Forgotten.

Chapter 17

I catch Avi up to speed with the info I know about my relationship with William from before the accident until now. He becomes pissed off that a highly respected professor at our university is actually a predator and wants to solve the problem with his fists.

"Not at all! He will likely press charges against you and you'll end up in jail, lose your scholarship and get kicked out of school. He is a cunning man who knows a lot of people in high places. We have to be smart about it," I clarify.

He calms down a bit, but I can almost see the wheels still turning inside his head. He sighs and nods his head in agreement with me. "This is frustrating, because your dad won't replace William, nor can you skip your tutoring sessions. Should I attend them with you?" he asks, still trying to think up a plan

"You would have to live with me then. You have no idea how much tutoring I get," I chuckle awkwardly, "Besides, my aim is to get rid of him once and for all. Luckily, I know that what William really wants is to destroy my parents' company - not so much me. I'm trying to collect evidence, but I haven't found anything worthy yet."

We continue mulling over things in our head until we see a black, heavily tinted Mercedes car pull into the parking lot. A well-dressed man steps out and scans the lot until he sees me by the wall with Avi. I wave and signal to him that I'll be there in a minute.

I look back at Avi who seems to be lost in serious thought. The streetlamp illuminates his melancholy eyes and a feeling of nostalgia swirls in my stomach. As children, I always thought sadness was the one expression I hated seeing on Avi. He was beautiful, even with his usual serious expression or the rare times when he was angry. But his sadness - it triggered something in me that made me cling to him for years. He would never stick up for himself in the slums, instead he'd just try to out-run his problems. I was the opposite. I did what I could to protect him, even though he was already three years older than me. I wanted to protect his happiness and keep him laughing.

"Honestly, I'm happy you didn't cast me aside even though I tried so hard to push you away. You've already helped me more than you know - just by being a good friend," I say with a smile. I reach for the strap of my bag that Avi has been carrying since earlier. He grips his finger tighter around the bag and gives me look that says, 'nice try but I won't give it to you'.

"Let me walk you to the car. When will your next session with William be?"

"Tomorrow. Saturdays are the longest: from 9am to 9pm," I sigh. A gust of cool wind washes over us and I pull the turtleneck collar away, wanting to feel the coolness on my skin as much as possible. "He's planning something but I'm not sure what, but I think he is going to make a critical move soon."

Avi opens the car door and puts my bag on the back seat before taking me into his arm for a soft hug. "Then we just need to find out his plan and be one step ahead of him. I'll check on you tomorrow to make sure you're okay."

My lips twitch into a smile, trying to brighten the sadness engulfing him. I nod and get into the car, already missing the feel of my head against his firm chest. Living Elliot's life must have made me soft, because I was never fond of skin-ship before now.

_

I slump over in my chair with frustration. Just last night I had a biology tutoring session with Ms. Bernard, but still I'm having difficulty with this microbiology lesson that William is breaking down on the whiteboard. He has been professional all morning, but the tides can always turn. That thought makes it hard for me to let loose and really submerse myself into the lesson.

There is a firm knock on the door and William glances at me quickly before walking over to the locked door. Jennings steps in with his usual uptight look. "Young Mr. Langston, there is a Mr. Ryans at the gate to see you. Shall I let him in?"