Chapter 1 #2
He wondered if that would change following the private conversations she was having with his arch-nemesis in his living room. A shadow of doubt crept over him as his mind whispered that this wouldn’t change anything.
Another sigh joined the chorus, and he twisted to find Ava shuffling back into the kitchen. He straightened on the stool, eyeing her as he tried to gauge her emotions. She slumped onto the stool she’d occupied moments ago and sipped her coffee again.
“Ugh,” she groaned. “It’s already cold.”
“Here,” he said, pulling the mug from her hands, “let me reheat it for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, a soft smile on her features.
He wondered if it was because she was about to drop the bombshell that she had to return to Silver Pine with Chris. He delivered the mug to his microwave and tapped a button to start it heating.
“Where’s Crossbeam Chris?” he ventured, afraid to hear the answer.
“Walking the beach,” she answered.
He raised his eyebrows. At least she hadn’t said they were packing up to leave. “Everything okay?”
The microwave bleated out a long beep, and he removed the mug from it, wincing as he hurried to set it down in front of her. “It’s hot.”
She touched it before she pulled her hand back. “Ow.”
“I told you it was hot.” He slid onto the stool next to her.
She blew on the liquid before she braved a sip.
“So, uh, is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she answered.
He hated that she was still so closed off.
She wasn’t sharing anything she didn’t have to, and it was driving him nuts.
Years ago, they’d shared everything. Why had he let them grow apart?
He’d been so distracted by making StoneCorp the powerhouse in the industry, he’d lost sight of what truly mattered.
“Are you sure?”
She snapped her gaze to him. “Yes, why?”
“I just…you both seemed upset.”
“Well, I don’t think he was saying anything useful. But he’s tired, and he’s upset. He’s still reeling from the news, and then the complication of this not being a simple divorce. Although, with the financial woes behind us, does that make things easier?”
The words sliced at him like a knife. She still wanted the divorce. Likely Chris had pushed the issue, and now she’d push it on his behalf.
“Ace?” she asked, her voice drawing him back from the precipice he stared into.
“Uh, yeah, I’ll, uh, I can check.” The words caught in his throat as disappointment and fear roiled within him.
She squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, I’m not leaving you, okay?”
“Well, you sort of are. You want a divorce.”
She giggled at what she thought was a joke, though he was serious. “I mean, I’m not walking away from this situation. As long as you need help, I’m here.”
“I don’t think Chris is going to let that happen, babe.”
“Chris is not the boss of me.”
He tried to cling to those words, but so far, she’d been working overtime to give in to Chris from his perspective. He desperately wished she’d just tell him to go fly a kite, but she showed no signs of that.
“Hey, Ace, I’m being serious.”
“Okay,” he answered.
Her thumb and forefinger grasped his chin, tugging his face toward her. “I’m with you on this, okay?”
“I know, Avs, it’s just…hard with Chris around.”
“I know he was a pain this morning, but we’ve talked, and he’ll be better moving forward, I promise. Please stop looking so sad.”
He couldn’t, though. His sadness didn’t stem from the fear that she’d leave before they solved the puzzle, but from the real possibility that he could lose her no matter what.
Alex flicked his gaze to her, desperately wanting to tell her the words that floated around in his heart.
Her features twisted, and she reached for him, rubbing his arm. “Alex, what is it? What’s wrong?”
His heart started to thud against his ribs, a lump forming in his throat. “Ava…”
“Yeah?” she asked.
He shifted to take her hand in his. “Ava, I–”
“Hey,” Chris said as he shuffled back in, ruining the moment as usual, “uh, I’m sorry if I came across as harsh earlier. I’m a little tired, and…I took it out on you.”
“Thanks, Chris. I think that apology goes a long way.” Ava smiled at him before she shifted her gaze to Alex, her expression expectant.
He furrowed his brow. Did she really want him to play nice? The apology seemed less than genuine.
The eyebrow raise Ava gave him answered his question. “Ah, yeah, no problem, bro.”
Chris wrinkled his nose. “You know, if we’re going to be living together for a little bit, maybe…”
She offered her fiancé a similar eyebrow arch.
He cleared his throat. “Never mind. Let’s just hope we can make some progress soon.”
“Yeah, about that,” Alex said. “I’ve got nothing on Miranda or Raven.”
“I thought you were like the world’s best hacker?” Chris asked.
“Chris,” Ava said, her voice a warning as Alex shot him an unimpressed glance.
“Sorry. I just…I’m still new at this. I don’t understand how any of this works. And you two are thick as thieves with all this cyber stuff.” He wiggled his fingers in the air before he rolled his eyes.
“Alex is the best hacker in the world, hands down.” Ava rubbed her hand across his back, and Alex’s chest swelled with pride. “That doesn’t mean he can track down every piece of digital evidence.”
“Okay. Well, I mean, he found that parking ticket from seven hundred years ago so…”
“That’s different,” Ava explained. “Now, we need a plan. I have an idea.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re going to hack something,” Chris said.
“No, I’m going to talk to–”
Alex’s ringing cell phone interrupted her statement. “Hold that thought, Sparky.”
She peered over his shoulder as he swiped to accept the call. Her finger darted to the screen, pressing the speakerphone button as she spotted the name.
He shot her a pointed glance. “Hey, Miranda.”
“Alex, hi. Sorry to call, I know you’re probably trying to forget about everything that’s happened at StoneCorp recently, but…I had to call.”
“I’ll bet,” Ava murmured.
He shook his head as he widened his eyes at her. “No problem. What’s up?”
She sighed on the other end, causing Ava to roll her eyes. “Well, I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…”
His stomach clenched at the words, his heart pounding hard again.
“We have a major problem here at StoneCorp.”
He slid his eyes closed, his muscles tensing. How much more could he take?