Liam breaks my trance with his loud voice, reminding me that he is still here. “That’s sweet, man! I’d kill to do something like that. I’ve never built a house, but I live for putting things together from almost nothing. My folks couldn’t drag me out of my gramp’s auto shop back in Cali.”
“You guys are welcome to the grand tour anytime, and my family has some pretty great cars as well.”
“Seriously?” Liam asks, overly excited.
“Absolutely. I’m always around.” He smiles my way, showing off that adorable dimple before something catches his eye out in the courtyard. His smile drops and his face quickly turns serious. “Excuse me but I have to go. I just remembered I, uh, have an appointment that I’m
running late for.” He stands straight up and gives us a small wave goodbye before leaving without another word.
“That was odd,” I mumble under my breath, disappointed after he is out of sight. I study the courtyard for a moment and don’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“O.M.G, El!” Kassy interrupts my thoughts. “That boy is more than smokin’ hot. More like smoldering.” She fans herself with her napkin.
“Really? O.M.G? Are we texting right now, Kass?”
“Hey, he deserves an O.M.G. Did you not see him? You practically sank out of your seat in a puddle when he looked at you.”
“I did not.” I protest rather weakly.
Liam reminds us of his presence again by clearing his throat across the round table.
“Alright, girls, even though Gavin is just so dreamy, I’d rather discuss something else, if possible.”
“Sorry, Liam. You are super handsome too, okay?” Kassy touches his arm and I notice Liam develops a little blush of his own. Interesting. “Do you feel better now?”
“Thank you. That’s much better.” He puffs up his chest and sits up straighter, making Kassy and I giggle. “Anyway, I told you two that I would make it up to you for ditching the party on Saturday. So, I thought we could go to Vinyl this Friday night. It’s an eighteen and older night club here in town. What do you think?”
I throw my hands up. “That sounds awesome, Liam. We will be there for sure. I didn’t end up dancing at the party so I could use some good fun.” I tell him, actually feeling excited. I may not be super comfortable in big crowds, but I can’t say no to some good dancing.
Kassy perks up as well and pulls her cell phone out. “Me too! I am going to text Max and see if he wants to join us, that way there is no third wheel.” She texts fast enough to win a marathon.
Liam’s face drops slightly. “Who is Max?”
“Oh, he asked me to dance at that party Saturday and we ended up really hitting it off.
He’s had such a cool life. His parents are super rich, so he has traveled all over the world.” She beams at us from around her phone. “He called me yesterday and asked if I wanted to hang out sometime, so this will be perfect!”
Liam stands up to leave. “Well, I guess I look forward to meeting him then.” His smile doesn’t fully reach its usual heights. “I have another class in twenty minutes so I’m going to head that way. See you girls tomorrow at lunch?”
“Sure thing, cutie.” Kassy flashes him a smile and I wave goodbye.
I turn to Kassy once Liam disappears around the building. “Be careful, Kass. I think that boy may have a thing for you. Be gentle with his poor heart.”
She waves it off. “Liam? No way. He has become one of my best friends and I know that’s all he wants to be.”
I shrug my shoulders and cross my arms. “We’ll see. I’m just warning you to try not to lead him on just in case he might want more than that.”
She stands up too. “Alright, but I’m telling you, El. He doesn’t like me like that. Now, go learn some stuff and I’ll meet you at the car after.” She walks off without another word, leaving me all alone with my thoughts, but why is every thought only about one cute messy-haired guy?
Great, so much for learning…
Chapter 4
This week has been way more challenging than any I endured in high school. I am glad it is finally Friday and after today I get a break. I thought college life would be all freedom, but I see now that it’s all study, study, study. We don’t have too much time to just be bored, which is surprisingly a feeling I miss.
I only have Art History on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. But Gavin didn’t show up for class on Wednesday and I haven’t seen him anywhere else on campus. And it’s not like I haven’t had my eye out for him.
Currently, I am headed to Professor Neilson’s class and really hoping I see Gavin again, while at the same time knowing it’s useless because he obviously hasn’t been thinking about me as I have about him. I can’t believe how crazy I got over a guy from just one encounter. I need to learn to keep my emotions in check if I want to survive college boys.
Thankfully though, my nightmares have miraculously vanished, and I haven’t had another vision. I just keep having the awful feeling though, that something bad is about to happen and for once I’m not in the know beforehand.
I reach the large metal door labeled “Room 114” and find my usual seat in the back. I try to subtly scan the room but of course, there is still no sign of Gavin. I let loose a disappointed sigh and open up my textbook when I feel a soft tap on my shoulder.
Excitedly, I turn my head around but flinch when I see the same well-dressed man with black eyes from the party. Now though, his eyes are a very normal shade of royal blue. He looks to be in his mid-twenties and is sitting uncomfortably close to my seat with his knees almost touching me.
When he speaks, his voice is hushed and as smooth as silk. “Where is your boyfriend?”
he asks.
“I don’t have a boyfriend.” I start to turn in my seat, a little confused and hopefully irrationally scared when he begins talking again.
“Oh, he must not have shown his true self to you yet. He protects your sweet soul from the shadows, but not all the time.” He sniffs the air around me which very effectively creeps me out.
I shudder but try to remain cool and calm. “You must have the wrong person because I really don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about. Please excuse me because the professor is talking, and I don’t want to miss his lecture.” I turn around in my seat again. Could he be talking about the guy in black from the party? Did he see us together?
I silently pray that this man will leave me alone, with no luck. “Don’t worry, sweetheart.
He won’t be around for long. It is only one being and I have two lovely young ladies to choose from.” I turn my head in time to see him lick his lips.
Nearly ready to vomit, I abruptly stand, scoop up everything from my desk and leave class to try to escape. I plow outside through the door. I turn to make sure he isn’t following me and notice he is nowhere to be seen. I let out a long sigh of relief. What a freak. Could I have imagined those black eyes before?
I turn back around and continue on my walk to get some fresh air when I slam into a hard chest, which knocks my belongings from my arms…again.
“Wow, you really should get a backpack with chest straps or something because this is getting tedious,” Gavin speaks from the ground as I look down at him already cleaning up my things for the second time this week. He smiles at me, showing that deep dimple, and my heart flutters of its own free will. Stop that!
“Hey, Gavin, I’m so sorry. You really don’t have to do that. This was completely my fault.” I shift uncomfortably because he keeps giving me that intense look that makes my breath come out in short puffs.
He stands up but doesn’t hand me my things. “Why don’t I just hold on to these when we’re in proximity to one another. It’ll be the safer option.” He laughs softly at himself. He looks
behind me where I just came from, at the classroom, as if he is looking for someone. “Would you mind taking a walk with me, while you explain why you are running away from Art History?”
I
pause, wanting to be angry with him for disappearing without a word this week, but I know he never made any promises to me, so I try to forget about it. I give in and start a steady pace by his side as we walk through campus.
“So, what’s the problem? You burst through that door like you were running from something big and hairy. We’re not already at abstract expressionism are we, because I will never understand that.”
I laugh, almost forgetting the actual reason why I ran. Almost. I straighten my face, remembering the unsettling encounter. “There was just some creepy guy that wouldn’t leave me alone. He must’ve been crazy or something because he was saying some stuff that didn’t make any sense.” I shudder at the memory.
“What was he saying to you?” He asks calmly, avoiding my eyes.
“He kept asking me where my boyfriend was and saying something about him not being able to protect me for long, but I don’t even have a boyfriend. He was also bragging or something about having two girls to choose from. It was very strange and confusing.” I notice the muscles in his jaw clench tightly at my words.
As soon as it came, the reaction is gone, and he flashes me another adorable smile. “No boyfriend, huh?” he asks, sounding amused. “He must’ve had you confused with someone else, then. Let’s hope he was just a drunk frat guy or something and doesn’t bother you again.”
I shrug my shoulders and try to erase the memory of him sniffing me. I look back up at Gavin and internally sigh at his beautiful face. “So, where have you been? I haven’t seen you in class.” I try to sound mildly curious and not desperate for an answer.
“I had to drop the class. It wasn’t going to fit into my work schedule on most days.”
“Oh, where do you work?” I ask coolly.
“It’s just a family company. I pick up odd jobs here and there for my mother. Nothing too exciting.” He says, avoiding my eyes and not really answering my question. “Are you from around here or did you travel from somewhere else?”
I find it strange that he changed the job subject so fast, but I answer him anyway.
“Actually, I grew up in San Francisco, so not too far away but it’s definitely a trip. This is actually my first time up in this area.”
“You grew up there? So, you weren’t born there, then?” his arm brushes against mine, sending that tingling feeling all the way down to my finger-tips and making me lose my train of thought for a moment. What is that?
I can see that Gavin is waiting for an answer to his question, so I quickly try to remember what exactly he asked me. “I actually don’t really know where I was born. Both of my parents passed when I was only six and I don’t remember much before that.
I do know that my mother was from Jacksonville, which is why I chose this school. I thought I could discover some of my own history in her hometown…maybe see if it feels like home.” I pause and look away, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and embarrassed about how much I'm sharing with him.
Gavin slowly turns me back toward him and places his fingers under my shy chin, lifting my face so that I will look at him. I comply and my shock from the intimacy of the gesture and the intensity of his eyes causes me to release a quiet gasp. The sound makes him release me so fast that I fear the moment never happened. It looked as though he wanted to say something, and I desperately wanted to hear it, whatever it was.
He clears his throat and takes a small step back from our close proximity, leaving me feeling a little cold and almost lonely. “I’m really sorry about your parents, Aella. But I am glad that you chose this place. It is beautiful and full of history. You’ll grow to love it just like I do and everyone else that passes through.” He looks thoughtful for a second before speaking again.
“Are you and Kassy enjoying living in Jacksonville?”
I think about what he just asked, trying to remember when I mentioned to him that we were staying in Jacksonville. “Yes, we love it already. It is so small and quiet, and I am pretty sure almost everyone that lives there is prepared to die there in peace. A huge change from what we are used to in the city.”
We pass under a large tree along the path. A single leaf falls and sweeps, like a dull blade, across my pink cheek, leaving a vision trail in its path. Like a runaway truck speeding downhill, I fall uncontrollably fast and hard down the rabbit hole that seems never-ending until my eyes open to an unfamiliar scene playing before me.
I can already tell that this vision is different from the others. Other than how fast it comes; everything is a little clearer and I don’t feel like I have tunnel vision as I have before.
Kassy and I are at some dance club, standing at the bar with Liam and Max. I assume this is where I will be later tonight and I'm freaking out because I have that disturbing feeling in my chest again.
Max says something to Kassy that makes her let out a belly-bursting laugh and Liam rolls his eyes. He turns to say something to me about dancing and it sounds like I respond in some way. I turn back to Kassy to tell her we are going to dance, but she isn’t there anymore. I grab Liam and we go looking for her. With a death grip on Liam’s hand, I drag him along with me as we search the club for Max and Kassy.
Liam angrily says something to me that doesn't register in my ears. He is complaining about something, but I wave him off and continue searching. The bad feeling has now spread to my stomach and I feel nauseous. We come around a corner in the club into a low-lit hallway leading to the back exit.
Kassy is in the hallway with her back up against a side wall, her feet off the floor and Max's hands are around her neck, strangling her. Liam acts way faster than me and lunges on top of Max, knocking him to the ground and punches him hard in the face. Max doesn’t even respond. It’s like he is sleepwalking. I run to Kassy, trying to catch her as she falls to the floor unconscious. With tears in my eyes, I hold my limp friend in my arms and struggle to find her heartbeat.
Max crawls away from Liam and stands up. He surveys his surroundings, looking confused and lost. Liam and Max are shouting at one another but a ringing in my ears makes it hard to understand them. Something catches my eye at the end of the dark hallway. I squint to see a smirking black-eyed creep sneaking out the back exit…
I jerk awake from my nightmarish vision, terrified and shaking. I’m unsure of where I am as my blurry eyes try to adjust to reality, but I feel very warm and I'm completely surrounded by a delicious spicy pine scent. I turn my head to the right and my nose rubs up against a stubble covered cheek which sends familiar tingles to my dry lips.
Warm brown eyes are mere inches away from my own and watching my slow movements with so much raw concern and something else, desire or a need maybe. The way Gavin watches as I lick my dry lips only makes my shaking more rapid.
“Hey, there. How are you feeling?” he whispers to me in a deep, rough voice, his warm breath fanning my already hot cheeks.
“Um… I’m not sure, yet.” I scan our position, wondering how I ended up this close to him, and find that I am curled up on his lap in the passenger’s seat of an extremely nice car. I can feel my cheeks redden to what I’m sure is a deep crimson. “What happened, Gavin, and where exactly are we?”
Gavin looks apologetic as he shifts me a little on his lap, so our faces aren't as close, but it doesn’t make me any less aware of his strong arms around me, keeping me upright. “You must have uh... fainted or something. I caught you before you face-planted into the grass and then I brought you to my car so that we wouldn't make a big scene. I figured you wouldn't appreciate being gossiped about for the next two weeks.” He stares at the steering wheel while he explains what happened and I wonder what he could be so shy about when he is normally so smooth. “I thought I'd just sit and wait here for you to come to. I was starting to get worried.”
I run shaky fingers through my messy curtain of hair and smile at his thoughtfulness.
“Thanks. I definitely would not want the other students to see me like that. I'm embarrassed enough that you had to see it and take care of me
when you don't even know me that well.” I
look into his eyes. “Honestly, Gavin. You really should stop helping me. It seems that hanging out with me might be more work than it’s worth.”
He chuckles softly, the soothing vibration hits me from his chest. “Hey, I don't mind rescuing the damsel in distress now and again. Besides, this isn't the worst position to be in.” He looks down at our bodies still pressed against one another's, his arms still holding me up on his lap.
I scramble off of him and over to the driver's seat, a permanent blush etched into my already pink cheeks. I offer him my hand to shake and try to show a little dignity. “Thank you for looking after me, Gavin. I definitely owe you one after literally running into you outside class and then suddenly fainting on you.” I actually can’t believe he even bothers with me at this point.
He takes my hand, sending that familiar tingle up my arm. I never want that to stop. “No problem. Next time you might end up rescuing me and then we'll call it even.” His hand lingers in mine a little longer than it needs to, making me feel like I'm plugged into a power source that is feeding me a steady stream of soothing energy.
Gavin finally lets me go and I feel like I need to fill the silence before it becomes awkward. “This is a sweet car by the way. Quite the chick magnet, I'm sure.” I settle into the seat and feel like I could take a long relaxing nap in here. Everything looks like it was built for luxury with its black leather seats, soft carpet and brand-new stereo system.
He grins and gestures around the car like an over-eager car salesman. “This beauty is one of my favorite possessions. It was my dad's, which he built out of a pile of trash, an old 69
Camaro. It took some time, but he turned it into a work of art. He always loved this car and has told me since I was a boy that it would be mine someday.” His face turns sad for a moment. “He was, um... killed actually, 3 years ago.” He pauses. “I cherish this car like he always did.”
Captivated: Part 1 of the Intended Series Page 3