Chapter 28
The Date Night
Ava: It’s been a couple days, can we talk?
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Ava: I’m sorry I kept what happened between me and Owen from you. I never meant to hurt anyone. Can we talk about this?
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July 10
Ava: I’m trying to give you space, but I miss my best friend. Please text me back.
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Ava stared at the unanswered texts to Summer. Her heart sunk each time her messages were left unread. It'd been days since their fight and Summer had gone radio silent. She wasn't used to this strain between them.
She sighed and shoved the phone in her purse, grabbing a sweater on her way out of the bedroom. She stopped in front of the room Lucas and Noah shared, banging a fist on the closed door.
“Time to go,” she shouted.
A string of unflattering words and stomping feet drifted through the crack under the door.
Lucas wrenched the door open to scowl at her.
He would look handsome if it weren't for his frown.
His fitted, dark blue suit and cream shirt made him look every bit of the buttoned-up investment advisor he was.
Except for the missing tie. Instead, he left the top few buttons undone.
“Getting flirty with your undone buttons?” Ava teased him.
Lucas shook out his arms, taking his time to inspect the cufflinks. “I can still back out on this date. Don't push me,” he drawled.
“Come on, loosen up, Lucy. Now let's move. Don't want to be late for your date,” she said.
“I beg to differ,” he muttered.
They walked downstairs, passing Noah lounging on the old plaid couch with a book. He put the book down at the sound of the creaking steps under their feet, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Ready for your date?” Noah asked.
Lucas ignored him and continued to the kitchen.
“He's still annoyed,” Ava said. She slipped on her shoes by the door at the bottom of the steps.
Noah got up and walked in her direction. “He'll get over it. It's for the greater good, after all,” Noah said.
“Are we going or what, Dodo?” Lucas yelled from the kitchen.
Ava and Noah exchanged glances. She rolled her eyes and Noah pressed his lips together to hold in a laugh. If Lucas saw them making fun of him, he'd lose his mind even more than he already was.
Noah followed Ava to the front door. The absence of the loon’s yodel was noticeable.
“Have fun. And don't forget to use condoms tonight,” Noah said.
“Who are you talking to?” Ava asked. She was keeping Owen company while he had Tori’s son sleeping over with Avery. They were on babysitting duty tonight.
Noah looked between them and shrugged. “I don’t know. Both of you, I guess. Be safe, kids.”
At Lucas’ irritated huff, Ava jumped in the car before he left her behind. They drove in silence; the only sound was the crunch of gravel beneath the Subaru’s wheels. She tried not to fidget in her seat as they approached town. She settled for twiddling with the strap of her purse on her lap.
“You’re stressing me out,” Lucas said.
“Sorry,” she muttered. She stilled her hands. Then her leg started bouncing up and down.
“What’s going on with you? You’re not the one going on a blind date with some ball-buster woman Owen is scared of.”
“He’s not scared of Tori. He’s unavailable. Romantically.”
“And I’m romantically available?”
“You have to let this go. I’m not letting my boyfriend go on a date with some extorting bitch,” Ava said.
Lucas remained uncharacteristically quiet. Ava took a few calming breaths, startled by her racing heart. Just the thought of Owen on a date with some other woman had her seeing red.
“Boyfriend?” Lucas said.
She turned to look at him. The spicy scent of his cologne filled the car. Despite his reluctance to go on this date, she appreciated the effort he made in his appearance tonight.
“Huh?”
“You said boyfriend. I didn’t realize it was that serious between you and Owen.”
Her mind blanked. Did I call Owen my boyfriend? Do I want him to be? Her mind supplied the answer immediately. Yes, I do.
“Old habit. We’re taking it slow, getting Avery used to the idea,” she said in a rush.
“That’s why you’re so stressed. The kid,” Lucas said. His matter-of-fact tone grated on her nerves.
“The kid has a name. Avery,” Ava corrected.
“Right. And you’re worried about screwing things up with Avery,” Lucas said. “And if it doesn't work out with Avery, it won't work out with Owen. Therefore, this whole exercise in dating each other is moot.”
Ava opened her mouth to respond but then snapped it shut when she didn't know what to say. He wasn't wrong, and she'd rather pull her own teeth out than admit that.
“I know how your brain works, Dodo,” Lucas said.
“Stop calling me that.” She glared at him.
He ignored her.
They returned to silence as they drove around Cedar Lake and approached Owen's house. She stopped fidgeting, but her mind turned over Lucas’s words.
If Avery didn't like having her around, that would be the end of Ava and Owen for good. The prospect of losing Owen a second time sent a wave of panic through her. She'd already lost her dad, Summer had cut off contact with her, and she was barely speaking to Morgan after the stunt she’d pulled. She couldn’t stand the thought of losing anyone else.
Lucas pulled up to the curb in front of Owen's two-story house on Cedar Lake.
The wraparound porch and blue shutters painted a welcoming sight.
A bike lay on its side in the front yard and a trail of haphazardly kicked off shoes littered the ground outside the front door.
Standing in the middle of the driveway was a less welcome sight.
An uncomfortable Owen stood next to a cherry red SUV she assumed was Tori's.
“Alright, get out,” Lucas said in a flat tone.
“You're not going to get my door for me, like a gentleman? Not sure how your date will appreciate your lack of manners.”
“Good, then maybe the date will end quickly, and we can forget it ever happened.”
Ava got out of the car instead of responding.
She walked around to join Lucas, who was adjusting the sleeves of his shirt.
He never had a wrinkle out of place. With a resigned sigh, he straightened and gestured for Ava to walk ahead of him to their awaiting dates.
If you could call an evening of babysitting Avery and Tori’s son for the night, a date.
The bottoms of Lucas's shoes clicked crisply on the pavement. The door to the SUV opened when they were a few paces away, revealing Tori in a little black dress and sky-high stilettos. Even Ava could admit she looked hot.
She slammed the door shut and shook out her hair before giving Lucas a scrutinizing look. “This is him?”
Owen stepped forward to make introductions. “This is Ava and her brother, Lucas. He’ll be your date tonight. Ava and Lucas–this is Tori.”
Ava offered a small wave and tried her best not to shoot daggers at Tori.
She wasn’t sure she succeeded when Tori ignored her presence entirely and stepped in front of Lucas as if to inspect him.
Ava sidled next to Owen, who greeted her much more warmly with a smile and a quick kiss to her hair when he tucked her to his side.
She settled in to watch the show between Lucas and Tori, unsure how the two would get along.
“Should we get going, Tori? From what I understand, we have a statement to make.”
“You’ll do just fine for tonight,” Tori purred. “Let’s go.”
Lucas raised a single eyebrow and offered his arm. “Glad I can meet your expectations,” Lucas said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Tori took his arm, and he led her toward the Subaru.
“Don’t wait up,” she tossed over her shoulder as they walked away.
Lucas glanced back at Ava and Owen and rolled his eyes. Ava gave him a thumbs up and mouthed ‘good luck’, which resulted in a second eye roll before he turned around.
Ava and Owen watched them get in the Subaru and back out of the drive, waiting until they were out of sight.
“Now I can give you a proper hello,” Owen said.
He slid his hand from her shoulder to cup the side of Ava’s neck, pulling her into an all-consuming kiss. The pressure of his hand against her sensitive neck melted Ava on the inside. She returned his kiss, bunching his shirt in her hands, urging him even closer to her.
When they broke apart, they were both out of breath.
“So that went well,” Ava said.
“Every time we kiss goes well.”
Ava laughed at the offended look on his face. “Not that, Lucas and Tori.”
“Right. Already forgot about them,” Owen said. “Who knows, maybe they’ll hit it off.”
“Guess we’ll see.”
Owen guided them toward the house, and Ava’s stomach erupted with nerves. She hadn’t seen Avery since he went to camp, and the very real pressure of the situation hit her. This was her first time around Owen and Avery since they’d become more.
They walked into the house and were met with Avery and Zach’s laughter. The sound brought a smile to Ava’s face, and the riot of nerves calmed down to a simmer.
She followed Owen into the kitchen and hung back while he called out to the boys.
“Who wants pizza?”
Moments later, thundering footsteps came down the stairs. Avery appeared in the kitchen with Zach on his heels. The other kid took after Tori’s red hair, though several shades lighter.
“Hi, Ava!” Avery threw his arms around her in a hug when he saw her.
The unexpected affection caught her by surprise. She returned his hug and tried to ignore the slight pang in her heart that happened whenever regret caught up to her.
“Hey there, you loon.”
Avery released her and pointed to his friend. “This is my friend, Zach. He went to camp with me. Oh, did you get my postcard?” His words came out in an excited rush.
“I sure did. Stuck it on the refrigerator and everything,” she said.
Avery grinned at her and then jumped into voicing his preferred pizza topping with his dad and Zach. Ava took a seat on a stool at the island countertop and left the boys to figure things out.