Page 47 of A Different Form of Oxygen
Twenty- seven
Gavin
The moment I see Ben on the couch, a mess with his head between his knees, I immediately rush to him, my heart hammering in my chest assuming the worst. Loud ringing pounds against my ear drums when he mentions a ring he gave David long ago, one that fits the description of the strange man from the restaurant. I pull his shaking body into my arms, pressing kisses to the side of his head.
“It’s okay, baby, I won’t let that man come near you. In fact, I think we should get away for a weekend, and I know the perfect place. How does next weekend sound?”
His green eyes peer up at me, glossy and hopeful looking. “Where?”
“My friend has a house on a lake an hour from here. You and I can disappear for the weekend, or we can go now if you want.”
The sadness in his eyes lessens a bit. “Are you asking me to disappear with you for a few days?”
My hand squeezes his slender knee. “Yes, I am.”
His lips almost turn into a slight smile. “I’d love that. Except I have class the next few days so maybe we can just wait for the weekend. I also start my new job soon, so I can’t be gone for too long.”
My eyes widen in interest. “You got a new job?”
He nods. “Yeah, at a nearby nursery.”
“That’s great, baby! How come you didn’t tell me?”
His arms fold over his body, eyes not meeting mine. “I was going to but then all this happened, and it must have slipped my mind.”
“Well, we definitely have to figure out a way to celebrate, don’t we? I’m so proud of you, you know that?”
I press a kiss to his forehead, causing him to lean into my touch.
“Thank you, Papi. I’d love to do something with you. So, we will go to the lake next coming weekend then? We can head that way after my morning class on Friday.”
I didn’t like the idea of Ben going to school by himself, knowing that asshole was out there looking for him. What if he’s been following him the whole time and knows where he goes to class? He knew where he worked. Ben not going to school will only cause him more distress. His school was important to him, and I would hate for him to fall behind on his studies.
“Yes, I’ll take you away next weekend. I can always take you to class and pick you up if you need me to. In fact, I may feel better about it.”
“But you have to work, and I don’t want to disrupt your life just because I’m scared of some guy from my past.”
“First of all, he isn’t just some guy from your past. He’s a very dangerous guy. And second, I own my own business, I can leave whenever I want. There are plenty of other people who can take over for me for a bit. I just want you safe, and if this will put you more at ease, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
His smile comes easier this time. “Thank you, Papi. I’d like that.”
“For now, how about I pick up dinner for us and we eat it here at the house and watch another movie?”
He frowns. “I think I rather go out to eat. It’s not like I’ll be alone; I’ll have my Papi with me to keep me safe. As long as we don’t go to the same restaurant as last time.”
I smile, still unsure of leaving the house so soon after what happened today. I know we couldn’t stay in the house forever. Besides, David didn’t scare me, and Ben was right, I would be right there. “If that’s what you want.”
He presses his lips to mine, but the kiss doesn’t last long and if it did, we would never go anywhere. “Where are you taking me after dinner?”
I remove a strand of his hair from his face with my fingers. “Where did you want to go?”
He tilts his head to the side, biting his lower lip. “There’s a few new movies out this week.”
My smile brightens. “The movies it is then. What do you want to watch?”
“Let’s just head that way after we eat and choose something randomly when we get there.”
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