She nearly whispered the words, disbelief nearly shaking her to her core. The pictures and how close some of them were terrified her.

"I have people after me. They've noticed that I've been spending a lot of time with you, so they're probably going to come after you too. They already got Darren," Gavin explained quickly, running a hand through the back of his short hair.

Ava just stared at him blankly, unable to process any of her thoughts. He had told her so much confusing information that went right over her head. All she knew was that she was in trouble. "Please tell me you're lying," she breathed out, her words coming out shaky as she lifted a hand to her mouth, trying to cover the trembling of her bottom lip. She didn't like appearing so vulnerable in front of people, but the fear and confusion were breaking her down rapidly. She felt lost, and Gavin was her only source of information and still wasn't giving her full answers.

"I haven't lied to you," Gavin replied, giving his head a small shake. "If you don't want to die, I suggest you get in the car."

Ava didn't want to die. She didn't want to put an end to a life that she had just started, but she also didn't know where the road was headed toward if she went with Gavin. She didn't know what trouble followed him, but she knew that she was now involved against her will. She knew that there were risks involved with anything that she did. If she stayed, whoever attacked Darren could come for her and do more damage. If she went with Gavin, she could get hurt in some way too. Trouble seemed to follow him, but she still somehow felt safer with him. All of their time together had turned him into a person of familiarity and comfort for her, and she couldn't bring herself to separate from him when he knew more about the situation than her.

"But my friends ...," Ava started to say, wanting to let her friends know that she was going off for some unknown amount of time. She didn't even know how long she had to go on the run for, why she had to, or where she was going. She just wanted someone to have an idea of what she was being dragged into and have someone understand. If she never came back, they would know why.

"They'll be safer if you come with me," Gavin broke through her words as he walked over to the passenger side door of his black sedan. He opened it for her and stood aside, gesturing for her to get inside.

"You promise?" Ava asked, automatically putting the ones she cared about before herself. It was second nature to her, and she wasn't about to lose herself in the madness of this situation. She would have to stay strong or threaten to fall apart.

"Promise," Gavin told her, nodding his confirmation as his eyes stayed heavy on her.

Ava sighed deeply, knowing she had to act now. She hoped this situation was something that could somehow be resolved quickly and safely, but she had high doubts about that. Things would be rough, but it was worth it for the safety of her friends, who had protected her and guided her when she needed it the most. She could disappear for a minute for them. At least, she hoped it wasn't for too long. She walked forward, her arm brushing the thick material of his black hoodie as she stepped near him to get into his car.

Gavin shut her door behind her and tossed his phone somewhere in the parking lot before getting in the driver's seat, immediately gunning the car away from the college. "I have to get these guys off our back," he murmured, his words being meant for himself as much as they were for her.

"Who is following us?" Ava asked, gripping her seatbelt tightly as he sped through the streets in the pitch black night, the street lights blurring.

"The less you know the better. Just enjoy the ride," Gavin murmured without looking her way, both of his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as he drove toward the outskirts of town.

Ava lowered her gaze to her lap, a hint of sadness plaguing her. She had just gotten to a place that she felt comfortable enough to call her home, and now she was being whisked away from it. She just wished he would explain to her what was happening so that she could be prepared because she had no concept of what was going on and what to do. She was sent on a spiraling path once again, but this time she wasn't sure if she would be able to find her own way back.