8. Ava
Chapter 8
Ava
I blink my bleary eyes, shifting before I realize where I am. Finn’s arm is cast over my waist. Our positions haven’t changed from when we were talking and obviously fell asleep. But with his apartment being so dark, I can’t tell what time it is.
Panic bloom inside me. I never sleep out. I’m always at home for Emmy every morning.
Finn is stirring a little but is oblivious as I wiggle out from under his embrace. A small smile cracks my face as I stare at his naked form. He was beautiful four years ago. Now he’s damn right gorgeous.
Finding my clothes strewn across the floor, I quickly dress. I walk back to his bedroom and lean against the door frame, smiling as he sleeps peacefully on the bed. I would have loved to have crawled into his embrace again, but I have no time left to linger and wonder.
I find my bag and quietly leave his apartment with a silent click on his door, with a mental note to send him a text in a couple of hours. And work out how I tell him about Emmy. How do I tell him?
Reaching the ground floor of his apartment block, luckily a taxi has just dropped someone off at Finn’s apartment and I hop into the car for the ten-minute drive in the rain because today the dark clouds have moved in, and it looks like a storm of a day. Rain smashes against the windows, loud and angry.
I hope that isn’t some type of omen.
Last night has proved to me that Finn is impossible to forget. But as I rewind and replay the harsh memory of his face when I accused him of being a liar, it threatens all the good thoughts of the previous night.
What if Finn already knows my secret and is back for his own revenge? What if he wants me to fall in love with him again for him to hurt me in the same way?
He doesn’t know I hurt probably more than he did.
Less than fifteen minutes later, I click my key into the door of my home. I silently push the door shut behind me and climb the stairs to my bed. But I can’t take my mind off my worries. I can’t run from my thoughts any longer. The storm is closer than I could ever imagine.
I have to forget it for now. In a couple of hours’ time, my morning will start as it does every day, with the brightest sunshine one could wish for and it’s the only morning I need.
For her I will put up with anything.
“Mommy,” Emmy says, pushing my eyelid open with her thumb. “Are you awake, Mommy?”
“Mmm, sweetpea, come and give me a cuddle.”
Emmy shrieks, her laughter, and voice make my heart sing. “Aunt Stella said to leave you alone for a while.”
She pushes back the duvet at the side of me and jumps into bed cuddling me. “I’m always here for morning cuddles. That’s a rule.”
“A rule,” she parrots.
I only have ten minutes of morning cuddles with Emmy and I don’t want them to end, but my alarm sounds loudly. I groan.
“What day is it today, Mommy?”
“It’s Friday.”
She giggles. “I have school today?”
“You do baby girl.”
Emmy pouts. She hates being called a baby, but then she squeals. She normally never remembers which days she goes to reception class—or school to her. Three half days a week, and she loves her little social outings, meeting boys and girls of the same age. Painting and drawing, as well as beginning to learn her basics. Emmy is a clever girl and likes to show off... just a little ... maybe a lot.
“I’ll get ready quick and you can take me,” she says, pushing herself out of bed. “Get ready, Mommy.”
I sigh loudly and climb out of the bed, needing to escape my thoughts. But taking Emmy to reception on a Friday is the highlight of my week, but first I need a coffee.
“I’ll get you ready first,” I say. Following her to the bathroom first to clean her, and her teeth. Emmy shows me the clothes she plans on wearing, a pair of blue leggings with a yellow floral t-shirt and red and white striped skirt. “Lovely.”
“Yes.” Her smile is infectious as she silently congratulates herself for her choice of outfit.
By the time I'm downstairs, my sister Stella is in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone. She smirks as I stroll into the kitchen.
“What time did you get home?” she asks with a roll of her eyes, which makes me believe she already knows the answer to her question.
I pour my morning fix of caffeine into a mug. “Later than I expected.”
“I heard you come in,” she says. “Are you and Jameson moving into a different territory?”
I shake my head. “I was with Finn.”
Stella’s eyes would have popped out of her head if she strained that little harder. “After what he did to you.”
“He didn’t. Apparently, Noah hacked his parents’ security system. Finn didn’t know until later.”
“And you believe him? Convenient, don’t you think?”
My gaze lands on Stella. She’s wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a pale blue lacy top that is fitted and shows her midriff off. Luckily, she keeps herself in shape. Her long golden brown hair is styled in beachy type waves, and she’s wearing a little makeup. “You look nice for university,” I say and grin. Stella isn’t normally one for making an effort, though I’d say everything about her looks as if she were trying to appear effortlessly casual.
“Do I?” she asks nonchalantly, looking down at her outfit. “I was getting sick of the yoga pants and baggy T-shirt look.”
I try not to smile at her in a knowing way, but can’t help arch an eyebrow.
She has lived with me since I qualified as a lawyer. She looks after Emmy while I work, and she does night classes at college to prepare for university admittance, where she currently studies art.
She’s one year younger than me, but she was never studious at school, but now she wants to rectify that. I just don’t know how it’s going to affect me once she becomes qualified for what she wants.
Emmy runs down the hallway, the noise of her footsteps echoing off the wooden floor. She runs in, grabbing Stella around her waist. “Mommy is taking me to school today,” she says. Emmy loves Fridays, the one day I take her to school because Stella has an early morning class and has to be in the university early. “Can we go to the park after?”
“We will go to the park, providing it isn’t raining,” Stella replies.
Emmy squeals. “I’ll tell Jacob, his daddy is picking him up today. We can talk while we play.”
Stella kisses Emmy’s head. “You do that,” she says and turns to me. “I better get going. I have an exam at eight thirty.” She grabs her travel cup and backpack. “Everything is ready for Emmy. Her backpack is at the front door, and she needs rain boots today because they’re gardening. They’re in the bag next to the door.”
“Good luck.” I pull Stella in for a hug. “Second year nearly over.”
“Thanks. I need all the luck I can get.”