“Then, daddy caught us kissing in the hallway, just yesterday. He was so vexxed he forbid me from ever speaking to him again.”
“They said that?”
“Daddy did. And he promised not to tell mama, or she’ll be even angrier. Daddy told me he’d pull me out of school. Make me come home and apply at Dallas.”
“On account of you having a boyfriend?”
I nod.
“Darlin’, I'm going to tell you something, and you can take it however you like, okay?”
Another nod.
“My younger sister got herself pregnant in her first year of college. No older than you are now, see.” She pauses. My eyes bulge in shock.
“Now my niece is coming up on ten years old in a couple of months. My folks helped my sister and her now husband raise her together. Dolly finished her schooling and all. Never looked back. You see, that’s what family does for each other, now. It isn’t always a happy ending, you understand, but your folks shouldn’t be chiding you for behaving like a normal college student.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Is all I can think of to say.
Her jaw muscles are working as she takes pause. “Your folks ever hit you, darlin’?” she asks out of the blue.
“No...gosh, no.” I answer too quickly.
I can’t tell if she buys it or not. She pulls her purse up off the neighboring seat and grabs a sheaf of paper from a scratch pad inside. After she scrawls a number down, she hands it to me. “You don’t put this in your phone, darlin’, just in case. You keep it in a safe place and call me if you ever need me for anything.” she pats my hand. “You head on home, now. Best not upset your mama.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I look at the paper and wonder how many times she wanted to give this to me.
Chapter 6
Gunner
I have half a mind to drive back home to Clarkstown and find Ava, and make sure that she’s okay. Her daddy had no right to force her to come home, especially the way he did it, like she’d done something horribly wrong. Yeah, we were kissing, making out a little bit, even, but the fact is that he snuck up on us, and that was after he’d told Ava that he wasn’t coming to get her. I mean, what is this? Probation? Seems to me like she’s being treated like an ex-con for no good reason.
The girl gets straight As, and she works her tail off, that I can vouch for. Based on what she’s told me about herself and her upbringing, this is just about the worst that she’s ever done, and for her daddy to publicly crucify her like that, well, that was completely uncalled for. Ava didn’t do anything wrong, other than kiss in an empty hallway. I’d a never done that had I known we were being watched. I looked before I came out into the hallway and there wasn’t anybody there.
Her daddy is a sneaky one. I bet her mama is, too, and I feel bad for Ava for it. After I leave her dorm, I head to my truck and sit there for a while, wondering if I really should head back home and look her up. She was so scared, she didn’t even have a chance to give me her phone number, but something tells me that her daddy wouldn’t have allowed that, anyway. What good is it letting her come out here to go to school if she isn’t allowed to have any freedom? I know that her daddy doesn’t know me from Adam, but the truth is, I wouldn’t let anything happen to Ava. I used a condom when we made love, and I’d never dream of taking advantage of her.
What we did was completely of her free will. She’s eighteen for chrissake. Hell, how many eighteen-year-olds does anyone know that haven’t lost their virginity yet? Not a one for me. Lost mine when I was sixteen, and that was late, compared to my brothers. It’s a battle in my mind over going home or staying. I’ve got my own demons at home, and I'm not sure if me showing up there is going to add salt to the wound. As much as I love Ava, I'm not ready to face my family yet. Besides, my efforts will likely be for naught, and I'll be sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong, probably making it worse for Ava.
Is she going to come back? Would her folks dare to keep her home, making her sacrifice her education on account of their twisted morals? Shit, she’ll lose any progress she’s made with her grades if she walks now, so close to mid-terms. And that’s extreme to say the least. But me getting involved is only going to make matters worse, so I decide to stay back, and hope like hell that Ava can handle herself, and that she’ll show up in English class on Monday. Until then, the reality is, that I have to sit tight and be patient...and pray.
***
The clock on the wall says that class starts in five minutes. I showed up a few minutes early, thinking that I'd run into Ava, and ask her how her weekend went, but she’s still not here, and my palms are sweating. When the teacher arrives, and Ava’s still not here, I feel my fist ball up. Just as I'm about to leave class, drive home to Clarkstown to give Ava’s folks a piece of my mind, she scurries into class. Her gaze comes to me only for a moment, and then she finds a seat, practically on the other side of the room.
Is this her daddy’s doing? Or is this her, brainwashed? I guess it’s the same difference. She doesn’t even look back at me, even though I’m certain that she can feel my gaze behind her head. It’s a dull, dry class, with nothing but theory, since we’re having a quiz next class, so there is no opportunity to connect with her. When class is over, once again, she scurries out of class, like her tail’s between her legs, but I run to catch up with her. “Ava! Ava!” I shout louder, since she doesn’t stop.
Finally, when everyone is staring at us, she stops. “Hey,” I say, worried. “What’s going on?” my voice is laced with concern.
“Gunner, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” She stammers, speaking quickly, as though someone’s got a gun to her head, and she has to get something out in two seconds, before her head gets blown off.
“Hey, hey…it’s okay, darlin’.” I try to calm her, but her eyes aren’t even on me. What did her daddy do? Install a nanny-cam on his only daughter, so he could keep that close a watch on her? Or has he hired a spy? Either way, this kid is freaked right out. “Ava, look at me.” I say gently, tipping her chin, so she’s forced to look at me. “I’m not the enemy here, okay?”
“I know, Gunner. But I’m sorry all the same.”
“Listen, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart.”
“But I was so rude to you.”
