(Ps: this is not edited Xx)

AVA POV:

The next week was spent avoiding eye contact with Caleb at school.

After I had broken off the tutor bond we had, Caleb completely changed. He changed back into the person I met at the start of school.

I would walk around corners and find him pressed up against some bimbo. I won't lie and say it didn't hurt.

I'm not madly in love with him, I don't even like him. But for some reason, as I watched him wink at me as he began smothering some girls face, a weird feeling erupted in my stomach. A feeling I am familiar with, but won't say out loud. I'll tell you, it confused the heck out of me. I shouldn't be feeling the J word. He's an asshole.

Sam didn't talk to me about him. We barley talked. I continued on with my day as a nerd, ignoring Adam and the other bullies that follow me around. Taunting and mocking me.

As for the gang, everything was busy. I had been in meetings for hours and hours after school. Arranging for one of the smart gang members to do my homework for me. My meetings were with successful companies, us talking and coming to agreements. In the long run, it would make both grey gang, and whatever company a lot richer. I drifted through the week. When I wasn't avoiding Caleb, I was with tommy.

"A?"

"What?" I asked back, as tommy stuck his head into my office.

"Urgent meeting" tommy answered, leaving immediately to gather the rest of the members.

Last time tommy called for an urgent meeting was when one the heists I was running went south.

I picked up my laptop and carried it to the meeting room.

As I arrived I noticed all the seats filled except for mine. I took my seat and nodded to my members.

Tommy shut the door forcefully and came and sat next to me.

"Okay so, I've called an urgent meeting because one of our investment opportunities that had failed to meet our requirements has leaked some information revolving around the dispute"

"Who?" someone from the far end of the table asked.

"Jacob Peterson, - CEO of Peterson properties, bankrupt and has compromised A's cover weeks ago"

"You are joking?!" I slammed my fist on the table, I noticed some squirmers jolted at the sound of my deathly voice.

"I'll kill him myself" I muttered, standing up from the desk and placing both hands down flat on the table in a serious matter.

"Where is he?" I asked Tommy.

"He's hanging low, but it won't take us long to find him. I want to arrange a group to get him and bring him back here immediately" tommy answered, looking around the table.

"I can find him" Sam said sitting up in his chair.

"What? You gonna ask Caleb?" I asked him, he looked at me confused.

"Yeah?"

"Don't be an idiot Sam! What's Caleb going to think after you ask where jacob is and then Jacob dissappares!" I shout back at him. Causing Sam to realise and sink back in his seat.

"I'll deal with this myself. He wouldn't have gone far-" tommy begins, and I cut him off.

"I don't care about how far he went, find him and bring him to me. The longer he is out there, the more compromised this gangs cover is!" I kicked my chair hard into the wall, it made a loud smashing sound, I then turned and stormed out of the silent meeting room.

***

"Hey av? Are you all right?" Finn asks coming into the kitchen and sitting opposite me on the counter.

"Yeah" I lied, rolling the apple I had in my hand.

"You've been a bit tense lately"

Oh really?

"How so?"

"Well you've been staring at that Apple for an hour now, it looks completely bruised from the strength in your hands weighing against your tense mindset" Finn explained.

"Yeah" I said looking up from the Apple and at Finn.

"What's bothering you, sis?" Finn asked moving a strand of hair that was covering his eyebrow.

I stayed silent, not wanting to tell Finn my troubles. I'm meant to be the strong one here, I can't have Finn worrying about me.

"You can talk to me"

I smiled at him, jumped down from the counter and threw my apple into the bin.

"It's nothing serious" I muttered, offering Finn a forced smile.

He sighed, immediately knowing I was lying.

"I'll be fine"

"Do you know what fine stands for? Freaked out, insecure -"

"Neurotic and emotional, yeah I know" I finished for him.

We both looked at each other, before Finn sighed a deep sigh and leapt off the counter and walked out of the room with his head low.

I frowned. What is wrong with me?

***

I was sitting on my usual seat outside when I heard the destinctive voice of Adam and his followers walking over to me laughing.

I looked up from the English book I was reading, only to find Caleb amongst Adams friends. He was wearing a plain black shirt, with grey basketball shorts. His hair was messy, and his muscles were glistening with sweat. Why do I always see him when he's sweating? Does he live in the gym?

"Hey nerd" Adam greeted, grabbing the book I was reading from me and looking at the cover, only to scoff and throw it to his friends.

"What do you want?" I asked hoping he would get to the point.

"Well, Caleb and I were curious about-"

"Don't man, let's just go" Caleb interrupts.

"You scared she will be mad you told her secret?" Adam asked Caleb with a smartass smirk on his face. Which only made Caleb scowl.

"So we heard from drunk Caleb over here that you have a gun shot wound?"

My head snapped to Calebs direction, I glared at him. His eyes showed a hint of anger, but that was clouded over by guilt.

What the hell is wrong with him? I didn't want to be tutored by him? Big whoop! He can't seriously be mad enough to go running to Adam to let loose. He isn't that pathetic?

"I don't know what your talking about?" I muttered, standing up and looking down shyfully.

"Can we just go?" Caleb insisted Adam.

"Not until I've had my fun!" Adam whined, making all his friends laugh.

I rolled my eyes.

Picking up my bag, I made my escape. Only to be stopped my Caleb's strong chest in my escape route.

His arms were folded, and when I looked up into his eyes flashed with something I refuse to believe as hurt.

He stared at me, looking down into my eyes. We stayed staring into each other's eyes for what felt like hours. That was until Caleb blinked, and apologetically lowered his head shamefully as he stepped aside to let me pass. I walked through without a second glance. Confusion still printed into my mind.

If Caleb wants to share my private information with the world, then I will seriously be talking to Mr. Jacob Peterson about this.

How pathetic of me.

***

The rest of the school day went by incredibly slowly. But as I was walking home after school, I received a text from tommy and my day brightened up.

-will have Jacob in meeting room by, 7:00pm.

Looks like they found him.

I texted tommy back to keep me updated, and continued my stroll.

"Ava!"

I looked left.

"Ava!"

I looked right.

"Ava, come play with me"

I looked behind me for the creepy voice.

I felt something tug at my sleeve, and when I looked down I was lucky I didn't surprise kick my attacker.

But after realising it was a blonde little 6 year old, I smiled my first real smile in days.

"Hey gabby!" I bet down and wrapt my arms around her in a hug. She graciously accepted and hugged me back.

"Where have you been lately? I don't see you anymore" gabby pouts.

I sigh, "well-"

"Did Caleb do something wrong?"

"No, I was-"

"He did, I know it"

"No, gabby! Caleb didn't do anything wrong" I pronounced, which made her look at me in confusion.

"Caleb was helping me with school work, and now I don't need help" I explained.

She just listened and nodded slowly.

"Well he's really sad now, maybe you can come see him and make him happy again" gabby suggested, her blue eyes shining brightly.

"Maybe" I agreed just to keep her smiling.

Caleb wouldn't be unhappy about me not being there. The only reason he would be sad, would be if Adam couldn't get him a free beer at the bar. Or if he lost his basketball game. The last reason as to why Caleb is sad would have nothing to do with me.

"Come play with me!" Gabby whined, clutching my sleeve and dragging me towards the park.

"Gabby, who are you here with?" I asked when I noticed no one else at the park.

"Caleb was grumpy after school, so I came to the park to get away from him" gabby said, not understanding in the slightest how dangerous it is.

"Gabby?! You just left? Come on, I'm taking you home before your mom sends out a search party!" I grumbled as I picked her up into my arms.

She didn't fight against it, she just sighed and nodded.

"Gabby don't just leave your house, okay? Make sure either Caleb or your mom is with you"

"Yeah, I'm sorry" gabby leant her head on my shoulder. I tightened my grip around her, and carried on walking with her in my arms.

"I'll talk to Caleb for you" I promised.

"Thankyou Ava"

After 5 minutes we eventually reached the Petersons house. My arms were numb, from carrying a 6 year old, and I had a snoring gabby in my arms.

I suppose if you didn't stop talking about dolls for what felt like hours you would crash from exhaustion too, even if it was only 4 in the afternoon.

I rung the doorbell and softly tried to wake gabby, which didn't work. The door flew open with a red faced angry Caleb, standing on the threshold.

When he noticed gabby, relief washed over him, the red in his face calmed down and he sighed heavily, scratching the back if his neck as he awkwardly opened the door further for me to step in.

I did, and Caleb lead the way towards gabby room. We both stayed silent.

As I found her room, I gently placed her on her bed, while Caleb turned her night light on, and closed the curtains. Her pink room sparkles with her night light and I found myself rather jealous of her sparkly room, with glow in the dark stickers on the roof.

Standing in gabbys room, reminded me of when I was younger.

I had a pink room when I was 7 I remember specifically because it was my seventh birthday present. Mother and father painted it for me as a surprise. And it defenitly was. I didn't leave the room for over a week I was so happy with it. However that excitement hit the fan, when woodhound gang members raided the house, tore it to pieces with gun shot holes everywhere. Finn and I, were at our beach house in Miami with mother when it happened.

Father was safe at the gang warehouse, however the devastation of our destroyed home, is one of the reasons why I don't tell anyone where Finn and I live now.

At the time, father and mother moved us quickly saying it was termites. It wasn't until I was 15 when I found out what had actually happened.

I never saw that house, or my pink room again.

"Ava?"

I snapped back to reality.

"Sorry?"

Caleb was standing by the door. An unusual look on his face as he watched me.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked awkwardly.

I nodded, realising I still wanted to talk to Caleb about his anger problems.

I followed Caleb downstairs, making sure to leave gabbys door slightly ajar.

We reached the kitchen silently, it looked as how I last saw it. With baking ingredients laid out on counter tops. Julie Peterson owns a bakery in town. Note to self: check out bakery!

"Is water okay?" Caleb asked, grabbing to glasses from the cupboards.

"Water is fine"

We sat in silence as Caleb awkwardly poured us both drinks.

Then we sat and slurped our drinks, avoiding eye contact.

"Thanks for bringing her home" Caleb broke the silence first.

I nodded. "She told me why she left"

"It was because I was angry wasn't it" Caleb stated, not really as a question. But I nodded anyway.

"They grow up quick Caleb, maybe instead of going out partying every night, you could play with her"

Caleb's eyebrows furrowed but he silently nodded, taking in what I was saying.

"She's a great kid"

"I know"

We both smiled.

I look up to find Caleb's icy blue eyes already staring into mine.

"Um yeah well, I suppose I should be going" I start walking towards the door, quickly drinking down my last mouthful of water, to get me out of this awkward situation.

"Yeah, did you want a ride?" Caleb asks, while taking the empty glass from me and placing it on the counter next to his.

"No thanks, I'll walk" I walked to the front door and opened it slowly.

"She just wants you to be happy" I told him, referring to gabby.

He stopped just infront of me and nodded. His top lip covering his bottom and he holds back his words.

"What?"

"It's nothing, thanks again Ava" Caleb answers quickly. I give him a puzzled look, before opening the door entirely and stepping outside.

"Bye Caleb" I wave and make my way down their pathway.

"See ya" Caleb awkwardly stands, having an internal battle at whether or not he should say something.

I tilted my head, and give him my best 'spill it' look.

Caleb looked around for about a minute before scratching the back of his neck.

"Just, take care of yourself Ava" Caleb said, looking deep into my eyes again. For that moment the way my name sounded coming out of his lips made me want to go insane with passion.

Woah. Settle Ava. Take it easy. We are talking about Caleb Peterson here. The asshole who told everyone your private information. The coward who treats you like nothing ever happened between youse.

But nothing happened. I mean I admit there may have been some confused moments of intrest. For example in his room before we were interrupted by his mother for dinner.

Or on the stairs.

It's not like we got hot and heavy. It was nothing like that. It just seemed, that we were both a little. Wee bit. Tiny - tiny bit curious about how we felt.

But that all flew out the window.

"Bye Caleb" I repeated. Nodding as I spoke so he understood that I heard him.

Take care of myself? I've been doing that for what feels like ever.

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Thankyou all soooo much for reading!!! It means the world to me, that you enjoy my story.

Next chapter is gonna get dramatic.

Hopefully I will upload in a week, but if I don't. Well I'll upload sometime.

Lol

Please comment if your enjoying my story!!

Xx