Chapter 15 #2
Alex didn’t like that answer. Did their lives not have much messiness or was Ava merely suppressing a piece of herself to make certain life stayed as rosy as possible?
The Ava Collins he knew was a powder keg of life, not in a bad way, but in a real way.
She didn’t pull punches, and she didn’t mince words.
She cried when she was sad, she yelled when she was angry, and she bounced on her toes when she was excited.
She lived life, and she didn’t shrink away from it.
He loved that about her. How could anyone not?
“Should we head back?” Ava’s voice called him back from his thoughts.
He wasn’t ready for their moment to end, but the promise of new ones, cuddled on the couch together as they indulged in another night of gaming eased his pain.
“Sure, as long as you’re ready for me to kick your butt in Mario.”
“Oh, that’s some big talk for a guy who’s been losing every game so far,” she teased as they swung around and padded across the warm sand back toward his house.
“I’ve been letting you win.”
“Ohhh, have you?” Her voice filled with amusement as she tickled his side.
“I have. Just to lull you into a false sense of security for tonight.”
“Ohh, you know, Ace…you probably shouldn’t have told me your plan. Because now, I’m on to you.”
“Yeah, well, I may need to let you win again so I can spring it on you at an unsuspecting moment.”
“Uh-huh,” she said as they reached the walkway leading over the dunes. “You don’t–”
Before she could finish, he lifted her into his arms. “I don’t have to what?”
“Carry me,” she finished as he strode across the boards on the walkway.
“I said I would carry you. I’m carrying you.”
She smiled at him as they climbed back to his house. He could look at that smile for days.
He set her down poolside, his arms wrapped around her waist, and hers still wrapped around his neck.
If he didn’t think it would ruin things, he would have kissed her. But he didn’t have the nerve. Not yet.
Even the thought of it made his heart pound against his ribs, and he worried it might leap out of his chest.
“Thanks,” she said with a tentative smile. Her gaze lingered on his for a moment before she pulled away. “I’ll go change.”
“I’ll do the same and grab our snacks.”
She flitted into the house, grabbing her shoes along the way. He waited a minute, gazing up at the sky. The more he heard about Chris, the more he didn’t like the guy, and the more he was certain that he wasn’t the right man for Ava.
He needed to figure out the best way to convince her of that. His plans so far weren’t working terribly well, but maybe tonight would help.
With hope in his heart, he stepped inside, closed the door, and headed upstairs to change into his favorite crab-print pajamas.
He hurried downstairs, collecting their snacks and moving them to the living room. She shuffled inside in a cozy pair of pajamas.
“You want to camp out on the floor or couch?” he asked.
“Your choice,” she answered.
“No, yours. Whatever you want.”
She flicked her gaze between the two spots before she said, “Floor.”
“You got it, babe.” He shoved the coffee table away to make room.
“I’ll help.” She grabbed the cushions from the couch and tossed them onto the floor.
He smiled at the image of her setting up their area. For a moment, he let his heart hope. This could be his life. Every day.
He could come home to her every day. They could spend their evenings together. Every day.
It made him so happy he could have burst. She plopped onto a cushion, controller in her hand, and craned her neck to eye him as she patted a cushion.
The smile on his face broadened as he dropped down next to her. “Pick your game.”
“Can we play Super Mario Three again? I know we just played it, but–”
“Whatever you want, Sparky.”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“No,” he answered as he cued up the game, “I don’t mind at all. I’m happy to play whatever with you. And after your woeful tale about not gaming anymore, I should just let you have your way.”
“My life’s not that bad,” she said as her character dropped into the world and she set it in motion.
“Sounds awful. No gaming? Wash and wear clothing? I bet you probably drive a sensible car.”
She nudged him with an elbow as she giggled. “I do not. I have a Wrangler.”
“Oh, still?”
“Yeah, I traded it for another SUV, and I hated the thing. I traded it in two months later. Chris thought I was crazy.”
He arched an eyebrow as he side-eyed her while her concentration remained on the television screen. “Well, if you didn’t like it…”
“I didn’t. I went back to my Jeep. Chris really hates it, though. He never wants me to drive anywhere. He says the car’s not…suitable.”
“Suitable? Are you serious?”
Her nose wrinkled as her character took a nosedive off a cloud. “Dang it. Yes, I’m serious. He thinks something more sleek and stylish would fit me better.”
She cracked open two sodas as he started his round. “On one of our dates, he actually took me to a car dealership.”
Alex creased his forehead. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” She downed some of the orange soda. “He insisted I test drive another SUV.”
“Wow. I assume you let him have it.”
“Mmm, I told him I didn’t care for the move. But oh well, it’s over with now.”
“He seems kind of obsessed with image, doesn’t he?”
Ava sucked in a breath, puffing her cheeks as she blew it out. “I wouldn’t say obsessed, but with Chris, image is a thing, yes.”
Alex completed his round, grabbing his soda for a drink before starting another. He wanted to tell her that wasn’t good, but before he could, her phone rang.
“Oh, sorry,” she said as she grabbed it from her waistband. “It’s Chris.”
“Put him on speaker,” Alex suggested.
She rolled her eyes at him as she swiped to accept the call, pressing it to her ear. It didn’t matter if she had it on speaker or not. He could easily be heard due to their proximity. He continued playing his round, though his mind focused on the conversation.
“Hey, hon,” she answered. Her voice, an octave higher than normal. She spoke that way when she was stressed.
“Hey, where have you been?”
Alex’s eyes widened slightly at the question. Did he always keep tabs on her like this? “Uhh, just…following up on a few things.”
“With the, uh…the guy?”
Alex wrinkled his nose at the term. He didn’t like Chris to begin with, but he liked him less when he referred to him as “the guy.”
“Yeah. How was the rest of the conference?”
“It was okay. I would have preferred to have you here for the dinner. A lot of people asked about you.”
“Aw, I would have loved to be there. And please tell them I said hello.”
“I will. At least that should make up for some of the awkwardness.”
“Awkwardness?” Ava asked, shifting on the cushion, her lips tugging into a pout.
“Yes, Ava, awkwardness. It’s a little odd to explain where your brand-new fiancé is two nights after you’ve gotten engaged.”
“Well, I hope you explained,” she answered.
“I made an excuse. I didn’t explain. What did you want me to say? My fiancé had to run out of town to get a divorce from her current husband?”
Alex pretended to focus on the game, but every fiber of his being strained to catch the subtle signs Ava was exhibiting. He noted the tightness in her shoulders, the way she absentmindedly twisted her ring–all signs of a storm brewing within her.
“No, that’s not what I expected you to say, but you could have said I had some business to take care of.”
“I did. I covered. But still, it’s not fun to hear what a shame it is because we should be celebrating our engagement.”
Ava sucked in a breath, her lips forming a thin line. Alex recognized it as her frustration manifested physically.
“Well, I’m sorry about that, but it’s not exactly a celebration at your Architects of America conference, is it?”
“Seriously? It was a lovely dinner, surrounded by friends. There was dancing. And we could have had some private time after if you wanted.”
She slid her eyes closed. He wanted to reach out and pull her closer, rub the tension out of her shoulders, kiss her forehead, anything to make her feel less tension than she felt right now.
“Look, Chris, I think people say things just to say them. I don’t think people actually think it’s that big of a crime.”
“It doesn’t matter. People are thinking about it. Whatever, it’s over. Nothing to be done about it now.”
“I told you we’ll have a nice dinner when I get back.”
Alex noted this time she left the day she expected to return home off of her comment.
“Yeah,” he answered, his voice sounding tense.
“What do you want from me, Chris? Do you want me to come home now?”
Alex’s heart leapt into his throat. He couldn’t let her leave.
“I want you to solve this, Ava. Quickly.”
“I’m solving it. What’s with you? You were okay with this when we talked Thursday.”
“Okay with it?” he answered. “What did you want from me? I was stunned. I think I handled it the best way I could, but the longer this goes on–”
“Longer it goes on? It’s been two days.”
“Well, actually it’s been longer than that. I mean, how long have you been married, Ava? For as long as we’ve been dating, at least. But how long before that?”
She sucked in a breath, licking her lips. “Does it matter?”
“Does it matter?” he repeated. “It matters to me. Okay? I’d like to know. I’d like some answers.”
“And I’ll give them to you, but I hardly think this–”
“Not the time?” he interrupted. “I don’t care. I need answers. This is gnawing at me. You tell me you’re married, you race off to the Hamptons, and then you start acting weird.”
“I’m not acting weird.”
“Yes, you are, Ava. If you want to do this in person, fine. I’m getting in the car right now and driving out there. I’ll be there by morning.”
Alex’s heart skipped a beat as he overheard the words blaring from her phone. If the annoying architect made his way out here, he could ruin everything.
The prospect of Chris’s arrival set his mind racing. Not just the threat to the delicate equilibrium they’d found, but the opportunity it presented. He still had too much work to do. He needed to showcase not just the comforts of their shared past, but the potential of a future together.
If Chris came, all the progress he made with Ava would be lost. He’d lose her forever.