Chapter 19

<Victoria Grayson>

Ainsley's car is parked in front Jeffrey's house as it had been a little over three weeks ago. My duffle bag is packed neatly at my feet and there's a happy song playing on the radio.

Rain dots the dirt path around us but it does nothing to dampen my mood. Gavin called about an hour ago and said that he was coming home and that he'd actually gotten his files back.

My stomach has been doing somersaults all afternoon since he called and I don't think I can stand having to wait another minute to see him. I check the time on my phone again and then look out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Jeep coming through the forest.

"Please calm down; he'll be coming soon." Ainsley sighs and turns up the radio, probably trying to drown out my nervous energy.

"What if Talon kidnapped him?" I mutter with horror.

Ainsley shrugs it off and gives me a pointed look.

"Gavin has his assault weapon practically glued to him. If Talon got within shooting range of the gun, Gavin wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet through that bastard. Talon is not going to get to him; not yet at least."

"Not yet?" I cry out, fear causing my voice to waver.

"Gavin is not an idiot; he knows that it'll take a lot more than a bullet to get rid of Talon Tenebris and Talon does hold most of the cards in this situation. Gavin can keep himself away from Talon for only so long; soon enough, he'll have to face the bull head-on." Ainsley explains and gives me a serious look.

"I just want this to be over with." I mumble and slip my phone back into my pocket.

"Don't we all?" Ainsley lets out a deep breath and looks out her rearview mirror. "Speak of the devil."

I hear the Jeep roll up behind us and I jump of the car, a million thoughts racing through my head. My eyes lock with a pair of tired brown ones and I suddenly feel tears wet my cheeks. Gavin gets out of the Jeep and I race towards him.

He takes me in his arms and holds me as close as possible. I feel his head drop down onto my shoulder and his lips brush my neck. I inhale his cologne and forget about everything else that's happened in the past few weeks. The only thing that matters to me right now is that he's home and I can actually feel his warm embrace again.

"I'm so sorry, Victoria." He whispers in my ear, his arms still tightly clasped around my waist.

"Let's not talk about it right now." I murmur in a soft tone as I place my lips on his.

He cups my cheek in his hand and kisses me back urgently, almost as if he thinks he'll never get the chance again. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and tilt my head, deepening the kiss. I feel his fingers lightly ruffle my hair and things suddenly just fall into place. We let go a few seconds later and notice that our friends have already started walking up the stairs. Gavin smiles and tucks some hair behind my ear.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." He sighs happily and wraps his arm around my shoulders.

"I have some," I smirk and intertwine our free hands as we walk up the stairs.

"Gosh, we thought you guys would never finish." Slick grins as he unlocks the door, letting everyone in before stepping over the threshold himself.

"I have to go and finalize some things back at my house. I'll see you guys later." Ainsley mumbles and walks back down to her car with a wave.

Blaze shuts the door after watching her get into her car and drive away. He turns back to face us with a smirk playing on his lips.

"We'll give you two your alone time." He gestures towards Slick and Jeffrey who take the hint and follow him to the back deck that overlooks the forest.

"He's so subtle." I laugh a little and watch as Gavin picks up my duffle bag, carrying it down the narrow hallway towards our bedroom.

I watch as he tosses it onto the bed and then sits down next to it. His muscles are taught and every move he makes is heavy as if he hasn't slept since he went on that quest of his. I smile at the thought of his tired body holding me and his gentle fingers brushing my skin; I can almost feel my fingers running through his hair as he whispers soft and sweet in my ear.

A low chuckle from Gavin snaps me out of my daydream and then I realize that I've been standing in the threshold of our room with a blank expression on my face. I walk into the room and slam the door behind me. Gavin looks a little stunned but there is an amused grin spreading across his face.

I sit down in his lap and place my hands on either side of his face. My lips press onto his forcefully and then they soften as he continues to kiss me. I feel my hand slip under the hem of his t-shirt and brush the rough skin of his back. Gavin holds me close in his arms and then moves his lips off of mine, catching his breath rather rapidly.

"I love you, Gavin." I whisper in a breathy tone, my hands draped gently over his shoulders.

"I love you too, more than anything in the world." He whispers, his lips just a few centimeters away from my ear. "I'm sorry about everything I've put you through."

"You don't have to apologize," I smile and press my lips to his, closing my eyes slowly.

While we're still  kissing, Gavin picks me up and lays me down on the bed, his fingers tangling up in my hair as he does so. My hands find their place around his neck as he lays down gently next to me. Our kiss deepens and we move closer together; Gavin pulls me on top of him and hugs me tight to his body, as if the thought of letting me go would cause his world to fall apart. I break the kiss and press our foreheads together.

"You're not going to lose me." I vow in a gentle voice, my fingers touching the hem of his t-shirt.

"I never want to think about a life without you." He admits and closes his eyes, holding my hand close to his heart.

"You don't have to." I reassure him and run my fingers slowly along the inside of his forearm

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever had the privilege to be with." He whispers and combs his fingers soothingly through my hair. "You're the only I would've gone through this much for."

"I don't know if I could ever do what you've done for me, Gavin. You've sacrificed everything and I can never thank you enough." I look up at him and a magnetic feeling of complete gratitude washes over me.

"I'd do it all over again, Princess." He whispers as I lean my head on his shoulder.

He pulls up a blanket around the both of us and then we fall into a deep sleep, our arms still intertwined around one another.

~~~~~

I wake up and rub my eyes so I can make the time on the alarm clock. 10 A.M. The blanket is still draped across me and Gavin's arm is firmly affixed around my waist. I smile at how cute he looks when he's sleeping. He resembles a small boy with his messy hair and mouth drawn up small like he's deep in though even while sleeping. 

His lips let out a little puff of air and then he pulls my body closer to his. I brush the hair off of his forehead and place a kiss lightly on his cheek. He mumbles something incoherent and then his brown eyes open, meeting mine. A smile instantly appears on his face and spreads into a grin as he continues to stare at me.

"I love you." He takes my hand in his and rubs it delicately.

"I love you more." I smirk as I sit up and gather my hair into a ponytail, dropping it over my shoulder in a cascading wave.

I yawn a little and then feel him sit up beside me, still wearing his clothes from yesterday. He wraps his arms around my waist and the gently kisses the tender spot behind my ear. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. Gavin releases me a minute later and collapses back on the pillows.

"That's the best night of sleep I've had in three weeks." He admits and places his arms behind his head, sighing happily.

"Same, I couldn't sleep thinking about what might've been happening to you, Gavin." I bite my lip and lay down next to him.

"It's all okay now." He murmurs, his voice cracking.

"I know." I rub my eyes and then stand up to go brush my teeth.

My hands push the door two behind me and then I look in the mirror. The dark circles under my eyes are slightly more faded and the worry lines in my forehead are disappearing. I smile at my reflection and then brush my teeth with a new false sense of security. When I'm done, I peek out the crack I left open between the door and the frame. Gavin is standing up, with his shirt off while he searches for a new one to wear.

The muscles ripple underneath the tense skin of his back as he moves slowly, barely making any noise. My heart hammers in my chest as I remember what I was like have him hold me, to have his rough hands touch me again. It was euphoria unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I walk back into our bedroom after he's dressed and grab his hand. He smiles up at me, his tired eyes crinkling slightly as he does so. He places his lips gently on my temple and then pulls me close to his warm body. I close my eyes and savor the musk of his cologne.

The room is quiet and still which comforts me because for a quick moment the air isn't riddled with secrets. We let go and walk down the hallway, following it until it becomes the kitchen and living room. Blaze, Slick and Jeffrey are up and doing their best to move around quietly, an obvious attempt to keep from waking us up. Slick looks up and practically has an aneurism when he sees us sitting serenely at the breakfast bar.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable?" He rolls his eyes and alerts the other two that there's more people in the kitchen.

"We're glad you're both still alive." Blaze smirks as he slides two cereal bowls towards us.

Gavin pours some cereal into both of our bowls and then gets up to get the milk.

"Was your night relaxing?" Blaze leans on his hand, an amused gleam in his eyes.

I blink in an annoyed way and refuse to answer his question.

"Don't bother her, Blaze." Gavin rolls his eyes and sets the milk next to my bowl.

I let the milk splash down onto the cereal and then I eat my breakfast in silence.

"Have you told her about who we ran into on our quest?" Blaze asks to fill the silence.

"Who did you run into?" I inquire with a dangerous look in my eye.

"Carter Jacobson." He mumbles, his words barely audible as he hastily shoves more cereal into his mouth.

"Gavin," I mutter incredulously. "Were you just planning on keeping that a secret?"

"No," His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows his cereal. "Not exactly."

"What does that mean?" I drop my spoon in frustration and it clangs on the counter-top.

"He was extremely helpful." Gavin doesn't meet my heated gaze and instead stares at Blaze warily.

"How the hell do you expect me to believe that Carter Freaking Jacobson helped you?" I throw my hands up in frustration, my cheeks flushing angrily.

"Well, bloody hell, there's this thing called trust; don't you trust me, Victoria?" Gavin's head snaps towards me and I find myself speechless. "He's the one who gave me the files. He's on our side."

"That's rich, Gavin. Carter doesn't shift loyalties that fast unless there's something in it for him." I shrug off his bombshell news and examine my fingernails with immense interest.

"He said that Talon was supplying him with altered drugs that gave him an immense high. Carter told me that those things that happened last year were because of his need for Talon's drugs..." He bites him lip, an ashamed expression implanted on his already tired looking features.

"No drugs made him go out and get smashed every single night. No drugs made him an asshole who forgot his own fiancée. No drugs made him videotape me for months. Those were all choices he made and don't you dare let him convince you for even a second that those things were because of drugs, especially ones supplied by Talon. He's playing you, Gavin. For all you know, he said those things so he could get more drugs from Talon. For all you know those files could be bugged." I stand up with force and cross my arms indignantly.

Man, this whole escaping endeavor has actually turned me into a paranoid shell.

"You weren't there." Gavin retorts, an edge in his tone.

"I think I know a bit more about Carter Jacobson than you do." I laugh mirthlessly and glare at him.

"I had him handcuffed with a gun to his head. Most sane people wouldn't lie to me in that position." Gavin stands up to his full height which causes me to step back so we can maintain eye contact.

"I can't believe you'd trust Carter after everything he's done to me!" I bang my fist on the counter and wince in pain.

"I needed my files back." He says slowly, with something almost resembling regret.

"I'm glad you got what you wanted." I let out a sharp breath and turn on my foot, stalking back towards our bedroom to change into some fresh clothes.

~~~~~

I toss my shirt to the other side of the room in my frustration and pull on a clean tank top. My hands shake as I take off my jeans and tug on a pair of cut-off shorts. I need to get out of the house. The air is suffocating me and I cannot stand thinking that he trusted Carter of all people. The sounds of my flip-flop clad stomps echo all over the house as I grab my phone and a pair of house keys.

"So, that's it? You're just going to leave?" I turn around and find Gavin with a livid expression on his face.

"You don't own me. I'm a human being and I can make my own choices. I'm allowed to leave whenever I please. Oh and I won't be needing an escort, I can take care of myself without your interference." I turn the knob on the front door and fling the blue painted entrance back, revealing a cloudy, rainy morning.

"You act as if I've been babying you this whole time. I've been treating you as my equal." He comments and then turns around without so much as a glance my way. "You can't always leave when things don't go exactly the way you want them to."

I stare daggers at the back of his head before exiting the house. I cross my arms to shelter myself against the sprinkling rain and continue my trek towards town. When I reach the seemingly deserted town, I open up the door of the coffee shop while the rain continues to come down in thick sheets. It thankfully doesn't speed up until I'm safely inside. 

I order a huge cup of coffee with cream and sugar, just the way Gavin never liked it. The barista hands me a steaming mug and points out the kiosk with cream and sugar. I thank her politely, defile my coffee and then take a seat at the table in the very back of the establishment.

"Hey, V. I came as quick as I could." Tomas says breathlessly, shaking some rain out of his hair as he sits down.

"Thanks." I mumble and take a sip of my coffee.

"What do you need?" He looks at me with concern.

I think about my answer before replying with a few simple words.

"To talk."

~~~~~

<Gavin Forrester>

"You screwed up big time. You can't keep letting her go." Blaze chides as we clean up the breakfast dishes.

"What was I supposed to do? She's really stubborn and once her mind is made up, she won't listen to anyone else." I mutter, my neck turning red out of anger.

"Gavin, she only does these things because you let her. You let her walk out that door without even trying to stop her. You can't do that; not only is it unhealthy but it's dangerous. Talon could kidnap her or murder her or anything. We all have to stay inside until Talon is gone." Blaze turns to me, his arms crossed tightly across his body.

"So, we're right back to where we started. We're going to stay inside like a bunch of sitting ducks waiting for Talon to come and shoot us. The little bit of freedom we had is gone, as if it never existed in the first place." I run my hands through my hair and sigh in frustration.

"We were never free and we won't be until Talon is six feet under the ground. Now, we can either dwell on the fact that we aren't free or we can pull ourselves together and take down Talon." Blaze holds out his hand, waiting for me to shake it in confirmation.

I shake it firmly and then put the milk back in the fridge.

"I still don't know what to do about Victoria." I bemoan my circumstances as I take a seat on the couch.

"Ainsley's in town; you could ask her if she could look for Victoria..." Slick offers in a small voice.

"Nah, we've already asked her to do so much..." I wave Slick off dismissively and then stare up at the ceiling, hoping an idea will pop out at me.

"And I think Victoria would just be madder if we sent somebody off to spy on her." Blaze adds in as silence falls over the house.

We all nod and agree as we try to come up with a better plan.

"I think I should just give her some space. I mean I really hurt her when I didn't call for three weeks and she probably just needs some time to calm down." I tap my fingers anxiously, as if I don't believe that's the right plan.

"Yeah, because that worked so well the last time. Last time we gave her some space, she got wasted, passed out and was stabbed by one of Talon's minions." Slick rolls his eyes, not even slightly enthralled with my plan.

"Well, what else can we do? Let's just give her an hour or two and then we can go look for her. It'll do us no good to run all over town. We don't need to be advertising ourselves on the off chance that some cops decide to come after us." Blaze mutters his final decision and then stands up.

"The reality is that Talon is still out there and whether we go outside or not, he'll still be waiting for us. We could walk around with our names tattooed to our foreheads and that wouldn't change anything. Nothing will change the fact that he's out there and ready." Slick retorts and stands up so he's eye-level with Blaze.

"Gavin, what do you wanna do?" They both turn towards me with expectant looks on their faces.

"I said let's give her some space and if Talon takes her, I will find him and I will kill him with my bare hands." I answer instantly and then brush past them to get to the kitchen. "In the meantime I'll make her something special for lunch, as an apology."

~~~~~

It's been more than two hours; it's actually been closer to five hours. I've tried calling Victoria but it just goes straight to voicemail. The spaghetti I made her is sitting on the table, growing colder by the second. The wine bottle I found in Jeffrey's liquor cabinet still has its cork in and the wine glasses are collecting dust next to the cold meal. 

I clench my fist angrily as I stare at the melting wax of the candle I lit in a failed attempt to create a romantic atmosphere. My anger is numbing me because I have no idea who I should be angry with; myself or Victoria. I twirl some spaghetti around my fork and then set it down in defeat. After calling Victoria once more and getting her voicemail for the twentieth time, I cave and call Ainsley, who picks up almost immediately.

"Hey Gavin." She says almost fearfully, as if she expects me to give her some more bad news.

"Have you seen Victoria in town?" I ask and there's an audible sigh of relief from the other end of the phone.

"Sorry I thought you were going to give me one more thing to worry about." Ainsley chatters quickly and lets out a few more deep breaths.

"If we can't find Victoria than you will have one more thing to worry about." I mutter in annoyance.

Ainsley ignores my sarcasm and answers my question.

"I did see her today..." Ainsley starts off awkwardly and then there's a long pause before she continues. "You're not gonna like it."

"Is she alive?" My heartbeat is in my throat and I'm starting to feel dizzy as thoughts of what could've happened to Victoria race through my head.

"Yeah," I catch a tone of regret in Ainsley's voice as yet another pause ensues.

"Just spit it out. I can't stand not knowing." I lean, frustrated, on my palm and wait for her to tell me what she saw.

"I don't know exactly what I saw but she was with Tomas..." Ainsley mumbles the last part incoherently but I understand what she said with perfect clarity.

"Apparently those three weeks weren't that hard for her." I clench my fist harder and have the sudden urge to throw my phone at the wall.

"I don't think it was like that..." Ainsley pleads, like she's confused on who side she should be on in this argument.

"Whatever. I have to go." With that I hang up and begin to empty the plates into the trash can.

~~~~~

<Victoria Grayson>

Tomas and I have been talking for close to five hours now. He's helped me calm down a lot. When I left the house this morning, I was seething because no matter how many times I asked Gavin to not keep secrets, he still decided to anyway. 

I was really upset that he'd been gone for three weeks and not contacted me. I thought I was okay with that though; I thought if I saw him, everything would just go back to normal but I'm too unhinged at this point for anything to be considered normal. I've been uneasy and sleepless for three weeks and always being afraid is making even getting along with people extremely hard.

"I'm sorry I've taken your whole day; I just really needed to talk to somebody and I can't talk to Gavin, not yet at least. I'm just so mad all of the time and I'd hate to say something that I'd regret later." I stare at my lap as Tomas wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"It isn't fair of him to put you through all of this, even if you did make the choice to be with him. You don't deserve all this stress and anxiety; honestly, it's a miracle you're still partially sane." Tomas chuckles and sets his hand on my thigh.

"I want to be able to make sacrifices for him the way he's done for me since we met but this is all too much." I admit and take the final sip of my third mug of coffee.

"Relationship sacrifices are supposed to be small things like not always doing what you wanna do on date nights or apologizing even when you know you're right. Relationship sacrifices don't normally involve escaping from federal prison and not going outside because you're afraid of a murder-for-hire boss." Tomas points out bluntly.

I look up and give him a broken smile.

"We're not in a normal relationship."

"It seems to me that he isn't giving you enough credit for all that you've done for him." Tomas sighs and looks at me with his enchantingly blue eyes.

"I miss the way things used to be between us. There's too much tension nowadays and I know I contribute to it but I can't help my anxiety. Talon has put us all on edge and I fear that if I have to spend one more day trapped like a sitting duck than I really will lose it. I'm already going insane; I'm becoming a shell of my former self and I'm tired of it. I want Talon gone; I want this whole nightmare to be over." I mutter vehemently and huff.

Then Tomas does something I'd never expect, something I never wanted him to do. He places his lips on mine. I feel nothing except anger and bitterness. I should've known he wouldn't change. I should've known that he was only pretending to care, only pretending to be my friend so he could try something like this. Well I refuse to just sit here and let him. I shove Tomas away and he just looks at me with satisfaction.

"I can't believe you did that. What about 'just friends' do you not understand?" I shout a bit louder than I meant to before standing up, untangling myself from his grasp.

"You wouldn't've come to me if you weren't unhappy with him." Tomas states simply, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh please. Just because I'm going through a rough patch with Gavin, doesn't mean that I'm done with him; it just means that I'm going to have to work a bit harder at our relationship but I love him and I'm willing to do that. I only came to you because I needed to talk to someone that would be on my side instead of caught somewhere in the middle. I was so dead wrong." I shake my head and laugh mirthlessly.

"I can't do this 'just friends things'." Tomas stands up, his eyes boring into mine.

"Oh really, I didn't realize that." I grab my phone from the table and shove it in my pocket.

I gather up my last shred of dignity and walk out of the coffeehouse, my conscience now heavy and the rain still falling in thick sheets. Every step I take back towards Jeffrey's house is filled with dread and guilt which makes the walk take almost half an hour. My guilty conscience isn't helped much because I still smell like Tomas' cologne. 

I will the rain to wash it off of me but whatever he was wearing sticks to me like glue and reminds me constantly of what just happened. My heavy steps bring me to Jeffrey's front door and I pull out the pair of house keys from my pocket. I unlock the door slowly and then make my way down the hallway towards the main living area. My heart plummets into my shoes when I see Gavin.

He's seated at the small dinner table staring at a candle that's burning its last bit of wax. His eyebrows are furrowed and he looks furious. It breaks my heart to look at him so in such a lonely state. I hate myself for making him look like this. I take a few cautious steps towards the table and he looks up.

"Oh good, you're back." He narrows his hurt brown eyes at me and then pushes himself back from the table.

"Gavin, I'm sorry..." I begin but he cuts me off.

"I don't want to hear an apology. I gave you your space and it came back to bite me. I just need to stop caring apparently. I mean that's what you want isn't it? So you can just do whatever you want and not have to worry about someone caring..." Gavin snaps before walking out to the kitchen and opening up a cupboard, pretending to search for something so he won't have to look at me.

My throat feels dry and I can't force out any words so I just stand frozen in my spot.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I finally croak out but it's apparent that that was the wrong thing to say.

Gavin whips his head around, a livid expression flashes over his features as he walks slowly towards me. My heartbeat speeds up with ever furious step he takes. My breath catches in my throat as Gavin stops right above me. I can't force myself to look into his eyes; those eyes full of furious hurt and disappointment.

"You even smell like his cologne. Oh how I'd hoped Ainsley was just lying to me." Gavin whispers and shakes his head disgustedly.

"Gavin, please I can explain..." I choke and feel my eyes burn with tears of guilt.

"Victoria, did you not hear what I've been saying for months? I love you and I want you to be mine, only mine. I don't want you to go home to anyone else. I don't want you to smell like some other guy's cologne. I don't want anyone else to get to wrap his arms around you or kiss you or whisper in your ear. I can't stand the notion that someday I won't get to be with you, that someday you may be with someone else. I want to be your one and only for as long as I live..." Gavin turns to face me, a single tear rolling down his cheek which he quickly wipes away.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen. He just..." I try to formulate a sentence but my brain goes blank and hot, ashamed tears run down my cheeks.

"I guess I can't help it if that's not what you want anymore." He pulls his hand down his face in frustration and then takes in a deep breath.

"Don't say that, Gavin. I just needed to talk to someone else, someone without a personal stake in this. I needed to vent without being afraid of hurting someone's feelings." I try my best to explain but I think I've only managed to screw things up worse.

"We are gone for three weeks and you need to talk to someone the day after we get back? What a welcome home gift. Is there a receipt because I'd like to return it." Gavin rolls his eyes and leans up against the breakfast counter.

"You guys were gone for weeks and I had no idea what was going on because you couldn't be bothered to make one lousy phone call and I'm sorry that I had some unresolved anger and wanted to get it out without making everyone in this house mad." I vent and move towards Gavin, my feet no longer glued in place.

"Well, you've done a great job of that, haven't you? This house is so peaceful, truly." Gavin gives me an infuriated glance and then stares across the room at the dark TV screen.

"Gavin, I just needed a friend to vent to, someone I knew would listen..." I look up and his eyes tell me that I've hit a nerve.

"You think I won't listen? You would rather seek advice from a prick whose main concern is touching you than from the man who loves you, who would do anything for you?" Gavin shouts and makes my heart skip a few beats.

It sounds worse now than it did in my head...

"I'm sorry I was just so mad about Carter and about being left in the dark for weeks that I needed to get everything off my chest without worrying about upsetting you..."

"Anything you can say to Tomas you sure as hell can say to me. As a matter of fact, you should be able to say more to me than you should to Tomas. I wouldn't get mad at you; I would listen and try my best to fix whatever I could." Gavin looks completely let down and hurt by my lack of confidence in him.

He has every right to feel this way...

"Everyone in this house is in such a pissed-off mood all the time and I'm sorry that I wanted some time away to clear my head. I didn't want to fight anymore, Gavin and that's why I left. I wanted a good uninterrupted rant without having to fight with anybody. Tomas kept his mouth shut for hours and just let me rant and it felt good and I'm glad I got everything off my chest." I cross my arms and expel a deep breath form my nose.

"You could've talked to a brick wall if all you wanted to do was shout at something and that would've hurt a lot less because at least then you wouldn't be turning to another man for a shoulder to cry on." Gavin moves away from the counter and creates some space between us.

"I know I shouldn't have turned to Tomas but talking to him wasn't the real reason I stormed out this morning. This whole house is driving me nuts. Whenever I'm here, all I can think about is Talon and how he's still out there, just waiting for us. My anxiety levels are at an all-time high; I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can barely breathe properly and being trapped in this place that he was in scares me to no end. I feel like I'm always on the brink of a panic attack and I just can't stand the constant toll this criminal life is taking on me." I let out a deep breath and watch Gavin turn around slowly, as if something is clicking in his mind.

"You wish you'd never gotten involved with me; that's it isn't it?" He clenches his fists by his sides and makes direct eye contact with me.

"Never, Gavin, I love you. You know that..." I plead and reach out for him but he backs up a few more steps.

"Words mean nothing apparently. I've told you those very same words a million times and you still don't trust that they're true. Why don't you just walk out that door and go back to crying on Tomas' shoulder cause I know like hell that's where you'd rather be!" There's a note of venom in Gavin's tone as he exhales.

"You don't know me as well as you'd like to think you do." I say in a small voice so as not to anger him more.

"Yeah I'm sure Tomas knows you better. Why don't you go ask him about that?" Gavin practically spits and then crosses his arms.

"Please don't be this way; I don't want to fight with you, Gavin." I brush some tears from under my eyes but they come out faster than I can dry so I give up.

"You push my every last button just to see how far you can go and then you get upset when I get mad. I'm tired of sitting here and being quiet while you walk all over me. I'm done giving you all my love and trust when you can't do the same for me in return. I try my hardest to show you how much I love you and how far I'm willing to go for you. The problem is, you won't go that far for me. You would rather have someone go that far and not have to do it in return. I can't live like that anymore." Gavin yells as a few tears begin to fall down his cheeks.

"You don't mean that..." My heart breaks when I look up into his eyes and find him nodding his head slowly.

There is not a trace of insincerity on his features; only a pair of furious brown eyes and a quivering lip.

"You really want me to leave? You want to make that same mistake again? Gavin, if I leave than I'm not coming back." I whisper, my voice cracking with an extreme wave of sadness.

"It's your choice; I'm done telling people what I want because they never listen." Gavin uses his hand to wipe his cheek and then he goes stone-faced.

"I'm done too." I inhale deeply and then walk towards the door, my hands shaking with every step I take.

I place one unsteady hand on the door knob and turn it slowly. The rain is still pouring outside and the clouds have thickened immensely but nothing can make my mood worse than the fight I just let happen. Nothing can make me more upset than the fact that I'm not fighting for him, that I'm just going to give in and walk out like he wants.

I should stay, I should prove how much I want him. I know I can't spend my life walking out on people but at the moment I'm too stubborn and hurt to think about anything but getting my foot over the threshold. I feel his intense gaze on me, almost as if he's waiting for my next move. I look back and his brown eyes are void of any emotion, as if he's gone numb to everything. I know the feeling all too well. He's holding a wine bottle in his hands and looks more interested in it than he is in me leaving.

My head turns back around to face the rain; I know that if I look at Gavin too long, I won't be able to leave. I wait for him to say something, anything. I wait for him to stop me, to wrap his arms around me and make me stay but no such motion occurs. 

I regain my composure and sniffle as I wait a few more seconds for an interruption. He's never going to come, just leave...A few more steps. I take in a deep breath and then, without so much as a glance backwards, I walk out on him; with some hope and a prayer that it won't be the last time.

I slam the door shut behind me and sink down onto the 'Welcome' mat which is a whole lot less welcoming now. My tears come down fast and hard like the rain that's beating on the roof. Glass shatters from just inside the house, telling me that Gavin must've thrown the wine bottle at the door. 

A string of profanities leave his mouth and then I hear him drop down to the floor, his sobs echoing throughout the atmosphere. I stand up, ashamed at what I've done, and run down the wet steps, practically killing myself on the bottom two. I take off down the muddy forest path towards town as the rain tangles my hair and soaks my clothes clean through.

I make it to town in record time but then I run out of energy and purpose. My aching legs drop down to the curb and I wring out my hair fruitlessly as I try to come up with a point of carrying on. Rain continues to beat down on me and soon enough, I'm shaking with cold and covered with mud from passing cars who splashed me in a hasty attempt to get out of the area. 

I roll my eyes and stand up to go underneath the awning of a nearby restaurant. I look out on the chaos of the world I'm living in. Leaves are being blown all about in the insanely high winds and rain is drowning everything in sight; the roads, the cars, the people. Lightening cracks across the sky and thunder claps a few times causing me to jump involuntarily. Unfortunately, with the weather being the way it is, I'm seemingly the only one in town which adds to my already heavy loneliness.

I'm about to walk down the street towards the coffee shop I was in earlier when a hand clasps tightly around my mouth to muffle any screams of terror. They slam me against the concrete wall I was standing near and then pin my hands behind my back. I hear some more footsteps and soon I'm surrounded by four masked assailants with duct tape and rope.

"Don't try anything, beautiful, because I can swear you won't like the consequences." One of the masked men whispers in my ear; his voice eerily familiar.

I hear the sickening sound of duct being unstuck from the roll and then I feel my hands being bonded together. The man holding me lets go of my mouth long enough for me to scream and then realizing his mistake, quickly clamps his hand back over. 

I hear some more duct tape being unstuck and then the man turns me around. He's dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask so as to disguise his identity. Through the slits in the mask, however, I recognize a pair of eyes I'd come to trust; a pair of eyes I'd never second-guessed until now.

"Jeffrey, how could you?" Is all I can utter before the man to my left fasten a piece of duct tape over my lips.

They pat me down roughly and take away everything from my pockets including my phone and my house keys, not that Jeffrey needs a way to get in. He already owns the house and has the trust of all the people that live there. I feel hot tears run down my cheeks as I struggle against my restraints.

"Stop moving; we will not hesitate to break your arms if that's what it takes." Jeffrey whispers in my ear before shoving me in the back of a black, armored SUV, face first.

All this time, we trusted him, we told him everything and he's been plotting against us? How could we not see it?

I hit my nose on the ground and then wriggle around so I can see the ceiling. However, Jeffrey  tosses a crude woolen blanket over my face to conceal me and takes away my view of the outside. I hear them slam the doors of the car and then the engine sputters to life. The car begins moving and I'm soon thrown around like a rag doll due to how fast one of my captors is driving. I'm also being kicked in uncomfortable places because the two who are sitting in the backseat are using me as a foot rest.

After a really long time of silence in the car, I hear my phone ring. It's coming from somewhere up front and my heart drops at the thought of who could be calling. I feel tears sting my eyes at the fact that whoever's calling has no idea what's happening to me at this very moment. Whoever is driving hasn't bothered with my phone yet and has instead allowed my ringtone to continue, prolonging my pain of not being able to answer. 

A beep signals me that whoever was calling is about to leave a message. A second beep a few minutes later tells me that the caller has finished and that my phone now has a new voicemail that I will never get the chance to hear. My assailants chuckle up front and then they do something I never wanted or expected them to do...They play the voicemail and the minute it starts, I immediately wished they had just let it be.

"I'm so sorry about our fight earlier. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I was an idiot to take you for granted again, to let you walk away like I didn't even care anymore. Please come home, baby girl, I promise I'll treat you right, the way you deserve to be treated. Please just come back; I need you...Victoria," Gavin says, his voice choked up as if he's close to tears again. "I love you more than you can ever imagine."

My heart shatters at the fact that I won't be coming back and that the last time I saw Gavin, I fought with him and then walked away, breaking his heart in the process. I didn't even tell him I loved him; I just walked out like he was nothing to me. Tears fall down my cheeks and my broken sobs are muffled by the duct tape on my lips.

 I'm shaking and writhing around in my restraints, trying hard to free myself so I can get back to Gavin and make up for everything that I've done to him. You're not going back, Victoria; you are trapped and no matter how hard you try, you won't be getting out any time soon. This is amazing, now my own subconscious doesn't even believe in me.

A window rolls down and I feel rain splash on top of the blanket. There's a crack on the side of the road and then the car begins backing up, poised as if to run over something. It jolts forward and then crack, my phone is no more. The driver runs over it a few more times before speeding ahead towards whatever the destination is. I stop fighting and just go numbly into submission, my body being thrown occasionally with the movement of the car. I may actually not come out of this alive...This may actually be how I die...Cold, alone and trapped without the one I love most.