5. AVA
AVA
Stay away. Stay away. Stay away.
The words of his rejection echo over and over in my mind, the crack and hurt in my heart getting worse the more his words settle in. I knew there was a possibility of Zane hating me, but I didn’t know it would be this bad—to the point where he doesn’t want to speak or see me.
I have no idea how I’m supposed to deal with this version of Zane.
Five years ago, I confessed my feelings and he reciprocated them.
It was the happiest night of my life until it wasn’t.
.. Now I’m back here, and one of the biggest reasons I came back is because I thought I’d be able to fix things with him.
But how can I do that when he’s not the same man I remember and seems to hate my very existence?
How did it get this bad? I know the answer to that, but I thought I’d at least get the chance to make up for it. But he didn’t even give me the chance or hear me out.
I’m still wandering around outside, trying to figure out this whole situation, when Ella walks up to me looking worried and a bit out of breath.
“There you are! Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you,” she demands, pulling me in for a hug.
My mind scrambles as I try to think of the best excuse because I can’t tell her the truth. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to get some fresh air.”
Ah, that should do it.
Technically I’m not lying—I am outside where there is fresh air—but I don’t dare tell her that I was getting it outside Zane’s cabin.
She already warned me to stay away from him upon his request, but I just had to be stubborn.
Now I’ve gotten the rejection and warning directly from him.
Question is, will I actually listen and keep my distance?
“Are you okay?” she insists.
“Yes, I was just taking everything in. It’s been so long since I enjoyed such fresh air,” I assure her.
This time I’m not lying. My music career takes me all over the world, but it’s usually to major, highly populated cities, so this is a welcome change and my lungs are thanking me for it.
“I’m glad, but you can have more of that fresh air later. Right now it’s dinner time—everyone is already here.”
“And by everyone you mean?”
“Well, not everyone. Zane won’t join us—he never does. You know Ryder doesn’t live here anymore, and Beck will be away for a while, so tonight it’s just Dad, Jace, Daisy, and me. Your own personal welcome wagon,” she explains cheerfully.
“That’s not so bad,” I relent.
“Great, let’s go. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone again. They’ll be so happy, especially Daisy. She is...” Ella rambles on, but my thoughts are still stuck on Zane—that is, until her words hit.
I stop in my tracks, and so does she since we’re holding hands. “What?” she questions.
“Did you tell anyone the real reason why I’m here?” I whisper, not that there’s anyone around us to hear me.
She shakes her head. “No.”
“Don’t tell them,” I request.
“Why?”
“Just trust me. Don’t,” I assert.
Her gaze softens. “Okay, I won’t. You have my word.”
“Thank you,” I smile at her.
“Of course.”
I don’t want to burden the Morgans with my issues, especially when they’re already kind enough to offer me sanctuary. All they need to know is that I’m here for vacation for the next three months—the rest is up to me to deal with.
Ella guides me to the back door through the kitchen since we’re closest to it compared to the front door.
The interior of the house is exquisite, looks recently renovated since the colors are different from what I remember.
There are ramps in and out of each room and a lot more art on the walls, which screams Ella and her interior design skills.
There are voices coming from the formal dining room, and they all halt when we walk in.
“Hey, family, look who’s here?” Ella announces, even though their attention is already on me.
My eyes first land on Daisy. Last I saw her, she was still in diapers, so to see her walking, talking, and just being her own individual hits me hard as it shows how much time has passed.
“Daisy, don’t be shy. Come say hello,” Ella invites.
She shakes her head and hides behind her father, who is in a... wheelchair? Jace uses a wheelchair now? Since when? I turn to Ella questioningly.
“Oh, that? He decided that he was too bougie for walking and needed assistance,” she grins.
Jace glares at her and flips her off. I’m sure there’s more to the story, but if they can joke about it, then it’s not so bad, right?
Jace then turns to me with a friendly smile. “Don’t mind her. It’s nice to see you again, Ava.”
He surprises me by getting to his feet and holding his arms out. I knew there was more to it! He’s an ambulatory wheelchair user.
I smile as I hug him back. “Same here.”
Jace is the second-born brother after Zane, a widower just like his dad and a single father to Daisy. He was a member of the United States Army Rangers before he was discharged two years ago. Ella wouldn’t give me too many details about his discharge, but I know it was an honorable one.
Just like his big brother, while on his feet he’s well over six feet, built like a lumberjack but still maintains his buzz cut. To me, the Morgan brothers are the same person just in different fonts.
Daisy is still shy and won’t stop hiding, so I turn to her grandfather. Hank Morgan is still the silver-haired fox I remember him to be. As a dad of five and a grandpa, he looks forty and not in his late fifties. Talk about aging like fine wine.
He grins widely and pulls me in for a bear hug. “It’s good to have you home, Ava.”
He smells familiar, with a woodsy outdoor scent—like love, home, and tranquility. From the day Ella brought me home when we were four, he’s always treated me like his own daughter, and as someone who lost their dad at a young age, that was highly appreciated.
“Thanks, Pops. It feels good to be back.”
He’s always been Pops to me because “Daddy,” like Ella calls him, felt too personal and “Mr. Morgan” too formal.
“You’ve gotten thinner, girl!” he comments, cupping my cheeks.
“That’s what I said,” Ella exclaims, earning a stink eye from me.
“We better start fattening you up then,” Hank declares as he pulls a chair for me. “Feel at home.”
“Thank you, Pops.”
Everyone else takes their place, and we settle down to eat.
When Ella said she had a feast prepared, she was not joking.
There are four kinds of meat, six sides, potatoes cooked four ways, and three kinds of salads.
It looks like a party for twenty, not five.
It feels a bit overwhelming, but she prepared all this for me, so I roll up my sleeves, intending to do my best.
Daisy leads us in grace, and I finally get to hear her voice. She is so cute.
“Dig in,” Hank invites, passing me a bowl of mashed potatoes.
“Thank you,” I smile gratefully, taking it from him.
I expected the same hostility I got from Zane from them, but they’re the complete opposite, which is nice. I don’t think I’d have been able to survive in a house where everyone hates me.
While in the middle of conversation with Ella about my previous tour, Daisy points her fork at me and says, “You talk funny,” then proceeds to fall into a fit of giggles.
Everyone at the table laughs as well, me included.
I drop my utensils, fold my intertwined fingers under my chin, and while maintaining eye contact with her, I reply, “Does this sound better?” in a Southern accent.
Her eyes widen and her jaw drops in surprise.
“I thought you lost your accent,” Ella gasps.
“I didn’t. I just had to drop it to adapt in LA,” I explain.
Daisy is fascinated by this and makes me switch back and forth between accents, saying different statements. This opens her up, and she’s no longer shy around me.
I end up having an amazing time, and by the time I make it back to my room, my ribs hurt from laughing and I’m so full I can barely breathe. I haven’t had that much to eat in a long time, but the food was good, so it was hard to hold back.
I drop onto my back on the bed and pull my phone from my back pocket to call Lou.
“Finally, I was about to start eating my hair here,” she exclaims as soon as she picks up.
“I’m sorry, I got caught up.”
“It’s okay, I understand. How is it? How’s everything?”
“Better than I remember. I love it here,” I sigh happily, turning my gaze outside to the breeze coming in through the open bay windows.
“Your voice does sound lighter. I’m glad to hear that. Enjoy your stay, keep me updated, and remember to eat,” she demands.
I groan in annoyance. “Jeez, you sound just like Ella.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one worried about you.”
“I’ll be fine, Lou. Stop fussing.”
“I can’t help it. You’re my responsibility.”
“Noted. I’ll do my best not to worry you.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
We bid each other goodnight and hang up. I lay my phone on my chest and stare up at the ceiling.
I’m glad the Morgans welcomed me with such open arms... except for one of them. After thinking about it, I decide that for the moment I’ll heed Zane’s request and stay away from him... for the time being, until I figure out the best way to address the elephant in the room between us.
For now, I’m going to focus on enjoying my stay here, unwinding, and just taking a breath from my chaotic life. I owe it to myself, and I might as well take full advantage of my time at Iron Stallion.