Chapter 17

<Victoria Grayson>

I'm nervously sitting in the front seat of Ainsley's car as I watch Gavin, Blaze, Slick and Jeffrey load up the Jeep with their duffle bags and at least a dozen guns. My eyes wander to the red sky where the sun had set not long ago and a million thoughts run through my mind. What if he doesn't come back? What if this is the last time I ever see him? What if Talon takes him away from me? I shake my head and try to clear my mind; it doesn't work and the burning, aching questions quickly make their return.

I feel someone rub my shoulder and I soon realize that it's Ainsley, whom, up until now, I'd forgotten was in the car with me. She gives me a comforting smile almost as if to say "he will be okay". I nod and then look out my window again, this time at Gavin who is closing the door to the Jeep. He walks towards me with an excited gleam in his eyes. I think living on the edge and risking his life is actually enjoyable to him, whether he says so or not. I fling the door open and run towards him. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and breath in the comforting scent of his cologne. He sets his arms softly around my waist and squeezes me tight.

"Gavin," I whisper, a painful lump forming in my throat.

"I will come back. I'm not going to leave you like this." He cups my cheek and runs his thumb over it in a soothing way.

"I don't want you to leave. I don't want this to be the last time I see you." I say in the same pained whisper as before.

"I promise you, this is not the last you'll see of me." Gavin smirks and leans in close, our lips just barely touching. "It won't end like this."

"It better not." Is all that I can mumble before Gavin places his lips on mine. They're warm and right and for a few seconds I actually believe that everything will turn out the way he says it will.

He lets go of me and holds my hand at a distance for a few seconds before turning around and walking back towards the Jeep where all of his friends are waiting. Not wanting to stand out in the lonely atmosphere any longer, I walk back towards Ainsley's car and get in. The door locks and I click my seat belt into place.

"He'll be back, Victoria. There's no need to worry about him." Ainsley assures as she backs out from in front of Jeffrey's house and follows the Jeep down the dirt path leading us farther and farther away from all that's familiar to me on this island.

We follow the Jeep until both cars reach the edge of the forest. Ainsley waits for the Jeep to makes it's turn and then she continues to drive straight. We travel to the other side of town and then she turns down a street which is lined with townhouses. She parks in the driveway of one with a polished wooden front door and a small garden of dying plants.

"This is home." Ainsley shoves my shoulder a little to wake me up from my day-dream.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you. I'd go insane in that house alone." I give her a grateful grin as I get out of the car, my duffle bag and phone in hand.

"Don't mention it." Ainsley locks the car behind us and leads me up to the front door.

I drag my duffle over the threshold and take in the small house. It's not cramped but it definitely isn't huge and airy. It's the type of house that would really only suffice one person living in it. There's two bedrooms and one bathroom along with a small kitchen, a living room and a deck in the backyard. All in all, I'm just glad I have somewhere to stay and a roommate to be with instead of being stuck in Jeffrey's Talon-contaminated house.

"I'll show you your room." Ainsley grabs my arm and leads me down the hallway.

She opens up the door to a small bedroom with a bed in the corner, a dresser adjacent and a desk across the room. The furniture is dark, polished wood and looks completely untouched. The sheets on the bed smell freshly washed and are neatly laid out for whomever Ainsley decides to have stay in the room next.

"Thanks." I sigh happily and carry my stuff into the room.

I haul the duffle bag up onto the bed and begin to unpack as Ainsley slips out the door. Thoughts of Gavin race through my mind as I touch the necklace around my neck. It was the one he gave me after we ran into my father. I haven't taken it off since he gave it to me and at the moment it's one of the few things that give me any comfort. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out almost instantly. Gavin's number is on the caller I.D. which makes my heart flutter.

"Hey," I smile as I pick up.

"Hey, babe, just wanted to call and make sure you made it there okay." Gavin practically shouts so he can be heard over the background noise of his friends.

"Yeah, we got here fine. Where are you guys exactly?" I ask with a slight laugh.

"Still in the car. Jeffrey is taking us to some hotel a few towns over so we can get some rest and make a plan of attack. Thankfully it's a place even Talon wouldn't dare go in; it's too low class for his style." Gavin replies but sounds distracted. "Hey, gotta go; Jeffrey just pulled into the hotel garage."

"Okay." I sigh and twirl a loose thread from my shirt around my finger.

"I love you." Gavin declares and waits for my response.

"Love you too." I smile softly and then hang up.

~~~~~

It's been weeks since Gavin left to go hunt down his files and he hasn't called once since the very first night; he couldn't even be bothered to send one lousy text. I try to remind myself that's he's busy and he'll call when he gets the chance but that does nothing to pacify the anger bubbling inside of me. I want to hear his voice and know that he's okay.

This silence sends all kinds of desperate questions through my head and most of them end in him being kidnapped or murdered by Talon. I try my hardest to think positive but when I'm not angry at Gavin, I'm dead scared about what's happened to him. Also, it's hard to stay positive when the most notorious murder boss wants your head mounted on his wall.

Aside from the silence and the looming threats of Talon, my stay at Ainsley's house has been pretty fun. We've eaten take-out and watched movies practically every night. She's taken me into town to shop and has even taught me some of the history of Barbados. I found that surprisingly interesting. She also took me to the beach a few days ago and I actually felt less tense. The sun and the sand and the waves had a calming effect on me which made Gavin's silence a bit more bearable.

It's currently late morning and we're entering the third week of Gavin being gone. I'm sitting in Ainsley's living room with a cup of coffee and a fashion magazine. I hear Ainsley come in to the room, fully dressed and surprisingly awake.

"Good morning." I hum as flip aimlessly through my magazine.

"I think we need to go grocery shopping. We've raided every take-out place in the county and I'm so tired of greasy food. I need something home-cooked and slightly healthier than Flynn's Burgers and Grease." Ainsley face contorts at the thought of our greasy burgers from last night.

Flynn's Burgers was kind of our last resort and it truly made me never want to eat meat again. The burgers were practically drowning in grease and it made the rest of the meal kind of soggy. I feel like I acquired a face full of pimples just from the few bites I ate.

"Good idea. Let me go get dressed." I stand up and walk slowly back towards the guest room.

Within ten minutes, I'm dressed and seated in the front seat of Ainsley's car. She backs out of the driveway and presses down on the gas, taking us away from her house and towards the center of town. She pulls up in front of the grocery store and lets me get out while she goes to find a park.

"Get a cart and go start shopping. Find things that were actually grown in the ground instead of a lab and no, absolutely no, meat whatsoever." Ainsley shudders before driving towards the parking lot.

I chuckle and grab a cart before going inside of the cold store. I immediately veer towards the produce aisle and grab all the vegetables my hands can I hold. I put them in those useless produce bags the grocery store provides and then I move down the aisle towards the fruit section.

I smell the sweet aroma of peaches and I immediately pick up four of them. Peaches are my favorite fruit and they remind me of my childhood when my mother used to make homemade peach ice cream; you know before she went crazy and decided to run off with her trigger-happy ex-husband.

"Looks like you've found a lot of stuff already." I turn around and find Ainsley smirking at me.

"Yeah, and none of it has enough grease to drown a small country." I roll my eyes in a good-natured way before going back to looking at the fruit.

"Hey, can you go get some cereal for breakfast? I don't care what kind; anything that looks good." Ainsley takes control of the cart and points in the direction of the dry-goods aisle.

With a huff and and a small eye roll, I walk through the large store, my feet tapping on the linoleum floors, until the aisle Ainsley was pointing out comes into view. I grudgingly turn down it and stop to stare at the endless cereal choices. My eyes lock with my favorite childhood cereal, Trix, on the very top shelf. Sadly, it's completely out of my reach. I stand up on my tiptoes and try to reach it but my hands barely brush the shelf it's on.

"Don't strain yourself, babe, I'll get it for you." I turn my head a little and find Tomas standing inappropriately close to me, his free hand brushing my hip as he uses the other one to grab the cereal.

"Thanks but please don't call me babe. You know I'm with Gavin." Saying his name tastes like angry poison on my lips and causes my heartbeat to speed up.

"Speaking of the boyfriend, where is he?" Tomas smirks and steps purposefully closer to me.

"I wish I knew." I cross my arms and back up a few steps from him.

"Even you don't know where he is, very interesting." Tomas whispers in my ear, his warm breath making me shiver unwillingly.

"Please get away from me. Just because he isn't here doesn't mean we're not together." I mutter and cross my arms around the cereal box.

"I never questioned your relationship, sweetheart." Tomas chuckles and backs up a few steps.

"I have to go." I mumble and turn on my foot, walking back down the aisle towards the produce section where I hope and pray Ainsley still is.

"Wait up," I hear Tomas call after me as I continue walking.

I reach the produce section and there is no Ainsley in sight. I mentally curse her for leaving me in such a compromising situation. I huff and turn around to face Tomas who is leaning up against a shelf of canned fruits with a grin spreading wide across his face.

"You're adorable when you're angry." He comments and runs his hand smugly over his chin.

"And you're a jackass when you're breathing." I glare at him and pull out my phone, tempted to call Ainsley.

"That didn't hurt my ego as much as you thought it would." He tilts his head and gives me an amused look.

"I wasn't trying to hurt your ego." I mumble and stay firmly planted in my place near the apple stand, which is an unnervingly close distance to Tomas.

"Victoria, did something happen between you and Gavin?" Tomas gives me a sympathetic smile and crosses his arms.

"No and even if something did, why would I tell you about it?" I narrow my eyes at him and fire a text to Ainsley.

"Because you don't wanna keep it to yourself. You want to talk about it." Tomas smirks as if he knows he's right.

Oh you wish...

"You are the last person I'd want to talk to about my relationship issues. Last time I talked to you, my boyfriend almost tore your head off. I don't think you'd offer very unbiased advice." I chuckle and then go back to glaring at him.

"Yeah, I don't think he was very fond of me." Tomas gives a hearty laugh and then slowly walks towards me, giving my heartbeat a chance to speed up again.

"I wouldn't either if some annoying jerk kept flirting with my boyfriend." I feel my lips twist into a smile as I look at Tomas.

"Hey, I wouldn't flirt if you stopped me." He winks and sets his arm on my shoulder.

"I'm so glad you still don't understand the meaning of 'I have a boyfriend'. Real charming." I sigh disgustedly and remove his arm from my shoulder.

"I've been told. Would you like to go out to lunch with me?" He raises a humorous eyebrow while waiting for my response.

"You are relentless." I shake my head and then give him a glance as if I'm seriously considering the offer.

"Where are considering going with this tool?" I flip my head around and find Ainsley strolling towards us with her basket of brightly colored produce and other relatively healthy foods.

"You know him?" My eyebrows raise in surprise which causes Ainsley to chuckle.

"Yes, I had the misfortune of running into him while I was wasted." Ainsley shakes her head as if she wishes she could just forget the awful memory already.

"Glad, you still remember me, love." Tomas chuckles and rests his elbow on my shoulder.

"He's even more charming without the alcohol." Ainsley turns up her nose and walks towards the check-out lanes.

I follow and catch-up with her as fast as my legs will carry me. Tomas follows behind us at a leisurely pace as if he hasn't got a care in the world. I help Ainsley set all the groceries on the conveyer belt and then watch intently as the lady rings them up. My shoulders tense up when Tomas comes and stands right next to me, purposefully as close as possible.

"So, lunch?" He shoves my arm playfully, causing me to look into his eyes.

He's much taller than me which means that I literally have to look up to see his face. His blue eyes are surrounded by thick eyelashes and his sharply defined face is partially hidden behind long black hair, still wet from a recent trip to the ocean no doubt. He smirks down at me, awaiting my answer.

"Only if Ainsley comes." I cross my arms and turn away from Tomas, a faint blush warming the back of my neck.

"I am not going anywhere with him. You two go have lunch or whatever; I'll take the groceries home." Ainsley states sarcastically, her eyes directed towards Tomas.

"I guess it's just me and you." Tomas wiggles his eyebrows with a sly grin on his face.

"Me, you and your ego." I coo sweetly as the three of us walk out of the grocery store. "Ainsley, don't you think you should come? Do you really want to leave me alone with him?"

"Are you worried something's going to happen if I'm not there?" Ainsley smirks as she grabs a few bags from the cart.

I pick up the rest and follow her across the parking lot to her car.

"Did you forget why Gavin left me with you in the first place? You're supposed to make sure no one tries to kill me." I widen my eyes and look at her with disbelief.

"Tomas won't try to kill you. He worked for Talon and now he works for me. He wasn't at our first meeting but he called me up a few days ago and said he'd heard rumors about some stuff I was going to do and that he wanted in. He'll protect you Victoria. That's why I was going to let you go alone because I knew he wouldn't try to do anything more than flirt with you. Also, I think after three weeks you could use a visit with someone who isn't me." Ainsley giggles and takes the rest of the bags from my hand.

"Just once I'd like to meet someone who isn't connected to Talon. Just once." I mumble to myself and lean up against the side of the car.

"Sorry to break it to you but a majority of this island is connected to Talon in one way or another. This is basically his dumping ground for people he needs to get rid of. Rogue operatives, ex-girlfriends, family members. Anyone who would impede on his power gets sent down here but it's nice, I guess. He pays a hell of a lot of money for you to keep your mouth shut and if you play your cards right, you can get an agreement where he'll pay you weekly. The greatest thing though, is that you're away from him and you get to live on a freaking island." Ainsley finishes her explanation dreamily and then turns back to face me.

"Where'd you live before this?" I ask with a biting curiosity.

"I was from a small, rainy town near Seattle. I haven't been home in almost seven years, though, so I don't know if it's still there or if it got washed away by a flood." Ainsley bites her lip as she reminisces.

"Do you ever talk to your parents?" I walk towards her and place my hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"We're not on the best terms at the moment. They were lying drug-addled low-lifes, so I ran away and never looked back. There isn't much else to the story." Ainsley admits and gives me a defeated look.

"I'm sorry." I whisper and tuck some hair nervously behind my ear.

"Doesn't matter anyway. I'm not even sure they were on planet earth enough to notice I was gone. I paid my own way through medical school, even if the way I did it was completely illegal, but I'm glad I left that God forsaken house because I'm much better off." Ainsley concludes and gets in the front seat. "Go have lunch with him but nothing more my friend, unless...."

"I love Gavin. I'm not dumping him for anyone." I cross my arms and give her a final look.

"Whatever you say. Bye, V." Ainsley winks and drives out of the parking lot.

I take a seat on the curb and rest my head on my hand as I wait for Tomas. He drives up a few seconds later in some sort of beat-up convertible. Sunglasses are covering his eyes and a smirk is playing on his lips. I get in the shotgun seat and buckle myself.

"We're just friends. You understand that, right?" I give Tomas a direct look and wait for him to answer.

"If you say so." He chuckles and begins to drive away from the grocery store. "What is my friend craving for lunch?"

"Anything but Flynn's Burgers. I'm still having nightmares from watching my food swim in grease." I shudder and look up at the sky.

"Oh c'mon, those burgers are the best!" Tomas shakes his head disapprovingly and then goes back to focusing on the road.

"That is the worst joke I've ever heard. You have no future as a comedian." I mutter and lean back in my seat.

"Why thank you, dear. Just for that I may take you to Flynn's." Tomas looks over to gauge my reaction.

"Not if you want me to stay in the car." I point a threatening finger at him and smirk.

"I'm kidding; I know this vegetarian place on the outskirts of town and the greasiest thing they have on the menu is some weird tofu dish." Tomas gives me a hopeful glance as we come to a red light.

"Anything beats Flynn's." I grin and sit up a bit straighter in my seat.

"Yeah, there's really nothing worse than a restaurant where your food swims." Tomas' face contorts in disgust as the car keeps moving through town.

~~~~~

The restaurant is crowded; well, more crowded than I expected for a vegetarian restaurant on a Monday. The interior is unlike any establishment I've seen so far on the island. Most of the places I've eaten at have had a tacky island theme or some connection to the beach but "Au Naturale Vegetarian Restaurant" is quite the opposite. It's modern and sleek but still has a touch of rural charm. It looks like it belongs anywhere but Barbados.

There is not one seashell, anchor and bottle of Captain Morgan in sight which is welcoming in my mind. The place is instead decorated with fresh herbs and all sorts of handpicked flowers. The whole restaurant is made of natural light brown wood and pictures of animals in their rightful habitats. Smiling servers wearing t-shirts and sunflowers rush around Au Naturale with an aura of content happiness while serving people their non-greasy, completely homegrown food.

"Hi, welcome to Au Naturale, my sunshines. Just two for today?" A lady with a high-pitched, squeaky voice coos while grabbing some menus.

"Yes, thank you." Tomas smiles and follows the lady down the narrow hallway towards a dining area.

He keeps looking back to make sure I'm following and when we finally reach our table, he pulls out my chair for me.

"This is not something just friends do." I cross my arms and give him an amused look.

"No but it's something a proper gentleman does." Tomas shakes his head and shrugs as if to say 'what can you do'.

"I'm glad you've learned what a proper gentleman does because last time you were blissfully unaware that a gentleman doesn't touch a taken girl's,"

"Okay then," Our waitress says in her same squeaky manner, purposefully cutting off the rest of my comment. "My name is Dee and I'll be serving you today. Can I start you off with any drinks? We have a lovely mango and kale juice in from our local farmers and it's just positively delicious."

I give Tomas a slightly frightened look which makes him chuckle.

But seriously who in their right mind would drink kale and mango together?

"If that's not your speed though, we do have some more cleansing juices on the back of our menus as well as a selection of teas and various types of infused waters which are flavored with all natural ingredients such as lemons and...." Dee begins to go into a rant about the benefits of their various drinks and unfortunately, her high-pitched squealing makes tuning her out very hard.

"I'll take some lemon water." I say, just so that her incessant jabbering stops.

"Okay and for you, sir?" Dee smiles sweetly and doesn't go back to ranting, obviously having taken the hint.

"I'll try your special juice." He says without looking up.

"I'll be right back with those." Dee smiles again and then practically skips off towards the juice bar.

"This is like a health cleanse shop. I feel like I'm going to be force-fed vitamins or something." I scrunch up my nose in revolt as I continue searching through the menu for something where I actually understand what all the ingredients are.

What in the hell Quinoa?

~~~~~

It's been about an hour and we're still waiting for our food. Tomas ordered the weird Tofu dish he'd mentioned in the car and I ordered a pear and goat cheese salad. Dee has come back multiple times and assured us that our food would be ready while refilling our extremely healthy, completely natural drinks. More surprising,though, than the amount of time it takes to cook some tofu and throw a salad together, is the fact that I'm actually enjoying talking to Tomas.

After Gavin and I fought on the beach I understood Gavin's point of view and I'd cursed myself for ever going near a guy like Tomas but now, after actually getting to know Tomas, I realize that everyone deserves a second chance. I mean if Gavin is allowed to be friends with Ainsley then why can't I be friends with Tomas? The point is both Gavin and I know it's a friendship and we trust each other that it won't go any farther.

"What are you thinking about?" Tomas grins at me and takes a swig of his mango-kale concoction.

"Gavin. I mean I know he didn't like you and I understand why but I like just being friends somebody..." I start awkwardly.

"That's understandable." Tomas muses and watches me closely.

"I'm tired of people thinking just because I'm hanging out with another guy that I'm suddenly in some sort of loving relationship with him. When I hang out with Ainsley, people don't automatically think we're in a lesbian relationship so why is it different when I hang out with guys? Gavin, is allowed to hang out with other girls, why am I not?" I huff and twirl the straw in my drink.

"It's called a double standard and it sucks, Victoria." Tomas gives me a meaningful smile and leans forward on his elbows so he's closer to me.

"Yeah, it does." I sigh and focus my gaze on him. "I'm glad we're friends; you're so much easier to be with when you're not constantly flirting with me and it's surprisingly entertaining to talk you. I didn't know you could carry on a conversation."

"Thanks, V. I am a man of many layers as you have just discovered." He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows.

"I have a question and I'd really like to hear the answer coming from you." I stare at him cautiously, awaiting his signal to continue on.

"Shoot." Tomas spreads his arms, giving me the floor.

"You work for Talon?" I quirk an eyebrow and watch him barely flinch.

"Worked, as in past tense." Tomas chuckles uneasily, as if he suspected this question would come up.

"And now you're helping Ainsley take down Talon?" I tilt my head in a baffled manner.

"Of course; the bastard needs a taste of his own medicine." Tomas cracks his knuckles menacingly.

"Why did you annoy Gavin to no end when we first met? I mean he's Talon's top operative and he could shoot a rookie like you in three seconds flat." I grin as if I have Tomas trapped.

"What makes you think I'm a rookie?"

"Well, you definitely aren't his best. Otherwise, he'd probably have a reward out for your head." I cast an amused glance towards Tomas who's still laughing.

"There's a reward for Gavin's head? Oh my gosh, you have got to let me have your boyfriend's head; I'm so behind on my rent." Tomas continues laughing and then winks at me.

"Very funny." I roll my eyes and my lips smile of their own accord.

"Now, I get to ask you a question." Tomas stops laughing and turns immediately serious. "What's the deal with Gavin at the moment?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Are you guys in a fight or something?" Tomas tilts his head, his tone laced with something resembling concern.

"No." I say in a clipped tone. "Talon is just being an ass as usual and stole something of Gavin's that he now has to get back."

"Hmm, so when did the unresolved anger towards him come up?" Tomas looks at me as he stirs around his bowl of tofu.

"When he didn't call me for three weeks straight. The worst part is that now, he'll probably come home thinking everything's fine when it's not." I huff and cross my arms angrily.

"That's if he even comes home." Tomas bites his lip, knowing he's hit a nerve.

I glare at him, contemplating the foulest thing I could say to him to quiet down the fear swirling in my brain.

If he comes home...

"He will come home." I mutter, holding back the insult biting in my cheek.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said it like that..." Tomas apologizes quickly but the damage has already been done.

"Let's just get the check and leave." I mumble, more scared than angry at the moment.

What if that night in front of Jeffrey's house was the last I'd see Gavin? What if he never does come home?

I shake my head and take in a deep breath, my lungs welcoming the sweet smelling, floral air. I look out the window near our table and feel my mind spiral into the worst possible scenario again. It's completely unlike Gavin to just not call. I mean even if he was busy, he'd have found time at least once during these last three weeks to make a phone call. What if something did happen to him? I mean I tried calling him a few times and I guess he was out somewhere or sleeping because he didn't answer. All this time, though, I thought he was ignoring me but maybe he hasn't been answering because he's really couldn't, not because he didn't want to.

"Check please." I turn my head and see Tomas gesturing for Dee.

I go back to staring moodily out the window with my arms crossed over my chest. I just wish Gavin would come home so that I know that he's safe and my nerves can subside for a bit. I'm tired of being on edge every day and wondering if the people I love will come back home. I hate not knowing when I see somebody whether or not it'll be the last time. I wish I didn't even have to think about seeing someone for the last time.

Being in love with someone who's addicted to putting themselves in danger is like jumping off a cliff but never hitting the ground. You are constantly scared of hitting the ground but at the same time, you never know when you're going to hit the ground, when it's going to be the last time you see your lover. However, there's always a force keeping you from hitting the ground until the proper moment; a force that enjoys torturing you and loving you until even you're confused on how you feel. Gavin is my force and as much as he tortures me, the feeling of being loved by him is enough to make up for it. He's the price I'm willing to pay.

"Let's go, Victoria." Tomas gives me a small smile and helps me out of the booth.

I follow him down the narrow passageway out of the restaurant and out to his car. The locks click when he presses the button on his key and I slip into the shotgun seat. He gets into his seat and then turns to face me. His blue eyes bore into mine intensely and I feel completely uncomfortable. I shift my weight and avert my eyes to the windshield.

"I'm sorry I upset you, V." Tomas places his hand on my shoulder and rubs, most likely trying to comfort me.

However, he's only setting my teeth more on edge.

"I don't want to talk about it. Just please take me back to Ainsley's." I mutter and refuse to look at him.

Tomas turns on the engine and begins to back out of the parking space. The early afternoon sunshine has faded into a pleasantly cloudy evening. I'm surprised that we actually spent that much time at a restaurant but I guess since we had to wait hours for our food to come, we're right on track.

I shade my eyes with a pair of oversized sunglasses and stare dead-ahead to avoid any conversation with Tomas. The busy streets pass us by as Tomas continues to drive back to Ainsley's townhouse. When he pulls up into her driveway, he turns to face me and takes off my sunglasses slowly, almost gently.

"What gives? I really do care what's wrong, Victoria." Tomas gives me a disheartened glance as he sets the sunglasses in my lap.

"I have been dead scared since Gavin left that Talon would kill him and that the last time I saw him would be when he left. That's not how I want to lose him; that's not how I want our relationship to end. I wish I didn't even have to think about the ending because we barely got a once upon a time. I just want him back and your comment reminded me of what I'd tried so hard for three weeks straight to bury in my mind." I continue rambling and I feel a weight being lifted off of my chest.

Spilling your guts to someone does have its calming effects. By the end of my rant, my head is on Tomas' shoulder and I'm staining his t-shirt with my fearful tears. I let him hold me and rub my shoulder, an action that now comforts me instead of angers me. He whispers some comforting words in my ear but I'm too preoccupied with my Gavin epidemic to notice what he's actually saying.

I cry until my tear ducts have run dry and then I pull myself together and sit up from Tomas' warm embrace. The feeling of euphoria I got from getting everything off my chest and sobbing is foreign but it feels nice. I turn to face Tomas with a weak smile.

"I'm sorry you had to see me crack like that. All this anxiety and fear is just really getting to me." I admit as if everything is finally clicking together.

"Don't worry; that's what friends are for, those times when you just crack. I'm glad we're friends, V." Tomas rubs my shoulder and leans over to pull me in for another quick hug.

"Me too. I'm glad we're just friends." I whisper with emphasis on the 'friends' part.

"No need to bring up the friends part again." He smirks as he releases me.

"You have to respect my relationship with Gavin. If you want to be friends than you need to remember that we're just that, friends." I narrow my eyes and wait for his confirmation.

"I will, no need to get your panties in a twist." Tomas chuckles and turns so he's facing the steering wheel again. "Here's my number; call me if you ever need to talk."

Tomas scribbles down some digits on a napkin and hands is to me. I give him a sly grin as I get out of the car and walk up the driveway towards Ainsley's front door. She opens it almost instantly, as if she's been spying on us or something.

"Victoria," She says sharply and hands me the phone. "It's Gavin."

I snatch the phone out of her grasp and put it up against my ear.

"I'm so glad you're okay." I say with a breath of relief.

"I told you I would be." Gavin chuckles from the other end of the phone.

"I need you so badly." I whisper, my voice cracking.

"I promise I'll be home soon, princess."

I smile as tears begin to wet my cheeks; apparently my tear ducts weren't as dry as I thought.

"Don't cry for me. Everything will be okay. I'm going to come home if it's the last thing I do." He states in an affirmative tone.

"I don't want to think about your last thing. I just want you back, safe and sound." I try to stifle my sobs but it's fruitless; the sound of Gavin's voice is ripping me to shreds.

"Trust me, Victoria." He whispers soothingly.

"I want to," I sigh in defeat, my tears continuing to flow.

"Then please do. I can't stand thinking of you being sad. You deserve to be happy and I don't want to be the cause of your upset. Keep your head up, princess, nothing will stop me from seeing you again." Gavin chuckles, trying his best to cheer me up.

I feel a small smile tug at the corner of my lips and a warming feeling in my heart.

"I love you." I take in a deep breath, my tears finally stopping.

"I love you too. I'll be home soon." He says as if he's still trying to convince me of it.

"I know. Be careful." I sigh, the fear halfway returning to my gut.

"I will. Love you." He murmurs with sincerity as he hangs up.

Even as much as Gavin tried to calm my fears, there's still a nagging voice in the back of my head making sure the worst case scenario is always at the forefront. I can already tell I won't be sleeping tonight; not that I've really sleept properly since Gavin left.