-- into you like a train ,.

[avery hope ford]

Avery had been nothing short of stressed lately. School was wearing her down and problems within her family were taking their toll. Her brother hadn’t been around in nearly four months – her parents were worried, especially when he didn’t show up to such a sacred thing as Family Friday. In some ways, she felt it was her fault, that there must have been something that she could do to make him come around more often than he did. Had she done something wrong to make him stay away? She could understand that his life was difficult now, especially without the use of his legs… but did that really impede his ability to communicate with his family? With those thoughts weighing heavily on her mind, and the added stress of assignments at school, she was becoming easily bogged down and irritable, which was you rarely saw in the teen. Being happy and positive was a way of life for her – things were most definitely not right when she was anything but happy. However, if there was one thing she had to smile about, it was Gabriel de Luca. He had become such a constant bright spot in her life, she knew that if things ever got too hard for her to handle on her own, she could easily fall into his waiting arms.

Ever since they had returned home from their trip, things had been different, and not in a bad way, either. Where before they’d still been slightly hesitant with each other, it seemed like now every barrier had been dropped. She knew exactly the reason why, and to this day, she still did not regret it in the least. When they had made love on that beach, she knew things were going to change. That was inevitable. But she had also known it would bring them closer together, not drive them further apart. Everything seemed lighter, softer around the edges, especially when Gabe’s hand was soft in hers. Where she hadn’t seen the beauty in the smaller things before, she saw them now, and it was all thanks to him. And he was such a blessing to her, truly. It seemed like no trouble for him at all, to find a way to make her smile. She looked forward to the time they’d spend alone together after school, that time where they would lay softly entwined, speaking of their dreams in low voices, melding them together as they talked about their future, as well. Avery wanted to make sure that he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was always going to be wanted and needed in her life. It seemed like he still had his reserves, and she couldn’t blame him. The way he had been living his life before their time had been awful and sure to leave it’s scars on him, visible or not. His insecurities were ones that she hoped would go away with time and proof – proof that she would always see him as something valued and treasured, something she simply could not live without.

That day had been an alright one as far as things went – assignments turn in on time, a very short voicemail from her brother saying that he was fine and that he’d probably call again within the next couple days. She breathed a sigh of relief at that, though her heart still hurt, but what was she to do? She had gone home, expecting to see Gabriel somewhere, but he was no where to be found. He had stayed home from school because he had told her he hadn’t felt good… so now, where was he? When she went up into her room, she had found a note on the bedside dresser. The bold stroke of the words gave away the author before she glanced at who it was by. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back soon. – Gabriel Avery’s elegant brow furrowed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Where could he have possibly gone, especially if he wasn’t feeling well? However, Avery wasn’t going to worry – not yet, at least. She trusted him, he was out doing whatever he needed to do. So, she curled up on her bed to do some reading for her English class, glancing at the clock every few minutes as the minutes turned to hours. She must have fallen asleep at some point, because when her dark eyes opened, darkness had fallen and the clock by her bed read nine thirty. She sat up, going downstairs, asking her parents if they had seen Gabe. They told her they had seen him earlier, and that he’d said he would be back later. Avery couldn’t help but feel a pang of nervousness. Maybe he was just visitng friends? She hoped nothing bad had happened to him. Soon, it was time to put Bella to sleep and Avery nominated herself for the job, enjoying looking into those gorgeous chocolate eyes so much like her brothers.

Gabby? She inquired as Avery layed her down in bed, Gabby? The teenager gave the girl a small smile, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead and receiving a hug from tiny arms. She laughed, hugging the girl back, murmuring, ”Gabby will be home later. I’ll make sure he comes in to kiss you goodnight.” She promised, before tucking her in and turning off the light. It was nearing ten thirty now, and Avery was growing more and more worried. But he’d told her he would be back, he told her not to worry. Her mind wandered, wondering what in the world he could possibly be doing. He was spending time with friends, he was doing homework at the library. Her mind fabricated every excuse possible, but soon it got hard as it grew later and later. She was worried now, as she tossed and turned in her bed. It felt empty without it’s other occupant, and her heart felt restless without his arms around her. But more than that, she was worried about him. This was unusual, he never stayed out so long. Soon, her mind turned to the worst of thoughts. Had he returned to his… previous occupation? Avery’s heart clenched, and the pain that swelled through her took her breath away. He wouldn’t go back there. She knew he wouldn’t, not now, not ever. But.. what if he had? Avery’s eyes clenched tightly shut. Had she done something else to drive another person that she loved away? In the midst of these terrifying thoughts, she fell into an exhausted sleep, emotionally spent.

When her eyes opened next, it was dawn. Light was barely beginning to stream into her room. She rolled over, a hand reaching out for the warm body next to her – only to find cold sheets and an unused pillow. Her eyes opened completely, and she looked around, her heart clenching. He hadn’t come home. He hadn’t come home last night. She might have started to panic, had the door not slowly opened, revealing a disheveled and bruised looking Gabriel. The state of his unkempt curls, the way there was a tear in his shirt, and the bruise spreading across his cheek couple with the bloody lip… Avery knew. She raised a hand to her mouth, before opening it to say his name softly, ”Gabriel…” Her tone was that of disbelief, but she wouldn’t think before she knew the whole story. He wouldn’t have returned unless it was something important… right? He started towards her, his movements tense as though he were in pain, and her heart broke for him. Someone had hurt him, and someone had hurt him badly. The realization that she knew exactly where he had been the night before must have been clear on her face, because as he neared, he raised a finger to his lips to shush her. Slowly, he drew something out of his pocket, saying he had gotten something for her. Guilt hit her like a ton of bricks as another realization dawned – he had done this to himself to get something for her? Not even she was worth that much. His trembling hands opened the box, and the morning sunlight glinted off the cool metal, and the gorgeous stones set in the piece of jewelry he had obtained for her. Her heart broke, and her startled eyes went to meet his. A wave of love so strong washed over her, but at the same time, a spark of temper. He shouldn’t have done this, she wasn’t worth this. But he had done it anyway, and here was his token. Avery’s eyes slid shut. Would his pain never end, or would it continue for her sake?

status: done.
clothes: jammies. dnw to find a pic/make one.
notes: D;
muzak: nothing.

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