For a few moments, Ava couldn't even bring herself to talk about the weather with him. She awkwardly glanced away, subtly nodding her response as she stayed at least a foot away from him. She didn't want to get too close.
"At least now we can have a fresh start at meeting each other," Gavin spoke again, his voice now lower as he continued to gaze at her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ava nearly whispered the words, staring at the tips of her sneakers to avoid his eyes. They were far too intense to look into. She wished that she could just disappear from the room, to be in the safety of her dorm room, but she was stuck. She felt trapped by him.
Gavin placed his forefinger under her chin, forcing her head to tilt up so that she looked at him. "Really now?" Gavin murmured beneath his breath, cocking an eyebrow at her.
Ava's breath shuddered at the touch, not believing that his violent hands were actually touching her skin. She couldn't will herself to pull away from him, like his touch froze her to her very bones. She didn't even know how to answer him. She had tried to play dumb so that he would know that she wouldn't say anything, but he wasn't taking that answer. He wanted to talk to her about last night and what she had seen him doing. "Maybe I saw something."
Gavin chuckled softly, nodding his head as he dropped his hand from beneath her chin. He drifted his fingertips along the wooden podium, drawing her eyes down to notice what looked like makeup on his knuckles.
Ava realized he was trying to hide the bruises adorning his knuckles from last night. He was smarter than she thought he was originally. He knew he had to hide, and he went through the measures to do so, but what all was he hiding? "You hurt that man."
"That man hurt me," Gavin commented right after her words, his head turning to gaze at her intensely again. When she flinched a little, he offered her a small smile. "I'm harmless to those who don't cross me. You understand?" He murmured, his voice coming out soft, but the meaning of his words were harsh.
"Yes," Ava breathed out, knowing not to mess with him. It would be a fight she wouldn't walk away from. "I'm not going to tell anyone," she promised, despite her friends already knowing. However, she figured it would be wise of her to not tell her friends about the conversation she was currently having. They were great and protective, but they would spiral this whole situation out of control by talking to higher up officials, and she didn't want that. Only trouble would rain down on her because of that.
"I know you won't. You seem smart," Gavin commented, flashing his white teeth at her in a knowing smile.
Ava nodded quietly, her eyes trailing back down to the floor. "My name wasn't on the roll," she told him, hoping to get through to the end of the conversation so that she could just leave. She hoped that this was the last close interaction they would have so that she wouldn't stress about him coming after her. She had plenty to worry about trying to be independent.
"Ah, yes. What's your name?" Gavin asked as he turned away from her. His fingers tapped away on his laptop, bringing up the document with all of the names of the students in the class. He went down to the bottom, placing his hands on the keyboard to type in her name, his eyes looking up at her expectedly.
Ava paused at his question, almost not wanting him to know her name. She knew that wasn't a possibility since she was in his class and he had to grade her assignments, but she wished as much anonymity on her as she could around him. "Williams," she merely told him her last name, her teeth nervously biting into her bottom lip.
"And your first name, Ms. Williams?" Gavin prodded her to answer, his lips wavering a little like he was trying to withhold a smile.
"Ava," she mumbled, shifting on her feet awkwardly as she stood there.
"Relax, Ava. We're going to have a good time this semester. You'll learn a lot," Gavin told her as he typed her name down on his list. He shut off his computer soon after and placed it in his messenger bag before hooking the strap onto his shoulder.
"I just don't want any trouble," Ava replied, glancing around anxiously as he stepped toward her. She automatically took a step back to match him, still feeling apprehensive about him. He just seemed off to her. He had secrets, ones that were dark and violent, but she didn't know what. She almost wondered if she even wanted to know.
"Last night was just a memory. I'm sorry I ruined your evening with your friends," Gavin told her, giving her an apologetic smile that actually seemed genuine. He nodded to her before walking past her and out of the lecture hall's side door, leaving her alone in the large space.
Ava felt like she could finally breathe again, her breathing sounding shaky for a minute. She made her way to the main door, knowing she only had ten minutes to get to her next class in another building. However, her usual faint anxiety about getting to class on time was overruled with her thoughts about Gavin. He could've actually threatened her. He could've hurt her. He didn't. Maybe there was more to him than what she had seen in the alley last night. Maybe he went through such lengths because he had something to fight for. She just didn't understand because there wasn't anything she felt that passionate about to fight that hard for.
Ava pulled her phone out of her back pocket as she walked down the hallway of the psychology building. Her eyes shifted to the date of today, her heart lurching as she realized that it was Jaden's birthday today. The date had completely slipped her mind. She hurriedly typed in her mother's number since that was the only way to reach him. After a few rings, she heard her mother pick up the phone.
"Ava? What is it you want?"
"I want to tell Jaden happy birthday," Ava replied as she headed out of the psychology building and down the sidewalk, quickening her steps as she weaved through other students.
"I'll tell him for you."
Ava blinked a few times in surprise at her mother's words, a hint of irritation crackling through her. She really wanted to tell Jaden herself happy birthday and ask him how his day had been so far. Birthdays at home weren't all that great, usually consisting of one present that was usually socks or a new pillowcase. They hardly even got a cake. When she used to live at home, Ava did everything she could to make Jaden and Kia's birthdays as special as possible, but she wasn't there anymore. She could only call and hope that her words made their day a little better than usual. "It'll only take a second."
"He's cleaning his room. You need to clean yours too."
Ava entered the liberal arts building, trying to contain a groan as her mother changed the subject again. It always seemed like her parents were trying to ostracize her from the others, and she didn't know why. Did they not trust her? Did they not even like her? "I'll clean it more when I get home," she told her mother the empty lie, not planning on coming home anytime soon. She knew that her room was clean anyway because she had cleaned it before she left for the university.
"When are you coming home?"
Ava nearly winced at the question, knowing she should have expected it sooner or later. Her parents would do anything in their power to drag her back home so that she could cook, clean, and work for everyone else again. "I probably won't have time until the end of the semester," Ava replied, actually dreading the summer. When school let out, she would be forced to go home because she couldn't hide out in the dorms. She had to go home eventually, and she was absolutely dreading that day already.
"That's months away! What about your brother and sister? You're making them wait too?"
Ava knew that she should have expected the guilt card too. She knew her mother wasn't above playing that one too. As much as she loved her brother and sister, she knew that, if they didn't understand already, they would realize why she stayed away from home. They would know why she tried so hard to get away. She had a feeling they would forgive her for that, and she could only hope her parents wouldn't brainwash them so that they could escape too. It nearly sickened her that her mother would play the sibling guilt card as well because she wouldn't even let Ava talk to them on the phone. Her mother was playing games, but Ava didn't want to play anymore. "They'll be okay. I have to go to class," she spoke into the phone before hanging up as she approached her classroom.
A miserable feeling filled Ava to her very core, usually feeling that way after having a conversation with her mother. She hated having that feeling toward her own blood, but that was all she felt. She didn't feel safe or cared for. She felt used. She couldn't help but wonder if she did something wrong to deserve to not be loved. Having no one to really care for her besides her friends pained her, but they had been more family to her than her actual parents. They helped patch up the hole in heart, but she still needed something more. She just didn't know what.