IV. Fearful Ava

It's already seven o'clock in the morning when Ava woke up. She takes a look at her cellphone immediately after realizing what time is it and wonders why she didn't hear her phone alarmed.

She then silently cursed upon seeing what time is it at her phone. "Shit! Why didn't I heard the alarm?" he said as he hurried to get up from the bed and head to the bathroom.

She was rushing through the door but heard someone talk which stopped her. Before she could reach the knob, she suddenly heard someone speak. "Your phone alarmed earlier but I took care of it just so you won't be disturbed in your sleep." She stopped walking towards the bathroom upon realizing that he''s not alone.

Then she turned towards where he is and she saw him sitting at the other bed with a table of breakfast beside him.

She immediately greeted Jet with a smile. She was about to speak when she remembered that she had just woken up and the smell of her breath worries her that is why she rushed to the bathroom to fix it. She signaled to him and said just a moment, then went to the bathroom to fix herself.

Upon closing the bathroom door, she quickly moved to find her toothbrush, comb her hair, and wash her face. Ava looked at herself in the mirror one last time before she exited the bathroom.

"I-I'm sorry," she said feeling embarrassed, she said as she sat down on the side of the near him.

Instead of answering, Jet moved and sat in front of the center table he placed beside her bed, where there's a plate of fried egg, sausage, and bread. There's also a cup of coffee and two glasses of orange juice resting beside each plate on the table.

"I had no idea what to get you for breakfast, I also don't know if you're a coffee person so I also brought you an orange juice just so you can choose," he explained as she was just looking at the food in front of her.

Ava smiles at him but it suddenly disappears when she remembers something.

Ava looked at Jet in amazement and confusion as he tried to serve her with some eggs and sausage, she just let him be and allowed him to continue what he is doing until she finally dares to ask him what's happening as he sat down opposite to her.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," his tone was apologetic when he started talking to her. Ava shook her head a few times before answering, "It's okay."

She was still looking at him while she starts eating only to remember something that Jet told her yesterday.

Ava then remembers Jet telling him about the tour that he has today.

But why is he still here?

She asked herself then looked at Jet again who started eating too. "W-what are you doing here?"

Jet stopped as he looked at her, "Ha? This is my r-room, isn't it?" said Jet as he looked around.

"That's not what I mean, what I'm saying is your tour schedule, isn't it today? You should have left earlier, right?"

"Oh, that tour? I-I was not able to make it so I just stayed."

She looks at him suspiciously as he tried to explain everything and Jet began to notice that. So even tried harder to convince her that he's telling the truth.

"It's true, the group left already this morning without me. It's my fault, I overslept, m-maybe because I got tired from yesterday. I had my alarm with me but I didn't hear it when it rang."

She's beginning to look more confused, what he said earlier and what he is saying now didn't match at all so she asked him again one last time.

"I thought you said you turned off my phone's alarm?"

And from there, Jet became uneasy as he searched for an answer to Ava's question.

"Ah, I-I did. I woke up when your phone alarmed, so I turned it off and then I laid down again, I didn't realize that I fell asleep again so here I am." He then finished everything on his plate as he pointed out the bathroom door. "Are you done with the bathroom, I'll just take a bath."

Ava turned to him and nod. She was about to speak but was not able to d so Jet suddenly left her and ran towards the bathroom door. He was like the flash as he quickly disappears in front of her without any words.

After a little over twenty minutes, Jet came out of the bathroom still looking uneasy as he sees Ava waiting for him.

"Can you still make it to your tour?"

Jet looks at his watch before shaking his head. "I don't think I can even make it even if I leave now. Our tour guide called me earlier, it looks like they've gone far already." he even pretended to be disappointed.

Ava suddenly felt guilty for ruining his plans, if he's not with her yesterday, he would have been able to catch and be with his group for the tour. He overslept because he was tired from what happened yesterday and now he was not able to push through with his schedule and that's all her fault.

"Don't mind it, it's not your fault. I overslept, that's it. Maybe because of the weather too, so you don't have to worry, Ava."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I can still do the tour some other time." he smiles at her, trying to convince her that everything will be alright. "I am okay, it's okay, so please stop worrying about it. What we need to worry right now is your place, we still haven't found anything and we need to do it today."

"You're right, I'll do that."

"Let me just get my bag then we can leave."

Ava stopped Jet as he began taking his bag, she then asks him to stay as she will go by herself. "I'll just be by myself, you need to rest well today, so you can catch up with your tour tomorrow. I'm fine, I'll just get back to those places we have gone through yesterday." He frowned after he heard what Ava said. Jet still tries to convince her that he's okay but she insisted on going alone.

"I am free today, and I can't be with the group tour today so just let me be with you. I-I mean, let me be with you in finding your hotel, let me come with you just so we can be sure that you're safe."

"I'll be safe, don't worry about me. Just rest here. I already know where to go, maybe some tourists already checked out from the places we've been to yesterday. It's fine so don't worry about me."

After they exchanged discussion, Jet did not insist anymore. Ava seemed determined to go alone and all he can do is to wish her good luck.

Jet asked Ava again before she leaves, making sure that she can manage to be alone. "Are you sure that you're going to be okay? Alone? In this foreign country, without any help?"

Ava just laughed at him as he looks so worried like a father to her child. "I'm okay, I can do this."

"What if something happened to you while you're outside? Or some bad people might hurt you along the way, or... or wh-"

"Will you stop?" Ava said as she laughed at his exaggerated act. "Stop worrying about me, tatay."

"Tatay?" he exclaimed looking a little surprised at what Ava called her.

Tatay is a Filipino word for father and it's funny that she thinks he's acting like one even though he's just showing his concern.

"You're acting like one."

"Look, I am just worried about you. Who knows what might have happened to you in the street because you chose to go alone. I'll be fine, Jet. I'll let you know when I need your help."

"And how on earth will you do that?"

Ava stopped and wondered how she was going to do that. She asks herself the same question and right before she could speak, Jet asked for her phone.

"Why do you need my phone?" she asks him as she handed her phone to him.

"Just so you can text me and inform me of what's happening to you. You can also message when you already got yourself a place to stay, I'll bring your stuff and it's free of charge."

"Hey, you don't need to do this. It's okay, I'll be fine."

Jet did not listen, he continued saving his number to her phone, handing it back to her after. "I have my WhatsApp number there. You can contact me anytime."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, be careful, okay? Call me when you need my help. I'm just here in the room, sleeping and alone because you don't want me to tag along."

"Silly, just rest, Jet. I'm leaving."

Ava was about to walk out of the door when Jet suddenly called her again, she turned to him and then he reminded her again to be careful.

"T-thank you. You too, Jet."

He just nodded and Ava left.

She first went to the lobby where Jet is staying, she immediately asks the receptionist if there's a vacant room available for her to stay but to her disappointment, there was none. The lady at the lobby even told her that they will not have any room available for the next few more days.

"I'm sorry, madame!"

"It's okay, I understand. But if someone checked out, please inform me right away. I'll give you my number." she then wrote her number on a piece of paper and hand it over to the lady she was talking to.

The woman nodded and promised to call her right away.

Ava continued her accommodation haunting and end up being in the same places she and Jet have gone yesterday, hoping to find any vacant room just so she can have a place to stay. She went to lodging-houses and hotels they've but all of them are giving her the same response.

Still no vacancy.

She also tried pleading in the hopes that someone might consider giving her a spare room but she still failed to book one.

Ava continued looking around until she notices that she's not familiar with the place anymore. This is where the last taxi she's in brought her and now she's having a hard time figuring out where she is.

She began to walk, not minding the fear that's beginning to feel as he sees unfamiliar establishments and people around her looking suspicious.

Is she lost?

She even tried going around hoping she'll get out from that place but she just kept on seeing the same street signs where she's at.

Ava's tired, she's now beginning to feel her feet hurts from continuously walking and she needed a place to rest.

But where?

She felt unsafe being alone in a neighborhood she doesn't know and that made her panic more.

Ava hesitated and slowly walked away as she approached the two men that are looking at her. She also tried to act casual, not making them notice that she was lost.

She was trying her best to get unnoticed but to her surprised the man she was avoiding asked her as she passed by, making her pause for a moment as her heart beats faster than normal.

"Where are you going, Miss? Do you want to come with us? C'mmon, it will be fun."

At first glance, Ava knew that the two men were drunk and that she will be in trouble if she entertains them. So he quickly refused and walked straight without looking back. She just wanted to get out of that place and out of those people's sight but she felt that she's being followed. Ava continued to walk, disregarding any thoughts in her mind as the only thing right now is to get out of that alley.

She still hears footsteps following her, then she recalls what Jet told her earlier right before she left his room.

She dialed Jet's number for the first time but he didn't answer, she tried it again and again but she got no response which made her go frantic.

Then she hears that the footsteps became closer, she's tired from all the running and walking that she did the whole day and that made her worried desperately trying to get away from whoever is after her.

So she finally gave in, she can't run anymore and all that's left to do is face them.

"D-don't come near me, please, I am begging you," she begged for her life as if she's in great danger but didn't get any reply.

She feared that someone might hurt her so she tried protecting herself the way she knows how. Her knees were already shaking and her tears began to cane rushing down. She's tired, cold, and desperate but can't do anything about it.

And then she heard someone calls her name. "Ava, Ava!" it's that familiar voice she's been wanting to hear.

She felt that the person who approached her even held her by her shoulders and with a worried tone of voice, he asked her again.

"Hey, are you okay?"

That's when she looked at him, she began to cry more when she sees his face in front of her. "J-Jet?"

Anxiously, Jet sat down to comfort her. He even helps her to stand up, removed some of her hair that's covering her face while telling her that she's safe.

Her knees are shaking, as well as her hands. Jet removed the scarf that he was wearing from his neck and then place it on hers, he looks extremely worried and you can see it clearly in his eyes. "Are you okay? What happened?" He said as he looked around before finally taking a deep breath.

"S-someone's following me." Jet looked around and when he saw that no one was there, he comforted her again, assuring her that she was safe with him and that he would not let anything happen to her.

"This is why I insisted on accompanying you."

Ava could no longer speak, obviously still in panic even after he sees him. "Let's go. You're cold, we have to warm you up."

"I'm okay, I'm o-okay." realizing what happened earlier made her cry again.

She can't quite imagine the fear she felt knowing that she's alone and no one's there for her. The idea that she has no one to call and she has no one around her makes her chills down to her spine.

Ava tried explaining to him what happened, she can barely speak but she manages to do talk while shaking. "I- I tried calling y-you, but you didn't answer. I tried calling you again but ... but I-I still can't c-contact you. I was scared, I thought I something might have happened to me, I'm scared that I don't get to see you again or my family or eve- " Jet suddenly pulled her in an embrace, allowing her to settle in his warmth. He felt that she's shaking so he tried his best to comfort her and make her feel safe now that he's around.

He hugged her tightly as he comforted her and calmed her down. He's gently patting her back as he caresses her hair, making sure to ease her fear.

Ava realizes one thing, as she experienced earlier makes her think of the things that she had done, one thing is for sure and that one thing is that she is now certain.

Jet saved her, he saved her... again.