Chapter 16
The Renovation
Face down, ass up was not Ava’s preferred position first thing in the morning, but when there was only one activity your two best friends had in common, you sucked it up.
She lowered herself from downward dog to plank on the yoga mat at Summer’s instruction.
Morgan fluidly moved, her back in a straight line, whereas Ava could feel her butt sticking up too high in the air.
They finished their sunrise salutations, and Ava breathed a sigh of relief when they pushed back into child’s pose for a rest. Placing her head on the squishy yoga mat, Ava took several deep breaths to calm her heart rate.
All too soon for Ava’s liking, Summer called out for the class to change position into dolphin pose so they could practice headstands.
She had a suspicion Summer only called for this pose to show off in front of Morgan, who, of course, would take the bait.
Knowing any attempt at a headstand wouldn’t go well, Ava settled on her mat and grabbed her phone instead. She swiped away the just checking in text from Alec and opened the group chat with her brothers.
Noah: Landed in Boston. Waiting for you at gate A21 when you get here, bro.
Lucifer (Lucas): Boarding my flight. ETA 10:25.
Noah: See you soon, Ava!
She typed a response.
Ava: Pick you up at noon
After the minor intervention from her friends earlier that week, Ava called her brothers.
Noah readily agreed to come help, apologizing profusely when he realized how much Ava had been struggling on her own.
Lucas, to her surprise, also agreed after a few passive aggressive comments about how hard it would be to rearrange his schedule.
With the help of Summer and Morgan, they’d cleared out her brothers’ shared room at the cabin.
Even though she was relieved to have them coming to help, Ava already dreaded Morgan returning to New York that afternoon.
She’d gotten used to sharing the queen-sized bed with her friend and the slice of normalcy that came with Morgan catching her up with work and the reality tv shows Ava couldn’t watch at the cabin with its slow internet.
She closed the group chat with her brothers and hovered over the text thread with Owen.
They hadn’t seen each other since her dad’s ashes arrived at the cabin, but he’d sent her a few texts, including a picture he received of Avery from summer camp grinning ear to ear.
Each time his name flashed on her phone screen, she couldn’t deny it made her giddy, like she was a teenager again.
“Who are you texting?”
Ava locked the phone screen and looked at Morgan, who was still in headstand. Her body was a perfect line from head to toe, not a bead of sweat on her forehead.
“Just checking in with my brothers,” Ava said. She placed the phone screen-down on the floor and straightened up on her mat.
Morgan gracefully lowered her legs to the floor and unfolded herself from headstand like it was a normal occurrence and not a feat of athleticism. “That’s not how I smile when my siblings text me.”
Summer's call for the class to assume their final poses saved Ava. Minutes later, they left the recreation center together, agreeing to meet Summer at the café when she finished straightening up the yoga space.
Morgan linked her arm through Ava’s as they started walking the few blocks to the café.
In the distance, a delivery truck parked next to the Agatha Building unloading a large dumpster on the property.
Her stomach dropped at the thought of someone renovating her dream, and she pushed it from her mind to focus on her last couple of hours with her friend.
“So what do you think of Cedar Falls so far?”
“It’s cute …” Morgan trailed off.
“But?”
Morgan waited until they passed by an older couple on the sidewalk going in the opposite direction.
“There are a lot of white people here. I get it’s a small town, but, babe, there’s like no diversity,” Morgan said.
Ava let out a surprised laugh and looked around them. Sure enough, she picked up on what Morgan was saying. “You’re not wrong. It’s definitely not like New York,” Ava conceded. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too, even if I stick out like a sore thumb. And now that I know you’re not on the verge of a breakdown anymore, I won’t worry so much when I get back home. To our home. Because you are coming back to New York, right?”
Morgan playfully bumped her hip against Ava’s, sending her off-balance. Before she could right herself, Ava tripped on a piece of pipe extending from a pile just off the sidewalk. Her arm slipped from Morgan’s and she pitched forward.
Only she didn’t fall.
An arm banded around her waist from behind.
“Careful,” a voice rumbled in her ear.
Owen.
He pulled her upright, his fingers lightly grazing her stomach as he let go.
She turned to face him and her eyes immediately glued to his chest. His naked, sweaty, tattooed chest. She followed the flock of birds from his shoulder to his pec where Avery’s name was in script under his heart.
She dropped her gaze even further, taking in the happy trail down his stomach.
He didn’t have well-defined abs like when they were in college, but she couldn’t deny her attraction.
Both times they’d almost kissed rushed back to her mind.
She could kiss him now.
She wanted to kiss him now.
“Well, hello there. I think I’m finally seeing the appeal of Cedar Falls.” Morgan’s voice interrupted Ava’s fantasies about kissing Owen on the sidewalk for everyone to see. “You’ve been holding out on the men around here, Ava.”
Owen coughed, as if embarrassed Morgan found him attractive. An irrational surge of jealousy burned in Ava’s chest that she tamped down immediately.
“Morgan, this is Owen. Summer’s brother. Owen, this is my friend from New York, Morgan. We work together.”
Morgan drew the arm she’d extended to Owen back to her chest at Ava’s introduction. Her look of interest morphed into something much less impressed. “Oh. You’re Owen,” Morgan said, with far too much emphasis on you’re.
Ava closed her eyes in embarrassment, worried about what Morgan would say next. Probably nothing good, knowing Morgan’s opinions about the whole being friends with the sister of her ex-boyfriend situation.
“It’s nice to meet you, Morgan,” Owen said.
Ava opened her eyes.
Owen smiled at Morgan, perfectly at ease despite standing shirtless in front of a stranger who had a clear dislike for him.
Then he turned toward the Agatha Building.
“Hey Doobie,” he yelled out to one man on site.
“Watch where your crew is putting materials. You can’t block the sidewalk. It’s a safety hazard.”
The man yelled back an apology and waved two guys over to clear the materials further away from the sidewalk.
Morgan’s expression changed to something more thoughtful, but still wary.
“Are you alright?” he asked Ava.
“I’m fine. We’re coming from Summer’s yoga class. Not quite used to all the poses, must’ve lost my balance,” Ava said. She gestured at her yoga pants and loose tank top, though now that she considered it, her clothes weren’t much different from her normal attire since coming to town.
Morgan snorted but didn’t interrupt.
“Glad to see you’re feeling better,” Owen said. He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry I had to leave before you woke up the other day. Had to get to the café.”
Ava sucked in a breath, heat creeping into her cheeks. She knew he was referring to the night she cried in his arms after receiving her dad’s ashes, but in front of Morgan, she worried it sounded far more salacious.
“It’s fine. You did more than enough. Really. Thanks for being there,” she said.
“Anytime,” he said. He reached out to tuck a strand of hair that’d fallen from her messy bun behind her ear. The graze of his fingers on her sensitive skin sent a shiver through her.
“I’ll catch you later, yeah?”
Ava nodded, and he gave her a smile that brought back Ava’s urge to kiss him.
“Great to meet you,” he said to Morgan. Without waiting for a response, he left them on the sidewalk and headed to talk to the men working on the Agatha Building.
Ava was so distracted staring at his muscled back and the way his jeans hung low on his hips, she didn’t even question why he was walking around the Agatha Building construction at all.
“So that’s Owen. I can see the appeal,” Morgan said.
Ava tore her gaze away to look at her friend. They linked arms again, and Ava pulled them across the street to the café.
“Yup, that’s him.”
Before reaching the entrance, Morgan pulled them to a stop, a serious expression on her face. Her dark brows slanted in concern as she looked at Ava. “You’re not thinking of getting back with him, right? Because something is happening there. I could’ve cut the tension with a butter knife.”
Ava scoffed. “No, of course not. There’s nothing between us.” The words burned in Ava’s throat.
Morgan stared at her for a long moment, analyzing the truth of Ava’s response.
“It’s in the past,” Ava said, unsure if the assurance was meant for Morgan or herself.