Trespassing

Trip's POV

I was awake. Weird because I didn't remember going to sleep. In my head there had been crying, wetness on my chest—but I didn't recall sleeping.

I moved softly, careful not to jostle the sleeping girl in my arms. Her brown hair showed signs of waviness and it toppled all around her face—hiding her. I shifted my neck side-to-side, sighing when it worked out a few kinks. Sleeping on this couch was becoming a trend in the last month, it couldn't be good for my bones—a few more nights in it and I'd get torticollis.

My fingers coursed Ava's naked shoulder—I stopped when she shivered. She didn't lift her head. She curled up against me further. I kept tracing her luscious skin, my thumb stroke her under the ear—close to the neck—Ava's arms became tighter around my waist. I closed my eyes before they travelled over the suite. My bed was a mess of sheets that needed a long wash. I'm pretty sure there was a trail of blood from the first one. That was the thing with virgins—sometimes there was blood, other times there wasn't. My sheets weren't the only thing that needed to be washed—I needed a long warm shower. The only thing missing from Ava was the jacket she'd snaked out of, I didn't know when—it was just on the floor.

I stared at the bundle of perfection in my embrace. I took it all in, I made sure it was well imprinted in my memory. This was the first time I woke up with a girl cuddling up to me—or next to me. When people said I slept with models they were using the term 'sleeping' loosely, because I didn't sleep with them. I had sex. That was it. They didn't spend the night—ever. I didn't let them. Waking up beside someone should be something special, I didn't like the idea of waking up to a girl who I'd made forced sex with. There was only one person who should have stayed with me and hadn't. No one deserved to wake up alone, and after what I went through to pleasure—

I drew a short breath when Ava moved her leg. She was asleep, it wasn't her fault—but her head rose from the safety of my chest. Her eyes more like a doe's than ever. Fuck she was adorable.

"Why are you smiling...?" she asked in a sleepy, raw tone still rubbing her eyes like an eight year old.

I guess I was smiling, wasn't I?

"No reason," I broadened my smile. "Okay, there's one." I brushed a wayward strand behind her ear. Ava squinted her eyes like a sleepy puppy. "You're cute when you wake up." I found her absolutely precious, delicate and... I should stop myself right there.

She tucked her head into my shoulder for a few seconds. When she brought it up again, there was a more aware expression on her face. As she looked at me, long and hard, I knew she was processing everything—from her working for my Mother, to me being a virginity-taker, like Gabriel called it.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep on you." I let out a short breath, my hands were resting on her hips making sure she wouldn't fall over. "And... cried on your chest... like a lot..."

I could've made a joke about her tears being able to transform a desert into a sea, but I kept it under my tongue. This was nice and I seriously didn't think it was time for humor yet.

"I didn't hear my chest complain, I think it's okay." Ava shook her head with a smile.

"Unbelievable," she muttered. "Weren't you cold?" I shook my head. It was impossible to feel anything but heat with Ava pressed up to me the entire night.

Her hands rested on my shoulders as she pushed herself into a sitting position, yawning. When she was sitting in the far end of the couch, I sat up.

What now? I found myself thinking, shaking my head to get hair out of my eyes.

"Huh," I scrunched my face as my eyes met the sunlight shining in from the balcony. "I'm gonna take a shower..." what did she want to do? Was she ready to go home? "What do you want to do?"

Ava tilted her hair to the sides of her face—she was lucky, it kept most of the sunlight away from her eyes.

"I don't know..." she rubbed her hands over her jeans. "I have to go home... eventually."

"Well," I breathed getting up. "You can stay here while I shower—we'll figure something out afterwards. Sounds good?" I tried head nodded, the Bambi expression greatly grateful."'Kay, so, you can eat whatever you want—do anything—make yourself at home." I gave her a final glance over my shoulder making sure she wasn't still needing me to hold her—Ava was tough, I knew it. But even tough people needed to break down once in a while.

I closed the bathroom door, going straight for the sink. I washed my teeth in less than a minute, not really into the whole scrubbing up-and-down-for-two-minutes spirit. I left Ava in the other room. All I wanted was to go back.

I kicked off my jeans, sent my boxers into the hamper walking into the shower. Tepid water sliced through the remaining tension from last night. My muscle knots came undone slowly as I rolled my shoulders, turned my neck left and right. I splashed a nice quantity of shampoo on my hair, racking my fingers in it—I did again once I rinsed the first time, then I rinsed the second batch. If I moved any faster I was going to end up slipping and hitting my head.

Ava had this effect on me. I always cared more about her feelings then my own.

After almost tripping over my towel I managed to make it out to my closet—the bathroom and it were connected. I pulled a shirt, socks and boxers—dressed them.

I found my shoes by the bed—but no Ava. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. My eyes travelled quickly. The balcony was open.

I marched up to where she was, looking down.

"You're not gonna jump, are ya'?"

Her head turned to me, "Come on, Trip—I'm not that desperate." Good to know. "That was quick."

"I'm Sonic-fast." That made her smirk.

"Your hair does look like an hedgehog." I shrugged going to lean on the margin. "It's still wet, you should dry it before you catch a cold."

"I have a damn good immune system." I tapped my fingers along the rock. "Did you eat anything?" I already knew she hadn't. Everything was untouched in the kitchen area. She shook her head. "Wanna grab something?"

"Actually," she began, facing me. "Do you think you can take me to Ms. Coleman's office?" ah, come again? Had I miss the memo about an extra session for this week? "I called her while you were showering. I asked if she could see me. Today." My jaw was in a straight line. Why would Ava want to go to our therapist?

"You can tell me anything, Ava." I thought she knew that by now—

"So can you." Ouch, that one stung. She said it calmly, but her gaze... there was definitely a little resentment. I knew why. I hadn't told her what my Mom had on me—and I wouldn't.

"Got it," I sighed a little frustrated. I wanted her to trust me, not some stranger... I just wasn't ready to tell anyone—it had killed to tell Gabe. And he was my best friend. "What time did you schedule?" I still didn't know the time.

"It's almost two in the afternoon—" shit, that was what I called sleeping in. "She agreed to see me at three." Plenty of time to eat.

"We'll eat and I'll take you." It was obvious she was going to the session alone, I'd stay outside, though. I'd wait for her. There wasn't a bone in my body capable of leaving her alone.

Ava's POV

We ate at a little restaurant. Thomas didn't want attention and he knew all the right places to go. He was like a celebrity-ninja. You had to love that. I hadn't been very hungry and settled for a medium stake with salad on the side—Thomas was a whole different story. He was an eating machine, how he kept all the muscles hard as rock was beyond me. Guess his appetite had something to do with him being a guy.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" this was the third time he asked. We were standing in front of our therapy building, in my car. I had no idea why he was at the wheel, it wasn't like I was unstable—I could drive.

"Yes," I was—and I wasn't. Half of me chanted that I needed to get this off my chest—another half told me to keep my mouth shut, willing me to chicken out. "I want to talk to her, and it will be fine. She's not going to suck my brains out." Thomas thought psychologists were tricky and manipulative, they made a living out of other people's problems and instead of helping, they gave people new ones. "Will you ever open up to Ms. Coleman?" Thomas' answer was a snort that told me he wouldn't trust Lydia as far as he could throw her.

"Is that what you're here to do? Open up?" he doubled asked as we finally stepped through the glass doors.

"About some stuff." I lowered my eyes to the floor, knowing what he was thinking without looking. We'd come so far—a month—with our mouth's closed. Never telling her something relevant or we didn't deem it that way, and now I was finally giving in—that was what Trip saw me doing. "You have to know, Thomas, I didn't share with Ms. Coleman because I was afraid, because everything seemed out of place and it scare the ever-loving crap out of me—" I shook my head, sometimes I was still freaked out but... "Since... since I met you things are different." There. The truth was out of the bag.

"Different?" his eyes shimmered. We were waiting for the elevator. "How so?"

I'd been obsessing over this subject for hours—maybe days. How had I been stupid enough to bring it up? In a public place, no less.

I began with an easy shrug, "You make things... easier." I looked like a child lost in wood looking into his handsome face. "You're understand me, and you're fun to be around—I like you. I like spending time with you." People said children and fools told the truth—I belonged to the 'fools' group. Why did I tell him this? Trip didn't need to know, I should be trying to extinguish the damn flame growing inside my chest every time I thought of him—not being on the brim of telling him something I could never take back.

Ding-dong. The elevator's arrival sound filled what felt like the awkwardest silence between us.

I snaked a faint look at the elevator door, it was beginning to close up—Trip's hand shot out, standing between the two Knox doors. Immediately, they drew back, opening all the way.

He nodded his head into the elevator. I stepped in with him hot on my trail.

"I like spending time with you, too." He whispered once we were locked inside the little space.

Blood traveled up my neck firing my cheeks up. We were quiet until our short trip ended on the sixth floor. We nodded to the secretary who had become a familiar sight, she waved shortly, pen in hand.

Thomas shuffled when we were right outside Lydia's office.

"You sure about this?" his worry-worm attitude towards me was commendable.

"If I need you to slay the fire breathing dragon I'll yell out." I cracked a joke just to make him relax on some level. It worked, he tittered up, lips drawn into a big-ass smirk. "It will be okay." Before I was able to stop myself, I landed a hand on his chest—it fell away like a leave in the winter. "I'll... see you in a while?" he nodded.

Thomas' gaze remained fastened on me as I walked in. I had to keep myself in check around him. I sighed, that seemed to be impossible. His was the only hand I wanted to hold on to... I didn't anyone else.

"Ava!" Ms. Coleman's loud call got me all jumpy—like I wasn't enough. What was it with this woman...? One, couldn't she tidy up the place once in a while? And two... how big of a caffeine rush did she have? Lydia's eyes were popping, they were gray balloons, singing with hyperactivity. Oh boy... I sure picked a good day for this. "I'm so glad you're feeling better. When you're Mother called I got really worried—" she dragged out a relieved breath. I wouldn't be surprised if she'd been planning on sending me a gift basket with a 'get well soon' card—one of those that played music when you opened them.

I took a seat before she told me to. I wanted to get this show on the run before the coward part of my brain realized how I was walking on thin ice by sharing my family problems with the Doc.

Lydia's smile—genuine as always—lit the messy room better than the desk light. Jesus.

"It was a shame you couldn't come with Trip yesterday. We had quite the conversation." My ears perked. "He taught me all about hot wiring a car, I swear that kid knows more than my mechanic. It was impressive how many car parts he knew—their names, their functions..." she shook her head in wide disbelieve, the smile still crowding her lips. "I was impressed." That one was obvious, she was going all fan-girl over his ability to either steal, dismantle or fix a car. Nice. "But," she settled down in her office chair, taking a pen between her fingers. "We're not here because of Trip, right?" for a heartbeat I wondered if she knew... if she knew what I felt for Thomas—but no. That wasn't possible. "We're here because of you, and only you."

I nodded slowly, unsure on how to start. I should have thought things through. I beat my fingers against my knees. I looked down at my jeans, my top—if Mom saw me she would blow a fuse. My clothing was all wrinkled from sleeping in it.

"How are you doing, Ava?" Lydia asked softly, as if she understood my indecision and was giving me a start-off push. It was a normal question, nothing too personal. Just something people asked one another when they passed on the street.

There was nothing to that question. Still, there was.

"I'm fine." I answered shortly after. I always said that—those two words 'I'm fine'. I was fine. My teeth gritted, my tongue felt sour from lying. I was lying, I always did. There wasn't a single day I was fine—not throughout the whole day. Lately, I had moments of 'fine' and that was whenever me and Thomas were together. Then, I was fine, I was happy—alright. I caught Lydia nodding, ready to move on from that—hell no. I was done lying. "No," it left my mouth like a torpedo startling Ms. Coleman out of her skin. "No—you know what? I'm not fine. I'm done pretending, I came in here to talk to you... and that's what I'm going to do." My words didn't sound mine—but they were, oh yes, they were purely mine. I'd been doing Mia's stuff for so long I'd forgotten what a fiery personality I had. Mia had been quiet, easy to boss around. I hadn't. That's why Mia was the favorite. I was the rebel that would end up between jobs. "I had a sister named Mia, she was older than me—two years ago she died." I sucked in a deep breath, this was it, no going back now. "Ever since then I've... I've been living in her shadow. More than before." I let out a laugh, it was hollow. "Which is strange since she's gone, but Mia was always the one—she was always the golden star. She was the one with talent, the one my parents went to see perform at school plays. It was never me." It burned me to say this, any of it. It was so... intimate. My body was starting to heat up, especially around my cheeks. "I trashed her room because... because..." I shook my head willing myself to go on, to unleash my every sorrow right here, right now. I wanted to expose myself to this woman—I wanted help. I needed someone, someone other than Trip. He was good, I liked him—more than I should ever like him, but he wasn't an adult. I needed to trust a freaking adult, as much as I hated to admit it. Lydia was the only one.

"Go on, Ava. Everything that you tell me is sacred, nothing will leave this room—I won't discuss it with anyone, unless you want me to." Freaking mother of God, her voice was so... tranquilizing, motherly—it was so easy to trust.

I wasn't fighting this anymore.

Inhaling, I closed my eyes. My thoughts became sing-song happy when I recalled Thomas' face from this morning when I woke up. I found courage to go on.

"I trashed her room because I couldn't take it. I reached a limit that day... I don't know..." I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't met Thomas. I thought, but didn't say. I kept that to me. "I had had enough of Mia. She's gone—and yes, it's sad—but everything is still about her, what she wanted, what she would become in the future, what she liked—I snapped. I snapped... 'cause ever since she's been dead," there I'd said it, she was dead. "Ever since she's been gone..." I shook, my whole body was made of tremors. My hands were trembling so bad... I couldn't hold them still in front of my face. "My life has been a living hell." I whispered brokenly.

It took me minutes on end to understand what was being said to me—what Ms. Coleman was saying right there behind her desk. Her eyes were shot with concern, a heavy weight seemed to make her eyebrows push down in a severe frown.

"Ava," that was all she'd been saying. My name, over and over—repeatedly. "Ava, honey, it's fine. You're okay..." the sweet nothings went on, all I could think was... why isn't she asking it, the next question? The 'why has your life been a living hell?'

I tilted my head when she called me a final time. A little smile spread on her puppy-Labrador face.

"Yes...?" even now my voice was a cracking mess.

"You did good, sweetie." I blinked. I had? "I think we should call it a day. You don't need to let everything out today—I don't want you to turn into an emotional wreck. Nope, I want you to go home now—or wherever you want—and take it easy. Don't think about anything serious, what we talk about in here stays in here." She repeated the words from before. "This was very important, Ava." My shock must have made her go into detail. "You took the first step, you decided to open up, to trust me, and for that I'm very grateful." All about this woman screamed sincerity—I... I loved it. I was so sick of liars.

"Really...?" I muttered, voice filled with disbelieve. "That was good enough for today?"

"That was very good, honey." She nodded, opening a drawer on her desk. I heard shuffling, she was digging around for something and even in my stunned, heart-hammering state, I wanted to know what it was. "Ah, here it is!" the exclamation was followed by a... lollypop in my face. Okay... what the hell? "I always have some candy for younger kids. When they come here for their first session I give them a lollypop—or if we tread through a hard one." It was a reward, a sweet, sugary-goodness reward. Lydia shoved the thing into my hand. "I think that was hard, don't you?" yes, yes it had been. She smiled not waiting for any answer, verbal or otherwise.

After I regained enough trust in my legs, I stood, at first shakily. Maybe this was why she handed me a lollipop—because my legs felt shaky, my whole frame did. I needed mys sugar levels up. There was a muttered 'good-bye' on my part as I grabbed for the knob. I just wanted to be on the outside. And five seconds later I was.

Thomas was sitting in the chair from the first day. Leg crossed looking bored out of his mind—and glaring right at me. I drew my arms around myself like I was cold, I wasn't. I was just feeling... naked—no, lighter. Ten times lighter then before I entered Lydia's office. It was like Angels were singing hallelujah. He got to his feet, coming to me so fast I actually thought he was Sonic the Hedgehog—I giggled. His hair was still a prickly mess... So semxy, my swoonage didn't want to stop there—I wanted to bubble another cute laugh but we weren't alone. Lydia's secretary was standing far off and I looked like a baby who'd seen a shinny thing for the first time. The last thing I wanted was for Lydia to think me and Thomas were an item.

"You're out?" he brushed a wavy strand aside, eyes ducking into mine. "That was fast... you're looking a little pale—did something happen?" his eyes were beginning to catch fire. His hands fell on my shoulders, I blushed when he tugged me a step closer to him. "Did she make you answer things you didn't—"

I shook my head, circling his wrists with my hands. Slowly, I lowered his.

"Everything went... well." I said feeling unsure, at first, then I smiled a little. "It was okay, really, Thomas, it was fine." That said, I pulled Trip by the hand—feeling a nice twinkle as we went—once we were out of the office I pulled out the cherry flavored candy.

His eyebrows knitted just like I'd thought they would.

"Where did you get that?"

"Ms. Coleman gave it to me." I replied brightly—too brightly for someone who moments ago had been on the edge of a break down. "I'm brave and all, so she gave me a treat."

His solo perked eyebrow went a little higher.

"I've been to five different therapists and they never gave me candy." Five...? Wow. No wonder he hated psychologists. He'd been through a sea of them. It made sense though, Thomas was forced to do something he didn't like—just like me—but he was right, I did it out of obligation and guilt. No one was pointing a gun to my head, threatening me. His Mother was. I didn't know with what, but it had to be something bad... "How come she never gave me a lollipop?" he pouted.

"It's your fault." I stuck a finger into his chest— "You don't share with her. It's your loss." I stuck my tongue out waving the candy.

Trip shook his head, "That's not true. I shared plenty with her—"

"Somehow telling her how to hot wire a car isn't the way to go." He blinked at my knowledge. "You're some kind of car genius to her. She could be the president of your fan-club."

"Don't get me wrong," he smirked taking a step to me, backing me up into the wall—boy, that was tight. "Ms. Coleman is alright for her age, but I would rather have you as president of my fan-club." Breath rushed out of my lungs, it didn't return. Our proximity was so big that if I inhaled my chest would bump his—that's how close we were.

I could have thought about all the reasons why we couldn't be together, how it would be impossible no matter what I felt—or what he felt. I could have thought about those things. I didn't. The only thing I focused on were his arms; they were braced on the wall each one on either side of my face.

"But the president is normally the biggest fan." I scooted my head into the wall—as much as humanly possible. "What makes you think I even belong to that club?"

My eyes slipped closed when his arms dropped to his sides. It was a relief—but it was torture at the same time. Being that close... the last thing I'd wanted was for us to back away.

"Because," he began and my eyes shot open. Thomas' fingers travelled down my arm—a sudden smirk twisted his lips. "You're going to give me your lollipop."

When I stuttered a "what?" he was already racing down the long hallway to reach the elevators and—my hand twitched—no cherry lollipop. I blinked processing what he was doing. I swear, what I did next was just as childish as what he'd done.

"Come back—don't—" I ran after him. He was bumping a button furiously looking over his shoulder with the biggest smile ever— "Don't you dare, Thomas!" I yelled when the doors opened—running in heels wasn't at all easy. "No, no—Trip—" I scold.

He shook his head walking in pressing a button—the doors closed just as I got there to pound on them. Damn, it was already going down... Not wasting time I pressed down another elevator—tapping my foot impatiently as I waited. Once I was inside going down, I couldn't stop from shaking my head thinking how this could very well be the silliest thing I had ever done.

All for a... I raced out the elevator, then I pushed a glass door—

"Give me back my..." he hanged about, rolling my prize in his mouth. "You ass! That was my lollipop, how could you?" I flicked his chest.

Thomas laughed around the cherry flavored treat. People were walking by and I'd yelled out... I was yelling because of a damn lollipop. What was the deal with me?

"It was like taking candy from a baby." A slit of my eyes made him stop sucking on... on the... whatever I was thinking shifted, morphed—now all I could see were his ridiculous delicious looking lips and what they were doing to... "You made it easy," he said popping it out of his mouth. The red candy was waved teasingly in front of me, my eyes were way more interested in Thomas' right now. "But I'm not opposed to sharing."

Sharing? I crossed my arms scoffing.

"Excuse me? That was given to me—not to you. You can't decide to share something that isn't yours. You stole it."

A wicked grin made my insides flop. One step closer to me, Thomas bent over—our foreheads brushed, the lollipop was between us.

"Don't be a sore loser, Ava." He whispered making his voice melodic. Our eyes stroke one another in a soft, tempting way. Trip's lower lip moved brushing up the lollipop—a shiver clawed my heart. "We can share, unless you still believe in cooties." If cooties were a real thing I would want his cooties—if that was our only problem I would welcome them.

"I don't," I answered anyway.

Thomas' tipped the stick, the cherry flavored ball brushed my lips. When the tip of my tongue came out to explore, I swear I saw those blue blazing eyes glaze, stilling on my mouth. It was kind of funny and strange. This was definitely the most... erotic thing I'd ever done with a guy—and we were still standing in the middle of a sidewalk so everyone could see the show. I didn't care though. I kept going, wrapping my tongue around the candy, tasting, experiencing, savoring it and I did all this looking up at him innocently. Something stirred when I saw Trip lean closer, his tongue licked the side I couldn't reach—heat manifested everywhere. All my body came alive when our tongues brushed—shivers racked me, puzzled me together, undid me, put me back just to break me all over. It was a cruel, cruel thing to do.

"Ava..." he husked bumping our heads softly, leaving the lollipop alone.

I was stunned at how just the simple brush of our tongues could make me... soar. It was like my feet weren't touching the ground. I was fangirling obsessively over how much better his tongue tasted than cherry which was darn hard since it was my favorite fruit.

"Ava," he repeated. My eyes shone into his this time around. "Make sure your next weekend's free."

That was a turn of events.

"Why?" I was amazed how my voice was still working.

Thomas' face was sort of unreadable next.

"Weekend getaway."