Unexpected Gifts

Ava flipped her hand palm up at me expectantly, but I didn't know what she was asking for.

"Give me your phone," she flipped her hand towards me again, impatient. Reaching into my pocket, I fished out my phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her.

"Look, Jake, I've already given your slot to another student, and I'm booked this quarter. This is the number of one of the grad students. I'll tell him you're going to get in touch. He's good, really good. I can't promise he'll be available, but if he is, he'll be able to help you," she explained.

It was surprising that Ava was willing to help, especially after I'd called her a snooty bitch. Still, I was going to take my blessings. Just as Ava finished typing in the number, K walked back through the back door.

"Call after 7, else you'll be calling during work hours," Ava explained as she slipped the phone back into my hand.

"What the hell are you doing talking to this bitch," K snarled as she stomped up to me and inserted herself between Ava and me.

"K, don't. It's not what you think," I tried to get her under control, realizing she read the situation wrong. Wrapping my arm around K's waist, I wanted to pin her against me and away from Ava. K had a short fuse, and I was not looking forward to where this was going.

"Back off, skank," K slipped out of my hand and shoved Ava hard, but Ava grabbed the counter before she could teeter over her heels.

"I do not need this drama. I do not need this damn drama," Ava pointed at me with furious eyes before she backed off to grab her wine glasses and walked out of the kitchen, shaking her head.

"Who the hell was that, Jake? I was gone ten minutes!" K spun on me, her face furious.

"Shut the fuck up," I roared. Pure rage stormed my veins, making K flinch. K liked to get me rallied up, but she'd rarely seen me genuinely furious.

"Let's go. This is over," I told K as I grabbed her hand, dragging her behind me. Then, pulling her through the backdoor, I led us to the street where her car was parked. Her heels clacked erratically against the pavement as she struggled to keep up with my furious stride.

"Jake, who was she?" she challenged again, oblivious to the damn point.

"Don't, just don't. Gods, I forgot how jealous you were. How the hell did I forget that!" I rubbed my temples with my fingertips, wishing I could be anywhere but here.

"That, K, was my tutor. The same one you screwed me out of on Friday. She just so happened to be willing to give me good graces and help me again until your jealous ass showed up and ruined it. Again."

K's face paled.

"Jake... I'm so sorry. I thought you were picking her up right in front of me. I just got so mad, I...," she started whimpering with tears in her eyes. Gods, those beautiful green eyes always cut my soul when she cried, and she fucking knew it. I was done.

"K, I love you. I've only ever loved you," I told her as I slid my palm around her face to make her look at me. A broad and joyous smile spread across her lips at my declaration; it made bile rise in my throat.

"But, K, you're fucking toxic. You tear my life apart at every turn, and I am done. I never wanted this. I never asked for this. My one regret in this life is getting tangled up with you. I want you to get in this car, I want you to go home, and I want you to forget I even exist."

"What! Jake, no, please. You can't do this to me! You can't, you can't! I'm so sorry, Jake. Don't do this," she screeched, her face twisting in desperate sobs as she pounded her little fist against my chest. It hurt, but I needed it to. I need the pain to keep me guarded against her desperate pleas.

"K, this is over. You promised you'd go home and leave me alone if I let you stay the weekend," I told her.

"No! No, I won't. I just wanted you to see how good it could be with me. I wanted you to give us a chance. I can't leave you, Jake. I can't," her voice sounded manic, and I knew I'd have to do something drastic. K could be an outright nightmare when she didn't get her way.

Decision made, I fished out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't dialed in years.

"Hey, Uncle Robert," I said when I heard the line pick up. K's face went ashen when she realized who I had called.

"What the hell are you doing calling me? I told you to never contact my family," Uncle Robert snarled, the sound distorted by the phone.

"K's here," I interrupted his tirade, knowing that would get his attention.

"What do you mean Kalie is there? She's out with Clarity's family looking at next semester's dorms," Uncle Robert defended.

"Yeah, news flash, your perfect little angel lied to you. Again. She never went with Clarity. She came straight up here to try to get into my bed," I told him, not holding any punches. I was done being blamed for everything, thinking his daughter could do no wrong.

"What the fuck did you do to Kalie," Uncle Robert roared.

"K came up here all on her own, wanting me to get back with her now that she's moving out, and you can't do shit about it. Uncle, listen to me this time and listen well. I don't want this shit - I never did. I did not go after your daughter; she went after me and is back at it again. I'm done with this shit. Come get your damn daughter!" I demanded. Uncle Robert was quiet on the other line as what I said sunk in.

"Damn it to hell! This girl is going to send me to an early grave," he resigned. "Is she there with you now?" he asked.

"She is," I replied.

"Put her on the phone," he demanded.

I stared coldly into K's eyes as I handed the phone over to her. The betrayal in her eyes told me she wouldn't forgive me for this as she snatched the phone from me.

"Daddy, let me..." she whimpered but was cut off by something Uncle Robert said. "No, Daddy, you don't understand I...." Another pause. "But dad! I love him! I belong with him," she yelled, then cringed, realizing she'd just let out her big secret.

I couldn't tell what Uncle Robert was saying, but he was clearly angry and had enough of her shit. She'd just admitted that she was chasing me. Finally, maybe he'd believe me that I wasn't trying to seduce his daughter.

Their conversation wrapped up, and she disconnected with a sharp stab at the screen. "I can't believe you did that to me! How could you!" she screamed as she threw my phone against the pavement. Luckily for me, my case kept it mostly intact.

"How could I? How could I? I took the rap for you back home. Everyone hated me, and I took it so your daddy dearest would still see you as his little angel. And what did I get for it, K? Huh? What the fuck did I get?" I yelled back, but she said nothing.

"I'll tell you what I got! I got you showing up here two years later and ruining my life - again. I'm done. You're a spoilt brat, and I'm done. Now get in your car and go home," I pointed to her car.

"Fine. I'm gone," K bit her lip in anger and stormed over to get in the driver's seat of her car, slamming the door shut. In a flash, the engine was roaring as she sped away. I watched her tail lights drift out of sight.

CHAPTER 5

Just like that, K was gone, and my stomach roiled. Coughing, I fought back a dry heave as my nerves took over. I hated this; I hated the feeling. If this was love, I prayed to God I never had to suffer it again.

Roaring a frustrated scream into the empty night air, I could feel my heart breaking even worse than last time. Just like I knew it would. It was a shitty thing that I called her dad on her, but I, honest to God, didn't know what else to do to get her to go home.

I picked up my phone off the sidewalk, slid it into my pocket, and walked back to the house's front porch. Sitting down on the lower step, I placed my head in my hands and shut the world out. Nearly an hour passed with my thoughts swirling, making me gloomier and gloomier.

Sitting outside in the cold air in nothing but a shirt and jeans, the heat of my anger finally froze. Finally, when I no longer felt like a volcano ready to explode, I trudged back into the house.

The party was going hard, people dancing, laughing, and flirting, but it was all a blur that didn't reach me. I walked to the makeshift bar and poured a full glass of whiskey before killing it back, letting the burn numb me.

"Hey, Jake. Are you ok?" a woman's voice caught my attention. Celeste was standing there with concern on her features when I turned to look at who was speaking.

"I'll be fine," I said hoarsely.

"You don't look fine," she replied.

"I said I'm fine," I snarled at her, making her flinch. I'd never raised my voice to her before, and she stepped back to give me room.

I needed to get the hell out of here. Rubbing my hand over my face, I darted to the end table with guests' jackets. I dug through the pile of jackets until I found mine. Grabbing it, I whipped in on and marched out the front door without a single goodbye.

The cold air barely registered as my mind swirled on my way to my truck. I walked down the street, nearly numb to the world, thinking over the mess I'd gotten myself into.

I was so consumed by my thoughts I almost missed the whimpering across the street. "No. Please. No," I heard a woman's slurred whimper, breaking me out of my trance.

"Shhhh, just get in the car," a male voice rumbled lowly.

"No. I don't want... to." the woman's voice continued.

In a dark spot between street lamps, I could barely distinguish a guy leaning a drunk woman against him as he tried to open a car door.

"No," the woman whined again, barely audible.

I wasn't quite sure of the situation. I figured it was just some guy's girlfriend who drank too much at the party, causing a fuss. God knows K had done that to me half a dozen times. So I was prepared to keep on towards my truck.

"I don't... I don't... I don't know you...." the woman said to the man, making my hackles prickle. Slowing so I could focus on the couple, I tried to see if I could make sense of the situation. As I neared, I saw bright leopard tights under a dark dress and knew exactly who the woman was.

"Hey, what's going on here?" I asked the man I didn't recognize from behind as I crossed the street.

"What? Ah, nothing, Miller. My girlfriend just drank too much. I'm trying to get her home. Would you mind helping me get her into the car?" the man asked.

As I rounded to their side of the street, I recognized the man as Jenkins, the first-string cornerback. It was difficult to see him with a hoodie pulled over his head, but I knew it was Jenkins between his voice and those beady eyes.

Looking over Jenkins, I thought he was an odd love interest for Ava, but what did I know? Maybe she had a type.

I looked Ava over, her eyes were blown out, and she was struggling to focus on anything, her head lulling back and forth as she struggled to stay awake. Something didn't seem right, causing my alarm bells to start humming.

"Jake?" she asked, recognizing me. Now, I had no doubts. If she could remember me, someone she'd only met twice, she should have been able to identify her boyfriend.

Jenkin's eyes went wide when he realized we knew each other. I grabbed Ava and pivoted her away from him, placing myself between them.

"Miller man, what the hell," he complained, not ready to give up his prey. I helped Ava sit down on the sidewalk; her poor frame could barely hold herself up; she was so wasted. I wasn't sure she was only drunk. She was perfectly sober an hour ago.

"Hey," Jenkins grabbed my arm, trying to stop me from moving Ava away. I snapped back to glare at him. I liked Jenkins. He was a good player, and we always had each other's back as a team. He was the first string and was always helping us seconds out, keeping our motivation going even when we sat on the bench.

But this, I never in a million years thought he'd pull this shit. It was a betrayal. The bullshit with K, now this piece of shit doing this. I had so much rage in me.

Too fast for Jenkins to react, I spun on my heel and let my first fist fly. It connected with his face with a satisfying crunch.

"Oww, fuck, Miller," the Jenkins yelled before he threw a punch against my jaw with a painful crack. Recovering, I tackled him against the car before delivering three rapid jabs to his ribs, making him lose his breath.

"You fucking piece of shit. You think you can do this and get away with it," I roared as I took advantage of Jenkins gasping for breath to throw another crunching punch to his face.

I could hit like a Mack truck, and I knew it. The man slid boneless down the car to the pavement, but I wasn't satisfied. So instead, I pulled him up by his collar and delivered punch after punch against his face, watching his blood pour out around him. His nose was clearly broken, and his eyes were already swelling shut.

"Jake," I heard Ava whimper. "Jake, I don't feel well. I think...." That sobered me out of my rage. I wiped my hand on a clean part of the Jenkins' shirt and stood.

Turning back to Ava, she looked awful, and her eyes weren't focusing on anything. Crouching in front of her, I pressed my fingers against her pulse point. My stomach flipped at how slow her heart was beating.

"Ava. Ava, look at me," I pulled her face to look at me, but her eyes just darted erratically.

"Jake, I don't feel good," she whimpered as her eyes started pouring tears.

"Shhh, it's ok. I've got you. Let's get you to the hospital, ok? Can you stand?" I asked her. Ava tried to reach for me with weak hands, but her arms didn't quite work.

"Alright. It's ok, I've got you, Ava," I told her as I reached down and helped her stand. Her legs trembled pitifully under her own weight. This robust and fiery woman in such a weak state due to some asshole made bile rise in my throat. I wasn't a prince charming, but this... this was inexcusable.

There was no way she was walking anywhere. Reaching behind her, I scooped her into my arms and raced over to my truck parked just a little farther down. Ava had passed out against my shoulder before I got to the passenger door.

"No, no, no, Ava, honey. Wake up. You can't sleep yet," I tapped her face, but she was too passed out to respond. "Shit!" I exclaimed as I quickly slid her into the seat and buckled her in. I raced over to the driver's side. Within seconds I was roaring down the street towards the local hospital.

CHAPTER 6

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The heart rate monitor kept a steady rhythm as Ava's heart rate approached near normal. It was still a little slow, but not the terrifying putter it was when I brought her into the ER.

Running the palms of my hands over my jeans in a nervous tick, I warred with myself if I should be here. I didn't know Ava well. I wasn't sure she'd even want me here. Even less certain was if she had anyone nearby to call when she woke, so I stayed just in case. At the very least, I could drive her home.

One of the ER doctors pulled back the curtain separating us from the rest of the ward and stepped through before closing the curtain again. I watched her approach as I clenched my cleaned and bandaged right hand.

"Mr. Miller, I ran the tox screen on Ms. Williams here," she announced as she flipped through Ava's chart. "We found traces of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in her system. It's hard to know how much she was given, her body had already metabolized some of it, but it's a good thing you brought her in. It can be dangerous when given enough to slow the heart rate significantly. If nothing else, she'll wake up in much more comfort with treatment," the doctor explained before looking to see if I had any questions.

"Was she... did he?" I asked, not wanting to say the words. The doctor shook her head. "I can't discuss those details with you, unfortunately. This is a police investigation. But I will tell you, it looks like you rescued your friend in time," the doctor said with a smile as she reached over to pat my shoulder, congratulating me.

The night's events, the fight with K, the altercation with Jenkins, and the worry that Ava would be alright finally crashed over me. Tremors took over my body as the last of my adrenaline was released.

The doctor walked to the curtain and pulled it back to talk to a nurse. "Bri, can you bring a heated blanket and some water? This guy is going through adrenaline rebound," the doctor said to someone I couldn't see. "Sure, Dr. Lillard," I heard a voice say before squeaky shoes padding away.

The squeaky shoes returned as the nurse entered and wrapped a warm blanket around me before handing me a water bottle. "The heat will help," the nurse told me before she left me with the doctor again.

"She really will be fine, Mr. Miller. We're going to give her some medication to help her recover faster," the doctor explained as the nurse returned with a syringe to inject something into Ava's IV.

"She'll likely wake up with a headache and feeling agitated. That's the GHB working its way out. She'll come around pretty quickly though and can likely go home in the hour after she wakes," the doctor finished.

"Will she remember it?" I asked, knowing some drugs wiped out memory. I wasn't sure how much I'd have to explain to her when she woke.

"Unlikely, at least not at first. The body has a way of remembering what the mind cannot. So she'll likely be jumpy and prone to anxiety for the next while. We'll prescribe her some meds and a therapist to help her through it," the doctor trailed off when an officer pulled back the curtain and stepped through.

"I hear the girl's going to wake up soon?" the officer said to the doctor.

"Yes, about an hour, tops," Dr. Lillard nodded.

"I'll get the witness's statement while we wait then. You good to talk, Mr. Miller?" the officer asked me, and I nodded. Then, the doctor turned to leave us alone in the tiny makeshift room.

Going over the full detail of what happened, I admitted to the police officer that I beat the shit out of the guy.

"So, he attacked you, and you defended yourself?" the officer asked. My bandaged hand rubbed my thigh again, knowing I'd screwed up when I took my rage out on him. If charges got pressed against me for battery, my scholarship was done.

"No, I just wanted to get him off Ava and took it a bit far," I admitted.

The officer whistled. "I'd say! That boy's going to need corrective surgery." The officer grabbed his radio and opened a channel for someone. "Hey, can you tell me if there are any cams on 8^th and Vine?" A moment later, the radio buzzed with static before someone replied.

"No, there are no cams on that street," the distorted voice reported.

"Thanks," the officer said and disconnected. "Luckily for you, there was no vital damage to Mr. Jenkins. That's a dangerous game. If he'd been gravely injured, you'd been in a lot more trouble," the officer reported, and I nodded.

"So," the officer made a show of writing on his form. "Mr. Jenkins attacked you when you interrupted him attempting to get Ms. Williams into his car. Then, you defended yourself," the officer's eyes flashed from his paper to bore into mine, making sure I got his point.

"Uh... yes, officer. I defended myself," I stuttered, realizing the officer would help me get off the hook. Relief flooded through me that I wouldn't get in trouble for this. The officer nodded in agreement.

"Then, when the attacker was unconscious, you returned to Ms. Williams. When you realized she had poor vitals, you immediately assisted Ms. Williams to the ER, correct?"

"Yes, officer. I brought her straight here. Her pulse was slow, so I thought she might be pretty bad off," I explained, and he nodded.

"Alright, that's enough from you. I'll complete your statement along with Ms. William's," the Officer's eyes flashed over to the bed. I turned to see Ava was awake and watching us, assessing us with alert and sharp eyes.

"Someone wants to tell me what's going on?" she croaked, her voice gravely and dry.