The Life Changing Trip

Chapter 25 - "Please talk to me? I'm nervous."

Chapter 25

"Why are you staying in the back with me?!" I asked, but secretly I was pleased. Very pleased.

"Because I don't want to sit next to Ethan," he replied quickly, and I could see he wanted me to drop it.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like him!" He said.

"Yeah, Eva, it's true. We don't like each other because he rejected me last night," Ethan said dramatically nodding his head and pouting.

"Get lost," Gavin said sharply, glaring at his best friend, then turned to me, "Are you going to keep questioning me all day or can I just sit in the damn seat?"

"You can just sit in the damn seat," I said, feeling my lips tug at the corner. It's not the time but: Oh yeah! He cares! I chanted in my head doing a little silly cheerleading dance.

"God! Thanks," he said sarcastically.

The car drive was silent at first. The nervous feelings settling in completely as we all stared out of our own windows. Not even Ethan said anything and it was getting scary. That's when I decided to say something.

"You guys got any plan for today?"

Nothing. For ten long seconds.

"It's simple," Ethan said, and I looked at him, confused. There was nothing simple about our situation. "We kill the batman," he continued and I rolled my eyes. I even caught Gavin rolling his eyes at his silly best friend.

"Okay..."

"We're going to make sure my sister's safe then decide. But whatever happens, we are NOT handing you back to him. Never." Gavin said, shaking his head more to himself than to me.

"What if - "

"No, Eva. No." He said, cutting off any attempt of negotiaion.

"Well you better have a great-ass plan if you want us all to survive this," I muttered.

"Yeah, I do." Was all he said before we sank back into silence for another half hour or so.

The trip was tiring and boring and uncomfortable. Gavin was at the far end of the seat and I didn't know if I should talk, sleep or just scream. I kept stealing glances at him to see what he was doing, which was usually staring blankly outside or closing his eyes. I also didn't miss the looks he'd give me before quickly averting his gaze when he knew he was caught. I sighed, this is boring and my nerves were eating me up.

I'm going back to Richard, I repeated over and over again in my head. For some reason, it just didn't seem 'real'. How could it be? I just escaped. Why am I going back? What's going to happen to me? Is he going to kill me? Is my dad still alive? He probably wasn't the best dad, he left me, he left my mum. He wasn't there when I needed him growing up. But he did risk his life to save me and I couldn't hate him. Not after all that I've seen.

I felt a lurch of uneasiness in my stomach as horrendous images and thoughts randomly popped in my head. I didn't want to think of what could or would happen. It hurt just to think about it and I was still in some kind of denial because I still didn't understand fully the horror of our situation, and I didn't want to, because panic was going to do more harm than good. Actually, it wasn't going to do any good at all.

Before I could think anymore and really lose it, I quickly turned to Gavin for distraction. "Hey," I said softly, tugging on his sleeve.

He opened his eyes slowly and turned his head to look at me. "What?"

"Please talk to me? I'm nervous," I said, nibbling on my bottom lip.

He glanced at the driver seat for a second before bringing his eyes back at me. "Come here," he whispered.