I turn around before Gavin can say anything and meet my mom inside. The house feels different, the air has a certain smell that I'm unfamiliar with and that's when I notice the man standing ahead of me my whole world starts to collapse all at once.

"What is he doing here?" My words sound as harsh as there meant to sound. Peter stood there smiling at me like he enjoyed seeing me annoyed in his presence. I hadn't called him my father since I was a small child even then it wasn't what I preferred to call him.

"No hug?" He obnoxiously laughs holding his arms out for me I step back. I had to come home to this.

"He's only staying until he earns enough money so he can leave." My mother says. "Now I'm off to the pharmacy to pick up your prescriptions please be good, both of you."

"Let me go with you." I beg holding onto her arm before she can leave.

"You have to stay here, go rest."

I groan as she leaves me with this stranger. I didn't want anything to do with him so as I try to make my way around him he grabs my arm. "You ungrateful little bitch." He curses gripping my arm tighter and tighter each time.

"Let go of me!" I yell and then he suddenly brings his hand up and hits me. I guess prison has changed him he never used to hit me until now. How pathetic I was? I couldn't fight back as much as I wanted to.

I could feel the burning sensation coming from my cheek so I rest my hand over it.

"Why didn't you come visit me in prison huh?" He yells once again. "Did you even care!"

I run to the front door with all I had before he could grab me again and I feel like I'm about to faint again but I keep fighting against every part of my body begging for rest. I was surprised to see Gavin still outside and he's still washing his car and without any hesitation I get inside the passenger side and hop in the back seat to hide.

I can hear Peter calling out for me and I just lay down and ignore him. Gavin opens the drivers door and looks at me confusion spreading across his face. "I can explain." I let out. Great you only just told him you couldn't be friends seconds ago and now I'm using his car to hide from my father.

"Do I even wanna know this time?" Gavin sighs leaning his head into the car. "Who's that guy?" His head nods into Peters direction and I slowly lift up my head to see him go back inside.

"It's my dad." I mutter looking at Gavin's shirtless torso that seems to flex with every move. Not the time for this.

"Can I just sleep in here for a bit?" I ask. "Or can you take me to Peyton's house?"

"Do I look like a chauffeur?" Gavin scowls at me. "You're just using me."

"Stop being a jerk for once and let me sleep in the damn car." I snapped. "Please."

Gavin sits inside and closes the door behind him. His whole body turns to face me and his eyes fill with concern. "Your cheeks red."

"Yeah." I say putting my hand over it once again. "My dad isn't one for talking."

"He hit you?" Gavin says.

"Stop." I said grabbing his arm as he tries to escape the car. "I really don't need this right now." I rest my head back and close my eyes.

"Fine I won't beat his ass today but if-" he pauses and shakes his head from his thoughts. "Shit I think he's going to my house."

My head snaps to see Peter coming toward the car and that's when Gavin races out of the driveway and I almost hit my head against the glass windows. "A warning would have been nice." I say climbing into the front seat.

"Your lucky I'm even helping you after you practically told me to fuck off." Gavin says quirking up his eyebrow at me.

"I've had a long week okay." I defend.

"I know where to take you." Gavin adds. "It's not the beach this time."

I get a nervous feeling in my stomach, what if something happens? I should just go to Peyton's or Ash's house right? Then again, I didn't want to keep living my life in fear of what could happen.

That's not living at all and I'm not sure how much longer I had here before-

"Okay." I said.

Gavin pulls into a dirt road off of a main road and we drive for a few more miles until we arrive at a grassy field that seemed to be surrounding a lake. Was this the place Gavin told me about before? The one Zach takes all of his dates too? There has been so much I haven't seen in this town or things I just don't remember.

Gavin parks the car right beside the lake and he gets out. I open the door and step out myself my feet sinking into the grass. I think I preferred it here more than the beach. It was so secluded from the rest of the town. I could only imagine what Gavin does in places like this.

Gavin opens his trunk but instead of putting the shirt he grabs on he walks over to the water and dips it in. I watch in curiosity until he rings it out and starts walking over to me. "The waters cold this should help with your cheek."

He hands me the folded shirt and I grab it, he wasn't wrong about it being cold. "Thanks." I reply putting it to my cheek. I hope the water wasn't dirty. It does feel better now as the cold calms down the irritation. I lean against the back of his car and watch as the sun starts to set.

As much as I wished to be in the comfort of my bed my house was the last place I wanted to be at the moment. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier." I suddenly say. "I didn't mean it."

"You weren't wrong." Gavin answers. "But you can't deny you don't enjoy all the bad things you do when I'm around."

I can feel my breathing becoming abnormal as Gavin steps closer. "Who said I denied anything?" I say and it's almost a whisper as he finally reaches me. Gavin's hands grab onto my hips and he picks me up and puts me onto the trunk of his car.

I wrap my arms around his neck as he stands between my legs. His hand softy caresses my thigh and a smirk grows into a grin on his lips.

"Good." His breath tickles my ear as he speaks and I feel chills running down my spine. His soft lips place small kisses on my neck. I didn't want to be that girl that just instantly falls for some bad boys tricks and yet here I was falling anyway. Ugh and he smelled so good. Good thing I took a shower before I left the hospital otherwise I'd be smelling like hospital.

Okay Alex can you not for once?

His lips finally meet mine and I get to taste him once again. I've never kissed anyone before as you may have guessed but this had to be good I mean it felt really good. Not to mention Gavin was still shirtless.

"You-" Gavin pulls away and closes his eyes staring down away from me. "You had to sleep remember?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, I did have to do that." I said.

Gavin moves away and walks off toward the lake again. I felt like he got nervous around me whenever we kissed but Gavin couldn't get nervous? That was his thing wasn't it? As I get inside his car I sit in the silence before turning the radio on and for once I listen to Gavin's station that's playing.

As much as I enjoyed kissing Gavin it wasn't real.

I close my eyes and then I'm suddenly awaken by Gavin slamming the door shut. "Sorry did I wake you?" He's being sarcastic.

"What was that for?" I said, he gives me a smile like that's supposed to fix everything.

"Don't go to sleep."

"Why not?" I pout my lip.

"Because I need to talk to you."

I sit up straight and look at him. The only light we had now was coming from the moon. "What is it?"

"As your babysitter it's probably not right to be kissing you all the time." Gavin lets out a laugh.

"Oh shut up." I playfully roll my eyes at him.

"But this is fun right?" His voice becomes softer and he smiles at me again.

I smile back and this time it's genuine. "It's enjoyable yes but we probably shouldn't do that anymore." I shake my head.

Gavin's body uncomfortably shifts in his seat and I'm worried he'll start getting mad at me and leave me here stranded. "I'm gonna take you home, Georgia needed me to stop by her house."

There's a pang in my chest and this time it's not from my leukemia. It's my heart breaking as I hear him say her name in front of me. I get it they have a past and who am I to stop him from being with her just after he was kissing me?

"Oh okay." Is all I say.

Peter was sitting in my living room when I got home, my mother frantically ran into my direction. "Where have you been?"

"You didn't think I'd stay with him did you?" I laugh at her and shake my head. "I'd rather risk my life than stand in the same room as him."

My moms eyes show she's confused because she doesn't see how horrible Peter can act towards me. Until I point to my still red cheek does she realize what he's done. "You hit her?" My mom looks over at Peter who's drinking a beer on the couch.

"Of course not she probably got that on her way out the door or wherever she's been whoring around." Peter says looking angry at me.

"I didn't welcome you in to are house so you could abuse Alex. I will call the cops if you ever touch her again."

I chuckle under my breathe as Peter looks intimidated by my mother. I eventually make my way upstairs so I can finally get a good nights sleep. My mind doesn't let me and instead wonders why Gavin intentionally says things to hurt me. I've done my best to be his friend and then he goes and kisses me before running off to Georgia when he can't get what he wants.

I don't want to believe that he actually did and that he only said it to be a jerk, but why wouldn't he?

I couldn't give him that.