Chapter 5
ALEX
Alex tugged his lips back into another grimace as his eyes slid between the two women standing in front of him. Ava was not about to back down after what Miranda had said to her.
And it had been his fault. He never should have asked Miranda for advice. But he hadn’t expected her to spill everything to Ava minutes after she walked in.
The upside had been, Ava had kissed him. To prove a point and put on a show for Miranda, but still, they’d kissed. Twice. The memory of it was still burned into his mind.
And now his heart ached even more for her after having a taste of what life with Ava could be like.
Maybe he ought to thank Miranda. Although he could have killed her for interrupting him when he’d been about to broach the subject of how he didn’t want them to split.
And now, the two ladies looked ready to fight. He knew better than to interrupt Ava before she’d said her piece. If he did, he may be going home alone.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and prepared for the onslaught.
“What just happened when I walked in here is unacceptable. I will not tolerate you sticking your nose into my marriage. That is between me and my husband. Not you.”
Alex slid his eyes to Miranda, his lips tugging back into a wince as he spotted her narrow her eyes. Uh-oh.
Miranda arched an eyebrow, matching Ava’s cross-armed stance. “I didn’t stick my nose anywhere it wasn’t invited. Alex needed a friend. I was there for him. Maybe if he had a wife, he wouldn’t have been sniffing around me.”
Alex’s eyes went wide at the statement, his jaw flopping open. He shook his head as he waved a hand in the air. “Oh, uh–”
“How dare you?” Ava growled. “Alex has a wife who would do anything for him. You twisted everything he said because you’re after him.”
Miranda lifted her chin. “I’d love to have a man like Alex. And I’d treat him so much better than you.”
Ava’s jaw unhinged at the statement.
“Whoa, okay, that’s not…even close to true,” Alex said, stepping between them. This was getting out of control. Miranda seemed to be pushing Ava’s buttons deliberately.
“Isn’t it?” Miranda asked. “Look, I get it. If you don’t side with her, she’ll make your life hell. I understand.”
“No,” Alex said with a shake of his head. She had no idea what she was saying. Ava was the sweetest woman in the world; she’d never take anything out on him.
Miranda let her eyes drift to the ceiling. “I know her type. I saw her put the moves on you before. She’ll flick that blonde hair and give you a sweet kiss, and if you don’t believe whatever she says, she’ll make you miserable.”
“I can’t believe this!” Ava shouted.
“Believe it, Ava. Like I said, I know your type. And I personally just want to show you what you’re missing out on.”
Miranda lunged forward, throwing her arms around Alex’s neck and puckering her lips for a kiss.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ava asked as Alex ducked away, pushing Miranda back.
“That was not cool,” Alex answered with a shake of his head.
“I’m sorry, Alex,” Miranda said as she heaved a breath. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done that in front of your wife, but I’ve been wanting to do it since you asked me to go to Paris with you.”
Alex’s fingers curled into fists. She’d gone too far. She hadn’t known how delicate his relationship with Ava was, but she was definitely trying to undermine it. And he wasn’t about to let that happen.
“You shouldn’t have done it at all, Miranda. I didn’t ask you to go to Paris. And I didn’t want you to kiss me. If I did anything to make you think that, I’m sorry, but…this stops here. I’m not going to let this continue. It’s not fair to Ava.”
Alex wrapped a protective arm around his wife, pulling her closer to him.
“Thanks, Ace,” Ava said quietly as she slid an arm around his waist.
Miranda pouted at him, her eyes fixed on his face. He’d probably ruined any chance of getting information from her, but with the way she’d just behaved, he doubted he was going to get any to begin with.
She was a master manipulator, and she was doing her best to read the scene and put him and Ava at odds.
“Alex,” Miranda said, a sob in her voice, “I’m sorry. I’m…sorry. I…things have gotten out of hand.”
“You bet they did,” Ava mumbled next to him.
He tightened his grip on her shoulder as Miranda shot her a glare.
“Can we talk privately?” Miranda asked, her voice a squeak as tears formed in her eyes.
Alex swallowed hard, wondering if he could get any information from her.
But he couldn’t trust the woman. She’d just misrepresented what happened between them.
He hadn’t asked her to go to Paris. Even if she thought he had, she’d deliberately made it sound worse than it had been to Ava.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Miranda.
In fact, I think…maybe you should leave. ”
He didn’t need Miranda Vale around causing any more problems between him and Ava. He had enough work handling Crossbeam Chris.
Miranda let her face fall to her feet, a tear streaking down her cheek. “Alex, please. I…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for things to spiral out of control like this. Please give me the chance to make it right.”
Her words hung heavy in the air, laden with regret. A pang of guilt snaked through him as he wondered if she was telling the truth.
He ran a shaky hand through his hair, turmoil raging within him. “Miranda, I think it’s best if we put some distance between us for now.”
“But Alex–” she tried, but he shook his head.
“My marriage to Ava is too important. I’m sorry, but I’m not willing to jeopardize that.”
She flicked her gaze to her feet again with a slow nod. “I still have the information–”
“You can leave that with us.” Ava squeezed his side in silent support, her voice soft.
Miranda shot her a teary-eyed glance, her jaw firming as she shot her a disdainful look. She thrust the folders forward toward Alex. “If you have any questions…” Her voice hiccupped. “Just call.”
She skirted around them and fled from the room with her hand clapped over her lips.
Ava let go of him and puffed out her cheeks as she crossed to the close the door. “Wow.”
Alex dumped the folder on his desk and ran a finger through his hair. “Tell me about it.”
He stared down at the manila container, tracing the edge of it. Warm hands slid around his waist again. He twisted to find Ava staring up at him.
His eyes fell onto her lips, wanting to kiss them again.
“You okay?”
“Are you?” he asked, slipping his hands around her waist.
“I’m fine, Alex. But…I know that wasn’t easy for you.”
He blew out a shaky breath. What wasn’t easy was navigating this delicate dance with Ava. He desperately wanted to tell her how he felt, but he didn’t want to lose her. It had held him back for the entirety of their relationship.
He’d always feared losing her. Once they were married, he expected them to eventually come back together. He didn’t push. He didn’t have the right to. And now he faced the real possibility of losing her.
“Alex…I know this is hard. I know her crying bothered you, but–”
“No, Avs,” he said, his voice soft. “It’s not… I mean…if those tears were genuine, I do feel bad. But I did not ask her to go to Paris.”
“I know you didn’t. She’s manipulating everything.” Ava narrowed her eyes. “How did Paris come up again, though?”
“Huh?” he asked, his heart in his throat.
“I’m just trying to foresee any other manipulations she’s going to try. Because you know this isn’t the end of things.”
“Oh, umm, well I just…I was trying to think of something nice to do for you, and I asked if girls liked Paris.”
Ava shook her head at him. “Oh, Alex.”
“What? I was just trying to surprise you. Do something nice.”
“You don’t have to do something nice for me, Alex. You do something nice for me by being my friend.”
He didn’t want to be just her friend, but he couldn’t say that. “Yeah, but–”
“No buts, Alex. I’m being serious. Ace, I don’t need these big gestures. You don’t need to impress me. I feel like…I don’t know. Is everything okay with you?”
He swallowed hard, his eyes going wide. His heart pounded out a frenetic beat against his ribs. “Uhhh…”
Her shoulders slumped as she stared up at him. “Come sit down.”
She took his hand and led him to the couch, easing onto it with a soft expression on her features. “What’s going on, Ace? You’ve been a little weird ever since I came back.”
“I’m always a little weird. That’s my default setting,” Alex said with a soft chuckle, trying to hide his nervousness.
“You know what I mean. Come on, Ace. I’ve been getting this sense something is off with you.”
He licked his lips, his fingers tightening around her hand. Should he tell her? Should he bear his soul now or would he risk losing her?
“I just…I’m…no, I’m okay.”
She stared at him for a minute, her concern not dissipating. “Is it the whole thing going on with StoneCorp?”
He shifted in his seat. When Ava had an inkling he needed care, she’d keep digging until she found the reason and fixed it. “Yeah,” he lied, his voice breathy. “There’s just…it’s a lot.”
“We’ll fix it, Ace.” She patted his hand. “I know that sounds…weak, but I promise. We’re in this together.”
Alex nodded, trying to force a smile onto his face. “I know, Avs, I know.”
“You don’t sound like you know. Is there something else?”
His forehead creased as he tried to figure out how to lie to his best friend and the woman he wanted to keep as his wife.
“Is it Chris?”
His stomach clenched as she hit upon the reason for his upset. Chris Maxwell was the problem. Or part of it. He found himself nodding even though he tried not to.
“Aww, Alex,” Ava answered, her voice filled with worry.
“He’s just…” He hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “Ava, I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” she answered with hesitation. “I know right now Chris feels like this big scary thing, and it feels like everything is going to change, but it’s not.”
He bit his lower lip, unhappy with the answer. Everything was going to change. She was going to marry another man, and leave him, and it tore him apart inside.
“Would it help if we spent some downtime together? Just us?”
The pain inside him lightened a little. “Really? I don’t think the Draftsman will let that happen.”
“And I’ve told you Chris isn’t the boss of me.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s going to tell you that we’re spending enough time together, Avs. You’re helping me with all of this.” He waved a hand at the folder.
“That’s work. I said some downtime. We both need it.”
“But you probably want to spend it with Chris. I mean…you’ve been spending time with me all weekend.”
She leaned forward, a grin on her features. “Take me to Paris.”
His heart hammered at her request. “I don’t know how your fiancé is going to handle that.”
She wiggled her left hand in the air. “I’m your wife, though.”
“Can’t say no to that,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. Maybe if he could get her away from Chris and really wow her, he could win her back.
“That’s what I like to see,” she answered with a grin as she poked at his smile.
“I miss you, Sparky. We spent too much time apart, and the weekend wasn’t enough.”
“I miss you, too, Ace. We are never going this long being apart again.”
He threaded his fingers through hers, pulling her hand onto his thigh. “Deal. Now…I guess we should look at that data breach information.”
“Yeah, I’ll grab the folder. Try to relax.”
But he had already relaxed. He had a shot. He just had to plan it right. His mind spiraled through options. Dinner on the Eiffel Tower–he’d pay whatever they wanted to shut it down and give them a private moment.
He’d have rose petals spread on the path to it, then have the entire terrace filled with roses. And a string quartet. No, maybe they should be completely alone. Just the two of them like they’d always been.
He’d take her hand in his after they ate and then get down on one knee. “Ava Collins, I love you. I’ve loved you for a very long time. And I know you’re engaged to Chris–”
No, wait. Maybe he shouldn’t mention Chris. Why bring him to her mind?
He went over his appeal again in his mind. “Ava Collins, I love you. I’ve loved you for a very long time. I can’t live without you. I don’t want to get a divorce. Will you stay married to me?”
Ava would smile at him before she squeezed his hand. “Yes! Alex, I thought you’d never ask. I…never wanted the divorce. I only dated other people because I didn’t know you were interested in me.”
“How could I not be?” he asked. “You’re beautiful, smart, funny, and we fit together perfectly.”
“Like two pieces to a puzzle,” she’d reply.
His features twisted into a hopeful smile as he stared into space.
“Ace? You okay?”
He sucked in a breath, his eyes going wide. “Yep. All good.”
“Okay, let’s look at this.” She plopped down next to him, curling her legs underneath her as she leaned closer to him.
He slid his arm around her, warmth coursing through him. He had a shot at this. And he had to make it happen. This felt so right. Him and Ava against the world.
Next to him, she flicked the folder open and shuffled through the information. “Okay, umm, based on the ages of these accounts, it looks like the data they accessed is fairly old.”
Her nose crinkled, and the little indentation between her eyebrows deepened. She snapped her gaze to him, her eyes questioning.
Heat rose in his cheeks as she caught him staring at her, more interested in her than his data breach.
“Ace?”
“Uh, yeah, umm, let me see.” He grabbed the sheet from her, trying to focus his mind on something other than his wife. He studied the list of compromised files. “Yeah, these are all really old files. Why would anyone go to the trouble of stealing these?”
“Good question, Ace. We need to figure that out before anything else happens.”
The words sent a shiver down his spine as he shifted his gaze to Ava. This wasn’t by chance. Something was wrong here. About the entire situation. And if they didn’t get to the bottom of it, he may not have to worry about losing Ava, because he’d lose everything.