They Don't Know About Us (BWWM)

Chapter 10

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, cocking 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.