Chapter 2
AVA
Ava drummed her fingers against the desk as she stared at her phone, her brows furrowing. Her heart thudded against her ribs harder than she’d expected, her trembling thumb hovering over the send button.
She swallowed hard, sliding her eyes closed as she sucked in a sharp breath. Her thumb found the diamond on her hand. She rubbed it, recalling the moment Chris had slid it onto her finger.
She opened her eyes, arching an eyebrow. If she wanted to walk down the aisle and marry Chris, she first had to get a divorce from her first husband–a man her future husband knew nothing about.
At least not about their marriage. He knew she had a male friend, and knew they kept in touch, but what he didn’t know was that they’d been married for close to two decades.
Ava studied the text again as her memory flitted to her first wedding.
She closed her eyes again, Alex’s face flooding into her mind’s eye.
In his simple black suit, he’d looked more nervous than in his hoodie.
She wore a white dress, classic but understated.
They’d both understood it was a formality.
Richard Stone, Alex’s father, had been concerned about his son’s ability to make decisions. Threatening to disinherit him, he’d added a clause to his will requiring Alex to be married to access any money coming to him.
He’d needed the money to start StoneCorp, so they’d married. It wasn’t a hard choice. They’d been close friends, anyway. And it had been easy convincing his father their marriage was legitimate, even when it wasn’t.
She sucked in a breath, pulling herself from her musing.
They’d grown apart. He’d spent a decade building a multi-billion-dollar business while she had worked on her career.
She shook her head. No matter what they’d done over the years, they’d both known this was coming. In fact, they’d planned to do it a few years after his father’s death, but just never gotten around to it.
Still, she found herself hesitant to send that message. Her thumb slid to hover over the erase key before her features pinched. With a thudding heart, she pressed the send button. The message popped on their shared thread. No taking it back now.
She blew out a shaky breath, waiting for the response. She stared at the phone until the screen died. Her fingers tapped the side of the device as she held it for another minute before she set it aside, forcing her mind back to her work.
With her glasses on, she studied an email before she shoved her glasses onto the top of her head and leaned back. She shifted her gaze to her phone again. Alex was always connected. Where was he?
She turned on the display, staring at the unanswered message.
Her fingers tapped the desk again before she decided to abandon the drive to work in favor of a cup of tea. She grabbed her phone, shoving it into her pocket as she left her workspace behind.
She meandered through the house, her mind sliding into the past again until she reached the kitchen.
Her fingers pressed against the cold countertop as she lost herself in her college days.
Memories of late-night coding sessions, orange sodas, cheese dust on their fingers, and lots of laughter filled her mind.
Only the ringing of her phone pulled her away from her thoughts. Her pulse quickened as she reached for it, foregoing the cup of tea.
She stared at the screen, her feelings wavering between happiness and disappointment. She let it ring one more time as she sucked in a deep breath, forcing a smile on her face as she tried to push any residual feelings about the past from her mind.
She twisted and headed back to her office as she answered. “Hey, Chris.”
“Hey, beautiful, you working?”
“I am,” she said as she climbed the stairs and slipped back into her office.
“Are you still riding the high of our next step? I know I am.”
She smiled again as she sank into her chair. “Yeah, I’m doing great.”
“You tell anyone yet?”
“No, not yet,” she said.
“Uh-oh. I’m starting to worry you’re not as sure as I am about this. Are you not planning on telling anyone?”
“I will…I just…I’ve been trying to get a few things done.”
She balanced the phone against her shoulder as she narrowed her eyes at the screen. “Trying to get things done? That sounds like a put-off.”
She laughed before she answered. “Well, I do have deadlines. I work, too, remember?”
“Yeah, I know you do. I get it. It’s going to be a flood of messages to answer. Let me know when you’re ready to go public. I love you.”
She chuckled again as she grabbed hold of the phone. “Okay, I will. I love you, too.”
With the call ended, she stared at her phone, searching her notifications for a response from Alex. Her shoulders slumped when she found none. She set the phone down, intent on focusing on the email she’d forgotten earlier.
She tapped away on the keyboard before she dispatched the email. As she sent it, her phone finally chimed and she snatched it from the desk.
A message waited for her from Alex. Hey Sparky. Wow, that’s news. Why don’t we discuss it this weekend? I’ll send the jet.
She read the words, her eyebrows crinkling. Could she leave for the weekend after just getting engaged? How would she explain it to Chris?
She chewed her lower lip as she tried to figure out an answer. After a second, she typed her response. We can keep it simple. I’m not asking for anything, so just a dissolution of marriage should work. Nothing fancy.
She puckered her lips as she waited for his response, swiveling her chair as she slid her glasses onto the top of her head again.
He responded more quickly this time. Yeah, I’m not certain it’s going to be that simple. Plus, I’ve got a sitch that I’d love your take on. What do you say? For old times’ sake?
Those warm feelings of the good old days rushed back into her. She fluttered her eyelashes as she knitted her brows.
Another message followed from him. You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep doing that.
Her heart skipped a beat as she read the second text. Her eyes raised to her computer’s webcam, and she cocked her head, arching an eyebrow. “Hello, Alex.”
She rested her forearms on the desk as she waited for him to hack the audio to be able to speak with her. If memory served, it shouldn’t take him long.
She drummed her fingers on the wooden top until he said, “Hi, Sparky.”
With an amused glance, she shot the camera a coy grin. “You’re getting slow.”
“I am so not. I wanted to give you a minute to anticipate our conversation.”
“Uh-huh,” she said with a chuckle.
“So, am I firing the jet or what, babe?”
Ava flicked her gaze to the ceiling. “Alex…”
“Avs, come on. I have something that I promise is intriguing. We can talk deets while we sort out our other situation.”
She read the urgency in his voice despite the levity he forced into it. Despite the distance, she could still understand him. “Intriguing, huh?”
“I promise. Plus, I’m in the Hamptons, so it’s not a long flight.”
She sucked in a breath as she considered it. She supposed she should tell Chris anyway. Keeping it from him felt disingenuous, though it may come as a shock at this point. But the truth was, she and Alex had led separate lives, so her marriage was rarely even a thought in her head.
“You know you love the ocean,” Alex added.
A grin widened across her features as she bobbed her head. “Okay, fine. Yes.”
“Awesome. Jet should be in the air in two and–“
“Whoa, whoa. You said weekend.”
“Babe, it’s Thursday. Tomorrow is officially the weekend.”
“I have work and–“
“You work remotely, Avs. Bring your laptop. Use mine, I’ve got extras. Besides, I’d love to have your eyes on this little…issue before the close of business tomorrow.”
She chewed her lower lip as her eyes fluttered toward the ceiling.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me. Pack your stuff and get to the airport.”
“Okay, okay.”
“I’ll see you tonight. Ace out.”
She waved at the camera, wondering if it was still on or not as the reality of the situation set in. She may need the trip to the Hamptons after the fallout of her conversation about it with Chris.
A new text arrived, pulling her from her blank stare to focus on the glowing phone’s display. Jet will be fueled and ready to whisk you away by three.
She glanced at her watch. It was nearly noon. With a jolt, she realized she’d better wrap up her workday and pack…not to mention contact Chris.
She clicked into her text message thread with him and stared at the string of messages before she set the phone down and focused on her emails.
None of them were urgent enough to require an answer before this afternoon, but they were an excellent distraction from the second text message of the day that she didn’t want to send.
As she finished her work and logged off, she grabbed the phone again, cradling it in her lap as she prepared for the conversation that was about to ensue. With a deep sigh, she typed her message and sent it. Hey, I need to talk to you. Do you have plans for lunch?
She left her office behind and hurried, phone in hand, to her bedroom. Dropping to her hands and knees, she fished her suitcase out from under her bed and plopped it on the duvet as her phone chimed again.
She found a message from Chris. That sounds ominous. Should I be worried?
Her heart thudded as she murmured, “I hope not,” while she typed a response. No, it’s nothing to worry about, just something we need to discuss, and I’d rather do it in person. Meet you in Riverside Park in twenty?
He responded with an affirmative. She zipped open her suitcase and tossed in a few items before she grabbed her purse and dashed out of the house to her car. She’d finish the packing when she got home and was hopefully less distracted.