drugs; l.h

10.

Ave

Ave had tried to stay away from Luke for as long as possible. Which was very hard, considering he was always wanting to spend time with the beautiful girl. Ave didn't want Luke to get involved in what previously had happened. If he saw how she looked, the bruises and split knuckles, he would surely want to step in. She couldn't take any chances. She stayed away from their apartment building for as long as possible, and didn't go back until she was sure he was asleep.

She called Calum right after the fight happened, and warned him that Jack and his group were looking for him. Calum took Ave's advice and stayed away from home for awhile. He was currently living in a hotel miles and miles away from where he lived.

Ava was currently sitting outside of a car lot, Calum's laptop in her lap and an earpiece in her ear as she listened to the conversation happening on the top floor. She had placed a tracking device on Damion's shoe, which he was currently wearing. She had been following them for days. Nothing serious has been happening, until now.

"Did you call him? What did he say?" She wasn't 100% sure, but she assumed the voice belonged to Jack. She heard a box close and a few sighs.

"He said no."

"What the hell do you mean!? He told us to come here for a reason and now he's chickening out?" There was a pounding on a wall, most likely a punch, and then silence.

It was quit for a few minutes until he finally spoke. "We'll wait. Not long, but for a little while. If he doesn't give us any orders in the next five days, we're doing this my way. She will pay for what she did. She will. Her and the boy ruined what we had with him."

She. Could they be talking about Ave? Ave searched her mind for possibly solutions as to why they wanted her and she instantly remembered what happened back in Nevada last year. They were talking about her. They had to have been.

Ave heard a car start up, which brought her back to reality, and her heart skipped a beat. She closed the laptop and shoved it into her backpack, and slung it around her shoulder and took off running down the sidewalk, towards the back of the building. She calmed her breathing, and turned around in time to see a black SUV exit the garage, and drive down the street.

She didn't know when her job turned into being the spy, or why she was doing it in the first place. She was out. She was out of the group, had been for a long time. She quit, and now she's back in the middle of it. I guess you can never quit this when you make the decision to start it, she thought to herself. It haunts you forever. And she will always, always regret the decision.

-

"Ave!" Luke called from the elevator. Luke hadn't seen Ave in days, which had Luke worrying about her. Which he shouldn't, because she is a grown women and can handle herself, but he couldn't help it. He found himself slowly falling for her, which had never happened to him before, but be didn't mind it. He didn't deny anything, he did in fact like her. He knew that much. Love? Not yet. But soon.

"Ave!" He called again, stepping out of the elevator and speed walking towards the small girl. He bumped into people and knocked people over, being a good 6' feet tall, that will happen.

Ave slowly turned around. She hadn't planned what she would say if Luke did see her. She looked better, she still had a bruise around her eye and her knuckles were still split open, but she did look better better. Barely.

"Hey Luke-"

"What happened?" He instantly questioned, reaching his hand up and gently touching the side of her face, too afraid to use any pressure.

Ave missed Luke. When she first started to avoid him, it was almost torture. She had grown used to his weird sense of humor and his tall blonde hair. She looked up at him and noticed the worry in his eyes and her heart almost melted.

"I-I um.. Its stupid really. I was hanging out with Calum and he was trying to reach me to ride a skateboard. I was doing good but I hit a bump and bamb! Black eye." Ava made the story up on the spot. She was always good at lying, and never minded doing it. But when she finished the fib, she felt terrible. Lying to Luke was like punishing the cutest puppy in the world. She didn't like it, and the fact that she felt bad made her mad at herself for getting so attached to someone. She remembered back to only a little over a month ago to when she first met Luke. She thought he was stupid for trying to help her. Now she's grateful.

Luke narrowed his eyes and his fingers brushed the faded bruise around her eye. Ave closed her eyes and savored this moment she had with him.

"I don't want you riding them any more." Luke finally managed to get out. "Not if this is gonna happen again." His hand fell down from her face and she felt a sudden wave of coldness flash over her entire body once it did. Luke was always so warm, and she was always so cold. She liked Luke.

"Okay." Was all she spoke, and gave him a small smile as they walked over to the elevator. Luke pressed his floor number, and the doors closed. Just like Ave's mind.