One year later.
Ava woke up to the sound of rolling waves every morning, the soft caw of seagulls accompanying the deep gush and swell. She stretched in bed, her eyes slowly opening to be greeted by the gentle rays of the sun pouring in through the window of her bedroom. She sat up and yawned, a smile already growing on her face as she prepared herself for a new day. Every day staring a year ago had been an adventure in their own, starting from fleeing from the scene and hitting the road again. Gavin received a package from a friend that contained more money than Ava had ever seen in her life. Some of that was used to create more fake papers for them, some to get them to a small island that Gavin had rented a beach house on, and the rest was still waiting to be spent on whatever they needed. It had been a chaotically fun year, and Ava wouldn't trade it for the world. It was ten times better than the life she used to live.
After taking a few moments to wake herself up, Ava coaxed herself out of bed, grabbing a shell bracelet on her nightstand that Gavin had made for her and slipping it on her wrist. Next to where the shell bracelet was placed was a stack of letters between her and Stephanie and Jackie. They managed to get back into contact, but they had to be careful, using fake names, code words, and cryptic phrases. They wished that she had confided in them about Gavin and everything that had been happening in her life, but they were happy that she was safe and enjoying her life. That was all they wanted for her.
Ava slipped on her black sandals and headed through the beach house and out the door to walk down the stairs to the sand. She gazed out toward the water, seeing Gavin sitting near the shore like he usually was at. She smiled brightly, watching him for just a moment to admire him as he sat there shirtless with black shorts on. They had gotten even closer throughout the year, telling each other more and more stories and experiences from their past lives and developing plans and dreams for the future. They were so in sync, and Ava quickly found herself falling in love with him. He made her stronger, encouraged her to learn, showed her new things. He was exactly what she needed in her life.
Ava walked across the beach toward him, her hand reaching out to caress his back as she sat beside him. "Good morning," she murmured, looking out beyond the water at the orange and pink hues of dawn. She felt so at peace with him, but she also had so much fun with him. Every day was so different from the past one. They went swimming, hiked, explored cliffs, built things, went to the local market in town, and so many other things.
"Hello there," Gavin greeted her warmly, leaning over to press a soft kiss against her lips, his hand winding around her back to hold her waist. He dragged his free hand through his hair, which had grown out a little into thick waves that Ava loved to comb her fingers through.
"What are we doing today?" Ava asked him, leaning her head against his shoulder as they stared out at the waves together. She couldn't wait to have another eventful day with him, living her life to the absolute fullest. She didn't want a minute to go to waste, and in the past year, none of them had been wasted at all. She spent the minutes doing things that interested her, that pushed at her boundaries, that made her question her original stance in life. It had all been quite psychological to her amusement. She missed the interesting lectures and assignments sometimes, but she still learned so much from him.
"Hm, I might have an idea," Gavin murmured, his expression playful as he reached into the pocket of his black shorts and handed her a black booklet.
Narrowing her eyes out of confusion, Ava opened the black booklet to see a fake passport with her picture on it, her eyes then lifting to his. "What are you up to, Gavin?" She asked, an excited expression immediately growing on her face as she realized that he had planned something for them. They had taken a few trips off of the island, but they hadn't gone very far at all to still keep on the down low. They hadn't encountered any trouble from his father, and they were desperately trying to keep it that way. They had finally found paradise, and they just weren't ready to give it up anytime soon or ever if possible.
Gavin turned his body more to face her, a small chuckle sounding from him. "You know that I'm always up to something. I just think it's a good time for us to take a vacation. Maybe Italy or somewhere?" Gavin suggested, watching her face light up even more.
"Really? Yes!" Ava gasped out excitedly, immediately throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace, making them topple down into the sand together. A laugh burst from her as she landed on his chest, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders. "Why are you doing this? What's the occasion?" She asked, curious of his reasoning for why they should go now. They had no idea when it would be the safest time to go anywhere. His father and the men that worked for him could be looking anywhere and everywhere for them, but they weren't going to stop living because of that. They couldn't always live in fear or there would be no life to live. Fear always killed fun.
"What? I can't take the love of my life on a trip?" Gavin asked, his eyes suddenly going wide when he realized what he had just said to her. A dash of red appeared on his cheeks as he laughed nervously, his eyes going anywhere but hers. "I'm sorry, I just ...," Gavin trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
Ava cut off his worrying by pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss, stealing his breath and his anxiety. She cupped his face with her hand, her thumb stroking his flushed cheek as she kissed him. She could stay there in the sand forever with him, indulging in the softness of his lips, the warmth of his body. It felt like she finally fit in place with him, like she was completely out of place in her own life before she met him. She didn't fit anywhere. She didn't even fit in with her own family or her old hometown, but she did fit with him wherever they were at. She had a place in his heart, and that was the only home that she wanted as he had made a permanent residence in her own. "I love you. I need you," she told him when she finally broke from his lips. She rested her forehead against his, her eyes finally opening to meet his.
"I love you, Ava. I'll always be right here with you," Gavin promised her, one hand going up to hold the back of her neck gently and the other resting on her hip to keep her close. He leaned up to press a soft kiss to her forehead, his lips curling up in an adoring smile. "Our flight leaves tonight. Surprise."
"Tonight? We have to pack!" Ava exclaimed, excitement bursting through her as she jumped off of him. She reached down to grab his hand and tug him to his feet, hurriedly dragging him back the beach house so that they could pack their things for their trip. Gavin wasn't much of a packer, but Ava was, taking the responsibility of ensuring they had everything for their spontaneous trips because they were always out of the blue. She didn't have too many responsibilities and the surprises kept her on her toes each and every day, so she didn't mind his spontaneous decision making. She liked the thrill of not knowing what was going to happen next. An adventure could lay waiting for her around every single corner.
"I only need a few things," Gavin claimed as he stumbled up the stairs after her.
"No, we're not doing this again. When we went to Central America, you forgot all of your socks and your belt," Ava denied his claim, giving him a pointed look as she led him to the bedroom that they shared. Thankfully, he no longer felt hesitant to lay in the same bed as her. He knew that she trusted him with every bit of herself. They had saved each other from death and danger to the point where they still trusted each other with their lives. They would always have each other's backs no matter what the situation happened to be. Ava just hoped things would stay peaceful and fun. She didn't want her paradise of a life to be ruined when she just got it. There was no fun in having to let that go or to abandon it, but she would rather lose the luxuries of her life rather than Gavin. He was irreplaceable, a necessity for her heart and soul.
"And I bought both of them at a shop in town," Gavin replied, sweeping his arm around her to pull her into a tight embrace. He hugged her close to his chest, rocking her gently in the spot. "I'm so glad you're here with me. I wouldn't want to live this life without you. You have been the ultimate adventure of my life," he murmured to her as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
Ava nearly teared up at his sweet words, her eyes threatening to burn as she nestled her face into the crook of his neck. She held her hands together around his waist, reveling in how comfortable and safe she felt with him. She never wanted to leave his arms. "You gave me the life that I've always wanted. I'm so lucky to have you," Ava told him, meaning every single word with all of her heart. Without him, she wouldn't have gone on the adventure that she did. She wouldn't have learned new survival and life skills. She wouldn't have been able to finally officially escape her parents. She wouldn't have been able to be fully happy like she was now.
"Are you ready for our next adventure?" Gavin asked her, cocking an eyebrow at her in a playful manner, excitement radiating heavily from him as he held her.
"I'm always ready for an adventure with you," Ava replied, holding his hands in hers as they smiled brightly at each other. She was ready for the rest of her amazing life with him. Every day was a new one. Every sunrise and sunset held so many promises for her and Gavin, and she looked forward to every single one of them. It started in an alleyway, and now they ended up on an island with the entire world as their destination. Their dreams had no limits. Their adventures had no bounds. For the first time in her entire life, Ava finally felt completely free, and she had no intentions on turning back now. She had adventures to live out.