7. Ava
seven
Ava
My phone buzzes. It’s a message notification from Annie. She’s sent me a picture of herself wearing a diamond ring.
I call her immediately.
She’s crying—tears of joy, I presume.
“He finally proposed,” Annie weeps.
I couldn’t be happier for her. Annie hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to dating or relationships. After breaking up with her college sweetheart, Brian, it took her a long time to reenter the dating world.
She’s been dating Stewart for two years, impatiently waiting for him to pop the question. Hearing how happy she is, I’m relieved he finally did.
“So, when’s the wedding?” I joke, not expecting an actual date to have been set so quickly.
“This Friday,” Annie says.
My heart skips a beat.
“I beg your pardon?”
“We’re getting married this Friday,” Annie says excitedly.
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Annie?” I half expect her to say she’s pregnant.
“No,” she laughs. “Stewart’s family is flying in from the U.K. tomorrow, and they’re leaving on Sunday. So, we figured, why not take advantage of everyone being here?” Annie explains. “Plus, you do know you’re the maid of honor, right?”
I pretend to be surprised, though of course, I’d already assumed.
“You know what that means, don’t you?” Annie cries out.
I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“We have to go shopping!” Annie shouts.
I glance at my watch, realizing how much work I still have to do.
“Yeah, totally, great. I’ll be there,” I assure her.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at three. Okay, love you, bye.”
I can’t believe Annie is getting married.
I’m busy with work when I get a text from Sebastian. I catch myself smiling before I quickly stop.
“Look outside your window,” it reads.
My eyes widen. What am I going to find? Is he downstairs ?
My confusion disappears when I open my window and see him standing below, looking up at me.
“What are you doing here?” I call down, somehow less annoyed than I thought I’d be.
He waves for me to come down. I shake my head and rush back inside to text him.
“Get dressed. Party time,” is the second message.
I feel an unexpected giddiness rise inside me.
I pull out a short black dress and a pair of red heels. Slipping into the dress, I’m thankful I’m wearing the right bra for the occasion. I step into the heels, grab my purse, and hurry downstairs. That must have been the fastest I’ve ever gotten ready.
Sebastian stands there waiting, holding a carnation in his hand.
“Thank you,” I say, taking it from him as he opens the car door for me.
We drive to his friend’s beach house, which is absolutely packed. The place is a madhouse, filled with people—each one more glamorous than the last. We push our way inside.
“Sebastian!” a tall, muscular guy calls out. He’s even taller than Sebastian.
“Great to see ya, man,” he says, clapping Sebastian on the shoulder .
Sebastian is in his element, introducing me to everyone as his girlfriend. I play along, smiling and nodding at everyone we meet.
While Sebastian chats with a group of friends, I make my way to the bar and order two gin and tonics.
“Two gin and tonics, please!” I call out.
Standing there, I glance at Sebastian. I’ve been so focused on what annoys me about him that I barely noticed how charming he is. Unfortunately, he is charming. The way he talks to people makes him seem so genuine.
He’s also ridiculously hot—or maybe that’s just the gin talking.
I’ve barely finished my drink when Sebastian makes his way toward me. The music picks up, and he downs his cocktail in one gulp before pulling me into his arms. He leads me toward the dance floor, and I can’t help but let him.
Sebastian wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close. “In case I forget to tell you, you look really good tonight,” he whispers in my ear, sending chills down my spine.
The beat ramps up, turning the dance floor into a techno rave as our bodies move to the rhythm of the music. I can’t deny that I like being close to him. His grip is firm, and his intentions are deliberate. He is here to have a good time, and I’m glad to be part of it.
“You’re a pretty good dancer,” I say .
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Sebastian replies, spinning me around and grabbing my hips, grinding into me.
I feel the intensity build up. It’s getting hot on the dance floor.
The music stops for a moment, allowing me to catch my breath. I walk out to the poolside with Sebastian following close behind.
“Are you all right?” he asks, seeming concerned that I left the dance floor in a hurry.
“I’m fine. I’ve just never danced like that before,” I say, feeling my body calm down.
I’ve never felt that kind of energy with anyone before, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, I know I’m having a great time with Sebastian.
The night ends, and he drives me home. I feel the urge to pull him in close and kiss him, but I know it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Instead, I decide to spark up a conversation as I smoothly exit the car.
“I wanted to ask you a favor,” I begin.
“Anything,” Sebastian replies willingly.
“Would you join me at my friend’s wedding this Friday?”
Sebastian smiles.
“As your plus one?” he asks .
“As my boyfriend,” I correct him.
“In that case, I would love to,” he replies.
I peck him softly on the cheek, telling him, “I had a wonderful time.”
“So did I.”
Thursday afternoon, Annie and I go shopping with her future mother-in-law. I notice immediately how much she dotes on Annie. I know Annie is lucky to be marrying a man who loves her dearly, but knowing that he has a caring family makes it even better.
Annie picks out a champagne silk gown for me that looks like it will cling to my body and leave little to the imagination. I catch myself before I make a face, not wanting to ruin Annie’s excitement. So, I try it on and immediately see her eyes well up with tears.
“You look beautiful!” she says excitedly.
I smile, smoothing out the dress and actually enjoying how it feels on my frame.
“It’s a nice dress,” I tell her.
“Just know, I want to wear something similar at your wedding,” she teases.
“Don’t hold your breath,” I chuckle, taking off the gown in the changing room. There are no wedding plans in my immediate future.
“What happened with that Sebastian guy?”
“I’m glad you asked,” I say, gently folding the dress over my arm and heading out. “He’s actually accompanying me to your wedding.”
Annie raises an eyebrow.
“As a friend?” she asks.
“That’s a secret,” I say, hushing her.
“A someone-more-than-just-a-friend secret?”
I laugh, and she smiles knowingly.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” Annie says.
I head back home after a full day of shopping. I’ve run out of dry shampoo and am in desperate need of a hair wash.
The twenty minutes in the shower are well spent, allowing me to clear my head and gather my thoughts. It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks, and it’s still not over.
There’s a knock on the door as I dry my hair, so I wrap it in a towel and answer it.
To my surprise, Sebastian is standing there with a pizza in his hands.
I stand there, feeling utterly embarrassed.
“I—I’ll be right back,” I stammer, realizing my hair is dripping wet and soaking the oversized shirt I’ve thrown on.
I hurry to my room and change into a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.
“I told you, you don’t need any makeup,” Sebastian says as I reenter the room.
He places the pizza box on the coffee table and opens it, revealing a half-pineapple mess.
“Yuck!” I exclaim.
Sebastian bends down and picks up a piece of pizza, placing it in his mouth. “Delicious,” he says in a cocky tone.
Sebastian and I end up watching a 1960s classic, La Dolce Vita . Despite the subtitles, I think he enjoys it more than he’d like to admit. He probably relates to the protagonist.
Halfway through the movie, however, I realize Sebastian has fallen fast asleep. I turn off the TV and cover him with a blanket.
The next morning, I find that Sebastian is already gone, leaving a note that says:
Can’t wait to see you later.
Annie’s wedding is tonight.
When Sebastian comes to pick me up at three in the afternoon, he’s dressed in a blue tuxedo and looks as handsome as ever.
We make it to the chapel just in time .
The chapel is adorned with tulips from beginning to end. I can tell this was exactly what Annie wanted. As I make my way through the crowd of women gathered outside, I can’t believe Annie’s big day has finally arrived.
Annie is in the bride’s room, taking one last look at herself in the mirror before she makes her way to tie the knot with Stewart.
“You look absolutely amazing. Stewart is very lucky,” I say, hugging Annie and brushing her red locks to the side.
She fans her face, trying to hold back her tears.
I feel as if I’m losing my best friend, but I know that Stewart makes her happy, and all I want is for her to be happy.
As I watch Annie and Stewart take their vows, I see the love in their eyes for one another. I know that Annie has chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with. The love in his eyes says it all, forcing my own eyes to dampen with tears.
After the ceremony, we gather at the family table for dinner. Since Stewart is British, a traditional wedding breakfast is being served. As Annie explained, the term “breakfast” is in name only.
After our starters, I head over to grab another glass of champagne. That’s when I bump into someone familiar.
“David?” I say in shock.
“Ava?” he asks, not looking quite as shocked as I am. “I thought that was you up there with the bride. ”
“What are you doing here?”
“Jason’s the groom’s—Stewart’s—best friend,” he explains. Jason is David’s brother.
“The best man is your brother?”
David nods.
“It is a small world, isn’t it?” We laugh.
In high school, David and I were pretty close but never dated. The chemistry was there, but we never saw each other as anything more than friends.
“You look great, Ava. You really do,” he tells me, placing his hand on my shoulder as he’s done many times before.
I don’t think much of it since we’d been close growing up. But as I’m talking to David, I can feel Sebastian’s stare burning a hole in my cheek.
I lock eyes with Sebastian as I see him marching my way. His eyebrows are furrowed, and his smile from earlier in the evening is gone.
“Are you lost?” Sebastian grabs David’s arm and stares him down. David panics, realizing Sebastian is raging inside.
What is he doing?
I try to cut the tension that is quickly rising. “Sebastian, this is David, an old friend from high school,” I say. I throw David a look, hoping he chimes in as well .
“Hey, um, nice to meet you.” David swallows hard and extends his hand toward Sebastian.
Sebastian says nothing, refusing to shake David’s hand, and I feel defeated.
“It was nice seeing you, Ava,” David tells me before heading back to his table.
I feel utterly embarrassed and cannot understand why Sebastian would behave this way.
Annie passes by us as she makes her way to greet guests.
I pull away from Sebastian, hugging Annie and thanking her for everything.
“I’d like to go home,” I say firmly to Sebastian. He says nothing, and we make our way out to the car.
We are both upset with each other, but I can’t help but feel that Sebastian is being childish.
The drive back home is silent.
“What the hell do you think you were doing?” Sebastian closes the door behind him.
I know he’s upset, so I decide to ignore him.
“Who is that guy?” Sebastian fumes.
I turn to face him.
“He’s a friend from high school, Sebastian,” I say, unbothered if he believes me or not. “Why? Are you jealous?”
“Maybe,” Sebastian replies.
“Maybe?” I question.
I can see how uncomfortable Sebastian is.
“So what if I am?” he asks.
“This is all fake , Sebastian,” I remind him.
It’s all fake, and it was his idea to begin with.
Sebastian comes closer and stares into my eyes.
“We’re just playing pretend to get what we want,” I say, this time my voice straining despite my effort not to break.
“I know what I want,” he says firmly before pulling me into his arms and kissing me.
His lips linger on mine as he unwillingly lets go, only to run his hand down my back.
I tremble under his touch.
“What do you want?” he whispers as I feel the hairs at the back of my neck stand up.
I don’t know how to answer. I’m not sure what I want. So, I say nothing. Instead, I just give in .
His lips trace over my neck, kissing me tenderly as he unzips my dress. I have no intention of protesting. I am putty in his hands, enjoying his touch.
I can’t help but feel the need to tug at his clothes, forcing them onto the floor as I walk backward until I reach the end of the bed. I feel the intensity between us. I’m a wreck just waiting for him to have his way with me.
Sebastian holds me in his arms, pulling me down onto his erect cock. My eyes flutter, feeling him deep inside me. He bites my lips, increasing my desire. As he rests his hands on the small of my back, I begin moving slowly, riding him as he holds me in his gentle touch.
He has driven me to the edge, filling me up deep inside.
I moan in pleasure, feeling overwhelmed by the powerful orgasm, only to feel him pulsate inside me.
Sebastian holds me in a tight grip; the ecstasy on his face is clear as day. We hold each other, knowing we had just broken all the rules.