FLEE Read online

  “The guy at the gym.”

  “With the youngins’? Are they going to do body shots and play beer pong?”

  “Probably.” I so badly wanted to confide in her, to trust her, to tell someone. “There’s a guy going who’s his friend. I’m interested in him.”

  “Now this,” she said, “is good news. A pretty girl like you gets quiet a few looks from the boys, but you seemed to ignore it. Tell me more about this boy.” She put her elbows on table, leaned forward, and rested her chin on her folded hands.

  I leaned back in my seat. “It’s too early to say much, but his name is Gavyn. He’s gorgeous, and I turn into a nervous wreck around him.”

  “Nervous is good. It means there’s chemistry.”

  “I suppose,” I said.

  “I suppose? That sounds less then enthusiastic. Didn’t you date in college? High school?”

  “A little,” I said. “I’m not a big dater.”

  She tilted her chin to the side and watched me. Finally, she spoke. “Where is this going to be? What type of people?”

  “It’s going to be at a hotel on the Riverwalk. I think it’s kind of a rich crowd.”

  She smiled. “Relax. It’s San Antonio. The Riverwalk is super laid-back. You know, flip-flops and shorts sort of thing. Just wear a cute sundress or something. Keep it simple.”

  “Cool. Thanks.”

  “Oh, and take a cab down there. Parking is a bitch and it’s hard to stay sober. Those margaritas are bigger than your face.”

  The rest of day passed in a blur as my excitement built about the party. After rushing home to shower, I flung my closet open, hoping the right thing to wear would magically stand out. While I pondered my outfit, I dried and brushed my hair and dusted a light powder on my skin. I didn’t bother with any other makeup beside mascara and lip gloss. I settled on hemp sandals and a simple black sundress that set off my toned arms and shoulders nicely.

  The cab dropped me off in front of the Glitz. After some wrong turns through the ultra modern lobby, I found myself outside the suite Troy had indicated in his text message.

  I knocked on the door. It flew open beneath my hands.

  “Welcome! Beer is in the fridge, hotdogs are on the back patio. Come on in!” Troy said.

  “Thanks for the invite.”

  The huge suite looked more like a large apartment. A large sectional occupied most of the right side of the room. The wall facing the Riverwalk was made almost entirely of large windows. Out the windows, a huge deck overlooked the Riverwalk below. Brightly colored umbrellas dotted the patio restaurants, while tourists walked down the winding sidewalks by the river.

  Troy walked me into the kitchen and showed me where all the drinks were set up. I grabbed a beer and returned with him to the living room. He introduced me to Savannah Gessner, one of the other leads in the movie. She was beautiful and petite, with thick brunette hair cut into an edgy angled bob. She smiled shyly and shook my hand, asking where I got my sandals from. I fell into an easy conversation with her. After I drained my beer, I returned to the kitchen in search of another.

  I found a trashcan against the far wall and threw away my empty beer bottle. I turned around and bumped into Gavyn…again.

  He had a beer in each hand, with one extended toward me. “You know, this is literally the third time you’ve bumped into me. Maybe I shouldn’t give you this beer.”

  I took the offered drink and raised it in a mock toast. “Thanks. I’m done walking into you, I promise. At least for today.”

  We stood in awkward silence. Troy appeared and thumped Gavyn on the back playfully. “Nice of you to show up, Gavyn. Wonder what brought you out? Speaking of which, Aurora, you look hot. You know how to fill out a dress, girl.” He walked off, winking at us as he left.

  “Wow. That kid’s a trip,” I said.

  “Yes, he is. He was right though.” He paused. “I was hoping you would be here, and you do look positively delectable.” He put his hand on the wall next to my head and leaned against the wall, angling his body toward me. This small movement almost caused me to have a coronary. “You called him a kid. How old are you?” His face was only inches away from mine.

  “A lady never tells. How old are you?” I hoped my smile was flirtatious, and double hoped I didn’t have beer breath.

  “I’m twenty-two,” he responded. “You’re in law school, so you have already completed a four year degree, right? You must be twenty-three or twenty four.”

  “Yes, twenty-three. I thought you weren’t familiar with the American legal education system?”

  He shrugged. “How do you like San Antonio so far?”

  “Well, it seems pretty cool, but I haven’t seen much of it.”

  My stomach betrayed me by growling.

  He took his hand off the wall and leaned back. He laughed. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

  He followed me out onto the patio. We loaded up our plates with the catered Mexican fusion food, grabbed some bottled water, and sat at one of the tables, joining Troy and some of his friends.

  Savannah gave me a warm smile as soon as I sat down. “So, how long is law school?”

  “First you have to get a four year degree in any major, and then you go to law school, which is three years. Then you take the bar, and viola! You’re a lawyer.” I raised my hands and made a grand gesture.

  “Is that all?” She giggled. “Seriously, wow. It sounds like a lot of school. I don’t know if I could do it.”

  The conversation flowed and ebbed, much like the waves of tourists walking past the balcony. I focused my gaze over the porch to the Riverwalk. The sun dipped down the horizon, tinting the water a bright orange and red.

  “Let’s go check it out.” Gavyn stood and offered his arm to me.

  “Sure.” I practically rocketed out of my chair. I thumped my knee on the table in my haste.

  “You all right?” he asked, peering down at my bright red right knee.

  “No worries. I never bruise no matter what I do. It’s the weirdest thing.” As I took his offered arm, everyone was openly staring.

  “We’ll be back,” Gavyn said. “Aurora hasn’t had a chance to see the Riverwalk yet.”

  “Right,” Troy said, drawing out the word. “You two kids have fun! Don’t fall in.”

  Gavyn led me to edge of the patio where narrow wooden staircase twisted down to the Riverwalk.

  The walkway was built a couple of stories below the surface of downtown. Muted sounds of traffic floated down the stone walls.

  I snuck glances at his profile while we walked and talked. The fading fiery sunset cast his skin as smooth, silky coffee.

  He turned to the direction of the hotel. He grabbed my arm and gently spun me so I was facing the same direction he was. I was surprised at how far we’d walked while we were lost in our conversation.

  “We should turn around. We don’t want to get lost.”

  Actually, I did want to get lost with him, but I stopped myself from saying it. The fact he was touching me distracted me to a point where I was having difficulty with the English language.

  He brushed his fingertips lightly down the length of my arm then entwined his fingers with mine. “Is this okay?”

  “Yes.”

  We walked in silence, hand in hand. I battled through all the different emotions rolling around in my head: desire, fear, and a little spark of hope.

  We came to a quiet part of the Riverwalk lined with expensive private residences, green ivy, and old stone walls. He released my hand and moved into me. Very, very close. He tucked a stray hair behind my ear, his feathery touch against my skin sending chills down my spine. “I’m not good at this kind of stuff.” He was close enough I could feel the his breath move across my skin.

  “What stuff?”

  “You.” He raised his eyes to meet mine. “I can’t tell if you’re into me the same way I’m into you.” He moved his hand across my cheek. “I feel for you in a way I haven’t before.”
>
  “Oh!” I whispered.

  His shoulders sunk.

  “Let me try again. I’m not good at this stuff either, you see. I really, really like you, and I, um, I wasn’t sure if you liked me, and you’re famous, and I’m definitely not, and I thought maybe you just went around picking up girls, but I’m not saying you necessarily do that or anything. I thought maybe you were just…”

  He cradled my face with his hands. I’m pretty sure my heart stopped beating right then and there. “You weren’t sure if I liked you? Really?”

  “Yes.”

  He kissed me. It was the kind of kiss a girl waits a lifetime for. His lips were soft and warm. His hands were gentle, holding my face to his. He moved his hands to wrap them around me, pulling me closer to him and intensifying our kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  After a blissful moment, he pulled away. His arms were still wrapped firmly around me. “Do you have any doubts now?”

  “Nope.”

  He touched his fingers to my lips. “You have such full, beautiful lips; very nice to kiss.” He slung one arm over my shoulder and we walked toward the hotel. As we got closer, I could see Troy standing on the balcony, watching the people stream by. I was expecting Gavyn to cease the public display of affection in front of his fellow cast and crew, but he didn’t.

  When he saw Gavyn’s arm around my shoulder, Troy smiled. “Yee-haw, Texas! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Troy waited for us at the top of the staircase. “I wondered where you two wandered off to, thought I wouldn’t worry about Aurora. She could kick your ass if you messed with her.”

  “I’m sure I would enjoy it,” Gavyn said.

  Most of the party-goers were gone. My watch told me it was midnight, and I was suddenly tired from my long day.

  “Did you drive?” Gavyn asked.

  “Nope, I took a cab.”

  “I’d like to give you a ride.”

  “I would like to take that ride.

  He pulled me to him again, pressing his body into mine. “Is that so?”

  I only smiled in response.

  He threw a look at me with an unreadable expression.

  Damn. Heat rushed my face. I hadn’t meant it like that.

  Well, maybe I had.

  He led me to a sleek black car with dark tinted windows. It wasn’t a luxury car by any stretch of the imagination.

  “Where’s your driver?”

  “He was horrible. You know I got into a car accident?”

  “Really? What a shame.” I giggled and sank into the passenger seat while he held the door open for me.

  “Okay, which way?” he asked once we pulled out of the maze of downtown one-way streets.

  “Get on 1-10 West.”

  “Got it.”

  He drove well. Not too fast, not too slow. It made me wonder how well he did other things.

  We were mostly silent for the trip, which ended up only taking a few minutes in the light traffic. As the car crawled past the gnarl of trees on my street, my nerves came to life.

  “Are you all right over there? You look a little tense,” Gavyn said. We glided into the parking lot.

  “I’m good, thanks.” I put my hand on the door, but I didn’t leave.

  He looked past me, out the window, and into the trees. “Does the tract of undeveloped land make you nervous?”

  I took a deep breath and picked my swirling brain for a lie, but one wouldn’t come. “Kind of. I was running the other morning and I saw someone hiding in the trees. It frightened me.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows, making a vertical cute line appear between his eyes. “Maybe it’s a homeless person living out there. Please allow me to walk you to your door?”

  “Sure, thanks.”

  I wasn’t sure what his intentions were, not that mine were particularly innocent at the moment. I couldn’t remember if I was wearing cute underwear or my regular stuff that came in a five pack from the discount store.

  He opened my door for me, offering his hand to help me out. At his touch, my body buzzed with intentions to fly and burned with something else.

  I stopped him outside my door. “This is me.”

  He tapped the metal numbers on my door, and then glanced behind him. “Hmm, first floor, facing the trees. Pretty, but not the safest for people living alone.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” I put my key in the door and pushed it open.

  “Goodnight, Aurora.” He kissed my forehead, embraced me, and then strode off without saying another word.

  “Goodnight,” I whispered to the dark, and then I went inside.

  Chapter 4

  “I’m melting!” Bree said. She flipped on her side and grabbed her phone. “According to my snazzy phone, it is currently ninety-four degrees, with sixty-nine percent humidity.”

  We were lying on a large blanket we’d spread on the edge of the soccer field near the law library. The solitary, large tree we were under provided some shade from the unforgiving sun.

  “No wonder we’re burning up, but it’s nice to be outside.” I flipped over on my stomach and rested my face on my folded upper arm. “Think about it. We’re always in class or in the library studying. It gets old.”

  “Yes, but there is air conditioning. It’s a wonderful thing.”

  I pulled the notepad between us closer to me. “Have we cracked this rule against perpetuities thing yet?” I stared at the flow chart we’d scribbled on the lined paper.

  “I don’t think we’re meant to learn it. I think it’s an old English common law nobody gives a shit about anymore, but we have to learn it because law school is the most backward thing ever.”

  I laughed. “I still don’t see why learning this crap is going to translate into the real world, or help our understanding of modern real property law, for that matter.”

  “It’s not. Whenever the professor starts a class by saying most students never get this down, then you know you’re screwed.” She shoved the notebook out of her line of vision. “Enough esoteric crap. Tell me about your party on Friday.”

  I flipped over on my back. The sky was a perfect bright blue, with a few puffy clouds floating around. “It was awesome.”

  “Did your guy show up?” she said.

  “Yes, he did.”

  “And?”

  I rolled over so we were facing again. “And I’ve been thinking about him all weekend, and today, and in every single class. It’s kind of sad.”

  She wiggled her eyebrows. “Good stuff. Did you do it?”

  “No, but we did hang out.”

  “You didn’t do it? What else is there to do in a hotel on the freakin’ Riverwalk?”

  “Do you want to hear about it or not?”

  “Okay. I’ll keep my mouth shut for the next two minutes. Go.”

  “We walked around the Riverwalk and talked.”

  “About?”

  “Everything. Anything. You know, books and other stuff.”

  Seriously? Not sexy. We’ll deal with it later. Continue.”

  I shot her a dirty look. “Well, he liked something because he kissed me, which was nice. Very, very nice.”

  “I hope there’s more.”

  “Then he gave me a ride home and walked me to my door,” I said.

  “Well, did he call?”

  “No. I was so out of it I forgot to give him my number, and he didn’t ask. I’m so not slick.”

  She sat up, pulling me with her. “I think it’s a good thing you didn’t get his number and he doesn’t have yours. Let him think about you for a couple more days. A little mystery goes a long way with men.”

  “I suppose. We’ll see.”

  “What’s his name? What does he look like?”

  I hesitated. I wasn’t sure how to protect his privacy. “His name is Gavyn. He’s...tall dark and handsome.

  My cell phone buzzed. Five text messages from my mom, all questioning whether I was still alive, why hadn’t I called, etc.

  I flipped my ph
one shut. “Hey, Bree. I better go. I need to call my mom. She’s flipping out.”

  “Okay. I think I’m ready to go home anyways. My mascara is melting off my damn face.”

  I helped her fold up the blanket and draped it over her arms. “This was fun. I think I’ll keep this in my trunk. See you later,” she said.

  I texted my mom back, assuring her I was alive, very busy, and fine.

  It was a lie. I was afraid to run in the morning. I was afraid of the pecan grove. I was afraid because I could feel something watching me, even now.

  The three story glass law school library flashed in the light as I approached. The late afternoon sun threw the corners of the building into shadows. As I walked past, I heard a soft click, and saw someone shift in the dark shadow of the building. The sidewalk was empty, but a mere fifty feet or so ahead, in the sunny courtyard, there were people.

  “Is someone there?”

  I waited for an answer that never came, then I gave up and strode into the sun.

  ***

  The next morning, I did something unusual. I actually paid attention to my appearance. Some of the girls wore cute, designer clothes to school every day. I assumed it was because they cared about their appearance and/or had extra money to spend on these types of things.

  I was not one of those girls.

  But today was different. If I was going to be miserable, I would at least look good doing it. I settled on a snug pencil skirt and fitted shirt with heels. The outfit hugged my curves, making me feel like a sexy pin-up girl.

  I paused outside my door to make my silent, solemn, resolution. Today, I would not think or worry about Gavyn. I grabbed a banana and my purse and threw the front door open. After I’d locked it, I stood outside my apartment, digging through my purse to make sure my cell phone had made it inside.

  A low, familiar chuckle startled me to attention. Gavyn was leaning against the wall outside my door, his arms folded across his chest. As soon as my eyes met his, he smiled. “Good morning.”

  I hugged him awkwardly, clutching a cell phone in one hand and a banana in the other. “Banana?” I pointed it at him.

  “I’m good. Thanks.” He gave me a wide, beaming smile. “May I give you a ride to school?”