Page 40 of A Different Form of Oxygen
Twenty-Four
Ben
I continue burying my face in Gavin’s shirt, allowing the tears to break free from my aching eyes. I’ve held them back for far too long. I didn’t plan on falling apart in front of Gavin, but his arms are comforting, and he smells like home. I didn’t plan on David finding me either. Gavin doesn’t know David the way I do. He never had to stare into those dark, soulless eyes or hear the off-putting sound of his jaw clicking.
“It’s set then.” Gavin’s breath hitches as he whispers in my ear. “You’ll come stay with me. At least for tonight.”
I nod into him, taking one more whiff of his fresh clean scent. “Okay.” Too overcome with overwhelming exhaustion to argue. I hadn’t felt this on edge in a long time and I didn’t want to be alone. This fear was different from the one I got from nightmares. That email was real, causing a gnawing at my bones.
“We can leave your car here and come back for it tomorrow.”
“Yeah, okay.” I sigh before pulling away. He swipes my wet eyes with the rough edge of his thumb.
“Let’s get out of here then. My car is just right over there.”
“Weren’t you working in the shop today?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about that. I was only covering a lunch break. They don’t need me anymore.” He points at Stephanie rushing through the empty shop’s doors.
I smile, following him out of my car, my worn-out shoes hitting the pavement alongside his. The small Nissan is warmer than mine. His sharp and lively scent is stronger in his car, keeping my body still in my seat, as I sink against it, absorbing his comforting presence. His hand rests on mine, warmth coming off his skin. Heating my cold fingers, igniting the flames that now burn through my body. The sting from the new piercing dissipates. The drive to his house is mostly done in peaceful silence. My own breathing drowns out any other sound around me.
“Good thing there were no cows in our way tonight.” His lips quirk into a smile. His attempt at making me laugh has my lips curving up enough to meet him halfway. Darkness falls over us from the heavens above carrying a countless number of stars as if someone sprinkled them in the sky.
“You can’t see the stars like this in the city.”
“No, you can’t. You can’t get this kind of silence in the city either.”
My lips finally stretch enough to give Gavin what he was after. “As beautiful as it is here, it’s still cold and creepy and I’m expecting Jason to pop out of the trees at any moment.”
He chuckles. “Come on, let’s get you nice and warm inside then and safe from fictional serial killers. Are you hungry?”
My ears focus on my growling stomach. “I’m starving.”
With concern laced in his voice, he frowns in my direction still managing to walk a straight line to the house. “You really shouldn’t be running all day on an empty stomach. Instead of getting a piercing, you should have been grabbing some food.”
“Yes, Papi Gavin.”
His eyes become heated, searing into mine. “Let’s…um get inside before your stomach starts talking again.”
I huff out a laugh, following him into the house. The locks click behind me and I smile, knowing he did that for me. He treads lightly into the narrow kitchen, rummaging through the fridge, pulling out different items.
“You’re not making me a kale salad, are you?”
Laughter fills the kitchen. “No, I’m actually not a fan of kale. How about you let me make you dinner and you just sit there and look pretty.”
Pretty? He’s kidding right?I’m a hot mess today and I probably have makeup running down my reddened face and my eyes are probably swollen and puffy. I bet my nose is still swollen and bleeding. Resting my hands on the wooden table, I close my eyes, listening to the comforting sound of Gavin moving in the kitchen. The shuffling of bowls, foil, and the beep of the microwave prevent the room from going silent. It doesn’t take long for a plate to be set in front of me with some sort of green wrap laying on top of it. I eye it curiously, slowly lifting it up to smell it. He is smiling down at me with a look of amusement on his face, watching me as if I’m a puppy about to show him a new trick.
“Should I even ask what this is I’m about to put into my mouth?”
He smirks. “Just take a bite; trust me.”
I’ve heard those words before and never thought I would be able to follow them again, but I do trust Gavin. He has never given me a reasonnot to.I sink my teeth into the soft green tortilla, crunching the inner fillings between each bite, letting the mixture of sweet and spicy coat my tongue. I swallow down the first mouthful, getting approval from my taste buds and stomach. My mouth quickly goes back for more, tearing at the burrito with my teeth.
“Easy there, killer; I don’t want you to choke in my kitchen.”
“What if it’s not the food I choke on?” I say batting my lashes, making his fists clench against his thighs. “This is probably the best thing I’ve eaten in a while,” I say, shoving more food in my mouth. There’s a scrape against the floor when he takes a seat beside me, setting his hand on my food.
“Slow down. It’s not going anywhere.”
