Chapter 19 - Gavin
GAVIN
Laughter erupted around the room as Lucas fell to his knees, imitating one of the many mishaps he had endured this past week while trying to educate his young students.
As Gavin was quickly learning, Lucas was not the most… gracious when it came to standing on two feet.
“Oh my god. You’re hilarious.” Gavin chuckled, lifting his sangria and taking another sip. “And I have to say, these drinks are fucking good!”
Gavin lifted his glass and waited for Ace and Lucas to join him in a cheer.
“Ace is the master of sangrias. He got me hooked when I first moved to town,” Lucas explained, crawling along the floor and reaching for his glass.
“That’s right. I heard that you moved here from LA. How was that?” Gavin asked, taking a sip of his drink.
“It was the best decision I ever made. I got out of an abusive relationship, met this hunky, straight biker dude, then somehow ended up becoming best friends with this Latino freak who insists on getting us drunk!”
Lucas raised his glass to his best friend and shot him an air kiss as well.
Sitting in Marcus’s living room, enjoying Saturday night drinks with his two new besties, Gavin almost felt normal.
It had been almost two weeks since the Valentine Killer had almost ended Gavin’s life, and the police appeared to be no closer to finding the madman.
Gavin still slept in Marcus’s room each night, but they hadn’t fooled around since that blow job in the woods.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. Gavin kept grinding his ass into Marcus’s lap as they cuddled while they slept, to which Marcus usually just growled, then turned his raging hard-on away from Gavin’s horny hole.
He even tried accidentally walking out of the shower, naked, hoping that might get a rise out of the growly biker. All it managed to get was a set of wide eyes and a quick exit from the bedroom they shared.
Who knows. Maybe the man wasn’t interested.
“God!” Gavin exhaled sharply as he threw his head back against the sofa. “I’m so frickin’ bored! I miss going out to clubs and dancing and finding hot, sexy men to grind up against and flirt with till the wee hours of the morning.”
Ace and Lucas both looked at him.
“Well, the dancing sounds fun. But the grinding with strange men sounds kind of like a death sentence for those poor innocent souls,” Ace noted.
Gavin gave him an awkward look. Was he that undesirable that it was a death sentence for men he made out with?
“Yeah. If Caden or Blade ever found out that we were out dancing with other men, they would go homicidal,” Lucas added.
Whew! That Gavin could handle.
“They’d probably beat their asses till they were breathing through an oxygen tube…” Ace continued.
“Then they’d take us home… and…” Lucas began, swallowing hard as if turned on by the thought.
“Fuck us till we can’t see straight,” Ace finally finished for his best friend.
Both their heads snapped toward Gavin.
“We’re going out!” both shouted in unison, smiles practically swallowing their heads.
“What?” Gavin asked, suddenly wondering what he had gotten himself into.
“I’m ordering us a rideshare,” Ace blurted, as Lucas jumped to his feet, rushing to Ace’s old bedroom. He emerged a few minutes later with a handful of clothing, which he quickly began distributing.
Gavin held up the black mesh shirt he’d been given, wondering what he was supposed to do with this… loosely held together article of clothing.
“Quick, put that on. Our ride will be here in ten,” Ace ordered, pulling off the rock T-shirt he had been wearing and replacing it with a crop top that said, “Naughty When Nice.”
Fifteen minutes later, they all squished into the back of a rideshare and were headed to one of the bars that doubled as a gay bar about thirty minutes away.
New Mexico wasn’t exactly known for its thriving gay scene, so bars like these existed to provide the queer community and their supporters with a safe place to gather and hang out.
“Oh my god, this place is amazing!” Gavin exclaimed as they walked across the club and found an empty spot to stand next to the bar.
Ace took a sip of his martini and smiled back at Gavin.
“I know it’s not the fancy clubs you're used to in the big cities, but it’s got music, people, and loads of cheap drinks!”
“That it does,” Lucas agreed, throwing his arm around Ace and leaning in to kiss his cheek.
These guys were great.
Having Ace and Lucas as friends really helped him feel less lonely and almost made him feel normal again. These last few weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions, and being out with his friends who genuinely seemed to care about him and his well-being had his heart swelling.
He had finally found a place where he belonged. For real. And not the fictional facade he created and posted for everyone each day.
Having Marcus and Ace and Lucas in his life, and now his puppy, he almost felt… happy.
“Hey, let’s take a picture,” Gavin shouted, wanting to capture this moment, this feeling, so he would never forget it.
He held out his phone and switched it to selfie mode.
The three of them leaned close to each other, like lifelong friends having the time of their lives. They all held up their drinks while making funny faces.
Gavin snapped a few photos, laughing and smiling and secretly wishing that a big growly someone was there with them. The more he got to know Marcus, the more his heart craved his attention.
“Let’s go dance!” Lucas shouted, reaching for both of their hands.
“I’ll meet you guys there in a sec,” Gavin said, opening his social media apps as he tried to decide which one of their photos he wanted to post.
Lucas nodded to him as he grabbed Ace’s hand and pulled him toward the dance floor.
Smiling, Gavin wanted to share this feeling… this emotion… with all his followers. They deserved that. That was why they followed him. They wanted to be a part of his life. His journey. And Gavin was feeling way too good at the moment, not to want to share his joy with the world.
It had been almost a week since he last posted anything. His fans must be wondering where he was and why he had gone radio silent.
When he finally opened the app, he couldn’t believe the number of comments and direct messages he’d gotten from followers asking where he was and why he had suddenly disappeared.
Some theorized he’d been arrested, while others claimed he’d checked himself into rehab, swearing that their cousin’s best friend’s mom had seen him at their rehab facility. That one made him laugh, considering the post he was about to make.
Others thanked God that the poser had finally given up and gone back to his sad and pathetic life, pretending he was an “instagay,” seeking attention and spreading his poor attempt at being relevant and important.
Got to love the trolls.
It’s sad that people have nothing else going on in their lives, so they spend their time trying to cut others down, trying to feel better about their own sad, pathetic lives.
Whatever. He didn’t need to entertain people like that.
Selecting a bunch of photos they had just taken, Gavin added some catchy captions, referring to the club as a hidden gem in an undisclosed location.
Yes, Gavin was still around and kicking. He was having one of the best times while hanging out with his two new besties.
Closing out the app, Gavin picked up what was left of his drink and jogged out onto the dance floor to enjoy the rest of the evening, dancing with his new best friends.
They laughed, they joked, and they took wild and stupid selfies.
There was no thought of killers. No thought of parents who couldn’t care less whether he lived or died.
Just friends, being friends.
It wasn’t until the ride home, three hours later, that Gavin decided to check his socials to see how his fans were reacting to his instant return.
Most followers were happy—and relieved—to see him back on social media.
They loved him and couldn’t wait to hear more about his new best friends and the fabulous club he was out at.
It had a western gay bar, grunge feel about it and would be perfect for those down-to-earth queers who loved a chill and cozy environment.
Switching over to his direct messages, Gavin scanned through the ocean of messages, searching for any that sounded kind of interesting.
Next to him, Ace adjusted his head on Gavin’s shoulder as he slept. On the other side of him, Lucas smiled like a love-struck puppy as he texted his boyfriend, Caden.
He loved his two new best friends.
As he scrolled through the string of endless messages, Gavin’s fingers stopped when he spotted a message from RomanceLoverXXX. It was a username that he had never seen before, but there was something about the beginning of his message that caught Gavin’s attention.
RomanceLoverXXX: It’s nice to see you smiling again.
I was worried that perhaps I had taken that away from you as well.
I hear that you’re not sleeping so well these days.
I’m sorry. I have that effect on people…
By the way, love the meshed shirt. Really brings out that KILLER body of yours. See you soon, VK.
Gavin’s heart stopped in his chest.
He stared at the last two letters… VK.
Valentine Killer?
Was it a message from him?
It had to be.
Oh my god. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.
The killer had been watching him. How else would he have known that he wasn’t sleeping well at night? Then another terrifying thought—he knows where he is.
Gavin felt his heart begin beating fast in his chest.
He glanced up at the driver currently taking them home.
Was that him?
Had they gotten into a car with a killer?
It was suddenly becoming hard for Gavin to breathe.
“What is it?” Ace asked, lifting his head from Gavin’s shoulder, appearing to sense the sudden shift in his friend’s demeanor.
“I… I…” Gavin’s mind was blank. He didn’t know what to do or say. His body locked up as his hands began to shake.
Confused and worried, Ace took the phone from Gavin’s hand and glanced down at the message.
His mouth dropped open when he read it.
Locking Gavin’s phone, Ace dropped it into his lap.
“We’re almost home,” Ace said, wrapping his arm around Gavin and pulling him into his chest. “You’re safe. You’re with us. My brother will know what to do.”
Lucas glanced over at Ace, silently asking what was going on.
Gavin just sat there, letting Ace hold him close.
The killer had found him. He’d been watching him for weeks.
He wasn’t safe.
None of them were safe.
Gavin closed his eyes and wished for Marcus.