Chapter 22
AVA
Ava shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she took another sip of wine, her gaze flicking between her husband and her fiancé. Dinner at the beach club had morphed from seaside treat to tension-filled dance.
Each word exchanged between the men felt like a thinly veiled challenge, barbs wrapped in politeness. A knot formed in Ava’s stomach as she tried to navigate the conversation without tipping the balance into outright hostility.
Chris had taken some offense to the easy relationship between her and Alex.
Their shared glances that spoke as much as words had drawn more than one comment.
And Chris’s insistence on commenting about Ava’s choices when they veered away from what he’d gotten used to in Silver Pine had resulted in multiple callouts by Alex.
“So, how long can we expect before this resolves? Do you think they’ll take the bait soon?” Chris asked.
“No idea,” Alex answered, a pout seeming to follow the words. “Hence why I said we’d have to wait.”
“Oh, well, I’m sorry, Hashtag hubby, but some of us would like to plan the rest of our lives.”
“Okay, well, a few days isn’t going to make things any different. And we can plan now,” Ava answered, earning a glare from them both. “I mean, we’re both…not working as much, so we could start talking about it.”
Alex polished off his wine before he poured himself another glass.
“Slow down, partner, you’re driving.”
“Thank you, Officer Crossbeam, I’m fine.”
“Really? I’d prefer that we didn’t die in a fiery wreck tonight, thanks.”
Alex arched an eyebrow. “Maybe you can drive. You should be okay with that stick up your–”
“Okay,” Ava said, holding her hands up. “I think we’ve had enough dinner. Why don’t we grab the check? And I will drive. I only had one glass.”
“I think it was two. You downed one while your husband and I were arguing over operating systems.”
“A subject at which you were clearly outmatched,” Alex said.
Ava arched an eyebrow at his hazy eyes. He’d had too much to drink which was not the usual for Alex.
“Right, because you are the expert.”
“Well, I am Wired’s Man of the Decade.”
“And the tenth richest in the world,” Chris added.
“Fifth, but…who’s counting.”
“You, apparently.”
Ava waved a hand in the air. “Stop. We’ve been through this before.”
“Sorry,” both men said at the same time as Alex waved a credit card in the air.
“I could get it,” Chris answered.
Alex shook his head. “No. My beach, my treat.”
Chris shifted in his seat with a sigh as they settled the bill. They rose with Alex stumbling a few steps.
“Whoa,” Ava said as she looped an arm around him, “I think you’ve had enough there, Ace.”
She pulled the keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of Chris.
“I thought you were driving.”
“Fine,” she answered, tightening her fingers around the fob. “You take him, then.”
“I’m fine,” Alex said with a shake of his head. “I can walk. I don’t need Builder Buddy’s help.”
Chris slid his eyes closed as he shook his head. They left the coolness of the restaurant behind for the warmth of the summer night and drove the short distance to Alex’s house.
“How about a walk on the beach?” Alex suggested as they wandered into the living room.
“You sure you can handle that?” Ava asked.
He lifted a fist in the air. “I’m all good, Avs.”
“Okay, just let me take off these heels and grab sandals.”
“Nonsense. You know how we deal with this problem,” Alex said, his voice still a little slurred.
“You’re not actually suggesting she wear those heels, are you? They’re ridiculous to start with, but even worse for the beach.”
“Of course not,” Alex said with a shake of his head. “Take your shoes off.”
Ava undid the buckle on one and slid it off with a grin. “I’ll just run up and get sandals.”
“That’s probably the smartest thing to do,” Chris agreed.
She slipped off the other shoe as Alex caught her wrist and tugged her closer.
“I will just carry her.”
Ava reddened as Alex scooped her up. He’d carried her to the beach yesterday but not in front of her fiancé. The battle between these two was raging in full force for some reason.
“I can walk. I’ll just–”
“Open the door, Beam Buddy.”
“Put her down,” Chris insisted.
Alex shook his head. “She can’t walk down there barefoot. Someone has to carry her.”
“This is ridiculous. She can get sandals. Put her down.”
“Avs, open the door, please.”
She slid the door open.
“That’s my girl,” Alex said as he carried her out to the pool and darted around it with surprising nimbleness despite the amount of wine he downed. When they reached the sand, he set her down.
“What the hell was that?” Chris hissed in her ear as they strolled down the beach with Alex a few steps in front of them.
The waves crashed onto the beach, retreating with a sigh and leaving a trace of foam behind. The rhythmic crashing mirrored her tumultuous thoughts, each wave a reminder of the endless cycling of her emotions. “Alex can be a little theatrical. It’s fine.”
“It’s not. The man just picked up my fiancé and carried her to the beach.”
“It’s not a big deal, Chris.”
He heaved a sigh, shaking his head at the twilight horizon.
She tore her eyes from the crashing waves. “What?”
He shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Nothing. Should we head back?”
“Why? It’s a beautiful night.”
“These shells are driving me crazy, the wind is maddening, and the crashing waves are giving me a headache.”
Ava’s shoulders slumped at the words. When he was tired or upset, Chris had a knack for finding the worst in a situation. “Okay, then go back.”
“Come on. You’ll have to brave the boards, though. I’m not carrying you. You should have gotten the sandals like I tried to tell you.”
“Well, aren’t you romantic?”
“Oh, come on, Ava. It’s ridiculous. Let’s go.”
She took a few steps, twisting to eye him over her shoulder. “You go on back. We’ll be there soon.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’ll see you back at the house.” She offered him a wave and continued, turning away from him as she hurried to catch up to Alex.
As the cool sea breeze brushed against her skin, Ava’s thoughts wandered to the complex web of her emotions. Beside her, Alex’s quiet demeanor hinted at his own turmoil, making her wonder if their past was truly behind them or still tangled between them like the seaweed at their feet.
She needed a moment, and based on his behavior, Alex was feeling like a third wheel. He wasn’t. And she needed him to know that.
A quick glance behind her showed her retreating fiancé as she caught up to Alex. “Hey.”
He glanced down at her, his lips curling. “Hey, you.”
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m not that drunk. Just a little tipsy. Where’s Chris Cross?”
“He went back to the house. Too much sand and water and stuff.”
Alex screwed up his face. “Seriously?”
Ava shrugged. “Chris has a way of seeing the worst in things if he’s tired. He’ll get over it.”
Alex slid his arm around her, pulling her closer as they walked. “I kind of don’t like him, Avs.”
The words sliced at her like a knife to the gut. Her confused mind struggled to comprehend her own feelings, but with Alex’s opinion in the mix, it only made things worse. “You’re not giving him a chance. This is…the worst time for you two to be spending time together.”
“Is there a good time with him?”
“Yes,” she answered. “But…on the heels of this admission, coupled with the information I’ve been keeping from him…it’s just…he’s on edge.”
“Why did you keep it from him?”
Ava bit her lower lip as the question hit her like a ton of bricks.
“I know you said you didn’t know why but…there has to have been a reason, Avs. Is it because of how he’d react?”
She slowed her steps, her feet sinking into the still-warm sand as she considered the question. “No, I…I don’t know, Alex. I just…I don’t know.”
Her eyes clouded with tears for a reason she didn’t quite know. She told herself it was because she’d had too little sleep, but she worried it was more than that. It wasn’t something she was willing to face yet.
Alex’s hand squeezed her shoulder. “We don’t need to talk about it. I’m not trying to grill you, I’m just…”
“Trying to tell me you hate Chris.”
“I don’t hate him…I just…don’t love him.”
Ava let her head rest on his shoulder, her arm slipping around his waist as they continued to meander down the beach. The words cut her.
“But…I’ll give him another shot after some of this settles down. I mean, I guess the guy got some strange news.”
“Thanks, Ace.” She grinned up at him, trying to read the odd expression on his face. Why did he look like he was choking on those words? Maybe the alcohol.
“Are you okay? Are you going to be sick?”
“No,” he answered.
“You really hate him, don’t you?” Ava searched his face for the truth, her heart heavy. “You’re just trying to make me feel better by saying you’ll give him another shot.”
“I’m not…I’m…going to give him another shot. And if I still hate him…”
“Yeah?” she prodded.
“Then, you can’t marry him.”
Her eyebrow arched as she cocked her head. “I can’t marry him?”
“No, you can’t. I won’t let you. I’ll just…not sign the divorce papers and you’ll be stuck with me.”
“Ohhhh,” she answered with a chuckle. “Is that how it’s going to be?”
He joined her laughter. “Yep, that’s how it’s going to be. You’ll have to tell Chris you can’t marry him because I won’t let you leave.”
“That’ll go over well.”
“Uh-huh. Chris Cross will surely understand.”
She patted his chest, staring out at the rolling waves.
“In all seriousness, though,” Alex added, “he’s just…a little uptight or something. I don’t know. Does he even know the real you?”
“Of course, he does,” Ava said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that he seemed completely shocked about you playing video games, that you were wearing a super pink business suit, that you had Scooby Doo pajamas. I don’t know, it just seems like he doesn’t know the real you.”